on the way to Siem Reap...

My travel log last year was relatively anemic (and it looks like I’ll rebound this year), so I’m glad that my mom told me to book a trip for the family by the end of the year. After much debate, we settled on going to Vietnam and Cambodia, all in 7 days (you can just imagine the itinerary I made) since it’s one of the few left in SEA that I haven’t been to and both places are interesting to my siblings. As usual, I’m the designated planner of the trip (and this is the most challenging so far since let’s just say that each member of my family have different expectations of a “trip” compared to my friends).  

Going to Cambodia

We had to take a 12-hour bus ride from Ho Chi Minh to go to Siem Reap since there aren’t direct flights from Manila (Cebu Pacific started offering flights the month after we left, talk about timing). Arriving at HCM at midnight with 7 hours to kill before your bus leaves was a strain. Thankfully, there’s a roadside joint where we ate pho and drank lots of coffee (which smells nice but not strong enough for me), while my brother (our designated ambassador) chats up with one of the guys in the shop. Hanging out at Pham Ngu Lao at midnight was a startling reversal when you get to see the chaos during the day. Thanks to the helpful tips, I decided to book with Mekong Express (primarily because of the built-in CR, hehe), and thankfully they took care of the border passage for us (because it was definitely confusing). It was a long bus ride and we slept most of the way (and slept more even if we already felt that we had enough sleep). The crossing of the Mekong River was definitely a highlight, not really because of how it looks (with its murky waters) but more because of its significance in the lives of the locals. We arrived in Siem Reap at around 8pm where our trusty tuktuk driver Sam was waiting for us.


 Quick picture from the Vietnam-Cambodia border...don't know why my pose is so weird...  
Going Around
We only had limited time in Siem Reap (2 days) and moreso in Phnom Penh (1/2 day) so we tried to cram and go to as many sights as we can (which I’ll expound on the next post). We mostly hired Sam (aside from going around the ruins) to bring us to Pub Street (where the Christmas Eve festivities were lively and crazy) and also to the Catholic Church in the area to attend Christmas mass (which was also interesting and provided a unique twist to our yearly Christmas celebration). Since most people in Cambodia are not Catholic, I appreciate the fact that we still get to feel the Christmas spirit away from home. Different nationalities under one roof sitting on the floor celebrating the mass was definitely a prized encounter. We also managed to squeeze in some time to go shopping, which warmed-up my mom’s bargaining skills (she gets to maximize them in Vietnam).

 Blurry picture of the shepherds (coz they're dancing) during the Christmas play...the kids were adorable!
The vibe in Cambodia is more like one of the provinces in the Philippines, and I’m glad that we went there during the cold season because I can’t imagine going around the temples thoroughly enjoying myself if it’s summer. The people are very welcoming and are used to the influx of tourists in the area. Our hotel in Siem Reap (Angkor Pearl Hotel) was astoundingly better than what you expect from the price. We only got to stay for a few hours in Phnom Penh (just to cut our travel time going back to Ho Chi Minh), but we also got to chat with interesting people on the way. There is still a lot to discover about the country and I’m glad that it will be easier to go there unlike before.

 With our tuktuk driver, Sam (samtuktuk@yahoo.com)

2012 travel log

2012 was supposed to be my “big save year” since I’ll be spending a lot in 2013, but hell, when the seat-sale comes a-callin’ and you have awesome friends who are willing to go with you at a drop of a hat, how can you resist? And a couple of mini-trips in between...

Thank you, 2011!

They say good things come to those who wait, and while I feel that I'm getting ahead of myself this time, I'm extremely optimistic given the blessings that 2011 has brought. While 2010 forced me to come to grips on what I want to do in my life, 2011 more or less got the ball rolling. And like I said before, I'm a natural planner, and this year hopefully marked the foundation of those plans. Though the future is still uncertain, I'm intensely optimistic and happy about the year that was and what 2012 will bring.

Wealth is...wealth
This is the year when I had some decent financial planning laid out. More or less I was compelled to do so because of the new "projects" I have that require some serious financing. Suffice to say, 2012 and 2013 will be the time when I'll go back to poverty since I'll be spending 90% of what I'm saving so far. Though the latter part of the year was not good from an economic standpoint (my stocks are definitely hurting! should stop second-guessing next time), hopefully the returns are better this year.

Two jobs in one year, yeah you read it right
My career, though not aimless, appears to be on a winding path. I ended last year with a job and though things didn't go as I've thought, I still learned a lot and made great friends along the way. My new job, at last, fits what I'm envisioning for myself ever since I finished grad school. My new co-workers are also a blast and I'm lucky that I get to work with such talented people. Hopefully the next years point to more stability in terms of work.

Tripping
While I didn't have a lot of trips this year (because of the "saving" mode), they are still memorable nonetheless. Our Korea trip in February didn't push through, but that extra money helped me to buy more stuff for myself, hehe. Ended the year with an awesome Vietnam-Cambodia trip, which is a feast for the eyes (both the sights AND the people, hehe) that I feel that I have to come back for more.

Relationships
This year brought me a lot of old and new friendships that I'll always treasure. I had a blast going out almost every weekend with my friends, doing whatever activity that catches our fancy, sharing our various obsessions and introducing new ones. There are a lot (and I mean A LOT) of emotional milestones this year (not just on my end) and I'm glad that I have these wonderful set of people to share them with. I'm also thankful for all the new friends that I got to meet, from work to those I randomly meet during my adventures. Thank you for bringing that additional spice in my life.


And so I end my 2011 post with a whole ton of gratitude for all the blessings the Lord has given me, my family, and friends. I can't remember the last time when I am THIS excited about the coming year. Here's to an even more awesome 2012! Cheers!

meet bummie

I've been known to really milk my gadgets for all they're worth, so I rarely buy any gadgets fresh from its release date. Case in point: Hyde is almost 3 years old (that's OLD in laptop years), and my ipod is still a first generation iPod Classic which I bought, uh sixyears ago (and the screen protector is still intact, mind you). So as long as it serves its purpose (even though Hyde crashes once in a while and my ipod doesn't sync videos and sometimes doesn't play the whole song, heh) I'll stick to it until it dies on me.

But then, that epic korean session happened and I really felt like a throwback from the 80s oohhing and aahing over Ica's S2 and Ris' Ipad. And so, I'll do anything to satisfy my kdrama obsession. I thought buying Won Bin (my ever trusty hard drive chock-full of kramas) early this year is enough, but I just HAD to buy this:


bummie, beside the just-downed Very Berry crepe (c/o Tokyo Cafe) that always makes my day. also used a Dal Ja's Spring artwork as my wallpaper.


It's a Samsung Galaxy S Wifi 5.0, relatively cheap considering its features. I took this picture using my mom's own wifi 5 (which she uses like a glorified brickgame). And it's now proving to be a really BIG distraction.

dal ja's spring...four years after

I blame this on my recent bizarre dream with the ever adorable Lee Min Ki on it (he wasn't adorable in my dream, but still, hihi), but I find myself digging up videos and reading recaps of Dal Ja's Spring over the net. Blame it on my uber long house arrest due to sore eyes.

Four years after this series originally aired, it is still one of the best kdramas in the list. Well-acted, highly relatable (cmon, it's a 33yr old successful office girl with a hyperactive imagination), realistically (sort of, thematically it is) romantic, and has one of the most well-written kdrama leads in my opinion. Imagine my annoyance when I dug through my kdrama stash and can't find my copy. Oh well, hopefully there's still one available out there.

Sharing one of the good videos I found out there, so happy that there are still those who are making tribute mvs to them until today.



And one of the best discoveries because of this lazy afternoon session:

spare tire - the one who steps in when a hole punctures her life

me and Laruku part 2!!!

I was so elated when I found out a few months ago that L'arc~en~Ciel will go on a world tour again!

Now we have the actual concert dates, seems like I'm going to the Hong Kong leg again because it's slated for March (where I'm planning to go to Korea w/ friends). I was planning to go to the Bangkok concert before in order to squeeze in some sightseeing (never been there), but it's on a March weekday.

So Hong Kong again it seems! Will be flying just for the weekend for the concert (hopefully the tickets are still not expensive and I chance upon a seat sale) and do some shopping and sightseeing with the rest of the time. Had to prepare again for some praying and sweating while booking concert seats online. Can't wait!

twenty-sevuuuhhhnnn!!!

So I'm 27 today (that's still mid-20's right?) and I'm closing the day thon-ing some videos and responding to greetings (thank you guys!)

Uploading 50 Cent's In Da Club just because this is IMO the birthday song of our generation (heehee), plus it's been a LONG time since my friends and I had a SERIOUS clubbing session, and because my officemate has been playing this song the whole morning.

Cheers!