my Christmas/birthday gift to myself.
------

i don't really want anything material - am happy with what i have now. all i want is to travel the world, and that is what exactly i am giving myself this year. its a trip to seoul, with ryan, cheryl and franco on the 26th to the 30th of December. i am really excited about this trip since i have been hooked watching korean series since way back then. also, its the first time in my life, that i will experience major winter, that's why i need to browse and look for some major winter clothes.


the city is very much alive, i have to witness that first hand.


going to their temples, is definitely part of the itinerary.


things i want to do:
1. go to some historical places - palace, etc.
2. see some snow - or go to some part of korea where there is snow.
3. get a haircut in korea
4. buy something for the house
5. eat at their food stalls
6. have some kimchi and bibimbop
7. visit their night market
8. city tour
9. get korea and seoul ref magnets

things i need:
1. face and body moisturizer - obee will provide.
2. lip balm - obee will provide me with this too.
3. thermal undergarments - i have to buy.
4. need to change money - KOREAN WON!!

--

speaking of Christmas, i have to save up, really... and i feel so poor, in cash though and not in spirit. things that i need to prioritize this christmas:

1. i promised to buy my family - home theater system (the whole thing) and i just found out how much it costs last night, its like 1 months pay, but its all good, its for my family. i just have to tell them, that it will cost them christmas and bday presents in 2010. haha!

2. i have to buy gifts for my godsons and goddaughter - i have 3 now: e, chuy and chuchay.

3. i have to show appreciation and buy small gifts (they have helped us thru the worst drama in our life):
- auntie dawna
- domi
- yaya dolly
- ate bona
- tita bebs/SY family
- manang gilda
- ate glenda
- ninang judy
- ako aida/marj/twing/ahya mike

*its just a small token, saying that i truly appreciate things that they have done for our family, i am planning that those stuff will come with a card expressing gratitude.

anyway, i am booked to fly back in manila on the 22nd of December. YEAY!!!

thank GOD for weekends.
------

i was at home the whole weekend, i felt like i needed to rest and recuperate. yesterday, i popped in some biogesic and vitamin c - cause i feel so hot, and my body was just aching. thank GOD, mech called and reminded me to take some herbal tea, which i did remember one of my local friends telling me, that when you feel "heaty" - you have to drink that. so when i went down to buy lunch, i bought 2 cans and gulping the last one while am typing this post.

i wish that there would be 4 day work weeks, won't that be fun? well, it doesn't make a difference if you to come in to work as well. oh anyway, am talking nonsense.

so currently, am a couch potato, watching full house, am on the 5th to the last episode, i have been watching since last night. i have to say, i really didn't expect it to be this funny, i keep on laughing. anyway, i recommend people to see the series, its cute, quirky and funny. :)

i have lots of thoughts to share, but i have to compose them and structure them properly for the next entry, i might sound all over the place, with news am excited to share. hahaha! till the next post.

back from bangkok.
-----

i am currently sitting here on my bed, and typing this post, i have to get ready later on as i am meeting mech, and uncle jeffson's family to grab dinner at NO SIGNBOARD in esplanade.

anyway, as promised from the last post, here are some photos from the hotel we stayed at - BANYAN TREE BANGKOK


the view from my rooms is fantastic, i actually like the whole layout of the place. i would design my room/ flat something like this.


living room area, you can even light up scented oil and sticks if you want to relax


i was sitting at the work table, when i took a picture of this. it was the most used furniture in the room for me.


the goose-feather pillow is the best.


do you like the spotlight above the bed? you can definitely use it for reading, and the good thing is, when you open that light, even if you just woke up, it doesn't hurt your eyes, fantastic isn't it?!


having a bath tub is a cheaper alternative to relax. did you know that the spa treatments at banyan tree costs from THB 3,500 to THB 10,000?!


thank you to jeni (indonesia counterpart), for sending me brownies. yeay!


i requested for this, but lo and behold - the other one she sent me was way better.

--

the most fun part of the trip was not even the training itself, it is that i met a lot of people across the region; spending time to share, laugh with my bosses; having lunch and coffee with my counterparts from thailand (this was really cool, i love the team there). meeting up with new and old clients. when people would ask me to chose where i want to live next here in south east asia, my answer is definitely bangkok. :)

bangkok
------

i arrived safely in bangkok at 8.35am, though it took me 45 minutes to an hour to get pass immigration. i couldn't believe the queue, it was so long though a lot of counters has already opened. i can just imagine the tourists coming in to bangkok on a sunday morning, i just wished manila would have the same number of tourists.

the flight was okay, i entertained myself by watching how i met your mother, and other comedy shows. i was sitting beside two young boys, when i say young, i mean 10 and below, they were siblings, and their parents sat at the other row. i saw the kid, getting the headset and put it in his bag, when he saw me looking at him, he smirked, and i made the "i-won't-tell" gesture. HAHA!

my hotel is beautiful, i took pictures but will upload it maybe when am back in singapore. i did work this morning, trying to finish some parts of the deck i was revising, and will be emailing over to my bosses later this evening - i have to go thru it one more time to ensure that everything is good to go, and that i have incorporated all changes.

i logged on in MSN to check whether some colleagues are here, but alas, i guess they were already out of the hotel and either exploring or hoarding in jatujak. after working, i went out and bought some sandwiches and returned to the hotel to have it for lunch. i slept thru the entire afternoon, since i really had no sleep the past few days, especially yesterday, and my schedule went something like this:

friday - went out of the office around 9.30pm to meet ryan and kristine to watch fame (ok, i didn't like the movie, and they invited me to relax since i was so stressed), and i commented that i should have just stayed back at the office to finish pending items. HAHA! i came home around 2am and slept.

saturday - i woke up at 10am to be in time for my badminton game with mech in bishan, after which, we watched dvd, and went to harbor front to meet carmen and reb. i haven't seen reb for quite some time, so i was thrilled to meet them up. we had steamboat, and it was good especially the laksa flavored one. we saw a movie called julie&julia - which was interesting (definitely better than fame). went to bed at around 2am.

sunday - woke up at around 4.30am to catch my super early flight to bangkok at 7.10am. trecilla, our office manager booked me at an super early flight since all the flights to bangkok was full. can you imagine that?! oh, am here for work actually, we have this digital training happening on monday to wednesday. supposedly, this program is called train the trainer, meaning fiona (starcom UK) is flying in to train us, and we will train our colleagues back. FYI. i was surprised that i was the one picked to go from the office, together with someone who am not very close to. i mean, i know for a fact that for these things, it should be manager and up, and i think am the only exception to that rule, since most of our counterparts from different regions are directors. i heard that our directors picked me to go. i appreciate it, i just didn't like the time frame that it happened, we are super busy with work back in singapore, and this is actually additional work on my end. i don't know whether to complain about this or not, but i have to accept and just be appreciative about it. whatever.

anyway, we are starting early tomorrow, 8.30am to be exact. am thinking of just ordering room service for dinner, take a hot bath and call it a day. wish me luck!

500 days of summer.
------

i went to the movies yesterday to watch 500 days of summer. i liked the movie, though i slept for a quick 10 seconds. HAHAHA! it was a very different movie, it was full of emotions, yet gives you hope at the end. it was like a not so happy yet happy ending kind of movie, if that even makes sense.

the rest of the sunday was composed of this:


i love donuts - and my favorite would be bavarian, boston creme and chocolate nut.


cheryl happy to have her donuts


cheryl and franco at dunkin donuts


cheryl was trying on this hat -- she looked like jan di (the girl from boys over flowers). hahaha!


cheryl, franco and i had fun buying and trying winter outfits. hahaha! we will go to a thermal wear sale really soon with ryan in kaki avenue.

--

anyway, am cooking my ramen lunch, and will meet mech in a while to watch tokyo sonata and have dinner with mech and sel. i hope this week will be a great one.

pasalubongs.
-----

i want to thank julette and joan for the pasalubongs they gave me. i love getting pasalubongs, because it shows the thoughtfulness of the person giving it to you.


julette got me limoncello, chocolates and a calendar from italy. they are lovely, and i can't wait to try the limoncello. its currently displayed in the office, and am trying to find the right time to drink it. salamat julette, you are the bestest.


joan came back last september to manila, from HCM - where she is working. she got me these favorite of her, coffee nuts or something like that. i must say joan, that i love cashew nuts better. but, thank you.


any little thing is truly appreciated by me. :)

--

am off to bangkok on sunday for some digital training, and will be back on thursday 29th. i just received my flight itinerary, its departing 7.15am on a sunday, and arriving around 830am in BKK (factoring in the time difference). what do i do in BKK that early? anyway, the only good thing there is at least i have the whole day to myself, am planning to get a massage from the hotel am staying at, check it out:


http://www.banyantree.com/en/bangkok/index.php

and the spa packages at

http://www.banyantree.com/bangkok/facilities/spa_main.php

so now, am thinking what else to do in BKK on a sunday? aside from having bruch and a massage. i don't want to spend money on this trip. i have a trip to save up for this coming december. wooohoo!!

LORD, hear our prayer
------

as the typhoon is nearing the Philippines - i hope, it moves away. i pray that Filipinos will be safe, with no casualties and additional damages will happen. its true what i have read - that the Filipino spirit is unbreakable, the faith we have in the LORD can never be taken away from us. the catastrophe can flood our homes and sweep our land, but never our spirit.

i pray and hope, everything back home will be okay.

--

update on world vision - i was able to convince 5 people to sign up to world vision, so i am short of 5 more people. thank you to helen, marianne, auntie dawna, domi and obee.

so people, please do sign up!! its just Php 600 per month. GO NA!