christmas in hk

i asked an officemate if they celebrate christmas at all. they dont. grinches? well, not really. it's the same as we dont make a big fuss over their chinese new year. (except for the lai see-giving, i like!) fact is, christmas is actually a religious celebration -- birth of Christ, lest we forget. chinese christians are a minority, all over the world. given that and being a foreigner in their country, guess i cant question their grinch-like attitude after all.

i miss christmas in pinas. let me count the ways.
1) daily simbang gabi, although i havent dutifully attended it because of laziness to wake up early
2) smell of inihaw that papa usually prepares for our reunions
3) sound of caroling-ers who visit the house or by children who just approach our car when the stop sign is on.
4) hearing the christmas eve mass with my family and watching the mini-fireworks show in our village
5) wrapping christmas presents to my godsons/goddaughters and putting them under our christmas tree
6) i miss being visited by my godsons/goddaughters (even though they only visit me during that time... of course i asked them to perform first before i give them their gifts hahaha)
7) my family's 'tradition' where we all shout "we want !!!" and then that person has no choice but to take the 'throne', and people will start lining up and be given money. ergo, he should be prepared to have enough bills for EVERYONE.
8) seeing lights and decors adorn the major thoroughfares of makati, manila, quezon city, ortigas while passing by

'tis the season

frankly speaking, i had to remind myself that the holidays are just around the corner so i can greet my fellow pinoys in the office. maybe it's partly because:

(1) we have scheduled deployment on the 24th and 31st of december -- that should keep me 'distracted'
(2) christmas and new year are not so biggie here compared with chinese new year.
(3) i DONT hear any christmas song, of course la!
(4) no christmas party in the office
(5) no christmas tree in the building lobby

somehow, i think, these reasons (or excuses) help me get through this festive season not sulking and missing home. maybe next year....

pinoy pride: charice pempengco

another filipino made us very proud recently. a young lass at that. 15-year-old charice pempengco. she guested in ellen DeGeneres' show (videos you can check out in youtube) dec19. how did this happen? well, ellen reportedly saw this video from youtube of charice singing in a korean variety show, star king (ala eat bulaga in pinas). in one of ellen's episode, she also featured this video in Ellen and expressed her desire to have her as a guest. and so it was.

wow. its all i can say too while watching charice's guesting. besides her all out singing performance, i was amazed. some people push their luck just to have that taste of international exposure. fortunately for charice, sheer talent and recognition from her audience, she's living her dream.

watching her videos, interviews, she strikes as a charming, energetic, bubbly girl with lots of guts, talent and confidence. she strikes me as more aggressive than her ate sarah (geronimo, well not really biological). most of her songs though are on the birit side - ranging from whitney, mariah, christina and beyonce renditions. sometimes, i feel a bit stressed out. still, not a shrieking banshee. haha oh, she reminds me of gladys reyes when she talks.

one of my fave videos of her is her guesting in star king. nice! her entrance made an impact already until the very end of her performance. making those korean hotties scream. PLUS! she got to sing with this cute guy, kyu hyun. when he opened his mouth to sing.. wow too!

here's charice's performance in star king. one of her many.

the music of faith (cuneta)

i came across this version of 'come what may' - an original of air supply on fino's mp3 player. usually, the songs i just listen to are pop songs.. those that im familiar of and i like the singer. however, hearing this song for the first time was refreshing. it was 'clean and clear' for me. "come what may - faith cuneta", the display shows. it was 'clean and clear'. clean - not so much kulots, nginigs. clear - broadway-like. you know, the stuff ala lea salonga. (there goes my musicality. hahaha) inspite of the high notes, birits, she still has control to not sound like a shrieking banshee.

the song itself conveys a beautiful message and bringing it to life by faith made it more appealing. definitely, i'd like to hear more from her. i've heard before, she was rumored to be using sharon cuneta's last name to ride the latter's popularity. with her voice and a loyal following to boot, this is where faith begins.

my R4 is in traditional chinese

that's what i understand from the explanation of kuya jay. i went to his place tonight and asked his help - turns out my R4 is in traditional chinese so i had to copy the same file types instead of the english one.
alter ego: ahhhhh okai! why wasnt i informed by the seller that?!
alter: it's my fault! i didnt ask!
alter ego: why didnt he volunteer the information?!
alter: it's the default R4 version sold here.
alter ego: still! i asked the guy in english! i talked to him more to ask some questions. he couldve known i dont speak their language!

'nuff said.

thanks kuya jay! i can now play mappy! haha and mario kart. *happy face*

how to configure: revolution for DS

waaaa my first rant about my new toy: i cant configure the R4. *SO sad face* i was scouring through the stalls of 188 center in wanchai and found a cheap R4 + memory card, well 30hkd cheaper. i immediately grabbed it, got my DS from my bag, placed it on the counter expecting the guy to install, configure it for me. but instead, he coldly pushed the R4 and memory card boxes to me. i asked him what do i put where.. and he just pointed this to that. eh?!!! i didnt bother to ask more coz i feel un-welcome enough. maybe because i didnt purchase the entire DS from them and they only sold 'cheap' stuff from me. coz my fwends bought theirs in the area too, the complete package with some freebies pa. and then, when i bought a screen protector, i thought mounting it on the screen is some sort of service.. yeah, right! with a service fee! 20hkd. huwatt?! the next thing left to try is the adaptor.

my new toy: nintendo DS in metallic rose

i guess you will hear never ending raves (too early to rant) about my new toy. again, thanks to my cousin.. actually my aunt who gave in to my constant whining. hahaha i still havent gotten to tinker with it yet coz i have a lot of things to buy: mem card (1gb? 2gb?), R4 (just wonderful), casing, screen protector, adaptor, to name a few. thanks to my ISI pals who opened me to the world of DS multiplayer. i had my first experience using theirs. haha now im eager to play mario kart, ouendan, doctor thingy ? and of course, mappy! lolz, old school me! oh, and i love the nintendogs sign too.

happy 12th of december

happy birthday papa!
my gift to him.. pay for his debts.. well, part of it at least. though it's not that big, my original gift to him is still smaller than what he owes. i would've liked it better if he used it for his personal needs but i guess, it will just go to his IOUs. i hope it helps somehow especially, the peso is stronger nowadays.. else, he has no one to run to but mama.. but not without the scolding, etc. hehehe

still, happy birthday to my dearest father! mwah mwah mwah!

happy birthday, merry christmas to me?!
i got my own gift too! after months of pestering my cousin to buy me an iPhone.. she got me a Nintendo DS lite! haha since i wasnt so sure how an iPhone would fare here in HK.. if i could even use it here, i prodded her to giving me a DS lite. and finally, i have one too! delivered in my office. priority mail.


initially, it was more of a guilt trip. telling her that while most of my relatives back home are receiving gifts from them, i have none. when the last balikbayan box came, they got stuff, while i got a DVD rip of devil wears prada. all that was really nothing more for me than a playful banter. but i guess, i got to her coz everytime we would talk i would always part our conversation with "dont forget my DS for christmas", "save up for my DS". hehehe then recently, she just casually said, "ok, wait for it". yey! after i learnt that, i was now bugging her if it's really true or she's just playing with me. anyhoo, i told her to send it to me in time for christmas. haha (now im not too demanding right?) one morning, i was dragged out of slumber. someone is asking my address. oh, yeah, my cousin. i have to say it right despite being half-asleep.

my new toy
it's still in the box since i really cant use it yet. i still have things to buy to prep it in game mode. haha in short, i want to look for family-computer type games. haha old-fashioned? if you have other games, let me know!

DS in transit

one of the things i look forward to this holidays is my Nintendo DS lite. yey! i got to convince my cousin to give me one! thanks pretty cuz! as of writing, it's in transit according to fedex. can't wait to make kutingting my new toy. haha

hk bus companies propose fare hike

INFLATION is just everywhere. while MTR-KCR fares went down a little, bus operators are proposing an increase. current bus fares, i believe, are reasonable. using octopus can even save you a few bucks. students and senior citizens pay half-priced fares. with this pending increase, i need to allot another dollar for transpo, instead of putting it for my food allowance. times like these, gotta tighten our belts more.

"Citybus and New World First Bus have followed rival Kowloon Motor Bus in its bid to increase fares.
Like KMB they blame soaring oil and operating costs for the proposed increases.
On Friday Citybus managing director Samuel Cheng Wai-po said it was facing pressure from rising costs.
"We are considering submitting an application to increase bus fares," he said. "However, we are still studying the percentage of the increase."
In September, KMB proposed to increase fares by 9 percent.
A Transport and Housing Bureau spokesman said it had not yet received an application from Citybus or First Bus.
The Transport Department is still considering a HK$1 fare increase proposal by taxi operators as well as KMB's application.

Citybus and First Bus have just introduced their first Euro 4 vehicle, which is able to reduce emissions by 80 percent compared to earlier models. It can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The company has spent HK$100 million on 28 of the double-decked buses.
Ten will run on the new B3 and B3X routes to Shenzhen Bay Port. Another 18 buses will replace old buses, with some in service by next week.
The bus company plans to buy about 300 of the latest eco-friendly buses in the coming five years, Cheng said."

series season enders

tis the end of the year, thus season enders.. guess the writers are on a break too - from strike ? hehe i guess i'll see the last episode of my fave shows, at least for this year. too bad for me coz il have to look for sumthin to keep me busy this holidays. spoilers ahead.

Heroes (s03ep11)
sylar is back! stupid dr suresh. how can he not use his wit to outdo that wicked warlock?! haha for this season.. the real hero.. is HIRO! yatta! the idea of putting adam to his place.. 6 feet under. just plain genius. haha

Prison Break (s03ep07)
what i recalled was.. james talking to amanda. whatda?! everything's a setup? well it usually is. the guy u somehow trusted is the same who will betray you. from the looks of it, that's how it will be. argh, and to think i felt sympathetic towards him. (not a good judge of character) maybe the brothers are better off with mahone or bellick?

Ugly Betty (s02ep09)
this is a light drama, comedy, love story. a breather from serious action, fantasy, sci-fi, mystery series i watch. i like the way claire and bradford meade reaffirmed their love for each other inspite of the many trials they faced before. a bittersweet ending though for the couple. as usual, the cunning wilhermina slater just couldnt take her hands off Mode magazine. until bradford meade's death, she still persists. well, we wouldnt know up to what extent until the next episodes.

CSI:NY (s04ep10)
taylor's 333 caller finally stepped up his game from anonymous calls to personally exacting revenge. by andy. he's jimmie's , mac's childhood friend, youngest brother. the episodes unravelling up to this last one are pieces of a puzzle waiting to be solved. the team collided head-on with the personal vendetta of a grief-torn brother.

my personal fave among csi ny eps is the one where they we're looking for the killer online - cyberworld. the victim was a popular avatar in that world. it's like so surreal and if there really exists that kind of 'world' - a parallel cyber universe.

i dont know if it's safe to mention here but i have to thank my ever-reliable broadband connection for those video streaming and file download... to those unselfish people who share their copies. because of them, i get to see all these. bless your hearts. hehehe

i wonder what shows i can stay tune next.. ahhh-mazing race asia 2! go team pinas! "u jump yourself!" LOLz.

2 girls 1 cup

the past days, i have been going gaga finding things about this video: 2 girls 1 cup. i found 2 girls 1 cup reactionS in youtube. the funniest ive seen so far, was that from grandma. hahaha now, just thinking about it put wide grin on my face! she's SO funny and cute. awww @ granny. you can search "2 girls 1 cup grandma" in youtube. the reactions made me all the more curious what the actual video is all about...

one sleepless night, i HAVE TO find it. and i did found it here. a few seconds in, and i cant continue. whatda?!!! i just know it's all about SHIT! i havent watched the full video yet. cause i think i have to prepare myself mentally for that. for now, i have to suffice to the reactions all over youtube muna.

yuan vs hkd

as of Sunday, Novemver 18, 2007 11:18pm local time

1 Chinese yuan = 1.04843744 Hong Kong dollars

what?!!! the last time i went to shenzhen, hkd is still a wee bit higher than yuan. i shouldnt be surprised. with the way the market is going (which i really dont know), expect the unexpected. should i be worried? should i panic now? in spite of this, the usd is still constant at 7.7hkd in money exchange shops. but the php is a striking low @ merely 1hkd=5.5php conservatively. im not familiar with the happenings, cause and effect of things in the economy. haha all im really concerned about is the going-rate of what im earning, saving at the moment. guess it's time to look beyond.

rest in peace?
according to an investment guru, the hk dollar would cease to exist in 5-10 years. jim rogers said in this article that the current HK currency will soon disappear. and in its place, yuan. (well, good enough) politically, i dont know the effect of this in HKSAR considering it still has its own policy apart from the mainland. hopefully, i will learn more about it in time hkd really does disappear.

citygate outlet mall

went to citygate in tung chung. all the shops here are outlet stores of known brands - from RL, lanvin, kate spade to esprit, giordano and nike. tung chung area is near the airport already around 1 hour ride via the MTR. if you ask me.. is it worth going all the way there to buy stuff? well, if it's your first time, i think it's okai. still a bit expensive for me.. plus the fare. i think i can buy similar items without going to far.

how to go there: (thanks to tutubi for the directions.)
take mtr to tung chung exit C. fare cost: 46hkd roundtrip.

and of course, the pictures are here.

halloween (addendum)

HERE!!!

the dark knight comes to hongkong

apart from the visit last halloween (thanks to a costume-fitted batman), the cast and crew of the next batman installment, The Dark Knight, is in hongkong to do some shots in the Central area. IFC2, hk's tallest building, will grace the screen along with the victoria harbour night view. there were also strict rules in letting the crew do their helicopter scenes at night because they don't want residents to be disturbed with the noise. the filmaker also requested that the other buildings lend its lights to the scene, to keep them open during filming. i wonder what happened to this request.

im going to central today. hope i bump into mr wayne. hahaha

the standard has more details here.

prison break s3e07

warning. spoilers ahead.
this series is getting exciting. i thought when the brothers reached panama, the story would go blah blah. in spite of the writer's strike (?), they were still able to come up with a very twisted (in a good way) storyline. killing sarah - wow, that was risky for those who are basking on the tandem of michael-sara. well, it's not a love story guys! someone had to die and too bad, it had to be her. just think, it's for the good of the show. escaping SONA in broad daylight - is michael a genius or what? despite the obstacles, he was able work around the guards whistler's ways - that last scene caught me off-guard. amanda (or gretchen) talking to his boss asking whether to give the brothers a 2nd chance at escaping.

cant wait for the next one!

breastmilk is still best for babies

nope, im not breastfeeding nor do i have a kid. i just happen to often hear this discussion from my colleagues - fathers at that. jay and his wife were having some problem with their 1 year old son, matt, who was diagnosed recently of asthma after going home to manila. many theories came about from the pollution which (supposedly) triggered his allergies to his food intake to matt, not being able to take breastmilk. firstly, imagine a baby, barely 1 year taking the tricycle! is that baptism by fire or what? inhaling all the pollution, dirt in the streets. even able-bodied men will give in sooner or later. what more a fragile being? im not saying hk has very clean air but somehow it's still manageable, i think. so from there, cough, colds and then came allergies. i would often hear jay worry about his son, and now all the more he wants to keep a clean environment around him. they can't be sick as matt might contract it. they wont go out unless necessary. and recently, regretting not pushing his wife to breastfeed.

best for babies
this is one ad that you can truly rely on. breastmilk contains antibodies which will protect your baby until he has enough antibodies to produce on his own. he gains immunity from illnesses which his mother have. matt was breastfed barely 1 month. and somehow they attribute this asthma to his lack of nutrition that should've come from breastmilk. now, jay is insisting "sa susunod na anak namen, ako na mismo magpapadede sa kanya". no pun intended.

... enough to ask my mom if she breastfed me.

after halloween

halloween in hongkong is a kind of big event here -- more of a party event where people get to dress in their fave costume. from the scary, gory creatures of darkness to the queens of drag to the boy bands to the animated comic/movie characters. many wore at least a 'sungay' headband to get into the spirit of hallow's eve.
as expected, LKF was packed with revelers frantically taking pictures. most were awed with the caped crusader aka batman and the cyborg, robocop. many were hounding them (us including hahaha). thankfully, there's high police visibility in the area making sure we were not crowding up in one place. there's a one-way traffic to ease the build up of people showing up even at 12mn.

all in all, kudos to those who came in wonderful, well-thought-of costumes who made our sight seeing more exciting and alive. to those policemen who made sure everything is in order. and to the one who gave drink to robocop making him last all the way to the MTR where people are still lining up to take a pic with him.