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MY JOURNEY TO BLISS
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Thank you to everyone who remembered my birthday.Each greeting really meant a lot to me and absolutely made my day. Thank You Lord for giving me another year - another year to be productive, to share my life and be a blessing to other people.
Here’s how I celebrated my birthday in pictures:
I’m so thankful to God for giving me another awesome year! Looking forward to another exciting year!
❤
My crazy fangirl side kicked in, when I found out that I’ll get the chance to see Adam Levine up-close and personal. Tickets were already sold out 2 months before the concert, and just the night before while having dinner, my friend asked me if I wanted to go. without second thoughts— YES!! and it wasn’t just a general admission but right at the front stage. I can literally feel Adam’s sweat! HAHA. Guess I just got lucky!
They started off with:
Payphone
Makes Me Wonder
Lucky Strike
Sunday Morning
If I Never See Your Face Again
Wipe Your Eyes
Won’t Go Home Without You
Harder to Breathe
Wake Up Call
One More Night
Hands All Over
Misery
This Love
Encore:
The Sun (Adam on Drums)
She Will Be Loved (Acoustic)
Radio
Daylight
Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me”
Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy Back”
Moves Like Jagger
Here are some of the photos that night:
The Ngong Ping Village is in Lantau island. A train ride from kowloon to Tung Chung station would take about 45 minutes. It isn’t huge but there are quite a number of food outlets around from Chinese to kebab to Pizza. It can be a pit stop on your way to the Tai O Fishing Village which is reachable by bus and walking down the main street of Ngong Ping Village, you can already sight the Giant Buddha sitting peacefully on top of the mountain.
“The Tai O Fishing Village in the Western coast of Lantau Island is a quaint and picturesque village, with the traditional stilt houses predominant of the old Southern Chinese fishing villages”
We took a boat ride to take us to the coast framed by the mountains, harbour, and the stilt houses . We paid 20HKD for the whole boat tour. It’s amazing how you can still see the old folks making a living the old traditional way at the floating market which remains one of the favorite places for locals to buy fresh and dried seafoods.
❤,
If there’s ever a border crossing to worry about, it’s the Thailand-Cambodia border. It’s not necessarily dangerous but there is a constant stream of people trying to scam you starting from Bangkok all the way to Siem Reap in Cambodia. Fortunately they didn’t get us. We rode the tuk-tuk, it’s a small motorbike which can carry 3 people, going to Poipet, the Cambodian border. It costs around 10 US dollars.
In the immigration building, there were lines of people so we needed to fall in queue. For Philippine passport holders, no need for Cambodian visa so we went straight after having our custom stamps. Then took a cab going to the Angkor which is around an hour. We arrived at the temple around 3pm, just in time. While we didnt get the same misty clouds and solitude, sunset was beautiful. Angkor Wat is in the middle of the jungle and it is crazy humid there.
According to research, stretching over some 400 square kilometres, including forested area, Angkor Archaeological Park contains the magnificent remains of several capitals of the Khmer Empire of the 9th to the 15th centuries, including the largest pre-industrial city in the world. The most famous are the Temple of Angkor Wat and, at Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple with its countless sculptural decorations. Im not sure how these ‘lost cities‘ we’ve been visiting could ever really be lost, considering their magnitude, importance and beauty.
“Originally it was a Hindu temple, but once anew, buddhist king came into power and converted its people into Buddhism. Angkor Wat is surrounded by a huge moat, which held back the encroaching jungle thus, it is well preserved. It was re-discovered by a French explorer in the mid 1800′s.” -Wiki.
They filmed some scenes of Angelina Jolie’s Tomb Raider in here. There are tons of ruins and monuments inside AngkorThom and along the little circuit. It was an amazing, breathtaking place!
We strolled the rest of the temple until closing hours and was totally blown by its magnificence!
❤,
“Ho Chi Minh has great access to Vietnam’s countryside, a cosmopolitan vibe with delectable bars, restaurants and bistros all complimented by a long, rich history and authentic experiences at every corner. Literally.” ~Victoria
Saigon is bursting on history. It is generally easy to navigate and most of the key sights are within walking distance or a short and cheap cab/cyclo ride. On our case, we first headed to the impressive Notre Dame Cathedral. It was almost 200 feet high and was said to be setup by the French during the 1800s. We then headed over to Saigon’s Post Office which is considered to be a tourist attraction site because of its Gothic architectural style, was built since the 20th century. Other sites to see are the Saigon River and War Remnants Museum.
❤,
The pool, the sunset, the lounging at the beachfront, happy hours, fresh seafood, sumptuous dinners, refreshing fruit shakes, breathtaking sunset, awesome parties were just few of the things that made our Laboracay experience worthwhile! With first-hand experience, the beaches of Boracay was amazing and simply mesmerizing. The weather was warm — all the way up to 31 and sunny.
Its been almost a year since Labor Day weekend. I guess everyone who’s been there had that “Boracay hangover”, it’s one of those you’d-have-to-be-there-to-understand moments but i’ll try my best to make you feel and see the island fever through this post.
Early in the afternoon we gathered at Epic for some good JC drinks. Happy hour turned out to be drunken hour. We then headed over to the White House Resort for Van’s party. The nice thing about going to Boracay during holidays is running into friends you haven’t seen for the longest time!
The party scene in Boracay never dies whatever time it is of the day. The island has this mystifying energy that can get even the shyest person shaking and bopping, drowning in the music and sometimes beats of the heart.
Cheers to Laboracay 2012!!!!
One word to describe this trip: EPIC!!!!!
❤,
“The value of moving slow is seeing the road ahead of you.”
When it comes down to getting to know someone. You know, the late night calls, the pet names and stuff. It shouldn’t be rushed. It shouldn’t move as fast as you fell for them. Love is built on trust, honesty, and as well as time. You need to see if what you guys have is real. That these feelings are genuine, and this isn’t some infatuation bull shit. Go slow, see what you have is real. See that your heart isn’t playing tricks with you. And you’re actually building something beautiful. Cause in the end, you don’t want to walk away disappointed. You don’t want to end up breaking someone’s heart. You don’t want to be left alone, once again.
I need your opinion people.. Which is better? Cabas Rivington or Hampstead. Hampstead’s my first choice. I fell inlove with the design and the gold metal plate.. i love anything shiny but then they said di daw fit for our age bracket (20-25)? or is it “donya-ish”?? but i find it really cute. on the other hand.. According to some friends, Rivington ang super fit for our age bracket which is 20-25 years old.. and it’s just like neverfull. it’s the latest design and it has zippers so pwede ma adjust if you want. good for casual to semi-formal occassions, keri! im so torn.. i need your opinion. based on the pictures or etc.. :) *scroll down*
1. CABAS RIVINGTON
The Cabas Rivington in Damier canvas epitomises chic everyday style. A generous A4-sized interior, feminine leather handles and shiny golden brass pieces add to the charm of this versatile tote bag.
Smooth leather trimmings and zip pulls
-Side zips to adapt capacity
-1 large interior zipped pocket
-D-ring for attaching keys or accessories
-Textile lining
2. HAMPSTEAD
This large and adaptable bag comes in stunning Damier canvas. Press studs allow the capacity and shape of the bag to be altered, making it more versatile for different journeys or occasions. Size (LxHxD): 13.6” x 11.2” x 6.7” -One interior large zip pocket -One mobile phone compartment -Carried by hand -Smooth leather trimmings -Louis Vuitton Inventeur plate held by four rivets which is which?:))
Feb 11-12, 2011 HOT-AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL. Mayer, Trina, Derek, Mikko and I went to the Clark Hot Air Balloon Festival and the experience was fun but wasn’t quite ideal. (well I expected 20+ balloons to be inflated).
Anyway, we left late and ended up having dinner at Aling Lucing’s carenderia instead of the planned dinner at Cafe Mesa at Clark. We missed to catch the night glow show where the balloons are lined up facing the crowd. Mood music played while the balloon crew fires bursts of flame and hot gas into the balloons. (booo). At least we all enjoyed eating sisig which is the house’s specialty. After a quick dinner, we continued on around pampanga and looked for hotels where we could spend the night. The route took us right to the doorstep of an inn nearby the Clark airfield where the balloon fest was.
Traffic wasn’t so bad and the parking was better managed. We don’t have tickets but we have membership ids provided by allein. Still, we breezed through and were inside quite quickly. Inside, it was the same: there were various military and civilian displays as well as food and shopping stalls. It was crowded. There were people taking pictures, posing for photos, eating, shopping, flying kites (lots of kites!), and just milling around. But there was a cloud cover and it wasn’t so hot so it was way better.
I don’t have a thing on small dogs but these ones were really adorable. That’s Brad and Britney. I wonder why the owner didn’t name britney for angelina instead though.
artistahin sila kuya o! (above). The famous Aling Lucing’ sisig was really good. what’s weird was kuya telling us about aling lucing was ”murdered’’ while we were eating.. we were like “ahh” *nods. Anything be weirder than that?! (below)
and this was what we’ve missed because of derek and mikko’s 4pm turned 6:30pm show up.
well anyway, after lunch we went off back to Manila, entered the SCTEX, and officially ended our Hot Air Balloon trip. I was off to kuala lumpur that night, mayer’s got a flight to Hongkong and by the way was nearly late, Trina went back at the condo to rest, Derek and Mikko dropped themselves at Makati. back to reality baby.
Where to next?
**Credits to Mikko Mahinay for almost all of the photos**
First thing in the morning we went to a nearby mall to do some quick shopping to save us from the freezing cold. When we walked in, it was as if we got ourselves a private mall. Weird coz we’re the only ones inside but we didnt care. we got ourselves new outfits:
Our first night in Beijing we went to eat the famous Peking Duck at Peking palace! In Chinese and Japanese the city of Beijing is called “Peking” (pronounced Pecking). It was really good, we all enjoyed a nice leisurely dinner and lots of delicious Chinese tea (which tasted and is, so much better than the normal tea we have here in the Phils)
Despite the wind burns, we managed to stroll around the streets with just leggings and jackets. People were looking at us like ”what-the-hell-are-they-wearing” kind of look and we’re like ‘who cares? we didn’t know it’s negative degrees here in your country. lol.
Day two, the cold was more intense which stopped us from visiting the historical Great wall of china. It felt like my ears and nose were dropping off any minute. We kept ourselves warm.. by trying Tsingtao. a Chinese beer which tasted like Heineken, only better, in my opinion. We had a couple of drinks. Clean fun with the captains and the rest of the crew. a lot of ‘laughing-out-loud’ moments. fun fun night.
The next day, we stayed at the crew lounge while waiting for the aircraft to be ready. We met some Pilots from other airlines like Macau airways and etc. They were nice and friendly.
At about 12noon, the aircraft’s ready. We’re all back in uniforms, went straight to the airport.. back to reality. Though we didnt get to go to the Great wall, we did get the consolation of seeing it from top view.
view from the aircraft after seatbelt sign off:
Overall a fascinating city. If you still feel like reading there’s only a little more, I promise!
Thoughts…
1. I didn’t feel I was in a communist country even in the capital city. Despite the large number of police we saw posted around the city, the uniform high-rise complexes of apartments, and the gray polluted haze that seems to coat the city I felt as though it was similar to many other modern cities. We went to Outback, Starbucks, McDonalds, and went inside a very western seeming mall. I don’t know how much information is still censored these days, but I do know bbc.com is restricted - and the one-child policy is still in effect.
2. Pollution was terrible.
3. I realized how polite the Filipino people are and how concerned they are with what everyone else thinks compared to the Chinese. The Chinese seemed 200 times more pushy, loud and plain rude. This is not an observation about the entire culture obviously.
4. I finally get to love Chinese food a bit cause i used to be a hater.
5. Crowne Plaza is such a great place to stay only that it’s far from downtown beijing but their rooms were great, very comfy and clean.
So that was Beijing, much of the city and the time we spent there was just great. we met our share of characters as well. I won’t elaborate. the Great Wall (the name doesn’t let you down, speaking from top view lol), laughing a lot with the crew and a lot more. the rest let’s put it this way,
”What Happens In Beijing, Stays In Beijing” :)
Note: The rest of the pictures will be posted on facebook.
Just walking in the city’s busy streets gives one an indescribable high. No, i’m not going to write an entry about the streets, i just want to share some photos with you guys about what we did last 1/10/11. photos were taken by MIkko. Im actually having second thoughts posting these photos coz quote and quote by mikko: “Our friendship is based on camera”.. like im just going to call him for the sake of pictures. crazy. To mikko, we should have dinner some time without your d60. We’re still going to be friends even if you don’t have it, only lesser. hahahaha. mwah! Seriously now, i’d still be here even without your d60. :P
Going back.. We spent the afternoon at Rockwell. Just coffee and small talks for 3 hours coz they’re 2 hours later than 12noon. Kate had to leave early for grocery. June got tired. Dropped Mikko and Derek at greenbelt. Went home.
here are few of the photos from that day:
If only kidnapping is legal, i’d be the first to kidnap these kids. They’re so lovely and alluring.
i tagged along June with me so she can meet some of my friends from cdo. and FYI, she’s also from cdo. i wonder why we’ve never met in such a small town.
We went strolling around Rockwell area to look for a convenience store. We ended up finding one sa ‘sulok’ of one of the high rise buildings there.
June: “I wanna go home, im tired na”
Mikko: “sige uli kay pasu-on taka ani!” *while holding the cigarette, pointing it to June. lol.
violent much?!!
11/23/10. My last-minute christmas shopping slash sinful lunch date at Chili’s with Mikko.:)
My oh my, what a year that has been. So many good things: a new phase, a new career, a new place to live, and more. It was crazy, and busy, and happy, and good. My cup overflows.
I can’t believe 2010 is over. I know people say that all the time, and sure I’ve said that too in years past, but it seems like the older I get, the more the years just fly by. Can anybody that’s really old attest to that?As I close out 2010 I’d like to make note of all the significant occurrences that happened this last year, both good and didn’t seem so good at the time. This isn’t necessarily the ‘Best of 2010′ post, but it is a roundup of a few of my favorites, as well as a random compilation of things I feel compelled to share. As we all know, life is about the journey, so here’s where mine has been in the last 365 days… I do hope you enjoy!
1. I turned 22 and survived an amazing surprise party from friends.
2. I made my dad the happiest man on earth last February. My name, as well as my brother’s, became a little longer. I never knew LITTLE would make such big difference. Thank you God for BSN, RN.
3. Even when you think that you have the best friends in the world at age 14, it hardly ever stays that way and I find myself incredibly blessed by the way our friendship has grown and maintained over the years. I’ve added a couple other people to my very inner circle, and suffice to say I am hands down positive I have the best friends in the world. Attended a whole lot of thanksgiving parties, went roadtripping and the normal dinner and lunch dates with some of my favorite people who keep my sanity.
4. At the beginning of last year I was so confused as to what I should do and where I should go, but I ended up trusting in my own ability and made the best of the situation right where I was at. By March, I got the job at 5J on Inflight services as a flight attendant. Went through the dreadful training, almost hanging but passed. I’m happy I did it, I’m happy with what I achieved.
5. I was given the opportunity to travel a lot this year to different places inside the country and around Asia.
6. I met a lot of people in diversity. Half of them were good & real, and the other half.. are the ones you wish you never have met but did.
7. There were some definite bright spots this season, but there were also many lows that didn’t have to happen. My dog, Louie died and at the very same time I failed the 2nd stage of assessment at one of the airlines i applied for the last year. The low points were pretty much disappointing, but I now completely understand why it has to happen.
8. I’ve ended—one good ‘somewhere in between’ relationship over the past year. I don’t know if I’m quite ready to put meaning to that, but it is what it is. I have faith God knows what he’s doing and he’s going to blow my heels off. Someone out there is gonna be lucky. ;)
9. Good health for my family and friends throughout the year. - granted:)
10. At about this time last year, I made a few specific resolutions that were tied to my faith and the spiritual side of my life. I made a commitment to read the bible daily, tithe an actual 10%, and start helping others. I wasn’t able to follow this entirely, but I can see the difference it’s made in me and I’m happy.
To be honest this past year was one of the best years I have ever had on so many different levels. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to accomplish what I have accomplished. Many of it would not be possible without such a strong and supportive family. Thank you and….I love you! Also…thank you to my friends who made me a better person….you know who you are! and most of all to GOD— nothing is impossible with HIM.
to continue..
Here are some of the photos from the new year’s countdown in Republiq and MOA: 2011
Credits to Elle for some of the photos.
THIS IS GOING TO BE A GREAT YEAR.
