bump in the road

i'm left all alone in my thoughts and i suddenly recall this battle within me. struggling. contemplating. a few months back, i felt a small lump in my left breast. i only do random checks as i believed that not having been gifted with an abundant bosom, i have lower risk of tumors, lumps or even that big C. crooked thought right?! hahaha anyways, i was puzzled and a bit alarmed of what it might be. i talked to a friend with a similar situation. she told me to wait for a few weeks after i had my period and check again. i did. but it's still there. i kept on monitoring it. still the same size, i guess. same location. i think that should still be fine right. time went on. 5 months passed. my cousin told me to have it checked. im just too scared. it doesn't seem to grow or change anyways. maybe in time. i just hope and pray that it's nothing that cannot be cured. else, i think my guardian angel should just throw a brick at me, show himself and drag me to the doctor. hahaha

in that (stalker-like)moment!

it's been how many months and here's my published post... finally! haha i realized i have quite a number of drafts. i started.. but never get to finish. moving on, im irritated at the moment coz i have this 'stalker moment' again! jeez! i dont know if i should be flattered or not.. but deym! if they only look as good as lee min ho or park shi hoo... you would NOT hear me complain! hahaha (talk about discrimination!) on with the story..

i was on my home riding the tram. my friend left so the newly-vacant seat was now occupied with this middle-aged, indian-looking guy. he (let's call him A, how creative right? haha) and his friend (let's call him B for sure), seated at the back, were talking all the way. they can talk all they want, for all i care. even if they talk about me, i dont care too! 3/4 of the way, they moved seats and sat beside each other. that's a relief for me! i continued to stare out the window, listening to my ipod, but i could see from my peripheral view that B glanced at my direction twice. it's quite obvious as B had to look back. i was the only one in that direction. ok, that's still fine. no harm. im almost home. in my designated tram stop, i opted to alight later than other passengers, checking to see where A and B are headed. much to my luck.. and dismay, they also alighted in the same stop. ok, they can't help it if they live in the same area. instead of going straight home, i went to the grocery to buy something, and also with the hope of 'losing' them. BUT NO! i could still feel them following my tracks! grrrrrr!!! i focused on what i needed to buy, stopped at the water station and got my supply. with much kakapalan ng mukha from their side... B approached me with a leaflet on his hand, with a number printed. that's how i saw it. whatda?!?!?! i kept my cool, removed my earphones, faced him and said "can you please NOT follow me?!?!". and so like soldier, he retreated quickly. he should!!! or else, i would make a scene there! deym!!!

i could've threatened him by telling him to the police or sumthin. i was just sooo irritated those were the words that came out of me. i strolled for a few more minutes in the grocery, called my friend to keep me company, even on the phone. soon, i went to the counter but still nakikiramdam if they're still following me. i had to be cautious, paranoid even, coz they can know where i live. there's no security in our building so i had to be doubly cautious. now, back in the safety of my home, i heaved a sigh of relief. i dont know if i made a good approach, but my friends told me, the offensive strategy is better as to not give them any opportunity that i can welcome any of their advances. i gotta put police numbers in my speed dial.

dawg days are (almost) over

im feeling low just thinking that my vacay days are coming to an end. this means leaving pinas and going back to HK. :( if money is not an issue and i have work back home i wouldn't leave. well, i guess that's the situation for most people going abroad. sigh. i dont know if it's just because im on a break so i like my lifestyle here.. or what. but i just feel more relaxed and i can communicate better with more people. i miss having that stable support foundation - that outside work, i know i can talk to friends, spend time with family. it feels good to hangout with my younger cousins. they were sooo young then, but now, they handle drinks wayyyy stronger than i could. seriously. hhahaha i guess i grew out of it, as one friend said. let the young ones have fun. i had my time. it feels good to just reach out to them despite our big age difference. i would like to imbibe some good vibes to them given much more time. but i guess, this is enough for now.

i would miss my lazy lifestyle here. i dont miss doing household chores. haha but thankfully, while being away, i learned a few. i miss driving esp now that we have a few more cars to drive. but that would mean, mama asking me to pay for the additional car. tsk tsk! i hate to admit, but i will miss april, our dog. i havent carried her around yet but am able to give her a belly rub. tee-hee

'time you enjoyed wasting is not wasted'. if wasting means, not doing anything.. and i enjoyed every minute of it.. then so be it. it would've been better if it was more fruitful. hahaha meaning, if i looked for a job.. and fortunately got one. back to the drawing board for me.. on that one. for now, what matters most to me, is to happily spend my days.

going back to hk is not all sad though, coz i have some friends whom i truly miss. i look forward to merging in the same office location with them. i look forward to reconnecting with my newfound friends although they give me nosebleed hahaha it's easier to explore different cultures coz expats are everywhere. im still amazed at how vast the possibilities of meeting a person with exactly the opposite of who you are, what you believe in.

the day after yesterday

i ended yesterday on a not-so-good note. i overate, or lack thereof, i think. i had to go straight to the toilet to do my thing. that wasn't enough though. 3am, i was awaken by a stabbing pain in my stomach. and continued on till 6am. i remember thinking to myself, and praying that it will only last for that time. i was a bit cold though the aircon is not on. the menial air from the fan doesnt really give me any comfort either. lots of things immediately entered my mind. i didnt want to be THAT sick to rush myself to the hospital. i even thought that if i would be discharged, then i have to take care of EVERYTHING, from fixing my things, to the payment. hahaha overacting, la! but that is what will happen. i thought that those times, i called in sick at work finally bounced back on me. tsk tsk tsk! my thoughts are really wayyy overboard.. i know. when im not well, i think of a LOT of things. i even think, that i might die already.

that morning at work, i felt a little better but easy on the food intake. i still have pains but praying it to go away so i dont have to take any meds. i went home and didnt really ate much. the next day, i felt the pain growing more frequent. i decided to go to the doctor during lunch hour. i took the meds he gave (but not all of them haha). i was told to avoid oily foods and rice. fineee. the next day, i felt lighter. still no rice. i was missing my meds , not taking them on time. it wasn't on purpose. i would've taken sick leave, but opted not to. the pain is still there, and the involuntary churning sound in my stomach. i was given this meds for gas. lolz. im still trying to make pakiramdam my body.. so no alcohol for me. haha

facebook: message of the day

Ria got a message that on this day, God wants her to know...

... that every little part of you is magical.

Yes, even the parts that hurt, even the ones that are feeling disease right now. It's alright to love what is in pain. More than alright, that's exactly where your love is needed the most. So why not touch that part that hurts and smile at it, at yourself through it, and whisper: ''I love you.''

i got this message from facebook.. just coincidental with my previous post. i haven't actually said "i love you" to myself. i show my love in different ways - by giving myself gifts. hahaha in this way, though, my wallet is hurting.

7-8-9 = 30

yeppp, today is july 8 2009.

7-8-9.

happy anniversary to mama and papa! 30 years.. and more!

it felt like yesterday when they renewed their vows on their 25th year. my siblings, aunts and uncles TRIED to plan an impromptu renewal of wedding vows in an intimate setting - with close relatives and few friends. didn't realize it turned out to be quite a reunion of their own wedding 25 years ago. we contacted their ninongs, ninangs and entourage. it was simply nostalgic.. uhm, not for me of course.

my wish.. more years together.. maintain the sweetness in spite of the petite fights here and there.. ok?!?!

*hugs*

parting time

a friend will go back home after trying to find some work here in hk. it's not easy. i don't blame him if he does. better even, in some ways. if ever it will be my time to leave, i know i will miss this place.

--> i will miss having the room to myself. yep, i still share a room, technically, with my sister. but she's also abroad so if and when i go home, it's all mine. but since we're both away, april stays there.. i think.

--> i will miss slacking to my heart's content. hahaha

--> i will miss hui lau shan.. and other hk desserts. theirs is mostly fruit-inspired. those mini cakes, fruit or tea-based quenchers are enough to follow through lunch or dinner.

--> i will miss maple, in and out, update, in fashion, h&m, zara (cheaper here). i find solace with them. nyahahaha

ehhhh... STOP. it's always nice to go back home. guess i'll just cross the bridge when i get there.

oh my, it's july

time really flies soooo fast. it's already the second half of the year and looking back.. i wonder what i have done in my life. it's not even the time for making new year's resolutions or making plans for the year ahead, but i just had to stop and assess what has happened in the past months. hmmm... ninuninuniii... hmm.. i came up with nothing?!?! lolz. well, in fairness, some plans came through. some are left hanging.. waiting to be started. tsk tsk. some decisions are in progress, needing more consultation. all in all, what can you understand?? nothing, still? sigh. looks like stalling, eh? waiting for something to happen. i maybe babbling out nonsense here.. but this is my therapy. keeps me sane, keeps me focused still on why im holding on.

ohh, happy anniv to moi! 4 years in hk...already.

new macbook pro...

there's a new and improved macbook in the market! the difference with what i bought: it's cheaper, it has SD slot and firewire port, battery life is improved. arghhh. why couldn't i have waited??? why does mac do this in such a short span of time?? i know the difference may not be so obvious but the fact remains that i could have gotten all this, if i only waited for a few months. i pacify myself by thinking that i wont be really using the SD and firewire port. the battery life should be fine. cheaper... uhm, lets not go into that.

goodbye, jacko!

news of michael jackson's death circulated all over this morning. i got mine via SMS. of course i had to double check it on the internet. true enough, the sad news is just sudden, overwhelming. im not a very big fan but i appreciate his songs. his music has really huge following.. same goes with his personal life. i guess, it will be more emo for me whenever i sing "heal the world" in karaoke. hehehe

more on boys over flowers

oh.my. it's junpyo's birthday TODAY! hahaha he's 22 yo. even younger than my brother. kids nowadays are just mature physically.. for their age. hahaha HAPPY BIRTHDAY! i would've liked to greet him in facebook.. but i opted not to. i feel SOOO old already. well, i am. a little. ohh, we're under the same zodiac sign.. i think. i hope to see him in other series or movies. perhaps BOF 2? i know my fwends are having "nosebleed" already due to my never ending rave for BOF and junpyo, so i just indulge here.. in my very own space in WWW.

• woo bin - mafia prince hehehe i like the way he tries to be 'cool'. 
  
• yi jung - looove his instrumental version of "Do you know" when he tries to be the knight in shining armor of ga eul (jan di's friend). though he pretends to be a chickboy, you can tell that there's more to him. 
  
• ji hoo - the quiet, passive F4 member. he has his own mataray ways but once you get close to him, i like it when his expression turn from serious to smiley face. ohh, he looks better in black hair. he can sing and dance too with his boy group.
  
• jun pyo - bad-tempered yet loving leader of the group. i simply adore his ways of showing love for jan di. it may be grand for an ordinary person.. (i wouldn't mind GRAND, extravagant hahaha) but jan di's character is uncomfortable with that kind of treatment. 
  
• jan di - "lucky girl" hahaha in spite of her physical, financial hardships, she is fortunate to have friends and family who love and support her. she is loved by by many and that alone is a treasure that you can't compare with.
• finally, i understood and it's clear that ji hoo has romantic feelings for jan di. in the previous versions, the sentiments of hua ze lei and hanazawa rui were still vague. i cant fully comprehend if it's plain sympathy, or just friendship like that of best friends. in BOF, however, you can tell that ji hoo harbored romance with jan di mwehehehe

this manga already has 3 versions.. i wonder if HK will be next.. or pinas? hmm... hahaha

in mongkok after the acid attack

went to mongkok the other night to accompany my friend buy some stuff.  in the process of course, i got myself a few.  walking in mongkok area made us more paranoid because of the recent events of acid throwing by some still unknown perpetrators.  this, however, didn't dampen our spirits in going from one store, stall to another, looking for some good finds.  true enough, we found (and bought) "essentials" from sephora and sincere. hehehe

in a span of six months, if im not mistaken, there have been 3 cases of the same incident in mongkok.  the police is taking measures from putting up multi million surveillance cameras to increasing the reward for any information that can lead to the suspect.  and just recently, a pinoy family of vacationers also fell victim.  if this continue, hk tourism may be affected.  shoppers in mongkok's ladies market may have to bargain between their safety and a few deals.

hongkong primary, kindergarten, nursery schools close for 2 weeks

hongkong confirmed its first local case of swine flu.  a student in a school in causeway bay contracted the disease locally.  meaning, she has not come in contact with any person who travelled.  so chief exec donald tsang immediately seconded the move of shutting down primary schools for a fortnight.  it's already nearing the end of classes and also with timing, the exams will have to be administered some time.  hongkong, last i know, has 46 confirmed cases... hopefully we can still manage to minimize the spread as much as we can.  

now that WHO already declared pandemic alert, it's best to be cautious, not be lax about our health.  im not saying confine yourself to your room and isolate yourself from the world.  just be safe and be aware, know your body and have yourself checked once signs are showing.  you are not only doing this for yourself but also for the people you come in contact with. 

in the philippines, i read that there "should be no cause for alarm" even when count reached 77.  right... we don't wanna put panic into the minds of the millions of people in our country.  however, when the WHO is the one who will eventually declare pandemic alert in pinas... can DOH still ignore otherwise?? 

when archie marries veronica

huwattt??!?!?!

i grew up with archie and the gang comics. as a kid, i loved the simple yet colorful characters of the riverdale heights students. the classic love triangle with veronice-archie-betty in the lead is endearing because it's like a see-saw of events and you're not sure who archie will fall in love... really. although i felt that he's leaning more to veronica, i still hoped that he'll see much more of betty's inate personality. BUT, now that the makers already sent this teaser.. i guess there should be no more room for hope, eh?

i like veronica.. just not as much as i like betty. especially that ronnie seems to have the world at her feet, rich guys swooning over her, she can have anything she wants. does she really love archie? does archie really love veronica and not just blinded by his own masochism? haha i just pity him when veronica will temporarily dumps him for other guys. will little charming betty stand in the sidelines to see her friends' love for each other be consummated? we'll just have to see when the comics hit newsstands by september (if i got it right).

whatever the ending is, it should be that marriage be celebrated between 2 people who love each other truely, sincerely, unconditionally. who are we to stop true love?

shih tzu in our home

april, as mama coined her very creative name, has been with us since... you guessed it... april.  she was given by lolo pilo after having the mom give birth to 7 pups.  as my friends know, im not really fond of dogs.  not a pet lover also.  i just admire them from afar and i would not miss them in my life.  im even scared of dogs coz my bro got bitten by a ravaging doggie when he was kid.  and during those times, we were all afraid of THIS same dog coz we know that if he's out of his cage, all of us would just run for our lives. hahaha 

we had 2 pet dogs before: 1) sirius - that's his name. i dont know why.  when we moved in to our house ages ago he has his own place in the house coz we're all afraid of him.  eventually, mama told papa to let go of the dog.  too bad for him, he was the pulutan during an inuman session.. yaiks!  2) lady valerie - female, i suppose.  papa named her after this musical group, i think.  she was given to us a pup german shepherd.  as in so small, she can fit in a shoe box.  papa took care of her... i dont know how but after a while she died... the diagnosis, she swallowed a chicken bone.  

i guess our love for animals , dogs at that, is evident.  that's why i was surprised when mama agreed to take april in.  besides being a gift, having a toy dog isnt so bad after all.  the first time i saw her, i was just awwww.  i saw her in the webcam looking all meek and mild and cute while bro is holding her.  the fact that bro is also fond of her, endeared me all the more.  i felt betrayed by my own partiality to this lil creature.  hahaha  bro would tell me stories about how he's grooming her, walking her at night and how she sleeps at night... in our room.. hope not in my bed though.  

delamar's brain farts

i was inspired by del's may 11 post in her blog....

• "you just want someone to be on your side…maybe not to fight for you but just to be there to hold your hand when you’re done fighting for yourself…"
  
• "like an outsider looking in when I see how happy my friends are..."
  

she speaks so openly and direct.  that's just so brave of her.  to open one's self to vulnerability.  to expose yourself to the entire blogosphere your emotions.  to recognize that you're lonely amidst the love of people who surrounds you because you know you yearn for more.  in spite of all this, she maintains a happy disposition, dealing with whatever life throws at her, knowing that happiness is now a choice.  

h1n1 quarantine end for affected hk hotel guests

the week-long quarantine for mexican swine flu patient, along with 283 metropark hotel guests in wanchai, has ended tonight, may 8.  this is a welcome news to them, included were 4 filipinos billeted in the hotel for some RnR.  this is good news not only to them but also to people in hk because we don't have to be uber paranoid roaming around.  i guess hk is h1n1-free, for now?  still, i believe authorities are vigilant especially in visitors coming in from affected countries.  overall, it seems the virus is contained and hopefully, all other infected areas and sick people will recover from this ordeal.  

hk weather promises to be a beautiful one in the coming days, i would like to go out and explore... wanchai? hahaha

off to dubai-4

in dubai......

1 - weather is hot. humid.  and i learned that when it's cold. it's really cold. ergo, weather is extreme.

2 - having your own car is helpful to go around the city.  public transport is only bus or by taxi.  their buses are not so frequent and not that efficient.  they don't have subways or train stations.  it will only be available later this year.

3 - there are no poor locals.  no local holds a blue-collar job.  everytime i see a woman dressed in abaya, i would think, "this girl is rich".  and when i would see a woman covered in abaya from head to foot, face included, i would say to myself "this married woman is rich" hehehe they said that only their husbands can see their faces.

4 - a lot of construction is going on.   i dont know if many were suspended due to the crisis.

5 - even husband and wife are discouraged to be 'affectionate' in public.  no holding hands even.

6 - pakistani men likes boys... nyahahaha

an indoor life-size aquarium inside DUBAI MALL, the biggest (but unfinished) in dubai

sand everywhere.. scenery before our DUNE BASHING...

we had to fill up before THE ride...

articulated bus as means of transport

palm trees?  inside dxb international airport

off to dubai-3

the next days, we joined a tour - DHOW cruise and DESERT safari.  it was Good Friday, and to attend to our duties, we heard mass in the lone Catholic Church in the vicinity - St Mary's Catholic Church.  it was hot and humid and most of all, crowded.  good thing there was this adjacent basketball court to cater to the throngs of people.

the DHOW and ABRA (water taxi) both traverse the dubai creek.  the former is a sailing vessel used by earlier settlers as means of trade (for dates and fish) while the ABRA is a means of transportation to avoid traffic congestion in the major bridges of the city. now, the DHOW is used for tourism to let visitors enjoy the view from the creek. the cruise, which lasts for 2 hours includes dinner with a view.  but, im not sure i enjoyed the food though. hehehe

DESERT safari includes hotel pickup, dune bashing, henna tattooing, abaya photo op, belly dancing show and dinner.  food was better here.  i love the arabic bread and the BBQ chicken. realized i dont have the taste for lamb, mutton BBQ.

our campsite area

i was soooo relieved to finally get to our destination because the DUNE BASHING is taking its toll on me.  after the first half of being tossed left and right, up and down my seat in the car, i felt a bit nauseous already.  the 3 of us rode at the back and even with my seatbelt on, i couldnt stop myself from bumping with others.  it was more than a roller coaster ride, more than i could take! hahaha at least for a theme park ride, it only lasted for a few minutes but this one... takes you on what seems like FOREVER!  i grew quiet as time went, coz im not feeling good anymore.  thank goodness, before i even reached my limit, we reached the campsite.  boy, was i so thankful.  however, i was too drained to even ride the camel (kaya pichur nalang) and try the sheesha.  

during the latter part of dinner, of course there was belly dancing... and more dancing.  i prayed we didnt have to endure that same dune bashing experience coz it was already night time and drivers wouldn't dare under such situation... but no! they still opted for one last hurrah... good thing, it lasted only a minute plus the paved road is actually nearby.  whew!

off to dubai-2

dubai international airport reminds me of singapore.  i guess, it's because of the print of the carpet(?), the size of the arrival area, and the enclosed seating area in the boarding gate.  noticeable too, is the palm tree(?) indoor.  it was 5am when we arrived so we lingered a little in the airport, got a cab and checked in at 7am in at the hotel apartment in bur dubai. 

we ate breakfast, rested then headed out to meet rose.  we also met with gcel and jobert.  super thanks to them we have transportation to go around.  if not, we would've taken the cab from one place to another.  i learned that you CANNOT just walk, even if it SEEMS near, in the map.  dubai is nOt a walkable city, in that sense.  of course, the tour wouldn't be complete without the classic backdrop... BURJ AL ARAB, the 7-star hotel.  

went to SOUK MADINAT, a sosy tiangge nearby. but we still had to take the car.  saw some souvenir items.  i was warned not to buy coz cheaper stuff can be bought elsewhere.  and true enough, we found affordable items in KARAMA, ala divi in pinas.  we had dinner in MALL OF THE EMIRATES.  visited the SKI DUBAI for some photo op.  haha and while walking around, window shopping, rose, jobert and gcel were surprised to see a familiar face - sheik MAKTOUM.  (i hope i got the name right.)  he's the highest ruler in dubai and the 2nd highest in the UAE.  

after dinner, we headed to JUMEIRAH Beach residences (where gcel's office is) for coffee.  shempre, starbucks. hehehe from here, we can get a glimpse of ATLANTIS, another star hotel in dubai located in PALM JUMEIRAH, this is the reclaimed area built to be a luxurious residential area because you can have your very own.... beachfront! right!

after some catching up, jobert and gcel dropped us at our hotel.  kahiya, coz it was already late and momi gcel and her baby are still up. hehe but anyways... thanks soo much!

off to dubai-1

our midnight flight to dxb gave me enough time to work in the morning, go home, get my stuff and head to the airport to meet my bro, who flew in from manila. we checked in online to at least guarantee that we'd be sitting beside each other. checking in cathay was a breeze. immigration, customs are not a problem. i prepared my documents just in case i would be held for questioning. bro was stalled in NAIA for some time (good thing he was in the airport early). there was this visa checker making sure all necessary papers are available. she asked why bro only have the photocopy of the visa... and why he was issued that type of visa. she even showed sample visa papers from previous passengers.  bro called my sis in dubai to clear up the misunderstanding.  eventually, the visa checker conceded, "sige sir, kayo na po bahala sa immigration dyan sa papers nyo".  uhm, of course, who else would take care of it?!  so off he went to immigration... not even one question!  

transit in HK

fast forward to meeting in hk international airport... bro was still fuming about his encounter at the NAIA.  hahaha i got a bit naririndi over his repeated rants and so we just opted to eat and googled the directions to our hotel.  finally, boarding time!  

the flight lasted for about 9 hours, arriving dubai at 5am.  i wasnt bored coz there are a lot of things to keep you busy just with the cabin entertainment.  i just found it hard to fully rest by just sitting.  but that didnt stop me from being excited to explore.  we hailed an airport taxi to go to the hotel.  the drive was a sight to see with wide, clean roads and architectural structures, which i later learned are malls. hahaha  now, that's interesting.  so much to explore, so little time.