Back in BKK

My Fun Trip to Bangkok with My Just as Fun-ny Friends!



No, not them!
But them down here.




I have been to Bangkok countless of times during my 3-year stint with an international men’s shirt brand. After 4 years of hiatus, I visit this city of Tom Yum again and I can’t help but feel at home. It’s like my second home.

But we’re getting ahead of the story. Let’s start where it all started. At the Suvarnabhumi airport



That’s us wide awake and happy at close to midnight (Manila time,11 pm BKK time) except for Yong who seems uncomfortable about something. Notice the LV? I wish it were mine. It matches my shirt, it’s nearest me, therefore it’s mine? Nah, Yong’s.

There’s Rhei going around saying, I don’t need an LV, I have a Prada. And later, she went shopping happy, buying 2 Balenciagas for the price of one.





This is our hotel. Yong shows us what half-body shot means. Who is Yong? You don’t know Yong? Just look for the guy who is only showing half of his body in the pic, rightmost side.





Day 1: Shopping Day
Exploring the city in a water taxi




Water taxi is cheap-cheap as they say. But we realized it’s not a good idea esp. when murky water splashes on you & you are carrying a Fendi or Coach bag! Which happened to us. Ek!

That’s the beauty of Nine West, you’re not so fussy.

Here we are at the most popular shopping mall, MBK!




Look, who we found in BKK!



A cutie! And MJ!



If he was alive today, I don’t think MJ would wear those shoes. Reminds me of my boy classmates' shoes in high school ;p

Why have your picture taken at Siam Tower? Why not?!




Inside Levi’s Store? Why not?!




I think we should name our group, With Cam, Will Smile. But that doesn’t sound like a name of a group. More like a slogan. And that slogan, actually applies to most Pinoys ;p Cheese!



You see? Even at the food court of Siam Paragon, always camera-ready ;p



At the hat store



And inside the van, the next day.



Day 2: Outside the Malls

First stop, Floating Market. (But if truth be told, some got up early for tiangge shopping. Before breakfast, some were already feeling productive.)

But you know what, I smelled something fishy at the Floating Market.

Yong: Fishy? There’s no fish here. Look at the water, no fish would live here.



Me: There it is!

Jane in blue: Who? What? When? Where?

Yong in black: L is for **toot-toot**

Tripod Girl: I think my cam is low bat. Huh? You talking to me?

Keng in half-body shot: #$&^&%*(I don’t speak Thai so I can’t translate.)

Me: I say, fishy!




Evidence no. 1
Love song in the background: “…I feel so real. It’s like a fantasy. Having you next to me…Suddenly, suddenly it’s magic."

But wait, which one is the third wheel?




Tripod Girl?

This should give us a better picture.



TG is all thumbs up! And Ate Rhei seems to approve.

More evidence.

TG, in her tiniest voice: Yong, can you get me longganisa pleeeeeeeeeeease?

Yong, in a manly Dick Paulate voice: Sure.





These barbecued longganissa are distracting me.
Everybody have some first.




Now let’s focus on our love angle.

There you go! Look at TG caressing Yong!!!
But Yong seems naalibadbaran!




Will TG succeed or go home in vain?

Janee decides to record this event.

Edmund decides to shop for more foodie. Love stories doesn’t seem to interest him.

Ate Rhei is all about love, loving her longganisa in skewers.



Yong: Stapeeet, TG! It’s Keng I like.

TG: Okie.

Janee: I knew it!

Manang: speaking in Thai %*&^&)*_ Translated to English: Hmphfft!

Me: Cheese!

So that ends our TG-Yong loveteam story. Boohoohoo!


Let’s just explore the Floating Market instead.

Look they’re selling anything and everything.




Got ya, Ate! See Ate in check shirt? She dipped her foot and washed her hands in the water! Ate, that’s ew!

But then we later saw some other hawkers do the same. They wash their hands, utensils or plate,even their face! in that water!!!




One last shot in our boats.




Kong, not his real name (because I do not know his real name): I don’t get you people. How many pictures should you take in my boat?


Too bad, I didn’t get to meet my Thai friends Pawinee etal because apparently, I texted the wrong no. We only got to speak on the phone on our last day there.


But we made new friends, Pinoy couple who are based in BKK with their sons. They treated us to shabu-shabu dinner




then lunch at their home next day.




Our trip wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Patpong, the city's red light district. I’d love to share what happened inside but I choose not to. Go check it out yourself ;p

the most beautiful place on earth

after 6 years of annual pilgrimage to paradise land, Boracay, I am reposting what I wrote on my first visit to Boracay in 2004.


I will not forget that Friday afternoon as Joana, my friend designer from VH, and I sat on the edge of our seats in a cab in the middle of a monstrous traffic on the way to the airport. While the driver went on chatting dreamily about his beautiful hometown in Iloilo, we had frantic expression all over our faces. Or he probably just acted dumb so he can tell us his story or was just too happy he has “captive” audience. We were sweating not from the heat but from anxiety. The plane will soon take off and we were near yet so far. I was calling on all the gods in heaven but to no avail. The traffic was not moving!

So I prayed that the flight gets delayed. I was seriously contemplating on getting out of the cab and just walk or run the rest of the way. I didn’t realize I spoke my mind out to which the driver said it was still too far. We were at Nichols.

When we finally got to the Centennial airport, we ran from one end to another but couldn’t find our counter. Because, it is already closed! Severe panic time. I ask myself, how many times have I done this with Joana? How many times have we raced in different airports barely catching our breaths to make it in time for boarding. How many times have we told ourselves next time we’d come earlier? We have this habit of
going to the airport with just some allowance for boarding. Who wants to sit at the lounge area for hours? Ergo this, we run in high heels, as we’re fond of wearing, lugging our suitcases behind. But this time we’re prepared for battle, we’re carrying backpacks.

As these thoughts raced my mind and as we frantically ask for help to show us where we can get our boarding passes, everything around us seemed to move in slo-mo. Then I glance back at Joana behind me and notice that her tube top was falling off. I point it out and she stops a while to adjust it while I continue on. We laugh nervously and quicken our pace.

Finally,we find the counter dedicated for latecomers.The staff at the counter gave us stern looks. They reminded us to come early next time. I kept a smile on my face while I silently prayed, please stop the plane and let us board it. It is the LFO
today, the next flight is tomorrow. Good thing, the flight was delayed so we got in! What a relief! I could have kissed that lady even though she was somber and all. We even had some relaxing minutes at the lounge area before finally boarding. Hallelujah, God is good. Oh what can I say, we’re blessed.

Fast forward to Boracay. It’s one beautiful island surrounded by beautiful waters & colorful marine life, inhabited by friendly & golden brown folks, blaring reggae music, colorful drinks, body massage, bikini, sexy bodies, pretty faces, what more to ask for? Welcome to paradise!



We met Claire, my good friend designer from Kamiseta, there who went a day ahead of us and left a day before us. That night, we had a great time at Bom-Bom bar. Great music, friendly people. I loved their vocalist, great voice, smooth & cool.





One of my fave pics, the one I took of Joana.



Next day, I woke up early to watch the most spectacular show on earth. It’s a habit I have, watching sunrise at the beach. I just sat there, enthralled as I watched the most beautiful presentation on the face of the earth. As the golden sun rises, the spectrum of colors magically transforms to a whole new array of colors unfolding right before my very eyes. Wow! What a real treat! No dull moments, every
second the panoramic colors change. Now pink, then green, then purple, yellow, orange. A symphony of Colors. I was awed by The Master at play. I could not help by say a prayer of thanksgiving. It was dazzling. Awesome. Moving. Calming. It gave me sheer joy. Contentment. Which makes you think,life is truly beautiful.



Unfortunately, my digicam did not capture the beauty of the sunrise skies. But you get it, right?

Sophie, My Almost 4-year old Fashionistang Inaanak

While playing in the sand, with slight tilting of head,
Sophie: I like your earrings, Tita.
Sachi: Thank you.

A little later,
Sophie: I like your baaag, Tita.
Sachi: Thank you.

Then,
Sophie: I like your shooooes, Tita.
Sachi: Thank you.

Same day at the mall, looking at the mirror & holding her earrings
Sophie: Do you like my earrings, Tita?
Sachi: Oh yes, it's nice.

At night, back to their house,
Sophie: I like your earrings, Tita.

Then I finally get it, so I said, I like your earrings too. Sophie smiles so sweetly ;p Hay, ang slow ni Tita ;p

Me NaNoWriMo

I officially joined NaNoWriMo last Oct. 26. For those who don't know, it stands for National November Writing Month. For aspiring writers like me, the challenge is to write a novel with 50,000 words from Nov. 1 to Nov. 30. (That's about 1,667 words per day. But my personal daily target is 2000 words per day.) The idea is to write everyday, more of quantity than quality. If interested, check out their website, www.nanowrimo.org.

Daniel, my friends Ricky & Mitzi's 7-year old kid said, "that's a looooottt of words. It's like a million words," with eyes rolling and a funny face. He can't believe why I would do such thing. He even asked, "can you put pictures?" I said yes but it won't count. So he decided not to join ;p Again he asked, am I putting pictures in my story. I said no. He said, "what's a story without pictures?" ;p

I kept telling myself to write down the plot, outline characters etc. but I didn't find time and I started Nov. 1 with just a title, "Noelle" and a plot in my head. After we got back from the cemetery, I surprised myself by finishing 1 chapter with 1,700++ words by 11pm. To date, I have written close to 5K words. 45K to go ;p

richard's story is my story ;p

My first article that came out at Light of Jesus' The PICC Feast Bulletin

Richard's Story

For 15 years, he didn't hear Mass...Now he serves in the Feast Security Ministry...

Richard Go is a dreamer and his dream is big. His dream is to build Dumaguete Feast chapter with his fiancee Marie. Why not, isn’t that what Bro. Bo Sanchez has been teaching us all along, to dream big dreams not just for ourselves but for our country and for God?

He envisions people worshipping God at Dumaguete Feast with a view of the sea. He also sees Feast Manila Bay Worship Leader Bro. Adrian Panganiban in the team, probably leading or mentoring them. He does not see himself leading worship or preaching. He sees himself at the back-end, logistics, security. Something he knows a lot about since he’s part of Security at the Feast Manila Bay at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) right now. This generous outpouring of love and service to God and the Light of Jesus Family stems from his love and thanksgiving to the Lord for what he calls his third life.

Richard was not this enthusiastic about serving God in a faith community. For 15 years he shunned God and did not lay foot in church. What brought about this great turnaround? Read on...

Richard was born on January 26, 1980, as an only child to a Chinese father and Filipina mother. Looking from the outside, his was a happy and normal childhood. On Sundays, the family heard Mass, ate out, watched a movie at Harrison’s and his parents sometimes bought him G.I. Joe toys. He went to a private Catholic school. Things seemed good except that his parents had a lot of fights, sometimes violent, usually about money, which bothered him. Until one day, the unthinkable happened. The family's business closed down and his parents left him to relatives on his father's side. He was only 13 years old.

He calls this his second life. He lived from one relative to another, they were passing him around. He says he was not taken in for free. He had to work for his food, lodging, and schooling. He felt so miserable. He felt unwanted. Starting then, he stored up ill feelings-- anger, hatred, resentment toward his parents, relatives, people -- and God. Every day, he was so tired, that in the evening, he simply dropped on his bed and dozed off.

Strange as it may seem, he felt an angel was with him all those years. "It was some voice in my mind, in times of my confusion," he recalls, "redirecting my plans, my steps."

When he was 19, he couldn’t take anymore of his sorry plight and so he decided to live on his own. He continued to fend for himself and send himself to school. He got into all sorts of odd jobs, worked in a fancy hotel, even through illegal means at one time. But he stressed he was never into drugs. He was into drag racing or partying with friends, surrounded by girls, into drag racing. There were times when he put his life at risk just for the hang of it. He has scars in his body to prove it. One time, he even saved a prominent family from a burning building. He was his own man, he thought to himself. He didn’t answer to anybody. He didn’t need anybody. But really, his self-worth was so low.

Then in 2003, his mom showed up from out of the blue. No drama, no questions asked, no explanation. He went with her and they started their new life together. He was happy somewhat but not completely. His father died that same year. Richard went to his wake out of respect. The thing that nagged him the most -- how his parents managed to go through life without him on their side -- never got answered.

Despite that, two years ago, a series of events led him to become the happy man he is now.

First, he suffered severe diarrhea for three days. He was brought to the hospital and doctors said he contracted the salmonella virus. In the course of those three days, he suffered dehydration and almost died. He also had hallucinations. "I saw an angel," he says. "The same one who must had been with me during the difficult ten years when I was apart from my parents. It was around that time when I started thinking about God."

Next, while recuperating, Richard saw two movies, Forrest Gump and The Passion of Christ. The first made him realize that it is better to follow God than to lead your empty life alone. The second film so moved him that he made a decision to go back to Jesus.

That was a wish that set the universe in action to bring him to what he now calls his third life. First, it so happened that his fiancée Marie regularly attended the Feast, the Sunday prayer gathering of the Light of Jesus Family, a faith community founded by. Bro. Bo Sanchez.

Richard regularly accompanied Marie to the Feast led by Bro. Bo at the Valle Verde Country Club in Pasig City. "But I just waited for her outside the building," Richard now laughs.

Then in October 2009, he found out Fr. Gerry Orbos was celebrating a healing mass at the Feast. He went in and joined Marie. This was the first time he heard Mass in 15 years. Nothing spectacular happened.

But little did he know that God was already working in him. He bought Fr. Gerry’s books and CDs which eventually opened his heart to God’s unconditional love. This time he decided to surrender his life to God. He attended the Feast regularly, taking in the graces of the Holy Mass and the lively worship, and delighting over Bro. Bo’s talks. He even joined a Caring Group and from then on, saw outpouring of blessings. He felt healing inside him, as he slowly let go of his past hurts. His relationship with his fiancée and his mom went from good to great.

By this time he was already working in an information technology company. Following his joining the Feast, he was promoted to a managerial position. It was a mean feat for him since only those with four-year IT degree were considered for such post. His is a two-year diploma. "I believe it was his reward for my service to God and the Light of Jesus," he beams.

"But my greater reward really is having found a family in LOJ who welcomed me no matter of who I was," he added. "My LOJ Caring Group helped me to be closer to God. I feel so much at home with my LOJ family who are the coolest people in the world. When you speak, they listen. If you are broken, they sympathize. When you prosper, they celebrate with you.”

Finally, he enjoins Feast attendees to not just give tithes but to give time as well by serving in the community. This year, Bro. Bo started a Feast at the PICC by the Manila Bay. Richard volunteered as member of the Feast Manila Bay Security Ministry.

"My service every Sunday is a way to start the week right," he says. "I need to do this to glorify God and that I may be blessed and inspired as I go through the humdrum of the work week."

Or you can say, his own little way of securing his place in Heaven.

Gift-Giving Day 10: Silence, Choice of Words, Songs, Spanish Bread

10/21/10 Thursday

Gift of silence to L instead of hurtful words because of her indecisiveness & ... (dot, dot, dot na lang para wag masyadong magkasala ;p) and choice of words for W for emailing me stupid questions without thinking & not referring to previous emails.

MR of a dept. store showed interest in the apparel items I presented therefore I am likely to receive an order. I will know by next week.

I sent a text to Nikki telling her I offered prayer for her little one, I received a prompt thank you.

Heard mass, that will be a gift to myself. Sang during the mass, gift to God? ;p Spanish bread for the streetkid.

I received text from my sister about her birthday & Christmas gifts to me (I won't tell na lang, bigla akong nahiya ;p)& my mom. She's in Dubai and coming home this Dec. This is the longest she's ever stayed in Dubai, 1 year. Normally she comes home after 6 or 8 months only. I have to start buying her stuff too. I've only bought a few pa lang. I like buying her little gifts, a lot of little gifts. She likes it too ;p

Gift-GIving Day 9: Spaghetti, Ice Cream, Prayer, Money

10/20/10 Wednesday

I ate lunch in front of my laptop as I finished the other half of the movie, The Pianist. I know it’s not a good idea to watch it while eating but just the same, I did. I’m concerned that the lead in his solace and desperation did not call to God. How can you survive a tragic event like that and not call on God? I blame the writer/director for that. The Fedex movie, Castaway, is also one movie I recall which troubled me when I saw it because Tom Hanks’ character in his loneliness and despair, did not call the Lord’s Name. How can a man survive a tragedy like that without calling on the Most Powerful Being in the Universe. It’s preposterous.
Anyway, I am glad The Pianist lived. I had to cover my eyes & peek between my fingers at some scenes, kinda scary. Enough of the movie. This is not a movie review.

I went to hear mass at UP & gave money for the offering, my first gift for the day ;p I also offered prayers & lighted a candle as thanksgiving for baby Gabrielle Therese Estrella. On my way to buy veggies for my nilagang baka for tomorrow’s dinner or Friday lunch, I stopped to buy my favorite Pistachio FIC ice cream in cone. After several licks, a little streetgirl came to ask for coins. But seeing my ice cream, she asked for it. Ah, how dare she! I’m not giving her my Pistachio!

Oh but, I asked begrudgingly to check if she really likes it. She nodded, so I gave it to her. I consoled myself that it’s my 3rd gift for the day. While paying for my veggies, there was a donation can at the counter so I dropped a few coins.

I got home & cooked another experimental spaghetti in real tomato & sautéed beef & onion sauce, with basil (greedy green worm’s left-over. I realized why my basil plant's leaves are looking sorry and with holes. I thought it's soem kind of plant disease, yun pala, there's this caterpillar eating it. It's a cocoon now.)

Since it’s Issa’s day off, she was home & awake when I got back. She had no choice but to eat my spaghetti too hehe. Not as tasty as I wanted. While cooking, I panicked and thought I put too much salt & pepper, so I put water which I relaized later I shouldn’t have. There’s my 5th gift, spaghetti for Issa. She said she liked it by the way, except that kulang sa lasa. Why did I put water??? Lesson, in anything even in cooking, it’s never good to panic.

The gifts I received: My family expressed excitement when I texted them about my buying Mod & reading my first article in it. They said they’ll buy copies also, Mamu said 2 pa daw. Not so proud & excited.

I read Jesson’s FB message saying thanks for supporting him for the show. It wasn’t necessary for him to post it but heartwarming just the same.

Rhei booked me for a flight to BKK via PAL, same as their flight so we’re flying together. And at a rate that’s cheaper than what she booked her other 2 friends & cheaper than when I checked last Sat. What’s more, I’ll have Mabuhay Miles credited.

In the middle of the mass, it poured. Uh-oh & I’m wearing my black ribboned shoes. Not meant for rain. And again just as the other night, I ask myself, what was I thinking wearing those shoes on a wet Wednesday. Good thing, I brought my yellow umbrella. Oh, what I can do now but pray to God. I said I don’t know God, how you will do it with this rain right now but can you pls. make sure my shoes don’t get wet. When it was uwian, there was no more ;p My little miracle for the day ;p

Gift-Giving Day 8: Donation & Visit

10/19/10 Tuesday

My first gift of the day is donation for Caritas can at MRT. I promised myself before that I will always give to donation cans whenever and wherever I see them. It’s the least I can do for the poor & the needy.

I did some bank errands and met Rhei for lunch at Phoa, one of our favorite resto at Shang. I was craving for Vietnamese noodles lately and so when she agreed to meet up,I had no other resto in mind but Phoa. Rhei just came from HK and Macau and lots of stories about her trip and Regin...I will not add anything more because I know she will read this or may read this. A little later, M, Rhei's inaanak joined us. We had so much fun sharing stories. Rhei paid for our lunch. Another free meal for me ;p

Next stop, QC to visit angelic baby Gabbie who is only 2 weeks old, Nikki & PJ's first baby, with Rossanna. The 3 of them are my CG members from previous sem. Rossanna is now a CG head while PJ and Nikki are serving at UP Feast. We were surprised to see Nikki up and about & so beautifully thin.

Actually, I made boo-boo today. I was supposed to share some nasties about this person with Rhei alone but blurted it out front of M. I hope he wasn't affected. I have no problem with Rhei, she knows me very well.

Gift-Giving Day 7: Promise Delivered & Convenience

10/18/10 Monday

I met A at a place inconvenient for me but convenient for her so I could give her the fan I promised N to return.

My gifts: Amazingly, when I got down to MRT’s ramp, it wasn’t full as I expected, which was surprising given that it’s a stormy night tonight. Or maybe I shouldn’t be surprised since I prayed and asked that MRT be not so full of passengers. Despite the fact that it’s a stormy night, I had the audacity to ask God that I get home dry. I didn’t want to get my shoes wet. It was raining and the wind howling in Makati where I came from. Where I live in QC, it was all wind. So I got home with my feet and shoes dry. So there, 2 small miracles for me today ;p

Gift-Giving Day 6: Daing, Lip Gloss, Apples & Commitment to Serve

10/17/10 Sunday

Notice that I always put the gifts I receive last. But I got my gift early in the morning, so I'm starting with it.

As usual, as in everytime I need a cab, I prayed for a nice cab & with a nice cab driver. Not long after I stepped out of my bldg., I got a ride. I also asked that I get in time for the mass, which I normally do. But today, we will have to make a stop for gas since Mr. driver doesn't have change for my 500 bill. Actually he said he doesn't need gas yet so we will just stop to ask gas station cashier to break it. I had my doubts, why would cashier break our money if we're not buying. But he did! And I got to PICC in time for the mass despite making a stop at Total Gas.

I met with Sis Chay of Media Ministry after The Feast and got my Media ID. I committed to serve as Head for Youth Group which meant calling them up & texting them & reminding them of meetings etc. She will also put me in the Core Group under Special Projects which I really, really like.

After a delicious late lunch, I had time to take a nap before I went to visit Mex and Taborsho. I returned the digicam, & brought Tabs apples and Mex, lip gloss and super yummy, super stinky daing from Cebu.

My other gifts for the day: I was served sweet fried bananas, peach-mango pie and kropek by Mex. On my way home, I picked up 25 cents on the street. At The Feast, I was touched during the homily, Bro. Alvin’s talk and the song no. with the poor street kid. I cried my eyes out. God’s plan is unraveling before me. I understand more now why things that happened to me, happened the way it did. God is good & faithful. He truly always has better plans than ours.

Gift-Giving Day 5: Kindness & Understanding, Time & Support

10/16/10 Sat

I had a big breakfast today because I was going with Jesson to SMEX for model fitting for his show on the 27th. It's that time of the year for Phil. Fashion Week 2011 Spring/Summer Collection. Truth is, M texted me last night inviting me to real estate thing. I got tempted to ditch Jesson. It's so easy to make up an excuse & go to the beautiful Talisay project & make easy money but I managed to talk myself out of it and make true of my promise. Come to think of it, I must have heeded the call of the pretty boys ;p

I was not disappointed. This season's roster is better than previousfor both Men's & Ladieswear. There was Hideo, Robby Mananquil (brother of my fave sister-models Rissa & Raya), Marco Lobregat, Marx & 2 other beautiful faces whose names I don't recall among the other cuties. Philippe who used to be so-so is now a looker. Field day for girls and gays alike ;p



Sorry for the not-s-clear pic, from a phone lang, Jesson's.


My cutest brother Nior called up to ask if I was home. By that time, we were busy chomping down yummy buy 1 take 1 pizzas at Joey Pepperoni. He said he's too tired from Tagaytay trip to drop off my luggage-full of newly laundered/ironed clothes to the esp. since I'm not home anyway. I understood he's eager to go home to his wifey so to show my kindness once in awhile, I said to just bring my clothes next time. I still have lots of clean clothes anyway. He was quite relieved I let him go so easily. It's the pizza in my mouth ;p


Gifts I received today, Jesson serving me milk tea later in the afternoon & us finding cheap fare to Ho Chi Minh in January.

Gift-Giving Day 4: Prayers, Birthday Greetings & Wishes

10/15/10 Fri

I've been wondering about V's health the past few days but kept forgetting to call or text her. Today I ym her. Sad to hear, she's lost 5 kgs.since I saw her last which was about a month ago. That's a lot esp. because she's not excatly heavy, just "healthy." Not at all healthy now, they don't know yet what's her disease is exactly. I really hope it's not MS. I composed a prayer text for her, she was grateful.

I was able to send our family's late birthday wishes to Auntie Yolly, who is in Italia via my Uncle Tony, her husband's Facebook account. I sent the same to each of her kids,Ken's and Kristel's FB acct. just in case doesn't check as often. I also sent a birthday wish for my good friend Ginger as requested by Nila, her CG-mate for their surprise party for her this coming Sunday. Asked our other friends Rhei & Jesson to do the same. I doubt if Rhei did, she's in HK this weekend.


Gifts received? Satisfaction of having warmed the hearts of people I care about today. I rewarded myself a nice fried chicken (not burnt), mushroom soup (Knorr, the only brand I know when it comes to soup(naks, plugging!)and Dan Eric's Choco Vanilla ice cream cone. Thanks to my good friend Monic for introducing this to me and to the store in our bldg. carrying it. Yummy!!!

Gift-Giving Day 3: Honesty & Late Bday Present

10/14/2010 Thursday

The klepto struck again! This time she picked a bride's white fan at the chapel. Yday, the bride her if she did see it. I confirmed for I saw me pick it up.I asked how I can send it to her. We arranged for a meet up. She was happy to learn she will see it again.

L & I went to a co. presentation meeting for a dept. store & finished by 11. Our next one was at 130. With time in our hands, we window-shopped at Trinoma & later lunched there (L's treat) & arrived late for about 15 mins. and they made us wait for 15 or so mins.,which calls to mind, Filipinos have no sense of time.

Back to our lunch at one of my fave Chinese resto, funny thing happened. We got an undeserved 20% discount. The cashier mistook L for a senior citizen based on her village id, which she presented with her credit card, which didn't at all look like a SC card by the way. My mom & dad have one each so I know what I'm saying. Anyway, we were both shocked when the cashier was asking her to sign the SC disc. form.Our faces were both, eh??? But the cashier was not friendly and looked at us like morons & pointed to L's village id saying,"SC." So we did what we had to do, L signed & we both scmapered off giggling. The things we do for a 20% disc. Hey, we did try to correct things but she wasn't listening. The question popped in my mind, be right or be kind? We chose,as you know,the discount.

At night, I met with 2 close friends. We had a great night updating each other about the goings-on in our lives. We met at The Old Spaghetti House and apparently, there was this shoot for an Aga-Regine movie. I saw Regine when I sneaked a peek from 2nd down to ground as I heard Bb. Joyce Bernal shout "quiet in the set" & "action". Whoa, energy!

Anyway, I only ordered dessert, Chocolate Mousse and guess what, my friend Ginger paid for it. I haven't even given her her late birthday gift yet. (I forgot to bring but since she usually drives me home, I got to give her same night.) Why people are treating me to meals a lot lately, I don't know but I sure am grateful!;p Keep it coming ;p

P.S.
Our meeting with a fashion retail brand in the afternoon was very fruitful. We received inquiries for several styles. So to note, gifts I received today are lunch, dessert and great meeting with possibility of orders.

Gift-Giving Day 2: Food and Patience

10/13/2010 Wed

I gave some apples, grapes and bananas to the kuya janitor. I have so much in the fridge, I was afraid it will go to waste if I don't share to others. Mom sends me almost regularly. Boy,was he thankful. I like it when they're so appreciative.

I heard mass today and bought some bread at Don Bosco bakery for my colleagues for my gift #2.But on my way to office, I came across a mother-and-son beggar who asked me for alms.I asked they wanted bread, the mom said yes so I gave her the pan de coco pack. A few steps more and another boy asked for alms again, I asked if he wanted bread. He said yes so I gave him the Spanish bread pack. So there, no more bread for my colleagues. But I didn't feel bad because I know the street people needed it more.

I have this set interview with M for a religious bulletin. We previously agreed to meet after office hours. I planned to have dinner and coffee with him. But when I confirmed in the afternoon, he said he forgot that he had a previous engagement at 7 that night, and asked if 9 was ok. I agreed because I didn’t want to cancel again. This has been canceled 2 or 3 times already. I just wanted to get it done & over with.

I get off at 6at this office so I had 3 long hours to waste before the set interview. I called up friends from Makati hoping I could set dinner with them last minute via Facebook and mobile phone. By the time 4 friends said they either had plans or are stuck with work, I stopped looking.

Next target, my colleagues but none of them was game to go out for dinner. W, the accountant playfully hinted I treat them all for dinner instead, siomai meal which was so cheap anyway.I thought why not, it could be my gift #3 for the day. So I spent the next hour tending my homestead on Frontierville while they labored for real.During dinner, they were so genuinely happy with my generosity. We shared stories and laughter. We had fun ;p

Back to M, he really tested my patience that night.By 8, he texted that he was still waiting for his turn. I said good, I have time to read a book at Powerbooks. He said to move meeting to 930. Coolly, I said not to worry about it and to just text me when he's on his way. By 920, I was at Starbucks already. I didn't want him to get there first. I ordered cookie and White Mocha with Cream, savored it while I listened to affirmations on my phone & reviewed the proposed manual for an apparel client. He arrived past 10. Surprisingly, I was still in good mood despite the long wait.

I have this gift of reading people. Some people I come across are so "readable" for me that one look and I would sense something. I sensed he was distracted. I actually sensed this during our text exchange day 2 days before. Hard to explain but there was no hint in the messages he sent me. I told myself it can't be true. Anyway, he did confirm my suspicion verbally that night. I didn't tell him anything. He seemed to be in a hurry, as if his mind was flying and like me, just wanted the interview done and over with. I felt sad for him. It seems he was struggling inside. I wanted to tell him whatever path he chooses, God still loves him. But who was I to say that to him.

Later, I felt so sure he will still go back to Him and that idea made me feel a lot better ;p

Gift-Giving Day 1: Goal Setting for M & R

10/12/2010 Tuesday

I thought nobody signed up under my Caring Group this sem but this morning, I received a text message from Secretariat saying I've new members. I checked my mail and true enough, 5 people signed up. I emailed/texted and called them up and 3 confirmed to come tonight. My sked is every Tue night. But only M came to The Old Spaghetti House with her personal asst. & friend Rose in tow.

As the night progressed and over orders of pasta, we got to know each other and snippets of our life stories. Glad, it was easy to coax them out of their shells. Eventually, we came to a point where they shared how unclear they were of their goals in life. I ended up helping them write down & clarify their goals in life. They were so thankful for my help. Out of M's generosity, she paid for my dinner. Whoa, I thought,how fast the universe was rewarding me!

Truth is, I woke up late this morning because I was trying to get extra rest for my tired eyes. I woke up with a terrible headache and painful eyes. In the afternoon, I limited my time in front of the laptop and tried to sleep it off. Still, I made the decision to go to the CG meeting despite the pain. Fortunately, which I think is Gods' gift to me, the searing pain took a break during our meeting. It resumed when I got home but it wasn't as bad anymore as in the morning.

To note, for the gift of time and helping them set their goals in life, I received a gift of healing, free dinner, new friends and a ride home. M & R drove me home ;p

29 Days of Gift-Giving

I chanced upon this book, 29 Gifts while I was whiling time at Powerbooks (I love Powerbooks!). Written by Cami Walker, who has MS but somehow she managed to get on with her life by focusing not on her disease or her limitations but instead, she chose to focus on what she can do and give to others, as advised by her good friend. She gave anything she had, from loose change to time spent with a friend to giving moral support. You can check out her website, www.29gifts.org or buy the book. I liked the idea so much that I started it right away.

Hers was MS, mine was selfishness & self-centeredness. I always thought I don't have much, that I had to have more so I can give more. The past few years I have been teaching myself to give more. Lately did I realize, thanks to Bo Sanchez and books like that of Cami's, that I have so much to give with what I already have. And it's not only material things that I can give, I can share my talents, time, pieces of good advice, flash a smile, laughter and say prayers for other people.

Like her and other people she's encouraged, I made a journal out of my gift-giving which I will post here. What's fascinating is that though I was giving, I was also on the receiving end. Notice how many gifts I receive on the same day ;p

turning a (great!) new leaf

my article will appear on a women's mag oct. i'm excited!!! it thrills me no end. thanks to sis chay of loj, not soro for the opportunity. this is the start of something big!!! the first small step to achieving one of my big dreams ;p

i was keeping it a secret for a while. i thought if i tell people, i might jinx it. but tonight, i was able to finish my first assignment. my next deadline is sept 15 so i've gotplenty of time to prepare. i can't wait to get started with my next one though.

malcolm gladwell said, for you to be great at something, you've to clock in 10k hours developing your talent. beatles for example, before they started, played for 8 hours a day 7 days a week in a club at hamburg, germany. he said, same is true for larry bird, who after everybody else has gone & hit the showers would stay behind & shoot ball with lights out for 30 mins. bill gates at age 12 used to sneak out of their house at midnight & tinker on the computer at their school.

bo said same is true for pacman who overprepares, gary v. i read our very own charice practiced her singing with her mom daily, much like regine velasquez. there is wisdom in the cliched adage, practice makes perfect. in their case, practice made them a sensation.

although a late bloomer (though not as late as aling julie (i wonder if that's her name) of julie's bakeshop), i vow to take this honing my talents thing seriously. among my talents are writing, painting, ( i reliazed quite late. this year only, after staring hard at my latest acrylic piece & realized it's nice naman pala.), taking photos, public speaking & singing. hmmn, the last 3, i'll think about.

look who's cooking & not just eating ;p

does it look appetizing? i've to learn foodphotography ;p

tapang beefsteak with a twist anyone? yes, i cooked this mucho deliciosso dish today. really yummy! you can't argue with me. you didn't taste in the first place. in the second place, this is my blog ;p


the name? the 1st time i tried my hand on this chow was just last week. it came out a bit dry & salty. i had to mix vinegar & pepper for dip. that's why i'm calling it tapa ;p this one i cooked today is not dry anymore but still a bit salty but very tasty ;p i've to learn to mix soy sauce & vinegar next time. good thing, there's still uncooked meat to experiment with.


i didn't do it on my own, by the way. i got help from 2 experts, my dad & my good friend donch thru mobile texting. i got good sense enough to ask.otherwise, i wouldn't have put vinegar at all & stirred it a lot. i never would've guessed there's vinegar in it. take note, i sent my query simultaneously to them thinking i'll choose whoever gives me the easier way. good thing, i did for if only asked dad, i would still have missed the vinegar.


here's his text: marinate the beef then fry with onions. he forgets his daughter is a nincompoop in the kitchen. instructions should be clear & detailed.


donch's is detailed, knowing her, & with commentary pa ;p
thaw the meat first then marinate in soy sauce, chopped garlic & calamansi.
what i did: rubbed salt on the beef thinking that's how you clean it. &maybe i didn't rinseenough so that explains the salty taste. the 2nd time i did it, no more rubbing salt so it came out less salty.

fry the meat slices until brown & set aside. you may need to do this in batches depending on qty. some people addthe marinade but i don't dothis because it's contaminated with raw meat. (another long sentence of commentary but for katamaran, i won't type anymore.)
what i actually did: i threw away the marinade, i think it's dirty too. the frying was easy.

put everything back in the pan & for sauce, put soy sauce& vinegar.
my say: ah, there's vinegar ;p

it's important not to stir the dish at this point.
what i thought: no stirring???!! my idea of cooking is stirring. think witches stirring their thick porridge ;p so i didn't.we have to abide by the expert, so i texted. wrong decision. continue reading.



you will have to wait until the vinegar is cooked. you can tell if it is if it doesn't smell too sour anymore. it takles 5-10mins.



my advice: don't text while cooking. give your attention to what's on the stove.sending one message is ok but what if your textmate replies right away? before you know it, your meat is burned. that's what happened to my 1st. it wasn't really burned but dried up completely. where'd the sauce go?

cut onions into rings. place on top of the dish.remove from fire.
what i did: i forgot & sliced the onion in half. so i had half-rings the 1st time. i got it correctly the 2nd time. she didn't clarify if the black pepper is powdered or whole. no time to make a call. i had to make a fast decision. i tried recalling the beef steaksthat i've eaten, whole or powdered? can't remember, so i put my favorite, powdered.


the twist by the way, is eggplant. starting about last year, i consciously added fruits & vegetables to my diet for a healthier me. i should at least eat 5 different fruits & veggies daily. it's the only one i had the fridge that seemed puede. i don't think okra & tomatoes would make a good match.


i'm really new in this cooking thing. i only started this april. before that, my idea of cooking involved the microwave. if i used the stove, it meant frying hotdog, preparing instant noodles & knorr soup...just add 1 egg ;p.


well, if you'd like to know, about 2 years ago, i started really cooking. i taught myself by asking
& observing those who i know are good cooks. i think a lot of my watching cooking shows helped condition me. so now, when i cook. i explain what i'mdoing to an imaginary camera ;p


i learned how to make tortang talong & chicken sotanghon pepper soup & my special fried rice. special ingredient: small cubed carrots & egg. my godson matti, 6, liked it & was quite amused with the carrot bits.


yes, i invited friends over to try my cooking. i'd prepare green salad & buy dressing in the grocery, knorr soup, special fried rice or just plain rice, main dish limited to 3. the third one is actually daya. i'd buy roasted chicken from rustan's & claim it as mine. i bought it so it's mine. good thing, nobody bothered asking how i did it. (maybe they were just happy they're eating something edible.) because frankly, i don't have a clue ;p

we'd have red wine (jinj likes bringing a bottle) & chocolates (sunny's fave dala) or cake (gen's) or ice cream (mine). my guestlist is limited to 3. my place is small & i'd get stressed preparing for more than that.


my experimenting in the kitchen was cut short when my cousin got backfrom his sabbatical. my kitchen is apparently his turf.

why bother when he's willing. it's much more convenient to come home with food ready on the dinner table.


but when les left for good this april, i started learning adobo (thanks, zen!), sinigang na baboy (i did this on my own, not asking anyone. wrong move. i've learned to ask since then. long story short, genna thought i cooked nilaga. haha!) sinigang na hipon (one of my favorite dishes. i did this on my own.), sinigang nacorned beef (i copied from genna's.), sardines with sotangon soup, steamed chicken with ginger, pinakbet (i'm an ilocana, i should know how to cook one. it was easy, common sense lang, naks!), arroz caldo (my comfort food), & spaghetti (favorito!!!) in red (i use real tomatoes, c/o of manel) or white sauce or olive oil & top it add basil or parsley. for meat, i'd use ground pork or beef, longganissa, tuna or sardines, whatever's available. with carrot bits or eggplant, all good! i now have quite a variety of dishes i can cook.


this is quite a big leap for me. bru & i are now thinking of taking short courses. rhea is more advanced, she's into baking already. i realized, cooking is a cinch! if you know how hehe. as donch puts it, it's just a matter of experimenting. & let me add, finding people willing to eat it.


keep in mind, presentation helps. visualfor adults like table presentation. more of audio for kids. at least in my family that's how it worked. my dad, i remember when we were kids, he'd bring in his dish, while we're all seated & excitedly awaiting his surprise. he would exclaim while putting the dish down on the table, wow, ang sarap nito! champion to! in a booming voice, then we would all agree & eagerly dig in ;p

in the land of the maharajas

Going to India for the first time, I expected to hear flutey music & Indian women clad in colorful sari greeting us at the airport. Like when I watch Disco & NG channels, images of India never fail to flash before you without that hypnotic swirly tune & some belly dancing. So I was quite disappointed when instead of that, we were greeted by mosquitoes, dark & healthy. Not just one or two but a platoon.

Outside, the place swarmed with dark-skinned men with fierce eyes staring at us like we were from outer space. I'm not used to people like that. From where I come from, people are friendly & smile at you in a snap. I was in the middle of a foreign land surrounded by turbaned men in all-white ensemble. Are they going to break in to a dance routine or something? Where are the women? I felt intimidated & out of place. I didn't belong, I couldn't blend with the crowd. Not this crowd.

Though late, the place was still busy, teeming with cab drivers & porters. Not to forget the mosquitoes competing for my attention. Noisy, the place was noisy, full of energy, honking of impatient drivers, gruff talk, bargaining for cab fares perhaps. I felt like I was in a marketplace.

I craned my neck to find our driver. How on earth am I going to find him? Before my wild imagination got the better of me, I found our driver bearing a cardboard "St.Mark's Hotel". Turns out he's a friendly guy. He told us to wait for him in the corner while he get the car, in English & mostly sign & body language.

While waiting for him, I looked around & couldn't quite believe I'm in Bangalore, in India. I needn't pinch myself, I felt a sting from one of the mosquitoes.

Just a year ago, my friend Donch & I were feeling like Kate Moss-ish & were contemplating on vacationing in India. (This, however, by some twist of fate is a buisnes trip. What could be better than free plane tickets & accommodation.) We searched the web for pictures & places to see. It's way different of course, when you set foot. So much better.

The car was small like most cars there. While Pinoys pattern after the Americans, Indians to British thus the European-sized cars. I wondered how our pieces of luggage would fit plus the 4 of us incl.the driver. I think Mr. Friendly Driver is such an expert in car stuffing, we did fit in!

The drive to the hotel was short. The city was still wide awake at almost midnight. The streets were well-lighted. Roads & fly-overs were quite new, some under construction. Same for some buildings.

This is another right-hand drive country like Thailand & HK. I have to be careful crossing the street lest I lose a limb. It's confusing, having grown up in a left-hand drive country.

(In my first visit to Bangkok, I was quite surprised why my supplier, Pawinee, brought a driver & yet chooses to drive the car. I thought maybe she brought him so she'd have somebody carry my luggage. This thought was running in my mind as I saw her walking to the left side of the car while I was already seated in the back. When I found out, the steering wheel was on the other side, I told her about it & we ended up laughing. We instantly became friends, to this day we correspond thru FB ;p)

A few days later, as I was really observing everything & trying to enjoy every experience in this beautiful & magical country, I saw a stat board saying some 4k people died in that major highway the previous year alone. (It was Mahatma Gandhi ave. I think. They have M.G. roads all over the country, I was told. Just as there are Rizal blvds & aves & highways all over the Phils.) That's about 10 a day. What a shock! And my Indian colleague, Ashutosh added that that's only the no. that gets reported. It could be more. What?! I consoled myself that maybe that's all over the country & not just that highway. Anyway, I have to take this crossing the street seriously, otherwise, I might end up going home with a missing limb or not get home at all!

In one of our factory visits, another Indian colleague of mine who drove me to the supplier's office could've just dropped me off on the other side of the road to save time & effort. But no, he drove all around & made a U-turn from afar just so he could drop me off to where exactly the bldg. was. At first, I protested. I said, I can cross the street, there's a traffic light anyway. He said, Indians don't follow traffic rules & regulations. Oh.

Yeah, they drive like crazy. Motorcycles weaving thru traffic is quite common & a headache I suppose for car drivers. Like those in Manila, only here, there's hordes of them. Even yuppies own a motorcycle.

On our first day after a business meeting, we figured in a road accident. Our driver, not the hotel driver, I think watched too many James Bond movies. We were weaving the streets like snakes, swerving left & right at a speed of a cheetah. Are we in a movie? Are there villains chasing us? Can the director pls. say, CUT!!!

We did stop because we hit a cab & our rogue of a driver tried to run away from it with us of course in the car. So, another round of swerving & chasing. Only this time, we were surely being chased by an angry cab driver. Why, aren't we stopping? I asked Ashu, I don't recall his response. Anyway, I thought to myself, Weeee!!! I'm in the movies! Where's James Bond???

The furious cab driver caught up with us, darn that red light. Next thing you know, our car was surrounded by onlookers. And the last to arrive, as in the movies are the police. I couldn't understand anything they were saying, of course. But both drivers were hostile at each other.

Anyway, we ended up taking the auto rickshaw to my delight. They're like Philippines' tricycles & Thailand's tuk-tuk. Enough road adventure for the day.

Yes, there were cows everywhere. Grazing on the side of the street, standing guard by the traffic light, taking a nap at the pharmacy store, checking out the rowsof restaurants. They're holy to the Indians so they're allowed to just wander around. Interesting.

Having had idle time before the trade show, we went outside the city to visit the guru at the Art of Living Temple. On our way, we passed by countryside scene including trucks decorated with garlands, with pop art like this one:

Anwhere we go I can't help but marvel at their colorful costumes, even old men wearing fuchsia, emerald green, turquoise blue. Wow!

At the temple, we had to take off our footwear as we were standing on holy grounds, not to mention, scorching hot. We sort of danced like birds on the hot red bricks as we sang, ouch, ouch in different tones on our way to the temple for photo op.

Lucky for us, the guru was there that day. I got really close to him as I waded in a sea of adoring pilgrims. I got to shake hands with him & I felt like I sort of received some positive energy of sorts from the universe. He looked amiable & at peace despite the chaos. I would later tell my Indian suppliers about my encounter but not too many were amused. Maybe they're just envious.

Driving back to the city, we feasted our eyes on the august European-style judicial & legislative structures surrounded by huge, ancient-old trees. I felt like I was home. Like UP Diliman.

I hope they take care of their trees. I love trees. I almost wanted them, every Indian I encounter, to pledge to protect their trees. I decided against it last minute ;p

Bangalore, by the way is the City of Gardens. They have some beautiful well-maintained gardens in the city. I was surprised to see a lot of birds. I was rather envious. You don't see that many in Manila. Not as big & black. Are those crows? OK, now I'm scared.

One of those perched on my window one morning. On my first morning in India. Imagine my shock, when I drew the curtain & the first to come to view was a big shiny black crow. I think I yelped. I got the hang of it later. They liked visiting me for some reason.

There were other places we went to like the Brigade Road where KFC was. Where people were more modern, mostly wearing jeans & t-shirts. Not too many were wearing traditional clothes, which to me was rather boring. I mean those wearing modern clothes are kinda boring. There were a few malls. Coming from a country with big malls, I wasn't impressed.

There were a lot of different temples in the area with idols of different shapes, sizes & colors. The men & women in their wonderful & vibrant hues of flowing saris & its beautiful contrast on their brown to olive skintone. The ladies actually adorned themselves with leis on their neck or on their hair. So pretty. The aroma that's disctinctly Indian. Is it curry? Chili? Turmeric powder? Or all of the above? All these add to the image that I have of India. And the pesky mosquitoes which were present even in the offices. Glad to note, none in the hotel.

Too bad for me & my companions, we didn't have much time to go around. We came here for work after all. We were camped in a beautiful exclusive resort off the city for about a week for a trade show. I wonder when I can go back to India again. Despite the chaotic streets, frenzy atmosphere, & scary birds & mosquitoes, India remains my favorite among my foreign travels for its unique charm.

I first visited India in 2006. This was initially posted in my other blog at traveljournals.net.