my complicated life

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

the cable cars

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!

me, nanay and some flamingos at the back...

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!).

our flight was at 8:00 AM via the Philippine Airlines, though the plane took off at around 8:30 AM already. 'twas my first time to take the philipine carrier so i was kinda excited and at the same time curious as to what it has to offer. 'twas also a first for me to pass through the terminal 1 of NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) airport, the terminal solely used for the philippine airline planes. the terminal itself is small and less complicated but with ample seats for those waiting for their flight shedule. the service of the PAL stewards were quite OK, still beautiful but older compared to stewards of other airlines. hehe, bad! the passenger seats of the plane were comfortable enough. the food was typical pinoy breakfast. i had longganisa and fried rice for breakfast, hehe. gutom eh! btw, their utensils were sturdier than Cathay. haha! finally! a plus despite its late departure against schedule. ;)

we arrived at HK airport around 10:30 AM. nanay and tatay were just so amazed just being at the airport. hehe. we exchanged just enough $US to $HK because the rate inside the irport is a dollar (USD) to $7.51 (HKD) only. we bought four HK$ 150-worth of Octopus cards on our way out (the seller suggested that the HK$150-card is more sulit if we are to use it for MTRs, buses, ferry...), grabbed maps and brochures for travellers (a must!), and did some picture-taking na rin! hehe. btw, they have promo for Airport Express. that is, you get 40% off the price if you buy in groups of 2,3, or 4. for example, AE would cost HK$ 250 only, good for 4 people. quite a deal, right? we plan to take the AE on our way home instead. hehe. =)

doubledecker buses to the city were at level 3, exit B. we took the Citybus A21 that will take us to Tsing Shah Tsui (TST) area where Mirador Mansion is located. the fare is HK$33 from the airport to TST. since we were forewarned that all transportation means takes exact fares, we used our Octopus Cards instead. hanep! as what a PExer attested (and we have verified ourselves!), you just have to place the card into the sensor, and viola! no need to even take it out of your wallet. galeng noh?! (o ako lang ang obsolete?) =)

tatay at HK airport's big luggage (landmark going to exit B)

Tsing Ma Bridge - said to be as long as San Francisco, USA's bridge

being confident that we were not lost (thanks to our bestfriend, the map! hehe), we alighted the bus adjacent the Holiday Inn Hotel (btw, the city is a right-hand drive so there's a different direction of traffic. the incoming vehicles takes the left side of the road while the outgoing vehicles takes the right side, getsch mo??!!!). anyway, nope were on a tight budget so we're not checking in that hotel! haha! we went to the building beside it, the Mirador Mansions. it was where most low-priced lodging rooms known as hostels were. i booked a hostel in Mirador a month ago online. i was charged 10% of the total cost as downpayment plus 2% service charge. i didn't encounter any problem with the website at all (http://bootsnall.com). i was billed correctly naman in my credit card although it gave me sleepless nights. after a couple of days, my worries made me make an overseas call from UAE to double check. haha. takot!

on the 13th floor was the Traveller's Friendship Hotel (ang corny ng name noh?! hehe) that Ms. Li (a chinese) manages. she showed us the 1 twin bedroom and 1 double bedroom that i booked. hmm... i was not happy about it. =( since i am very particular with cleanliness and safe feeling na walang surot dun, i was kinda dismayed with what i saw. ayan, ang napapala ng kuripot, hehe. anyway, seemed like the angels were on our side that day, Ms Li offered a family room (with 2 double beds, a private bath with hot & cold water, an A/C unit, a television, a big mirror and drawer cabinet, bedside cabinet, fresh linens everyday) which was newly renovated and furnished!!! as in, it smelled NEW in capital letters!!! even the bed, the comfort room, etc. all haven't been used!!! my sister and i made the facial pa-effect to look that we're hesitant to give in to her offer (although deep inside, we love the room already! hehe), so as to haggle some more. i guess, we're good actresses! haha! we were supposed to pay a total of HK$ 1242 for the two "ugly" rooms that i booked, but then, she charged us HK$1200 instead, for a much, much better room!!! kaya grab na namin agad yung offer nya before she changes her mind! we then took Room # 62 of the C4 unit in the 7th floor. inside that unit, there were still 5 rooms new rooms. the unit also has a common refrigerator, sink, microwave, and dining room outside. though we don't expect to use any of it because we will usually eat outside.

a photo of the room we stayed at - linis di ba??!

we rested for awhile before taking off. since it's a Wednesday (a day were museums have free entrance), we headed off first to Space Museum where we toured for awesome science-related space inventions and where me and my sister had the space walk! hehe. we also passed by the Cultural Center and the Clock Tower afterwards. magkakalapit kasi sila. it's really convenient to plan your itinerary beforehand based on the proximity of the places to visit. it saves energy. hehe.

nanay & tatay infront the peninsula hotel, which is just across the Cultural Center

after some snap shots here and there, we proceeded to the Avenue of the Stars. it's a long stretch of sidewalk along the harbor. the walkway offers a refreshing sea breeze and some entertaining statues and nameplate of HK stars (just like in Hollywood!). the folowing were some shots taken along the avenue:

all i know, is that, this statue symbolizes the movie industry in HK

hand printing of a new star! hehe

jacky chan's hand prints -
can be found near the souvenir store, about halfway the stretch of the avenue from the southside

we have walked the whole stretch of the avenue until we reached the promenade and then crossed back to the commercial area of TST. we had our dinner in one of the steaming resto along humphrey's avenue. grabe, we're starving talaga! we got back to our place in Mirador early evening. tatay opted to stay behind while the three of us (the girls), had to do our favorite activity of them all! shopping!!!!!! hahaha! we strolled along the Nathan Road amidst all the shops and fast-walking chinese people. we got to Temple Street and haggle the night away!! haha!

got up early at 6:00 AM today as the three of us (me, my sister and nephew AJ), planned to go to Wacker's Badminton Court in Paranaque. the place was an abandoned warehouse converted into a badminton court. a trend that's currently in practice at Manila eversince manufacturing companies relocate into nearby provinces. with it, respective warehouses transfers as well where it could be strategically beneficial for the business.

since it is a weekday, fee was at P55 per head for unlimited hours of play. there were 6 courts in placed. for this day, there were ony three groups who played (which already includes us). we only got to play for 2 hours, suko!!! haha! we were able to gulp up perhaps a liter of water each! quite exhausting and invigorating! probably, one of the things i will surely miss when i get back to UAE.

after the play, we went to Sucat to see the church inside Posadas Village, the Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal National Shrine. the church is situated on an elevated ground. quite a dramatic effect in my opinion and i love it! it also has a tall tower-like cross, as if it wants to extend to heavens.

anyhow, when marvin and i finally get to have our church wedding (hoping nothing unexpected incident happens before that), this church tops among my list of choices (after letting go of Nature Church and my Fernwood dream, sigh). just as so, this church has a homey feel and peaceful aura. so simple and yet so grand at the same time. =)

started the day by going to church in Simbayanan ni Maria Parish, my high school alma mater's church, with nanay. sadly, the school grounds as well as the church were a bit old and worn now. maintenance has been poor and building design has been destroyed due to the alterations made in order to accommodate more enrollees. =(

after that, we went somewhere in Tipas, Pasig to visit my mother's friends. as usual, my nanay had a long chat with the folks which i have grown to like as well with each passing minute. they were very friendly and hospitable.

about 3 pm, we headed off to Bagumbayan, Taguig. this time, to visit my friend Flor and her family. when we got there, only her brother Obet was at the house. Flor and the rest of the family had gone back to their home in Laguna. sayang nga eh. however, i was able to speak to her over the phone and scheduled to see each other some other time.

anyway, from Flor's house, me and nanay walked a few meters to where Villa Juanita was. it was the same reception where Rap-rap and Eva had their wedding. i was able to get their fees and came to like the place more than when i first saw it, as they were now able to combine a garden setting and a paved hall. good for rainy season affair. =) however, hall of the second floor was a turned-off since there was no solid walls around and all one can see were the house roofs from all sides. in addition, the stairs going to this part of the reception venue was tailored fit for a healthy citizen. it's too steep and narrow. despite the negative observations i have, i still find it as advantageous to us since rent is affordable and catering services can be availed of for a separate fee. it will now be on the list of my choices for a reception venue, if things turn out as planned.

view from parking lot

view from the upper hall

my sister, IA, AJ and me went somewhere in Manila to purchase our tickets to Hong Kong. it was AJ who drove the van and unfortunately, some policemen and "its" ("its" kasi nde sila tao..haha) cohorts tricked us into passing to a one-way traffic lane and caught us on-guard. damn! napamaskuhan pa kami to the last minute! tsk...tsk...

the church in mint green-colored walls

me and IA outside the church side door decorated in christmas spirit

after a night of singing stint in a hotel, the God's Flock Choir graced another gathering with the SerCo people. i dunno what's the complete company name basta, this is bro. jun's employer! =) anyway, the host of the party and most of its guests were expatriates. mostly brits although the wife of the host is chinese.

the carol singing was held on the villa's rooftop. the guests loved our performance and they have high praises for everyone. we sang Hallelujah twice. peborit yata nila ito, hehe. last year, this was the most requested song as well by this crowd.

on this same gathering, i met again this young, kind-hearted american lady (i confirmed that she was from Wisconsin, USA) who took the photo of us during one of the wedding ceremonies we sang for, some weeks back. we had a long chat about how she loves to hear us sing, that she likes the slanting cut of our dress, about her dog named twinkle, etc. still, i wasn't to get her name. tsk...tsk... ano ba yan, how rude of me! i hope our paths cross again sometime. eventhough i have missed to get this good soul's name, i am thankful i gained one good friend from soprano.

yep, arlene and me belong to the same group (soprano) but missed out to bond and talk. however, we were able to catch up on the lost opportunity of friendship and became closer than before even if it were the last few days of her stay with GFC. she'll be leaving the UAE for good to get married in the philippines. with just a day of being close, i have proven that she can keep promises and opens up honestly.

arlene and mai

as with what transpired between me and arlene, i therefore resolve that i would open up myself to my other choirmates starting 2006. hmm... sounds like a New Year's resolution, eh... well, i will first start off with those that i like to be friends with. =) perhaps, i could also work on the people shown below. hehe.

mai, jovy, edna and florence