HMM, IS THIS IT?

I'm back!

2011-10-13T20:25:00.003+08:00

Had an email from Sitemeter today about this blog and for the first time in a long while, I actually clicked on it to read what it had to tell me.

It said, zero zero zero. Zero activity, zero visits, zero pageviews. Wawa naman this site. Neglected, forgotten, unloved.

And so, I hereby resolve (with fist on heart area) to stop being lazy and just write something here as often as possible. Promise! This journal is more for me than for anyone anyway, a way for me to remember what went down during some of my days on earth. (Naks!) Seriously, I had fun reading my old posts just now! Some entries made me smile, some made me remember other related stories. Thus the resolve to strive on and just keep this going. Wish me luck, yeah?

RETROLICIOUS 2011

Last August, I was flipping through the day's newspaper when I read that 80's artists Human League, Belinda Carlisle and Bananarama were to be in town for a concert in Oct. Yours truly got excited and immediately emailed friends in SG to ask who is going? Alas, no one was interested.

Undeterred, I emailed Hannah and Carlo in Manila the link to concert details and half-jokingly asked if they would come to SG for it. I told them coming over will commemorate a similar concert gimmick we three had back in our uni days when we commuted from Diliman to PICC to watch a Battle of the Bands concert that featured our then band-of-the-moment Identity Crisis (remember them? I loved their song My Sanctuary).

Anyway, imagine my surprise and happiness when both Hannah and Carlo said yes to travelling to SG for the concert!!! I thought, wow, what amazing and rich friends I have!! hahaha. That day, I bought 4 tickets agad: for us 3 plus Carlo's wife.

The week of Hannah's travel to SG for the Oct 8 concert, I was asking her if she had heard from Carlo at all re their travel plans. Hannah said she will ask him about it.

A bit later, Hannah messages on YM: J, they aren't coming! He thought the concert was in Manila!

NGEK!

A few days later, Hannah arrived na bearing super yummy Argellanas from Pasteleria Mallorca on my behest. (hehe) We were ready to party despite Carlo's booboo but what to do with the 2 extra tickets?

Carlo by then had said 'mea culpa, will pay for my mistake' and asked me to give said tickets to his friend here instead. The friend initially said he was using them tickets but pulled out 1 hr before the concert start. ACK!! Can this sitch get any more frazzling??

Good thing other friends saved my party of 4 from dwindling down to a party of 2 (plus 2 sayang tickets). A call to Kath and Anna 45 mins to concert time yielded 2 more party people. Thank God for kaladkarin friends, right?! :) Yippee! Time now to get this party started indeed!!

The concert, dubbed Retrolicious 2011, was a blast!! Held at Fort Canning Park, the crowd sang along loudly to 80s anthems Human, Dont You Want Me, Together in Electric Dreams with Human League; I Get Weak, Heaven Is a Place on Earth, Leave a Light On, Mad About You with Belinda Carlisle; and whooped to Venus, Love in the First Degree, I Want You Back, Robert De Niro's Waiting, Cruel Summer, Love Truth and Honesty with Bananarama. Sing Along Fest!!

The crowd was an amazing audience. Everybody was standing, packed together closely in super humid weather and yet they were in the zone: dancing, singing, clapping, reminiscing for sure (like I was) about that time long ago when the songs ruled the airwaves.

It was so great too to watch many groups of women dressed in 80s get-up (mostly ang mohs). Think Madonna during her Like A Virgin days: rags as headband over messy hair; tank top for a first layer and over that, a loose shirt belted at the lower waist; short skirt over leggings; some wearing rolled-down leg warmers; fingerless lace gloves (where can one buy those?? I want!!); lots and lots of plastic necklaces; big hoops for earrings. Seeing them, nostalgia washed over me.

I had a really good time that night, felt thankful and glad too -- for the high school memories and the songs that evoke them, and for the good friends from my youth, Hannah and Kat, who were still dancing gleefully to the tunes of our time beside me.

(Si Anna, panahon ng Beatles ang era non. JOKE! Sige na, Backstreet Boys na nga.)

Another one of those

2009-10-23T19:20:00.004+08:00

Shanana...THE WEEKEND IS HERE!!!! HOORAY!!
RAY!!!
I LOVE RAY!!
Joanne ...oh god
Shanana...yes, god is great
◄i am most blessed by god
◄everyone should give thanks
◄once in a while
◄hows A? (the boss)
◄aka workload
Joanne ...its not THE time yet
SGX is still trading
Shanana...ahh .. ok
◄i want to faint
◄after watching the video azlinda posted of the PA dudes singing
◄goosebumpss.. help
Joanne ...haha
its for hardcores only
Shanana...faint!!!
Joanne ...smelling salts
Shanana...hey, how do u feel abt macdonalds?
Joanne ...i feel revulsion
Shanana...bleh
Joanne ...why? u thinking of eating it?
Shanana...i told ray abt ur look of disbelief when i told you abt my bowling score.. he said i could be on his team anyday!
Joanne ...thank goodness. or else you wont ever have a willing team
Shanana...bleh!
Joanne ...even i can do 70 and I am the worlds worst player.
now i can rest in peace knowing that that isn't true anymore
Shanana...bleh! BLEH! BLEEEEH!!

◄babe
◄hello...
Joanne ...hey
sorry was talking to someone
are you up already fr fainting?
Shanana ... are you still merajuk with NR?
Joanne ...merajuk?
Shanana ...merajuk: sulk, dowan to talk to her
Shanana ... eh, u wan macdonalds?
Joanne ... no!
Shanana...wet blanket
Joanne ...your diet allows Mackers is it?
Shanana ... no, i can start tomoro
Joanne ...sheesh
Shanana...eh, so u still merajuk with her is it?
Joanne ...why?? why do you asK?
well, she asked me on monday to go upstairs
but i said no cos i really had just come back fr there
thats it so far
Shanana...ok, then
◄coz she asked me
Joanne ...how asked you?
so she knows i was pissed?? you told her??
Shanana...messaged me: sha, i think jo merajuk with me
Joanne ...hahahaha
damn right i am
Shanana...i was chatting with her abt psp
◄so i told her u were disappointed
◄coz of the change in plan
Joanne...u shld have told her HOW disappointed
disappointed isn't even the word i would use
but I've let it go
I cant expect everyone to be solicitious
even if ive tried to be to them myself
you know, she just left it at that you know. There's a term in Filipino for acting like that-- it translates to forsaking everything if one gets an advantage for herself
something like that
oh well
im talking to myself as usual
Shanana...hang on
◄on phone
◄k, let me read ur messages now
◄well, she did ask whether she should have declined her bf's ride, or she should have gone on to meet you at the train station
◄said its for her to answer
◄aargh, on phone again
◄hang on ah
Joanne ...of course its for her to answer! Who else? one hopes only that she doesnt just leave others in a lurch when she decides right???
its just unfortunate, the timing
she changed the plan just as i was stepping out of the house
its a bummer, i got dropped and im pissed
obviously, she made her choices and was happy with it
so thats that
Shanana...thats what i told her, you took it that you were dropped at the last minute for sometjhing that u've been planning the whole week
Joanne ...pity the roadkill but thats that
Shanana...jo, dont let this eat you up
Joanne ...i dont
Shanana...eat at u, i mean
Joanne ...i even forgot about it till you mentioned it
Shanana...only because she asked
i'm going to leave it at that
Joanne ...she should have at least called me up to say, so sorry but. ... then it would have eased my hurt
she didn't, you know, just left it at that. no other sms, no call, nothing.
Shanana...the fact that you're not going to talk to her means u're still harbouring resentment abt this
Joanne ...what do you want me to do sha???
◄skip there and hug her??
Shanana...u're not gonna talk to her if she talks to you?
Joanne ...i did when she msged me on monday, didn't i?
Shanana...ok, so let it go, and let your anger pass
◄nobodys perfect jo
Joanne ...sha, perhaps you shld give this talk to her
it sure as hell isn't me you shld be cajoling to be asking forgiveness
Shanana...i'm not asking you to ask her for forgiveness
in this case, you have every right to be slighted
◄i'm with you there
◄i'm just saying, people have transgressions.. is that teh rite word?
Joanne ...when you have to break a plan with friends, whats a phone call to tell them how sorry you are to break the plan ..... your friends will understand
its different when you just sms and blithely go your way
aiyah
Shanana...like i said, i'm with you there.. ok, perhaps dissapointed isn't quite the word i should have said
Joanne ...my blood pressure is up
Shanana...i can feel it
◄and i'm beginning to be sorry i started this
◄can u calm down for a second?
Joanne ...you're saved by A (the boss)
her messages have started
Shanana...one part of me says phew, the other part says it's not resolved yet..
◄let's have a chat abt this k? but can u promise not to blow your top on me, pls?
Joanne ...you talk to me after i've had my sashimi lunch
then i will be too stuffed to talk
Shanana...thank god! eh, so this sunday ah?
◄u just listen only
Joanne ...yup
◄hahaha
Shanana...no need to talk
Joanne ...you are her PR rep now, is it?
Shanana...it'll be a challenge in itself
◄gotta practice my PR skills rite, in preparation for whatever job i may take i the near future
◄what time we meeting?
◄so excited!!
Joanne ...oh shit
◄i haven't made a reservation
Shanana...i'm gonna exercise in the morn
◄so i can eat lots lots
◄whats it called?
◄ill call them
Joanne ...can you call?
◄tatsuya of goodwood park hotel
Shanana...ok
◄i call
Joanne ...thanks!
Shanana...1pm can?
Joanne ...sure
Shanana...at the counter?
Joanne ...where counter?
oh i get you
ok
Shanana...in front of chef lah
Joanne ...anywhere with aircon
Shanana...u new to this is it?
Joanne ...they have outdoor sitting too
Shanana...counter shld be indoors
Joanne ...yep
◄ok
◄counter then
Shanana...set, 1pm
Joanne ...yey
◄thanks
Shanana...we take train there?
Joanne ...can
Shanana...orchard, then we walk down?
Joanne ...yep
Shanana...meet u at 1215 at my station?
Joanne ...ok

◄u busy??
Shanana...facebooking now... so super busy
◄wats up?
Joanne ...hahah
Shanana...wan me to eat ur crackers is it?
Joanne ...u want some??
◄come
◄i told you to bring some to your desk
Shanana...no lah, thanks. my colleague bought us snacks
◄wats up?
Joanne ...did i tell you that my 2 ahem people from the past want to be friends in FB?
◄hahahha
Shanana...WAHHA!! not baddd!!
say yes lah!!
Joanne ...so funny cos they both sent the invite on the same week!! SAME WEEK!
Shanana...i think they conspired
◄mwahahah!
Joanne ...i think so
Shanana...they know each other?
Joanne ...i just felt my heart flutter a bit when it happened
and u weren't around to see me fly to the moon abt it
Shanana...hehe!! thats a nice feelin to hve
Shanana...now, i can share and understand and feel some of that joy u feel
Joanne ...and i told them both separately of course
Shanana...coz i'm in lurvee,,
◄u copy and pasted?
◄mwahahhaah!
Joanne ...that i have this newly instituted No-ex rule on FB
◄hahahaha
Shanana...what??
◄what a lousy excuse? how old are you? 15???
Joanne ...i know!!!!
◄but im fat!!!! hahahaha
Shanana...crazy
Joanne ... hahahahahahha
Shanana...u're nuts!
Joanne ...matter of pride my dear
Shanana...so what was their reply?
Joanne ...SHA KILL ME NOW! FRUCK!
Shanana...WHAT HAPPENED??
◄what what???
Joanne ...AT (otherwise known as the Boss...story in
6:08:44 PM◄story in
6:09:18 PMJoanne ...ok
6:31:04 PM◄especially since ERIC is looking good
6:31:13 PM◄ok, scratch that
6:31:14 PM◄hahahha
6:31:18 PM◄meant for sha
6:31:19 PM◄hahahhahaha
6:31:24 PM AT...hmmm who is eric??!!
6:31:33 PM Joanne ...hahahahahhahahahha
6:31:43 PM◄TV show lah
6:31:45 PM◄hahahhaha
6:31:47 PM◄Gossip Girl
6:32:08 PM AT...ah. i watched season 1 of that until i returned mio.
6:32:32 PMJoanne ...its my secret guilty pleasure
6:32:40 PM◄its meant for teens but i like it anyway
6:33:11 PM AT...yes, it is quite good. i love the guys actually.
6:33:50 PMJoanne ...yes!! I like the Dan humprey character. He is a goody goody boy.
6:34:23 PM AT...if u like the look, then u shd watch twilight, if u haven't done so.
6:34:41 PMJoanne ...OH MY GOSH, A!
6:34:49 PM◄i finished the books and I LOVE IT!
6:35:00 PM AT...dvd better
6:35:07 PMJoanne ...i have the DVD too
6:35:17 PM◄yes, it is SOO GOOD
6:35:43 PM◄im looking forward to the second movie
6:35:45 PM AT...second installment coming next yr.
6:36:42 PMJoanne ...This dec lah, not next year!
6:37:12 PM AT...oh.
6:37:35 PMJoanne ...hahaha. im a crazed fan, is why in know.
Shanana...YOU GUYS HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON!!! BOTH CRAZED FANS!!!EWWWW!!!
◄help!! what is the world coming to???
Joanne ...hahahahha. congratulate me on my quick thinking pls
Shanana...yes, congrats!!!
Joanne ...and btw, there IS an eric character in Gossip Girls
i mean Gossip Girl
there is only one gossip girl
Shanana...yes, apparently so
Joanne ...im regressive sha
im liking teen stuff nowadays
Shanana...in more ways than one
Joanne ...i think you really should mercy-kill me now

Interrupting the silence

2009-09-15T16:13:00.005+08:00

Went to LP today after my haircut at Xpect and couldn't help but buy some munchies.

We are going to Phuket tomorrow, Wednesday, so had some SGD changed to bhat and USD too. I'm bringing an Ayn Rand book, The Fountainhead, to read at the beach, under lots of shade preferably. It's the monsoon season over there -- big, not-meant-for-swimming waters and showers in the afternoon -- but we aint exactly going to frolic in the water anyway, so it should be good still.

This is the hubby's surprise birthday mini-break for me. Tradition, he says. I hope this time around, we actually get to go to Phi-phi island and Phang Nga Bay.

We will be back on Sat, God-willing, with pictures of the place to post hopefully.

Back, sorta

2009-03-19T12:42:00.006+08:00

Ok ok, I know I said I will write, yet never did. Between Facebook, YouTube, The Chocolatier online game, work, badminton, yoga and the trips to Manila, I've been busy. ;)

I was in Manila for a week in Feb. Ask me why, quick!

To pay my property tax for the South of Market condo, would you believe? Yep, I went voluntarily to be 'held up' by the Taguig govt to the tune of Php14k. For a studio apartment, 14k in tax is so high! My friend who owns a house and lot in QC was assessed so much less for her place, about Php5k if I remember. So grrr grrr grrr. Taguig sure has upped the property tax rates of the Boni Global City area. I read that it is now pegged to Makati property tax rates, so there's no way to go but broke in that area.

Anyway, after that business with the city hall, I had a great break in Manila. I stayed in the condo this trip, met friends for lunches and dinners over at Boni Hi St and rushed home at night to watch Seasons 1 and 2 of Gossip Girl. I didn't dilly dally with the GG watching knowing that I couldn't bring the pirated disks with me back to Sing, so had to double-up on that or risk not knowing how the season ended.

All in, got to break bread with Hannah, Rachel, Mard, Jopie, the SMC gang, Wena and Monica; got to go to the spa with Hannah one time and another time with my family (Net and Joan); got to finally go to the Salcedo weekend market with Mard, Mishka and Hannah, rode in our MRT for the first at the urging of Monica (while carrying my Balenciaga, que horror! Good thing it wasn't crowded) and got to cheer for my nephew Waji during his singing finals at San Agustin.

Great trip, all around. I can't wait for the next one. :)

After that trip, its been work, work, work here in SG. See, I would normally have prefaced that part about 'work' there with the words argghh, boring, argghh. BUT we live in interesting times, as you know. Work nowadays is PRECIOUS! Work is good, work is your friend, work is something many people are losing all over the world and so must be treasured by those who still have one.

Singapore is in a recession, joblessness is up, lay-offs are common, so are 4-day weeks. Paycuts are here too and yours truly has been hit! Yes, hit! Argh!

Company said it's still profitable (then why cut!?) BUT to 'brace for a possible protracted difficult period', they allowed pay cuts of between 2 and 10% depending on salary level. Jaws ko!

But I ain't complaining (sige na nga). Juxtaposed beside the threat of being jobless in this environment, the pay cut is nothing really but an early call to simplify life a bit, trim out some frivolities and fluff.

C'est la vie.

Inspired, some are

2008-10-09T21:31:00.004+08:00

Shahnana... yo!
Joanne... yo yo!
Joanne... how's it going down in the hood, yo
Shahnana... guess who's a happy bunny?! thrilled to bits anticipating the weekend?!?!
Joanne... i know!!!!
Joanne... u leaving tomo??
Shahnana... yep!!! yep!!! yep!!! tomoro i leave office at 5pm!!
Shahnana... i'm soooooo excited!!!
Joanne... what time is your trip?? overnight?
Shahnana... we leave s'pore at 7pm-ish
Shahnana... i can't remember how long the drive is
Shahnana... but we reach resort at abt 5am
Shahnana... rest a bit till 9am
Shahnana... and then we do OUR DIVEE!!!!!!
Shahnana... i'm soooooo thrilled!!!!
Shahnana... wish u could come along!!!!
Joanne... u better stay safe, ok?
Shahnana... i will
Shahnana... definitely
Joanne... dont do any antics, thinking you are a dolphin or a stingray
Shahnana... of course lah
Shahnana... i'm very cautious
Shahnana... yesterday
Shahnana... when we did the pool dive
Shahnana... we practised a bit
Shahnana... and im a little bit better with my buoyancy
Shahnana... so it's more fun..
Shahnana... wish me well, ok?
Shahnana... :-))))
Joanne... of course!!!
Shahnana... so so thrilled!
Joanne... i pray that the sea creatures wont be too shocked to see you in their hood
Shahnana... mwahahahah!
Shahnana... i hope i dont cause too much damage to the flora and fauna there!
Joanne... you better not!!!
Shahnana... yes, thats why its important to have neutral buoyancy
Shahnana... thrilled - thats me!!
Joanne... wow, it all sounds very exciting!! im jealous to bits
Joanne... :(
Joanne... i wanted to do that too
Joanne... ok, you must tell me how easy it is and I just might still get the guts to do it.
Shahnana... ok! will do!
Joanne... when you back??
Shahnana... sunday nite
Shahnana... its just over the weekend
Joanne... ok
Shahnana... but im on leave on monday
Shahnana... but will come for gym
Joanne... lets do lunch!
Joanne... on mon
Shahnana... my gyms at 1pm though..
Shahnana... tilll 230pm
Shahnana... u can meet up then?
Joanne... no lah, too late
Joanne... i start at 3
Shahnana... we can do dinner today if u want
Shahnana... i think i'll be working late
Joanne... ok
Joanne... yey
Shahnana... got smokes?
Shahnana... on second thought, no need
Shahnana... i need lung capacity to breathe underwater
Joanne... yes!!!
Joanne... crazy woman
Joanne... i mean yes, you need clean lungs
Shahnana... i cant focus on my work now
Joanne... hahaha. understandable
Joanne... what are we eating today
Joanne... im hungry
Shahnana... got cake here, kristie baked
Shahnana... u wan?
Shahnana... im thinking of composing haikus
Joanne... hahaha
Shahnana... i watched vagina monologues the other day
Shahnana... quite funny
Joanne... your first time??
Shahnana... yep
Joanne... oh
Joanne... saw it when i was still in mla
Shahnana... aah
Joanne... 99 or 98
Shahnana... so long ago?
Joanne... yes, that's why i was surprised when u said u were going for it
Joanne... it's at least the second run in singapore
Shahnana... yep i guess
Shahnana... my haiku: clouds float in the sky
fluffy and light, blue and white
beautiful day
Shahnana... keke
Joanne... hahahaha
Joanne... does it fufill the strict haiky req??
Shahnana... 5, 7, 5
Shahnana... thats all i know
Joanne... im so hungry
Joanne... what shld we eat
Joanne... is your DM hot?
Shahnana... wats DM?
Joanne... dive master
Shahnana... oh
Shahnana... no lah
Shahnana... youngish thing
Joanne... oh ok
Shahnana... i go for 37 or older
Shahnana... haiku 2: my dreams woke me up
im drenched in sweat and im lost
why? where are you now?
Joanne... wah, it should be read to the strains of the Desperate Housewives anthem
Shahnana... haiku 3: the bird chirped and sang
what an annoyance, goodness
i threw an old shoe
Joanne... i can smell a bestseller haiku book already
Shahnana... hahahah!
Shahnana... one mor haiku
Shahnana... online mates, thrilling
i fell for one and floated
i crash to the ground
Joanne... hey be like ee cummings
Joanne... the guy who uses symbols
Shahnana... ok, will try!
Joanne... in his poetry
Shahnana... next haiku: :-) i love smileys yeah!
;-) superfluous they are not
:-) :-) :-* :-& how are you today?
Shahnana... next haiku: love life, love yourself
wonderful feelings engulf
liposuction pls
Joanne... hahahahaha
Joanne... now that is funny
Shahnana... thank you! (takes a bow)
Joanne... looney
Shahnana... next haiku: prata, instant mee
a glorious treat on board
my diving trip.. weeee...
Shahnana... (the last wee is NOT referring to my colleague, ok)
Joanne... hahaha
Joanne... someone is soooo free today
Joanne... lets go eat!!!!

Fort-area South of Market condo unit for sale

2008-06-26T23:05:00.002+08:00

After considerable thinking and a serious weighing-in of the pros and cons, I've decided to sell my unit at South of Market.

It was turned-over in late April this year and has since been left forlorn, unoccupied by yours truly in the wonderful area that is The Fort in Taguig, Manila. I only just managed to inspect it, had it blessed, made sure it was spic and span before I had to lock the place to fly back to Singapore.

Now, what am I to do with it?

Two years ago when I signed on the dotted line to buy it, I was single and thought I should get me a bit of roof over my head someplace convenient for when I returned home for good.

I decided on the smaller-cut unit (South of Market calls it a 1-br) as it was the configuration that allowed me to pay the bulk of the purchase price in cash.

But clearly, with my personal circumstances now changed, I've had to rethink my decision re real estate ownership in the Philippines.

For one, I'm married to a man who isn't keen to live in Manila.

Also, the unit can't possibly accommodate the 5 children we are going to have (dreaming...) plus the 2 dogs we want to acquire along the way (this may be more do-able than the 5 progeny scenario).

I could just rent it off, of course. (I've had it listed too.)

Anyway, in case someone is looking to buy a move-in-condition, brand new, fully furnished, fully fitted unit at the Fort, contact me, mate.

The specs: The unit measures 38 sq-m, comes with a parking slot at the basement. Furnishing includes window-type aircon unit, small dining table with 2 chairs, sofa set with centre table, bed frame, flat-screen TV, kitchen cabinetry, ref, cooktop, rangehood, microwave oven, washing machine.

Condo amenities include a swimming pool, a theatre room, function rooms, a fully-equipped gym, concierge and doorman-assisted entry.

This condo development is about 2 blocks away from Market Market and Serendra or about 10-12 minutes of slow-walking away. Bonifacio High St is about 8 mins by foot. Ground level of the condo itself is alloted for commercial spaces. On location alone, this condo is a W-I-N-N-E-R if I do say so myself.

Check out the real estate company's marketing website for South of Market at http://www.century-properties.com/soma/frame_set.html

Will post pics in a while.

Bag hag for a colleague

2008-05-21T23:51:00.003+08:00

An office colleague came up to chat with me by my desk today and in between topics he looks at my bag and mindlessly reads the label aloud.

'Miu Miu,' he says. 'Miu Miu Miu Miu.'

Then his head snaps back and he looks at me.

'Hey, you like Miu Miu too?' he asks. I didn't have time to say 'hmm..' before he says, 'You have to meet Amy, a new hire at my department. She's bag crazy like you and she carries a Miu Miu too. Bag hags both you are, victims of marketing. You must come and say hi to her. Come now! Be welcoming!'

I trotted off with him to meet the lady.

My new bag-hag friend is a really cheerful young woman. She's funny, articulate, warm. Like me, she sure can talk so passionately about bag styles and brands! Aside from Miu Mius, we also both like Bals it turns out. No, wait! Let me be accurate here. Make that LUV LUV Balenciagas.

Anyway, as a celebration of our new bag kinship, we've decided to act like schoolgirls by agreeing and solemnly promising to carry our Balenciagas tomorrow for our mutual show and tell.

I can't wait to see her lilac city!

Kill me now! Oh, the shame!

2008-04-25T20:28:00.003+08:00

me: mar! ive humiliated myself. sheet na malagkit!
Marie: what do you mean?
me: you and your stupid idea to look up my old HS crush in Friendster!!!! its your fault. you very well know that I don't use friendster except to check on new photos of my nephew. now look what you've made me doooooooo!!! arggggggggggggh, i've humiliated myself and my family's honour!!!
Marie: so??? it's not only you who's browsing.. ako nga maraming nagbrobrowse di ko naman kilala. bakit kilala niya family mo?
me: mar, i didn't know you can track the people who check you out??
Marie: eh wala ka namang nilagay sa profile mo.. malay niyang maraming joanne
me: its worse. i don't care about the HS crush. I checked out my SMC crush!!!!! arrrrrrrrghh. he will think that I'm lame being married and all and still checking him out!!!! arrrghhh. why didn't you tell me that they can check out who checked their profile??? WHY WHY WHYYYYY
Marie: there are 2 of you one single and 1 married malay niya sino
you were too excited my dear even me.. don't you worry.. alam ba niya crush mo siya?
me: well, yeah
Marie: really how come? you sent him love messages ano? you were stalking him
me: but i wanted to maintain the illusion that I've forgotten all about my hang-dog infatuation with him a gazillion years ago
hahahah. crazy woman
Marie: you can never forget you crushes dear..
unless may amnesia ka
me: that's it. I've dishonoured myself!
oh, thanks for making me feel better. really, you can never forget?? i thought it was just me
Marie: i can just see you turning beet red... how lovely colour
pero ang ngiti ear to ear... i can tell
me: i wanted to scream here in the office just now when I realised my folly. no ngiti, i swear, i promise
Marie: hey which one is him nga para i can look.. oh dalawa na tayo
me: just rounded eyes and gaping mouth and a sinking feeling
hahahaha which one? the HS one or the SMC one?
Marie: naku dalawa pala yun..
mey smc ka pa..
ang aga mo namang nagkacrush
me: the SMC one is boring. Name nya lang and that's it
Marie: rommel is from smc ba then naglasalle
me: Mar, not St Michael's College, ok? San Miguel Corp
Marie: hahaha
hehehe
hihihi
hohoho
huhuhu
smc lang alam ko michaels
me: as you can see, I'm a St Michael kinda woman
Marie: yup..
kaya libog ka
both meanings
me: shet!
Marie: hehehe...
alin na nga
me: alin what???
Marie: si rommel?
me: sino na si rommel??
Marie: where is he based now? anong nakalagay sa profile
alin sya dun sa friendster
me: i dont know woman. you're the one who's checking him out
i was checking out my SMC crush, remember??
Marie: i can't check him out.. i don't have the faintest idea how he looks
ahh.. so humiliated ka sa smc.. kala ko ke rommel.. wow

Here we go!

2008-04-25T19:37:00.004+08:00

I'm going to Manila on Sat and will stay for 9 days. This will be my first trip home this year, which makes it 8 months since I last visited.

When I was a newly expatriated Pinoy, there was no way you could have asked me to stay in SIngapore for 8 months straight without a Manila break in between to refresh me. During those early years, I saw myself as being submerged in water while I was working in Singapore, not breathing, just waiting for the time when I could break through the water's surface to breath again, take in huge lung-fulls of air, which in this case would have to be the very polluted and dusty air of the Philippine capital.

After 7+ years here, I've long stopped romanticising Manila. It has moved on without me, and I too have flourished far away from its bosom. I don't know if I can ever be based there again honestly. Can you blame me, after the sheer efficiency of Singapore? But I will go, again and again, for lightning visits to see my family and dwindling number of Manila-based friends. Until they all decide to move too, that is.

Told of my trip, Pinoy friends in Singapore have had one refrain: Ang init daw dun ngayon! Is it true, Net?

Scorching or not, I look forward to enjoying my short stay. Specifically, I hope to be offered home-cooked meals (hint, hint!); have lots of play-time with the nephews and niece; see the smooth turnover of our small but much-awaited new digs at the Fort; get cheap massages; eat some golden, ripe, sweet mangoes; have lots of catch-up sessions with the mates; and of course try and not add to the rice burden of the country by eating camote instead of rice (hmm, camote with adobo, camote sushi, camote with sinigang, anyone?).

LV's Mon Monogram

2008-02-27T17:49:00.002+08:00

LV lovers, start saving now!

I was at the nail salon yesterday for a pedi and mani and while reading Harper's Bazaar's Singapore March 08 issue, I chanced upon a short piece of absolute happy news re Louis Vuitton's monogram bags.

In May this year, I read, LV will be launching Mon Monogram (My Monogram), a service that enables LV bag-hags to personalise soft-sided bags, at the Ngee Ann City store of the French brand.

Customers can choose to personalise one of two bag styles (initially) -- the Speedy 30 or the Keepall 44 Bandouliere -- and decide on variations of vertical or diagonal stripes; initials (2 or 3) and 16 colours for the stripes for a total of 240 possible variations! 240!!!

The article went on to say that the personalised touches will be silk-screened directly onto the canvas before the the bag is stitched up and made at the Asnieres workshop (just outside Paris) of LV. Delivery time is 8 weeks!

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. This is such good news it's baaaad! I.Must.Resist!

My 2007

2008-02-21T18:59:00.003+08:00

I know, it's almost March and what the heck am I doing blogging about 2007?

Indulge me pls. I was putting a semblance of order to my work station today and saw this piece of paper that had my doodles and my wrap-up of 2007 that I had done one slow December working day.

I had been trolling the net then when I came across a Jessica Zafra column where she summarised her year by answering questions about the year slum-book style. Or something like that.

Anyway, I wrote down my own summary of my 2007 and this is how it is written on my piece of paper.

Holidays: 5! (all short and sweet)
February - Bintan, Indonesia
July - Hyderabad, India
Aug - Manila
Sept - Hong Kong
Nov - Bali, Indonesia

Record number of house guests/tour agent opportunities this year!
Monicca
Aunti Mimi and family
Cahoy family
Karen
Arvin
Rocky D
Joan and Juancho and Dad
Jeff, Net and the kids
Anna
Kathy
Emma and Malou

Major buys
Coffer
Marine Balenciaga
Our Singapore abode!

Leaps of faith: 1
Buying our Singapore abode

Instances when clearly shown God's angels on earth: 3
Jean, Cristy and Sally

Question: What have you learned about yourself in 2007.
Answer: I learned that I am diabetic.

The Police in Singapore

2007-12-06T10:52:00.000+08:00

Oh my God! I can hardly believe it! Guess who's dropping by this city after Santa Claus?

The Police! The Police is coming to town! If this is a dream, dont wake me up! (OA, I know)

Their gig at the Singapore Indoor Stadium will be on Feb 4 next year. Tickets, at S$98, $148, $200 and $400 (according to Life!), will start selling tomorrow.

Now excuse me while I go queue up at Sistic! I can't miss this, really. I gotta go.

White Christmas in S'pore

2007-12-03T11:55:00.000+08:00

Took this pictures this weekend with the hubby. This is how Orchard Road has been decorated for the season this year. Familiar and comforting. Loves it!

Ahh, Christmas! For once, Time, pls don't rush by this month. I've been waiting for this since Jan 2!

A blessed Christmas to everyone! May your days be merry and bright. And may your Christmas be any colour you like!

I got a package today!

2007-11-20T11:22:00.000+08:00

More than a month ago, in Oct 14 to be exact, I wrote an email to my dear friend Rica, who is now living in Boston, to please, please, please help me get my grubby hands on some Bath and Body Works products which I so adore.

You see, my favourite heavenly-scented hand gels and lotions and body washes are not sold in Singapore. What's more, Bath and Body Works' online shopping business is currently available only to those who pay with a US-issued credit card, which I of course don't have. And so, when Rica innocently e-mailed to say hi and asked if I wanted anything from the US, I pounced on the offer, hollered YES and sent her my order list in a day. The poor woman didn't have an iota of a chance to say no! (Rica babes, thanks mucho!)

The online site promised delivery in 6-10 business days to any US address. To get from my US address (c/o vPost) to Singapore, I reckoned it would be another 5-7 working days. With that, the package should have been delivered around early Nov, right?

Well, no. It just came today, a few hours ago. Two weeks late! Ugh. This is so unlike vPost. They are normally so efficient and right on the dot!

It seems that the package was sitting in their office in California for a long time as it didn't have a reference number, so they couldn't trace it back to me. Ay sus!

Anyway, all is well that ends well. Look at my loot! Guess who's going to be smelling of brown sugar and fig and vanilla soon? :)

Rica, thanks for the help and sorry for the trouble. And girl, you sent a Christmas pressie pa!! Wowee! Thanks a lot. Hugs!

Bath and Body Works! I like.

Rent or mortgage

2007-10-17T11:52:00.000+08:00

I'm a worried woman.

The real estate market in Singapore has been RED HOT for the second year now and stories of new record sale prices of flats have been figuring prominently in the news lately.

Our lease on our current place is running out and we now have to find a place very soon. The landlord has sent word that he won't be able to renew us as he wants to cash in and sell the flat while the resale market is so bouyant. And so I must bid adieu to this unit that has been home for 5 years now.

But ack! A look at the classified ads these days for rental condos around the island is just cause for hyper-ventilation.

Why?

Cos there are NO MORE 2-room condo units going for less than $2,000 rent a month! Egads! Even condos located at the far corners of the suburbs -- those that require at least 40 mins of travel to the city via public transpo -- are now asking for at least $2,300 rent! Rents in similar-sized condos on the fringes of Orchard Road (where we now stay) are now almost always asking for at least $3k. Grabe.

How the tide has turned.

When I started working here in 2000, my first apartment was a huge 3-bedroom, 3 T/B condo right smack in the Orchard Road area for only $2,200 a month. (Right now, the same unit would fetch $3,800-$5,000 easily.) Asking price for most 2-br condos outside of the ritzy enclaves of Singapore would ask for $1,200 -$1,800 per month. Many kabayans who started work here around that time would almost always share one of these condo units with other friends for an easy $500-$800 share a month. It was a real sweet renters' market then. But not anymore. The circle has turned and landlords have the upper-hand now.

How now, how now, how now?

The questions foremost in my mind are: Should I just buy a tent and pitch it at the East Coast park (thus escaping this high-rent problem)? And if so, will Carrefour have the best prices for good tents?

haha. Kidding. (My attempt at comic relief, sorry.)

Seriously, should we go with the flow and just accept high rents in stride or should we bite the hot bullet and finally buy a house (convert rent to mortgage, turn expense into equity but be 'chained' to a 25-year loan in the process). Mind you, prices of condos have already gone up by 22% so far and if we do buy now, we will be doing so at a time when prices are already so high.

This needs serious thinking.

Rent or mortgage? Rent or mortgage? Rent or mortgage?

Hmm.

While that thought is flipping around in my mind, I live nowadays riding this roller coaster of emotions that go from excitement to dread when thoughts of house-hunting come to the fore. To release tension, I go to Carrefour to check out prices of tents. For the moment, a tent is my plan B.

2 Macdonnell Road, Hong Kong

2007-09-20T12:25:00.000+08:00

We just got back from HK where we made first use of our Marriott Vacation Club points by staying at the affiliated property there for 4 nights and 4 days. The property, called 2 Macdonnell Road, is located in the Mid-levels area of HK, which is halfway to Victoria Peak and right above Central.

(Marriot Vacation Club, you ask? Well, one slow weekend in May this year, when the hubby and I were meandering about town, we happened upon this club's kiosk in Wisma Atria in Orchard Road. Travel-hounds that we are, the pair of us thought, hmm, why not sit-in on their presentation about the benefits of club membership? Of course, 3 hours after that, we were already signing up to be members of this points-based holiday membership club that allows members use of resorts, apartments and Marriott hotels around the world. So, there.)

The nearest MRT station to 2 Macdonnell Road is Admiralty but we never got to try walking to and from the station to/from the hotel. It's just as well too given that HK was really, really choking in pollution the whole time we were there. The smog was lying low over the city and it was already difficult to breath heartily without the added physical exertion of walking up and down the steep sidewalks of the Mid-levels area.

Our 2-bedroom apartment was really comfortable and more than adequate. We had wanted just a 1-br for this trip given that there were just me and the hubby but alas, there were no more of the latter to be had. So plonk down more points for the bigger apartment, we did.

But I ain't complainin. We had a great time at the place. The staff were very polite and helpful, the location was superb (it's very near the happening Lan Kwai Fong party area too). Despite the smog, we had an absolutely good break, helped no doubt by the fact that we had a packed schedule: a day in Macau; a day in Ocean Park, a day and then some shopping all around town. What bliss. Now, if only that HK smog will disappear forever!

Here are a few pics of 2 Macdonnell Road (double click for a larger view):

1. Living area: Check out my Marine City lounging out on the couch :)

2)The dining nook, flowers courtesy of the dear hubby

3) The kitchenette had an induction cooker so you could actually cook if you were inclined to. I prepared our breakfast here everyday (poached eggs, toast, coffee or tea).

Given the gadgets available, brekkie was a cinch to prepare.

There are plates and utensils and pots and pans inside the cabinets, but no dish washing fluid and sponge to wash the stuff after the eating. So do include a bottle of Axion with your bread and cola purchases when you go to the small grocery store just across the building.

4) The master bedroom. It's kinda small -- but then again, what do you expect? This is HK! I found the mattress too hard though.

5) The other bedroom which we used as our ironing room. The bed here is a single but I reckon the 2 couches in the living room can sleep 1 each if required.

Back from Manila

2007-09-11T11:34:00.000+08:00

It's been a week since I came back from Manila and still, the red luggage I used for the trip is not fully unpacked and definitely not stowed yet. Yes, what a lazy bum, huh?

My defence is that I will be packing in a few days again for that 5-day R&R trip to Hong Kong with the husband. We are leaving this Saturday, yippee! We've had these tickets since May when Jetstar had a sale and by golly, I got them really cheap - S$240 each, return, inclusive of all taxes and charges. Great price, no?

The return Manila ticket I bought for this last trip (Aug 25-Sept 2) was a bargain too at S$245 net, courtesy of PAL. I got that ticket sometime in May too and when I did, I must have specified that I wanted a special meal because on both flights, I was served ahead of everyone and given a low-fat, low-carb meal. Surprised on both occasions, my first instinct upon being handed the meal was to check that it wasn't all a mistake. But lo and behold, the foil lid of the main dish always had my full name scribbled on it.

The 'surprise' factor even extended to my seatmate on the return flight who couldn't help but exclaim, 'Wow, a special meal! May I see what a special meal is like?' and she promptly wrinkled her nose when I showed her the boiled chicken breasts and mushy, overcooked vegetables which all tasted like paper pulp. Eww.

I was feeling so at-home at home that I didn't take any pictures of where I went and what I did. Suffice it to say that I topped up on my happiness bank by spending time with my dad, my siblings and their small families. I was a happy aunt for a whole week to my 2 nephews and one so adorable, pretty niece. Ah, what bliss!

Some highlights:

1) Had my first-ever gimmick at the Rockwell area, in this place called Cantinette ba? Arrgh. Basta, its the one just beside Starbucks and Good Earth. Lovely area, Rockwell. It's one of those places in Manila where you could almost convince yourself that the Philippines is not a third-world country.

2) In contrast, I saw more poor and downtrodden families sleeping off their hunger and despair right on the side streets of Malate -- a place I navigate by everytime I am in Manila as my sis lives in the area. Normal sidewalks in the day transform into stretches of sleeping quarters at night for families, many with little children. They just really lay neatly on the sidewalk, their heads to the walls, their legs towards the street, with only an open umbrella over the child for protection. Honestly, I don't know how to describe my feelings when I see these scenes: it's a mixture of shock, pity, outrage for them, anger at them too, despair, helplessness and an overwhelming sense of guilt for not doing anything to help them.

3) I was unknowingly parted with my ATM card for a couple of hours in Greenbelt before I realised what had happened. With thoughts of online theft and monetary catastrophe in my mind, I darted off immediately to the customer service bay on the ground floor for help. Lo and behold, they had my card! They said they had been paging for me a few times already but I of course remained stupidly impervious. Whew! Close call there.

4) Finally got to see the Serendra scene after reading so much about it online. The place is very nice, so abuzz with energy and so crowded too. We had dinner at Larry's bar (their salpicao is muy delicioso!) and then bought 10 cupcakes at Sonja's to share between 8 people. My so uninformed take on it? They all look so pretty and would rather use them as centerpieces instead. The taste? It tastes like any cupcake with very sweet icing. (I told you I am uninformed about these things.)

Will add to these when I remember more. For now, let me go pack for HK! (Boohoo, there will be no Lester to show us around town during this trip. He'll be in Japan then, is why.)

:)

Quick update!

2007-08-17T13:18:00.000+08:00

Hi guys! I'm back. :)

First off, here's a shout-out to Rica, Kim and Lester, my 3 faithful readers. Naks!! Yes, 3 lang kayong readers ko. hahaha!!

It's been busy after busy here! Have had a succession of visitors, starting off in May with my paternal relatives, the Lingats, from North Luzon, closely followed by girlfriend Anna Banana.

Anna's vacation, of course, included grooving at St James Power Station with 2 other girlfriends despite protestations from my old, creaking body. It was my first time there and it's a great place to wiggle your bottie if you don't mind doing so while standing on the few square centimetres of space that it takes to plant your heeled feet. It's packed to the rafters, that place! But it was fun though. Towards the end of the gimmick, my feet were aching so much that I just had to slip off my black, patent leather stilletos and dance on bare feet. Haha!

After Anna, our family friend, the Cahoys from Iligan, arrived which meant another round of tour-guide duties at Sentosa and Esplanade. In the heat! :(

Then a little bundle of joy came a-visiting in June! A last-minute approved leave of my sis allowed her and my nephew Juancho to plane in, accompanied by my dad. Oh, what week that was! The tot was all over the house alternately playing with the light switches, the power switches, the used batteries that he unearthed from a cupboard, his toy cars and empty, plastic water bottles. And he ensured too that he made a stamp in every room by puke-ing at least once everywhere in the house. Hehe. Kids! Don't you just love them!

Then it was July and Kathy, another girlfriend, arrived. Just in time too before we left for a week in Hyderabad, India.

India!!! The people we met were lovely, so gracious and hospitable. I was fed vegetarian food, which was good, and I tell you, eating it everyday brought on deep, new, heart-felt realisations about myself such as: that in this lifetime, I am meant to be an omnivore and will never make it as a vegetarian. :)

I'm off to Manila next week for a week. Hope my timing is good and it isn't raining torrents there so I won't have to whip out my rubber boots and raincoat just to be able to get around the drenched metropolis.

Will post pix soon!

Is it just me or are there more kabayans in S'pore now?

2007-06-04T12:11:00.000+08:00

I can't seem to shake off this suspicion that 1/3 of Manila's population is now in Singapore. Most everywhere I go now, a Filipino voice is never far away, so distinctive (to me) is it that it somehow floats above the din of passing human traffic. Its uncanny.

And I'm not talking about the usual gaggle of domestic helpers camped out at Lucky P every Sunday too. I'm talking groups and groups of kababayan it seems, out in the restos, shops, the neighbourhood groceries, the parks.

Cases in point: I went to buy some stuff from Watsons recently and two cashiers just happen to be kabayan.

Got a shirt from Lacoste, sales assistant was Pinay.

I call DBS at 10pm, and who answers? A rude Filipina.

I ask to speak to her manager, and yes, she's Filipina too.

I buy shoes for my godchildren at Robinson's Centrepoint and? You guess it, got a Filipina sales assistant there too.

Just last week, I sat down to have lunch at my company cafeteria and the table behind us was occupied by 4 young Pinoys, all new faces. I haven't heard of new Pinoy hires at work so my guess is that they all must be part of the outsourced team that mans our IT helpdesk.

Even in this condo where I live, it seems at least 2 units have been newly rented by young Filipinos who are either in the IT field or are students. Seems 3-4 of them share a flat. I was told this by a lady who I frequently share the lift with in the evenings when I come home. No wonder our poolside bbq area is now almost always booked every weekend! I always see a large group of laughing people there having a 'party' during Sundays. Inusyuso ko minsan. All Pinoys. I wasn't surprised too. Chances are very high that if you hear hearty laughter anywhere here, the group is bound to be Pinoy.

I mentioned to a Singapore colleague how weird it was to talk in Tagalog to a sales lady in Lacoste here and she exclaimed, 'Know what? I was going to tell you too that at my block in Sembawang, I've seen many Filipino families move in. I think many of them are in IT cos everyone totes a laptop bag.'

Hmm, interesting.

Anyway, let me just say Mahuhay! to all the newcomers. Need pointers from the oldies? Got some actually.

1) Soften the volume of your speaking voice

No joke folks, they speak much, much softer here. If you talk in your normal Phil volume, chances are, fellow Pinoys will be able to follow your story from across the restaurant, the office, the cinema, the bus, the MRT carriage.

But see, while we kabayans may smile about having inadvertently listened in to the loud narration of a countryman's antics, others may not find it friendly and polite. It can even be irritating in small spaces. So tone down that volume and reserve the extra large guffaws when you are in a private space.

(This reminds me of how I used to shush my Dad whenever he visited me in college. Without his realising it, he was speaking so loudly in normal conversation that it never failed to turn heads towards our direction. It's nothing more than regional differences in speaking really, but still ...)

2) Stop converting everything into Philippine pesos

The sooner you internalise that you are no longer in Manila, the better for you. Accept it, there is no way to buy bottled water or canned Coke at less than the S$0.70 (Php23) (at least) it commands at the stores here. Beer is S$10-12 in pubs. If you want it to be Php20 like in Manila, go take a plane ride to Manila.

And the smokes! It's S$12 a pack if I'm not mistaken. That's Php360! And for fun, it comes with gross pictures of the effects of smoking. Ew! Trust me, you don't want to see those pictures! But if you are weird that way and insist on seeing them, the pix are here.

For women, manicures and pedicures are at least $30 each; haircuts are at least $35; treatments, at least $80.

A full-body massage meanwhile is at least $85 and a 20-min chair massage for shoulders is $35.

That is the way the cookie crumbles.

3) Cultivate friendships outside of your Filipino connections

While I agree that making new -- and maintaning old -- Pinoy friendships in Singapore is very important, I encourage you to go out of your way to befriend locals too. Stop the regionalistic cocooning!

Learn about other people's ways, see how different and similar we are. Correct a stranger's wrong impressions about Filipinos if you must, like how we really aren't all mad for liking boiled duck embryo. (It's great with salt is all I can say.)

New friendships can only enrich your stay here. How best to get to know and understand the Singaporean pysche and heart than by jalan-jalaning around and going makan with them, right? And really, who better to learn and understand Singlish than from a local?

So, yah lah, must meet new frens mah.

4) Throw your racial stereotypes out the window

Racial stereotypes are often always mean, hurtful and untrue. It is a clutch utilised mainly to cut people up so they can then be labelled and accorded respect or not, depending on which pile one ends up on in someone's mind.

I understand the need of some to find order in the diversity of humanity around, but can we just be kinder in our labelling of people, pls?

Because surely not all Chinese are ____ (supply your own blanket statement here); not all Malays are _____; not all Indians are ________; not all Caucasians are _____.

And certainly, not all Filipinos are ____!

5) Have fun at work

Might as well, right? That job is going to require at least 40 hours of your time each week so you better have some fun doing it.

Bag education of the unwilling

2007-03-27T11:49:00.000+08:00

I just had to chuckle after my hubbs narrated to me the short story coming right up that obviously just goes to show how my incessant bag talk has been permeating into his subconscious unwittingly.

Get this -- he actually asked a colleague if the 'Spy' bag she was carrying was real!!!

Yes, I agree, he needs to be more tactful next time but he said he just wanted to know, so he asked. Haha! But whatever, he actually noticed a bag and recognized it as a Fendi Spy design!

I can't begin to tell you how I whooped like mad at home when he told me this story. It's incredible, given how he always rolls his eyes when I start my bag chatter. And all the while, he was actually listening! Awww!

Anyway, the colleague answered that she didn't think her bag was authentic but used it anyway cos it was a gift from someone. And of course she asked him back how come he even knows about Spy bags.

His answer: Well, I almost bought one for my wife! (He says 'almost' cos I went for the Miu Miu Coffer instead and saved him a pretty amount as a result!)

Good eye there, dear! Now lets get you to identify a Birken! ;-)

Just in case you were wondering, this is how a Fendi Spy handbag looks like:

NotCanada.com

2007-03-09T10:23:00.000+08:00

I just got a link to the above website and well, it's been a fascinating/dreadful read so far. It's a site that basically discourages would-be immigrants from choosing Canada as a place of destination, citing racism and a lack of appropriate jobs for highly skilled, new citizens as the top drawbacks, among others.

It also says that as 'the Government of Canada and Canadian immigration lawyers don't accurately reflect the reality of the country', then the site has 'decided to provide an accurate view of the problems and issues that exist in Canada for immigrants'.

If you know of anyone mulling prospects of moving permanently to Canada (quite a huge group seeing as how every adult Filipino, I think, can count at least one person in his immediate circle who is currently thinking of hightailing it to Canada), get them to check out the site so they know what they may be up against.

NotCanada.com

A realisation

2007-02-23T11:54:00.000+08:00

Shanana /... i saw someone carry a coffer just now
Shanana /... u must make sure there are things in it .. otherwise it will look flat ..
Me /.. really???!!!!
Me /... where? who???
Shanana /... j8 food court ..
Shanana /... carried by a haughty looking lady ..
Me /... wow. haughty eh?
Me /... so it must be genuine miu miu
Me /... hahahaha
Shanana /... u better not be like that
Me /... i will thumb my nose down too at all those who carry fakes. hehehe
Shanana /... sheesh ..
Me /... she prolly was thinking, oh god, why do I have to eat HERE??!!! the horrors!
Shanana /... i think so oso ..
Me /... was it a young haughty lady
Shanana /... yep
Me /... or an aunty haughty l
Me /... oh ok
Me /... sha, i cant go to KW's do too
Shanana /... WHY?
Me /... hubby has a surprise that got blown when i reminded him of our appt this sat
Me /... he booked us for the wkend at bintan
Me /... so, can't go afterall
Me /... he got the dates mixed up
Shanana /... ahh..
Me /... thought the KW do was next next week
Shanana /... u better drop them a line ..
Me /... i did already
Me /... to KW!
Shanana /... he replied yet?
Me /... NOT YET
Me /... boohoo
Me /... i hope he doesn't get angry
Shanana /... sorry to say this babe
Me /... i just sent it
Shanana /... but u are now on his blacklist
Me /... what?????
Me /... why???
Shanana /... u will be the target on his dartboard
Shanana /... i should say thank you
Shanana /... to you ..
Shanana /... now the burden is off me ..
Me /... what???? some cancelled also what?!
Me /... like Martini
Me /... and you! Again!
Shanana /... WHAT ME?
Shanana /... i have a very valid reason
Me /... you cancelled too!
Me /... and I don't have ??
Shanana /... and my cousin can vouch for that
Me /... my husband has a surprise. and we want babies!
Shanana /... err.. in that case, ok ..
Shanana /... pls tell him that .. heh!
Me /... i did!
Me /... i explained to her
Shanana /... ok, who her?
Me /... ooopppss
Me /... i mean him, to him
Me /... sha, i just had a very profound realisation just now
Me /... im a human being who doesnt try hard at anything
Shanana /... whats the enlightenment?
Shanana /... guess what
Shanana /... elsie has just said i'm only a 3-min passion person
Me /... i dont try hard enough at at work,
Me /... at life, at reducing my weight, at deepening my relationship wth God
Me /... at conceiving, at anything
Me /... im a human being who really just coasts along
Shanana /... your hubby shld be trying hard at it
Me /... but as a human being, i suck
Me /... everything that I have, i got by the grace of God. not cos i really really wanted it
Me /... and worked hard for it
Me /... what a lousy person i turn out to be
Shanana /... hmm.. how come this sudden epiphany?
Me /... i dont know
Shanana /... but i do undertsand how u feel
Me /... i was just eating here and it struck me
Me /... like it was beating in my head

My Coffer!

2007-02-05T19:58:00.000+08:00

Oh my goody wow.

I have my Coffer, woohoo!! I can just faint now.

Remember my first encounter with this beautiful bag? I was all set to not hear from Miu Miu until Chinese New Year at least, as per the SA. But late Saturday afternoon, who should call but SA Viktor who said that if I still wanted the bag, he had one for me all waiting to be picked-up asap. (This means the wait for this bag was a short 2 weeks only!) Oh boy, was I so happy!

So without much further ado, here she is! (Pls click on pictures for a bigger view.) My dear hubby's early wedding anniv pressie! Dance of joy all around!! Thanks thanks thanks, DH!

The bag is a quilted nappa (or full-grained leather, typically dyed, made from unsplit kid-, lamb- or sheep-skin, and noted for softness) leather hobo with two front pockets and an inside zip pocket. It has a hand-braided top handle and a detachable body strap. The top flap has goldtone lock detail. Measures 11¾"H X 15"L X 2¼"W.

It is really so soft and so luxe-looking and so utterly, completely, breath-takingly divine. I lurve, lurve it! And really, the pictures don't do the bag justice at all! Bag hags, you should see this in real life.

And to address the price issue, yes, this is one crazy expensive bag. I was all prepared to pay for this myself too until dear hubby insisted that this will be his gift instead.

I am thrilled of course to receive such an expensive gift, but i kinda feel guilty too about the turn of events. I can't help but think, did I rave too much about the bag while waiting for it to arrive that I made him think I was hinting at him to get it for me?

Nah. Maybe my unease stems from my being unused to having someone else buy my small luxuries for me.

Oh well, whatever it is, DH, thanks for my ultra, super, mega beautiful arm candy. I so love it! And with this bag, I now declare you exempted from having to get me any more presents, big or small, to celebrate all the happy occasions and events we are looking forward to this year.

Now excuse me all while I go stare at my Coffer again. ;)

More pix:

Bag crazy

2007-01-28T00:49:00.000+08:00

Following a traipse around Orchard with the hubby last week to oogle at and cuddle bags, bags, bags and more bags, one would have thought that I would be recovered by now from the sudden attack of bag fever.

But oh no, I'm still at it a week later! Warning, warning. This is very dangerous territory to thread on. I'm thisclose to making a serious purchase!

Arrghh. What is it with me and bags?!

I'm particularly vulnerable to a splurge now cos, ahem, we got our bonus a week back and the long-ignored bag impulses that were quietened by wedding expenses and condo payments last year have suddenly come back to semi-life. I'm trying to pummel those impulses back to sleep by calmly reciting over and over in my head the saying 'A fool and her money are soon parted' and thankfully, this has held sway for a week now. But for how much longer?!!!

The...bags... are ... calling ... me.... It .. . is... futile ... to ... resist... Help!

I am insane. And I've not helped my case any too by becoming an avid reader of The Purse Blog and its forum pages here which are read by millions of other ladies like me who are so into 'it' bags. Yes, bags! Purses!

Here are the bags that are torturing me at the moment:

Chanel: See! I love this metallic silver flap bag so much that I even took a photo of a magazine ad of it. I'll have to content myself with photos, know why? Cos this was a Christmas special edition bag and there are NO MORE to be had from the stores. Period! Ah, the heartbreak! Cost: S$3,860.

Fendi: The Spy bag has been around since 2005 but its latest Spring/Summer 2007 edition in cracked patent leather is TDF! Me likey likey. According to the SA, only 6 pieces were delivered to Singapore of which 2 are left on the shelves as of today. Price: S$3,500. More pix here.

If you want to see some of the Spy's other seasons' TDF variations, click here.

Louis Vuitton: The red Bedford! The colour of this is just amazing. Price: about S$1,900

The LV Baggy PM. About S$1,940

Such lovelies, huh? Come, my precious...... And oh, I also am on the list for the Coffer, remember?

Temptations!!!

Must... help... myself... A fool and her money are soon parted. A fool and her money are soon parted. A fool and her money are soon parted. A fool and her money are soon parted. A fool and her money are soon parted. A fool and her money are soon parted. A fool and her money are soon parted. A fool and her money are soon parted. A fool and her money are soon parted. HELP!

What a bag!

2007-01-21T02:39:00.000+08:00

Hello! I'm back! First off, so sorry for the absence. I was busy, then was on hols for Christmas and New Year. All too soon, it was back to work again. Been generally lazy to write tho. Bad, bad, bad. My bad.

Anyway, I'm glad to be back!

First off, I must tell you something amazing that happend to me yesterday, Friday. It's bag-related, btw, so those who are not crazy over purses like I am, go away, shoo. ;) Or just indulge me, yah?

Here goes. I was in a queue for cabs just outside the chichi Paragon Mall here in Singapore. My wait at this particular queue is always interesting to me cos there is usually a lot of eye candy to be spotted on the crooks of the arms or over the shoulders of nicely dressed women.

Yesterday was no exception. As I was waiting, I was also quietly checking out the bags of the ladies. Then bam, just in front of me I see two ladies who each had slung over their shoulders the same fantastic, sexy, drop-dead gorgeous bag (in different colours though: black and dark brown leather). You know how it is when you see something that shocks? You involuntarily whip your head back and stare and gape? Well, that's what I did. I stared at the bags, taking in its beauty, with my jaws open that the two ladies actually acknowleged my look of longing and smiled at me. I smiled back and quickly faced front again, a bit embarrassed but furiously thinking, OH MY, what are those TDF bags?? Where can I get them? I had absolutely no idea what they were!

A bit later, still thinking of the gorgeous bags, I kinda turned around towards the ladies again, hoping to see a logo on the bags. Didn't see any in my haste, but I did see them both toting Miu Miu shopping bags! I thought, must check out Miu Miu on Saturday!

And so that's what I did today -- go to Miu Miu in Paragon to see if the bag is from there. And halleluiah, it is a Miu Miu bag! Here's a picture of it. And it's called the Coffer bag, from the brand's Spring/Summer 2007 collection! Display here in S'pore is in 3 gorgeous colours: black, dark brown and white. And they are in lambskin leather, hence oh-so-soft goodness! Drool, drool.... I am so loving this bag!

But alas, there are no stocks to sell at the moment. I must wait a month at least! The sales assistant (SA) told me that if I wanted the bag, I must put my name on a list. And boy, is it a looooooooooong list! More than a hundred women in front of me waiting patiently in line for a Coffer!!!

Egad!!! I can't wait!!! I'm delirious with joy and love for this bag! (OA no? But really!) Of course I've put down my name for a black lambskin one. Now I'm constantly checking my phone for a call from Viktor, that nice SA who took my name down. Viktor honey, call me now!!! Please!!!

While I'm waiting, I've been all over the net looking at pix of the bag. And reading forums too (ok, it should be fora if you want to be tight-assed about it) about the bag and how women are liking it or not! And boy, it sure has its rabid fans. Just check out the Fendi and Miu Miu forums at The Purse Forum, my favourite hangout online at the moment. They have bag showcases over there too that are just simply TDF! (These are women all around the world putting up pics of the bags they have, their new purchases, and such. Definitely a good place for bag hags!)

Here are more pics:

The suede version

Jessica Alba and her Coffer

Canvas Coffer

Velvet Coffer

Apartment-hunting

2006-11-27T11:25:00.000+08:00

I am so stressed! We are in the midst of apartment hunting and it hasn't been easy to find a good place. It's a landlord's market through and through and rents are up across the board by $600-$800 in the categories and location we are after. And to top it all, there aren't many properties to choose from at the moment too. Ack!

This move will be my third, if ever -- this after 4 years in this current condo. This place is great, location-wise, for me as it is just 8 minutes away from my office in a cab. But this place is a bit out of the way for my relatively new housemate, the hubby, who just has to go to work in the great beyond that is Jurong. And so it is that we are looking for a place that is about halfway to both our places of work.

I initially harboured hopes that our push to live further from central Singapore would redound to rent savings for us! Well, like I said, so NOT! And this house hunting has to happen just before Christmas too! Egads!

Stress, stress. Is there no end to stress this year? Even if this is my supposed year (Dog), I can't wait for it to finish. My toes and fingers are crossed that Dogs will have a better year in 2007, the year of the Red Pig.

Orchard Rd in Nov

2006-11-16T03:53:00.000+08:00

Was in Orchard Rd last Sunday with the hubby and couldn't help but feel like an excited kid once again when I saw all the Christmas lights glowing in the night. The street was definitely buzzing with activity with so many buskers, shoppers and (sadly) survey-takers.

Some pix we took:

The three-storey-high Christmas tree at the lobby of Ngee Ann City.

Street-level, Orchard Road

Another one,
outside Takashimaya

Paragon Shopping Centre

Sunday traffic along Orchard Road

Tang's Dept Store

Junction of Orchard Rd and Scotts Rd

It sure is beginning to look a lot like Christmas, duh?!

I LOVE IT!

The Luli Arroyo incident at NAIA

2006-11-03T23:43:00.000+08:00

The Luli Arroyo incident at the NAIA, where she was arrogantly and rudely dismissed by an immigration officer after she confronted him for allowing a foreigner to cut the immigration queue, is one story that I've been closely following for 2 days now.

Just in case you missed reading about this, let me narrate to you the story.

Luli, the only daughter of the Philippine president, was in the airport early this week and was being the usual low-key woman (bless her soul) that she always is: meaning she queued up with her sis-in-law with no hoopla, no PSG escorts (nothing visible, at least), nada. She was just being an ordinary Filipino like you and me going through the NAIA and immigration procedures.

So there she was in the immigration queue, minding her business, when she saw a foreigner jump said queue and get service immediately from the immigration officer attending to her line. (Luli would later say that she even saw the foreigner entering the officer's booth!)

The first daughter immediately complained to the immig officer, asking him why he allowed the foreigner to go ahead of everyone.

The officer, who probably never watched The Amazing Race episode where the Luli once said Mabuhay, Welcome to the Philippines! to the racers beside host Phil, and thus was clueless about the identity of the woman he was about to brow-beat, snapped loudly in reply: 'Di ka ba marunong maghintay?' ('Don't you know how to wait?')

(The man doesn't know it yet but he just started to dig his own grave right then. But such arrogance!)

Luli answered back: 'Bakit kaming mga Pilipino ang pinapagalitan mo? Bakit hindi yung foreigner?' ('Why are you scolding us Filipinos? Why not the foreigner)?'

By this time, the reports said, the immig guy's colleagues were trying to get his attention to subtly tell him that he was exchanging words with the Prez' daughter. To no avail.

The officer continued his tirade, still clueless. According to Inq7, he even told her that she shouldn't be in his lane because it was meant for VIPS and diplomats. Hah!

Finally, the guy's supe arrived and explained to Luli that the foreigner was allowed through before everyone because he was already late for his flight. Finally!, Luli must have said. An explanation!

After clearing immig (attended to by the same guy who would have only then seen who he had just berated upon opening her passport), Luli went to file a formal complaint about the incident.

Postscript, the guy has been temporarily relieved of his duties and put on 'floating' status while the incident is being investigated.

Meanwhile, Immigration Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr has given the grave digger 72 hours to explain why he should not be administratively charged with discourtesy and violating a standing policy prohibiting immigration officers from giving preferential treatment to passengers.

Ha! Vicarious vengeance for all who have been wronged by the immigration people!!!

Way to go, Luli! Thank you for standing up for Filipino travelers who have to suffer the high-handedness and rudeness of many of these immigration officers. I've witnessed many instances of power-tripping by some of these front-liners, once even witnessing a Chinese man in front of me hand over a wad of peso bills to an officer. I stared at that officer long and hard, wanting him to know that I saw the transaction, and you know how he reacted? He just stared back at me while accepting the wad, his look daring me, seemingly asking, Ano ngayon? (What now?)

Many of them treat lowly-looking OFWs (overseas foreign workers) shabbily too, thinking nothing of slamming back the passports on the counter once they've finished with it, all the while keeping their uniform bored looks.

I wonder how the Immigration Bureau came about to choosing just about their unfriendliest-looking people to man many of their front line counters?!

Anyway, back to the grave digger. What now? I say investigate the matter and when just cause is established (notice pls how I say 'when' just cause is established and not 'if'), let the schmuck sit at home for many moons. So he can ponder about the consequences of being rude and ignorant.

Awww!

2006-10-27T15:28:00.000+08:00

Text from Jean, sent from HK where she is on a business trip: 'I just ate the same food we ordered before in HK and it didn't taste as delicious as when I was eating with friends. Have a great day.'

Awwww, how sweet!

And I know exactly which meal it was that she was referring to, a meal which featured this bird (quail? or pigeon? can't remember) that is eaten with a bit of salt if you like. The Macau fare from that resto in Tsim Sat Tsui. It's a die-die-must-try kind of place.

Feed me, I'm on holiday

2006-10-15T18:49:00.000+08:00

Some people just don't have manners. Grrrrr.

A long-lost high school friend (who is not the subject of this rant) is in town from Manila for a short visit this weekend. So of course, I invited her to dinner, right? A dinner to welcome her to Singapore, to allow her to taste the flavours and spices of this island. (And since she is travelling with a colleague, we extended the invitation to this stranger too. Out of courtesy.) I haven't my friend, K, in 20 years, so I was very excited and looking forward to catching up.

So, dinner. My husband and I arranged to meet K and her colleague/travelling mate at a Starbucks along Orchard Road after their Night Safari jaunt, after which we were to proceed to Lau Pa Sat, a popular night-time, street-side hawker centre eating place here that serves all kinds of Chinese, Malay and Indian dishes and desserts.

A few minutes before the meeting time and the hubby and I were already walking toward Starbucks. I was craning my neck while I walked, scanning the crowd sitted outside the coffee joint for a glimpse of my friend. I immediately saw her and her male colleague, who I saw was talking animatedly to another man. My first thought was, wow, he sure made friends so quickly at Starbucks!

When we got to the table, we said hi all around. I couldn't help looking inquiringly at the other man there, so K's colleague (let's call him C1 for Crass No.1) introduced him and said he was also from Manila and was in town on official business.

Curious, I asked the second guy (let him be C2) how he came to be in Starbucks with his friend and K. Did they bump into each other here of all places, I asked. His reply just floored me: 'No. I've been waiting with them for you guys. C1 invited me to dinner.'

INVITED YOU TO JOIN US FOR DINNER, DID HE? WTF? WTF?

I couldn't help but hyperventilate in silent anger. Who the fruck asked this sampid guest C1 to invite more sampid guests to my dinner treat for K?? I mean, hello, when did it become open season to invite your own friends to a hosted dinner without you asking your hosts first if it was okay?

The hubby saw the extreme annoyance in my face and knew immediately that there was going to be hell to pay soon. So he took my arm and said, 'Hey, didn't you want to go to the loo?' while dragging me to the general direction of the pee-place.

He: Hey, relax. Relax.

Me: @%^&@#$*#$&#%. Who does he think he is? Tell me, can you just invite other friends with you to dinner hosted by folks who have just invited you out of frucking courtesy! Invite him to dinner, did he? Why stop at one, tell me? Why doesn't he call more people so we can have a party on my account! The blinking nerve!

He: Whatever it is, don't put K in a spot. It's not her fault that her friend is misbehaving. Remember, you haven't seen her in years! Just focus on that. She could be ill-at-ease about the whole thing too, you know!

Me: What are you suggesting? That I just grin and bear it?

And yes, folks, because I'm Pinoy and long-suffering and unable to say point-blank to C1, 'I see that you have your friend to keep you company tonight. You won't mind then if I steal K away from you for a few hours so we can catch up, would you?', I ended up playing hostess for the night to a friend and her buntot and his buntot. To get through the extremely grating crassness of C1, I just took my hubby's advice -- I just concentrated on K and made sure she had good food and was enjoying her time with me.

Eto pa. To top off the C duo's hateful quotient, when it came time to paying the bill, well, you would expect that C1 and C2 would at least make a show of reaching for their wallets to insist kuno on paying for their share, right? (Lalo na dapat si C2 kasi I didn't invite him at all.) Well, walang balak ang mga kapalmuks to pay -- no overtures, no moves, no inquiry later to ask how much their share was. Grabe.

But really, this isn't remotely about how much it cost to feed the C men, cos it's a small sum and is beside the point. This rant is about the utter gall of a stranger in taking liberties of a stranger's generosity.

But I admit I am the bigger fool, for allowing the evening to start and end without me saying anything to protest the imposition on my time, space and resources. I should have uttered the dialogue I wrote a few paragraphs above but in my defence, I was totally caught unawares and left shocked in the face of brazen bad behaviour.

You can bet however that if such a situation should present itself to me again, well, I've got the scenario studied and the quips readied. So be warned, crass creatures! Don't you start on me or boy, are you gonna get it!

It's raining MAC

2006-10-09T11:30:00.000+08:00

Two weeks before my birthday in Sept, I was in a cab on the way to Paragon in Orchard Road here to catch a shuttle service that would take me to my acupuncture session in Spa Botanica in Sentosa. I was stewing there in the cab, willing it silently to go faster so I could make it to the 11.30am free service to the spa. If I missed the shuttle, it would mean I would then have to cab it to Sentosa to make it to my appointment, which would be a waste of my $10-12!

When the cab finally pulled over at at the back taxi bay of Paragon at 11.31am, I tried to do three things at once in my hurry: gave the driver my fare while trying to close my bag while opening the cab door to start a mad dash for the shuttle bay in 5 seconds.

All to 'disastrous' results, of course!

The driver was paid, I catapulted my body out the taxi in 2 seconds ala Flash, but I would know soon after that I didn't complete the simple task of closing my bag because a few seconds later, my bag's contents spewed forth onto the pavement.

It was so embarrassing! My make-up stuff went flying all over, my utility bills, pens, my wallet burst too, scattering my coins. Eeek! I had to pick these up one by one, in front of many cabs queued on that bay too!

It took me awhile to do this and when I had ensured that I had my wallet, house keys and phone inside the bag, I left the scene, thinking that whatever else of my possessions I may have overlooked and left on the sidewalk can easily be replaced.

It was already 11.45am by then and the shuttle that I had been hurrying to catch was long gone. Still a bit shaken and adamant not to cab it all the way to Sentosa, I called the spa to ask for the possibility of a one-hour delay to my noon appointment. Thankfully they said ok to that, giving me more than enough time to regain my composure and catch the next shuttle run at 12.30pm.

While waiting, I decided to rummage through my bag to see what I could be missing. Pen (a gift from a friend), check. Checkbook, got that. Mints, dental floss, ok. Office pass, here.

Relieved that I had all my stuff, I decided to go to the loo to freshen up. And that's when I realised I was friggin missing a MAC pressed powder compact that I had just bought 2 days prior!!! Argh! How sad is that? In trying to save my $12 fare to Sentosa, I ended up losing a $45-compact. And to think that I will have to fork out another $45 to buy a replacement! boohoo. What bad luck!

I had time to spare before the bus was due so I decided to cross the road to Ngee Ann City to buy yet another compact from MAC in 2 days. While high-tailing it there, I just had to send an sms to a girlfriend to tell her of my make-up misery.

Text to Shanana: Aargh! I lost my new MAC compact. Must have left it in cab or got thrown to pavement with my other stuff. Tell you more later. And my compact is so new! Arrgghh!

Her reply: Sorry to hear that. Can I get you the replacement? Been trying to think what to give you for bday. This saves me the agony. Pls?

My reply: Just ask me what I want. If you really want me to be happy, just get me a Chanel bag. Black. Thanks, you're a darling.

Her reply: You're so funny you make my toes laugh.

Anyway, I bought a new compact and made it to the next shuttle to the spa. On the way, I mentioned to the hubby my small misery re the missing compact and he said, don't worry, let's get you more this weekend, before we went on to speak about more important stuff.

I completely forgot about that non-episode until my birthday week when I came home one time to a surprise from the thoughtful hubby who said he got me a small gift, one that he knows I really needed. The surprise really surprised me, for it turned out to be a compact and lip shiner. Wow, how the heck did he have the guts to march into the MAC store and talk make-up with a sales crew there? He isn't the type, see. He is a proud man's man who won't be seen in MAC stores. Or so I thought.

Then a few days after, I arrived in my office to see a stack of MAC products from Shanana! Wow, talk about it raining MAC!

Between the hubby and Sha, that's my haul in the picture up above. As you can see, I have more than enough powder and blusher and lip glass to last me a whole year. Now, if only someone would give me that Chanel handbag, then life would be a really rosy. ;-)

Haze-free Sunday

2006-10-08T23:38:00.000+08:00

Today was a good day. Singapore woke up to clean air again.

For many days now, we've had to breath in air with smoke (above), the smoke courtesy of Indonesia who is now watching hapless as forest fires rage in Sumatra.

Its an annual problem, this haze in Singapore. When it is slash-and-burn season in Indonesia, the small fires that farmers and plantation owners start to clear more land soon enough become huge, uncontrollable fires that eat whole forests, generating enough smoke that choke neighbouring countries Malaysia, Singapore and even some parts of Thailand in turn, depending on the direction of the wind.

I thought it was bad on Friday night (Pollutants Standard Index of 80), when the air was just so thick with smoke that my nose twitched no end from the acrid smell. But as it turned out, that was nothing compared to Saturday, when the PSI just doubled to 160! (A reading over 101 is unhealthy, necessitating the gov't to issue an advisory that cautioned against vigorous outdoor activity.) Me? I felt like a smoked chicken sitting at home and started to cough.

Looking out into the smoky horizon last night, I couldn't help but think how true the adage is about people not knowing how good they have it till they lose something. As I was gingerly breathing in smoke into my lungs, I longed for the clean air here that I had taken for granted all these years.

And so it was that when I woke up this morning, the first thing I did was to look out the window to check the cityscape before me for haze. I just had to whoop with joy when I 'saw' clean air again. No burning smell to every breath, no haze visible to the eye. PSI Index was at 27.

Welcome back sweet, clean air. Singapore missed you!

'Do not embarrass nation when abroad'

2006-10-03T19:44:00.000+08:00

Above is the exhortation of the Chinese gov't to its own people who are poised to travel abroad during the week-long National Day celebrations this week.

Due to increasing affluence, more and more of the 1.3 billion China Chinese are now travelling abroad for holidays. Following various criticisms from tour agencies and host countries, however, about -- well, let's just say those unendearing peculiarities of the mainland Chinese -- the gov't has issued said guidelines.

The official Xinhua news agency on Tuesday said, 'The move aims to promote civilized behavior among Chinese travelers and restore the country's image, which has been tarnished by the behavior of some Chinese tourists.'

The list of dos and don'ts include orders to speak quietly, respect queues and put litter in bins. Also, to be polite in public places and observe the rule of 'ladies first'.

And what's at the top of the don't list? Spitting.

Xinhua quoted an official as saying uncivilized behavior is becoming a real embarrassment for China.

I say this is a step in the right direction for China. By making the public aware of everyday 'bad' habits that destination countries may find objectionable, the gov't is in fact hitting two birds with one stone: refining the rough edges of some of its globe-trekking citizens AND continuing the education campaign for the Chinese people who are soon to host thousands of athletes, officials and spectators during the summer Olympics in 2008.

Hmm, I wonder what the Phil gov'ts do's and don'ts list would look like if they were to do such a thing?

Photo credit: Liao Yusheng

Stocking food for emergencies

2006-10-02T11:42:00.000+08:00

I just left a comment on Market Manila's post on panic shopping for canned goods after the latest typhoon in the old country left Luzon without electricity for a few days.

The subject of stocking up on emergency food supplies has just been in the limelight here in Singapore. You see, about 2-3 weeks ago, from out of the blue (at least for me) , there with our September utility bill was a flier that exhorted the merits of always keeping in stock at home a 2-week supply of food for use during emergencies.

I felt anxious when I read the flier. What emergency kaya? I also couldn't help but wonder what the powers-that-be must be preparing us for.

For those interested, here is the Singapore govt's recommended emergency foodstock list meant for two weeks PER PERSON:

1) 3.5 kg of rice
2) 1 bottle (250gm) of cooking oil
3) assortment of 7 cans of meat/fish/beans (abt 400gm/can)
4) 2 packets assorted biscuits (210gm each)
5) assortment of 7 cans of vegetables
6) 1 tin (400gm) of malted beverage
7) 500 gm sugar
8) instant noodles (3 packs of 5)
9) milk powder (2 tins for babies up to 6 months, 1 tin for those who are 7 mnths to 6 years)

Here is the brochure the gov't sent us.

Not wanting to take it too seriously but obviously curious enough to know what the hubby and I may be feeding on if there indeed was an emergency, I took a look inside the kitched shelves where we store some canned goods and other foodies.

Here's what we have:

From left: Splenda, rolled oats, Japanese bread crumbs, mayonnaise, veg noodles, fruit cocktail, tuna in olive oil, Del Monte sardines.

Iced tea mix, tomato sauce, ketchup, luncheon meat, canned button mushrooms, Carnation evap, bottled sardines from Manila, pasta, Quaker oats, assorted teas.

Cashews, popcorn, Kambly biscuits and Skyflakes, burrito pack, Cadbury chocettes, dried mangoes and Schweppes.

Hmm, it's clear from the above that if there was indeed an emergency (touch wood), I would have gained weight after two weeks of feeding on what's available from our shelves while my husband would be emaciated from having only vegetarian instant noodles and mushrooms (which he hates) and okay, cashews and pop corn.

I see now that I must correct this food imbalance in our larder and go buy another pack of veggie noddles for him. hahaha. JOKE lang!!

36th!

2006-09-18T10:47:00.000+08:00

Every year on this day, I try to reflect on my life so far. By reflect, I mean I go through the past year again in my head, identifying the big, defining moments, the struggles and how they were hurdled (if at all), the small and seemingly inconsequential moments that filled the days. At least those that I can remember anyway.

I go through this exercise because I want to remember as much as I can about what has transpired in my life. In the daily hustle and bustle of living, it can't be helped that days are sometimes counted and marked out on calenders only as a way to get to a particular date coinciding with work deadlines, the next payday, the next vacation or the next trip home. I tend to do that too, sadly, a habit I'm trying to curb. For who was it that said that life is what happens when you are not looking?

I also reflect to 'look' for moments I may have forgotten or overlooked that should make me ever more grateful for the blessed lot I have been handed. From my stormy growing-up years, through severe insecurity, early tensions and despair over academic difficulties while in college (ack! Engineering! in UP! Don't even ask.), heck, I've come a long way, baby!

So, for giving me material comfort, where there could have easily been dire want, for a life of quiet joy and contentment where there could have been desperation and helplessness, good health where illness instead, love, care, acceptance and friendship where loneliness could have been, I walk around with a grateful heart -- most of the time. (Who doesn't get whiny every once in a while, huh?) And so to stock my heart's armory with big and small instances that inspire gratitude to the Giver on days when I can't help but be difficult, I scour through years gone by for my own ammunition -- countless proof of blessings.

I also have this habit of trying to kill myself trying to remember exactly what I did last year, on this very day. Of course I always get frustrated because I am someone who can't even remember what I did this day last week! I always attempt to start a diary too, to save me the trouble of mental calistenics next year about today's events, but so far, all I have are unused nice notebooks and a few diaries that have barely anything written on them lying about in my bedroom.

Towards this end, let me just say that I remember that on this day in 2005, I had a huge chocolate cake with lots of fluffy white icing from my hubby (then fiance) which we finished eating only after about a month. (Ew! Too huge! And I didn't want to throw it out.) He got me a sexy, red divan too, which he said was to be my throne after a long day at the office, but which became his favourite chair instead until it gave him bad backaches. So now I get to sit there finally. The 18th last year was a Sunday, so we spent the day together in town meandering about.

This year, he got me a smaller cake, a mango torte, a light, yummy creation that is not cloyingly sweet. I reckon this one will be polished off in 2 weeks tops.

I went to work today though, this being the eve of the 2-day IMF and World Bank annual meetings here. So no fancy dinner date. The hubby did come by my office bearing a special takeaway dinner for me and promised a better meal this weekend.

Looking forward, I hope for 3 major things this year: having a baby and going on a proper honeymoon, whichever comes first. And world peace, of course.

Cheers!

Where does the time go?

2006-09-11T13:20:00.000+08:00

From that initial online chat with some of my old high school friends a few weeks ago, the group has now expanded to include a few more people who had just dropped out from everyone's radar to 'resurface' now after so many years.

My amazement at how we've managed to be located in so many parts of the world has just grown. Ah, the wonder of technology really. I may never live to see all these names in my Yahoo Chat box in the same physical room again, but at least online, we are able to gather like high school kids again every few weeks to chit-chat and reminisce.

Those who can't be online when we gather write-in via email and what wacky emails they send. You know you're old(er) when you can't remember half the stories that are told about happenings in high school, and its specially strange but a bit melancholy too to hear a friend now living in UK sing to you via Yahoo Voice your alma mater song that you've completely forgotten about.

As Julia Fordham sings so plaintively in a song, I likewise ask: Where does the time go?

Off to HK!

2006-08-25T18:30:00.000+08:00

I'm off to HK with girlfriends for an impromptu trip. It will just be for the weekend, from early Saturday to late Monday to be exact. I don't have an agenda while there really, will just bum around, hopefully with ad-man extraordinnaire Lester for a while.

The girls I'm travelling with are former HK residents so they know where to eat while in Hong Kong. And I can't wait to have dimsum!

I'm so excited! And I just can't hide it! :)

Photo credit: BLOOMBERG

A case for saving

2006-08-18T13:42:00.000+08:00

Whoopeedoo! I have an extra $6,000 in the bank!

No, I didn't win the lottery nor the sweepstakes. A never-known rich uncle didn't die and left me with moolah. And nope, I didn't have to hock my furnitures or my baubles for extra cash either.

The money is from a designed-to-be-forgotten automatic savings programme that I committed to just a little over two years ago. And why is the money out of the savings programme and into my bank, you ask? In my bank where its oh so easy to access via direct debit in stores?

Okay, relax. This post is not a confession about an imminent shopping frenzy. (I haven't done anything remarkable these last few months to merit a shopfest. And I'm not depressed too, my trigger to go crazy.) From the title of this post, you can see that this is my testimony to saving.

Over two years ago, I was whiling my afternoon in Borders here, and as is my wont, I soon found myself with a financial self-help book titled The Automatic Millionnaire by David Bach.(I'm such a sucker for these kinds of books!)

After speed-reading through the book, the author had convinced me that I could save money without hardship if I capitalise on the automation of the ways of today's society by setting up a savings plan that I can forget about. This is done by allowing a bank or a financial institution to deduct a specified sum from my payday account, for example, every month without fail, right on the time when pay is banked in.

By doing this, saving is made automatic -- eliminating the usual excuses to not saving, like the Oh-I-don't-make-enough-to save or the I-just-don't-know-where my-money-goes, to I-forgot-to-transfer-the-money excuses. The rationale is, you won't miss the amount that is not even in the account that you work with every day. The author said this is the practical application of the Pay Yourself First motto of saving, which essentially means that one must pay oneself first (by saving or socking away an amount) before one pays the utility company, the credit card company, the grocery, the car company, etc every month.

And so, I soon called up my insurance agent to ask if they had such an automatic savings/investment plan that I could sign up with. She said yes, they do have it, asked me how much I was keen on saving a month, and voila, a few days later, I actually signed the paperwork for the scheme.

True enough, I soon forgot about the $250 that was deducted from my account every month since then. Until recently, when I remarked to my insurance agent-friend that I was financially gearing up for my first balloon payment in Sept for a condo we are paying for in Manila.

May: 'I think you have enough in your investment plan with me to pay about half of the P500k you are preparing for.'

Me (all agog): 'WHAT?!!! I do?'

May: 'I'm sure. Just do your sums. $250 over more than two years.'

Me: 'It's been two years since then? I can't believe that.'

May: 'Time flies when you're having fun, my friend.'

WOW! And just like that, I have an extra $6,000 in the bank! And it's all going toward an asset too!

Reflecting on this later, I couldn't help but be grateful and awed at the blessings I have been provided. I'm in no measure financially rich, but I have been blessed tremendously and right at the opportune moments too to have more than enough in the pocket to cover all of our requirements. To all these, I say, Thank You, My Lord. All glory and honour be unto You.

:-)

Diaspora and YM

2006-08-16T12:34:00.000+08:00

I have a date to chat with my grade school/high school friends this Friday, 9pm-ish Manila time. It will involve 7 people located in 6 countries, good old Yahoo Messenger, and hopefully, not much lag time and disconnections.

I haven't seen 4 of these people in a long time. At least not since university. Makes me wonder what we will talk about, who we will talk about, how we can get each of our stories in. Hmm, with a lot of difficulty, I should think. But it can only be fun and I am looking forward to it. Thank God technology now enables people to reconnect this way, on cyberspace.

Of course, chatting online is nowhere near the real thing -- when you sit with good friends and talk and talk over food and wine. But for someone who lives away from old stomping grounds, chatting will have to do. Afterall, it is still time spent with friends, right?

Anyway, when Hannah sent the email to the 6 of us informing us of the chat date and time, she indicated there the participants' locations: NY, CA, UK, HK, and SG, plus Manila, of course.

In a subsequent chat I had with her over the email, I mentioned how sad in a way it was that we were all scattered around the globe now such that the hope of ever meeting up physically together was remote.

And then she said something that's been in my mind for days now. She said, 'It's too bad our country is not well enough to keep us all here.'

Han, that's the lament of most non-resident Filipinos.

If only things worked in Manila, if only there was a decent government in place. If only I could make the living I'm making here there, if only I could feel safe. If only everyone followed rules, if only everyone had fair opportunities to make it in life. If only people respected each other, if only people really cared.

If only.

Then I could come home and live where my heart is.

The song in my head 2

2006-08-03T11:26:00.000+08:00

The song Overkill by Men at Work is lodged in my mind lately, coming soon after I saw Colin Hay of the disbanded Men At Work in an guest star appearance in Scrubs recently.

In the show, he was following JD around, strumming his guitar, singing the very familiar tune. I went online, looked for a video of it in YouTube and voila! here it is. I also resolve to go to HMV this weekend to buy the group's greatest hits album if its available.

80's music. I heart them.

OVERKILL by Men at Work

I can't get to sleep
I think about the implications
Of diving in too deep
And possibly the complications

Especially at night
I worry over situations
I know will be alright
Perhaps its just my imagination

Day after day it reappears
Night after night my heartbeat shows the fear
Ghosts appear and fade away

Alone between the sheets
Only brings exasperation
It's time to walk the streets
Smell the desperation

At least there's pretty lights
And though there's little variation
It nullifies the night
From overkill

Day after day it reappears
Night after night my heartbeat shows the fear
Ghosts appear and fade away

I can't get to sleep
I think about the implications
Of diving in too deep
And possibly the complications

Especially at night
I worry over situations
I know will be alright
It's just overkill

Day after day it reappears
Night after night my heartbeat, shows the fear
Ghosts appear and fade away

Now listen to the acoustic version. It's just superb too!

The song in my head 1: Eraserheads

Back from MLA

2006-07-31T13:51:00.000+08:00

I just got back from a week's vacation in Manila. Boy, it sure was raining out there! But notwithstanding the occasional flooded street that caused traffic jams, I liked the rainy weather and the umbrella-busting wind action. Sure beats the sticky heat that was the daily experience when I was there earlier in the year, in late Feb to early March, to be exact.

Ditching my usual Jetstar Asia for Philipppine Airlines this time around, I thought the baggage collection at the Ninoy Aquino Int'l Airport would be faster since the terminal only serves PAL flights. Wrong!

After breezing through immigration, my fellow passengers and I soon found ourselves stuck in baggage collection, jockeying for spots near the conveyor belts with passengers from a PAL flight from Japan. It seems that those who flew in from Japan have had to endure more than an hour's wait for their baggages by then, triggering loud exclamations of dismay from Singapore-arriving passengers. If an earlier flight had yet to fully empty its cargo, what more us?

Despite the huge numbers of Filipino workers coming and going through our airports, airport management apparently still does not have an efficient plan to make baggage collection smooth and fast, rain or shine. What will it take to make this people remotely interested in drastically reducing the long waiting time a traveller must endure to retrieve his bags and boxes? Hello, this isn't rocket science, Mr Airport Manager! Surely you can do something to fix this?!

I could only sigh. Welcome to the Philippines. What else is new?

Anyway, after an hour of waiting, spent quietly observing the people milling around me -- most distinctive of all being the ladies who obviously were 'cultural entertainers' in Japan (they all look alike somehow: slim with long, straightened hair, tight jeans and shirts, high heels, many clutching Louis Vuitton bags, a brash, defiant sort of confidence) -- I finally had my luggage. Yey!

My 7 days home were a whirl of activity, as most vacations are wont to be. I won't bore with details but suffice it to say that through my packed days there, I was also filing away in my heart new, warm memories of unconditional love and kinship from family and good friends.

Some thoughts that crossed my mind while there:

1) Any meal, any activity that involves family members is a chance to reconnect.

I am so happy that I was able to spend most days with my sickly mother. We went to the hospital for her check-up together, went to the malls, watched a movie, ate food that we both missed. All the while, we also talked, catching up on each other's lives. She told me about the recent weddings of my cousins, her various ailments, her recent trip to Cebu while I told her about my new life as a wife, apprised her about my job and plans.

I was also so happy to see and hug and cuddle my 2 nephews and 1 niece. They are growing up so fast, their antics multiplying by the day!

Spent time too with my siblings and my SIL and BIL who are like my own sister and brother to me now. These folks always make time to see me, take me around, do errands together. Bless their hearts. I miss them already.

2. I am truly so blessed to have great friends.

As I only had a week, I didn't call most of the usual suspects to schedule a lunch or dinner. I knew that I was going to be tied-up with trips to the hospital so just sent word to 3 ladies, to see if we could have a quick catch-up over coffee.

As it turned out, I got to have lunch with Weng in Saisaki on Tuesday and a couple of drinks with Hanabanana in Giligan's Malate on Wednesday.

The show stopper was a text from Malou saying that dinner had been set for Sat night at Mard's place.

Now, if you were invited to Mard's for dinner, please don't say no because the food she prepares with my other mates is just YUMMY!!! And boy, was it good that night -- we started off with some ulang tom yam soup (made from scratch, pls), pako salad (delicious. I gotta try to make it myself, I think I can live well with just that!) and then pritong lumpia and humungous, gigantic, gargantuan crabs!!! For sweets, we had a heavenly chocolate caramel cake.

Through all the munching and slurping and glogging, 6 batchmates and good friends exchanged news, joked about, planned, reminisced. We didn't part until it was 4.30am on the day of my return flight to SG.

(We missed you then Anna, Kathy, Jasmin, Jean and Alma. Let's all come home at the same time one day soon!)

On a lighter note,

I watched Sukob ni Kris Aquino. (Pls don't pelt me with rotten tomatoes. I knew I was in for at least an hour of Kris and her idea of acting, so I knew I was in for torture.) Anyway, the movie is really scary, not because the plot is scary, because it ain't. Kris didn't disappoint. Her acting is still scary. She only has one expression on her face, which to me looks like she's found out she has an STD again.

And may I know how come the idea of 'sukob sa kasal' now involves death, death, death and more deaths? From old wive's tales, someone who marries on the same year as another sibling only has financial bad luck to possibly contend with. Certainly not death!

Wow, ang jologs ko!

Thinking about Filipinos in Lebanon

2006-07-21T10:34:00.000+08:00

While reading today about how foreign governments have been working round the clock to find ways and means to evacuate their citizens from war-torn Lebanon, I couldn't help but feel sorry for many Filipinos still left in panic in the area.

For while Britons, Americans, French people, Russians, Greeks and Australians are waiting their turn to board the luxury cruise liners, or helicopters or coach buses that their governments have rustled up to ferry them to safety, my poor countryman have largely been left to fend for themselves.

Philippine officials have been quoted as conceding that they are unable to evacuate thousands of people on their own and have asked foreign governments for help.

Gloria Arroyo herself has asked that 30,000 Filipinos trapped in that land be spared. Yeah. Like Israel can programme their bombs or the Hizbollah their rockets so that these stay clear of those with Maharlika blood!

Trust them to remind us always how perfectly inutile they are. In every crisis it confronts, it seems that all the government can do is just wring its hands and say, 'Somebody help! We can't take care of our own. Help!'

How utterly pathetic.

In the meantime, let's all say a small prayer for Pinoys still in Lebanon at this time. I hope they all safely find their way home soon.

On S'pore salaries

2006-07-17T11:35:00.000+08:00

I get many queries from friends and friends of friends asking about the Singapore salaries of varied posts, all linked to a job seeker's desire to write down a realistic figure in the 'expected salary' portion of his/her Singapore job applications.

As can be reasonably expected, all I could offer in this department were intelligent (hopefully) guess-timates based loosely on the extrapolations one can make when reading local newspapers about the salaries and financial habits of all sorts of people in the news, among other things. It's not a scientific figuring out of salaries for sure but I've always taken time to be extra careful when quoting a figure. I don't want to cause one to lose his or her chance at a job because of a laughably high expected salary, much less cause one the distress of finding out that he had priced himself too low due to ignorance or plain laziness in finding out for sure what his post's salary rate should be (as I strongly think was my case when I started here).

But now I think we can all kiss my guess-timates goodbye in favour of actual survey results. The Ministry of Manpower here has on its website the 2005 Report on Wages in Singapore. Browse it and see the mean (or average) and median salaries of selected occupations in all industries, sorted by industry, gender and age.

So if a graphic designer, for example, were wondering what average salary his compatriots were earning here, a quick check at Monthly basic and gross wages of selected occupations in all industries, June 2005, would show that for his occupation (listed under Technicians and Associate Professionals), latest data shows an average basic salary of S$2,419 and an average gross salary of $2,562. He can cross-refer also to the age table, and see what graphic designers in specific age brackets earn on the average.

Neat, huh? (God bless Singapore for their transparency and efficiency!)

Here's a list of other occupations and their average salaries from the same table. (S$1 = Php33.08):

Advertising and PR Manager - S$5,403

Creative Director (Advertising) - $4,907

Engineering Manager - $6,224

Marketing Manager - $6,190

Accountant - $3,844

Dentist - $4,637

Editor (Newspapers and Periodicals) - $5,177

Mechanical Eng'r - $3,634

Network and Computer Systems Administrator - $3,279

Systems Programmer - $3,436

Teacher of the mentally-handicapped - $2,303

Medical diagnostic radiographer - $3,005

HR personnel - $3,074

Bank clerk - $1,832

Seaman - $1,455

Store hand - $1,297

Do check out the resource and the Ministry's other publications online.

I'll google you

2006-07-09T16:23:00.000+08:00

Well, what do you know!

'Google' has found its way into a US dictionary so quickly. According to an AFP report, the 2006 fall edition of Merriam-Webster will carry the verb, which means to search the Internet -- made popular with the launch of the famous search engine.

Of course, this isn't the first trademark that has also been transformed into a verb. There's Xerox and xerox (to photocopy). Know of any other?

Other new words in the dictionary: spyware, supersize, ringtone. Say hello too to 'mouse potato', which means someone glued to the computer screen the same way that a couch potato is someone glued to the telly.

One person in my neighbourhood

2006-07-07T12:05:00.000+08:00

There's this character from the office who is always assigned to the same van I take when going home. He lives in central S'pore, like I do, and since we finish work at roughly the same time most nights, we always get assigned to the same coaster which the company provides to ferry those of us who end our workday when the MRT and public buses have parked for the night.

Being the naturally friendly fellow that he is, this man chats up whoever is sitted beside or near him, me included. In about three years of sitting with him in the van, he's told me many stories about himself and his family -- like the sickness and subsequent death of a brother, his daughter's university education in Australia, her graduation, her moving back to Singapore to look for work and her plans now to go back to Australia.

He's also told me about his political views, his comments on the day's burning issues and his struggle with the new programme installed at the office that was supposed to make his work easier but which only succeeded in making his blood boil during the early weeks. (I think I can safely say that he's over the hump now where this change is concerned because he has stopped trying to think up nasty meanings of the programme's acronyms. He used to say that NICA, the new programme, stands for Now I Can't Access.)

He's apprised me about his health woes and the medical expenses that he has to contend with, as well as his unhappiness over the early morning noises in his block that rouse him from his precious sleep. And who can forget the ghosts he saw while doing his NS in what is now Sentosa, and how his dad used to bring him to the area where I now live to visit a good doctor who has since passed away.

Yes, I now know so much more about this guy than I do any of my own uncles. Funny huh?

He narrates stories the way my dad does: in a winding, nostalgic way. I guess that's how it is when one is getting on in years.

There's a thing that worries me about my transpo-mate though.

He can tell me a story today with all earnestness and re-tell it again the next night without remembering that he had already told me the exact story less than 24 hours ago. When this happened the first time, I brought it up to him and told him, 'Hmm, didn't you tell me this last night?'

He said, 'Really?' and then kept quiet the rest of the way. I must have embarrassed him, I don't know, but since then, I've never had the heart to try and stop him from re-telling his stories again and again.

An example:

Transpo-mate: Did you know that the daughter of the sherpa (Tenzing Norgay) of the first man to climb Mt Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary, married a Filipino? The daughter married Noli Galang, who used to be with this company.'

Me: Oh. (Oh no, here we go again. I've heard this 4 gazillion times! How do I stop him without embarassing him?)

TM: Yes. They met in England. Noli was one of the best guys I ever worked with, you know. He was very good at his job. It's a pity he has passed away.'

Me: Oh. (Help! How do I stop this? If I tell him the truth that this is my 4 gazillionth-and-one time to hear this, will he start to question his sanity? Help!)

TM: I kept in touch with him when he went home to the Philippines for good, you know. Those were the old days. Did you know Noli?

Me: I didn't know of him until 3 years ago, when you first told me this story. (Ooops, that just came out, honest! Shit, shit, shit! Why can't he remember?)

TM (pointing to area near my house): There used to be a doctor here who was very good. My father used to take me to see him. You won't get that kind of doctor nowadays.

Me: Oh. (Sigh.)

Repeat the dialogue exactly the next night and feel my pain.

But really, I just hope nothing's seriously the matter with him, health-wise. Altogether, he's a really nice, friendly chap.

Anyway, this past week hasn't been to bad for me. He's just come back from a vacation with the family to Switzerland, Germany and France. And boy, does he have travel stories to tell! He's been telling me about Switzerland so far, about how beautiful it is there.

I'm hopeful that with his Germany and France exploits untold to me so far, it will be a long time yet before I have to sit through another retelling of who married what where.

Bye, bye bag

2006-07-05T13:03:00.000+08:00

I got my new weekend bag last week but I had to promptly send it back after two nights of mulling if it was a keeper or not.

It looked really nice and all the girlfriends who saw it said it was a head turner. It was roomy too and could fit a small elephant into it. But try as I might, i didn't like the way the bag stiffly held its U shape even when I filled it with my everyday bag stuff. I would have preferred it if the canvas was softer so it would just sort of collapse into a comfortable lump swinging by my side instead of it standing proud and U-shaped.

Also, the material, which was white canvas interweaved with a matted gold thread, rubbed not so nicely on the skin. All told, it didn't feel right on me.

And so, the bag's snaking it way back to the US as I write this. Boohoo.

But I have to commend Hayden-Harnett for their excellent customer service. When I wrote to say I would be returning the bag, I got this email from them:

----------
Hi, Joanne-

So sorry the MOSA didn’t work out for you! Of course, you can return the bag, no problem.

Just a suggestion, but we do have another style, the MALIA, that is a very soft city basket with woven trim...these
Are also a limited edition of 50! Anthropologie just bought them from us for their catalog/website....very cool bag and I think the
Strap, fabric, etc. would work really well for you this summer.

If you are interested in the exchange, then please let me know and I’ll hold a bag for you...maybe I can throw in a handful of goodies for
you also :)

Best,
Toni

----------

Now THAT is great service, huh?!

For that alone, I will continue to look through Hayden-Harnett's bags for a possible replacement to my Mosa. (I don't like the Malia bag they recommended. It is too tribal for my taste, not to mention that I think I can get something similar in Manila for much much less.) AND recommend the site to other girlfriends.

As for me, it's back to oogling weekend bags!

What's your net worth?

2006-06-22T11:48:00.000+08:00

I was desperately looking for the name of the woman who started the Jimmy Choo luxe shoe business yesterday and so went online to hunt for the elusive name. After a few seconds, Google Search not only spewed out the name (Tamara Mellon), but also this interesting story: Bloggers open up about money matters.

Read the story here.

I love stories and books about financial planning, personal finance, and anything that teaches me how to up my financial intelligence quotient. I devour these kinds of reading matter. I get excited reading about the ways of the frugal millionaire next door and want desperately to be money savvy like them so I can hope to retire early.

But of course, reading about being frugal and actually living like that everyday is not for the weak. And anyway, I don't want to be frugal to the point of excluding all of life's little pleasures, like holidays, the occasional expensive latte, or a lunch or dinner at a nicer place with loved ones or friends during weekends. A balance must be struck, right?

Will write more on this in another post. For now, check out this Net Worth Calculator I found in the course of looking for Ms Mellon's name. This one's real easy to use, with the accounting terms decoded into language we lay people understand. Check it out and see where you stand financially at this point.

Photo credit: designershoes-uk.com

Strong arm tactics to get a treat

2006-06-21T12:26:00.000+08:00

Yesterday midday, the hubby casually mentioned during a phone conversation how he had bumped into a former landlord/casual friend who, after the usual pleasantries, asked him how come the hubby (and by extension, me) never even called him after our wedding to invite him and his wife out for a treat. (The friend said something like 'Hey, how come you never organised something? Surely you could have organised a dinner, at least!)

Say what? Did I hear that correctly?? Did I really hear someone demanding to be fed?

I couldn't believe it! Somebody actually had the gall to chastise us for not treating his ilk to dinner just because we got married!! Now we have to pay 'toll' to him for getting hitched?

Errm, we signed papers to be able to have sex and hope for progeny with the church's blessing, you know. NOT win the lottery!! HELLO!

The scary thing is, his wasn't the first 'demand' for a treat after the wedding!
The hubby's ball mates also prodded him many times to host a drinking party cos he got married. And this from people who never even sent a small note to say, hey, heard you are getting hitched. Congrats! Or something like that. (Ok, the hubby's reacted to this. He said his mates DID send us congratulatory notes on our wedding website. Oops! Sorry babe! My bad.)

(Hmmm, I seem to be typing wEEdings instead of weddings. Could it be that I view weddings as the weeding of unsuitable people from the happening dating scene? Hmmm. Freud, was that a slip?)

Anyway, I am incensed because of these demands! But the hubby, when asked if he was annoyed by it, said no. Why? Because well, it's how it is in their popular culture.

Can't help thinking now that this behviour is so like the Filipino penchant to tease, hint, badger, demand (depending on the time of the day) for a treat from a person celebrating his birthday. I've always thought it was strange that in the Philippines, a person who is celebrating a birthday is the poor shmuck of the day who is pressured and expected to produce the gimmick, the food, the spirits. The person just turned older, for crying out loud! Isn't that a bit sad enough? Wouldn't it make more sense then for friends and family to give the fellow the treat instead? It being his special day and all? (Of course, it's a different story altogether if the birthday boy or girl insists on throwing himself/herself a bash.)

Anyway, I've told the hubby that he is free to give a treat to his entire community if he feels like he should or must do so. But I also told him to please, leave me out of it. As far as I am concerned, I had a reception exactly to make merry after our union and if friends didn't or couldn't make time to attend that, well, then, they sure missed our party, didn't they?

Harrumph!

Enuff said.

Photo credit: weddingfads.com

My bag's left the US!

2006-06-16T10:59:00.000+08:00

I'm tracking the delivery of my weekend hobo online. As of last check, it has left the US! I hope it gets here tomorrow, the weekend! I'm so excited :-)

On being a soccer widow

2006-06-14T10:45:00.000+08:00

With the start of the World Cup 2006 at 00:00 hours last Saturday, my hubby has effectively 'moved out' of our bedroom to camp instead in front of the telly in the living room. He's traded our matrimonial bed for a red divan in the sala where he now sits or slumbers or munches for most part of his time at home while watching the soccer games.

Yes, I have become a soccer widow. During this month when the games are on, I must fend for myself, amuse myself, make do without a coherent chat partner at home. I must not include him in plans that may take him out of his divan during evenings nor expect to get proposals to do something fun during the weekend. The day, after all, is when he catches up on his sleep.

All told, its pretty much like being single again, only this time, I have no TV privileges.

I still don't get though how he can say that he is watching the game when he's dozing most of the time. You know how it is. I catch him dozing and let him be, thinking he needs the rest anyway. Then a long moment later, I go check on him again and find him still dozing. Thinking that he might want a deeper, more refreshing sleep, I wake him up to urge him to move to the bedroom instead. He awakens and looks blearily at me and announces that he will stay where he is, thank you very much, because he is still watching the game.

Watching the game? Who's watching the game? His toes, maybe? Cos he surely wasn't! Is dozing in front of the TV really considered watching the game?

Which reminds me that this isn't my first experience with men slumbering through some game and then refusing to budge when you ask them to relinquish the seat or the remote. My own brother (when he was a boy) grew up practically hogging our only TV for his sports and detective serial viewing.

When we were kids, he and I had a rule about control of the TV for the day. We agreed that whoever got to physically plug-in the set every morning would have control of TV channels for the day. I thought the rule was fair, especially during summers when we got to watch a lot of TV. I thought it would work too since my folks insisted that we unplug the set after every use. So it was just a matter of getting up early every day to plug the set first, right?

Wrong. My brother found a cunning way to gain the upperhand. One summer day, he woke up really early and plugged the set in. Then he just camped in front of the TV -- ate there, slept there, kept it on when he was bathing, whatever. The set could be off but the plug stayed in while he went biking with his friends, played marbles, getting into his many scrapes. The plug was never unplugged for much that summer and many more summers after that. If I unplugged it or if my folks did, he would claim that since he didn't unplug it himself, then it was still his turn at the TV. So practically no chance for me to watch what I wanted!

And yes, even when I'd quietly turn the channel (no remote then) to watch a variety show while he was sleeping soundly, he'd still wake up right then, insist that he was watching his show and promptly turn the channel back.

Now my sympathies go out to my sis-in-law. I sure hope she gets remote control privileges once in while. :-) (And pls don't allow Waji in the future to hog the TV to the displacement of Jela! Cos I swear, if that happens, I'm going to buy her her own huge, kick-ass TV myself!)

Anyway, lets see how this World Cup schedule pans out for the husband. All told, I really have no cause to complain. He's home, he's happy and content. That's all good to me. After all, as he often reminds me, the World Cup comes only every four years.

Bought me a new weekend bag!

2006-06-13T12:24:00.000+08:00

Been oogling this bag from Hayden-Harnett for many weeks now. It's a canvas hobo with leather trim and my, I do say it is eye-catching!

I didn't want to rush a purchase, so I just calmed myself and thought I should look at it some weeks later to see if I will still like it then. Well, after many visits to their site and other bag sites, I really still like it!

So what's a bag person to do?!

Ask the girlfriend, of course!

Sent Shahnana (who is back from China) the link to the bag and asked her what she thought of it. (She's in the office while I'm at home.)

She immediately emailed back: 'Its gorgeous!!! Elsie thinks so too! buy! buy!' (Elsie is her fashionably hip colleague.)

That sealed it. When a girlfriend plus a fashionably-hip colleague give their seal of approval, it's a go-go-go!

Here's a pix of my soon to be weekend bag.

It's lovely, right? It channels care-free weekend so well, right?

I don't know about me and hobos lately. I'm just so besotted with the style at the mo. The other contender for purchase is the bag below but it lost out due to price (as usual in my case).

If interested, Bergdorf Goodman is still selling it at US$725.

The exodus continues

2006-06-08T13:15:00.000+08:00

I received word from my good friend Sandra early this week that a fervent prayer of hers had been answered. She's off to Medan, Indonesia, at the end of this month to start work as a grade school teacher in an international school there.

I'm very happy for her but sad too for purely selfish lessons. She's one of my close friends from uni who I always look forward to catching up with whenever I go to Manila. With her in Indonesia for at least 2 years, well, that's one less friend to go home to.

But I really am so happy for her. Really! She's wanted to have her own adventure abroad for quite a time now and finally, it beckons! The perfect time and perfect opportunity has come!

Those Grade 1 kids in the Medan I.S. are sure lucky! Their teacher is going to be one funny, selfless, dedicated, intelligent woman. What's more, they can expect their English and Math foundation to be sound cos my friend has grammar and math whiz combined. And I'm sure I can't emphasized enough how important that is.

Have a great adventure, Sands! I will wait for your visits here in Sing.

While on the topic, two more good friends have also set their minds on leaving Manila and making their way to the US.

K is already in the West Coast sussing out the area while A is getting ready to quit her post early next year to start a new life in the US of A.

Just like Sandra, these two single, beautiful career women in their early 30s are looking forward to a new chapter in their lives. And for them, the world beckons too.

The exodus continues.

June!

2006-06-01T12:45:00.000+08:00

I can't believe its mid-year already! Where did the time go? Not that I'm complaining, of course. Like most Pinoys, the 'ber' months are my favourites and this means it's just a short 3 months to the first ber month - September!!

And to reiterate that we are halfway through the year, the Straits Times today reported on their front page that civil servants will receive a mid-year bonus of half a month's salary plus an additional S$220 in July.

The report quoted the Public Service Division as saying that the higher payout for the 60,000 strong civil service comes on the back of a strong economy. Last year, government employees received a 0.4-month bonus plus S$200 also in July.

Hmm, this is good news in that the company where I work seems to follow (I think) the general trend of the government when determining bonuses, i.e., when the civil service gets an increase in bonus, we also are so blessed at year-end. Of course, this is true only for the across-the-board type of bonuses. The merit bonuses are an entirely different matter altogether. As the name implies, these bonuses depend on how one performed for the year, give or take maybe the number of apples you polished or left to rot during the year. (Yes, apple polishers do get their way sometimes.)

Anyway, back to it being June, I haven't started yet on some items in my to-do list this year!

1. ~~get married~~
2. learn how to scuba dive
3. go to a new place
4. lose 15 pounds !@^&*#(*(&#%^@
5. read Lee Kuan Yew's memoirs

I must hustle!

Now who wants to learn how to scuba dive with me. :-)

The weekend that was

2006-05-30T12:06:00.000+08:00

Just had a great long weekend.

On Saturday, I had a little excursion alone to Batam, Indonesia (click to see map), where my college buddy Jean was waiting to take some Manila visitors of hers and moi to a spa for some pampering.

The day turned out to be just perfect! Despite the 6am start to my day, I was happy and content to be watching the people who were up early like me riding the MRT train to the Harbourfront station. Once there, it was only a few minutes before I was comfortably ensconced in my ferry seat, music blaring into my ear from my mp3 player.

After a short uneventful hour on the seas spent mostly dozing, I was in Batam mid-morning. Jean was already waiting at the ferry terminal. After a quick stop at her hotel to grab a bit of breakfast and to fetch her visitors, we were soon on our way to our massage appointment.

My 2-hour turn at the massage table being kneaded, scrubbed and polished and then soaked in something milky and honey-smelling was just heavenly. I could have stayed there to sleep the whole day if they let me but too bad that we all had to rush soon after to the ferry terminal again to catch the 2.45pm trip to Singapore. Jean's visitors still had to do Sentosa and Night Safari (the usual kamikaze skeds of rushed visitors) so we couldn't linger.

Suffice it to say that I slept like a log that night.

Sunday was another slow day. The hubby and I woke up late, pottered around the house, watched TV, read the Sunday papers and ate lunch at around 3pm. We both had Monday off to celebrate his birthday, and so we didn't feel hurried to accomplish some things-to-do then. At 6pm, I went to mass at the Cathedral.

The big news of the day was I got me a new phone! A Nokia 6880. And it cost me all of S$98 (Php3,280)! It's cheap cos I used a $100 voucher from M1 and because they signed me up to a 2-yr contract again. Upgrading was the farthest thing from my mind really, but what helped cinch the deal was the hubby's insistence that we were losing money by letting the resale values of our phones drop rapidly without a counter plan from us.

(As of last weekend, the resale value of a black Motorola RAZR v3 here was S$100, down $50 from only a weekend ago. My Nokia 6220 was a paltry $50. boohoo.)

And so, moi, who is soooo not into phones, have a new 3G phone. I'm still fiddling with it, alternately loving it and wanting my old 6220 back. The hubby loves it for a car-racing game and for the camera (2-mega pixel). Whatever it is, at least this phone is again forcing some sleeping cells in my left brain to wake up and figure out this new gadget. And God knows I need these mental teasers!

Monday was hubby's birthday! We were both off like I mentioned earlier, so it was a happy day from the start. But since everyone else was working and we have no relatives here, well, it was just us meandering in Orchard until dinner, when good friends joined me in 'surprising' hubby.

As it turned out, I was the one surprised cos the hubby later said he knew all along that something was up, that I was a dead giveaway in my actions and constant answering of a suddenly always-ringing phone. Mwehehe. I think I need coaching from some of the best party-organisers around -- my Kalayaan friends and Shanana (when she's in the mood). :-)

Best news of the day: hubby got his first floral bouquet ever fr J and E! Now that surprised him!

Aircon tales

2006-05-26T10:46:00.000+08:00

It was time to have the aircon units in our place checked, so the men from the usual aircon servicing company I hire were here yesterday morning. Ordinarily, I would have left the 2 youngish Chinese-speaking workers to their tasks uninterrupted (usually takes an hour to clean the covers and water trays and vacuum the drainage pipes and check the gas of 2 window-type and 2 split-type ACs). Yesterday, however, I had to engage the more senior-ranked-looking of the two in conversation to explain to him, in very plain, and sometimes almost broken English (so we could understand each other), that the aircon in our computer-cum- ironing cubbyhole didn't respond anymore to the remote control despite the latter having new batteries.

Me (pointing to the aircon with remote in hand): That one, not working. See? (While aiming and pressing remote. Deadma ang aircon, no reaction.) New batteries here. (While pointing to remote.) This remote ok with other aircon. (Walks to living room and demonstrates. Aircon turns on with one click.) So how?

Technician: Ah. Signal receiver. Not working. $120 only.

Gastos na naman!!!

Ok, it's not so much the cost of replacing broken-down things in this rental condo that gets to me. It's more the idea of having to call the not-so-nice real-estate agent of the absentee owner of this condo that makes my heart drop. You see, our contract for this place spells out that any repair over S$100 that has to be carried out will be borne by the owner of the condo. A repair costing less is on my account. Ergo, dahil $120 ang new signal receiver, I must call the not-so-nice agent to tell her that hey, the owner better pay for this.

I don't like this agent very much because she is unrealiable, mostly unhelpful, and generally don't care much about this condo. (If only the absentee owner knew how she has left the bathroom ceiling slowly and surely warping despite my repeated entreaties to her to get someone to poke their head into the ceiling for a possible water pipe leakage check.)

She's the type who doesn't call back when she says she will, who immediately puts me on the defensive when I call about something needing attention in the house, as if I have nothing better to do than sabotage the appliances around here. She dilly-dally's about getting me a plumber when water is already flooding the kitchen and seemingly wants the perfect alignment of the stars with Jupiter and Neptune before she will call an electrician to check why our ref short-circuits and leaves our place without electricity.

Anyway, so I had to call this lady, who I shall call Lynette. When she answered, I explained to her the problem.

Lynette (the she-devil): Why $120? It was only $80 the last time the other aircon also had this problem.

Me: Of course it wasn't $80 or I wouldn't have bothered calling you that first instance, right? If it was just $80, I would have had to pay it myself hence there would have been no reason to call you.

Lynette: Ok then. Pay $100 and then we will pay the $20, to make a total $120.

Me: Don't be absurd! You pretty well know that is not how it works! The contract states that anything that has to be fixed that costs over $100 will be paid by the owner. Don't try to pull a fast one on me cos I am not falling for it! And tell the owner that both our responsibilities re the unit were spelled out in the contract and his include paying for anything needing fixing or replacing that exceeds $100. He signed that contract first too. And ask him if he has heard of the concept of maintenance costs when owning a house? His unit is 8 years old and he can only expect things to be starting to break down around here.

After a few more to-ing and fro-ing, she finally relented and gave her go-ahead. (Aba, dapat lang!)

It's nice to have remote-controlled aircon units again but these battles of will with Lynette must stop soon. I don't like the idea of moving again after 4 years in this house, but I think the she-devil leaves me with no choice. I just can't stand her any longer! Anyway, I've been dreaming of a condo with an ocean view. Might be time to look into the possibility of that.

Hear, hear, the taxman's here

2006-05-24T11:24:00.000+08:00

When I saw the unmistakable envelope from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore a few days ago on the dining table, I immediately set out to open it. You see, I was expecting a bit of reduction in my income tax assessment for last year given that the government had lowered the top personal income tax rate in early 2005 to 21% from 22%. Also, 2005 was the first full year that I was going to be assessed as a permanent resident (PR) here, so I was naturally curious if the change in status would have an effect on my tax rate.

Just as an aside, the taxman here doesn't withhold tax monthly from employees the way the BIR does in the Philippines. So for the whole of 2005, I received my pay sans tax.

Then came mid-April and everyone who earned S$22,000 and above from Jan-Dec 2005 had to file their returns with the IRAS. A few months hence (a little over a month in my case) and they come back to you with their assessment which states how much you owe the government.

A taxpayer then has the option of paying the owed amount in full or in 11-12 monthly installments by direct debit from a taxpayer's specified bank account. And so goes the cycle.

And so I was in a hurry to open the envelope in my hands. And boy, did the taxman deliver good news! My tax due for income earned in 2005 has been almost halved -- from the usual 4.8-5.5% rate to just 2.7%!

(I can't help but remember at this point how the BIR used to take almost 30% of my measly income when I was working in Manila. What country! (Translation: Ano ba yan?)

A low personal income tax. Just one of the appeals of Singapore to me.

For you Kat!

2006-05-23T11:16:00.000+08:00

Hey Kat,

Check out this video I found. Now I miss our karaoke sessions back home. Remember the usual last song in our final set with Anna? Wilson Philips! Those were the days.

Hope you are having a blast over there. Don't worry too much, remember that when God closes a door, He opens another. Have faith, my friend.

Dead over $2,000 loan

2006-05-21T00:27:00.000+08:00

Be warned. This may be a disturbing post to some. Words like chopped up, human limbs are afoot.

In The Straits Times on Friday was the news that Filipina maid Guen Aguilar -- she accused of killing and chopping-up her fellow maid and good friend Jane La Puebla on Sept 7, 2005 -- had pleaded guilty to and was subsequently convicted of manslaughter.

And for the first time on Friday, those of us who wondered what could have transpired on that fateful day finally got to read the details of the case.

To wit: The two domestic helpers were good friends. On Sept 7, Jane went to Guen's employers house to prepare lunch with her friend. They were chatting while working and everything was fine until Guen brought up the matter of the S$2,000 (Php66,360) loan she had extended to Jane, S$1,000 of which was loaned from a local loan shark.

(For perspective, a Filipino maid typically earns S$350 a month here in Singapore. In today's exchange rate, that is about Php11,600.)

Guen, 30, was said to have suggested that Jane, 27, sell her video and digital cameras to partly repay the debt, which made Jane agitated and she started raising her voice, according to the paper. Guen then tried to placate her while still attempting to settle the matter. But when the suggestion of selling the cameras was again mentioned, the two started to really fight.

They hit, scratched, pulled each other's hair, lunged for the other's throat. Guen bit Jane. The struggle went from the laundry area to Guen's bedroom where somehow Jane's blood got spattered on the walls, floor and mattress. And when Guen got the chance, she grabbed a cushion from her bed and smothered her friend.

After a few seconds, the report said, Guen lifted the cushion and she started sobbing because she thought she had killed Jane. But then Jane stirred so Guen strangled the younger woman until she finally stopped breathing.

For 2 days, Guen kept the body in her employers' house, inside a travelling bag in her room. On the third day and after her employers had left for the office, Guen then went to Mustafa Centre in Little India where she bought a cleaver, an axe, gloves, wallpaper, detergent, pillowcases, a bedsheet and some garbage bags.

Back in the flat, she then started the horrific task of dismembering the body. She placed the head and each of the limbs in separate plastic bags. These were then stuffed into a bag together with some newspapers.

The torso she wrapped in newspapers and a garbage bag which she also then stuffed into another bag.

That done, she then cleaned up the blood traces with the detergent, put up the wallpaper over the spots on the wall that remained stained even after her clean-up and changed the bloodied sheets and pillowcases.

By midday, she took the bag with the head and limbs by cab to Orchard MRT Station, where she dumped it near a mural wall.

She went home, took the second bag with the torso and this time went to MacRitchie Reservoir in another cab. When she got there, the cabbie was said to have even offered to help her carry her bag, an offer she refused. Alone later, she took the garbage bag out of the travelling bag and dumped it along a footpath.

She was back at her employers' condo by almost 3pm, her last act to conceal the crime being to dispose of the second travelling bag at the lobby of the building's basement carpark.

And how was Guen immediately tracked by the police? Inside the garbage bag containing the torso were newspapers, one of which was an International Herald Tribune page bearing the name and delivery address of Guen's employers.

For manslaughter, Guen faces either life imprisonment or up to 10 years in jail. She initially faced a murder charge but this was reduced to manslaughter early in the year due to her mental condition at the time of the killing.

Sentencing will be on May 29.

Blog roll, pls

2006-05-17T11:22:00.000+08:00

Despite reading in the newspapers and hearing about the rising popularity of blogging for years, I never really went around looking up how a blog would look like and read until late last year.

It happened innocently enough. During dinner at the office one day, my colleague excitedly told those of us working the night shift with her that she had stumbled upon this blog written by a Malaysian young adult who detailed his almost daily drug use and experimentation.

Of course, our interests were peaked, mine especially (but not because I secretly long to be a drug addict, duh. I'm too vain to sport the drugged out, crazed, lost look). I was fascinated because while most drug abusers will go to great lengths to hide their problems from society, here was this rich, young man going against the code of druggies and detailing his downward spiral for all to read and pass judgement on. Maybe he was longing to be found out?

Anyway, because of the young man's blog, we had a great discussion going on round the table that night, which ended with the young interns trying to one-up each other on who has read the most bizarre blog.

Of course, the next time I was online and surfing, blogging and bloggers were on my mind. I googled blogs, Pinoy blogs, Filipino blogs, just to know what is already out there. And know what? There is a LOT out there. Blogs written by countrymen from all over the world, sharing their stories, thoughts, observations, travels, jokes, recipes and more. Some are good, some way better than others. Some are funny, irreverent while some are deep and insightful.

In the few months since I started blog reading, I've come to be a regular 'lurker' in about 6-8 blogs -- I say lurker because I always read their entries, but I don't make my presence known by writing comments and such. Until I started my own experiment of a blog two months ago, of course.

If you notice, on the right hand column of this blog is a spot for links to blogs that I often read. For two months until last night, I left it unedited, showing Bloggers' default link to Google News. Then last night, I thought, why don't I finally email the bloggers whose entries I read almost daily to tell them how much I enjoy reading their blogs? While at it, maybe I could get their ok too for me to link to them from my site, right?

So that I did and woohoo, the links now featured on the 'Blogs I Read' spot are the first of the good people I wrote to last night who responded immediately with their okidoki. (Much appreciated, guys!) If you want to read something more worthy after my drivel, check out those links (and their links in turn) and get to read the many stories of the unfolding lives of the people who are online.

Ah, blogging. It's been fun so far learning the ropes. I think I've awakened one or two dormant areas in both my right and left halves of the brain while trying to grapple with HTML, Photoshop and pointing my camera in the right direction. But alltogether, its been good.

Home till the cows come home

2006-05-15T20:16:00.000+08:00

I received an email from a long-lost friend last weekend and one of the things she asked about my life now in the little island that is Singapore was what my home looked like. It was the first time for anyone to ask me this question and since I'm not one to quash curiosity about my domecile after having been asked nicely enough, I dutifully took photos of the flat. (Click each photo for a bigger view.)

And now it's your turn. To the faithful millions who read this blog (that's right, you and you. Haha!), won't you please take photos of your living room and kitchen too and send the pics to me? I will put it up here just for fun, our kind of virtual home visits, eh?

Do it! Just do it!

Phrase of the day: Till the cows come home = for a long but indefinite time. (from The Phrase Finder)

Rain and Essec

2006-05-13T22:36:00.000+08:00

The weather here in Singapore has been fantastic of late due to intermittent rain. And so we've been spared (for now) the really humid heat that is usual in these here parts at this time of the year.

I love this kind of weather -- cool, a bit wet, the sun hidden behind clouds. It's perfect for just staying in, curling up with a book or magazine or sprawling self across from the telly.

Wish it could be like this for a few more weeks. I certainly am hoping we won't have to contend with 36 deg C temperatures like we did last year.

-----------

I'm so excited to know that Essec, a prestigious French business school established in 1907, has finally opened its Asian centre in Singapore.

The school's MBA course is a short 6 months while their executive programmes are typically 4 weeks. Six months for an MBA! (Halleluiah! Someone finally got it. That busy rat racers simply can't afford to be away from the cubicle farm for too long, damnit.)

I can't wait to see their curriculum. And of course, their fees.

According to the Straits Times Interactive, the centre here will also develop research in areas including luxury brands, biotechnology, innovation in services, urban management and risk management. (Research in luxury brands? Aba, winner!)

When INSEAD opened their Singapore campus last year, I also checked out their curriculum for the executive MBA course. The 14-month course would have been perfect for me if only I had 85,000 euros to pay for it. :(

Paging Bill Gates or Mr Mittal of Mittal Steel. Can you folks please, please, please sponsor my EMBA?

I'm craving, I'm missing

2006-05-11T21:44:00.000+08:00

I want!

1. Lanzones (called duku here)

2. Banana cue, banana cue, banana cue

3. Yellow, sweet mangoes (plentiful in Mla at this time)

4. Chiko (chiku here)

5. Pork barbeque fr Market! Market!

6. Sisig

7. Andok's manok

8. Grilled tilapia, daing na bangus

9. Zesto dalandan drink

10. Chicken joy

I miss:

1. Waji, Juancho and Jela (our second generation)

2. my Dad and Mom, my bro and Net; my sis and Noli

3. hanging out with my UP friends, SMC ka-pamilya, friends from the media, high school barkada

4. 500-peso massages

5. 100-peso manicures and pedicures

6. driving

7. the stress that came with my wedding preps (strange but true)

8. Tagaytay

9. Boracay!!

10. David's Salon (Edmund at Mega)

The song in my head

2006-05-10T19:42:00.000+08:00

Have you ever woken up in the morning with a song in your head that keeps playing for the morning or the day, or worse, for days on end?

I don't know why but for the past 2 weeks, I've woken up with Eraserheads' tunes playing in my head.

I've pondered about what could have possibly brought this on given that I haven't heard about the group or their songs in gazillion years. (The last news I heard about them was that Ely had left the band and the group was being fronted by a woman na.) I couldn't have 'picked up' the song unconciously from a radio somewhere rin kasi they're not played here naman.

And so it was that for 2 weeks, I was humming Pare Ko, Toyang and Huling El Bimbo to myself while making a mental note to ask friends here if they had visitors arriving soon who could possibly buy me some E-heads CDs in Manila.

Then on Monday, I had to go to Lucky P -- the weary-looking Orchard Road mall that houses many Filipino stores, restaurants and remittance agencies -- and remembered one store there selling VCDs of Pinoy movies. I went to the store on the off chance that they would have music CDs as well and what do you know?! They do sell the E-heads' 2-CD Anthology! Happiness on earth for $29.90!!!

After listening to this for 2 days now, I think I have a new E-heads favourite song -- Minsan. The lyrics are a beautiful ode to friendship that I can really relate to.

Audio:eraserheads - minsan.mp3
by acegaddi

Eraserheads - Minsan Lyrics

minsan sa may kalayaan tayo'y nagkatagpuan
may mga sariling gimik at kaya-kanyang hangad sa buhay
sa ilalim ng iisang bubong
mga sekretong ibinubulong
kahit na anong mangyari
kahit na saan ka man patungo

chorus
ngunit ngayon kay bilis maglaho ng kahapon
sana'y huwag kalimutan ang ating mga pinagsamahan
at kung sakaling gipitin ay laging iisipin
na minsan tayo ay naging
tunay na magkaibigan

minsan ay parang wala nang bukas sa buhay natin
inuman sa magdamag na para bang tayo'y mauubusan
sa ilalim ng bilog na buwan
mga tiyan nati'y walang laman
ngunit kahit na walang pera
ang bawat gabi'y anong saya

repeat chorus

minsan ay hindi ko na alam ang nangyayari
kahit na anong gawin
lahat ng bagay ay merong hangganan
dahil ngayon tayo ay nilimot ng kahapon
di na mapipilitang buhayin ang ating pinagsamahan
ngunit kung sakaling mapadaan
baka ikaw ay aking tawagan
dahil minsan tayo ay naging
tunay na magkaibigan

Wax job

2006-05-09T11:01:00.000+08:00

I went for leg waxing on Friday morning, my first time to have a pro do it for me after a spot of DIY-ing at home some weeks ago. I figured a pro job's cost of S$30 (Php981) was well-worth the money, inasmuch as it took me an entire evening of stop-and-go labour when I did it myself kasi I had to accommodate intervals of rest from pain.

Anyway, little did I know that I was soon to be not only de-haired in Fave Nails -- I was also de-skinned (meaning burned!!!).

The session started ok enough: the pain was bearable, the lady worked briskly with an electric wax applicator but i noticed soon after that she would stop every so often to go stir the pot of hot wax plugged to an electric container located maybe 5 steps away from us. I was just observing her but didn't say anything until I saw her plunge a popsicle stick-kind of applicator into the hot wax and pulled a thick glob which she then started to take to me.

Me: Wait. What's that?

De-Fuzzing lady: I wan to try like this. To see if faster lah.

Me: Wait. Won't it be so hot?

De-Fuzzing lady: No lah. Same as that other wan.

Then she smeared the glob on my shin.

Me: AAAAAAAAAAAAAW! Shit, that's very hot. (while shaking legs)

De-Fuzzing lady: Hot ah?

WTF??!!! Is she psycho, or what?

When she peeled the wax off, the skin was smarting and was tender. When I walked out of that place an hour later, an angry red welt was already visible and it was really smarting so my next stop was Guardian's at Far East Square to get BurnAid and some gauze.

Here is the welt after 3 days. (It looks gross but that's how burns look. The burnt skin is now a bit flaky and will probably peel away soon. I just hope I wont get a scar for my vanity.)

Easy credit

2006-05-03T12:47:00.000+08:00

It seems like the banks here in Singapore are going all out to sign-up new users of their credit cards. Every other week yata, I get calls from reps of different banks offering me platinum cards, or a cash line or balance transfer.

I don't know where they get my number but the calls are annoying when directed at my office number, like yesterday when StanChart called offering me a cash line and a credit card. I curtly turned down the offer, of course.

As it is, I already have 7 cards from 4 different banks and it is a pain trying to remember what card to pay when. Two cards are office-linked so I can't cut those. Three give me good deals when dining out and entertaining so I can't cut those too. And the last two are keepers in that they have the best reward programmes.

The thing about credit cards though is that you MUST pay all your bills in FULL every month or else risk digging a grave for yourself.

Suck it up

2006-04-25T12:15:00.000+08:00

Had dinner with two male Pinoy colleagues yesterday night and of course I had to open my big trap and said,'I am homesick and I wanna go live in Manila again.'

If I had been unconsciously waiting for them to console me and cheer me up like girlfriends usually do when one is in a deep funk, well, I got none of that.

After a round of questioning about why I would want to leave (to be with my family, to be home), why I've never just packed up and left (I will miss the money I make here and the better kind of living this place offers) and what things I usually do outside of work that are meaningful and fulfilling to me (none, I think), one later offered this advice: If you stay, then you just have to suck it up.

Men.

I don't like the fist-without-velvet gloves approach to 'counselling' but it sure brought home the point.

I gotta suck it up.

Bryanboy

2006-04-24T10:35:00.000+08:00

I got forwarded the link to Bryanboy's site and my god, he is hilarious and entertaining in a freeky sort of way. I covet his fabulous bags and wish I could indulge as much.

But I can tell you myself that retail therapy hardly ever quiets what is demonizing you. Sure, buying something frivolous, especially something really ex, can make you feel happy for a day or two, but that's about the power it has. And I do know whereof I speak. I have a bejewelled Omega and a condo bought in emotionally trying times as proof.

Homesick

2006-04-04T12:59:00.000+08:00

Been thinking of doing this for a while -- blog, that is -- and finally, here I am!

My name's Jo Anne and I've been living for 6 years in the country that made it from third world to first in only 30 years or so.

Despite the fact that I was only in Manila a month ago, I've been homesick the day after I came back here. Yes, I am perpetually pining for Manila, counting days to when I can go home again. It's been like this from Day 1 for me. But if you ask me if I will ever move back and live in my beloved country again, I would have to say, not for a very long time yet.

To be away from home is heartwrenching.