Quick update

Hello!  It's been months of silence, no updates coming from this blog.  Anyway, just wanted to write something quick as the past months has been crazy for me really!

Positive things that happened #1 (Cling!) - I passed and was qualified to enter a graduate course at the University of the Philippines.  I am attending classes now with 6 units.  I take the 3 units on early morning saturday, the other 3 on spooky monday night.  My golly, can't believe it nobody's inviting me to join a ride at my night class. Humanda sila di ko sila bibigyan ng discount sa auto supply namin hihih.

Positive things that happened #2 (Caching!) - Miraculous!  Cannot believe it in my own very eyes, my beloved company can give an above 20% increase for someone like me who never leaves facebook unattended.

Positive things that happened #3 (Caching!)  - To flyyyy is everything!  Most especially when someones carrying your luggage for you.  Okay, been with 4 travel trips 1 is still coming, and I'd never paid 100% of the cost.  Friendships truly are a blessings.  Just back yourself up with some art of social climbing you wouldn't pay a 100% , never again.

Positive things that happened #4 (Cling!) - My hardwork pays off.  I was awarded Q4 Heroes for demonstrating excellence at work!  Love your work, it won't love you back yes.... but you have no choice but to love it or else you're making 60% of your daily life miserable. Poor you.

Positive things that happened #5 (Cling!) - My beautiful sister gave birth to my very first beautiful nephew.  What a beautiful world it is for us!

Yes! A lucky year for me that was, take note this is just the mid year.  I am too excited for what's in store for the coming days.  I appreciate you my dear Lord for all the blessings, even the simple ones like when I washed my clothes and hung them.  I always pick the exact number of hangers equal to the number of clothes I've washed.  Can you imagine?

Hope you reading this are well blessed too.  To God be the glory!

Love you!

Jack

My skinny fishy wallet

It’s a miracle!  I spent my weekend at home.  I have no money what can I do hihih.

I am so broke.  I want to earn more but no I can’t I am just an ordinary office employee excited for his monthly payouts.  It’s still 5 days before pay day and I only have more or less Php 500 on my wallet. It fits my fishy wallet look.

I switched my wallet to this just so I can find reason not to bring my ATMs and credit cards all the time.  I have the tendency to overspend, not on shopping no no but mostly on foods and groceries.  So while on job hunting mode, I’ll be using this one.

Now in for the good news, God is so good!  My own Bombay my cat gave birth to a 7 healthy babies.  I will sell them all to make money wohoo!

Look oh.  Take notice of the 3 more babies in line for the milk

Look oh.  The cutie is being strangled.

My sister will also give birth this coming June wohoo!!!  But no we will not sell her baby.  I wanted to become the best Uncle to her - this is the first grandchildren of my parents you know, the first of its kind.  I need to earn more to support them.

I remember, I bought my preggy sister an Anmum the folate milk. Cause she was like telling me in a subtle way that she cannot afford to buy one at that time.  Being the best brother, ehem, I know her situation even without telling me so go I swiped the CC.  It’s too expensive, 5 times the equivalent of non-formula milk.  When the bill came, I cannot fully pay cause I have other dues on the pipeline.

I don’t want this to happen again.  I resign! Need to fatten up my skinny fishy wallet.

Cheers!

Jack

Cycling like a Pro - from Manila Bay, EDSA to Makati

We’ve been invited by a friend to meet up with her fiancé.  There’s no exact venue yet where we will get together, yet me and my another assuming friend had decided that it would be better if we go biking to MOA since we’ve thought we’ll meet up somewhere near or in Dampa where mostly foreigners are being toured for local Filipino dish.

It was late afternoon when we left Malate.  The sun is just peeking through the clouds.  The time was just right to escape the burning heat of the sun especially now that it’s summer.

I am happy that the striking manila bay sunset joined us on this ride.  It felt so peaceful.

Not until we phoned our friend for the meeting place. They are waiting for us in Makati.  My golly, once I heard I fall on deaf ears.  It’s a long way there.  Not just long but dangerous.  We had to pass the hustle and bustle street of EDSA.  And when you said EDSA, it’s deadly with the buses and trucks around, and the pollution that enters your lungs.

We had to carry our bikes to climb the overpass and cross some streets.  EDSA is not bicycle-friendly at all.  I see no bike lane on bound to north.  Hello, government yuhuu... it's about time to promote cycling to save not just the environment but ourselves from loose fatty saggy legs.  Please allocate space for cyclist!

Wohoo! We survived safely and stinky. Hihihi. I just hope this British finds us fresh not smelly.

Lessons learned:  Before you assume, ask!

Cheers!

Jack

Cool weekend at Baguio

This is one of those last minute travels that turned out to be much fun!  We don’t have plans, we didn’t travel by the book but instead we let the road lead us to surprise.  At 10 AM Friday, a missed call from a friend awakens me.  I read the text message to rush to Cubao station for a 2PM bus ride.  So I packed all my things for a 2 days trip, brought 3k budget with me and go.

Lucky me a friend has access to stay all for free at a forest lodge at Camp John Hay.  We saved plenty of money staying in this comfy place, a 6 bedroom lodge, surrounded by the refreshing view of pine trees, overlooking a golf course.

It’s below 20 degrees, so we took this as an excuse to wear our bonnets and long sleeved shirts.  It’s not common in Manila to wear those.

The cold weather makes it suitable for flowers to grow.  At any angle you’ll see a bunch of it.  Roses, anthuriums even poinsettia they grow here.   I have this fantasy to put up a garden where I can grow herbs and flowers.  So I see now Baguio on my list of place to retire.  Too bad there’s no beach in the mountain, it would have been perfect.

Yes, she’s trying to absorb the scent.

So we walk and walk. Baguio tour will leave you with sore thighs that I assure you because there are lots to be seen of.  So be prepared, wear something comfortable.

Boat ride at Burnham Park

Buy strawberries

Say a little prayer at Baguio cathedral

Wright park right in front of The Mansion

If you're tired of walking, avail of a donkey ride

If you want something warm, visit Choco-late de batirol and experience the taste of hot chocolate prepared the traditional way

Mines view

Have a photo taken with the Igorots

The cool weather doesn’t tire us; we walk all day but we never sweat.  We even have the energy in the afternoon to do the famous jump shots.

And hair shots

Oooops.

Cheers!

Jack

Horrible cough! And the secret cause behind

I still have that horrible cough I blogged about on my first post of the year.  My mom is beginning get worried, and so I went to the doctor to have myself checked.   The lucky nurse who attended me in the hospital had informed me that I am late for the outpatient check up for I arrived near the cut-off.   "Maybe you can squeeze me in the lineup", I told him.  "You can go to the ER" he said.  I thought, what I am gonna do in the ER?

So I approached another mega lucky nurse in the ER, they let me seat for a while.  They check my blood pressure, and weigh me (I am 163 lbs now ehem! A big progress from 6 months back where I am 178 lbs) and asked some questions to help and find cure.  To my surprise this ultra-mega lucky nurse pushing a wheel chair approached me “sit here Mr.”  I was like are you talking to me, but then there’s no other else around so I seated.  And he pushed.  I turned red all-through the ride . Well I am glad they didn’t ask to remove my clothes when they captured my x-ray.  That was a short ride that felt so long.

Then the same nurse drive me back the ER and escorted me to the stretcher.   What is this? Not again.  Can’t they see I am not critical I went here all by myself!!!  Then  another ultra-mega-to-the-max lucky nurse put me to a nebulizer.  I can’t talk anymore so I just let them do what they are tasked to do.  Another super-duper-mega-ultra-to-the-max lucky nurse came and extracted my blood for CBC.  

Finally, I heard somebody calling my health insurance. It seems they were putting me to inpatient case.  Funny that was, so that’s what behind the special treatment.

The diagnosis?  Allergies from the sudden change of weather, and from no precise allergens -  the doctor said.  And he asked another follow up questions to support his findings.

Well, sometimes you had to say no for an answer.

To keep the wondrous secret.

That may cause you heart attack someday.

And bring that tormented feeling.

Lol.  I can't let go of them though I was diagnosed with bronchial asthma last year.

Cheers to good health!

Jack

Manila has romantic skyline

Me, not being a fan of skyscrapers would look up to a skyline as beautiful as those that you see on postcards from Europe.  Remember the scene when Johnny Depp was running away from an Italian cops in the movie The Tourist?  When he jumped off a terrace and escape by running from one clay tiled roof house to another?  That was beauty, so romantic you will fell in love with the place.

A europish??? skyline is what I wanted.  Something that has mega churches, a clock tower and red toned roofs.

Close enough?  Pwede!!!  If we've not been a subject of the world war, Manila wouldn't be greatly devastated then, and Spanish structures will still be abundant in this area.

So how was I able to capture Manila in this angle?  You go to Intramuros and search the tallest structure around.   Go climb up the penthouse of Bayleaf Hotel Intramuros.

While going up, take some time to fix yourself cause you need it.

A sossy dining is on the top floor.  So sossy it was called 9 spoons.  Those born with a silver spoon can only avail of their price.  $-)  It's not actually pricey as I've expected it to be.

When you arrive here after 5pm and make use of their seating;  don’t get surprise when a waiter comes to you and serves you a glass of water.  It's their subtle way of saying umorder ka ha ano ka sinusuwerte. Lol.

They also offer buffet dinner at 700 something.  The restau closes at 1am.

And you’ll be serenaded with romantic songs too from a live band.

Plus, if it’s your b-day you’ll get a complimentary cake and a b-day song from the crews (who were too delighted to sing as if they'll have a slice of that cake hihi).

It's a quiet place to chit chat and chill out with friends.

It’s a nice place too, to have your business meetings.

And do some photoshoots ofcourse.

So happy I found this place.   We found this by chance when attended an art exhibit.  This curator who's making the moves to my friend brought us here.  I wonder if they got to spend a romantic date here.

It is seldom you will find place alike where you get to enjoy almost everything –   fresh air, beautiful scenery, good music and good food.  Been here three times and I’ll be back for more.

Cheers!

Jack