running

you know, the usual friendly run for a cause thingy that seems to be the buzz all around the metro? well a number of my friends are already into it and have constantly raved about it. i, on the otherhand, am not.

i.am.not.athletic.

i don't even know how to ride the bike. seriously. i never learned. never wanted to learn. the reason is very simple. i don't like scars. maarte na kung maarte.

last night, a friend showed me photos of him finishing a race. here's how the conversation went:

dan: did you see the pictures?
me: yeah. athletic much?
dan: you should start running too
me: nope, not my thing
dan: try it. it's fun
me: no thank you. besides, it's painful on the boobs!

nuff said.

perfection

my night so far...

bordeaux

and

Chinese acupressure massage.

of ASLs and LOLs

back in the day, back when facebook nor friendster has yet to hit the online community, chatting via MIRC was the in/cool thing happening.

online access then was also limited thus, if you're in it, you are sorta part of the elite so to speak. it was a whole new world of fun to say the least. i remember being excited to go home just to check if my online friends are in the room. to say i was an addict is an understatement.

who wouldn't? the thought of striking interesting conversations excited me to the core. it was, in a way, a means a channel to spar with somebody else's wit. and boy there were a lot.

it was fun. until the information highway peaked. suddenly everyone had access. the elite group became the norm. chatrooms got saturated and were overtaken by pervs and what nots.

the once staple asls and lols were replaced by sebs and sops and who knows how many other chat lingos. people started to become less interesting and the chance of finding a decent conversation was as slim as finding a needle in a haystack.

my addiction waned and my interest disappeared. oh, and i grew up and had a job. but that's beside the point.

suffice to say that i have not entered a chatroom for years.

until last night.

for lack of anything to do and my usual inability to sleep at will, i downloaded and installed mirc. it was like riding a bike as they say. once you know how, you won't ever forget. before i knew it, private chats started popping. sadly though, none were worth a single keystroke. the first line counts. a mere asl or hey there! simply wouldn't do the cut.

and then this guy messaged me and said something about my nick to which i replied with a bitchy comment. before i could type again, he strikes back in an even more sarcastic tone. i was pumped. that was what i missed! the exchange of sarcastic, obnoxious banter accompanied by funny witty remarks. i couldn't help but smile the entire time. nothing excites me more than a play on words. a mental foreplay if i may say. sarcasm, wit and charm is such good combination.

this morning he messaged me again, YM this time. i have to admit, it did put a smile on my face.

hmn...i have a funny feeling that i won't be missing facebook anytime soon.

if and when you don't know the answer...

DON'T ever pretend that you do. otherwise, you will just look like an effin idiot.

so please, please please! shut the hell up!

eating my words

so maybe i spoke too soon. and yes, over reacted to the whole Shanghai thing of not having my usual dose of entertainment.

it's day 4 here in Shanghai and it's not as bad as i thought. i'm beginning to appreciate the things and people around me more.

i guess now that the initial shock has subsided, i have started to see this part of Shanghai in a different light. the rain has stopped and the sun came out for the first time today which allowed us to walk around this beautiful man made lake near our office.

the food is exceptionally scrumptuous and does not leave a dent in the wallet. my mom would've loved it here.
as for work, after a series of unforeseen errors on my implementation, i am now back on schedule. if all goes well in tomorrow's agenda, the rest of the week should be a walk in the park but not without fingers crossed.

so there. life here ain't bad after all and i'm almost back in my usual happy bubbly self.

ps. i will post pictures soon. my bathroom has such an awesome character!

bitchings and musings in Shanghai

my hotel is uber nice with a glass walled bathroom to boot. which means i could watch TV while in the tub or in the loo.
--- BUT it is in the middle of nowhere. my view consists of trees and miles of roads and rows and rows of manufacturing plants, semiconductors and the like. the nearest place to eat would require a 15 min cab ride to the nearest train station.

internet is free. which meant i could surf all i want.
--- BUT all the sites i frequent are blocked. no facebook, no multiply, no twitter. i have to connect using a different proxy just to blog. and no, this proxy does not allow facebook and twitter as well
there is cable at the hotel.

--- BUT there's only HBO and CNN.
the people here are sooo nice. --- BUT communicating with them is a long and painful task.
on top of all that, it has been raining since we got here.

ibalik nyo ko sa Pilipinas! now na!

from nasi goreng to noodles and dimsum

China, here i come.
i'm leaving for Shanghai tomorrow for another project with crazed-up butterflies in my stomach. i learned about this assignment while i was in Jakarta and the panic button has yet been switched off since.
even as i packed my luggage, i still can't shake the jitters off. i should be excited. but i can't. not yet at least. i will be using a platform which i am not too comfortable with. hence the butterflies.
hopefully everything turns out fine. or at least better than what my uber panicked imagination keeps on telling me.
on the upside, i know imma like the food. hahaha!

Have I told you about the time I won a bottle of tequila...

over a beer drinking contest...happy times. really happy times hahaha!

when a somebody sends your table a drink....

NEVER assume that it's from some guy who has the hots for you. hahahaahahaha!

off to Singapore for some RnR

my 3 wks here in Jakarta is up. can't say i won't miss it. not saying i want to stay. suffice to say that it's been a pleasure being here. sans the bombing incidents and the uber crazy motorists that is.

the project we implemented was a success. there were a few kinks along the way as expected but it all ended pretty well.

tomorrow, i'm off for a few days of RnR in Singapore. time to party and have me some Singapore sling baby!

on hotel arrest

due to the bombings here in Jakarta this morning, we were asked to leave the office early. that being said, we were advised to stay in for the rest of the weekend.

the blasts happened far from where we're staying and we weren't even aware until friends and family started asking if we were ok. a quick google search confirmed everything.

naturally, i got a bit scared. who wouldn't? right?

so we are putting ourselves on hotel arrest. until everything normalizes that is.

homesick much?

so i'm back in Jakarta. the trip was uneventful. or was it? not sure since i had wine. lots of it so i slept thru most of the trip.

i'm staying in the same hotel. the only difference is that now, i'm on the preferred guests floor. naks!

one thing i noticed though, whenever i go abroad either on business or otherwise, it's always the first night that gets to me the most. no matter how fab my room is, i always get a bit homesicky on the first night.

i know i should have gotten used to it by now but i haven't. as they say, the first time is almost always the toughest time. i'm sure tomorrow imma be normal.

1 day. 20 days to go.

if and when i need a good pick me upper

all i do is look at this uber adorable baby boy.

he turned one last week and now can call me na-nang(ninang). he is able to walk a few steps by himself and has learned how to mimic the sound of his lolo's snore among other things.

life simply is more fun since he was born and for times when i feel the need for a smile, all i do is look at him and all worries are thrown out the window in a snap.

off to Jakarta. again.

not excited. not the least bit.
i'm not ready for another nasi goreng frenzy. nor am i ready to leave my nephew who is now uber kulit. i will miss the Harry Potter screening in Manila. not to mention my mom's bday on the 20th.
plus, that thing that didn't happen still gets to me. i know, i know. my time will come. still, i'm not happy.
the only upside is that i get to visit friends and relatives in Singapore on my way back.
so there. i'll be packing my bags again and leaving on a jetplane.

can't have everything

i was expecting something to happen at work. it didn't. now i'm a bit disheartened. can't help it. i worked hard. i know i did.

at the end of the day however, it wasn't enough.

fire...

must

NOT

play

with

it.

manila-sg-jakarta-sg-manila-camsur-manila

i have been on six different airplanes for the last 3 wks. to say i'm exhausted is an understatement. to say i didn't have fun is a complete and utter lie.

after coming home from jakarta last thursday, i barely had the time to unpack because i had to pack another set of clothes. this time, for my Camsur trip the following day.

the CWC trip was long planned and i almost didn't make it. if the jakarta trip didn't go on schedule, i would've missed the fun that is CWC.

no, i didn't do the wakeboard thingy. yes, i'm such a loser.

i did however get got myself a spankin tattoo. yes, it's henna. hahaha!
we stayed in one of the trailers which was ok albeit the not so squeaky clean shower room. most of our days were spent in the cabanas anyway where we ate and drank and ate and drank to our belly's content.

okay, maybe next time, i will try the cables. maybe.

one week down, another to go

work
one reason i didn't mind coming back to Jakarta is the fact that my colleagues here are nice. so far, everything has gone according to plan. we are even a bit ahead of schedule which is such a relief since i have a scheduled CamSur trip the day after i fly back to Manila. hopefully everything goes well next week.

food
i've been here for just a little over a week and while i love love love Indonesian food, i'm at the verge of almost gagging at the thought of another nasi goreng or bacon or waffle. don't get me wrong. i know i raved about the uber delish breakfast buffet at the hotel and the local dishes and i still think they're good but having them every single day for 8 days straight kinda spoils the palate.
note to self: must.eat.adobo.when.i.get.back!

home
i missed my sister's birthday last monday and i'm gonna miss Father's Day tomorrow. my brother had to undergo a minor surgery and i so so so miss my nephew. that being said, i can't wait to go home. and eat my mom's adobo :D

one week down, another to go.
and i'm coming back here in July.

deep fried baby what????

imagine my shock when i saw this in the menu!
naturally i had to ask if they really eat baby gold fishes here. turned out that the menu meant, baby fish fried to a golden crisp.
whew!

from Jakarta with love

greetings from the land of nasi goreng! as with my previous trip here, i'm staying Hotel Le Meridien where the breakfast buffet is to die for and the service is superb. the only downside is that internet isn't free.

that being said, i won't be going online as often as i usually do.

so there. i'm just checkin in to say i've landed safe and my tummy is full :)