judy ann..

before i stepped into Astro Farm Elementary School and Day Care, i had heard so much about "Judy Ann".. tricia, bong, remia, and serlu kept mentioning about "Judy Ann", so much so that i was so looking forward to seeing who this cutie was..

it was a long and bumpy ride to Astro Farm.. when we were approaching the school gate, many children were already waiting for us, and seeing our van, they all ran from the backyard to the classroom..

"there! judy ann!" bong was pointing out of the window.. but how could i identify which girl was it, when there were so many children running around.. haha..

but when this little girl with an oversized yellow dress walked into the classroom, i knew she was the "Judy Ann".. it was a bit weird, because all i could do was to stand there.. you know, i didn't know how to speak illongo, and i supposed a girl so young like her wouldn't understand much english..

then when she was quietly sitting at the door, eating the porridge we prepared, i squatted beside her, and just said, "hello, judy ann!".. she smiled at me, and muttered something that sounded like "what's your name?" in illongo..

"yuhui.." (pronounced as yoo-hwee, and that is what i'm known as in Bago.. haha)

then i was busy helping with giving out extra bread and taking pictures.. but everytime i passed by the door, we would smile at each other..

when it was time to leave, she would run to the backyard, waiting for the van to drive out of the gate, and waved at us..

i would always remember how she came running to me after receiving new toys and clothes, to give me a kiss on my cheek.. when will i be back to Astro Farm? i don't know.. but i still hold the hope of being back there again.. =)

so be happy, and healthy.. and i wish for many learning opportunities for you.. =)

bored..

i'm bored.. on the 2nd day of the new year, i spent the whole day playing computer games and eating.. arghh.. and i refuse to do anything related to schoolwork.. what a boring new year.. at least it was slightly better than last year, when i had to call for MacDonalds delivery for my meals.. haha..

my dad decided not to go into Malaysia, because of all the possible trouble that the custom officers may give.. and we would have to "lugi" some ang baos and oranges everytime we get our passports chopped.. i just don't understand.. these officers have no sense of righteousness whatsoever.. they will boldly demand ang baos and oranges from the drivers.. luckily we would always have some $1 ang baos ready.. haha.. but with so many recent incidents of people getting detained in Malaysia because of their passports not being chopped, we decided to play safe this year, and have some steamboat at our grandparents' house instead.. =)

but i miss the goreng pisang along the shophouse near po po's house.. that's the only thing i look forward to, when we visit her in johor.. =(

but anyway.. today was the charter anniversary of Bago!! the festival!! =D

yar, i know i've been saying this for umpteen times, but i really wish that i could be there!! it's kinda a pity, that despite being in Bago 3 times, i have never get to experience their very own festival.. arghh.. timing is always not right..

but i guess it will be a success anyway.. haha.. i wanna see pictures!! many colourful pictures!! =) thanks tricia, for receiving the award on my behalf.. i think i'll only get to see my plaque at the end of the year.. hehe..

sian.. tomorrow's the start of work.. gotta teach tuition.. really, what a boring new year..

new year eve..

i gave up getting new clothes for the new year.. after quite a number of futile rounds of shopping, i gave up.. all the shops are selling similar clothing, and they are all not my cup of tea.. arghh.. forget it manz..

and i was too lazy to get out of the house anyway.. so i did some spring-cleaning of my room instead.. spent almost 7 hours doing it.. got rid of some old stuff that i've been keeping for years (and i have no idea why i do that).. so... less rubbish, less dust in my room now.. haha..

so, wishing everybody a very happy chinese new year! good luck all year round, and money all year round!! hehe..

oh, and all the best to Bago, for the coming festival tomorrow and monday!! send me pictures ok?? =) miss you guys..

valentine's day..

"teacher, today is valentine's day leh.. can end tuition earlier?"

"you got a valentine meh?"

"no lar, but i think you got a valentine mah.."

"if i have one, i won't be sitting here, having my dinner with you on your tuition table.."

happy valentine's day to all the lovey-dovey couples out there, and happy friendship day to everyone!! =D

and what a great way to start the day, with a 8am lecture and a not-so-interesting lecturer.. arghh.. pleeeaase.. you won't get an explosion by mixing dilute hydrochloric acid with dilute sodium hydroxide.. but thanks to temogen, who woke me up with his v day message.. haha..

and then news of my friend's brother passing away came.. joseph, i hope that you are ok now.. you have always been a fatherly figure to me, i know you are strong.. and i hope that things are going ok for you.. =)

thanks biyun, the chocolates came just right in time.. hehe..

and i realised that i didn't really have time to sit down, relax, let my mind settle down, or even have a sip of juice (coffee is bad for a good sleep at night.. haha).. i was running places to places while in school, having tuition.. and my handphone kept beeping and reminding me of all the things i need to settle.. it has become another handy reminder alarm clock for me.. haha..

but thank god a piece of good news brought a nice end to the day.. i'm chosen to receive an award in Bago City!! whee!!! i don't expect to get rewarded, other than friendship and inspiration, for doing all the charity work.. but then, it's this coming sunday, and it's the first day of chinese new year.. i will get killed by my parents if i were to go.. awww.. how i wish i have a clone of me right now..

talking about new year, i have no time to do my new year shopping! arghh.. everyday is so packed, with days ending as late as 10pm.. how to shop? arghh..

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support my performance tomorrow! 7.30pm at marina square.. presenting to you some chinese new year music by NUSCO!! =)

support NUSCO annual concert!! 11 march 2007, sunday, 5pm at UCC.. =) get tickets from me!!

a fieldtrip and a night of cycling..

i can't walk anymore.. my feet are in a terrible state, with one new crack and the old ones deepened.. and my knees are sore.. *ouch* it really hurts.. sooner or later, i may need clutches, or a wheelchair..

putting that aside, the fieldtrip to Little India and the night cycling quest really took those frustrating things off my mind.. i was back to making silly jokes and nonsense for the day.. which was a good thing (i hope)..

and i happened to meet 2 sweet korean girls in Little India.. they are the same age as me, but they have been touring around countries.. sigh.. when will it be my turn?



and then the night cycling.. thank god there was no mishap this year.. =) only came back with some bruises and painful feet, knees and butts.. haha..



we like to make fun of our dear friend, ryan, for his small eyes.. haha..

with some regulations to follow, we had to wear helmets..



which the picture reminds me of this.. haha..



but anyway, the night cycling was quite a feat, knowing that we cycled for 33km (based on waipeng's speedometer) for almost 6 hours, with stops in between for good food.. heh.. we weren't so concerned about the points and the games, but we just wanted to have fun and explore around places.. but then hor, i really want to complain.. the clues for the various checkpoints were so lame! my goodness.. "7023 set in stone beside the lake house" actually means this..



and the "rosy orb on the head".. alamak.. but oh well, we did had fun.. over the lame clues.. haha..

but i really need some rest, for my feet at least.. and you will see me walking like some freak with 2 big bandages in school tomorrow..

happy day..

happy happy birthday to tricia and papa! =)

it is becoming a yearly thing, to call back to Bago on this day, other than to wish them, but also to get to talk to the rest of the people.. of course it would be impossible to speak to every single one of them, but at least i know i will hear many familiar voices.. =)

tricia and papa, don't worry, i'm fine here.. =) though i misses all of you, and i know you miss me too.. haha.. take care of yourselves.. tricia, hope that your cough will be gone forever.. and papa, i wish you the best of health, and i'll bring you more food (and potato chips.. hehe) the next time.. =)

and tricia, go get a date soon.. remember that i told you that you will get married in a few years' time? haha..



i really miss the mornings that i sat outside of the house with papa.. sometimes we just kept quiet (i think i was just stone-ing, or my mind was flying around) but i like papa's company.. i like the way he called out to the "Ta-ho" man and bought me the beancurd.. =) and with him around, i would have to eat whatever he asked me to.. haha..

and ton-ton refused to sing "hawak kamay" to me.. boohoo..

moments ago, i received temogen's texts.. good to hear from him.. i miss all the nice chats with him.. i look up to him as my elder brother, and i always learn something from him.. =) kaibigan ko, ok lang ako, at masaya din.. sana, makita kita muli, siguro sa Bago, o siguro sa Singapore dito!! hehe.. miss kita! =) hope that your wishes will come true, and i'm sure they will.. dahil maniwala ko na siyempre mangyari ang wishes mo.. =) haha.. i hope i phrase it right..

i miss all of you!!!! muacks muacks muacks!!

endangered species..

i now truly believe that i'm an endangered species.. =D.. after today's first tutorial for psychology, i truly do.. haha..

well, it is always believed that people see and process faces with the right hemisphere of their brains.. i.e. they tend to notice and see the left side of the faces and process the information with the right hemisphere of the brain..

but today's test proved that i don't do it that way.. as in my brain doesn't choose to do it that way.. haha.. or rather, i don't purposely control it.. haha.. i broke the record, out of 36 photos, none of them i process the left side of the faces.. that means, i process the right side of all the faces, and which means, i work with my left hemisphere of the brain.. haha.. even my tutor was doubting me, and thought that i was dozing off during the lesson.. haha..

so, i'm truly an endangered species! haha.. so i should be protected! wahaha..

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

my secondary school's classmate is leaving for Denmark for an exchange programme.. and over dinner i was hearing so many plans of friends going to places, travelling around the world for holiday, for studying..

where am i? where will i head to? what kind of path that my future will lead me to?

monday blues..

i think i will oversleep on every monday, and i think i will need to take a cab to school every monday.. who likes to have lessons at 8am, on monday?? arghh.. and it's 8am to 6pm every monday.. 10 freaking long hours.. my goodness..

one of my favourite lecturers, Prof. Benito Tan, is one of my lecturers for this semester! yeahhey.. although he will only be guest-lecturing for a few lectures, but i think it's good enough, at least i know it's not some other sucky lecturers.. haha.. and his philippino accent.. ooohh.. reminded me of my dear friends in the lovely city of Bago.. haha.. his "actually", "back", "rank" and my favourite - "fungus" (he pronounced it as "foong-goose").. haha..

but i don't like my TA.. serious, i really don't like him.. he doesn't understand what we are trying to say, and same goes for us.. we don't understand his questions, and he doesn't understand our answers.. and he likes to drag the lesson, and talks non-stop.. he can only understand our answers if we phrase them in his words.. and i mean, word-for-word.. arghh.. i can't imagine i'll have to see him for the next few practicals.. arghh.. what happened to all the other good TAs? why is my good TA from the last semester not teaching us this semester?? why???

new pyjamas for my tofu..

my big tofu is going to sleep in his new pyjamas.. =D



isn't he cute? haha.. although his legs are kinda short, and the arms too.. haha.. but his legs are still swollen.. haha.. but i'll make him do some leg exercises.. wahaha..

random..

finally i decided to throw away my notes from my JC days.. haha.. don't laugh, i always thought that those notes will come in handy anytime (and they did, during my first year in university).. haha.. but now, when i'm settled with the thought of graduating this semester, these notes seem to be just occupying space and collecting dust in my room.. so i've decided to dump them, though not everything.. haha.. so as to make way for more notes for this semester.. haha..

and while clearing up my shelves, i saw the book containing messages from teachers and students, which was given to us during our prom at the end of our JC years.. i almost forgot that this book exists.. hmm.. 2 years in JC is too short to make it memorable enough.. and friends come and go, and most of my classmates i have not been in contact with for quite a long time, and sometimes i wonder where have these people gone to.. sigh..

anyway, another little story from philippines..

as i've mentioned, i travelled out of the island of Negros to Cebu and Bohol.. my main objective to Bohol was to visit NUSCO sponsored child, Jen Melfe, and hopefully to visit the famous Chocolate Hills and the tarsiers in Bohol..

Jen Melfe is a shy little 9 year old girl.. her family is poor, and they have to support 4 young children.. when i visited her, she was having fever, so i guessed she wasn't that active as i would expect her to be..

although we didn't get to talk a lot due to language barriers and her being sick, i felt something whenever i held her hand.. it felt different from the feelings when i hold the hands of other children.. i couldn't describe, but perhaps her skinny hand made me feel that there should be more things to be done, to help these children.. even with monthly contributions, it would still require much more effort to change the lives of these children..

bringing her to Jolly-Bee was something new to her.. that was her first time going into a fast food restaurant.. at 9 year old, that was her first time eating in a fast food restaurant.. how old were you, when u had your first meal in MacDonalds or any other fast food restaurant? 1 year old? 2 year old?

and she didn't eat a lot.. only a few bites of the spagetti.. she asked me if she could have an ice-cream.. i would very much loved to buy her one, but she was running a fever.. and i told her, "next time ok? when you are not sick.. when you recover.." and i hope there would be a next time..

initially i planned to bring her around the city, or maybe perhaps shopping for a christmas gift for her.. but she was not feeling well, so after lunch i let her return home, and i continued to tour around the little island of Bohol..

with only a few hours stay on the island, it was impossible for me to visit the Chocolate Hills, but at least i managed to see those cute little tarsiers, close-up!



they are smaller than the size of my palm, and with their big eyes staring at you, you would really love to get one to bring it home.. haha.. aren't they adorable? haha..



too bad they are endangered (or so i thought).. but i was only there for about half an hour or so, and i had to return to the port to take a ferry back to Cebu.. so much for travelling 2 hours to-and-fro just to see the tarsiers..

oh well, the next time, i want my Chocolate Hills!! =D

rain..

rainy nights tend to make me think a lot.. more than usual.. haa.. a quiet journey from school back home can be something challenging for my mind, because my mind can fly to a faraway place..



listening to "Hawak Kamay" brought me back to Bago City.. it means "to hold hands together".. and i really wish i could do that right now.. and this song made me remember the last morning i sat outside the house with papa, and ton-ton came singing this song and made me cry.. aww..

and coming home, to know that my previous lecturer had passed away due to a sudden heart attack.. he was one of my favourite lecturers, whom i truly admire.. i liked the way he made the lessons interesting and funny with his jokes and his weird laughter.. it's really a pity, and if given an opportunity, i would very much love to take one of his modules again..

sigh.. rainy night..

busy..

there goes my reputation as a responsible tutor.. arghh.. blame the agent, i did not agree to the new assignment, but she told the parents that i would be there.. and it so happened that they are the neighours of my kids.. and my kids' mum called to ask me what happened.. -_-""

but still, it's the agent's fault! how could she tell the parents that i accepted the assignment when i didn't agree to anything?? worse still, i was not given any contact number or address, so where am i suppose to go to teach?? arghh..

oh well, i may not have time for the new student anyway.. haha..

and i've got a part-time job, working in CFA, doing those nitty gritty things like tearing labels and removing plastic covers from books.. it's ok to be paid for doing brainless jobs.. because i need my brain cells for other things.. haha..

anyway, a little story from Bago City.. =)



this was taken during the christmas party (19 Dec 2006) at Astro Farm Day Care and Elementary School.. we were playing games with the kids, and in this game, they had to form the longest line with whatever they have on them..

because they only had simple clothing on them, all they could use were their shoes and their clothes.. even if the prizes were only candies and simple toys, they wanted them so much, because they were really that attractive to them.. they wanted to win so much, that the boys took off all their clothes, including their undies.. even the girls were half-naked.. but of course the boys' team won.. =)

and all of us really had a good time, laughing and playing along with them.. =) another interesting fact about this photo, it became 2nd most viewed photo (54 views!!) after only 3 days of uploading it to flickr.. haha.. and you are going to wonder what is the most viewed photo.. haha..

and hello to everyone in Bago!! =) i miss all of you, i really do.. hope everybody's doing fine there.. and like what tricia said, i should be back, to make everybody happy, especially papa.. haha.. don't worry, i've been thinking about my next trip already.. hopefully it will happen.. *cross my fingers* so pray for me too!! love you guys!! =)

first day back to school..

damn.. first day of school, 8am lesson.. i almost overslept.. because i didn't hear the chickens.. haha.. tricia and papa will know what i mean.. when i was there, i woke up at around 6am everyday.. almost no fail.. haha.. and i always told them that "the chickens are working very hard".. haha..

but next week onwards, every monday is going to be a 8-to-6 day.. 8am to 6pm.. arghh.. monday blues!! but thanks goodness tuesday is my free day, and the rest of the days are short days.. but i don't think it will not be a free day anymore, after i put in all my slots for the kids' tuition.. in another words, i may be working almost 7 days a week.. sheesh.. and i have already started tuitioning the kids yesterday.. no time to rest.. haha..

anyway, i've already uploaded the photos from my Bago trip to flickr.. so just click on the icon to view them.. =) perhaps i will select some, and post it here, because every photo has its own story to tell.. =)

once again, thanks to all my friends who have made the big tofu for me.. =) i had a good time hugging it to sleep.. hehe..

thank you all for the big plush toy!

thank you all, so much.. for the big plush toy!! it was really a nice surprise.. =) now i'll have something nice to hug at night.. =) maybe that's why my mum threw away my smelly pillow while i was away in philippines.. although i really miss it right now, and i couldn't sleep well last night.. i should have brought it with me to philippines.. damn..

bigger than my bolster.. =D.. the small one is the original version, but the big one is handmade.. wooh~~

and it's big enough to take the driver's seat.. haha..

anyway, thank you all so much.. i know there are many people involved in this, different people sewing different parts of the plush toy.. thank you so so much.. =)

i've yet to give a name for it.. tentatively it's "big tofu", since i called the small one "tofu prince".. haha..

now it's back to my usual life, back to orchestra practice.. thankful to have friends that care for me even when i'm away.. somehow the transition period after coming back from Bago seems to be better than the previous times.. =)

anyway, bago pictures to be posted in a couple of days, after i'm done with all other nitty gritty stuff, like packing all the pasalubongs and settling the school's timetable.. =)

back from my second home..

i'm back, from my second home.. =)

coming back, was again, something hard to do.. saying goodbyes, and all the cryings.. haha.. but i think i cried less.. at least i didn't cry when i entered the boarding gate.. =)

this time round, although the transit was more convenient, without having to claim my luggage at the domestic airport and moving out of the airport.. but i still made a booboo.. my passport was not chopped, so i had to get out of the boarding gate and requeue for all procedures again.. and the people there all thought i was a filipina when i spoke tagalog.. haha.. and i surprised them by showing my passport.. haha..

and the customs at changi airport is so self-service now.. scanning my own passport and thumbprint.. and that's it.. haha..

but anyway, a sincere and heartfelt thanks to everybody in Bago City.. TRY, the Matti family and relatives, the Mondia, Singson and Torres family and their big family, the HRMO staff, joenil and family, and everyone else in the neighbourhood, in the schools, and people i've met.. thank you all so much, for giving me such a wonderful time and memories.. =) thank you, for being so nice to me, helping me, giving me treats, allowing all my requests.. hehe..

but please, the next time i fall sick, no need to make a fuss out of it.. i can take care of myself.. hahaha.. =D

i'll remember all the good time i have spent there, the ice-box cake, my specially-prepared mashed potatoes, the jokes and the new words i've learnt.. =) and also our theme song, hawak kamay.. =) i'll make ton-ton sing that to me again.. haha..

and sorry, for any inconvenience caused due to my requests, for any unintentional silly jokes i've made, and whatever trouble i have given.. =)

i'll remember tricia's two words, "Be Back".. and papa's words too.. and everybody's.. and i'll be back *hopefully so*.. =)

so for now, i'll miss all of you.. we are just a text away, and there's always emails, calls, and my blog! =) love all of you, miss all of you, and i'll be back.. *hopefully*.. =)

big update..

sorry for the no-post.. haha.. due to me travelling around islands, and the poor internet connection..

anyway, christmas was fun, so was the new year.. firecrackers bombing around the town, non-stop.. haha..

the mission to Bohol was completed, after meeting up with NUSCO's sponsored child, Jen Melfe.. =) and bringing her and her family to a meal in JollyBee.. and it was her first time eating fast food in her 9 years.. although she was quiet most of the time (she was running a fever then), but still i could sensed that she was happy, or at least i hope.. haha..

and i also got to see the cute little Tarsiers in Bohol.. hehe.. but too bad, no chocolate hills this time, due to the rushed schedule.. haha..

so, at least for now, i have been out of Negros Occidental, to Bohol and Cebu.. wahaha.. but the trip back was horrible.. 5 hours of waiting at the bus terminal, and more than 8 hours of bus ride.. and that caused me to have a bad cough.. arghh.. sadly to say, i'm still coughing..

christmas spent with the Mondia family was good.. =) and new year with the Matti family was good too.. food, food, food.. eat, eat, eat.. haha..

so, tentatively, i have more or less done with my mission, except for some stuff to be distributed by them when the school reopens.. i'll leave it to TRY to settle it.. =)

and i still have 2 days left here in Bago.. of course i'm sad to leave, but i'll still have to go.. i'll miss this place..

christmas parties..

yesterday's christmas party at A.M. Espinos Elementary School was overwhelming.. and indeed, i had fun.. =)

the children were so excited about the party, that they were already sitted under the hot sun when we arrived.. and seeing upon all of us wearing red santa hats, they were estatic..

we watched the children's performances, played games, sang songs, danced to the currently-popular "Boom Tarat" song.. and we also prepared spagetti, bread and juice for the 250 students in the school..

the later part of the programme was about giving and receiving.. it feels good to see smiles on their faces when they received the stationery, toys and clothes from us.. at some time, i had to give out little toys to children randomly, and when all of them came crowding around me, i couldn't move at all..

the most touching part was when the whole school sang a "Thank you" song.. i have never heard people singing a song with lyrics filled with thanks, and they sang it with their heart.. manz.. indescribable..

today will be another christmas party for another elementary school, which the condition is worse than the previous one.. i don't know what to expect, but i know, i will see smiles.. =)

update..

ok.. another short update..

went to 2 schools, Ramon-Torres Malingin National High School and Ramon-Torres Taloc National High School to distribute things to the top 10 students of each level and Ms Teen TRY candidates..

ok lar, they are grateful, they appreciate, and i am happy too.. =)

next week i will be having 2 christmas parties for 2 elementary schools, and then i will distribute the rest, including the toys and stationery.. more kids.. =)

schedule for the day..

ahh.. back from lunch break.. =)

this morning was going to place after place..

1st stop: Astro Farm Elementary School
we were there for TRY's feeding program.. around 50 kids are part of this program, where they will be provided with food, bread and juice.. this little girl, whom we named her Judy Ann (after a very popular actress here in Philippines) lost one of her parents, and she is part of the program.. and she's soo cute!! haha.. the road to Astro Farm is super bumpy.. we past by a "forest of sugarcane", and sometimes i saw no roads ahead of us... =X.. at one point, the driver and Nonoy had to get out of the van to check the depth of the mudpool, just in case the van gets stuck in it.. haha..

2nd stop: Ma-ao Sugar Central High School
we distributed the sponsored notepads and pens to the top 10 students from each level, and files for the top student of each level.. the candidate for Ms Teen TRY also received a package of 1 file, 4 notepads and pens.. hopefully these items will serve as a form of inspiration and motivation to study hard.. =)

3rd stop: Ma-ao Lousiana High School
went there to give a package to a candidate for Ms Teen TRY too..

4th stop: Sagasa High School
the same goes to this high school, distributing the same thing as the Ma-ao Sugar Central High School..

later in the afternoon, more places to go to.. Malignin, Dulao and Taloc.. busy day... =)

oh, i will be going to Bohol to visit NUSCO's sponsored child! yeahhey!! =)

in Bago!!

hello everyone!! =) i'm here again in tricia's office.. using my 'boyfriend' computer.. wahahah..

anyway, the flights here were ok, except for a little turbulence.. and the settling of air tickets in the new terminal of the Ninoy Aquino Airport was kinda messy.. and the plane, as usual, was delayed.. but i survived.. haha..

but it was kinda disappointing, when clara couldn't come with me.. well, parents are parents afterall.. with the news of terrorist attacks and the typhoons, i understand.. oh well, i can survive anyway, knowing that i have so many friends here.. hehe..

the weather here wasn't good either.. there was a typhoon, but it was Signal 1, so it was only non-stop heavy rain.. so don't worry.. =) and now the sun is out!! i can play under the sun!! woohoo!

some updates from here.. everyone here is well and good.. joseph looks thinner now, so is Bong.. haha.. temogen is away in Manila, but will be back for christmas.. hehe.. ryan's wife is 5 months pregnant!! =D and princess has a new baby boy!! =D papa's health is getting better too.. and joenil was shocked to see me!! haha.. 'cos tricia purposely didn't tell him about my trip.. haha.. in general, everybody is doing well lar.. hahaha..

this 2 weeks i will be kept busy with all the TRY's activities, but i will still try to find time to come to the office to use the computer.. =)

ok, that's all for now! will try to come online often.. happy early merry christmas, and tata~ =)

flying soon..

ok, bags are all packed (finally.. after hours of dilly-dally-ing).. haha.. every year it seems like i am going with more and more bags.. cannot blame lar, so many people, so many presents.. =D

a whole new journey is about to begin, with a friend to share my joy, experience, and of course, workload.. haha.. i hope that this trip is the best, and perhaps the next trip an even better one.. haha..

but i am a bit disappointed, because my plans for visiting my sponsored child may not come true.. problems cropped up at the last minute.. sigh.. will see how when i'm there..

meanwhile, if you guys need to contact me, i can still be reached at the same number, or email (though replies will be a few days delayed)..

ok, a happy merry early christmas to all, while i wait for a few more hours to my flight.. =) take care all!

~ i'm leaving on a jetplane, don't know when i'll be back again, oh babe, i hate to go~

one more day..

ahh.. one more day.. =)

sorry for the lack of updates recently, despite the end of those horrible papers.. hehe.. i was busy preparing things for my trip lar.. and my spending powers came into play.. haha..

although this time round, things are a bit rushed, but at least they are much more smoothly carried out, compared to last year.. i am more prepared this year, more plannings done, though i am more ambitious too.. but at least i have achieved it.. =)

this may be the last time i am doing this.. i don't know if i will get a chance to do it again.. i don't know what i will do after i graduate, and i really don't know if i will have the time to be away for a long time.. so now, i tell myself, make this trip the best, and the most rewarding one.. =)

to all friends who have been showing support, helping me with my donation drive, a very BIG thank you.. and i will see all of you next year.. =)

new toy!

yeahhey! i have a new toy, a new baby!! hahah.. a brand new camera!! whoosh~

if not for the spoilt old one, i could have saved up a little bit of money.. the old one was only 2 years old.. so young, and it died.. sigh.. and the specs were not that good anyway, and i don't know why i bought that in the first place.. haha.. besides the repair was supposed to cost me at least $200.. i might as well buy a new one.. haha..

so i'm going to play around with this new toy, but of course, taking good care of it, at least try to reduce the number of scratches, the chances of dropping it onto the floor, and lengthen its life span.. haha..

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one last paper to go!! in fact, one last horrible paper to go.. i'm praying that prof ip is not going to kill us all (but i think he is).. good luck to all, especially those who are still in the midst of their exams!!

5 more days to Bago City! =D

bad night..

i didn't sleep well last night.. not because of the exams.. exams are not of a high importance in my life anyway..

i was yawning so heavily, but somehow i was tossing and turning.. my mind was in a whirl.. but i couldn't pinpoint to any particular thing going through my mind then..

then i had a weird dream.. it was like, a flashback of the past year.. i saw my friends in philippines, i saw my tuition kids, and i saw what i did for this past year..

and now i realise, time really flies.. now the year is coming to an end, and i'm flying off next fri.. isn't that fast? i still thought of my trip last year, and now i'm going back again.. haha.. and listening to x'mas songs on radio or on the streets will make me feel that i'm in philippines for a moment.. coming to think of it, this will be the 3rd year consecutively spending x'mas in philippines.. =)

now i hear christmas songs again.. x'mas is in the air!

Goong..

i want the human plush toy in Goong~~~ the white human toy with the pictures at the head.. aww~~

but there's a website that sells it at a freaking $500.. siao.. can someone make it for me? haha..

and remarkably, i finished the entire set of vcd within a week.. haha.. hmm.. "obsessed" is not a good word.. i would say it's for de-stress.. hahaha.. full of excuses.. =P

a world of princes and princesses, filled with dramatic love stories.. something that is unreachable, for most of us.. that's why the show is so successful, especially in making people like me cry.. oops.. but it's also funny.. =) i find the granny cute!! haha..

alas, i feel that the ending is not beautiful enough.. why are there still lonely people in the end?? why the other prince had to leave the palace.. boohoo..

but anyway, don't you find the bears cute?? with costumes somemore.. aww.. but still, the human plush toy is cuter.. hahah..

happy birthday..

thank you all, so so much, for making this day a beautiful one.. =)

thanks for all the birthday messages, SMSes.. and of course, the beautiful surprise - a new email account filled with birthday greetings.. =) it indeed has made the first few moments of my birthday an unexpectingly wonderful one.. haha.. thanks to those who have sent emails to this special email account, and left me shocked, jaws wide open, and murmuring "oh my goodness" for near half hour..

maraming selamat sa mga kaibigan sa Bago.. =) thank you my dear friends, for remembering.. and hey! i will see all of you real real soon!! =) less than a month!! yeahhey!! =D

and happy birthday to nay bambie! despite being miles away, we share the same birthday! =D thank you for being my foster mum in Bago.. =) miss ya!!

birthdays are just another day of our lives.. you don't need a special occasion just to remember your friends, you don't need a special occasion to give them gifts.. and 21st birthday doesn't make it any special from the other birthdays either.. we are all still learning, from the many setbacks and the mistakes that we may make, and those that may come by throughout our lives..

so, let us be better people, be good to ourselves and to people around us.. and also be blessed with happiness and success in everything we do..

fill your life with dreams and smiles =) --- yuhui

good news..

2 good news!! =D

all my 4 boxes are sealed up, ready to be shipped out!! hehe.. a very very BIG thank you to all, who have helped me, donated your stuff, beared with all my rantings and complaints.. without you guys, it wouldn't be possible for me to fill up my boxes.. =)

and my first batch of the boxes have arrived in Bago City!! all intact, sealed, unopened.. hehe.. now i just hope that the computer inside the box is fine as well.. =)

so far so good, isn't it? haha.. let's hope that this batch of boxes will go well too.. so that i won't need to worry too much.. haha..

a long day..

today was all about packing and sorting and carrying and counting and packing..

early in the morning, i was at Salvation Army at Serangoon (somewhere far away) with clara and biyun to collect some old items for my philippines trip..



the place hasn't change a single bit.. the last time i was there it was in 2004.. it was like a huge rubbish dump, the place looked so old and things were all around, full of dust.. today, after 2 years, it still looks the same to me.. haha.. and all the staff are busy with their work for the christmas season..

we were led into this area with boxes everywhere (and dust everywhere too) and we were a bit lost, didn't know where to start from..



box by box, we opened them and and picked out those boxes that we want..



and many times we were undecided of how many things to take.. we wanted to take all the things that are useful, but i only had that little space in my boxes.. in the end we took about 4 boxes of clothes and blankets.. and the blankets are from SIA (Singapore Airlines)!! woah!!



while waiting for clara's dad to return, we stoned, and entertained ourselves with silly stuff.. which i can't remember.. =X



back at my house, we took hours to count the stuff, sort them and repack them into the boxes.. and i fell asleep on the sofa when i wanted to finish the packing and sealing of the boxes..

waking up 2 hours later, and after some loitering around the house, i got back to what i was supposed to do, and finished all the sealing up of the boxes at 8pm..

what a long day manz.. i have 1 last box, which optimistically i will fill it up by tomorrow.. =) then i can ship them out!!! yeah!! thanks to Salvation Army (i need to do a report for them =X) and to biyun and clara's dad..

time to get back to real work.. damn the lab report..

long working weekend..

it's a sunday, but i'm tutoring for 8 hours.. from 8.30 am... wahhhh... and yesterday i had to wake up early too, to make my way down to Sengkang (the other side of the earth) to collect toys from a kind-hearted man.. now i need sleep...

but many thanks to this kind-hearted man and his family, for giving me so many toys.. too bad my box is too small for the children's table that he wanted to give.. but still, many many thanks.. and to biyun too, for helping me carrying all the toys back to my house.. =)

and for the first time, i received my first birthday present so many days ahead.. haha.. thanks auntie! it's not even November.. haha.. and people, please please please don't get me any Sudoku books.. so silly!! haha.. i can play the game online for free you know.. =P

ahhh.. time to rest my eyes..

i'm the Sudoku queen..

yeahhey!! i won! i won!! =) i won the Sudoku competition!! hehe.. although there were only 20-odd participants, but i still came in first!! FIRST!! wahaha.. and they were all so amazed that i could finish all puzzles.. *smirks*

but i thought i would get some big prize (think big money).. but only got vouchers.. aiya.. small competition, can't expect much.. at least the vouchers give me the excuse to go shopping and have a hearty meal.. hehe..

anyway i went to take the vaccine for chicken pox today.. don't laugh.. so old already still haven't got chicken pox before.. (>_<) it always seems to me that chicken pox attacks kids.. and i've survived 20 years without getting it.. and i'm not going to allow myself to get it.. so i went to take the vaccine.. but very expensive.. $65 for a jab, and i need 2 doses.. -_-""

never mind, i'm in a happy mood.. call me the Sudoku queen!!! haha..

jobs..

i'm troubled, by an assignment.. most of my assignments only require superficial brainwork, and i will be fine from all the brain damage after submitting them..

but this one.. i need to write a job resume for submission.. and it has got to be a real job offering.. i searched the newspaper and some online sites for one, that i would probably want to do when i graduate.. but i realise, that there is nothing out there that interest me..

i saw one offering by WorldVision asia regional office, for their regional humanitarian work.. it could be one kind of job i would wish to do, but then i was disheartened by the requirements that i would need to have..

flipping through the thick stack of newspaper, yet there are none that i want.. and many jobs need "at least a good honours degree" and "with years of experience".. hell, how am i going to get a job when i graduate..

back to the assignment.. i could have just choose any jobs and do the resume and submit it.. but i don't want to.. this is a prelude to a real-life crisis manz.. and what if i need to get my tutor to write a reference letter for my real job application?

oh man, life sucks..

lack of sleep..

the last time i didn't sleep for a night, was during my preparation for exams last semester.. that was about 5 months ago.. now the vicious cycle is coming back.. and i couldn't take it.. >_<"" i was rushing one stoopid lab report last night, and i didn't catch a wink.. and i felt so terrible in school.. wanted to sleep, but yet had to force myself to keep awake.. worse still, today's lessons were from 10am to 6pm.. non-stop.. no proper time to rest, no proper meal.. i could only get 10 minutes of sleep during the break of Prof Ip's lecture.. oh man, that was so pathetic..

and the rest of October is going to be a killer.. more reports, more assignments, more tests, and my kids' exams too.. arghhhhh..

enough of ranting..

everytime when people scold somebody else "cuckoo bird", it means that poor person is stupid.. but do you know that cuckoo birds are actually a smart bunch of birds? they practise something called "boot parasitism", where the mother cuckoo bird will replace her eggs in some other birds' nests, and let some other birds to take care and feed her babies together with theirs..

now, the smart thing is, when the baby cuckoo bird is hatched from the egg, it will push the other birds' unhatched eggs out of the nest!!! wah!! get rid of competitors in this way.. smart right??

so now you know, cuckoo birds are not stupid.. and never use "cuckoo bird" to scold people stupid.. haha..

mid-autumn festival..

happy mid-autumn festival!! =)



what a great way to start the day, with 3 hours of sleep, non-stop lessons from 10am to 6pm, a test which i think i fared badly, and long, tedious lab assays.. and to end the day with another tuition..

at least i got to eat a small piece of mooncake.. and tomorrow, i will chomp down more of them.. =D

it used to be quite eventful during the festival when i was a kid.. i remembered, there were big family gatherings, where all the kids came together.. i even remembered once we all went to the Chinese Garden to see all the lantern displays..

there were even activities organised by the community centre, and all the neighbourhood kids came together to play.. walking around the neighbourhood with our paper lanterns lit up, and then to burn them up.. haha..

children nowadays are luckier.. now they can have fanciful lanterns with mickey mouse, winnie the pooh on it, or those battery-operated lanterns with music and lights.. what we used to have were those plain and old-fashioned cheapo lanterns.. X)

but as we grow old, we tend to forget, and reminisce about those simple, happy things that we did when we were kids..

what i'm trying to say is, there are many things out there that will tie us down, but there are other things, simple ones, that are just as important.. =) would you rather be happy, or get stressed over things like results? haha.. sounds like the nonchalant me, when it comes to studies.. haha.. =D

now i wish i could play with lanterns for a little while during the weekend.. but i have my practice, projects, reports and the packing.. =(

but even if i could, i won't be burning the lanterns.. i'm not going to worsen the haze condition here.. i can't even see the factories' lights behind the reservoir!!

homemade mooncakes..

i woke up in the late morning, to hear knockings and hammerings in the house.. i thought my dad was doing some repairing or sorts.. with my eyes still half-closed, i walked out of the room, and into the kitchen... ... ...

oooh~~ my dad is making mooncakes!! hahah.. a yearly activity for him.. haha.. and of course he has been through many times of experiments and failures to master the "art" of making mooncakes.. haha..



drooling yet? =D

thank you..

ok, 2 boxes have been filled up.. now 2 more big boxes and 2 smaller boxes left.. =X and they are so so so heavy than it would require an elephant to move it.. =X

and i'm left with no more space in my house to put the boxes.. =X

but still, a very big thank you to all those who have been such a great help, in whatever ways i can think of.. =) all i hope for is to make this coming trip a more successful and more meaningful one..

but i'm getting more and more blur and forgetful as days pass by.. so please god, give me more time.. 24 hours a day are not enough.. i need more.. =(

performance at esplanade..

today's performance at esplanade was alright, of course with glitches here and there.. but what made it interesting was, there was a dedication from an audience (an auntie) requesting us to play "Peng You" by Emil Chau (Zhou Hua Jian).. haha.. of course we couldn't entertain her lar.. we are not that professtional to be able to play a song on the spot without any score sheets.. haha..

and of all parts of the performance, i think i enjoyed the interaction the most.. =) i always like to interact with people of different countries or cultures.. oh erm, maybe not always, but sometimes.. anyway, it's good to talk to people of different cultures, to share with them our cultures, and to learn theirs.. i think it's fun to talk with the ang mohs.. haha..

not in a good condition..

i think it's time for me to take a short break, or maybe treat myself to some peace and good chocolates.. i don't know if i'm stressed out, getting caught up with tons of things, because i think i'm immune to realise that..

i was sick a few days ago, and i've been so forgetful these few days, that i can leave the house without my handphone.. and almost without my wallet and ezlink card.. wert.. and i almost mess up my labwork's readings..

and today's performance at the Esplanade was ermm... no comments.. mistakes, creaky sounds, off-tune.. and all will be repeated next week =(..but still, thanks kathy, for your encouragement, and the rest for being there to listen to our performance..

and nanay bambie, your surprising email managed to uplift my mood.. =) this is the first time you sent an email to me.. haha.. usually the news and good wishes start spreading through patrice or other people.. and yes i will see you in december in Bago, i will make everybody practise their english, and i will practise my bato-bato ilonggo and tagalog.. =)

for the next week, things are going to be in havoc.. boxes coming in, collection of items, more labwork, more tuition, and 1 more performance..

manz.. i think i really need some chocolates..

a dear friend leaving..

i just came back from the airport, after sending my dear-friend-little-tiger-princess-sarah huijie off.. going London to pursue her dreams in arts, it's hard to reach out for the stars, but she has the faith, and i have faith in her too.. =)

i have a few friends who are overseas studying.. and i only had that "oh, so good, he/she is studying in australia, USA etc.." kind of feeling..

but for huijie, it was different..

for many moments her leaving reminded me of the ups and downs of our Bago trip in 2004, and of course mine in 2005..

she has been quite an impact in my life.. she was just 17 when she joined us for our expedition trip to Bago.. a 17 year old girl with a bunch of university students, and she is much stronger and more courageous than many of us.. her strengths, her beliefs, her passion, her faith have made me looked back on myself.. how childish, naive, aimless i was (and i still am)..

we share the love for chocolates and cheese, and we will always find time (or excuses) to meet up and enjoy chocolates or cheese or ice-creams.. =)

huijie, go on, and fight to make your dreams come true.. you are a star, a special one, and go on and find the real star that truly belongs to you.. i know you are strong, so keep on carrying the spirit, and don't ever think of giving it up! your dearest friends here in Singapore and also in Bago are always here for you.. =)

miss you gal..

sick, but not down..

i am hit by the sickness bug again.. ok, at least i managed to tame down the fever fast enough.. but i'm still getting giddy spells, having sore throat, and feeling the cold.. doesn't sound too bad right.. haha.. blame it on the weather!! it was so damn hot the other day, and then it poured so heavily on the next.. arghh..

putting that aside, i should be glad that things are going relatively smoothly, at least for the sponsors' side.. =) hopefully things will be this good for the next few months.. haha.. and i'm kinda relieved, able to see my air tickets 3 months before my trip.. wahaha.. a sense of assurance.. =)

and i can't stress this enough.. OLD CLOTHES, BOOKS AND TOYS FOR THE CHILDREN!!! =D thanks to all who have been supportive and helping me along, and having to tolerate my rantings.. haha..

happy early teachers' day!

haha.. for the first time in my going-3-years of teaching tuition, i've got teacher's day presents!! not one, but two (!!) presents!! =P haha.. but i think i can only laugh it off, because firstly, you can't expect much from primary school kids (either too kiddish, or most probably the mum bought the presents.. haha) and secondly, they are all in pink!!! ahhhhh.. you know i don't like pink.. both presents are pink, and even the wrapping paper is pink.. my god.. oh well, it's the thought that counts hor? i should be glad that i still get to have presents for teachers' day.. wahaha..

anyway, i've booked and paid for my air tickets already.. so it's confirmed.. there's no turning back.. as if i would.. haha.. at least i need not worry anymore about price inflation of the tickets when the holidays get near.. =D

and more good news.. one sponsor agreed to help me ship more boxes to Bago City.. yeahhey.. so more stuff for the children!! =D

i hope good news never stop... hehe..

so here i go again.. I NEED YOUR OLD CLOTHES, TOYS AND BOOKS FOR THE CHILDREN!! ADULT CLOTHES ARE WELCOME (THE SMALLER THE SIZES, THE BETTER..) BUT PRIORITY GIVEN TO STUFF FOR THE CHILDREN.. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT ME.. LEAVE A TAG, EMAIL, CALL, SMS ETC.. AND I WILL SURELY GET BACK TO YOU!!! THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH!!! =D

childhood..

i think today people had a good laugh about me falling asleep during today's yoga session.. haha.. well you see, after all the straining posture stretchings, we were supposed to lie down in the relax posture and sort of meditate, concentrating on our breathings.. but i was so comfortable in that position that i actually fell asleep.. haha.. until i had to be waken up by one of the instructors.. manz that was so embarassing.. haha..

and somehow people ended up talking about my pathetic childhood.. haha.. perhaps "different" or "unique" is a better word to use.. haha.. like how my parents used to lock the switches for the tv and the computer, how i only got to have my own set of house keys only when i was in sec 2, how i only got to go out with friends after school for a fast-food meal when i was in sec 2, how my dad cut the wire for the tv when me and my brother didn't behave.. haha.. and then how rebellious i was, trying to unlock the switches, trying to stay out late, and doing things that went against my parents..

i think everybody will have their own experiences during their childhood, be it wonderful, memorable, or painful.. well, we all have different parents, don't we? haha.. even though my parents were strict with me (and now they still do), and i used to hate them for over-controlling my life, but still i am glad that i have a family.. though i don't express my feelings out to them, and sometimes i still go against them.. haha..

but i'm proud to say that my mum has been the one who is secretly doing things to plan for my future, buying all the groceries so that there will be (sometimes) food in the kitchen and toiletries and stuff are always available.. haha.. and my dad, a wonderful cook and baker.. who will sometimes give in to my demanding requests, like how i would pester him to let me go overseas.. haha.. my grandma, who prepares all my dinner, who used to take care of me, and wake me up during my primary school and early secondary school days.. =)

the moral of the story is, treasure and cherish your childhood memories, as well as the people who have been part of your childhood.. and in the future, give your children a childhood that they will be thankful of.. =)

national day..

HAPPY 41ST BIRTHDAY, SINGAPORE!! =) ok, i'm not that patriotic, but at least i'm still proud to be a singaporean.. cliche, but i still have to say that if i'm not here, i won't be having the things that i'm having now.. =)



went out with NUSCO friends for (again) ktv-singing, shopping and eating and shopping and eating.. haha.. yar, shopping spree again.. and of course i won't buy anything that is not of any good deal.. haha.. a skirt from Topshop for only $21.60.. good deal? of course it is.. muahaha.. and i also bought a tee.. so no more shopping when school reopens.. hehe..

hoping to catch some fireworks display today, but i supposed it's better to stay at home to watch it live on tv.. because everywhere was so crowded! oh well, at least i know i did watched live fireworks when i was in Bago, and i was only a few streets away from the coliseum where they released them.. simple, but still spectacular.. wooh.. haha..

but darn.. my camera failed on me!! damn.. need to send it for repairs.. boohoo.. my dear camera that has been accompanying me through my most memorable trips is now spoilt!! arghh..

and i just did some fortune-telling for myself, thanks to gurus huiling and hweeming.. =) and i realised what they have predicted are not what i'm expecting myself to be.. but some facts are really very true.. wow.. haha.. so i'll have a good life!! yeah!! =D

pleasant surprises..

good news comes in threes... haha..

good news number 1 - ryan is getting married!! no no.. i don't mean the ryan in singapore.. the ryan in Bago! he's getting married!! on 21 october!!

good news number 2 - temogen may be going to canada this year.. all the best my friend! even though i would very much want to see you again on my visit back to Bago in december.. but still, i would wish you the best of luck in searching for your better future..

good news number 3 - another cheap airline to Manila!! CebuPacific!! yeah!!

it's always so pleasant to receive texts from friends, especially when they carry pleasant surprises.. hahah.. but the stoopid me was sleeping like a pig, and i missed a call from temogen.. arghh..

and i want to attend ryan's wedding!!! maybe i'll make use of the holidays in october (21 oct and 24 oct are public holidays) and make a short trip down to Bago.. i want i want i want!!!

i found a sponsor!

damn.. my handphone failed on me!! on such an important day!! arghh!! it was always loyal to me, waking me up whenever i want it to, but today, it failed on me!! and i woke up so damn late!! i was supposed to meet a potential sponsor for my december trip this morning at 10am, but i woke up at 11am!! hell.. thought i almost screwed up this meeting..

but then again, i have good news.. haha.. i've got the sponsor!! =D.. yeah!! a sponsor for stationery items.. haha.. it was kinda nerve-wreaking, partly because i was late, and i have never try to secure such deals before.. haha.. now i'll have to settle all the paperwork, and i must find a shipping company, asap.. pray pray pray..

after that i met up with helen, to buy a yoga mat.. haha.. yar, i'm starting my first yoga lesson tomorrow.. i'm a healthy baby.. wahaha..

yes, time to get down to serious work.. and i'm still coughing.. *faints*

cars..

*cough cough* yes i'm still coughing.. kinda got worse (a little).. please please please, i don't want to finish my vacation with all the coughing..

oh, i watched the movie Cars yesterday night =D.. the disney pixar one, the cute cute one.. hehe.. i strongly recommend it.. hehe.. even though i enjoyed it at the comfort of my small room, with no popcorns and snacks (i'm sick!) and coughing.. bleahz.. but still, go watch it, people!! =D

and after watching it, you will realise that life is not just about racing.. racing to be the first, to be the best.. but to enjoy whatever that comes to you, and do what you really love.. =)

now, is there anybody who knows where to get those cute little cars in the movie? =D

the diary..

i was reading the diary that i wrote during my first stay in Bago, 2004.. it made me realise quite a few things.. i used to write a lot of chinese then, but now i think i need to write more.. haha.. starting to lose the touch of the language.. haha..

back to the point, the entries in the diary (the brown one which all YEP participants would have) reminded me that everything is not forever.. the entries not only reminded me of what the 24 of us did over there, but also recorded my thoughts, what i saw in the filipinos, and what i hope of.. and sadly, i didn't fulfil all that.. other than making a trip back again last year..

it contained memories, and all the problems that we had faced.. faded memories.. which is what a diary is for..

it makes me wonder, how imperfect i am, then and now.. and how we should make our lives less imperfect.. by living it to the fullest..

suddenly i miss how we did the "hi-5".. nobody knows the "hi-5" culture here.. it's so filipino, and nobody knows it here.. sometimes i reached out my hand for a "hi-5", and when there was no response, i forgot that here is not philippines.. can anyone over there fly here now to do that with me?!?

"the truth about the truth is, it hurts.. that's why we lie."

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cough cough.. when u get sick, everything comes in a package.. fever, flu, cough.. now fever and flu's gone, but still coughing.. and my throat and abdomen hurts whenever i cough.. arghh.. but i want to get out of the house again!!

another sentosa outing..

arghh.. i'm officially sick.. ar choo~~!!

went to sentosa again.. my third time back there.. manz, this holiday very happening huh.. but anyway, it was with NUSCO friends again, and today was frisbee playing and ball playing (and the ball disappears after 2 throws.. wert) and more frisbee playing.. in the water! haha.. ok, i hate getting wet, because i was lazy to change and it would be very troublesome to wash my hair if they got wet with sea water.. but anyhow i was wet up till the waist.. and i didn't know there are so many "yuhui"s in NUSCO.. keke..



it was fun, but not with the flu.. yucks.. i don't mind having lobster-red arms and face, but not the flu.. wasn't feeling very right in the morning, and perhaps staying too long under the sun made it worse.. so yes, i'm sick.. ar ar ar choo~~~!!!

break..

my foot is hurting.. rheumatism acting up again.. yar old granny is speaking here..

went out for a ktv session with huiyan, yanyi and eric.. surprisingly this holiday i've been singing quite a lot.. the last singing craze was a year ago.. really! no kidding! everything was in such a rush for the past year.. after cramming for 4 months, i hurridly set off to Bago, and came back just in time for another 4 months of cramming, before i got this break..

and i really quite enjoy this break.. i have full control of my time (or at least to a certain extent.. haha).. i can go wherever and whenever i want.. to swim, to meet up with friends, to give tuition to 5 kids, to watch tv, to watch my philippino shows (and with my mum occasionally popping by my room and staring at me for laughing at the screen in a language she don't understand.. haha).. and of course this holiday was brightened up by the appearance of tricia and joenil!! =D

and before this holiday is going to come to an end - one month left!! - i'm going to make use of the sale to do some shopping, to sort things out in my room, and to seriously get started for the preparation of my donation collection..

wish me luck.. haha

laugh!

laughing too much will make me hungry.. =D but it's the best medicine, so why bother with all the calories and fats and whatsoever? =P

and somehow i'm thankful that my saturdays are occupied by music (most of the time, noise.. haha) and much laughter and also food.. haha.. it would be boring if everyday becomes similar.. haha..

and the ktv session.. laughed until stomach pain.. haha.. we shall have more of such activities in future.. keke.. for the good health of everybody.. haha..

sentosa outing..

it was my second time back to Sentosa this week.. first it was bringing tricia and joenil there for the Underwater World.. so we didn't much explore the beaches and enjoy the sun there (it was drizzling when i brought them there.. haha).. this time round was with a group of NUSCO friends.. =) not much sun either, but at least the weather was good for an outing an a picnic.. haha..



we played frisbee, soaking our feet in the sand and in the waters.. i never really get to play games when i go to the beach.. even if i go there, i would just sit there and enjoy the sea breeze.. but i would say i quite enjoy playing and running on sand.. i'm a nature lover, remember? hehe..



lunch was some snacks bought from Cold Storage.. and we moved from the Palawan Beach to the Siloso beach.. for more fun, sand, waters and the sun.. =D



and yar, i was a kid again when me and hweeming started playing with sand trying to build a sandcastle using coconut husks.. hoho.. or rather, i'm still a kid.. haha..



but this was what we ended up making..



and more frisbee playing and trying to get the frisbee down when it got stuck on top of the tents..



wanted to try the new attraction on Sentosa, the luge and the skyride, but was a bit put off by the crowd.. perhaps next time.. =)

i still want more sun! i want to fly!

sending off..

i feel lost.. tricia is not around.. suddenly i have nowhere to go, nothing to do.. how.. tricia i miss you!!

i didn't sleep much last night, and i woke up at 4.30am, getting ready to send tricia and joenil off to the airport.. thanks to ryan who came and fetched us.. flight was 9.40am, and we reached the airport early, so together with dannies, andy, aline and stephen, we had some drinks (of course non-alcoholic, if you may wonder)..



i miss the days when they were here.. i miss how we bring them around Singapore, and how much fun (though tiring) i had being their tour guide, and how much fun they had touring around too..

and no, i didn't cry when they went in.. seeing the look on tricia's face kinda make me wanna go in together with her.. aww.. tricia, wait for me over there in december!!





the rest of us then went for breakfast at MacDonalds.. i was feeling kinda lost, so me, Dannies and Andy went to sing ktv.. it has been a very long time since i sang there, and too bad, no pinoy songs.. keke.. afterwards we went Lucky Plaza for some philippino desserts.. had a good chat with the guys, and brought back a lot of memories of my stay in Bago.. bought back some graham biscuits too..

and now, back at home, i'm feeling even more lost.. tricia, tricia, tricia.. Bago, Bago, Bago.. *sobz* tricia, glad that you are back home safely, and i will see you again on the beautiful island of Negros Occidental..

last day..

today is the last day of their stay in singapore.. not a very spectacular last day, for joenil at least.. but still hope they had enjoyed themselves as much as how i had enjoyed myself while i was in Bago..

breakfast at the cheese prata place together with tricia, my mum and bro.. joenil wanted to stay at home, so we left him in the house, but i also packed some prata back for him so he won't go hungry in my house.. haha.. after that we drove one round within NUS, and then brought tricia to clementi for her meeting with the previous group that went there.. i stayed there for a while, until they were leaving to bring tricia to Sentosa (again).. long and complicated story, and i was blamed for the spoiling of plan.. because of a stooopid idiot.. arghh.. i don't want their trip to be spoilt by this, so i'm keeping quiet..

but anyway, i chatted with joenil when i got home, and i was surprised when i saw him always reading something whenever i walked past the room.. the newspaper, books on computers and technology, and my secondary school's history textbooks.. wow.. haha..

then i brought him out for dinner together with huijie at Crystal Jade.. xiao long bao!! haha.. he tried using chopsticks.. very funny, but good try.. managed to eat the xiao long bao without the soup leaking on his second attempt.. not bad eh.. haha.. and we will tempt tricia with the photos and make her jealous.. haha..







tomorrow we are all to wake up at 5am, and make our way to airport..

i shall not cry.. because i'm not the one that's leaving on a jet plane.. =)

another day in Singapore..

yesterday's itinerary : community centre, Lucky Plaza, CK Tang, Sentosa, parks, huijie's house

11am: finally everyone was awake. after all the washing up, we were ready to go.

12pm: brought them to the community centre near my house. let them had an idea what kind of facilities and activities it has. perhaps they can bring back the ideas and modify their own community centre or baranguay hall, whatever. haha.

12.30pm: reached Lucky Plaza, the philippino paradise. we were all overwhelmed with the huge crowd of philippinos there, especially tricia and joenil were in awe of this philippino paradise. haha. they didn't expect to see so many philippinos out there in this building. well, it was a sunday. haha. and since we were there, we had to find some philippino food for lunch. tricia misses philippino food a lot. haha. so we managed to find this Kabayan Filipino Fast Food Restaurant with the familiar philippino food. for a while, i was as if in philippines itself. haha.



after lunch we walked around the plaza, and of course it was shopping time again. and wow, joenil could spend sooo much on those souvenirs. i was so surprised. manz. tricia also added some to her shopping bags. haha. good, contribute to the Singapore's economy. haha.

and being in Lucky Plaza, it wasn't too difficult to strike a conversation with their fellow kabayans (countrymen), especially for joenil, who bluffed girls that he is single. haha. hindi totoo (not true)!! and i threw in some Tagalog words that i know into the conversation. haha. but they said the philippinos here were too loud. haha. but nice experience for them indeed.

3.30pm: tricia wanted to buy a bag, perhaps for her work, so i brought her and joenil to CK Tang. there was a sale on handbags, so i left them around that area, while i visited the washroom. and after i came out from the washroom, they were already choosing the few bags that they saw and liked. that was fast, haha. tricia was already deciding which bag to buy, and joenil was also choosing one for his wife. i didn't quite like the one he chose (looked a bit too old for his wife) so i went to pick another one for him. asking him what was his budget, he said around $200. my eyes stared wide for a moment before going hmmm.. haha. so i chose one around $150, which i quite like the design, and he immediately took it. wow. at least my taste is not bad. haha. when i turned my head to look for tricia, she was already at the cashier. that was fast. haha. after she paid for her bag, i asked her how much was it and she said $200+. oh man. i was speechless. haha. that was the only thing that she bought for herself, and she said it would last her for 5 years. haha. to make the bag worth its value. haha.

4.30pm: reached Sentosa, with our dear ryan driving. haha. we didn't plan that, but since we might not make it the next day, tricia suggested we could go there, since they only wanted to see the Underwater World. haha. coming into Sentosa only to see one attraction. haha. but the tickets we bought was together with admission to the Dolphin Lagoon, so we visited these two attractions.



and then they said their tour in Singapore was completed with the Underwater World. haha. but i was glad they enjoyed themselves even when they only visited these two attractions. haha. maybe tricia can upgrade her fishpond again to make it something like what she had seen in there. haha.



besides that, we drove around Sentosa, but they weren't interested in other attractions. i suggested the Calsberg Rotating Tower and the cable car, but tricia was scared of height. haha. i also suggested the musical fountain, but they weren't too keen too. haha. weird tourists. joke lang, haha.

6.30pm: we drove to some parks around the west coast area so that joenil may get some inspirations and bring back to Bago. Labrador Park, Kent Ridge Park, Clementi Woods Park, and West Coast Park were the stops along the way.

8pm: reached huijie's house for dinner. tricia was a bit blur when it comes to wrapping the po piah. haha. mango graham and ben and jerry's ice cream were also part of the course. haha. we all had a nice talk and a good laugh looking at the videos and photos we took during our trip to Bago. =) and we all were surprised that joenil could sit there for hours reading the newspaper. haha.

12.30am: back to home. manz. tired. and had to listen to ryan explaining his charity fiesta thing. sorry but my brain was on the verge of shutting down, so i couldn't think properly. give me some time to think through, haha.

tomorrow we all need to wake up early. and perhaps rest early too. haha. hope it will really be a good and perhaps unforgettable last day for them here in Singapore. =) i need to shut down now.

tricia in the house!

today's itinerary : bugis, civic district area, marina south, geylang

11.30am: was waiting ryan to come pick me up, before going to pick tricia and joenil from the hotel with all their luggage, but he was held up.

12.40pm: he finally finished his stuff, and we went off to pick them up at the hotel. we were super late, and still got lost some more. haha. again.

1.15pm: finally got to the hotel. super late. haha. picked up all their luggages, and ryan didn't expect they were huge and many. haha. i already warned him beforehand.

1.30pm: brought them to bugis for lunch. tried chicken rice, satay bee hoon, sugar cane juice, satay, and some icey dessert. haha.

2pm: we stood outside the guan yin temple for a while, before i brought them to the flea market at bugis. another round of souvenir-buying. haha.



3pm: took a train to city hall, and visited places like the St. Andrew's Cathedral, walking past the Supreme Court, Victoria Concert Hall, Fullerton Hotel, the Merlion, and crossing the bridge over to the Esplanade. long walk indeed. too bad the Merlion is taking its shower, we couldn't take any pictures with it, but to make do with the small one.





we were offered free Heineken beer, because there were people playing the Heineken challenge and had to offer people beer. weird to drink beer in the afternoon, but since it was free, why not? haha.



4.30pm: walking around the Esplanade. saw a group of artists drawing on the ground on the outdoor area of Esplanade. interesting.



i also brought them up to the rooftop terrance, into the library, and the forecourt of the "durians".





5.30pm: a walk through CityLink Mall, and again, tricia bought 1 more tee and joenil bought a watch for his wife. sweet =). they also bought a present for the mayor. hehe.

6pm: brought them up to the 70th floor of Westin Stamford hotel to have a skyscraper view of the central district area of Singapore. they were in awe. =)



7pm: steamboat dinner at marina south. it wasn't a full gathering, and i was a little disappointed by the turnout. but anyway it was still good to see some familiar faces, together with some new ones. a nice catching up with friends over a hearty dinner. =)



9.30pm: a night drive around some prominent places, and we discovered the Marina South Pier at the end of Marina South where i bet most people don't know. Romantic, ryan said. now we know where to go dating. haha. an attempt to spot postitutes along geylang was unsuccessful, because all the guys were sitting at the eateries watching world cup. duh. we also drove around other places like Suntec City, across Benjamin Sheares Bridge, down the central business district area, Ayer Rajah Expressway. and princess sarah reminded us of the last night in Bago, when we sang many songs in the van, and of course, I'm leaving on a jetplane, awww.

11pm: reached home. welcome to my small and messy home. haha. tricia and joenil are sharing my brother's room and i hope all is fine for them.

time for them to rest, time for me to brainstorm for tomorrow's activities. tomorrow will be another good day. =)

a day of being a tour guide..

today's itinerary : Chinatown, Little India

3pm : picked tricia and joenil from their hotel, the Gallery Hotel. together with aline and waipeng, we brought them to Chinatown by bus. it was their first time taking public transport here in Singapore, and of course their first time using ezlink card. we bought some 'ba kwa' for them to try, and they bought fried prawn rolls too. princess sarah came to join us for a while. we took them for a walk down the streets of Chinatown, and into Sri Mariamman Temple. they bought a lot of keychains and tried some of our local delights like the rojak, oyster omelette and 'tang yuan'. nice, they said. =)



6pm : a little shopping for tricia, who bought giordano tees for joy and nina. =) giordano is cheaper here. haha.

7pm: a lot of shopping for both of them at Mustafa. the crowd wasn't too bad, which is a good thing. it was crazy seeing them buying the Singapore tees and key chains and other souvenirs. tricia bought 8 tees and joenil bought 7. wow.

8.30pm: we started to get tired from all the working. initial plan was to bring them to geylang for more food, but was aborted because they were still full from the previous treats. so we brought them back to their hotel, but with a bit of difficulty because we were not sure of the way. haha. singaporeans got lost while trying to bring their overseas friends around. =P

9pm: back to the hotel by taxi. haha. got some presents from tricia, together with those from bong, nina, joy, tessa and franz. many thanks to all of you. =) miss you all.

yeah, it's tiring, but it's worth all the energy when the time is spent with friends from a foreign country... despite the crack on my sole, my treashold for pain is high enough, and i have my 'qing cao you' to depend on.. haha.. tomorrow will be another long day, hopefully a good day.. =)

cycling happily..

i love the sun!! it was a good weather for cycling.. i would rather get sunburnt than having to cycle in the rain, wouldn't ya all? hehe..

despite having to wake up early (any time before 11am is early) and having to travel all the way to East Coast, the happy sun brightened up the day a little.. a hearty breakfast at MacDonalds, and off we went for cycling! =) together with huiling, joyce, nianzhong, hwee ming and her 'hiphip' uncle, we cycled for around 4 hours and out of East Coast to Bedok and back again..

and i was surprised that these people can really eat.. haha..

and i'm proud that my biking skills have improved (somehow) and luckily enough this time there wasn't much of any mishap, except for a pair of lobster arms and lobster thighs, and a painful crack on my right sole.. never mind, i got my 'qing cao you' and my pain threshold is quite high.. *grin*

and for people who have been wondering why i'm in such an ecstatic mood these few days.. hehe.. because my dear tricia is coming to Singapore!! tomorrow!! *jumping in excitement* i can't wait to see her!!! whee~!! i'll make sure i'll be a good host.. same as how she has been treating me when i was in Bago, if not better.. hehe..

la la la~~~