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!

Angkor Wat 2009 and 2015...

Since it's throwback Thursday... haha!

I might as well post a photo from my 2009 visit to Angkor Wat and a photo from my visit to the majestic landmark two weeks ago.

Though this is my second time to visit Angkor Wat and all the other temples, I must admit that it still amazes me.

In 2009, I went to see the temples together with the best friend of my first ex. He's a cool, straight guy and a good travel buddy. He wasn't very fussy about things. He knew how to stick to the schedule, he knew how to take photos. Hehe! So it was a good trip - few days in Ho Chi Minh, few days in Siem Reap. What could've been better during that time was the weather. A week or two before our arrival, the typhoon that just hit the Philippines also passed by Cambodia. As a result, the weather was still a bit gloomy and rainy.

For the recent trip, we were indeed blessed with very good weather! I have sunburn. Tey has it worse. Hehe! It was very hot when we were there but I'm not complaining. I would rather the sun than the rain. Also, I think our trip was blessed with just the right weather. If I'm not mistaken, summer season is ending and the rainy season is about to begin. So, we felt the breeze in the air most of the time. It did rain heavily, but it was on the night before our flight out of Siem Reap. If that is not a blessing, I don't know what to call it. Hehe!

Hmm, there's still much to write about the trip. There are much more photos to post. For sure, it'll take some time before I get to put up all photos on Facebook as I have to sort them. Haha!

Anyway, thank you, Lordy, for the blessing of being able to visit Siem Reap again. Thank you for the blessing of enabling me to bring my Mom to the vacation of her dreams. Thank you for blessing our trip with the company of my best friend Tey. I loved the holiday with the two most important women in my life.

Away for the next few days...

It's that time of the year...

when I go on holiday with mommy dear...

Hehe!

Flights to Cambodge, booked... and an IG post...

Well, today went by quite fast. Half of work was spent at home, half was spent at the office. Except for a vendor problem with one of the accounts I'm handling, today at the office was not very stressful.

The highlight I guess would be getting to booked the flights from KL to Siem Reap for me and my Mom. Woohoo! Thankfully, my team lead approved the leave dates I applied for. As soon as I saw that the leaves have been approved, I shot my team lead an email to thank her for the approval and then I proceeded to book the flights. Air Asia has an ongoing promo. What would normally cost about $300 per pax became $300 for both my Mom and me. Yay! Thank you, Lordy!

What's left to book are Mom's MNL-KL flight and my SG-KL flight. The good thing is that I found a flight where I will arrive in KL ahead of my Mom by an hour or so. That way, I can wait for her at the airport. We spend a night in KL and then fly to Siem Reap first thing the following day.

Of course, my Mom doesn't know about this whole trip yet. Maybe when I book her MNL-KL flight, I'll tell her that we'll just go to KL. And when we get to KL, I'll tell her that we're actually going to Cambodge. I wonder how she'll react. Hehe! She might have a heart attack there and then because she's been wanting to go see the magnificent Angkor temples for the longest time.

Two more things that will make this trip special. First, my Mom's birthday will fall on one of the days of the trip. Second, my best friend Tey will be joining us for the trip. She also booked the Air Asia flight. She still has to book her MNL-KL flight. Hmm, I wonder if I should ask her to just fly with Mama. Hehe!

I've been to Siem Reap in 2009. My travel buddy was one of the best friends of my first ex. Suffice to say that my first ex was so surprised when he found out that I was traveling with one of his best friends. The best friend is straight. He's one of those cool straight guys who can be best buds with guys who play for the other team. Haha! It was a week long trip, I think. Our journey started at Ho Chi Minh where we spent a night or two before taking the bus to go to Siem Reap.

If not for my Mom, I would rather use up the money for a trip to some place I've never been. But I guess it will be good to see the temples again. The first time I was there, I was just in awe of everything. I couldn't help but admire all those craftsmen and artisans who worked together to build such glorious structures. The Angkor temples are definitely a must-visit for anyone who loves history or old architecture.

Moving on, the verse above was from an Instagrammer named beau taplin. Chris is a huge fan of the said Instagrammer. This morning, he tagged me to the post above. When I read the verse, my reaction was, "Meant for me?!" Hahaha! I must admit that again, it reminded me of HB Boy. To be honest, I don't know why HB Boy is still in my system. Three short months of dating and he still lingers in my mind. Certain places, certain songs, certain dishes bring back memories of him. I think a part of me still thinks of him because I never really found closure. I know that I may never get it since he's already disappeared.

I shared the IG post above with Tipz, telling him that it reminded me of HB Boy. Tipz being my best bud in SG that he is replied,"Friend, it wasn't love, trust me. If it was, it will be too painful to part the way he did." Awww... thanks, Tipz! Haha!

Hmm, maybe I should delete all the remaining photos of HB Boy in my phone. That should help, right?

See you again soon, Cambodge...

Generally, an uneventful Wednesday.

Work was very manageable today. There were a few issues that needed immediate attention. After those issues were resolved, it was pretty much a slow day. Things picked up again at the end of the day just when I was about to end my work day. My counterparts in the UK were just starting their day and a few of them still managed to catch me before I could go offline. Hehe!

After helping them with their issues, I made my way to the gym where I met up with Chris. He planned to go to Combat, and I haven't really gone to Combat in a long time. The instructor tonight is one of my favourites. That was definitely an added motivation to make the journey to the gym. Hehe!

I guess the highlight of the day was starting to plan for the Siem Reap trip with Mom. It's somewhat of a challenge because I'm trying to work within a certain budget since I'll be paying for the trip. Lol!

There is no issue with the accommodations and the tour package. I have been to Siem Reap before so I have an idea on the local cost. What is requiring some planning and I think early booking are the flights. Should I fly Mom directly to Siem Reap? Should she fly to Singapore and then we'll fly together to Siem Reap? Should she and I just meet at KL and from there, take the flight together to Siem Reap?

This last arrangement seems to be the best one, so far. Mom and I can meet at KLIA, spend the night in KL and take the first flight to Siem Reap the following day. We spend a few days in Siem Reap and then take the flight again back to KL, where she will take a flight to Manila and I to Singapore.

As a first step into arranging this trip, I already booked our accommodations. It is one of the boutique villas near the Pub Street. The cost for 4 days/3 nights is a dirt cheap S$150. From the photos and the reviews on Booking.com and TripAdvisor, the said 3-star hotel has rave reviews. I could choose to stay in the hotel where I stayed before. But then, I think it's time to try something new.

I already filed my leaves for this trip. My team lead has yet to approve them. I hope she approves the leaves because this trip will fall on my Mom's birthday.

Also, I hope we'll be blessed with good weather during the trip. I also pray for patience. Hahaha!

Anyway, because of this trip, I have to adjust my own travel plans. I'm not sure if I can push through with my US trip. I want to go back to Europe, but we'll see. I also want to go to Japan. Lol!

So many places to visit.

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.

Back to regular programming...

This blog has been neglected these past few days as I was spending a lot of time with Mama.

Monday and Tuesday nights were spent having dinner with her. Then, there's the inception holiday to Yogyakarta from Wednesday to Friday. Yesterday, we were out the entire day for last minute shopping and get-together with Mr. Lim for lunch until late afternoon followed by a send-off dinner with Mon and Richie.

Today saw both of us waking up before 6AM so we can be early at the airport, in case some inconveniences come up (There were none. Yay!).

I am also glad that my good friend Noreen was on the same flight as my Mom. At least, she would have company until the plane lands in Manila.

Meanwhile, it is back to regular programming for me. To be honest, I am very exhausted. Lol! I haven't been getting enough rest this past week. I haven't been able to go to the gym at all. Yikes! I am afraid to step on the weighing scale. Haha!

Talking about going back to regular programming, the first thing I did when I got home was to watch the premiere episodes of two series - Scandal and Gotham. Scandal has always been a favourite of mine. I am extremely happy to see Olivia Pope and her team (?) back. Meanwhile, I will suspend any review of Gotham until I see the next few episodes. The pilot of the new series has got me interested though. Hopefully, the show will be awesome.

Then, there is also Downton Abbey. I wonder what happened to Arrow. I hope the series will continue as it is a favourite, too. Haha!

Other than the TV series, today is about recuperating and putting back order into my room.

We resume normal programming, folks. Haha!

See you again, Jogja/Yogya...

Tomorrow, I get to use my passport again.

Similar to last year, I am taking Mom on a holiday within her holiday. Haha!

It has always been a known fact to me that she wants to see the majestic Angkor temples in Cambodia. However, the plan had to be pushed to next year since a significant portion of my travel funds went to Europe. Haha! Also, it's a mystery to me why the plane tickets to Cambodge are so damn ex compared to the plane tix to neighbouring ASEAN countries. Haha!

Hence, I decided to bring her to the next best thing to Cambodge - Yogyakarta. Luckily, Air Asia had a seat sale a few months ago. I managed to buy tickets for Mom and me. Yay!

Also, I think it is better for her to see Prambanan and Borobodur first before seeing the Angkor temples. She can think of this as a preview of what to see next year. If Prambanan and Borobodur gets her excited, I can't imagine how reaction will be once she sets foot in Cambodge. Hehe!

I am grateful to be blessed with opportunities to take my Mom on overseas holidays. I'm quite sure that she didn't expect she would be able to visit these places before she gets too old. Thank you, Singapore. Thank you, Wiley. Thank you, Lordy, for the blessings.

My next project should be to have a get-together in Singapore with my two brothers. Hopefully, next year... before one of them ties the knot.

Two moms and their kids...

Today was a gruelling day. Haha!

It is only 9:30PM, but I intend to turn in right after finishing this quick blog post.

Former work colleague, fellow Pahinungod and good friend Joi was in town with her Mom. Naturally, I had to meet up with her and the other Pahinungod based in Singapore, Jeaners.

The day started very early for me and Mom. We all agreed to have dinner before Jeaners left her home for a 9AM class. That meant having to wake up at 530 in the morning so that Mom and I could reach Jeaners' place by 7 or so.

Thankfully, both Mom and I are morning persons. There was no difficulty for either of us to wake up damn early. Haha! Also, I rarely see Joi (and Jeaners) so I was more than happy to wake up really early for both of them. It also helped that Jeaners and hubby Jim prepped breakkie for us. That was an added motivation to make the early morning trip. Haha!

From Jeaners' place, Joi, her mom Tita Tet, my mom and I started our somewhat short city tour. From Orchard, we headed to Raffles Place and walked around. It's Tita Tet's first time in Singapore so a photo shot with the Merlion was mandatory. I was expecting the Merlion Park to be crowded. Surprise, surprise. There were very few people when we reached the park. In fact, there was no need to fight for space so that there is no photobomber appearing in each of our photos. Haha!

My guess is because people from the Fullerton side of the road don't know how to get to the Merlion Park. The main road was boarded up because of the F1 Grand Prix. Unless you knew about the underpass connecting the Fullerton to the other side, I have no idea where people had to pass. Haha!

After we got our photos, we headed back to Plaza Singapura for a quick lunch. Joi and Tita Tet had a 1PM appointment. We just agreed to meet again at 3PM.

Mom and I took the train to City Hall and walked around Raffles City. Then, we headed out and walked to Raffles Hotel and the National Library before walking back to Plaza Singapura. I'm so glad Mom is still fit to walk. We were moving at a pace slower than an iceberg but that was completely fine. Haha!

While waiting for Joi and Tita Tet, Mom and I went to Papparich for some local dessert. It didn't take long before the other mom and child duo appeared. We only had time to finish our snacks before parting ways. Joi and her mom were to go for more shopping. Mom and I were headed to church.

I gave Joi and Tita Tet a hug and a beso before going our separate ways. It was really good seeing her.

Mom and I then took the bus to Clementi. I figured we should just go to the Church of the Holy Cross for the 5PM Mass. That way we could reach home earlier.

We finished dinner at home by 7 plus. I did some laundry and some fixing of things for tomorrow. And now, here I am writing this messy post and almost ready to zzz...

Loooong but happy day.

Mama Mia's back in Singapura...

Today was a loooong day! LOL!

It started at 3 in the morning. I had to wake up for a few minutes at the ungodly hour to call my brother and ensure that Mom was able to check-in, get past immigration and all.

Two and a half hours later, I was up already because I wanted to do laundry before heading to the airport to fetch my Mom.

Her flight was supposed to land at a little past 9. I reached Changi right on time. In fact, I had to wait some twenty minutes more before I saw her collecting her luggage from the carousel and heading out to the arrival area.

As I expected, Mom wanted to rest and get some sleep first due to her early flight.

It worked well for me because I wanted to go to the gym for Body Combat. Haha!

From the gym, I headed back to rest a bit and charge my phone. Mom and I then left for the city at half past four.

That gave us just enough time to have a very leisurely walk around the Raffles Place/Merlion Park/Esplanade area before heading to dinner.

Her request was to try the chilli crab. That's how No Signboard was decided on.

I'm not a huge fan of crabs but I'm glad that crab lover friends were able to join.

We finished dindin close to 9PM. It was a very filling selection of dishes. Thankfully, we had to walk quite a bit for us to reach Raffles Place MRT.

As I had anticipated, we would reach home a little past 10. It's not even 11 yet but I'm really tired and just ready to zzz.

I would have wanted to read a few more chapters of The Maze Runner, but I'm just too tired. Haha! On a side note, TMR is such an easy read. It was a good decision to read it right after Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch. I started yesterday and I'm already halfway through the book. Then again, I had a lot of time to read going to the airport, heading back, while queueing for Combat, going to the city. Hehe!

Day 1 done. 15 more days to go. Haha! Welcome back to Singapore, Mama!

Few more days til Mrs. M arrives...

A few more days before the arrival of Mom.

It's her second time to visit me here. I'm glad that her visit this year will be under better circumstances compared to her visit last year (when we were still mourning the passing on of my dear father).

I'm looking forward to seeing Mama again, but I have to say I am also preparing myself to have the patience of a saint. Hehe!

To be honest, I'm not sure what she'll do on the days that I will have to go to the office. I would really rather that she just take it easy and enjoy the absence of things to do. I am quite sure though that she will find something to keep herself busy. I think I got that characteristic from her. Hehe!

The other thing I'm looking forward to is our brief holiday in Borobudur. I'm praying we will be blessed with good weather so that she can enjoy Prambanan and Borobudur.

It's a bit of a circus at the office right now so I definitely could use a break.

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!