Demit. Di ako makapagtrabaho.

Tama kayo, ang South Korea ay kilala rin sa bansag na “The Land of the Morning Calm.” At pangarap kong makapunta sa bansang ‘yan balang araw. Kung suswertehen ay ngayong taon sana. Tingnan mo naman kasi ang imahe sa baba. Hindi ba talaga namang magiging kalmado hindi lang umaga kundi buong araw ng buong buhay mo.

I attended two events last Sunday. The first one was the birthday party of my inaanak, Hershey - cute daughter of Ada - at the Big Red Barn.  Buti na lang at naka red talaga ako.

And of course, the other one was Pau and Mau’s wedding.  Reception @ Wack-Wack Country Club. Cool di ba? Wala akong picture nung mga kinasal, kaya yong pic na lang nung umattend. LOL

Galing akong Makati Med pabalik na sa office nang may nakita akong gagong banyagang ka holding hands ang isang exotic na pinay. Pula ang traffic light ngunit tuloy pa rin sila sa pagtawid hanggang pumito ang traffic enforcer. Hinila ng pinay ang gagong banyaga. Nagpupumiglas ang mokong. Ayaw pumayag ng lokoloko na bumalik sa sidewalk. Minumura pa nya ang traffic enforcer na tila sya ang tama. Tinititigan ko lang sya habang hinihintay n’yang tumingin ang traffic enforcer sa kanya upang murahin harap-harapan. Ngunit dedma ang pulis pangkalawakan este ang traffic enforcer. Kaya ayun, nag mukhang loser ang mokong habang mura nang mura sa kawalan. Kapal ng mukha.

I feel like a frail old man. Dammit, I’m getting old by the minute.

Pababa ako ng escalator nang makita kong malakas ang ulan. ‘Yan and dahilan kung bakit may ilang taong umaakyat na naman pabalik ng building dahil wala silang payong. Isa ako sa kanila. Kaya dali-dali akong bumalik sa opisina para manghiram ng payong. At sa awa ng diyos ay nakakuha naman ako.

Subalit nang makababa na ako ng building ay wala na palang ulan. Parang gago. Feeling ko tuloy e pinaglalaruan ako ng tadhana. Hahaha. Drama.

Anyway, ayun dumerecho ako sa Sbarro along Ayala. Hinintay ko si kaibigang Siops dun kasi nagpalibre ako sa kanya. Grabe, andami naming kinain. Pero mas madami akong kinain kesa kay Siops. Nakakautot nga sa dami e. Kala ko nga majejebs ako sa office e. Pero mali pala ako.

Tapos nang pabalik na ako sa office, wala ng ulan. Normal na paglalakad lang ang ginawa ko tapos bumaba lang ng underpass. Tapos pagakyat ko, ayun na naman. Parang may bagyo sa lakas ng ulan. Labo. Buti na lang at may dala akong malaking payong.

Yon lang. Gusto ko sanang magkape kaso kelangang pigilin ang silakbo ng damdamin. Baka kasi bumilis ang tibok ng aking puso at biglang ma-inlove ako. Hahaha. Adik.

Mga naka-jacket ang kasama ko dito sa office. Talagang mukha silang nilalamig. Pero bakit ako, hindi? Siguro makapal na talaga ang balat ko. Pati ata mukha. Hahaha. Partida pa wala akong underwear. Este undershirt. LOL

Hindi na sumasakit ang mata at ulo ko kasi nadala ko na ang mahiwagang salamin. Hindi ‘to yong mahiwagang salamin ni Boy Abunda. Eto ay reading glasses lang. Hehe.

Lapit na mag-lunch. Hehe. Kainan na.

It was my first day at work yesterday. Nothing fancy, really. I just filled up countless forms, read lots of slides about the company and stuff, and got myself an access card. And sat in front of the computer until the clock ticked 5:30 PM.

I’m still looking for a place to stay here in Makati. I’ve made several calls to different brokers and was able to make an appointment with only one of them. I’ll be viewing a unit at noon today. Hopefully I’ll like the place and eventually settle everything so that I can move in this coming weekend.

I have with me a John Grisham novel. Yep, I failed to finish reading it last week because I got busy. But I’m trying catch up. Good thing the story is becoming more and more exciting. So that’s all for now folks. Will try to update this blog frequently. I won’t promise, though. LOL

Today was a rather busy day for me. I got up from bed very early in the morning to prepare for my doctor’s appointment. I had to get a medical certificate/clearance for heaven knows what. I arrived at the Out Patient Department of the hospital a few minutes before 9AM. Of course there wasn’t a single soul in the second floor of the building when I got there. It was too early and doctors usually go to the main building to check on their patients who are confined for whatever serious illness. After their rounds, that’s the only time they go to their mini offices in the OPD to attend to some less urgent tasks – consultation and stuff.

After I have secured the much needed medical clearance, I caught a jeepney and headed to the city proper. I stopped by a PNB office and deposited a small amount for my tuition fee this semester in UPOU. Yeah, I’m trying to settle everything with regard to my graduate studies. Hoping to finally get the precious diploma April of next year.

Then my next stop was BPI. I had to deposit another small amount to cover my monthly installment for a gadget I seldom use. Good thing there’s a BPI office just two blocks away from PNB. So I filled up a deposit slip and went straight to the counter. It was unfortunate that the bank happens to be a subsidiary of BPI. Apparently, it was BPI Family Savings Bank and the teller told me that they can’t process my transaction and instructed me to go to another nearby BPI office.

BPI wasn’t the last bank I visited today. I also went to BDO to settle my HSBC credit card dues.

Physically going to these banks is, to some extent, exhausting. It made me miss the convenience I enjoyed doing online banking with Maybank when I was still in Malaysia. With Maybank online banking, inter-bank transaction is just a few clicks away. How I wish we also have it here in the Philippines. Maybe I’m just ignorant about the banks we have here.

After a several visits to different banks, I took another jeepney ride and sped to a mall. I arrived there in less than 10 minutes. I got myself some 1×1 and 2×2 pictures from a digital printing shop. I was impressed on their output. They have made a handsome guy out of me. LOL. They were able to remove the scars on my face due to acne. Hahaha. Thanks to photoshop.

Then I had lunch at the ground floor. It was just grilled chicken, rice (unlimited) and a bottle of mineral water. After eating, I immediately left and bought a dozen of donuts from Dunkin’ Donuts. Okay okay, it wasn’t just a dozen. I think there were 15 donuts in the box. Amd by the way it comes with a free water tumbler. Nice marketing strategy.

And last but definitely not the least… I bought another John Grisham novel – The Firm. This is already my third and I have started reading it. I will probably finish reading it before weekend.

That’s all for now folks.

Today is excruciatingly hot but not as muggy as it was two days ago. The sky is blue with some wispy clouds that move slowly across. The weather would be the same in the days to come. The PAGASA says so.

The fantastic air conditioner becomes handy during this time of the year. It gives me temporary relief from the sweltering heat outside and allows me to take a nap in the afternoon. The only problem is when I get out of the room or when I shut off the air conditioner. The sudden change in temperature usually gives me headache or colds or both. So sometimes I just content myself with a small electric fan and a glass of water.

I’ve been reading a lot ever since I went back to the Philippines. Mostly detective and law-related novels. The current book I’m reading is Grisham’s The Rainmaker. It’s very entertaining and I’m really enjoying every page of it. Before this I’ve read The Pelican Brief. It was another great novel and I remember a part near the end when my heart was pounding like hell because of the intense scene. I’m just happy that I now genuinely enjoy reading thick books. I don’t see this new addiction fading in the coming months or years.
 

Kasi ang init.

Tapos nagbrownout.

E pag nagbrownout, nawawalan din ng tubig.

Takteng layp. Bow.

Di kasi ako makatulog. Pinatay ko na ang ilaw kanina pa at sobrang dilim na sa kwarto ko. Pero kapag tumingin ako sa may bintana nakikita ko ang liwanag na dulot ng bilog na buwan.

May maliit na bentilador na umaandar na nagbibigay ng  katamtamang lakas ng hangin. Tama lang sa gabing hindi gaanong kainitan.

Naisipan kong makinig sa radyo. Naghanap ng show na may buhay na DJ para hindi puro love songs lang na nakakalungkot ang maririnig ko. Sa kabutihang palad ay may nakita naman ako. Isang show na tipong “Dear Mr. DJ, meron po kasi akong problema sa BF/GF ko…” Pakiramdam ko ay ang jologs ng topics pero ok lang kaysa nakatunganga lang ako sa kisame. Ngunit kapag hindi ko na masikmura ang mga sinasabi ng caller/DJ/texter, nililipat ko talaga sa ibang istasyon. Habang nililipat ko ay natatawa ako sa sarili ko.

Naabutan na ako ng pagawit ng Lupang Hinirang. Alas dose na talaga. Oo at gising na gising pa ako. Naisip ko tuloy ang ginawang pagawit ni Martin Nievera sa laban ni Pacquiao at Hatton. Ang totoo n’yan ay pumapanig ako sa NHI. Dahil ‘yon ang nakasaad sa batas. Walang point ang batas kung di rin lang ipapatupad. At kung mismong mga mambabatas na ang hindi sangayon sa nasabing batas e ano pa ang hinihintay nila? Amyendahan na nila habang maaga. Pero sasabihin ng iba na mas maraming mas importanteng problema ang kelangang solusyunan. At matatapos ang araw na walang nasolusyunan - maliit o malaki mang problema. Ganyan naman sa bayan natin. Paulit ulit lang. Paikot ikot lang. Pero mahal ko pa rin ang bansang Pilipinas. Hindi ‘yon magbabago.

Medyo humahaba na ang aking pinagsasabi. Mas mabuting patayin na ulit ang laptop at humiga na. Baka sakaling makatulog na din. Hanggang sa muli.

It’s rather cold and dark outside. I haven’t seen the sun since I woke up at around seven in the morning. This is kind of weird considering that it’s just mid April but it’s raining as though it’s August. Some news reports say that it has something to do with climate change. Others say that there’s just a low pressure area somewhere in Palawan.

I had breakfast of oatmeal. A large serving of it in a big bowl. I used soymilk instead of fresh milk and added some canned fruits. I bought a considerably large container of oatmeal last Monday to somehow stay healthy.

I haven’t visited the gym for almost two months now and I must admit that sometimes I feel my joints are becoming weak. Probably due to the fact that I seldom move around the house. Except, of course, when I’m babysitting one of my nephews.

When I finished eating breakfast, I brushed my teeth and headed straight to a barber shop near the hi-way. I decided to have my head shaved because I have grown tired of spending time taming my stubborn hair. And I didn’t want to waste my time looking for my small comb that disappears each time I need it. So there goes my hair. To the garbage bin – its appropriate place.

I went back to our house and had a nice warm shower, and moments later helped cook food for lunch.

I’m enjoying the snail’s pace kind of life I’m having right now. I know that it will not last long so I’m just making the most out of it. Once I get a new job, I am sure as hell that I will be busy as other IT people are.

Remember the entry I had a week ago? The one which says I was reading some ebooks about web development? Well, I have lost my drive and decided to transfer those files to my external hard drive. But mind you, I was able to read three quarters of the first ebook and half of the second. I won’t probably be spending time reading them for the next couple of weeks.

But I haven’t said goodbye to reading stuff completely. I’m actually reading a novel and I’m proud to say that I’ve finished reading more than half of it. I think I’ve found a new hobby. A very enjoyable one, for that matter.

When it comes to babysitting, every second counts. And remember that you can’t catch a falling baby by using only psychic power. Dammit.

I was reading a book, stretched out on the sofa on a cool Monday morning. Mum was frying strips of sweet potato while babysitting my nephews. She gave Boom a strip, straight from the pan, on a fork. Boom headed to a wooden chair while having a bite. Being curious as he always is, he tried to remove the freshly cooked kamote from the fork and held it in his hand. Realizing that it was terribly hot, he ran toward me and put it on my chest. He was holding a much smaller piece of fried kamote in his left hand and put it in my mouth while smiling sweetly.

Even though Boom’s very stubborn, he never fails to do cute little things which makes me love him more.

Andito ako sa veranda ng aming bahay (veranda daw o, para mukhang sosyal LOL). Mas malamig kasi di hamak dito kaysa sa loob ng bahay. Dito ako nagbabasa ng ebooks tungkol sa web development. Dalawang books yun actually. Nagpapakahenyo lang ako habang walang trabaho. At habang nagbabasa e nagpipicture picture din ako. Kaya eto, tingnan nyo ang view mula sa aming veranda. Kumuha lang ako ng medyo maayos na angle para di kasama ang bubong ng bahay ng mga kapitbahay namin. Hahaha.

Tapos bumili pala ako ng cabinet nung isang araw. Wala kasi akong matinong cabinet sa room ko. Kaya pinilit ako ng nanay ko, hati daw kami sa pambili, Ayun, pumayag naman ako. Haha. Nahirapan pa kaming ipasok ang cabinet sa kwarto ko kasi hindi magkasya sa hagdan. Mukha tuloy akong loser kasi ako ang bumili at inassume ko lang na kasya yong cabinet. Pagkatapos pagbalibaliktarin e napagkasya din naman namin. May dalawang lalaking naghatid galing sa furniture shop tapos tinulungan namin ni tatay. Kaya apat kaming lahat pero tagaktak pa rin ang pawis ko. Napilitan tuloy akong maligo ulit nung maipasok na ang mahiwang cabinet. Heto ang mahiwagang cabinet mga kaibigan.

At i-share ko lang ang picture ni Boom pagkatapos n’yang kumain ng ice cream.

Last weekend, I went to U.P. Los Banos with Jong to stroll around the campus and take some pictures. Seeing familiar sites in and around the campus brings back the good old college days.  I miss the time when I go to class with a pambahay or bagong gising look. Haha.

Visit my Flickr account to see the pictures.

It’s another lazy afternoon. I’m just in my room making the most out of this fcking slow internet connection. And the worse thing is that our neighbor is playing sad songs at a very very high volume. Crap. I hate sad songs… especially during afternoons when I couldn’t take a nap because of the hot weather.

Boredom is killing me. I hope to find a job soon. I really do.

There are just two things that can make Boom very very happy. One is grapes and the other one is Jollibee. So this afternoon, I took him to the mall to eat at Jollibee and to buy some grapes. The moment he saw Jollibee, I was able to see and feel how excited he was. He didn’t actually know what to do. He was somewhat shouting, dancing, trying to go down and walk by himself, and smiling like crazy all at the same time. Seeing him in that state was really a moment of bliss. I was happy to see him so happy.

Then when we were about to go to the grocery store to buy his favorite fruit, we passed by the department store and saw an inflatable pool. He immediately went near the inflatable pool and gave it a nice warm hug and rested his chin on it. Maybe one of these days we’ll bring him and his baby brother to a resort to enjoy the summer heat.

I’m also posting a nice picture of Baby Gian. He was just in the crib while Boom and I were eating at Bee.

I was browsing the inquirer.net website when I ran into an article entitled Waiting. The title didn’t tell much about what this article is actually all about but as I read through it, I learned that it’s about a young guy who has just finished Nursing with the help of his persevering and loving parents.

It made me recall what I had gone through when I was still in college. I was in the very same situation as this guy was. I can still remember the time when we had no choice but to sell half of the small piece of land my dad inherited from his parents. We also had to make loans with the remaining lot as collateral. I can list all the things my parents did but it will just make this entry so long. What I just wanted to say is that I’m very thankful for having them as my parents. I couldn’t be prouder of my parents and all other parents who are doing everything for their children.

Yeba yeba, in just a few hours I will find myself seated in an airplane. Frightened. LOL

LOL. I’m going back home tomorrow.

Okay, this is one of those twitter-like posts.

When the clock ticked 8:30PM, I made sure that everything in my room was turned off - the TV, lights, air conditioning unit, electric fan, my laptop and the cable decoder. Though it seemed that most people residing in our block didn’t bother to participate in this important event, I didn’t care. I am convinced that doing this small thing together with million others from around the world would mean a lot in saving our planet.

The funny thing is that I went out of our condo and headed straight to the nearby mall to have my dinner. I’m not sure if it was a form of cheating or something. I may have turned off everything in my room but I was in a mall with shops brightly lit and with air conditioning units set to the coldest temperature. How’s that for saving our planet?

I didn’t cheat, did I?

I’ve been drinking whey protein shake for the past several months. Not regularly though. But I have to admit that I have consumed probably 7 or 8 containers each of which weighs around 5 pounds. I’m sure it has helped me a lot in gaining weight. I’m now 140lbs and I’m starting to accept that this is probably my threshold. Just the thought of eating more and drinking this wicked whey protein shake make me sick. Honestly, when I drink (I mean gulp) the shake I try not to breathe so that I won’t be able to taste it. And then I have to have a glass of water within my reach to wash the residue in my mouth. Just like a mouthwash the only difference is that I swallow the water after gargling. Haha.

Three days before I leave Kuala Lumpur, I still have a container half-filled. I’m thinking if I will be able to consume everything before my flight back home.

Okay, enough thinking. I have to act now. I’m mixing a scoop of whey protein with more or less 500ml water using a blender bottle . I just need a little push to gulp it all in less than 2 minutes.

I went to The Gardens/Mid Valley Megamall this morning to buy some perfumes for my friend. It was almost lunch time when I got there. So when I saw Tony Roma’s, I did not hesitate to go inside the restaurant and ordered a delicious and hearty meal.

From 11AM till 3PM, they offer set meals at a very affordable price. Aside from your actual order, you’ll also get to enjoy a free soup, a nice hot bread with butter, and a refillable drink.

I wasn’t able to take a good photo of the food but came up with the picture on the left. Kinda cute.

Then I strolled around the mall. There’s a lot of shops on sale but again, I didn’t buy anything for myself. Kuripot mode. LOL

It’s been months since the last time I tasted Korean food. So today I opted to have dinner at Soon Fatt Korean Restaurant. There were just a few groups of people eating there. The place was a bit warm because only one air conditioning unit was functioning. But there were lots of electric fans all over the place.

I ordered Don Katshu – pork cutlet with rice and salad. I also ordered Ramyeon – a big bowl of spicy noodles. While waiting for my orders, one crew brought nine small plates of appetizers. It was crazy. I was like “What the hell is that?” The crew said it’s free. After a few minutes, I was able to finish eating six of the nine appetizers. I didn’t touch the two appetizers with kimchi and the other one with anchovies.

Ramyeon was served first. The consistency of the noodles was just like that of the instant noodles you can buy from the grocery. But it was good and really spicy. Then the Don Katshu was served. The serving was so big. But it didn’t taste that good. The pork was not that crispy and the sauce was just boring. I had a hard time eating it actually.

There was this young lady who stared at me several times. She probably was wondering how on earth I can finish all those food in front of me. I also didn’t know how but I almost finished everything. Just almost but not quite.

Then I ordered fresh apple juice. I drank it so fast and signaled to the crew to get my bill. When the crew gave me the bill he was also holding a free dessert. It was a scoop of vanilla ice cream. “You’ve got to be kidding,” I told myself. Hahaha. I felt so bloated when I left the restaurant.

Now I know where the name of the restaurant came from. After eating there, you will SOON become FATT. LOL

And no one can take that happiness away from me.

I went to Hong Kong Miu-Kai Restaurant in Sri Petaling for an afternoon snack. I’ve been to this restaurant several times before but usually during lunch or dinner. So today was my first time to go there for a light meal. I ordered Ham and Egg Sandwich and Ice Blended Mocha.  To my disappointment, the food was like those that are being served in school canteens. Haha. Not so good.

After finishing the food, I paid the bill and left immediately. It was raining so hard when I got out of the resto. Good thing I always bring an umbrella with me. So the rain was really not a problem. I passed by Capri Cuisine and decided to have another light meal. LOL. I was far from being stuffed after my meal at Miu-Kai. So I had another sandwich. Yeah, Ham and Egg sandwich again but a better version this time. I also had a cup of black coffee. I didn’t finished the coffee though. I was afraid that the effect of caffeine might last until the wee hours of the morning.

Six days to go and I will be back home. Excited? Just a bit. Worried? A little. Happy? Maybe. Drunk? Nope, but I had a can of beer at two o’clock in the afternoon. Full? Not really. I still feel like eating even after this food trip.

I dropped by my former office to give my passport and immigration card so that the HR can proceed with the cancellation of my work visa. Because it won’t take much time, I asked the cab driver to just wait for me and drive me back to the LRT station after submitting the documents. The driver agreed but he said he’ll charge me an additional amount. I just said okay. When I got back I noticed that he stopped the meter. I asked him why but he told me that I could pay him any amount I think is appropriate. It’s funny how he talked about corruption in his country when he himself is crooked.

Anyways, I just headed to the KLCC to check out the price of some perfumes. It isn’t for me by the way. I also tried some shirts and pants from G2000 but decided not to buy. I’m still not sure if I got some money to spare.

It was probably around 4PM when I went to Café Milano. I had Spicy Tuna Arabiatta and Mixed Fruits Waffle. The food was just ok. I wasn’t that satisfied after the meal.

Minutes after the afternoon snack, I got a terrible headache. I had no choice but to go home early.

I’ll probably go to a nice resto in Sri Petaling to have a late dinner. Hope to snap some good pictures.

Sri Petaling is a suburb in Kuala Lumpur which is known for nice food stalls. Some of which even operate 24 hours. You can see different restaurants offering different types of cuisine. So for my remaining days here in Kuala Lumpur, I’m planning to have my dinner in different food shops in this area.

My first stop was the Capri Cuisine. It is actually a Chinese Restaurant but it also has western food in their menu. I’m not sure but I guess it also offers fusion foods - those that have a touch of many different cuisines.

I ordered claypot rice with braised beef, bacon strips and yam. It looked good but I didn’t like its smell. The smell of the beef was too strong but I was able to finish the food. Thanks to the store manager who offered me soy sauce with lots of chilli. Then, I had a Mixed Fruits Sago. The presentation was so good. It looked like a heavenly masterpiece. The taste was also great except that the mango was so so so sour. Good thing there were other fruits like cherry, kiwi, grapes, melon, red beans, strawberry, pineapple and others that I’m not familar of. Of course, there were lots of black sago in it. All in all, I enjoyed this first food trip of the week.

Check out the slideshow below for other pictures. (more…)

Every day lend me your own special way
Melt all my heart away with a smile
Take time to tell me, You really care
And we’ll share tomorrow together

Always and Forever
~ Kenny Rogers, Luther Vandross

Now shall I walk
or shall I ride?
“Ride,” Pleasure said:
“Walk,” Joy replied.
~W.H. Davies

I need to take a cold shower. Hahaha.

 Beer, anyone?

I set my alarm clock to 4:30AM to watch the BNP Paribas Open Semis. But unfortunately, it was not shown in any of the sports channels. Another bad news is… Federer was once again defeated by Murray. I like the two guys but I’d love to see Federer in the Finals against Nadal. Well, that’s not going to happen. It’s Murray who will be facing Nadal. I bet Murray will come out as the champion. Hahaha.

Damn, I just hate Nadal. LOL

Yeah, that’s what I’m hearing from CNN right now. It’s now 30minutes past midnight but I’m still not sleepy. Probably because I’ve never been deprived of sleep for the past month. Hahaha. Talk about being a lazy bum.

 So to entertain myself I’m reading some random blogs and staring at some nice pictures of places I want to go to in the future. I’m getting excited by simply thinking that I’ll see those places one day. Hopefully by that time I’ve already got my own DSLR that I can use to snap great photos.

It’s now ten days before my flight going back to the Philippines. I’m excited but a bit sad at the same time. I will surely miss Kuala Lumpur. But no worries, I’m positive that I will still be seeing the Petronas Twin Towers in the future.

That’s all for now. Time for me to hit the sack. I need to wake up early to catch the Indian Wells Open. Watching tennis matches is really heaven on earth for me.

Ciao!

I need to attract positive vibes.

Ariel and Ruiza left early in the morning because their Air Asia flight was scheduled to depart at 10AM. As for me and Esti, we still had the luxury of time to look around and enjoy the Island. We went to a Duty Tax Free shop but I didn’t buy any item. I just didn’t feel like buying that time because all I could see were chocolates and liquor. I’m not a fan of chocolates and liquor is definitely not on my To Buy list.

We had pasta for lunch at the Red Tomato. The serving was big. As in BIG. Though it was very delicious, it’s just imposible for us to finish the food.

Then after lunch, I headed back to the Jetty Point while Esti proceeded to the domestic airport. Yeah, he took a Malaysia Airlines flight while I had to take a 1-hour ferry ride plus a 7-hour bus ride. He’s really a sh**ty rich kid. Kidding.

I spent most of my time drinking coffee at the Starbucks Coffee while waiting for my ferry ride. When I got bored, I just took pictures from in and around the shopping complex. Some nice shots below. Enjoy.

(more…)

Every Friday night, the street in front of our condo turns into a busy marketplace. People go there to buy cooked food for dinner, fresh fruits and veggies, pastries, DVDs, household items, clothes, and a lot more.

I was supposed to go to a nearby park to take some photos but when I saw people setting up their booths, I decided to just take pictures there. Enjoy the vibrant images below. Feel free to comment. (more…)

According to a certain website, the Langkawi Coral Reef Platform is Asia’s best Marine Park. And I must say that it really is beautiful. With coral reef offering many different tropical fishes, snorkeling in this area was a very enjoyable and relaxing experience for me.

The snorkeling package also included buffet lunch and free use of snorkeling equipment. I also witnessed the shark feeding activity. I didn’t get too close and didn’t even go to the water while the sharks were being fed. LOL

There is also an underground observatory in the platform for those who don’t want to or can’t snorkel.

Last week, I had this wonderful experience purchasing an item online. I decided to blog about it today instead of writing about the Day 2 of the Langkawi Getaway. I was pretty impressed by how the customer service representative of My Ayala handled my transaction. Please refer to this link to know more about it.

I met with the three other monkeys at the Starbucks Coffee immediately after reaching the Jetty Point. We hailed a cab and went straight to the Langkapuri Inn where we stayed for three days and two nights. Because of my very long travel time, I felt I badly needed a quick shower before going to any nice spots around the island. When I got to the shower room, I had another disastrous experience. The valve of the heater/pump got broken when I turned it lightly. I was starting to feel odd because of the weird things that have happened. Good thing I was able to fix it.

After a hearty breakfast we took another cab, this time, going to the Gunung Mat Cincang – Langkawi’s second highest peak. It was quite a long ride because it is located in the far north-west part of the island. But I tell you it was worth the wait.

We rode a cable car going to the top of the mountain. I have tried several cable car rides in the past but this one was more special. Aside from the fact that it was moving so fast, it was also moving on a 42-degree inclined cable. The view from the cable car was ridiculously breath-taking. From the top of the mountain, we were supposed to see the Thailand’s Tarutao Island but because of the thick fog, we were not able to see it. A new must-see in this spot is the Langkawi Curved Suspended Pedestrian Bridge or better known as the Langkawi Sky-Bridge. Because it is suspended 700 meters above sea-level, it’s too frightening whenever the bridge shakes.

We also went to the Seven Wells Waterfall which is locally known as Telaga Tujuh. It was an uphill trek which required us some 500 steps. The three other monkeys got tired easily but not me. It’s probably because I exercise regularly.

We had our first taste of the Langkawi Sunset when we got back to the the Pantai Cenang Beach. The view was further enhanced by the people doing parasailing. After spending some time in the shores, we decided to look for a seafood restaurant. We ended up eating in a Chinese Seafood restaurant. The place was good and the food was even better. We had some spicy crabs, fried fish and some veggies. I almost forgot that we also enjoyed Heineken beer.

I started with my journey at the Endah Parade Mall in Sri Petaling. I had dinner of roast pork, roast chicken, chicken rice and soup. It was one hell of a dinner – a very delicious and heavy meal. I then walked my way to the Bukit Jalil LRT station. It took me no time to get into the train and after 20 minutes or so, I found myself in the busy Plaza Rakyat station. A lot of people were headed to the said station because it was a long weekend and most people were going back to their hometowns. I reached the terminal two hours before my schedule. Many of you might think that I was overly excited but I tell you that it was part of my plan. So, I waited and waited and waited. Esti came after an hour and I accompanied him to the food court for dinner. The food court was nothing but a messy hawker-type food establishment. A few minutes later, Ariel and Ruiza arrived. They also had dinner in the same place.

We were advised to go to our respective bus platforms at least fifteen minutes before the scheduled time of departure. So, we obliged. The funny thing about this 7-hour trip was that my bus was different from their’s. So we parted ways and waited for the bus. Esti texted me saying that their bus has already left and they were already at a certain hi-way. As for me, I, together with some locals, was still waiting for the bus to open its door. To our surprise, the bus suddenly left. It was crazy. Some of us ran after the bus hoping that we could still get into it before it leaves the gate. Unfortunately, there was nothing that we could have done to stop it.

So, I went back to the ticketing counter and narrated what happened. The saleslady just asked me to wait for the next bus scheduled to depart at 10:30PM. I told myself that it was ok. One hour delay was still bearable. But as the clock ticked 11PM, the bus was still not in sight. A man asked everyone going to Kuala Perlis to follow him. We went outside the bus station complex and proceeded to the street in front of an Indian Resto. More than a hundred of stranded passengers were there. I started to get pissed off but I was able to control myself. There’s nothing I could do but wait. And wait I did.

Then the bus came at 1230AM. I was relieved. It was three hours after the original schedule. I got inside the bus and tried to get some sleep. Six hours later, we stopped by the Kedah station because some of the passengers had to alight from there. We got another surprise of the day when the bus driver just slept with all of us waiting in vain to get to our destination. Everyone was starting to get pissed. Everyone was speaking Malay which made me guess what they were talking about. I suppose the driver thought that everyone on board was headed to Kedah not knowing that some of us were also headed to Kuala Perlis. After a lengthy discussion, the driver gave in and started driving.

I reached the Kuala Perlis Port at around 8:45AM. The earliest ferry ride I could book that time was 10:30AM. So I decided to have a nice breakfast first. I found a resto beside a hotel which offered buffet breakfast. At RM5, it was surely worth a try.

After breakfast, I went back to the ferry terminal and waited. The ferry arrived more than 30 minutes late. But again, I didn’t complain. Every time there was some delay, I was always reminded to stay cool. For this particular instance, I was with a local carpenter who was carrying his tools. He’s also headed to the island for work. It left me no reason to complain because I’m going there to relax and enjoy while others were running late for their work.

I forgot to share with you that I also had some Aha! moments. When I queued up, an old lady was in front of me carrying a big luggage. I smiled at her and lifted the other end of the luggage to make it easier for her. This small deed didn’t just help the old lady. I was able to get inside the ferry in a flash because I was with her. Hahaha. You can see in the picture that the seats were still vacant when I got in.

And the ferry left.

<to be cont’d>

More pictures for my multiply contacts.

Here are some pictures from in and around our condo. These are just some of the ok shots out of so many pictures I have taken today. It’s kinda weird because the pictures from the internet which claim to be shot using the same camera as mine look so amazing. I tried taking pictures with the same setting they used but I couldn’t get that one wonderful image. Will try my luck at the beach tomorrow.

Because I will be going to a very nice beach here in Malaysia, I decided to buy a cool point-and-shoot camera. I thought of buying a DSLR but I’m not ready to have one yet. I don’t have the time to learn complicated DSLR stuff. Maybe in the future I’ll get myself one.

With regard to my upcoming beach getaway, I’ve almost finished packing my things. I guess I have put so much time and effort preparing for this one. I think I have everything I will probably need in the beach. The truth is I have made a long checklist in my mind and I’m writing all of them here:

Sun block
Deodorant
Alcohol
Shampoo
Soap
Razor
Vitamins
Lots of Undies
Lots of Boardshorts
Lots of Shirts
Big towel
Small towels
Slippers
Sun glasses
Camera and accessories
Cell phone chargers

<some more here>

I can’t wait to see the sand and the waves. It will be an 8-hour bus ride and unfortunately my beach buddies will be in a different bus. I might just sleep it through the night and wake up when the sun shines on my face.

Will be posting some pictures once I’m back.

——————–
The title of this entry is from the series I’m watching for the past month. Haha.

Ganito ang itsura ni BoomBoom nung binuhat ko s’ya nung sinundo nila ako sa airport. Parang sabi niya siguro, “Sino kaya ‘tong kalbong ‘to?” Hahaha.

May bago akong nadiskobreng Chinese Resto na malapit sa condo namin. Ito ay ang Nam Heong. Bukod sa masarap na ang pagkain, sulit pa ang presyo. Kaya kahapon ng umaga ay kumain ako doon. Ngumiti ako sa store manager. Wala lang. Ganun talaga ako para mas asikasuhin ako ng mga crew. Kung ano ang bilis ng pagkuha ng order ko, ganon din kabilis ang pag serve ng bagong lutong mga putahe. At dahil sa sarap, mabilis ko rin itong naubos.

Nang lumapit ang store manager para ibigay sa ‘kin ang bill, sinabi ko sa kanya na masarap yong pagkain. Ngumiti s’ya sabay banggit ng “You should come here often.” Ngumiti naman ako at sinabing, “I will definitely come back.”

At noong kinagabihan nga ay bumalik ako doon. Umorder ng katulad ng inorder ko noong umaga. Pag nasarapan kasi ako sa pagkain, ayos lang na ‘yon ang kainin ko paulit ulit kahit ilang araw pa ‘yan. At nang tanungin ako ng store manager ng “So, are you a student?” napangiti na naman ako. Ang sabi ko sa sarili ko ay talagang mukha pa akong estudyante. Tinanong din nya agad ako kung saan ako galing. “You guess.” ang sagot ko sa kanya. Tapos ang sabi nya sa kin. “No, I mean where are you from.” Ako pa ngayon ang hindi nakaintindi sa kanya.  Pero naipaintindi ko naman sa kanya ang ibig kong sabihin. Kaya bigla na din syang sumagot. “Are you from the negro side?” Napa- Oh My God ako. Last time lang ay napagkamalian akong Eurasian, tapos ngayon ay Negro naman. Hahahaha. Hindi ko makuhang mainis kasi mas natawa ako. Inisip ko na lang na Eurasian + Negro = Ako. Hahaha. Sige na nga, Malay na lang ako.