philippines
Showing posts with label philippines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label philippines. Show all posts

A Much-Needed Break

We all need one. With all the stresses of work, adult life, school, and other stuff, a nice change of scenery is a good way of getting away from all of that.

I was due for mine and it couldn't have been timed better.


Ah yes, the obligatory wing shot. This was taken on my flight from ICN to NAIA. I couldn't take any from my LAX to ICN flight because we were seated in the middle rows. Never again. It was more cramped and uncomfortable vs window seats. Sigh. That was a long, miserable flight that I spent either asleep or watching through the whole Star Wars franchise. (I only got through A New Hope before passing out.)

We took Korean Airlines. As much as I love flying, I officially hate airplane food. Of all the airlines I've been on, KoreanAir takes the cake (lawl) of having the worst food. I thought Asiana had awful food. Ugh, this was worse. I was tempted to request yogurt at every meal.

However, KoreanAir has one of the best services. The flight attendants were so friendly and accommodating. They spoke good English - but hey, I did my best with my classroom Korean. Both parties appreciated it. On my ICN to NAIA flight, our row got a "flight attendant oppa" that made it hard for me to take a nap or concentrate on anything. Yes, I threw all shame to the South Korean airspace and took a stolen shot of him. And thanks to my Korean language lessons, I was able to read his name in Hangul. By the end of that 3-hour flight, he remembered my preference for pineapple juice. LMAO.

(The K-pop fan in me love riding Korean airplanes. Their audio selection is close sisters with my iTunes at home. And you can make playlists! So I filled mine with WINNER, Akdong Musician, Toy, Block B, Taeyang, and 2ne1.)


I get asked by many, "What do you do whenever you go back to the Philippines? Do you visit beaches or hike the mountains?" My short answer to that is, "I eat." And that's pretty much it. See, I'm a city girl and growing up, I'm all mountain'd and beach'd out. I appreciate it but frankly, I don't care for it. (Give me an opportunity to SCUBA dive though.)

Really, I just love going to malls and eating the things that I could not get here. Even the things that I could get here are waaaaaaaay better in the Philippines. Malls there are like Westfield malls on steriods. On every corner. And er... with USD, everything there is affordable. I think I bought 8-9 pairs of footwear? Heh. Here, you have to force me to buy shoes!
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We all have stuff to do. Like, a life update.


We just need to find time and energy to do it.

안녕하세요, 여러분! 오렌만이다! 잘지내요?

See, I haven't forgotten my Korean.  XD  It was a HUGE help when my mom and I spent 2 16-hour days in Seoul back in April/May.  Yeah, I know, it's been a month since our trip and I still haven't said anything about it.  I'm lazy.  Sue me.

But I do have a ton of stuff to say about the experience.  And a lot of great pictures.  Being able to read and sort of speak Korean was definitely an advantage while playing tourist in Seoul.  It did give me a good deal of anxiety but we survived.  If you ask me today, would I do an extended layover in Seoul again?  Heck yeah, I would!

경복궁
It was awesome going back home to Manila as always but I don't think I can ever live there again.  As much as I love the people, the food, and the malls... it's the heat that I can't stand.  My first night there, I was reduced to TEARS.  It was so hot that I cried in misery.  That might sound over-the-top but I've never had that happen to me before.  And I was raised there.  It's ridiculous.

But going back to my childhood bedroom was quite magical.  Even as a kid, I collected ORIGINAL CDs of my favorite groups, which at that time were Westlife and F4.  I knew I had a VCD of F4's Hong Kong concert somewhere in there.  It is now so hard to find, even online.  I was glad to find it.  I think I squealed out loud when I did.  I also took with me my first Nancy Drew title, Sign of the Twisted Candles, as well as two of my absolute favorites, The Ringmaster's Secret and The Secret of Mirror Bay.  How much do I love Mirror Bay?  I dreamt about it.

The other books that made the trip were the CSI book tie-ins that I didn't know I had.  I don't have them all but I've accumulated quite a bit.  My brother gave me the whole collection of the original 56 Nancy Drew mysteries in mobi format but I still want to collect all of them. ;-)

Ever since my trip, I got a new job.  It is literally walking distance from where I live.  No joke.  I now work at a medical management office.  It's been good so far.  I'm still learning to ropes and there are a LOT of ropes to learn.  I don't have the same freedom to use the computer for pleasure as my previous job, thus the severe lack of posts on both blogs.  *sadface*  Therefore, the backlog is getting quite overwhelming.  Although I haven't been reading a lot since the commute by public transport has been essentially taken out of my day.  I've been missing out on a lot of book blog memes.  *even sadder face*

I've also chopped off about 12 inches of hair while in the Philippines.  Getting a hair cut here will cost you $25 plus but mine was a mere $3, converted.  I just re-colored it Light Intense Auburn yesterday.  It's going to stay that way for as long as I like it.  I found that red hair suits me.

청계천
What else is new?  Hmm...  (I want to put as much stuff here as kind of a backlog list lol. A cheat sheet!)

Ah, for my final hurrah before going back to the workforce, we went to JPL, Jet Propulsion Laboratory here in Pasadena.  I've been to the Kennedy Space Center years ago and JPL is like, just in my backyard and it took me this long to go there.  It was awesome.  I saw Space Shuttle Endeavour not too long ago and all this space goodness just takes me back to my childhood.  I never read a single Sweet Valley High book but I could watch science shows about outer space for days.

Pasadena, we have a problem.

Two weeks ago, I went to my first book signing in a long time.  (Probably my only one this year lol.)  It was for Diana Gabaldon's new book in the Outlander series, Written in my Own Heart's Blood.  If you've been following my book blog, you'd know that I'm a newbie fan of this series.  The new book in the 8th in the series and I've barely made a dent in the second.  I planned to do that during my trip but... the in-flight entertainment was just too good.  But I live and work in the area so why the hell not.  (I actually bought my ticket months before so this wasn't an impulse buy.)



I usually have great luck with these kinds of things.  When I finished reading The Jane Austen Book Club, the author Karen Joy Fowler had a book signing about a week after that.  I go through 6 seasons of Criminal Minds in one go and Joe Mantegna gets his Hollywood star the next month.

But the total opposite happened to me with Sherlock.  But that's for another post.

I recently watched the latest Star Trek movie Into Darkness.  I'm more of a Star Wars fan but I know more Trek characters by name.  I was so-so with the first reboot so I wasn't really into watching the next one.  Until I became a Benedict Cumberbatch fan.  I won't go as far as calling myself a Cumber-bitch, no not yet, but dang... can that man act the shit out of anything.  I know first hand how his VOICE sounds like when it's inches away from you (yes, and I survived).  He wasn't the Khan I had in my head but his performance was breathtaking.  And his hair was perfect.  He just makes everything perfect.  I did sort of live tweet the movie as I was watching it lol.  Chekov is still my always favorite, btw.

And to complete this incoherent mishmash of a life update, I went to Raging Waters in San Dimas last week!  I cannot remember the last time that I went swimming at a pool/place that is not my backyard.  And it was a TON of fun!  I really want to go again before the season ends!


So that is it.  I think I'll do a couple of retro posts when inspiration strikes.  My brother is coming back to the US on the 28th so I canNOT wait for that.

Life has been good lately.  2014 is just coasting by.  It's finally, officially summer.  Bring on the heat!
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Pansin ko lang.

Teacher Recounts Experience with Rude Immigration Employee Who Told Her to ‘Shut Up’ 
By E.J. Carleon – March 28, 2014

MANILA, Philippines – A teacher has taken her experience  to social media over an alleged rude immigration employee who humiliated her and her husband in front of a number of people, including foreigners, while trying to ask questions and assistance pertaining to a travel document they were processing.
Roselle Carreon wrote an article recounting their ordeal and humiliation they suffered at the hands of an apparent ‘ego-tripping’ employee she identified as Carlo Salazar at the Bureau of Immigration, Makati Office.
Click on the link to read her full account of the incident.

I'm not surprised. I had a slightly similar experience with the Philippine Consulate here. When I went to renew my passport, I was in line like normal. Then when I got to the booth, bigla silang nag-lunch break nang walang pasabi. I was standing there for a good 10 minutes before someone said ALL of them were on break. It was around 2:30PM already. Hindi man lang sila mag-shifts lalo na alam nilang busy. Or magsabi man lang na on break sila.  Bigla na lang nagsialisan.  When their break ended, nakasimangot pa yung guy who took my documents, as if ayaw nya akong tulungan. When I asked for a simple clarification, sarcastic pa sagot nya sa akin, staring at me as if hindi nya ako naintindihan.  (That mandatory absentee voting is BS btw.)

Same with the immigration booth at NAIA.  Todo smile sa Amerikano in front of me at the queue pero pagdating sa akin, inirapan ako sabay, "Taga-saan ka talaga?"  WTF.  Uh, it's right there.  On my passport.  And visa.  In front of you.  In your hands.  At talagang may kasama pang irap.  Lalaki si kuya ha.  Wala man lang "Mabuhay" or "Welcome back".  Nakakairita.  After 15 hours mong biyahe, ganun ang sasalubong sa iyo.

I don't know.  I hate thinking things but what else could be the reason.  Sila yung nagtatrabaho processing other Filipino's documents to go live and work outside the country pero sila itong hindi makaalis.  That's what I think... bitter-bitteran ang drama.  Pero ano naman yung drama ng mga taga-Consulate dito.  Andito na sila, I bet citizen na.  Pero tangina, ang tataray... ang yayabang.  Nakakawalang gana makihalubilo sa sarili mong lahi kung ganyan ang trato natin sa isa't isa.  Kaka-meet nyo pa lang, yayabangan ka na kaagad.

I love being Filipino, kahit ano pang reputasyon natin sa ibang lahi.  Pero naman, napapansin ko lang ba bakit ganito ang mga Pinoy sa kapwa Pinoy kapag (1) nakakaangat ang isa kaysa sa isa, at (2) nakatikim lang ng "mas masarap" na buhay.  Mahiya naman kayo... iisa lang ang pinanggalingan nating lahat.
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Fifteen Hours In Seoul? 어떡해?

In less than a month, my mom and I will be flying to the Philippines for my brother's college graduation.  Simply typing that out brings tears to my eyes.  Oh man, he's done it.  Despite being an ocean away from his immediate family (but in the good company of aunts and cousins), he did it.  And with flying colors.

And I am truly excited to see some of my friends again.  Last time, I had a blast meeting up with old friends; touched that some of them remembered even after close to ten years of not seeing each other, happy that we reconnected so easily.  I've kept closer in touch with them since then.  And I'm sincerely moved that my some of the friendships I managed in high school survived.  I didn't have an overly pleasant high school experience and I admit that up to this day, I can still be self-conscious about it.  Wounds heal and they scar.  I'm just so glad that my little circle of friends pulled through.  They're one of the reasons why taking that 17-hour flight is worth it.

Speaking of 17 hours, it's not the "going back home" bit that is exciting me the most.  It's the 15-hour layover in South Korea.  Yes... FIFTEEN hours in Seoul, South Korea.

Btw, happy 100 million views! (As of 3/27/14)

And guess what... We have another FIFTEEN HOURS on the way back!


I would have you know that this seemingly hellishly long layover is a deliberate move on our part.  I've read some travel blogs that prefer to get a long ass stopover, especially in another country, for a chance to travel.  Another Google search came up with several posts about "X Hours in [insert city here]" and the likes.  I found several for Seoul and it got me excited.

In the past, we went through Taiwan, Japan, and China as layover en route to the Philippines.  Only my brother went through South Korea once.  My mom and I decided it was our turn.  Aaaand we wanted to try being layover tourists.  ;)

We bought these tickets in late... August 2013, I believe?  A long time ago.  And we scored a DEAL.  Less than $1000 for each with that awesome 14-15 hours in Seoul.  We actually picked those travel times.  We could've chosen ones with 3 hours but we wanted to get the most out of what we paid for.  Counting the rest times and the time allowance going through immigration, it's really just 10-11 hours of sightseeing but a lot can happen in 10 hours.

Actually, my mom has started seriously planning.  What to do, where to go, how to go around, the best food places... planning out our tourist route.  I seriously just want to go to DMZ.  If we can't manage that this time around, maybe next time when we actually go to Seoul.  My mom even has the route to Gangnam all planned out!  XD  I told her that she's in charge of the planning bits while I take care of the language barrier.  I don't fancy myself as anything fluent but out of need, I might be able to order food and ask for directions at least.  (The problem with phrasebooks is that they tell you what to say but once the other person replies, you're still lost.)  Let's see if my Korean language classes are good for something other than a fan's overzealous obsession.

But really, I just want to get my hands on cute socks, tights, makeup, and K-pop CDs and DVDs.  I know I can get them here also but I heard it's waaay cheaper there and they have more selection.  I'm starting to - or at least, trying to - pinch pennies in preparation.  I even got myself a big-ish duffle bag as my carry-on so I can fit all my damages in there once I'm done.  (I blame Coach and their crazy outlet sales for my failure to further pinch those pennies.)  Of course, the food.  Back then, my mom told me that I might starve in Korea because I don't eat kimchi.  Well, neither does she but I think we'll subsist on bulgogi and desserts.  And yes, the International McDonald's Experience is in order.

Traveling always excites me.  Never mind the Non-Stops and disappearing flights, I love traveling.  Especially by plane, to far off places.  Maybe on my next long-distance flight I can score another 10-hour layover and explore what that city has to offer.

To my friends and family back home, I can't wait to see you again!  :)

PS:  Another thing that I miss the most back in the Philippines... the malls.  The "malls" here in the US are mere strip malls compared to the Ayala Malls, SM Malls, and sure why not, Robinson Malls back home.  Gimme some of that buko halo-halo shake and McDo McChicken meal!  <3
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Liebster Award!


Thanks, Angeli, for the nomination/award thingy.  And I'm so sorry it took me this long to get this up.  It's tough to think up 11 facts lol.  I know this is not a Wordpress blog but all the love is appreciated!  (Psst people, I do have a Wordpress. I may or may not be resurrecting it but we'll see.)

I love these survey things as blog fillers or just to pass the time.  And I love finding out stuff about other people through this.  It's interesting to read and compare answers.  It's also a good way to learn the small things about a person.  I know there's a K-Pop version of this but I don't want to bore you with YG-ness more than I am already.  ;-)

Rules:
1. List 11 facts about yourself.
2. Answer the questions left by the blogger who nominated you.
3. Nominate five (or more) bloggers who have less than 200 followers. Make sure to notify them.
4. Make up questions for those you have nominated.
5. Display the Liebster Award badge on your blog.
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Project: Asian Horror Movies.

안녕하세요.  오랜만 니다.

미안해 for being MIA over the weekend.  I had a lot planned but I also had a lot of things to do so blogging got pushed to the backburner.  So I have this big ol' list of possible blog topics staring at me and taunting me.  DX

Anyway, the main thing that is keeping me busy over the weekend right now, apart from my Korean language learning, are my rediscovered love for Asian horror movies.  아시아 공포 영화.  Through the years, I've always started off a year with a plan to watch a list of movies from a specific genre, a certain actor, or a movie franchise.  And I always fail to do well on it.  Some years, I even fail to start.  -__-  This time, however, I was lucky to catch the bug right when I'm very inspired and I happened on a couple of lists that I can work with.  

So why Asian horror?  Honestly, that's my favorite film genre.  Not just your general horror grouping... but Asian horror.  East Asian (Japanese, Korean, Chinese) mostly with a bit of Thai horror thrown in.  My awe of Philippine horror has lessened dramatically after the 4th Shake, Rattle, and Roll movie and apart from Feng Shui and Sukob, I find that "special effects" are taking precedence over actual content and scare factor.  Even the reenactments for All Souls Day specials for TV shows are scarier than the "film fest" movies.

It all started when Ringu or The Ring blew up the movie scene.  Oh, what is this movie with a girls in a white dress and long hair covering her face coming out of the TV and yeah, you're gonna die in seven days.  I saw the Hollywood version with Naomi Watts and I thought it was a different "Hollywood horror" but I wasn't impressed.  I didn't get the hype.  Then, I watched the Japanese original.  And loved it.  The Hollywood remake was more of a thriller than horror.  The Japanese one was creepy.  I guess it had something to do with the Asian features of the actors... for some reason they look creepier than Caucasian features.  They didn't have to talk; the music paired with the setting of the scene made it scary.  And I don't mind the subtitles.  Reading them and watching what was going on at the same time did not take anything away from the experience.

After that, I started exploring the genre.  Ringu 2, Ringu 0, Ju-On, 폰, Shutter, Whispering Corridors... until I probably toured most of Asia.  I'm not easy to scare but I've found some that did it for me.  There are some lists on the internet that looked interesting and thanks to Youtube and some apps, definitely doable to go through.  So I kind of turned it into a project... to go through these lists and find new favorites.

I don't want to flood you with lists so here's what I've seen so far since starting this project and also my all-time favorites that I've already watched and probably will rewatch throughout this activity.
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