Tina Fey will be on the March cover of Vogue!
I can't wait to see this, Tina Fey is one of my ultimate girl crushes.
I can't wait to see this, Tina Fey is one of my ultimate girl crushes.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Krup-krup
En route from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, our van stopped over at Kampong Thom, a province two hours from Siem Reap. A stall on the sidewalk had crickets...
and beetles (or what I hoped were beetles and not roaches):
I don't really care about edible insects, I was more interested in the persimmons and pomegranates in the next stall.
Abet, however, wanted to get the crickets. He sampled some and liked them, so we bought a small plastic bag for 7,000 riel--around P80--for pulutan in our hotel room later that evening. They weren't too bad, actually. Perfect with beer.
Please excuse the girly fingernails--he's a guitarist.
Yum!
and beetles (or what I hoped were beetles and not roaches):
I don't really care about edible insects, I was more interested in the persimmons and pomegranates in the next stall.
Abet, however, wanted to get the crickets. He sampled some and liked them, so we bought a small plastic bag for 7,000 riel--around P80--for pulutan in our hotel room later that evening. They weren't too bad, actually. Perfect with beer.
Please excuse the girly fingernails--he's a guitarist.
Yum!
On the way back from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh (towards Vietnam), we passed by Kampong Thom again. This time, we bought a tarantula for 500 riel (P6). Neither of us ate it. We'll stick to the crickets next time.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
My best impulse buy ever...
which was also the most expensive, was worth every single cent.
I just bought a guitar.
It's not for me, of course. It's for Abet. There's this guitar lent to him by his friend Joseph who is based in China. Abet's been using it for several months now, and he really loves the sound of this particular instrument. Now, with musicians like Abet, finding an instrument that one is really kasundo with is no easy feat. It's akin to finding a girlfriend or boyfriend. He is partial to the sound of this guitar and wanted to buy it months back, but the owner wasn't selling.
Last week, the owner offered to sell him the guitar, but Abet declined. He said he has other expenses to prioritize; he has a trip to Bangkok (short-term) and our wedding and beyond (long-term) to save up for, and that guitar wasn't in his priorities right now.
Of course, I couldn't let that offer pass up, could I? It would just absolutely break my heart--and his, for sure--if that little piece ofplywood spruce and glue and varnish would be sold to someone else. So I did what any supportive girlfriend would do: I e-mailed Joseph and offered to buy the guitar behind Abet's back. It cost as much as our budget for one person for our 6-day/5-night trip to Bangkok with accommodation at a 5-star hotel this June. Pikit-mata akong nagbayad, and I paid for it as soon as I could before I could change my mind.
Lest you guys think that I'm Abet's sugar mommeh, let me say that I paid for it from our joint money. I did some quick calculations and realized that we can afford the guitar. I know I should have discussed such a major purchase with him before I made any decisions, but if I did, he would have hesitated and talked me out of it. He's as worried about our wedding and our post-wedding finances as much as I am. Besides, his face was priceless--just priceless!--when I handed him the deposit slip today. I didn't tell him what I did, I just let him figure it all out. He actually teared up a bit, much like how my sister May teared up when Abet gave my family a beautiful guitar two Christmases ago. Oh, he was so happy! It was all worth it. Honestly, I was a bit worried about how he might react. I did have to promise him that I won't ever do something like that again, though. I won't, I promise. I don't think that will be allowed once we're married.
He was so happy today, he gave me impromptu guitar lessons. I think it's about time I learn--the guitar is half mine, after all.
*EDIT*
The boyfriend had a violent reaction to this blog post. It's spruce daw, not plywood. Foyn. :P
I just bought a guitar.
It's not for me, of course. It's for Abet. There's this guitar lent to him by his friend Joseph who is based in China. Abet's been using it for several months now, and he really loves the sound of this particular instrument. Now, with musicians like Abet, finding an instrument that one is really kasundo with is no easy feat. It's akin to finding a girlfriend or boyfriend. He is partial to the sound of this guitar and wanted to buy it months back, but the owner wasn't selling.
Last week, the owner offered to sell him the guitar, but Abet declined. He said he has other expenses to prioritize; he has a trip to Bangkok (short-term) and our wedding and beyond (long-term) to save up for, and that guitar wasn't in his priorities right now.
Of course, I couldn't let that offer pass up, could I? It would just absolutely break my heart--and his, for sure--if that little piece of
Lest you guys think that I'm Abet's sugar mommeh, let me say that I paid for it from our joint money. I did some quick calculations and realized that we can afford the guitar. I know I should have discussed such a major purchase with him before I made any decisions, but if I did, he would have hesitated and talked me out of it. He's as worried about our wedding and our post-wedding finances as much as I am. Besides, his face was priceless--just priceless!--when I handed him the deposit slip today. I didn't tell him what I did, I just let him figure it all out. He actually teared up a bit, much like how my sister May teared up when Abet gave my family a beautiful guitar two Christmases ago. Oh, he was so happy! It was all worth it. Honestly, I was a bit worried about how he might react. I did have to promise him that I won't ever do something like that again, though. I won't, I promise. I don't think that will be allowed once we're married.
He was so happy today, he gave me impromptu guitar lessons. I think it's about time I learn--the guitar is half mine, after all.
*EDIT*
The boyfriend had a violent reaction to this blog post. It's spruce daw, not plywood. Foyn. :P
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Money, money, money...
must be funny in a rich man's world.
I just realized that I'll be thinking about money everyday for the rest of my life starting now. :-/
Abet has decided to stay here for his MA instead of studying in Japan, the pros of staying here outweigh the cons by a ton. This change of plans brings us back to our original plan: get married next October on our 5th anniversary. Our original date was October 16, 2011 (we decided on this just after being together for a year), but Abet had decided to study in Japan and he wouldn't be home on that date. We were to push the wedding to April 2012. Now we're back to the original plan.
Which means we'll get married in 21 months.
Which means that we have only have 21 more months to save up.
Which is too little time, really.
We actually started saving together in 2008, depositing an equal amount monthly. Yes, we went where angels fear to tread: the joint savings account. We do have some money stashed away (in BDO in MoA, to be exact), but we counted our money and made a wedding budget earlier today, and we realized that we don't have enough. We won't have enough if we put in the same amount we've been putting in all these months. No, wait. We'll have enough for the wedding we want, but that's it. No money for the 1 month advance, 2 months deposit on rent, no money to buy a refrigerator and a dining set and 400 thread count sheets (¡Que horror!), and no money for a honeymoon (an even bigger ¡Que horror!). We'll have to amp up our savings.
My goodness.
I've never really thought about money as obsessively before. I make some, save some, pay my credit card bills, and spend the rest. The only thing I majorly saved up for and spent was travel. Now, I have the wedding to think about. I'll probably obsess about this--what we can and can't afford, what nice-to-have's to let go of, what to prioritize with our budget. After the wedding, there will be the rent and bills and groceries. Then we'll have to buy a car (I don't want to be a pregnant woman a-commuting). Then we'll have a baby. And then another baby. (And maybe still another baby.) Then the babies will grow up and go to school and go to college. Of course one of our ultimate dreams is to have a house of our very own sooner than later, so we'll also have to work on that.
It won't stop.
I wish I did some major splurging yesterday before I realized all these.
I just realized that I'll be thinking about money everyday for the rest of my life starting now. :-/
Abet has decided to stay here for his MA instead of studying in Japan, the pros of staying here outweigh the cons by a ton. This change of plans brings us back to our original plan: get married next October on our 5th anniversary. Our original date was October 16, 2011 (we decided on this just after being together for a year), but Abet had decided to study in Japan and he wouldn't be home on that date. We were to push the wedding to April 2012. Now we're back to the original plan.
Which means we'll get married in 21 months.
Which means that we have only have 21 more months to save up.
Which is too little time, really.
We actually started saving together in 2008, depositing an equal amount monthly. Yes, we went where angels fear to tread: the joint savings account. We do have some money stashed away (in BDO in MoA, to be exact), but we counted our money and made a wedding budget earlier today, and we realized that we don't have enough. We won't have enough if we put in the same amount we've been putting in all these months. No, wait. We'll have enough for the wedding we want, but that's it. No money for the 1 month advance, 2 months deposit on rent, no money to buy a refrigerator and a dining set and 400 thread count sheets (¡Que horror!), and no money for a honeymoon (an even bigger ¡Que horror!). We'll have to amp up our savings.
My goodness.
I've never really thought about money as obsessively before. I make some, save some, pay my credit card bills, and spend the rest. The only thing I majorly saved up for and spent was travel. Now, I have the wedding to think about. I'll probably obsess about this--what we can and can't afford, what nice-to-have's to let go of, what to prioritize with our budget. After the wedding, there will be the rent and bills and groceries. Then we'll have to buy a car (I don't want to be a pregnant woman a-commuting). Then we'll have a baby. And then another baby. (And maybe still another baby.) Then the babies will grow up and go to school and go to college. Of course one of our ultimate dreams is to have a house of our very own sooner than later, so we'll also have to work on that.
It won't stop.
I wish I did some major splurging yesterday before I realized all these.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
A rather late year-end post
I didn't plan on filling this out for 2009, I've been lazy with my blogging lately, but reading other people's 2009 surveys made me want to write my own. After all, 2009 was an eventful year--exciting, difficult, stressful, amazing, fun, tiring--and truly memorable.
Thanks for the memories, 2009. You were fun, but I'm glad you're over. I'm looking forward to more fun and exciting stuff for 2010.
1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before? Pray like I've never prayed before. Having our baby brother enter the PMA was extremely difficult for our family. We have very limited contact with him, all we could do was pray for his health and safety, and for him to be strong. The worst is over now, though. We're done being through a wringer, and we're immensely proud of Joe.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I resolved to travel more with Abet. Check! I also resolved to save more. Check! I resolved to take better care of my skin and figure. Check on the former, big fail on the latter. So for this year, my number one resolution is TO GET MY FRIGGIN' SEXY BACK! Dang, I used to be hot. I want to be hot again.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Vanessa gave birth to Gab in May, Jarwin's wife gave birth to Jaden in June, and Chris's wife gave birth to Marcus in August.
4. Did anyone close to you die? Humans, no, praise God. RIP to my three pet fish.
5. What countries did you visit? Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam, baby!
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? Exercise, still!
7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? I have three:
9. What was your biggest failure? Missing Joe's Recognition Ceremony because of our delayed flight home from Vietnam. I know it wasn't my fault, Typhoon Santi was beyond my control, but I'll always feel a tinge of regret whenever I think about this.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Just a bad case of costochondritis.
11. What was the best thing you bought? The backpacking trip. Every single peso I spent was worth it.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? This goes without saying: my brother Joe's. He's doing really well in the Academy. We are mighty proud of him.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The Ampatuans.
14. Where did most of your money go? Travel and savings. No complaints here.
Her first book, Stiff, which is about human cadavers, is entertaining, funny, and informative and is one of my favorite books. This book about sex is even funnier. I got my hardbound copy at 50% off.
Thanks for the memories, 2009. You were fun, but I'm glad you're over. I'm looking forward to more fun and exciting stuff for 2010.
1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before? Pray like I've never prayed before. Having our baby brother enter the PMA was extremely difficult for our family. We have very limited contact with him, all we could do was pray for his health and safety, and for him to be strong. The worst is over now, though. We're done being through a wringer, and we're immensely proud of Joe.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I resolved to travel more with Abet. Check! I also resolved to save more. Check! I resolved to take better care of my skin and figure. Check on the former, big fail on the latter. So for this year, my number one resolution is TO GET MY FRIGGIN' SEXY BACK! Dang, I used to be hot. I want to be hot again.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Vanessa gave birth to Gab in May, Jarwin's wife gave birth to Jaden in June, and Chris's wife gave birth to Marcus in August.
4. Did anyone close to you die? Humans, no, praise God. RIP to my three pet fish.
5. What countries did you visit? Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam, baby!
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009? Exercise, still!
7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? I have three:
- 19 March 2009, the day we found out that Joe got accepted into the PMA Class of 2013
- 20 June 2009, Joe's Incorporation Ceremony, the day we first saw him since he entered the Academy in April--it was just after he finished two months of military training and we barely recognized him
- 26 October 2009, the day I saw the sun rise over the Angkor Wat
9. What was your biggest failure? Missing Joe's Recognition Ceremony because of our delayed flight home from Vietnam. I know it wasn't my fault, Typhoon Santi was beyond my control, but I'll always feel a tinge of regret whenever I think about this.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Just a bad case of costochondritis.
11. What was the best thing you bought? The backpacking trip. Every single peso I spent was worth it.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? This goes without saying: my brother Joe's. He's doing really well in the Academy. We are mighty proud of him.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The Ampatuans.
14. Where did most of your money go? Travel and savings. No complaints here.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Every single trip to Baguio to visit my brother got me excited. I was also excited about our trip to Davao last March to attend my friend Maedeleine's wedding. It was Abet's first time in Mindanao, and I saw my dearest high school barkada who are some of my favorite girls in the world. Of course, we were excited as hell about our backpacking trip, we were counting down months.
16. What song will always remind you of 2008? Jai Ho, Nobody, and that "I don't care" song
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
- Happier or sadder? Happier! (Yay!)
- Thinner or fatter? Fatter! (Boo!)
- Richer or poorer? Richer! (Yay!)
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Read, and see more of the Philippines.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Eat.
20. How did you spend Christmas? Joe can’t come home (or even go outside Fort del Pilar) for the holidays, so the family was in Baguio from the 21st of December until after New Year’s Day. My family was lent a lovely house with 3 bedrooms, a fireplace, and a gorgeous view of the mountains and pine trees. Christmas Day was spent inside PMA with Joe and the other Charlie boys whose families weren’t able to visit, and Christmas evening was spent in front of the fireplace.
21. Did you fall in love in 2009? I kept on falling madly, deeply in love, over and over again. He's wonderful. I love him so much.
22. How many one-night stands? None. Never have.
23. What was your favorite TV program? Glee! I've converted my family into Gleeks-even Abet, who has proclaimed himself president of the Quinn Fabray Fan Club
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Yes. Let's leave it at that.
25. What was the best book you read? This book:
Her first book, Stiff, which is about human cadavers, is entertaining, funny, and informative and is one of my favorite books. This book about sex is even funnier. I got my hardbound copy at 50% off. 26. What was your greatest musical discovery? None again. I’m outdated.
27. What did you want and get? For Joe to get into the Academy.
28. What did you want and not get? Still world peace.
29. What was your favorite film of this year? Disney-Pixar’s Up. This is now one of my ultimate favorite movies. I watched this with my brother Mako, my sister May, and Abet on Mako’s laptop in Baguio.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? On my 27th, I had food from Amber’s delivered for my officemates, watched the first 7 episodes of Glee with my mom (even if I have already seen them), had dinner at Teriyaki Boy and dessert at Mom & Tina’s with May and Abet, and then May and I got our third and last cervical cancer shot.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009? Still the "I'm wearing the first thing I grabbed from the sampayan and handed to Ate Inday to iron" look
32. What kept you sane? Abet and chocolate
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Michelle Obama
34. What political issue stirred you the most? The Ampatuan massacre
35. Who did you miss? JEMIMA!!! Still my buddy, Jemima.
36. Who was the best new person you met? All the new bloggers I’ve discovered! I’ve been privately (friends-only) blogging on Blurty, LiveJournal, and Multiply since 2003, but I just discovered the joys of writing on and reading public blogs.
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009: Prayer and faith are really, truly powerful.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: Year after year, it’s this: You ain’t seen nothin’ yet...The best is yet to come, and won't that be fine...The Best Is Yet To Come, Frank Sinatra
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Snippets 12.15.09
- My parents and I went up to Baguio last weekend to watch the 100th Nite Show at the PMA, the annual cadet variety show held 100 nights before graduation. I was bursting with pride when my brother played the cello.
- During the program, they had a fashion show wherein the cadets modelled all of their official uniforms--17 different outfits all in all, from their pajamas, to their excercise uniform, classroom uniform, study uniform, to their full parade regalia. They even have a bathing attire (gray bathrobe + white towel) that they wear to and from the shower and loo! Cadets can have as many as six "costume changes" in a regular schoolday, maybe even more.
- Baguio was exceptionally chilly last weekend. I wonder how much worse it will be this Christmas and New Year. The place we'll be staying in for the holidays has a fireplace, I hope my dad and my brothers can get it to work. I'll be bringing hot chocolate with marshmallows. And whiskey.
- Our monthly paydate was moved from the 25th to the 15th of the month. I don't like it. We're now paid on the same day as everyone else, which means longer queues in ATMs and in banks.
- Yesterday, I had one of my lightest workdays ever. I must have worked just a total of two hours max, I was able to watch the last five episodes of Glee on my computer. Bitin, super! I hate it that I have to wait for March for the next episode.
- It's been almost two months since our backpacking trip, and I still have to post our Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Ho Chi Minh photos and stories on Facebook and here in my blog. My notes are still in my trusty Moleskine. This is why I can never be a travel blogger, or a blogger blogger. I procrastinate too much. That, and the fact that I can't really write and take decent photos.
- Interacting with our counterparts in Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Spain, etc.) is just all in a day's work. And every time, every single darn time I speak to someone in Austria, songs from The Sound of Music play in my head for hours afterwards. Like today. LSS to the max.
- I can't wait to see my boyfriend tomorrow for a midweek date. I still have vacation leaves for the year that I need to use up, I filed one so I can have dinner with my beloved. We'll celebrate our 38th month. I still refuse to use the word monthsarry, it's not even a word.
- Abet's trip to Bangkok next June has just been confirmed, and I'll tag along again, of course. Six days of glorious authentic Thai food, I just can't wait! He will probably be busy the entire time like he was when we went to Singapore, but I don't care, I'll have a blast on my own.
- I am seriously craving for Royce' chocolate-covered potato chips.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Happy birthday to me!
I'm having a really good day today, I love it!I'm on vacation leave (I never work on my birthday), but I celebrated earlier with my officemates and ate a ton of food. I re-watched Glee, with my mom this time. I ate a ton of food again at home. A package of chocolates arrived for my sister from one of her PMA suitors, which I'll get to eat anyway. My sister and I will have dinner with Abet later at Mom & Tina's (her pick) before we get our third and last cervical cancer shot at my office. Oh, and our cash Christmas gift from Shell (in lieu of gift baskets) was credited today. Wheee!
I'm off to collect my birthday kiss from my favorite boyfriend! Good day, indeed!
Toodles!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Pug Envy
Meet Pugly, my officemate Bennie's new baby:
He's got the face only a mother could love:
But I think he's just adorable:
Three of my officemates now have pugs (Jarwin has Teddy and Jerry has Kimi). They're all siblings. I am so envious I want to cry.
I can't afford to get a pug right now. First of all, I don't have the money to buy one, and secondly, I just can't take care of it. I can't deal with doggy poo. I share a Labrador Retriever with Abet, but Django lives with him, so I don't do any of the dirty work. I just play with him on weekends when Abet has already bathed him and cleaned his pen.
But I really, really, really want a pug.
Maybe I could convince Momon to handle the cleaning of the dog's poo, save some money, and maybe I'll change my mind when Eliza's mommy pug has another litter.
He's got the face only a mother could love: But I think he's just adorable:Three of my officemates now have pugs (Jarwin has Teddy and Jerry has Kimi). They're all siblings. I am so envious I want to cry.I can't afford to get a pug right now. First of all, I don't have the money to buy one, and secondly, I just can't take care of it. I can't deal with doggy poo. I share a Labrador Retriever with Abet, but Django lives with him, so I don't do any of the dirty work. I just play with him on weekends when Abet has already bathed him and cleaned his pen.
But I really, really, really want a pug.
Maybe I could convince Momon to handle the cleaning of the dog's poo, save some money, and maybe I'll change my mind when Eliza's mommy pug has another litter.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
An Afternoon in Malacca
Malacca or Melaka, two hours away by bus from Kuala Lumpur, is a vibrant little city teeming with history. It has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July of 2008. There are many interesting historical sites in Malacca because of its rich past, having been colonized by the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British.
We only had half a day in Malacca, and here were some of the sites we were able to visit:
Memorial Pengisytiharan Kemerdekaan
A Famosa is what remains of what used to be an old Portuguese fortress. The fort was destroyed during the Dutch invasion, all that's left are the walls. I can't believe we weren't able to take pictures of the cannons just in front of this entrance.
goofing around inside A Famosa
A statue of St. Francis Xavier stands outside the church ruins (with one hand missing). He was buried here briefly in 1553 before his remains were transferred to Goa in India.
We went down Bukit St.Paul (St. Paul's Hill) towards the Red Square, and we saw that we were 10,632 kilometers away from London:
The Red Square is the beautiful square around Christ Church and Stadthuys, both red buildings, like most of the buildings in this area.
Abet inside the Stadthuys
(Don't ask me what he's doing there, I have no idea.)
Also in the square is the Tang Beng Swee Clock Tower, built in 1886...
...and this fountain.
Trishaws, pedicabs decorated with bright plastic flowers and blasting pop music from speakers, are a common sight, each more gaudy and louder than the last.
The sign above points to the Eye on Malaysia, a 60-meter tall portable Ferris wheel that used to be in Kuala Lumpur but was transferred to Malacca just last November 2008. This is just one of the tourist attractions that we didn't get to visit because we didn't have the time, among them Bukit Cina, Hang Li Poh Well, and other churches, temples, forts and museums. Half a day in Malacca just isn't enough. Still, I'm glad that despite our limited time in this historic city, we were able to experience the very vibrant Jonker Walk that evening.
Jonker Walk post coming up next.
We only had half a day in Malacca, and here were some of the sites we were able to visit:
Memorial Pengisytiharan Kemerdekaan
A Famosa is what remains of what used to be an old Portuguese fortress. The fort was destroyed during the Dutch invasion, all that's left are the walls. I can't believe we weren't able to take pictures of the cannons just in front of this entrance.
goofing around inside A Famosa
St. Paul's Church, built by the Portuguese in 1521 was once the prayer house of the Portuguese Catholics and became a fortress in 1567. When the Dutch took over, it became a burial ground for their noble dead. Some of the tombstones are still along the walls inside the church.
A statue of St. Francis Xavier stands outside the church ruins (with one hand missing). He was buried here briefly in 1553 before his remains were transferred to Goa in India.
We went down Bukit St.Paul (St. Paul's Hill) towards the Red Square, and we saw that we were 10,632 kilometers away from London:
The Red Square is the beautiful square around Christ Church and Stadthuys, both red buildings, like most of the buildings in this area.
Abet inside the Stadthuys
(Don't ask me what he's doing there, I have no idea.)
The Christ Church was built by the Dutch from 1741 to 1753. This is the oldest Protestant church in Malaysia. We didn't go in, but inside are hand-made pews dating back to 200 years ago.
Also in the square is the Tang Beng Swee Clock Tower, built in 1886...
...and this fountain.
Trishaws, pedicabs decorated with bright plastic flowers and blasting pop music from speakers, are a common sight, each more gaudy and louder than the last.
The sign above points to the Eye on Malaysia, a 60-meter tall portable Ferris wheel that used to be in Kuala Lumpur but was transferred to Malacca just last November 2008. This is just one of the tourist attractions that we didn't get to visit because we didn't have the time, among them Bukit Cina, Hang Li Poh Well, and other churches, temples, forts and museums. Half a day in Malacca just isn't enough. Still, I'm glad that despite our limited time in this historic city, we were able to experience the very vibrant Jonker Walk that evening.
Jonker Walk post coming up next.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Fenix Inn, Malacca
Abet and I are King and Queen of Cheap Accommodation. The cheaper the hotel room, the better. We're out most of the time anyway, the room is is just a place to rest, shower, and leave our things, so as long as it's safe, clean, and in a good location, we're fine. I do have one additional requirement though: an ensuite bathroom. I like to take my sweet time inside the bathroom, and I have this habit of arranging all my toiletries in the bathroom as soon as we arrive and keeping them there until it's time to pack up, so no shared bathrooms for me, thank you.
The room was small but fully carpeted, and this was actually my favorite among the five rooms we stayed at during our trip for one good reason: the sheets. They were of high quality/high thread count and were soft as butter against my skin. There was also an extra pillow, a big plus.
Room comes with wired internet. Abet was able to connect when we arrived in the afternoon, but after we got back late in the evening, the internet connection was down. Abet was told by front desk that it would be down for a week.
Bathroom was nothing to complain about. I wish I could say the same for my photography skills.
Overall, I would recommend Fenix Inn to anyone travelling to Malacca, who, like me, insists on an ensuite bathroom. It's around 10-15 minutes away from Jonker Walk where all the action is, but it's near enough to the most popular attractions such as Christ Church, A Famosa, Stadthuys and St. Paul's Church. The rates are more expensive than the average backpackers' accommodation, but the bed was definitely worth the price. If you love good sheets like I do, you'll appreciate Fenix Inn.
Fenix Inn
156, Jalan Merdeka, Taman Melaka Raya,
75000 Melaka, Malaysia
http://www.fenixinn.com
reservation@fenixinn.com
606-281 5511
This is why we ended up in Fenix Inn in Malacca. It was the least expensive room we found online which had its own bathroom: RM98 (P1,372) on weekdays and RM118 (P1,652) on weekends for a double room (we were there on a Friday night and paid the weekend rate). It was pricey for our backpackers' budget, but we really didn't have much choice.
The room was small but fully carpeted, and this was actually my favorite among the five rooms we stayed at during our trip for one good reason: the sheets. They were of high quality/high thread count and were soft as butter against my skin. There was also an extra pillow, a big plus.
Room comes with wired internet. Abet was able to connect when we arrived in the afternoon, but after we got back late in the evening, the internet connection was down. Abet was told by front desk that it would be down for a week.
Bathroom was nothing to complain about. I wish I could say the same for my photography skills.--=-=--
Fenix Inn
156, Jalan Merdeka, Taman Melaka Raya,
75000 Melaka, Malaysia
http://www.fenixinn.com
reservation@fenixinn.com
606-281 5511
Presents!
It's been so long since I gave my parents gift-wrapped presents. I'm sure parents still love the feeling of tearing open gift wrapper to see what's inside. I can't wait for them to see what I got them, teehee!
It's my dad's birthday today, so he gets a present. I got him this book:
I still have some gift wrapper left over, and my friend Jarwin just got back from Vegas and brought me some M&M's Premiums Dark Chocolate. I wrapped a box up with a note for my mom:
Fun! They each have something to open from me! My mom will give me some of the chocolates, anyway, hehe. The M&M's are so good. And shimmery.
It's my dad's birthday today, so he gets a present. I got him this book:
I still have some gift wrapper left over, and my friend Jarwin just got back from Vegas and brought me some M&M's Premiums Dark Chocolate. I wrapped a box up with a note for my mom:
Fun! They each have something to open from me! My mom will give me some of the chocolates, anyway, hehe. The M&M's are so good. And shimmery.
The gifts are on the piano waiting to greet them as soon as they get up. I hope the 'rents like them!
Monday, November 23, 2009
A Day in Kuala Lumpur
We started our first full day in Kuala Lumpur with a mad dash to the Petronas Tower in KLCC. We wanted to be in line for tickets by 7:30 so we can go up the Skybridge before lunch.
picture-picture at the train station
I took home a bottle of one of their sauces. This is my best friend during my diet days when I eat nothing but boiled chicken. :D
Beside Nando's was Famous Amos, the cookie shop, and the smell wafting from its direction was just heavenly, we just had to buy some cookies.
free smells
After lunch, we were off to the KL Bird Park. On the way there, however, it rained. We had to cancel. I guess I'm not meant for bird parks. We had to cancel our trip to Jurong Bird Park at the last minute went we went to Singapore last year (we ended up on the Singapore Flyer) and now this. Drat. Anyway, look at the design of this train station, the Kuala Lumpur station on the KTM line. It's an attraction in itself:
picture-picture at the train station
(My mother calls that my 'girl scout' dress. She hates it.)
We got to the ticketing center just before 8am, and there was already a long queue for the free tickets, even if ticket distribution wasn't until 8:30. We got tickets at around 9 am and were scheduled to go up at 11:15am. We hadn't had breakfast yet, so we had a quick meal at KFC in Suria KLCC, the sosy mall adjacent to the towers.
nasi lemak enak at KFC
I had nasi lemak enak with one-piece chicken. Nasi lemak or coconut milk rice is one of Malaysia's most popular dishes and is usually served with anchovies with sambal (chili paste), sliced cucumber, and peanuts (the one in KFC didn't have peanuts).
We still had time to spare after breakfast, so we went around the mall while I ogled the display windows of luxury shops: Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Jimmy Choo... oooh la la! My eyes feasted over beautiful items I can't afford. We also checked out Kinokuniya, the Japanese mega-bookstore chain that we first experienced in Singapore, but we didn't buy any books yet.
We went back to the Petronas ticketing center 15 minutes before our scheduled time and browsed the gift shop while waiting for our visit.
Before we got to go up the Skybridge, we had to watch a short 3D video about Petronas Company and the towers and then had to go through a security check. We then took the high-speed elevator to the Skybridge on the 41st floor, 170 meters above street level. Visitors only have 10 minutes on the bridge.
There are interesting exhibits about the towers on the way out from the Skybridge visit. Afterwards, we window-shopped some more until it was time for lunch.
Lunch was at Nando's Peri-Peri Chicken. Nando's is a Portuguese restaurant chain whose specialty is chicken in either lemon and herb, medium, hot or extra hot peri-peri sauce, pero-peri being the humble siling labuyo. It's sad that the Philippines is not among the 26 countries in 5 contintents that Nando's has branches in, because the food was really good. Sigh.
1/2 chicken in lemon and herb sauce, corn, coleslaw
nasi lemak enak at KFC
I had nasi lemak enak with one-piece chicken. Nasi lemak or coconut milk rice is one of Malaysia's most popular dishes and is usually served with anchovies with sambal (chili paste), sliced cucumber, and peanuts (the one in KFC didn't have peanuts).
We still had time to spare after breakfast, so we went around the mall while I ogled the display windows of luxury shops: Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Jimmy Choo... oooh la la! My eyes feasted over beautiful items I can't afford. We also checked out Kinokuniya, the Japanese mega-bookstore chain that we first experienced in Singapore, but we didn't buy any books yet.
We went back to the Petronas ticketing center 15 minutes before our scheduled time and browsed the gift shop while waiting for our visit.
Before we got to go up the Skybridge, we had to watch a short 3D video about Petronas Company and the towers and then had to go through a security check. We then took the high-speed elevator to the Skybridge on the 41st floor, 170 meters above street level. Visitors only have 10 minutes on the bridge.
There are interesting exhibits about the towers on the way out from the Skybridge visit. Afterwards, we window-shopped some more until it was time for lunch.Lunch was at Nando's Peri-Peri Chicken. Nando's is a Portuguese restaurant chain whose specialty is chicken in either lemon and herb, medium, hot or extra hot peri-peri sauce, pero-peri being the humble siling labuyo. It's sad that the Philippines is not among the 26 countries in 5 contintents that Nando's has branches in, because the food was really good. Sigh.
1/2 chicken in lemon and herb sauce, corn, coleslaw
chicken kebabs in hot sauce, Mediterranean rice, and potato salad
I took home a bottle of one of their sauces. This is my best friend during my diet days when I eat nothing but boiled chicken. :D
Beside Nando's was Famous Amos, the cookie shop, and the smell wafting from its direction was just heavenly, we just had to buy some cookies.
free smellsAfter lunch, we were off to the KL Bird Park. On the way there, however, it rained. We had to cancel. I guess I'm not meant for bird parks. We had to cancel our trip to Jurong Bird Park at the last minute went we went to Singapore last year (we ended up on the Singapore Flyer) and now this. Drat. Anyway, look at the design of this train station, the Kuala Lumpur station on the KTM line. It's an attraction in itself:
Since we had no where else to go (the rest of the places in our itinerary were outdoors), we proceeded to Pavilion Mall in Bukit Bintang where we planned on having dinner anyway. We got some books at Times Bookstore.
We wandered around the mall (again, more designer stuff) until it was time for dinner. Ah, we waited to have dinner here for months, and it was one of the things we were most excited about with our backpacking trip: Carl's Jr!!! Yep, the burger chain that we sadly no longer have here in Manila. I'm such a fan of Carl's Jr back in college, I celebrated two birthdays here--including my 18th birthday! We were so excited to eat here that we didn't get to take any pictures of the food. This was after we wiped everything out (and we ordered a lot):
Dessert was at Baskin-Robbins, our first time, and I had another one of my "why-don't-we-have-this-in-Manila???" moments. We shared a bowl of Pralines 'n Cream, Jamoca® Almond Fudge and Rum Raisin:
My boyfriend was a happy, happy boy.
We wandered around the mall (again, more designer stuff) until it was time for dinner. Ah, we waited to have dinner here for months, and it was one of the things we were most excited about with our backpacking trip: Carl's Jr!!! Yep, the burger chain that we sadly no longer have here in Manila. I'm such a fan of Carl's Jr back in college, I celebrated two birthdays here--including my 18th birthday! We were so excited to eat here that we didn't get to take any pictures of the food. This was after we wiped everything out (and we ordered a lot):Dessert was at Baskin-Robbins, our first time, and I had another one of my "why-don't-we-have-this-in-Manila???" moments. We shared a bowl of Pralines 'n Cream, Jamoca® Almond Fudge and Rum Raisin:
My boyfriend was a happy, happy boy.
After dinner, we walked towards nearby Jalan Alor to buy more dried meat to take back home.
It was a good day, even if it wasn't exactly the day we had planned. We went back to our hotel happy and full and excited to read our books. Back in our room, we enjoyed our Famous Amos cookies, with beer for him (!) and with Yakult for me.
Afterwards, we got a good night's sleep to prepare ourselves for another adventure-filled day ahead.
It was a good day, even if it wasn't exactly the day we had planned. We went back to our hotel happy and full and excited to read our books. Back in our room, we enjoyed our Famous Amos cookies, with beer for him (!) and with Yakult for me.
Afterwards, we got a good night's sleep to prepare ourselves for another adventure-filled day ahead.Friday, November 13, 2009
Domesticated
My heart skipped a beat when I read this in Nicquee's blog:
I didn't realize I've gotten so domestic to get all worked up over a sale on cookware! I think it's partly thanks to all of the baking I've done lately (but I haven't really baked in months), but I know it's mainly because I get excited when I think about our future home. Yeah, I know, I'm thinking way ahead. I'm probably more excited about having our own home more than our wedding, haha!
Abet and I have agreed that we will not be one of those couples who have the nice wedding and then go back home to live with the parents. It may work for some, but it's not for us. Besides, Abet will be 30 years old then, which is really too old for a married man to still live in his parents' house. We'll probably be in a tiny, tiny shack, but it will be our own (albeit rented) kingdom where we're king and queen. I'm scared and excited at the same time.
We bought some stuff for our future home during our recent trip, and I'm already planning on accumulating stuff over the next two years before we settle down (and just stash them in Abet's room for now), things we probably won't prioritize once we start paying rent and bills. I want to start buying pretty plates and glasses, so that on those evenings when we'll just have jolli-jeep takeout for dinner, we'll still be pretty fancy. I made Abet promise that once we're married, our bed will never have less than 350-threadcount sheets, I guess now is the best time to get a few sets (I have very few indulgences and good sheets are one of them). I think I'll start buying luxurious bath towels while I can still afford them. I've always wanted a stick-on clock like Frances has in her home, I want to have one now na. I want an oven, a pretty birdcage for my future Gouldian finches (another thing I made Abet promise to get me--I'm not as demanding as this sounds, I swear), a beautiful Mama Mary statue, bookshelves... Ooooh, I could go on and on!
I hope I'll score some Corelle plates at this sale, it would be a good start.
What: Corningware, Corelle, Pyrex and Visions sale up to 70%
When: November 12-15, 2009
Where: Kitchen World, 3rd Level Eastwood Mall
When: November 12-15, 2009
Where: Kitchen World, 3rd Level Eastwood Mall
I didn't realize I've gotten so domestic to get all worked up over a sale on cookware! I think it's partly thanks to all of the baking I've done lately (but I haven't really baked in months), but I know it's mainly because I get excited when I think about our future home. Yeah, I know, I'm thinking way ahead. I'm probably more excited about having our own home more than our wedding, haha!
Abet and I have agreed that we will not be one of those couples who have the nice wedding and then go back home to live with the parents. It may work for some, but it's not for us. Besides, Abet will be 30 years old then, which is really too old for a married man to still live in his parents' house. We'll probably be in a tiny, tiny shack, but it will be our own (albeit rented) kingdom where we're king and queen. I'm scared and excited at the same time.
We bought some stuff for our future home during our recent trip, and I'm already planning on accumulating stuff over the next two years before we settle down (and just stash them in Abet's room for now), things we probably won't prioritize once we start paying rent and bills. I want to start buying pretty plates and glasses, so that on those evenings when we'll just have jolli-jeep takeout for dinner, we'll still be pretty fancy. I made Abet promise that once we're married, our bed will never have less than 350-threadcount sheets, I guess now is the best time to get a few sets (I have very few indulgences and good sheets are one of them). I think I'll start buying luxurious bath towels while I can still afford them. I've always wanted a stick-on clock like Frances has in her home, I want to have one now na. I want an oven, a pretty birdcage for my future Gouldian finches (another thing I made Abet promise to get me--I'm not as demanding as this sounds, I swear), a beautiful Mama Mary statue, bookshelves... Ooooh, I could go on and on!
I hope I'll score some Corelle plates at this sale, it would be a good start.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Batu Caves
Batu Caves is in Gombak district, 13 kilometers north of Kuala Lumpur. These limestone caves is a sacred place for Hindus. Every January, up to 800,000 devotees and spectators gather here for the Thaipusam Festival:
Images above from http://www.malaysiasite.nl/thaipusameng.htm.
To get to the caves, you'd have to climb up 272 steps and get past macaques. A 42.7 meter statue of Lord Murugan, a Hindu deity, stands near the base of the steps.
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