Finally, the day of the race! KE, Ate Tina and I hauled ass over to Suntec for the F1 Motorshow. The two cool things I got to do: (1) don a Maclaren jumpsuit at panindigan ang pagka-poser, (2) watch the car stunts show by world-record holders Russ & Paul Swift (apt names, huh?) and actually get to ride in the car with the stunt drivers! Woot-woo, six bucks well spent! Spent the rest of the time snapping away with the cam and ogling over the race cars.
By nighttime, we joined the rest of the F1 groupies at Marina Bay for the historic event. You could tell that KE & Vic, all clad in Ferrari Red, were so revved up (KE finally got to buy her Ferrari cap, by the way =P). I won't attempt to describe how electric the air was for those 2 hours -- ask KE for the kwento. =) Here are some highlights though -- (1) car crashing right in front of us (yeah, best seats in the house!), (2) me turning into a Lewis Hamilton-groupie, and (3) us joining the rest of the Ferrari fans in utter shock of what happened to Massa and Raikonnen (oh well, crap happens, even in F1).
After the race, we got to stroll on the track proper, and KE and I trooped over to Clarke Quay -- supposedly for some clubbing, but MoS was closed. On a Sunday. On an F1 weekend. Go figure. KE, Ben and I ended up gabbing the night way over ice cream at the riverside, which was a nice ending to a hyper-weekend.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Day 3: Kaladkarin's Adventures in Singapore
After a barrage of malls, we had an outdoor-sy agenda for this Saturday. Rhea, Mike, Ben, KE and I trooped to the outskirts of Bedok for a 'Forest Adventure'. You know you're in for an exciting day when (1), you have no idea of what the 'Forest Adventure' actually is (hiking, I presumed), and (2), you have no idea of how to go there. So out went the handy-dandy maps again as we navigated our way to the Bedok Reservoir.
Turns out the 'Forest Adventure' leaned heavily more on the 'adventure' part than a commune with nature. The 'forest' were actually the trees that dotted the Bedok Reservoir Park, and Forest Adventure was actually a facility for ziplining and 4 sites of rope bridges enough to whip up any ROTC-whiner into shape.
As we put on the harnesses and helmets, an instructor gave us a drill of how to use the carabiners and told us that the whole adventure course would take around 2 hours. In my head, I was going like, 'Wenk, 2 hours? Magsla-slide lang naman ako. How hard can that be?' As usual, I was dead wrong. Rope ladder pa lang, gegewang-gewang na kami. Ziplining over the reservoir trying not to have another crash landing was the easy part. Going head-to-head with the rope bridges was totally another story! We tarzan-ed, airsplit-ted, air-crawled and practically did every aerial acrobatics move possible (sans somersaulting & flying). The bridge aptly baptized as 'The Trapeze' was the most challenging one -- imagine a log suspended by two ropes (one at each side), resembling a swing. Now imagine crossing over a whole row of those, with nothing to grip on but the ropes and nothing to step on but the logs. I swear, by the last step of that section, we all practically jumped onto the platform hugging the tree branch at the end of the site. Effort! But as exhausting as it may be, there were no regrets (err, except maybe for not being brave enough to bring a camera up on the treetops. alas, all those missed photo ops! darn.)
Famished, we took the bus and the train ride over to Bugis for a food trip. I was already nursing cough and colds ever since I arrived in SG; the morning adventure cost me more energy so I dozed off for a while in the train. And surprise, surprise, kahit sa SG, I can't help being Ish. Yep, when I woke up and we got off at Bugis, I left my wallet on the train. Tsa-ran! We immediately went to the control booth and reported the lost wallet (which contained all my money, IDs, ATM cards, MRT cards... sigh). The troop tried to cheer me up and we went off for some (awesome!) chow at this Thai & Chinese resto. Around an hour later, my sister called us up, saying that someone called her and said that the wallet was found and returned at the MRT! WHEEE! Singapore, what a fine city you are! I was just so psyched to have the wallet back, that I didn't mind when Mike, Rhea, et.al. were taking pictures to document my reunion with my wallet-slash-bag. Whee!
The day must have really taken a toll, because I couldn't bring myself to go out again, even for some clubbing that night. At home, all it took was one plop on the bed and I was a goner. Good night. :)
Turns out the 'Forest Adventure' leaned heavily more on the 'adventure' part than a commune with nature. The 'forest' were actually the trees that dotted the Bedok Reservoir Park, and Forest Adventure was actually a facility for ziplining and 4 sites of rope bridges enough to whip up any ROTC-whiner into shape.
As we put on the harnesses and helmets, an instructor gave us a drill of how to use the carabiners and told us that the whole adventure course would take around 2 hours. In my head, I was going like, 'Wenk, 2 hours? Magsla-slide lang naman ako. How hard can that be?' As usual, I was dead wrong. Rope ladder pa lang, gegewang-gewang na kami. Ziplining over the reservoir trying not to have another crash landing was the easy part. Going head-to-head with the rope bridges was totally another story! We tarzan-ed, airsplit-ted, air-crawled and practically did every aerial acrobatics move possible (sans somersaulting & flying). The bridge aptly baptized as 'The Trapeze' was the most challenging one -- imagine a log suspended by two ropes (one at each side), resembling a swing. Now imagine crossing over a whole row of those, with nothing to grip on but the ropes and nothing to step on but the logs. I swear, by the last step of that section, we all practically jumped onto the platform hugging the tree branch at the end of the site. Effort! But as exhausting as it may be, there were no regrets (err, except maybe for not being brave enough to bring a camera up on the treetops. alas, all those missed photo ops! darn.)
Famished, we took the bus and the train ride over to Bugis for a food trip. I was already nursing cough and colds ever since I arrived in SG; the morning adventure cost me more energy so I dozed off for a while in the train. And surprise, surprise, kahit sa SG, I can't help being Ish. Yep, when I woke up and we got off at Bugis, I left my wallet on the train. Tsa-ran! We immediately went to the control booth and reported the lost wallet (which contained all my money, IDs, ATM cards, MRT cards... sigh). The troop tried to cheer me up and we went off for some (awesome!) chow at this Thai & Chinese resto. Around an hour later, my sister called us up, saying that someone called her and said that the wallet was found and returned at the MRT! WHEEE! Singapore, what a fine city you are! I was just so psyched to have the wallet back, that I didn't mind when Mike, Rhea, et.al. were taking pictures to document my reunion with my wallet-slash-bag. Whee!
The day must have really taken a toll, because I couldn't bring myself to go out again, even for some clubbing that night. At home, all it took was one plop on the bed and I was a goner. Good night. :)
Friday, September 26, 2008
Day 2: Kaladkarin (aka the F1-Poser) Invades Singapore
Among other things, KE was dead set on scoring some Charles & Keith shoes, so after a quick breakfast, Ate Ting, KE and I whisked ourselves off to Orchard Road. Not too many stores later, I confirmed that I really was a compulsive shopper, as I bought myself a new blouse even before KE got to pick out shoes. =P We've raided Taka Mall, Isetan and Suntec Mall, before KE had her heart set upon the perfect black C&K heels.
Food-tripping is really a treat in Singapore, as you can always find affordable food in their uber-organized food courts. Everything's already labeled and grouped together -- Dim Sum, Vegetarian Food, Indian Food, Thai Food, Noodles -- all you have to do is choose! Their desserts were to-die-for as well; KE bought this rich white chocolate brownie, which melted in your mouth, and cakes, pastries and chocolates (Royce! eep!) offered free tastes. It's enough to drive any sweet tooth crazy from the limitless choices, I tell you.
The afternoon was set for the F1 Practice Race. Again, as I've mentioned, I know nada about F1; KE even printed out handouts for me with the driver's pictures and everything. :) But the fever tends to be contagious once you find yourself in the midst of all the hard-core F1 groupies. Left and right, the F1 caps/shirts/bags were ubiquitous; seeing people donned in all-Ferrari red from head to foot was not unusual. Groups of fans waved gigantic flags to cheer on their racing heroes. The air was electric from the excitement and anxiety of the first ever night race for F1; this poser considers herself lucky to be part of F1 history. Germans, Japanese, Singaporeans, Aussies, Indians, Brazilians, Filipinoes --- it's a regular UN meeting (or work-conf-call) in here! Vic was right --- seeing it in TV was really different from experiencing it first hand -- hearing the roar of the motors and squeals from the tires, feeling the ground shake under your feet, anticipating the slam of the car as it goes from breakneck speed to a sharp turn.... these things you can't get from the tube. I got baptized into the world of formula-racing, and I have KE to thank for something I can tell I'll be definitely hooked into for the coming years. =)
Food-tripping is really a treat in Singapore, as you can always find affordable food in their uber-organized food courts. Everything's already labeled and grouped together -- Dim Sum, Vegetarian Food, Indian Food, Thai Food, Noodles -- all you have to do is choose! Their desserts were to-die-for as well; KE bought this rich white chocolate brownie, which melted in your mouth, and cakes, pastries and chocolates (Royce! eep!) offered free tastes. It's enough to drive any sweet tooth crazy from the limitless choices, I tell you.
The afternoon was set for the F1 Practice Race. Again, as I've mentioned, I know nada about F1; KE even printed out handouts for me with the driver's pictures and everything. :) But the fever tends to be contagious once you find yourself in the midst of all the hard-core F1 groupies. Left and right, the F1 caps/shirts/bags were ubiquitous; seeing people donned in all-Ferrari red from head to foot was not unusual. Groups of fans waved gigantic flags to cheer on their racing heroes. The air was electric from the excitement and anxiety of the first ever night race for F1; this poser considers herself lucky to be part of F1 history. Germans, Japanese, Singaporeans, Aussies, Indians, Brazilians, Filipinoes --- it's a regular UN meeting (or work-conf-call) in here! Vic was right --- seeing it in TV was really different from experiencing it first hand -- hearing the roar of the motors and squeals from the tires, feeling the ground shake under your feet, anticipating the slam of the car as it goes from breakneck speed to a sharp turn.... these things you can't get from the tube. I got baptized into the world of formula-racing, and I have KE to thank for something I can tell I'll be definitely hooked into for the coming years. =)
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
5 Things I Wish I Can Do
* Sleep right.
* Eat real food, not food out of the box nor food from over the fastfood counter.
* Not eat at my desk.
* Clean my room.
* Be punctual. Always.
* Eat real food, not food out of the box nor food from over the fastfood counter.
* Not eat at my desk.
* Clean my room.
* Be punctual. Always.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
What's the deal with me and phones?
I guess some things are just not meant to be. Yep, you guessed it right. In less than a month, I lost yet another cellphone. This September '08 loss was brought to you by SMB Oktoberfest --- mahaba-haba nga yung inuman pagkatapos.
To be honest, I lost count of how many phones I've said goodbye to (or rather, how many phones never bothered to tell me goodbye... sniff.). Must be around 10? (Bugsy, how many times did you receive 'Hi-I-lost-my-phone' messages?) I can only remember the highlights. Like my first phone --- it was a Nokia 5110, lost in MegaMall's Surplus Shop. I left it in the dressing room, and it was gone when I came back for it. I was crying so hard (in public! Eeeep!). I almost told Tidoy I couldn't go to her debut because I was too sad. Emo much? Haha!
I've been trying to rack my brain, but I can't remember what phone came after that. I do remember that I had a Nokia 3330, 8250 (I loved this one!), 7250i, 3310, Motorola Slvr L7, Razr... sheesh. I had to look for a visual poster on the evolution of Nokia phone models to remind me. Can't remember if I ever owned an Ericsson. I do know I had a Samsung something -- I was the only one who knew how to send messages with it. Haha.
After going through so many losses, you'd think I'd be more wary. At least I've stuck to keeping my phones on a cord, as my sister always reminds me to get one after each 'na-Ish-nanaman-ako' moment. It's happened so many times that no one really in my family really gets shocked anymore when I tell them I lost another one. It's more like, 'O, talaga? Text mo, baka isoli. Hanap ka ng lumang di ginagamit. O eto uli number ko.'
Most of the time, I've accepted that it's just this thing with me. Like how some people forget their keys. The most recent loss was the only one that really got me fuming mad. It was the first time that a phone was deliberately ripped off from my pocket. Hinayupak na Jumping Jolog yun; mabangga ka sana ng trak, mabalia't mabugbog at manatiling buhay. I guess most of the time, it's not really that I'm too careless; it's just that I'm too naive that I really do believe that nobody really wishes to do you harm, or nobody really conceives of doing something mean to anyone else. Hay. Right now, I hate the fact that I get paranoid whenever I see groups of Jumping Jologs (or JJs for short). Yesterday, I didn't know if it was just paranoia or if Sta. Lucia should officially be declared JJ-hotel. I've lost that good-old trust in people. Dammit.
Oh well, so friends, you know the drill. I'll probably be getting around to getting my old number reactivated this afternoon, so send me your names & numbers tomorrow to replenish the phonebook. Thanks guys, and hopefully I can hold on to my new phone for at least the end of the year. :)
To be honest, I lost count of how many phones I've said goodbye to (or rather, how many phones never bothered to tell me goodbye... sniff.). Must be around 10? (Bugsy, how many times did you receive 'Hi-I-lost-my-phone' messages?) I can only remember the highlights. Like my first phone --- it was a Nokia 5110, lost in MegaMall's Surplus Shop. I left it in the dressing room, and it was gone when I came back for it. I was crying so hard (in public! Eeeep!). I almost told Tidoy I couldn't go to her debut because I was too sad. Emo much? Haha!
I've been trying to rack my brain, but I can't remember what phone came after that. I do remember that I had a Nokia 3330, 8250 (I loved this one!), 7250i, 3310, Motorola Slvr L7, Razr... sheesh. I had to look for a visual poster on the evolution of Nokia phone models to remind me. Can't remember if I ever owned an Ericsson. I do know I had a Samsung something -- I was the only one who knew how to send messages with it. Haha.
After going through so many losses, you'd think I'd be more wary. At least I've stuck to keeping my phones on a cord, as my sister always reminds me to get one after each 'na-Ish-nanaman-ako' moment. It's happened so many times that no one really in my family really gets shocked anymore when I tell them I lost another one. It's more like, 'O, talaga? Text mo, baka isoli. Hanap ka ng lumang di ginagamit. O eto uli number ko.'
Most of the time, I've accepted that it's just this thing with me. Like how some people forget their keys. The most recent loss was the only one that really got me fuming mad. It was the first time that a phone was deliberately ripped off from my pocket. Hinayupak na Jumping Jolog yun; mabangga ka sana ng trak, mabalia't mabugbog at manatiling buhay. I guess most of the time, it's not really that I'm too careless; it's just that I'm too naive that I really do believe that nobody really wishes to do you harm, or nobody really conceives of doing something mean to anyone else. Hay. Right now, I hate the fact that I get paranoid whenever I see groups of Jumping Jologs (or JJs for short). Yesterday, I didn't know if it was just paranoia or if Sta. Lucia should officially be declared JJ-hotel. I've lost that good-old trust in people. Dammit.
Oh well, so friends, you know the drill. I'll probably be getting around to getting my old number reactivated this afternoon, so send me your names & numbers tomorrow to replenish the phonebook. Thanks guys, and hopefully I can hold on to my new phone for at least the end of the year. :)
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Detached and grateful
Someone once told me that if things don't go according to plan, then your plan was wrong. From the depths of my heart, once again, thank you, Lord, for showing me that I was wrong.
I don't know what I did right to deserve a second chance, but thank you, Lord, for giving me the wake-up calls of wake-up calls.
Thank you, Lord, for showing me the difference of passion and obligation.
Thank you, Lord, for showing me that instead of trying to outmatch the pace of other clueless zombies like me, I only actually had myself to compete with.
Thank you, Lord, for making me realize that accomplishing greats feats in all other things pale in comparison to the satisfaction I get whenever I finally get over a baby step for something I sincerely love to do. It's the difference between contentment and pure, utter bliss.
Thank you, Lord, for showing me which things were actually worth losing sleep over. I still have a bit of trouble detaching from my old 'programmed' ways, but I'm getting there and frankly, I'm surprising myself every step of the way.
For all these, thank you, Lord -- thank you, thank you, thank you for saving my life.
I don't know what I did right to deserve a second chance, but thank you, Lord, for giving me the wake-up calls of wake-up calls.
Thank you, Lord, for showing me the difference of passion and obligation.
Thank you, Lord, for showing me that instead of trying to outmatch the pace of other clueless zombies like me, I only actually had myself to compete with.
Thank you, Lord, for making me realize that accomplishing greats feats in all other things pale in comparison to the satisfaction I get whenever I finally get over a baby step for something I sincerely love to do. It's the difference between contentment and pure, utter bliss.
Thank you, Lord, for showing me which things were actually worth losing sleep over. I still have a bit of trouble detaching from my old 'programmed' ways, but I'm getting there and frankly, I'm surprising myself every step of the way.
For all these, thank you, Lord -- thank you, thank you, thank you for saving my life.
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