Intin Wandered Where?

Powerbooks Summer Sale

2010-03-26T12:14:00.000+08:00

Check This Link!
Link

Opening for Madame Tussauds, BKK

2010-02-19T09:59:00.000+08:00

Hot off my inbox. I just saw this opening for Trade Sales Manager, as advertised in Travel Daily Asia e-magazine. Madame Tussauds in BKK will be found in Siam Discovery Center, in which will open its tenth attraction in TH. If hired, you will be compensated for 100k THB/month depending on experience plus commission. Hanep. Hehehe.

Apply na sa mga may gusto. Yiii...

Amazing 2009

2009-12-05T05:35:00.000+08:00

I'm in the mood to write on what happened to me this year. Hehehehe... I had so many experiences and met lots of people, and so on and so forth... I met some good guys this year and one of them just made me really sad. I will not go to further details...

I also got promoted in my job. I was able to re-evaluate myself to be more productive to the company I'm working with. I appreciate having these people around me and I love them so much. They may not believe it but I enjoy every working day that I spend with the team...

This is also the year where I experienced staying at the airport for loooooong hours due to bad weather conditions: first, with my family and second was with a friend. I still consider it as a blessing from God, especially after what happened to the ill-fated Air France flight. Being alive, safe and surrounded by my family and friends will always be something that I am thankful of. The summer experience at the airport with my family was unforgettable and I also had the chance to go on an adventure in Cebu - on our own, without much knowledge about the language. It really brought excitement in me. Things like that, getting lost in translation and the place itself, always had my adrenaline pumping, hahaha...

Mau also got married this year. She's just one among my friends who got hitched and made me wonder, when will be my turn. A colleague, and former college classmate, Armi, will be getting married before this month ends. I'm happy for them. Still, I'm wishing that my special day will come soon, hehehe, but I'm not in a rush.

This is also the year where I got the chance to meet the Backstreet Boys. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that was so unforgettable, I could still remember that events that transpired on that fateful day. It was a good thing that I didn't act like a crazed fan because I would not be able to perform the task at hand - to interview them. It was something that had me fulfilled as a fan although I know that there are still lots of things to do at the fan club. I will always be proud of being a Backstreet Boys fan and I don't care about what other people think about it. I'm happy because I know what I want and I'm making other people happy with the things we do in the fan club.

Papa retired this year officially and legally. It was something we are partly looking forward to because for most of his adult life, he spent it serving the country. His dedication was remarkable. It was also emotional for us because we realized that he touched a lot of people's lives with just being his simple self. It touched ours too and we will always appreciate and be thankful for having them in our lives.

I was also able to travel abroad - with my parents for the first time. It was fun and memorable and I am definitely looking forward to go on another trip abroad with them. Basta si Papa ang taya! Hahaha.

Madami pa akong adventures that happened this year. May masaya, may malungkot. May nakakatakot. May life-threatening. It's been a great year. Thank God! Hopefully, ganun din sa 2010. (",)

Going Offline

2009-11-12T02:51:00.000+08:00

I'm going offline starting this weekend up to next week. I've taken a vacation leave from BSBFCP muna, as well as from work. If you need to contact me, you have my number. Ganun lang kasimple. Hehehehe.

Few More Weeks

2009-08-10T04:57:00.000+08:00

Kung si Papa, nagka-countdown... ako din! I'm excited. Hehehe

Just Learned About it..

2009-08-04T03:55:00.000+08:00

Last night. 3 places, 9 days. I'm excited. Sana matuloy.

Jai Ho!

2009-06-11T19:33:00.000+08:00

It means victory. 10 days before my birthday, here I am... I'm on my way home after watching a great concert, courtesy of the Pussycat Dolls! Review to follow...

A family weekend in Palawan

2009-05-27T04:58:00.000+08:00

8AM of May 23. NAIA Centennial Terminal 2. PR 195. Me and my dad were on a mission to Puerto Princesa Palawan. It's going to be an important weekend for us. We went through the necessary precautions and check-in procedures at the airport and before noon, we already arrived in Palawan. It felt good to be back there. I always enjoyed going home because the place made me feel so relaxed, everything is accessible by tricycle, the beach is just nearby, people were nice, the city is clean. There is a feeling of security whenever I'm there, especially that H1N1 is already in the country, Palawan is an isolated island, away from the Metro and the crazy news buzz of the dreaded virus, the sex controversy, etc.

We arrived at the house at almost noon. There were peacocks who greeted us when we arrived. They were so noisy but I'm rather amused.

After keeping the bags in my room (that I shared with my sister), me and my sister went on a walk under the hot, hot sun towards our relatives' place. We found our grandfather. A few minutes later, we went home as Mom and Dad went out to go to the market for some mission. I was tasked to prepare lunch. There were carpenters around who were trying to reach the deadline to finish the front in time for tomorrow's event. After lunch, the feeling of being tired from the week that was loaded with work, meetings, early morning chores overwhelmed me. I went to the room to sleep. My sister joined me as well. I woke up around 4pm, still contemplating if I will go to the city proper for some groceries and other stuff that we needed at home. I heard people outside and when I peeked out, I saw the mission accomplished by the parents. They bought a dining set, in exchange to the long table that was temporarily made to serve as our dining table for some time. Yeah, they were really preparing their retirement. I can feel it. Inuunti unti lang nila.

Then Mom told me to gear up. We have to go to the market immediately before magsara ang mga hardware stores. Mom needs to change the paint nung dingding sa labas ng bahay, which is orange! Hala! Buti naman noh. Di pa tapos ang bahay kasi papatungan pa ng amacan (sp?) para magmukha syang bahay kubo pero sa totoo lang, made of concrete sya, hahaha. So we rushed. We got there in time then nagtuloy na rin to buy groceries and kasoy. We got home at almost 6pm na. I prepared dinner na. Tahimik ang buhay sa province and I love the peace and serenity. I really don't mind living here in the future. Bumisita ang auntie ko, konting chikahan bago sila umuwi. Dad and Mom went to paint the lower exterior of the house. Ginabi na rin sila. I've done all the chores inside the house then iniwan na namin sila ng sister ko. Natulog na kami. Tomorrow is a big day for us.

I woke up as early as 5am. Kausap ko pa si Katz sa Twitter, LOL. Naka-online ako sa phone. I saw Mau's post of Nick Carter sa NC Corner. Ang gwapo nya. **sigh** Tapos chikahan muna kami ni Katz. Nagising ako sa lamig at wala akong kumot. Ayoko namang hilain yung sa kapatid ko. Narinig kong gising na sina Mama at nagkukwentuhan sa kabilang kwarto. Ganun naman lagi sila. Laging nagkukwentuhan. When I heard that Papa went out of their room, kinakalampag ang mga kaldero at magluluto yata ng almusal, mind you - at 5am, I went out and went to their room. Tumabi ako ng higa sa mama ko tapos hinila ko kumot nya. Hahahaha. She asked kung bakit ako andun. Sabi ko, malamig. Tabi muna ako sa kanya. Pinakuha ako ng kumot dun sa lalagyan. May stock pala, hehehe. So I did then went back to the other room at natulog ulit. I woke up around 7am na sa ingay ng mga baklang pabo. The picture there is the view from our room. Nagtatakbuhan na sila. LOL. I called them mga 'baklang' pabo kasi pagdating ko the day before, they were so noisy and it sounded something like 'plungak' or 'plangak' in which in gay lingo meant 'tama', 'korek', 'tumpak'.. Basta. So i started calling them mga baklang pabo. Hahahaha. It was amusing to see them go around the place.

Tinatamad ako paggising so tinapay lang ang almusal ko. I started to clean up and waited for any errand na kailangang iutos ni Mama. It's gonna be a busy day. Sa hapon ang house blessing, dapithapon, 5pm. Sabi nila, it's the best time for the house blessing, to ward off the bad and lost spirits who would possibly lurk there. Dad went off to talk to the priest. Around 10am, dumating na ang mga caterer with their stuff. They began setting up the tables and chairs while we were busy waiting for the news about some of our relatives who were due to arrive before noon from Manila. As usual, delayed ang flight ng Cebu Pacific kaya I was also suggesting na huwag na rin nilang ituloy ang binabalak nilang island hopping sa Hunda Bay. Hindi enjoy kung kulang na sa oras. Masyadong tanghali na. While waiting, I also started taking photos. Walang magawa eh. I will introduce you to the family pet, who sometimes think she's a dog! Hahahaha.

This is Shasha. the goat. Mahilig syang magpa-pet sa ulo, hahahaha.

When Shasha saw me coming, she ran towards me. cool.

Sister ko ang nagpangalan sa kanya so to my friend who shares the same name, wala akong kasalanan dito, sis! LoL! Sorry. Hehehe.

Ang tagal ng mga pinsan at mga auntie kong dumating. Delayed pa rin ulit ang flight ng Cebu Pacific. Sa labas na ako naghihintay kasi I'm excited to see them again. Sa bahay sila tutuloy. They arrived in time for lunch then afterwards, niyaya ko silang magpunta sa kabilang bahay para magmano kina lolo. Tinahak namin yung daan kung saan may nasalubong kaming cobra last November 2008 (see my post here) . Hindi na gaanong matataas ang cogon grass at as of this day, natabas na nga daw ng uncle ko. Ang init. Malayo pa ang tatawirin namin kasi nasa kabilang side ng property sina lolo. Pinagpayong ko ang mga pinsan ko while I donned the cowboy hat. Yihaaaa!

Ok ba? LOL!!!!

Si Se�orita Mitch, the purple princess, hahaha

Tumatalon na kami kasi wala na ang 'blue' cobra! haha

Gusto ko pa sanang matulog pagbalik ng bahay pero we have to clean up again. When my cousins went back, niyaya ko ang isa kong pinsan to go to Baker's Hill to buy hopia and some baked products. Nag-scooter lang kami, hehe. Kasama namin si auntie Ehd and yung husband ng pinsan ko. Then dumiretso na kami sa palengke to buy kasoy. Pagbalik namin sa bahay, malapit nang magfive PM. May mga dumating nang bisita pero wala pa ang pari. Mga ilang kamag-anak at mga kaibigan. Nakakatuwang makita ulit silang lahat, pati yung mga kinakapatid ko na andun. 3 ang buntis! hahaha. A few minutes past 5 dumating si Father and he started the house blessing. Afterwards, simpleng salo-salo.

Sarah is in Palawan until now, so I invited her to come over. She's my childhood friend. We both grew up in Cavite, ang nakakaalam ng karamihan sa mga hang-ups ko sa buhay, hahahahaha. One month na sya sa Palawan dahil photographer sya sa isang international project. There are 30 foreign students who were building the Pacific Rim Friendship Park some minutes away from our place, in Sta. Lucia near Iwahig. Sinundo namin sya ni Auntie Ehd sa Balay Inato. Madilim na when we get there. Nag-dinner kami saglit tapos pinakilala ko sya sa lolo ko at ilang mga pinsan.

Hinintay naming matapos si Auntie Ehd sa pagvi-videoke kasi balak naming maglakwatsa sa bayan pero nawili si Auntie sa pagkanta. Hahaha. Iyon pala, panay ang pila ng songs sa videoke, walang kumakanta kaya sya na lang ang kumakanta. Mga luko-luko. LOL! So I decided na kami na lang ni Sarah ang magpunta sa bayan on our own. My uncle offered to drop us sa kanto. Malayo at madilim kasi ang daan. Then nagsimula na ang pamamasyal namin ni Sarah. We went to Baywalk, in which as usual is still disappointing. Konti lang ang ilaw.. Walang masyadong happenings. Maaappreciate ko siguro kung sa umaga kami nagpunta. Unlike in Manila Bay, walang mabahong amoy ang dagat. Malinis. Walang basura sa Baywalk. Nung wala na kaming magawa dun, naglakad kami ni Sarah papuntang simbahan. Sarado na pala ang simbahan. 9pm na ng gabi. We saw this bright lights in a nearby park pero nung wala ring makita dun, we decided to walk down Rizal Avenue. Umabot kami malapit sa Mendoza Park (after the ancestors of the actor Matt Mendoza, also hailed from Palawan). Nag-kape kami sa Mr. Donut, para matanggal na rin ang umay from the dinner we've had. Nagkwentuhan na rin habang busy sa pag log-in sa Twitter, hehehe. Sensha, adik eh!

Around past 10pm, niyaya ko nang umuwi si Sarah. We're both going to have a brand new week of work so I want her to rest na rin. Ako, magliligpit pa kasi I have a flight back to Manila. Diretso pa sa office.

I got home na konti na lang ang mga tao. Tumulong na din ako sa pagliligpit sa loob ng bahay. Yung iba kong pinsan, dahil pagod, naglatag na sa sala. hahaha. Humakot na nga din ng kutson sa kabilang bahay. After magligpit ng konti, pinag-initan ko yung chocolate cake na regalo ng caterer. Naiinggit ang mga pinsan at nakikain. So kainan at kwentuhan galore kami. Pati biko, binirahan nila. It's been a great day. Sayang at wala ako bukas. Hindi ako makakasama sa kanila sa pagpunta sa Underground River. Masaya sana kasi ang dami namin. Pero may tawag ng tungkulin eh, hehehe.

Going Offline

2009-05-21T06:47:00.000+08:00

I'm going offline again, starting 1800H tonight until 1400H, May25 to spend a weekend with my family and friends in the province. I'm excited to see Sarah.

Five Big Changes Coming to Air Travel in 2009

2009-01-23T12:39:00.000+08:00

By Jessica Labrencis, SmarterTravel.com Staff

Big changes in the world of air travel are coming in 2009. From merger mania to airport security adjustments, here's what's on our shortlist of important changes in the year ahead.

Airport Security Update

Travelers, say good-bye to your plastic baggies and tiny bottles of shampoo. The 3-1-1 rule may be discontinued in 2009 as new X-ray technology is introduced at airports around the country. The new technology can detect differences between benign liquids such as hair gel or juice boxes and potentially dangerous liquids used in bombs.

The TSA expects to have as many as 900 machines in place by the end of the year, so the 3-1-1 rule will be phased out and eventually halted altogether in the near future.

Merger Mania

Late in October, Delta's proposed merger with Northwest was approved by the Department of Justice, and the airlines will enter full-blown merger mode in early 2009. The tie-up may not be fully complete until 2010, but you can expect Northwest's name and brand to be phased out in 2009. The SkyMiles and WorldPerks frequent flyer programs will be merged towards the end of this year. For up-to-date information, visit Delta's FAQ page.

Of course, there's always the possibility that the Delta/Northwest merger will spark other mergers. As a recent Reuters report predicted, "The answer is likely to be yes in an industry that clearly has excess capacity, is adding surcharges despite a retreat in fuel prices, and is facing international competitors that are expected to consolidate in the coming year."

Airlines Introduce A-La-Carte Pricing

Despite protests from travelers, American and Frontier are set to introduce a-la-carte pricing in 2009. As of the time of this writing, American had not announced full details of its new fare structure, although it may use Air Canada as a model. Stay tuned to our Today in Travel blog for details on American's new system later this year.

In December, Frontier announced details of its new AirFairs fare structure. Economy fares are bare-bones, no-frills tickets; Classic fares include seat assignments, checked bags, DirecTV, and frequent flyer miles; and Classic Plus tickets are fully refundable and changeable with lots of extras.

If these new ventures from Frontier and American prove successful, other airlines may adopt similar fare structures, similar to the avalanche of new fees introduced in 2008. Whether that will be a good thing for travelers remains to be seen.

In-Flight Internet Service Expands

Expect Internet access to be available on many more flights in 2009. American, Delta, and Virgin America all introduced Internet service on some flights in 2008, and will likely expand the service to more planes this year. Delta plans to add service to a new plane every few days, with the goal of outfitting all its aircraft with Internet by the end of the year, and will also begin to add the service to Northwest's planes.

Other airlines, including Air Canada, Alaska, and Southwest plan to test Internet service this year as well.

Paperless Boarding Passes

Paperless boarding passes are the wave of the future, and will become more widespread this year. You'll soon be able to download a boarding pass to your PDA or cell phone, and scan the barcode at an airport security checkpoint scanner, eliminating the need for a physical printout.

Continental was the first U.S. airline to test paperless boarding passes in late 2007, and has since expanded its Mobile Boarding Pass option for departures from Austin, Boston, Cleveland, Houston, New York's LaGuardia airport, Newark, San Antonio, and both Reagan and National airports in Washington, D.C.

Other carriers, including Air Canada, Alaska, American, Delta, and Northwest, are also beginning to introduce paperless boarding options for travelers.

SOURCE
(Editor's Note: SmarterTravel.com is a member of the TripAdvisor Media Network, an operating company of Expedia, Inc. Expedia, Inc. also owns Expedia.com and Hotwire.)

Aguinaldo Shrine, Kawit Cavite

2008-09-01T09:18:00.002+08:00

I have been here many times when I was kid as this was always a part of our itinerary during field trips in grade school. I reside in Cavite where I finished my grade school. My high school and university days were spent in Manila and it has been a long time now since I last visited the shrine. Yesterday was the chance to visit as requested by niece in Bicol, who is having a project that requires a relative to have a picture of a historical spot in the Philippines (outside the Bicol region) and to submit it to her teacher. Ang lupit ng project nya. Buti na lang may email. Madali ko lang naipadala sa teacher nya.

my parents... hehe

Emilio Aguinaldo, along with Jose Rizal, is among the least of my favorite national heroes. Pabayaan niyo na ako. Mas gusto ko ang pagiging nationalistic ni Andres Bonifacio eh. =P But Aguinaldo's shrine has been a symbol of Philippine Independence and I always took regard how important the place played a significant role in our country. The shrine is the ancestral home of Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the Republic of the Philippines. It was an amazing house. There are so many secret passages plus the indoor pool was incredible, hehehe. Behind the house, Aguinaldo rests in a marble tomb. At first, I was apprehensive if that's where he really was buried but they confirmed that it was him. So there. The house was donated to the Philippine government in 1962.

the front of the shrine

rebulto ni Aguinaldo.. hehe. itinayo ito at the time of Centennial Independence celebration in 1998, along with a freedom park in front of the shrine. nagkaroon din ng diversion road para hindi na daanan ang harapan ng bahay ni Aguinaldo

The Aguinaldo Shrine is a national shrine of the Philippines, located in Kawit, Cavite. The Philippine flag is raised here by top national officials every Independence Day (June 12) to commemorate the event.

Philippine independence from Spain was proclaimed from a window of the home on June 12, 1898. The proclamation of Philippine Independence (subsequently replaced by another declaration written and signed in Malolos, Bulacan) was read, and the Philippine flag formally unfurled, although it had been displayed in battle in late May, 1898. The Philippine national anthem was also played (its lyrics still to be written in 1899) by the music band of San Francisco de Malabon (now General Trias, Cavite) on that date. President Aguinaldo, particularly while in retirement after his capture and release by American forces, greatly enlarged his home, building an elaborate Independence balcony which many visitors assume was the actual site of the independence proclamation.

The Aguinaldo Shrine, open 8 am - 5 pm daily, is well worth a visit. There is no entrance fee but you may make a donation. Available for sale is the attractive and informative book Home of Independence: Emilio Aguinaldo House, by Ino Manalo, published by the National Historical Institute.

GETTING THERE:
The shrine is located in Kawit (which literally means hook--after the "hook" of land it is located on).
Buses that go from Baclaran to Cavite City, Tanza, and Naic pass the shrine. By car, take Quirino Avenue (slower but more interesting as you pass woodcarving shops, churches, etc); or the Coastal Road(then Quirino Avenue); or the Southern Luzon Highway, exit at Sucat to pass Las Piñas (for the Church and Bamboo Organ, and Zapote (home of Sarao jeepney factory.

Day 4 - Going Home, Back to Reality

2008-08-30T12:08:00.001+08:00

It was our last day. Sa hapon pa naman ang flight. Hindi ako masyadong nakatulog. Paputol-putol. Mga around seven yata or eight, lumabas na kami ng hotel. Nakaayos na kami at lahat, naka-full battle gear para magtingin-tingin ng pasalubong, hehehe. Nakasuot pa ako ng shirt na may print na Iloilo. Halatang-halatang Pinoy. Hehe. Aliw nga eh. Kasi tumitingin sa akin ang mga Pinoy habang naglalakad ako. Pangiti-ngiti lang ang ginagawa ko sa kanila.

Bago kami mamili, we thought of having breakfast first. Dimsum or any dumplings sana, kaso sarado pa yung kinainan namin tapos hindi na rin kami naghanap ng iba. Okay na ang McDonalds. Yum! Hehehe. Nakakabusog nga kasi for MOPsomething-something, tatlong pancakes, isang sausage at coffee na. Busog na nga.

hihirit pa ng photo si Nick.. tsk. tsk.

Afterwards, dumiretso na kami sa Leal Senado para mamili. Dumiretso muna kami kay Koi Kei, ang nangunguna sa pagbebenta ng tapa. Hehehe. As I've told you in my previous post, tourist-friendly ang tindahan na ito kasi may translation to English ang mga tinda nila at may presyo na nakalagay. Pipili ka na lang. Wala akong na-feel na bilhin so hinayaan ko na lang mamili si budz. Inaliw ko sarili ko sa pag-iikot. Natanaw ko nga ulit ang St. Paul ruins. Ganda talaga niya.

the famous Koi Kei

tanaw lang ng shop ang St. Paul Ruins

Afterwards, we looked for any souvenir shops kasi gusto ko ng pang-display na may touch of Macau. Idadagdag ko sa koleksyon sa kwarto ko. Kaso wala akong makita na mura, yung isang tindahan kasi taga ang presyo. Ok lang, we moved forward na lang.

Maya-maya, unti unti nang dumadami ang tao. Pati mga retail stores unti-unti na ring nagbubukasan. Nagsimula na kaming maaliw. Hahahaha. Pero wala pa rin talagang pumasa sa pihikan kong panlasa. Medyo hinayang pa ako sa igagastos ko.

konti pa lang ang tao sa Senado.. maya-maya dadami na ulit yan

dito may Pinoy na nagtitinda ng magazin na Pinoy.. napalingon ako kasi nakita ko itsura ni Piolo Pascual.. hehe

Fortunately, may nagbukas na na nagtitinda ng Olympics souvenirs, sa Macau Tourist Center. Cool! Mahigpit na bilin ni bunsong sister na gusto nya ng ID lace. Kahit ano. Wala kasi sa Disneyland. Dito, meron. Binilhan ko na lang siya, si Jingjing, one of the Fuwa characters.

Solved na ako. Maligaya na ako kahit yun lang nabili ko. At least meron na, hehehe. Next time na lang ako mamimili kapag feel ko. I will definitely be coming back to Macau.

Nang makapamili na si budz, bumalik na kami sa Hotel Central. Konting ayos ng gamit, kodakan ng room and then nung okay na, umalis na kami. Ibinalik lang namin ang susi sa reception. Nakangiti pa siya. Ok talaga. Walang-wala dun sa front desk sa HK. Heto matanda na pero ngumingiti talaga siya sa mga guests. Siguro inisip nya, para bumalik ang mga guests na mag-stay sa Central. Hehehe. Hindi na ako babalik doon kahit friendly pa siya. Sa ibang hotel naman, hehehe.

makasaysayang shot ng hallway.. ang dilim di ba? LOL!

ang tumutunog na aircon sa loob ng lift.. di naman malamig eh

may cable TV!

Nilakad lang namin from Senado hanggang kanto, sa Hotel Lisboa. Doon kami mag-aabang ng AP1 bus papuntang airport. Nagtanong pa kami sa isang babaeng pulis kung tama ang ginagawa namin, hehehe. Tama naman. In fairness, may itsura ang babaeng Chinese. Baka nga ganundin yung mga guys. Bakit ba may itsura mga pulis doon, pati sa HK? Dito sa Pilipinas, ang gwapong pulis lang ay uncle ko, hehehe. (uy, bias. LOL!!!)

uuwi na ako...

nilakad lang namin.. masarap naman maglakad eh.. exploring the streets.. =)

ang pinakamaunlad na jewelry shop.. LOL. madami nito sa HK.. pati sa Macau, meron din palang branch

heto ang view sa bus stop.. tapat lang ng Hotel Lisboa

So pumwesto na kami sa bus stop. Hindi pa namin alam kung tama ba ang hinimpilan namin so nag-ikot si budz para magtingin-tingin. Dapat sa kabila daw. So lumipat kami. Pero ang tagal ng bus. Negra na nga kami, bilad pa kami sa araw. Nakakatakot ang pwedeng mangyari sa amin, di ba? Hehehe.

We started talking about a new plan. We decided to take the Wynn bus going to ferry terminal. So naglakad kami. Imagine ang layo from Ayala Buendia to Ayala Paseo de Roxas. Ganun yata kalayo nilakad namin.

kahit mainit, nakuha pa naming mag-kodakan. hehehe

tumawid na lang kami sa kabila, sa Wynn Hotel para sumakay ng free shuttle bus

ang gamit namin. konti lang kaya carry maglakad

on board, Wynn free shuttle bus

When we get there, nagtanong naman si budz sa mga bantay ng bus sa Wynn. Hanep. Nagkataong Pinoy ang naka-duty. Mas malapit daw na sumakay kami ng papuntang Taipa ferry terminal kesa sa Macau ferry terminal. As in tanaw lang ang airport. Ok. Salamat, kuya!

So, sa kalamigan ng byahe namin from Macau city to Taipa sa kabilang island, I took pictures. Kampante na ako. Tanghali na. Pero alam ko naman kung saan ang airport so makatawid lang kami sa kabilang island, ok lang.

Pagdating namin ng ferry terminal, tanaw nga ang airport, pero ang layo pa. Hindi naman namin alam kung may service papuntang airport so we decided to walk. Ang init. Haiii... Iniisip ko nga baka nahihirapan ang kaibigan ko sa mga gamit nya, baka mabigat. Pero ok naman daw. Good.

Alam mo yung parang eksena sa isang comedy film na kung ano yung hinahanap mo, kung kelan nag-give up ka na, tapos saka susulpot? Nangyari yun! Bad trip. Hahaha. Nakakalayo na kami ng ferry terminal nang may dumaang AP1 bus! Anak ng...!!! Dinaanan lang kami. Tapos may Pinoy na nasa kabilang side ng bakod, tinawag kami at tinanong kung airport daw ba ang tungo namin, bakit di na lang mag-abang ng AP1 bus. Uh, kasi ang tagal namin siyang hinintay sa Lisboa, di sya dumating. Akala ko nga obsolete na yun. Tinuloy na lang namin ang paglalakad. Ang layo na namin sa terminal. At kung maghihintay ba kami, may darating ba agad? Baka iwan na kami ng eroplano.

Hindi na ako nakapag-picture. Gusto ko pa rin sanang i-souvenir ang moments namin under the hot, hot sun. Kaloka! Sa wakas, narating na namin ang airport. Nakakuha na si budz ng trolley. Binaba na namin ang mga gamit at nag-elevator na lang kami papuntang departure area sa taas.

picture muna bago mag-check in

Fulfillment. Yun ang feeling ko nung nasa airport kami. Hindi lang after ng paglalakad namin under the hot, hot sun pero nang matapos ng adventure namin sa HK at MO (country codes for HongKong and Macau). For four days, sinubok namin ang kakayahan namin sa geography at PR. Mas ma-appeal sa PR si budz, hehe. Siya ang mas malakas ang loob na magtanong.

Since day one, we only depended on the maps, tips and on each other para maka-survive sa magugulong kalye ng HK at sa makulay na buhay ng MO. Masaya ang adventure na ginawa namin. I've learned a lot at mas enjoy ang paglalakwatsa kesa kung kumuha kami ng travel agent. Hindi ko akalain na magagawa ko ang ganito. Actually, matagal ko na ding gustong gawin ang ganun. Gusto ko ng ganung challenge. Ginawa ko na iyan last year sa Cebu. Ang tour guide sa grupo ay si Pie. Next year, saan naman kaya ako? Depende kung saan aabutin ng mga paa, hehehe.

Naka-check in na kami at hinihintay na lang ang boarding. Kumain lang kami ng konti kasi pasado alas dose na. Habang kumakain, may tumawag sa phone. Unknown number. Baka tatay ko. Susunduin daw kasi niya ako. Sinagot ko ang tawag. Si Miss A pala, boss ko. Hehehehe. Hinahanap ako. Pinapapasok ako sa holiday para gawin ang HongKong Express. Funny. Hongkong airline pa ang bungad na trabaho ko pagbalik ng opisina. Hahaha.

pictorial muna si Nick habang nagmemeryenda ako

andyan na ang PAL.. umuwi na daw kami.. Hahaha

hay, pahinga.. see? Iloilo ang shirt ko.. hehehe

hindi rin pahuhuli si Nick. adik!

May free internet access sa terminal so medyo nakapag-check ako ng email. Saglit lang kaya pagkatapos, nagpicture-taking na kami ni Nick.

free internet access

Konti lang ang pasahero ng PAL pauwi. Na-appreciate ko talaga ang pauwi dahil may pagkain kami sa plane. Kanin! Chicken karekare. Carrot cake. Sushi. Bread and butter. Choice of drinks. Glass of water. Coffee or Tea? Iyan ang hain sa amin. Nagutom tuloy ako ngayon...

yum!

Pagdating ng plane sa area of Philippine responsibility (LOL), present na naman ang mga nimbus clouds. Maryosep. Umuulan sa Pilipinas. Ang init sa Macau. Sana hindi baha. Gustong-gusto ko nang mag-CR pero may pupuntahan yatang binyag ang piloto, ang bilis makarating ng plane sa NAIA. Sa Immigrations na lang ako nakapagCR. Ok lang. Paglabas naman, wala nang pila sa Immig, hehehe. Cool! Tapos ang mga bagahe namin, andun na rin. Great. Paglabas namin, ang tatay ko, wala pa. Shucks! Hahahaha.

Nagpaalaman na kami ni Shirley. Magkikita pa kami. May utang pa ako dyan, hahahahahahaha. Siguro mga thirty minutes pa ang hinintay ko bago dumaan ang tatay ko sa harap ko. Tapos umuwi na kami.

Ayos. Iyan ang nangyari sa akin sa apat na araw ko sa lugar ng mga Intsik.

For entertainment value, sana nag-enjoy din kayo. Hahahaha. Nawili akong magkwento. Wala na naman akong magawa sa buhay.

Siyanga pala, this is Prince Caspian. May special ability siya: Ang magtanggal ng sakit ng legs - without doing anything. Sa maghapon naming paglalakad sa Disneyland, sumakit na ang legs namin. Haiiii..

Paglabas namin sa Festival of the Lion King, heto ang bumungad sa amin. Si budz ang unang nakakita sa kanya.. pero may BF na sya. Hahahahaha. (budz, akin na lang ha? LOL!!!)

Nagpa-picture kami sa kanya. Ang sarap nyang i-kiss siguro. LOL! Pagkagaling sa kanya, feeling namin, nawala na ang sakit sa binti namin. Miracle worker ang lalaking ito! LOL!

Bagay kami, di ba? di ba? Hehehehe. ;)

Day 3 - Braving the Scorching Heat of Macau

2008-08-30T11:47:00.004+08:00

Redundant, di ba? Scorching na, Heat pa. Hehehe

We woke an hour late from the schedule we agreed on the previous night. Nakakapagod ang Disneyland tapos humirit pa kami ng night market. Lupit sa energy di ba? Hehehehe. Ok lang. Last stop naman ang Macau and we have less than fourty eight hours for that. Nag-almusal ulit kami sa room, did our morning rituals before we leave. Nagtingin ako sa palabas sa TV, wala na si gwapong Korean actor. As per Chit, his name is Dennis Oh. Kaya pala napa-oh ako. LOL!!!!!

Nagcheck-out na kami sa hotel. Buti na lang, wala nang problema with Elle. Hehehe. Actually, wala din sya sa front desk nung umalis kami. Some guys lang ang andun. Tahimik magsisalita. Kailangan ilapit ko pa tenga ko para marinig sinasabi.

Our next stop would be Macau. From Yau Ma Tei MTR station, we traveled to Sheung Wan where the Turbojet ferry terminal is located. Travel time would be a little over an hour. Medyo bitin pa ako siguro sa breakfast kaya bukod sa malakas na alon, gutom siguro dahilan kaya medyo nahilo ako. Good thing, hindi ako nasuka. Ayaw na ayaw kong masuka. Nahihiya ako.

grabe, ang init!

on the way to the boarding area for Macau

Turbojet... =P

Nakakuha kami ni Shirley ng saglit na tulog so paggising namin, ilang kurap na lang e, Macau na. When we got there, ang haba na naman ng pila sa immigrations. Kung madami dun sa palabas kami ng HK, mas marami sa Macau. Pagkalagpas namin sa mga gwardya, bumaba na kami to get maps and talk about our strategy. Naaliw ako. Ang dami kong nakitang free shuttle buses ng mga casino hotels. Buhay na buhay ang pamamasyal namin nito, hehehe.

aliw talaga ito. nabuhay kami sa libreng sakay sa pamamasyal.. hehehe

But since pasado ala-una na, we decided to go straight to the hotel for check-in, drop our bags, take our lunch and go, go, go.

Medyo apprehensive kami sa kinuha naming hotel - Hotel Central. According to the reviews in the internet, luma na daw ito at medyo hindi kagandahan. Nung unang panahon, ito daw ang pinakamataas na building sa Macau. Mejo nag-alangan kami pero peak season so sinuwerte na din kami na nakakuha ng mura. Anyway, overnight stay lang naman. May malapagan lang ng gamit at matulugan saglit sa gabi, okay na.

yung green building... yun ang Hotel Central

Leal Senado kaagad.. lapit lang di ba? Hehehehe

We took bus #3 from the ferry terminal. Saktong MOP2.50 ang pamasahe, hindi nagsusukli kasi ihuhulog yung barya sa coin box sa tabi ng driver. And then larga na. Nanibago ako sa Macau. The last time na andun ako, wala pang mga malalaking hotel. Ang Hotel Lisboa, mukha pang nag-iisang cake noon pero ngayon, may katabi na syang malaking pinya, ang Grand Lisboa. Kunsabagay, seven years ago pa ang dati kong punta. So talagang madaming pagbabago. Sayang nga din. Sana pala napaaga kami para natyempuhan ko ang NBA. Nakita ko sana si LeBron. Cool!

Pagdating namin sa hotel, bungad pa lang, amoy luma na. Kabado na ako. Nahihiya lang ako magsabi kay budz. Ayokong idamay siya sa feeling ng panghihinayang. Gusto kong ma-enjoy ng kaibigan ko ang Macau. Unlike sa Dorsett Seaview sa HK, palangiti ang matandang babae sa reception. Binigay lang ni Shirley yung print-out ng confirmed booking namin and then okay na. Binigay na ang susi. Medyo naloka kami sa elevator. Nakakatakot. Para kang nasa horror movie tapos may nakatayo sa likod mo na mahabang buhok na nakaputi. Ganun ang naging takbo ng imagination ko, haha.

Paglabas ng elevator sa sixth floor, medyo madilim ang pasilyo. Pang-scary movie ang drama namin! Galing! Kung susumahin ang trip namin, iba-ibang genre ang sinakop namin. LOL!!! Comedy, action, adventure, uh romance (huwag nang humirit. Hanggang ngayon naiimagine ko pa rin si Prince Caspian, si jersey #12 at ang mga gwapitong pulis ng HK. LOL!!) at heto nga, horror. Pagdating sa room, okay naman. Luma talaga siya eh. Pero tolerable. Siguro sobrang nag-expect kami ng worst kaya pagdating namin sa room, medyo na-relieved kami. Daig pa ng Central ang Dorsett. Cable TV! May HBO, AXN, Star Movies, etc. Wala lang CNN. Kalaban talaga ng China ang favorite news channel ko, hehehe. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. After ng konting pahinga at pag-uusap ng strategy sa paglalakwatsa, go na ulit kami.

Mas konti tao sa Macau kesa HK. Medyo tame ito kesa HK pagdating sa dami ng turista. Kaso kasagsagan ng Olympics eh. Ang daming tao talagang pupunta. Kumain muna kami sa isang Chinese eatery sa tabi mismo ng Leal Senado, or San Ma Lo as it is commonly called. As usual, mejo nakatingin yung ibang Chinese pagpasok namin. Hehehe. Kami lang foreigners pala sa kainan nila. Adventure kaya kumain ng Chinese food. Nakakabusog pagkain nila. Nakalimutan naming ang laki ng serving. Dapat magshe-share kami ni Shirley para mas tipid.

After eating late lunch, pinasyal na namin ang San Ma Lo. Madaming establishment dito. Pero ipinagliban muna namin ang pamimili kasi magandang mamasyal muna. May bukas pa naman eh.

madali lang malaman ang pupuntahan mo kasi may mga ganitong signage..

ang daming bumibili ng tapa! ang pinakamabenta is yung Koi Kei kasi may presyo at english translation kung anong klaseng tapa ang tinitinda nila.

Napadpad kami sa bandang gilid, yung St. Dominic Church. Pinoy ang guard sa museo. After nun, naglakad na kami sa bandang likuran papuntang St. Paul Ruins. Ang daming tao. Ang ingay. Dumaan kami sa 'tapahan' street. Hilera ang tinda ng tapa dito. May Macanese delicacies din. Pwede pang mag-free taste. Dala ka lang ng tubig, busog ka na. Hehehe. Cool di ba?

ganda noh?

di pahuhuli si Nick.. LOL!

Sa wakas, narating na namin ang famous ruins of St. Paul church. Nasira ito dahil sa sunog. Pinanatili na lang ng government ng Macau ang natitirang facade kaya naging maayos pa ito. Ang galing nga eh, kasi nagagawa nilang i-preserve ang ganitong bagay. Ang amazing sa tourist spot na ito is yung dramatic location ng facade, may mataas at malawak na steps sa harap nya. Tapos kapag haharap ka sa church, you will see nothing beyond it but clear skies. You would wonder how does it looked like nung buo pa ang church. Maganda kaya siya sa loob? Ano kaya itsura ng tiles sa floor? Elaborate kaya ang designs sa altar? Fascinating di ba?

After looking at the ruins and the mini-museum behind it, we went to Macau Museum. Nasa gilid lang siya. For MOP15, nakapasok ka na sa interactive museum that depicts the history of Macau and the way of life ng mga taong naninirahan dito. Madaming Pinoy na guards sa loob. Nakakatuwa kasi nambabati talaga sila. And it's nice to see kababayans in a foreign country.

pababa na kami from Macau Museum... balak pa yatang dumiga ni Nick sa mga intsik. Babaero!!! LOL!

per bus numbers, nakalagay yung madadaanan or routes nila. madali lang malaman kung anong sasakyan mo. Galing noh? sana ganyan din dito, para organized. At hindi nag-aagawan ang mga bus. Yun nga lang, sangkatutak ang bus companies dito, unlike doon.

After exploring the museum and doing some photoshoot, hehehe, umalis na kami. We went to A-Ma Temple pero wala palang makikita doon. Ang magandang nangyari naman sa amin, naintindihan namin ang sistema ng buses nila.

nagpa-picture muna si Nick bago kami umalis. LOL

walang nasa loob ng waiting shed kasi mas mainit sa waiting shed kesa sa labas.. baligtad. LOL!

Papunta kami sana ng Macau Tower pero ang hirap maghintay ng bus 21 dito na dadaan doon so bumalik na lang kami sa Lisboa. From there, we took a bus sa Wynn Hotel papuntang Venetian. Mali pa ang nasakyan namin kasi papuntang boarder gate. Sa Sands Casino pala may masasakyan. Ok lang. Nakapag-joyride kami at naipahinga namin ang mga paa namin kahit saglit. From the boarder gate, nagfree shuttle ulit kami going to Venetian. Meron na silang available shuttle doon.

madaming sumasamantala sa free shuttle na ito ng Wynn Macau.. malaking tipid din naman kasi eh.

dito ako nag-stay noon. 12th floor. May mga multo dyan, hehehe.

nasa Venetian Hotel na kami. Daming Pinoy dito, lalo na sa duty free.
Pagdating namin sa Venetian, hinanap agad namin ang Grand Canal. Excited. Gusto ko nang ma-experience being in Italy. Naks! I was thinking na since may water ito, sa ground floor lang. But no, I was wrong! LOL!!! Nasa second floor siya. Ang ganda. Ang sarap magdala ng boyfriend dito tapos sakay kami ng gondola. Yiiii!!!

kulang na lang kumanta ako sa posing na ito, di ba? LOL!

hanep sa kisame!

Siyanga pala, nanalo kami sa gambling kaya nakarating kami dito sa Venice... excuse me. LOL!!!

ang tinis ng boses ng babaeng yan! authentic Italian ang kinukuha nila for the job, para feel! taray noh?

Dito na rin kami kumain ng dinner. Nagshare na kami ni Shirley sa gastos, hehehe. Minsan lang namang mag-dinner sa Venetian. Dun nga lang sa food court.

foodcourt.. feeling Italy pa rin. hehehe

After dinner, umalis na kami. Manonood pa kami ng fountain show at yung paglabas ng Tree of Prosperity sa Wynn Hotel. So sa labas, may shuttle bus na papuntang Sands Casino. Naisipan naming dumaan pa pala muna ng Fisherman's Wharf kahit gabi na. Sayang din ang kodak moments. Hehehehe. Tinawid lang namin ang destinasyon namin from Sands. Dinaanan na lang ng bus ang Macau Tower. We're supposed to go here kaso hindi naman kami magba-bungee or whatever. Hindi rin kami kakain dito kasi mahal, so ok nang nasilayan namin. Pagdating sa Fisherman's Wharf, nag-umpisa na kami ng photoshoot. Pati si Nick, humirit...

nauna kaagad si Nick. Adik din.

hindi rin kami pahuhuli.

wala na kaming magawa.. pati anino namin, kinuhanan namin ng picture. LOL

sarado na ang Olympics Shop!!! Waahhhhh!!!

After nito, naglakad na kami papuntang ferry terminal, para naman sumakay ng another free shuttle bus papuntang Wynn Hotel. Manonood na kami ng fountain show at yung sa Tree of Prosperity. Konting minuto lang ang hinintay namin. Sumulpot na parang kabute ang fountain.. Galing! Kinunan ko ng video. Upload ko na lang soon. Ang laki eh. Hehehe

before the fountain show ... napaka-colorful! LOL

tubig shot.. hehehe

After the show, mejo alanganin kaming pumasok sa loob ng hotel. Nakaka-intimidate. Pero pinalakas ni Shirley loob ko. Parang nakakahiya kasi. Di naman kami guests dun tapos pasok-pasok kami, hehehe. Eh, ang dami din palang turista. Tapos yung isang Pinay na nagtatrabaho dun, sabi nya 1030H pa daw yung next show. Dumating kasi kami katatapos lang. So naghintay na lang kami... Of course, kodak moments ulit..

si Nick daw muna...

... tapos kami. hehehe

bubukas ito mamaya

... tapos dito lalabas ang puno

Nung nag-umpisa yung show, parang bigla na lang may sisilab na cosmic energy. Check nyo pictures. Hindi ko maintindihan ang concept bakit ganun,,, tapos mahahawi yung malaking projector na yun at lalabas ang isang dambuhalang chandelier. Sa ibaba naman, lalabas yung Tree of Prosperity na sabi nila is made of pure gold. Sabi din, concept daw ito ni Steve Wynn, ang may-ari ng hotel. Cool noh? May video ako ng first few minutes kaso pinagbawalan na ako ng guard, which is --- Pinoy. Hehehe.

nagbubukas na...

... o di ba? parang may something unexplainable na mangyayari.. LOL

whoa!!!

... lumalabas na ang dambuhalang chandelier!

Nagmi-meet na sila ng puno

ayan na!!! ayos noh? hehe.. tapos yun na, tapos na show.. konting kodak moment and then papasok na ulit sila sa pinanggalingan nila, hehe

ayan, kodak moment!

After that, pagod na. Naglakad na lang kami pauwing hotel. Uwi na kami bukas. Pero may kwento pa ako ...

Day 2 - Magical Dreams Come True

2008-08-30T11:45:00.001+08:00

Nagising ako nang maaga on the second day. Habang tulog pa si Shirley, nanood muna ako ng TV kahit panay intsik ang nakikita ko at walang maintindihan. LOL. At may natyempuhan akong palabas. Hmmm... Yum... Akala ko intsik pero nung nakita ko ang writing sa TV series na iyon, Korean pala. Imagine, pinasok na rin pala ang China ng mga Koreanovela. Cool! Hahaha. Hindi ko alam ang palabas pero may gwapong character sa palabas. Isa siyang chef sa isang resto. Hindi siya mukhang Korean. Kapal ng kilay. Ganda ng mata. Hihihihihi. Ang cute. Kailangang ma-research ang pangalan nun, hahaha.

kahawig ng Chinese actor na ito si Jennylyn Mercado, LOL!!

please help me find the name of this Korean actor. hehehe

pipikit lang, gwapo pa talaga noh?

sino kaya siya?

So iyon ang umpisa ng second day ko in HK. Nakakita ako ng Koreanong gwapo sa TV na naka-dub in Chinese. Hehehe.

this is Iska. dinala ko sya sa bagahe ko para picturan din, kaso mas magaang dalhin si Nick (the ninja) kesa sa kanya so room shots lang meron sya, hehehe. she's holding my disney ticket. ;)

Ang itinerary namin was solely to be in Disneyland. After the morning rituals at nag-almusal ng mga binaong noodles at brownies, pumunta muna kami sa money changer sa Tsim Sham Tsui (TST) para kay Shirley. Nag-MTR kami. After that, we took the MTR again. From TST, we get off in Lai King, went to the intersecting line and get off at Sunny Bay. Dito na kami nag-abang ng papuntang Disneyland. Cool ng handrails at windows nila. Ulo ni Mickey. You can find the mickeys everywhere, LOL.

From TST, we get off in Lai King, went to the intersecting line and get off at Sunny Bay

... while waiting for the disneyland MTR

feel na feel ko na si Mickey dyan, hehehe

syempre kailangan may souvenir pic, LOL!

Hindi pwedeng walang picture-taking nung makarating kami ng Disneyland. I was so excited. It was a dream come true for me. I told myself that if I cannot go to Anaheim, California or the nearest one in Tokyo, Japan for a Disneyland experience, the nearest one in Asia will do. Visa is not required pa, say mo. Hehehehe. I admit, I was in tears when we reached the welcome entrance of the resort.

May fountain pa na magwe-welcome sa iyo before you finally go inside Disneyland. Over na siguro but I posed myself jumping in joy! Hahahahaha.

After getting our guide map and timetable for Disney shows, the first thing we did when we get in was to look for a cheap place to eat. It's almost lunch time and we want to eat already since we did not have a decent breakfast. I know it's Disneyland. Baka walang cheap place to eat pero may nakita naman kami na carry nang pagkainan... hindi kasing-mahal nung nasa Mainstreet USA na resto.

But before that, nagkataong in a few minutes, mag-uumpisa na ang show ng High School Musical (HSM). From the Mainstreet, we went in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle to watch. Ang festive ng mood sa Disneyland. I admit for one day, we felt like kids again, minus the tantrums, hehehe. Sa show ng HSM, madaming mukhang Pinoy sa cast. Hindi na ako magtataka na meron and I'm proud because they were able to bring fun to lots of people. Ang galing! Of course, kasama sa performance ang translation to Chinese from time to time. That's for the benefit of those who do not understand English. Then, may gwapong guy sa cast, hehehe. Naka-#12 jersey. Mukhang Pinoy. Pwede. LOL!

in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle

... gutom na ako pero di ko palalagpasin ito, haha. I love HSM

sayang, di nakatingin dito sa jersey #12.. LOL!

fun! i want to join the dance, hehehe

ayan sya! kahawig pala nya yung crush ko nung grade school!! hahaha

After that energetic number, nagtuloy na kami sa Fantasyland. Kakain muna so nagpunta na lang kami sa pinakamalapit na royal banquet hall for lunch. Nasobrahan yata sa steam yung gulay. Ang lambot, parang sponge na, pero masarap pa din. Carry naman ang price. For HKDsomething-something, busog ka na. Hehehe

don't underestimate this. nakakabusog na pala yan. LOL! akala ko kukulangin sa akin, sa lakas kong kumain.

This is found inside the royal banquet hall

Pagkatapos nito, inumpisahan na namin ang todong paglilibot. Napadaan kami sa Mickey's Philharmagic Orchestra. It's a 3D theater. Pinakita yung mga Disney cast na kinakanta yung mga famous songs from the movie like Be Our Guest from Beauty and the Beast. I'm not shy to admit that I was almost in tears, hehehe. It was nostalgic. I have a happy childhood and to be in Disneyland is really a dream come true.

We went to Fantasy Gardens afterwards and met Minnie Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Pluto, Chip and Dale, Goofy and Mickey Mouse. Got pictures.

sayang, di na pwede magpa-picture kay Pluto kasi uuwi na daw sya, LOL! kaya panakaw na lang ang ginawa kong pix.

I did not pass the chance to go to It's a Small World. We took the boat ride inside a mala-castle na building. While cruising, pinapakita naman dito yung children of the world, singing the song It's a Small World (After All) in different languages. May Tagalog version, cool! Nasa isang bahay kubo ang mga bata, may tarsier sa gilid at may kalabaw sa katabing platform. Cute. Hehehe. Ang hindi lang namin napuntahan is yung 'The Golden Mickeys'. It came to mind but forgot about that when I saw the characters and had pictures with them.

in front of "It's A Small World'

Nilabas na namin ang Fantasyland at tumuloy na kami sa Tomorrowland. Gusto sana naming pasukin yung Stitch Encounter kaso nahuli na kami sa English show. Mga intsik na nag-aabang ng Chinese show ang nandun. So we decided to wait na lang for the next English show at 7PM.

Tumuloy na lang kami sa Space Mountain. Malulupit ang mga warning nila about the indoor rollercoaster ride. Iyong mga tipong pwede kang panghinaan ng loob. haha. Hindi ko lang na-picturan pero dun sa final step bago sumakay ng rollercoaster, may nakapaskil na "this is your final chance to decide". Backing out is greatly encouraged. LOL!!! Kailangan wala kang sakit sa puso, hindi buntis (obvious naman ito di ba?), hindi ka lasing at pumasa ka sa height requirement (hehehe). Pero andaming bata. Ang nakakaloka pa sa mga Chinese, napaka-impatient nila. Gustong sumingit sa pila. Gusto ko ngang isalpak sa mukha nila yung rules and regulations na nasa guide map. Courtesy and respect. Ang kukulit. Kung hindi parang nagmamadali, parang mauubusan naman ng ride. Hanggang sa pagsakay namin, may mga bata. We assumed na safe naman ang ride kaya pumapayag ang mga staff. Medyo kinabahan at worried lang ako sa mga warning nila about the ride but I told Shirley, kung pumasa kami sa Space Shuttle ng Enchanted Kingdom, kaya naman namin siguro ang Space Mountain. Hehehehe.

The rollercoaster ride exceeded our expectations. Walang-wala ang Space Shuttle sa EK. Nanakot lang yun sa biglang bagsak at the start of the ride. Heto, madaming sudden twists and turns, sudden stops at hindi ka na makakapag-pose for a picture sa camera nila somewhere. Ang galing ng ride! Kung hindi lang mahaba ang pila, masarap ulitin. After the ride, lumabas na kami to check our pictures. Pangit. Hindi talaga ako naka-pose, hahaha. So I decided to take a photo of it na lang as a copy.

Napatingin sa akin ang pamilya ng Chinese after ko ginawa yun. Sabi ko 'don't buy the photo, just take a picture with your cam'. Hehehe. Pinoy na pinoy na ba ang dating ko? Hahahaha. Aba! Nagsi-sunuran nga. Tinititigan lang nila kanina, pero pagkatapos kong gawin yun, ginawa na din nilang lahat. Trendsetter ako! LOL!!

yung malabo lang ipo-post ko.. di talaga kaaya-aya itsura namin eh, hahahahaha

Kung tutuusin, ang dami nang oras ang tinakbo sa paglilibot namin. Lagpas 3PM na agad. We decided to go back to Mainstreet USA to check on the souvenir shops. By 4PM, aabangan namin kasi yung Mickey's Waterworks Parade. Sa init ng panahon, ok lang sa amin ang mabasa. Nung 4PM na, pumwesto na kami sa tabi ng kalye. Napaka-festive ng mood. And of course, may mga intsik na gusto kaming singitan sa pwesto namin. Pasensyahan na lang, hehehe.

cute ng balloons... kumpulan sila. =)

May naunang marching band prior to the parade. And guess what? Yung isa sa mga parade dancers na nambabasa ng mga tao ay Pinoy. Malatean pa! Schoolmate!!! Member daw siya ng Glee Club, sabi ni Shirley. Nung nasa harap na namin ang guy at tinuro namin sya, sabi ni Shirley 'kilala kita! '. Hahaha. Aba, ang Pinoy ... tinutok ba naman ang water gun at binasa kami, LOL. Tapos sabay ngiti at kaway sa amin. Cool!

start na ng pista ni San Juan!!! LOL.

Disney princesses. Imagine, ganda lang puhunan nila, hehehehe

i love Donald Duck. ;)

i love Eeyore more than Winnie the Pooh.

Ang daming Pinoy sa parade. Mahahalata naman sa itsura pa lang. At siguro nahahalata din kami sa itsura, kaya binabasa kami. Basang-basa na kami! LOL. Sa excitement ko naman, nagbanta na ng low batt ang cam ko! Yay!

basa na ako dito. pero sarap ng feeling. ang init kasi ng panahon eh, hehehe

After the parade, may energy pa kaming bumalik sa souvenir shops. After a while na wala pa rin kaming mapili, nagpahinga muna kami sa bench. Nagpa-picture pa kami sa isang intsik, hehe.

We also took time to check with the information counter kung available pa ang MTR pauwi because we will stay until the park closes, after watching the fireworks show. Buti naman at may MTR pa. Nung mejo naipahinga na ang mga paa namin, tumuloy naman kami sa Adventureland. Pagod na kami so we decided to just watch the Festival of the Lion King. We calculated the time. The show's duration is 30 minutes. After that, susugod naman kami sa kabilang side to watch Stitch Encounter. Carry.

As usual, there goes the impatient Chinese people. Hindi ko naman nilalahat, pero sa experience namin doon, parang hindi sila magkandaugaga at gustong makapasok kaagad. Nakikipag-unahan sa pila. Buti na lang may fast pass kami so pinapasok agad kami. Sa bandang unahan kami. Ang ganda ng show! Ang galing ng mga African singers. Buong-buo ang boses nila. Sila ang bida sa show. Ang gagaling nila! At duon ko din nakita ang schoolmate ko from UST, si Josh! He told me noon na doon siya nagwowork. I thought then na nasa parade sya pero hindi ko nakita. Then I saw him in the show. Anyone who knows him can recognize that wide smile everywhere. Ang gwapo ni Josh, hehehe. Ang galing-galing pa din talaga niyang sumayaw. Talagang ginawa nyang career. During my UST days, siya pa ang nag-choreo sa amin sa isang pageant nung college.

Josh is one of them.. naka-yellow shorts sya.

Ang saya nang matapos ang show. Pero kung may nagpagaling lang sa sakit ng paa namin, walang iba yun kundi si Prince Caspian (insert screaming women here). I met my prince charming in Disneyland (naka-bold pa talaga di ba? LOL!!!) Ang gwapo. Konti lang pumila so pinilahan namin siya. At hindi kami nag-share sa picture ni Shirley. Ang gwapo. Ang sarap i-kiss! Intimidated ako sa gwapo so mejo pa-demure ako that time. LOL!!! Ang gwapo talaga. May British accent pa ang lolo! Nag-hello sya sa akin when I stepped on the platform with him. Afterwards, when I said thank you, he nodded with acknowledgment. Ang gwapo talaga!!! Buti na lang naka-pants ako, hahahaha. Makalaglag-underwear. At himala, talagang nawala ang pananakit ng mga binti at paa namin, hahaha. Ang sarap-sarap nyang tingan. Ang sarap-sarap nyang tabihan. Ang gwapo talaga! (low batt na ang cam ko so ginamit namin yung cam ni Shirley. Kapag nakakuha na ako ng copy ng pix, ie-edit ko ito. hay, kinikilig na naman ako. haha)

Okay enough na. Over na, hahaha. Last hirit, ang gwapo talaga. Hehehehe.

We rushed to Stitch Encounter after that. Forty five minutes pa daw ang hihintayin. So we went back to Mainstreet USA to buy souvenirs na. After that, balik na ulit kami kay Stitch. Walang pila. Pagdating sa looban, may iilan na palang nakapila. Mostly foreigners like us, hehe. Iilan lang ang Chinese. I'm excited. Favorite ko si Stitch. Kahawig nga niya si Troy, minus the fur. Na-miss ko tuloy ang aso ko, hehehe.

Nakakaaliw si Stitch. The show is interactive. Yung mga Chinese na hindi pala nakakaintindi ng English, lumabas. Engot. Sinabi na sa gate pa lang na English show yun eh. Tsk. Tsk. Hehehe. Anyway, Stitch asked us to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, in honor of his new best friend, Star. She's a Chinese little girl who can speak and understand English. She's seated in front with her cousins. Nung walang masyadong kumakanta ng nursery rhyme, asar na asar si Stitch, hahaha. So pinakanta kami after him, line by line. Gigil na gigil sya. Hahaha. Then he turned to the other side of the room because he thought he recognized a runaway experiment. He pointed to a semi-bald guy on the second row. His name is Rupert and Stitch insisted that he's an alien. Rupert said that Stitch was mistaken. He's never been out of the earth or to anywhere in the galaxy. As a proof, Stitch showed Rupert's ID. Hahaha. Kakatawa itsura nung guy, nakanganga pa nung kinuhanan ng photo. Experiment 626 si Stitch so it's impossible not to recognize the alien next to him which is Rupert, Experiment 627. Hahaha. Aliw! After that, he turned to a woman near Rupert's seat. She told Stitch to call her whatever he wants to. Gusto pang magpaka-anonymous **roll eyes** Arte. Anyway, hindi siya umubra kay Stitch. So she only said she's Alilo, whatever. And her brother's name is Stitch daw. Hindi din pumayag si Stitch, haha. He took a picture ng maaarteng tao na ito then when he said that he will keep the picture forever, bigla na lang kinain ang camera nya, hahaha. Typical of him. Natapos ang show. Aliw.

After that, we took our dinner na. HKDsomething-something for a big bowl of Sweet and Sour Pork with rice meal. Malilinis ang drinking fountain so nag-refill na lang kami sa dala naming mineral water bottle. Afterwards, naupo na kami sa tapat ng Sleeping Beauty Castle to wait for the fireworks show. Sanay kami because we're Malateans, hehehe. After seemingly thrity minutes or so, nag-umpisa na ang fireworks. Ang ganda.

umpisa na yan ...

after this shot, namatay na cam ko... waaahhhhh!!! ito pa mandin inaabangan ko. i'll post na lang ng shots later from Shirley's cam

Too bad that I was only able to take a few shots with my cam because low batt na talaga. Shirley was able to take a video and I took her cam instead to capture the moments. Ang ganda! Overwhelming. Magical. Amazing show. For a period of time, we were like kids. I was a little emotional. Before, I can only dream about it and see on TV but now, hayan na ang magical fireworks sa harap ko. Hehehe. Cool.

After the show, I was speechless. Medyo tulala pa kami ng buddy ko. Then I turned to her and said "What a great way to end a magical and wonderful day." And she agreed.

I will definitely be coming back. I will bring along my family so that they will also experience what I had.

There are lots of people sa MTR Sunny Bay station nung pauwi na. Ang tagal dumating ng MTR. Tapos ang daming Pinoy na akong nakikita na nagkukumpulan. Mostly, families. Inaantok na ako. Napagod din ako.

Napansin ko lang ever since dumating kami, ang mga intsik, hindi sila nauubusan ng kwento. Hahaha. Kasi kahit saan kami magpunta, laging nagsasalita, kaya laging maingay. As in maingay ang paligid. No wonder, according to the Reader's Digest December 2007 Issue, isa ang Hong Kong sa mga siyudad sa Asya na maiingay. Huwag kang magbunyi, Pinoy. Kasama tayo dun, hahaha. Blame the videoke bars. We only disregard this issue but according to studies, it can really lead us to being deaf.

Anyway, saka ko na tatalakayin yun. After ng mahabang byahe pauwi sa Kowloon Island, nakarating din kami ng hotel. Ang bagal naming maglakad, hahaha. Pagod na kasi. Hindi na rin kami masyadong nakapagpahinga. Kahit wala naman akong bibilhin, sumama ako kay Shirley sa Temple Street for the night market. Nagtingin-tingin lang, hehe. Curious. Pero nung napagod ako, di ko na kinaya. Nagpaalam na ako sa kanya na balik na lang ako ng hotel. Iniwan ko na lang sya. Maya-maya, umuwi na rin sya. Nakaligpit na ako ng gamit ko kasi kinabukasan, sa Macau naman kami pupunta.

Nakakapagod, pero masaya. =)

Day 1 - Exploring HK

2008-08-30T11:40:00.002+08:00

There are four words to describe our first day in Hongkong. Rainy. Exhausting. Fun. Adventure.

I was so excited that we will be embarking from the Terminal 3 aboard Cebu Pacific going to Hongkong. Sa excitement ko, I asked my father to wake up as early as 1AM para by 2, nandun na kami sa T3. Ang aga noh? Well, I also thought na we have to be early kasi international flight iyon at ayoko namang mahuli at maiwan. We arrived earlier than the estimated time so I felt lucky that we did not get to experience the ordeal that some of the passengers have gone through when they boarded 5J flights in T3. Kasama ko sa biyahe ang high school buddy ko, si Shirley Bonifacio. While waiting, we took pictures.

In the HK International Airport (HKIA), we tried not to appear first-timers as we follow the crowd towards the immigrations and the conveyor for our luggages. I didn't know what was the problem with the immigration officer when it was my turn because he asked me questions about my stay in HK while my companion was already on the other side and waiting for me. Ang chaka. Cute sana. I don't have penchants for Chinese men pero kapag irresistable na ang itsura na, i-career na! LOL. But for only a few minutes, he already stamped my passport and I went through. Hongkong, here I am.

It is my first time alone in Hongkong. I went through a travel agent before so I don't care about everything then but to present my passport. But now, I have to plan on everything to avoid getting lost or spending too much. As per the research that I had, we have to buy an Octopus card worth HKD100 with additional deposit of HKD50. We can use this primarily for buses and MTR in going around the city. If we didn't consume everything that is in the card, we can refund it at the customer service counter.

After that, we went out of the terminal to look for the A21 bus going to Yau Ma Tei district. This is where our hotel, Dorsett Seaview, is located. The bus is amazing! LOL. Well, the last time I rode in this kind of bus was when I was a kid and in Manila. I don't know if there is anyone of you who can still remember that. There were double-decker buses in Manila before that were used for mass transportation. No kidding. So anyway, we found the bus, went straight to the second deck after we left our luggages below, and sat in front. Amazing view! There were frequent rainshowers when we arrived but we tried not to let it dampen our excited mood of exploring the city.

We have to get off at bus stop #9 in Nathan Road but we could not see the bus stop number for every point, if there's any. So when we reached Mongkok, we went down from the second deck and told the driver to stop at the #9 spot, whatever they called it. In a few minutes, we reached the destination. From Nathan Road, we looked for the Public Square St, turned to the corner, walked for a few minutes and found our hotel.

Dorsett Seaview Hotel is a three-star hotel that has amenities acceptable to our taste, LOL. The elevator is small but the room is nice. It can really provide a place for your comfort after a long day of exploring the sights and sounds of Hongkong. It is located in the corner of Public Square Street and Shanghai Street. Temple Street is only on the other side so it will give anyone an easy access to the bargain shops that lined up the street every night. The Yau Ma Tei station of MTR is the place to get off to reach this hotel.

The receptionist present at that time has 'Elle' on her nameplate. We immediately inquired our reservation. It was hard to talk with her because aside from the fact that she is not even smiling, she talked so fast. It was hard to understand her English with her Chinese accent. She asked for our passports and she began to type on our names in the system. She asked me to fill up the form for check-in, as well, and she made a guaranteed save on my credit card account. Me and Shirley knew that the usual check-in is two PM so we decided to left our bags and started exploring the city.

We started walking to look for the Wing Hoi money changer, which is located at the back of Mirador Mansion. It was a long walk. There was the usual rainshower. Through the help of the HK thread in Pinoy Exchange, we were able find it. It was worth the walk because we enjoyed passing through shops and seeing cute HK policemen (as in, OMG!). Kung hindi lang nakakahiya, nagpa-picture na kami sa kanila kaso on duty sila eh. LOL! We finally found the infamous money exchange and ok nga magpapalit ng currency sa kanila. **wink**

After that, we're already hungry so we decided to eat. We don't have time to look for any 'hole-in-the-wall' eateries because we're so hungry, we want to eat right away. So setting aside our feel for gastronomic adventure, we went inside a McDonalds and ate breakfast. Solved na. Anyway, I brought a special guest with me on my trip. Meet Nick Carter, the ninja! (hiniram ko muna sya dahil alam kong mawawala na sya sa pangangalaga ko, hehe)

gusto nya may hawak syang tinidor, LOL

Nakakatamad mamasyal at this time na umaambon so we decided to postpone our itinerary to go to Victoria Peak and walked towards the waterfront to check the Avenue of Stars. It was the Chinese version of Hollywood's Walk of Fame. I found the stars of Jet Li, Jacky Cheung, Chow Yun Fat, Bruce Lee and of course, Jacky Chan. They all have handprints except Bruce Lee. Magulat ka kapag meron sya. Baka metacarpals na niya ang naka-embossed dun, hahahaha.

solo pics muna si Nick. sya ang proxy ko kung ayaw kong magpa-picture.. hehe

aliw na aliw ang mga intsik habang pini-picturan ko sya dito. Go Nick! LOL

syempre, di kami pahuhuli kay Jackie Chan. Hai yah!

epal. gusto pa sa Director's Chair

syempre, ako din!

After going to the Avenue of Stars, we were so tired of walking. My feet is killing me! I want to sit but we could not find any dry place to rest for a while. We went back to our hotel by foot. Imagine yourself walking from Baclaran to Vito Cruz through Roxas Blvd, mga ganun ang distance ng hotel at ng dulo ng Nathan Road. I was struggling to keep on walking.

It was already two PM when we reached the hotel. Sakto for check-in time. Elle is not smiling again. I told her about our reservations was pre-guaranteed by my cc. She said na disregarded na daw iyon kanina nung nag-check in kami. So, check-in na pala ang ginawa nya kanina nung unang dumating kami. Hindi naman kami binigyan ng susi. Pero ok lang. At least hindi kami siningil ng additional rate for the early check-in. So we get the bags from the bell service and preceeded to our room. Konting pahinga lang ang ginawa namin tapos we decided to go to Victoria Peak after two hours.

For the first time, we traveled via MTR. Sobrang organized ng transport system ng HK. If there is a tendency to get lost, just go to their Customer Service Counter. They can converse with you in English which is dapat lang, hehehe. So going back, we started in the Jordan station and get off at the Central station. We will go to Worldwide Plaza first to buy cheap Disneyland HK tickets. From the peak-day ticket worth HKD350, nabili namin for HKD320. Medyo nagkaligaw-ligaw kami. Ang mga pulis na nakita namin, hindi nakakaintindi ng English. Naging pulis pa sila kung sa kapwa Chinese lang sila makakatulong, di ba? Anyway, I was overwhelmed when we reached Worldwide Plaza. It was invaded by Filipinos! As in kahit saang anggulo, may Pinoy. For a period of time, Tagalog ang narinig kong wika, hehehe. Cool!

Traveleasy is located at the third floor of Worldwide Plaza. Travel agency siya. Matatagpuan sa bandang dulo sa kaliwa pagkatapos mag-escalator. From MTR, go to exit D, turn left towards Des Veoux Central street, this building is located across the street. Makikita ang pangalan ng building sa labas. Pagpasok mo pa lang sa travel agency, mga Pinay ang bubungad sa iyo. Kaya nag-tagalog agad kami. Hehehe. After buying tickets, tumuloy naman kami sa Smart 1528 at the 1st floor. Kailangan ni Shirley ng HK SIM card para makatext at tawag sa Pilipinas sa murang halaga. HKD38 ang bili niya pero kung iko-convert iyan sa piso, tipid pa ba? Ayoko na mag-compute, hahaha. Naghintay lang ako sa labas kasi wala naman akong gagawin sa loob. Makakasikip lang ako. May lumapit sa aking matanda. Tinatanong ako kung break contract daw ako. Hindi ko alam kung ano yun pero umiling lang ako. Siguro, iyon yung tawag kapag natapos na ang kontrata ng isang OFW sa HK.

After Worldwide Plaza, dumiretso na kami papuntang Peak Tram. It is a moving piece of history at hindi namin pinalagpas ni Shirley yun. But before going there, may mga nadaanan kaming interesting subjects for photoshoot.

may impluwensya ni Bayani Fernando ang gumawa ng signage na ito, hmmm...

St John's Cathedral: May Pinoy translation. 'stig!

o di ba? hahaha

Discounted ang Peak Tram nung hapong iyon kasi foggy daw. Hindi na maganda ang view dahil sa ulan. From the usual HKD48, HKD33 na lang ang roundtrip fare. Yes, tipid na naman, hehehe. Tinatamad ako actually magpunta but for my friend, I will go there para makita naman niya. Sayang nga lang. I know mas maa-appreciate niya sana ang view ng Hongkong kung maganda ang panahon. When we get there, ok naman ang view. Medyo obstructing lang talaga ang fog. After that, we went back to Tsim Sham Tsui to watch Symphony of Lights.

sayang, di ba? hehe. pahamak na ulap!

Before that, we decided to have dinner first. Mga six PM na yun. We found a Chinese eatery at doon kami kumain. I ordered beef and vegetables with rice. Ang laki ng serving nila, in a low price of HKD28. May inumin na din ako. Busog na busog na ako kahit yung spoon na pang-congee ang gamit ko. Hindi naman kasi ako marunong mag-chopsticks eh. At ayokong magpanggap, hahaha. Ang sarap ng pagkain nila. Yum!

After dinner, nagpahinga kami saglit ni Shirley. After a while, nagpunta na kami sa Avenue of Stars. Umaambon pa rin pero carry. Manonood na kami ng Symphony of Lights. Ahead of schedule kami so maganda ang pwestong sinilungan namin. Tanaw na tanaw ang nightscape ng Hongkong Island. Ang gaganda tingnan ng mga nagsasayaw na lights ng mga building, lalo na yung sa Bank of China. Iyong pwesto namin, malapit lang sa Olympic Piazza at malakas ang sound system. So damang-dama iyong performance ng mga ilaw dahil sa music na naririnig namin.

napakalikot ng building ng Bank Of China. hehe

Pagkatapos ng show, naisip na naming bumalik sa hotel. Susubukan naming mag-MTR kasi nakakapagod na. From Tsim Sham Tsui station, bumaba kami ng Yau Ma Tei, exit C. Ok, natututo na kami. Haha. Ilang tumbling na lang at hotel na. Shirley was supposed to go sa night market pero umaambon pa din kaya nagpahinga na lang kaming dalawa at natulog.

nakaramdam ako ng pagod nung makita ko yung kama.

Nakakapagod. First day in Hongkong pa lang iyan. Sakit sa paa ang paglalakad pero enjoy naman, hehe.