Last night was so amazing. The Gang had our Christmas dinner/party. We didn't exactly have a pre-planned venue until the night itself but we ended up in Boiler Room in Makati. It's a small, intimate bar which was near the office. The food was good and it was able to accommodate the 6 of us in the group.
It was great to see all of us be complete even for just one night and it's such a perfect timing that it's for Christmas. We played some games and caught up with each other's lives as usual.
We also had an exchange gift which we have prepared in the past few weeks. I was able to give the person I picked some of the things that she wanted on her wishlist while I also got one of the items on my wishlist which was a good pair of headphones.
This year was such a blast and I wouldn't want to celebrate this Christmas season with anyone except for these people.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Thursday, December 03, 2015
12/3/15
I can't believe it's the last month of the year! Time is running too fast.
I'm in the morning shift again at work and I couldn't be any more happier.I haven't been going home early though as I had been doing a lot of things after work such as catching up with the officemates and we even watched the UAAP basketball finals. But I can tell there will be more days where I'll be going home late because I need to start looking for Christmas gifts! Unlike last year, I'll probably just give gifts to a certain number of people as I cannot afford to buy gifts for everyone on the team.
I have also been presented with a new job opportunity that I might start doing next month. I was a bit hesitant to accept because the new job position would require plenty of time and training. I also didn't expect this to come so soon. I have roughly a month and a half to prepare but I'm welcome to take the challenge.
I'm in the morning shift again at work and I couldn't be any more happier.I haven't been going home early though as I had been doing a lot of things after work such as catching up with the officemates and we even watched the UAAP basketball finals. But I can tell there will be more days where I'll be going home late because I need to start looking for Christmas gifts! Unlike last year, I'll probably just give gifts to a certain number of people as I cannot afford to buy gifts for everyone on the team.
I have also been presented with a new job opportunity that I might start doing next month. I was a bit hesitant to accept because the new job position would require plenty of time and training. I also didn't expect this to come so soon. I have roughly a month and a half to prepare but I'm welcome to take the challenge.
Monday, November 23, 2015
11/23/15 - Boracay 2015 Pt. 2
On our third day, we didn't have much planned aside from our salubong at night.
The three of us guys in our group decided to have breakfast while the girls decided to stay behind as they were still unprepared. I was still feeling the hangover from the previous night but I managed to get myself out of bed. We decided to eat in a resto that we previously saw that serves typical breakfast food called the 928 Grill. The food was good but the service could use some improvement. They were unprepared for serving change and our change were given as we were almost done eating. Their service was also quite slow. Since the girls weren't really finished, we decided to go ahead and try to look for souvenirs from nearby stores. We were quite unsuccessful so we decided to go back to the room. The girls were not there and we found out that they left to eat already.
The three of us decided to get a full body massage which was very rampant in the island. It lasted for an hour and we felt so refreshed after. We had lunch at a resto called Bite Club and had dessert in a popular store called Halowich which served some kind of halo halo with different fruits. It was flocked by plenty of people when we got there which is why we wanted to try it.
Our free time without the girls opened up some opportunity to have some bro talk which got quite personal. It was also why the girls were quite distant to us in the entire day.
After we finished eating and talking, we bought a frisbee and decided to play for a while. We also decided to swim in the beach. It was our third day on the island and we realized that we haven't swam in our first two days aside from our snorkeling gig in the island hopping the previous day. The girls finally joined us as we tried to avoid any tension between us and enjoyed the sunset. Thankfully, everybody acted normal.
As the night were coming close, we prepared ourselves for Cocomangas, a bar where someone can take a 15-shot challenge and be part of the hall of fame if successful.
But before going to the bar, we had to eat dinner first and we went to station one where Jonah's milkshakes were. It was another popular food attraction in the island which I've wanted to try since we arrived. The food was just average but the drinks were quite good enough! There wasn't so many customers by the time that we went there so we were able to have a nice conversation between ourselves.
When we finished, we headed straight to the bar and got redirected to their second bar since the first one was full. The one where we got seated was a bigger one and more fit for partying. We had our share of drinks and played the entire night. We also spent some time dancing crazy steps which will come in handy for future partying!
It was the perfect way to celebrate our friend's birthday! The night was so wild that our friend actually got so drunk and we had to literally carry and drag her back to the hostel. It was a challenge but it will be something we can take a look back on and laugh about.
On our last day, we woke up quite late so we skipped breakfast and had lunch in Tres Amigos again because it was so good and we couldn't think of other places to eat. We initially decided to splurge in a fancy restaurant but I think everyone was just so tired and broke at that point. We checked out by noon and left our bags in the lobby since our departure from the island was still late afternoon.
We had some time to buy some pasalubong and souvenirs. We got some food for the team and I got myself some tanktops. We had some time to roam around the island and even interview people and take more pictures.
By 4 pm, we were picked up by a van going to the port. We rode the boat back to Caticlan and rode a bus back to Kalibo. We bought our dinner at some restaurant outside the airport since there were no food stalls or restos inside. Since flights for the following day were mostly cancelled due to APEC and our flight was the last one of the day, there weren't a lot of passengers waiting. We had time to eat dinner as well as play some games on the second floor. It was announced that our 9PM flight was going to be delayed for at least an hour so we had a lot of bum time. I didn't mind it since I enjoyed spending some more time with them.
The delay took less than an hour and we were able to board the plane even before 10 PM. We landed safely in Manila where I took a grabcar to go home.
Our entire stay was quite memorable and it somehow felt short but I do not regret any part of it. I was with the best people I could have asked for and I'm looking forward to going on more trips with them.
The three of us guys in our group decided to have breakfast while the girls decided to stay behind as they were still unprepared. I was still feeling the hangover from the previous night but I managed to get myself out of bed. We decided to eat in a resto that we previously saw that serves typical breakfast food called the 928 Grill. The food was good but the service could use some improvement. They were unprepared for serving change and our change were given as we were almost done eating. Their service was also quite slow. Since the girls weren't really finished, we decided to go ahead and try to look for souvenirs from nearby stores. We were quite unsuccessful so we decided to go back to the room. The girls were not there and we found out that they left to eat already.
The three of us decided to get a full body massage which was very rampant in the island. It lasted for an hour and we felt so refreshed after. We had lunch at a resto called Bite Club and had dessert in a popular store called Halowich which served some kind of halo halo with different fruits. It was flocked by plenty of people when we got there which is why we wanted to try it.
Our free time without the girls opened up some opportunity to have some bro talk which got quite personal. It was also why the girls were quite distant to us in the entire day.
After we finished eating and talking, we bought a frisbee and decided to play for a while. We also decided to swim in the beach. It was our third day on the island and we realized that we haven't swam in our first two days aside from our snorkeling gig in the island hopping the previous day. The girls finally joined us as we tried to avoid any tension between us and enjoyed the sunset. Thankfully, everybody acted normal.
As the night were coming close, we prepared ourselves for Cocomangas, a bar where someone can take a 15-shot challenge and be part of the hall of fame if successful.
But before going to the bar, we had to eat dinner first and we went to station one where Jonah's milkshakes were. It was another popular food attraction in the island which I've wanted to try since we arrived. The food was just average but the drinks were quite good enough! There wasn't so many customers by the time that we went there so we were able to have a nice conversation between ourselves.
When we finished, we headed straight to the bar and got redirected to their second bar since the first one was full. The one where we got seated was a bigger one and more fit for partying. We had our share of drinks and played the entire night. We also spent some time dancing crazy steps which will come in handy for future partying!
It was the perfect way to celebrate our friend's birthday! The night was so wild that our friend actually got so drunk and we had to literally carry and drag her back to the hostel. It was a challenge but it will be something we can take a look back on and laugh about.
On our last day, we woke up quite late so we skipped breakfast and had lunch in Tres Amigos again because it was so good and we couldn't think of other places to eat. We initially decided to splurge in a fancy restaurant but I think everyone was just so tired and broke at that point. We checked out by noon and left our bags in the lobby since our departure from the island was still late afternoon.
We had some time to buy some pasalubong and souvenirs. We got some food for the team and I got myself some tanktops. We had some time to roam around the island and even interview people and take more pictures.
By 4 pm, we were picked up by a van going to the port. We rode the boat back to Caticlan and rode a bus back to Kalibo. We bought our dinner at some restaurant outside the airport since there were no food stalls or restos inside. Since flights for the following day were mostly cancelled due to APEC and our flight was the last one of the day, there weren't a lot of passengers waiting. We had time to eat dinner as well as play some games on the second floor. It was announced that our 9PM flight was going to be delayed for at least an hour so we had a lot of bum time. I didn't mind it since I enjoyed spending some more time with them.
The delay took less than an hour and we were able to board the plane even before 10 PM. We landed safely in Manila where I took a grabcar to go home.
Our entire stay was quite memorable and it somehow felt short but I do not regret any part of it. I was with the best people I could have asked for and I'm looking forward to going on more trips with them.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
11/22/15 - Boracay 2015 Pt. 1
So our Boracay trip finally pushed through last week! After months of anxiety and preparation, the time has finally arrived.
This trip was actually conceptualised while we were in Bataan a few months ago. We decided to go here to celebrate our friend's birthday last Nov. 16.
We booked a flight through AirAsia for Nov. 13-16, 2015. It's a good thing that our schedules are quite flexible at work. Unfortunately, out of the 6 of us in our group, only 5 of us made it. Hopefully, everyone will be able yo go on our next trip wherever that will be. We already have our target destination, but that is saved for another time.
This wasn't my first time to go to Boracay, but this marked a lot of firsts. It was my first time to travel through AirAsia, as well as the first time to book a flight using a credit card. I was the only one who had a credit card so I had to shoulder the booking. The last time I went to Boracay was when I was really young. I thought back then that it was only a beach where we would only go swimming the entire day then just sleep in a nipa hut, so this time, I made sure I was prepared for life in Boracay. It was also my first time to travel with my group of friends on a plane. I usually ride PAL but since we were riding AirAsia, it was my first time to use terminal 4 which is an old terminal. We were scared of being victimized by the ongoing "laglag bala" scam but everything went well on our way to and from Boracay. We were almost thinking of wrapping our bags in cling wraps! That's how paranoid we were but that's better than being asked to pay for tons of money as well as be labelled as criminals.
We met up at the airport very early since our flight was at 9 in the morning and we were taking the first flight. Thankfully, we didn't experience any delays.
We landed safely in Kalibo and took a long van ride going to Caticlan where we took a boat going to Boracay island.
We rode a tricycle to our hostel which we found online. We opted to stay in a cheap hostel for practicality and financial reasons. We found a good hostel which was near the beachfront in station 2. We settled in for a while. We actually didn't have a concrete plan or itinerary but that's part of our adventure. We just go with the flow. we decided that we'll do at least one tourist activity and registered for island hopping for the next day. We also signed up for Pubcrawl for the following day.
We decided to eat lunch first. We ended up eating at a Mexican resto called Tres Amigos in D'Mall. The place served good food and it is highly recommended. We decided to chill for the rest of the day and was offered a free dinner buffet at Astoria hotel It turned out that in exchange for free food, they had to market us their rooms which ended up taking 3 whole hours of our lives that we can never take back. After escaping a pesky sales talk, we had some shisha by the beachfront and had our usual bonding session.
The first day was quite a success.
Our second day started early since our call time for the island hopping was at 9 am. Before that activity though, me and one of my officemates decided to get a henna tattoo. I had one done on each of my arms. We had an unsatisfactory breakfast at a resto called Jammers. After everything is prepared, including renting of snorkeling equipment, we embarked on the trip.
The first island we went to was at Magic island. It was the island where people go cliff diving and so did we! It was my first time to do it. I had jitters at first but I'm so glad that I conquered it. I was actually so excited to do it but seeing the steep fall made me lose my bravery. I'm so happy that I didn't chicken out. Each one of us did it and it was indeed a magical experience.
We went to Puka beach after where we had lunch. The beach was very beautiful and was a perfect backdrop for a photo shoot.
Our last stop was supposedly at Crocodile island but the strong waves made our tour guides decide that we'll just snorkel in some other place which is supposedly Manny Pacquiao's property. The scene underwater was spectacular. It's been a while since I've snorkeled and it's such an underwhelming experience to see the marine life, even if that means seeing sea urchins.
One of the best parts is riding the boat by the net or whatever you call its sides. It was a great moment to relax. The boat we used was wind-powered so we weren't disturbed by any sounds from an engine.
Our trip ended in the afternoon just in time to get some rest before we do a pubcrawl. We decided to have dinner first since our stomachs need to be full before we drink.
The Pubcrawl is a social event where the goal is to turn strangers into friends. There are some activities prepared by the hosts and the main goal is for everyone to get to know each other. I did meet plenty of new people which was something that I've always wanted to do since I'm not such a sociable person before.
We were taken into various clubs where free shots were served. We were also allowed to buy drinks on our own if we prefer to. We met various kinds of people and even met some tourists from Europe. We had a great time dancing the entire night away. I danced like crazy and had one of the best nights of my life. I got so drunk that night that I literally had to get dragged to go back to the room. I had some bad experiences that night which is why I wanted to drink a lot. I don't really want to talk about it though. That night, despite my drunk state, I decided to go out by myself and drink some more beer by the seaside. It's such a memorable experience to get wasted by myself overlooking the sea, thinking about things that have been bothering me for the longest time. I didn't have a clear resolution by the end of the day but it was so rejuvenating.
Part 2 will be posted on the next update!
This trip was actually conceptualised while we were in Bataan a few months ago. We decided to go here to celebrate our friend's birthday last Nov. 16.
We booked a flight through AirAsia for Nov. 13-16, 2015. It's a good thing that our schedules are quite flexible at work. Unfortunately, out of the 6 of us in our group, only 5 of us made it. Hopefully, everyone will be able yo go on our next trip wherever that will be. We already have our target destination, but that is saved for another time.
This wasn't my first time to go to Boracay, but this marked a lot of firsts. It was my first time to travel through AirAsia, as well as the first time to book a flight using a credit card. I was the only one who had a credit card so I had to shoulder the booking. The last time I went to Boracay was when I was really young. I thought back then that it was only a beach where we would only go swimming the entire day then just sleep in a nipa hut, so this time, I made sure I was prepared for life in Boracay. It was also my first time to travel with my group of friends on a plane. I usually ride PAL but since we were riding AirAsia, it was my first time to use terminal 4 which is an old terminal. We were scared of being victimized by the ongoing "laglag bala" scam but everything went well on our way to and from Boracay. We were almost thinking of wrapping our bags in cling wraps! That's how paranoid we were but that's better than being asked to pay for tons of money as well as be labelled as criminals.
We met up at the airport very early since our flight was at 9 in the morning and we were taking the first flight. Thankfully, we didn't experience any delays.
We landed safely in Kalibo and took a long van ride going to Caticlan where we took a boat going to Boracay island.
We rode a tricycle to our hostel which we found online. We opted to stay in a cheap hostel for practicality and financial reasons. We found a good hostel which was near the beachfront in station 2. We settled in for a while. We actually didn't have a concrete plan or itinerary but that's part of our adventure. We just go with the flow. we decided that we'll do at least one tourist activity and registered for island hopping for the next day. We also signed up for Pubcrawl for the following day.
We decided to eat lunch first. We ended up eating at a Mexican resto called Tres Amigos in D'Mall. The place served good food and it is highly recommended. We decided to chill for the rest of the day and was offered a free dinner buffet at Astoria hotel It turned out that in exchange for free food, they had to market us their rooms which ended up taking 3 whole hours of our lives that we can never take back. After escaping a pesky sales talk, we had some shisha by the beachfront and had our usual bonding session.
The first day was quite a success.
Our second day started early since our call time for the island hopping was at 9 am. Before that activity though, me and one of my officemates decided to get a henna tattoo. I had one done on each of my arms. We had an unsatisfactory breakfast at a resto called Jammers. After everything is prepared, including renting of snorkeling equipment, we embarked on the trip.
The first island we went to was at Magic island. It was the island where people go cliff diving and so did we! It was my first time to do it. I had jitters at first but I'm so glad that I conquered it. I was actually so excited to do it but seeing the steep fall made me lose my bravery. I'm so happy that I didn't chicken out. Each one of us did it and it was indeed a magical experience.
We went to Puka beach after where we had lunch. The beach was very beautiful and was a perfect backdrop for a photo shoot.
Our last stop was supposedly at Crocodile island but the strong waves made our tour guides decide that we'll just snorkel in some other place which is supposedly Manny Pacquiao's property. The scene underwater was spectacular. It's been a while since I've snorkeled and it's such an underwhelming experience to see the marine life, even if that means seeing sea urchins.
One of the best parts is riding the boat by the net or whatever you call its sides. It was a great moment to relax. The boat we used was wind-powered so we weren't disturbed by any sounds from an engine.
Our trip ended in the afternoon just in time to get some rest before we do a pubcrawl. We decided to have dinner first since our stomachs need to be full before we drink.
The Pubcrawl is a social event where the goal is to turn strangers into friends. There are some activities prepared by the hosts and the main goal is for everyone to get to know each other. I did meet plenty of new people which was something that I've always wanted to do since I'm not such a sociable person before.
We were taken into various clubs where free shots were served. We were also allowed to buy drinks on our own if we prefer to. We met various kinds of people and even met some tourists from Europe. We had a great time dancing the entire night away. I danced like crazy and had one of the best nights of my life. I got so drunk that night that I literally had to get dragged to go back to the room. I had some bad experiences that night which is why I wanted to drink a lot. I don't really want to talk about it though. That night, despite my drunk state, I decided to go out by myself and drink some more beer by the seaside. It's such a memorable experience to get wasted by myself overlooking the sea, thinking about things that have been bothering me for the longest time. I didn't have a clear resolution by the end of the day but it was so rejuvenating.
Part 2 will be posted on the next update!
Tuesday, November 03, 2015
11/3/15
I still can't believe that the year is ending. The year started out so good and now I feel like I'm just coasting along to end the year. It's too bad that I haven't documented all those important events as much as I used to but rest assured that there are moments this year that will be hard to forget.
I'm looking forward to this Friday's movie night with the Gang! There's no concrete itinerary but we'll just go with the flow. It will surely be another great night and something that I need to take my mind off things about work, something that isn't going so well right now.
We also celebrated Halloween at the office last week. I wore a costume and got a free donut from Krispy Kreme! Yay! I didn't even know they were doing that.
I'm looking forward to this Friday's movie night with the Gang! There's no concrete itinerary but we'll just go with the flow. It will surely be another great night and something that I need to take my mind off things about work, something that isn't going so well right now.
We also celebrated Halloween at the office last week. I wore a costume and got a free donut from Krispy Kreme! Yay! I didn't even know they were doing that.
Monday, October 19, 2015
10/19/15
It's been a while since I've written a blog. I thought getting a new laptop with a fixed keyboard will motivate me to write as much as I used to, but there is just so much going on in my mind these past few months.
For starters, I've been denied of a work opportunity for reasons that I don't understand. I admit that it was a huge blow and it certainly made me lose a heck of motivation and will to continue working hard. To make it even worse, the person who got appointed was not exactly the most deserving one out of all the candidates. I'm now thinking of searching for a new job.
But I don't want to talk about it anymore.
The year is ending so fast and my money is running out at a quick pace too. Just last month, I bought a new laptop, a mirrorless camera, and a cellphone. I've been saving up for them since last year, but it still feels weird to make those purchases. I was also reminded that I have to pay for my gym membership by the end of the year which is why most of my salary is going to that because I haven't set aside money for that when the year started.
Our beach trip next month is also coming up and I am both excited and nervous at the same time.
I've been watching some basketball games live and supporting my college team. I miss the feeling of cheering for them live!
Also went to some fun places like Maginhawa for the second time around with The Gang as well as having dinner with the family at UP Town Center, a mall I've always wanted to visit.
As early as now, I'm already thinking of what to do for my birthday! Don't have any concrete plans but anything that includes travelling is a top priority.
For starters, I've been denied of a work opportunity for reasons that I don't understand. I admit that it was a huge blow and it certainly made me lose a heck of motivation and will to continue working hard. To make it even worse, the person who got appointed was not exactly the most deserving one out of all the candidates. I'm now thinking of searching for a new job.
But I don't want to talk about it anymore.
The year is ending so fast and my money is running out at a quick pace too. Just last month, I bought a new laptop, a mirrorless camera, and a cellphone. I've been saving up for them since last year, but it still feels weird to make those purchases. I was also reminded that I have to pay for my gym membership by the end of the year which is why most of my salary is going to that because I haven't set aside money for that when the year started.
Our beach trip next month is also coming up and I am both excited and nervous at the same time.
I've been watching some basketball games live and supporting my college team. I miss the feeling of cheering for them live!
Also went to some fun places like Maginhawa for the second time around with The Gang as well as having dinner with the family at UP Town Center, a mall I've always wanted to visit.
As early as now, I'm already thinking of what to do for my birthday! Don't have any concrete plans but anything that includes travelling is a top priority.
Thursday, September 03, 2015
9/3/15
It's the start of the Ber months already!
I don't know if I should be happy that it's getting closer to the holidays or worried because I'm running out of time to do more things.
Whatever, I have to make the most out of it.
I was able to watch Imagine Dragons exactly a week ago. It was a amazing experience. I should probably write about it on a different post if I have time.
I also have a potential job growth in my company as it provided an opportunity to apply for a higher position. Though the competition is tough, I might as well try than regret not doing so afterwards.
I'm back in the morning shift this month. Despite having a hard time waking up early, it's been going well so far. It just sucks that I have to go to the office earlier because my hands are peeling its skin off so the biometrics is having a hard time reading my fingerprint for attendance.
Monday, August 24, 2015
8/24/15
I'm so glad to have a restday today. It seems that I've been too busy this month. In fact, out of the 10 rest days that we have this month, only 2, including today, have been spent at home. No wonder I've ran out of money and had to resort to "borrowing" from my savings that have been allotted for something that I've been saving up for. I keep wondering how am I going to earn more money aside from my salary at work, but I don't have much time to look or do sideline work right now. I need to channel my high school self, the one who has tight control over his wallet...and hunger.
Though I spent this today at home, I didn't let it pass by without doing anything. I spent most of it cleaning my room and repairing some old stuff. The aftermath: I've fixed 3 of my old sunglasses and now I have at least 10 pairs to choose from. Not so bad at all.
I know there's along way to go before I get to make my room cleaner and look better but it's a start.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
8/20/15
This month has been so busy that I don't even have time to update this anymore.
So I'll just give a quick recap.
I've watched 4 concerts this month alone. I've seen Sheppard, All Time Low & The Maine, and Walk The Moon (twice!).I even made new friends or perhaps I should call them my concert buddies. I also have one more concert lined up before the month ends. I hope I get to watch.
Got treated to dinner and also found myself commuting to Eastwood! Watched Man from UNCLE which was surprisingly good and had some shisha sessions.
Drank several times after office hours and even during office hours!
Celebrated our company anniversary and pretended to be a sax player for a "Beyonce" performance. We won as well!
Watched Inside Out.I found it good but not as good as everyone else is saying. Also watched the movie 50 First Dates for the first time. Also watched Fantastic Four which was terrible like everyone else has claimed.
My digicam which has been with me since 2011(?) broke down. I guess it needs a much needed replacement. It's a good thing that I've been saving up for it for quite some time now.
I'm glad my life is becoming a bit more active since work hasn't been so nice.
So I'll just give a quick recap.
I've watched 4 concerts this month alone. I've seen Sheppard, All Time Low & The Maine, and Walk The Moon (twice!).I even made new friends or perhaps I should call them my concert buddies. I also have one more concert lined up before the month ends. I hope I get to watch.
Got treated to dinner and also found myself commuting to Eastwood! Watched Man from UNCLE which was surprisingly good and had some shisha sessions.
Drank several times after office hours and even during office hours!
Celebrated our company anniversary and pretended to be a sax player for a "Beyonce" performance. We won as well!
Watched Inside Out.I found it good but not as good as everyone else is saying. Also watched the movie 50 First Dates for the first time. Also watched Fantastic Four which was terrible like everyone else has claimed.
My digicam which has been with me since 2011(?) broke down. I guess it needs a much needed replacement. It's a good thing that I've been saving up for it for quite some time now.
I'm glad my life is becoming a bit more active since work hasn't been so nice.
Wednesday, August 05, 2015
8/5/15
Today was my first rest day of the month.I was planning to stay at home because there was news yesterday that it was going to rain hard today but it didn't. Instead of being stuck at home, I decided to go to the mall and watch a movie. It's the premiere day for the Fantastic Four reboot. I didn't feel the hype for the movie but I wanted to see it since it's another superhero movie. Before leaving the house, I quickly browsed through early reviews from those who have seen it and most were negative. I didn't get discouraged though and still proceeded to watch the movie.
I don't want to talk much about the movie but all I ca say is that I should have trusted the fans. It wasn't good simply put. The casting was ok. Though I still prefer a different actor for the Human Torch, that wasn't why the film sucked. I can't really pinpoint what exactly was bad but it's different from the previous movies from Marvel. The story felt rushed and cheesy. The resolution of the conflict was also boring. I expected to see more action-packed scenes and got the short end of the stick.
While in the restroom after the movie, I heard two persons who also watched say that it should have been a direct-to-DVD release, and I couldn't agree more. How many reboots will it take to get it right?
I don't want to talk much about the movie but all I ca say is that I should have trusted the fans. It wasn't good simply put. The casting was ok. Though I still prefer a different actor for the Human Torch, that wasn't why the film sucked. I can't really pinpoint what exactly was bad but it's different from the previous movies from Marvel. The story felt rushed and cheesy. The resolution of the conflict was also boring. I expected to see more action-packed scenes and got the short end of the stick.
While in the restroom after the movie, I heard two persons who also watched say that it should have been a direct-to-DVD release, and I couldn't agree more. How many reboots will it take to get it right?
Sunday, July 26, 2015
7/26/15 - Paper Towns
I watched Paper Towns today. It's another movie based on the novel by John Green.Last year, we had the adaptation for The Fault In Our Stars which was quite a hit so it's not surprising that they made another one to recreate the success.
I actually read the book sometime ago and though I don't really remember much of it.But I do know that I didn't find it to be that impressive to be memorable so I can't say that I have been anxiously waiting for this movie. However, I still made it a point to watch it.
The movie's leading stars are Nat Wolff who starred in TFIOS and model-turned-actress Cara Delevingne.
It's another coming-of-age movie revolving around the story of two teenagers who met each other at an early age and after one eventful evening of extracting revenge to her enemies, Margot ( Delevingne) disappears and Q (Wolff) is dead set to find her, tagging along with him a couple of his friends who are all graduating with him. In a race against time, they follow Margot's clues that she left behind, hoping to meet their destiny.
Unlike TFIOS, the movie didn't pack itself with big stars but that didn't matter so much.There is one cameo that surprised some people in the theater and made some girls gasp.
I don't want to be such a spoiler but the ending may not be what everyone expects of a typical love story but it does show a different prospect and an outlook in young relationships.
The music is also quite good,though not as good as TFIOS' soundtrack.
I won't be surprised if there's another John Green novel-based movie that will be produced soon.
I actually read the book sometime ago and though I don't really remember much of it.But I do know that I didn't find it to be that impressive to be memorable so I can't say that I have been anxiously waiting for this movie. However, I still made it a point to watch it.
The movie's leading stars are Nat Wolff who starred in TFIOS and model-turned-actress Cara Delevingne.
It's another coming-of-age movie revolving around the story of two teenagers who met each other at an early age and after one eventful evening of extracting revenge to her enemies, Margot ( Delevingne) disappears and Q (Wolff) is dead set to find her, tagging along with him a couple of his friends who are all graduating with him. In a race against time, they follow Margot's clues that she left behind, hoping to meet their destiny.
Unlike TFIOS, the movie didn't pack itself with big stars but that didn't matter so much.There is one cameo that surprised some people in the theater and made some girls gasp.
I don't want to be such a spoiler but the ending may not be what everyone expects of a typical love story but it does show a different prospect and an outlook in young relationships.
The music is also quite good,though not as good as TFIOS' soundtrack.
I won't be surprised if there's another John Green novel-based movie that will be produced soon.
Saturday, July 25, 2015
7/24/15 - Twenty One Pilots in Manila
It's been quite a while since I last posted here. It's been a hectic month, but there were good memories too.
Last weekend, I got to watch Twenty One Pilots live for the first time during their mall show in Trinoma.
I got VIP tickets from my uncle and had spare ones. I offered them to some people online and made new friends and possible concert buddies in the future.
The show was great! They even made me a bigger fan after seeing how awesome they were. They performed songs from their 2 albums and I'm looking forward for their return which will hopefully happen.
I missed watching concerts so I am hoping that I could watch some upcoming ones next month.
Last weekend, I got to watch Twenty One Pilots live for the first time during their mall show in Trinoma.
I got VIP tickets from my uncle and had spare ones. I offered them to some people online and made new friends and possible concert buddies in the future.
The show was great! They even made me a bigger fan after seeing how awesome they were. They performed songs from their 2 albums and I'm looking forward for their return which will hopefully happen.
I missed watching concerts so I am hoping that I could watch some upcoming ones next month.
Saturday, July 04, 2015
7/4/15
#NovemBora seems to be happening after all. I just booked us our tickets last night to catch the low fare promo which will end tomorrow.
It was my first time to use a credit card so I was very afraid.I initially wanted to use my debit card, but I kept on getting declined so I was forced to use my credit card for the first time ever. It will also be my first time to ride Air Asia,as well as the first time to ride a plane with friends/coworkers instead of family or friends.
So many firsts! I am so excited for all the possibilities!
Thursday, June 25, 2015
6/25/15
June is ending and I simply cannot wait for it to be over.
Work has been at its lowest point this month. Not only have I been assigned in the graveyard shift, but I've also incurred the most errors this month. I'm bound for a hearing, a first for the team and myself, and that is definitely not good. The worst part is that I don't care about my errors so much. I'm only worried about keeping my job.
Me and my gang is already planning for our next out-of-town trip in a few months and I definitely need to keep earning money.Of course, I still need a job with or without that trip for obvious reasons. I know I'm better than this but I can't point out what's been going on with myself lately. I should really get back on track but I don't really know how to do it.
I'm a bit ashamed towards my colleagues who are working harder than I am and I want to keep them away from my personal struggles as much as possible.
For the past year at work, I've always tried to be among the best, and still am, but I'm losing focus and motivation, unfortunately.
Work has been at its lowest point this month. Not only have I been assigned in the graveyard shift, but I've also incurred the most errors this month. I'm bound for a hearing, a first for the team and myself, and that is definitely not good. The worst part is that I don't care about my errors so much. I'm only worried about keeping my job.
Me and my gang is already planning for our next out-of-town trip in a few months and I definitely need to keep earning money.Of course, I still need a job with or without that trip for obvious reasons. I know I'm better than this but I can't point out what's been going on with myself lately. I should really get back on track but I don't really know how to do it.
I'm a bit ashamed towards my colleagues who are working harder than I am and I want to keep them away from my personal struggles as much as possible.
For the past year at work, I've always tried to be among the best, and still am, but I'm losing focus and motivation, unfortunately.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
6/21/15 - Bataan trip
These past few days have been a great one.
Watched Jurassic World last Thursday. I enjoyed it though I'm not so sure if it deserves to hold the record of having the biggest box office opening week in Hollywood.
The highlight of the week has been my Bataan trip with my gang that was way overdue. It was originally planned to be last month but certain circumstances forced us to move it.
Nonetheless, we had a blast! Aside from the 5 of us, we were also accompanied by our friend's siblings to fulfill the minimum requirement of 10 persons in a group.
We met up at the bus station early morning around 5 am in Cubao and boarded a bus going to Balanga. I went there with 2 of my officemates and we even arrived early so we hung out at a near 7/11 store while waiting for the others to come.
The trip to Balanga took a couple of hours. From there,we ate breakfast in Jollibee while waiting for the owner of the island we're going to. We took a jeep going to Bagac then rode a boat in the island. We were going to a beach resort called Playa La Caleta. If you plan on going, I highly recommend that place. The owner is very friendly and easy to talk to.
We were greeted with a pleasant view of the sea with big waves.There were already other guests i the island but not enough to make the place crowded.
We settled in and made ourselves comfortable. There were benches, tables, and even a restroom, so the place was very accommodating. The locals greeted us with luaus and gave us a toiletry kit made up of leaves to give us a preview of the island life.
The scenery was breathtaking. We were able to play frisbee, climb up a treehouse as well as explore some part of the island. The best part is that we got to relax and bond with each other.
Unfortunately, the sea was in high tide and the waves were strong so we were not able to do other things like go hiking, try the tire swing or go cliff diving. I was looking forward to do those activities. That didn't stop us from having fun though. We played card games, traded jokes, shared stories, and enjoyed a cocktail party courtesy of the host as well as food and drinks that we personally brought.
The weather was also a hindrance as it rained all night long and it prevented us to fully do more activities. The sea was also disappointing as plenty of trash were floating around, but it'snot to overshadow the beauty of the island as it is supposedly not a normal scene. We just came at a wrong time when the rainy season has already started.
I have to commend the food that was prepared for us. You can tell that they really prepare for guests just by the presentation of the food. We were well taken care of and I won't be surprised if we go back there again.
We're already pre-planning our ext out-of-town trip which is more reason for me to start saving money! I am really glad to have a good set of friends to enjoy with! I just hope that this trip won't be the last time we'll have as much fun as we did.
Watched Jurassic World last Thursday. I enjoyed it though I'm not so sure if it deserves to hold the record of having the biggest box office opening week in Hollywood.
The highlight of the week has been my Bataan trip with my gang that was way overdue. It was originally planned to be last month but certain circumstances forced us to move it.
Nonetheless, we had a blast! Aside from the 5 of us, we were also accompanied by our friend's siblings to fulfill the minimum requirement of 10 persons in a group.
We met up at the bus station early morning around 5 am in Cubao and boarded a bus going to Balanga. I went there with 2 of my officemates and we even arrived early so we hung out at a near 7/11 store while waiting for the others to come.
The trip to Balanga took a couple of hours. From there,we ate breakfast in Jollibee while waiting for the owner of the island we're going to. We took a jeep going to Bagac then rode a boat in the island. We were going to a beach resort called Playa La Caleta. If you plan on going, I highly recommend that place. The owner is very friendly and easy to talk to.
We were greeted with a pleasant view of the sea with big waves.There were already other guests i the island but not enough to make the place crowded.
We settled in and made ourselves comfortable. There were benches, tables, and even a restroom, so the place was very accommodating. The locals greeted us with luaus and gave us a toiletry kit made up of leaves to give us a preview of the island life.
The scenery was breathtaking. We were able to play frisbee, climb up a treehouse as well as explore some part of the island. The best part is that we got to relax and bond with each other.
Unfortunately, the sea was in high tide and the waves were strong so we were not able to do other things like go hiking, try the tire swing or go cliff diving. I was looking forward to do those activities. That didn't stop us from having fun though. We played card games, traded jokes, shared stories, and enjoyed a cocktail party courtesy of the host as well as food and drinks that we personally brought.
The weather was also a hindrance as it rained all night long and it prevented us to fully do more activities. The sea was also disappointing as plenty of trash were floating around, but it'snot to overshadow the beauty of the island as it is supposedly not a normal scene. We just came at a wrong time when the rainy season has already started.
I have to commend the food that was prepared for us. You can tell that they really prepare for guests just by the presentation of the food. We were well taken care of and I won't be surprised if we go back there again.
We're already pre-planning our ext out-of-town trip which is more reason for me to start saving money! I am really glad to have a good set of friends to enjoy with! I just hope that this trip won't be the last time we'll have as much fun as we did.
Monday, June 15, 2015
6/15/15
The month is already halfway through and I don't know how I feel about it. I've been lacking plenty of sleep. In fact, it's my rest day right now but instead of catching up on sleep, I've been preoccupied with other stuff like packing things for our beach trip this weekend as well as the Game of Thrones finale.
Things are quite terrible at work but everybody has to move forward including myself.I just don't know how to make everything better again.
Things are quite terrible at work but everybody has to move forward including myself.I just don't know how to make everything better again.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
6/10/15
It's already 10 days into June and it's been quite a struggle. It's my first time to be assigned into the graveyard shift. It's hard to stay awake but I have no choice because we have some new accounts that are very active at night.
Commuting after work is also stressful and expensive. Getting enough sleep at home is probably my biggest challenge. Even my officemates can see how much I lack sleep just by looking at my eyes.
Though the good thing is that I can go out during the day. Just last Monday, I got to assist in my friend's photoshoot at the office which was fun.
But I think I'll be moved to another shift next month which is not so bad.
Commuting after work is also stressful and expensive. Getting enough sleep at home is probably my biggest challenge. Even my officemates can see how much I lack sleep just by looking at my eyes.
Though the good thing is that I can go out during the day. Just last Monday, I got to assist in my friend's photoshoot at the office which was fun.
But I think I'll be moved to another shift next month which is not so bad.
Sunday, June 07, 2015
6/7/15 - Cagbalete Island trip
June has started but summer is not yet over for me.
Last weekend, I joined my former colleagues from my previous company as we headed out to the beach in Cagbalete Island, Mauban, Quezon.
It was my first time to go there and I was quite hesitant to join at first. Fortunately,I still had funds to pay for the overnight stay and I had my rest days during those days so I didn't have to adjust my sched.
We left midnight of Saturday so I was already at the office by Friday night. We were supposed to take the bus but at the bus station, we were able to make a deal with two FX shuttles to take us there. There were around 19 of us in total so we had to split in two shuttles. I got to meet the new employees of the company as well as see the new look of the office.
Since we left Manila before 2 am, we didn't experience traffic and arrived at the Quezon port at around 5-6 am. We took a boat ride to the island for almost an hour.
The island looked good at first sight. The sea was at low tide so we had to walk to the beach from the boat which couldn't really dock at the beach front because of it.
We brought plenty of food which we couldn't even finish as well as boxes of beer and alcohol.
During the stay, we had to cook our food old-school style so cooking took a lot of time. We also played frisbee and played a bunch of card games. We couldn't rent out houses because they were fully-booked so we slept in tents that were rented out by the resort.
The sea wasn't so deep whether it's high or low tide so we got to go to the far parts of the sea.
The only part I don't like about the beach was that the sandbed was full of rocks so we got some wounds from walking.The sand in the camp site was also quite dirty,probably from all the charcoal left lying around. Our feet was so dirty when we left and the dirt was hard to be scrubbed off.
The heat of the sun made it unbearable to swim for a long period of time but I was glad to have an opportunity to catch up with my friends from my past work. I'm glad they didn't change so much and it felt like the good old times. We left the following day and our trip was longer than the previous day as expected.. My body was aching from all the pains but it was all worth it.
I'm waiting for one more beach trip in the next two weeks before my summer is over and right now, I'm just trying to survive work and save money.
Last weekend, I joined my former colleagues from my previous company as we headed out to the beach in Cagbalete Island, Mauban, Quezon.
It was my first time to go there and I was quite hesitant to join at first. Fortunately,I still had funds to pay for the overnight stay and I had my rest days during those days so I didn't have to adjust my sched.
We left midnight of Saturday so I was already at the office by Friday night. We were supposed to take the bus but at the bus station, we were able to make a deal with two FX shuttles to take us there. There were around 19 of us in total so we had to split in two shuttles. I got to meet the new employees of the company as well as see the new look of the office.
Since we left Manila before 2 am, we didn't experience traffic and arrived at the Quezon port at around 5-6 am. We took a boat ride to the island for almost an hour.
The island looked good at first sight. The sea was at low tide so we had to walk to the beach from the boat which couldn't really dock at the beach front because of it.
We brought plenty of food which we couldn't even finish as well as boxes of beer and alcohol.
During the stay, we had to cook our food old-school style so cooking took a lot of time. We also played frisbee and played a bunch of card games. We couldn't rent out houses because they were fully-booked so we slept in tents that were rented out by the resort.
The sea wasn't so deep whether it's high or low tide so we got to go to the far parts of the sea.
The only part I don't like about the beach was that the sandbed was full of rocks so we got some wounds from walking.The sand in the camp site was also quite dirty,probably from all the charcoal left lying around. Our feet was so dirty when we left and the dirt was hard to be scrubbed off.
The heat of the sun made it unbearable to swim for a long period of time but I was glad to have an opportunity to catch up with my friends from my past work. I'm glad they didn't change so much and it felt like the good old times. We left the following day and our trip was longer than the previous day as expected.. My body was aching from all the pains but it was all worth it.
I'm waiting for one more beach trip in the next two weeks before my summer is over and right now, I'm just trying to survive work and save money.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
5/21/15
If you're looking for a good place to eat Filipino food, might as well try Cafe Juanita. To celebrate my uncle's short visit here in the country, we had dinner at their Pasig branch and was served with good food.
It was my first time to eat there and we were greeted with an establishment with over-the-top and fancy decorations upon arrival. It turns out that it was an old house converted to a restaurant. It wasn't hard to see since the ground floor is very similar to old school living rooms and the entire ambiance felt like we were just chilling at home.
We ordered a set menu and made additional orders since there were 7 of us and their set meals are only good for 5 persons. Seeing that they have plenty of customers, I think they should add more for a larger party.
The food was good though. I don't eat some of the food that were part of the set but I liked those that I've tried. It included a complete package starting from the appetizer up to the dessert which was a good deal.
They also have branches in Alabang and BGC, I think, so try them out!
It was my first time to eat there and we were greeted with an establishment with over-the-top and fancy decorations upon arrival. It turns out that it was an old house converted to a restaurant. It wasn't hard to see since the ground floor is very similar to old school living rooms and the entire ambiance felt like we were just chilling at home.
We ordered a set menu and made additional orders since there were 7 of us and their set meals are only good for 5 persons. Seeing that they have plenty of customers, I think they should add more for a larger party.
The food was good though. I don't eat some of the food that were part of the set but I liked those that I've tried. It included a complete package starting from the appetizer up to the dessert which was a good deal.
They also have branches in Alabang and BGC, I think, so try them out!
Sunday, May 17, 2015
5/17/15
Have you ever had that feeling of being taken for granted? It's really hard when you keep on exerting a huge effort to maintain your friendship but the other person keeps on ignoring you and acts like there's nothing wrong when you finally get to meet up with each other in person.
I keep on asking myself what I keep on doing wrong. I don't even know why I'm allowing myself to be treated this way but I don't want to end our friendship either. I hate being overdramatic but I can't help it when I keep on getting treated like this. I've spent a lot to be a good friend and I mean that figuratively and literally.
I'm just trying to be a good friend that I've never really done before but I don't know how that will work when my efforts seem so worthless.
I keep on asking myself what I keep on doing wrong. I don't even know why I'm allowing myself to be treated this way but I don't want to end our friendship either. I hate being overdramatic but I can't help it when I keep on getting treated like this. I've spent a lot to be a good friend and I mean that figuratively and literally.
I'm just trying to be a good friend that I've never really done before but I don't know how that will work when my efforts seem so worthless.
Saturday, May 16, 2015
5/16/15
I was originally scheduled to go to the beach last Thursday to Friday with the Gang. We planned it since a month ago and we were all looking forward to the trip. However, we ran into some last minute problems and the trip got postponed to June. It was a sad news to hear at first, knowing all the effort we had to make just to clear our schedules. However, we didn't let our free time to go to waste.
We still decided to meet up with each other yesterday. One of us had a gig so we agreed to have dinner in Maginhawa street. It was my first time to go there though it has been one of the food places I've been wanting to visit.
I didn't know how to go there on my own so I went with my friend who had a gig and had to go to Quezon ave first to record. We initially wanted to take the bus but we had a difficult time waiting for one. It's not surprising considering that it was a payday Friday. As per her recommendation, we rode the MRT instead and I dropped off at Cubao station. From there, I took the LRT2 for the first time going to Katipunan. I didn't even know there was a train station there but I managed to find myself where I should be. I took a cab to Maginhawa street and met up with the others.
After hanging out at Infinitea, we decided to look for a place to eat. We wanted to try out StrEat but the place was jam packed. We ended up walking down the area and finding this resto that serves breakfast food called Pies and Breakfast.
We were served good food though the serving was quite small. We took advantage of the time to give our birthday present to my friend who celebrated his birthday a few weeks ago. We also continued to talk about our beach plans and random stuff.
After one of our friends arrived, we moved to another resto to try out their churros. After a fun chat, we tried looking for a bar to get a bottle of beer but found out that beer was prohibited in the area. So we decided to proceed to Mow's where our friend will perform with her band.
The performance was great and everyone had their bottle of beer as they wanted.
After our friend finished their performance, we moved to a bar nearby and continued hanging out. We were introduced to our friend's longtime friends and played a lot of drinking games. It was a really fun night and I can't wait to have a repeat of it when we go to the beach next month.
We ended up at around 2 am so I had no choice but to go straight to the office and sleep there. I took a cab with my friend to Ayala who was also heading south. I still feel so tired until now but I'm just so happy for having a great time last night!
We still decided to meet up with each other yesterday. One of us had a gig so we agreed to have dinner in Maginhawa street. It was my first time to go there though it has been one of the food places I've been wanting to visit.
I didn't know how to go there on my own so I went with my friend who had a gig and had to go to Quezon ave first to record. We initially wanted to take the bus but we had a difficult time waiting for one. It's not surprising considering that it was a payday Friday. As per her recommendation, we rode the MRT instead and I dropped off at Cubao station. From there, I took the LRT2 for the first time going to Katipunan. I didn't even know there was a train station there but I managed to find myself where I should be. I took a cab to Maginhawa street and met up with the others.
After hanging out at Infinitea, we decided to look for a place to eat. We wanted to try out StrEat but the place was jam packed. We ended up walking down the area and finding this resto that serves breakfast food called Pies and Breakfast.
We were served good food though the serving was quite small. We took advantage of the time to give our birthday present to my friend who celebrated his birthday a few weeks ago. We also continued to talk about our beach plans and random stuff.
After one of our friends arrived, we moved to another resto to try out their churros. After a fun chat, we tried looking for a bar to get a bottle of beer but found out that beer was prohibited in the area. So we decided to proceed to Mow's where our friend will perform with her band.
The performance was great and everyone had their bottle of beer as they wanted.
After our friend finished their performance, we moved to a bar nearby and continued hanging out. We were introduced to our friend's longtime friends and played a lot of drinking games. It was a really fun night and I can't wait to have a repeat of it when we go to the beach next month.
We ended up at around 2 am so I had no choice but to go straight to the office and sleep there. I took a cab with my friend to Ayala who was also heading south. I still feel so tired until now but I'm just so happy for having a great time last night!
Thursday, May 14, 2015
5/14/15 - Singapore 2015 (Day 5)
Here's day 5 of my trip to SG. Day 4 recap here.
Woke up early on this day to pack up my stuff. This time, I'm already assured of a flight.
I checked out early and proceeded to Bugis where the first location of my friend's shoot will be held. I wanted to do some last minute shopping but there was no more time.
I met up with my friend and his stylist and introduced me to the model who is a local actor in the city. It was pretty cool to meet a celebrity. We got some shots within the area and rode his car to go to the next location, Boat Quay. But we had lunch in McDo on the way.
Upon reaching our next destination, we immediately took shots for the shoot. My flight was scheduled at 8pm so I had to be at the airport by 6pm. But I had some time left so I still decided to go with them to the next location.
We went to the Marina Barrage. It was getting late when we got there so I decided that I'll go back to the hostel from there. The shoot wouldn't proceed until sunset so we had some time to chat and take pics of the team for the meantime.
It was finally 4pm so I had to bid goodbyes to my friend and my new friends as well.
I rushed my way back to the hostel to retrieve my luggage and got a taxi. It was a rush hour so it was hard to get one at that time. Thankfully, the hostel helped me book a ride.
I arrived at the airport with enough time to check-in before boarding. I even managed to do a last minute shopping in Uniqlo before boarding the plane.
Just like on my way to SG, I got upgraded during the flight and moved to the business class. I watched a movie on the iPad and got served with plenty of food.
Arrived in Manila at past 11pm, almost midnight.
Overall, it was a great trip! My first solo adventure was great and I am hoping that there will be more of these adventures in the future. I've accomplished so many things in this trip and will always be looking for more opportunities to grow.
Woke up early on this day to pack up my stuff. This time, I'm already assured of a flight.
I checked out early and proceeded to Bugis where the first location of my friend's shoot will be held. I wanted to do some last minute shopping but there was no more time.
I met up with my friend and his stylist and introduced me to the model who is a local actor in the city. It was pretty cool to meet a celebrity. We got some shots within the area and rode his car to go to the next location, Boat Quay. But we had lunch in McDo on the way.
Upon reaching our next destination, we immediately took shots for the shoot. My flight was scheduled at 8pm so I had to be at the airport by 6pm. But I had some time left so I still decided to go with them to the next location.
We went to the Marina Barrage. It was getting late when we got there so I decided that I'll go back to the hostel from there. The shoot wouldn't proceed until sunset so we had some time to chat and take pics of the team for the meantime.
It was finally 4pm so I had to bid goodbyes to my friend and my new friends as well.
I rushed my way back to the hostel to retrieve my luggage and got a taxi. It was a rush hour so it was hard to get one at that time. Thankfully, the hostel helped me book a ride.
I arrived at the airport with enough time to check-in before boarding. I even managed to do a last minute shopping in Uniqlo before boarding the plane.
Just like on my way to SG, I got upgraded during the flight and moved to the business class. I watched a movie on the iPad and got served with plenty of food.
Arrived in Manila at past 11pm, almost midnight.
Overall, it was a great trip! My first solo adventure was great and I am hoping that there will be more of these adventures in the future. I've accomplished so many things in this trip and will always be looking for more opportunities to grow.
Sunday, May 03, 2015
5/3/15 - Singapore 2015 (Day 4)
Here's day 4 of my trip to SG. Day 3 recap here.
This day was supposed to be my last day in SG. I started this day early by packing up my stuff and leaving my baggage at the hostel counter since I had some places to go to with my friend before I leave and I won't be in the hostel during the check-out time. The hostel accommodated requests to store baggages even after check-out time so it was convenient for me not to bring along my luggage while doing more sightseeing.
My friend and I decided to check out old houses in Dakota. Apparently, the condominiums in the area were there before the British invaded the territory back then. I'm not quite sure of its history but it was something worth checking out. It was near Geylang which was one of the places I wanted to see but didn't have time anymore. My friend arrived quite late but we still managed to eat at a nearby hawker center. I treated him lunch as a way to thank him for the whole trip and to relieve him of any disturbance I've caused.
He wanted to do an ocular for a shoot i Victoria theatre which was in another area so we decided to ride a us afterwards.
While on the bus, I got a phone call from the airline and found out that I was confirmed for a flight o the following day. That was great news to me and quickly relayed the info to my friend and everyone concerned back home. I already alerted my boss that I'll be absent for one day.
The theatre was near City Hall and we had to walk along a log street to get there. It was a big place and there was even a photo shoot going on while we were in the place so it must really be a popular venue for photographers.
We had to split up after since he had a meeting with a client. We had a tentative plan to have snacks after if there was time.
As I made my way back to the hostel to figure out what to do for the rest of the day, I passed along Little India and got a henna tattoo which was one of the things I wanted to do. I got a sun design on my left hand.
I took some time to relax in the hostel and charge up my gadgets. Also told them that I will be staying for another night.Fortunately,the bed I was occupying was still available.
I went to the Singapore Botanic Gardens to have a taste of nature since I wasn't able to go to any of the zoo or the bird park. It was a big park and I didn't even get to see the entire place. Therewere tourists as well as people just chilling out or playing around. How I wish we had a similar park here in the Philippines as most of them are either small, far, or too filled with commercial establishments.
I couldn't figure out where to go next so I just went back to some places I've been to the past days like Clarke Quay and Vivo City. I checked out the stores and other parts of the area that I wasn't able to see more closely.
After finding out I won't be able to meet up with my friend anymore, I decided to make use of the time to go back to the airport and find out if my sim card was in the money changer where I thought I lost it. Unfortunately, they didn't have it anymore so I had to buy a new one when I return back home.
I got back to the hostel a bit late but I wasn't ready to call it a day so I went to Gardens by the Bay since we were't able to go there. Unfortunately for me, the conservatories were closed but the gardens were still open to the public. The place was great even at night. I only got to see a few places of the area but I was struck by awe at how beautiful it was. Like me, there were others who were checking out the place even if it was late already. I got a confirmation from my friend that I will be able to join him on his shoot on the following day since my stay was extended. I was very willing to go and assist for one more time before leaving and that made me excited.
I didn't want to miss the last ride so I went back to the hostel while the trains are still operating. Just like the oe here in Manila, the MRT didn't operate the whole day.However, since the place was small, I think I could have walked my way back to the hostel but I just wanted to go back immediately to rest.
I realized I haven't eaten dinner past midnight so I had my usual midnight trip to Mustafa centre and grabbed some meal on the way back to the hostel to cherish my last night.
This day was supposed to be my last day in SG. I started this day early by packing up my stuff and leaving my baggage at the hostel counter since I had some places to go to with my friend before I leave and I won't be in the hostel during the check-out time. The hostel accommodated requests to store baggages even after check-out time so it was convenient for me not to bring along my luggage while doing more sightseeing.
My friend and I decided to check out old houses in Dakota. Apparently, the condominiums in the area were there before the British invaded the territory back then. I'm not quite sure of its history but it was something worth checking out. It was near Geylang which was one of the places I wanted to see but didn't have time anymore. My friend arrived quite late but we still managed to eat at a nearby hawker center. I treated him lunch as a way to thank him for the whole trip and to relieve him of any disturbance I've caused.
He wanted to do an ocular for a shoot i Victoria theatre which was in another area so we decided to ride a us afterwards.
While on the bus, I got a phone call from the airline and found out that I was confirmed for a flight o the following day. That was great news to me and quickly relayed the info to my friend and everyone concerned back home. I already alerted my boss that I'll be absent for one day.
The theatre was near City Hall and we had to walk along a log street to get there. It was a big place and there was even a photo shoot going on while we were in the place so it must really be a popular venue for photographers.
We had to split up after since he had a meeting with a client. We had a tentative plan to have snacks after if there was time.
As I made my way back to the hostel to figure out what to do for the rest of the day, I passed along Little India and got a henna tattoo which was one of the things I wanted to do. I got a sun design on my left hand.
I took some time to relax in the hostel and charge up my gadgets. Also told them that I will be staying for another night.Fortunately,the bed I was occupying was still available.
I went to the Singapore Botanic Gardens to have a taste of nature since I wasn't able to go to any of the zoo or the bird park. It was a big park and I didn't even get to see the entire place. Therewere tourists as well as people just chilling out or playing around. How I wish we had a similar park here in the Philippines as most of them are either small, far, or too filled with commercial establishments.
I couldn't figure out where to go next so I just went back to some places I've been to the past days like Clarke Quay and Vivo City. I checked out the stores and other parts of the area that I wasn't able to see more closely.
After finding out I won't be able to meet up with my friend anymore, I decided to make use of the time to go back to the airport and find out if my sim card was in the money changer where I thought I lost it. Unfortunately, they didn't have it anymore so I had to buy a new one when I return back home.
I got back to the hostel a bit late but I wasn't ready to call it a day so I went to Gardens by the Bay since we were't able to go there. Unfortunately for me, the conservatories were closed but the gardens were still open to the public. The place was great even at night. I only got to see a few places of the area but I was struck by awe at how beautiful it was. Like me, there were others who were checking out the place even if it was late already. I got a confirmation from my friend that I will be able to join him on his shoot on the following day since my stay was extended. I was very willing to go and assist for one more time before leaving and that made me excited.
I didn't want to miss the last ride so I went back to the hostel while the trains are still operating. Just like the oe here in Manila, the MRT didn't operate the whole day.However, since the place was small, I think I could have walked my way back to the hostel but I just wanted to go back immediately to rest.
I realized I haven't eaten dinner past midnight so I had my usual midnight trip to Mustafa centre and grabbed some meal on the way back to the hostel to cherish my last night.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
4/29/15
I know this won't be seen but I just want to take this opportunity to greet a good friend of mine a happy birthday! Its a shame that I can't celebrate with him right now but I hope to see him soon together with the rest of our gang!
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
4/28/15 - Singapore 2015 (Day 3)
Here's day 3 of my trip to SG. Day 2 recap here.
I woke up early to visit the PAL Ticket office in SG. Fortunately, I found the directions from the website and found out that it was not so far from the hostel area.
I went there first thing in the morning since I had plans throughout the day. I was able to talk to the ticket lady and got myself waitlisted for at least 3 more flights including the weekends. My ticket is open-dated so I ca actually extend my stay. Though it would mean that I would have to take an absence in work but it's alright.
I walked my way to Bras Basah where the Singapore Art Museum is located. My friend suggested me to check it out.
The entrance fee is around 10 sgd. It had good art pieces on display.However, I was quite disappointed that my timing was off as there were a lot of installations ongoing while I was there which means some of the gallery were not yet ready and I didn't get to see all of the exhibit. It was still fascinating to see all the artworks on display.It makes me wonder why I've never really explored museums in the Philippines or perhaps there aren't as many to go to.
I finished quite early and I got to walk towards Suntec and Marina Square mall which I intended to see initially. I bought a CD from HMV before leaving the area.
I decided to go to Chinatown and have lunch there. There were plenty of people everywhere so I had nowhere else to eat but in Subway in one of the establishments in the area.
I roamed around the streets of Chinatow afterwards and found many cheap items that could be bought as gifts. I would have bought some but I already bought some gifts the day before. I also didn't want to have plenty of carriage with me.
I was meeting up with my friend at around 3pm so I took the MRT going to Harbourfront/Vivo City where we will proceed to Sentosa after.
My friend was late so I had time to walk around the mall and look around. When my friend showed up, he suggested to take the tram instead of walking the boardwalk since it would be more convenient and the ticket wasn't so expensive.
After arriving at Sentosa, we immediately took plenty of pictures allover. We didn't really have enough money to go inside Universal Studios but we still had plenty of things to see outside. The attractions were quite expensive so we didn't get to avail them as well but we did take the Skyline and Luge ride where we had to ride a go-kart and head to the beaches. The beach was amazing considering that it was man-made. The water isn't so clear though but it was a good place to chill. It even drizzled a bit but it stopped shortly after.
We left Sentosa early and decided to meetup again later for dinner.
I promised him a dinner treat as my farewell treat before I leave. We ate at a restaurant at a mall in Sengkang. I forgot the name but it was a upper end cafe. Our dinner almost failed since he planned to work on his photos while working but the cafe told us they didn't offer wi-fi.My friend had to use the wifi on his phone instead.
We both had pasta for food and we got to talk about random as well as personal stuff. It was a good conversation to end the night and the whole day as well.
At that point, I didn't feel like leaving SGyet and continued to hope that I would get confirmed on a flight to a different day.
I continued going back to the Mustafa centre at midnight just for some alone time before finally deciding to call it a day.
I woke up early to visit the PAL Ticket office in SG. Fortunately, I found the directions from the website and found out that it was not so far from the hostel area.
I went there first thing in the morning since I had plans throughout the day. I was able to talk to the ticket lady and got myself waitlisted for at least 3 more flights including the weekends. My ticket is open-dated so I ca actually extend my stay. Though it would mean that I would have to take an absence in work but it's alright.
I walked my way to Bras Basah where the Singapore Art Museum is located. My friend suggested me to check it out.
The entrance fee is around 10 sgd. It had good art pieces on display.However, I was quite disappointed that my timing was off as there were a lot of installations ongoing while I was there which means some of the gallery were not yet ready and I didn't get to see all of the exhibit. It was still fascinating to see all the artworks on display.It makes me wonder why I've never really explored museums in the Philippines or perhaps there aren't as many to go to.
I finished quite early and I got to walk towards Suntec and Marina Square mall which I intended to see initially. I bought a CD from HMV before leaving the area.
I decided to go to Chinatown and have lunch there. There were plenty of people everywhere so I had nowhere else to eat but in Subway in one of the establishments in the area.
I roamed around the streets of Chinatow afterwards and found many cheap items that could be bought as gifts. I would have bought some but I already bought some gifts the day before. I also didn't want to have plenty of carriage with me.
I was meeting up with my friend at around 3pm so I took the MRT going to Harbourfront/Vivo City where we will proceed to Sentosa after.
My friend was late so I had time to walk around the mall and look around. When my friend showed up, he suggested to take the tram instead of walking the boardwalk since it would be more convenient and the ticket wasn't so expensive.
After arriving at Sentosa, we immediately took plenty of pictures allover. We didn't really have enough money to go inside Universal Studios but we still had plenty of things to see outside. The attractions were quite expensive so we didn't get to avail them as well but we did take the Skyline and Luge ride where we had to ride a go-kart and head to the beaches. The beach was amazing considering that it was man-made. The water isn't so clear though but it was a good place to chill. It even drizzled a bit but it stopped shortly after.
We left Sentosa early and decided to meetup again later for dinner.
I promised him a dinner treat as my farewell treat before I leave. We ate at a restaurant at a mall in Sengkang. I forgot the name but it was a upper end cafe. Our dinner almost failed since he planned to work on his photos while working but the cafe told us they didn't offer wi-fi.My friend had to use the wifi on his phone instead.
We both had pasta for food and we got to talk about random as well as personal stuff. It was a good conversation to end the night and the whole day as well.
At that point, I didn't feel like leaving SGyet and continued to hope that I would get confirmed on a flight to a different day.
I continued going back to the Mustafa centre at midnight just for some alone time before finally deciding to call it a day.
4/27/15
Today is the first of my 3 consecutive rest days this week. I don't really have plans but I hope to get some rest and organize stuff. It's not going as planned so far but I still have time. The heat is just unbearable these past few days so it's really hard to move around.
I've been trying to do more workout lately since I'm hitting the beach in a few weeks. I don't see significant results yet but whatever happens, I won't be dissatisfied with my physical appearance.
I've been trying to do more workout lately since I'm hitting the beach in a few weeks. I don't see significant results yet but whatever happens, I won't be dissatisfied with my physical appearance.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
4/22/15 - Avengers: Age Of Ultron
I watched The Avengers: Age Of Ultron today. I bought my ticket early since I know a lot of people will be watching and I was not mistaken. I was supposed to watch with some of my friends but due to some conflicts, they couldn't go so I just watched it by myself.
The movie was good enough but I was quite underwhelmed and that's saying a lot considering that I wasn't too hyped for this movie. It tried to insert some humor in it but for some reason, some of them were not effective. It had great action scenes though. It was also good to see some backstory for some of them as well as getting introduced to new characters like Quicksilver and Scarlett Witch. There are some scenes that are quite confusing and dragging. I also felt that the romance between two certain characters felt a bit rushed.
The movie was running for more than 2 hours but I feel like I wated to see more. Not really sure if that's a good or bad thing though.
I wonder if they are going to tie this up with the TV show, Agents Of Shield.
The movie was good enough but I was quite underwhelmed and that's saying a lot considering that I wasn't too hyped for this movie. It tried to insert some humor in it but for some reason, some of them were not effective. It had great action scenes though. It was also good to see some backstory for some of them as well as getting introduced to new characters like Quicksilver and Scarlett Witch. There are some scenes that are quite confusing and dragging. I also felt that the romance between two certain characters felt a bit rushed.
The movie was running for more than 2 hours but I feel like I wated to see more. Not really sure if that's a good or bad thing though.
I wonder if they are going to tie this up with the TV show, Agents Of Shield.
Saturday, April 18, 2015
4/18/15 - World Of DC Fun Run
Earlier today, me and my friends from work participated in a fun run held in SM Mall of Asia. The theme was World of DC so we were running in superhero designed shirts with matching accessories.
We all dressed up as Batman and ended up running the 3K route since stocks and slots for the other superhero designs and race routes were already sold out.
This is just my second fun run that I've participated in so I was quite excited. Unfortunately, the event was poorly handled and it turned out to be a disappointment. It should be considered that it is the first time that this was done so I hope that the organizers do a better preparation next year if there will be a repeat.
But it was great to run with my friends though. We haven't had a chance to go out recently due to our busy schedules so it was nice to catch-up with everyone even for a short while.
We had brunch in Recovery Food in BGC afterwards before going home.
We're planning to go on an outing but we're having problems with venue and scheduling. I really hope it pushes through. It's been something we have been planning since early this year.
We all dressed up as Batman and ended up running the 3K route since stocks and slots for the other superhero designs and race routes were already sold out.
This is just my second fun run that I've participated in so I was quite excited. Unfortunately, the event was poorly handled and it turned out to be a disappointment. It should be considered that it is the first time that this was done so I hope that the organizers do a better preparation next year if there will be a repeat.
But it was great to run with my friends though. We haven't had a chance to go out recently due to our busy schedules so it was nice to catch-up with everyone even for a short while.
We had brunch in Recovery Food in BGC afterwards before going home.
We're planning to go on an outing but we're having problems with venue and scheduling. I really hope it pushes through. It's been something we have been planning since early this year.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
4/14/15 - Singapore 2015 (Day 2)
Here's day 2 of my trip in SG. Day 1 recap here.
I surprisingly woke up early on my second day. After the tiring first day, I thought I'll be sleeping more/ But that's perfectly fine as I already had plans with my friend in the morning.
I walked my way to Bugis just by using the map for directions. Most of the stores were still closed but the mall, Bugis Junction, just opened and it was hot so I went there for some sightseeing and airconditioning. I was planning to buy some souvenir items for pasalubong in the area since my friend's stylist told me that it was a place to get cheap gifts.
The bazaar area was still closed so I had to settle for the stores inside the mall. I was able to buy myself a watch from Cotton On.
I was scheduled to meet my friend at his place for lunch so I left the mall early. However, the bazaar area was open when I passed by so I decided to do some last minute shopping before leaving the area. I got a local SG shirt and a bunch of keychains that were enough for the people back home.
I rode the train to Punggol which was the last stop of the purple line and the area where my friend stays. It was a residential area so I was greeted by mostly apartments and condominiums when I got down. There were barely a sign of commercial buildings so I wondered where my friend would take me.
We had lunch at this mini food court and had me try the chicken rice which is supposed to be one of SG's well-known dishes. Unfortunately, I had no appetite during my whole trip but the food was good though!
It turns out that the area had some nature sights to offer. We took a short bus trip going to Punggol Waterways where we can view the beach. It had a deck and a turtle pond as well as a walkway where you can rent and ride a bicycle. It was a good place to chill out. We took some good photos before heading back to the city.
We were going to meet my friend's stylist at Orchard road so we took the MRT. While waiting, we tried the dollar ice cream that was popular among the streets of SG. We also went to this bookstore that occupied an entire floor in one of the malls.
We finally caught up with the stylist and decided to head to the Marina Bay Sands area. I got to see the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Gardens By The Bay, Merlion, and cross the Esplanade. I wanted to go to these places up close but my friend suggested against it, especially the Merlion since it was quite overrated plus we didn't really have much time and we're all tired from walking. We just took a couple of pictures along the bay and entered the mall. I invited them to ride the Singapore flyer, a big ferris wheel. They haven't rode it yet so we almost got lost trying to find it. We had to cross the helix bridge and walk down the streets to go there. Unfortunately, the price was too expensive for our budget so we decided not to go. We just hang around a Subway resto at the ground floor where there were restaurants. We spent some time looking and choosing photos from the previous day's shoot and talk about career plans and struggles as well.
We went to Clarke Quaye afterwards to ride the G-Max after my friend suggested it. It was a reverse bungee ride which will throw you up in the sky! Me and my friend rode it and it was very fun! It was scary at first after watching people go up and flip around but it's not that scary once you're on it. We even saw a great view from the top. The area was such a good place to have drinks and chill out but my friend's stylist had to go for a birthday party to attend to so me and my friend decided to have dinner somewhere in Somerset but ended up in a food court at a mall in Orchard road if I'm not mistaken. We had time to catch up with each other's lives and even talked about extending my trip for a sure flight back home.
Back in the hostel, I couldn't sleep so I decided to go to Mustafa centre tolook around.This time, I made sure to remember the exits so I won't get lost again. I also got in touch with my mom and talked about the possibility of extending my trip just in case.
I surprisingly woke up early on my second day. After the tiring first day, I thought I'll be sleeping more/ But that's perfectly fine as I already had plans with my friend in the morning.
I walked my way to Bugis just by using the map for directions. Most of the stores were still closed but the mall, Bugis Junction, just opened and it was hot so I went there for some sightseeing and airconditioning. I was planning to buy some souvenir items for pasalubong in the area since my friend's stylist told me that it was a place to get cheap gifts.
The bazaar area was still closed so I had to settle for the stores inside the mall. I was able to buy myself a watch from Cotton On.
I was scheduled to meet my friend at his place for lunch so I left the mall early. However, the bazaar area was open when I passed by so I decided to do some last minute shopping before leaving the area. I got a local SG shirt and a bunch of keychains that were enough for the people back home.
I rode the train to Punggol which was the last stop of the purple line and the area where my friend stays. It was a residential area so I was greeted by mostly apartments and condominiums when I got down. There were barely a sign of commercial buildings so I wondered where my friend would take me.
We had lunch at this mini food court and had me try the chicken rice which is supposed to be one of SG's well-known dishes. Unfortunately, I had no appetite during my whole trip but the food was good though!
It turns out that the area had some nature sights to offer. We took a short bus trip going to Punggol Waterways where we can view the beach. It had a deck and a turtle pond as well as a walkway where you can rent and ride a bicycle. It was a good place to chill out. We took some good photos before heading back to the city.
We were going to meet my friend's stylist at Orchard road so we took the MRT. While waiting, we tried the dollar ice cream that was popular among the streets of SG. We also went to this bookstore that occupied an entire floor in one of the malls.
We finally caught up with the stylist and decided to head to the Marina Bay Sands area. I got to see the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Gardens By The Bay, Merlion, and cross the Esplanade. I wanted to go to these places up close but my friend suggested against it, especially the Merlion since it was quite overrated plus we didn't really have much time and we're all tired from walking. We just took a couple of pictures along the bay and entered the mall. I invited them to ride the Singapore flyer, a big ferris wheel. They haven't rode it yet so we almost got lost trying to find it. We had to cross the helix bridge and walk down the streets to go there. Unfortunately, the price was too expensive for our budget so we decided not to go. We just hang around a Subway resto at the ground floor where there were restaurants. We spent some time looking and choosing photos from the previous day's shoot and talk about career plans and struggles as well.
We went to Clarke Quaye afterwards to ride the G-Max after my friend suggested it. It was a reverse bungee ride which will throw you up in the sky! Me and my friend rode it and it was very fun! It was scary at first after watching people go up and flip around but it's not that scary once you're on it. We even saw a great view from the top. The area was such a good place to have drinks and chill out but my friend's stylist had to go for a birthday party to attend to so me and my friend decided to have dinner somewhere in Somerset but ended up in a food court at a mall in Orchard road if I'm not mistaken. We had time to catch up with each other's lives and even talked about extending my trip for a sure flight back home.
Back in the hostel, I couldn't sleep so I decided to go to Mustafa centre tolook around.This time, I made sure to remember the exits so I won't get lost again. I also got in touch with my mom and talked about the possibility of extending my trip just in case.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
4/11/15
We had our first ever summer camp outing for our team. I'm glad we were able to pull it off. The members of our team who volunteered to organize it were planning this for more than 2 months and the result was good. We were able to have fun while maintaining operations for work. It also served as a goodbye of sort for our big boss who is leaving the company.
We had played games, ate plenty of food, and had a great time in the pool! I hope we'll be able to do it again next time.
We had played games, ate plenty of food, and had a great time in the pool! I hope we'll be able to do it again next time.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
3/31/15 - Singapore 2015 (Day 1)
So last March 17-21, 2015, I pushed through with my solo adventure in Singapore. It was not really a solo trip since I was visiting my friend who was having his vacation there and I was with him most of the time, but it was still a trip I took on alone. It was also supposed to be a four-day trip but it got extended for another day. I'll explain about it next time. This trip was actually supposed to be held at an earlier part of the month but due to scheduling conflicts, it got moved. It was actually a blessing in disguise as it gave me more time to search for hostels to stay in, save some more money, and do more research.
On the night of the day before I depart, I couldn't really sleep which was surprising because I just came from work late at night and didn't really have enough sleep and rest from the night before. However, I was feeling very energized. Instead of forcing myself to sleep, I decided to make the most out of the remaining hours by preparing my stuff and doing last-minute packing. I double checked which items were important to bring and decided to take out some unnecessary stuff. I decided not to bring plenty of items to make space for items that I might bring home from SG. I made sure my electronics were charged including my powerbanks, music players and cellphone.
I initially planned to take a cab to the airport but decided to ask my dad to drive me for convenience. I arrived at the airport at around 4am and checked in immediately for my 6am flight. There were only a few people so I didn't wait so long to check-in. I got scared when I was at the immigration as the officer grilled me with too many personal questions and it was taking so long unlike the other passengers who were there. I felt so relieved after they finally let me in. I decided to just sit in the boarding area hoping to catch a short nap to kill time. My attempt at sleeping still failed but at least the airport had wifi to entertain me.
During the flight, I felt so glad to be in the window seat ad was even more delighted to be seated beside the plane's wing. The flight wasn't so full. I even got transferred to the business class since my mom endorsed me to the flight attendants on board. I also got to take a short nap during the three ad a half hour flight. I had braised chicken as my meal during the flight.
We arrived in SG at around 9am. The airport, Changi International Airport, was just recently announced as the year's best airport in the world so I was quite excited to step foot in it and see what it was all about. They weren't wrong as it was really such a beautiful one. I eve had to take the skytrain which transports passengers to a different terminal. Since I arrived in terminal 3 and the MRT was at terminal 2, I had to ride it. It was very convenient and I wish I had more time to explore the airport grounds.
I went straight to change some money and buy a new local sim card. I felt ripped off since it was very expensive. I bought it for 50 sgd. But it was not so bad considering I didn't have to load a lot anymore and I had over 50gb of internet data that lasted me throughout my whole stay. However, I later found out that I had lost my Globe sim card and probably left it at the airport. I tried to come back for it on another day but it was already gone. It almost bothered me the entire trip since I've had that number for quite a long time. Fortunately, my contacts are saved on my phone's memory so I didn't really lose my contacts.
I rode the train with my borrowed MRT card. It was convenient because I just had to reload it and swipe my card at the counter instead of falling in line all the time. It's very similar to the trains in Hong Kong and very different from the ones we have here. It's very convenient to transfer from one train to another and convenient to travel in general.
I had to switch trains two times and the travel time to get me to my destination took me less than 45 mins in total. Finding my hostel wasn't so hard as it was near the train station. I don't have a reservation so I had a long list of back-up hotels in case I can't check in to my first choice. Luckily, the hostel still had beds available and I got to check in early. The hostel didn't seem as good as the pictures showed it to be but it was still a decent place to stay and the staff was very accommodating. I didn't really have any right to criticize considering this is the cheapest one I could find.
I was placed in a bunk bed and tried to settle in. I contacted my friend who was going to have a shoot later that day and decided to meet up at 3 pm. Since I had a lot of time to spare, I wanted to go out already and explore the city so I walked around to Little India where the shoot will be held later that day and looked for a place to eat. I passed along City Square mall as well as the Mustafa centre which was open 24/7 and was actually one of my target places to go to. I kinda got lost at Mustafa centre and by the time I reached Little India, I couldn't find anything I want to eat so I decided to go back to the City Square mall and had a very rushed and late lunch at Mcdo. It wasn't where I planned to ahave my first meal in SG but I had no other choice. I had to rush to the shoot since it was almost 3 pm by the time I started lunch.
I finally caught up with my friend and got introduced to his newly-met friend who was a visual merchandiser/stylist who was also looking or a job in SG. I met the two models and assisted in the photoshoot all throughout the afternoon. Despite helping in previous photoshoots, this felt the most professional as we were shooting real models and going to various locations. I didn't feel tired or even sleepy from the lack of sleep/rest. The shoot was almost ruined by the downpour of rain but we still pushed through. We eve took shots under the rain with only the reflector covering us. It was really nice being able to talk to models and getting a taste of Singapore while we're at it. The locations were beautiful and the people are nice and considerate.
There were a lot of tourists and locals in the area but it felt really safe and clean to move around.
We finished the shoot at around 6 pm and after parting ways with the models, the three of us decided to have dinner at a mall in Dhoby Gaut MRT station just out of randomness. I don't remember the name of the place we ate but it was just a pop-up store in the middle of the mall since the food court is under renovation and the other restos are expensive. We talked about a bunch of stuff as well as tried to make plans for the coming days while I was there. After my friend's stylist had to go, we still had spare time to roam around. My friend couldn't really pick a place to go so we took on a random adventure and go to an MRT station that he hasn't really explored yet. We ended up in Serangoon station where the train station lead us to another mall. It seems like SG is abundant with malls like the Philippines. We decided to watch a movie and ended up watching Cinderella since we didn't have much of a choice anyway. We wanted to watch Insurgent but it still wasn't showing at the time. The price of a movie ticket isn't so far from the local theaters here in the Philippines so it wasn't so bad. The cinema was quite full and ended up in the front seats. The movie was good enough and stayed mostly faithful to the story.
We decided to end the day since it was getting late and we had to rest after a long day.
I ended up back in the hostel and decided to browse the net which was a free service. The internet in SG was quite fast. I haven't really got introduced to the people who are in my room. There were plenty of us in the room but all of them seemed to come from different countries. The receptionist who was a Singaporean local is really nice and told me random stories everytime.
End of day 1!
On the night of the day before I depart, I couldn't really sleep which was surprising because I just came from work late at night and didn't really have enough sleep and rest from the night before. However, I was feeling very energized. Instead of forcing myself to sleep, I decided to make the most out of the remaining hours by preparing my stuff and doing last-minute packing. I double checked which items were important to bring and decided to take out some unnecessary stuff. I decided not to bring plenty of items to make space for items that I might bring home from SG. I made sure my electronics were charged including my powerbanks, music players and cellphone.
I initially planned to take a cab to the airport but decided to ask my dad to drive me for convenience. I arrived at the airport at around 4am and checked in immediately for my 6am flight. There were only a few people so I didn't wait so long to check-in. I got scared when I was at the immigration as the officer grilled me with too many personal questions and it was taking so long unlike the other passengers who were there. I felt so relieved after they finally let me in. I decided to just sit in the boarding area hoping to catch a short nap to kill time. My attempt at sleeping still failed but at least the airport had wifi to entertain me.
During the flight, I felt so glad to be in the window seat ad was even more delighted to be seated beside the plane's wing. The flight wasn't so full. I even got transferred to the business class since my mom endorsed me to the flight attendants on board. I also got to take a short nap during the three ad a half hour flight. I had braised chicken as my meal during the flight.
We arrived in SG at around 9am. The airport, Changi International Airport, was just recently announced as the year's best airport in the world so I was quite excited to step foot in it and see what it was all about. They weren't wrong as it was really such a beautiful one. I eve had to take the skytrain which transports passengers to a different terminal. Since I arrived in terminal 3 and the MRT was at terminal 2, I had to ride it. It was very convenient and I wish I had more time to explore the airport grounds.
I went straight to change some money and buy a new local sim card. I felt ripped off since it was very expensive. I bought it for 50 sgd. But it was not so bad considering I didn't have to load a lot anymore and I had over 50gb of internet data that lasted me throughout my whole stay. However, I later found out that I had lost my Globe sim card and probably left it at the airport. I tried to come back for it on another day but it was already gone. It almost bothered me the entire trip since I've had that number for quite a long time. Fortunately, my contacts are saved on my phone's memory so I didn't really lose my contacts.
I rode the train with my borrowed MRT card. It was convenient because I just had to reload it and swipe my card at the counter instead of falling in line all the time. It's very similar to the trains in Hong Kong and very different from the ones we have here. It's very convenient to transfer from one train to another and convenient to travel in general.
I had to switch trains two times and the travel time to get me to my destination took me less than 45 mins in total. Finding my hostel wasn't so hard as it was near the train station. I don't have a reservation so I had a long list of back-up hotels in case I can't check in to my first choice. Luckily, the hostel still had beds available and I got to check in early. The hostel didn't seem as good as the pictures showed it to be but it was still a decent place to stay and the staff was very accommodating. I didn't really have any right to criticize considering this is the cheapest one I could find.
I was placed in a bunk bed and tried to settle in. I contacted my friend who was going to have a shoot later that day and decided to meet up at 3 pm. Since I had a lot of time to spare, I wanted to go out already and explore the city so I walked around to Little India where the shoot will be held later that day and looked for a place to eat. I passed along City Square mall as well as the Mustafa centre which was open 24/7 and was actually one of my target places to go to. I kinda got lost at Mustafa centre and by the time I reached Little India, I couldn't find anything I want to eat so I decided to go back to the City Square mall and had a very rushed and late lunch at Mcdo. It wasn't where I planned to ahave my first meal in SG but I had no other choice. I had to rush to the shoot since it was almost 3 pm by the time I started lunch.
I finally caught up with my friend and got introduced to his newly-met friend who was a visual merchandiser/stylist who was also looking or a job in SG. I met the two models and assisted in the photoshoot all throughout the afternoon. Despite helping in previous photoshoots, this felt the most professional as we were shooting real models and going to various locations. I didn't feel tired or even sleepy from the lack of sleep/rest. The shoot was almost ruined by the downpour of rain but we still pushed through. We eve took shots under the rain with only the reflector covering us. It was really nice being able to talk to models and getting a taste of Singapore while we're at it. The locations were beautiful and the people are nice and considerate.
There were a lot of tourists and locals in the area but it felt really safe and clean to move around.
We finished the shoot at around 6 pm and after parting ways with the models, the three of us decided to have dinner at a mall in Dhoby Gaut MRT station just out of randomness. I don't remember the name of the place we ate but it was just a pop-up store in the middle of the mall since the food court is under renovation and the other restos are expensive. We talked about a bunch of stuff as well as tried to make plans for the coming days while I was there. After my friend's stylist had to go, we still had spare time to roam around. My friend couldn't really pick a place to go so we took on a random adventure and go to an MRT station that he hasn't really explored yet. We ended up in Serangoon station where the train station lead us to another mall. It seems like SG is abundant with malls like the Philippines. We decided to watch a movie and ended up watching Cinderella since we didn't have much of a choice anyway. We wanted to watch Insurgent but it still wasn't showing at the time. The price of a movie ticket isn't so far from the local theaters here in the Philippines so it wasn't so bad. The cinema was quite full and ended up in the front seats. The movie was good enough and stayed mostly faithful to the story.
We decided to end the day since it was getting late and we had to rest after a long day.
I ended up back in the hostel and decided to browse the net which was a free service. The internet in SG was quite fast. I haven't really got introduced to the people who are in my room. There were plenty of us in the room but all of them seemed to come from different countries. The receptionist who was a Singaporean local is really nice and told me random stories everytime.
End of day 1!
3/30/15
Haven't got the chance to blog lately. But it's my rest day tomorrow so I can hopefully start writing about my SG trip before I forget the details. I'm also glad I can get some rest after these stressful weeks as well as before going on a 6-day work week that starts on the following day.
Friday, March 27, 2015
3/26/15
I watched Insurgent today. It's the second installment of the Divergent series. I still remember watching the first movie three times last year due to me winning free movie passes so I was quite excited to watch the sequel.
I thought the movie was good but I think I still prefer the first movie but not by far. What I love about both movies so far are the songs! M83 created tracks for both films which are very soothing to listen to and fits the theme. The second film added some stars to its roster by casting people like Octavia Spencer and Naomi Watts. It was a good addition despite the presence of already well-known actors like Kate Winslet, Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller, and Shailene Woodley. I like seeing more locations in the film unlike the first one where we pretty much see only 3 settings. There are some inconsistencies in the film though but I don't want to focus on them anymore.
I'm not sure when the next installment will be released, probably next year, but I will still watch it for sure.
I'm actually in the process of reading the books though I'm still in the first book. I still have a long way to go.
I thought the movie was good but I think I still prefer the first movie but not by far. What I love about both movies so far are the songs! M83 created tracks for both films which are very soothing to listen to and fits the theme. The second film added some stars to its roster by casting people like Octavia Spencer and Naomi Watts. It was a good addition despite the presence of already well-known actors like Kate Winslet, Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller, and Shailene Woodley. I like seeing more locations in the film unlike the first one where we pretty much see only 3 settings. There are some inconsistencies in the film though but I don't want to focus on them anymore.
I'm not sure when the next installment will be released, probably next year, but I will still watch it for sure.
I'm actually in the process of reading the books though I'm still in the first book. I still have a long way to go.
Monday, March 23, 2015
3/23/15
I just arrived last Saturday from Singapore! I got a one-day extension and cost me an absence but that perfectly fine with me. I had such a blast and I'll try to write about it in detail when I have the time. Right now, I'm still on a high and I'm really missing the place already. I really pray that I could go back there again soon with my friends.
Saturday, March 14, 2015
3/14/15
So here I am trying to maximize my last rest day before my trip. I thought I would be more busy today but as it turns out, today was quite chill. I realized I shouldn't be packing plenty of things to make room for souvenirs or whatever items from SG that I can take with me. I should be familiarizing myself with the city but that's what I've been doing the past month and I have lots of time to do it tomorrow and on Monday.
I'm just so excited that I'm starting to wonder which places I should go to. I'm not exactly the type who just goes with the flow. In fact,I made a back-up itinerary but I strongly doubt that I'll be able to follow it. It'snot gonna stop me from having fun though! I'm just so excited to be in a new place and seeing a good friend of mine.
I'm just so excited that I'm starting to wonder which places I should go to. I'm not exactly the type who just goes with the flow. In fact,I made a back-up itinerary but I strongly doubt that I'll be able to follow it. It'snot gonna stop me from having fun though! I'm just so excited to be in a new place and seeing a good friend of mine.
3/13/15
So in just a few days, I will be going on an adventure! I am feeling very excited but worried at the same time for certain reasons. I haven't reserved a hostel yet but I already have a list of hostels that I'll try to walk-in to when I arrive. I am also currently wait listed for my return flight. As much as I want to extend my trip, still have something to go back to and I don't think I'll have enough money by then.
A boil also popped up on my face this week which made things even more complicated. It's slowly subsiding but I still need it to be gone completely before my trip in a few days. I really hate it when it appears in such a bad timing.
I'm just so glad that I'll be going on this trip and perhaps enjoy a break from my current surroundings.
A boil also popped up on my face this week which made things even more complicated. It's slowly subsiding but I still need it to be gone completely before my trip in a few days. I really hate it when it appears in such a bad timing.
I'm just so glad that I'll be going on this trip and perhaps enjoy a break from my current surroundings.
Saturday, March 07, 2015
3/7/15
I finally booked a ticket for my upcoming trip! I'm excited and nervous at the same time! I'm wait listed on my return ticket which means there's a chance I might not be able to come back on my planned date. That can get me in a lot of trouble both financially and professionally. I have to go to work on the following day as well as have to strictly set aside money in case I need to spend another night in SG.
I haven't really packed and I don't even have a hotel yet! Feeling so stressed!
In other news, there's a job opportunity that recently came up at work but I decided to pass on it. It might be surprising to some especially to my boss since I've talked about wanting a career growth in the past. It's just not the right time and I'm looking to fulfill my other small goals like staying for a year. I'm getting less and less motivated to come to work lately. It doesn't mean I want to quit but I am just exhausted with all the negative thoughts in my mind and physical stress from the workload. These might come up in our monthly feedback so I should be prepared to answer.
Anyway, I have one week to prepare for my trip and hope things will go my way!
I haven't really packed and I don't even have a hotel yet! Feeling so stressed!
In other news, there's a job opportunity that recently came up at work but I decided to pass on it. It might be surprising to some especially to my boss since I've talked about wanting a career growth in the past. It's just not the right time and I'm looking to fulfill my other small goals like staying for a year. I'm getting less and less motivated to come to work lately. It doesn't mean I want to quit but I am just exhausted with all the negative thoughts in my mind and physical stress from the workload. These might come up in our monthly feedback so I should be prepared to answer.
Anyway, I have one week to prepare for my trip and hope things will go my way!
Tuesday, March 03, 2015
3/3/15
Hello March!
Things aren't really going well to start the month but it's not really so bad. I'm getting quite anxious about my upcoming trip. I've been trying to do research and make a mock itinerary, but everything just jumbles in my head. There are still stuff I have to sort out and I need to do it within the next two weeks.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
2/28/15
It's the last day of February! It's also a one day break I get after working 6 consecutive days. Though I have another 6-working day week starting tomorrow. It's alright though as I need to earn as much money as I can until the next payday for my Singapore trip. It's going to be some time after the next two weeks instead of this coming week as planned due to my friend's sched.
All this planning has been taking my time and my mind off things lately. I'm very worried since I still don't have a ticket and a hotel reservation. I'm also worried about my budget and how much I will bring. I don't even know how much stuff I'll bring.I'm also considering extending my stay for one more day since my mom is insisting that I stay there for 4 days to maximize my stay. If only she knows my financial limits.
Everything is so disorganized but I hope that it will all be worth it.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
2/21/15
Today is one of my last two rest days this month, and I decided to spend it by re-watching season 2 of Game of Thrones. I'm hoping to rewatch the entire show before the fifth season starts but I don't think I'll make it. I'll still try anyway.I still have some deadlines to meet at work, so I'll have to find a way to squeeze it in.
Our English training is over so that means I'll go back to regular operations tomorrow.I'm worried that I have forgotten it by now but I'm quite indifferent to errors by now.
I've bee reading about my zodiac sign a while ago and it's very eerie how accurate the descriptions for my sign are.
Our English training is over so that means I'll go back to regular operations tomorrow.I'm worried that I have forgotten it by now but I'm quite indifferent to errors by now.
I've bee reading about my zodiac sign a while ago and it's very eerie how accurate the descriptions for my sign are.