Rain and Essec

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.

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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

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

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

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.)