Wednesday
What an eventful day today was!
It is currently 1am here and so friggin hot and humid that I can't bloody sleep!
During the day I taught at district 8 again with Nikki. She was being weird as usual and panicking this morning thinking we were going to be late for our class. I'd have to say, today has been by far, the most trying day for me. Teaching English to a bunch of teenage boys was horrendous! There was one token twit who would just not listen. I can really appreciate highschool teachers now. It's only made me realise how stressful it could be when you want your students to learn so much yet they don't cooperate and pay attention. After today's class, I decided that I'm going to bribe them with prizes next time.
When I got back to the peace house, I unfortunately didn't get enough time to take a nap, which I normally do, since I had to leave early for my afternoon class at district 8 again. However, this time instead of going with Nikki I was teamed with the Americans. We were so excited and eager to go as our itinerary for the afternoon was to take the boys for a swim. I should probably pause here and give a little description of the weather in Ho Chi Minh during the month of July. Well there is no other way to describe it other than HOT & HUMID! I thought Philippines was really bad in terms of heat and muggines but Ho Chi Minh by far exceeds them. I have never heard the phrase "It's so hot!" overused so much. Furthermore, during orientation we were advised to dress modestly, meaning no shorts and singlet. At first we abided by this rule, but it has come to the point where you either die of heat exhaustion trying to appease the vietnamese culture or dress less conservatively. Majority of course have gone for the latter which in turn, has got to be accepted back at the peace house. So you can see why just going to the pool has got us all excited. We had been dying for the aforementioned ever since we got here.
When we got to the shelter there was a bit of chaos with the organisation of transportation to the pool. The boys actually had a swimming teacher who was there to assist us as well. In the end, Swimming teacher and a couple of the boys went on scooters. Might I add that you can fit a family i.e. up to 5 people on a single scooter. The others got on their bikes and peddaled away. That left the Americans, three boys and I just standing by the road not knowing what or where to go. It took us awhile to figure out how we were going to get to the pool and where exactly we were going. One of the students, the brightest one called Bi just biked past us as we waited by the side of road. Jane called out to him to ask for help but he just totally ignored us! Instead of calling him Bi though she actually called him Bamboo (which could possibly be why ignored us). Her calling him bamboo just made us laugh our heads off. We ended up catching a cab with the rest of the boys to the pool. Once there, we headed to the toilets to get changed. The toilets were so disgusting and dirty and we had to squat to pee as there were no toilet bowls but just holes on the ground. We also weren't allowed to wear thongs around so we had to walk around barefoot on the dirty decaying ground. Thank goodness the pool was clean and looked absolutely inviting. We stayed at the pool for two hours, swimming and relaxing. It was quite a surprise to find the boys were so good at swimming. Half the time they were trying to drown us if not splashing us constantly. It was such a great day and we had never felt cooler!
Afterwards we decided to have dinner at our fave restaurant in Ben thanh market, called Pho for the President 2000. Yes former President Clinton ate pho there during his historic visit toVietnam. We were so sick of the food back at the peace house and I also had the biggest craving for noodles and iced coffee. When we got home, once again I didn't have enough time to rest as we had to get ready to go to karaoke that night with the other volunteers as well as the local Vietnamese volunteers.
We had alot of fun at karaoke - drinking, singing and dancing. Admittedly I hogged the microphone majority of the time. Later on we had a late night feed of fishballs and fruit drinks at a little eatery by the side of the road. I have always despised the smell and taste of fishballs but those fishballs were so delicious!
Back at the Peace House in the wee hours of the morning we collapsed on our beds exhausted from the long but eventful day we had.
Sightseeing tour
Today we went sightseeing with the local volunteers. Overall, it was a great, fun and not to mention exhausting day! We started off the tour at the war remnants museum, a musuem based on the horrible war crimes of american imperialism. The pictures were really quite intense and disturbing. It was so sad and depressing seeing the pictures of the after math of the war, especially where children were involved.
After the war museum, we made our way to the reunification palace. The home and workplace of the former president of South Vietnam during the Vietnam war. On the way there, we encountered a group of people holding up signs of "free hugs". They literally swooped around us and showered us with hugs and love. It was such a cool and amazing experience, and to be able to experience it in a different country made it just that more special. It is true when they say that a simple gesture such as a hug, even from a complete stranger, can really boost your mood. We all walked away from them with massive goofy smiles on our faces.
The reunification palace was simply amazing and not to mention massive! We had a tour guide who walked us around the palace and even took us underground to the bomb shelter (or warroom as it was called) which could apparently withstand 2 tonnes of explosives!
After visiting the palace, we had lunch at this really fancy Vietnamese restaurant where we had 1 million dong to spend! I had fried rice, a ngon ngon (delicious) cocktail (although my cocktail wasn't very ngon ngon) and a taro icecream for dessert.
Once we finished with lunch, we headed to the massive post office where I got a very cute comical hat. By this time we were all so tired and hot so we decided to have a rest at the park first. There park is so beautiful and lively teaming up with so many people playing games. We even participated in this stick dancing game, similar to tinikling. We finished off the tour by going through the backpackers district. We were meant to head to district 1 for some dinner and drinks that night but were so exhausted we ended up just going to the co op to grab dinner. I had a zinger burger from KFC which tasted quite different but delicious nonetheless. I should also mention that KFC was the only western fast-food chain that I saw thanks to the heavy regulation.
After the war museum, we made our way to the reunification palace. The home and workplace of the former president of South Vietnam during the Vietnam war. On the way there, we encountered a group of people holding up signs of "free hugs". They literally swooped around us and showered us with hugs and love. It was such a cool and amazing experience, and to be able to experience it in a different country made it just that more special. It is true when they say that a simple gesture such as a hug, even from a complete stranger, can really boost your mood. We all walked away from them with massive goofy smiles on our faces.
The reunification palace was simply amazing and not to mention massive! We had a tour guide who walked us around the palace and even took us underground to the bomb shelter (or warroom as it was called) which could apparently withstand 2 tonnes of explosives!
After visiting the palace, we had lunch at this really fancy Vietnamese restaurant where we had 1 million dong to spend! I had fried rice, a ngon ngon (delicious) cocktail (although my cocktail wasn't very ngon ngon) and a taro icecream for dessert.
Once we finished with lunch, we headed to the massive post office where I got a very cute comical hat. By this time we were all so tired and hot so we decided to have a rest at the park first. There park is so beautiful and lively teaming up with so many people playing games. We even participated in this stick dancing game, similar to tinikling. We finished off the tour by going through the backpackers district. We were meant to head to district 1 for some dinner and drinks that night but were so exhausted we ended up just going to the co op to grab dinner. I had a zinger burger from KFC which tasted quite different but delicious nonetheless. I should also mention that KFC was the only western fast-food chain that I saw thanks to the heavy regulation.
Day 2 - Orientation Day
Day 2 in Ho Chi Minh - Orientation day
Today was orientation day where Andy, our co-ordinator, gave us a briefing on the program, our placements, the rules and regulations of living in the Peace House - sexy time was specifically h ighlighted - LOL as well as the Vietnamese customs. The presentation was really good despite the laptop dying every 5 minutes!
Afterwards we had an intense 2.5 hours of Vietnamese lesson. It was hillarious and ridiculously hard! By the end of trying to correctly pronounce words but failing misserably, half of us were barely paying attention and the heat wasn't exactly doing anyone any favours. During our break, we decided to ditch the Vietnamese lessons altogether and Jane, Beth (collectively known as the Americans) & I left to get a massage.
The massage was simply amazing and unbelievably cheap! I chose the relaxing massage with lava stones where hot stones were used to massage my body. At first I was so close to slapping the masseuse for trying to burn me but once the stones cooled down on my skin, it felt so invirogating and the heat really did wonders for my sore muscles. Only down side to it was the lady went crazy massaging my butt and I had to forceably hold my fart in! The masseuse also massaged my pressure points n tugged my hair which was bizarre but strangely soothing. All for a measly $5!
Once our massages were done, we ventured out for some ice cream. We came upon a fancy looking coffee shop which actually sold gourmet ice-cream! I chose the coconut flavoured one which they served in a coconut shell. It was delicious and very refreshing! We then headed out to the co-op (supermarket) and grabbed some drinks to take back home. Gosh, I am currently on my bed writing this up and am sweating like a pig! It is disgustingly hot and muggy here. I can't stand it! Oh how I miss winter back home
Afterwards we had an intense 2.5 hours of Vietnamese lesson. It was hillarious and ridiculously hard! By the end of trying to correctly pronounce words but failing misserably, half of us were barely paying attention and the heat wasn't exactly doing anyone any favours. During our break, we decided to ditch the Vietnamese lessons altogether and Jane, Beth (collectively known as the Americans) & I left to get a massage.
The massage was simply amazing and unbelievably cheap! I chose the relaxing massage with lava stones where hot stones were used to massage my body. At first I was so close to slapping the masseuse for trying to burn me but once the stones cooled down on my skin, it felt so invirogating and the heat really did wonders for my sore muscles. Only down side to it was the lady went crazy massaging my butt and I had to forceably hold my fart in! The masseuse also massaged my pressure points n tugged my hair which was bizarre but strangely soothing. All for a measly $5!
Once our massages were done, we ventured out for some ice cream. We came upon a fancy looking coffee shop which actually sold gourmet ice-cream! I chose the coconut flavoured one which they served in a coconut shell. It was delicious and very refreshing! We then headed out to the co-op (supermarket) and grabbed some drinks to take back home. Gosh, I am currently on my bed writing this up and am sweating like a pig! It is disgustingly hot and muggy here. I can't stand it! Oh how I miss winter back home
When in Rome.....
Rome
The day started off normal enough..we all got up early to go do some touristy stuff with the rest of the contikians.
First on the agenda was to visit the Roman Forum followed by the Colloseum.
We arrived at the forum excited and eager to see what the Roman civilization might have been like. I won't ellaborate much on the ruins because frankly I wasn't paying much attention. LOL. While the place looked absolutely amazing, if the tour guide hadn't been there it would have looked like just a pile of old rocks randomly scattered around, with a bit of structural buildings here and there. OK. I'm not doing the Roman forum any justice soI should shut up about it now and leave that to the history buffs.Hehe.
As we exited the forum through some overgrown hedges we came upon the Colloseum in all its glory. I was awe struck of its sheer size and how it managed to withstand the test of time, considering the brunt of the earthquake it took.
We made our way inside together with our tour guide. Again, I didn't pay attention to her as I took in my surroundings, because come on, the colloseum is practically synonymous with gladiators i.e. Russell Crowe...or was it Gerard Butler so what else is there to know? Very ignorant of me yes but whatever. Anyways, we spent a bit of time exploring the colloseum and taking pictures. Once we made our way out of the colloseum we were hounded by hairy middle-aged men in gladiator costumes pulling us in to get a picture taken with them. Nissy and I ended up doing it and they demanded for 10euros for the pic! yeah in your dreams dudes! i handed them 2 euros and Nissy unfortunately forked out 5!
The Vatican
We then made our way into the State of Vatican city - the smallest country in the world within the city of Rome, where we came upon St Peter's Square. We walked into the massive beautiful St Peters Basilica which houses the famous reinassance art by Michelangelo - La Pieta. Our next destination took us to the Vatican museum which led us to the breathtaking Sistine Chapel. I was absolutely mesmerized and couldn't stop gaping at the mavelous work of art before me. Each painting and carvings were intricately designed and it was just absolutely stunning. I really was gobsmacked. Photos were an absolutely no no but I managed to take in some sneaky shots. There were swiss guards everywhere and we had to very quiet. Everytime the place got a bit too noisy the swiss guards would call out a "Shhh!" and a hush would engulf the whole chapel. It was quite remarkable and this would go on and on.
The day started off normal enough..we all got up early to go do some touristy stuff with the rest of the contikians.
First on the agenda was to visit the Roman Forum followed by the Colloseum.
We arrived at the forum excited and eager to see what the Roman civilization might have been like. I won't ellaborate much on the ruins because frankly I wasn't paying much attention. LOL. While the place looked absolutely amazing, if the tour guide hadn't been there it would have looked like just a pile of old rocks randomly scattered around, with a bit of structural buildings here and there. OK. I'm not doing the Roman forum any justice soI should shut up about it now and leave that to the history buffs.Hehe.
The Vatican
We then made our way into the State of Vatican city - the smallest country in the world within the city of Rome, where we came upon St Peter's Square. We walked into the massive beautiful St Peters Basilica which houses the famous reinassance art by Michelangelo - La Pieta. Our next destination took us to the Vatican museum which led us to the breathtaking Sistine Chapel. I was absolutely mesmerized and couldn't stop gaping at the mavelous work of art before me. Each painting and carvings were intricately designed and it was just absolutely stunning. I really was gobsmacked. Photos were an absolutely no no but I managed to take in some sneaky shots. There were swiss guards everywhere and we had to very quiet. Everytime the place got a bit too noisy the swiss guards would call out a "Shhh!" and a hush would engulf the whole chapel. It was quite remarkable and this would go on and on.
Day 2 in Ho Chi Minh - Orientation day
Today was orientation day where Andy, our co-ordinator, gave us a briefing on the program, our placements, the rules and regulations of living in the Peace House - sexy time was specifically h ighlighted - LOL as well as the Vietnamese customs. The presentation was really good despite the laptop dying every 5 minutes!
Afterwards we had an intense 2.5 hours of Vietnamese lesson. It was hillarious and ridiculously hard! By the end of trying to correctly pronounce words but failing misserably, half of us were barely paying attention and the heat wasn't exactly doing anyone any favours. During our break, we decided to ditch the Vietnamese lessons altogether and Jane, Beth (collectively known as the Americans) & I left to get a massage.
The massage was simply amazing and unbelievably cheap! I chose the relaxing massage with lava stones where hot stones were used to massage my body. At first I was so close to slapping the masseuse for trying to burn me but once the stones cooled down on my skin, it felt so invirogating and the heat really did wonders for my sore muscles. Only down side to it was the lady went crazy massaging my butt and I had to forceably hold my fart in! The masseuse also massaged my pressure points n tugged my hair which was bizarre but strangely soothing. All for a measly $5!
Once our massages were done, we ventured out for some ice cream. We came upon a fancy looking coffee shop which actually sold gourmet ice-cream! I chose the coconut flavoured one which they served in a coconut shell. It was delicious and very refreshing! We then headed out to the co-op (supermarket) and grabbed some drinks to take back home. Gosh, I am currently on my bed writing this up and am sweating like a pig! It is disgustingly hot and muggy here. I can't stand it! Oh how I miss winter back home!
Afterwards we had an intense 2.5 hours of Vietnamese lesson. It was hillarious and ridiculously hard! By the end of trying to correctly pronounce words but failing misserably, half of us were barely paying attention and the heat wasn't exactly doing anyone any favours. During our break, we decided to ditch the Vietnamese lessons altogether and Jane, Beth (collectively known as the Americans) & I left to get a massage.
The massage was simply amazing and unbelievably cheap! I chose the relaxing massage with lava stones where hot stones were used to massage my body. At first I was so close to slapping the masseuse for trying to burn me but once the stones cooled down on my skin, it felt so invirogating and the heat really did wonders for my sore muscles. Only down side to it was the lady went crazy massaging my butt and I had to forceably hold my fart in! The masseuse also massaged my pressure points n tugged my hair which was bizarre but strangely soothing. All for a measly $5!
Once our massages were done, we ventured out for some ice cream. We came upon a fancy looking coffee shop which actually sold gourmet ice-cream! I chose the coconut flavoured one which they served in a coconut shell. It was delicious and very refreshing! We then headed out to the co-op (supermarket) and grabbed some drinks to take back home. Gosh, I am currently on my bed writing this up and am sweating like a pig! It is disgustingly hot and muggy here. I can't stand it! Oh how I miss winter back home!
Day 1 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
So I have made it to Vietnam! Finally! It only takes 8hrs by direct flight to get here but since I was on a budget airline it took a whole freaking day! To be blatantly honest it was rather depressing seeing the city of ho chi minh, perhaps because I have yet to see the beautiful and majestic side if it! As soon as I stepped out of the airport I was greeted by hot muggy air. I spotted the lady from the program holding a sign of my name so I made a beeline for her. Turns out I was on the same flight as one of the volunteers and she was going to be one of my roomies! I met the rest of the volunteers once we got to our peace house which would be my destination for the next 7 days. The majority of the volunteers were from the uk with the exception of frenchy but close enough! Everyone seems so lovely but I ended up speaking to frenchy the most. Turns out we are both doing the same course! He was also there to teach English which wAs beyond me considering I struggled to understand him thanks to his ridiculously sexy accent. Sadly I couldn't say the same for the rest of him but I'm a total sucker for French accent regardless how attractive or unattractive they are. Anyways, accommodation wise, while I was definitely not expecting the shang-rila, I definitely was not expecting a prison toilet for a toilet! The bathroom, which is shared among everybody happens to be in r room which isn't that bad but when the bathroom happens to only have half a wall there is definitely an issue there! We have two bunk beds in r room so if u were occupying the top bunk, a little lean forward and holy golly you'll be able to see someone's ass on the toilet bowl! Not only will people be able to see you chucking a lovely but it'll be on audio as well! I really have no idea how I'll be able to cope with this for a week. Let's see how long I can hold off from going to the toilet....
Delayed
Had I known I was going to end up travelling by myself in the end I would never have flown with Jetstar! 24 hours later in what otherwise would have only been a 7 hour direct flight I am an hour away from my destination for the next 7 days - Ho Chi Minh city in Vietnam. In case you haven't guessed I am currently in Singapore on a 15 hour lay-over. The flight here didn't go without its hiccups as we had to endure a 2 hour delay due to mechanical issues! Trust Jetstar to be delayed!
I think, by now, it is safe to say that I know Singapore airport from the back of my hand!
Anyways, the reason why I am heading to Vietnam is to holiday for a "good cause", as others have dubbed "volunteerism." For one week, I will be volunteering to teach english in schools that are less privileged. This was originally meant to be a "three-woman" trip but ended up down to just being me! One had an entirely good reason -she was only contracting and risked losing her job. Suffice to say, she was very apologetic and offered to re-pay me with any inconvienced caused! It was settled over a drink! LOL Admittedly, I too was thinking of pulling out but then I had an epiphany so decided to go through with it. I really don't know what to expect but I guess we will just have to find out!
I think, by now, it is safe to say that I know Singapore airport from the back of my hand!
Anyways, the reason why I am heading to Vietnam is to holiday for a "good cause", as others have dubbed "volunteerism." For one week, I will be volunteering to teach english in schools that are less privileged. This was originally meant to be a "three-woman" trip but ended up down to just being me! One had an entirely good reason -she was only contracting and risked losing her job. Suffice to say, she was very apologetic and offered to re-pay me with any inconvienced caused! It was settled over a drink! LOL Admittedly, I too was thinking of pulling out but then I had an epiphany so decided to go through with it. I really don't know what to expect but I guess we will just have to find out!
Attack of the Easter Bunny & the "killer" photos
Thursday
It’s really “Friday”! : ) I finally received my snapfish in the mail which cost me a whopping $70 (I say “whopping” because it is merely a picture book that I put together of my friends & I at the beach). I realised I printed off too many pictures of solely just myself….. Boss looked at it…. totally forgot that, not only did I have quite a few too many pics of me, myself & I but a lot of them were of me doing silly poses in a bikini. I shouldn’t have shown it to her! How embarrassing!
Stayed back at work with TK for a bit, calmed her down before her date. I then met up with HL & DV at 333 together with my picture book. Downed a few glasses of wine and forgot all about the book….. left 45 minutes later (book-less) and met up with AE & CC at Captain Cook Spanish restaurant. More wine…sangria…a huge pitcher between the 3 of us. Cheered to the upcoming 5 day “weekend” and other random stuff (which ended up coming true). Old white haired waiter tickled my foot which was sticking out under the table. More flirting from old waiter, didn’t help that AE egged him on. Stumbled out of the restaurant an hour later and decided to head to bungalow 8 to meet up with AE’s workmates. Met two randoms on the way who gave us easter eggs. Reached destination a short while later. More drinks, this time it’s vodka…. And the rest is history.
Friday
The greatest hangover. In and out of consciousness. I committed a cardinal sin. Ate meat… took solace in the fact that at least I had white instead of red meat.
Saturday
Found a book by James Rollins which I had yet to read! Score! Watched “Cargo” with my bro later on in the evening, we did nothing but lambast the whole movie. Much later on that evening, I met up with AE, CC & BE at MB for tea and chocolate.
Sunday
Easter show fail! Ended up heading straight to Canberra. Attended church service at the Cathedral. It was beautiful. I asked for forgiveness for consuming meat on Good Friday. Had a feast that night. MmMM caldereta…oh how I’ve missed filo food! Watched Shake, rattle & roll 12 with CC1. KO’d halfway through the movie. Fought with CC1 & CC2 over the futon. I won! Hah! had the bed all to myself. Awoke to ED’s rendition of “My heart will go on…” at about 3am in the morning. Too exhausted to get up and tell them to quiet it down, and quite surprisingly it was sort of soothing…fell back to slumber…
Monday
Shopping! Followed by late lunch at Gus’ Café. Their warm chicken salad & chilli seafood carbonara is to die for! Dispute over the bill. SC couldn’t understand how she had to fork out $25 for just two coffees. Reason – half didn’t pay and plus the 10% public holz surcharge. Finally settled the bill after much debate and recalculating. Took just 10minutes with gossiping in between. Party at the C residence that night. Drinks, Karaoke & a delayed Easter egg hunt with family & friends. Overall, a good, enjoyable & memorable night.
Tuesday
Headache. At least I wasn’t alone in suffering the morning after. Watched an old filo film on TFC. Packed up to head back to Sydney. Not enough room in the car so MC dropped me off at the bus station in the arvo. Arrived back in a cold, dreary & rainy Sydney. Out of the blue (more like “dark night”) It suddenly occurred to me that I had left my picture book at the bar 5 nights ago….Holy shit ! ! !
Ignorance is Bliss!
Yesterday I opened pandora's box and now consequently suffering from it.
Yes the above pic depicts exactly how I'm feeling right now... I've certainly unleashed the little devils in me...greed, jealousy and anger... at the unfairness of it all!
I wish I hadn't uncovered the secret!
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I wish I hadn't uncovered the secret!
Do Asians all look alike?
A stranger asked me the other day what my background was. I told him to guess. He went through all the countries in the Asian continent and managed to leave out the Philippines. This got me thinking, are we that obscured from the rest of the world? LOL
After naming endless Asian countries from the south east to the north he finally gave up. I answered matter-of-factly "I'm Filo…you know from the Philippines." He gave me a puzzled look and said I didn't look it. Ok, I get that quite often but just always shrugged it off. This time I actually questioned it. The stranger eyed me for a moment and responsed with a "I would never have guessed...you look different...." (Funny, I thought all asians "look alike"). He then asked me if I could still speak my native language. I told him I could speak tagalog fluently but that I struggle when it comes to reading and writing. This seemed to baffle him as he said, if I was fluent in speaking, I should be able to read and write just as fluently. Hmm….clearly this guy has never heard of dyslexia. However, as I made my long journey home on the train, the stranger's statement got me pondering that perhaps I really could read and write, albeit at a beginners level (possibly even mediocre), in tagalog. I mean, I always assumed I couldn't but that was because I haven't actually tried! If tagalog karaoke constitutes as "reading" well I'm certainly off to a good start! So....just to prove a point..I will write about "the commute to work this morning" in non other than tagalog....
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Anyways, to get back to the main topic of this blog. Well, it's quite apparent really. I can actually write in tagalog... :)
After naming endless Asian countries from the south east to the north he finally gave up. I answered matter-of-factly "I'm Filo…you know from the Philippines." He gave me a puzzled look and said I didn't look it. Ok, I get that quite often but just always shrugged it off. This time I actually questioned it. The stranger eyed me for a moment and responsed with a "I would never have guessed...you look different...." (Funny, I thought all asians "look alike"). He then asked me if I could still speak my native language. I told him I could speak tagalog fluently but that I struggle when it comes to reading and writing. This seemed to baffle him as he said, if I was fluent in speaking, I should be able to read and write just as fluently. Hmm….clearly this guy has never heard of dyslexia. However, as I made my long journey home on the train, the stranger's statement got me pondering that perhaps I really could read and write, albeit at a beginners level (possibly even mediocre), in tagalog. I mean, I always assumed I couldn't but that was because I haven't actually tried! If tagalog karaoke constitutes as "reading" well I'm certainly off to a good start! So....just to prove a point..I will write about "the commute to work this morning" in non other than tagalog....
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Kanina umaga madimi talaga mainet na ulo na tao. Mayron matanda na babae na umupo sa katabi ko. Grabe ang lakas talaga nang perfume nya na Chanel No.5 alam ko kasi dati ako nag trabaho sa perfume shop. Tapos nag basa sha, den bigla na lang nya sinara yung book nya, tinangal nang glasses nya tapos tuminging sa babae sa katabi nya sa isang side na naka headphones, tapos sinabi nya na ibaba daw yung volume kasi malakas.... hinde nakineg yung babae. Tapos yung matanda nagalet tapos nag nudge sha sa babe naka headphones. Nagalet yung babae naka headphones tapos sinabi na wag daw sha mag elbow sa kanya. Sinabi naman nang matanda na dapat daw turn down yung volume nya kasi maingay. Sabi naman nang headphone lady na dapat hindi daw sha mag take nang public transport. Sabi naman ni matanda na rude daw sha tapos sabi naman nang headphones lady na sha daw yung rude kase sha yung nag elbow. Tapos nag sigawan lang sila. Tawa nalang kami nang lalake sa harap ko. LOL. Tapos yung nag die down na yung drama nang katabi ko....sa kabila naman. Yung nag stop yung train sa isang station tumayo yung indian sa other katabi ko. Tapos nag turn around sha kasi male pala yung stop...tapos may isang tao na nag push sha kanya kasi nasa way sha, kawawa naman yung indian bumalik sa seat nya tapos natulog or kunyari lang. Hehe. Mamaya mayron naman isang babae nag try magusap sa katabi nya na lalake. Tiningan lang sha tapos ignore sha. LOL. Yup, talagang try hard ako para hindi tumawa malakas. SIguro highlight yung isang mataba na mataba na babae nag board sa train. Mukang galet talaga. Nag stomp sha nag feet nya papunta sa seats parang nagdabog. THen sabi nya "Excuse me!" malakis tapos nag flip yung seat para mag face sa kabila talagang smash nya. Nag bang sha tapos nag upo na malakas then parang may usok lumalabas sa ears nya.....Oh the joys of public transport! I guess that's what makes the journey to and fro work just a tad bit interesting and bearable. It certainly takes the boredom out of the 40minute journey! On a serious note though, commuters really need to chill out and relax! As Rodney King famously once said "Can we all get along?!" I mean sure, we can blame City (dubbed Shitty by the majority) Rail for the poor service...always late, non-airconditioned, packed to capacity trains....but at the end of the day we all just have to suck it up and deal with it!
Anyways, to get back to the main topic of this blog. Well, it's quite apparent really. I can actually write in tagalog... :)
Cops & Robbers & A Stolen Identity...
I got ROBBED! My passport & wallet are gone! I feel so lost without an identiy (or money!) in a country that is practically foreign to me!
It all happened after duty free shopping in Paranaque… we decided to head to Mall of Asia for some more shopping and dinner. Cat, Jen & I were walking arm in arm along the mall when a massive crowd surged past us. As soon as we got a break from the crowd I realised my bag felt lighter so instinctively I looked down and noticed my bag, which was previously buckled & closed, was now open. A quick dig through my bag revealed that my passport and wallet were missing! Panic and fear engulfed me at the realisation that my very important identification and ticket out of the country was gone. Not to mention that access to my funds was now non-existent! The three of us quickly retraced our steps but to no avail! We exited the mall and Jen and Cat spoke to a guard to ask for a "lost & found" information desk while I tried to get in contact with my bank. By this time I was crying and feeling so hopeless. My holiday was just beginning and to have your indespensible things taken from you right under your nose was extremely formidable!
After what seemed like eternity I finally managed to get a hold of my bank & advised them that my card was stolen and to send me a replacement one overseas. A short while later I was approached by two undercover cops. My initial reaction was that they were going to rob me but then they flashed their ID's and greeted me warmly. They were ever so helpful and attentive as I relayed my story to them. They took down a few notes and brought me down to the police station nearby so I could give a full report.
Once at the police station, two cops sat down with me as I gave my official police report. Mind you this was all done in writing so it took a bit of time! The police writing down my report went through the usual"personal questions". DOB, nationality & my status. I told my DOB, nationality and before I had a chance to state my status the two undercover cops came around to where we were.
At this point, the four policemen were all looking at me expectently. It was soo quiet that you could have heard a pin drop on the floor. When I "announced" my single status it was like everyone had been holding their breathes in as a collective sigh sounded around the room. Now I'm probably sounding so up myself here but I kid you not..this is a true story!
One of the cops then chuckled and told me he was surprised I wasn't married yet and asked me why. The one taking down the notes removed his glasses and asked me if I had a white Australian boyfriend. By then, they were all grinning from ear to ear and the two undercover cops started jabbing each other. All I could think of was WTF?! Hello did it look like I was in the mood to give the story of my relationship (or lack thereof)?! I was just pick pocketed! What is the relevance of all this??? Instead I just groaned, rolled my eyes and told them I wansn't in the mood to make small talk considering my predicament. I also added that I didn't have a white Australian bf. The cop who asked why I wasn't married then told me he had a nephew visiting from america blah blah and basically wanted to set us up in so many words! LOL I just giggled sarcastically and stopped myself from screaming. He then went on about how he also has a brother living in Australia and that he would love to visit someday..blah blah blah …by that time I had tuned him out and concentrated on giving my statement to the other cop.
When I had finished giving my statement, the cop told me that because their "computer man" was currently out for a break, he couldn't print me out an official report with the police headquarters letterhead. I would have to either go back the following day or wait until the cop returns. I thought darn it! could my misfortunate get any worse? I chose the former simply because I couldn't bear to be within the vicinity of Mall of Asia any second longer!
As we exited the police station my aunty and cousin's husband suddenly appeared. (While at the station, I had texted them what had happened). Luck was finally turning in my favour as at the same time, the "computer man" also arrived.
Introductions were quickly made and soon I somewhat felt like I was in a tele-series legal drama. My cousin's husband introduced himself to the cops and "computer man" as Attorney ____ representing (me). Ok….. weird…..I wasn't exactly under duress, nor was I suspected of doing anything illegal.
We (attorney, aunt & I) then sat in the "computer man's" office so he could print off my official statement with the police letterhead. After typing up my statement, "computer man" gave me a copy to review. Upon scheming through the document, I couldn't help but to start editing the whole thing like an essay paper. I'm sorry, I know I wasn't exactly an honour english student and I certainly do not claim to be a grammar nazi, but the whole statement was grammatically incorrect in every sense of the word. So with my pen poised like a professor ready to mark a tower of thesis papers, I started editing the document. After awhile, Attorney abruptly pulled the paper from under my nose and told me that all that was needed was for me to scan through the doc and verify the statement, as well as confirm that the "important" information, such as my name, nationality, address, etc was accurate. Oops! I handed the statement back to "computer man" and told him there was only one correction. "Australian" is spelt with only one L.
While "computer man" printed off my statement - I should probably mention that their computer & printer was so ancient that it took eons to print off - he handed me an A5 sized bulging photo album & explained that the pictures inside were of convicted thieves arrested in Mall of Asia. He then asked me to go through it to see if any of them looked familiar. As I flipped trough the pages I gasped as it dawned on me that the majority of the thieves were young females! Call me sexist but I envisioned an album full of young male delinquents. Certainly not young innocent looking females! Just gets to show that it's always the least one you suspect and thou shall not judge a book by its cover.
Before leaving the police precinct, I noticed that the attorney slipped wads of bills into the cop's hands. I was, naturally, flabbergasted. I thought this only happened in movies and all these stories of police corruption are just fictional stories relayed to balikbayans and tourists alike. I guess I was just naïve to think that the Philippines is moving forward from that political injustice. Perhaps, with all the touristy stuff and or/places I had been doing and visiting, I became completely ignorant to the fact that the nation is still a developing country.
As we made our way back home, I came to realise that cops here are total chismosas…this might even be an understatement…sticky beaks talaga! And that corruption is still very much prevelant within the police force. While there is no doubt that the cops have certainly been very polite and hospitable, I still couldn't shake the feeling of unease at the attorney's response after I asked him why he had "tipped" them….
those who pay us?"
Of course, the attorney was also very much at fault for propagating this act in the first place, but I am hopeful that one day, someday, the government will seek to reform this beautiful country and that corruption will be a thing of the past.
It all happened after duty free shopping in Paranaque… we decided to head to Mall of Asia for some more shopping and dinner. Cat, Jen & I were walking arm in arm along the mall when a massive crowd surged past us. As soon as we got a break from the crowd I realised my bag felt lighter so instinctively I looked down and noticed my bag, which was previously buckled & closed, was now open. A quick dig through my bag revealed that my passport and wallet were missing! Panic and fear engulfed me at the realisation that my very important identification and ticket out of the country was gone. Not to mention that access to my funds was now non-existent! The three of us quickly retraced our steps but to no avail! We exited the mall and Jen and Cat spoke to a guard to ask for a "lost & found" information desk while I tried to get in contact with my bank. By this time I was crying and feeling so hopeless. My holiday was just beginning and to have your indespensible things taken from you right under your nose was extremely formidable!
After what seemed like eternity I finally managed to get a hold of my bank & advised them that my card was stolen and to send me a replacement one overseas. A short while later I was approached by two undercover cops. My initial reaction was that they were going to rob me but then they flashed their ID's and greeted me warmly. They were ever so helpful and attentive as I relayed my story to them. They took down a few notes and brought me down to the police station nearby so I could give a full report.
Once at the police station, two cops sat down with me as I gave my official police report. Mind you this was all done in writing so it took a bit of time! The police writing down my report went through the usual"personal questions". DOB, nationality & my status. I told my DOB, nationality and before I had a chance to state my status the two undercover cops came around to where we were.
At this point, the four policemen were all looking at me expectently. It was soo quiet that you could have heard a pin drop on the floor. When I "announced" my single status it was like everyone had been holding their breathes in as a collective sigh sounded around the room. Now I'm probably sounding so up myself here but I kid you not..this is a true story!
One of the cops then chuckled and told me he was surprised I wasn't married yet and asked me why. The one taking down the notes removed his glasses and asked me if I had a white Australian boyfriend. By then, they were all grinning from ear to ear and the two undercover cops started jabbing each other. All I could think of was WTF?! Hello did it look like I was in the mood to give the story of my relationship (or lack thereof)?! I was just pick pocketed! What is the relevance of all this??? Instead I just groaned, rolled my eyes and told them I wansn't in the mood to make small talk considering my predicament. I also added that I didn't have a white Australian bf. The cop who asked why I wasn't married then told me he had a nephew visiting from america blah blah and basically wanted to set us up in so many words! LOL I just giggled sarcastically and stopped myself from screaming. He then went on about how he also has a brother living in Australia and that he would love to visit someday..blah blah blah …by that time I had tuned him out and concentrated on giving my statement to the other cop.
When I had finished giving my statement, the cop told me that because their "computer man" was currently out for a break, he couldn't print me out an official report with the police headquarters letterhead. I would have to either go back the following day or wait until the cop returns. I thought darn it! could my misfortunate get any worse? I chose the former simply because I couldn't bear to be within the vicinity of Mall of Asia any second longer!
As we exited the police station my aunty and cousin's husband suddenly appeared. (While at the station, I had texted them what had happened). Luck was finally turning in my favour as at the same time, the "computer man" also arrived.
Introductions were quickly made and soon I somewhat felt like I was in a tele-series legal drama. My cousin's husband introduced himself to the cops and "computer man" as Attorney ____ representing (me). Ok….. weird…..I wasn't exactly under duress, nor was I suspected of doing anything illegal.
We (attorney, aunt & I) then sat in the "computer man's" office so he could print off my official statement with the police letterhead. After typing up my statement, "computer man" gave me a copy to review. Upon scheming through the document, I couldn't help but to start editing the whole thing like an essay paper. I'm sorry, I know I wasn't exactly an honour english student and I certainly do not claim to be a grammar nazi, but the whole statement was grammatically incorrect in every sense of the word. So with my pen poised like a professor ready to mark a tower of thesis papers, I started editing the document. After awhile, Attorney abruptly pulled the paper from under my nose and told me that all that was needed was for me to scan through the doc and verify the statement, as well as confirm that the "important" information, such as my name, nationality, address, etc was accurate. Oops! I handed the statement back to "computer man" and told him there was only one correction. "Australian" is spelt with only one L.
While "computer man" printed off my statement - I should probably mention that their computer & printer was so ancient that it took eons to print off - he handed me an A5 sized bulging photo album & explained that the pictures inside were of convicted thieves arrested in Mall of Asia. He then asked me to go through it to see if any of them looked familiar. As I flipped trough the pages I gasped as it dawned on me that the majority of the thieves were young females! Call me sexist but I envisioned an album full of young male delinquents. Certainly not young innocent looking females! Just gets to show that it's always the least one you suspect and thou shall not judge a book by its cover.
Before leaving the police precinct, I noticed that the attorney slipped wads of bills into the cop's hands. I was, naturally, flabbergasted. I thought this only happened in movies and all these stories of police corruption are just fictional stories relayed to balikbayans and tourists alike. I guess I was just naïve to think that the Philippines is moving forward from that political injustice. Perhaps, with all the touristy stuff and or/places I had been doing and visiting, I became completely ignorant to the fact that the nation is still a developing country.
As we made our way back home, I came to realise that cops here are total chismosas…this might even be an understatement…sticky beaks talaga! And that corruption is still very much prevelant within the police force. While there is no doubt that the cops have certainly been very polite and hospitable, I still couldn't shake the feeling of unease at the attorney's response after I asked him why he had "tipped" them….
"so they will do their job…"It saddens me to think that the service has come to this. What's even more pitiful is the lack of trust the citizens have with the police force. It amazes me how, in people's minds, this sort of practice is seen as a norm and without this exchange would somehow impede the cops duties and obligations. Now where is the morale in that? Whatever happened to the motto of "to serve & protect"? Would that be forever synonymous with "to serve & protect
Of course, the attorney was also very much at fault for propagating this act in the first place, but I am hopeful that one day, someday, the government will seek to reform this beautiful country and that corruption will be a thing of the past.
HOLY MATRIMONY!!! A Quarter of the Century Special kind of Love :D
Day 1 - Manila
We have arrived in Manila. Liz went off with her nan & pop whilst the 3 of us – Cat, Jen & I were greeted by a middle aged man - a staff of Manila airport hotel, where we were booked to stay the night. He requested for a nice van to pick us up and take us to the hotel as he had “beautiful women” with him LOL. How flattering and hilarious.
The hotel was OK...I guess... for an overnight stay if you have an early flight the next day, which was exactly our case.
Cat’s auntie and uncle then picked us up and took us to Mall of Asia for a lovely dinner at Gerry’s Grill. I must say that their pork barbecue is to die for!
After dinner, we went shopping around the mall where Jen and I went crazy at the Guess shop. As usual, the staff were so friendly and attentive. The dude who assisted me was actually pretty cute although I wouldn’t be surprised if he was gay since he seemed to know which style suited me the most! Haha
The 3 of us didn’t get back to the hotel until around midnight. We decided that we needed to be up and ready to go by 3am as we had a 5am flight to Tacloban the next day...well let’s just say that didn’t actually go according to plan.
As soon as we got back to the hotel we fixed our luggage which took quite a bit of time. We then decided to put our face masks on courtesy of Watsons. The chemicals in the masks must have seriously gotten to our brains as we could not stop laughing for 30 minutes straight. We were having so much fun that we didn’t realise that we only had an hours sleep at the most before we had to leave for the airport, so we decided to call it a night. Cat set her alarm for 2am whilst I set mine for 3.30am. In my sleep deprived state, I totally forgot the consensus of leaving the hotel at 3am.
An hour later Cat’s alarm went off but we all slept through it, my 3.30am alarm then went off and that’s when we all jumped out of our beds and started hurriedly getting ready. It took us just under half an hour to leave the hotel.
Seeing as we were only a minute away from the airport we got there really early and waited for our flight. Meanwhile, we tried looking for my cousin Anya from Canada whom I was meeting for the very first time. We didn’t spot her until 10minutes before boarding time. She was really lovely and had a cool Canadian accent .
Day 2 - Catbalogan
When we touched down in Tacloban my uncle Ernie picked us up. It was a long 2.5 hour bumpy ride to Catbalogan which would be our destination for the next two nights.
Once we arrived in Catbalogan we, or I didn’t at least, have much time to rest as my auntie’s silver wedding anniversary was commencing within the next 2 hours. I was a bridesmaid and I had yet to try my dress on which was especially tailored for me. Unfortunately, the dress ended up being too big for me, which wasn’t all that surprising considering I had recently lost 4kgs. My auntie quickly grabbed me and we went to the nearest tailors. Unfortunately they were back to back with alterations so couldn’t attend to my dress urgently. Fortunately, we found a tailor who obliged to alter the dress for me.
A short while later, my auntie took my friends & I to the beauty salon so we could get our hair, makeup and mani & pedi done.
As there were only two staff available we had to alternate. I was first up in the makeup & hair department whilst Jen got her mani and pedi done. Once my makeup was completed I then got my mani and pedi, and Cat got her hair & makeup done, and so fourth. I should probably stop here and mention that I specifically asked for “soft curls” for my hair, so once I was getting my mani and pedi done the curlers stayed in my hair. 45 minutes later I started getting restless as I realised we only had 15minutes left before the ceremony was to begin. I then started tugging on the curlers and one by one unveiled extremely thick curly curls. Once all the curlers were out I looked at myself in the mirror and tried hard to hold back the tears. I looked like a member of the desperate housewives! The hairdresser must have sense d my distress as he stopped working on Jen’s hair and quickly attended to mine. The owner then came out and started tending to my hair as well, trying in vain to flatten out the ridiculous curls. By the end of it I gave up and left abruptly. Yes I was pissed and naturally I didn’t have to fork out a peso for the hair. Hah! This was just as well as I was so close to murdering the bakla who did my hair!
Back at the hotel we were staying at, my auntie gave me the altered bridesmaid dress which she had picked up while we were at the beauty salon. I tried on the dress and my initial reaction was SH*T! I got it altered to fit me better and it ended up being unbreathable tight! I had no choice and dealt with it. The solution being not zipping the dress all the way up. Thank goodness I had long hair!
Once we arrived at the church I was hauled over to the rest of the entourage congregating near the entrance of the church, ready to walk down the aisle.
Let me just stop here by saying that the church was absolutely beautiful and breathtaking! One of the things I love about the Philippines is that it has amazing and grandiose churches!
We have arrived in Manila. Liz went off with her nan & pop whilst the 3 of us – Cat, Jen & I were greeted by a middle aged man - a staff of Manila airport hotel, where we were booked to stay the night. He requested for a nice van to pick us up and take us to the hotel as he had “beautiful women” with him LOL. How flattering and hilarious.
The hotel was OK...I guess... for an overnight stay if you have an early flight the next day, which was exactly our case.
Cat’s auntie and uncle then picked us up and took us to Mall of Asia for a lovely dinner at Gerry’s Grill. I must say that their pork barbecue is to die for!
After dinner, we went shopping around the mall where Jen and I went crazy at the Guess shop. As usual, the staff were so friendly and attentive. The dude who assisted me was actually pretty cute although I wouldn’t be surprised if he was gay since he seemed to know which style suited me the most! Haha
The 3 of us didn’t get back to the hotel until around midnight. We decided that we needed to be up and ready to go by 3am as we had a 5am flight to Tacloban the next day...well let’s just say that didn’t actually go according to plan.
As soon as we got back to the hotel we fixed our luggage which took quite a bit of time. We then decided to put our face masks on courtesy of Watsons. The chemicals in the masks must have seriously gotten to our brains as we could not stop laughing for 30 minutes straight. We were having so much fun that we didn’t realise that we only had an hours sleep at the most before we had to leave for the airport, so we decided to call it a night. Cat set her alarm for 2am whilst I set mine for 3.30am. In my sleep deprived state, I totally forgot the consensus of leaving the hotel at 3am.
An hour later Cat’s alarm went off but we all slept through it, my 3.30am alarm then went off and that’s when we all jumped out of our beds and started hurriedly getting ready. It took us just under half an hour to leave the hotel.
Seeing as we were only a minute away from the airport we got there really early and waited for our flight. Meanwhile, we tried looking for my cousin Anya from Canada whom I was meeting for the very first time. We didn’t spot her until 10minutes before boarding time. She was really lovely and had a cool Canadian accent .
Day 2 - Catbalogan
When we touched down in Tacloban my uncle Ernie picked us up. It was a long 2.5 hour bumpy ride to Catbalogan which would be our destination for the next two nights.
Once we arrived in Catbalogan we, or I didn’t at least, have much time to rest as my auntie’s silver wedding anniversary was commencing within the next 2 hours. I was a bridesmaid and I had yet to try my dress on which was especially tailored for me. Unfortunately, the dress ended up being too big for me, which wasn’t all that surprising considering I had recently lost 4kgs. My auntie quickly grabbed me and we went to the nearest tailors. Unfortunately they were back to back with alterations so couldn’t attend to my dress urgently. Fortunately, we found a tailor who obliged to alter the dress for me.
A short while later, my auntie took my friends & I to the beauty salon so we could get our hair, makeup and mani & pedi done.
As there were only two staff available we had to alternate. I was first up in the makeup & hair department whilst Jen got her mani and pedi done. Once my makeup was completed I then got my mani and pedi, and Cat got her hair & makeup done, and so fourth. I should probably stop here and mention that I specifically asked for “soft curls” for my hair, so once I was getting my mani and pedi done the curlers stayed in my hair. 45 minutes later I started getting restless as I realised we only had 15minutes left before the ceremony was to begin. I then started tugging on the curlers and one by one unveiled extremely thick curly curls. Once all the curlers were out I looked at myself in the mirror and tried hard to hold back the tears. I looked like a member of the desperate housewives! The hairdresser must have sense d my distress as he stopped working on Jen’s hair and quickly attended to mine. The owner then came out and started tending to my hair as well, trying in vain to flatten out the ridiculous curls. By the end of it I gave up and left abruptly. Yes I was pissed and naturally I didn’t have to fork out a peso for the hair. Hah! This was just as well as I was so close to murdering the bakla who did my hair!
Back at the hotel we were staying at, my auntie gave me the altered bridesmaid dress which she had picked up while we were at the beauty salon. I tried on the dress and my initial reaction was SH*T! I got it altered to fit me better and it ended up being unbreathable tight! I had no choice and dealt with it. The solution being not zipping the dress all the way up. Thank goodness I had long hair!
Once we arrived at the church I was hauled over to the rest of the entourage congregating near the entrance of the church, ready to walk down the aisle.
Let me just stop here by saying that the church was absolutely beautiful and breathtaking! One of the things I love about the Philippines is that it has amazing and grandiose churches!
I was quickly introduced to my long lost relatives and was just as quick to forget their names. It was then time for us to walk down the aisle when it was suddenly realised that my Partner was missing! Grrr! Oh the humiliation at the prospect of having to walk down the aisle all by myself without anyone linked in my arms! LOL. Fortunately he appeared a second before the walk and all was going smoothly until we got to the very end of the pews and didn’t exactly know what to do. Turns out we both weren’t present for the rehearsal. Luckily my cousin pantomimed what we had to do and where we had to stand.
The ceremony went on for an excruciating 1.5 hours. If it didn’t in real life it certainly felt like it. To make it worse the church wasn’t air conditioned so not only was I dying of heat exhaustion, but add lack of oxygen from my too tight dress, sleep deprivation and not to mention boredom to the mix and you have a seriously bad kebab combination. So I guess I could be forgiven for falling asleep for much of the service. Now don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t purposely being rude. I mean it was so sweet and all, the couple renewing their vows and still madly in love 25 years later. The fact that the couple was also family certainly added that fuzziness feeling to the whole celebration, but who can honestly admit that the best part about weddings is the ceremony? Moreover, whether it’s Catholicism or just the filo culture, I don’t understand how wedding ceremonies or renewal of vows could take that long? Surely a question of “do you or don’t you” is enough to bind a man and woman in marriage? Do we really need all that hoopla of what God said about how a man and woman should live as a married couple? Now I’m probably sounding so sacrilege right now (or some would say cynical) but does anyone seriously listen? Well, it didn’t come as a surprise when the bride suddenly fainted. That brought me (and possibly everyone else) out of my sleep reverie as there was a sudden hustle and bustle by the altar. Seriousness aside, the hilarity of the situation was this happened during the communion. All the while, the priest continued giving communion completely oblivious to the commotion happening behind him.
Now all jokes aside, thank the heavens the bride recovered from her dizzy spells with such elegance and grace that when the priest handing out the communal bread finally turned around there was no hint of what transpired behind him.
The ceremony ended with the wonderful couple giving each other “the kiss” and the whole church erupting with cheers and applauding.
At that moment, the atmosphere of the church was somewhat different, it was compounded with love and tears of joy as we witnessed and celebrated the 25year union of two amazing people with their 3 beautiful children. Even though I hardly took any of the ceremony in, I couldn’t help but smile and be extremely happy for the blissful couple. As I walked out of the church, I couldn’t help but think that when the time comes, I hope that I too, would still be madly in love and happily married to my future husband 25 years on...and ever after :-)
Life is so mundane after coming back from holidays...
So I am back in Sydney and suffering from "post holiday depression" no kidding. I've never felt this low in my life apart from last year when I came back from Europe…. I feel somewhat disconnected… I have grown so accustomed to the 3 people I was attached hip to bone with for the past month. My companions. I miss them so much no matter how many times each one of them have irritated me (& vice versa!) LOL.
It was weird waking up this morning in my own bed without someone calling out "balot" at dawn, then hearing Jen's subsequent swearing of "SHUT the F* UP!", horns blaring endlessly, children laughing and playing, the sound of jeepneys & the roosters cooing. And of course just as weird as not hearing Imelda & Kuya Landons loud voices downstairs, Liz's & Jen's snores as well as Cat's daily early showers. Hahaha. (Cue music - Hinahanap hanap kita Manila ang inggay mo kay sarap sa tengga, mga jeepney mong nag liliparang!)
Well, as melancholy as it sounds, only time will help settle me back into the "real world". One thing's for certain though. I now know for sure that I am not nearing to settling anytime soon, not that that was much of an option ayways LOL but I've come to realise that there is so much more to explore and do before the inevitable…. Lah lah lah is it obvious much that my head is still in cloud 9? I did spend the whole day yesterday up in the sky!
Anyways, I'll post more later about my holidays to the best of my recollection, bearing in mind that there were a lot of days where I was extremely intoxicated so apologies in advance for any haziness.
"till next time!
It was weird waking up this morning in my own bed without someone calling out "balot" at dawn, then hearing Jen's subsequent swearing of "SHUT the F* UP!", horns blaring endlessly, children laughing and playing, the sound of jeepneys & the roosters cooing. And of course just as weird as not hearing Imelda & Kuya Landons loud voices downstairs, Liz's & Jen's snores as well as Cat's daily early showers. Hahaha. (Cue music - Hinahanap hanap kita Manila ang inggay mo kay sarap sa tengga, mga jeepney mong nag liliparang!)
Well, as melancholy as it sounds, only time will help settle me back into the "real world". One thing's for certain though. I now know for sure that I am not nearing to settling anytime soon, not that that was much of an option ayways LOL but I've come to realise that there is so much more to explore and do before the inevitable…. Lah lah lah is it obvious much that my head is still in cloud 9? I did spend the whole day yesterday up in the sky!
Anyways, I'll post more later about my holidays to the best of my recollection, bearing in mind that there were a lot of days where I was extremely intoxicated so apologies in advance for any haziness.
"till next time!
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