end of july thank you's

one of our little friends from 'the haven for children' running off with tara's dog zoe

Manila, PH -- thank you to:

1) the 120 kids who attended our annual party and the sponsors who made it possible. fire-eating clowns, all-you-can-eat cotton candy and boys excitedly playing 'bring me' made icing several trays of cupcakes worth it!




2) to indeterminacy for the kind words over there in hamburg. we may just visit one of these days!

3) teets over in the 'pore, jan, & a certain playlist for helping me get through this month

Groove Armada

Zouk, SINGAPORE -- My friend Nimal was about to jump ship and go in-house for an MNC here in Singapore and because she NEARLY did but ended up staying with her firm and sweating it out like the rest of us, we met up for her "I-nearly-resigned-but-didn't-but-it's-still-a-pretty-darn-good-reason-
to-drink" celebration. Since Clarke Quay was not working out that night we headed to Zouk (first time btw) to pay homage to Groove Armada! Now THAT was a good reason to drink! Andy Cato (hottie in the picture) was so good with a lot of heavy beats and latin-inspired rhythm from Patrick Dawes on percussion. Reese, if you thought the DJ at the Loof was sexy, you would've loved this guy. Good-music deprived me (in Singapore) was ecstatic about being able to lose myself to the music and just daaaaaaaance! Too-touchy french men and choreographed white boys leaning against the wall aside, twas an awesome night! Here's to Nimal's first (and only?) nearly resigned moments, Shari's first B-52 shots, and my first time at Zouk! Chin!

p.s. since I can't fit a camera into my purse, this picture is from the recent Lovebox Weekender in London (thanks Lorne Thomson!)

postcard from bolivia

Salar de Uyuni, BOLIVIA-- our friends jean-philippe and caroline sent this photo of them goofing around in bolivia's salt desert. they went back to the swiss alps after almost a year 'round the world.
que chevere!

Joy to the World

Manila, PH -- Had a grand time at Mag:Net High Street before Joy left for the US. Click HERE to view the album.

oh have nothing much to write so I'm plugging my Shanghai photos !

happy hours

Manila, PH -- to add to the sum of my knowledge on all things alcoholic, dutch and i went to the first happy hours mixology session over at prince of jaipur, eastwood. wish you guys were there! it was a fun cocktail-making class with our master mixologist kaiz (how do you get that title? very cool). we made a cosmo, caipirojka, appletini, and chillax guava (a tropical spin on the bloody mary). now i want my own bar essentials! dutch and i want to throw a party to show off our newly-acquired skills. we'll get all of you wasted! but first you have to get your pretty little tushies to manila.

cin cin! sante! arriba!

this post is brought to you by AIR SAHARA: Emotionally yours*


* seen on an airport ad. i kid not.

photo from wikipedia

Life's a beach: The week before work started

Neptune, NJ ---A week before work started, I crashed in my colleague's apartment because my apartment was not yet ready (and because of my previous dilemma - having no social security yet). She lives in Belmar, a city beside Neptune where the beaches are located. This is the boardwalk where I jogged everyday. Sorry, I didn't have my camera when the HLIRS's came running by (HLIR's: hot lifeguards in red shorts). The beach is pretty much HAWK territory because I was the only "colored" person there. The bars beside the beach were also HAWK-infested, hence, weird dancing (jumping with a lot of arm flailing movements) and tube socks were usual sightings. Wasn't able to cherva jah jah jah because I was afraid of getting hit with said flailing arms.

I enjoyed going to the beach, although it was a luxury because you have to pay each time your toes hit the sand. But I had to be generous and share my hotness every so often. :) Haven't gone back to the beach since work started. I can feel their pain, their longing for my presence. bwahahaha. But I can't do anything about it -- my patients come first. (Actually, I'm just too busy and too tired to even step outside my apartment.) Life has been sooooo different since. (Watch out for my next blog.)

the fountain of wealth

District 12, SINGAPORE-- So the biggest fountain in the world is at Suntec city where I work. Lonely Planet hit the mark when it described it as "the world's largest fountain is not necessarily the world's most tasteful one." As if its magnificent size wasn't enough, if you actually went around the inner core of the fountain thrice, you could make a wish and (surprise) it would come true. Seriously. But that's not my point. Every night at 8pm, the fountain is host to this laser light show. The first time I heard it, I was taken aback by the blaring rock music coming from outside my office windows. Was that an outdoor concert, thumped thumped my heart. As it turns out, it was the start of the light show. From then on, I would hear ten minutes of Hootie, Coldplay, Bon Jovi, Sugar Ray and I would know that the show was going on. Anyway, I saw the show for the first time today (yes, I've been working here for 5 months now) and it is utterly disgusting. Think water show at the Bellagio (minus Clooney and the gang gazing out to the fountain) but the water only spurts in one direction (like a broken fire hose) and there are gawdy lights in blue, green and red amidst songs like How to save a life by the Fray. And the best part of it all, you can pay to have an 18m personalised message displayed on the water curtain. "Will you marry me? (but please excuse my lack of taste)" I don't think so.

p.s. there is again no connection between the pictures here and my post. moreover, i don't actually think this post has a point.

i'd rather be...

i'd rather be taking pictures

Office Cubicle at the Very End,Manila, PH --

1. scuba diving in tubbataha reef, palawan, philippines (but first i need to learn how)

2. sipping mojitos at a havana cafe (and hitting the sahig-sayawan afterwards)

3. skydiving in normandy (saw that amazing race episode too)

4. swimming with dolphins in palau

5. watching the cure live!

more to follow after i pretend to work some more

3-hour Stop-over in Taipei

Taipei International Airport -- After spending the morning on last minute packing, long immigration lines, and instant noodles for brunch in NAIA, I finally boarded and amused myself with the Globetrotter channel. I am killing time now walking around the airport, surfing and wondering about certain things:

- Should I get the $13 disposable camera?

- Will "Taiwan soaps" make my pores look smaller? ( I left my "kikay-kit", for pete's sake!)

- How come Taiwan is so clean?

- What did my Chinese ancestors look like?

- Have I brought enough clothes?

- Did I forget anything back home?

I am indulging myself thinking of what I may have left behind because when I get to the City of Angels, I am hoping that I'll be able to focus more on things ahead of me.

your yellow post-it reads: ¡hola!

deets: risa left out the drunk brit sailor's indecent proposal. no worries, hankies not involved

justine: i miss our elevator rides at the huntington whilSt hoping for KB sightings. any luck lately? u.k. english is rah-thah amusing. i want my two heaping scoops of ben&jerry’s…

joy: see you in south america! eleven months to go. ample time to brush up on our español and get into shape for machu picchu & salsa. we’ll miss you

reese: guess it's just you and me, amiga. on the bright side, higher probability for cherva perhaps? whatchoosay we put justine's theory to a test? die die must try...

bong: let’s hear about shanghai and the “friends” you made at nanjing. haha

shin: how’s our singlish/japanese/spanish/french-speaking brotha? “my favourite subject is geography!” tell your boss to bring highlander to manila. that’s in central luzon, northern philippine region. there’s a bit of geography for you!

¡espero que nos veamos muy pronto!

mis primeros II

Manila, PH -- continuing from jan's list of firsts in the 'pore:

1) making breakfast (me with my hit or miss scrambled eggs, jan with her spicy instant noodles) while listening to phoenix & 'save room'

2) spending sunday afternoon on an artificial beach (ibiza by way of sentosa!)

3) getting overwhelmed by the the national library's collections (and it's such a nice building). geek alert!

4) lounging at loof while dreaming of opening our own bar back home

5) being accused of wanting to date a certain australian body part

6) getting a drunk brit sailor to sing 'stars of cctv'

7) drinking the lethal graveyard while playing bato bato pick (i.e. jack en poy, stick paper scissors etc.)

8) shophouse-hopping at quirky hadji lane (i wish i had gotten that 'pig of happiness' book). justine throw a party at pitch black!

9) having an all-cheesy song night while drinking vodka pear :just take my heart when you go/i don't have the need for it anymore



adriana at estela, sana ay maulit ang maliligayang araw noong tayo'y nasa ibayong bansa! bernardita at feliza, kayo naman ang aming guguluhin kapag nakapagipon-ipon na kami para sa biyahe patungong estados unidos! todo cherva jah jah jah!

Mis Primeros

Manila, PH -- – So Reese and I recently returned from our six-day Singapore sojourn visiting Justine. By recently I mean an entire week ago. But my aversion to and shameful ignorance of all things complicated (i.e., technology) have kept me from posting sooner. Bong, thanks for the overseas crash course in blogging. Hope Shanghai has been good to you!

Anyhoo, my first time in the tiny tidy island was home to many other firsts:

1) flying international…solo
2) tip being refused by “Uncle” cab-driver
3) hot air balloon ride (DHL balloon, mind you)
4) leaving home at 1am for a night out
5) sleeping at 8am from the night out
6) beverages: aloe vera, barley, Lebanese wine
7) shameless infatuation: with a minor (note: HH)
8) seeing wildlife…at night
9) free-flowing drinks at the bar, having the best time with bartenders in kilts (they had undergarments, tsk)
10) tequila shots without the burning, i-feel-SICK-to-my-gut sensation
11) breakfast of kaya toast dipped in soy-seasoned half-boiled egg…with locals
12) flying business class (thanks to Risa)

Justine, maraming salamat sa mga ala-ala. Hindi ko malilimutan nang iwan mo kami ni Risa sa sahig-sayawan, a.k.a. “dancefloor” para sa aming sariling kapakanan…

Thanks for the best time, Justine! Here's a snippet of our fight song c/o Risa. Enjoy!

Mark Farina – Dream Machine

flashback: kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi, THAILAND -- oye! was in central thailand last year & made this list of stuff to do in kanchanaburi.

1. Erawan Falls - It’s a workout climbing to the top but it’s clean, beautiful & worth it. The park staff take preservation seriously- litterbugs will be fined 100 baht!

2. Apple’s Guest House - even if you stay elsewhere, try their food. 5 stars! I had the special krathom pad thai & the backpacker staple, banana pancakes.

3. Spa lifestyle at Suan Nanachaat - Great service in a lovely oriental house. And the homemade bread is reason enough to drop by.

4. A ride on the Death Railway - Historic, scenic & fun.

5. Cheap little discoveries (i.e., unlisted on your guidebook) - Like Roongthip restaurant along the road leading to Bridge over the River Kwai. Good mixed “tau fu.”

6. Ploy Guest House - Romantic garden bathrooms on the ground floor & ever-smiling, helpful staff.

7. Tiger Temple - You may not agree with how the tigers are tamed (they’re chained while visitors are onsite) but at least they get to live in a large tract of land free from poachers. The monks and tiger handlers seem to really care for the big cats. And giving a tiger a tummy rub - priceless!

on being nationalistic

Botanical Gardens, SINGAPORE--Some bloke paid me probably the biggest compliment to date--he called me 'nationalistic.' I've never been described as nationalistic before and I was damn proud to be seen that way. Call it ironic but my patriotism has been awakened by living away from home. I realise how lucky I am to have grown up in such a beautiful country with the most fun-loving and genuinely warm people I know. Living in a sanitized bubble like Singapore makes you long for the dirt, the grime, the chaos that is Manila. Living in a country which supposedly is a melting pot of 3 cultures which amounts to none really makes you take pride in certain things about you that are unmistakably and unashamedly Pinoy. So yup, I was born and raised in the Philippines. In a third-world country, thank you very much.

p.s. the pictures here have nothing to do with the content of this post. they're just pretty.

Why I love Cebu

Cebu City, PH -- Several reasons why I keep coming back to Cebu
- good food (and cheap too!)
- Cebu lechon
- cab drivers are nicer
- I can walk late at night by myself without worries
- Sinulog festival
- less traffic compared to Manila
- More "10 percent's " Am I right, Ditas? =)
- salesladies don't frown at me even if I don't buy anything from their store.
- Cebu is a ferry ride away from Bohol and other Visayan provinces.
- 150 pesos or $3 for 1-hour Thai massage
- Laid-back atmosphere
- the fact that the Basilica is packed during masses appeals to me
- Cebuanos' happy disposition and the way they speak. "Dili man mag-focus sa negative". (Do not focus on the negative side) =)

more trivy trivvies

Trivandrum, INDIA --

1) caffeine fix care of coffee day, india's popular chain of coffee shops. good service and home of the kaapi nirvana, winner of the silver medal at the '04 world barista championships (yes, i read the entire flyer). i normally don't like anything coconut -flavored(except maybe sunblock) but for this yummy iced frapp i'll make an exception. for some reason, the coffee i've ordered elsewhere tastes like 2/3 evaporated milk and just the tiniest hint of roast. just one complaint though: maybe you can come up with more creatively-named offerings? veg pizza, non-veg pizza, veg burger and non-veg burger don't really sound enticing.

2) just like the brits, when you want food to go here you say you want it "in a parcel." and lawyers are called barristers.

3) major dailies here have entire pages devoted to "marital ads." you post one not to look for a date but to get hitched to a "suitable spouse." no wonder people here don't ask you if you have a boyfriend. they ask if you're engaged like it's the most casual of questions.

4) if you visit the trivandrum zoo, you'll only get in for free if you meet very specific requirements:



5) emotional upheaval+bird droppings on your shoulder= not a v. good day

trivia from triv

Trivandrum, INDIA -- i'm back from new delhi! spent three days in a tizzy looking for a kaftan (which i found out refers to a man's cloak & not the breezy blouse i had in mind), getting to agra to see the taj mahal, & trying to avoid touts around the city.
some insights:

1) the taj mahal, that hulking slab of marble, is translucent and massive. a pity the shah had to use public money to build such a beautiful tomb for his beloved. he spent so much on it his son had him on house arrest to protect the treasury!


2) the national museum in delhi is pretty neat. it also has an unhappy & unfriendly staff (according to my mother it's because "they work for the government." "but i work for the government," i countered. "give it a year & you'll be unhappy too," the wise woman retorted). my favorites were: the miniature period indian paintings of such scenes as krishna wooing radha, akbar hunting, and a lovesick heroine (apparently you just have to lie in bed with your head hanging limply to look the part); the coin collection ("from cowrie to credit card"), and the indian arms and armory exhibit (very cool elephant headgear, jewel-encrusted swords, gold-plated shields.. i could go on ad infinitum).

3) i've grown so accustomed to the hot!hot!hot! food that even breakfast doesn't seem complete without my tongue burning. i'll have some masala & roti with my coffee, thank you very much.

4) visiting in july is both good and bad: the crowds are minimal at the touristy places but it's also the hottest time of the year. lemme go slather more of that spf 60 on myself..

More than Meets the Eye

Quezon City, PH -- Okay, okay..I sounded like Optimus Prime but it’s what I thought of the moment I saw my first holga shots. Must be an after-effect from watching Transformers. I’m simply hooked!
This shot was taken at one of my field works in Childhope. This young man has been staying with other kids on a vacant lot. Their small house made up of scraps was demolished the night before I saw him and his friends. Many of them were suffering from pneumonia and skin diseases that most med students will only see in books. No matter how many free medications are given to them, I doubt it if it will work without a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs.

Now I have to PARTIALLY check my “list of things to do”---Learn photography and take good shots! Maybe Bono, Bill, Oprah, Angelina, or better yet, Juan dela Cruz, will see them and be moved. Naks! =)