Day 1: Kaladkarin Invades Singapore

gibberIsh
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Blog Entry Commencement Exercises Mar 25, '09 10:01 AM
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When you realize that you barely have two weeks to spend in a company where you have done a lot of growing up, the feeling can be overwhelming. You think a lot about loose ends to tie up. About the relationships you want to hold on to. About how this can be the last time you can find anything as awesome as this. It feels a lot like graduating, to tell you the truth.
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Blog Entry Bootcamp for the Culinarily-Challenged: Round Two! Mar 1, '09 10:56 PM
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Challenge #2 was to cook a cream-based pasta dish. What originally started as pesto sauce came out to be what I'll call Pasta with Turkey and Cream Cheese Sauce. =P I have a feeling that the best (or at least, most enjoyable) recipes are the ones that aren't planned. I had a lot of mishaps this time (i.e. the bowl falling into the pan, me pouring A LOT of basil instead of just a dash), but those things just made round 2 a lot of fun. =P And oh, I also made a blueberry pie for my sweet tooth (again, instant, but hey, I'm baking!)
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Blog Entry Bootcamp for the Culinarily-Challenged: One Down! Feb 22, '09 8:55 PM
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There have been some instances when I was able to whip up something miraculous out of the blue -- none of those feats involve the kitchen, however. During team offsites, I'd rather be in charge of drinks instead of food, lest I want my friends to die from starvation (or worse, from food poisoning! Eep!).

This year, I resolved to take matters into my own hands, and I'll be forcing myself to cook at least one decent dish per month (except for Feb, I have to cook 2 since I skipped January =P). And you know what? It was actually possible! I was able to come up with fusilli topped with some random ingredients (tomatoes, tuna, mushroom and cheese) without screwing anything up. I also wanted to try out a friend's tip about baking (our oven's busted but he told me that a turbo broiler does more or less the same thing), so I put a box of instant brownie mix to the test and, booyah, yummy dessert. =) The folks at home finished off their meals without collapsing, so I think it's fair enough to say that round one has been officially conquered.

Yep, I know it's still a longshot from warranting the respect of anyone culinarily-able, but at least I'm making baby steps.I am just so psyched right now. Whoopee! =)
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Blog Entry AJSS Grand Reunion on May 23 Feb 19, '09 12:02 AM
for everyone
It's about time. =P

Calling all Ateneo Junior Summer Seminar (AJSS) alumni -- be there at the Grand Reunion slated for May 23, 2009, after the graduation of the 42nd batch of AJSS.

I don't have the specifics yet, but if you're itching for details, you can contact Kamille Tabalan (Assistant Coordinator for AJSS) at (02) 426-6001 loc. 5152, or email her at ktabalan@ateneo.edu. Hope to see you guys there! And oh, bring lots of pics & memorabilia. Haha! =)

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Blog Entry I know you'd want to know... Feb 12, '09 12:25 PM
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Each name here corresponds to a question. If you want to know the q's, just message me, but you'll have to post your own answers as well. Have fun! =)

1. KE Enriquez
2. Tidoy Abastillas
3. Heidi Klum
4. Mara Manalad
5. Crisel Consunji
6. Tons Jadaone
7. Carlos Lasa
8. Jan San Jose
9. Bob Ong. Masaya to.
10. Joy Catapang
11. Ralph Mandingiado
12. Ikay Gagno (may bayad to...)
13. Mike Sepulveda
14. Peggy Ongsiaco
15. Vic Endriga
16. Kat Rivera
17. Ako, definitely.
18. Ikay Gagno
19. Tidoy Abastillas. Very very.
20. Pepoy Ferrer
21. Gigi Torres and April Rodriguez
22. Tina Gagno
23. Si Lord.
24. Mara Manalad
25. Ethel Francisco
26. Hmm. I honestly haven't really thought about it.
27. My mom
28. Denise Verastigue
29. Oo, ikaw yun. Dali na.
30. This was fun. Haha!
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Blog Entry My 25 Random Things Feb 10, '09 2:48 AM
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I finally got this done! Am tagging everyone who wants to make their own list. Hehe. =P

1. I'm a true-blue kaladkarin. It takes all of my will to say no to an interesting trip, event or experience. A great year would be getting to visit 12 islands in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao within 12 months. An awesome year would be wherein every trip is paid for by someone else. Haha!

2. Each time before I take a bath, I dip my hand into the water and make the sign of the cross. It was an odd habit I picked up way back when our housekeeper made me do it every time she would give me a bath.

3. I could Youtube all day. I look up dance vids, commercials, series episodes, viral vids, almost everything online. Yep, that also goes to say that I barely watch TV. I blame Youtube for multiple counts of tardiness.

4. I used to write like crazy. I almost took Journalism instead of Computer Science. No regrets here.

5. I like geek talk, so sue me.

6. If you ask my closest friends, almost all my crushes have NOTHING in common.

7. As a child, I was a church rat. My kababatas are composed of members of the kids' choir and the Knights of the Altar. We still hang out. One of us just got hitched last month; I think he was the first of the bunch.

8. I have a 15-year old niece, Ikay -- her presence dots my Multiply albums. Ikay, my elder sister Ate Teng and I compose the Tres Marias of my family. We hang out a lot and goof out more often. Our favorite gimiks are going out to see flicks (especially cartoons!), wasting time at the arcade, window-shopping at toy stores and of course, gorging on comfort food. Ikay eats the most out of us three.

9. I'm that movie freak that laughs out loud and even claps (!) in the middle of movies. Back in HS, my favorite game with my movie buddies was Guess-That-Movie-Trailer. Sometimes the games turned to shouting matches wherein the winner was the one who blurted out the movie title first. Trust me, you would have hated to be seated next to us. I've also watched movies solo several times, and regretted none of those instances.

10. I think I'll always be an outdoors girl, even if I'm actually terrified of swimming in anything that's beyond the reach of my toes.

11. The farthest and most challenging mountain I've ever climbed was Mt. Apo, and that by far was the most humbling experience I've ever had in my life.

12. I've found a new vice in dancing. I'd scrimp on money for food, but not money for weekend dance classes. I dance while I walk. I dance while I work. I dance while I type. I sincerely hope I could do this forever.

13. I get sad when I commute without listening to music from my mp3 player (either I left it at home or it ran out of battery). Truly sad. I get so irritable that sometimes I throw tantrums, and God forbid that you should find yourself in the middle of an Ish-tantrum.

14. It doesn't suit me, but I'm such a crier. I cry when I laugh. I cry when I get mad. I cry at sad movies. I cried upon hearing the first riffs of 'Alapaap' during the EHeads concert.

15. I've lost more than 10 cellphones in less than 10 years. The one I had longest with me was for less than a year; the shortest lifespan was 2 weeks. But if you're a close friend, you probably already knew that.

16. I'm the youngest of five girls. Even if out of the five, I have the least chance of getting anything new, I have the comfort of knowing that I'm the cute one. Haha! =P I often think of how it could have been like if all of us could have grown up at least in the same country (two of them are in Canada, while one's in Singapore). Riot!

17. Ikay and I borrow each other's clothes and shoes. Good thing we have the same taste.

18. I still have a vivid recollection of the first time I cheated on a test. It was during Grade 3 -- I had some trouble memorizing the multiplication table. In the middle of a quiz, I felt someone kick me and I saw my seatmate gesture to a copy of the multiplication table underneath our chairs. You know who you are! =P

19. When Neil Gaiman came to Manila, I got to hug him! Thanks Quel for hooking me up.

20. One sure-fire way to make me sleepy -- scratch my head.

21. One sure way to tick me off is to let me catch you littering. Argh! Ang laki naman ng basurahan mo.

22. I got my first INC and my first DRP in UP when I took up masters. Humabol pa...

23. 2008 was a good year for me. It was the first time I stepped out of Philippine territory -- and my first destination was India. Definitely an experience.

24. I dream of doing a lot of things, but the one thing I really want to do is to bungee jump. My parents are going to kill me, but I'm going to die anyway. =P

25. I want to finish writing a book as well someday. Maybe something on being single forever. =P
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Blog Entry i heart. Jan 27, '09 3:42 AM
for everyone
a 'hearts' post THIS near to february? coming from me? the world must be coming to an end.

the topic's usually too sappy for my own taste (oh spare me the accusing looks), but this was too astonishing to just brush off. i came across a post of heart-shaped natural features found in the planet -- islands, lakes, forests, you name it. awesome, right?


the first one's an island called Galesnjak in Croatia, the second one's a heart-shaped mangrove in New Caledonia, while the last one's a real forest in Cantabria, Spain. amazing. maybe we can have heart-shaped rice terraces. anyway, if you want more, just click over here to get bowled over.
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Blog Entry Let's Do The Year-end Thing Dec 25, '08 8:48 PM
for everyone
owe it to this year's unexpected Christmas house arrest due to the flu-- i already weeded out my old clothes, bags & notes, and got to do my year-end thing way earlier than expected. =P i usually make a calendar/wallpaper as an ode to year that has passed, but for this year, i made animotos instead (sinong tamad?). rummaging through my PC and online albums for pics made me see that this year was more eventful than i realized. the fact that i can't squeeze all the pics i want into the vids tells me i have a lot of thanking to do. =) i'm thankful that The Man Up Above granted me the chances, as well as the challenges, I've encountered this year. admittedly, i've grown, even just for a teeny bit. thanks for everyone who's been part of my 2008, who's made it something worth making all of these vids. =P

here are some of the year's highlights:
.: Sinulog + Bohol Adventures (Jan)
.: SWAT's Putipot Offsite (Feb)
.: Ben's homecoming @ Palawan (Apr)
.: SWAT's life-changing Anilao offsite (Apr)
.: Anawangin getaway with Cla, Patch & Xtin (May)
.: Bugsy encounters Baboon-Shark, among other things, @ Boracay (May)
.: Kaladkarin Loose in Bangalore, India (May)
.: SWAT Resignation Dramas (June)
.: The Legendary SEA Backpacking Escape: Kuala Lumpur - Siam Reap - Ho Chi Minh City (July)
.: SG F1 Grand Prix + A Peek at my Sister's Life in SG (Sept-Oct)
.: My 1st dance compet @ Dolce (Oct)
.: Cliff-diving @ Tali (Oct)
.: Bugsy's day-out @ Tagaytay (Dec)


[Jan-Feb-Mar]


[Apr-May-June]


[July-Aug-Sept]


[Oct-Nov-Dec]


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Blog Entry Urban Pleasures: Big Apple Express Spa Dec 23, '08 10:44 PM
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my sister was feeling under the weather, so instead of window-shopping-to-death as we always do, we decided to hit the Beauty & Wellness nook in Galleria in search of some pampering.

the rock-bottom prices advertised in Big Apple Express Spa's banner caught our eye. i signed up for the Wall Street Express (P 149 for a 30-min full body massage), while my sister went for the Manhattan Express (P 299 for a 1-hr full body massage). we were not really expecting much, given that we almost paid for the spa treatment with a song. to our surprise, we were called and were led to private rooms with these comfy beds & towels; the tea lights and relaxing music added to the ambiance. moments later, we were given worth for our money with a soothing massage, enough to unwind any strung-out yuppie. i love that the spa took off the frills; i was there for the good-old rubdown anyway. it was so tranquil, i think i even dozed off for a few minutes. i go gaga over foot massages, so i signed up for an extra FootRelax Massage (P49 for 15 mins) after my masseuse was done. 200 bucks for a full body massage + extra foot pampering? Sulit! :p

i'll definitely be coming back here -- most likely when we're back at work and would be in most need to reclaim some peace of mind. or when the emo attacks come and i just need to indulge in some self-pampering without burning a hole in my pocket. for those who want to check it out, there are branches in Gateway Mall, Robinsons Galleria, Market! Market! and SM Pasig (Hypermart).
Tags: massage, review, spa
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Blog Entry message to self Dec 21, '08 9:32 PM
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Dear Self,

Nobody was ever born perfect,so get used to making mistakes.

Get used to doing things that you wish you haven't done. Get used to NOT doing things you should have done, if only you had the wits (or guts) that a meaningful life calls for.

Bottom line - get used to making mistakes. Lots of them. In fact, start enjoying the experience.
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Blog Entry i hate motorcycles. Dec 6, '08 11:10 PM
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nah, hate isn't the word. i LOATHE motorcycles. got hit by one earlier while i was crossing the street with Ikay. joey was right -- it'll literally send you spinning. the driver didn't even have the decency to stop and go back to apologize; i absolutely hated myself when i stood there, stunned, and then shouted after him, 'Sorry!'. tanga. grrr.

i wish that was the worst part. in all the flurry, i didn't realize that he sent my earphones flying off to oblivion. kakabili ko lang nun! grrr talaga. buti na lang mabilis ang karma. Dear Lord, kung okay lang naman, please make this one extra fast. Amen.
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Blog Entry shout-out for 1984 kiddos Dec 4, '08 1:33 AM
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the thing that i love about hanging out with Team Bugsy are the zany theories we throw at each other, ranging from the hands-down-insane to the this-might-be-worth-taking-a-look-at. during one of our bouts during the long weekend, a friend piped up with this conclusion -- there are no good-looking guys born during our year, 1984.

okay, okay, before the hostile reactions, i admit that this might be quite a rash generalization --- that's why we're asking people to prove us wrong. do you guys beg to differ? send us pics, and we'll eat our words. =P otherwise, who knows, ridiculous as it sounds, this might just have a hint of truth that we never really thought about. [i have a feeling i might have a lot of hate mail after this. haha!]
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Blog Entry the superficial Nov 10, '08 12:59 PM
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saw this blog entry about kate moss' legs. i feel better now. =P
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Blog Entry ditto, elizabeth bishop. Nov 2, '08 11:00 PM
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at the risk of putting up another emo post [yet again! eeep, i'm on a streak], i'm sharing this poem i came across while reading a melissa bank novel. i may as well have had written this poem myself. if it's possible for your spirits to rise & fall at the same time, then i believe mine just went through that exact (non)rise/(non)fall a moment ago.


One Art by Elizabeth Bishop

The art of losing isn't hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.

-- Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident
the art of losing's not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

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Blog Entry it's that time of year... Oct 21, '08 2:04 AM
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october -- we love it for the beerbash, but dread it for the annual performance review. over at our end, our ratings (& more importantly, our increase) depend on this laborious document called PPR that we have to draft, detailing every itty-bitty achievement you've got that screams you deserve a 'K' (a.k.a. masokistang-istariray) rating.

i was thinking, if one were to take the work-life balance adage literally, then shouldn't we make a PPR for life as well? for instance, instead of the 'Employee' section, you'll have one for 'Peer' or 'Person'. or instead of 'Operational Excellence', you'll have one for 'Existential Feats', and so on. yeah, yeah, i know i'm being so geeky about it, but i can't help it --- my head's now spinning with the million analogies dying to make it to this post.

i mean, why not? if you were going to make a PPR for life, how would it look like?
Tags: hp, work
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Blog Entry same old, same old Oct 8, '08 2:19 AM
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it gets tiring, crying yourself to sleep each time. quite frankly, the self-pity is pathetic and enough is enough.
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Blog Entry Day 4: Kaladkarin Goes F1 Crazy in Singapore Oct 2, '08 5:09 AM
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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.
Tags: travel, vacation, singapore, hp, bugsy, tourist, f1, grand prix, ferrari, marina bay, clarke quay, suntec, motorshow
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Blog Entry Day 3: Kaladkarin's Adventures in Singapore Sep 28, '08 3:16 AM
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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. :)
Tags: travel, vacation, singapore, hp, bugsy, food, tourist, forest adventure, bedok, zipline, rope bridge
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Blog Entry Day 2: Kaladkarin (a.k.a. the F1 Poser) Invades Singapore Sep 26, '08 11:26 PM
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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. =)
Tags: travel, singapore, orchard, f1, grand prix
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Blog Entry Day 1: Kaladkarin Invades Singapore Sep 25, '08 11:58 PM
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I can't even remember why the heck I bought 10k tickets for the F1 SG Grand Prix when I don't have the slightest inkling about cars (heck, I don't even know how to drive!), but thank God, I did book this getaway. This vacation happened just at a time when I needed it most; I needed some down time for peace of mind and to recover whatever semblance of sanity I had left.

So just hours before my flight, I dumped all my things into my luggage (with the other things I shouldn't mention, just as any good old Pinoy would do for their SG-based relatives). Camera? Check. 1 week's worth of clothes? Hmm, pwede na, check. Laptop? Definitely not coming with me!

My sister (Ate Ting) and I hauled ass to the airport and met up with KE; we picked out some booze for my sister in SG (as gratitude for the awesome accommodations =P). I slept through most of the flight, as always. The taxi ride to Ate Bec's place near Tiong Bahru was a gabfest, as we caught up on how the trip was, what to expect, and what we were going to do the next few days. Ate Ting's going to relocate to Singapore as well, so their plans actually went on for the next few weeks. I took some time to zone out and take in my first glimpse of Singapore. As expected, the roads were clean and wide, the drivers were orderly, the buildings were tall and shiny --- an OC's paradise. Despite the limitation on land, there were actually a lot of development and construction still ongoing; unlike ours, their sites were actually dotted with cranes, and it was rare sight to catch a construction worker balancing on bamboo scaffoldings.

I caught my first whiff of incense and first pigeon sighting as we alighted the cab; I really was in another country. We settled in and rushed off to the nearest McDonald's to finally catch some late lunch (side note: if you want a quick estimate of how your currency compares with foreign currencies, check out the McDonald's menu prices and adjust accordingly). Conveniently, her place was just a block away from the nearest MRT station, so as any giddy kaladkarin, we secured our EZ link cards and prepared ourselves for some hyper-commuting.

Navigating their train system came easily; just follow the arrows, color codes and the throng of tourists. We got off at the Orchard station and the first mall we thoroughly explored was -- surprise, surprise -- Lucky Plaza. They were right; the place had that Virra Mall feel and was distinctly Pinoy. Shops peddled Mang Tomas, sinigang mixes, chicharon and the like; remittance counters were aplenty. We traversed through the other malls along Orchard Road, visited the SG Visitor Centre and scored ourselves some maps and pamphlets. Ate Bec insisted we try the $1 wafer-ice cream sandwiches sold ala-sorbetero in the streets; the mint one's a must-try!

KE and I were actually up for some museum-raiding (some museums waived the entrance fee after 6 pm and that scored high in our cheapskate-turista meter), so we broke off from the group. The shameless turista in me carried that trusty (not to mention, huge) SG-street map in my pocket at all times, as we braved the SG streets in search of the museum. One funny thing happened along the way, though -- we got approached by this chatty lady who asked for our email addreses and said that she was part of this modelling agency. Haha, talk about SG job opportunities! Nyahaha, kapal. =P Oh well, that's what you get when you have 2 tall girls all smiles and giddy about the coming adventure. Kahit malabo lang malamang yung mga mata niya, natuwa pa rin kami. Haha.

We treaded on and finally got to our destination. But lo and behold, an actual Ferrari was just parked in front of the museum! For a moment, we just got so wrapped up in taking shots of it that we practically ignored the museum standing behind the car. The building itself was a marvel -- majestic in white that blushed in its dramatic lights. Inside, the color streaks in the window panes screamed art, while the swinging chandeliers overhead literally stopped us in our tracks and had us hypnotized. We got to check out the Film & Fashion rooms, as well as a few other exhibits; snapshots to follow.

We had to cut the exploration short, as we rushed off to Newton Hawker Center to meet up with (ex)HP folks in SG. Again, I whipped out my handy-dandy map and fortunately we found ourselves in the right place. It's a certainty that seeing familiar faces in such a foreign setting will mean a grand time like no other. Smiles and story-swapping flowed abundantly, as our SG-based friends made sure that we had our fill of the local must-tries (chili crabs, oyster cakes, need I say more?). I also had my first Tiger beer in SG to officially kick-off the chillax escape. Several plates, jokes and hours later, we bid adieu and made plans to meet up for the next following days. KE & I again managed to find our way home via the trains; not a bad first day at all for these kaladkarins. :)