It's been 3 years.
9 years ago
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
yep, finally going back to UAE, my second home away from home. my flight was right after lunch and it was tatay and nanay who took me to the airport. so what can i say about my vacation?? Hmm... tiring, stressing, and magastos! hehe.
tiring because i have to squeeze in a lot of activities within the day, just to have time for others. although i have vacant days, it has been vacant since i have no one to go out with. made me miss my hubby tuloy. =( if he took the vacation with me, this shouldn't have happened. we could have stick to my itinerary for the month.
what makes it stressing? well, the sickness i acquired and the medical tests that i have to go through. if this will always be in my yearly itinerary, that means my vacation will always be stressing, one way or the other. but then, it also took the worries out of me while i'm away. better go through the stressful moments then.
magastos... do i need to say more??? hehe.
some of my regrets during this vacation were NOT being able to:
- have an Outreach program for the less-fortunate kids;
- visit Nagcarlan, Laguna to see their church and re-invent Imang by ringing the church bells; =)
- go to Ilocos and Corregidor for my historical tour of the north;
- see my former 1-O classmates and prepare ice cream for them; =)
- see my friends (Jen, Jazz, Elaine, Tuning) and meet their children/hubbies, which ever is applicable;
- see Recana family and have a chat;
- go mountain climbing and feel revived!
- meet former officemates (the QA folks of IPI and Design of VPII);
- scout the metro for possible business venture in the future; and
- forgetting to buy the Levi's jeans that i owe myself!
however, the month long vacation was well-spent anyway and worth it. how come? with those few days, i was ABLE to:
- spent overseas trip with my parents and sister;
- be with my friend Me-an when she needs me most;
- scout for church and venue for the future church wedding;
- learned how to cook kare-kare, the traditional way;
- finally get in touch with some of my 1-O classmates (Agnes, Ariel, Jasper and Maricel);
- got a taste of taho, siopao, siomai, fresh lumpia, etc. my favorite things! =) and
- most importantly, have myself checked by my doctors.
with the long list of regrets vs. my achievements, that made me conclude that a month is not enough. i'd definitely use up all of my vacation privileges next year! hehe.
Monday, January 23, 2006
i went again to my dear hospital, Manila Sanitarium, for (hopefully) my last visit. my doctor did a check-up on me and verified another negative result and asked me to still continue with the medication for the next two months. i also went to see the opthalmologist of the hospital for the pain i am experiencing with my eyes right after my saturday trip from Quezon City. the opthalmologist confirmed that i have acquired eye infection because of my contact lenses. she prescribed an antibiotic eyedrop for it. my eyes weren't really used to expensive contact lenses. hehe. when i am using contact lenses that costs more or less a thousand, i haven't encountered any infection or whatsoever. now that i bought them an almost 3K pesos lenses, what do i get? an infection! mga mata ko talaga, nde sosyal! hehe. but then, it did gave me a scare because the pain was really excruciating and uncomfortable. my greatest fear of all was to lose sight. yep, mala-Stairway to Heaven ang drama ko. haha. i have worn my new lenses just twice only. could have gotten the infction because of the dust and the weather. well, i might as well stop wearing it. what is 3 thousand over healthy eyes? =)
Saturday, January 21, 2006
my mother accompanied me to the Caritas Clinic in Cubao for the last medical test i ought to have. the clinic is located at the third floor of the Starmall. so, right after getting off the Cubao station of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT), it was just a couple of meters walk towards the mall. after having the test and getting its result which confirms negative (thanks God!), i finally got my peace of mind. well, for a year, at least...
before heading for home, we strolled along the nearby malls in the area, too. the new one, Gateway Mall, resembles like a mini-Rustan department store. their enticing open-top restaurant at the center, offers fine dining with the cozy, natural feel. nope, we didn't eat there. haha! we just had snack in KFC. chicken na naman! yeah, yeah...
Thursday, January 19, 2006
my mom, my sister and me went to Medical Plaza in Makati for our annual check-up. we sort of have an overhauled check-up, hehe. however, i was not able to avail of one of the tests, since their resident doctor for that test was out of the country. they then referred me to Caritas Cubao and have given me this coming Saturday's schedule. hay. as for the rest, they will give the result next week. that means, it will be my sister and/or my mother who will get it. we were able to finish up with the check-ups a little over lunchtime. we then went to Makati Cinema Square and took a heavy lunch at Chowking. sarap ng lauriat talaga! hehe. i love everything in Chowking. =)
after lunch, i went to NSO for our authenticated marriage certificate. as usual, i still wasn't able to get it. damn, this government agency! sarap sunugin!
Monday, January 16, 2006
i took a quick visit to my dermatologist at Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Alabang. the dermatologist had to cauterize the warts off my skin. the ones where she was able to put anesthesia were bearable. parang kagat lang ng langgam, ika nga (langgam na malaki, hehe). but for those she failed to see at first and lasered out still, ang sakit, grabe! i was charged just P500 for the procedure. quite a steal! other dermatologists charges by the thousands for such procedure. bait kasi ni dr. limcauco! =)
since i was in the alabang area na lang din. i texted marifer so we could meet up and we did. we have a late lunch in the Thai restaurant called Siam Taste, which was inside Festival Mall. as usual, long chat over some spicy dishes. hehe. it will definitely take a lot of servings before i could get use to the taste though. hmm...after some sips, masarap din pala! not your ordinary soup...hehe. the grilled ones were tasty though. compatible with my taste buds kumbaga. =) the bill.. er, well... norm for fine dining (kaya pala sumarap yung soup! haha!).
Sunday, January 15, 2006
proving i always have the energy when it comes to gimik, me and pepot agreed to meet up in World Trade Center for the Wedding Bazaar. i went to meet her up with IA and my sister. i am not used to going out into Manila area just by myself kasi. i don't feel safe anymore. =( we got to WTC around 2PM, kararating lang din ni Fe. however, the security guard of the WTC informed us that there was no fair!!! kainis talaga! we came all the way for nothing.
anyway, the four of us just went to Makati and had a light snack at the Glorietta 4 Food Court. after eating, my sister and my niece went ahead while me and fe did some updating of each other's lives. =) pepot accompanied me in doing some window-shopping as well. at the end of the day, i got myself a lime-coloured dress.
by the way, on my way out of the Glorietta building, i noticed a Banana Leaf sign. uy, meron din pala dito. =)
Saturday, January 14, 2006
we went back to Central area via the ferry boat from TST. from the TwoIFC mall (this mall was said to be as tall as the Petronas of Malaysia. nde naman pala kataasan, diba?) , we searched for the Mid-level Escalators which was not difficult to do since directions were posted every step of the way. this escalator was included in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest covered escalator. galing! the escalators were connected until it brings you up the Soho area.
the towering TwoIFC Mall
reaching the end of the escalators, we had about a 30-minute walk to the Zoological/Botanical Garden (this was not in the original IT that i made, but we were able to pass by this area from garden road towards the tram terminal. we were able to save one bus ride, haha. however, taking this route going to the tram terminal was kinda difficult to explain, since one have to use cylindrical roads and lots of walking. anyway, if my parents were able to withstand the walking, while me and my sister were able to locate ourselves versus where we are at the map, so can any healthy and smart person! hehe. do get some inspiration from us, ok? =)
snapshot among the ponsettias inside the garden
it's still chilly though one could see a little bit of sunshine
parang gusto ko ng ice cream... hehe
Central buildings as backdrop
we took the tram on our way to Victoria Peak. the tram ride was the most exciting and thrilling part of this trip! the said machine is pulled by huge cables going up and down, in 45 degrees angle of inclination! really a tram ride to heaven!!! haha (which reminded me of the Tokyo Disneyland ride we had back then)! by the way, the total tram fee was HK$30 (10 up & 20 down, or was it the other way around? hehe. ah basta, that's the cost of damage on the pocket).
up by the peak, the site itself was having some renovation. only the mall and some cafes were open though. the Wax Museum was also closed. =( we then took a walk through the 2.8 KM HK trail. only me and my dad finished the trail since my sister and mom decided to walk back after a quarter's length. hehe. we were not able to climb to the highest part of the area considering my parents' health. however, the HK trail itself has a good clearing about 1/3 of the way (if you take the way on the right side from the start) where you can appreciate the view of the HK cosmopolitan. the whole trail was about 2 hours of long walk. since it was at about past noontime when we were there, lahat na yata ng breed ng aso ay nakasalubong namin! haha. it was the time for dogwalking for most expats who live in the area. yep, there were still quite a number of brits living in this posh side of town. =)
the tram...part of the past yet still carries the thrill of the future!
view of HK cosmopolitan from the peak
we got down from the peak with a tram ride for the second time. still as exciting as it was upwards! =) at the peak tram station, we took the bus (bus #15) ride back to Admiralty. we took a long walk inside a mall which later brought us back to Central Star Ferry Pier Station, where we took another ferry ride to TST.
after a last minute short shopping in TST, we were able to get ready to ride back to airport at 5:00 PM already. since our flight was at 9:00PM, we were supposed to be at the airport at 6 PM. looking and figuring out where to take the Airport Express could be time consuming (we still have to get back to Central Station if we are to take the AE), so we just took a bus ride at the bus stop just across Mirador Mansion.
at the airport, we opted to eat at Banana Leaf restaurant. my first time to eat here and i just love their pasta that with grilled flavor. sorry, i failed to get the name of the menu since i chose it based on how it looked on the counter photo. hehe. anyhow, it really is yummy!
right before boarding time, i was surprised to see Sir Joey (and another employee) from a former employer in the Philippines. small world indeed. they came from a business trip from Shanghai. good for them! a trip to Hong Kong for free. =)
as for us, we had a tiring trip back to our dear motherland and had a safe touchdown around 11PM. to sum it all up, we have had memorable 4 days of our lives. Hong Kong is a great place to see and come back to. i definitely will! hehe. a 4-day trip is not enough to tour and do great things in the said country. i strongly suggest at least a week of stay. =) that gives the traveller, in our case, the backpackers (hehe).. a chance to tour around on most places and discover more things than what you can see with your eyes. that is, to actually live the Hong Kong way. =)
my sister and me... with our wide close-up smiles. =)
nanay and tatay... all smiles din!
Friday, January 13, 2006
our third day was dedicated to the Lantau Island area. we had our US dollars exhanged at Shop 9B of Mirador Mansion, the Wing Hoi Money Changer. it has the same exchange rate as the one along humprey's street. however, the latter is still closed before 9 AM whereas the one in Shop 9B do business early than most exchangers. we also recharged our Octopus Cards in the nearby 7-11 Store before heading off to the MTR Station downstairs.
from TST, we took the MTR to Central Station. i wasn't able to take note of the fare though. we rode back to Central as this was one of the exchange stations that will take us to the lane bound for Tung Chung (do refer to the map for the right color, hehe). we were able to deduced as to how come there were a few poeple on HK streets in the morning, as most of them were down the MTR stations! haha! they walk like ants down there! =)
from Central to Tung Chung was bout 30-minutes ride via MTR, fare was HK$15. we got off the station and proceeded to the bus station going to the monastery. the bus (bus #23) ride costs HK$16 during weekdays and HK$25 during weekends. commercialism! tsk..tsk.. anyway, the ride going up to the monastery takes approximately 1-hr and another hour downhill. this was because the lane can only accomodate one vehicle at a time. so, the bus that took the people up, will be the same bus that will take them down. however, there's a recent construction going on so expect to find an improved transport system in a year or so. the ride to the monastery also gives you a glimpse of the coastal area in some parts. however, the rest of the travel were mostly ups and downs.. (just like a trip to Baguio City! hehe). we also consumed an hour for climbing the 250 steps to the giant buddha plus picture-taking, etc.
the giant buddha and the offerers...
the 250 steps to the giant golden buddha!
photos outside the Po Lin Monastery
we were able to return to Tung Chung station at about noontime. we ate our lunch at McDonalds and then rode back to Sunny Bay Station, fare costs HK$ 2.2 each. at the Sunny Bay Station, we had a short ride to Disneyland via the Disney Train! so, cool! the train's windows and hand guides were shaped like mickey's head. there were miniature statues of the disney characters inside as well. train pa lang, enjoy na! =)
some pictures inside the disney train
me, nanay and tatay at the disney entrance
we were in Disneyland right after lunch. unfortunately, it was only at this time that we were to mention the senior citizen's status of my parents. they only asked for their passport copies (which i always bring) and then you get to pay the senior citizen rate which is HK$ 170 during weekdays and HK$ 200 on weekends. normally, adults pay HK$ 295 on weekdays and HK$ 350 on weekends. laking tipid, di ba? too bad, we weren't able to avail of the said discount in Ocean Park and Octopus Cards. haha. here are some snapshots inside the park :
mickey mouse statue inside the park
just after the entrance, fountain with the whale and mickey statue...
and the in-house train that brings visitors around the park...
me and my sister... mga nag-isip bata... haha!
the parade where most performers were filipinos... hooray!! proud to be pinoy! =)
the disney castle which to my dismay was just a few meters tall...
an excalibur-pose...
mom and dad beside the grand carousel...
photos outside some disney souvenir item stores....
picking out a minnie mouse stuff toy...
the magical world of disneyland!!!
we have enjoyed our half-day tour of HK Disneyland. we were able to ride the Space Mountain and tatay had a wonderful time! nawiwili ang lolo sa rides, hehe. however, the park fails in comparison with Tokyo. the princesses in HK were kinda shorter. hehe. bad ba? ;) if in Tokyo, i looked like the alalay of these princesses on photo. in Hong Kong, these princesses looked like my sisters. haha. ang kapal!!! mascots and the parade were shorter as well. bakit kaya? ;p
despite the negative sides that i could think of, Disney is still a wonderful place to be young at heart, to be carefree and be merry! (pambawi for all the bad things i said about it, hehe). as with any Disneyland, the highlight of all the day was the fireworks display at night. what can i say?? it was simple magical!!!
Thursday, January 12, 2006
because of our late night shopping, we woke up later than scheduled. we had a quick breakfast and did not venture into my planned Ocean Park by-bus-all-throughout plan. =) we first had some dollars exchanged inside a watch store in humprey street. the rate was HK$ 7.7 to a US dollar. quite higher than most money exchangers in the area. hehe. after which, we walked to the ferry terminal down Nathan Road. we crossed to the Hong Kong Island going to Central by ferry. 'twas our first ferry ride! the ferry ride from TST to Central costs from less than HK$2 to less than HK$ 3. i forgot the exact fare though, but the lower deck is much cheaper than the upper deck. for less than HK$3, would you rather drown first? we'd better not! so, we always take the upper deck in order to buy some time and grab some lifejackets, just in case. hehe.
tatay, nanay and my sister mirla on a ferry ride to Central
buses (bus # 629) going to Ocean Park can be found at the left side of the Central ferry station (actually, dahil sa kakuriputan, it took us awhile to find it, haha. we went to the bus station near the TwoIFC mall first kasi..tsk..tsk..). fare costs...hmm..i forgot already. anyway, that'll be around more or less HK$20, i think. hehe. we reached the park around 11 AM. entrance fee was HK$ 180 each and they accept credit cards. hehe.
me at Ocean Park entrance
some picture-taking on the way to cable car station
from the lower part of Ocean Park (called as "lowlands"), the first thing we did was ride the cable car upward to the "highlands" (hindi naman kami sobrang excited, hehe). the ride was just breathtaking and awesome! the cable cars went from one mountain into another, which took about 8 minutes of sure fun! there's also a great view of the South China Sea and the nearby islands as the cablecars traverse the coastline. ganda talaga, sobra!!! =)
the cable cars
me inside a cable car - just couldn't get enough =)
upon alighting the cablecar, we then started on the tour of the highlands. the Pacific Pier was where the sea lions and sharks are. ang kukulet nila! they were playing and teasing each other under water. one can even see a live stage-by-stage development of a shark. galing!
waving with the sea lions...
the sea lions at play...
the family, after having our lunch. full kaya naka-smile lahat! =)
am i lost???? nope, i'm on my way to the aviary
me, nanay and some flamingos at the back...
the mini buddha/pagoda
behind a chinese garden
the highland attractions were connected by steep escalators. nakakalula! :$ the escalators travel faster than what we were used to. the whole stretch of each escalator is being monitored by series of cameras for safety reason. so, no horse playing! hehe.
the wild river ride was closed when we were there. however, my dad had his first "carnival ride" sa space wheel ba yun. hehe. the wheel spaceshuttle-like seats, spin with increasing speed as it gradually inclines to 90 degrees! me, my sister and tatay took the ride and literally have our heads spinning. still, it was so cool!!! hehe. we also had a 360 degree view of the whole area and its suroundings via the Ocean Park Tower. the highlands is full of magnificent rides that those of the fainthearted will surely miss (me included!).
me and nanay after the space wheel ride - poised na poised pa din.. hehe.
we watched the 3:30 PM dolphin show and got entertained by talented dolphins. they were such lovable creatures! they waved, danced, showed some stunts and tricks! the presentation lasted more than 15 minutes.
right after the show, we went to the the aquarium and atoll reef. sobrang na feel ko na worth it yung ibinayad namin after touring these parts! the fishes and all the other sea creatures were so magnificent na para ka na ring nag-snorkeling! we were able to see fishes & shellfishes of different colors and characteristics. there's also this fish that resembles like a praying angel. too bad, i wasn't able to take a clear photo of it since this fish is so small. it is best to experiment with your camera on how to take pictures on dim places and without the flash, so as not to scare the underwater creatures. baka ma-trauma sila eh! =)
some beautiful and not-so beautiful fishes... see the bump on his forehead? hehe. nauntog siguro sa salamin.
corals, starfish (see the blue one?) and stingray
some sea horses.. yep, these are fishes... not horses and not algae either!
some jellyfishes....looking like inverted mushrooms under the sea. some have spots and some even have lights on them. hehe.
we took the cable car again downhill before its 6PM last schedule and toured the lowlands just before its 7 PM park closing. we only got to see An-An, and have no idea where Jia-jia could have been at that time. if Jia-jia is as big as An-An, then i am disappointed with their size, hehe. anyway, at least, i was able to see a panda in real life. we also went in the dinosaur land (which has some replicas of gigantic dinosaurs that growls), the butterfly house and the amazon trail.
the flamingos at nighttime.. quite a vivid orange color!
me and nanay, messing with a dino!
after ocean park, we got back to TST area (by a bus ride) just before the Symphony of Lights. timing nga eh kaya nanood na din kami. however, my digicam as well as my handycam both became dead before the presentation began. =( kainis! from the avenue, we went to Peking Road and look for the Ka Ka Lok food stall which was famous among PExers. haha. their spaghetti was "different" yet tasty. i love all the grilled goodies as well as their singaporean fried noodles. yummy!
view from the Avenue of the Stars during nighttime
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