home for christmas

it's been a month since my last entry. if it hadn't been for KJP's comment asking about my whereabouts, i wouldn't dare write anything on my blog... hehehe... we'll it's just too difficult to get into the net especially blogger since i came to Manila. at work, lots of sites are restricted. obviously, they have to do that. you're not there to blog, and do personal browsing. you're paid to work! i don't have my own PC, and also (of course) i don't have internet connection. when i moved to manila, i left a lot of my comforts in cebu. in order to get access to my blogs, yahoomail, hotmail, etc., i have to go to an internet cafe. well, sometimes i'm too tired to go to one. lately, i've been going home late from the office. so that explains my absence on the net.

while i'm writing this blog entry, i'm in cebu. i'm home for christmas. yipee! i get to go online as often as i want! i'm here with my family. :) i just miss them. i miss my friends and i miss cebu, as well. it's different in manila. its traffic is super heavy. time flies so fast. people are so busy. food is very expensive. and living alone means doing my own laundry, and cooking. no mom and lola to prepare my breakfast and dinner. i miss homecooked food! so i'm making the most of my stay here. so i'm eating lots and lots of my lola and mom's cooking! (and when i get back to manila, i'm bloated! hahaha...)

I'm enjoying my xmas vacation (which will end tomorrow, Philippine time). I hope you all are having fun-filled and blessed holidays! Merry Christmas!

1st week...

I'm officially now in Manila, Makati specifically...I got here on November 3, started work on November 5. :) Right now, my mind ain't working well. so i won't write much...actually i'm so sleepy.... it's still 6:46pm. and im sooo sleepy already. i'm still adjusting, to a lot of things, too many to mention but next time, i'll blog about it. byeee...

phew!!!

Phew! is all I can say after a very hectic weekend up to today Oct 31st. For 3 days, from Oct 27-29, I went on a trip to Bohol with my twin friends Elma and Erma. Erma just got from Dubai and she sent her whole family to a vacation in Bohol. The twins dragged me along (they wanted some girlfriends to join). Another friend of theirs, Sherrie also joined. It was my third time to visit the island of Bohol, home to the smallest monkey in the world, the tarsier. I was again able to see it again for the second time. I was able to visit the Chocolate Hills for the second time. The first time I was in Bohol was when I was just 12 years old. At that time I was with my mom and brother. We were there to attend a grand family reunion. During that visit, we were able to go to Chocolate Hills but we didn't get to see the tarsier. My second visit was with my first job. I was observing an inventory of a client. Since I was able to stay over the weekend, I took the chance to see the tarsiers in Loboc on a Sunday off.

The weekend trip to Bohol was fun. All the pictures we have taken surely would say it was so much FUN. I especially loved our photo shoot in our hotel room during one evening before we went off to sleep. Looking at those pictures surely sent me laughing out loud! LOL! hahaha... I also love the pictorial in chocolate hills where we were jumping! super lingaw! :) Thanks to Erma and Elma. They really made my weekend. :) Sila kasi ang gumastos! :)

We got back to Cebu on Monday, baranggay elections day. Of course, I voted. It was also a very hot day too. But the elections wasn't so hot. I guess our baranggay politics aren't that chaotic and dirty. :) On that day, too, I went to the salon to get a haircut. I wanted to put some bangs, something to cover up my wide forehead. But the gay hairdresser was so BOGO! super duper doesn't really know his job. Graveh, he made a mess of my hair!!!! I hated him. But I couldn't really tell that to him up close and personal. Ugh!!! I hate myself why I'm soooo mabait, soooo kind. I even gave him a tip! I'm so stupid! ewan ko bah, ba't ako ganito. argghhhh!

On Tuesday, I went to the dentist to for some check up and stuffs. With my sooo bothersome first molar, I decided to have it extracted. And so here goes my first tooth extraction done by a dentist! Whoa! I was terrified. Really. I felt like a child feeling very nervous about getting a tooth extraction. So bye bye toothaches. The dentist also filled up two teeth which were getting dark spots and holes, lest they become bigger and become another painful toothache. On that same day too, in the afternoon, my grandma and I went for a confession. Afterwhich, we attended mass. And...I bought a Bible! I also had it blessed that same day. :)

Wednesday. What a day! I woke up early so I could give to Mira the pasalubong from my Bohol trip, then I went to Basilica del Sto. Niño and Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. I offered candles and prayers for a safe trip to Manila (on Nov 3).
After the church visits, I went to PAL Jones to have my airline ticket printed. I waited for an hour for that. I then went to Ayala to claim the partial relocation allowance, had lunch, went around, bought a few stuffs then headed to SM to meet my sister. We bought some clothes, and other stuffs for me and for her also. Lots of people at SM. Sale kasi eh! I was able to get some 10% discounts on the stuffs I bought. Good deal! Kaya lang I realize now that things have gotten really expensive. My P4k disappeared so fast... parang di masyado marami ang nabibili sa P4k. tsk. tsk. My other sister joined us later. After getting our legs tired in SM, we went to Ayala to buy some groceries. I also had to buy pasalubongs for our relatives there. :) So ngayon, ubos na pera ko!!!! Hay naku!!!! Graveh!!! I can't believe I spent all my last pay to the last penny. This should make me sad. :( Well, it is making me sad. :( But that's how life is. Ang dami ko kasing UTANG! DEBT! Grrrr! Double GRRRR!!! Ayoko na sa credit card!!! PHEW!

Galit ba? eh okay lang talaga, kelangan kong mgbayad sa utang at sana, at dapat di na ako gagamit ng credit card next time!!!! PROMISE!

Famous lines (in Tagalog)

"pinapaikot mo lang ako

Nagsasawa na ako. Mabuti pang

patayin mlo na lang ako"

-electric fan


"hindi lahat ng walang salawal

ay bastos"

-winnie d' pooh


"Alam mo ba wala akong ibang hinangad

kundi ang mapalapit saio.

pero patuloy ang pag-iwas mo"

-ipis


"Hala! sige magpakasasa ka!

Alam ko namang katawan ko lang ang habol mo."

-hipon


"Ayoko na! pag nagmamahal ako lagi na lang

maraming tao ang nagagalit! wala ba akong

karapatang magmahal?!?"

-gasolina


"Hindi lahat ng green ay masustansya."

-plema


"Hindi ko hinahangad na ipagmalaki mo na ako'y sau

ayoko ko lang naman na sa harap ng maraming tao

ganun mo na lang ako itanggi.."

-utot


"Sawang sawa na ako palagi nalang akong

pinagpapasa- pasahan, pagod na pagod na ako."

-Bola


"you never know what you have

till you lose it.

and once you lose it, you can never get it back"

-snatcher


"Ginawa ko naman lahat para sumaya ka

mahirap ba talagang makontento sa isa?

bakit palipat-lipat ka?

-TV


"hindi lahat ng maasim may vitamin c"

-kili kili


Sige, batihin mo ako.... Sigeee.....BATEEEEE E!!!!!!!!

-omelette


pilitin mo man na alisin ako sa buhay mo, babalik at
babalik ako!

-libag


"wag mo na akong bilugin.."

-kulangot


Paano tayo makakabuo kung hindi ako papatong sa iyo?

-Lego

farewell

Yesterday, October 19th, was my last day of work at NSP, my second employer, my Japanese employer. I didn't exactly feel sad or happy. There was bit of both. I was sad because I had to leave the friends I've made at work. I spent almost 3 years working in NSP. And I've had times of fun in those years. I will certainly miss Mira, Chai, Jing, and Mam Baby -- my teammates in Finance. I'll miss the laughters, the chikas, the food, the reklamos (of management and everyone else...hehehe). I'll miss jeepney rides on the way home with Mira and Chai. I'll miss Jing's daily supply of Julie's bread. I will miss Mam Baby's chika of her life. And her famous line, "How far na mo?" (peace, Mam Babes! (",))I will miss the HR people - Ana, Marlene, Edwin, Belle, Tonton, Dina, Rose, Mam Gina. Of course, I'm not so close to all of them but certainly they have made my life in NSP interesting. I will miss corresponding with Ana for her invoices, Tonton for his endless CAs, Dina for payroll stuff, Marlene (a.k.a Mam Nurse) for OPB concerns, Edwin for his occasional treats and his twice-a-month request for dinner and taxi allowances. I will certainly miss our lolo in Finance, Mr. Okano. He maybe disorganized and clumsy with his schedules but he has never berated us for our little mistakes. He's not strict and he knows how to have fun too (not to mention that he pays for some of our sosyal dine-outs, and he paid too the K1 experience last Friday night).
It's a bit sad to leave the people who you have come to love. It's a bit sad to leave my Finance ka-berks knowing that they will be given additional load of tasks until they find a replacement for me. It's a bit sad to know that Mam Baby and Mr. Okano would have to deal with finding a suitable replacement (all the interviews, selection, trainings that come with it).
On the other side, I am happy that with my resignation I was able to realize how blessed I am to have worked in NSP. I am happy that my officemates have supported my decision to take a new leap in my career. I am happy that all these people I've met in NSP came into my life. I have learned a lot from their own experiences, and from their own views of life.
I am resigning for the following reasons: I have felt no more growth in my stay with NSP. I have felt boredom in my work. I have felt it's time for me to move out of home and try living on my own. I have felt the need to learn to stand on my own two feet.
The last part is giving me nervous apprehensions. The latest news on the bombing in Glorietta 2 in Makati is making me feel uncomfortable. I will soon be working and living in Makati. Without a family to make me feel secure, I am a bit worried. And I pray, pray very hard God will keep me safe. He will protect me from all the dangers. I know my family and friends will be praying for me, too. This then keeps me feel secured.

Farewell my friends in NSP. Thank you for the stuff toy. I'll bring that with me in Manila. :) Thank you for the fun time in K1. Thanks to Okano-san for paying the bill. hehehe...

Good luck to all of us!

A Parable on True Love

Another one from my old e-mails... :)
forwarded by my friend Mira.


A PARABLE ON TRUE LOVE
>
> An old woman sat on the antique rattan rocking chair. Her eyeglasses
> were perched precariously on her nose as she concentrated on her
> sewing chores.
> A gentle breeze swept the wisp of whitish hair on her temples.
>
> Beside her sat her teen-age granddaughter. She was like a fresh
flower recently bloomed. Without warning she suddenly blurted out. Grandma,
> why is true love so difficult to find?
>
> The old woman with a kindly face stopped sewing and touched her
> granddaughters head affectionately. After a moment, the young girl
> cuddled closer resting her head on the old womans lap.
>
> Listen and I will tell you why. began the grandmother.
>
> Many centuries ago, when the world was young, true love existed
> everywhere. It was available for asking. Because of this, men and
> women took true love for granted, so God decided to keep true love.
> She stopped and smiled as she gently stroke the young girls soft
> tresses.
>
> God asked a pair of angels to keep true love.
> First, they buried true love in the ground. But man and woman easily
> dug it out. Next, the angels took true love to the highest mountains.
> But again man and woman easily climbed to the top. Then the angels
> submerged true love into the deepest sea.
> Man and woman swam to the bottom of the body of water and with ease
> retrieved true love.
>
> So true love is easy to find, commented the young girl. For man and
> woman will dig, climb and swim.
>
> Yes, but finally the angels kept true love in the hearts of man and
> woman. Since then people have had difficulty searching for true love.
> For they look everywhere except in the one place that they should
keep
> it --- the HEART.
>
>
> The most beautiful things in the world can neither be seen nor
> touched, just felt in the heart. Helen Keller
>

anticipantion, anxiety

It's the middle of October. On the 20th, it would be my last day at NSP. It seemed like I just handed my resignation letter. How fast time flies. (what a cliche! but it's actually very true) Tomorrow, it's my last day for my first semester in Masters. It's actually our final exams for Economics! I do hope I'm going to pass it. :) And on Wednesday, we'll be having dinner (the Finance team) and is in a way a despidida for me.

I'm having mixed feelings. I'm kinda excited about leaving and working in Manila, meeting new friends, experiencing a new kind of work, new environment. Then I'm kinda anxious about leaving home, leaving the comfortable life I live in Cebu. How's it going to be when I'm away from my family? What if something bad happens to me there?

Mixed feelings, mixed emotions. They're all part of making decisions. But then it's all part of growth. It's all part of this so-called life.

IF I KNEW

This is a poem shared to me by Chai. :)

IF I KNEW

If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say "I love you,"
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.

If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
Well I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.

There will always be another day
to say "I love you,"
And certainly there's another chance
to say our "Anything I can do?"

But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day,

That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear

Take time to say "I'm sorry,"
"Please forgive me," "Thank you," or "It's okay."
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.

some good thoughts...

Remember this:
"Do not ask for everything in life to follow the path of your will.
Pray that things happen as they need to happen - and you will see that everything is far better than you were expecting."

Epictetus

On Love

I found this in my office emails. I'm actually cleaning up my mails... :) This is good.


It is a mystery why we fall in love. It is a mystery how it happens. It is a mystery when it comes. It is mystery why some loves grow and it is mystery why some loves fail. You can analyze this mystery and look for reasons and causes, but you will never do any more than take the life out of the experience.

Love is more than the sum of the interests and attractions and commonalities that two people share. And just as life itself is a gift that comes and goes in its time, the coming of love must be taken as an unfathomable gift that cannot be questioned in its ways.

Too often, when love comes to people, they try to grasp the love and hold it
to them, refusing to see that it is a gift freely given and a gift that just
as freely moves away. When they fall out of love, or the person they love feels the spirit of love leaving, they try desperately to reclaim the love that is lost rather than accepting the gift for what it was.

They want answers where there are no answers. They want to know what is wrong with them, or they try to get their lover to change, thinking that if some small thing were different love would bloom again. They blame their circumstances. They blame each other. They try everything to give meaning to what has happened. But there is no meaning beyond the love itself, and until they accept its own mysterious ways they live in a sea of misery.

You need to treat what love brings you with kindness. If you find yourself in love with someone who does not love you, be gentle with yourself. There is nothing wrong with you. Love just didn't choose to rest in the other person's heart.

If you find someone else in love with you toward whom you feel no love, feel honored that love came and called at your door, but gently refuse the gift that you cannot return. Do not take advantage, do not cause pain. How you deal with love is how love will deal with you, and all our hearts feel the same pains and joys, even if our lives and ways are very different.

If you fall in love with another who falls in love with you, and then love chooses to leave, do not try to reclaim or to assess blame. Let it go. There is a reason and there is a meaning. You will know it in time, but time itself will choose the moment.

Remember this and keep it in your heart. You don't choose love. Love chooses you. All you can really do is accept it for all its mystery when it comes into your life. Feel the way it fills you to overflowing, then reach out and give it away. Give it back to the person who brought it to you. Give it to others who seem poor in spirit. Give it to the world around you in any way you can.

Love has its own time, its own season, and its own reasons for coming and going. You cannot bribe it or to coerce it or reason it into staying. If it chooses to leave, from your heart or from the heart of your lover, there is nothing you can do and nothing you should do. Be glad that it came to live a moment in your life. If you keep your heart open, it will surely come again.

- Kent Nerburn, Simple Truths

Quotes from Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Tuesdays with Morrie is one of my fave books. I love the quotes by Morrie. :)


"The most important thing in life is to learn to how to give out love,
and to let it come in." " Let it come in. We think we don't deserve love,
we think if we let it in we'll become too soft. But a wise man named Levine
said it right. He said " Love is the only rational act."


"Love wins. Love always wins."

Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel. ANd if you are ever going to have
other people trust you, you must feel that you can trust them, too - even when you're in the dark. Even when you're
falling.

You need someone to probe you in that direction. It won't just happen automatically.

We all need teachers in our lives.

"Tension of opposites"

If you hold back on the emotions-if you don't allow yourself to go all the way through them-you can never get to being detached, you're too busy being afraid. You're afraid of the pain, you're afraid of the grief. You're afraid of the
vulnerability that loving entails. But by throwing yourself into these emotions, by allowing yourself to dive in, all the way, over your head even, you experience them fully and completely. You know what pain is, You know what love is. you know what grief is. And only then can you say, "All right. I have experienced that emotion. I recognize that emotion. Now I need to detach from that emotion for a moment."

Still there are a few rules I know to be true about love and marriage. If you don't respect the other person, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. If you don't know how to compromise, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. If you can't talk openly about what goes on between you, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. Your values must be alike.

The way to do it, I think, isn't to run away. You have to work at creating your own culture.

As long as we can love each other, and remember the feeling of love we had, we can die without ever really going away. All the love you created is still there. All the memories are still here. You live on - in the hearts of everyone you have touched and nurtured while you were here.

Death ends a life, not a relationship.

relocating

I got accepted into a new job. And it's not gonna be in cebu, it's gonna be in manila! hehe... philippines lang naman... not far naman. just 45 min plane ride. but then, it's away from home. it's away from good friends and family. it'll be my first time to live on my own and that translates to washing clothes on my own, having no mom to prepare my breakfast, no lola to cook lunch and dinner. I'm going to be on my own. It's exciting yet scary... I've been to Manila a few times. And i've never really love it. I hate the traffic, I hate lots of people. I hate the pollution. I abhor, detest it! Back then, I vowed, "No way I am going to work in Manila!"
Eat my words! Soon, I'll be going to that city - live there, work there. But why the change of mind? well, i'm so so bored na with my work, with Cebu, with my love life status quo. kapoya man gud oi, wa jud tawn ko kakita og keke diri sa cebu...Why not move to Manila, where I have better choices of career, and men. hahaha! Well, i am 26. I'm not getting any younger! I also would want to live independently. For years, I have been very dependent on my parents. I just crave for the challenge to live on my own. I'd want too to bolster my career. I also need one with a higher pay. Paano na young college tuition fee ni Charm? The only way to do this is - get a job in Manila. Singapore sana, kaya lang, I am not that prepared yet to compete with Singaporean job seekers. Besides, I'd need to have enough money while I look for a job there. And I don't have any! So this job offer from Deutsche Knowledge Services seems to be a good fit. They have a relocation package. Wala kaayo gastos for my move to Manila. How fortunate of me!

I hope all things go well for me! By November, Manila girl na ako... :)

my old filipino name

My Pinoy Name is Christina Marie Little Bit Magbanua.
Take The Filipino Name Generator today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

Habit 1 - Be Proactive

Habit 1: Be Proactive

"I know of no more encouraging fact
than the unquestionable ability of man
to elevate his life by conscious endeavor."
-Henry David Thoreau

Proactivity defined
Proactivity is more than merely taking initiative. It means that as human beings, we are responsible for our own lives. Our behavior is a function of our decisions, not our conditions. We can subordinate feelings to values. We have the initiative and the responsibility to make things happen.

Because we are, by nature, proactive, if our lives are a function of conditioning and conditions, it is because we have, by conscious decision or by default, chosen those things to control us. In making such a choice, we become reactive. Reactive people are often affected by their physical and social environment. Proactive people form their own physical and social environments. The ability to subordinate an impulse to a value is the essence of the proactive person. Proactive people are still influenced by their external stimuli, but their response to the stimuli is a value based response.

Listening to our language:
Because our attitudes and behaviors flow out of our paradigms, if we use our self-awareness to examine them, we can often see in them the nature of our underlying maps. Our language, for example, is a very real indicator of the degree to which we see ourselves as proactive people. The language of reactive people absolves them of responsibility.

Reactive Language
There's nothing I can do.
That's just the way I am.
He makes me so mad.
I have to do that.
They won't allow that.
I can't.
I must.
If only.

Proactive Language
Let's look at other alternatives.
I can choose a different approach.
I control my own feelings.
I can create an effective presentation.
I will choose an appropriate response.
I choose.
I prefer.
I will.


That language [reactive] comes from a basic paradigm of determinism. And the whole spirit of it is the transfer of responsibility.



http://www.english.ilstu.edu/351/hypertext98/shachter/habitspages/habit1.html

...

Tonight, I was again confronted with my family's financial problems. My mom asked me whether I was going to go and find work in Dubai next year. And I was kinda surprised why she asked. Although I know there's something wrong. And I had a feeling it was financial which was almost always the case. You see, my father owes a huge amount of money from their employee coop. The money was used to finance the hospitalization of my grandfather then. Anyway, some silly text message reached his boss which said that an employee owed a huge sum and yet no payment has been made. When my father's boss told him about it. It somehow worried my father. He was the biggest creditor and though payments have been made but very minimal. So my father thought that the anonymous texter must have referred to him. Now, my father is worried about it. He wants to pay off at least half of the debt. But where do we get the money??? I'm not earning that much. My mom doesn't have a full-time job. And I now feel the burden is upon me as the eldest child.

I had wanted to work abroad ever since we got burdened financially from my grandpa's hospitalization. I had seen how hard it was to be treated well when you don't have money. I had seen how my parents scrambled for money. It was difficult for the average Filipino worker to get health care. Our Philhealth and SSS sickness benefits are not enough. I had seen the health care system of this country at its worst. And I had vowed myself to leave this country and find work elsewhere.

Unfortunately, I haven't been accepted to those jobs I applied for. Then it came to a point where I no longer wanted to leave to the extent that I didn't take any huge step to get a job abroad. The determination dwindled.

Maybe this time, I will have to consider really leaving the country and risk looking for a job in Dubai or Singapore. It's time to be aggressive of this job hunting. I cannot stand seeing my parents worry about money. I cannot let it happen when my mom would work as a DH in Hongkong or Singapore. If there's anyone who should leave, then it has to be me.

when you expect too much

I'm gonna write about this feeling i had for the last 5 days. You see, I met a really nice guy. He seemed to be a lot of what i want in a guy. (that is, if everything he told me were true!). I was happy and excited to have met him and to be able to get to know him more in the ensuing days. Yet, he never showed up after 2 days. I gave him a number and an email add. But he never bothered to communicate until now. I guess i can say he's a lie. I guess, I had expected too much that's why i'm feeling all disappointed. Anyway, i'm writing this to end my expectation. i'm writing to end all the hopes i have been feeling. i'd like to thank him for allowing me to feel good for a few days. :)

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Last Aug 10-11, I was priviledged to attend the seminar 7 Habits of Higly Effective People facilitated by Mr. Jun Cantal. The 7 Habits is a book by Stephen Covey, an American psychologist. According to the book, Stephen Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. Indeed, it is very true. I was happy to have chosen to attend the seminar. Prior to this, I had declined joining due to a conflict of another activity. My supervisor made me rethink about it. She told me that this is a really nice seminar and it will take another year for it to be offered by the company. I thought about it again and I finally decided to take this opportunity. True enough, it wasn't a waste of time. It was the right choice. For the next days, I will be posting my learnings, my insights, my struggles with the 7 Habits. Allow me to overhaul my life. I need a paradigm shift. I need to evaluate my goals, my purpose, my life. God bless this endeavor. :)

A R K

I just want to remember this great lesson imparted by the movie Evan Almighty - Change the world? Do one Act of Random Kindness at a time! :)

It's the little things that you do that matters most. :)

Uniquely Singapore (part 4)

Day 3. We were up a bit late. We're all just very tired. But we just couldn't afford to lose this one last day sleeping. The itinerary was to shop around for pasalubong in Chinatown then have lunch, afterwhich go to Romy and Emman's place then to Sentosa, then Vivo City.

We packed up our bags. It was so sad we had to go. It feels like such a very short time. And we haven't been to so many places.

After buying our pasalubong in Chinatown, we were now ready to go to Romy and Emman's place in Yew Tee. They will just fetch us at the Yew Tee MRT station. So with all our luggages strolling with us, we had found it a bit "extraordinary" to be bringing them and taking the train. It was like can we just take a cab to Yew Tee? Well, we wish it was cheap but it wasn't. And we were left with just the option of taking the MRT.

We got to Yew Tee at around 2pm. Romy fetched us and took us to their place, Yew Mei Garden. Their condo unit is very nice. So homey and clean. At their place also, they had a huge pool with man-made waterfalls. It looked like these guys stayed at a resort in the Philippines! No wonder cost of living is high in Singapore.

Anyway, we were able to take a nap at their place. The guys also served us merienda. At about 4pm, we were ready to go to Sentosa. We left it to Romy and Emman. They were our tour guides this time. With so little time left for Sentosa (our flight was at 12:55am), we weren't able to go around this famous island. We just explored the Underwater World and took the cable ride.

The cable ride was also a firsts for us. And Romy and Emman were so kind to capture the moments of this ride. Good thing they brought their cameras.

At the Underwater World, we got to see sting rays, crabs, sea dragon (which looked like a sea plant), a huge yellow snake carried by an Indian man, sharks, fishes of small and big sizes. It was a Saturday afternoon, and there were just too many people in Sentosa, particularly in the Underwater World. Congested as it was, Underwater World smelled so bad! With all the sweats of people - different kinds of people - oh gosh! body odor was everywhere! The bad thing was body odor was sooo unpleasant to the nostrils. Ugh! Anyway, we still didn't forget to take lots of pics. Documentation is an essential element to travel.

After enjoying Underwaterworld, we went to Vivo City. Joedan, Elma's brother, was looking for an uppity watch. He had already planned to buy one. So no matter how little the time left, he had to get his watch. And yes he did! It costs something like SGD200.

Vivo City, which is said to be Singapore's largest mall, was packed with people. On top of Vivo City, there is actually, a pool of water. But I don't think it was made for swimming. I'm not quite sure though. But I think the water wasn't that deep for swimming.

We also had some Philippine monies exchanged. We had difficulty finding a money changer in Vivo City but thankfully, we did find one. Unfortunately, our peso costs so little. The exchange rate was Php1.00 = SGD.027! Extremely cheap. At Orchard, we got our peso exchanged at SGD.031. We didn't have much of a choice though.

My sister also did a little shopping. She was able to buy an Esprit top at 75% off. What a bargain! We also bought some chocolates for our families back home. :)

We were back at Romy's place at around 9pm. We were already in a hurry. So we took a cab from Yew Tee to Changi Airport. Then only to learn that our flight was delayed by 2 hours! Tsk, tsk. This is the problem with Cebu Pacific, their flights are frequently delayed.

We had dinner there and we shop for some items in the Duty Free shops. We bought additional pasalubongs for family and friends.

And then it was time to depart...

And so that was our little adventure/misadventure in Singapore. :)

touring singapore

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