and so my wacka wacka journey ends

it's true what they say...there's no place like home..

in a few hours i shall bid Johannesburg a bittersweet farewell.....my home for the last 3 months.

i say bittersweet because i can't wait to go back to manila but at the same time, i know i will terribly miss the friends i've made while i'm here. South Afrikaans are wonderful people. gracious and polite and ever so friendly.

i wouldn't mind going back as i know there's still so much to see. more people to meet. a lot of things to explore.

so long Johannesburg. i will miss you. i can say i've grown and for that, i am thankful.

to all the shiny happy people i've met, maraming maraming salamat. my stay here was made extra special because you guys are around.

see you next year :)

last 2 nights in Joburg

I

CAN'T

WAIT

5 days to go

so my trip to KL  got cancelled.

which means i will officially be home on the 21st.

I. CAN'T. WAIT.

5 days til...

...i see my family

...i eat my mom's adobo and sinigang

...manang takes over my laundry

5 days til i'm home.

6 days left in Johannesburg

   

and i have packed most of my stuff.

really.

bought my pasalubongs weeks ahead so i'm done shopping.

excited much?

crazy as a schedule can be

so i'm leaving joburg on the 20th.
will arrive in manila on the noon of the 21st.

and then i'm off to KL for another project on the 22nd for a few days.

which means i'll be officially home on the 26th!

woot woot!

heaven in a bottle

Lovoka

seriously. it is.
haven't tried the chocolate but the caramel is oh so yum!

one of the best that South Africa has to offer.

unconventionally moisturized

it's a known fact. winter doesn't do one's skin any good. AT ALL!

since my entire stay in Johannesburg will be the whole duration of winter, i had to find the perfect moisturizer. the regular ones just don't work.

vaseline aloe fresh hydrating was the best i could find.

or so i thought.

i read somewhere that it's good to use hair conditioner when shaving legs. i tried it and voila! it was perfect!
not only were my legs hairless, they were shiny and soft and smooth! without having to put on lotion.

so tonight, i thought why not use it all over while in the shower.

was i a happy camper. now i have skin as soft as a baby's bottom. who knew right? thestepfordwitch will be proud hehehe!

minor setback and a bounce

i had the worst blues attack last week. i mean yuck! lasted for 3 days which was even more yuck.

but it's over. i've managed to shake it off. i'm sorta back to "normal".

in less than a month, i will be going back to manila. familiar place. familiar people. home.

===

in other news, my boss in manila called yesterday to tell me that another team is poaching me. she didn'nt want me to move but said that it's a step up in the corporate ladder and that she wanted me to know my options. and since she put it that way, i said yes to the move. with the promise to transition until a suitable replacement for my current post is identified.

so there, effective Aug. 1, i shall leave the umbrella of the boss i've loved for 5 yrs. it's bittersweet since she's the one who gave me a break. she's my mentor and i love her dearly. but that's life. you just gotta roll with it.

and hell imma rolling :)

the man who changed South Africa

Nelson Mandela Square

ok, so it's really not him. but still :)

ps. i wanna visit the apartheid museum before i leave.

meow

distance

that's what we have.

it would be better if its about miles.

but it isn't.

that's what makes it sad. really sad.  

because it's too cold to go out...

we brought the bar in my room...cheers!

South Africa...two weeks down

this june

i will miss...

...father's day

...my sister's birthday

...the opening my ninang's resort

but...i will look forward to

...working with my colleagues here in joburg

...going to krueger which, they say is the best zoo in south africa

...making new friends

...spending time with the rest of the gang as they will come in next week

i'm loving my stay here. so much that i have not been homesick since i arrived.

oh, and i bought a new pair of boots! 

and so my waka waka journey begins

for the next three months Johannesburg, South Africa will be my home.

the hotel is wonderful and the service is GREAT! pro-active staff left and right.

the food, compared to KL, is awesome. no need for inday to do the cooking!

the weather is perfect. it's the beginning of winter and temperature ranges from 3-12degrees. time to bring out my winter wardrobe! woopie!

the people are nice. all of them. from the driver who picked me up to the hotel staff to my colleagues at work. they are all very warm and friendly and welcoming.

Johannesburg is a photographer's dream. the office and hotel are both located in the suburbs so the streets aren't bustling with commuters and traffic.

it's melbourne all over again. the streets, the pace, the buildings, the weather. i love it!
if my first two days here is a promise of the nex 87 days, i'm sure to have a blast.

again, i love my job!!!!