First view of Kathmandu...

As the pilot announced that we were beginning our descent to Kathmandu, I saw several passengers turn their heads towards the window. Hehe!

Above are a few of the photos of my first view of Kathmandu...

Weather report...

Flying out tomorrow. Wheee! :)

Kamusta naman ang temperature in the evening?! Haha! :P Not sure if I've ever experienced weather that cold. We'll see...

However, I'm very happy that weather forecast for the duration of the trip is looking vgood! Thank you, Lordy!

PG Boy is back...

PG Boy returns to SG today. Whooppee!

Little guy and I are waiting at the Terminal 1 for the arrival of JetStar flight something something. Hehe!

Back to work today...

Chinese New Year holiday is over.

Today, it was back to work.

Saturday. I went to Fusionopolis for Combat. Afterwards, headed back home to rest. In the evening, I headed to Chinatown to welcome the Year of the Snake with Chris and Ian. Thankfully, the MRT operations extended until past midnight. That mean not having to take the cab to get back to my place and saving about $30 for cab fare. Hehe! Yay!

Sunday. Richie invited me, Ian and Chris to watch a movie. We all met up at Plaza Singapura to catch Silver Linings Playbook. Good film. Bradley Cooper was good. Jennifer Lawrence was hot. Hehe! Afterwards, we all headed to Marina Bay to check out the River Hongbao. I think this year was better than last year. Hehe. Nature walk buddy Melvin also joined us.

Monday. I was supposed to tag along to a reunion lunch Richie was attending. Since he wasn't feeling well, he decided not to go anymore. That meant me having time to go to Fitness First Paragon to attend a Combat class. In the evening, I watched a Singaporean film Ah Boys to Men.

Tuesday. The only schedule was to go do Pump and Combat at Paragon and then catch Part 2 of Ah Boys to Men at Cathay Cineleisure. I think I was the only Filipino (or maybe the only foreigner(!)) in the packed cinema. Hehe! After watching the movie, I understand more of why NS is really a big deal. The other thing I loved about the movie was the aerial shots of this country. What can I say? Singapore is such a beautiful country. Anyone who loves a city would surely have been impressed by the panoramic landscape seen on the big screen.

In a way, I'm glad to be back at the office today. There are things that need urgent attention before my trip next week. But also because CNY can get a little lonely. Hehe! It's because the entire island shuts down and PG Boy went back to his hometown as is customary. Thankfully, there are friends who decided to stay in the island through the holidays. Otherwise, it would have been really lonely I guess.

Next year, I must really prepare for the CNY holiday. Must book airfare in advance. Hehe!

Gong xi fa cai again!

Ah Boys to Men...

I dunno how I ended up watching part 1 of this film, but I actually enjoyed it. Hehe! I learned more about NS and its significance to the country. The movie also gives one a sneak peak of Pulau Tekong (where NS training is conducted). I dun think I'll ever set foot on Tekong so it was quite a treat seeing it on the big screen.

Part 1 also included a Filipino maid in its supporting cast. I enjoyed seeing how "important" she is to the family. Hehe.

I think I'll head to the cinemas tomorrow to catch Part 2. For closure.

Gong xi, gong xi...

Gong Xi Fa Cai! :)

May the Year of the Snake be prosperous and filled with good fortune!

Check out the CNY ad of Malaysian company Bernas. Doesn't it have the same feel of the Christmas station IDs of ABS-CBN? Hehehe! :)

It really strikes a chord in the heart. Or as we say it, may kurot sa puso. :P

Long Black Cafe at Biopolis...

If you think there aren't that many food places in the Buona Vista/one-north area, you're wrong. Either that or you dun work/live around the area. Hehe!

Even before the new mall Star Vista at Buona Vista, there were already a number of food places worth visiting. I have only been to a few though. Boo!

Earlier today, colleague/once-in-awhile-lunch buddy Bernard and I decided to try a Western restau at the Biopolis.

Prior to this, my usual lunch destination on days I dun pack lunch are either Fusionopolis, JVC or when I'm really lazy, the Tuck Shop at the ground floor of the building.

But since Bernard and I started having lunch, we began exploring the Biopolis area.

I didn't know there were a number of nice food places in the area. One of this is Long Black Cafe.

The restau serves mainly Western food. It's not that expensive. Pasta dishes start at $9. Same goes for the sandwiches. You can top up $3.50 to get the Soup of the Day and a drink. Not bad, eh?!

The serving was just right. The service was quite good (or maybe because we got there at 12.40 already). The food was yum. I had the Chicken Alfredo and I wanted more. Hehe!

Bernard and I agreed we would go back to the place to try out the other dishes on the menu. The burger looks particularly interesting and mouthwatering. Haha!

Long Black Cafe 20 Biopolis Way Centros Block, Singapore, Singapore 138668 6478 9945 http://www.longblack.com.sg

More about Manila trip...

Though it was a very short trip and that the main reason really was to visit fam, I made sure I was able to see some good friends.

In a short span of six days, I got to hang out with friends from SMART, Twitter buddies, good friend/brother Carlo, and classmates from UP.

Hmm, it's my first trip back to the Phils since I left almost two years ago. Not much has changed, but it felt like the eating out was so expensive. Haha! I was converting prices at restaus and prices were close to what I'd usually pay for at SG. Haha!

The one thing I found to be really cheapo was cab fare. Hehe! Again, I was converting and I was super happy that taking a cab in Manila is still waaaay cheaper. Hehe!

It was such a short visit. I should plan another trip. Maybe PG Boy can join the next trip. If he does, I def want it to be an out of Manila trip. Hehe!

Get a massage before you fly...

Flying out via NAIA Terminal 1 was not that bad at all…

thanks to a very good legs and feet massage I got at the Club Manila Massage Center at the pre-departure area.

Though my flight back to SG was still at 8:25PM, I arrived at the airport several hours early to avoid long queues and to give some time in case there are some unforeseen inconveniences.

Thankfully, things worked out quite well. Getting my OEC cleared was a breeze. Check-in was quite fast. Immigration did not have a long queue. I was at the pre-departure area with so much time to kill.

Out of boredom, I think I checked in via Foursquare or via Facebook that I was at NAIA waiting. Minutes later, my friend Richard messaged me and asked me to go to the Club Manila Massage Center to try their treatments. Uhm, I think Richard is one of the owners of the business.

The massage place is located at the Upper Level of the Departure Area. It's right next to the Hariraya Coffee Shop.

I was really impressed with the place. It had the feel of the nice massage places one would find in the city. It was quite quiet. The ambience was very relaxing. The ladies at reception were very friendly. Before you go in for your massage, they ask for your flight details so that they can be sure you won't miss your flight.

I just decided to go for a 40-minute legs and feet massage. My therapist was Marlen. She was very good. It was very similar to the treatments PG Boy and I would get at the massage place in JB.

By the time I finished the massage, I just had enough time to make my way to the gate and wait for boarding time. Getting the massage before the flight was a great idea because it really relaxed me and helped me go straight to sleep as soon as I took my seat in the plane. hehe!

If you're flying out via NAIA Terminal 1, do drop by the Club Manila Massage Center at the Upper Level of the Departure Area. They also have a branch at Terminal 2.

Quick trip to Manila...

So I did go visit Manila recently.

After almost two years, the prodigal son returns… for a holiday.

Well, it wasn't really so much of a holiday. The main reason I went back was to visit my family. In particular, I wanted to visit my Dad who recently fell ill.

If not for that, I think I would have kept on delaying the visit back to Manila.

My Dad has spinal stenosis. I dun exactly know much about it. Twitter friend Jamie explained it to me. I only remembered some parts of it.

Basically, my Dad is now on a wheelchair. It is such a big change and a big surprise for all of us because we are talking about a guy who goes on very long walks almost every day. Sure, he's hitting 80 next year but this man is still strong for his age. Now, he has to be cared for because of this disease.

We dun know if he can still get back on his feet. Surgery doesn't seem to be an option because of his age. We just have to hope that the physical therapy will be of some help.

Needless to say, the current condition of my Dad has had an impact not just on him but on the entire family.

I left Manila with a lot of things to think about. Until now, there are all these questions and scenarios in my head.

But really, what can we do but face the situation, right?

If there's one big thing I'm learning from all of these, it is to have a much more stronger faith.

Faith that there has to be some reason, maybe even something good, behind all of these.