12/30/13

I just went to the mall earlier with my mom to have our usual workout at the gym. I am just left in awe as most of the stores were on sale for a huge discount and couldn't even leave without buying at least 1 item which is a pair of pants. But there are a bunch of other items I really want to buy.

It's quite ironic that this is the first Christmas in a long time where I know what to spend my money on and yet I haven't received any cash gifts yet. I'm still waiting for some gifts tomorrow but I don't expect them to be in form of cash.

2013 has been a better year as compared to last year but recalling every experience should probably be in a separate post. This might be the last post for this year so Happy New Year everyone!

12/27/13 - The Fall Of Five

The Fall Of Five is the latest installment from the Lorien Legacies series. I've had a copy of this book for a couple of months now but I only finished it this Christmas due to my hectic schedule. 

In this book, the group finds the last garde who is number five. It is bound to be interesting as the group is now complete after searching for each other.

The book is fast-paced and there are a lot of revelations and there is a fair share of character build-up. There will definitely be plenty of revelations and surprises that will trigger your feelings and leave you wanting to keep on reading.

This is another must-read in the series as the group prepares for the battle against their arch enemy, Setrakus Ra.

12/26/13

Just had dinner with some HS friends. It was probably one of the most disorganized meet-up we've had despite doing this annually. I almost thought it was getting cancelled. But we ended up having dinner at Capricciosa in Greenbelt 3. It's a nice restaurant serving Italian dishes. I found out they were closing down when the year ends and we had no idea when we decided to eat there so it's a good thing since it was our first time to try the place.

I had to leave early even if they had other plans. I was tired anyway and I still have plans for tomorrow. I still had a good time anyway.

I finished season 1 of Arrow within the past two days that I couldn't keep myself from starting season 2 already which is what I did when I got home. I'm going to try catching up with the latest episode this weekend.

I also finsiehd reading The Fall of Five which is the latest installment in the Lorien Legacies books. So many things happened and left me angry and sad at the end. I can't wait for the next one!

12/22/13 - Hong Kong 2013

Now that it's just a lazy warm Sunday afternoon I think it's time to share our Hong Kong trip.

This trip was not just a normal vacation but also to celebrate our grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary. It was scheduled since early this year and it has been one of my most anticipated events of the year.

We went there from Dec. 16-19, 2013. Since it was the winter season, the weather was very cold so I suggest bringing in your jackets to keep you warm especially if you're going out a lot. We also experienced some rain but that didn't stop us from moving around.

Day 1

We were a big group so we had separate flights. Ours were scheduled at around 8 in the morning so we had to be at the airport early.We were already there by 5am. Thankfully, I didn't feel so sleepy despite getting inadequate amount of sleep the previous night and waking up at around 3 am. It seems all of us were quite excited. I only had one small check-in luggage and a backpack for my handcarry. I didn't bring a lot of items as I prepared to save some space for things I'm going to buy if there were any. I know it's not so cheap in HK but my mom gave us some pocket money for shopping which turned out not enough for my own needs. Our flight was delayed for a few minutes which is so typical of the airline but I don't care as long as it wasn't cancelled. We arrived in the rainy atmosphere of Hong Kong at around 10 am and met up with the other groups. We purchased octopus cards which is used to pay for public transpo and 7/11 purchases. It's a good idea to have the same system here.

We took the bus going to our hotel, which is located in Kowloon area. Our room had a good view of the city which looked lovely.

For our first day, we didn't do a lot aside from going around the area and the mall as well. I made my first set of purchases from buying some cds at the local music store. I was glad to find albums that I have been looking for quite some time that were unavailable here in Manila. We ate in a deli restaurant with a special friend/business partner of our grandparents. We were supposed to go to the night market in Mongkok but we ended dinner late so we jsut decided to head back to the hotel.

The hotel room was quite big to accommodate all of us. Too bad the wifi was not for free and only one device can use it at a time. There were only a few channels on the cable TV as well. We were also fighting over the adaptor since our batteries for our gadgets were drained already and we didn't bring any.

Day 2

This day was dedicated for Disneyland! I though it was getting cancelled since everyone was late and the rain continued to pour but I'm glad it wasn't. We ate breakfast in McDonalds while waiting for everyone to get ready.

We took several trains before arriving at the place. Before arriving, visitors have to ride a train designed with a Disney theme with Mickey mouse shaped windows and railings which was really nice. I'm not sure about the price but I heard it was expensive but it was worth it.

The place was quite big but enough to go around in one day. We arrived just in time for the parade featuring a lot of Disney characters. We decided to eat lunch first in one of the diners. There are a lot of eating places to choose from so visitors won't have be hungry. There are also plenty of gift shops.I bought a magnet so we can put it up in our home.

The rides were great!Some of them were already familiar since it was the same that was in the US but I still enjoyed them anyway.We were not able to go on every ride but we rode all the major ones such as the Space Mountain, Autopia, It's A Small World and many others. There were a lot of people but the waiting time for the rides were not so long. The place actually seemed to be like Enchanted Kingdom. In fact, some rides on EK seem to be more extreme than in Disneyland which is understandable since Disneyland is more child-oriented.

We ended the day by watching the firework display which showcased Disney songs as well as a spectacular display in the sky.

Day 3

I started the day by shopping at Giordano which is near our hotel. Everyone was still dressing up so I took the chance to go by myself instead of wasting time.I got 4 shirts which were on sale for 199 HK dollars for 4 pieces of plain muscle shirts. It has been my current goal to buy plain shirts in different colors so this was a good deal for me. Unfortunately, that left me with a few money left.

We went to the "Hong Kong side" and had lunch at the Maxim's place in the city hall. We went to the IFC mall right after to kill time and go around as well since we were going to the church right after.

We took a cab going to a church where most of the people who attended were also Filipino. After the quick mass, our grandparents were blessed as well as my cousin who turned 1 year old on the same day. The priest shared that he also stayed in the Philippines for a long time before moving to HK as well as the hundreds of Filipino domestic workers who flock the church every Sunday.

We walked towards our next destination which was at a fancy restaurant. We almost got lost but we were able to find the right way. It was hard to move around because the air was so cold.

We arrived early before our reservation so we had time to go around. I was so glad to find an HMV store so I looked around and got myself new cds again with most of the money I had left.

I got back in time for dinner which was sponsored by my grandparents' business partners so we just splurged on a lot of food! We had a good time considering it's our final night. After the meal, I found out our bill reached up to 20K HK dollars or equivalent to P69,000! It's probably the most expensive meal I've ever had for a single night. As expected, we didn't have enough time to go around after since it was late already so we went back to the hotel right after.

Day 4

It was our last day and we didn't have enough time to go around anymore since we had to leave earlier than the others. We couldn't book a flight back to Manila so we had to ride a ferry to Macau and book a flight to Manila. The ferry ride took approximately an hour long. The boat was quite nice and had comfy seats.

Upon arrival at Macau, the place didn't really seem much different. I guess it's because we were still far from the actual city so there weren't a lot of sights to see except for the pier and a couple of buildings under construction. We took a cab directly to the airport and we passed this long bridge where we could see some of the buildings and hotels including the popular one, the Venetian.

We immediately ate lunch in Mcdonalds before getting inside the boarding area. Our flight was delayed two times so we had a long waiting period. I used that time to buy some souvenir such as another magnet for our home and some food as pasalubong for my friends.

We finally arrived in Manila at around 7:30pm so it almost took us a whole day just to get back home.

Overall, I really had a good time in Hong Kong. Though I wish we could have done more, the whole trip was still exciting and it's so great to have some time to relax and enjoy. The culture in their country is quite different and more organized in a way which is admirable

I'm keeping my hopes up that I can return there before the visa applies in 2015.

12/21/13

I can't believe Christmas is a few days away! For some reason,I don't feel so excited but I'm not bummed about it either. I am just hoping that I'll enjoy the remaining days of the year.

12/20/13

Just got back from Hong Kong last night! It was a good experience but I'm too tired to share about it right now.

12/15/13

Tomorrow's the day we're going to Hong Kong! I'm both excited and nervous! We'll be staying there for four days and I hope that's enough time to visit a lot of places. I'm not even sure if I packed enough things! I want to make sure there's extra space for things that I'll buy.

12/14/13

Yesterday was my last day at work but I don't feel like talking about it yet. It hasn't sunk in yet but I'm starting to feel regret. We also had our Christmas party in the evening and it went well. It wasn't the best for me but everyone else had a great time. It was not the kind of day I was hoping to have but that doesn't matter anymore.

We went to the World Trade Center bazaar today like we usually do and I got myself some neat stuff. I got the Mockingjay pin which I was eye-ing on for a while now and also a nice shirt.

Our trip to Hong Kong is already on Monday (I'm so excited!) but I haven't packed yet!

12/9/13

So I guess this is it! My last week at work! Everybody keeps asking me if I'm sad but at this point, I just feel tired to think about it.I'll probably start feeling sad after these past two weeks since I'll be really busy.

Our office Christmas party is on Friday but we already started our festivities with a secret Santa gift giving everyday and for my first day, we had a "something 90's theme" and I received some food. I already know who picked me but I'm still excited what she got me.

12/8/13 - Goldrushed

Goldrushed is the debut of newcomer Swedish group, The Royal Concept. True to the title, the album keeps you feeling alive all the way through.

It's so great to see that artists with these kind of music are gaining recognition from the public as this album has become one of my favorites of the year so far despite learning about them just late this year.

Their single, On Our Way gives a jolly and ecstatic feeling that will make you feel good. It has been covered on Glee a few weeks ago and I hope it will pick up on the airwaves.

The album starts with a bursts of energy with the first track, World On Fire and able to sustain the energy and momentum all the way up to the last track, 27 Forever. Other notable tracks include Radio, In The End and Tonight.

I've seen a few reviews saying they sound like Phoenix but to me, their album reminds me a lot like Youngblood Hawke's debut album also released earlier this year which is an excellent comparison.

The beats are eargasmic and though lyrics may not be groundbreaking, it's an album that does not aim to be above all else and that's what makes this so perfect. I wish they would have released this earlier this year in time for the summer but this will definitely be a record that I'll be playing time and time again.

Top tracks: On Our Way, Damn and D-D-Dance

12/4/13 - Midnight Memories

If there's one guilty pleasure that I'll have to admit right now, it has got to be this boyband, One Direction. I'm not a fan but their music is good enough for the pop music scene. After all, being a part of a talent show must mean they somehow have talent right unlike other young people who's making off money out of showing their naked bodies without having legitimate backgrounds on music aside from significant affiliations.

Midnight Memories is the bands third studio album from what seems to be a long but very successful career. I wouldn't mind them taking over Bieber's spot in the spotlight. Though I could care less over their personal lives as I don't even know their names except for 1 or 2 members.

This is their follow-up to last year's Take Me Home which is the album which really got me into them. Their first album was quite too bland for me 

The album seems to be an extension of last year's album. Young fans will surely enjoy the catchiness of each track, aside from the fact that they sung it which is my guess to why they sell a lot of albums.

The album starts with the first single, Best Song Ever which is a weak choice It doesn't even fit into the album. But they make it up by putting their second single out called Story of my Life which is a midtempo track that tries to be more personal.

The rest of the tracklist is a string of radio friendly songs. Its too bad the deluxe edition bonus tracks wasn't included in the regular edition. My other criticism is that most of the songs sounds like old songs, case in point, Best Song Ever sounds like a complete rip off of The Who's Teenage Baba O Riley and even they noticed the similarities. The album seems like they are trying to mature musically. They haven't achieved that yet but they may be on their way if they try to mix it up a bit. I still prefer last year's album but this comes close second.

Top track/s: Does He Know, Happily and Don't Forget Where You Belong

12/2/13

Just two more weeks and I'm out of work.
Three weeks until Hongkong.
And four weeks before 2014 starts.
A few weeks after that will be my birthday.
How fast time flies.

Happy birthday to my youngest sibling!

11/30/13

So the last month of the year has already started and that means we're getting closer to the new year. I'm glad with all my experiences this past year but I'm anxious about next year. I don't know what's going to happen but I guess that's what makes our lives happy and unpredictable.