Here are my quick blogs for all the crazy and lovely things I did last May 2010:
Update: Congratulations LA Lakers!!!
May 7 - I arrived in Iloilo for my much awaited vacation! (Since I was flying Zest Air, my plane arrived at night). Yey Yey Yey. I really love coming home!
May 10 - Election Day. I was excited to see the PCOS machine! Hahaha. The queue to our precinct was long since we arrived quite late (around 10AM). Finally, we did it! "Hopefully that vote counted! Hah!," I thought as I watched the machine eat up the ballot.
Now... that I see the numbers after the proclamation of the President down to the Councilors...hmm...Let me put it this way: Either the surveys were WRONG or the election numbers MISSTATED (They couldn't be both correct if we really think about it and are honest to ourselves; examples - Binay's sudden surge to VP victory - after a sweet brief upgrade in the surveys only weeks before the elections - did we ask who commissioned one of those surveys? Villar - where was he after all the hullaballoo of his supposed best-in-production-design infomercials - number three? And the hairline difference of Roxas behind - I repeat - behind Binay? What about the huge gap between the President-elect and number two - did the surveys warn us?)
But since it's all over. What can we do? We are Filipinos and we are ruled by the same Constitution. Let's exercise the same vigilance and contribute our inputs - big and small - to help make this "Philippine pain" quite bearable. What do we know? - we could succeed in the process. As my Presidential bet once quoted (not verbatim): 'We are already an archipelago; let's not add archipagos of relationships. We should be able to overcome this poverty of the mind, the soul and the pocket.' Probably the President-elect (soon to be President) can be our common inspiration, but the greater work lies with all of us. Let's take ownership of our country's development, and most probably with this self-revolution replicated more than 90 million times, we can move forward.
May 11 - My birthday! My special day! I'm XXXX years old (haha).
28 dears, no shame about that. I ate something sweet, colorful, and long --> MUST-EATs on ones' birthday according to my friend, Melody. I also had Egg Misua in the traditional Chinese custom (I'm not Chinese though; I just love misua, noodles and the like.)
My Genefel cake :) Lovely.
May 12 to May 20 - Busy cruising Iloilo City for various errands and visits to my dear relatives - my Tita Bertad and Tito Susing, Tito Junior and Tita Cel, and my dear godmother - Maninay Minda.
My doggie, Hope, one of the dear ones I miss while away from home
I also visited the doggies adopted by my Maninay Minda - Mr. Big and Kulot (from Faith's second litter). Too bad, I didn't have a camera then. Mr. Big, now Fluffy, has grown soo B-I-G; he's barely six months old but he's bigger than Tiger (and Tiger is the long-legged dog-equivalent-of-a-six-footer type from Faith's first litter). Kulot, now Pem-Pem, is makulit, barking at me like the strict doggie she used to be. The two are very disciplined, obeying "Stay" and "Go" commands and responding to "trick" requests - thanks to my Maninay's uncle who trained them well.
May 21 - I had to fly back to SGV for the much needed admin stuff. I flew Cebu Pacific so we landed on schedule as promised.
May 23 - I flew to Ho Chi Minh (HCMC)/ Saigon, Vietnam via Philippine Airlines for a three-day teaching assignment.
I was warned (based on research) not to trust just any Vietnam taxis. I only rode on company-owned taxis where the meters are supposed to be accurate - Vinasun mostly (a lot like Light of Glory taxis in Iloilo City).
Hello Vietnam! HCMC is actually neater and cleaner than Manila! More motorcycles abound in the small city proper; even men in business attires and ladies in skirts ride motorcycles! (A newcomer needs to be careful when crossing the street - so they say). I was told by my Filipino hosts - Pearl and Sir Je (from SGV's HR) to just walk on straight and steadily 'cause this buzz of motor bikes know how to find their way, right past the pedestrians (In short, don't confuse them by walking in zigzag or back and forth - like what we do here in Manila in our own version of roadside/highway "Patintero").
I was booked at Lavender Hotel, a boutique hotel with few lovely rooms and friendly accommodating staff, so I was well taken cared of. I gave them a box of dried Philippine mangoes as a token of my appreciation at the end of my stay. No tips, no worries here - according to the locals (relieved!).
I had buffet breakfast every day. I also got to try the hotel's foot massage (at 20% off), which turned out to be 70% foot and 30% body massage. That was a delightful surprise for me and the service was very satisfactory. I had to change into white yoga wear - shirt and shorts before being led into a dimly lit room with my own massage area. I relaxed all those tired bones, after the weeks of walking and rush, during the one-hour deep tissue massage accompanied with calm music. In my opinion, the Vietnamese takes their service quality seriously; their only challenge is their English enunciation. While waiting for my turn in the foot/body massage, I remember having to help out a foreigner when she had difficulty understanding what the Vietnamese receptionist was trying to tell her.
May 24 to 26 - I was tasked to teach "IT Effectiveness" - a challenge for me since this is a new service offering that more seasoned partners/managers would have no problems teaching. As someone with only a few "seasons" under my belt, I took the challenge and I believe that I delivered well. I enjoyed the training and appreciated the active involvement of my participants in Q&As and simulation exercises. It was exhausting in a fun way, and a learning opportunity for me as well.
Pearl, Sir Je and Bryan took good care of me throughout my stay. They took me out for dinners at several curious MUST-EAT venues of HCMC.
Day 1 Sun - We ate at Ben Tanh, the local's favorite for street food. I loved the big fish and their unique way of serving their version of "balut" - with a cute spoon (though I still think that Pinoy balut is the best). I was sweating by the time I finished. (Note to tourists: Be careful with your handbags when you go to tourist places like the Ben Tanh Market; but since I look like a local, according to Pearl, I just blended in - no worries!)
Day 2 Mon - We ate Vietnam's famous PhÔ soups and rolls at PhÔ24 and Wrap & Roll, respectively (There were lots of different rolls ordered by Sir Je, and I chose the chicken PhÔ Ga to be on the safe side 'cause Ga = Chicken, haha)
Day 3 Tue - I had my share of the biggest burger I've ever seen (as large as my head?) matched with Halle Berry drink (there's also Johnny Depp).
Day 4 Wed - We ate at Kichi-Kichi where ingredients (meats, mushrooms, and other vegetables) are served in a non-stop conveyor and you get to cook your own hot pot right infront of you using these ingredients (the soup base comes in Country flavors - China, India, etc. and the classic Mushroom; I chose Mushroom ofcourse!) I was sweating at the end of it! I may have fed off my cravings for hot pot and Vietnamese food, enough to last me for years :)
With all the dining experiences, I found out that (1) they call their "kangkong" morning glory, (2) they reuse the chopsticks at Ben Tanh - so wipe it hard with the warm cloth before use, (3) warm cloth comes before the meal and cold cloth after, (4) they are just so fond of wrapping their food in fresh leaves or putting these leaves in their hot soups, (5) there's a different sauce for every roll, and (6) eating Vietnamese food is a good option to slim down - you eat a lot and get filled minus the fat ---> but slimming is never my plan.
Day 4 was also my Shopping Day! We had a short on-foot city tour.
On the steps of Vincom Center (where I had my last Vietnam dinner)
Vincom is their own Rustan's and Greenbelt!
Infront of Hotel Continental Saigon
Infront of another hotel (sorry, couldn't decipher the name now)
Across the Opera House
Louis Vuitton behind me!
The famous figure (Ho Chi Minh)
I love this shot!
I got to buy all three! The fourth one plus more - I bought in my last-minute shopping at the airport's souvenir shop (I know it may be quite more pricey - even if duty-free - than those at the night market. But I'm not much of the Divisoria/Greenhills type so I actually prefer buying nice little breakable things at the airport; they're packed better, too.)
Back in my hotel (I'm wearing my colorful night dress, a gift from Mama)
On my last night...
Everything packed and ready
My SGV and prettifying things on standby (need them for tomorrow's prep)
(While waiting at the airport, I can't resist taking shots of big airplanes;
this is one of them - a big plane called Tiger)
May 29 - Mel, Vel, Charm (Vel's sister) and I went to see Prince of Persia. We were very satisfied, to put it simply.
On reflection after seeing the movie:
What if... what if I could have that hourglass and the magic sand? What would I do? Would I change anything in my past?
Definitely no, but I'd replay all my beautiful memories over and over again :)
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