I thought it was going to be another boring dinner for me last night. It’s a good thing I saw my college friends Bob (the one wearing sunglasses. i’m not so sure if the sun was still up that time. lol) and mama Jo (the one wearing turtleneck dress) in the lobby of our building. They invited me to join them together with their officemates for dinner. Of course, I said yes with no hesitation.
Fun time @ Teriyaki Boy. Photo by Rich Bob Poor Camera
Why would I spend time with people who do nothing but beat the crap out of me? Good thing I’m learning. 
In other news… Our team has won in the badminton finals last night. It was nice to pull off upset against the top-ranked team. Hahahaha. Though we’ve been celebrating our win like crazy, we are still thinking of celebrating it the right way – with good food. It looks like lunch is on my little brother. >:)
May tatlong iba’t ibang taong nanlibre sa kin sa dalawang magkaibang coffee shop. Syet, masakit din pala sa ulo ‘yun.
I went malling with my siblings yesterday. After having our lunch at Max’s, we headed to the movie house in Glorietta 4 and watched this hilarious movie called Adventure Land. It was really crazy. Lolz. Then we had a light? snack at Cafe Breton in Greenbelt.
Naglunch ako with some sunny friends sa ebun sa greenbelt. Sarap ng food tapos mura pa. Medyo minadali namin ang pagkain dahil may isang mas mahalagang bagay kaming dapat gawin pagkatapos nun. Mahalaga daw. Lolz. Kasi pagkatapos ng lunch ay deretso kami sa Cafe Breton na kalapit lang din ng ebun para kumain ng iba’t ibang klaseng crepe.
Nagkayayaan kami kanina nina glenn, ron at renco na magkape. Nilibre ako ni glenn sa kadahilanang di ko na matandaan at wala na akong balak isipin pa. Basta ang mahalaga ay nalibre ako.
Ayun, hindi ako nagisip kung ano ang gusto kong inumin nung panahon na ‘yon. Dahil libre, hinayaan ko na sila ang bumili ng kahit ano. Ilang minuto ang nakaraan at dumating na ang mahiwagang inumin. Naisip ko ang Tsokolate eh at Tsokolate ah.
E kasi naman, napakalapot. Kung sulit at sulit lang din ang paguusapan, payag na ako na sulit nga. Pero hindi ako mahilig sa masyadong malasa at matamis na inumin. Ni hinidi nga ako naglalagay ng asukal sa kape, tsokolate o gatas e. Kaya ayun, hinaluan ko ng tubig para maging malabnaw kahit pano ay mabawasan ang tamis.
Pagkatapos nun, pakiramdam ko ay medyo nahilo ako. Hahaha. Tumatanda na nga ata ako. Baka nung mga panahong ‘yon at tumaas ang presyon ng dugo ko. Hehe. Tapos ang pula pula at ang init init ng tenga ko. Mukhang matatagalan na ulit bago ako bumalik sa tsokonut batirol.
Yon lang. Pasok na naman bukas. Mukhang ginaganahan akong magblog lately a. Pero ang mga assignment ko sa school e hindi ko man lang magawa. Hahaha.
Chapter 3 na nga pala ako sa The Appeal ni John Grisham. Wala lang. Haha.
Andito ako sa bahay sa Lucena. Di makatulog. Dami ko kasing tulog maghapon e. Nasimulan ko ang tulog-baboy na ‘to sa bus pa lang. Ang totoo nyan ay ni hindi ko man lang nakita ang kahabaan ng SLEX nang umuwi ako. Kasi pagkasakay na pagakasakay ko pa lang ay parang naka sleep-mode na ang buo kong katawan. Ang problema lang e maniningil pa ang mamang konduktor. Kaya pinagpaliban ko muna ang aking pagtulog. Nang makapagbayad na ako, ayun, di ko na alam ang mga sumunod na pangyayari. Nagising na lang ako na nasa Batangas na kami. Astig di ba? Nalampasan ko ang traffic sa bicutan-alabang nang walang kamalay-malay.
Sarap lang pag nasa bahay kasi di ko kailangang magluto kung gusto kong kumain. At di ko din kailangang maghugas ng plato pagkatapos kumain. At syempre masarap ang ulam. Lutong bahay kasi.
Pero mas masaya kasi andun sina Boom at Gian. Nakakatuwa ‘tong mga pamangkin kong ’to. Ang sweet nila. Tapos si Gian e sobrang palatawa pa. Nakakatuwa. Dami na naman nilang pictures. Ako syempre ang taga-kuha. Di ko lang ma-post kasi nasa Makati ang data cable ko.
Tapos nung bandang hapon, natulog na naman ako. Baboy talaga. Kaya ayun, di pa din ako inaantok hanggang ngayon. Almost midnight na. Medyo nagutom pa ako kaninang mga alas onse kaya bumaba ako at kumain ng kanin at porkchop na niluto ni tatay kanina. Hehe. Tapos kumain pa ako ng saging pagkatapos. Adik talaga.
Nag-try din akong magbasa ng another Grisham novel – The Appeal. Natapos ko yong chapter 1 pero hindi ako inantok. Sumakit lang mata ko kasi di ko dala salamin ko e. Next time ko na lang ulit itutuloy.
Kaya ang last na pwedeng gawin e maginternet at magblog. Yong nauna kong draft e English, kaso mahihirapan akong tapusin kasi di na gumagana ang brain cells ko. Hahaha. Sobrang gabi na kasi. Kaya eto, kwentong kanto na lang. Hahaha.
Yun lang. Balik na namang Makati bukas. Hehe. Ciao!
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
I just remembered a poem I wrote a couple of years back. I think I was emo that time and writing poems was the only quick escape I knew to make me forget all the things that bothered me. And I think, it’s a pretty nice poem.
Blue waters, sun-drenched beach,
Everyone gathers, the poor and the rich.
Colorful flip-flops and gaudy swim gear,
Sweet, warm smiles and oh so loud cheers.
Watermelon, mango and chocolate,
Smoothies to quench your thirst.
Grilled seafood, chicken, pork and beef,
No, that’s not all there is to eat!
Long days of fun and bliss,
Sure, this feeling will be missed.
This experience may come to an end,
But folks, another summer is within our reach.
So, what made me remember this poem? Well, it’s because I’m going to Langkawi very very soon. Excitement is starting to kick in. This is coolness. lol.
One day before going back to KL, I met with some of my Sun Life friends and headed to Red Box@Greenbelt. Had a great time singing and laughing our hearts out. Coolness!
Check out Anna’s multiply site for more pictures.
Because I didn’t have much to do today (and yesterday), I just called some of my friends in my previous company and pretended to be a credit card agent of a leading multinational bank.
Friend 1: (Around 3:30PM yesterday)
<Phone rings>
JUN>> Hi. I’m looking for Ms. XYZ
GUY>> Ummm. Sorry but she has just left. <pause> Left her cubicle.
JUN>> I see. Thanks a lot.
Nakakatawa. Kala ko umuwi na si XYZ. Yon pala may kaduktong pang “left her cubicle” yong script nung sumagot. LOL
Friend 2: (Around 9:30AM today)
<Phone rings>
JUN>> Hi. I’m looking for Ms. ABC. This is Arthur from Citibank.
ABC>> Speaking.
JUN>> Ah yes, I just want to know if you already have a card from us, Ma’am.
ABC>> Yup, I have a Citibank Shell card. Why?
JUN>> I see. Would you be interested in getting a Citibank Cashback?
ABC>> Hmm. How does it differ from the other cards?
Daming tanong ni ABC, tapos talagang english din sya.
JUN>> You will not earn points when you use this card. You will get a corresponding cash rebate for your purchases, instead. By the way, would you know anyone in Malaysia?
ABC>> Malaysia…? Huh?
JUN>> Yes, Malaysia. Specifically in Kuala Lumpur?
ABC>> Walanghiya ka Jun-Jun..
Hahaha. Ok di ba?
Friend 3: (Around 9:35AM today)
<Phone rings>
JUN>> Hi. I’m looking for Ms. EFG.
EFG>> Who’s this?.
JUN>> This is Arthur from Citibank.
EFG >> Eto na nga.
Ayus, nagtagalog si ma’am. Haha. Hindi dudugo ang ilong ko.
JUN>> I’m just wondering if you already have a Citibank credit card.
EFG >> Actually, kakapa-cancel ko pa lang nung Citibank credit card ko.
JUN>> Would you be interested in getting a Citibank Cashback.
EFG >> Sorry, pero nagbabawas nga ako ng credit card.
JUN>> I see. Would you know anyone in Malaysia?
EFG >> Nakakainis ka Jun-Jun.
Haha. Ang saya-saya.
I saw this hilarious picture in Friendster through my high school friend, Jasper. In the picture are Melvin, Jayson aka Wiwi, me aka boy palaboy and Joseph(L-R). Not in the picture are Jasper – probably the one who took the picture, Jason and Omar. Yup, we call ourselves the Magnificent 7.
This really made me laugh.
Early this month, my brother passed the ECE Board Exam. Today, it’s my sister’s turn. She has just passed the Licensure Exam for Teachers.
How can I not be proud of them?
See the results here.
I’m one of the happiest kuyas in the world right now. My brother has just passed the Electronics and Communication Engineer Licensure exam which was conducted last weekend.
What made me even happier is that I realized that my brother is just like me. Arrogant. Haha. I asked him yesterday if the result of his exam is already out. He said no. He asked me right away to give him something if he will pass it. “Sure! Basta ba pasado e.” I replied. Then he said, “Walang problema.”
And last night (or should I say early this morning because it was past midnight), I checked the inquirer.net. To my surprise, the list of successful examinees was already there. A bit tensed, I checked it. Though I was pretty confident that he will pass the exam, there was still a feeling of nervousness.
And his name was there. I was relieved.
I called up my brother to tell him the good news. The truth is he and his classmates were waiting for the result that time. I just don’t know how come they did not check the inquirer.net. He was really happy. He even asked me who’s on the top. Yeah, he was hoping to make it in the top 10. I just laughed at him.
Now I’m thinking what to give him. Haha.
A friend of mine who’s studying in the US left me an offline message saying she has found someone like me. At first, I was curious what she exactly meant. Then she continued explaining about the guy she met.
The way he looks at people in the eye… His silent and yet analytical look…
“Am I really like that?” I asked myself. Well, I don’t know. But one thing is for sure… It felt so good knowing that someone sees me that way.
I actually did not intend to join Manny, Bea and AB in their weekend escapade in Sunway theme-park because I planned to continue doing my infosys project that time. But because they made me feel as if I’m unsociable, I just decided to give in to the pressure.
So, we left our condo a little past 10AM. We took a cab going to Sunway. When we got there, we headed directly to Nando’s to have brunch. No not really. We first went to a tid-bits shop where we indulged ourselves in candies, preserved fruits, dried seafood, cookies, and a lot more. Thanks to the free taste. After having a heavy meal, we found ourselves headed to the theme-park. I actually didn’t know what Sunway has to offer. I wasn’t really preapared. I told them that I won’t go swimming. But the moment I saw what’s inside, I wasted no time buying some swimming essentials – large towel, shorts, disposable undies, and sun-block. The good thing is that I got my new towel half its original price. 
Okay, so the first thing we did inside the park was to try the water slides. There are 3 main variations of water slides in Sunway. There’s a steep type and a zigzaggy type that are enjoyed by pair. In these slides, you will also need an inflatable swimming ring. The third type is also a steep one but you will just lie on your stomach using a slippery yoga mat-like rubber board. I must say that the last one is the best. (Picture on the right)
There’s also this 203-meter Flying Fox where you can glide from one end of a long hanging bridge down to the man-made beach. At first, I was scared but when the operator released me, it was just a smooth, blissful ride. I would like to try it again should I see myself in Sunway again in the future. 
Then we went to the other part of the park where the thrill rides are located. On our way to to that part of the park, we saw some performers. Though they seemed to be late for their performance, we still tried to take some pictures with them. The girls? They look so good. Not. Haha. Just kidding. Haha.
Manny and AB asked me to try “The Lost City of Gold.” And as expected, I gave in to the pressure. It’s just another roller coaster with two consecutive steep down turns. The funny part is that I wasn’t wearing any shirt when I rode this roller coaster. I had no time to get a shirt because getting one from the locker would take some time. So, even though it is weird to ride a roller coaster half-naked, I didn’t care at all. Haha.
We wrapped up the Sunway getaway with a dinner at Tony Roma’s.
A few weeks ago, Esti, Manny, Bea and I went to Genting Highlands. We reached the place by riding the world’s fastest cable car called Genting Skyway. It is also Southeast Asia’s longest cable car which spans 3.38km. The cable car ride was smooth except for some isolated turbulence. Haha.
Okay, so the primary reason why we went there is the casino theme park. The truth is I’m not a fan of thrill rides. This is because the first time I rode a Ferris Wheel, I almost passed out. Alam nyo yong maliliit na peryahan sa probinsya?Ganun. So after the whole ride, I felt like throwing up due to severe dizziness. Since then, I never thought of riding any thrill rides again.
Not until this Genting getaway. I just convinced myself that I should give it another shot.
The funny part is that we started with a stupid ride. I don’t know how it is called. But it is just your ordinary horror train. Natapos na yong ride, e wala man lang mumu. Nakakabadtrip. Haha.
Then, the real deal came. Flying Coaster. In this ride, you will play the role of superman. Para kang si superman dahil lilipad ka talaga. At one point there are 2 consecutive 360-degree turns. Amazing. Tapos may part din na bubulusok pababa. All in all, I enjoyed this ride.
Next stop is the Corkscrew. Isang malupit na roller coaster na may 360-degree turn din. Pakiramdam ko e ang tagal nung ride. Tapos may kasama pa ako sa car na sumisigaw ng I-O-W-A sa takot habang umiikot o bumubulusok pababa. Ayoko na ulitin ‘tong ride na ‘to.
We also tried Pirate Ship. Eto yong pic. Gusto nila sa bandang dulo. E ayoko. Umupo ako sa gitna. Hahaha. Ayun, sumunod naman sila sa akin. Haha.
Then we tried the Grand Prix Fun Kart. Ang galing ko pala… May na overtake pa akong anaps. Haha.
Tapos ang next ay ang walang kwentang Flume Ride. Parang wild river lang ‘to. Nabasa ang sapatos ko. Badtrip. Ang lamig lamig kaya sa Genting. Tapos ang kapal pa ng fog nung araw na yon. Pero masarap naman. Ang sakit sa tiyan pagpababa na yong sinasakyan mo. Hay.
Then uwian na. Madami din kaming kinain. Hehe. Next time na lang yong ibang kwento. Haha.
Her name is Ime. She’s probably in her late 40s now. What I admire most about this woman is her high sense of optimism and joy. Despite her disability, she always manages to smile and she doesn’t simply keep her happiness to herself. Her smile is so contagious that it can make other people smile as well.
She reminds me of the days when we attend the REACH mid-week service in UP Los Banos. During those times, I, together with other guys, would go to her house to pick her up and assist her in riding the car. Most of the time, she would remind us to be careful not to drop her. Her reminder seemed very threatening all the time. Everyone’s serious when we start to move her to the back of the car. Except me, of course. Sometimes, I would ask her if I could borrow her wheelchair one time to stroll around the campus. She would laugh out loud and say, “Ikaw talagang bata ka!”
There was a time when we had the mid-week service in a different venue. We finished late that time. Maybe 10PM. I’m not so sure. The nice thing about it is that we had the opportunity to just accompany Tita Ime to her home. We just walked all the way to her house while we were pushing her wheelchair. The goofy me kept on resurfacing. I asked her if I could sit beside her on the wheelchair. Or if I could just sit on it and she will be the one to push it. And we laughed and laughed until we reached her house.
I also remember that whenever we see each other, I would hold her hands and say a sweet hello. I would also smell her hair while massaging her shoulders. I know she’s very happy when I do that to her.
Tita Ime is one of the many people that makes me wanna come back to Los Banos. The truth is I haven’t seen her for more than 4 years already. Maybe I should pay her a visit the next time I return to the Philippines.
My sister gave birth to her second child just some minutes ago. My brother said that our new angel really looks like Boom-Boom. Di ko na mahintay maamoy ang kilikili ni baby Gian Gabriel. Yong kilikili kasi ni boom ay hindi na masarap amuyin. Maasim na. Hehe. Yippeeeee. I’m so happy.
Para walang inggitan, eto din ang picture ni boom.
Today, this young soul celebrates his first birthday. May the good Lord continue to shower him with His blessings.
When I went back to the Philippines last month, I made sure to drop by my former office to see my friends there. I saw a lot of them but failed to see some. The lucky ones are in the following picture. Haha. Feeling artista.
Thanks allanG for the pic.
After the fun climb, we headed to the same restaurant/market to have our breakfast. You guessed it right. Noodles again.
Also during that day, a charitable event was going on. The small community has transformed from a sleepy town to a busy marketplace. Everyone was willing to extend help to the victims of the recent earthquake in China. Seeing a sight like this is really amazing.
After having breakfast we went back to the house that we were renting to take some rest. I just took a very very quick shower and immediately hit the sack.
When I already had some 1 or two hours of sleep, I went to the other room to play cards with my teammates. The gambler in us surfaced which made us play until 1PM. Only then that we checked out and hit the road back home.
One thing that I noticed during the trip is that there’s a lot of palm trees in Malaysia. Old and newly planted palm trees. These palm trees are actually the reason why Malaysia looks so green.
Just when I was starting to sleep in the car, it made a U-turn and stopped at Charas cave. I didn’t know that there’s more adventure waiting for me. Or should I say more steps. Yeah, one has to climb hundreds of steps to get to the cave. But I think all the effort is worth it.
To finish off this long series of entries, I will leave you with a picture that says it all.
Call time was 5AM. Though I wasn’t able to sleep early, I had to get up at 4:30 in the morning. I was really cold that morning because the aircon was set to some 20 degrees Celsius. I can only tolerate around 25 degrees Celsius for a typical 6-hour sleep. How I wish the aircon in our room was programmable so that the temperature is increasing every hour and when the clock is close to a preset time, it will automatically turn off and will consequently trigger the electric fan to be turned on.
Okay, back to the actual story…
So, when we got to the starting point of the fun climb, we saw a lot of people from different walks of life. From a 3 year-old kid accompanied by his parents to some old couples. From Malay women wearing traditional Muslim attire to some guys wearing no shirts. From some “I don’t wanna go up anymore” girls to “let me help you” guys. From hyperactive grade school students to some old and slow uncles. Name it, Sungai Lembing has it.
A colleague of mine told me that one can complete the fun climb between 30minutes and 1 hour depending on the pace. It thrilled me thinking that it would be great to get to the peak within 30minutes or if I will exceed 30minutes, it should be at most 35minutes. But when I was half-way, I was already panting and my knees were already shaking. I just can’t imagine how bad it would have been had I not started going to the gym before the climb.
Every time there’s an opportunity to take a rest, like when there’s already a long queue, I really took advantage of it. Maybe I should really be serious doing cardiovascular exercises now. To be honest, I usually cheat my gym trainer when it comes to cardio exercises. When I have a schedule in the gym, I would go there 30minutes before the time and start with treadmill. I will only use it for a maximum of 10minutes and then relax at the lounge and watch TV. When the session starts, I will tell my trainer that I have already warmed up. Haha. So, this stupid thing took its toll on me.
But of course, I managed to get to the peak. If not, it will be very embarrassing. Imagine seeing some small kids walking around at the peak. Haha. It would be pathetic if you find yourself only half-way.
We had to wait for more or less 45minutes to witness a magnificent view – the sunrise.
But to everyone’s disappointment, the sun didn’t show up. Blame it to the clouds. But no worries, a 360-degree view of Sungai Lembing is already a bliss.
Our colleagues fetched us at around 7:20AM – slightly behind schedule. We then went straight to Lucky Restaurant in Sri Petaling to have breakfast together with our other teammates. This restaurant is actually a Chinese resto but it also serves western-style food. So, I opted to have an American-style breakfast – toasted bread and butter, ham, hotdog, fried egg, and fresh garden salad.
After having our breakfast, we hit the road and started our 4-hour journey going to Sungai Lembing in Pahang. This rusty village which used to be a mining town is approximately 300Km away from Kuala Lumpur. We reached our destination before noontime. Because we can only check-in at 2PM, we decided to have lunch first in the Pasar Sungai Lembing. The place is a bit in disarray which is typical of a Chinese marketplace. People shout, the floors are wet, the stoves are next to the tables, big cooking pans are visible, cooked meat are hanging everywhere. I just thought to myself that this is probably what they call “authentic” Chinese Restaurant.
It was just a little past 12nn when we finished our lunch, so we walked around and took some pictures. It was a bit disappointing for me to see nothing but old houses and some big trees in the area.
But after some idle moments, we decided to head to Sungai Lembing Museum – probably just 5minutes away from the marketplace. The museum used to be the mining manager’s bungalow. It houses mining tools and equipments, mineral samples that were mined in the area, mining attires, dioramas and a lot others. Just like any other museums, it was erected to preserve its history – for the case of Sungai Lembing, it’s their rich mining history they are preserving.
We then proceeded to some of the mining tunnels. No people are actually allowed to enter these tunnels. We can only check out the entrance and take a few steps inside. And even if people will be allowed to go far inside in the future, I don’t think I will go there. It’s kinda scary. Haha.
Then, when it was almost 2PM, we tried to look for the house we planned to rent. It took us some time before we were able to find it. On our way to the house, we passed by a Chinese cemetery. Some of the tombs there are quite colorful. We also passed by a lot of typical Chinese houses. To me, they just looked like the houses in some provinces in the Philippines. One nice thing about the house is that it is near a cool hanging bridge.
I took a quick shower and tried to get some sleep. But my teammates asked me to play card games with them. Good thing I was able to learn quickly one of the card games they were playing. It’s almost like Pusoy Dos. But some rules are a bit different. Well, I lost just a few times – maybe twice or three times only. Bravo!
We hit the road again to go back to the Pasar Sungai Lembing to have dinner. Man, if you only knew how many different noodle dishes we had, you’ll surely get overwhelmed. We also ordered roasted pork from another shop just a few steps away from where we had dinner. The attendant of the shop told us that it takes more than 2 hours to cook the roasted pork so we decided to stroll around once more. We had our “Meteor Garden” moments near the river. I had a great time fooling around with these great people.
When darkness enveloped the whole village, we were in a soccer field. Again, fooling around.
And the clock ticked 8PM. We headed back to the shop and picked up the roasted pork. We then went to another Chinese restaurant to have the second dinner – yes! Second dinner. We ordered a lot of noodle dishes again plus rice, and some chicken and fish dishes. We also ate all the roasted pork there. While having the second dinner, I drank 2 glasses of beer with two other guys from the group. Haha.
Then, we went back to the house to take a good rest for the next day’s hike.
The details and pictures of the main event will follow shortly.
Two of my teammates just came back from their 2-month work assignment in Taiwan. Because it was our first time to meet, one of the guys went to my cube and started a conversation. He told me that prior to joining AIG, he worked for a software company which sent him to Manila to support a big client – a major bank in the Philippines. It’s good to know that the place where he and his teammates stayed while in Manila is just near my former office. So, that made the conversation more interesting. He also mentioned some very nice malls in Manila like Glorietta, Greenbelt and Mall of Asia (MOA). He didn’t object when I said MOA is the third largest mall in the whole world. “It is indeed very big,” he said.
I also learned that he went to the client’s two offices. One in Makati and another one in Ortigas. That’s where the MRT entered. He said that it is convenient to take the MRT and that it’s convenient to live Manila. More convenient than living in Kuala Lumpur. But I disagreed. I said that I feel more comfortable living here.
But rethinking yesterday’s conversation, I realized why he considered living in Manila more comfortable than in KL. It is probably because he stayed in a nice hotel near so many good restaurants. And he just needed to take the MRT going to work or perhaps a taxi when he wants to. Unlike in KL, where he always have to drive at least 30minutes going to the office. There are probably other reasons but these are the ones I can think of.
So, why do I think living in KL is more convenient than living in Manila? Well, I can give you thousands of reasons but that would sound so conceited. I just know one thing. Manila is Manila and Kuala Lumpur is Kuala Lumpur. And Manila will always be in my heart. Yeah, I will be back soon. As in very soon. And one day, I will wake up hearing Boom-boom’s voice. Watching him learn how to talk, how to eat solid foods, how to walk, and a lot other how-to’s.
I’m getting excited. 
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