Thankful...

My word for today.

Seriously, Thursday, you are my favourite day.

Where the magic happens...

Let's go and make magic shall we? Lol.

Random thoughts...

Random thoughts. Lol.

Random iMessage chat with Tey...

While queuing for Pump class registration yesterday, I sent a random message to Tey telling her that we should go to Tokyo in 2020 to watch the Olympics. Specifically, I told her I want to watch the Men's All-Around Gymnastics event.

I'm not sure if he'll still be competing then but I do want to watch Japan's Kohei Uchimura live.

Tey replied, "Sure, let's go. By then, we can afford to stay at Tokyo Shangri-la or Peninsula. Let's claim it."

I sent a LOL as a reply.

And then I also said, "Tey, one of my aspirations is to be able to walk into a Bottega boutique and purchase a piece that I like without having to worry about the price. Haha!"

When it was sent, I started typing again, "And I also want to stop choosing budget airlines as my first option when flying overseas. Hahaha!"

Tey sent very optimistic replies. "We can do that, Anj. By then, we will be able to do it."

Another message from her came in telling me about a friend of ours who gave up flying economy. Lol. "She just flies business from now on. She said she couldn't take economy anymore," said Tey.

My reply was, "Haha! Good for her! Before we aspire for that, let's aspire first for not flying budget anymore. Haha!" I want to be able to have that option of not flying budget 70% of the time. Haha!

We continued to chat more for a few minutes until the announcement for Pump class registration came on.

Dreams, dreams. Lol!

Our Lady's boy...

Perhaps it was because I went to a Catholic dedicated to Our Lady. That's the main reason I can think of why I have always been a devote of Our Lady.

When I was still in grade school, my younger brother and I would always pass by the church right next to our school to say a little prayer at the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.

It was quite common for almost all the students at our school, since our school is named after the holy place where Our Lady appeared to the young Bernadette Soubirous.

At the altar of Our Lady of Lourdes, there is a pile of stones encased in a glass box. It is believed that Our Lady actually stepped on those stones. Every day, we would pass by the altar and kiss that glass case. (Thinking about it now, the germophobe in me is a bit grossed. Hehe! Just thinking of all the others who have kissed that glass case... shivers... hehe!)

Also, my own Mom taught me how to pray the rosary. I did not have the best respiratory system growing up. I made a lot of trips to the Emergency Room because I needed my nebulizer. Probably because of that, my Mom always prayed to Our Lady. When I was old enough, she taught me how to pray the rosary. That was a habit I brought with me up until today.

This devotion to Our Lady got me started in somewhat collecting unique kinds of images of Our Lady. Last year, I naturally bought a Pieta piece when I visited Vatican.

When PG Boy and I went back to Amsterdam, a thought came to me. Since The Netherlands is known for Delftware, maybe there is one of Our Lady. While we were walking along the canals one afternoon, we passed by a store specializing in Delftware. True enough, I found a beautiful, beautiful piece of Our Lady. It was quite expensive but it was the best souvenir I got from the trip.

During Tipz's trip to Spain and to Belgium, I asked him to find and bring back a Black Madonna and the Bruges Madonna for me. True friend that he is, Tipz got me the two pieces.

Most recently, I found another beautiful and unique Our Lady image in... drumroll please... Siem Reap. Thankfully, we managed to find the only (?) Catholic church in Siem Reap and we were able to attend the sunset Mass. While checking the shop, on display was a beautiful Cambodian Madonna.

Just like the Delftware piece, this one was also quite expensive. Maybe because it was carved out of a single piece of wood. Maybe because the details are very intricate. It is beautiful.

Hmm, I found another unique piece from a friend. It is Our Lady in a kebaya! A Peranakan Madonna, how unique is that?! However, I haven't gotten it yet because it is quite tall (about 9"). I want to stick to the current sizes that I have. Maybe I will find one soon.

I am also quite excited for my trip to Japan. I'm hoping to find a Japanese Madonna and child piece. I know that there's a possibility because I have previously seen a Chinese Madonna and child... at the Asian Civilisation Museum. Hehe!

Still, there might be a chance...

Photos from the Cambodge trip..

Here are some photos from the trip to Cambodge with Mom and my best friend in Manila, Tey. I haven't really posted photos from the trip except on Facebook.

A few days ago, one of my good friends messaged me that she was somewhat "inspired" by what I do for my Mom (i.e. bring her on an annual overseas trip.). She told me that after seeing the trip photos with my Mom, she decided that she will bring her Mom and her brother on a holiday early next year. She was excited because it will also be her brother's first trip outside of the Philippines.

I was really happy to hear this from my friend. I told her that I plan to give my Mom holiday trips while she is still relatively healthy and since I can afford it. Hehe! Hmm, there's a tiny part of me that kind of wishes that I was also able to bring Dad on an overseas trip. However, I don't dwell too much on that thought since it's unhealthy. I do believe that Dad is with us on the trips that Mom and I go to.

I do want my two younger brothers to come to Singapore to visit me as well. However, my condition is for them to buy their own plane ticket. Anyway, we're all working and earning. I am sure they can afford to buy a plane ticket.

Hopefully, they can visit me soon. I have to keep on badgering them to book their flights.

Okay, that's it for today. It was a good day. I started my day with a fitness activity (went for a run around my neighbourhood this morning) and ended the day with a fitness activity (Pump class at Westgate).

Tomorrow, I have to go to the office to attend an HR briefing. That means I have to wake up early to avoid the MRT crowd. Haha!

Night, night!

Away for the next few days...

It's that time of the year...

when I go on holiday with mommy dear...

Hehe!

I'm going to tell you a secret...

I'm going to tell you a secret.

From late January/early February of this year up until yesterday, I was dating someone.

JKT Boy is two years short of turning 30, graduate from one of Singapore's top university, holds a PhD degree (and he's not even 30!), and works for a health sciences-related government agency.

But I guess one of the best things I like about JKT Boy is that he is also a practicing Catholic. Yup, a practicing Catholic. In fact, I think he is even more devout than I am. Hehe!

So, for the past three months, I've been seeing him regularly. We've been attending Sunday Mass together. We talk to each other everyday. We do pretty much what couples usually do...

except we don't have the title of a couple.

Right from the start, I made it clear that I'm not ready for a commitment, that I'm not sure I'm ready for a relationship.

Yesterday, that became extremely clear. I told him we should just be friends.

He asked me if it had something to do with him or if it was because of my current situation--the lack of a sense of permanence. I told him it was a mix of both. I told him I need to work on my own situation first before I get myself into a relationship or some kind of serious commitment. To him, he felt that I was pushing people away from being too close. He was adamant about keeping things going, saying that two people can help each other out with each other's issues. But I know myself. And I know I don't want to drag someone into my own issues because I would end up thinking about my issues and I would end up worrying about the other person thinking about my issues.

He had his own issues as well. At first, I was hesitant to tell him about it because it was his own issue and it's better for him to work on it and figure it out on his own. But he was persistent. Basically, I told him that I don't want to get into a relationship or any commitment whereby I will be introduced as the "best friend," the "friend from the Philippines," or worse, where I will be the secret. I don't want to the double life of the person whereby he has a life with his friends, and then he has his life with me. I don't want to not be known by the family. I know that I am now capable and ready to introduce someone to my own family, to friends in Manila, in Singapore or anywhere. I somewhat expect something similar.

Bottomline: I have my own issues that I want to sort out on my own. He has his own issues to sort out as well.

Looking back at our conversation right now and the past three months, I am confident to say that JKT Boy is a keeper. He and I don't have a lot of things in common but the past three months have been working because we meet halfway. And under different circumstances, I would be happy be in a relationship with him. Ours was really just a case of "right emotions at the wrong timing."

Last night, omw home, we were still chatting lightly over WhatsApp. He sent the above message. That made it even more clear that yeah, this guy is a keeper. And who knows? Maybe when I hit 42, things would be better for both of us and if we're bound to meet again, it will happen.

On another note, another lesson learned from all of this is that I really should just take a break from dating or at the very least, not get myself into serious dating. Although I am leaning more towards the former. This is the second time since PG Boy that I almost got myself into a relationship. First there was NB Boy, then there's JKT Boy. In both cases, including PG Boy's, I got out because of the same reasons. Sp yeah, I think I should just stop dating for now.

Anyway, as it is, my plate is already full with work, gym, volunteer work, Japanese lessons, to name a few things. It gets lonely at times, yeah, but I have faith that I have been blessed with enough good friends to keep me happy and sane. Haha!

Last night, I messaged Richie and Mon, "I'm going to tell you a secret." I gave them a gist of the JKT Boy story.

Richie asked, "Why did you keep it from us, friend?" I said, "Hmm, I wanted to spare you guys or any other friends from another 'almost a relationship' story."

I can write about it now because it is over. I will maybe hang on that WhatsApp message above.

Prayers for Nepal....

Shocked by the news about the Nepal earthquake.

First thought that came to mind was I hope the women, teens and kids the company supports through a partner foundation are all safe.
Prayers for Nepal.

Finished Jamie Woo's Meet Grindr...

While queueing for Pump class registration, I managed to finish the last few chapters of Jamie Woo’s Meet Grindr: How One App Changed the Way We Connect. Yeah, that’s right. Someone actually took the time to dissect the processes, the interactions, the “academic” side of this app that indeed changed the way gay men “connect.”

For any person familiar with the app, the process could be as simple as launch the app, tap on the tile of a guy, negotiate, hook up or whatever.

But through the book, Woo actually sought to “explore the unseen layers of complexity within Grindr’s design…” More interesting is his effort to analyse “the effect it had on user behavior, with even seemingly trivial decisions reverberating into unexpected results.”

The book was published in 2013. Between its publication time and now, I’m quite sure that the app itself has undergone quite a number of changes. To be honest, I wouldn’t know because I don’t really use the app. After PG Boy and I parted ways, I did install it but uninstalled it after. Last month, I installed it again only to uninstall it after a few days. Lol!

That story aside, Woo’s book was of interest to me because it compiled in one book the observations people have of the app (people who bother to think about the app and its impact to culture and society, anyway).

Some of the things he wrote are already quite familiar. Still, reading it on print was I guess a way of confirming that my thoughts are shared by other people. Haha!

Okay, here are the things I remember from the book. Grindr was not designed to be a hookup app. It was really to find friends. (Yeah, right?!) The way the app was designed was for users to stay on the app for only a short period of time. Again, get on the app, find someone, get off the app and “get off.” Haha! This, I guess, is somewhat of unwelcome news to those who claim that they are on the app to find friends.

What else? Grindr’s design is somewhat similar to a vending machine. You go online, go through the 100 tiles of photos, choose what you want and if an agreement is reached, then good for you. With this design though, guys are actually reduced to products rather than the substantial beings that they are.

Grindr’s design affects the decision making processes of an individual. One analysis given was that presented with just three or four choices, one would be able to remember his criteria for selecting a particular guy. In the Grindr environment, one is presented with 100 guys and this makes the decision making process more challenging. It becomes a challenge to a point whereby a person’s original criteria is muddled because of the pool of candidates presented to him.

Other interesting things Woo writes about are a look into what profile photos mean, different types of users, how the app impacts the society’s view of male beauty, and so on.

It concludes with suggestions on what other modifications can be done for the future Grindr. He also talks about the possible impact that evolving software and new hardware would have on apps similar to Grindr. Interesting book.

I can be a jerk if I want to be... lol...

Haha! After gym tonight, I met up for a quick drink with this guy I recently met the other day on Grindr. We've been chatting for the past two days. Tonight, we agreed to meet up after gym.

We went to the same gym. I went for a class, he went to do his own workout. Thankfully, I finished my workout way ahead of him. I showered, got dressed and left the gym. I told the guy I'll just wait for him at the nearby Starbucks.

I say thankfully because when he arrived, I wasn't sure if it was him. First off, he was wearing a cap in his photo. How am I supposed to know he has a shaved head? Next, he conversed quite good over the phone. Heck, he even spelled Philippines correctly (though I did ask if he was using predictive text... lol!)! So I was a bit surprised that he was struggling somehow with his English. And as much as I hate it, there was a point when I spoke in broken English using the most basic of words. Lol!

For awhile, I was tempted to come up with some lame excuse just to get out of the situation. I then thought I'll just be in charge of the situation: we can go grab a quick drink and then head back. That's exactly what we did.

Another "thankfully" moment that I did that because on the way to a nearby Subway. I asked him in a non-sexual, most casual way of asking if he was hungry. He replied, "Yes, I want to eat hotdog." I replied with a laugh and told him to turn on his app and look for what he wanted. He then replied something and after that, in my head I was already going, "Alrightey, that's it for tonight. Let's make this quick so we can go home separately." Haha!

We went to Subway. I ordered my wrap and a drink. He got his own drink. For the next 10 or so minutes, I was the polite guy and just conversed with him about life in Singapore. As soon as I was done with my meal and he with his drink, I quickly got up, returned my tray, thanked him for the meetup. I made sure we wouldn't spend one minute more together by saying, "I'm going to the grocery to buy something. You're going straight to the MRT, right? You're tired anyway?"

Haha! That was that.

On the train ride back home, I was Whatsapping with another guy... also met via the same app as above. He seemed like a great guy. He could carry a conversation. I was more sure that his conversation skills were a lot better. And I could sense that he could actually be someone to hang out with... until he started dropping hints about hooking up. Lol! Alright, for the record, I have no issues with fun. If one is up for it, then state it clearly at the beginning. Why start the convo under a false pretense of friends first, maybe fun later.

Once the conversation started taking a turn towards hooking up, I took hold of the situation again and told him that I'm going to sleep. He then replied, "You're a real nice guy." I decided I'd be a bit of an asshole and sent the reply in the left photo above. Haha! He sent a reply again, which I already ignored.

Sorry, James. You were at the receiving end of my angst tonight. Lol! Prior to these two guys, there was this other guy I was chatting with for a few days now. He was also a nice guy, very thoughtful and caring. We've been chatting regularly for a few days now. I even asked him out to a movie, to which he said, "We'll see." I decided to ask him, "Are you dating anyone?"

Refer to the above right photo for the reply. Lol! I then came up with the lame excuse of needing to get back to work. I wished him a good day and that was it. Later in the evening, he messaged to ask how my day was. I pulled off an HB Boy and didn't reply. Today, I didn't message as well. Harhar! This is different though from the HB Boy x UP Boy episode because this guy and I never met. I had every right to bring out the asshole in me. Lol!

So yeah, this is what's been going on recently. I think it has something to do with the app that I'm using. I'm currently reading this book entitled "Meet Grindr: How One App Changed The Way We Connect" written by a man name Jaime Woo. It's a good book because it dissects the app in an academic sort of way, though he claims he did no scientific study. Most of the theories, propositions in the books are something I could relate though at this very moment. Haha!

Maybe I should delete these apps or just retain one? I seem to be getting better conversations from that other app. Maybe I should just go back to believing that I'll meet that future partner in the real world and outside of these apps. Haha!

Training, museums, gym, Mass, and so on...

Good morning! It's Sunday and I've been up since 6AM. Haha! What's new?

I'm not surprised because I was already in lalaland by 11PM. Yesterday was a very long day. It started at 6AM, too. I had to get up early and be in the city by 830 to attend the training for my new volunteer commitment. The training lasted until 1PM.

After that, I headed to the National Museum to meet up with fellow museum volunteer Lionel and to do a walkthrough of the ongoing exhibit. Hanging out and going around the exhibit took close to two hours.

I left Lionel since he was doing the 2PM tour, and I headed to the gym for a 330 Combat class. Prior to Combat, I was thinking about whether to eat or not. The dilemmas was I couldn't eat a proper lunch because I didn't want to do Combat on a full stomach. Add to that the feeling that it's bad and it might result in appendicitis. Lol. I can't eat a proper lunch after class either because by then, I would have to observe the one-hour fast before Mass. Yeah, one of the Catholic teachings I still follow and believe in.

So, how? Hashtag First World Problems?

In the end, I rushed taking a shower and getting dressed. That left me a good 5 minutes to rush to the 7-11 at the ground level of Cathay to get a pau. It was imperative that I eat because I was already feeling faint towards the end of Combat class. Haha!

The last activity for the day was Mass at St. Anthony's, my favourite church in Singapore along with Church of St. Mary of the Angels and also, St. Bernadette. The priests give very good homilies! The homily is always something relevant to the every day lives of people.

That was Saturday. The reason I went to Mass yesterday was Sunday is also going to be a packed day.

I have a museum guiding duty. I organised a meet up with Kok Kuan, Des and Justin. I need to go to the city to take the first few steps on a new project. Just this morning, I volunteered to take over another museum guiding shift. The assigned museum guide couldn't make it since she was down with throat infection and flu. With all these errands, I'm afraid I may not have enough time for Mass. It's ironic that Mass seems to be the last item in the to-do today list, instead of being the first.

Busy Saturday. Busy Sunday. How to find time for a relationship? Or even a date? Lol! Just kidding.

About 2014...

How was your 2014?

I have to say mine was generally a very good one. Looking back now, there were a lot of things to be grateful for in the year that just ended.

Hmm, I would have to say that one of the major things I am thankful for was being able to go on a few trips. There’s the trip to Yogyakarta with my Mom. There’s the trip to Singapore for my Mom. There’s a trip to Malacca, Kuala Lumpur and Bintan. And of course, the big trip of the year was Europe. I’ve dreamt of going to Europe and I’ve always thought that it will just remain as a dream. Well, 2014 taught me that if you want something bad enough, you will do what you can to make it happen.

I fell in love with Amsterdam and Brussels. I would definitely want to visit again. In fact, I already have an itinerary in mind. Let’s just see what travels are in store for me this 2015. Hmm, I want to do another major travel but I told my Mom I’m taking her to Cambodge this year. That has to happen. Please let there be a seat sale!

The other thing I am thankful for is work. The organisation is undergoing transformation and I’m grateful to still be blessed with work. To be honest, I intend to stay overseas for as long as I could. Going back is an option I would not like to consider... at least, for the next 30 years. Hehe! One thing that would make me consider going back is love. Seriously. If I find myself in a relationship and things are getting serious, I just might consider moving back.

Speaking of relationships, it was year of change in that department. After almost 4 years, PG Boy and I parted ways. The good thing about it is that we remain friends. We still WhatsApp. He got me a nice souvenir from Portugal. We still hang out once in a while. It was a very adult and mature breakup, I tell you. Post-PG Boy, there was NB Boy who’s a Singaporean and most recently, HB Boy who’s a Beijinger. Hmm, neither resulted in a relationship. It was just a short period of dating. I guess the good thing about both is that it allowed me to put myself out there again.

What else? Okay, I have to say that the year ended very well thanks to the trip to Manila. It’s my first time to spend Christmas again in Manila since I left in 2011. I have to thank my colleague Alexie for making me go on the trip. She invited me to her wedding last 26 December at beautiful Tagaytay Highlands. I would not miss it for the world. I am extremely happy that I made the trip. In addition to witnessing Alexie marching down the aisle, I also got to see several friends and of course, my Mom and my two younger sibs. Five days is too short a trip though. There are still so many other things that I wanted to do. However, it was already time to fly back to Singapore.

So, yeah, these are a few of the highlights of 2014. I’m sure there are a lot of other things to be grateful for. At this very moment, these are the ones that come to mind.

Birthday month 30-day writing challenge: Day 6....

Just got home from the movies. I don't usually like to have a late evening if there is work the following day. Tonight was a very rare moment. Haha!

Since I only have 30 minutes left to my self-imposed deadline for zzz-ing, I should make this post really short and quick.

Day 6: What band or musician is most important to you?

This is another toughie.

Instead of naming just one band or musician, I think I'll just name one genre I really love - show tunes. Haha! Could I be more stereotypical?

Blame it on The Sound of Music. When I was growing up, the entire family and relatives from my Mom's side would always, always watch Maria and the Von Trapp children every Christmas. This became some kind of tradition. It didn't take long before I started to know all the songs by heart. Hahah!

In addition to this, I have been blessed to be surrounded by friends who also love musicals and friends who are in the theatre industry.

As a result, I frequently watched musicals produced by Philippine production companies. It's tough to name just one favourite musical. Haha! But I guess I would have to say that I'm a Renthead. Jonathan Larson is a genius and it's just sad that he was gone too soon. In any case, I thank him for Rent and tick... tick... BOOM.

And then of course, there are all the other great minds who came up with the best musicals ever. I'm really glad to have had the opportunity to see many of these shows.

However, I must admit I am still dreaming of watching a musical in New York. Hopefully, that will happen next year. Haha!

Birthday month 30-day writing challenge: Day 5....

Sheesh... time really does fly fast.

I can't believe it's already Day 5 for this 30-day writing challenge. Haha!

The assignment today is quite a toughie. That's because it touches on a subject that I like very much - travel.

Today's task involves naming 5 places I want to visit.

Hmm, I have a lot of places I would like to visit and explore. To help me trim down the list to just five, I decided to add a little twist to the challenge.

I have one month to visit 5 places. After that, it will take several years before I can get on a plane again and explore the world.

Below are the 5 places that came to mind:

Paris - I definitely, most certainly want to visit this city of love. Aside from paying homage to the houses at Avenue Montaigne, Rue Cambon 31 and Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, I would like to visit the Louvre, the Musee d' Orsay, Versailles and Tuileries Garden.

Machu Picchu - no explanation needed.

New York and San Francisco - New York for the museums, Broadway and a photo op at the Conde Nast building; San Francisco because friends are raving about it.

Taiwan - for reasons better left unwritten. Hahaha!

Boracay - hahaha! Yes, though I've traveled much of the Philippines - from Isabela up north to Jolo in Mindanao, I've yet to set foot in Boracay. Hard to believe, eh?

That's my list. What's yours?

Ten Books...

It looks like there's a new meme going around on Facebook. Haha! I remember there was a time when people were using the Notes feature a lot, answering all these memes and tagging friends.

On my way to work this morning, I was reading my FB notifications and I saw that my friend Noreen tagged me in a post.

The rule of the meme is simple. List down 10 books that have had an effect on your life (or something like that). Tag It's not a very easy task for me as I have a lot of favourite books. Haha! What I did was to recall those titles that have really left a lasting impression on me.

In no particular order, here are my 10 books:



The Best Little Boy in the World - Andrew Tobias



Rainbow Boys - Alex Sanchez



Cubao 1980 - Tony Perez



Bata, Bata Pano Ka Ginawa - Lualhati Bautista



The Way - Josemaria Escriva



Grace: A Memoir - Grace Coddington



Last Summer - Michael Thomas Ford



Elements of Style - Strunk and White



Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis



The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay - Michael Chabon

Don't fall for me...

Don't fall for me
I'm a foreigner
For while I could be your lover
I don't know if I'll be here forever

Don't fall for me
I'm a foreigner
What future is there for us
When my life here depends on a work pass

Don’t fall for me
I’m a foreigner
You tell me I’m the best part of your year
I tell you I don’t know til when I’ll be here

Don’t fall for me
I’m a foreigner
More than friends, less than lovers
Surely you deserve much better

Don’t fall for me
I’m a foreigner
Don’t get your hopes up too high
Because in the end, I might just say goodbye

The last thing I want is for you to cry...

Bad poetry as a result of a very good date tonight. How many times do I have to tell NB Boy? Don't pin all your hopes on me. I'm only going to break your heart.

New floor lamp means more titles to read...

Just a random post.

I finally got myself to buy a floor lamp over the long weekend. Damn three day holiday! I ended up having quite a few unplanned purchases. Haha!

There's an app called carousell, which I guess is somewhat similar to eBay. I came across an Ikea floor lamp that was being sold dirt cheap. The best thing was the seller was also in my neighbourhood.

I've been meaning to get a floor lamp to put by my bedside. Previously, I just have a desk lamp and the ceiling light. Thankfully, the latter was provided in a warm tone and not one of those *gasp* hiddeous white lights. Haha! Pag galit sa white light, alam na. My previous problem was that I couldn't read in bed just before I go to lalaland. The ceiling light was too soft tone and couldn't provide good lighting to the Kindle. Add to that the trouble of having to get up after reading just to switch off the light. Hahaha! Now that the floor lamp is in the room and right by my bed, all I need is reach out to the side to turn off the lamp once I start feeling sleepy. Haha! I've made a conscious decision not to accumulate unnecessary home items since I don't know how long I will be in Singapore. So far, I've been very successful. The only home furnishings/appliances that I have bought are a side table (which I use as a book shelf), a steam iron and the floor lamp. I'm pretty sure I can give these away one day or leave them with my dear landlord.

These past few nights, I've been enjoying the convenience of having the floor lamp by my side. I got a Philips bulb - yellow light, of course - for just $2.90 and I'm quite sure it will last for a year or so.

Hoping to read a lot of titles under the light of this new lamp. Haha!

Friday morning thoughts...

Not much happening this week, which I guess is somewhat good.

Work is still the same. There is nothing new. I expect the changes to take place sometime in late September.

Uhm, I've booked two more flights in addition to the Borobodur trip with Mama in September. The other flight I booked is for the long weekend because of National Day. A Manila friend is flying over to Kuala Lumpur for a look-see. Since the flights were cheapo, I decided to fly to KL and meet with him there. The other flight I booked today is for another trip later this year.

That's it. No more travels... unless there's a very good sale.

I should start saving for the big trip I want to do in late 2015 - New York and San Francisco. Truth be told, the only reasons I want to go to the US are these: New York - watch Broadway Musicals: Wicked, If/Then, Book of Mormons; visit museums: the Cloisters to see The Unicorn Tapestries, the Frick collection, MoMA, and the Anna Wintour Costume Center; window shopping: 7th Avenue, Barney's; check out and pay homage to the LGBT scene: Christopher St.; and for San Francisco: because my best friend Tey is planning to visit as well and I am putting pressure on her to bring me around.

If not for these, I would rather go to Europe again. The flights are more affordable and there are more things to excite me. I want to go back to the Netherlands and Belgium once again. Though this time, I want to include a visit to Haarlem and to The Hague (Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring at Mauritshuis!!!!) in addition to Amsterdam. In Belgium, I definitely want to do a day trip to Bruges and Ghent to see the Michelangelo's Madonna. I'm also excited at the thought of going back to Brussels because I now have two friends living there. Lastly, I want to include a trip to Paris! I hope it doesn't have the same effect on me as Rome did. Hahaha!

It would be so nice to travel again to these countries. Last year, I told myself I wanted to take a break from Asia. I have done my part in contributing to Asian tourism having visited Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, Myanmar, and Nepal. Haha!

So it was really such a grateful moment for me to have been able to do a trip to Europe. Never, never have I thought one boy's dream would become one man's reality. I am just really thankful. There are other places I want to see - Machu Picchu,Bhutan. Augh!

But for now, I should end this post and start working. Lol!

Happy Friday...

See you again soon, Borobodur...

Hey, Borobodur. Looks like I'll be seeing you again.

Last year, I promised my Mom that I'll take her on a holiday again this year. I told her that we'll go to Angkor Wat this year. Seeing the temples of the Angkor complex is her ultimate dream. (At least, I think that is her ultimate dream.)

However, that plan had to be postponed to next year. Mom, of course, was okay with it. She doesn't complain about anything.

I told her that we'll just probably see Borobodur this year.

Luckily, I was able to find some really cheapo tix via AirAsia. I dunno why the flights to Siem Reap are damn ex! Lol!

Anyway, those flights to Yogyakarta will be booked today.

Timing is just perfect since those tix will be Mom's Mother's Day pressie. Hehe! TYL!