Where to Now, UP Boy?

Hyung Koo Kang's exhibit at SAM...

2012-01-27T13:04:00.001+08:00

Another recent exhibit I got to visit was The Burning Gaze which featured works by Korean artist Hyung Koo Kang.

The exhibit was at the SIngapore Art Museum, and I got to see the exhibit for free because I went on a Friday at 6PM. (Free entrance to SAM every Friday, 6-9PM).

Almost all the pieces on display were paintings of well-known personalities, as well as a number of self-portraits.

From what I read, Kang's technique is a style that seems like photorealism.Simply put, works under this genre are paintings that appear photographic.

And appear like photographs the paintings did.

I couldn't help but be amazed at the tremendous attention to detail seen on each work.

Most of the pieces were huge, occupying a significant part of each wall of the exhibit space.

Intense. Hyper-realistic. These were some of the words use dto describe the works of Kang.

I have to agree.

Another thing I have to agree on is how SAM described what the paintings do to exhibit visitors.

"In our media-saturated age, the sheer quantity of images that we encounter daily in print and digital forms encourages us to look, but not see. Kang's paintings precisely force us to stop, and see," wrote SAM.

Looking back now, that's exactly what I did while I was at SAM for the exhibit. I stopped. And I didn't just look, but I saw. And I was conquered by the paintings.

Spring Awakening is coming...

2012-01-25T07:51:00.001+08:00

Spring Awakening will be in Singapore!!!

Woohoo!

On one of my recent visits to the National Library, I saw a banner for the hit musical. It will be staged at the Drama Center Theater of the National Library and will run from 3 - 26 February 2012.

I was able to watch the Manila production, and I absolutely loved the show - the cast, the story and of course, the songs. I'm really excited to see how Singapore will stage the show. I'm also looking forward to seeing Adrian Pang in the flesh. Wooohoo!

Also, I think the lead female character Wendla Bergmann is played by a Filipina - Julia Abueva. Meanwhile, the lead male character Melchior Gabor is played by Nathan Hartono.

In case you're in Singapore and you're interested to watch it, you can get your tickets here.

Happy birthday, Carlo Pogi...

2012-01-24T20:19:00.005+08:00

Today is the birthday of Carlo, one of my very good friends back in Manila.

To many, he is known as the graphic artist/creator of the superhero ZsaZsa Zaturnnah. The graphic novel has gone a long way since it was published several years ago. It's been made into a movie. It's been made into a musical. It has been cited in studies.

I've known Carlo during the days that he was still conceptualizing ZsaZsa (or if I'm not mistaken, even before that.)

We met through one of the really popular online forums in early 2000. After an EB (gad, EB! Who still uses that term?) with other fellows from that online forum, we totally hit it off and have been good friends since then.

Carlo belongs to that group of friends of mine who I see just one-on-one. He's this guy who I can talk for hours and hours, telling him what's really inside my head and now worry about being judged. The same goes for him. Our favorite spot is anywhere there is coffee. Usually, it is Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. But before that, it was Dome at Shangri-la Mall. Hehe!

I can't remember the last time I saw him, but I definitely met up with him to tell him that I'm moving to Singapore to try it out here.

Thanks to Facebook, we still get to keep in touch. Plus, I get to be up-to-date with what's happening with his projects, including the much awaited release of another issue of ZsaZsa Zaturnnah.

We haven't had those conversations that we used to have in Manila but I'm sure that he is still one of the friends I can run to whenever I feel like talking to someone.

I know it. He is just one of those people who you know would still be around for you, even when everyone else has already left.

So my dear Carlo Pogi, happy, happy birthday to you! I may not be in Manila, but do know that I remembered you on this very special day of yours.

Biggest hugs, and as you used to say...

"You are loved."

OFW feelings on the Lunar New Year weekend..

2012-01-23T18:56:00.002+08:00

Weeks and days before Christmas 2011, several Filipino friends, upon finding out that I wasn't planning to go home for Christmas, told me, "You're going to be lonely here. Christmas and New Year are not really that big of a deal here."

I wasn't worried. I've always taken a "Life is what you make of it" attitude most of the time, and I was determined to make my first Christmas and New Year away from home memorable.

Both holidays turned out to be very memorable. Thanks to friends, thanks to Pg Boy, I was just really happy all throughout December and the first few weeks of January.

I can't say the same for the Lunar New Year long weekend that is about to end.

Uhm, I'm finding it difficult to write this because I think it's a sign of weakness, but I actually felt lonely during the days of the long weekend because of the Lunar New Year celebration.

Most of my usual buddies were away on a holiday. Pg Boy went back home to celebrate with his family.

Technically, I wasn't really alone. Richie was here. Ian was here. The Tampines East gang was here. But for some reason, I still felt lonely, especially today.

My mistake was that I didn't plan enough activities to keep me occupied during this day when the entire island shuts down. So, I ran out of ideas and even if I wanted to do some things, loneliness already took over.

Good thing there's WhatsApp and Skype, I got to talk to Pg Boy and tell him how I was feeling.

I was telling myself, "I wonder how those in countries much more far away from the Philippines are handling situations like this. They're the tough ones."

When I was still in Manila, I've heard many times how life as an overseas worker is difficult and challenging. One is away from home, from family, from friends, from a familiar environment.

Since I arrived here almost 10 months ago, it is only today that I've felt a loneliness of this kind.

The good thing is I know that this is just for today, and that tomorrow I will feel better.

There is nothing wrong I guess with feeling down every now and then. It's a reminder that one is still human and has emotions. What would probably be worrying is if one were, as Pg Boy puts it, "Santa happy" all the time. Hehe!

Gong xi fa cai! :)

2012-01-22T12:56:00.001+08:00

Gong xi fa cai! :)

Photo from Pink Dot SG

Random thoughts on a pre-CNY Friday night...

2012-01-21T11:29:00.002+08:00

While I was here in Singapore last year for Chinese New Year, it is only this year that I am becoming more familiar with the celebration.

So, apparently, the first day of the celebration is where the entire family gathers for a meal. That means everyone back home.

For Pg Boy, home is in one of the nice cities further north of Kuala Lumpur (I think).

He went back early last week, and won't be back till next week. Some friends have been asking why I didn't go.

Uhm, it wasn't really a big deal to me that I'm not there. I did wonder what it would be like to have a real CNY celebration with his family, but that's just me having my usual daydreams. Haha! But seriously, I knew it was a family thing, and I'm not in a position to invite myself or ask to be part of an intimate gathering. Apart from that, the family doesn't know and I can just imagine how the folks surprised the would be if Pg Boy showed up with a Filipino guy in tow. Hehe! There would be some explaining to do about the Filipino "friend."

When I said this to Rich, one of my really good friends here and one of the guys I usually approach for advice, he told me, "It's kind of sad that we have to settle for that, huh?"

He further said, "If it was a girlfriend, and the girlfriend was introduced as a 'friend,' that'll surely be an issue for the girl."

Rich wasn't talking about my situation. He was just giving a general statement, and I understood what he meant.

One of my good Singaporean friends, Melvin, was telling me that some of his guy friends would bring along their partner with them to the family dinner. The folks would be okay with it. I think it would be nice to have that, eh.

Going back to Richie's comment, it got me questioning a little. "Should we really just settle for that?" The UP activist in me has all these thoughts (haha!), but I know and understand the bigger picture. It's much more complicated than it really is.

Pg Boy and I are talking about a trip to Manila. He's never been, and I do want him to visit. I was teasing him that I will bring him with me to meet my folks and sibs. While I'm confident that my family knows, I haven't really made it official. Hehe.

I wonder what it would be like if I told them who Pg Boy really is in my life. Or should I just settle for introducing him as a 'friend?'

Hmmm...

Eh, Singlish so damn cool, ah...

2012-01-18T22:31:00.001+08:00

One more thing that I have grown to find very interesting about my adopted country is the colloquial Singaporean English, Singlish.

The Batangueños have their "ala eh." The Singaporeans have their "lah."

In the short span of time that I've been here though and after numerous conversations with local friends, I've learned that "lah" is just one of the many phrases in Singlish.

You've got lah, leh, loh, mah, meh, among so many other Singlish phrases.

And if you think that you can use these phrases interchangeably, uhm, no, you can't. Each phrase is used for a certain statement.

I know! So confusing mah!

The local government actually discourage the use of Singlish and favor the use of standard English. From what I've read, certain steps have been made to promote using standard English.

For me, I see Singlish as one more instrument that gives the country its identity. So really, I dun see anything wrong with it.

Actually, I'm even more interested by ang mohs (ang moh is a local term used to call Caucasians) who speak Singlish, just like the guy in the videos above.

Uhm, honestly, I dunno if he considers himself an ang moh because it seems like he's been living here in Singapore all his life. Hence, his very familiar Singlish accent and use.

Stumbled upon his videos while looking for Singlish videos. I may have been living here for a really short time, but I'm actually glad that I could understand some of the terms he's using in his video.

Eh, so damn cool.

2012-01-16T08:14:00.000+08:00

Sunday morning was spent volunteering at the National Museum of Singapore.

Several weeks ago, I was doing my usual browsing of the museum websites to check out if there's any new exhibits when I stumbled upon this ad looking gallery sitters for the Singapore History Gallery.

Having mounted several exhibits in Manila, manning exhibits was certainly not new to me. Haha!

I figured I could spend a few hours lending a pair of extra hands to the place that has allowed me to see Van Gogh, among several other awesome pieces.

My shift was 10AM - 2PM. I arrived at the NSM ten minutes before 10. After registration, I was directed to go to the Singapore History Gallery where I was met by a lovely and pleasant lady named Mas.

She gave me a brief orientation about the History Gallery, and what needed to be done. The main assignment was preparing the audio companions for the gallery, and welcoming and teaching visitors how to use the audio companion.

Sounds easy, eh? It is. But then there are times when there are several visitors arrive at the same time, so then you have to hurry up in the distribution and giving of instructions.

An hour later, I was pulled out from the History Gallery post and was asked to help top up the shelves around the museum with the information materials. (Probably because of my huge frame, they realized that I can do the walking and lifting of materials. Haha! It was fun though.)

I accompanied the Duty Officer of the Day Vivien in getting the materials from the storage areas and going around the different areas of the museum to top up the shelves with more information materials.

Initially, I thought the shift would be quite dull because I would just have to stand for four hours. I'm glad it turned out to be very busy with different kinds of work.

I signed up for another shift on 5 Feb. This time, it'll be the afternoon shift. I was told to be ready for it because it's an Open House day and they expect several people flocking to the museum.

As a token, I got a pair of complimentary tickets to all the galleries in the museum. Yey! Date at the museum soon.

A visit to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple...

2012-01-14T13:15:00.000+08:00

On a late afternoon, I accompanied Bernice to Chinatown. It was her last few days in Singapore before flying back to Amsterdam, and she said she wanted to see Chinatown.

We took the train and got off at Chinatown MRT station, which led us directly to Pagoda St.

With the Chinese New Year just around the corner, the streets of Chinatown were very busy. (Although I must say that Chinatown seems to be a very busy place any time of the year. Hehe!)

After walking along some of the streets, I brought Bernice to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple on South Bridge Road.

I've seen the temple from the outside so many times, because it's right next to Maxwell Food Centre.

This was, however, my first time to enter the museum.

Probably because of the Chinese New Year, the temple had extra special decorations. Probably.

But I was really wowed by the interiors of the temple.

I didn't read up on the temple before going, so we missed going to the museum in the museum. Eeep!

Maybe I'll check out the temple again this CNY.

Website: http://www.btrts.org.sg/

Cheese overload...

2012-01-09T22:18:00.002+08:00

Nature-tripping buddy Melvin shared this Youtube video during the drive to Bukit Timah on our New Year's hike. Hehe!

The video shows Timothy Tiah from Malaysia who proposed to his girlfriend Audrey using a Internet memes.

What I really loved the video is that you can see how Timothy was really, really happy. He had such a huge smile on his face the whole.

That is definitely a guy in love.

Awww... congrats to the couple.

You can read more about the video of the couple here.

Quickie lookback at 2011...

2012-01-08T23:01:00.006+08:00

Yeah, I know it's been days since we started another year.

I've been meaning to write a review of some sort of how my 2011 went, but I haven't found the time to sit down and put my thoughts into words because the first week back at work was crazy.

It's only now on this quiet Saturday morning that I am able to sit down in front of a laptop and let my fingers dance on the keyboard.

The biggest thing that happened was bagging a job and making the move to Singapore. Boy, the plan was several years in the making. Friends Rejoy, Richie and JoAnn have been convincing me to move to Singapore but it was only in December of 2010 that I became really decided to try it out here.

Everything happened so fast. The first quarter of the 2011, I flew to Singapore three times - twice for the job interview, and the third one was for the move.

I am forever, forever grateful for everyone who helped make the Singapore dream a reality. I didn't do it all by myself. Without the support of a number of friends, it would have been much more challenging. So, yeah, I am just grateful.

About starting a new life here, I must say (almost) everything has rather been great. I've made new friends at work. I've made new friends outside of work. Then, there's Pg Boy. And then there are the friends who have been the inspiration to move here - Richie and Mon, JoAnn and Kym, Rej, Cyp and Jon, Jean, and definitely, my Twitter gang - MkSurf8, Tian3x and iandmac. These three guys have been my usual HOHOL buddies here and adjusting to the SG life was rather easy thanks to these guys.

Hmm, if I were to quickly name the best things about 2011, the following are off the top of my head:
- the Kylie Minogue concert - this was just awesome;
- discovering the "green" side of Singapore at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Sungei Buloh and the other parks - SG is not all about skyscrapers and high-rise HDB flats, it does have a green side which I really love;
- the Lion King musical - watched this myself and still enjoyed it very much. I've always dreamt of watching a musical in Broadway, and this was the next best thing;
- seeing Picasso, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Gauguin, and Van Gogh(!!!) pieces - no words. You have to be there to experience it;
- weekend trips to Batam and HCMC - oh, jeez! These have been epic trips. "Mister driver, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Mister driver!" Hahaha!;
- celebrating National Day, Christmas and of course, New Years's Eve;
the month-long birthday celebration (haha!) - I was really glad to have been able to do the tradition of holding my birthday at a kids' center;
- becoming a member of a dragonboat team - seriously, I never thought I would one day be on a boat with a paddle. Add to that being able to compete in the SG River Regatta. It never crossed my mind;
- meeting Pg Boy - completely unexpected. We met May of 2011, and neither one of us thought that we would months later be going out and making things official.
- having good friends from Pinas over - so glad that so many friends from Pinas came here for vacay - Nico, I-van, JB, Miguel, Bernice, Tey, Xzenia, Ella, Gino, Jon, Elapie, Sheena, Joi, Manny, Jamie, Ros. Really great;

There were, of course, challenges which put me to a test. I'm glad things still worked out..

Without a doubt, 2011 was a very, very big year for me.

During a small gathering with Pg Boy's friends, we had a quick recap of how each one's 2011 went. When it was my turn to talk, I just said I couldn't be more grateful for 2011. It was full of blessings, and despite the challenges I've encountered, I have no right to complain about it.

And if I'm going to be logical about it, then this year - 2012 - is definitely going to be better. It's good, better, best, right?!

Hope you had a really, really good year!

Hiking on a public holiday...

2012-01-05T22:01:00.000+08:00

January 2. Public holiday in Singapore.

6AM.

Whereas most of the Singapore population were probably still in bed fast asleep and enjoying the last day before the madness of another work/schoolyear, I have already left the house at that ungodly hour to meet up with good friend Melvin.

I haven't seen the guy in ages. I haven't gone hiking in awhile. It was time for another hike with this guy. He asked Bryan to come along. But when he found out what time the hike was, he chose the bed. I asked Alex and Chris to come along. Same response as Bryan.

Not everyone is as crazy as me and Melvin I suppose. Hehe!

Days before the hiking get-together, Melvin and I were talking about where to go. He suggested having no plans and just getting lost. I though, "Uhm, no." Hehe. I told him I miss the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. So we agreed that's where we're going.

But come hiking day, there was a change of plans just when we reached the nature reserve. Melvin suggested doing the kampong trail. He also asked whether I was up for some fish feeding.

He said, "It is therapeutic, you know." I was psyched for a hike that morning. So even though he said we will be walking for two plus hours, I was okay with it. (Uhm, I was sort of okay that Alex and Chris didn't go. Otherwise, they would have killed me for sure. Haha!)

After parking the car at the Beauty World Plaza (I'm serious! That's the name of the building!), Melvin led the way towards the kampong trail. We quickly passed by a convenience store to buy a loaf of bread for the fishies. And then, we were off.

We were along a main street, car after car zooming past us, and I had to ask if we were supposed to be walking along that road. We reached a part of the road where Melvin just jumped over a road barrier. I just followed.

The next I know, we were already surrounded by trees. There was not a concrete building in sight. It was all greens, the morning sun, and the chirping of birds. Nice, nice.

We kept on walking for about an hour. There were other hikers and trail bikers. I'm not sure what area that was, but I followed Melvin as he made his way through a path lined with trees. This led to a hidden pond.

After finding a spot to sit down, Melvin brought out the loaf of bread. He took out one slice, tore a piece and threw it into the water. Ripples started forming as several fishes suddenly zoomed towards the bread. I took my own slice, and started throwing small pieces into the water, amused by the fishes that raced towards the bread. Several minutes later, a terrapin surfaced and started swimming to the bread pieces as well. Several minutes more, we spotted a number of snakeheads and their young. There was also one huge black fish, which Melvin thinks is a pacu, that joined the other fishies.

Around 11 plus, Melvin and I started to head back to "civilization." We took a different path going back, but it still brought us to the area where we started.

We also reached an area where the KTM railroad tracks used to be. I'm glad I was able to see those tracks a couple of months ago, before they were taken out. It was a part of Singapore history.

It was a good hike, I have to say. Came across some kingfishers, a sunbathing gecko (read: ordinary lizard - LOL!), snakeheads, a terrapin, several monkeys, an oriole, an unidentified bright red-chested bird, and an Oriental whip snake!!!

So, you see, Singapore is not all about skyscrapers and luxury malls, it has a "green" side which I am just really happy to discover because it brings back memories of the Philippine countryside (which I love!)

Welcoming 2012...

2012-01-04T20:32:00.001+08:00

This is a late post on welcoming 2012, but still I'd like to write about it for the simple reason that it is important to me.

Back in Manila, New Year's Eve is such a big deal for me, as it is for almost every other Filipino household I suppose. My Mom, my brothers and I would all be preoccupied with our own assignments for the Media Noche. It's become a family tradition that each one has a role for welcoming the brand new year.

And hours even before the clock strikes 12, one can already feel the very festive mood because of all the sound of fireworks that can be heard around the neighborhood.

It is quite different here in Singapore. I was expecting it. I've been told about it. And it's true.

Had I not left the house, it would just be like any other weekend night. It was very quiet, and almost everyone just went on with their usual activity.

Thankfully, Richie and Mon invited me and Pg Boy to dinner at their home. Richie's Mom was in town, and I already knew how good she is as a cook. There was no way I was going to miss that dinner. Haha!

Prior to heading to the dinner, Pg Boy and I had to go to the "unofficial" housewarming of his friend. He's Indonesian-Chinese with a Filipino partner. I've met the close friends of Pg Boy, and I have grown to like them. There are times when I still feel like the outsider but I suppose that's natural being the new kid on the block.

After the housewarming, we headed to Richie's place where we had, as I expected, a fantastic dinner.

Mon prepared a really nice soup. Richie prepared some grilled chops. Richie's Mom cooked really yum pancit. Even Pg Boy liked the pancit with meatballs. There was wine. There was cheese and crackers. There was salad. It was a good dinner.

From Richie's place, we headed to City Hall to meet up with the group of Pg Boy. We were going to watch the fireworks at the Marina Bay.

We were unable to get a good spot though as the roads leading to Esplanade have already been barricaded. Instead, we had to find a place at the park near the Fullerton Hotel.

It was still okay, because I got a good view of the fireworks.

As the time neared midnight, there was excitement in the air. We didn't hear the actual countdown at the Esplanade. But as soon as I saw the time on my iPhone turn 12:00, the fireworks display began.

It lasted for several minutes, and the whole time I was just really, really happy.

Once it was over, we had a group hug and greeted each one a Happy New Year. Haha!

It was a simple, but a memorable welcoming of 2012.

Hope your New Year celebration was just as meaningful and memorable!

Hello, 2012....

2012-01-01T23:38:00.001+08:00

After New Year's Eve dinner with Richie, Mon and Richie's Mom, Pg Boy and I headed to City Hall to meet up with his friends.

I told him that I really wanted to watch fireworks for New Year's Eve because it was one of my very few connections to a New Year celebration in the Philippines.

We wanted to get a spot at the Fullerton Bay Hotel side, but we were unable to do so because the roads have already been barricaded.

So, we opted to stay where we were - at the other side of the Esplanade.

Still, I was able to get a good view of the fireworks. I really loved it. There's really something about fireworks that makes me happy. Hehe!

Anyway, must find time to blog more about other things that happened. It's been a good Christmas and New Year!

Really grateful.

Happy New Year!!! :)

Queermas party... Asean edition... hehe...

2011-12-27T11:07:00.003+08:00

Sunday night was spent with Pg Boy's friends.

His housemate and good friend E organized the get-together among the group. Good Pinoy friend Ian was there too so yay.

Come to think of it, it's because of Ian that I met this group. Had it not been for him, and had he not invited me to join him at rowing, I dunno how I would've met the entire group.

That night, the group included Filipinos, Singaporeans, a Malaysian-Chinese, Indonesians, and an American (E's dad who flew in for business and to see E).

There was no theme for the food. Hehe. But, the good thing about this was that there was a variety of food - sushi, popish, an assortment of pies, cheese and crackers, chocolate cake, chocolate cupcakes, and wine, lotsa wine. Haha! Ian also made his really popular vodka sprite mix.

I guess one of my fave moments of the night was just after everyone has already eaten and almost everyone settled down at the long sofa to continue to chitchat. Pg Boy and I brought out our bag with gifts. I love the look of surprise (and appreciation) on everyone. Hehe!

Since I was off last Thursday and Friday, I took care of the shopping after checking with Pg Boy if he was okay with the gift ideas. His assignment was to write the individual messages for the gift cards.

You can take the Filipino boy out of his city. But you can't take certain traditions in that Filipino boy. It reminded me of the Queermas party in Manila where everyone has gifts for everyone. (MkSurf8 and Chris, your gifts are with me. Late shopping. Ergo, I wasn't able to give during the Pinoy Queermas party. Hehe!)

It was definitely a good dinner. No, it was definitely a good first Christmas away from home thanks to all friends who still gave the gift of Christmas through their house parties, even if we were in a country that doesn't really celebrate Christmas.

Christmas eve dindin...

2011-12-25T08:53:00.001+08:00

Because it's my first Christmas away from home, and because the last time I celebrated Christmas with someone special was five (or was it six?) years ago, I really wanted to make it more memorable.

Thanks to Google, I found two good choices - Carousel at the Royal Plaza at Scotts and one of the restaurants at the Meritus Mandarin.

Both had good reviews. I called both dining venues. However, since it was just a few days away from Christmas eve, both restaurants were already fully booked.

A little more Googling and I was led to a restaurant at the Pan Pacific Hotel.

It seemed like a really good choice.

I had no idea whether the food was good, but I was confident that the venue was going to be super. So I decided to go ahead and book a table for two.

Saturday night. Pg Boy came from another appointment. I came from my home. We agreed to meet at 7PM at Suntec Convention Center.

Close to 7PM, I get a text from Pg Boy that he's running late. It's Christmas and I was really excited for dindin, so I just stayed cool. I called the restau and they were more than happy to hold the table for 30 more minutes.

Christmas can still be saved. Haha!

By 730, Pg Boy arrived. We walked to Pan Pacific right across the street. We got into the lift. Someone already pressed 37. I moved really close to the window to get a good view of the city during the ride up.

The lift doors opened and we were at our destination - Hai Tien Lo.

I thought it was a really nice restau. After giving my name to the reception, we were led to our table. I asked for a table that gave a nice view of the city, and I was really glad that they granted my request.

Haha! I dunno if it was because of the formal setting or what, but it felt like we were on a first date. I felt nervous, and was a bit tense. Haha! We were back to our usual selves once the food was started to be served.

The starter was a deep-fried prawn with wasabi mayonnaise sauce and barbecued duck. Soup was braised shark's fin with fish maw and chicken. There was also spare ribs with seafood spring rolls, followed by poached white cabbage with baby abalone in shark's bone broth. Since it was a Chinese restau, rice had to be part of the menu. Hehe. The main was Wok-fried rice with scallops and eggs.

The dessert was really good, too. Chilled cream of pumpkin with rock melon and ice cream. At first, I wasn't so sure about the idea of pumpkin but it turned out to be really nice.

So did the whole dinner experience.

I was actually grateful that I didn't get to book a table with the other restaus. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been as nice and romantic as the one we had. Things do happen for a reason, yeah.

Really memorable.

Chrissy din...

2011-12-19T14:24:00.003+08:00

In Manila, one of the highlights of the Christmas season is the annual Christmas party with the gang, which we have called Queersmas party (Hehe!).

The first ever I can recall was in 2003, I think, at the place Xoch and Jigs were renting. Since then, it has been a yearly thing. Sometimes, the venue would be at a restau. Sometimes, it would be at someone's home.

Wherever it was, the gathering is always meaningful, full of laughter and happiness. For me, it's a time to be with friends who have made the year that is about to come to an end very memorable and special.

I'm really glad that that tradition was carried on here in Singapore.

Despite our busy schedules, Ian, Chris, MkSurf8 and I were able to plan a Chrissy dinner for friends. Hehe.

Thanks to MkSurf8 for agreeing to have the dinner party at his place.

Thanks to Chris' contact, we were able to have Filipino dishes - chicken adobo, lumpiang shanghai, sisig, and rice. Hehe! Guests also brought food and booze. Ray Conniff music played. The TFC was on. Hehe.

It was the OFW version of the Queersmas dinner party. :) Definitely a good first Queersmas dindin away from home for me.

Happy Christmas!

Afternoon with the Masters...

2011-12-18T14:45:00.000+08:00

Having a painter for a father, I've been exposed to the art world at a very young age. I remember, as a young boy, I would wake up in the middle of the night and see my Dad in one of the rooms of the house. A watercolor brush in his one hand, different colors of paint on a palette, classical music in the background.

He had a number of books on the world's greatest artists lying around the house, and I remember I would marvel at the photographs of paintings by people I had no idea were legendary.

This, I guess, is one of the reasons why I have a natural affinity towards the art world. In uni, one of my favorite classes was Humanities II (Art and Society). I remember one of our exams was to talk about an artwork. What were the techniques used by the artist? What does the lighting mean? What were the objects in the painting? I talked about one of the ballerina paintings of Edgar Degas, and I remember getting 1.25 for that exam.

One of my dreams, of course, was to see these paintings up close. I envy my friends like Bernice, They and recently, Grace, who have had an opportunity to see the works of Masters during their travels abroad.

Last Saturday, that dream became a reality when I visited the Dreams & Reality exhibit at the National Museum of Singapore.

This is one of the things I love about Singapore. There is an effort to promote both local and international arts and culture among the locals. Since I moved here, I have had the opportunity to see so many great works.

The appropriately named exhibit featured over 140 Salon, Realists, Impressionists and Post-Impressionists paintings, photographs and drawings from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century from the collection of the world renowned Musée d'Orsay.

After handing over my ticket to the . The first painting to really wow, I guess, any visitor to the exhibit is Alexandre Cabanel's The Birth of Venus. It's the first huge painting you will see as you walk towards the hall leading to the other paintings.

I spent a good few minutes just marveling at the painting. I rented an audio guide, which helped me appreciate the painting even more.

The works of the "superstars" were uhm purposely placed towards the last section of the exhibit. Save the best for last I suppose.

Obviously, that's where I stayed the longest.

For many, including me, I'm sure the highlight of the exhibit was Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night.

When I saw it, I just stood there for several minutes in awe. I dunno if it's because I knew it was a van Gogh, or maybe because there was just really something about the painting that mesmerizes any person looking at it.

One surprise for me, which I liked, was the presence of works of female Impressionists. Not to be a sexist, I didn't have a clue that there were female Impressionists at that time. I was truly pleased when I saw that several of the outstanding pieces on display were by female artists like Berthe Morisot, Marie Braquemond and Eva Gonzalès.

The exhibit was definitely star-studded, so to speak. Manet, Monet, Cezanne, Gauguin, Degas, Pisarro, Renoir.

I allotted about two hours to see the exhibit, but I realized that it wasn't enough. I should probably allot close to half a day to have enough time admiring select pieces. I definitely want to see the van Gogh again, that's for sure!

The exhibit would be until Feb 2012. It would be awesome if my Dad were here, I'm sure he would really enjoy it.

A&F boys are waiting for you...

2011-12-15T17:26:00.002+08:00

Several weeks ago, this wall that boarded the A&F store was in the news because some conservative was scadalized by the image.

Sheesh, one objects to this while no one objects to the scantily clad images of women for lingerie ads? What's up with that?

Anyway, the board, if I remember correctly, was taken down.

A couple of days ago, A&F made it to the news again when thirty (!!!) shirtless men stood outside the store to be greeters.

They were there on the days leading up to the event.

Haha! I'm not sure if this is what they do in all A&F stores that are about to open.

But whoever thought of this idea, good job! Such a great way to get back at those narrow-minded individuals. Hehe!

New Year's Eve... the movie...

2011-12-12T18:00:00.000+08:00

Well, I certainly didn't expect that this film would make me cry.

Haha!

I dun cry that quickly when watching movies. I get cheesy and mushy, yeah, but I dun cry.

The last film I can remember that made me cry was Cheaper by the Dozen. LOL!

Anyway, there was once scene in this film that definitely struck a chord. So the next thing I know, I was wiping tears from my eyes. Haha!

Good film. ;P

It's the start of Xmas 2011...

2011-12-11T22:19:00.001+08:00

It's officially Christmas.

Yesterday, I attended my first Pinoy gathering for Christmas 2011.

Friday night, I was checking Facebook and that's when I saw the message from JoAnn inviting people to their home for a Christmas gathering.

JoAnn and Kym adopted me on several of my trips here to SG. They also adopted me on my first month in SG. That's why I am so, so grateful to this couple.

After checking with Pg Boy our weekend schedule, I confirmed our attendance to the gathering with JoAnn.

I thought it was really sweet of her to call me on the morning of the gathering just to tell me to ask Pg Boy to go.

I was also looking forward to the gathering because I know that the food will be Pinoy. Woohoo!

Saturday morning, I headed to Ikea Tampines to look for present Pg Boy and I can give for the exchange gift.

Since Pg Boy moved to Tampines, it was much easier for us to get to the home of JoAnn and Kym. Their place was only a few bus stops away.

By 5PM, I was back in my first home in SG. I kinda miss that area. Though it was a bit crowded, I like it that I had access to almost everything I need.

Some guests were already there when we arrived. Other guests started arriving minutes after Pg Boy and I came.

It was a nice gathering. I definitely enjoyed the food. For someone who doesn't really celebrate Christmas, I think Pg Boy did okay. He liked the lumpiang shanghai. And he was game enough to join the games prepared by Rej, JoAnn and Jackie.

We didn't get to stay for the exchange gift part though. It was date night for us, so we had to leave around 8 plus.

Still, it was a good dinner and games night. Thank you to JoAnn and Kym for having us.

Surpreess, surpreess...

2011-12-07T20:44:00.003+08:00

It's PG Boy's birthday tomorrow. He's also arriving from his holiday overseas this morning.

So with the help of his housemate, E, I decided to do a little welcome back/pre-birthday surprise for him.

What can I say?

I missed the guy v much.

Happy weekend, despite not doing the SCMS 2011...

2011-12-06T20:34:00.000+08:00

Last Sunday was the much-awaited Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon.

I signed up for the half-marathon, but I ended up staying at home because of some injury.

Uhm, I did think of still doing the run because I've been prepping for it. However, I chose to be smarter and decide to stay home to further recover.

Still, it turned out to be a great weekend because several friends from Manila flew in for the run.

Last Friday, Jamie and Rosvie arrived. Jamie was doing the half-marathon with Ian, while Ros signed up for the 10K.

I wish I could have spent more time with Jamie and Ros, but due to you know what already, I had very limited time with them. Boo!

Of all the weekends to get sick. :-/

Also in town were friends from uni Ella and Gino. Gino did the full marathon. Woohoo! Way to go, Gino.

Ella and I were supposed to meet up Sunday night, but she got stuck somewhere so we had to cancel.

Good thing I was able to see her and Gino on Monday. There was even a bonus. Another friend from uni, Sam, joined us. Apparently, she moved here from Australia with her hubby and kids January this year.

So, even if I didn't get to do the half-mary, it was still an awesome weekend thanks to dear friends.

It's always, always nice to see friends from home.

Working to earn a place...

2011-12-05T23:04:00.001+08:00

Some random thoughts.

Do you remember your first day in school? The first recess break and you are at the playground and you don't know anyone. And then there's this one other kid who looks like he or she could be your friend. You muster enough courage and walk up to the other kid and try to make friends with him or her. Days, weeks, months later, the two of you become really close friends.

The same thing for someone who decides to change jobs and finds himself/herself in a new work environment. Everyone knows everyone, and you try to look for someone who could be your good friend. Several lunch hours spent together, team building activities attended together, and work assignments that required the two of you to collab, you've found a really good buddy.

I guess the same is true in several other circumstances.

Bottom line is you have to work to earn your place in someone else's life. You don't become part of someone's life that easily.

For some people, it is quite easy to let a new person in. For others, it takes time. Not necessarily because it's difficult, but maybe because the whole idea is foreign and needs some getting used to.

Uhm, I kind of feel like I'm in that situation. I have yet to earn my place.

I'm not complaining. Just writing what's inside my head.

And I've been doing things to hopefully earn that place.

I guess it just feels new to me again...

Volunteers appreciation dinner party...

2011-12-04T09:57:00.001+08:00

Whereas Friday night was the company year-end party, Saturday night was the OC volunteers appreciation dinner party.

Uhm, I actually feel like I'm not that entitled yet to be part of the activity since I haven't done a lot yet so far. I've just had one service session, and then there's the volunteer work during the game show at Play.

But anyway, I decided to go to the party because it would be a venue to see my OC batchmates and I guess meet other volunteers as well.

The venue for the dinner was Cumin Bali, an Indonesian restaurant along Tanjong Pagar road.

The invitte said that the theme for the night was "Resort at Bali." Eeep! I've never been to Bali, and I really have no idea where to get traditional costume so I interpreted the theme in my own way. Hehe! I dressed up as a Bali tourist.

Good friend Melvin was also attending the dinner. He picked me up at Bishan, and we drove to TP. When Melvin arrived, he was dressed in a batik shirt. He saw what I was wearing and he goes, "Why are you not in costume? It said Resort at Bali." I replied, "Well, I'm dressed as a Bali tourist. Dun worry. If I stick out like a sore thumb in the crowd, I wouldn't go in." LOL!

We got to the venue, and saw some of Melvin's friends at the registration table. The pair were dressed in tank tops, shorts and flip-flops. Haha! Melvin asked them the same question he asked me, and he got the same answer that I gave him. Hehe!

As we made our way to the dining area, I saw my batchmates Chinmay, Jin, Jane, Kevin and the other Kevin. Haven't seen them in a while so we had a great time doing a little catching up.

The night started with a "Getting to Know You" activity. Everyone was asked to get up and move around and talk to people. It was a good opportunity to meet new folks.

Immediately after, dinner was served. Indonesian cuisine kinda reminds me of some Filipino dishes. I particularly loooooved the grilled chicken, because it tasted very much like chicken tocino! Haha! Jeez, I ended up having a cup and a half of rice. Eeeeep! Good thing I've already decided to skip the Standard Chartered run today.

The next part of the night's program was the awarding of volunteers who have been serving OC for a number of years now. Some of those recognized have been with OC since 2006. It was really inspiring to see them and listen to their short speech.

Many of them had the same reason behind the decision to volunteer - to work towards making the Singapore society more open, accepting and understanding of the LGBTQ community.

Good Saturday night.

It's officially Christmas... err... the holiday season...

2011-12-03T09:07:00.000+08:00

The holiday season is officially here.

Last night was the year-end party of the company.

The theme was "Everyone's a Star." Employees were encouraged to come as their favorite star.

Usually, I would be game enough for this. Just look at the photos of the holiday parties when I was still with Smart.

However, I didn't have enough time to prepare for the party because I've been indisposed these past few weeks, and I wanted to see Manila friends Jamie and Ros who arrived on the day of the year-end party.

So, I came to the party as myself. LOL! Many others did.

But it was really so good seeing many of my Filipino friends come to the party as some "star." Chris came as Johnny Depp. Specifically, the Mad Hatter. Alexie and Paula were Audrey Hepburn and Kate Middleton, respectively. Miguel went as Harry Potter.

While I do miss the Smart Xmas party, the company party we had was also a memorable one for many reasons. It was held at Resorts World Sentosa. Food was okay. Nothing spectacular. (Or maybe because I wasn't feeling well. :-/) Several gift vouchers, iPod shuffles, and other gadgets were raffled off. Oh, I also won a 500GB external hard drive during the raffle.

The best part I have to say was seeing Miguel and Chris up on the stage wowing the crowd with their "dancing" skills. Hehe!

2011 has definitely been a good year, a very good year.

Obviously, the best thing that happened to me this year is the Singapore dream becoming a reality when I bagged the job with Wiley.

I'm very thankful.

After Versace, it's Marni...

2011-12-02T11:38:00.000+08:00

The next designer collaboration of H&M is with Marni.

I wasn't too excited about the one with Versace. The women's pieces were nice. The men's pieces were okay, I guess, but they were definitely not for me. I found the prints a bit too loud. Hehe!

But the next one with Marni is something I'm excited about. I've seen some prints and colors used by Marni in the collections, and they seem to be something I could wear. Hehe!

Marni for H&M will be available in 260 stores worldwide and online as of March 8, 2012.

December 1 is World AIDS Day...

2011-12-01T10:01:00.003+08:00

The fight against HIV/AIDS continues.

If you're in Singapore, visit www.afa.org.sg for more info about the disease, voluntary testing and how to get involved.

How to Make it in America...

2011-11-30T13:55:00.002+08:00

Having been indisposed these past few days, I have nothing to do at home after checking my work mail but finish this book I'm currently reading and check the blogs I usually visit.

That's how I stumbled upon this HBO series "How to Make It in America."

It's a comedy-drama series following the lives of lead characters Ben Epstein and friend Cam Calderon as they try to break into the NY fashion scene with their brand Crisp NYC.

Season 1 aired last year. Season 2 premiered last October.

It's actually quite interesting, and easy to watch since there are only eight episodes for both seasons.

To a certain point, I could relate to it because I am also trying to make it in another foreign country. Of course, New York and Singapore are very much different but the aim is the same - to make it.

Good weekend despite being indisposed...

2011-11-28T08:44:00.001+08:00

Despite being unwell, the last few days have been really good because two really good friends from Manila were in town for holiday - my former boss/mentor and really good friend Aimee and my best friend Tey.

It was really good catching up with both of them. And I was really, really happy that my best friend finally met PG Boy. I really want for them to meet each other already.

Yey!

Savas, Serangoon!

2011-11-27T08:19:00.001+08:00

The last few Sunday mornings have been spent on a dragonboat with a bunch of other paddlers under the scorching heat of the sun.

For about two grueling hours every Sunday, we would do various training exercises to prepare for a competition almost every DB team in Singapore is looking forward to.

That competition - the Singapore River Regatta 2011 - happened yesterday.

It is my second DB rowing competition, and I was more confident about this one. During the training days leading up to the race, I really saw the difference in how I rowed. There is still so much more room for improvement, but I've got a number of things already figured out thanks to Coach Yosef and my teammates who constantly remind me how it is to be a good rower.

The Singapore River Regatta is also special because it is said to be the mother of all DB races in town. For me, getting to be part of it was already such an honor and a privilege.

I was also extremely happy about this race because my best friend from Manila, Tey, was here for holiday so I had my very own one-man cheering team. Hehe!

Our team, the Serangoon CSC DB team, was slated for the 11:25 race. We would be competing against the PLK Paddlers, the Punggol North Dragons and the Kebun Bahrun CSC Team. I wasn't sure how good the other teams were but our edge for sure was that we were really determined to do our best during the race.

I arrived at the race venue by 9AM. Ian was already there. We secured our area. Competition was definitely in the air. All around, you would see hundreds and hundreds of paddles, floatation devices, and other gear. You'd see men and women, teens and adults, walking around clad in their team uniform and shorts all excited for the race.

Thirty minutes before the race, we did our warmup and the mandatory pep talk. We talked about our strategy and did a simulation.

Close to the race time, our team was called to head to the pontoon to get on the boat.

The next thing I know, the usual commands were given and we were off paddling like there was no tomorrow.

A little over a minute and it was all over.

It's amusing, huh. You spend hours and hours on the water, at the gym to train and the actual race would only take about a minute or so.

We didn't get to win first place. But we did get into the semis.

I wasn't able to join the semis anymore because I had to take care of something.

The Singapore River Regatta was definitely one more experience that made my new life in Singapore much more memorable. We may not have won the race, but I was just really happy to be able to do the race.

Never did it cross my mind that I would one day be a paddler. Haha!

Savas Serangoon, savas! :D

Nice, nice...

2011-11-23T22:40:00.001+08:00

Liking this Ivan Leung cover of Katy Perry's The One that Got Away.

New Youtube "star" discovered. Hehe. My other fave Youtube artists (if there is such a phrase) are Jason Chen, Gerald Ko and of course, Filipino Joseph Vincent.

Woohooo! 0=)

Mountain up ahead...

2011-11-21T16:40:00.004+08:00

Lordy prolly thought that my life is in need of a little more excitement.

It's the only reason I can think of for this mountain that's been placed in front of my path right now.

Things have been going on pretty smoothly in terms of almost everything, so the heavens must have realized it's time for an obstacle again. Hehe!

The sudden roadblock was definitely unexpected, and has been daunting. But surely, there is a reason for the challenge that came my way.

And what's to be done right now is carry on with the journey and conquer that mountain.

I found the following words in one of the spiritual books I used to read when I was still in the university.

"Let those very obstacles give you strength. God's grace will not fail you: 'Inter medium montium pertransibunt aquae! You shall pass through the mountains!'"

It couldn't come at a better time.

Movie date night...

2011-11-18T07:51:00.005+08:00

Movie date night tonight.

Planning to watch this flick - You are the Apple of My Eye. Looks like it's a good one. I wonder if it will be Dawson's Creek-ish or Tabing Ilog-ish. Hehe!

I'm starting to like Chinese cheesy films, eh.

What's your plan tonight?

P.S. Go to Youtube for the subtitles. Dunno why the subtitles aren't appearing when embedded. :-/

The terracotta warriors were in town...

2011-11-16T19:36:00.004+08:00

One of the things I really love about Singapore is the effort the government puts in advancing cultural knowledge by providing extensive support to its museums and similar institutions.

The Asian Civilisation Museum in Raffles Place is one of my favorite places here in SG. In addition to its highly interesting permanent exhibit showcasing Southeast Asian history, the ACM also holds exhibits that are always a treat for anyone hungry for history and culture.

From June to October, the ACM became the home of a number of pieces from China's well-renowned Terracotta Warriors discovery. Through the exhibit entitled Terracotta Warriors: The First Emperor and His Legacy, I was able to see up close the magnificent archaeological pieces.

I've always wanted to go to Xian in China to see this. Thanks to ACM, I can delay that trip. Hehe!

It was on a Sunday some months ago that I checked out the exhibit. I just got back from a morning trip to the Sungei Buloh reserve park, I asked PG Boy if he wanted to check out the exhibit. I've been planning to really visit the exhibit, but haven't found the time to go. Good thing PG Boy wasn't that tired yet and he said yes.

After grabbing lunch at Marina Square, we walked to ACM.

I read that this was the first time the statues were showcased not just in Singapore, but in Southeast Asia as well.

The statues that were on display included a general, two archers, infantrymen, a cavalry officer, a charioteer, a strongman and a horse.

What made the exhibit more interesting for me was an iPhone app was developed especially for the exhibit. The app featured Augmented Reality experiences and mini-games and I was just wowed by it. Seriously.

PG Boy and I spent a good two hours roaming around the exhibit. Whereas I was busy taking photos (one more thing I love about ACM - photography allowed!), PG Boy followed the guided tour and listened intently to the museum docent. Hehe! He looked like a schoolboy who was very eager to learn about the pieces on display because an exam might be given. Hehe! Really cute.

The other thing that never fails to amaze me whenever I go to ACM or to most museums is how the exhibit was set up. I'm always interested how a painting or a sculpture was mounted, or what materials were used for the accompanying literature. It comes from the fact that I did events in my previous job. Hehe! I just never got rid of the habit. I seriously think working for a well-funded museum would be a job I can take. Hmm, why didn't I consider that when I was filling up my university application? Hehe!

The next exhibit I'm eyeing to visit is Dreams and Reality: Masterpieces from Musee d'Orsay, an exhibit at the National Museum. I'm really, really excited about this one because works by great painters like Van Gogh, Monet will be on display. Wooohooo!!!

Loooong Sunday aftie...

2011-11-15T08:04:00.000+08:00

While Saturday was quite a relaxing day, I couldn't say the same of Sunday. Haha!

PG Boy and I got home from the boys night out just before midnight. I fell asleep close to 1AM.

I got up around 6AM, because I wanted to catch the 730AM Mass at the Lourdes Church in Ophir Road. Given the activity/errands for the day, I knew it was my only chance to have my QT with Lordy.

From Ophir, I took the bus ride to Bedok Reservoir Park for dragonboat rowing. Two hours of rowing under the scorching heat of the sun.

Wahlau! I die! The day was so hot meh! Hehe!

It's our second to the last training before the river regatta. Good luck to us! I think I've gotten stronger, and I'm more determined to race this time. Yosef did very well in motivating people. Though there were just six rowers plus him, I actually felt quite good after that training day.

From Bedok Reservoir, I grabbed a quickie lunch before heading back to PG Boy's place. Afternoon to evening was allotted for the birthday get-together with friend Desmond.

Headed to Bugis Junction to pick up a gift for Desmond. Walked to Purvis to get the cake from Garibaldi. Then walked to Fairmont to meet up with Melvin. He booked a room for the celebration. Nice, nice hotel!

When PG Boy and Desmond arrived around four, we left the hotel and drove to Marina Bay Sands for the Titanic exhibit. It was impressive, very impressive. The setup was really good. Check it out if you can. We also checked out the Dali exhibit. Not a huge fan of Surrealism, but it was still okay. No photos of the exhibit because I was told no photography allowed. Boo. :-(

From MBS, we headed to Pepes at Ngee Ann City for Indonesian dindin. By the time we got there, I was really tired and I was slightly nauseous. Perhaps it was because I didn't have enough sleep and I was just really tired. Really, really grateful PG Boy was there because I got to lean on him during the drive back to Fairmont.

We surprised Desmond when we brought in the cake while doing a lousy job of singing him the birthday song. Hehe! He looked genuinely surprised that there was a cake for him. Yeeey! Success!

It was a very looong day indeed, but it was a very good one!

Boys just wanna have fun...

2011-11-14T17:41:00.001+08:00

Last Saturday, I found myself having a great time at a boys night out with PG Boy's friends (most of whom I've met before because of dragonboat rowing).

We were like an ASEAN gathering. Haha! Three Indonesians. One Malaysian. One Singaporean. One Aussie-Chinese. Two Filipinos.

It was the first time that I've seen the entire group gather together. There were about eight of us. The usual get-together would be composed of about three to five people.

The night started with dinner at Casa Latina. The food was quite okay. I particularly loved the fish dish which Andi ordered. The margaritas were also quite good. What was even better was the conversation among the guys. Topics ranged from Erik's recent trip to Nepal, the new house of Ken, house hounting for Erik, Andi and PG Boy, among others.

After stuffing ourselves with enchiladas, burritos, fajitas, and so on, the group decided to walk to Bugis Junction for coffee, tea and dessert at TCC.

We called it a night an hour before midnight. It was really an enjoyable evening, I must say.

Stupid me, I didn't bring my camera. :-/ Lots of nice photo op moments that evening.

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree...

2011-11-12T08:12:00.000+08:00

Check out this nice tree at Vivo City.

Woohoo! Starting to feel Christmas-y here!

Yey!

Christmas is fast approaching...

2011-11-11T08:27:00.003+08:00

My fave holiday of the year is just around the corner.

Today, I heard a Christmas carol being played at a nearby mall while I was waiting for my train to arrive.

I couldn't help but smile.

It's going to be a different Christmas.

Also, check out the ABS-CBN Christmas 2011 Station ID. I can SO relate, and it made me teary-eyed. Haha!

And I have to agree, Da Best ang Pasko ng Pilipino.

Kiddie party with the kids of Yong-En Care Center...

2011-11-07T21:57:00.002+08:00

Several weeks before my birthday, I was thinking of what I can do to make my first birthday away from home really memorable.

The answer came while I was on my way to work one morning. Why not celebrate it the way I've been celebrating it in Manila for the past four or five year.

Together with friends. At a kids' institution. With games and presents for the kids.

I thought to myself that it would be a nice and meaningful activity to gather together friends from different groups not just to celebrate my birthday, but also to share with friends something really close to my heart - volunteering.

When I got to the office that day, I Googled for orphanages and care centers in Singapore. Surely, a First World country would still have institutions caring for children in need. The good thing about Singapore is that it is well-organized and very efficient. I stumbled upon a website that listed almost all the charitable institutions in the island-state.

Since I had no idea about each institution, I tried to narrow the list down according to type of organization, location and whether they had volunteer activities for the kids.

After coming up with a list of 5 institutions, I drafted a nice email to introduce myself, mention my proposed activity and the reason behind it. I even added photos from my previous kiddie birthday parties to show the institution that I'm no psycho and that I just want to have a birthday party for the kids. Haha!

I sent out my first email. A day passed. No reply. I sent out a second email to another institution. Decline. I sent out a third email to another one. Decline. I sent out a fourth email to one more. Decline.

Wow! I certainly did not expect getting turned down. And then I remembered I am in a First World country. Hehe! Almost all the institutions are well-funded or are very strict about their programs for the children. I told fellow UP volunteer Jean about the declines I was getting and how I was starting to get crushed. She said not to worry about it because I will find the right institution.

The right institution turned out to be the first institution I emailed - the Yong-En Centre. After several days, I got a very positive reply from Sharon (a program executive from the center). We agreed to meet up at the center so that I can explain the activity and talk about what I had in mind.

After finalizing the date, the time, the program, the next thing I did was to invite friends and get them to support the activity.

I was overwhelmed by the support extended by my friends. We were supposed to prepare gifts for just 20 - 25 kids, but we were able to gather so many gifts. Work colleague Alexie promised to make her delicious cupcakes for the event. Friends who weren't available on the day of the event itself promised to send gifts and they did. I couldn't be more grateful.

On a nice Saturday aft, Jean, Julie, Robert and I arrived at the Yong-En Centre quite early to wrap some more gifts and to prepare the venue. I also decided to come in early to wait for the food and to buy some more stuff needed for the party.

By 4PM, more friends arrived. Yong-En Centre's Sharon and Candice then gave us a pre-activity orientation. I was really impressed at how organized and efficient they were. They gave us a brief background about the center before proceeding to discuss the afternoon program's lineup of activities.

Fifteen minutes later, close to 15 bright-eyed, highly energetic and happy kids entered the activity hall.

Looking at my friends, they seemed just as excited as the kids were to be there that afternoon.

We started the fun afternoon with Human Bingo. I gotta say the kids were really smart, huh. I wasn't expecting young ones like 7 or 8 year olds ready to play that game. But as soon as Sharon signaled for the game to start, everyone - kids and adults - scrambled around to look for people to sign their Human Bingo sheet. I had a great time watching the kids and my friends interacting amidst laughter.

The next game we played was Streets and Alleys (I think). This one was more tiring because it involved some running. Hehe! I knew it was tiring because I volunteered to be the first player. Haha! It felt nice to be running around the hall chasing after one of the kids, while everyone else did their own role for the game. To be a kid again. Haha!

By the time we finished the second game, the kids were prolly starving. I guess so were the adults. Hehe! So we all moved towards the back of the room to queue for the food. It was nice seeing my friends taking care of the kids and making sure each kid had food.

Cheesy as this may sound, I felt a huge amount of joy in my heart watching everything.

The last part of the afternoon was probably the kids' favorite - gift giving. Because we had so much presents, each kid got to queue for a gift twice.

There were several gifts left and I just asked Sharon to please distribute the remaining gifts to the kids who were not able to attend the activity.

Oh, the kids also surprised me when they started singing "Happy Birthday" and birthday cake was brought out.

The activity ended past 6. I felt tired after the event, but I was just really happy with how the activity turned out. The kids left with big smiles on their faces. My friends said the kindest words.

It was definitely, definitely a very memorable first birthday in Singapore. It was the perfect way to close my three-part birthday celebration. Haha! (Yeah, I had a long birthday celebration. But the story for that is reserved for another blog post.)

To everyone who became part of the event, thank you very much! I am really, really, really grateful.

Because it's not said that often...

2011-11-03T21:02:00.003+08:00

Between me and PG Boy, I think I'm the one who's more demonstrative and who's more verbal with cheesiness. Haha! I dun think he'd argue with me on this one.

I'm not complaining. It's just a matter-of-fact observation and statement.

Truth be told, I have not always been like that. Growing up, I can't recall any specific moment that I said "I love you" to my parents. Let's not even start with my brothers. LOL! Our family dynamics was quite different.

It was my best friend Tey who taught me to be more expressive and verbal about one's caring/affection for someone else. She was never afraid to say how she felt. Whenever she would talk to her Mom or to her nephews and nieces, she would confidently say, "I love you, Mama" or "Do you love Tita, Kenjo?"

During those years when we would still use the landline to talk, my phone conversations with Tey would always end with her saying, "Love you, Anj." It took awhile for me to be comfortable with it. I knew she was saying it as a close sibling would, but still it was something I had to get used to.

The good thing was I learned quickly and pretty soon, I became more comfortable telling her and other friends, "Love you, friend" or "Hey, I miss you." Most of the time, a hug would go along with it because when I say it, I mean it.

That helped a lot when I got into a relationship. And it's helping me now with PG Boy. I dun find it difficult to tell him that I miss him. Sometimes, I have to keep myself from saying it too often (even if it's true) just so he wouldn't get tired of it. Hehe!

While I would love to hear the words "I miss you" more often, there is also something to not hearing it said that often actually.

Because he doesn't say it that often and because I dun know when he'd say it, the times he would say it would make it more special for me.

And the times that he would actually say it, I would always find myself with a big smile.

(Haha. Is this too mushy? Sorry, I just thought I'd write about it.)

Are you GAYme...

2011-11-02T11:38:00.000+08:00

Posting something from Oogachaga:

Oogachaga presents ARE YOU GAYME ENOUGH. A riveting game show modelled event that will captivate an audience while delving into sexuality, wellbeing, culture and history of LGBT.

Teams of two will battle it out, using their knowledge as the ultimate weapon.

Invite your friends to PLAY night club on 4 November 2011 and join us with our MC for the night, Mistevious as we gear up for three rounds of exciting and fun-filled competition to determine which team is GAYME enough.

New pair of running shoes... bday gift to self...

2011-10-26T16:48:00.004+08:00

Over dinner last night, running buddy and good friend Ian told us about the Royal Sports House warehouse sale happening today.

I've been looking for a new good pair of running shoes to replace my Adidas pair, but I haven't been able to allot a budget for it. I found a brand new pair of New Balance being sold online, but I wasn't too keen on the design. It looked exactly like the ones issued to guys who undergo NS here.

Despite having only four hours of sleep, I managed to get up at 8AM and meet Ian along Macpherson Road by 9:30AM. The sale begins at 10AM at Wisma Gulab and we wanted to be there early. It was actually a good idea. By the time Ian and I made it to the venue, there was already a queue outside.

The gates opened 15 minutes before 10, but we still had to wait just outside the tents for the clock to strike ten. There was already a crowd all eager and hungry for a good buy. Ian and I had to come up with a strategy to make sure we get what we wanted. Haha! I could feel the pressure, the intensity and the competition. Haha!

As soon as the RSH people opened the sale, people just dashed to the goods. I saw the area for New Balance, and went straight there. Luckily, all the others took their time at the brands that were near the entrance.

I saw a few pairs of NB that I wanted. A few minutes later, Ian showed up and I consulted him which one to get. He pointed a specific pair. I asked for a size 10, and I think it was meant for me because I was able to get a pair. Woohoo!

I held on to the box, as if I were carrying an expensive piece of jewelry. Haha! I went around to check the other brands to see if there were any good buys. I wanted to get some Vans but ended up not getting the pair. I told myself I must stick to my budget. Haha!

An hour later, Ian and I met up again and sorted our goods. I ended up just sticking to the pair of shoes. He ended up buying just two pair of shoes.

Still, the goodies we got were a steal. Ian was able to get two pairs of Lacoste for below $100. The pair I got was $49. It was already a very good deal because I saw that the original price was $235!!! Had I been at the mall, I would think twice, thrice before I really shell out that kind of money for a pair of shoes.

It was a very good trip to the warehouse sale. So thankful Ian invited me. So glad I found a pair. It's my birthday gift to myself already.

Woohoo!

Tugs on the eve of Diwali...

2011-10-26T08:14:00.002+08:00

The good thing about having a public holiday during the weekday is that you can go out on the eve of the PH and tugs the night away.

That's exactly what happened last night with two good friends and usual tugs buddies here in Singapore.

There were no plans to go tugsing. Just before 11PM, the idea of heading to Neil Road was brought up and the next thing we knew, we were already in one of my fave tugs places here in SG. Haha!

Good, good Tuesday night.

Four nationalities, one funny moment...

2011-10-24T21:51:00.002+08:00

I thought I'd write about one of the funny moments PG Boy and I had with one of our good friends a couple of weeks ago.

When PG Boy and I decided to make things official, we didn't really announce it to the entire world. I asked him if he's told anyone and he said he's told two of his closest friends. On the other hand, I was slowly telling people about us.

After that very short-lived moment with this other guy, I thought I'd keep things to myself first. It was also the advice of friend Ian - to just enjoy the new development first before sharing it to everyone else.

Anyway, it was a Saturday night. PG Boy invited me to dinner with his best friend and our common friend Andi. PG Boy's best friend of course knew about us already. I wasn't sure about Andi. It was an interesting mix that night - Filipino, Singaporean, Malaysian-Chinese and Indonesian-Chinese. Our group was pretty much like an ASEAN meeting. Hehe.

Following dinner at the Korean restau in Esplanade, we headed to MBS where we had dessert and coffee at High Society. (Btw, the cupcakes here weren't that good. At $7 a pop, I thought it wasn't worth it. The cupcakes at this Tanjong Katong bake shop tastes much better).

While we were tasting the assorted sweets we ordered, Andi turned to me and said, "Hey, Angelo. I heard you have an Indonesian partner."

I looked at Andi and said, "Oh, Andi. No, he's Malaysian."

Andi replied, "Really?! Because I remember PG Boy saying you're dating an Indonesian guy."

PG Boy stepped in and helped clarify things. "No, he had an Indonesian partner."

I told Andi how I felt it was best to end things with the Indonesian guy after realizing that I'm not really wired for long-distance relationships.

Andi replied, "Oh, alright. That was fast. And where's this Malaysian guy?"

I replied, "He's here, Andi."

"Oh, so he's working in Singapore?!" replied Andi.

"No, Andi. He's here." I said making sure I emphasized the word "here."

Andi had a puzzled look on his face for about half a minute. When it finally dawned on him what I meant, the four of us just broke into laughter.

PG Boy's best friend said, "I wanted to kick Andi for him to realize it, but he was just too far away."

It was definitely the highlight of that evening, at least for me. Up to now, thinking about that moment brings a smile to my face.

Pre-bday dindin...

2011-10-24T08:08:00.004+08:00

The birthday celeb began hours even before the clock struck twelve.

While I was waiting for my Friday to end, I receive a WhatsApp message from PG Boy inviting me to dinner.

As soon as the time on my PC screen turned 5:30, I quickly fixed my things and dashed for the door. Hehe. I had to head back first to the home in the West to grab some stuff for the weekend.

Close to two hours later, I reached PG Boy's home aka the other home in the East. I dropped my stuff, rested for a few minutes and then we headed out for dinner.

I wasn't sure where we were going, but I was pretty excited. We took the green line bound for Joo Koon. When we alighted at Tanjong Pagar station, I had a hunch that we were headed to the Italian restau PG Boy liked a lot.

True enough, after a couple of minutes of walking, we reached the place located in Duxton Road.

Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria is a nice dining place with a cosy and ambiance. The staff were friendly, and the food was good. No wonder PG Boy liked it a lot. It is perfect for dates and get-togethers with a small group of friends.

For starters, we got the Antipasto di Mare and Chicken Fingers. We could have gotten just one, because the serving of each dish. was good enough for sharing. Haha! For the main course, PG Boy the Gbocchi ai 4 formaggi (homemade pasta in a four cheese sauce - perfect for any cheese lover), while I got the Spaghetti all'Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino which was my usual favorite.

I liked everything.

I even got a nice tiramisu cake with a birthday candle. Yey! :D

After dindin, we headed to nearby Neil Road and had a couple of drinks. It was really nice. We bumped into our other friend Ken who was with his friends.

We left just before midnight. Still full from dindin, we decided to walk all the way home. It took us almost an hour, but it was a very good walk. The weather was just right. Except for a number of people every so often, we had the city all to ourselves.

Definitely a good start for what would be a birthday weekend celebration.

Etna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria is located in 49/50 Duxton Road, Singapore. (Tel: +65 6220 551).

Three decades later...

2011-10-21T08:32:00.000+08:00

Three decades later, the same question still pops in my head around this time of the year.

Good friend Chris shared this John Meyer song with me. Uhm, could pretty much relate to it (except for the quarter-life crisis part, I'm done with that. Haha!)

Because, yeah, grateful as I am for everything that's been going on right now..

... I [still] wonder sometimes...
About the outcome...
Of a still verdictless life...
Am I living it right...

32 in a few.

Why you should date a writer...

2011-10-20T10:32:00.002+08:00

Stumbled upon this blog post of Fickle Cattle's Von Bryan. I thought it was worth sharing because I could fully relate to several thoughts he raised in his wonderful blog post below. :)

(This is a response to this particularly brilliant piece of writing found here, entitled Never Date a Writer).

You should date a writer. You should date a writer because he will fictionalize everything. He will write about things you have done to him, ohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifrhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif things you have never done to him. He will write about the time you held his hand, in the rain, and shared an umbrella. Or said nothing when he cried copiously in a movie theater. He will write, in pure passionate prose, about how, during the time you were together, you came across a stray cat on the street and you cried and you took it home and gave it to him and he fell in love with you for the first time.

You should date a writer. You should date a writer because he will fictionalize everything. He will write about the time you fought, and made up, and made love, and fought again. He will scour the details of your lives, and make from them poetry. And his words will sing in your head like birds in spring.

You should date a writer. You should date a writer because he will fictionalize everything. He will write about things that have happened, or that have not happened. He will write about the time you broke up, and he broke your heart. Or the time that he asked you to stay, and you left. He will write, words bleeding on a page, about love and life and lessons learned.

And you will learn about the time he waited outside your door for hours, not knowing if you were coming home or not. Or about the time he baked you a cake, lopsided and burnt, and threw it away because he did not want to give you a stupid ugly cake on your birthday. Or about the time he woke up at 5am in the morning to get you fresh flowers in the market, because he couldn't afford the ones they sold at the mall and he knew how much you liked them.

Or about the time when he was sick, and you were there, making sure he was safe and warm. How you skipped work that day, and puttered around his apartment, making more noise than was probably necessary. And how you kissed him on the forehead when you thought he was asleep, and whispered a promise he dared not believe.

You will learn about the time he stood by your door, and told you he loved you, and how that was the happiest and scariest day of his life. How nervous and fearful he felt, not knowing if you loved him back.

You should date a writer. You should date a writer because he will fictionalize everything. He will immortalize in words, the life you shared, or the time you both laid in bed, and whispered affectionate promises of forever.

Bukit Brown Cemetery Heritage Walk...

2011-10-18T22:32:00.000+08:00

Who knew it's possible to learn more about a country's heritage and history by visiting several tombstones at a very old cemetery?

Sounds creepy, huh? Maybe when you do it at night. But when you do it on a hot Sunday morning, together with twenty-plus other people eager to learn about their country's heritage and a very knowledgeable heritage walk guide, the whole activity actually becomes one unique learning experience.

Even though I had a late Saturday night, I found myself waking up at 730 in the morning on a Sunday to meet up with Singaporean nature-tripper friend Melvin and his friend Norman at Bishan Junction 8.

Our destination for that morning was one not too many would probably be very keen on going to. Yes, it still still involved the greenery. Yes, there was a lot of walking/hiking involved. But around you are hundreds, even thousands, of tombstones and gravemarkers. Hehe.

After a quick breakkie at MickeyD's Bishan, we got into Melvin's car and hit the road for our destination - Bukit Brown cemetery.

The plan: to join a guided tour of the cemetery led by members of the Asia Paranormal Investigators (API).

A brief background on the cemetery. It was a public Chinese cemetery that had been established some time in the 1920s. The cemetery is located between Lornie Road and Mount Pleasant Road and was named after the land's first owner, George Henry Brown. Brown sold the land to three Ong families (?) who then passed on the land to the municipal authorities for a public cemetery. It was abandoned since its closure in 1973. Close to 100,000 tombs are found in the cemetery.

The largest grave in the cemetery belongs to one of the Ongs - Ong Sam Leong.

What makes Bukit Brown extra special?

Many of Singapore pioneers and forefathers from the late 19th century to the early 20th century were laid to rest here. Chew Boon Lay. (as in the Boon Lay MRT station) Cheang Hong Lim. (as in Hong Lim Park). Son and daughter-in-law of Chia Ann Siang (as in Ann Siang Hills). The mother of Eu Tong Sen (as in Eu Tong Sen in Chinatown). The aunt of Lee Kwan Yew who was the first woman doctor of Singapore.

We managed to visit several of the graves of these prominent Singaporeans. In each grave, the tour guide Raymond gave a very good story/historical information about the deceased. It was really impressive. He gave info on how the person contributed to the Singapore society, how the person is related to contemporary prominent Singapore people.

What also made the tour interesting was that there were a number of descendants were present. So we got stories straight from the horse's mouth.

The other interesting features were the intricate carvings of dragons, phoenixes, Chinese mythological creatures, Peranakan tiles, that decorate the tombstones.

Several markers also had inscriptions on them, which according to our API guide, was meant to serve as life lessons to be remembered by the descendants of the deceased.

"In every tombstone, there is a life lesson to learn," said our API guide.

Today, the Bukit Brown Cemetery is in danger of being cleared. With the site slated for redevelopment, the dead might make way for the living. Pretty soon, it will all be gone. (I just learned that Bishan HDB estate and Ngee Ann City Shopping Centre were once cemetery grounds as well)

Though I am not Singaporean, it's saddening to learn these. The country is not just losing another cemetery. It is losing a historical landmark, a significant part of the rich cultural and historical heritage.

There's a part of me though that also feels lucky for being able to set foot on these grounds before it disappears and becomes one more relic of a bygone era.

Some Monday cheese...

2011-10-17T13:09:00.000+08:00

Thinking about the Saturday night dinner party still brings a smile to my face.

In particular, I smile when I recall that part where the "oldies" in the group (me, Pg Guy, Alexie, Paula and Chris) left the "kiddies" on their own and headed out for a breath of fresh air.

We went to the verandah and took our place at the deserted table and benches. It was already close to 10, so there weren't any other people besides us.

The weather that night was pretty nice. It wasn't humid at all. There was a breeze of wind every so often. We had the full moon in view. A number of stars dotted the dark skies.

Alexie placed the quarter-filled bottle of tequila on the table, along with a bag of chips. Chris sat beside Alexie, Pau sat on the other bench, Pg Guy say beside me.

And for the next few hours, we just talked about pretty much whatever came to mind. Work. Living in Singapore. And so on.

I loved it when Pg Guy put his arm around my shoulder. (Usually, it would be me who'd do that.) I loved it that none of my friends were repulsed by it, or showed surprise upon seing that display of action. After all, it's not everyday you see a guy lovingly put his arm around another guy. It seemed like the most natural thing.

I hope there would be more instances like this.

Birthday dinner cum meeting the work friends...

2011-10-16T23:50:00.001+08:00

Good friend from work Rach celebrated her birthday last Saturday with a dinner party at her house.

I was really looking forward to attending the dinner party because I knew that Filipino food will be served. Hehe! Add to that the sinful sweet creations of another friend from work Alexie.

Aside from celebrating a good friend's birthday, the Saturday night event was also extra memorable for me because it was the first time Pg Guy will meet my friends from work.

Initially, Pg Guy was a bit hesitant about going primarily because it might be a Filipino-speak party. But I assured him that things will be okay, that my friends are warm and would def make him feel at home. I also told him that Chris will be there so he has two people he can talk to. Hehe.

I'm glad that Pg Guy was game enough to go because the whole thing turned out really well.

He mixed well with my close friends from work. He seemed to have enjoyed the food. We were supposed to leave early to catch a movie, but ended up staying late. Haha!

The best part: my friends thought he was really nice and they liked him.

Parang birthday ko na din tuloy sa saya.

A cupcake surprise...

2011-10-13T20:05:00.000+08:00

Rach and I got a really sweet surprise earlier from work buddies Sylvia and Jeremy. (The four of us started in Wiley on the same day. We were groupmates during the pre-work training. Sylvia and Jeremy are two of my first non-Filipino friends here in SG.)

Anyway, tomorrow is Rachel's birthday, and mine is some time next week. Hehe!

Sylvia sent out a group message inviting everyone to tea break.

When Rach and I reached the pantry, we were both surprised to see several cupcakes that formed the words Happy Birthday R & A.

It was really, really sweet of them. It certainly reminds me of the surprise bdays things we have in Smart back then. Awww...

(Group photo above was from our training days last April. Wow, feels like it was so loong ago. Haha!)

2011-10-12T07:53:00.001+08:00

I've finally booked a ticket for Lion King.

I had to wait until it was the last few show weeks before really pushing myself to get that ticket.

Good thing the show kept on extending. Otherwise, I wouldn't have forgiven myself. Haha.

Really excited to see the show.

10K run for the dreams of the Mitrataa girls...

2011-10-10T19:36:00.002+08:00

It was a very sporty Sunday morning. Haha!

Woke up really early for "Run for a Dream," a charity run organized by the office for the girls of Mitrataa in Nepal.

It was a good run. Venue was at the East Coast Park. Haven't been there for a long time, so it was great being back.

Chris and I signed up for the 10K category.

I thought I did well. The weekly training runs at the NUS Bukit Timah campus with Ian, Chris and Sarge have definitely helped. We should continue having those weekly runs.

As soon as I crossed the finish line, I rested for a short while before boarding a cab to Kallang river.

At 10AM, we had our dragon boat training at Kallang Water Venture.

Though still tired from the run, I had to go to DB training. I just had to.

Thankfully, training that day focused more on technique rather than speed so it was quite okay.

Good things come to those who wait...

2011-10-09T21:10:00.000+08:00

Good things come to those who wait.

Two months later, it's official.

8 October 2011.

Thank you, Steve Jobs....

2011-10-06T17:38:00.001+08:00

Thank you, Steve Jobs.

Crossing my fingers...

2011-10-06T08:09:00.000+08:00

I was thinking of holding a small activity for the coming 22nd of October.

But it's turning out to be quite a challenge. More details some other time.

The other night, I did a last check on my email just before hitting the sack and I saw this email that finally brought good news.

So, yeah. It seems like the small activity might have a chance to take place.

Crossing my fingers.

Finished queer fic book #2...

2011-10-05T08:35:00.001+08:00

I just recently finished reading Different Strokes by David Leo.

It's one of the four queer fic books I recently got.

It was quite an easy read, given that it was a short novel.

The story revolves around the life of two people living with HIV-AIDS. It describes the challenges and obstacles the two people face while living with the disease.

The central character is a reporter named Keith. Because of the story assignment by his editor, Keith finds himself learning more about the disease and the issues faced by people living with the disease.

Published in 1993 (sheesh, I was just a high school freshman then), Different Strokes is said to be one of the earliest works related to the LGBT community in Singapore.

I wonder how the local community now views HIV-AIDS. I recently attended a short talk about it, and I was a bit surprised to learn that the meds here are not free. Maybe because this isn't a Third World country? In the Philippines, I know that meds are given for free via the UNAIDS Global Fund.

I also asked the speaker about whether the disease is discussed in science and health classes in schools. I was a bit surprised with the reply I got.

Good thing there are a number of local groups like Action for AIDS, which provides education, support and assistance.

Two Boys, One Sandwich...

2011-10-04T07:51:00.004+08:00

Two boys. A sandwich. Eating out.

He's always been a Zinger boy. Since the first time they ate at KFC, that's what he would always order. Zinger, regular fries and Pepsi Max (since Coke Zero was not a choice). On certain occasions, he'd add mashed potatoes or one of the other side dishes.

But on any given day, he's perfectly fine with his usual Zinger combo.He knows it tastes well. He knows he loves the combo.

He knows it's what he wants.

It's not the same for him. The first time they went there, he got the same thing as his lunch companion. Zinger, regular fries, Pepsi Max. He even had the same side dish of mashed potatoes.

But the thing is he wants to try the other things on the menu as well. He still hasn't decided want he wants. On one hand, he knows the Zinger is good. He knows it takes away his hunger. He knows he's happy when he has it.

And yet, there's a side of him that feels like there might be something better. He doesn't want Zinger every single time. Maybe he's just not ready to stick to Zinger yet, even if every so often adding a side dish or a dessert seems to be more than enough to want that combo.

So how?

Maybe they can both just keep on going to that fastfood restau. He will continue to keep having his Zinger. He will maybe one day see that Zinger is good enough to satisfy his hunger. Who knows?

2011-10-02T22:55:00.000+08:00

Nice surprise while I was headed to DB training this morning.

I was checking my FB page on my phone and I saw a Wall Post from uni friend Jon. He, together with girlfriend Ela plus, were in Singapore. Ela's best friend Sheena was also in town. They were here for holiday and to visit Sheena's boyfriend Mickey.

After taking note of Ela's number, I gave her a call and it was just really great to hear a familiar voice from back home.

We agreed to meet up later in the afternoon, since they already had an itinerary the entire day and I had my own plans as well.

Around 6PM, I was at one of Singapore's most iconic tourist spots - the Merlion Park - looking for the group. It didn't prove to be too difficult to spot them. In a sea of tourists, I saw two gorgeous girls in a flowy jumpsuit-ish number and looking very chic. Jon and Mickey were easy to find as well given their towering heights. Hehe!

I gave the girls a beso and huge hug, while the guys the usual firm handshake and tap on the shoulder. Yeah, I know, I know. Very butch. Haha!

From the Merlion Park, we went to the Marina Bay Sands and hung out at the Ku De Ta bar for pre-dinner drinks. Thankfully, it wasn't raining and we had a great night view of the city. Afterwards, we headed to Killiney for dinner at bak kut teh place that Mickey recommended.

It was really a great get-together even if it was quite short.

Always, always great to see good friends from Manila. :)

My fave month is (almost) here...

2011-09-30T16:49:00.003+08:00

Because tomorrow is already October, I'm posting this. Haha! :P

Got it from here.

I have to say most of what's written are true.

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

Traits of Libra

Assets:
Stylish, good taste, sociable, easy to love, great listeners, supportive friends, spiritual, able to discern the truth.

Main Motivation:
Seeks justice

Challenges (and How to Transform Them):
Difficulty Pulling the Trigger
Librans are known for their capacity of seeing and understanding both sides of the picture. Their downfall is they can have a hard time deciding; both sides make complete sense to them. Solution: Trust your gut and don’t obsess over past decisions.

Emotionally Blocked
Librans have a tendency to cover up their feelings. This trait will sometimes lead them to unfaithfulness because an unhappy Libran will look for happiness somewhere else. Solution: Express your feelings with your words, either spoken or written.

Can’t Hear Criticism
Librans tend to beat themselves up a lot so when it comes time for hearing criticism; their heads are already full. Solution: Go easy on yourself. Good criticism will help you grow.

Flirty and Frivolous
When it comes to matters of the heart, Librans are ruled by the planet of Venus. On the surface, they’re all about romance and hedonism, but on the inside their hearts are guarded. Solution: Love is all about sharing– sharing your feelings, your fears, your hopes and dreams. Open your heart wide and let someone in.

How to Improve Your Relationship with a Libran:
- Be gentle. When giving them criticism, preface it with praise.
- Encourage them to collaborate. They work much better in partnerships than on their own.
- Help them decide. Once they have decided, nothing can stop them.
- Be delicate when encouraging them to finish what they start.

F1 weekend with friends from Pinas...

2011-09-28T23:22:00.002+08:00

I didn't get to experience any of the recently concluded F1 fever. Hehe!

That's because both my home and my workplace are far away from the city (which became a race track for a couple of days), from the roaring engines of the race cars, from the excitement of F1 race fans coming from different parts of the world.

We'll see. Maybe next year. =)

But one good thing I had thanks to the F1 event was that several friends from the Philippines were in town and I got to catch up with them - Manny, Joi, Reg. Franco was also in town but we didn't get to meet up because he was only here for a day.

Sunday night was spent clubbing with the club-going friends. I missed tugsing I have to say. Haha! Last time was in HCM, and that was just whoa! So Sunday, no very early Monday morning, was ultra fun dancing to the awesome beats of DJ George Leong.

Monday night, on the other hand, was spent with Joi, her husband-to-be, and Manny. It's a good thing Manny missed his flight. Hehe! At least, we got to finally hang out.

We all met up at Vivo City, had dinner at Food Republic (which had nice interiors) then drinks at some Irish pub facing the harbor.

It was definitely a good F1 weekend. Hehe!

Tuesday nights at NUS Bukit Timah...

2011-09-27T23:02:00.002+08:00

The past two Tuesday nights have been spent at the track oval of NUS Bukit Timah.

SG buddies Sarge, Chris, Ian and I have been doing some speed training.

Uhm, actually it's Ian and Sarge who have been doing the speed training.

I, on the other hand, am struggling to do some speed training. Chris is doing his own thing. Hehe!

The NUS BT campus is really quite good and conducive for training.

There are several other groups that go there to train. Some for football. Some for basketball. Some for tennis.

Being there really encourages one to try to be fit. Hehe!

So I think we'll be there the next few weeks, or until the big race in December. Hehe!

But I got to say that the best part of the training is not at the campus. Hehe! It's afterwards when we head to Newton Circus for dindin. Hehe!

2011-09-25T10:05:00.000+08:00

While waiting for a friend to finish his workout yesterday, I decided I'd go to Kinokuniya at Takashimaya to check out if there are any interesting titles.

I haven't read any new books for awhile now, and I think it's time to get back to reading.

Well, guess what? I stumbled upon a number of titles from a certain genre I did not really expect to see on shelves of a local bookstores.

LGBT fiction. In Singapore. By local authors. Woohooo! :)

I was lazily going through the rows and rows of books, when I saw the shelf labeled Local Literature (or something like that).

I gravitated towards it, and the next thing I know I was hanging in that area for more than 30 minutes already.

The first book that caught my eye was entitled To Know Where I'm Coming From by Johann Lee. The cover image was a portrait of a handsome local (I think) who looked like he was contemplating something.

I picked up the book and got excited when I saw that it was indeed LGBT fiction. That's the only time I started to notice that there were several other titles that are from the same genre.

Uhm, so I ended up buying a number of titles even though it is not included in my budget for the month. I just rationalized the purchase by thinking the new titles would be great additions to my growing collection of LGBT fiction.

I started this morning with Peculiar Chris also by Johann Lee. The first few pages have got me interested, and it looks like I will finish it faster than I think.

Wooohoo!!! :)

2011-09-21T22:25:00.001+08:00

They're back. Woohoo!

After the long wait, Elena, Damon, Stefan and the rest of the gang of The Vampire Diaries are back.

Excited, excited.

This is one of the very, very few series that I watch. Haha!

I hope the story continues to be a good one. :)

Currently, I'm addicted to local TV series The Pupil. Other series I'm looking forward to are The Secret Circle and season 2 of The Walking Dead.

The cab ride to NUS Bukit Timah...

2011-09-20T22:36:00.003+08:00

Just got back home from a training run with SG gang Ian, Edsel and Chris.

We went to the National University of Singapore campus in Bukit Timah, where there was a nice track oval.

On the way to the venue, Chris and I sort of got lost. We could see the NUS building but we somehow couldn't find the way to get there. Haha!

Instead, we found ourselves amidst the lush greenery of the Singapore Botanic Garden.

We headed out of the garden as soon as we saw the next exit and as soon as we got out, there was an empty cab that came our way. When GoThere fails, take a cab. LOL!

After telling the kind Uncle where to bring us, Chris and I proceeded to talk about work and other things.

The Uncle, a Singaporean who must be in his fifties, must have known that we were Filipinos, because he asked how often we came back to the Philippines.

Afterwards, he wowed us even more by telling us that he has been to the Pagsanjan Falls, Cebu, and even the Malacanang Palace where he saw the thousands of shoes of former First Lady Imelda Marcos.

I was really impressed and I felt proud that a local knows about the nice things about the Philippines.

However, his next statements kind of saddened me.

He said, "The Philippines is a very beautiful country. It used to be a favorite holiday destination of Singaporeans. But after all the news on terrorism, not anymore."

When Chris and I alighted from his cab, we had the same sentiments. It was really sad to hear another comment/story of how the Philippines used to be on its way to the top but somehow, something went wrong and it is where it is now.

This wasn't the first time I've heard the same comment from a local. And it does make me wonder, "What happened to us? I'm sorry I'm going to say this, but I think we need an iron fist to get us back to the top."

A dose of cheese over the weekend thanks to "Love in Space..."

2011-09-18T07:02:00.000+08:00

I'm a sucker for cheesy, romantic movies. One of my OGTs. Hehe! So shoot me.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw the movie poster for Love in Space. It's a Chinese film that's being shown locally. I wasn't sure whether it was good or what. But after seeing the trailer, I decided I want to see it.

Yesterday, I was able to drag a friend to go see it. Hehe.

The film looks into different kinds of romantic love stories experienced by a mother and her three daughters. All three girls have achieved much in life, except in the love affairs department.

A quick background.

The first sister and fellow astronaut are both in a space station. Once a couple, they broke up due to some misunderstandings.

The second sister's story shows how love is indeed powerful, empowering a person to face his or her fear to be with his or her match.

Lastly, the youngest sister is an popular actress who decides to go incognito to prepare for an upcoming role. As she works as a waiter at a local cafe, she meets a struggling writer who works as a waiter by day and a watermelon seller at night.

The two spend more time together, and eventually start to like each other. I sooo love how Wen Feng would give Peny a ride to her "home" on her watermelon cart.

However, Peony's manager tells her she has to go back to the real world sooner than she wanted. Wen Feng continues to wait for Peony, and they meet again when Wen Feng ends up as an extra in Peony's movie.

Drama unfolds, but in the end, love prevails and everything is just the way they should be.

The mother has her own love story, although the movie focused more on the story of the three daughters.

Of the love stories presented, obviously, my fave was that of the youngest sister and the struggling writer. I really thought that there was great chemistry between the actors who played the characters of Peony Huang (Angelababy) and Wen Feng (Jing Boran).

I really found actress Angelababy soooo pretty, and actor Jing Boran was really the boy-next-door kind of guy. Cute and dorky. Nice combination. Hehe!

The script was not bad either. If you want cheesy, if you want drama, if you want comedy, you would definitely get it from this film. The movie was also show at different locations including Beijing, Sydney and the International Space Station.

It is definitely one of my fave movies this year, for so many other reasons. *wink wink*

I hope a DVD is released.

Gucci artisans are in town...

2011-09-15T22:24:00.000+08:00

After Hermes, it is now the turn of fashion house Gucci to showcase the skills of its craftsmen.

Gucci artisans are in town until tomorrow to show how Gucci's most iconic handbags such as the New Bamboo and New Jackie are assembled.

Just like the Hermes exhibit, this is one rare opportunity to see the artisans at work outside of the Gucci workshops.

From what I read, the Gucci Artisan Corner display will include custom work tables, a sewing machine, a leather stand, and metal tools, as well as additional background materials. The craftsmen will show how Gucci pieces come to life from mood board and sketches.

Planning to check it out tomorrow.

The Gucci Artisan Corner will be at the Paragon, Singapore til tomorrow.

Staying away from that FB section...

2011-09-13T06:19:00.001+08:00

The most embarrassing thing happened to me last night.

Ugh!

I was being playful and reckless with Facebook.

The one section I haven't really touched for years is the Relationship status. It has always and continue to be "Single."

For some stupid reason, I thought I'd play with it. Surely, it would do no harm because FB has to confirm whatever change I do, right? That's what I thought.

Initially, I thought I'd make my relationship status "In a Relationship." But thinking that no change would happen, I decided to take it further and make it "Married."

Still thinking that FB would have to confirm with me whatever change I made, I typed in this person's name in the box.

As soon as I finished typing the last letter of the person's name, I saw the message that the person has been notified to confirm that we are indeed married.

I suddenly felt cold, and I wanted to bang my head against the wall for being stupid.

Immediately, I changed the status again to "Single," deleted the notice on my wall that I am "Married," and apologized endlessly to the person.

Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!

Thank god no harm done. :) The person said I shouldn't stress over it. I dunno if it's because he doesn't really care or maybe, just maybe, the optimistic person in me is hoping that he probably has some feelings even in the smallest amount.

Oh well, lesson learned. Never touch that section of FB again, unless there's really a real change in status. Haha!

Green SG: The Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve...

2011-09-12T08:53:00.011+08:00

The mission to explore the other "wild" side of Singapore continues.

This time, the destination was a wetland reserve located Northwest area of the island-state called Sungei Buloh.

Saturday morning I got an SMS from nature-tripper friend Melvin inviting me to go to Sungei Buloh. I gave a quick yes. Any opportunity to escape from skyscrapers and to be in the midst of greens was something I always welcomed. (Plus, I love that I'm getting to see a side of Singapore not too many get to visit.)

The reserve is about 130 ha of mangroves, ponds, forest and wetlands that is home to various flora and fauna. From what I read, Sungei Buloh is also a destination for migratory birds.

We agreed to meet up at Bishan the following day at 845AM. Melvin said he'd invite some friends to come along. I, on the other hand, invited the usual suspects. I also invited Alex, who I'm glad agreed to go (thanks to the help of my little buddy Zap. Haha!)

Sunday, I was up early. Really early. I heard the sound of rain from outside my room. True enough, when I got up and took a look, it was raining. Argh!

I called Melvin. No, I woke up Melvin from his sleep (haha! Sorry!) to ask if we were pushing through with the trip. Ever the optimistic person, he took a quick look outside and said yes.

Around 930, Melvin, Desmond, Alex and I began with our road trip. We reached Sungei Buloh around 10AM. Though it was only a 30-minute drive, the place was faaaar. (To give you an idea on how far it is, I was already getting a "Welcome to Malaysia" SMS from Malaysia telecoms carriers Maxis and Celcom. Haha!)

Our morning exploration began with a short film viewing at the reserve's small theater. The film gives visitors an overview about the reserve.

There were three routes available to take in exploring the reserve. I think we did a combo of all three. Our mission for the day was to get to Tower 2C.

After crossing the main bridge, we started to make our way to the heart of the reserve. Welcoming us was a monitor lizard who was clearly enjoying his Sunday morning. A quick hi, and it lazily went back into the weather. You'll find several monitor lizards when you explore the reserve.

Every now and then, we would stop when the group's naturalists Melvin and Desmond would hear a rustling in the bushes or a distinct chirpring of a bird, and we would try to find out where the sound came from.

Throughout the reserve, there are many observation areas. If you're lucky, you can probably spot several of the wildlife inhabitants. Melvin wanted to see snakes, but we didn't. I secretly wanted to see the crocodile, but it was probably somewhere.

But seriously, I was happy seeing 6 (or 7) monitor lizards, a school of archer fish, a squirrel, a number of mudskippers, and three to four species of birds. There was also that dead horseshoe crab. Haha!

We were able to climb two towers, which gave quite a nice view of the reserve.

Exploring the reserve took us about three hours. By 1PM, we were back at the Visitor Center and getting ready to return to the city. I thought it was really a nice way of spending Sunday morning.

Hmm, of the three places Melvin has brought me to, I think Sungei Buloh is my fave so far. In second place would be Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and then MacRitchie Reservoir.

One of the places in the "Next-to-visit" list is Pulau Ubin. That one I'm really excited about.

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is open 7.30am-7pm on weekdays,
7am-7pm on Sundays & Public Holidays. Admission is free except on Sat, Sun, Public Holidays and school holidays: $1 per adult, 50cents per child/ student/senior citizen.

Green SG: A Visit to the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve...

2011-09-10T22:01:00.005+08:00

Francis, one of my first local friends here in Singapore, invited me to go hiking at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve several weeks ago.

The guy is one fitness enthusiast. I met him via the dragonboat rowing. He runs. He goes to the gym. He swims. He goes hiking.

One time over dinner, we talked about hiking and he told me he'd let me know that next time he goes hiking.

Two weeks before he was to leave for London for graduate school, he told me about his plan to go hiking at the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve during the weekend. New kid on the block I still am, I was more than game to join him. His friend, Melvin, who is also a nature-enthusiast, joined us. Really glad to have met Melvin as well because he has been showing me the "green" side of Singapore. (Will write about another nature walk soon.)

Some trivia.

The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is about 12 kilometers away from the Central Business District. It retains one of the largest primary rainforest that used to cover the entire island. The Bukit Timah Hill is Singapore's highest elevation at approximately 163 meters.

Bukit means hill in the Malay language. Timah means tin, although from what I read no tin deposits are found in the area.

When we arrived at the nature reserve, we were welcome by several macaque monkeys freely roaming around. Some were just sitting by the road leading to the Visitor Center. Some were watching over the parked cars of nature-lovers visiting the reserve.

The reserve was obviously a fave spot among nature-lovers and health enthusiasts. There are a number of hiking routes that one can take. I'm not sure which one we took. Haha!

It was a good morning activity. After a good several minutes of walking, we reached the Bukit Timah summit. We started our descent after a short rest and the compulsory photo op (haha!) and made our way to one of the quarries. It's rather strange being in the middle of all the greens. One would think SG is all about skyscrapers, malls. Perhaps the next time a friend from abroad comes over for a holiday, I'd take them here instead of the usual tourist attractions. Hehe!

It was really an awesome day! Got to go hiking. Was able to visit a new place. Learned a little bit more about the SG culture.

How to get to Bukit Timah:
- By bus: Bus numbers 67, 75, 170, 171, 173, 184, 852, 961. Take bus to Upper Bukit Timah Road, alight opposite the Bukit Timah Shopping Center and Beauty World Center. From there it's approx. ten minutes walk along Hindhede Drive to the Visitor Center.
- By taxi/car: Via Hindhede Drive; parking facilities at the Visitor Center are limited.

Volunteer work training begins tomorrow...

2011-09-08T11:55:00.002+08:00

Tomorrow evening will be the start of the training for a local group I will be volunteering with.

When I made the move here, I told myself that one of the things that I want to do when I've finally settled is to get myself into volunteer work.

Yeah, blame it on the Pahinungod years of my life. The three years with my university's volunteer group have really sparked the fire of volunteerism in me. For that, I am forever grateful.

Wherever I go, I have always tried to look for ways to volunteer.

Last June during Pink Dot, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that several LGBT groups are present in this supposedly conservative country.

I decided I would get in touch with one of the groups to find volunteer opportunities.

After doing some research, I sent in my application for a volunteer post to a couple of these groups.

A phone call, a face-to-face interview, some email exchanges and as I've mentioned in my earlier post, I will be starting my training tomorrow night for the volunteer work.

I'm really looking forward to the training, and the real "work" after the training. The LGBT sector is one area I'd like to volunteer with and I'm glad I will be able to do that here.

More deets soon.

Free Confidential and Private HIV Testing On a Sunday (9/11)

2011-09-07T22:35:00.000+08:00

Came across this while checking out MGG's blog.

Get that baggage off your chest – on Sunday, 9/11: Free confidential HIV counseling and testing. 10 AM to 5 PM. At Playroom, 35 West Avenue, QC.

More deets here.

Believe it or not, this is in SG...

2011-09-06T07:18:00.000+08:00

Believe it or not, this is in Singapore.

Yeah, who would have thought, huh? In this land of skyscrapers and luxury stores, this piece of beautiful greenery exists.

And there quite a number, I have to tell you.

You just have to know where they are. And it would be great if you have friends who are into nature-tripping. Hehe!

Will share where this is in one of the next posts.

At the Hermes Festival of Crafts...

2011-09-04T19:28:00.001+08:00

Yesterday, I spent about an hour and a half at the Paragon atrium area to see how craftsmen from one of the best fashion houses around the world create handbags, saddles, scarves, ties, among others.

From September 3 to 7, Hermes craftsmen will be at the Paragon in Orchard to showcase their skills in making luxury pieces.

This is the first traveling Festival des Métiers (Festival of Crafts).

There were a number of work areas at the venue where visitors met Hermes artisans to witness first-hand how Hermes handbags, leather pieces, scarves, jewelry, watches, and other items are made.

I was just amazed at the skill and discipline of each of the master craftsmen and women who were there. You can see their passion and dedication to their craft.

Even if they were all working on different pieces, one could see that what bound them together was the careful attention to detail and love of their craft.

Amazing, just amazing.

After seeing that exhibit, one would no longer wonder why a Birkin costs up to a hefty six-figures. Hehe!

But, seriously, it was really great to have seen the Hermes craftsmen and women at work. I'm glad to have been able to take a peek at how it must be like in Hermes workshops.

It really was what luxury was about.

Second half-mary for the year this Sunday...

2011-09-02T21:28:00.003+08:00

The Safra Singapore Bay Run this Sunday is my second half-marathon for the year.

I was supposed to register for the run, but was not able to do so. A good friend wouldn't be in town during the day of the run so he just gave me his race pack. Hehe!

He's been running for quite some time now, and has had really made good time with his half-marathons.

This Sunday will be a new PR for him. Hehe! It will be his slowest. Haha! Sorry, Teh.

It's going to be an interesting run. From what I've read about the event, the Sunday race route includes 20 iconic Singapore landmarks. And there will be about 20 street-side festivities to make the experience even more fun.

I'm excited. I'm not well-trained for this one, but my goal for this is to just cross the finish line.

Good friend Ian will also be doing the run, but this is just going to be peanuts for him since he's been doing full-marathons and is a triathlete. Haha!

Let's do this! :P

My last half-marathon for the year is the Standard Chartered Run this December.

Back in a bit...

2011-08-31T16:45:00.000+08:00

Dear blog,

I know, I know. I haven't been paying attention to you for the longest time.

Believe it or not, I think I am just starting to really fully settle in this new environment, new everything.

Tomorrow, it will be my fifth month here in Singapore, and yet I feel like I've been here for more than a year now.

So much has already happened in that short five months.

Looking back now, it's surprising that so many things have already taken place. Some are good. Some are challenging. Most are very good, and I couldn't be more grateful. Friends have played a huge role in making the move easier. (I say easier because I've always been in love with Singapore, and I've always said I would move here in a heartbeat given the opportunity. Having friends here just makes things so much more better.)

I moved into a new home, and I have a good feeling about it. My wonderful landlord prepped the room really well. I have a nice desk, and a nice chair that Stefan (my Macbook) and I can use to chronicle this new journey I embarked on five months ago.

So, I promise to sit down and spend time with you more, my dear blog.

In the meantime, I can't believe it's already September! Whoooppee!

More great things are going to come. I know it. :)

2011-08-10T07:36:00.002+08:00

Here's the National Day Parade 2011 theme song "In a Heartbeat."

The song is peformed by Singapore Idol 2009 runner-up Sylvia Ratonel. Song was composed by music director Goh Kheng Long with lyrics by playwright Haresh Sharma.

The words and the video are really good. It's very touching.

The story of Singapore is told through the perspective of a family, focusing on a mother and her son.

Nice, nice. :)

Happy birthday, Singapore! :)

2011-08-09T08:37:00.001+08:00

Today is the 46th National Day of SG.

Google commemorates this important day.

Nice. :)

The wait is almost over...

2011-08-07T11:57:00.004+08:00

Look who's coming to town.

Hold on to you wallets, boys and girls. Haha!

But seriously, it's great that H&M is finally opening here. Now, there's no excuse to miss the designer collab collections.

Wooohooo! :P

Finally...

Vacheron Constantin exhibit...

2011-08-02T08:19:00.003+08:00

The other highlight of the weekend was a visit to the National Museum for the Vacheron Constantin exhibit.

As I mentioned in a previous blog entry, I was quite sure my friend Mon would be interested to go see the exhibit. If I-vanchy were here, he would've probably gone as well.

Mon and I agreed to meet at the museum by 4PM. Another friend from Manila, Kate, joined us. Yey.

The exhibit was set up at one of the halls in the basement.
More than 100 pieces were on display. Some pieces date back to the 1800s. Some pieces are very new.

As we went around the exhibit, I couldn't help but be in awe of the patience, dedication and skill of the Vacheron Constantin people. (Uhm, what do you call watchmakers?)

The patience and attention to detail needed to finish one timepiece was just tremendous. I can't imagine myself doing it.

Between being a timepiece creator and an artisan for uhm, Hermes (hehe!), I'd choose the latter. I think I would be better at making bags by hand.

Anyway, my favorite pieces from the exhibit are the ones that featured so much detail. The ones that had paintings and engravings really, really caught my attention.

Amazing, it was just amazing.

Now I have an idea why some timepieces are priced the way they are. Hehe!
Still, I don't see myself getting one of these timepieces even if I can afford it. Maybe because I'm really a bag person.

WTG, Angie! :)

2011-08-01T11:53:00.000+08:00

Angelina Jolie received the Heart of Sarajevo award at the Sarajevo film festival last 30 July.

For her first film as a director, Angelina chose a story that had the Bosnia early 90s war as the setting.

"In the Land of Blood and Honey" sounds like an interesting film/story - a love affair between a Bosnian Muslim woman and a Serb, who were on opposite warring sides during the conflict.

The actress was close to tears as the audience applauded her continuously and gave her a standing ovation.

"I will start crying if you don't stop," she said.

"Tonight we are giving the honorary Heart of Sarajevo to a great artist, not only for the great impact she has in the world of cinema but also for persisting and her active engagement in the complexities of the real world," said Festival director Mirsad Purivatra.

Very true. I'm a huge fan of Angelina Jolie, primarily because of her engagement with the UNHCR.

Mrs. Pitt, as part of her work for UNHRCR, has visited Bosnia as a goodwill ambassador. She has also helped fund the construction of several houses for returnees in eastern Bosnia.

I really admire her.

First half-mary for 2011 tomorrow...

2011-07-22T11:02:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow, I'll be doing my first half-marathon for the year.

Two of my good friends here in SG and I signed up for the half-mary of the Marina 21K.

The run will be at the Bay East at Gardens by the Bay of Singapore. Not sure if I've been there. Hehe!

My first half-marathon for the year should have been the Condura Run in Manila, Philippines. However, I had to fly to SG during the weekend of the run.

Anyway, I'm quite confident that I will do just fine in tomorrow's run.

I've been doing short runs during the week, and Saturday morning have been dedicated to long runs so tomorrow should be just fine. Haha!

Let's do this.

A trip down Memolane...

2011-07-21T07:56:00.003+08:00

While doing the usual round of bloghopping, I came across a blogpost on Memolane.

It's a service that puts together one's online social activities into a timeline.

You can link your Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, Foursquare on so on to your Memolane and all your posts would be placed on your Memolane.

Kinda cool. Haha!

Check out my Memolane here.

Vacheron Constantin at the National Museum...

2011-07-19T11:01:00.000+08:00

Vacheron Constantin.

I only know the brand because of its shop in Greenbelt 5, which is right beside other luxury watch stores.

I didn't know that it is the world's oldest watch manufacturer. Since 1755! Wow! That's a lot of history.

Though I'm not really a watch enthusiast (I've been using the same watch for the past how many years!!!), anything historical is something I find interesting. Haha!

When I saw that the watch manufacturer is having an exhibit at the National Museum, I definitely wanted to check it out.

Some 180 exceptional heritage pieces. Archived documents. Watchmaking tools.
The best part - free admission. Haha!

The person who I thought would be most interested in this exhibit is friend Mon. I messaged him about the exhibit, and true enough he was planning to go visit.

All we have to do now is schedule the visit. Woohoo!

Treasures of Vacheron Constantin : A legacy of watchmaking since 1755
Exhibition Gallery 1, Basement | 24 June - Fri 14 Aug 2011 | 10am - 6pm

Make time for it.

See you later...

2011-07-13T22:37:00.000+08:00

This is it... for now.

One memorable Wednesday in Singapore.

Jakarta, I will see you in a couple of months. :)

The best Monday night ever...

2011-07-11T23:48:00.001+08:00

If all Monday nights were like the one I had tonight, I wouldn't complain at all.

It was perfect. Just perfect.

One Fullerton. Marina Bay Sands. Light show. Makan Sutra dinner. Esplanade bridge. ACM. Chinatown. Hours and hours of walking and talking.

I was wondering what it was that I was feeling. Then I realized. Kilig. I was getting kilig. Hahaha! So shoot me.

Internet for All in Photos project...

2011-07-08T18:21:00.002+08:00

This is long overdue.

My very last project with Smart was the Internet for All in Photos exhibit.

The project took almost (or was it more than?) a year to complete, because of so many uncontrollable circumstances. However, I was very, very happy and proud of the output.

It was definitely one of my biggest achievements during my four-year stay with Smart.

I loved it because I got to meet so many people from different walks of life. I was able to be an instrument to share their stories to the bigger public on how technology and the Internet has been able to help their lives.

The best part - I got to work with three of the country's top photographers - Apple Tapan, Jake Verzosa and JoAnn Bitagcol.

Here are some photos from the exhibit opening.

And for more info about the project, you can read my article which was published in the Philippine Star last year. :)

Morning traffic report = acronyms galore...

2011-07-06T08:18:00.001+08:00

Every morning, I listen to a local radio station Class 95FM for news and music. It's the Morning Express with DJs Glenn Ong, Flying Dutchman, Vernetta Lopez every day from 6AM to 10AM.

Anyway, I am always amused whenever I hear the traffic news because it's peppered with too many acronyms I don't understand - BKE, PIE, AYE, ECP, SLE, CTE, TPE. Hehe! I think these are acronyms for highways.

Here's a sample of what the traffic news every morning is.

"Accident on BKE towards PIE before Chantek Flyover. Heavy Traffic on PIE towards Jurong between Adam Rd and BKE. Heavy Traffic on PIE towards Changi Airport between Chantek Flyover and Eng Neo Ave.Vehicle breakdown on AYE towards ECP after CTE Exit. Heavy Traffic on SLE towards BKE at BKE(PIE) Exit. Heavy Traffic on KPE towards ECP at Nicoll Highway Exit. Heavy Traffic on TPE towards SLE between Jln Kayu Flyover and CTE Exit."

I am only familiar with one acronym - AYE. And that's because it's the fastest route to get to my place after a nightout in Tanjong Pagar. Hehe!

UNIQLO Save Japan! T-shirts by Karl Lagerfeld, Alber Elbaz…

2011-07-05T07:56:00.001+08:00

While waiting for a friend last night at 313@Somerset, I decided to drop by Uniqlo to check if there are any good buys.

I've been thinking of getting another work shirt, because I've been wearing the same set of shirts every week. (I don't have that much corporate clothes, because I was always in casual wear in my previous workplace. Hehe!)

Anyway, I didn't get to the dress shirt section because I gravitated towards the Save Japan! T-shirts.

Together with Conde Nast Japan, Uniqlo teamed up with 10 celebrities and designers to design tees that would benefit the Japanese Red Cross Society.

The designer/celebrity list include Karl Lagerfeld, Alber Elbaz, Victoria Beckham, Lady Gaga, Cyndi Lauper, Orlando Bloom, Blake Lively, Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Charlize Theron.

Each shirt features words of encouragement specifically chosen by the designer.

I liked the one by Alber Elbaz and Karl Lagerfeld. Unfortunately, 313@Somerset didn't have the one by Karl Lagerfeld. Either that or someone bought all the stocks already. Hehe!

Chillax Saturday

2011-07-03T00:13:00.000+08:00

Saturday turned out to be just a relaxing day.

Morning, I headed to the East Coast Parkway for a long-distance run with Chris.

I got up around 5AM, since I'd be coming from the other side of the city. I texted Sarge as well, just to check if he's already up at that time.

Nice surprise, he replied saying that he was already up and that he was also planning to run. Woohoo!

I told him that I was getting ready to meet up with Chris for a run. Kaladkarin guy that he is, he said yes. Haha! We agreed to meet up at Tanjong Pagar, before heading to Eunos to fetch Chris.

A little past 7, the three of us were at ECP and getting ready for our weekend run.

I like ECP because it's just perfect for long distance runs. Unlike running around the city where you have to stop because of the traffic lights and you have to watch out for vehicles, the ECP provides a perfect venue for concentrating on the run. Hehe!

We ended up doing close to 15K (14.53K according to Runkeeper), and I was pretty satisfied with my time.

The knee hasn't been hurting as well, which is good.

In the afternoon, I headed to Holland Village because I know there is a CBTL in the area, and I haven't really had time to check out the area which I heard is quite nice.

So the rest of the afternoon, I just stayed in CBTL with my book and read and people watched. Haha! I like Holland Village.

It had a Manila feel. In particular, it reminded me of Alabang Town Center.

Afterwards, I met up with Chris and Sarge and we had HOHOL time at Sarge's new place.

It was a relaxing Saturday, and I enjoyed it. Hehe.

Aphrodite Live 2011 was a blast...

2011-06-30T11:04:00.001+08:00

The Kylie Minogue concert was a blast.

It's my first time to watch an international artist of that fame and talent. It's my first time to watch at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. It was my first time to watch a concert with my SG gang.

Simply put, Wednesday night was definitely one unforgettable night.

A month or two ago, Richie mentioned to me about the Kylie concert and that we MUST watch it. When I first visited SG in 2008, Kylie had a concert as well but I didn't get to watch with Richie and Mon because I opted to take a side trip to Kuala Lumpur.

This time around, I would have been really stupid if I chose to miss this performance. Richie was kind enough to get tickets for me and the rest of the gang.

On the day of the concert, I was really excited for the experience. The Aphrodite album was on repeat the entire day. As the clock struck 5PM, I couldn't work anymore. I was just too excited and I wanted to leave and head to the venue already.

After a quick dinner at the mall across the stadium, the guys and I headed for the concert. Excitement filled the air. I loved how "organized" getting to the venue was. It wasn't also that difficult to look for our seats. I wanted to get some souvenirs, but decided not to. (Now, I'm kicking myself for not doing so. Haha!)

But I got the best souvenir though - which was the awesome performance from Kylie.

After the concert, I loved the songs from her Aphrodite album even more. The crowd also went wild when she sang some of her "classics" such as Locomotion and "Can't Get You Out of My Head."

On so many songs, we were on our feet just dancing to her numbers.

Even if the set in Singapore was a whittled down version of the stage in other countries, it was still a fantab experience, one that I wouldn't mind having again very soon.

Woohoo! :)

Kylie Minogue tonight...

2011-06-29T08:20:00.003+08:00

Tonight, all roads lead to the Singapore Indoor Stadium for the Aphrodite Live concert of Kylie Minogue.

Wooohoo! :)

Very excited! First time to watch at SG Indoor Stadium. First time to watch an international artist of this calibre.

And the fact that I'll get to watch it with good friends...

It's going to be one awesome night!

Takashi Murakami on Google homepage...

2011-06-22T08:36:00.003+08:00

Google is one of the pages that I launch every morning when I get to work.

I'd gotten used to being treated to seeing different stylized versions of the word "Google," since the site does it every so often.

But I have to say that today's homepage is one of my most favorite, and was definitely a very nice surprise when I opened the Google website.

Japanese artist Takashi Murakami's work on the Google homepage!!!

After doing some Googling, I learned that Google asked Murakami to interpret the logo for the summer solstice.

Above are the two versions of the logo that Murakami did.

How cute!!! Or should I say, how kawaii!!! :)

Pink Saturday...

2011-06-19T22:34:00.000+08:00

Saturday afternoon turned out to be a very "pink" one.

After attending Jon's surprise bday party, Richie, Mon, Chris, Ian and I trooped to Hong Lim Park in Clark Quay to join Singaporeans, PRs, and fellow foreigners for Pink Dot 2011.

I've heard about the event last year (or was it two years ago?!) and back then, I thought to myself how great it must be to be able to go.

So I was extremely happy to be among the ten-thousand strong who headed to Hong Lim Park yesterday to celebrate diversity.

The gang and I got to the venue past 4PM. It wasn't difficult to find the venue. As soon as we got out of the MRT station, all we had to do was follow the groups of people in pink.

And when we exited the station, we were greeted with everything pink - pink shirts, pink wigs, pink picnic mats, pink umbrellas, pink drinks, pink everything. Nice, nice.

The afternoon program went smoothly. There were colorful performances from local artists. Then as 6PM approached, the program hosts called on Singaporeans and PRs to the center of the park to form the Pink Dot.

Meanwhile, foreigner supporters and friends stayed on the sidelines to watch. Unfortunately, the park policy indicates that only Singaporeans and PRs could join the formation.

I was just happy to be there and be one with the LGBT community of Singapore and the straight supporter friends.

At that point, it wasn't about one's gender. It was about everyone's belief that everyone has or should have the freedom to love.

The event closed with the community singing of The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand."

One good takeaway I had from participating in Pink Dot 2011 is becoming aware that there are so many local LGBTQ resources and support groups. Many of these are run by volunteers, which is really quite awesome.

Now that I have an idea about the local LGBTQ community, I'm looking at ways at how to get involved. It would be a good venue to meet people, to keep myself busy, and to just be able to do something.

Ready to go pink...

2011-06-16T12:07:00.002+08:00

A couple of years back, some good friends and I worked on this project.

It's called Icon magazine. Yeah, I dunno if people have heard of it. Hehe!

We did it for a good two years or so I think. We came out with about 8 issues, excluding the coffeetable book.

And the short time we did it was one of the best experiences I've had in my life.

I got to meet so many interesting people and learned about the Philippine LGBT history.

Getting to talk to so many LGBTs from all walks of life sort of ignited the "activist" which I know is somewhere inside of me (being a UP alumni. LOL!)

Anyway, prior to the move here to SG, I've already heard about Pink Dot. It made it to the news, and thanks to social media, made its way to so many blogs, Tumblr, Facebook pages, and so on.

I told myself that I'd like to get involved when I get to SG.

Several weeks ago, I emailed the organizers and told them I was interested to help out during the event as a volunteer.

Unfortunately, they said foreigners were not allowed to help during the event ONLY because of the venue rules. It sucks, but rules are rules and we don't want trouble.

This didn't stop me from still saying that I am interested to help out. Because I am. I really am.

I told the guys that I did writing for a living back in Manila, and that, uhm, skill was the one that got me started on getting involved.

I had no idea that the local LGBTQ community here is very active actually, and that there were actually several number of support groups and LGBTQ-friendly groups.

Impressive. Just impressive.

And I'm just happy that I've taken the first step towards getting involved.

Check this and check this.

This Saturday, go out in pink...

2011-06-14T20:23:00.000+08:00

A bunch of the guys and I are heading to Hong Lim Park on Saturday afternoon for Pink Dot.

Click here for FAQs about the Pink Dot.

Click here for more FAQs about the Pink Dot.

And to fellow foreigners, a note from the Pink Dot peeps:

Foreigners are welcome to come for a picnic, enjoy the concert and soak in the atmosphere at Pink Dot 2011.

However: During the human Pink Dot formation, we’d like to request for our foreign friends to help us honour local laws, and to watch the formation from an observation area in the park.

Let's paint the town PINK this Saturday.

A day at the ACM...

2011-06-13T21:58:00.001+08:00

One of the things that I really, really love about Singapore is the presence of so many interesting exhibits (and theater shows) all year round in different parts of the city.

Prior to moving here, I made sure that I checked out the different museums.

On my first week of moving here, I spent an entire day visiting the holy trinity (?) of museums in the city-state - the Asian Civilisation Museum, the National Museum, and the Singapore Art Museum.

That day was truly fantab because each museum had exhibits that were of different themes.

For this blog entry, I'm just going to talk about the Asian Civilisation Museum. The other two I will reserve for future blog entries.

The ACM is located near the Fullerton Hotel. If I'm not mistaken, the museum has a permanent exhibit which showcases the rich culture and history of Singapore and its neighboring countries. (I have no idea why there is nothing much about the Philippines though.)

Anyway, during my first week here, a special exhibit on the art of the Congo River was ongoing at the ACM. Lucky guy that I am, there was an open house on my first weekend.

I made sure that I went and it turned out to be such a fantastic visual treat.

The permanent exhibit was marvelous. The pieces on display were rich in culture, and the way the exhibit was curated was just impressive. I recently visited ACM again when friends JB and Miguel were in town, and I must say that I enjoyed it again. I don't think I'll ever tire of visiting that place.

The best part about that day I visited the Congo River art museum, I have to say, was getting to see Picasso art pieces up close and personal!!! It was completely unexpected so I was truly, truly ecstatic when I found out that there were Picasso pieces on dispay!!!

The masks and statues that were on display were awesome, yeah, but it was the Picassos that really made my heart skip a beat. It was just too good.

I didn't think I would be seeing a Picasso that soon.

Unfortunately, photos of the art works weren't allowed. I managed to take some photos from a distance though. Eeep, I hope I don't caned for doing that. Haha!

Oh, that's one other thing I like about museums here. You can actually take photos as long as you don't use a flash. It was just awesome.

In Manila, I don't understand why some museums don't allow photography. Ugh.

Moving on, that day at ACM was just really good.

During a recent visit, I read that an upcoming exhibit would be the… drumroll please… the Terracotta Warriors from China!!! Wooohooo! I'm really excited about it. I've been wanting to go to Beijing so that I can make a side trip to Xian province to see the warriors.

Now, I can see some of the precious pieces. Fantastic, fantastic. The exhibit is going to open sometime this June and I'm definitely going.

This is just the first of several exhibits I'm going to check out here. That's for sure.

On the same day, I visited the ACM, I went to the National Museum for the Beauty in Black exhibit which featured beautiful creations of Lagerfeld, Kawakubo, among others. (Now you know why another blog post is needed. Haha!) I also visited the Singapore Art Museum which featured several contemporary pieces, including works by Filipino artists. Coooool!

Check out the ACM website here for more deets - www.acm.org.sg/

We're moving...

2011-06-09T11:47:00.001+08:00

Tomorrow is our last day here at Parkview Square.

We're moving to the West. Some say it's far. Some say it's isolated.

The good thing about being a newbie in this company, and in this country is that I"m still excited to see much of the city.

I heard the new building is a "green" one so I'm definitely excited to see it.

There were some site visits to the new building, but I didn't go because I was doing issue compilation and covering for a colleague who was on a holiday.

I thought to myself it's okay since I'm going to see the new building eventually.

Anyway, I'm really glad I was able to have Parkview Square as an office even for a few months. It was a good short stay.

Tomorrow, I shall say hello to the new building. It's in Buona Vista.

Woohoo!

Parang Manila rains lang...

2011-06-08T11:24:00.000+08:00

Sunday morning brought a huge surprise to many Singaporeans.

I had just finished Mass at the nearby church and when I headed out, it was raining heavily.

Having been here for a little over two months, I expected the rain to end in a couple of minutes. Usually, that's how it goes. I remember that Sunday Chris and I ran at the East Coast Park. While we were on our nth kilometer, it started to pour. A few minutes later, the sun was out again. Everything's okay again.

Such wasn't the case last Sunday. The rain showed no signs of stopping. Good thing I brought my flip-flops as I was headed to the gym for a session with a trainer. I took off my shoes and put on my flip-flops and braved the heavy downpour.

After all, I'm Filipino. I've been through worse kinds of rain. This was nothing.

I eventually found my way to the bus, and got myself to the gym. By noontime, there was only a slight drizzle. By late afternoon, things were back to the usual.

It was only on Monday morning when I got my daily dose of Today that I saw how bad the rain was on Sunday morning.

Flash floods in various parts of Singapore. Like they've never seen before.

According to the news that I read, it was more than 20 years ago when something like this has happened here. Eeep! What's happening? Climate change?

What I found impressive though is how quick the local agencies concerned acted on the problem.

Additional rain sensors are now going to be added along drains. From just 93, there will be 150 by end of year. Apparently, there is also an SMS alert to subscribers which will inform them when the water levels hit a moderate and a high flood risk. Good, huh?! The agency is also looking into reducing the two-minute interval for monitoring water levels when it rains.

I'm definitely impressed.

Photos above are from Straits Times.