When You Say Nothing At All

If these really are JUST words then why does

...a simple thank you can make you feel lighter after doing a task?

...a good morning greeting will really make you smile?

...a word of appreciation makes you feel you have done something important?

...a sincere sorry will erase the pain easily?

...a promise somehow makes you feel assured?

...the 1-4-3 word seals the deal?

Isn't it that the best way to communicate is thru words?
Actions really speak louder, but tell me now that these WORDS are not powerful at all?

Ok fine! >(^o^)<

words put appreciation in the action and actions put meaning to words

Half-Hearted

This is an emo post.

Last Sunday, we joined a gift-giving activity. First time ko. There were lots of kids na nag-aanticipate sa loob ng venue. At madame pa sa labas na di na nakapagpalista prior to the event. Super daming kids!

walang kids shortage sa Pinas kaya easy lang sa paggawa, ok?

At nagkaroon ng mini-program para masaya

may premyo ang batang bibo

distribution of gifts (bags contain coloring books, goodies, etc.)

happy kids after receiving the gifts

After here, we transferred to Missionaries of Charities- Home of Joy of Sick Children. Across the street lang naman. Another party was being held, pero smaller group of kids. At special guest si Jollibee! Bawal picturan ang kids, kasi nga they are special. But Im sure all of them had a good time.

automatic joy si jollibee sa kids

and Santa gave away candies

volunteer women for the sick abandoned kids

the complete cast

presenting ang mga promotor, kame kasi sabit lang

The nuns invited us to go inside. Nashocked ako. Andameng maysakit na bata. At first nagshake ako so di ako makalakad towards the aisle.

Nakakadurog pala ng puso yung makakita ng ganun in real life. They seem so helpless. Honestly sinipon ako ng two minutes dahil pinigilan kong di maluha. Nakakahiya naman kasing makita nila ako na naaawa sa kalagayan nila.

When finally Im oK na, lumakad na din ako. There are two kids na nakakuha agad ng attention ko. Una yung nahihirapan huminga, at nakatirik yung mata niya. Ramdam kong sa paghinga palang may dinaramdam siya. I held her hand para malaman niyang someone is around. And I whispered a prayer for her. The second ay yung batang nagchi-chill. Yung legs at arms niya ay nanginginig. Ayun pala bukod sa sakit niya, nilalagnat pa siya. I also touched the kid while saying a prayer.

Heartbreaking talaga. I told you this is an emo post.

Nagpatuloy ang gift giving, this time ang stuff toys sa mga batang "partially" sick. I mean yung mga kaya pang tumayo at kahit pano masigla naman. May mga jolly kids dito, gustong gusto makipaglaro samen. Iba din sila makayakap, parang ayaw na bumitaw. Siguro alam nilang aalis din naman ang mga bisita pagkadalaw sa kanila. Sadness!

Nakakalungkot talaga yung kalagayan ng mga bata na yun. Sila na nga ang may sakit at nangangailangan ng mag-aalaga, sila pa yung inabandona ng pamilya. Pero on the brighter side, im overwhelmed to know na madameng tao ang handang maglaan ng oras para sa mga batang to, pati na sa mga taong secretly nagfi-finance sa ganitong charity homes. Pinagpray ko din sila.

Lipat na kame ng destinasyon. Kids here have families pero di sila kaya alagaan so nandito sila. Mejo mas masaya ang batch ng kids dito. Hobby siguro nila magdaldalan araw-araw, dahil crib-mates sila! Walang choice. Do they really have to stay in the cribs whole day, except for eating and ligo time? Look!

crib-mates

This has been an unforgettable Christmas experience, and kinda different date on our 1/2 anniversary ! >(^o^)<

PAL's EconoLight Fares

Due to my frustrations of not going to a place somewhere North, plus the fact that I missed availing Cebu Pacific's 500-All-In promo, I used my Multiply account to look for some cheap tour packages. Yes, my Multiply account's contacts are mostly for business purposes. Anyway, there's this blog from a travel and tour agency that promotes Zest Air 499-All-In Promo. Zest is the new name of Asian Spirit- the airline known for plane crash. But still I got excited of course. I send the agency a personal message right away.

I made a deal with my boyfriend that if we could avail that 499-All-In, we may cancel our out of town trip which is supposedly this weekend.

Too bad, it seems the blog entry was just a teaser. There are really no promos, worse, there was no sure available flights! Oh well, maybe because it is under a new management and they still have to make new arrangements.

next time make sure first before you announce

Desperately I tried looking for some available seats at Cebupacificair.com. Yes, they still have some, but the time was like 2pm or 4pm. Not good. The return to Manila flights has no more promo fares. Lugi na.

Plus I don't want to make pila again sa Cebu Pacific office for 2 to 3 hours because our promo flight has been cancelled for no reason, and there's NO HUMAN to answer in their Customer Rep Hotline!

Cebu Pacific's promo page

Not so lucky day. But I really want to book a flight. Now na!

I opened philippineairlines.com and checked their fares. Of course pricey than ever. Ooppssie wait, aside from Economy Fiesta Fares, there's the new addition, the EconoLight Fare. I checked it, well a bit cheap. 50% cheaper than the next class which is the Fiesta Fare. Available for Domestic and International flights.

I compared the prices to the other airlines, so far the cheapest for those dates, so GOLA na!

click the drop down box and select EconoLight fares

Jeric told me that I should experience booking, so I did. Anyway, he got me an extension of his credit card early this year. Fine, it's my turn after he has arranged everything when we went out of the country last September.

After having lunch last Sunday, 30-Nov, I started booking na. After 3 hours and 6 unsuccessful attempts, I decided to call PAL's customer service hotline. Patience is a virtue, but at least some human entertained my call after like uhm 10-15 minutes on hold.

I said there must have been some problem on their booking system because everytime I'm nearing the completion, the window of IE will close. The CSR said that their system was really congested, two weeks na pala ganito. Oh OK, so I asked if she can help me in anyway. She explained that EconoLight can only be availed if you booked online, by yourself. Not thru phone, not in PAL's ticketing office, and neither thru a travel agent. Seriously?! This EconoLight is catchy! How can you book if their system isn't working properly?!

After that, the CSR checked the entries that I made. I was shocked because all have been created, and she cannot guarantee which of them will be approved or not. F*ck, I was worried! Econolight Promo tickets are non-refundable, and non-rebookable pa naman! Pano na kung ma-double charge?! The CSR couldnt offer any help. That's the policy daw. I just prayed na sana only 1 or none was successful at all.

Great news, there was none. Nakahinga ako ng maluwag. Scared for the double or triple charge. As I was talking to Andy, the 2nd CSR, she offered me "Since you have 6 entries and none are completed, do you want me to finish the application for you?" I asked, will I still avail the Econolight fare? (because if not, Fiesta Fare will be charged, and that's expensive na so wag nalang). But Andy said yes, I can avail it. Finally, a great deal.

So here are some tips:

Check the fares and flights you desire. Make sure there are at least three options in case 1 of them became unavailable. Then book online. Surely it won't be completed. So call the hotline, 855-8888. Upon waiting for some human to answer you, check your mails, read blogs, etc. When a CSR finally answered, make some drama that you failed to complete the booking online for EconoLight, and kindly ask if she can complete the booking for you! I assure you, it will work! You can book in no time, still avail the EconoLight fare w/out being double charged for the non-rebookable, non-refundable promo!

For more questions, limang piso isang tanong... >(^o^)<

O N E

How and Why?
A year ago, I got bored with the usual friendster, youtube, and forum checking. So I need something new na pampatay ng oras while in the office. Luckily, I came acrossed a blog, that was sir Lloyd's, and from then I decided I should make my own.

Why http://riandrew.blogspot.com?
My URL came from the names of my babies, Ria (Nokia6230) and Andrew (SE K800). Yes dears, my cellphones have names!

Why No Spam, No Virus, No Kiddin'?
At that time, I still work for Trend Micro, which is an anti-virus company. All my friends are basically paranoid whenever they receive emails from me which have attachments. Baka may virus daw. Haller?! Pagbintangan ba ko? Oh well, after sometime when I already know about those viruses technically, yes I admit na kaya ko na din magspread! haha (pero bad yun ha!)

So I decided to name it No Spam, No Virus, No Kiddin', meaning it's a safe site. I also choose to stick with this template. Kahit it's so last season, I still like it. Plain and simple.

thanks to my kuya for this

So far this blog has been my online journal and I supposed a feel good read naman most of the time. Thanks to all na hobby dumaan dito para makipagkulitan. I appreciate it. Thank you also for your daily updates, interesting topics, and confusing questions in your blogs. Really worth the time ang blog hopping. Of course, I also appreciate the online buddies I found here sa blogosphere. Feel free to say hello pag nakita niyo ko somewhere out there. At the sidebar is our latest picture pala. Our first matinong picture after 38 million years!

Alrighty, my blog has turned ONE! Yey!

Happy blogging to all! >(^o^)<

Funny, Weird, and Embarrassing

Nagkalat ang tag na to sa blogosphere. And i was tagged too by Ronturon.(thanks!) Pero para mas interesting naman, lagyan naten ng twist. Not just plain facts and hobbies.

Here are the rules:
1. Each blogger must post these rules.
2. Each blogger starts with ten random facts/habits about themselves.
3. Bloggers that are tagged, need to write ten facts about themselves. You need to choose ten people to tag and list their names.

Here are some funny, weird, embarrassing facts and hobbies of mine:

1. Least favorite kong gawin ay maligo. Oh well, ganun yata talaga pag konti lang ang fats sa katawan. Ginawin. Here's another: Kaya kong matulog ng walang bentilador!

2. 4 Years ago ang last softdrinks intake ko. Ayoko lang. At tingin ko sa mga umiinom ng softdrinks ay alcoholic.

3. Once a month naiisipan ko din naman uminom ng Iced Tea or Juice. Yung lang di ko mauubos, mga kalahating baso lang maiinom ko. Tubig-person lang ako talaga. At dapat hindi malamig para mainom ko.

4. All time favorites ko ang mga pagkaing walang lasa, walang timpla, plain, blant! Ayoko ng matamis at maalat. Allergic ang dila ko sa malasang pagkain.

5. Nagfri-freak out ako kapag nagiging normal ang weight ko. Sanay kasi akong habambuhay na underweight. Paranoia it is!

6. A single "beep" tone from Nokia is enough para magising ako. Hindi naman ako nagkakape pero anlakas ng gulat factor ko. Nerbyosa!

7. Hobby ko magcollect ng LRT/MRT cards nung college. Yes, it means di ko na sinosoli pag lalabas na ng station. Secret kung pano gawin. Baka magka-card shortage ulit.

8. An approaching flying ipis ay maituturing kong Near Death Experience. At wala akong dapat i-explain dito.

9. Certified drug dependent! Grade 2 palang ay umiinom nako ng VitB complex + VitC. Combo yan! Pero ngayon, 8 tablets a day na. Prescripted drugs.

10. I once joined a gameshow sa Eat Bulaga. Kelangan ko rumaket dahil I need 2500 that time for vanity purposes. Well, kahihiyan's worth the jackpot prize of 100,000 feysus! Secret kung saan naka-upload ang video ng winning moment na yun.

That's how weird and funny I am. >(^o^)<

And now, ipapasa ko kay:

Joaqui, Source, Lance, DarkHorse, Jules,

Caryn, Abou, Kinesics, Jaime, Iyay
and

Enrico

Welcome to Holland

It seems a normal week but Im experiencing na mabigat ang pakiramdam ko. No, wala akong bagong sakit. Everything is well. Pero somethings wrong. I feel so empty.

Ive always been sick. Pero this "sickness" slash uneasiness and down feeling, alam na alam ko kung san ko yun nakuha.

Kapag I feel empty, or malungkot ako ng walang dahilan, may kulang saken. Kulang ako sa Diyos.

Absent ako sa Mass last week. Haaay. I dont know if it's guilt, dahil kasi naman 1 oras lang sa isang linggo ang pag-attend ng Mass, di ko pa nagawa. Siguro psychological na din, pero I really have to say my praises, hear the sermon, sing and pray together with others, yan yung dapat ko lagi magawa, kahit once a week.

So this Sunday, pumunta na ako sa "cure" ng uneasiness ko. And let me share ang homily sa Greenbelt last Sunday.

"...There's this man who always wanted to go to Italy. This is his ultimate goal. So all his life, he saved for money to live there. He also studied the language, the culture and everything about Italy.

Finally, the day came. He packed his things and get ready for the flight. He was so excited to see Italy, and finally eat an authentic Italian Pizza and Pasta.

Upon landing, the stewardess announced "Welcome to Holland!"
The man was surprised he said "No, I booked for Italy."
But he couldnt do a thing but to accept to live in Holland. He was so disappointed for he has done everything just to go in Italy.

Of course the man is dissapointed at first. But at the end he learned that there were no tulips, no windmills, and no rembrandts in Italy. There are really things you cannot see if you're too focused on your disappointments and what ifs. He now enjoys and appreciates Holland..."

Aspiring is good but appreciating what you have is better!

Now, what things do you appreciate most in your Holland?
Have a happy week everyone! >(^o^)<

And I've Been Terminated

How would you feel if you're informed that you are terminated from your job? I certainly know the feeling.

I feel for the youngsters (fresh grads) who are terminated slash lost their jobs recently. Lalo na if unexpected, and its effectivity is immediate. That was so rude! I can't blame them kung galit man sila right now.

But here's a similar story.

Been working for Trend Micro for 8 months pa lang, pero that was the most enjoyable work ever! Incomparable ang learning experience, supervisor, teammates, and facilities dun- best talaga. But an attractive offer from a GOVERNMENT AGENCY came (hint: government agency na pangarap ng marami). I was so confused. Considered everything, pero sa huli, though im not sure, I took the risk. What's life without taking chances anyway. Pinagpalit ko ang Trend. I left with a prayer na sana tama ang desisyon ko na yun.

Then I started working for the governemnt firm. 1st two months were for Oracle Training chorva. I felt lucky to undergo those trainings dahil wala naman yun sa syllabus ng ECE kaya di ko siya alam. Ok lang ang training. Pero not so OK ang people, ang environment, facilities, at work. Minsan naiisip kong nagkamali ba ko ng paglipat?

After 2 months, the director (of the project) talked to me. Telling me wala ng budget ang project. And since "Last-In; First-Out" policy, I was the one to be TERMINATED!

Seriously?! Ganun lang yun, after ko ipagpalit lahat sa Trend, wala na silang budget?! F*CK!

Of course na-depressed ako ng 3minutes. Pero after that, naisip kong probably it's not for me. Let go. Tama na ang pag-iinarte. Hindi bagay saken.

Nakakahiya ang nangyare so I kept my termination a secret. Only my parents knew.

So, yung last two weeks ko, pumapasok nalang ako para mag-time in tapos derecho na sa mga job interviews. Bastusan na. Well, I was rushing to find a job.

Hindi din ako mabilis nakahanap ng new job. Andame nga, kaso naman binabarat ka sa offer, o kaya may bond, kaya mejo naging choosy ako.

Finally, a BPO (a.k.a. call center) company in Makati was looking for someone na may Oracle knowledge. Kahit wala akong call center experience, I still applied, and got the job! I was the only girl in the team, and was the only one who doesnt need to be a call center agent first para umabot sa position na to. Since call center company, easy work so easy money. Best part, babayaran nila ang knowledge mo sa Oracle! wink wink

Segue, a week prior I got this job, nagkaroon ako ng boyfriend! Kaya di ako naniniwala na pag swerte sa career/pera, malas sa lovelife. Matagal na kame swerte lalo na sa raffles! hehe (though mas swerte cia)

Moving on...

See, if not for those Oracle trainings I had sa governemnt agency na nagterminate saken, I wouldnt get this job. So right now, Im really fond of telling others that I got terminated; and because of that something unexpected happened - big time!

So youngsters, we really dont know kung ano mangyayare. Pero I suggest be excited. Chance ulit magjobhunt. At syempre dahil may mga trainings ka naman that you gained sa last company mo, big advantage na yun to be sell-able. Kahit pano may karapatan ka na mag-name ng price.

So smile.

Something better will come your way. Maniwala ka! (--,)

Wellness for Us

Love is NOT magical.
I believe that it needs to be experienced and nurtured physically. (yes, you read it right, im writing something with regards to LOVE for the first time! pero hanggang jan lang yan..)

Time spent with favorite persons and friends are really important. Pero na-lessen na yun simula ng madiagnosed akong may _____. It was so hard at first. Sabe nga nila, It's not the speed that kills; it's the sudden stop. So true! Ang hirap! Tigil ang lahat ng activities that can worsen my health condition. I felt so "kakaiba" na from the rest. Ang KJ ko tuloy dahil lagi nakong absent, at pass sa mga happenings. Bawal mapuyat, bawal mapagod. Haaay. Pero I tell you, sa una lang yan mahirap. So now we have to find ways para sa healthy bondings.

I/WE want a relaxing place that offers spa, sauna, steam bath, massage, and hot herbal swimming pools! At san pa ba perfect pumunta kundi sa ACE WATER SPA! (see link: promotion it is!)

dahil im 24, at matanda na kame, sa isang wellness center na ang date namen! ahahaha ;-)

So after my shift, derecho na kame dito. Bitbit ang very reliable kong turquoise na 2-pc, go na ulit sa Ace Water Spa. Rate is P550/5hrs na (last year P500 lang). Btw, strictly swimwear dito, so if you are planning to go, (and i strongly suggest you do), bring a proper swimwear. And no food and camera allowed.

There are so many facilities that you can enjoy at ACE. Water therapy ang services nila. Among the facilities, favorites ko ay ang steam and sauna rooms, hot herbal pools (36, 38, and 40 degrees) in Lavander, Jasmin, and Mint scents. And of course, nasa center ang cold pool (5 deg). Super relaxing!

hot herbal pools in Lavander, Jasmin, and Mint scents

Lastly, the best part is indoor siya! Remember, two months nakong gumagamit ng papaya soap and lotion dahil sa super hapding sunburn na nakuha namen after Disneyland. Kaya BIG NO sa outdoor swimming! wink wink

* Ace Water Spa is located at 399 Del Monte Avenue (near corner Banaue st.) SFDM, Quezon City.

For the meantime, we'll be having many quality plus healthy times together in places like this.

Basta pag magaling na ko, inuman tayo ah! >(^o^)<

Inter-CallCenter Company Singing Contest

Dren is one of the contestants in ICONS 2008. An inter-callcenter company singing contest. Wow, may ganito! Dren is representing his company kasi siya ang nanalo ng ICON title sa kanila. Kumbaga regional finals muna, then ang national finals! For sure nde siya aware that he'll represent his company, dahil kahit P250 lang ang prize, papatulan nia at kaka-reerin ang kahit anong singing contest.

HRCC ICON 2008 at secret kung anong website! winks*

Go DREN!

Oh btw, he texted earlier na may voting chorva pala at nasa bottom 3 siya (out of 16 participants) sa text votes with 0.66%! What?! Wahahaha, this is hilarious! Namatay ako kakatawa.

Text brigade tuloy kame ni c3. Surely Dren doesnt want to be "the texter's choice" awardee, pero wag naman magmukhang kawawa at walang friends dahil sa wala pang 1% na votes. (hahaha, automatic joy ko na talaga to!) Nde naman kasi aware ang buong company (Are you sure nde participating ang company mo?) na may ganito palang contest right? Well, wala namang percentage ang votes sa final score so fair ang laban.

Can you please help? P2.50/text lang naman.

To vote pls type:
MX VOTE ICON V HTMT and send to
2800 - globe
216 - smart
2288 - sun

HRCC ICONS 2008 will be held on November 9, 2008 at A.Venue Hall Makati City.

Goodluck Dren! Parang videoke lang yan!

We'll be there of course. >(^o^)<

Simplest Thing yet Extreme Pleasure

A blog response to Kris Jasper's Six Smiley Reasons. Check out his entry, KNIVES make him happy! Interesting!

I have a thousand littlest reasons that make me happy big time! But I like to trim them down to the SIMPLEST 6. Thanks sa parents and friends who listed them for me.

So here's my current SIMPLEST THINGS yet bring me EXTREME-EST PLEASURE:

6. Fireworks

Everyone loves fireworks so di ko na dapat to sinama sa list. But I told kuya Jimbo that I'll include his Lomo Shot of Fireworks. Going back, parang iba ang celebration kapag may fireworks. I like watching them as well as how fascinated the people are as they look up in the sky. A spectacular scene. Fabuloush ang fireworks!

Lomo shot of fireworks

5. Christmas Tree
Those glimmering, shimmering, fabulous trees sa malls, i love them! Opcors kasama na ang christmas lights with christmas songs. Feel na feel ko ang Pasko! I bought a gold spiral one, (dont worry nde siya musical kasi scandalous na yun) at dinala ko sa office. So what kung nagkalat ang glitters sa desk? Feeling ko ikamamatay ko pag wala akong christmas tree sa workstation ko.

gold spiral christmas tree

4. UCC's Blueberry Cheesecake

Im not fond of chocolates and sweets. At di ko din hobby kumain ng premium cakes. I hate the icings! Pero iba ang cheesecake ng UCC! Nakakamatay sa sarap! OA! Seriously, pinakamasarap na cake. Oohh, and the best part is NEVER ako bumili nian, lagi kasing may nagbibigay... Ansaya!

nde photogenic si cheesecake! ampf!

3. Extreme Rides
The more dangerous and risky the rides are, the more i love them! Gusto ko yung feeling na LET GO lang (kaya wag kakapit at wag ka pipikit) when in an extreme ride. Madalas kong sabihin na nde ang mga rides na to ang papatay saken. Let the locks and belts save your life. Bahala na and enjoy!

So far, the extreme-est ride ive tried was the Booster. Let the belts save you, let go, so taas lang ang kamay!

Booster - check mo sa youtube

2. Fri-dates!
Much awaited for me nde lang dahil last working day of the week, but it's the first day of the week that we'll see each other! A 2-hour coffee date before my shift, i always love it! Kahit may Satur-date naman, at mas matagal yun, im more excited pag Fri-date na!

holding his hand is my favorite event on a fri-date

1. Lagnat-Free
Simple lang talaga prayer ko: ang makasurvive ng magdamag na nde ako lagnatin. Pero sabe nga nila, "If it cant be solved, then it's a fact." So malamang, my fever became a fact na! Seriously, nde lang ako lagnatin- juicekilz, kaligayahan to the maxx na yun. Andame kasi naaabala ng pagkakasakit ko.

my daily 9 pero plus 2 more when lagnat attacks

Ansaya magcountdown! Blog response, anyone?

Pero request ko si KAT, AINA, and LLOYD.

Tantrumera Reyes

Madalas ako makabasa ng emo posts. Pati ang mga reklamo at problema na parang never ending ay maririnig mo din sa paligid. No offense meant to those na forte magsulat ng mga ganito. Pero naisip ko, bakit ako walang ganito? Bakit kaya ako di masyadong mareklamo? Parang lagi kasi akong walang issue.

Siguro factor ang pagiging makakalimutin ko. Para san pang mahigh blood ako kung maya-maya lang di ko na maaalala ang dahilan ng galit ko. Samahan mo pa ang madalas kong pagdeadma lang pag mejo sumama ang loob ko. Lastly, tamad ako mag-isip ng mga bagay na di dapat gawing komplikado.

Pag pinagsama pala ang tatlo, malamang nga wala talaga akong pwede ishare sa iba na issues ko sa buhay.

Ayun ang akala ko. Lately ay narealize kong kaya ako walang issue sa buhay ay dahil wala naman pala talaga ako dapat ireklamo...

Masaya ang aking pamilya, i cant compare the sweetness of my parents, uber talaga. We may not be rich pero i have everything I need. I have a good-friend-turned-to-be-great-boyfriend who's my happy thought! I have very good sets of friends. Friends who treat me as family. Meron akong easy job na mejo competitive ang compensation. I may always be sick pero curable naman so nde to enough reason para maging malungkot ako for long...

Nde ako demanding.
Nde ko hobby maghanap ng wala.

Kaya lucky me. Wala akong issue! >(^o^)<

But I admit na meron akong tantrum moments. 5-10 seconds na maiiba bigla yung mood ko. Mababaw lang pero di ko mapigil magtantrums sa favorite tantrum reasons kong malaking pisngi na parang jollibee, at mga chevers sa face na naglabasan dahil sa iniinom kong 9tablets everyday. Nakakatantrums naman talaga yun dba?

And like Jeric does, you can also call me Tantrumera Reyes at these times. wink wink

Element of Surprise

A year ago, I was worried kasi 10pm ang closing ng five cows @ Trinoma. At nasa cab ka pa. Ang arte mo talaga, pwede ka naman magMRT. You have no idea na kinausap ko ang staffs ng resto to come up with a little surprise. Buti naman nakarating ka, 5mins before ang time. And the pictures tell the story...


Even I was surprised sa super lakas na birthday song. Nakakataranta na ang lahat ng konting mga tao sa 4th floor ay nakalingon sa resto. Well, natakot na siguro magMall yung iba dahil that afternoon ay nangyare ang Glorietta bombing. Pero tayo deadma!

Im really happy na nasiyahan ka that night. Kala mo lagi lang ako ang na-susurprised sa actions mo ha! And it proves, mula noon, kaya nateng mag-enjoy kahit tayong dalawa lang.

And now a year has passed...

To my closest friend / my male counterpart / the other me,

HUBBAHAPEEBERTDEI c3!

Tara baba ka na, nasa tapat na ko ng building niyo!

End of 60

If you have a 60-day vacation, how will you spend it? What are the things that will surely be included in your to-do list?

Well, i have lots! I have always wanted to watch this, read that, go there, spend time with, blah blah... but i dont have the luxury of time for these. However 2 months ago, that chance has come. And here's a summary on how i spent my 60-day medical leave. (aside sa pag-inom ng gamots opcors!)

Prison Break

Who wouldn't be impressed with that prison blueprint tattooed in your body? Breaking in prison with style is just amazing! One of the best tv series i have ever watched.

CSI

Another good series. There's a detective in everyone of us. Mejo namumutla lang ako sa autopsy procedures. Eeww..

Death Note

Im a bit shocked with the appearance of the Shinigami because all the while I thought this is a non-fictional movie. But still i enjoyed the story. Unique, and worth watching.

Witch of Portobello

"We may not all believe in God, but we all want to get thin." Nde ako maysabe nian ah, it's Paulo Coelho. yun lang!

Macau

My first ever country to visit. It's easier to find a Pinoy here than to find someone who can speak English.

Disneyland

The highlight of my 60-day medical leave. Probably you too woudn't mind being under the sun if you're in the happiest place on earth.

HK Ocean Park

Ive always wanted to visit an oceanarium. Luckily I got the chance to visit one of the largest Ocean Parks in Asia.

Papaya

Daig ko pa ang nagbeach sa level ng sunburn ko. Kaya naman pagbalik ng Pinas, paggamit ng Whitening soap and lotion ang pinagkaabalahan ko. Kacheapan!

Intramuros

Home. It's nice to be back. I heart Intramuros.

StarCity

Well originally the plan is EK. But it's raining so ubra na ang StarCity. (parang sabik sa carnival!) P450 na pala entrance. Surprisingly, c3 and I had a great time. We enjoyed the Dungeon and yung Kilabot ng Mummy! Nahingal kame kakatawa!

Tagaytay

c3's first time! (fyi, he just lives in a resort in pansol). A Family A-Pair in Tagaytay is a great way to end my vacation.

Tuna pasta

I never cook. But yesterday I tried cooking tuna in olive oil and basil. Walang sauce. Plain and tasteless. I like it! (My parents didn't.)


Aside from these, I also had the chance to bond a lot with my parents and my ate and kuya pag dumadalaw sila sa bahay. Quality time for us na di ko magawa pag my work. Surely this 60-day medical leave has turned to be my best vacation ever!

Praise God im getting better, and I'll be going back to work next week!

Now if you have a 60-day vacation, how will you spend yours?

Heartache Leave

You caught your boyfriend having an affair with another girl. Ouch! You're betrayed. You're alone. Back to zero then you're single again! You cried til you lose yourself. It's morning and you cant report to work. Well, you dont have to... That's what HEARTACHE LEAVE is for.


A cosmetics marketing company in Tokyo believes that employees need time to cry and come back to work refreshed when heartbroken. How cool is that huh?!

Upon hearing this news, a smile cracked on my face. Nde lang pala sa Pinas uso ang EMO. Even in TOKYO- one of the busiest business cities in the world, has time to anticipate a heartache.

Well, heartache is human. Para siyang pagkakasakit. Most of the time you are not ready when it comes. And true enough, how can you be efficient if it will affect your system? So a Heartache Leave lets you go anywhere and do anything you want to shake the aches away! But make sure that there'll be no more pagdradrama at pagtulala sa harap ng PC mo the following day. Wala ka na karapatan!

Now, if your boyfriend has left you for another girl, then you wont be needing a Heartache Leave..

Why not file a Bereavement for him instead? wink wink ;)

HK Ocean Park - Day4

07.Sept.2008 A day after Disneyland, HK Ocean Park naman! We packed our things and said goodbye to the caretaker of the guesthouse. Again, Jeric left a toy jeepney for the owner.

We rode the MTR and unboard at Admiralty. There was a shuttle bus going Ocean Park waiting outside. Fare is about HK$10 each. (HK$1=P6)

There were 2 entrances at the Park- the Main, and Tai Shue Wan. The shuttle bus took us to Tai Shue Wan Entrance. Ticket costs HK$208. (HK$1=P6)

Welcome to Ocean Park HongKong

we got tickets

One thing that I appreciated most in Macau and HK is that there WAS NO BAG INSPECTIONS needed! Cympre naman it was important to us bilang Jeric and I have our bags with us.. Well, we rented a locker for HK$60 so we can leave our things and just carry the camera, tripod, and the umbrella.

wala na kameng bags! where is the payong??

The nearest attraction is the Flamingo Pond. We are joking that this was for the elders who refused to walk around the big park.. Also near here is the Aviary.

Flamingo Pond

OCEAN PARK is One of Southeast Asia’a largest oceanariums. And we are surprised that it is a lot bigger than DISNEYLAND.

This escalator is three times longer than the usual. Antaas! This will lead us to The Pier Pacific Attractions.

Tai Shue Wan Escalator

We rode the Space Wheel, Raging River, and the Mine Train.

so-so Raging River

Space wheel

behind the bars

Mine Train

jeric took this shot while we were on the ride

The Ocean Park Tower lets you see the whole park, including HK's island.

Ocean ParkTower

view from top

At this point, im not feelin well na. Ang init! Ang hapdi na ng balat ko.

And as we were strolling, we saw Ethel Booba. Jeric ran towards her! kaloka! Papapicture daw cia. Unfortunately, nagshake ang camera so i captured a blurry picture. (nagtantrums ka ng 5 secs dahil dito)

catch: you have to cross your eyes to see this image. it works! ;)

And finally the attractions that I've been wanting to see- The Sea Creatures!

First is the Sea Jelly Spectacular. Wow!

Sea Jelly Spectacular

The dancing sea jellies with different lights and background music. Entertaining!

in blue

in green

in purple

and in red

Then we walked to Ocean Theatre.

Ocean Theatre walkway

the dolphin show

Pause. Nahihilo na ko tlga. We have to walk a long way back again because the nearest food stalls sell only popcorn, hotdogs, and some burgers. Jeric knew that I dont eat those kinds of food so dinala nia ko sa The Bayview Restaurant. Hhmm, a yummy lunch date!

The Bayview Restaurant

talking to the Pinay waitress

food costs HK$158 (grilled fish in white sauce)

We had a good lunch here. Sarap inferness. And of course, the reason why the place is expensive is because of the view. From here, you can see the cable cars, the whole attraction of Ocean Park, and the South China Sea.

So game na ulit!

cable cars - view from the resto

We went to Chinese Sturgeon Aquarium. Only few fish are showcased here.

Chinese Sturgeon Aquarium

alrighty, a big fish

Then we transferred to the Atoll Reef. This place is awesome! I cant compare it to Manila Ocean Park because I've never been there.Well, every visitor said that it was so crowded and just not ready yet.

Atoll Reef Entrance

underwater journey

*** at this point, camera flash is not allowed.

First big aquarium is for the little and middle sized fish. There's over a hundred different kinds in it, but they dont look crowded at all. Cutey!

hundreds of small fish around the aquarium

is it a deer? it's a SEAHORSE!

Second bigger aquarium is for the big fish. And I mean BIG! Imagine 12-year old obese kids. How did they become like that?! Overwhelming! I wish I could feature how big those fish were in the pictures.

the kings of the aquarium

OMG, theyre so big!

this sting ray is probably 4feet wide , and it's tail alone is 7feet long

After leaving the Atoll Reef, we walked thru the remaining attractions in the Headland. Featuring The Dragon, a roller coaster with three loops, Crazy Galleon (like Anchor's Away of EK), The Abyss (i forgot the equivalent of it in EK), The Eagle, etc.

Headland attractions

HK Ocean Park is so big that the only way to get to Lowland is thru a cable car.

cable car ride

Lowland attractions

The attractions at Lowland include Skystar - a hot air balloon ride, Bungee Trampoline, Giant Panda Habitat, and different activity corners for kids.

There are really more attractions and rides at Ocean Park than in Disneyland. But jeric and I agreed that Disneyland is still more enchanting and magical. We love our Disney experience!

We have to left Ocean Park 4 hours before our flight. We went to Central Station to buy some pasalubong. We were very surprised to see a lot of Pinoys here. Andame tlaga. Parang Cubao lang ang HK!

After that we rode the MTR's Airport Express line, each ticket costs HK$100. The seats and interiors of the airport train looked very much youre inside an airplane.

airport express train

at Hongkong International Airport

the busy HKIA

We arrived at HongKong International Airport, and after checking in, we decided to eat and shop. There are lots of food stalls around as well the Free Duty Shop. (yes, Free Duty, not Duty Free)

It's almost about time so we hurriedly went to Cebu Pacific gate but it's not yet time to board pa pala. We just checked the results of UAAP Cheerdance Competition, and read some blogs. We crossed upon the blog of Abou, his topic is diet.. Oh no, Jeric's peyborit thing to discuss to me.. Ang haba na namang usapan nito.. ;)

Finally, the call for passengers bound to Manila are requested to board. It was a safe trip. We were back in Manila by 9:30Pm.

For the tips and more details about this trip, please see Jeric's blog.

____________________________________________________________


This is definitely my best trip so far. It is my first time to travel outside the country, and it's jeric and I's first time to travel all by ourselves. We're happy that we chose NOT to avail any tour packages (though it requires more research). Our naliligaw, hungry, walkathons, and funny moments made the trip more memorable!


To my MR. EVERYTHING GUY, who planned the whole trip, booked the flight, studied the routes, arranged the reservations, listed the itineraries, and took good care of me during our whole trip- who even set up the alarm clock at 6am because I need to take my meds, ang nagpapayong sakin kahit cia na nga may dala ng camera at tripod, massaged my feet at night kahit both of us are pagod, who asked me from time to time what I want, what I need, if Im OK, if Im hungry... (whoa, this guy really loves me noh?)

I appreciate everything that you've done. You always make me feel special and happy..

And actually, the best part of this trip is YOU.