2009 Grand Vacay (Part 6-C): Sleepless in the City that Never Sleeps – NYC!

Woke up late on the third day, but just in time to have a sumptuous brunch – after that, we did more touristy stuff that made me totally fall for NYC…

Today's cuisine... French! Though it's damn cold outside, we chose to dine al fresco still!

Appetizing appetizer!!! White cheese, potato, vinigrette, less the olives and lettuce...

Lau's pick! Yum!

My choice... More cholesterol, but yummier!

To conclude the meal - strawberry and mango sorbet... Sarap!

One of the best restaurants in Manhattan: Pastis! It's located in the Meat Packing District which is currently being developed to be one of the top spots to explore in the city...

After that hefty brunch, we toured Meat Packing District and explored the newly built attraction called "High Line" - previously a railway now turned to an urban park.

High Line boasts with its serene atmosphere...

...its amazing view from above

...and its enigmatic over-all feel,

making it a great getaway destination to escape the busy and crazy streets of Manhattan!

Time to hit the streets again to board the subway leading to our next destination... While walking around, I was just struck by this path - a typical apartment lane that I just used to see in Hollywood movies.

Next stop, Madison Square Garden!

While walking towards Empire State Building, Lau pointed to me the first ever Macy's... Such a classic!

Then we reached this other monumental pit stop... Here at the first floor...

...then at the view deck on the 84th floor - seeing the whole of Manhattan in 360 degrees perspective!

The other side...

And there goes the mandatory shot!

Spotting the famous "flat iron" building...

...and my favorite, "Chrysler Building"!

Just a dramatic shot...

Ending the Empire State experience with a this photo, followed by a trip to the souvenir store to buy the mandatory ref magnet for mom and Aids, plus the shot glasses promised to Kandi!

Prior to walking some more, we grabbed a quick bite here. So amazed to find a caffeine-free Diet Coke!

Then the walkathon continued... A few more steps, we reached NYC's Public Library (trivia: this was the setting of that supposedly wedding of Carrie and Big in "Sex and the City: The Movie").

We did not enter though - just sat down in that only table outside the library...

Not very far from the library (just one corner away) is another park called, "Bryant Park". Since its right at the smack of the city, people flock to this place after work and watch special shows for free...

That afternoon, we witnessed an opera... feeling cultured!

After a quick rest at the park, we walked again and passed by the Philippine Embassy... Just want to pay homage by stopping and "almost" singing "Lupang Hinirang"...

A picture of the thickly populated and truly busy NYC in Penn Station...

Where to go? How about Harlem? Hmmmm...

Everyone's busy... except me!

This time, going to the opposite view of the Empire State Building... Didn't go up though, it's the same skyline anyway!

Another NYC landmark - that famous rink and the huge Christmas tree during the yuletide season...

Not to forget the flags of various nations...

Quick stop for Chai Latte...

Dean & Deluca's velvet cupcake is sooooo good!

Just across is NBC Studios - this is where "The Today Show" is aired daily...

More of NBC, then we also passed by FOX studio...

Then we proceeded to Broadway... still had the hangover of "Wicked" the night before, so we decided to check out 2009 Tony's Best Musical - "Billy Elliot"! True enough, it deserved the award!

While debriefing about "Billy Elliot", we went to Times Square again, just to see it once more and simply do nothing before having a late dinner...

Saw 2 out of3 of those shows... Wish I could have seen all!

Dinner time!!!! Huge burger that I failed to finish - yes, believe it or not!

Now time to go home... how?????

Meeting my new found friends in the Subway!

man of the world

on my last day in the philippines, more than wanting to stay longer, i felt missing life in jakarta. kakatawa di ba? after looking forward to the christmas holiday and spending it really well, it came to a point na hinanap-hanap ko rin ang buhay ko away from my country. eto rin yung central topic sa usapan namin ng expat friend ko based naman in shanghai na umuwi rin sa pinas for the holidays. we realized that there’s this weird feeling that the philippines is your country, but the country where you are now staying in is your home. well, siguro it’s just a temporary feeling – probably driven by our desire to further our ambitions and adventures, but at the end of the day, it’s what keeps us holding on to the new life we’re leading.

i arrived at my flat last 03 january and one of the first few things i did (aside from emptying my luggage filled with dried mangoes, otap, chicharon and lambanog as pasalubongs for my local friends) was to accomplish my life planning template. thanks to my ex-boss back in 2005, she introduced me this template that summarizes the things that you have to thank god for, for the year that passed, and the new dreams that you want achieved for the new year. it’s not the crappy or cliché new year’s resolution list, but more like an objectives list that you revisit every so often to inspire you to wake up every morning. after reviewing the files from 2005 to 2008, sobrang na-realize ko how blessed i really am.

after minutes of re-assessing myself, i came up with my mantra for 2009, i.e. to be a “man of the world”. in a nutshell, it’s succeeding in a borderless world and living life to the fullest in a more holistic context – seeing and experiencing the beauty and happiness that this big world can offer while growing and touching other people’s lives along the way. another good thing that all those self-help books influenced me on is not thinking of limitations – it may sound unrealistic, but it’s the thinking na walang pangarap na di pedeng di maabot, lahat ng gusto mo e makukuha mo – no buts, no ifs! mas lalo akong napaniwala dito dahil 2008 turned out to be an excellent year for me – sobrang daming nangyari na dapat kong ipagpasalamat! this further inspired me to broaden my horizons in 2009. so life this year will look something like this:

ang sarap ng pakiramdam na ramdam mo yung paglago mo bilang tao sa lahat ng aspeto ng buhay. siguro, ito na yung sinasabi ni abraham maslow sa kanyang “hierarchy of needs” na self-actualization. if i were to die tomorrow, it’s good to know na i’m on my way towards achieving the final stage that i won’t be embarrassed to face my creator, believing that i gave my best to make the life that he allowed me to borrow so worthy to live.

schedule for the holidays

the long wait ended last 23 december, 0525 in the morning. i finally arrived in manila for my christmas and new year holiday break. sarap ng pakiramdam, naiintindihan ko na tuloy yung mga ofws na kaka-land pa lang ng eroplano e gusto ng tumayo, kunin ang mga gamit at tumakbo palabas ng eroplano! hehehe!

since my break is only 10 days (inclusive of saturdays and sundays), gumawa na ako ng schedule (knowing me) kung anu-ano mga gagawin at pupuntahan ko in the next 10 days – basta ang objective e ma-maximize ang bakasyon, maka-spend time with family, friends and loved-ones, at me-enjoy ang mga pinoy stuff na na-miss ko, lalu na yung feeling of christmas na di ko masyado naramdaman sa jakarta.

23 december, tuesday

sinundo ako ng pamilya ko (oo, kumpleto sila – mom, dad, bro) sa naia 3 since cebupac flight ko. after that, we went straight to shell-magallanes para kumain ng breakfast, saan pa e di sa jollibee (kailangan pa bang i-memorize yan?!). had my favorite super breakfast joys – longganisa, tapa, pancake, fried rice, at nag sundae din ako – yung bago nilang variant, black forest yata yun or something. while having breakfast, it was a catch up time for the four of us, kahit lagi ko silang nakakausap thru text, email or ym, iba pa rin yung tipong kaharap mo silang nakakakwentuhan. after that, we headed na to my “home” mall to do my gift shopping for my inaanaks. but since it was early pa, sarado pa ang glorietta at rustan’s, so nag-starbucks na lang muna kami sa 6750. since i’m one of those people na nauuto ng starbucks mangolekta ng stickers tuwing pasko para sa planner, i asked the barista to give me a sticker card since la pa akong nasisimulan – good thing, less ang requirement pala this year, but apparently, di rin ganun kaganda pala yung planner – its way too simple compared to that of last year’s, so mejo nawalan na rin ako ng gana to do starbucks marathon in the next 10 days just for the planner. at exactly 10am, we entered na the mall (kakatawa, parang mga katulong! hahahaha!). went straight to rustan’s kids section to find gifts for inaanaks and pamangkins sa cousins. in 2 hours time, kumpleto na ang gifts ko para sa mga bata (galing ko noh?!). while the toys were being wrapped, we headed muna for lunch at dad’s. nagsimula na ang aking lechon feast! sarap! naka-tatlong balik ako ng main course at dalawa ng desserts – masarap pala ang puto bungbong ng kamayan (i just realized)! after kumain, bili lang konting groceries, claimed na the gifts and headed home na sa laguna. wala akong ginawa sa kotse kundi matulog simula makati hanggang alaminos – bagsak talaga, considering that 2 hours lang ata ang naging tulog ko sa eroplano. pagdating sa bahay, we just had a simple dinner, then natulog na ulit ako.

24 december, wednesday

energized! first lunch with a couple of college friends – mela and cris. mela just got home din last week from shanghai, while cris naman went straight to palmera’s from makati to meet us up. saya ng kwentuhan – di mo alam kung saan mo sisimulan, not to mention na distracting ung masasarap na pagkain – crispy pata, crispy tilapia and sinigang na baka! hahaha! after that, nag-coffee rin kami sa cafe aviano and the lunch ended at 6pm!

balik sa bahay ulit and spent time with the family – attended the mass together and enjoyed the noche buena feast and gift giving. but the biggest difference that night was that from 4, we became 5 in the family – my bro’s gf spent the eve with us as i will become a full-fledged tito soon! exciting!

25 december, thursday

christmas day! it was a pretty standard family (i.e. including titos, titas, cousins, pamangkins, etc.) celebration starting from lunch to dinner. in short, puro kainan, kwentuhan at regaluhan the whole day! had fun catching up with cousins, pamamngkins and inaanaks. side story – never give a gift to your inaanak that you don’t know or will have a hard time assembling for him – i gave gino a high-tech (complete with assembly stuff) hot wheels toy – syempre kailangan may gumawa for him since it’s not so easy for a 7-year old kid to put it together, unfortunately, weakness ko ang mechanical stuff (whahahaha), so he didn’t have a choice but to force his dad to set it up for him!

26 december, friday

hectic! time to meet the complete group during lunch at kusina salud, san pablo. fun din, walang katapusang kwentuhan! good thing din that we chose the said place (though quite far) coz super masarap yung food (second time ko pa lang kumain here) – the best ang lechon, binagoongan, sisig, sinigang na baboy at crispy bangus! plus, the ambiance is perfect – it’s a blissful provincial air surrounding the endearing place.

after lunch, derecho na sa manila since meron akong dinner commitment this time sa first batch ng jollibee friends naman. so after enduring the afternoon traffic of south luzon express way (buti na lang it’s my bro in charge of the wheels – hehehe!), i made it to cyma, greenbelt to meet up wena and coleen for a fun dinner and coffee session at coffee bean. (sidebar: by the way, salamat pala sa gifts! if ever nababasa mo to coleen, i got the gift na pinahabol mo kay wens! hahaha!).

almost 2am na kami natapos – geeez, i need to remind myself that i had to be in the airport at 0930 am the following day. so we packed up and i stayed in my friend’s flat (adrian), para maki-squat for the night.

27 december, saturday

beach mode! it’s boracay vacay for me, aids, nons, mels and josh. this had been planned na even before i finalized my sked of going home, so it was an anticipated trip. i was also excited considering that the last time i was in bora was in 2003 pa, and my first time was way back 2000 pa! ang tagal na! also, since i love lounging around the beach, kahit 3 weeks ago lang e nasa bali ako, iba pa rin yung bora with your close friends.

so it all started with waking up early and dragging yourself to the bathroom! waaaah! after that, went straight to the airport na – major highlight is eating 2-pc chickenjoy and extra rice for breakfast! hahaha!

1230 pm, we reached caticlan and another 30 minutes passed before feeling the powdery white sand of bora’s station 2! wala na kaming sinayang na oras, derecho kain na sa smoke, ikot sa d’mall, lakad/tambay sa beach area at naghintay ng sunset sa harap ng jony’s (kahit umaambon) while enjoying their famous fruit shake variants (note: tried the new bananatella, but for someone na mahilig sa rich taste, nabitin ako sa lasa ng chocolate).

after mag-chill, umulan na nga ng malakas – punyeta! blessing in disguise naman that we had to find a shade at we got near gasthof… so we decided to have dinner na and enjoy the famous ribs of the said place! sarap! it’s the best meal that i had during the entire bora stay!

after the dinner feast, gimik time na. there were only 2 places na pinuntahan namin the first night – juice bar and boom bar. tama laid-back relaxation lang sa boom with reggae acoustic music sa background at mga foreginers na mukang mga tanga sumayaw na pang-aliw! hahaha! had lang my usual rounds of vodka mix. main highlight is the kwentuhan – love life aspect! go mels, punta ka na ng mexico! hahaha! the very looong day finished early morning the following day actually, around 3am na.

28 december, sunday

have to wake up early to maximize the 3 days and 2 nights. so at exactly 0900 am, we were at real coffee already to enjoy a sumptuous light breakfast (well, para sa akin light lang ang omelette at pancake). sayang lang, ubos na ang famous calamansi muffin pagdating namin…

then, tamang lakad-lakad muna sa station 1, pa-picture sa kung anu-ano (kakatawa, kahit pangatlong beses na kong nakakpunta bora, di pedeng walang picture sa grotto ng station 1!) at tamang painit sa araw. pero nung nakakita na ko ng massage station, wala ng isipan, higa na agad para pa-masahe.

para naman ma-enjoy ang privacy ng beach, we decided to go to puka and nami. very wise decision, we had fun fighting the waves of puka while enjoying the serene breeze of the isolated place, while we also had a great time looking into the perfect view that nami offered – not to mention the yummy foodies that we truly enjoyed. the next time i go back to bora, i’ll check-in sa nami, perfect place if you’re so damn tired na of the busy atmosphere of stations 1 to 3!

tapos, magsu-sunset na ulit… syempre kailangan ceremonial ang viewing ng sunset since finally hindi na umuulan! so, we went back to station 1 to do paraw sailing while seeing the sunset up close – in the middle of the ocean (teka, ocean nga ba ang tawag dun?! haha!). while into it, mas enjoy as we were having red wine and there’s the beach music in our background habang umaandar ang bangka! eto nanaman yung moment na masasabi mo sa sarili mong: “this is the life!”…

then finally, dinner and inom na ulit. since it will be the last dinner, we decided to eat at aria (pizza, pasta and fire dancers on the side), then for drinks naman, we revisited station 1 (disappointing though, sobrang jologs na nga ng cocomangas side) and went back to station 2 to settle at hey jude. the night ended pretty early (around 0130 am) since our flight the following day was in the morning, mahirap ng hindi magising!

29 december, monday

beach is over! went back to manila early morning (but before that, managed to finish a tapsilog and logsilog meals at the caticlan airport). after an hour of plane ride, we went straight to aidrian’s flat where i quickly had my bathroom routine as i need to make it to rockwell before 1400 to catch up with the second batch of jollibee friends for lunch. fortunately, i made it past 1200 in c2, powerplant and saw kay, trix and wens. feels like 2005 again – jollibee days na hagalpakan ng tawa sa mga nakakatuwang kwento at chismis! hihihihi!

latter part that day naman was with monde friends. we met up at high street for dinner at claw daddy (first time ko dun, not bad but kinda overpriced – first time ko rin malaman and matikman yung san miguel premium beer – ok naman, parang watered-down heineken at smooth na san mig light) then drinks at texas grille.

twas nice knowing and seeing na after years na nagkasama-sama kayo sa trabaho, nakakapagkwentuhan pa rin kayo na parang same level nung year 2000-2004! parang walang nagbago! considering din that some people went out of the country (like kim and wen, by the way wen, salamat sa pagbabasa ng blog ko, ayan inextra kita! hahaha!), going back to manila to meet up and make kwento with old friends is like a pleasant and exciting routine that you won’t get tired of! salamat din tony for organizing and pau for the ride!

30 december, tuesday

glorietta and sm makati day – kailangan na mamili ng pasalubong pabalik ng jakarta. but of course, for the day to be more productive, i met up with another monde friend (sheila) over lunch at tgif. tamang usual bonding and kwentuhan which lasted for three hours…

after that, i headed home na to laguna na puno ang trunk ng kotse ng used clothes, groceries, gifts at dragon fireworks.

31 december, wednesday

new year’s eve template! attended mass, lighted the fireworks, ate media noche with the family.

01 january, thursday

while writing this blog entry, i just realized that i need to plan my life for this year… let’s see what i’ll come up with, but perhaps my mantra for 2009 can be encapsulated by the picture below

by the way, for more pics – please check out my facebook and friendster accounts…

sampung araw na lang!!!!!!!!

simula pa nung 01 december, nagsimula na akong mag-countdown kung ilang araw na lang ang natitira bago ang christmas vacation.  sa wakas, sampung araw na lang, babalik na ulit ako sa pinas!  haaaay!

yup, over the last 3 weeks, sobrang homesick ako – siguro dahil na rin sa christmas mode at sa dami ng pressure at challenges sa trabaho.  kakapagod – kahapon, naisip ko talaga kung bakit ko pa ba pinasok to…  pero buti na lang, may pamilya at mga kaibigan akong nakakausap – kahit malayo sila, kahit sa ym man lang o blackberry messenger nakakausap ko sila para makapag-vent kahit papaano.

ilang tulog na lang…  ilang gising na lang…  haaaay…  sana 23 december na!

the first thing i see every morning... countdown thru "post it" notes... it's what keeps me going...

my li'l christmas tree... giving me a semblance of christmas here...

bali escape

the past two weeks had been extremely busy for me (until now, actually) – the feeling is like i’m a one-man-band in a 24-hour concert. picture that! so as the week ended – friday night, i went a little crazy – just impulsively decided to book a ticket and hotel to visit and stay in bali for the first time, alone, over the long weekend! Mindset was – “be adventurous, do whatever, give yourself a break, indulge and feel the expat life, go get a piece of happiness!” so here are some thoughts written down as i explored and enjoyed bali!

1. jakarta‘s jw airport lounge is overpriced. let-down food, stinky toilet, crappy smoking room exhaust. never again!

2. assigned planes on domestic airport gates keep on changing. what’s the point of having a gate number printed on the boarding pass & having something different on the flight schedule monitor and on the actual gates?! duh! why do they make it so damn complicated?!

3. wearing sunglasses while in the boarding gate may appear weird to some – though not for me and the four other youngsters here.

4. then I’ve arrived. my impression – one small city beautifully situated in a beach. has a suburb charm. a place I would be going in and out often I guess.

5. first meal: saturday dinner. rosso viro, italian resto under chef roberto bogni. i had scaloppine di pollo alla panna e funghi (pan fried chicken breast in creamy mushroom sauce). it was just heavenly! simply a perfect first meal! standard iced lemon tea drink on the side and “the purple” – a vodka-based lychee cocktail to end the initial feast.

6. people walk around with beer cans or bottles clasped in their hands – such a carefree and i’ll-simply-enjoy-my-life look. why can’t we have this mindset anywhere and everywhere? why do we need a party place as valid license to do it?

7. walking from kuta main street to legian is quite tiring if you’re in an oversized havaianas. good thing though is that you’d see a lot of things that will amaze you – from restos, bars, clubs, boutiques, jewelry shops, market stalls, coffee shops, reflexology & massage centers, tourist info booths, convenience stores, stray dogs, taxis, horse carriages, locals offering various services and tons and tons and tons of motorbikes! ohhh, have i mentioned motorbikes?

8. people are generally nice, friendly & can speak decent english (yup, a whole lot better than in jakarta as 10 people out of 10 that i’ve spoken to can articulately, relatively speaking, speak the language). it really pays off to be a tourist capital of a country – people are forced (perhaps) to act accommodating and speak the universal language.

9. nothing beats the massage by the beach – natural ambient sounds, windy breeze, sand on your skin, and of course the relaxing mix of trained hands with aromatic oil.

10. bali locals are so creatively enterprising – they offer a whole lot of things and charge for everything. if i were to read their minds, the only objective is to get as much money they can from tourists! would you believe, a woman forced me to buy bracelets from her coz she pulled a strand of white hair from my head while being massaged by another old lady?! (note to self, having a white hair, even just a strand is not a good sign – I’m only 28 damn it!) arggghhh! so annoying! with that, my most used statement that morning was “no, thank you!”.

11. in the strip where i am in now, i am the only asian tourist. most of them look european and caucasian. they seem to be loving kuta so much – pity them, boracay’s and palawan’s white, fine sand is still a whole lot better. yeah, the beach itself is kind of a let down, but I won’t discount the fact that the experience so far is extremely nice! simply put, bali is a little bit overrated, but its dynamism will allow you to explore what you want in an island, to warrant the raves it received from the world.

12. it’s a surfer’s paradise, some people dub. true enough, it is – there are even mnemonic devices to prove the point.

13. amongst all the hard rock cafes and hotels i’ve been to, bali earns my vote for being the “most unique”. it is well well customized to the balinise look and feel, yet the atmosphere remains “hard rock”, just like the starbucks in ongpin and jollibee in pagudpud.

14. as all tourists here are on vacay mode and are simply embracing good vibes, everyone’s extra friendly. no need to think twice of talking to someone, nice thing about it is that you’ll even find more entertainment from them especially if you’re alone. aside from the locals that i’ve spoken to, i made acquaintances with a couple of australian girls and an old bloke from czech republic. many more to come tonight.

15. staying just in kuta is not a good idea. so i rented a car with a driver to take me around. i’m in jimbaran beach now – a stretch of seafood restos, while waiting for the sun to set, while listening to classic bossa, while relaxing on a wooden seat along the shore, while enjoying a gastronomical feast, while taking pictures of the amazing horizon, while feeling that this is life, while thinking why life can’t be like this everyday!

16. learned a few bits from my rent-a-car driver about Hinduism (the prominent religion in bali). canang – morning and afternoon ceremonial activity, this box-container made from coconut leaves has flowers (5 colors) and uncooked rice, it is lit for blessing & thanksgiving in the morning and evening respectively. also, the rationale why there are no tall buildings in bali? it’s also part of the belief, i.e. no building should be higher than 15 feet or taller than the usual coconut tree! very interesting.

17. now i’m this coffe shop recommended by my officemate called cafe moka to have coffee (latte, as usual) and dessert (éclair and truffles). it’s a standard, cozy coffee place in seminyak. the area is filled with posh boutiques and shops beside each other. it reminds me of liliw in laguna and carmel in california – tiny shops with good finds. this area really has an endearing suburb feel that will charm the laid-back person in you.

18. haven’t done club hopping for such a long time – college years I guess was the last time. being in bali is a license to do all that again – if i were to count it, i went into 5 places which translated to 5 drinks, random acquaintances from all over the globe & interesting conversations that made this vacation alone a fun one.

19. when you’re in a vacay mode, your tendency is not to have a care in the world – all you want is to have fun to the point of splurging! I was kinda victimized by the commercialized thought, good enough I was able to take control of getting the wallet out of my pocket to buy stuff that i may not necessarily need now or even in the future! the strip in the matahari block was quite tempting though!

20. the hardest thing to do when your holiday is about to finish is packing your luggage! literally – kinda difficult to organize & fit in used clothing & new stuff you bought; figuratively – your mind says you have to go to face your real life again, but your heart says, you just want the escape to be permanent coz life seems easier and better this way! but, life’s real – we are not living in a fantasy world, or should i say i don’t have the courage and means yet to do so. perhaps upon retirement (hopefully still at age 40), i can make this fantasy world an everyday destination.

21. the smoking booths in indonesia airports are really funny – it’s like a birdcage with a welcome signage: “enter at your own risk – this booth will ensure that you’ll suffocate at the short term, and get lung cancer at the long term”.

in an hour, i will be bidding bali farewell. for a first-time trip, i’ll give this one 9 out of 10. the 1 point deficit to make it excellently superb will be reserved the next time I go back to this superficially “carpe diem” destination. hopefully, the second-time-in-bali trip happens soon… very soon!

surabaya: ang laguna ng indonesia

2 weekends ago was my first trip outside of jakarta via plane. nagpunta ako sa surabaya para samahan ang isa sa mga aes na mag-supervise ng radio show kasama ang kliyente at para mag trade visit na rin. excited ako kahit paano since bagong lugar nanaman ito na mapupuntahan ko.

ang surabaya ay parang laguna para sa akin. nandito ang karamihan sa industrial areas ng indonesia at isa itong maliit na jakarta – urban na rin pero mas mabagal ang takbo ng buhay (oo, may mas babagal pa sa jakarta!) at hindi pa ganoon ka commercialized. aside from work syempre, may mga side trip at mostly ay ang sumubok ng mga pagkain sa lugar. parang karinderya-hopping ang nangyari na naging interesting para sa akin. nakakatakot sa simula ang safety ng mga pagkain kasi kwestiyonable para sa akin ang hygiene ng mga tao dito lalu na sa food preparation – pero, deadma na, matibay naman ang sikmura ko! hahaha!

to visualize, below are some pictures from the adventure:

the media supplier, the client, the ae, the csd - in the radio station

aspiring dj!

tofuballs! sarap!

pritong bangus topped with kremes

bebek with kremes topping and nasi putih!

enjoying native foodies with the clients

street food stall - mas marami dito kesa sa pinas!

heavenly ribs! dalawang order please!

with surabaya's famous ibu rudy

read the tagline! o, san ka pa?!

fusion - ginger tea+sake+kadiring lasa!

ang pedicab!

first time? hahahaha!

pauwi ka na lang, may magpapatawa pa rin sayo! nakakatakot ang tagline di ba?!

so far, nakadalawang labas na ako ng jakarta – bandung at surabaya. ang next target ay bali! sana matuloy ang plano kong makapunta dito sa weekend ng december 6 since long weekend dito dahil holiday sa december 8, definitely not because of immaculate conception pero dahil isa itong moslem holiday.

email to dad, mom & bro

Hi Dad/Mom/VJ,

Hope everything’s well there!

It’s 01 November now and they don’t celebrate Halloween here – it’s against their belief system ata. Just a trivia, I just found out na sa Moslem belief pala, pag namatay ang isang tao, kailangan ilibing within 24 hours – so walang lamay or intayan ng mga kamag-anak not present, libing agad within the same day na namatay yung tao! Maybe that practice has something to do with their not celebrating All Souls Day.

Anyway, I deposited funds for November yesterday in our BPI USD account. Nakakainis lang coz the USD significantly went up over the last 2 weeks, I suppose the same situation there. Hence, bigger amount in Rupiah but equivalent to less USD. But it’s okay, maybe the US will weaken its economy again after Obama/McCain wins! Hahaha! So the breakdown of the fund will be as follows:

Total amount transferred: approx USD XXXXX

For my bills: XX%, approx USD XXXXX

For family fund: XX%, approx USD XXXXX

For tithes: XX%, approx USD XXXXX

Mommy, for my credit card bills, kindly allocate the biggest amount to the one which has the biggest outstanding balance – I’m not sure which but just look at the billings, if I’m not mistaken, the HSBC or Citibank Visa. Kayo na bahala sa allocation.

Daddy, I heard from Mommy na namatay na pala si Lola Coring. I’ll just pray for the repose of her soul. By the way, advance happy birthday! If there’s something that you need to celebrate your birthday with family/friends/colleagues, just align with Mommy and get the funds from our account. Any thoughts on the business idea I mentioned the last time? No rush, but if something comes up, just let me know. I played tennis pala ulit last night – I guess I improved a bit from the first session – in addition to palo palo of my forehand and backhand, I was trained na ulit to do volley, smash and service. Hopefully next week I’d get even better.

VJ, just see you again when you’re online. Good luck with your interview on Monday. Let me know kung ano mangyayari! At for your info, pumayat na talaga ako at madami nakakapansin sa office – from my 205 lbs weight when I got here, I just tipped the scale the other day in the gym and I’m now only 185 lbs! 20 lbs in 3 months is not a small feat ha! Hopefully when I get home there by Christmas, I can reach my target of 165 lbs and 32 waistline from my 34-36 now! Hahahaha! If not, abangan mo next year.

Also nga pala, my flight details for Christmas break would be as follows:

Arrival: 23 Dec, Tue, 5:25 AM, Flight 5J760, NAIA3 via Cebu Pacific

Departure : 02 Jan, Fri, 8 :55PM, Flight 5J759, NAIA3 via Cebu Pacific

I’m using Cebu Pacific again coz when I booked the flight last month, wala ng available flights in PAL and Singapore Airlines during the Christmas week – whether I go home by 15 Dec or by 26 Dec! Since the holiday in our agency will start only on 25 Dec, I can’t take the very early flight. Buti na lang, when I checked Cebupac, meron pang seats available for 23 Dec. So, I will just see you again in NAIA3 on 23 Dec – same time with the last time I went home last Oct.

I’ll be hearing anticipated mass later at 4PM and drop by Carrefour for my usual weekly groceries. Will stay at the apartment for the night and sleep early coz I will be going to Bandung early morning tomorrow (6AM) with some officemates. The place is a town 2-hours away from Jakarta, from their description, para syang Tagaytay natin, malamig daw kasi, maraming masasarap na food at may mga factory outlet shops ng branded stuff! Next weekend naman, I will be flying to Surabaya, another city outside Jakarta for a radio show of a client – it’s quite far so we need to take a 45-minute flight by plane. Will take pictures and will make kwento on my experiences in these places on my next email.

By the way, attached are some pictures from the party I attended last Sunday with some office friends and acquaintances. It was held in a function hall fronting a beach called Segarra. The party was hosted by Marlboro and more than 3,000 people attended! I was supposed to meet Gretchen there coz her agency was handling Marlboro, but she decided not to attend later that day. It was fun naman, at least I can balance work and fun in my life here.

Also, last Thursday, we implemented an agency orientation with one of our clients. Most attendees were first jobbers – ok naman, at least in an indirect way, I still get to practice my passion for teaching. Below are some pictures as well.

That’s it for now muna. Missin you 3!

Ingat,

JA/Kuya

third-month syndrome

a number of friends who had previously experienced the life of expatriation warned me about the third-month syndrome. in essence, the message is that everything will sink-in about the reality of your new life on your third month…

during the first month, your spirit is lifted by excitement on a brand new experience up ahead, most of your days will be spent in establishing your life in the new place where you’re in – finding a house, getting to know the recreational activities, meeting new kinds of people and orienting yourself with the work you’re tasked to do. the second month will also be an endearing stage where you would start to spread your wings in terms of building connections and relationships – with your new co-workers, the locals and co-expats that you will meet randomly from common friends, and with fellow filipinos working in the same country. it will also be the period where you will enjoy the financial perks of being who you are at the moment – it’s usually thru a snap-of-a-finger shopping spree for new toys and grand stuff which back home, you would need to save up for months just to afford a single piece of these “wish list” grandeur, and also being able to wire quite a significant amount of green bucks to your family back home. but, after the excitement of the two-month adventure, something similar to lightning will strike back at you, making the third-month like a string of moments that would make you think and discern to answer questions like – “why am i here?”, “am i happy with the life i’m leading now?”, “is this what i was looking for?”, “where will this eventually lead me to?”, “is it all worth it?”.

in a couple of weeks, i’ll be on my third month already, but being my usual advanced self, i’m feeling the third-month syndrome right at this moment. not that i’m backing out or feeling helplessly homesick, but there were moments last week when i started having the above questions in my thoughts. the good thing about it is that i knew in advance that this is coming – thanks to my friends’ early warning. in addition, the days of my being in-between-jobs back in june, which were purely exposed to the words and inspiration of joel osteen, makes me conscious about my thoughts now – that i should embrace my current scenario, that nothing should steal my joy and that i should continuously believe in myself and in god’s hands that direct my life in the perfect path.

to aid me in feeling the greatness of my situation now, i’ve listed down some real “happy bits” in my life that should be able to lift me up…

1. my broken external hard drive was fixed in a computer shop last week! more than 8 years of my life contained in a 120 gig metal box which I thought was impossible to retrieve was recovered!

2. i was able to help a broken-hearted co-worker feel better.

3. i feel like 21 again after clubbing for the second time with my young staff in x2 and being like a big brother to a couple of them who got so damn intoxicated.

4. made my best friend happy on her birthday.

5. i have a better personal relationship with my indonesian boss – which i thought was difficult to establish a couple of months back.

6. i found a tennis court and signed up to play with an instructor next week. it’s a good sign as i may be able to make my weight-loss result to a healthier lifestyle – not to mention the thought that i’m open to working out in my apartment’s gym already. big leap it is!

7. successfully cooked my first sinigang na baboy here. though terribly expensive, relatively speaking (half kilo of pork cubes amounted to more than 200 pesos), i now found a strong alternative to my usual adobo.

8. my officemates loved my pasalubongs – the biggest hits were the otap (pinnoy glazed puffed pastry) and lapid’s chicharon (which they call crispy pork skin) though!

9. able to participate in a client’s csr program – education program in jakarta’s depressed communities.

10. being in constant communication with my mom thru text.

11. got a new functional toy to add to my gadget collection – blackberry curve 8320. downside is that my mailbox will be open 24/7. oh well, at least my hours in traffic jam can be made more productive!

12. in a couple of months, i’ll be back to the philippines for christmas! (note to self: book and confirm your ticket tomorrow!!!)

13. had a new senior account executive on board! one account manager to go and we will be complete again.

14. got a graduation gift idea for my bro and 30^th wedding anniversary present for my folks. will have to save up for these great gift ideas!

15. lounging around here at my apartment’s lobby while my cleaning lady puts back my unit in order – didn’t have this back in my condo in manila. it’s fun to be spoiled! hahaha!

with all these, the third-month syndrome would have to just pass my thoughts in a breeze. at the end of the day, i would have to say that still, expat life rocks!

pumayat daw ako… :P

wala na yatang gaganda pa sa pagbating, “huy, pumayat ka!”…  wahahaha!

matapos ang mahigit dalawang buwan na di ko nakita ang pamilya at kaibigan sa pinas, ito na siguro ang pinakamagandang pagbati na narinig ko nung dumating ako ulit sa maynila.  well, ang sagot ko lang jan e, “mantakin mo ba namang, talong beses lang ako nakatikim ng baboy sa nakaraang dalawang buwan, isama mo pa ang stress at pressure sa trabaho at adjustment na rin na mamuhay mag-isa sa banyagang lugar – sino ba naman ang di papayat?!”.

ganun pala ang pakiramdam maging balikbayan – sobrang masaya at exciting.  parang gusto mong wag na gumalaw ang oras para di matapos ang bakasyon mo.  walang tigil na kwentuhan at tawanan – akala ko dati, exaggerated yung nga eksena sa pelikula, pero hindi pala – iba talaga yung pakiramdam na makasama mo ulit yung mga mahal mo na sobrang na-miss mo!  usual stuff ang ginawa ko kasama sila, pero naging masaya ako:

day 1 (umaga): pagkasundo sa akin ni dad and mom sa naia 3, dumeretso kami sa jollibee!  wahahaha!  default order – 2pc. chickenjoy meal, extra rice, soup at large coke light!  tapos nun, nag-check in na kami
sa intercon, nagpahinga muna ng konti then lumabas na ulit para mag-mall.  nagpunta kami sa landmark para bumili ng barong na gagamitin ko sa wedding ng pinsan ko kinabukasan, tapos nun, nag-lunch na kami – gerry’s naman this time!  sinigang, pata at bangus!  sarap!  ikot ulit sa mall, then nagpagupit ako.  nagulat ang favorite stylist ko na si aureo dahil nagpaalam ako sa kanya two months ago – told him na bakasyon lang ako, nakwento ko rin na nakapagpagupit na ko sa jakarta, kaso lang, iba pa rin ang nakasanayan ko ng gupit nya sa propaganda, so malamang ang next kong gupit e sa pasko na ulit pagbalik ko sa pinas!  balik hotel na ulit at andun na ang kapatid ko.  konting kwentuhan then nagbihis na ko.

day 1 (gabi): dinner with usual (but really longed-for) friends at gb5.  first time ko sa myron’s place – ok naman, overpriced nga lang.  importante, masaya ang kwentuhan at tawanan naming lahat.  kahit pano, ang dating 9 e naging 5 ulit – kaso lang, bago matapos ang taon, may isa na ulit aalis papunta naman australia.  so, 3 na lang sila matitira sa pinas.  haaaay, kakalungkot, pero ganun ata talaga, kanya kanyang alisan, ang importante, magkakaibigan pa rin – who would have thought that after more than a decade e kami pa rin ang magkakasama?

mabilis na kwento: bena-papunta ng australia sa nov, aids-bagong trabaho bilan abm ng tv5, cris-patiently waiting kung anong kasunod, nons-new work at shell

buti na lang walang tao - di nakakahiya magpapicture! wahahaha!

day 2:  wedding day.  yung details and pictures nito is in the previous post.  after ng event, umuwi na kami ng laguna.

day 3:  home sweet home!  na-miss ko ang bahay namin – ang kama, ang kusina, ang dining room, ang magic sing, at kung anu-ano pa.  syempre, di pedeng hindi magluluto ang mommy ko ng food na gusto ko – so we had adobong manok sa gata, galunggong, bangus, chopseuy, etc.

day 4:  balik manila para i-meet ulit ang mga pinsan at ibang kaibigan for the last time since malapit na ko umalis.  nag-late lunch kami nila pau and joan sa sentro at nag-cofi sa figaro.  sayang, di nakasama si tony at vic for valid reasons.  sa pasko na lang siguro kami magkikita ulit.  after nun, mga pinsan ko naman ang mineet ko.  nag-dinner lang kami at nag-two rounds sa eastwood.  needless to say, pinoy food pa rin (since kasama sina kuyas aloy and jun na galing amerika) – dencio’s this time.  after nun, konting inom lang – kurant 7 and bailey’s for me.

meeting up with the newlyweds at mccafe

dinner!!!

after dinner

day 5: huling araw kasama ang mga kaibigan.  eto ang naging mandatory glorietta day kung saan nag-dinner kami sa tgif, nag-kape sa starbucks at nanood ng movie na tagalog (request ko kasi – hehe!).  sinamantala ko na rin ang pagpunta sa sm para bumili ng mga pasalubong sa mga officemates ko – walang kamatayang dried mangoes, otap, rosquillios, sampaloc, t-shirts at bags na may “pilipinas”, pearls, at kung anu-ano pa.  after nun, nag-overnight kami sa condo ni adrian – konting inom lang ng gran matador with coke (skwaks!  hahaha!) at isang masarap na umagahan courtesy of the gracious host!

at aids' lounge

dating gawi... drinking while copying files - mp3s, tv shows, etc.

day 6: balik laguna.   natulog lang ako maghapon.  nakakapagod din na magpuyat para magsaya.  lalo tuloy akong inubo.  bumili rin pala ko ng 100 tablets/capsules ng stresstabs at solmux – eto ang mga kakampi ko sa pagkakasakit at depresyon!  hahahaha!  bukod sa pagkain, nag-marathon lang din ako ng abs-cbn shows – simula wowowee hanggang bandila!

day 7:   after lunch with my folks, luwas na kami manila…  hinatid na nila ulit ako sa naia 3.  haaaay…

yan ang naging isang linggo ko sa pinas noong nakaraang linggo.  ngayon, andito na ulit ako sa jakarta.  magtatrabaho ulit sa susunod na more than 2 months at pagkatapos noon, uuwi ulit ng pinas para doon mag-pasko at bagong taon.

just wondering, sa december kaya, maririnig ko pa kaya ulit ang komentong “huy, pumayat ka!”? 

kasal, kasali, kasalo!

sa wakas, nakauwi na ako ng pinas at ikinasal na rin ang pinsan kong 47 years old!!!

big event sa pamilya namin ito dahil si kuya jun na ang pinakamatanda kong pinsan – matapos nyang libutin ang mundo sa pagiging army ng amerika, gawin at i-accomplish lahat ng ginusto nya at magpayaman sa buhay, tama lang naman na mag-retire na sya sa pagiging single. buti na lang kahit huli na ang biyahe, may nakilala pa syang nasa parehong sitwasyon, si ate gemma – ang bagong pinsan ng pamilya.

bukod sa naging masaya ang wedding dahil parang naging reunion na rin ito – may mga pinsan akong umuwi mula amerika, nakaka-aliw ang reception (maayos ang program flow at content) at masarap ang pagkain (kahit talagang i’m not fond of hotel food, nagustuhan ko ito). kaya sulit na rin ang pagod ng pagmamadali ko ng uwi from jakarta para makapag-turok ng veil sa pinsan kong na-late pa sa simbahan! wahahaha!

with balikbayan insan kuya aloy and fab fashion designer cuz ate grace

partner sa buffet table! hahaha!

family lobby shot!

the men in the family with the kengkoy groom!

finally!