looking back: 2007 in places

even though i keep complaining that i don't get to travel much, my 2007 record begs to disagree. to keep reminding me to shut my trap and just be thankful about what i got, i decided to write about the places i've been to this year:

january:


bataan.
susie took me along on his yearly trip to mariveles. while bataan shouldn't be foreign to me, it was actually my first time to set foot on mt. samat and see the cross. we also got to walk along the sandy shores of montemar, and freeze in the chilly waters of the swimming pool. the town of mariveles was a surprise. lovely landscape, that town has.


la union.
going to la union is always a treat. this year, susie and i went and discovered little surf maid, a wonderful new resort in san juan. we caught some of the action during the competition, enjoyed meals in midway, and just simply lazed around. and i even got attacked by a dog. i am ashamed to say that this is my only trip to the place this year, and i haven't gotten on a board for more than a year now. sad. maybe i can do better next year.

february:


hong kong.
one of the highlights of my 2007. since the lunar new year fell on my birthday, i felt it was only right that i celebrate it in a place where chinese new year is greeted with a bang. ayeen and i had a blast exploring hong kong for nine days. we got to meet people, learn new things, pose with disney characters, meet up with the hong kong folks, and eat delectable meals.

march:


casa san pablo.
i decided to surprise susie with a trip to casa san pablo, in laguna, for his birthday. antiques were everywhere, which gave the place a quaint and charming look. we got to stay in the hotwheels room, and eat fresh tilapia and other yummy, yummy dishes. casa san pablo was a great discovery, and serves as the perfect quick getaway. it's now one of my favorite places.

intramuros.
not to be outdone, susie then toured me around casa manila and san agustin church in intramuros one weekend in march. it was a place that i've always wanted to explore, but never got around to visiting. susie served as my tour guide, dishing out information every now and then. thanks to that weekend, i can now take couchsurfers who want to see the walled city.

april:

viaje del sol.
instead of going off to boracay and fighting off people for sunbaking space, i decided to back off this year and do something else. exploring the different places along the viaje del sol route proved to be a more relaxing pursuit. and i even got to see a lot of places in laguna and quezon! fellow explorers were my bratty sister shobe, fellow adventurer zaneh, and faithful driver susie. :D


zambales.
my first beach trip for the summer, and i got baked pretty darned good. we got to explore megan's cove (we were marooned there for about 3 hours) and climbed up to see the lighthouse on capones island. stayed once again at megan's resort, where the people are accommodating, and the food is good and cheap.

may:


pasig ferry ride.
i remember being grumpy this time of year, possibly because i've only gone to the beach once. so once again, susie stepped up and took me on board the pasig ferry, where we floated along the river and reached escolta in less than an hour. despite the filth on the river, i thoroughly enjoyed the ride. even got to write about it on click the city.



pangasinan.
the folks here at work decided that we needed to beat the heat and go away for the weekend. we ended up in el puerto marina resort in pangasinan, where we got to enjoy the pool by jumping and taking photos of ourselves. the food came in droves, too, and we weren't given a chance to actually go hungry. drinking and singing was done at night. a pretty good weekend, all in all.


zambales part two.
yep, we couldn't get enough of zambales, so we went back, this time with des, nico, g, and carlo. we weren't able to check out megan's cove this time, and the others didn't get to see the lighthouse, but we did get to firedance along the beach and spend time playing with hermit crabs on capones island. food was also goooooood!

june:

sta. teresita, batangas.
we were supposed to go and get soaked at the parada ng lechon, but we were tired from the drive, so we stayed at carlo's place in batangas, where the girls and i firedanced some more. that buhay baboy weekend served as our despedida for carlo, who's now in australia.

july:

southeastern cebu heritage trail.
for our anniversary, susie and i decided to explore the churches in southeastern cebu. because we were able to take advantage of piso fares, we decided to rent a car to drive us around so we wouldn't be so tired. we saw churches in oslob, boljoon, alcoy, argao, dalaguete, and carcar. i want to go back and explore argao some more!

august:


punta fuego.
july wasn't my best month. i got so stressed, i lost a phone, and i let go of a moneymaking raket. everything spilled over onto august, but thank god susie decided to save the month by taking sarah and me over to punta fuego. we spent the weekend just lazing about--dipped in an infinity pool, ate chips and cookies, watched the simpsons on dvd, and slept. it's so calming to be a sloth.

september:


boracay.
i don't know why we ended up going to boracay, but the cheap airfare and cheap accommodation just pushed us to go, despite the storm at the time. we didn't do any of the usual boracay stuff--no swimming, no island hopping, no sunbaking. we just ate and drank to our heart's content, slept when we were sleepy, and woke up for more food and booze. :D

october:


malacanang walking tour.
i haven't gone to malacanang ever, so i decided to join a walking tour by old manila walks. we checked out san sebastian church, a benedictine abbey, malacanang palace, and la cocina de tita moning. i was lucky that i got to do a tour with some nice folks, who allowed me to join their private tour.


casa san pablo.
again, i make my way to san pablo, laguna, but this time, it's for my good friend hamie's birthday surprise! she thought she'll be going on a trip with me, but tanya and izzy are in on the surprise, too! we had a blast doing what girls normally do when they're together--gossip, talk about other people, and catch up on each other's lives. okay, basically, we just talked and ate the whole day. it was fun, and i hope hamie had fun, too!




global fun carnival.
an impromptu get-together of "adventurous" ladies and gents. we got to be there during the opening of global fun carnival, and had a great time being kids again. we all realized we had gotten old when we all got so dizzy riding the swing. i even threw up after riding the flipper. things are not as easy as they seem now that we're in our twenties. but we had fun, nonetheless!

november:


singapore.
my last trip of the year. decided to use up my mother's mabuhay miles to go to singapore and visit my beloved friends. pats offered her place for me to crash in, and i just had a blast meeting her friends and spending time with friends that i've missed oh so badly! and i now don't wrinkle my nose at the idea of going to singapore. in fact, i wanna go back!

i am almost certain that my calendar for next year will not look like this. i vowed to do less mini-traveling so i can save up for big trips. don't think i'll be doing europe next year, but there are other trips being planned as i type.

how about you? where have you been this year?

i don't care; i want one!

i started the year with a thirst for my own laptop. prior to this, i never had a desire to own one, but with the amount of traveling i do, i thought it would be nice to stay connected, or at least have a chance to be.

my first idea was to get a simple and cheap one, because i had a desktop at home i could use for heavier computing. but then i decided to go full on, to get a laptop that i can use for all my pc needs. i kept hunting for inexpensive ultraportables, but couldn't find one. they were all in the P80,000 and above range, which was out of the question with my current social status. :p

i ended up buying this:

it's a neo empriva 572svb. even with its built-in windows vista interface, i've grown to love it because of its 12-inch monitor. and i like the way it looks, too.

but when i saw this:

photo from www.slashgear.com

i was filled with both anger and excitement. i felt betrayed by technology for doling out this gem this late in the game. just when i've bought my laptop, just when i've shelled out my moolah for other things, they do this.

come on, how can a vagabond like me not want one? display is a mere seven-incher, which means the tiny thing can fit in any of my bags. it weighs less than a kilo, so i can pretty much lug it around without getting tired. batteries can last up to 3.5 hours (depending on use, of course).

of course, with those features, it's only but natural that the storage size is at 8gb at most. if you want something in the 80gb range, be ready to fork over P100,000 for an ultraportable.

but that's just what i love about the asus eee. it's a very straightforward machine. it says, "all i can do is let you use the computer, upload your photos, listen to some tunes while you're on the go. but hey, i'm cheap at P19,000." which is really what i want. i want to stay connected when i'm away, without having to put all my files in danger.

so the plan is, when the price of the asus eee goes down next year, i purchase one. never mind if you think it's capricious, i myself believe i need it. i won't be selling my neo, because that will be my main computer, where all my files will be stored. the eee, on the other hand, shall be my travel companion, because it features a solid-state disk that can withstand bumps that other laptops cannot. i can choose to pack it inside my check-in luggage, or even carry it with me on the plane.

or maybe this is just my way of telling you guys of this travel must-have of every traveling technophile out there. if you're tired of dragging your heavy laptop around, maybe this is the answer.

what can we really say?

i was watching tonight's episode of imbestigador, hosted by mike enriquez. for those who don't know what the show is, it's a public affairs program that investigates on various issues in the country. most of the time, they cover scams and serve to expose people who take advantage of the hapless. but sometimes, they feature something else that veers away from the lines of exposing and raiding illegal activities.

tonight's episode involved the status of transportation here in the country. mike enriquez went to singapore, malaysia, thailand, and indonesia, and compared the status of those countries' transportation to ours.

one comment he had was about the restrooms in malaysian trains. he marveled at how the train had toilets on board, and compared to our own PNR trains, which, he said, had cars that people treat as toilets.

my mom kept commenting how mike made things sound so bad, and that he just kept putting us down. i thought about it for a moment, and told her that when it comes to transportation, we really can't compete. and that's coming from me, someone who absolutely loves riding public transportation in this city. as much as i love the training that our public transportation has given me (making me a lot braver in trying out public transportation in other countries), everyday, i can't help but lament the state of our transportation system.

everyday, i take the train, the MRT, to work. and as "convenient" as it seems, that rail system is the worst of the three in the city. sure, it takes you from one stop to another in a matter of minutes, but getting to where you really have to be is a chore. moreover, the stations are not that easy to access. sure, they're all along edsa, but have you seen the stairs that lead to the shaw boulevard platform? anyone looking up those stairs will really have second thoughts about taking the train. escalators and elevators aren't that reliable, either, making this mode of transportation almost impossible to use by the handicapped and the elderly.

when i don't feel like getting pushed around a tiny train, i opt for the bus. of my almost-8 years of commuting, i remember only one particular bus that did not deter me from putting my elbow up by the window. most buses here seem to be do double duty as cockroach colonies, not to mention universal trash can, with bus tickets, gum (HATE), paper, peanuts, and what-not littered on the floor.

and should i really get started on the driving, the pockmarked roads, and the utter lack of a proper system of loading and unloading? even with the rails that line the sidewalks, preventing people from just getting on and off anywhere, people still risk life and limb just to get on their bus of choice. drivers seem to think they're maneuvering tiny sports cars, with the way they swerve in and out from lane to lane, further devastating their already dilapidated vehicles.

and that's why i can't blame mike enriquez for saying what he said. because i see it everyday. my brains get banged around in my head on a daily basis, because of the uneven roads. i always have to watch out for whatever sticky thing i might step on when i board a bus. i've gotten used to the long lines that greet me when i get off the train and try to get through the turnstiles.

what's even more disappointing is that i know we can do better, but those in power would just rather not. the MRT can be greatly improved with the addition of more turnstiles at every station, and more vigilant guards who can keep lines in order. old buses should be taken off the streets, and an efficient loading and unloading system can be put in place, instead of just building railings and steel bars by the sidewalks to keep people from hailing public transportation anywhere. regular repair and inspection of road conditions will surely help, too. it will make traveling faster and safer.

and maybe we as commuters can also do our share. stop littering on buses. stop inserting your tickets anywhere inside the bus. don't just spit your gum out on the floor. please stop writing on buses, too. it's not funny anymore. train commuters can do well by not blocking entrances. just do that much, at least. stop shoving yourself in when there are still people exiting the train. follow lines, for heaven's sake. everyone will get their turn to exit the station.

a feast at newton

before flying off to singapore, i swore to myself that i would eat nothing but hawker fare. unfortunately, my stomach wasn't very cooperative; it wouldn't go hungry at the right moment, and i always had to just make do with whatever's there rather than seeking out a hawker centre for my meals.

but pats made my dream come true by bring me to newton circus hawker centre. the place reminds me of that activity center in blue wave, only it's larger, and with more food options. we were joined by aslinda, pon, stina (pon's friend who flew in from bangkok), chrissy, and chester.

i was surprised by the feast that we had. they ordered crispy squid, cereal prawns, stingray, kang kong, and some satay. the servings were huge, and we all had a hard time finishing it all. i also fell in love with their cold rose tea, even though it was pink.

of the dishes, my favorite was the crispy squid, which i just couldn't stop munching on. i was also enamored by the cereal prawns. the prawns were gigantic, and the crunchy oatmeal that covered it didn't help the stomach any. the meal was very filling, and i wish i had more space in my tummy for more.

this set the mood for a night of talking and semi-drinking over at emerald hill, possibly the only place in singapore where people are allowed to litter. emerald hill serves complimentary peanuts to everyone, and you can throw your peanut peelings on the floor. it was such a shock to enter an establishment with a floor covered with peanut shells. we had a blast having peanut shell fights while catching up on goings on in manila and singapore.

we called it a night (or a morning) at 4am, after having yet another meal at a hong kong cafe called xin wang in cathay. we ordered milo dinosaurs and a meal that i can't remember. it was a blast staying out late with friends i haven't seen for a long time. and it was really great to see that they're all enjoying their lives despite being away from us manila folk. maybe i should go out there and join them. hmm?

more photos of newton hawker centre, emerald hill drinking, and what-not here.

details:
newton food centre
along clemenceau avenue north
nearest mrt station: newton

still in singapore: two museums and a river

after finishing my refreshing karkade from altazzag along haji lane, i got up and walked along north bridge road to look for the bugis mrt station. my next stop: the singapore art museum. before i finally got there, though, i just had to cross the street and mistake a simple underpass for the mrt station. there was a man sitting by the stairs of the underpass who saw me go down the escalator. he greeted me again when i was making my way up: "mrt? over there," he said, pointing to another direction.

i thanked him and made my way to the direction he pointed. crossed a parking lot, and saw the bugis station. i got off at city hall station, and followed the exit that said singapore art museum. i was expecting the museum to greet me when i step out, but i actually had to walk a little more to get there.

on the way, i passed chijmes and took a few photos. and then i reached it. singapore art museum. and i was lucky to catch their lunchtime promotion--free entrance every friday from 12nn to 2pm. what's more, i also got to go on a free guided tour at 2pm, with varuni, a friend of the museum.

we started with a history of the museum. turns out it was a lasallian school as well (lasallians reprezent!), which was turned into a hospital during the war, and then was reverted back to a school. today, it holds galleries of paintings and other exhibits. varuni then moved on to the pieces of the museum's personal collections. we touched on chinese art, modern abstract paintings, filipino sculptures, and some works by affandi, whose works were on the display in the museum at the time.

i swear by these guided tours, because it really helps a lot if a painting is explained to you. you know more about the motives of the artist and the background of the piece. took a few photos around the museum after that, then walked along and took the mrt to orchard to do some necessary shopping.

i was asked by the folks to buy some stuff, and fortunately, i found the ones on the list. i stopped by mos burger to have a late lunch, then headed off to the river to have some quiet time.

by the river, i met philippe, a french comedian who was out exploring asia for four weeks. he asked me to take his picture, and we talked for a bit til he had to leave for his flight. that's one of the things i love about traveling alone. you never know who you're gonna meet.


after taking some more photos by the river, i decided to tackle the ancient civilisations museum, which was standing by the river. it's a pity i didn't have much time to explore it, the stuff on display are really interesting. i learned about the history of the river, and some ancient information on southeast asian countries as well. i met drew, an australian backpacker, while trying to figure out the interactive gizmos they have there. i vow to go back and finish out all the exhibits.

and after that, we were off to have dinner at newton. my first hawker centre meal! stay tuned for photos of the feast we had.

more photos of singapore art museum, asian civilisations museum, and the river here.

museum information:
singapore art museum
website: http://www.singart.com
opening hours: 10am to 7pm, 10am to 9pm on fridays
admission: sgd 8.00
address: 71 bras basah road
nearest mrt station: city hall

asian civilisations museum
website: http://www.acm.org.sg
opening hours: mondays: 1pm to 7pm; tues-sun: 9am to 7pm; fri: 9am to 9pm admission: sgd 10.00
address: 1 empress place
nearest mrt station: raffles place

early start in little india and kampong glam

friday morning, pats and i were out the door at 8am. we took the green line towards boon lay, but i got off at raffles place for the red line interchange, then changed trains at dhoby ghaut for the purple line.

in a matter of minutes, i found myself walking out of the little india mrt station, taking out my little india walking tour guide, and checking where i should be headed. i was to start at serangoon road, which was a short walk away.

i can no longer trace how i strolled around little india, but i was amazed at how well they have maintained the shophouses of old, which are still in use today. i was attracted to a certain, colorful shophouse, which, i soon found out, was the residence of a chinese confectionery merchant called tan teng niah. he was one of the few chinese residents of little india. i guess his chocolate must be really good.

after strolling further through little india's arts belt, i decided to have breakfast at a vegetarian restaurant called ananda bhavan, where i ordered a simple roti prata with warm horlicks. i really really missed horlicks, and took every chance i got to have it. i was surprised to find that roti was really heavy in the tummy, and it kept me going til way after lunch.

around little india, i spied flower garland sellers, shops selling figurines, and a number of hostels. but what made my little india walk memorable is definitely my first trip to a mosque. i saw the masjid abdul gafoor mosque, which was a highly photogenic place of worship. i took my shoes off by the yellow line and gaped at the yellow, white, and green wonder in front of me.

after that, i decided to just walk through serangoon road, where i spotted the sri veeramakaliamman (whew! i was able to type that without checking travel sites!) temple. it was pretty busy, which meant it must have been time for worship when i walked by.

i walked a little further until i reached syed alwi road, where the famous mustafa centre is located. i exchanged a few dollars for singapore dollars and decided to check out the legendary shopping centre, which is said to have EVERYTHING. from my stroll, the darned place did contain a lot of stuff--DVDs, women's bags, luggage, baby products, gadgets, toys, clothes, curtains, linen--i can believe that it does have everything. and what's more, the mustafa centre is open 24 hours!

a bit pooped, i decided to pamper myself a bit and took a cab to arab street in kampong glam, another quaint little area of singapore. its landmark is the sultan mosque, which i got to take a few photos of. quite majestic, but pretty hard to take pictures of if you're on the street.

i walked down arab street, where you can find store after store of fabrics. apparently, it's where you go if you need to find cloth or textile for a dress. and as in chinatown and little india, kampong glam has made use of the old shophouses too.

as pats recommended, i turned onto bussorah street, a brick-lined street dotted with shops, mostly of souvenirs and some cloth. sleepy sam's, a backpacker's hostel, is also on this street. the place is quite cozy, and they serve some food and drinks as well. i decided to just some souvenirs for some folks back home.

i walked further and found myself on haji lane. tired and thirsty, i stopped by altazzag, an egyptian restaurant, for a drink. i decided to have a karkade, a cool, tea-like drink made from petals of hibiscus (gumamela to us pinoys). it was refreshing, and tasted like sweet, sweet wine, and it really refreshed an exhausted soul.

that break marked the end of my trip in little india and kampong glam. the rest of my day was spent in the singapore art museum and the river, which you can read about next.

more photos of my little india and kampong glam adventure here.

details:
ananda bhavan vegetarian restaurant
address: 58 serangoon road, little india

altazzag egyptian restaurant
address: 24 haji lane, arab street

with friends at clarke quay

i got to meet up with my friend chester, who has been working in singapore for five months now, on my first night. he chose to have dinner at swensen's at chinatown point, a stone's throw from where i was having a drink of canned barley.

i walked over to chinatown point and spotted him waiting. it was great fun to see him again after five months. we sat down and actually ordered a baked macaroni and cheese and a pizza. i know, it's funny to have those meals in singapore, but chester's the boss.

ting, another friend, joined us momentarily. he ordered pasta and chicken, and we got to talking about their lives in singapore, and how life is back home.

after dinner, we headed over to clarke quay, which is the place to go if you want to have some drinks, dance, and listen to music. we were supposed to have drinks at cafe iguana with pats and her friends, but the three of us decided to sit down and have coffee so we can continue our talk.

it was great have people show you around. i didn't have to plan my nights, or do touristy things. i was shown around to places they would normally go to, which gives me a peek at how their lives are over there. i got to see the river and the lit up riverside point, which looked great at night.

food was not as expensive as i expected it to be, mainly because servings are large (except in swensen's!). alcoholic drinks will really burn a hole in your pocket, so you really have to abandon your love for alcohol if you want to save up in singapore, or have some money left over for shopping. the bars over at clarke are interesting, though. every bar was so different from the next. it was evident that the bar owners clearly thought out their concept and executed it beautifully.

it was a relaxing, steady night, spend with good friends over coffee and tea and a muddy mud pie at the coffee club. it was really great to have people to talk to after going around by myself in the city. while i greatly enjoy solo traveling, spending time with friends after a tiring day sure helps ease the body a bit.