diaryofacommoner

Grey sky

2009-10-06T21:59:00.000-07:00

The day is blue and the sun is bright,
The breeze is dry, I hope the Earth can swallow me up and out of sight,
The office is empty and it's time for lunch,
I just came and glad that everyone else is out to munch.

My stomach is full, thanks to a doughnut,
From a person so kind and made me feel lucky that we are comrades,
I had a good milo and the feeling is great,
But my heart is filled with remorse so much that it aches.

If I have a power, I wish I could turn back the time,
And I will fight and strive and do my very very best,
Not to be arrogant, ignorant nor tame,
But to be humble, resourceful and fierce.

I'm just sad. The sky is blue and yet it looks so grey.

Pearson Book Warehouse SALE 2009

2009-10-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (screams on >.< ) I don't know but I never get this excited when there's a sale. I don't get so high over boutique sales either. This struck me like an Ice Cream sale (if there is ever one - besides the Baskin Robin 31% discount on every 31st of the month). This is like..AMAZING! So wonderful that it puts MPH and Popular books sale to shame. Seriously, judge it for yourself. The price, variety and number of books being on sale is so generous that even a friend of mine don't believe it when I told him I got 4 books at only RM60. Honestly, books are supposed to be sold at an affordable price just as how I always think that movie tickets should be sold at a fixed and reasonable price. Else, how can they battle with pirates (as in piracy)?! Hell to whichever department or board that says movie tickets are to be priced differently based on the location. If they further increase the level of censoring as well as the entertainment price of the ticket, I bet in the nearer future all cinema would have been taken over by pirates. Just as how books are! Imported ones are priced in the range of RM30 to over a hundred ringgit or more. C'mon, books are meant to increase one's knowledge besides providing endless fun to the reader -- so how can parents plant reading habits into the younger ones when books are downright expensive with so limited places for them to borrow books? Even parents themselves wouldn't read as much if books are so expensive to get. Sooner or later, reading would become a luxury. I reckon that our beloved PM can do something about this. Perhaps by scraping the F1 'goal' and channel that money into research, education and other better things! Sighs...maybe I should take that back. A man that smart wouldn't bother with all these nitty things, would he? (obvious answer is NO, huh)

ANYWAYS,
back to the sale (I apologize that I always got dragged so far into rantings...haha)...

Event: Pearson & Penguin Books Warehouse Sale
Time: 10am - 7pm
Venue: Pearson Malaysia (off Jalan Templer) : map
Duration: 2th - 11th October 2009

I am so glad that I didn't miss this one (I always miss great sales) out 'coz I have been wanting to buy some books to read (I have been shying away from reading due to the lack of time in revising for finals last time). Then again, like I mentioned, reading seems to be a luxury when the book price is high and there is no where to borrow books, hence I was extremely happy when I found about this sale.

It truly is a warehouse sale as most books are pretty dusty and you don't get latest arrivals on sale. Then again, these books (of all genre from non-fiction to fiction, general to hobbies, children's to adults, education to sudoku's) are priced between RM4 to RM15 (in general, prices can go up to RM60 - that an example for hardcover Harry Potter ). Truly a bargain! Thus, I don't mind the dust and warm surrounding at all as I happily browse through the racks for interesting titles.

Anyways, it ain't too bad as the organiser had been thoughtful enough to place plenty of fans for ventilation as well as to cool down the warmness. I do not know how crowded can the place go but I'm glad that I went on a weekday :) The place is not huge and comfortable but it's okay -- it's just that if everyone goes on the weekends, the place will become sardine can. The only consolation in this case is maybe -- the presence of 2 credit card and cash counters each.

*readers, do go and grab something there! I think sales like this one is really hard to come by:) *

Randomness: Materialize my dream in 5 steps

2009-10-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

I dream that I'll be given an equal chance to prosper and to make a small little fortune...Haha...why? Don't you think that nowadays, the rich keep getting richer while the middle class and the poor are getting worst? So what it's recession and they lost a few hundred thousands? They've still got millions.

LOL...ANYWAYS...here's my dream....yes..property investing! Buy a property and baam...live off the rental every month...hmmmmmm....or come to think again, I'd just get my dream studio unit and live happily ever after.

So, let's dream a while:

I want a site that shows me the popular properties which I can choose from and this link which I found was pretty okay. It is simple and not crappy. You know how some sites are, they put everything on the site and make your brain burst from information overload.

In Propwall, every item is classified under its own category and best of all, there isn't a trace of useless unrelated advertisement which I think is a wonderful thing! I just detest functional websites that have too many unrelated advertisements. It somehow made the whole site look amateur.
So, now, let's proceed with my dream....IMAGINE that I have an extra of RM300,000 in my account and I want to buy a unit..I guess I'll look for....Seri Hening Residency. Well, you wouldn't believe me when I tell you how much I love this condo.I do not know what attracted me so much but I am just drawn to it like a Pooh Bear would to Honey! I supposed it's the location, its convenience and the seemingly good security measure offered by the management.

Okay, materialize my dream #1: Search

I went over to the search engine and type in Seri Hening Residency and *pops* there we go, the page pops up pretty fast...and not bad, it has a ranking system to tell the potential investor/property buyer how popular is the place. *aikz.. >.<; The property I was searching for was ranked 160? bleh...and moreover there isn't any ads on it. Perhaps they are not selling? Not only that but there are limited photos available for this property...hmph...
..maybe I should put up a question to ask others if that place is a good one and what's the selling price...then again..let's not get too serious here...hahaha

Materialize my dream #2: Look for another more Suitable Location

The site told me that its Rank 1 property is the Dua Residency KLCC and a click at the link brought me to a page full of information neatly arranged into words.It first begins with a brief description of the property, follows by some key details as well as the layout.

Materialize my dream #3: Let's do some math

Say if I get the average price of RM 875 psf (just pretend that I'm damn good at getting the price I want) and I pick a penthouse (wahsey). So, RM 875 X 5,472 = RM 4,788,000....am I doing the right calculation? Alright...I'm RM 4, 488,000 short..so let's make shift and say RM 875 X 2,098 = RM 1,835,750

*swt* That explains why it is Ranked 1st...location wise..price wise...

Materialize my dream #4: New Strategy..Next!

I'm wondering with RM 300,000 , what can I get?
Ouh...too bad that their search engine doesn't recognize price range as a valid search :(
I supposed the site can be improved if the administrator would add 'price range' string as part of the search.

Materialize my dream #5: Dream on

Haha...but at least I know which site I can go to the next time when I have more than RM300K. Most properties shown on the site are top and luxurious properties which I supposed, only those with enough dough are able to invest in them. Thus, it is of utmost importance for the site to be maintained as professionally as possible to attract the right crowd. At the moment, I supposed it is doing okay with an user-friendly search engine and straight-forward description (that has only the facts, main contact details and key points -- nothing fancy to deceive site visitors)

So, are you ready to find your dream at Propwall? Haha...I know...I'm being pretty random lately...daydreaming..

Reaching a point

2009-09-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been struck with this random-ness. During college, a few friends got married and are now with kids. Moving on to late-University, another friend got married and finally now, another one is getting married too. Then, another one has just delivered. A baby girl :)

When I was queuing up yesterday at KFC, the couple behind me was expecting a baby soon.

Wife: "Bi. Don't move me around. I'm feeling nausea..blu...about to...blueee...."
She ran off to the sink beside the queue and vomited. After that, she re-joined her hubby.

Wife: "Why do you want me to stand here?"
Bi: "Just stand here beside me."
Wife: "Remember to buy the X-Meal. I want the white cooper."
Bi: "Hm." (I wanted to get the Black Cooper classic...but I'm not buying the X-meal, so it'll cost me RM 9.90. It'll be RM 5.90 if purchase together with X-meal. *Think*....nah....Better save that few ringgit and put them to real good use..::I'm stretching my inflexible ringgit again::)

Wife: "X came back from US"
Bi: "You went to meet her?"
Wife: "No. Office was busy."

Silence.

Wife: "Y is pregnant."
Bi: "That makes the 5 of you being pregnant now!"
Wife: "4 of us pregnant together."

The conversation carries on....

*Shudders*

The world seems to be revolving with adults aging and maturing to a certain stage when all are getting either married or expecting. It seems pretty s c a r y.

If it's okay, I would want to get back to Form 5 and re-pave my path. Scrap STP, get straight to Pre-U, do my degree and proceed with Masters. Oh well, then again, if everything can be erased and go back to ground zero, the world would be a much better place.

Hmmph...my biological clock is ticking but I don't think I want to get tied up so soon...not before I have my Masters/PhD, own studio unit, own business, first 100K and own mini (okay...maybe not..that's too ridiculously far-fetched and not realistic) - whichever comes first.

I guess I have to plan a strategy to fish a tame fat cat...perhaps, my goals can be achieved faster...HAHAHA *evil
Then again, who would get attracted (and thereon possibly contribute) to a carefree, adventurous, overly sweet and at times child-like, chocolate crazy lil' wild and foul j e n n y?

Random-ness

2009-09-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR I want a SLR.......I wonder if I chant it more enough, will a real 3D and functional SLR appears right in front of me....possibly tied up with a nice lacy ribbon.

Okay...so I have downloaded the DSLR for Dummies but I have yet to read it (okay! I added it in my to-read list already; hmmph). I'm just acting up because I am no longer contented with my point and shoot's color quality.

NO...that's not true. I'm just merely blabbering....right..I have to tell myself that it's all in my mind and that bloody SLR worth more than my 1 month salary....I have to save for all my trips, credit card bills and other money-eating-payments, feed myself....and I barely survive,so I can't, at all, indulge in this hobby. no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no

Troll-Drivers

2009-09-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

Everything is derived from the nature, even synthetically made, the idea were first inspired by Mother Nature. Car itself, were first powered by steam and it was said that the first steam-powered vehicle was built by Ferdinand Verbiest; somewhere around 1672. It was then meant to be just a toy to entertain the Emperor.

From a mere toy that cannot carry passengers or load, it transformed into a vehicle which later benefits the whole world. With that, we no longer need horses or donkeys to carry either us or our luggage but we can dump everything into the Car and jump into the seats and then drive awayyyy (for both vacation, convenience or crime purposes).

Innovations were added to the original idea, from Europe to Russia and back and finally a Swiss inventor managed to improve the whole design with the birth of the first Internal Combustion Engine. It was fueled by hydrogen and oxygen and let's give him a round of applause for his environmental-friendly masterpiece (which although was a failure but nontheless, it is environmental-friendly).

Many tried and failed attempts were taken and finally one person make it. Karl Benz built a vehicle powered by four-stroke cycle gasoline engine (expensive and to some; prestigious stuff, ruins the environment along with other things). So, after Benz, came Daimler but as history was written, Benz merged with Daimler due to economy downturn and soon a couple of years down the road, names like Ford and Citroen popped up. Interestingly when I google a photo of a Ford model, the photo reminds me of the go-round-the-park 'train trail' in Genting. I was, at most...5? Maybe, and that was the 'train-compartment' which I rode. Cute stuff I call.

Many people enjoy car ride tremendously and ever since that little toy car existed back in the 1600s, it has changed the life of mankind and how history was created. Today, especially in Malaysia where the public transport system is pretty retarded,private car remains the most convenient and luxurious way of travelling.

Imagine to have to take the LRT/monorail which drops you miles away from your destination and that forced you to walk miles to your destination. You walk in the rain, under the sun, or may be robbed en route..etc etc. Now, I wouldn't say Malaysia is not a dangerous place, in fact; all places have its own level of safety -- it's just that there are much rooms for improvements in this case.

Among all the public transport, I would rate monorail being the best among the 3. Star LRT is fine but it would bring you to a station where the RapidKL buses would take forever to come by. Or, they would drop you at a place it is dominantly surrounded by massive amount of low-cost flats. I wouldn't deny that LRT will be able to lessen the burden of the lower income groups but hey, they have to take care of the middle class too. Being in the middle class of the society doesn't mean that these people are not struggling. Putra on the other is not much better. My hatred goes to the one station called the Melati Station. For the convenience of both students and residents, a station was built there but I would say that the planner did not take their construction planning any further than building the station. The stretch of road from the station to the college is poorly maintained and there is very little room left for the usage of pedestrians. No road and not even an overhead bridge.

Now, don't even get me started on the KTM. I have not been taking it ever since I've got a car but the very last I used, I was to wait for 2 hours for the train to arrive to take me to MidValley.

That's not the worst of the rail transport system but the inability of all these trail to meet at a common point for commuters to efficiently and safely change track and head to their respective destination. Hong Kong's MRT is a very good model to be set as an example. They have got a good system and timing that the station is convenient to all at a reasonable rate. No one gets late and no one gets stranded. One card for all transportational usage. Oh yea, we do have a touch and go...convenient but they charge you for the convenience. Rm 0.50 for top-up at automated teller and RM 0.50 for using it for parking purposes. (Speaking of which, the service doesn't extend to regional parking. You've got to pay at the machine; RM 0.60 as a minimum).

So, you see, having a car is considered a luxury when you do not take the fuel price into calculation - first. Be it a Kelisa, Subaru, Honda, Toyata, whatever brand it is, as long as it is a gasoline powered four wheel vehicle, it gets you to where you want to go: shop, school, work, holiday, yum cha...etc etc. It's like a part of you, your robotic limbs. Like a Bumblebee that protects you like no other when you are on the road. You cry when it gets injured (due to the repairing cost and possibly the inconvenience of being without a car for days or weeks), It shield you from terrible drivers (women drivers...my SLK got bumped by this lady -- again).

On my part, I really enjoy driving. I am not that fantastic with driving (woman driver but hey, I'm skillful to an extent) but I'm ok and I'm driving OK. Even with the hefty cost on the fuel, I still enjoy being in a car, being the driver or passenger alike. I especially love to be the passenger during a rainy day or the driver during the night.

However to be able to enjoy the whole driving process owes it a lot to road etiquette. It is like playing MahJong. It says a lot when you do certain gestures or utter certain words during the driving process. But then again, nowadays, a majority of drivers out there who claimed that women were the lower species in car handling, have very low sense of road etiquette. Perhaps, they pay so much attention in sharpening their driving skills that they forgot entirely about their manners.

In a case when you are trying to move onto the middle-lane (where the driver on that lane is unable to make space for your car due to space constraint) on a three-lane road in order to avoid blocking the whole stretch of the left lane during a stop before the traffic lights, those on the left lane (who possibly been using that road since they started living in that area) should be considerate and understand. The left lane is for those who wanted to make a Left turn while both the Middle and the Right lane are for those to go straight ahead.

It is rather obvious when they do not understand and express it out in physical form. They will Honk like if they have never Honked before or they roll down their window, slow down a little, and Smack you side window and drive off (I'd say, this is the lowest of all mammals as they chickened-out and run off instead of stopping their car aside, show their face and be daring to admit why are they doing it). Some others would give you their Golden Finger and muttered/shouted at your direction.

On another hand in a case where cars were parked on a the left lane on a two lane road which is bumpy and in a sad condition (pot holes and rough), an inconsiderate driver from behind would flash both his headlights and finger at you for driving at 40km/h. Then again, the road is bad and narrow, I am wondering how fast that 'super race car' wants to go at that kind of road? He sped off once he got a chance but we meet again at the traffic light that is 50km or less away. He dared to glare at me with the kind of look that says, "Should you press your accelerator, I would have beat the light!"

Damn right. He is a Biatch with pea-size brain and a malfunction penis stuck at the wrong end.(Ah..so that explains why he barked)

So, it all boils down to the few things we always hear on the radio: Be courteous on the road.
You may scold and curse if you have the rights to but it's better to keep your cool. Overtake if the car in front of you is slow, give way if you know you are slow or leave home slightly early to avoid being late or get stuck in a jam.

Practice it as an adult and your next generation will appreciate the teaching.

Wow....

2009-08-26T19:38:00.000-07:00

Life in general has not been fair nor will it ever be; and to ask for fairness is like a naïve child hoping for world peace. It just never happen. We do not need to wonder far but a nearer scenario would prove us that. I don’t know…perhaps the long forgotten Altantuya or the fresh in mind; Teoh’s case. These made Malaysia the headlines for weeks (let alone the new case of Kartika -- who wants her whip Now due to all the public spotlights that she's receiving. It is just another political game. So, we'll sit back and see what is the outcome: Will the Whipping be carried out or not? On what ground and motives if it is not :)) ). Are they fair? Are they justified? It’s for you to judge. One Malaysia…oh well…Malaysians…ponder about that. How do we define fair?

Those aside, what about the soon to rise fuel price? A whooping RM2 per liter. Fair and square because we are causing so much damage to Mother Earth and so, now are now paying the price in order to repent and fill up others’ stomach. (*dry laughter*)

Sighs…to achieve fairness, one have to justify it for themselves. What is fair to one may not be fair to the other. This is particularly true especially in the movie District 9. I kinda like the storyline and honestly, though far-fetched, one who truly understand the meaning behind the movie will agree with me that it is by far, one of the best movie in 2009 (Really, there are so many sucky movies nowadays – eg. Drag Me To Hell…Public Enemies (Johnny Depp is good but the ending is shytty!)).

District 9 (I’m sure you have an idea of what it is about, so let’s skip that), is about oppression, discrimination, beliefs in a greater good and the nature of human race. The accidental ‘invasion’ of aliens (or better known as Prawns in the D-9) have suddenly gave human’s military the power to oppress these group when they relocated the prawns to Earth.

It was not directly stated in the movie in the form of script but come to think of it, who gave the military the rights to relocate the prawns (so called for their own good?). I felt that the portrayal of the ‘real’ situation of reality was really good when they show that those organizations formed due to the arrival of prawns to better monitor the whole scenario and situation are mere parasites and exploiters.

Look at D-9, the area turned into a slump area and prawns are living in the mercy of human. They start killing humans and vice versa. What is fair? It’s like the black being oppressed and when they fought back, they were being accused of being aggressive and violent but who made them behaving that way? A person retaliated because of a certain reason. It’s just like the suicide bomber. As how a book put it, one country’s terrorist is another country’s war hero.
Well, every coin has two sides and so are many situations. So, what is fair?

These occurred to me when I watched D-9 but little did I know that it was actually based on the Apartheid event in Johannesburg. Still, nothing changes, the question still remains: What is fair?
It’s all begun so long time back during our ancestors’ era that all these started. A person may hate and kill another person just because they do not like his/her race/skin color or idea/background/financial status and this person may or may not be punished for that behavior. Now, what is fair?

I have no idea.

Yesterday, when I went to an old and well known University with my senior colleague, I was awed. The area is huge and spacious and the labs…of the two which I have been to, are expensive. I was envious when I see students donned in white (and stained) laboratory coats. I miss the hand gloves, my own lab coat and the tools in the lab. I strangely miss the smell of the broth too (of course, just for a moment—reminiscence purpose, mind you). Above all, I am
missing report writing and journal reading.

But it’s okay. I am happy with what I am doing now. There are so much to learn and…as usual, I hope that I can have a better memory because there are just so much things to be packed into my brain! (ie: siRNA)

Congratulations

2009-08-14T09:32:00.000-07:00

FB seems to be like a part of a routine nowadays. A place to catch up on what's happening in lives that are distant. Everyone is busy of course...mostly with work (or travel). I didn't know when I got so hooked up with photos browsing in FB. It's just enjoyable to see vibrant colors and bright faces in the photo.

The fever recently in FB is no less than the UTAR 2009 convocation. Suddenly there are hundreds of them made online and when I browse through photos from Year 1 until Graduation, I felt..whoa. Eventhough I wasn't too proud of it, but the thought of everyone graduating made me feel good.

Well, I thought I breezed through University without much of a sweat..only sleepless nights. So, perhaps, due to that reason, I did not feel like I've been to hell and back after 3 years. Instead, I guess I am much filled with regrets if not remorse (but of course, I enjoyed the years to bits). The second year could have been way better, I knew.

But like what everyone told me, it is nothing but a past. Now, I have much important things to deal with in the coming future. Very near future. I hate the fact that I was set a good two years behind time but I supposed, if I do it real good this time, I'd make up for that two years.

Whatever it is, Happy Graduating dear Graduands. You have made it through!

Catching up on movies

2009-08-07T00:42:00.000-07:00

I have been such a couch potato lately...going online to do all the things in the world...write emails...search for jobs...reading up (a bit)....watching all the classic old movies (frankenstein, breakfast at tiffany's, charlie & the chocolate factory etc. etc.... was trying to watch casablanca but it wasn't in youtube).

And I have just watched Charmed...the series end at Season 8 episode 22. Erm...I still prefer the good old sisters of Prue, Piper and Pheobe. I mean...what's up with Paige suddenly popping up and geez..Billie and Christy? Ah...they took the Charmed away...but anyways...whatever.

I guess next I'd be watching some other newer series? I don't know...there are so much to catch up with especially those anime in my hard disk...right..i have yet to watch them~

Life is getting so...restless. I know...I need to get away from the computer and see more of the environment. I need to go back to my jogging and occasional swimming....and see more of people. Haha...oh well...sometimes it's just a little difficult to juggle. (also because I am broke and I need a permanent job now! urgh....)

A New Start, Hopefully

2009-07-27T21:37:00.001-07:00

I was delighted when I was given the possibility of taking up a technical support position by the company but after much discussion in the management, they decided that they don't want to spend to much time in training a fresh graduate for the position and thus opt for a person with a MSc.

Oh well, there goes my hope for a technical position. For a fleeting second, it actually made me felt so bad about my second year in Uni. Should I have done better for Molecular Biology, I would have made a better grade and I am sure with that, any management would consider me for a technical position. HAHAHA... *swt* (all these thoughts sometimes, make me go cuckoo and frustrated easily).

Ehem.

Anyways...it doesn't matter. Whatever it is, I shouldn't be closing my doors to opportunities (Ppl, if you are in my situation...please do open up your mind. If things doesn't go your way, try to go their way and see things in new light :) )

I have and I supposed I'm now on my way to a new path. It is a path where a lot of fresh graduates in this country are going through: the sales line in the technical world. It's not really as bad as many dreamy fresh graduates (who like yours truly here, who was so crazy to enter the world of R&D in this hopeless M'sia....but hey, don't get me wrong...I love this place...just that it still have a long way to go to chase up to our neighbours in this department. Like....50 years...so more...and for all they know, they are still battling in chosing the "best" education method for the primary/high school students) thought.

For a start, I know that I will get the exposures that I wanted as well as rewards which made a lot of people go green eye. Muahahahaa...and I know...if I do my job well...I can easily go for my MSc in a short time...perhaps with a little more networking and serious discussions with the right people, I can convince people to support my studies! Okay...that is a little too much but hey...it is a start. Moreover, by the end of the day, it all goes to this clear fact: Scientists made a discovery but it is the entrepeuner who is the one making the big bucks.

Haha...it doesn't hurt for being a little optimistic eventhough I have yet to get an offer in B&W. It seems like Life is getting more exciting now with a second interview on its way and my convocation coming soon!

~ Signing off till this Friday.

Serious Thinking in need of Serious Actions

2009-07-14T08:26:00.000-07:00

After so long, I have finally cleaned up my messy table today. I planned to find a photo of the before and after the clean-up but didn't manage to. I guess I have deleted the photo of 'before'. Anyways, you just gotta believe it, my table is Ultra Super Duper neat and tidy now...after the 3 years of constantly dumping notes, rough papers and books around. Ah...I missed those days...

Things have went on a fast track after the Uni life and it still is. Day comes day goes, for some lucky ones, they have managed to secure a job, for the wealthy ones, they are either still on holiday or have already gone to pursue the next level of education while for the least fortunate, they are still bumming at home.

Me?

I am partially bumming while working part time at the same time. I can't stay at home the whole day without doing anything. I would go crazy...insane...lunatic. My train of thoughts have been zooming like a bullet train, stopping briefly to make me realize something every now and then. Sometimes, I just have to distract myself.

Overall, in these 2 months, I was fortunate enough to be shortlisted by 3 of the best companies around in Malaysia for an interview but I was always caught unprepared. Two caught me when I'm not ready to take up any sales position, while the most recent one caught me when I was ready for a sales position but not a technical one. I love the recent job description (both challenging and perfect) but sad to say that my final year project (no matter how proud was I in it) and my internship did not prepare me well enough for such technical expertise. Damn god...I guess that is what you get for a minimal investment in Uni. I can't say that my Uni is that lousy but it is not good enough to prepare me for the working world. I shouldn't be blaming the institute but for those who know, they, too will agree that the syllabus were not sufficient in equipping the student with the necessary skills for them to survive as a graduate. Geez, now that the regrets set in, it made me feel that I should have gone under Dr.L during my final year. I bet I could have learn better and more under her supervision.

Anyways, that was in the past. I hope SV would call me up in the next two weeks and secure a place for me. That would be the best gift ever. But, the chance is seemingly slim I supposed...because, honestly I did rather badly during the interview. Right...great...so much a technical questions which I could not answer. I just hope that somehow, I left good vibes and they like my attitude (winning the other competitors).

That really gave me the urge to do some serious revision now...yea..it did. Argh, I've got so much to do and well...basically the To-do things on my list are:
1. Write & Email
2. Revise (For this, I really gotta kick my own arse to start doing it. I have been urging myself to do it but just somehow, I can't get myself to do it. How ironic!)
3. Tidy up (already did for my desk...half-way through my hard disk..so after that, I guess the next would be...uhm...my Memories box)
4. Self-reflection and improvement (I need to seriously overcome my nervousness and stage fright!)
5. Look for more openings
6. Exercise!!! (I am in serious need to go out and sweat it out...all those toxins in me are making me ill with laziness)

Gosh...now that I have written down my thoughts, everything has become clear...and in need of real movements to get them done!

What happens?

2009-06-10T21:23:00.001-07:00

Like duh..those who are weak should improve themselves. Regardless of race and ethnicity, every one who has the will power will constantly seek change and improvement in themselves.

Philippines (Manila, Sagada, Boracay)

2009-06-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

HOLIDAY!

FOR ONCE..a 10 days holiday after a long three years struggle for a decent degree. Though I didn't graduate with a decent result...due to certain issues of mine which happened during my second semester, I only got an OK result. But heck, I graduated! I mean, yea...I got a second class but I think I did fairly not to bad during the semesters -- the very least, I know my directions and that I truly know how to research and write my own reports without much references. (Hell yes, I am proud).

Anyways, this blog is all about holiday and not my personal rants/achievements/goals whatsoever. The place where this curious bunny thumped on recently was :

PHILIPPINES

A land of islands and...basically nothing truly amazing about these islands...
I mean...okay...before I step onto the plane, I was telling myself that it's not true of what people have commented on Philippines. I believe that there are certain beauty in this place. Natural beauty, in terms of both sights and sounds.

For starters, Airasia's promotion tickets are downright cheap and a plus point on top of it is that my aunt has a place there. So, a fresh graduate as yours truly here jumped instantly at that idea when the idea was popped by Elise. Really, I'm like, "Philippines...hmm...tickets are cheap...I have a place to crash when I'm in the city...wth, let's go!"

But honestly, Philippines…the only word that comes to me was Manila and other than that, everything else is fuzzy because no friends of mine have been to Philippines to share tales with me on that country. Perhaps, the next word that comes along was Arroyo. LOL…

I have an uncle, though, who have been to Philippines and all he told me was that the place is nothing interesting. Even having an aunt there doesn't help much because on the whole, she doesn't like the place; food is bad, air index is terrible.

Therefore, this Blog is to offer those who wish to visit this land, an Unbiased Review.

First off, I grabbed the tickets way early in the year (in January, traveling in May) at RM 296 (to fro all inclusive)...OMG...

And I happily went to the airport despite that level 5 warnings of H1N1 global invasion was issued by WHO sometime in May. A lot of people was traveling (domestic, international, I don't know but there are A LOT of people there) with only the conscious few donning a N95 mask (I assume they know what mask to buy for effectiveness) but, it seems like not many who know how to use it.

I, being a semi-conscious person, bought, brought and wore mine during my journey -- adhering as best I could to the guidelines. I also took plenty of fluids and have my vitamins as usual to minimize my risk. Well, some people would say, "Why are you being paranoid? You die when the time comes and there's no avoiding".

Fair and true enough but I'd tell that person right into their face. "Just because you are healthy and breathing at this moment, it doesn't mean you are not increasing your risk to the virus. Bloody hell, it's an airport and you know well what is happening in the world, what is the hurt to take a precaution?"

Once you are in a crowded place, you are exposed and true, if you already are exposed to the virus, it doesn't matter if you are wearing a mask of not. But to me, it's a chance for yourself when you lower the risk of catching the virus. It's a matter of chance. 50-50 and 'nuff said. One can never argue when the opposite party doesn't believe in your point of view but I hope this post also spread a message across to readers on the importance of giving/grabbing a chance for yourself.

But of course, before I put on my mask, I had some light breakfast at OldTown (sardine-packed with people!!). Oh, I always love their toast (not much the coffee) but damn, this is the worst ever toast that I ever had from OldTown! Such lousy quality control and right, it's over-priced as well (just because you are at an airport? I hate that idea).

See? They didn't bother to even slice the bread properly and there is absolutely no kaya at all! (There was..if you weigh it to 2 decimal points)

Ahh..whatever...I actually had breakfast..these are just for my itchy mouth. About half an hour later, Lise and I boarded a plane and 3 hours and 55 minutes later, we were at Manilla's Clark Airport! Smooth landing and just like the time when I flew to Bali, I saw this majestic Mount Taal (instead of Kintamani) )

The airport have a tongue twisting name: Diosdado Macapacal International Airport (little did I know that it was named after the 9th President of Phil). Well, not really difficult to pronounce...just that it's difficult for me to remember the whole name. Ah, we'll go with Clark, LOL...so upon arrival, there were these dudes who were so excited seeing us wearing our masks. One was holding an European passport and I so much felt like asking him, "Hey, which isolated part of Europe were you in? We were wearing a mask for a purpose even though yes we know that there was no cases in Philippines yet at the time we went". It's never a sin to take precautions because after all, it is an airport. One fool even shouted across to his friend at the luggage waiting area saying that he needed a mask. Oh yea, good riddance if he catches something.

Anyways, we were picked up by a friend and the journey begun. An eye opener for me is that these Filipinos built their houses under the highway. I can't snap a pic of that though because most of the time I was in a tinted car (most cars there are heavily tinted; protection from the sun and gaze I s'posed) and the photo turns out to be really dim. Anyways, just imagine the flyover at Pudu with wooden houses built beneath it and that's what you get.

The first stop of the day was S & R Shopping Membership (ala Tesco) lookalike hypermarket. Everything comes in bulk and in HUGE size. If Tesco has 40% of extra large canned food, here, it's 70%. I freaked out at this ox tongue. Is an ox's tongue really that huge? How do we cook it? Boil it in water? Fry? Ew...

We bought some stuff at the store and honestly I don't know what has got into me. I just can't live without chocolates for whatsoever reason and for the 10 days, I was relying on my Hersheys which I got there, as my energy life saver. I got a large packet Hersheys' assorted nuggets and mashmallows at RM 30 and RM 9 respectively (according to the rate of RM0.076 : 1 Peso). I kept the mashmallows though...gonna make chewy chocolate mashmallows later on.

In these 10 days, I went about Quezon City, Manilla, Makati, Tagatay, Baguio, Sagada and Boracay. Personal sentiments aside, I will give you my best and most unbiased review of the Cities of Philippines Island (Quezon, Manila and Makati--basically I'll coin these 3 places under a group: City).

C i t y . . .

I would summarize the city in 3 'Overs'...that would be over-populated, over-polluted, over food production (or maybe not since they have such a large population) and over-sized. Honestly, the jam in this city never N E V E R ends. It goes on from, I don't know...morning till 10 at night? Really, from the 38th floor of my aunt's unit in Makati, one can see miniature cars zooming and queueing in line all day long.

Cars inclusive of buses, private cars (mostly 4 wheels drive) and ...
Tricycles...

And jeepneys...cute ain't there? Some are really well decorated with light bulbs and fancy drawings while some are just plain. I never try these vehicles when I was there as it was not recommended by the locals (they suggested us not to travel alone in them without the companion of a local especially when I look like a Korean to them....WHICH HONESTLY I DO NOT KNOW WHY...I always have this impression of Korean being fair...and c'mon, you've gotta admit it that I am a shade darker than them...it is so obvious~)

Besides, one also get to see a lot...LOT...of buildings. It's common to see writings on their roof too. This one below, was one which I zoomed in using my Canon Ixus 7.1mp camera..HAHA..so what I don't have a SLR? My pics are still looking good..EHEM... (okay..I'm just jealous..the quality is definitely one hell of a difference)

But c'mon, give point and shoots the credits they deserve too. They are handy, convenient and most of all, the pics are really not that lousy.

Hehe...it is what it is worth.

Anyways, being the city of Philippines, it is dotted with cars and hell lots of skyscrappers and little houses. The town planning to me, is very messy: You'll see a high rise beautiful building next to a worn and old office. You'll see chicken in their cages at the petrol station. You'll see 4 lanes well paved road with impatient drivers overtaking at the speed of light (amazing that their accident rate is rather low -- according to the locals) and reflexes of a trap-jaw ant.

Due to the education system (which follows that of the states), one can easily spot some words which was used differently from Malaysian. Well, I assume that this structure resembles a bus stand since I do not see any unloading bay nearby but instead of the word 'bus stand/bus stop/dropping off', the government chose the word 'unloading'. Please don't mind me, I just find it amusing :)p
And of course, you'll see tons of human in the shopping mall (which I am so not used to..one fact is that I hate crowded mall!!) !
Honestly, you get nothing much in the city but malls and fast food joints. I don't know how they survive but from my observations, it seems as though the spending power of the people are rather limited and yet, one do not see any vacant space in the malls (famous ones) of Philippines. I was told that most Filipinos earn only a mere 5K ph per month. Thus, it struck me as rather amazing that these malls do not seem to have any vacant spaces.

I must say that things in the city is not cheap. When you convert the price of these merchandises back to MYR, the prices are almost the same as the stuff we got here in Malaysia. Only difference would be the style and brand. I supposed they (the stock purchaser) have better taste that those in Malaysia (eyes roll) because at RM 150 at Zara, you can get better looking clothes than that in Malaysia.

Haha...

Not only that but I also observe that there a only a handful of caucasians in the city. As in you do not see a lot of caucasian couples/family/ladies/backpacker but in contrast, you'll be able to spot a lot of caucasian men with Filipinos (either as a couple or in a family).
Seriously! Now I welcome comments on this.

T a g a ta y . . .

After the city trip, Lise and I tagged along with Ken and Aiza to Tagatay, where Mount Taal lie.
It is a place where most city folks would visit as it is located very near to the city..around 1 hour and 30 minutes drive at most. I am fortunate enough to be able to tag along in a private car, so I'm sorry that I can't offer a better description on how to get there and where is the best place to stay. But I heard that one can get there by bus.

I was told that the common activity there was horse riding up the mountain towards the crater of Mount Taal. Well, I didn't manage to do that and even if I do have the opportunity, I'd think twice. Why? Coz it's a bloody ACTIVE volcano with occasional trembling detected! Gosh, my horse wouldn't on earth be able to outrun the flowing lava -- for sure. Then again, after my confession to a friend, she told me that it's an experience of a lifetime. Well, I can't deny that but really, I'm a timid kitten.

Haha...I was having bad thoughts, you know. That if this volcano decided to erupt in the near future, I think the City will be doomed with pollution and pity the homes in Tagatay. All life will not be spared...but nay, that's just my imagination. Look! How serene the volcano is!

Ehem..on a lighter note, we had a good dinner there at Ken's vacation house. We set off to Tagatay at night and upon arrival everyone is practically starving. Most stalls were close but we catch one just in time and they kindly prepare food for us. (I guess also it was because Aiza was there that they so willingly and happily do so for us..haha..oh well, celebrity did have their effects, LOL).

When we reach the place, we quickly set up the dining table -- in the middle of the road. Exactly. Glad that no one there drives at night since people go there only during their vacation...so yea, we dined safely. hehee...

Honestly, I have to agree that chickens in Philippines taste really good. Roasted ones are so crispy and flavorful! The ones below are pork and trust me, their pork soup is yummy! I don't know if it's because we got it at this particular store in Tagatay which is why the food is really reallly good.

After dinner, the lovebirds went on their own while Lise and I wander around the place. We saw this really creepy abandoned lot which has grasses and weeds growing all over the place. Eerie and scary because all around that area, all houses, even unoccupied are not run down like this one. All the more frightening is when I saw a cross projected on the wall.

Well, we went past it and never turn our head back. Haha...I should had taken a photo maybe?

Anyways, on the next day, we went to this lovely place called Sonya's Garden. It's a dining place where you can have all you can eat buffet lunch of salads and pasta. Needless to say, by far, all mangoes that I had in Philippines were all so sweet and I have to mention about the salad sauce...it's simply delicious. This place serve salad, bread, pasta, free flow drinks (of juice and tea) and dessert (of fried nangka roll and chocolate cake -- ones which I don't really fancy...the rolls were overfried and the cake was too dry but the salad were so so so good!). All for only P600 (well...okay..it's a lil' pricey for just salad and pasta...)

Sonya's Garden is also filled with little spots (such as rattan seats and poster beds) for photo taking purpose:
Now..next up...SAGADA...the highlight of my trip!

S a g a d a . . .

Basically it's my highlight. After a series of 'wonderful' happenings, I finally managed to go against all odds and bumpy roads...and reach Sagada safely. This place is pretty hidden up in the north, even further than the ever famous Baguio.

In brief, there are 3 routes to Sagada and they are:

Baguio - Sagada Route
Banaue - Sagada Route
Manila - Bontoc Route

(Go on and try the links. They are some of the best which I came across and are pretty informative for first timers like yours truly here. I particularly enjoyed this site on Baguio. These sites gave me a rough idea of where/how to start up my journey

What attracted me so much into making this journey are the Banaue Rice Terraces and the Hanging Coffins. The former is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which age about 2000 to 6000 years old. Like all ancient structures, these terraces; fed by age-old irrigation system, were shaped by the hands Batad indigenous people in the mountains of Ifugao. It is so large that it was said that the steps--put end to end, would encircle half the globe. Amazing structure ain't it?!

While the later are even more amazing. It demonstrated the determination and culture of the ancient people who climb all the way up the cliffs with minimal tools to aid them -- to hang self made wooden coffins at the edge. This is a culture of a minority group in certain region of China, Indonesia and Philippine. Being the Me, who want to see what the world has to offer her, obviously is dying to see these amazing ancient testimonial of human strength.

Ahh, and this bring me to a sad and disappointing story which I shall rant on another separate space.

In this blog post, I aim to share my travel bits -- which I must say, I regretted not to visit the Banuae Rice Terrace and have a closer look at the hanging coffins.

But I did made it to Sagada and did have a look at the coffins...and left my bunny prints in the caves :)
In order to conquer Sagada, you really need to have the determination to do it because (like I said) of the long hours (12hours of traveling in a bus for Christ's sake!) and bumpy roads.

The first half of the journey to Baguio was fine because you get to be comfortable in a spacious air-conditioned bus (which got real cold in the night; so it is a must to bring along your sweater! Anyways, since both Baguio and Sagada are located way high above sea level, it does get pretty cold at night). Due to the fact that the road to Sagada is dangerous narrow all the way up the mountain, buses only operate during the day. So, one would have to take the night bus to Baguio, in order to make it in time to reach Sagada in noon.

According to the information obtained online, the best two buses that travel to Baguio would be Autobus and Victory Liner. However, according to a local, he mentioned that he has never heard of Autobus before (hm...readers, I need your verification, thank you), so Lise and I got the Victory Liner tickets at P430 at its Cubao station. The bus leaves at 9pm and we reach Baguio at about 4am in the morning. The journey takes about 6 hours and honestly it is like a luxury when you compare to the bus taken to Sagada. (And it has a new and good looking station too)

Upon reaching, we got a cab to Dangwa Station which is less than 10 minutes away and though I forgot how much was the fare, rest assured that it was cheap..maybe around P50 or so. Again, I do not know why, even in the dim light, I look Korean to the cab driver.

The bus to Sagada starts to operate at about 5 plus in the morning but due to our ignorance (plus it was too dark to navigate ourselves at the station), we went to a nearby cafe for our breakfast. I was so used to Malaysia's tasty mamak Milo kosong panas, that I thought the Milo there suck big time. I mean, really! They gave you a big glass of hot water with just a packet of Milo. Totally not enough for me because it is really really diluted! I need at least 3 packets!

This is the Dangwa Station. It was packed with Jeepneys and buses in the mid-noon.

It amused me to see a Dental Laboratory. Haha, it kinda freaked me too when my mind was playing images of how it would be in a dental Laboratory (like a horror movie called .. hm.. i forgot the name but it was about this psycho dentist who drills his unsuspecting patients)

God-loving community (then again, we all do need God's blessing every now and then especially in one's trip to Sagada)

p/s: they are a music loving community too and I really appreciate that the driver played soothing jazzy and sometimes love hits from the 80s and 90s for his passengers

Lizardo Bus

There are two buses to Sagada and one of them is the Lizardo Bus (at P220). It resembles buses which you find in Seremban...haha...honestly, a little bigger than Malaysia's long forgotten Mini Bus but with almost the same condition. These buses-- though far from comfortable, serve as the most important vehicle for the residents; as can be felt from the picture above. They travel 6 hours up the mountain, with all sorts of stuff taken with them...food stuff, clothes, electronics and even fertilizers.

I don't know how they manage it but to me, this journey of 6 hours are pretty okay -- ONCE in a while (A long while..HAHA). So, in this ride up the mountain, what I experienced was the beautiful mountain sights and the view of a poor country.

In the photo above, you can see (Okay, the big banner of Jollibee, a fast food joint which can be found JUST EVERYWHERE; as common as MacD in Malaysia...gosh...the love of fast-food of Filipino is comparable to any western country) a mix of brick and zinc houses...how colorful they are and...how unplanned the town is. These houses, mostly built with zinc are practically littered all over the place. Colorful as they are, they look quite pretty from far but when you get nearer to them, you can see that they are very very basic (imagine how noisy it would be on a rainy day...and what happen during the hot days?!). Then, do you notice the wires? Electric or telephone lines...they are not earthed; both in the city and village area.

But these people are coping well...very well. I don't know how recession is affecting them but as always, it never affect the youngs. This little girl (pretty!) in the photo is a lovely soul. She was so active during the long and strenous journey -- even tried to play bus driver by sitting in the driver's seat! What I admired in her is her restlessness; good thing that she and her siblings never get bored during the journey. You know how kids are, when they are bored, they will just cry themselves tired. However, these cuties play by themselves, eat sweets and fried pork skin (pig is baboi in Tagalog and the only word I know by heart....hahaha)

The square structure below is the bus stop, I guess...it looks like it...
After 6 hours in the bus (reach Sagada at about 12 plus), just enough to tire you but not enough to kill and break you into pieces, we arrived at Sagada!

The first thing we did after registering (paying P20 or so...I don't remember) at the Municipal Hall, we went to Residential Logde to get a room at P250.
The room is by far...okay...I would give it s 3/5 and it is quite clean (but be sure to get a mosquito for the night and bring scarf for yourself -- to cover your head for the night (too), because it will prevent you from being disturb by insects)

Just don't look up the ceiling. It has these black spots and little webs at the corner.
And...I would appreciate if they 'tile-up' the bathroom, clean the hand wash basin and...maybe adjust the water pressure....

Anyways, it's okay since I'm not like staying there for the whole week.
If I get to visit Sagada again the next time, I would definitely try George's Guesthouse. It looks more inviting from the exterior. After we get changed into our shirts and pants, we went to the Municipal Hall to get ourselves an adventure trip -- Spelunking! We climbed high and low, into the water and out; through 3 caves -- Burial Cave, Lumiang Cave, and Sumaging Cave (at P400). It took us about 3 hours to complete it and boy, I survived those slippery rocks and bats' dung!

It was really chilling in there that you can see your own body heat evaporate into the air. The guides were really helpful and no matter how challenging the caves are, rest assured that the guides will take good care of you. (That is, unless you let your own fear get to you and you have a really poor physique).

What amazed me was this boy, about 10 years old maybe? He was a cheerful one jumping up and down, here and everywhere in the cave without being afraid of tripping at all! You will be surprised by this Baguio boy, seriously! Initially I thought he was with the guides and have been going to the caves ever since he was a young child. So, less did I know that it was only his second time to the caves with his family...haha...and there he was, already treating the rocks and bones as his play pen. Oh yea, you read me right, (human) bones -- these caves were location of a burial ground (where coffins were stacked on top of each other) and the ground got so terribly shaken by earthquake(s) that all bones and its coffins were shattered and scattered all over the caves.

Well, I do not know if I did step on some, but I prayed silently for forgiveness if I did. Hehe...not good to step on deceased's bones -- so visitors, respect alright! Don't take bones home as souvenirs (hey, some people do that okay!)

We take photo at this famous spot; which I commonly see in the bloggers community...and I must say that I was so ill-prepared in this sense. I got my water-proof pouch but due to all the climbs, the guide offered to carry our belongings so that they don't get wet or broken (ie: camera and phone); so I didn't manage to take many pics in the caves. I could have bought a Kodak disposable camera but then again, it's fine for me not to get it for this trip (want to know why? please head on to my ranting blog).
I'm glad that I took this photo -- to show the water! Clear and chill you to your bones and yet, the Baguio boy was a real courageous young man -- he took a dive and swim in it until his mother asked him to get out of it!!We were all starving after emerging from the caves, 3 hours later and after a hot shower (a real must after spelunking, you will appreciate it sooo sooo MUCH), we head down to the ever recommended Yogurt house. the setting is lovely with an artificial fireplace. Food wise, it was alright. The yogurt...I'll give it a rating of 3/5

There was this over friendly cat which initially took the seat next to me and after sniffing around, it decided to jump on my lap. I pat its butt a little to signal it not to disturb me and yet it wouldn't budge! See! Over-friendly and even wanted to join my meal. I have to carry it down to prevent it from getting too comfortable with me. Geez. Cats, please behave! After a presentation I saw during my internship at IMR (and re-inforced by a subject during my third year), I got cautious with cats -- the host of Toxoplasma gondii A note to mention here was that no foreigners (especially Caucasians) were seen throughout my journey from Manila to Sagada, not even one backpacker (perhaps most are alert with the numerous kidnapping cases occuring in Philippines) and it made me on my guard too (even though I seem to be with a local in the form of Lise...LOL...you see...a lot of Filipino thought she's one of them). I supposed it is because Sagada is not that commercialized yet and it is still a place spread by the words of mouth. I was quite surprised that after 3 weeks back from Philippines, I saw an article in TheStar featuring Luzon and guess what, they even highlighted Sagada! So, Seeeeee! Sagada is not an isolated place (Which mean to say that if you are not significantly different looking, I supposed, it's a pretty safe place to go to).

I'm quite relieved in the end to see some Caucasians and Koreans in restaurant somehow. I don't know why but maybe it made me felt a little safe that there are foreigners in this far part of the North. I am after all, a tourist. Hehe...thus, it made me felt like an over-adventurous fish-out-of-the-water for being at a place where no other foreign tourists have been too (which of course, was proven that I'm wrong...foreigners do know about this place! So next time, I must earn enough to hire a good local guide to bring me to truly explore Philippines).

After dinner, we took a walk around to check out where the Lemon Pie House. Geographically placed on the east of Malaysia, the sun sets earlier in Philippines and by 8pm, it was pretty dark already. Therefore, it is understandable that a curfew was issued to prevent people from loitering after 9pm.

On the next day, we woke up early to catch the 10am bus back to Baguio. Honestly, you'd need 2 days to truly explore the beauty of Sagada. Hence, we missed the spectacular sight of the Hanging Coffins as our breakfast and chess game at Sagada Lemon Pie House had took away an hour (woke up at 6am, had breakfast from 7am to 8am). The lemon pie and lemon juice are wow...GOOD! 4/5...not too sweet or sour and it's just nice. (A little comment: There are rooms for improvement on the crusts :) )

Price wise, man, it was cost only P150 for a WHOLE pie. Try to get a whole pie in Kuala Lumpur, geez, it will cost you at least RM 50. What was done was a little walking and see a Hanging Coffin from far. Better than not seeing it at all, I supposed. Oh well.

In short, I would say that Sagada is not for those who is not interested in Nature because there truly has got nothing to offer except for Trees (plenty), ancient artifacts (coffins, bones), Caves (spelunking), cool air (not so fresh in the bus-waiting area) and Mother Nature (Trees and more trees). Moreover, if you cannot brave yourself for a long strenous journey in a less than comfortable bus (with you being the only non-Tagalog speaking foreigner around in the bus), then Sagada is not the place for you.

The above: They got really used to riding on top of a vehicle...amazing!

Frankly speaking, regardless on what most commented online, the English level of Filipinos in this area is alright; not that fluent and some even have difficulty understanding the language. In tourist-flocked places, their grasp of English is alright but not beyond basics.

So, a little miscommunication, we missed the 10am bus and took the 11am one. The latter bus was filled with only the worst seats left -- that were the rear ones...where it got bumpy most of the time. We survived that anyways and reached Victory Liner's station on time to catch our bus back to Manila.

Regrettably, we didn't visit Street Market as planned (as I planned) due to the lack of time (which I actually planned time for). As a consolation, the journey back was wonderful. Not many people were on the bus and as a result, I was able to lower down my seat to the maximum and got really comfortable until people started to got onto the bus along the way. Another 6 hours down the road, I was back to the city. The best prize of being in the city was the 24 hours Home-service Massage. It is heavenly...truly heavenly and guess what, during my stay with my aunt, I had massages almost every night...the service offered was good and cheap! (only P250 - P300 an hour)

B o r a c a y . . .

Now, the last highlight of whole journey, the jewel of Philippines, I now present you with...Boracay Island. I went in May and I think that is not the right month to go to because the sea is green with seaweeds. A tourist whom I met there told me that the best time to go is October.

During the time when I was there, with exception of the seaweed-filled sea, the sand, wind and its mango shakes are the things which I think one should go to Boracay for. I'm not particularly into the clubs there (nor the bar which sells its 21 shots). I'm more into relaxing on the beach chair/hammock with a glass of cooling shake (which is actually ice blended :)p ) ; listening to the crashing waves and enjoy the wind. The wind in Boracay is always blowing and wow, that was The Life.

The above: Sand castles are a common art in BoracayI hardly swim there due to the seaweeds...it gets glued to your skin and gave me the itch...that's why I opt to just stay under the coconut tree shade and sleep...hehee...and read a page or two from the book which I borrowed from the resort (a boring thriller--i'm thrilled to death).

During my visit there, I stayed in Fat Jimmy's Resort. It is clean and overall, I'd give it a 4/5. The lack of one score is due to its location which is just next to the garbage dump. The Resort is about less than 5 minutes from the White Beach and costing P2000 per person for a night (There were 5 of us).

The notice pasted on the wall is kinda funny...It said 'Tattoed items are charged'...LOL...Why don't they print 'You'll be charged for vandalism'?

Food wise, it is alright. Like I said, the cream of the crop would be the fruit shakes. Never try anything funny like peanut butter chocolate shake because you'd regret the very moment the fluid reaches your tastebud.

So, I'd say what you pay during your dining would be the ambience. It is one hell of a romantic place and a great venue for buddies/couples. Rest assured that you can have those long deep conversation or some nonsense chat the whole night long. Of all that they have on the island, I think I would prefer burgers from Biker's Club (I think that was the name...I don't quite remember) but of course, the one below was my creation (the heart chili sauce and mayo). The drink was a non-traditional Halo-halo. Personally, I don't quite enjoy the drinks in Philippines (except its Fruit Shakes) because they are too sweet for my liking. But I like this sweets which I first got from Tagatay. It's a replica of Rabbit sweets and is only for the sweet tooth. It is made mainly from sugar and condensed milk and when you pop it into your mouth, the soft little roll melts and gives you solidified condensed milk. LOL...I don't know if that is the exact way to describe but it does feel like that.

Ahh...the 10 days came to a stop very quickly and of all the people I met, both my aunt's friends and the group in the photo below are by far the warmest people whom I can ever meet in Philippines.
The swimmers above introduced me to Sisig (Sizzling Pork and Eggs) and they really are a friendly lot. What I appreciate most was that eventhough English gave them "nose bleeds" sometimes, but still they tried their best to share with us their tales and jokes.
I hereby say Thank you peeps :)

Well, what more can I say about Philippines? Hm...that it is not exactly a place where you can shop for the cheapest/unique things. On the contratry, things in the country are kinda expensive even at the minimal (due to food and accomodation..so I'm really thankful that my aunt offered me a place to stay--thx!) and transportation is a little not convenient. There are cabs everywhere but during peak hours, they don't usually take you -- or they do, but they wouldn't use the meter; because the traffic there is a killer.

Now, would I want to go back to Philippines? I supposed because I miss the massage treatments there! LOL..

Regrets

2009-06-01T05:31:00.000-07:00

Regrets, I have few,
But today, one pops up, fresh and new,
Should I have been more focused and studious,
I will not have this regret which made me furious,
I have a dream and I dream big,
For mankind and for the weak,
But today, I have to let go of my dream,
And to leave it as it is...a dream...

Nonetheless..I will try..I believe that if I am meant to be...I will be.

The Cheras back then

2009-04-22T09:45:00.001-07:00

This is the Cheras now. Some years back, open air food courts flourish in this area and the scene in this photo hardly exists.

The chairs were filled and the place was crowded right up to 2am. Food aplenty with lots of variety and tastes good at a reasonable price.

That was then..so, i guess many factors have contributed to this state now. Economy and new competitors are enough to defeat these food courts. Ah..bad times bad times..

Bless my Chocolate-y Soul

2009-04-22T05:17:00.000-07:00

I have been eating milo powder at a crazy rate....milo powder in milk....and not to mentioned...I finish up the whole kit kat family pack in 3 hours....together with the milo waffle family pack.......
I think I would die of dehydration if I do not get some sleep and drink more water.....

Ahh..the horror of Genomic and Bioinformatics...it is killing me silently......and stealthily....

Anyways, it was a joy to enjoy my milo powder while I flip through some travel blogs...the things people do and the places they have been to. I'd say, it's a real luxury to have the time and extra income to do that especially with the economy nowadays.

Okay..enough procrastination....I still have some reading to do (damn..I find it so difficult to keep myself focused)
*.*

the bunny world

2009-04-18T06:26:00.000-07:00

I do not know what a world this is now....with all these sick people...I was flabbergast when I read that a robber will not even let go of a 68 years old woman; old enough to be his mother and demanded for oral sex when she and another elder have got no money for this sicko.

And, what's with transgenders nowadays? I'm not saying that one transvestite should condemn all transgenders but honestly, what is wrong with his mind? He can't be a real woman, so who can he put his blame on? What gives him the rights to attack women like that? Gosh, I hope the next victim of his will turn the fate around and send him to his rightful place (hospital! yes..he should be punched back to sanity).

Sighs..so many things have been happening till even now, Pregnant woman is in the robbing business....and look who is talking now about draining resources when all these are happening??

ARGHs(!)

a frustrated bunny signs off (exam...world...personal stuff...bunny needs some chocs)...

Reminiscence

2009-03-13T08:47:00.001-07:00

Chanel 6 at indah..it brought back memories like they just happened yesterday. The days which were long time back..with friends and with lovers. Sometimes i find a part of myself in shan because it seems like i miss the good o' days as much as she does.

But times will inevitably come to pass and people will surely experience changes for good or for worst. We all will grow up, wouldn't we?

This is the place when times were good..when times were romantic..when time witnesses a beginning. The old had drifted away but i'll feel happy if he still remember me and the new is, at the moment, the best yet despite the challenges ahead.

Ah..reminiscence..it's a luxury to be young and carefree..

Sepet

2009-03-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the technology of YouTube that I finally get to watch Sepet without forking out 10 bucks and finding a space for the dvd. It is not bad...I like Orked's character and the storyline, despite being corny, is rather good. It potrayed the characteristics of both races to perfection (Some malays think roasted pork is delicious..malays and chinese are human with sexual desires..the hassles that chinese would have to go through for converting...you know..those kinda sensitive issues). Moreover, it has a certain wittiness to it and gives a charming effect especially the part where Yam and Orked's Mum teased his Dad.

The cinematography of the movie is not too bad and it has a good sense of music. I'd give it a rating of 8/10. It potrayed the relationship between the Malays and Chinese in a neutral and unbiased way. Yasmin Ahmad can really do better if she minus some of the corny parts. Yes.. the corny part when Jason meets Orked at the market....urgh...

Love Matters by Jack Neo

2009-03-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

It is very entertaining and damn, Singaporean movies are good! To do them justice, I'd would say, Henry Chia and Mark Lee are fantastic. They need not be handsome or charming but with pure talents are just more than enough! LOL...Honestly Mark Lee is good in that scene where he goes, Madam...drink Madam...gosh...I seriously LMAO! But I wonder where did that Color phone conversation scene gone to?
The part where Henry C. goes, "Yellow, blue is this? White you want? You don't purplely call me. If you make me angry, I don't call you black" ... I love that part in the trailer!! Blast those scene editor is they 'chop' that out (If they really did...which I bet they do?)

Okay, praises aside (yes...I praise you Jack Neo..for being a good writer who is able to deliver clear cut and meaningful messages through your casts and story; full of wittiness and true-to-life quotes), Mr. Neo is trying to make something which everyone can relate to and I must agree with other critiques that he did do a good job. Indeed...although the script is not very expressive but there isn't a need for that since he has got a good cast of actors and actresses -- moreover, it is simple enough for everyone to understand.

Perhaps it is also a lil' to blunt that he is trying to project a movie aiming at the Malaysian's market since he included A LOT of embarassing news of Malaysia's political arena. Yea..the movie is entertaining...but to our expense. Even his way of capturing Malaysia's scene is different. It was done with such expertise and taste that it made our usual locally made movies look shitty. (I mean, c'mon, let's not have Singapore as the example...let's take..maybe..Entrapment or some Hong Kong made movies which use Malaysia as part of their shooting scene--the quality is there).

He made it so clearly that the whole story is set in Malaysia...from KL to PJ to Chow Kit...Sex scandal to underage sex video-made-online. Now, tell me if it's not at the expense of Malaysia?

Right, readers who supported Jack Neo may agree with him that Malaysia does not have anything to be proud of --especially at the moment and D. Lee Chong Wei...and D. Michelle Yeoh..and...maybe Kelisa (I'm driving one so I'm proud of it..HAHA) but anyhow, okay...fine...fine...I agree with his views...but then again, this is like an international declaration to point the finger and make a clown out of Malaysia's (politicians...especially the by-elections..well...what is so glorious about that?)

At the moment, I can see Malaysia as Benny in the movie....with his pants off.

*shakes head*

The story of a commoner

2009-03-05T08:11:00.000-08:00

Every month, I have a list to spend on,
My wages are limited and the list is a foot long,
It rolls down like a royal parchment,
I shudder and wonder why do I deserve this punishment,
Recession went global and all prices hike,
Lucky ones may not feel the rise but the middle-class sure go yikes!
Bills and groceries, fuel and contact lens,
and That's when my wages drip to an end.....

I'm glad that I'm single and young,
In contrast with the married and old,
They have an elder son, young daughter and a dog,
They have an apartment and a car,
And a debt-free life which is still very far,
The son is begging for an education, the daughter is crying for food,
The dog is thirst for water and yes even water has become pricey goods,
but who can we blame, who can we blame?
Those politicians go to fame, and the people has now gone in flames!

How food poisoning came about..

2009-03-03T01:03:00.000-08:00

The lady in the photo was 'holding' the fish in between her legs..stepping on the fish's tail to keep it in place.

Let's list out the places where her shoes may have brought her to..
1. Toilet
2. Dirt path

Enough said right?imagine the numerous types of bacteria harbouring in her shoes..and on the ground....

Then later..she'll be frying that fish and serve it at her food store. The next unlucky one..prepare your medical card.

Well..on a happier note..i don't deny that i do eat from hawker stalls and mamak but since i don't see the way they prepare the food..i'll just close both of my eyes and enjoy the food. They taste delicious anyways:)

Local students are too lazy

2009-02-27T17:31:00.001-08:00

This is an outdated news and so happened i stumbled into it during work.
I have a message for this guy:atuk-bn-pasir salak..please be a lil' hardworking and do some research before commenting..preferably include some statistics too.

Relief?

2009-02-22T08:49:00.000-08:00

My line has been painfully slow but at last, I've finished downloading Mega4..wooHoooooo!!! So, now I'm left with only my sequences...even though it's slow but hey, look! Notice that I have only 3 tabs opened for my uni stuff? (the other 2 are solely opened for entertainment purposes)

I used to have like a list of tabs opened -- all thanks to my project report but anyways: I am wrapping it up already. Now, I'm desperately connecting what I have wrote. I knew from the start that I was digging my own grave once that witchy biatch started to pass us over to her students but then what choices do I have?

Ah...anyways, I'm on Abstract and Future studies part now...which means that once I have found the right connecting phrase...I'll be done!!!!!

Okay... I shouldn't be too happy since I have a test on fermentation on Tues..one which I have yet to touch and damn..those Genomics assignments...but the point is...part of the load was lessen! It is all that matters. Yes Kath....we can do this!