Sa Durungawan... (Ikalawang Yugto)

Maalaala Mo Kaya...

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:48:00 +0000

Let's do a little bit of reminiscin' here, shall we? =)

Jeff’s Bangkok Trip & Tips

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:30:00 +0000

I’m pretty sure there have been to many travel and personal blogs about some do’s and don’ts in Bangkok … I’ll join the bandwagon.

August has the 30’s temperature (in C) and 80’s humidity. It’s effing scorching hot hot hot!!!

Bringing a bottle of mineral water is always advisable though you can buy one practically anywhere for about 10-20 Baht. The buko juice (20-25 Baht) is a must try! It’s naturally sweet and creamy.

Tuktuks can be tourist traps! Most drivers would rip you off by charging over 300 Baht for a five to ten-minute ride (with or without traffic).

If you’re going to any of the floating markets, just enjoy the experience and riding the boat. Don’t shop there – items are usually priced double or triple. You can buy something to eat though.

Temple visits would definitely be part of everyone’s itinerary. Note that certain temples have appropriate dress codes. The Grand Palace has the most expensive ticket for THB 350. The other temples’ “donation” or ticket prices range from Thb 20 – 50. Others, absolutely FREE!

If budget is not a major issue, an organized tour will work for you. Tours would normally include hotel pick-up and drop off plus lunch. Although tours can take much of your time than the usual. I personally recommend http://www.city-discovery.com/ in fact me and my friends took the Khlong tour and we experienced the different side of Bangkok via the Chao Phraya River.

Maps can be confusing at times so it’s also safe to ask for directions from the locals but make sure to ask at least two or three different people to check for consistency. You can get a relatively better English street conversation in Thailand compared to China. Oh btw, get your hotel address written in Thai by the concierge. This may come in handy in directing your cab driver back to your hotel.

Factor in heavy traffic in your city travels but if you’re used to the Metro Manila scene, you’ll be just fine. You can take the train (BTS - Silom & Sukhumvit lines) on some of your trips.
Night life ends at 1am. Deal with it.

Expect long walks when touring sights and nearby temples. One way to ease those tired legs and feet would be the Thai massage. It’s 150-200 per hour on the average but in the shoppers area, it could range from 200 – 400 per hour.

Although shopping usually comes last in the itinerary (of course you’d prioritize spending on tours and food first right), try to resist buying stuff during your tours since there are places with great bargains. Chatuchak weekend market is number one on the list. Brace yourself here because an entire day is not enough to browse through each and every stall. Pratunam district, Platinum Mall and Suan Lum night bazaar would come in next.

You can get very affordable tailored clothes and suites (especially in the Pratunam district) and get everything finished in like 9 hours. I think I saw some shops that can give you about 1,000 – 2,000 baht for a complete suit already!

Don’t be afraid to try the authentic Thai street foods such as the noodles (30-40 baht), pad thai (30 – 45 baht), etc.

Always ask the taxi driver to use the meter for a more accurate fare.

Thanon Khao San is the backpackers district. It’s very busy and almost everything is relatively affordable. And mind you, there’s San Mig light and Pale Pilsen here!!! Woohoo!!!
When Thais say spicy, they mean it! Just enjoy the food.

Thais are not culturally heavy on tipping for services provided. A little generosity wouldn’t hurt though. They’d be more than appreciative of that gesture.
If it’s your first time to visit the city try to get as much travel tips from friends who have been there before or better yet, get them to come along with you.

Try to arrange everything prior to your trip – hotel reservation (google it first and check out the location, reviews, rates, etc), airport transfers, tour package inclusions, etc. But if you’re the adventurous type, I guess you can just hop on the plane and take it from there.

Enjoy Bangkok! I did... and I'd love to come back. =)

Taking the back seat

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:47:00 +0000

I’ve always said that driving for over an hour makes me cranky – not to mention jammed roads, having no one to talk to while driving (either I’m usually driving alone or my pax are sleeping ugh!). And time and again I say “I’d like to take the back seat and indulge myself in being a passenger sometimes”. Thing is, for the two sets of my immediate friends, I don’t get that chance really. For the first group of friends, most of them don’t drive. Alvin does but he has expired driver’s license and from the looks of it, he doesn’t have plans of renewing it anytime soon. Ayee on the other hand doesn’t feel comfortable driving in the metro. So here comes my second group of friends. Whenever we meet up, they usually bring their own cars. Boo-hoo for me.

I’ve been feeling low for the past week. Some emotional distress here and there – okay, it’s all but the never-ending saga on my lovelife really. I’ve been taking the backseat on this ride for the past 9 months, would you believe? Stupid, I know. But what can I do? It was last week when the unimaginable just happened. How else am I supposed to feel when “they are back together, or should I say having the time of their lives again” right in front of my face? For over a year I’ve never seen them together really and I’ve never wanted to know much about them – “them”. What you don’t know won’t hurt, right? Here comes devastation. Sadness. Confusion. Anger. What else?

I was fervently hoping that I’d feel nothing close to what just happened to me from the other people I care about – yes, my dear friends. Guess what, I’m wrong (well at least as of this writing). You know that feeling when you want to feel extra special, get much care and attention from other people especially when you need them most? Now that’s what I need right now. With all humility I say it now because I’m not usually the type who’d ask friends to do special things for me. I’m doing those things for them most of the time really. It’s just now that I want to get a free pass… I want to feel that somehow, I’m priority 1 in someone’s life even for just a single moment. Boy that will really mean a lot to me.

Forgive the drama but this is the human side of me. It’s just a depressing thought sometimes when people around you have been used to seeing you too independent, super strong and resilient. It’s like they’d find it absurd to see you being weak, needy and hurt sometimes.

I try to tell myself that this too shall pass and the only best person I can always rely on – without any hesitation, doubts or questions – is myself.

Multiple choices

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:27:00 +0000

Put a check mark on the corresponding item that applies to you.

A) Mahal mo siya pero hindi ka niya mahal.
B) Mahal mo siya pero may mahal siyang iba.
C) Mahal mo siya pero hindi sya mahal ng mahal niya.
D) Mahal mo siya pero ang taong mahal mo ay niloloko ng mahal nya.
E) Mahal mo siya pero hindi mo magawang kalimutan siya.
F) Mahal mo siya at patuloy mo siyang minamahal sa kabila ng lahat...
G) All of the above.
H) None of the above.

Why I curse MMDA…

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:52:00 +0000

I’ve lived about five years of my stay in Makati in an apartment adjacent to the MMDA building. Needless to say, I see everyday what the enforcers are doing, what the apprehended drivers have to go through, among other things.

On March 17 about noon time, I went home to my apartment. The gate was closed so obviously I had to get out of the car so I can park inside the compound. Of course, kelangan kong itabi muna ang kotse sa gilid sa may labas, di ba? Daig ko pa ang tinamaan ng malas when my front right tire got flat dahil may pako sa may gilid ng gutter! Ay sus! Imagine, nasa labas na ako ng bahay ko nyan ha!

One MMDA officer knocked my window pa nga to tell me na my tire got flat. So I stayed another 5 minutes inside the car to call my brother (who was just upstairs) to ask for help kasi nakakahiya man aminin, I don’t know how to change flat tires teehee! So finally I went up sa apartment to talk to my brother. The moment I got back to the car, there’s this surprise na – I got a ticket from an MMDA office (different from the one earlier) and he just left it on my wind shield. Sabi nung isang mama na nakatambay dun sa tabi ng kotse ko, they told the apprehending officer that I got a flat tire and then I just went up to get some help.

Of course, what did Jeff do? This is something na hindi ko pinalampas, ako pa! I know it was just what, 300 pesos penalty for “obstruction” and “illegal parking” daw but it’s not about the money. It was simply the stupid manner that the ticket was issued! Ano ba naman yung hintayin ako for a few minutes at pinakinggan yung sinabi nung mga tao? One other thing that made me more angry was this. I told the officer na sige, I’ll take the consequences and pay for it but he can probably help me get my tire fixed. Ang at magaling na nilalang, eto ang sabi “eh sir, hindi na namin trabaho yan!” (in a condescending tone). Oh san ka pa lulugar nyan? At nagwating talaga ako!

We reached filing the complaint in the Traffic Adjudication Board. Filed some papers, etc. I almost got dismissed kasi feeling ata nila it was just a so-so complaint. Kung hindi pa ako nagsabi na I could simply call my lawyer para ayusin, eh hindi pa sila gagalaw. Two weeks daw ang processing but of course I didn’t believe it – for sure mas matagal pa. Knowing how inefficient government employees are, ugh!

I followed up the case personally sa 7th floor office nila kasi andun na daw yung papers for signatures and approvals. Mind you, there were like 3 signatories and like 5 or 6 approvers before the paper could finally come out! The resolution or recommendation was already made but again, red tape and all, kung kani-kaninong pontio pilato pa kelangang dumaan ang papeles. I initially had to talk to Mr. Red Maniego. When he pulled out my papers, he immediately said, “na-reject ang request mo…” sabay fold ng papers. Sabi ko, I need to see it and I need to have my own copy. He said, hindi ko daw pwedeng makita yung papeles. Aba! Aba! Aba! Ano ka, hello?!?! So I insisted. The resolution reads that my ticket should be cancelled based on their assessment. In other words, mga pirma na lang kulang for documentation and approvals. Ang matandang Maniego, naiinis, he forwarded the papers to Ms. Lourdes.

Ang sabi ng isang personnel duon na si Lourdes, kelangan pa daw akong dumaan sa “clearance” to check if i have any other filed violations on their records which would take about a day to check before the complaint papers proceed with the rest of the process. Sya na daw magbibigay sa department na next na pipirma. After a few days I went back only to find out that it didn’t leave her desk after the clearance part. Ang sabi nya, “eh kasi naman sir, bat di nyo kagad fina-llow up! Madaming papeles dyan sa lamesa ko, hindi ko lahat magagawa yan isa-isa!” Nakow!!! At ako pa may kasalanan ngayon!!!! Kumusta naman!

It was Wednesday holy week I think when I had my 3rd visit at ang sabi wala pa rin daw! I had to escalate it to the OIC sa department nila si Miss Mila. She asked one of her staff, Jerick to get another approval from Ms. Cora’s office at the 3rd floor. So I had to tell her the entire story again blah blah blah. After her, last signatory na daw yung General Manager so maybe after mga 2 days.

I let 4 days pass just to be sure, you know. I can follow up daw sa 7th floor kay Ms Mila or kay Jerick. Pagbalik ko duon, di pa daw napirmahan, excuses excuses! Puro, “if, then” ang mga sagot saken like “sir, if napirmahan na yun, andito na dapat yon”. Eh nung pina-pa trace ko, di naman mahanap. Escalated level na naman until Ms Mila assured me that my papers were still for the GM’s signature. So I was advised to go back after about 2 days. I went back the following week talk to Jerick and another guy. Naka-leave daw si Ms Mila kaya I have to return na lang! Aba! Aba! Aba! Syempre hindi ako pumayag sabi ko I need to know and see for myself this time kung nasan na ang mga papers ko! I was told na kung tapos na pirmahan dapat nasa TAB (the department where it all started) sabi ko I don’t want to go there kung hindi sure so pakitawagan kako. Ayan sabi wala daw sa TAB so ang tanong, nasaan na?!?!?

Habang ako’y nagfe-facebook (yung status ko kahapon hehe), eh sya’y naghahanap at naghahalughog ng mga folders sa kung saan saan! Isinama pa nya ako sa GM’s office at sabi ng assistant duon eh wala naman daw don! Konting-konti na lang talaga at mag-eeskandalo na ako... pero sige try to be cool pa rin, konting anghang na mga statements lang pinapakawalan ko here and there... After mga 20 minutes, guess what kung nasaan ang APPROVED papers ko --- nasa TAB! Kung saan itinawag na early na initially sinabing wala daw duon! Ay sus!

Imagine nyo na lang what do other people – mga drivers, hindi nakapag-aral, mahihina loob etc – would have to go through on similar situations. Nakakaawa talaga kasi pinagmamasdan ko sila nung mga visit ko sa MMDA sobrang parang helpless sila tapos lahat ng empleyado napaka antipatiko at bastos kung sumagot sa mga tanong. Most of the people who got tickets or impounded vehicles were very polite naman and they share stories kung bakit sila andun.

It’s just so sad that we are paying our dues and taxes to the government only to be served poorly by these employees! It’s already a huge issue that they obviously have poor coordination and processes, the very basic courtesy and etiquettes are not even there when they deal with customers!

My conclusion: masunog na sana MMDA building with all its effing idiot employees! Pampasikip sila sa mundo! Har!!!!

Moving on... eeerrrrrrr

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:27:00 +0000

Here’s an irony in breaking up with someone, you get to spend more quality time with each other post break-up compared to the time you were together. You might even seem like a couple now more than before. Some would ask how is this even possible.

I realized, if you haven’t burned any bridges with your ex, why act bitter now, right? There’s just one clear and present danger if you try to be the meek and forgiving ex: resurfaced feelings or worse, loving the person more now. You’re friends would probably nag you until the whole $&#! blows right open or knock some sense in you especially if you’re the one who got dumped in the first place. You’d hear lines such as “why bother calling?”, “why spend time?”, “why exert all the effort?”, etc. etc. etc. Of course these are all under the premise of your good old friends looking after you. Oh so sweet and caring but no, you’d still do what your gut tells you. You still insist on the feelings you have until maybe such time you can’t take it anymore.

There will be moments when you’d wake up in the morning and decide to “move on” also known as don’t initiate any form of communication or interaction with the ex. It could simply be a turning on the cold shoulder if you want to put it that way. But deep inside, there’s this hope that he’ll ask you what went wrong or probably even insist of seeing you because in the first place, there’s nothing wrong with being friends now.

The dilemma begins. Do you keep the brand new honest-to-goodness non-romantic friendly relationship with your ex or completely drop everything and just focus on moving on, seriously? Let’s admit it, the latter most of the time requires not talking or even seeing the person who broke your heart. Every time you feel like you’re in the right path of the moving process and the suddenly your ex shows up and treats you so nicely (even way better that you were treated before), ugh! Expect that everything shatters! It brings some feeling of immobility. It makes you indecisive, irrational at some points. In other words, you’re screwed!

Really, I think nothing and no one could ever know when it will stop or where something else would begin. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in relationships, it’s being not too cerebral all the times. Indulge in both the joys and pains of relationships. Just try not to end up too pathetic and miserable. There are ways to do it with so much class and sophistication!

Obviously, I wrote this because this is coming from I’d say real life experiences. I know, I know… friends will raise their eyebrows but to those who have been through all these will share the same sentiments.

Chefars Christmas Party 2008

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:39:00 +0000

Here are some pictures from our Christmas Party last Dec. 6, 2008 at Galileo Enoteca Makati and Ascend.

Khaye, Ayee & Marz

Gracie, Lulay, Jai (& Tabong)

Donn & Jeff

Madz & Keiko

Ash, Jai, Ayee, Lulay, Marz, Gracie, Nick & Aris

Gracie, Rowie & Aris

Nick & Lulay

Donn, Zha & Jai

Donn, Jeff, Ayee, Aris & Ash

Keiko, Ayee, Madz & Donn

Madz & Donn

Donn & Jeff

c/o PhotoFunia.com

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:21:00 +0000

When lightning and thunder strike

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:51:00 +0000

I officially hate lightning and thunder!!!

I just bought a lot of new DVDs last week in preparation for a hiatus from everything and everyone for the weekend. Since most of the US TV Series have started their new season the past few weeks, I made a plan of starting off from their respective ‘last seasons’. As a matter of fact, I was enjoying “Dirty, Sexy, Money” and “Dexter” when I decided to also spend time watching on a Monday.

I switched on the TV and plugged my almost 4-year old Philips DVD player to set the mood. Just when I thought the weather was just perfect – it was raining and cozy, and then came this series of lightning and thunder! And then there was this super loud combo… the TV suddenly turned off by itself and the stand-by power (i.e. the red light) of the dvd player was gone! I pressed the remote control of the TV and it went back on. However, it wasn’t the case for the DVD player. Of course I did the basic troubleshooting stuff and it wasn’t working. I wanted to do some sort of a CPR for my dvd player but I don’t know anything about electronics. Ugh.

To my dismay, the authorized service center of Philips can no longer be traced! So I’m now left with those repair shops on the side streets. I know that dvd players nowadays are just like buying 10 fraps from Starbucks but I guess it’s the sentimental value of my first-ever dvd player. Besides, I got it for more than 3 or 4 times the value of a normal player now! Hmp!

I can’t believe this, even in my gadgets I have ‘moving on’ issues?! Damn.

A letter for you

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:53:00 +0000

Hal,

For almost five weeks, yesterday was the first time we were in the same room, not to mention we bumped into each other more than twice. I admit, I froze and as a matter of fact I was still in awe until I left the office. I do have a confession to make. The thought of seeing you again has been hanging over my head, ugh. I’ve been trying to picture what would be the best scenario that can happen if we see each other. Of course none of my ideas came to reality yesterday.

I now realize that it wouldn’t be you to wave at me first or to nod or even say hi. No judgment but I just thought that’s not your kind of thing. It was really more of my thing. And yes, I should have acted maturely and at least said hi to you. I wanted to know how you were doing. I wanted to hear you are doing great and having a fabulous time. I was somehow hoping to get that feel of exuding happiness from you.

Okay, I’ll let all my guards down right here, right now. I mean after all, what’s the point of still keeping something from you anyway? You know from the very start I’ve been very open of what I think and feel towards you, us, and our situation. I guess it really wouldn’t make much of a difference now. So there goes my disclaimer. Jeez, my thoughts are all over the place! I’ll just go with the flow here.

There have been so many times that I looked up your name on my cellphone soooooo tempted to call you or just send you an sms. Buy hey, I’ve been able to keep a good job in my self-restrictions you know hehehe. I feel that there’s just so many things that I want to tell you. Surprisingly, I am not expecting that there’s still something left out from your letter that you have to tell me. When I read your letter, I never shed a single tear. I thought I was brave. I thought it was a good sign that I’d be able to move on rather quickly and forget about you… until yesterday. I was wrong. It all dawned at me that the feelings have not in any way been gone at all. It may have just been my ego that said “you were just someone I used to love”. When I got home, I didn’t want to reach the point that I had to sleep or be alone but I had to. That moment, I cried. I cried not really knowing the reasons why. It just felt like there was a huge pile of block on my chest. There were questions that I’m not sure I want answered. There were thoughts and hopes that things will get better. But who the hell knows what’s gonna happen?

I want to ask you if we can at least be friends, though we were really never friends before so… I’m not even sure if that is a good idea, at least for now. If we become friends, for sure I’d have to deal with the fact that I cannot hold on to any possibility of us getting back together again. Of course this is my problem, not yours. Question is, can I handle that? I think I could answer my own question now. Part of me is still hoping that there could still be a chance for us this time around. I’m torn between my promise of not easily giving you up and what should be the ideal decision – letting go completely. It took a great deal of courage for you to come to terms with what you really feel towards me and our situation when you wrote that letter. Doing it in person might have been too much for you to handle. But really, I appreciate your honesty. I don’t want to argue with you and what you wrote because those are your thoughts. You actually made your point pretty clear on that letter and I’m not sure if you would have been able to do just the same if you were telling me everything in person (that is, while witnessing how my heart breaks while I cry buckets of tears maybe).

A good friend of mine once told me how come I still have feelings for you. He was telling me it might help to think of the not-so-good things you’ve done to me or the things about you that tick me off. Thing is, all those were part of the reason why I loved you, why I still do. It wasn’t just all about the good stuff about our relationship or your good side that I have accepted and loved. It also included what you were not able to do or say, it didn’t matter how many times I had to say okay if we can’t see each other, or the things about you that made me angry. After all, these defined you… the ‘you’ that I’ve learned to love. Tell me, should I just let go of my promise to you? You never really asked me to stop loving you. You never asked me to undo everything. And even if you did, I’d probably still go the other way.

Anlabo mo namang kausap

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:42:00 +0000

This is so funny but true! Come on, everyone is I bet guilty of at least a couple of these shady replies.

Example ng mga hindi tamang sagot sa maayos na tanong:

1. Kumain ka na?
-Busog pa ako.

2. Anjan ba nanay mo?
-Bakit po?

3. Anong oras klase mo?
-Mamaya.

4. San kayo galing?
-Diyan lang... dun!

5. Paano mo ginawa yan?
-Madali lang.

6. Bakit ka wala kahapon?
-Absent ako

7. Anong oras na?
-Maaga pa!

8. Saan ka na?
-Andyan na ko, wait lang!
-Malapit na.

***Lifted from one of those spam emails... hehehe***

How to deal with “moving on” issues

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:16:00 +0000

Let’s first set some perimeters around here. If you’ve been dumped, stood up (on dates even) or cheated on, then I guess you better read on. Maybe we can include those suckers for romance who somehow get wound up with people who can’t commit, those poor souls that experience unrequited love, those in long-distance love affairs that can’t seem to work, in other words all that other people would normally give their sympathy to. Perhaps one should automatically come to his senses when any of the above happens to him. Perhaps there really would come a time when we should ask ourselves, “is it time to move on?” Here’s what I have:

1) Have a solid support group of friends whom you can vent out to. These people most likely are the ones who know the ins and outs of your life and the love department too. Once you get to pour out your emotions verbally, try to not have the same conversations over and over again. And let them swear that no reports about “the one who must not be named” should be shared to you even if you twist their arms.

2) Don’t hesitate to cry or even do the über melodramatic and Oscar-winning moment but please do it privately and sparingly if not once.

3) Avoid “forbidden” places and people. You don’t want to get yourself caught off-guard with that “WTF! What am I gonna do?” look on your face.

4) Get rid of anything that will remind you of your sweet memories – pictures, gifts, etc. Even the mp3 files on your cellphone! But don’t overdo it though, there’s no need to return the gifts given to you, just keep them in a storage room or something.

5) Don’t watch movies that have love story themes. The funny or scary ones usually come in handy.

6) No looking out the window while it’s raining outside (and love song playing in the background). Oh please, this is just so pathetic!

7) If there’s an obvious pattern on the relationships and dates you’ve had, try to indulge yourself with some change the next time around.

8) Keep yourself busy and productive. Take on new and exciting projects at work. Engage yourself in a new hobby. Read books. Go on out of town trips.

9) Don’t let yourself be left alone. Always tag along your best pal with you! This is not just to keep you company but to immediately safeguard you from any untoward events of bumping into someone you’re not ready to see. Of course, proper orientation and briefing applies to the helpful friend.

10) Avoid people who talk negatively about love, relationships and their ex’s. Bitterness is so 12 years ago! The last thing you want to feel is this after being heartbroken you know.

I’m sure there’s a whole lot of ways to deal with moving on issues and yes, they may vary from person to person. What may work for some may not necessarily work for others. One thing will surely remain common though, once someone DECIDES to move on (and be successful at it), it damn feels so good to fall in love again!

My Nephews

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:17:00 +0000

Gabriel and Miguel already gave their Tito Jai one helluva time when they were playing -- Jai's jeans got ripped! Don't ask which part! Lol.

The kids with Tito Donn.

Jeff & the city

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 03:21:00 +0000

The first thing I noticed the moment I walked out of the JFK Airport was the weather – it was so friggin’ humid! Ugh! I guess it was some sort of a transition for me before I head home to Manila since it was pretty much the same feel. My cuzin (Kuya Lito) was kind enough to pick me up from the airport and his family hosted a buffet dinner in a Chinese restaurant near their home in Queens. It was late dinner actually since the clock was 3 hours ahead from my departure city in the west coast. I was looking forward to going to the city before I went to bed.

Chinatown and Little Italy
My other cuzin (Ate Cora with husband and youngest kid Gillian) took me for a little sneak peek of Manhattan. We initially went to Battery Park hoping we could go to Staten Island but jeez, the queue of tourist was just crazy and besides, we had a kid with us so we decided to head to Chinatown for late lunch and some shopping.

Times Square
One’s night-out in New York City will not be complete if you’ll not stroll along the bright lights of Times Square. The midnight still looked as busy as ever! After all, it’s the city that never sleeps!

Empire State Building
Some $19, about an hour of falling in line, multiple security checks (i.e. the one similar to the airports) and only a couple of bites of my roasted turkey sandwich for lunch, I finally sat foot on the setting of the very romantic scene in Sleepless in Seattle. The view of the entire New York City and some parts of New Jersey was indescribable! Of course the Chrysler Building was one of the more familiar spots from the top of the Empire State. After watching three times the entire seasons one through seven of Sex & the City, the building’s image (next to Cynthia Nixon’s name on the opening credits) left some kind of permanent mark on my head.

Staten and Ellis Islands
There were hundreds of people lining up in the cruise trips in Battery Park. My cousin Lorena and I figured we could save time and effort by lining up simultaneously in the ticket and queue lines – of course she took care of the ticket while I waited for her. It was just brilliant! Hint hint for future travelers. A two-hour lining up and cruising didn’t include setting foot on the islands per se but you’ll get a close look of Lady Liberty.

Café Lalo
Francis and I woke up on a rainy Saturday summer. It was about time for brunch and this didn’t give us a good signal at first. I thought, hey this cannot happen! It was my last Saturday in NYC and I had so much to do. I can’t remember if I did a sundance but my prayer kinda worked. The rain stopped as we headed to Café Lalo (www.cafelalo.com) at 201 West 83rd St. – the eyeball place of Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) and Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) in You’ve got mail. The place was a little crowded by noon time. We had to wait for about 10 minutes to get seated.

Broadway
Watching the 19th century setting musical Spring Awakening is definitely one of the highlights of my NYC trip. What’s going to Broadway without that kind of experience? Winning 8 Tony Awards including best musical for 2007 would say more than enough reason for me to spend almost a hundred bucks for the balcony ticket! The music (by Duncan Sheik), the cast and the story twists made it all contemporary in so many ways. I never had a single dull moment watching it, seriously. As a matter of fact, I was almost close to getting teary-eyed in some of the scenes. Somebody else was crying while watching… hush hush (Hi Francis!).

The Met
The famous “steps” of The Met… the other side was under construction though.

The New York Palace Hotel
You know you love me… Do I hear “X.O.X.O.”? You got it! This luxury hotel in Madison Avenue suddenly became an instant tourist spot, especially to the young ones. Thanks to Serena, Blair, Dan, Nate, Chuck, Jenny and the rest of the Gossip Girl folks who are making waves in worldwide television.
Central Park
I think I only got to stroll in the West and East side of Central Park because obviously it was too huge! Francis was telling me how splendid the entire park looks like during winter. Sighs… On the west end is The Plaza Hotel (Home Alone 2 – one of my favorites!). There’s a whole of activities anyone can do in the park – including making out in public!!! Oh yes, we passed by a couple doing just that!

I left my heart in San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 02:11:00 +0000

Arriving at LAX 50 minutes before my flight to SFO proved to be a not so good idea. While self check-in is the newest thing in airports, getting your boarding pass is another. Of course you still have to go through the same procedures for checking in your luggage. And speaking of… I got to SFO 45 minutes ahead of my suitcase! It was on the next plane from LA to San Francisco since I checked in too close to the departure time. Sorry naman!

Stanford
A good friend of mine, Djen picked me up from the airport and we headed to Stanford for super late lunch. We visited the University afterwards.

Santana Row (San Jose, CA)
Northern California’s Rodeo Drive, this upscale shopping center in SJ was the next stop for me. Take note, my suitcases were just in Djen’s car! Here I met a few more friends – Paolo (former officemate in PS), Paul (co-editor in DLSU school paper) and Jun-Jun (housemate in college). I thought I’d have a hard time getting them together in one place but everything went smoothly, thank God! New faces were there too - Pete (Paul’s boyfriend) and Mark (Jun’s housemate). We had a few drinks in downtown San Jose then went to a Korean videoke bar.

It was a great Monday to wake up to for me and Paolo. He took the day off from work to be my tour guide. We woke up at about 11AM but I didn’t worry a bit since it’s summer and 8PM means the sun will still be up. I craved for some Pinoy food so we went to downtown Milpitas a few miles away from his place in San Jose. Barrio Fiesta was closed on Mondays for kitchen cleaning so we went to this Filipino restaurant called Kalesa (http://www.mykalesa.com/ ). How can you resist crispy pata and gulay na pinakbet? You just can’t!!! It was just me and Paolo but the food really was good for four starving guys. Reasonably-priced meal at under $30, it was just the carbo-loading we needed for a long day of touring Frisco.
Bay Bridge
Passing through the Bay Bridge in Paolo’s car (with sun-roof open) was just amazing. The weather was so perfect and you could feel the breeze on your face while seeing the skyline of the entire city.
Golden Gate Park
One funny part when Paolo was navigating was when we passed by the Golden Gate Park and he uttered how nice it was to have some photos right there. I was like, yeah it would be and then took a snap shot while the car was moving. We parked about a hundred meters away from the park and I decided to stroll along yet another gorgeous garden. We were planning to leave the car and walk to the bridge but when we checked the map, boy it was too far! Of course the wisest thing to do was to go back and drive.
Golden Gate Bridge
It was quite foggy and breezy when we reached the end of the bridge, I think it was the north end. Anyho, our spot had quite a clear view of the Alcatraz too. I thought I’ve seen Sean Connery’s movie anyway so why bother going there? After all, I’m not really a huge fan of prisons hehe.

Palace of Fine Arts
It was under construction when we were in the area but the ambiance was still captivating.

Victorian Houses
A trip to San Francisco would not be complete if you don’t pay attention to the beautiful Victorian houses. They’re just everywhere!
Lombard Street
Considered to be the “most crooked” one-way street in the world, Lombard is still passable by small to medium-sized vehicles. I’d say the flowers of summer add to the elegance of the said tourist spot. I bet the houses and apartment here are uber expensive.
Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf
Here’s another of SFO’s signature spot! There’s a whole bunch of restaurants and shops here for everyone’s delight!
Union Square
If you want to take a good tour of this part of the city, I’ve only got two suggestions – either by foot or by tram but you may find the latter’s route quite limited though. Some tour packages actually include the tram ride to and from the Wharf passing by Lombard then going to Union Square.

Spell L-A-X !!!

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 22:08:00 +0000

In LA, most people would say "Oh, that place is just near! It's only a 10-minute drive." Guess what, those 10-minute travels felt like hopping from Alabang to QC!!! But hey, thanks to the freeways for making things a little convenient. Yes, I know that traffic in LA can get really bad but nothing compares to Manila road jams! Ugh!

Arriving in LAX on a Wednesday afternoon, I was trying to hide both my excitement and fear (that I might get lost or something). Thank God I googled some "how-to's" like getting to my first destination (Brea, CA) via the Super Shuttle service van. After 45 minutes and $40, along with other passengers who the driver dropped off at different locations, I got to my hotel -- The Embassy Suites Brea. It was just beside JC Penny and Macy's. I figured, I could use my idle time "malling" instead. To my dismay, I had to pinch myself and get reminded that I was still on a business trip at least until Friday lunch time.

The fun begins here...

OUTLET Stores (Citadel, Los Angeles)

I did some nice shopping with Teta (my editor in the college school paper). Boy, you really could get a lot of good stuff at very reasonable prices! Only problem was... most stores didn't have my size! I got a couple of shirts from the teens section would you believe?

Universal Studios
This was definitely on top of my list! Geez, you need like two days to go through what Universal City has to offer. The Simpson's ride was the most recent addition this year and it was really fun. Kids stuff? Yeah... but for grown-ups too! Thanks to college friend Polee for showing me around.

This is the closest I could get to the Scavo house in Wisteria Lane!!!! Woohoo!!!

West Hollywood

... need I say more?

Hollywood Hills

Serenity in Michigan

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:51:00 +0000

How can you ever beat a lovely summer day in Lake Michigan? It's just so lovely! In my recent US trip, I wasn't really able to spend that much time checking the town and the other tourist spots. Oh well, I wouldn't feel bad, after all I was on a business trip here for one of my clients. Anyho, my clients were just so kind enough to drive me around town and have those sumptuous meals. Overall, everything was still worth it!

At the John Collins park, a superb restaurant called Rose's was the place to eat at! Just look at the view outside... breath-taking! My cold mojitos started that wonderful dinner. Funny thing, it felt weird initially having dinner while the sun was still so up at seven in the evening. Here's my eastcost summer!

My most wanted: STARBUCKS City Mugs (Part 3)

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:03:00 +0000

After a long time, I'm back to blogging! And here's a bonus treat especially to my fellow Starbucks city mug collectors -- here are the newest mugs in my collection. Enjoy!

===================================================

Shanghai, China
I was surprised when Hannah (colleague at work) learned about my collection and she initially asked me if I wanted to have a mug from Spain since she was visiting. You’d never guess what was my answer… She was going to Barcelona for a visit to her family as far as I can remember. She was not able to find one out there but luckily, in one of the trips of her partner, they were able to manage getting me a city mug from Shanghai! Up until now, I always update Hannah with my collection. She’s always thrilled to hear what new mugs I got.

Jakarta, Indonesia
There’s not much story here… just kidding! But come to think of it, yeah. This is in fact the second mug that Les (i.e. Singapore mug) gave me. By this time, it was just before he decided to move back to Manila for good. He was just on a summer vacation – we went to Boracay, when he got me the mug from Jakarta. I’m still hoping that Starbucks would open in Vietnam anytime soon! I just happen to have so many friends frequenting the country for cryin’ out loud!!!

Tagaytay, Philippines
Being true to form, Claire (who was very instrumental in my Amsterdam mug), texted me when she and her husband were in Tagaytay. I remember planning to drop by Starbucks Tagaytay the last time I was there since I heard some gossips that there’s a mug for the city too. Obviously I didn’t believe it that time… Thanks to Claire and her husband for squeezing a quick purchase of the mug on a husband-wifey date!

Macau, China
If there’s an award for the most number of city mugs contributions amongst all my friends, it will surely go to Tina! In one of her Asian trips, getting me my mug has always been a part of her itinerary! Thanks to Wlad too for tagging her along his trips. I’m also waiting for some European trips you know. I could use some addition to my mugs from there! Hint! Hint!

London, Great Britain
This one’s from Tina too! Wlad got this initially for her I think I couple of years ago. I’ve been making ligaw for this mug to be given to me as a gift but Tina won’t just budge until finally, at the eve of my birthday, he came to my station with the mug on her hand. It was a nice birthday present!

Australia
Marl who initially promised to get me the Jakarta and KL mugs, finally fulfilled his promise. It was a super hectic work schedule in India prior to going to Sydney when Marl got me the mug. He was actually able to save up on his birthday gift for me coz he got back to Manila a few days after my bday! Smart-ass! ;-)

Germany
CJ, my former boss had always known about my collection. The moment he learned about it, he sort of committed to put in his “contributions”. He was meeting up with his family in India during his almost-one-month vacation middle of this year. His brother was coming from Munich and I think he really pushed for the mug. Too bad, the mug wasn’t available yet in Starbucks India.

Sacramento, California
Karen (a colleague from work) and I were at the same work area for a time when I transferred to our office’s main building. I overheard her talking to some friends about her sister coming to the Philippines from California. Of course I didn’t hesitate asking her where she was coming from. The instant I heard Sacramento, I asked her if she could ask her sister to buy a mug for me. Being the sweet and kind Karen like what she has always been (since she was handling my teams as my QA analyst), she said yes. One more thing, she is in Florida right now and boy she is definitely going to look for a mug for me. Her location might not guarantee the merchandise but for sure she would try looking.

Make me not love you anymore

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:54:00 +0000

Make me not love you anymore
Take away these feelings I’ve known long before
I’m reachin’ out to you but don’t take my hand
Even if it pains me, I would understand

Let’s forget yesterday’s promise of a bright tomorrow
Some things just can’t be… they’ll just be full of sorrow
I know I can’t have anything more
But my mind tells me not to settle for anything less either

I drown in your ocean of sweetness
I gasp amidst the air of your thoughtfulness
Can you not be there when I call your name?
I’ll pretend I’m just losing in a kid’s foolish game

Can we go back to the days when we were strangers?
In romance and true love, we weren’t believers
Can we simply just live and co-exist?
Not telling each other what have been missed

Rivers on a reversed flow
Melting ice cream in the hands of an Eskimo
Thunderstorm in the Sahara
A beautiful sunset in Japan

What does it have to take
To make me not love you anymore?

Nag-iisa, Wala ka na

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:43:00 +0000

Here's a song from Noel Cabangon that I must say, really touched my heart...

papalubog na naman ang ilaw
nagpapaalam na naman ang araw
ang gabi ay muling mamayani
at ang lamig ay hahaplos sa pisngi

ilang araw na ang lumipas
magmula nang ika'y magpaalam
ilang gabi na ang nagdaraan
ang pag-iisa'y tila na 'di na makayanan

ngunit kailangan kong indahin ang lamig ng gabi
ngunit kailangan kong tanggaping wala ka na sa tabi
nag-iisa, wala ka na
wala ka na, nag-iisa

ala-ala'y nagbabalik sa isip
mga larawan ng bawat sandali
pag-ibig nating sinumpaan
‘pinangako sa liwanang ng buwan

ngunit kailangan kong indahin ang lamig ng gabi
ngunit kailangan kong tanggaping wala ka na sa tabi
wala ka na, nag-iisa
nag-iisa, wala ka na

ngunit kailangan ko nang masanay
at tanggapin na lumisan ka na nang tunay
ang lahat lahat ay bubuti ang pag-ibig ay mananatili
lagi’t, lagi hanggang sa walang hanggan.

AUDIO (http://guides.clickthecity.com/clipcast/?v=54)

So many questions ...

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:30:00 +0000

Do you know how it feels when all your life you thought you’ve got all things figured out only to know that there could still be this one thing that you are so uncertain of? Scared. Confused. No matter how much thinking you do, it still feels like there’s no answer to your questions. It may even seem like your head’s going to fall of with your brain popping out!

How do you feel numb to your own feelings for the one person who have hurt you so bad?
How do you erase the history you had with someone?
How do you stop hating yourself for doing and saying stupid things that you end up regretting about?
How do you seize your heart from beating too fast when your eyes meet?
How do you not care anymore amidst the thoughtfulness and kind words?
How do you ensure that the things that run inside your head are the ones spoken of truthfully?
How do you accept that it’s no bliss to love someone especially if they don’t love you back?
How do you make yourself smile after the sleepless nights and melancholic mornings?
How do you unplay the tunes that you sang together?
How do you distant yourself from the one person who’s just a stone throw away?
How do you unlove someone especially if you’re the only one loving?
How do you rise again after everything has been said and done?

If I have the answers to these questions, I’m not even sure if I would feel relieved. If things were the ideal, I don’t even know if I would be happy. The fact of the matter is, I don’t exactly know what I would like to happen. I just can’t seem to figure out really what it is that I want. I guess I would just have to have faith that wherever life takes me, I’d come out a strong and better person still believing in the beauty and miracle of true love.

Comments on my Starbucks City Mugs Collection

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:45:00 +0000

I'm so overwhelmed and thrilled by the responses I’ve been receiving about my Starbucks City Mugs collection! See, it’s still a work-in-progress really and I have big plans to expand my collection. Right now I don’t have any duplicate mugs yet therefore I’m really not into trading or selling any of them. I kinda love them equally since most of them are from friends who get to travel as well.

I’ll surely keep this blog updated with other photos and info of my collection. In fact I have a few newer mugs which I haven’t taken the photos of, by the way, that I’d like to share to everyone real soon!

Thanks again!

Satisfied Urge ... Indeed

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:02:00 +0000

What: Jeff's lunch break (with co-managers)

Where: Brothers Burger - Convergys branch

When: March 29, 2008 (Saturday, between 3-4 AM Mnl)

Jeff: Nath, can you buy me na lang onion rings, I'm not that hungry.

Nath: Okay.

Jeff: Thanks!

Nath: Jeff, there are no onion rings!

Jeff: Ugh. That sucks! I won't eat instead.

Nath: And the gurl behind me also wanted to order onion rings.

*** After 5 minutes ...***

Jeff: Miss, there are no onion rings, really??!!

Miss: Sir, there are no onion rings... I'm sorry.

Jeff: You mean there are no onions at all? Or there are onions but they are just not 'breaded' yet? (A little irritated already)

Miss: Sir, there are no onion rings... I'm sorry.

Jeff: Tell you what, I'll go to your kitchen and check for the onions and slice them myself! (Voice a little louder than the usual)

Miss: (Trying to put a good smile and composure) Sir, I'll ask our chef.

Jeff: So what now?

Miss: Sir, there's onion rings for you now.

Don't I just love getting my onion rings?!?!?! Hehehe ...

Bisita Iglesia 2008

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 06:35:00 +0000

On the second year of our barkada's Holy Week tradition, the Bisita Iglesia 2008 turned out to be another yet wonderful experience for us. Due to scheduling issues, we had to do it on a Black Saturday instead of the "usual" Good Friday. Here are some images...

Manila Cathedral: It was still a classic tourist spot (especially for the Koreans) even on a Holy Week !!! Are they even Catholics? I totally have no idea!

This walk towards the Manila Cathedral in the steets of Intramuros would pass the tourist walks of Italy. I wish the faces of Old Manila would be saved for the next generations. Sighs.

San Agustin Church. The church was closed. Ugh.
(Lod, Marl, Aya, Me, Cathy & Mike)

Malate Church: This is so cute! One "church-ly" way of putting it I guess. Hehehe.

Malate Church: Me, Marl, Aya, Cathy & Mike.

Redemptorist Church: The famous Baclaran church has flat screen TVs all over the place! I guess for song lyrics and all. Cute.

St. James Church: Of course, AAV had a pretty tight security even on Holy Week.

Aya, AD, Cathy, Lod, Marl & Mike

Chapel of the Forgiving Lord: This Paranaque chapel has got to be on top of my list! It's just so beautiful! Oh and by the way, it has an orphanage. I think the whole place was practically built through sponsorships.

Very nice interiors!

Just take a look at that!

This is just a "grand" entrance, literally -- with these huge and intricately designed doors!

The last stop was Presentation of the Child Jesus church in BF homes.

Boracay 2008

noreply@blogger.com (jeffie) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:29:00 +0000

Let's talk about nice natural lighting...

Enjoying my pinacolada under the summer heat. Simply lovin' the sun, the sky and the sand!

... still a breath-taking and captivating view of the sunset ...

I tried some skim boarding action right there... it was fun!

Yeah, you could tell ... this must have been Lastikman's skim board!

A Boracay vacation would not be complete without a picture taken near the Groto in Station 1.

There were fewer small boats in the shores of Boracay now... Goodie!

Dizzy from a night-out? Yes... but that didn't stop me from getting a good shot of the sandacastles!

I would have loved trying this for a water sport! Haha!

Lunch at Pearl of the Pacific... ***sighs***