My Seoul Top 10

(There are a couple of travel blogs in my drafts folder that I couldn't seem to have time to finish. So here is one of them.)

My sister and I visited Seoul in September 2010. You see, my sister is a big fan of Super Junior and 2PM. Since I was doing the itinerary, I included a visit to JYP Entertainment (2PM's producer) and SM Entertainment (for Super Junior). We particularly wanted to pass by JYP to put a note by their door to bring back Jay Park. But after a few weeks, my sister, already accepting the fact that Jay Park's not coming back, and I deleted the visits to both offices. But anyway, they're not the only ones we wanted to see *grin*

1. Seoul City Tour Bus - For first timers like us, it was really useful to go on the hop on/hop off Seoul City Tour Bus. For just KRW10,000 (around PhP385.00), the bus took us to Seoul's top tourist spots.

2. Cheonggye Stream - Part of Korea's commitment to preserving the environment, Seoul restored the stream that flowed before the Joseon Dynasty. One of the must places to visit for me.

3. Finally meeting Admiral Yi Sun Shin in Gwanghamun Square - Korean war army hero. His figure stands prominently on Sejongno, facing the Gwanghamun palace.

4. Palaces - We were able to visit Gyeongbokgung, Deoksugung, Changdeokgung and another palace that I forgot the name now. After visiting a few, it started to bore us so we just decided to skip the other palaces. hehehe

5. Food - Spicy and delicious!!!

6. MTR and the Seoul City Pass/T-Money Card - The best way to get around Seoul is the MTR using the Seoul City Pass or T-Money. The first thing we did at the airport when we arrived was to look for a Mini-stop or Mini Mart to get our cards.

7. Uljiro Co-op Residence - Found this hotel in agoda.com. My choice of hotel should be near the MTR, near the shopping centers (hehe), clean, have good reviews in difference websites (agoda.com, trip advisor) and, of course, affordable. Recommended!

8. National Museum of Korea - We unknowingly chose to visit Seoul during the Midautumn Festival or Chuseok, one of the most important Korean traditional holidays where locals celebrate good harvest. Most of them visit their ancestral hometowns. Those left in the city are still treated to traditional folk dances which we experienced while visiting the National Museum of Korea.

9. N Seoul Tower - Teddy Bear Museum and Chain of Love. A must visit for kids and kids at heart *wink*

10. Shopping at Dongdaemun Market - Its just a block from our hotel. Doota, Migliore, Hello apm, where shops are open from 10:00am to 6:00am!!! No kidding.

Korea is a must visit. Visa application is free. It's one of the most beautiful cities I have visited in Asia.

14 Years Today

I still miss you, Dad.

Happy Father's Day

What Makes a Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it ... Dad.
(Author Unknown)

Happy Father's Day, Dad. I love you. I miss you.

HFD to all Dads out there, too.

Happy Birthday, Mama!

Hi, Ma! I miss you so much.

I miss you...everyday!

I love you!




It's my Mom's birthday today. She would have been 66.

Random Pics - Part 2

Tagaytay!

SWR!

Ortigas Christmas Tree!

3 eyed Green Alien (from Toy Story)

Guess what?

What is she doing?

Fun at the Park!

Canyon Woods, Tagaytay

"Self-contained"????

Boo!

Stripper?

Locked in Los Banos, Laguna!

At a Lacquer ware store in HCMC.

Ewwwwww!!!

Random Pics Part1

Geena (hugging the green tubes): Sleeping?

Chickie!!!

One time, we were already going home after walking Chickie in BHS, a family was also walking beside us. One of the kids asked,"She's so cute. What's her name?" My sister answered, "Chickie!" The whole family started giggling. The dad then said, "Don't tell your tita about it, ha?" The girl then turned to Rose, "She has the same name as my tita." More giggling followed.

Good name for a pet shop?

My kuya's brother in law actually refuses to park on this side of _____ (where this shop is located), because the kids might see the name of the shop. hahahahahaha!

Hamming it up for the camera!




At the Ateneo fair. This, I can handle, but not the big ones.




"Let go, you big bully! That's ours!"

A picture of SM Marikina parking lot. Notice how well lighted it is?

This is from the Once in a Lifetime: John Scofield and Joe Lovano Jazz concert at the Rockwell tent (16 October 2008).

Posing with the Easter Bunny at A. Venue. Happy Easter!

MORE TO COME!

Tony and Indy

Iron Man is one of the best movies I've seen this year.

Prior to watching the movie, I had no idea who Iron Man (the comic book hero) was. All I knew was Robert Downey, Jr. was in it. I thought it was going to be another Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (sorry, I didn't like that one). I was hoping it's going to be different and I was not dissappointed.
Robert Downey, Jr. has matured a lot (age and experience) and the role of Tony Stark suited him well. He still has that "pa-cute" side of him (but done in a millionnaire/all business kind of way).
Before his brush with the law in the late 1990s, I considered him as one of the most talented actors in Hollywood. (I fell in love with Robert in his previous movies, "Chances Are" and "Only You").
I hope he continues this upswing in his career. He deserves it.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Despite the old age, Harrison Ford is still Indiana Jones, Jr.

If you're going to compare the latest franchise with the last one (that being Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989), you will be dissappointed. But if you're mababaw like me, you will definitely enjoy it. It's been 19 years, yup 19 years, since we've last seen Indy and we missed his great adventures. He's still afraid of snakes (like me) and has the best smart-ass one liners. My advice is: just enjoy the ride!

Movie posters from wikipedia.com

Superhero Movie

Ok lang...

Movie poster from empiremovies.com

Happy Birthday To Me! Happy Birthday To Me!

Sunday, 24 February

I'm 36! Yup, I'm 36!

Heard Mass in the morning to thank our good Lord for all the blessings.

Went to the mall to shop (with my sis-in-law Rowena, my pamangkins: Raymund and Regeena). We were the 4Rs.

Got my free bday cake from Figaro =)

Just had a simple dinner with my family to celebrate my special day (cake, chicken, dumplings and pasta).

Freaky Story:
Rose has this birthday mug that everytime you pick it up, it would play happy birthday. It's quite old and on this particular day, my bday, it kept on playing even if IT'S NOT BEING USED. As in, even if its on the shelf that day, it would just start playing that song. Freaky diba? During breakfast, it was ok...kasi bday ko. hehehe. But before dinner or everytime I would go to the kitchen to check up on things, it would just play happy birthday. Pramis! Ngeeeeee talaga!!!

Heto siya:


Anyway, the other day when I got home, I went to the kitchen to get water. You know what, hindi na siya nagpe-play ng happy birthday...

My Thoughts:
When I turned 30, a very good friend (we're the same age, I'm just older by 3 weeks) asked me how it feels to be 30. I said, "I know I'm getting old (haha!), but I try not to let it get to me." ...whatever that means...Anyway, I still feel the same way. As long as I'm happy and healthy (pati na rin mga taong mahal ko).

Thanks sa mga nakaalala and K, for the beeeyutipul plowers!

It Pays To Be Sweet and Lovable

My sister was so excited to tell me this story about our pamangkins (this happened 1 or 2 weeks ago, lagi ko lang pinagpapalibang ipost) (to self: Rhea, ang tamad tamad mo!!!)

One afternoon, our nephew Raymund (who is 6 years old) comes running to his yaya (he just came down from his Lola's room on the second floor).
Raymund (irritated): Ayoko na dun sa kwarto ni Lola.
Ate: Relax. Nakasigaw ka naman agad. Bakit?
Raymund: Si Lola kasi, ayaw ako papanoodin ng TV.
Regeena (my 4 year old niece, in her usual maldita stance): Baka hindi ka nagpaalam…
Raymund keeps quiet. Still irritated.
Later on they went back upstairs to Lola's room.
Regeena grabs the remote and goes to her Lola, sabay sabi ng (na pa-sweet pa), "Lola, pwedeng manood ng TV?"
Lola: Ok.
Regeena to her Kuya Raymund: Kita mo na. Hindi ka kasi nagpapaalam e.

Naku, ang cute cute talaga nila =)

3Rs: That's Raymund, my sister Rose and Regeena
(copied from Rose's Facebook account hehehe)

Halloween

I know it's already late, but these are some more pix I took last halloween (not included in my multiply):

Featured Book: The Talisman Unsealed by David Ples

Click to enlarge to see a description of the the book and more about David

The book was first introduced during the Manila Book Fair 07 held at the World Trade Center in Pasay last 31 August.

The book was formally launched at Powerbooks Greenbelt last 20 October.

David's book launching was featured in today's episode of net 25's tribe.

I'm not going to review his book because I might be accused of being bias...oh did I mention, he's my nephew?

"Ya think?!"

*Sigh* I'm into "Hannah Montana" nowadays. Probably caused by watching too much cartoons on Cartoon Network and Disney Channel with my nephews and my niece.

The lead is played by Miley Cyrus who lives a double life as a regular teenage girl Miley Stewart and famous pop singer, Hannah Montana.

Miley Cyrus originally auditioned for the best friend part but eventually got the lead role. She's the real life daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus, who plays Robbie Stewart in the series. Btw, only her family and close friends know her secret. Each episode deals with life, personal conflicts, or problems that are easily solved with lessons learned by the end of the show.

Why do I like "Hannah Montana"?...I like Miley Cyrus, wholesome kasi siya. A good singer with a good voice. I know she'll go places. I like the plot of each and every episode. And maybe bacause I like the idea of having a double life. Parang exciting. I also like her relationship with her dad and brother and with her best friends. Every episode's super funny. And one more thing, I like her songs. Here's the newest one...

TRUE FRIEND

We signed our cards in letters BFF

You've got a million ways to make me laugh

You're lookin' out for me;

you've got my back

It's so good to have you around

You know the secrets I could never tell

And when I'm quiet you break through my shell

Don't feel the need to do a rebel yell

Cause you keep my feet on the ground

You're a true friend

You're here till the end

You pull me aside

When something ain't right

Talk to me now and into the night'

Til it's alright again

You're a true friend

You don't get angry when I change the plans

Somehow you're never out of second chances

Won't say "I told you" when I'm wrong again

I'm so lucky that I've found

A true friend

You're here till the end

You pull me aside

When something ain't right

Talk to me now and into the night

'Til it's alright again

True friends will go to the ends of the earth

Till they find the things you need

Friends hang on through the ups and the downs

Cause they've got someone to believe in

A true friend

You're here till the end

You pull me aside

When something ain't right

Talk to me now and into the night

No need to pretend

Oh, You're a true friend

You're here till the end

You pull me aside

When something ain't right

Talk to me now and into the night

'Til it's alright again

You're a true friend

You're a true friend

You're a true friend

How can you not like her show?

Happy Birthday, Sis!

It's my sister's birthday today.

She's 4 years younger than me, so do the math ;)

When we were younger, when our billiard area was still an open terrace, we used to have an iron swing (a four seater) placed near the marble rails leading to our main door. One time, nearing dinner time, I was sitting on the marble ledge with my back to our garage and my sister was on the opposite ledge facing me (behind her was the swing). I was horsing around, raising my foot to reach her. To avoid being hit/touched, she would sway back and forth. All of a sudden, to my horror, when she swayed back, she lost her balance and fell head first (imagine a diver going in the water). At first, I thought she was okay but when I saw blood, I cried and called for help. It was only then that I realized that she hit her head on the swing's iron support (which was not round but edged). She was rushed to the hospital. That was one of the scariest moments of my life. I thought we were going to lose her and it was all my fault.

Fortunately, there were no broken bones. She sustained a 3-inch cut that needed I-don't-remember-how-many stitches. The surrounding hair had to be shaved so they can stitch up the cut. Like any other scar, it doesn't grow any hair, so it's easily located--but you'll have ask her first before you look for it =). Every time she is reminded of that cut, she would always give me the "GRRRRR" look. That's probably why I'm scared of her (hehehe).

My sister has the stronger personality (e.g., suplada, mataray, lahat lahat na...Bitch ata tawag dun haha), a go-getter, a natural-born leader (she used to be president of DLSU-CSB Pep Squad, KB Chairman, council member in Mandaluyong, etc.). Sobrang dami ng friends, very popular. A typical Libra: diplomatic and urbane, romantic and charming, easygoing and sociable, idealistic and peaceable.

That's my sister. My Best Friend.

Happy birthday! I love you so much, sis!




Check out her blog here.

38 Questions (Tagged by Mawie)

1. Name one person who made you laugh last night? Regeena

2. What were you doing at 0800? Was at Medical City getting my xray plate

3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? On a car ride going home

4. What happened to you in 2006? I got promoted *wide grin*

5. What was the last thing you said out loud? Hahahaha (sharing a laugh with Bex who kept me company until 6:30pm tonight)

6. How many beverages did you have today? 2 (water and a diet soda)

7. What color is your hairbrush? brown

8. What was the last thing you paid for? My sister's passport (I had it renewed at Amex)

9. Where were you last night? At home (can't go anywhere far actually)

10. What color is your front door? Red

11. Where do you keep your change? a glass in my cabinet, a small wallet in my bag, a perfume tube in the office

12. What’s the weather like today? Sunny

13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor? Vanilla

14. What excites you? Going out with friends

15. Do you want to cut your hair? Not now

16. Are you over the age of 25? Yes

17. Do you talk a lot? Depends on who I'm talking to

18. Do you watch the O.C.? Sometimes (my Kuya's influence)

19. Do you know anyone named Steven? Yes

20. Do you make up your own words? Sometimes

21. Are you a jealous person? Yes

22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’. Agie

23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’. Karen

24. Who’s the first person on your received call list? My uncle

25. What does the last text message you received say? "Err...yung hair nya sa ulo?"

26. Do you chew on your straw? No

27. Do you have curly hair? Sabi nila

28. Where’s the next place you’re going to? Tomorrow? Office. Can't go malling (doctor's order). What a bummer!

29. Who’s the rudest person in your life? Can't say here.

30. What was the last thing you ate? Red Ribbon's Banoffee Pie (syet! it's just there inside the ref. What was I supposed to do?)

31. Will you get married in the future? Yes

32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks? I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (with friend Bex)

33. Is there anyone you like right now? None at the moment

34. When was the last time you did the dishes? Can't remember

35. Are you currently depressed? Currently? No

36. Did you cry today? Today huh? No (but mababaw luha ko)

37. Why did you answer and post this? I got tagged by my friend Mawie =)

38. Tag 5 people who would do this survey. Rose, Pearl, Carms, Donna and Hazel

October People

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

4 October - Alfie, my smash & chow friend

13 October - Lorna, my confidant - na welcome ako lagi sa room niya kahit makiki-chika lang about nothing or makikipagkulitan lang, kinuha tuloy akong ninang ng bunso niya

18 October - Rose, my sister, best friend, shopping buddy

19 October - Rowena, my sis-in-law

20 October - Gladdys, my mommy friend

21 October - Bob, B-O-B Boy =)

25 October - Grace, my textmate/chatmate/next door neighbor/walang sawang tumatawa at nakikinig sa mga jokes & daily kapalpakan ko

26 October - Hazel, my good friend & travel buddy - always ready to help when I'm in a bind

27 October - Regeena, my cute lovable huggable niece, who never fail to make me smile when I'm down

Highlight of My Tuesday

My clam phone (a year-old Samsung E730) has this picture as cover display (external):

That's me with my niece Regeena.
Once you close the phone, this picture would show for only 3 seconds.

And when you open it, this is the wall paper or main display:

When my sister and I went to Toy Kingdom last weekend, we took some pics. I then changed my cover display (external) to this:



When I came home last night after a night out with friends (around 11pm), my niece Regeena and her yaya were still in our room with my mom. As usual, she borrowed my phone to play with it. She then opened slightly my phone and closed it and looked at the picture on my cover display.

With a nakasimangot look, she turned to me and said, "Bakit hindi na yung picture natin?" I said, "Gusto mo ba ang nakalagay diyan yung picture natin?" She said (with the paawa look), "Uh-huh."

Awwwwwww. Sobrang sweet. Kaya I got back my phone and put back the old picture of us together. And when I handed to her my phone, she checked the cover display and wow! kung nakita mo lang yung smile on her face when she saw our picture. sobrang big smile. haaaaaay. sobra! Highlight of my day *happy me*