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what colours have you seen today?
Entries for April, 2009
April 1, 2009
Wanderlust Chronicles 1: Phuket, Thailand March 2009
Posted at 11:41 PM in Life as I Know It
Wanderlust Chronicles One: Phuket, Thailand
Oh yes, it begins. This time, the destination is Phuket, that island the same size as Singapore off the coast of Thailand, in the middle of the Andaman Sea. Here's a lowdown of my Phuket trip:
1. It begins: Had to leave work early to catch a 6:15 pm flight. In fairness, nakakaguilty umalis ng maaga, pero I was super productive sa umaga, so I finished everything I had to accomplish. Can I just say, the SG Budget Terminal is so user friendly and dare I say it, even better than NAIA terminal 2? Well, not really better, pero siguro at par. And that, is sad. I had this quick meal, kasi no-frills airline ang Tiger Air, so it was better to eat sa airport rather than have some sa airplane.
2. Crossing Time Zones: Arrived in Phuket by 7:05, it was a two hour flight, but I arrived in just one hour which means, I, have effectively been out of this god-forsaken time zone! Wooooot! That moment, ladies and gentlemen, was history in the making, oh yes, one big check mark in the to-do list that is my life. It actually took a while before I got used to having another hour - because it was technically like gaining one more hour of my life back.
3. The Money: Had to exchange my SGD for Thai Baht. The exchange rate was not as high as I expected, but you've got to love the power of first world money. And can I just say, there was like a Forex shop every 50 meters along the beaches of Phuket. Amazing! But all in all, Phuket standards of living was at par with Singapore, which is more or less expected given that its a commercialized tourist spot. And when I say commercialized, that is an understatement. You can really feel that these people are squeezing money out of the white people's wallet. There's certainly that feeling that there's lots of money being spent (and obviously, earned) in Phuket.
4. Accommodations: I found a hotel along Patong Beach - at just 450 Baht a night, and that includes breakfast mind you. Oh yes, that was a steal. (kahit na they're definition of breakfast was a couple of sausages, two pieces of bacon, sliced bread, jam and a glass of juice) haha Felt na felt ko na ang pagiging backpacker. Anyway, why spend so much on a room that I'll just sleep in for at the most 5 hours anyway, right? What's even better was that Patong beach was like Station One in Bora, so the hotel was a 3 minute walk away from the beach. It was also very near some Art galleries. In fairness, natempt ako bumili ng art, to hang sa room ko. Kaso, I didn't find one that fit my room. 
5. The People: I love the way Thai people speak English! To be honest, hindi sila ganon kagaling, pero ang lambing nila magsalita. AND, I also did a store check. (oh yes, workaholic ako.) It was surreal actually being in a Carrefour in Thailand - seeing Pantene in a different language. Grabe, dun ko nafeel that I was really in a different country. I mean, almost everything was in friggin' thai! Even the logos of international brands are in Thai. Good luck naman di ba? And take note, Thai people thought I was Thai. I mean, WTF!? haha Kasi they ask tourists - "so which country are you from?", sa akin, ang tanong, "which part of Thailand are you from?" haha Pero, honestly, I consider that as a complement. I mean, Thai people are beautiful people, just like Filipinos. (honestly, feel ko Singaporeans lang naman yung nagtago sa bahay nung nagpaulan ng beauty si God sa mundo eh. haha)
6. The Sights: Went on this tour to Phi Phi Island! It was this whole day tour around the different islands in the middle of the Andaman Sea. We also went to this place called Maya Bay - where the movie "The Beach" (Leonardo diCaprio) was shot. And boy, was it a sight to behold. (that's where the picture in this post was taken.) As in I didn't know places that beautiful existed. And then we had this buffet lunch. Did some snorkeling - got to love the corals and the fishies! (Can I just say, masakit pa rin yung mga sugat ko from my fall, pero go lang ng go!) Sobrang nakakapagod yung snorkling, I swear. I felt I was going to die of exhaustion after I went back up the boat. The tour also included this buffet lunch and afternoon snacks. Tapos, we went to this cave with stalactites/stalagmites, and then another cave where they get bird's nests for bird's nest soup.
7. The Beach and The Beach Body: I'm not exactly a beach person, but this was a beach of a different caliber. But even the beach was commercialized too. You even had to pay 150 Baht to lie down on the tables laying there. And there were so many people! And they came in all forms and sizes. And the weird thing was that some of the women were sunbathing topless. And that's where you can honestly say that they came in ALL forms and sizes. And that's when I realized that though I may not have the body that I want (technically, hindi pa siya beach body), at least its somewhat beach-ready na. haha All those nights with no dessert has led me to that moment. haha! And there was even this French that hit on me. *blush* haha And now I stop and move on to the next topic.
8. Motorbike = Freedom: Oh yes, for the first time ever, I rode a motorbike. I have a license to drive a car, but not a motorbike, but they didn't even check that. haha I just had to sign stuff and then surrendered my passport while I was renting the motorbike. It was like 200 Baht for a day, and then another 200 Baht for petrol. Weird thing was that Thailand drives on the other side of the road, so I had to practice for a while, before I got the hang off it. Can I just say, riding a motorbike was pure bliss! I swear. Sobrang, I want one! Its so simple and easy to use, what's more, it was great feeling the wind hit my face, with the sun shining down on me.I think there were even times that I was speeding, pero ayun, haha, wala namang police. I even had time to take pictures of elephants along the way.
9. View Point: After that, I was off to this View Point, where you can see three different bays all at the same time. If you see a picture of Phuket in the internet it will either be of Maya beach, or this picture of the three bays. And the pictures does not do this place justice. It's just one of the things that you have to see for yourself. Sobrang nakakaspeechless. It was simply amazing. Sobrang, that in itself could be the reason why Phuket is such a world-famous tourist spot! Pero, can I just say, it was a 30 minute motorbike drive from Patong beach (that includes me getting lost somewhere haha), but it was all worth it.
10. Farang: Well, farang is their word for White people. And boy, there were definitely a lot of them there. It was like white people outnumber Asians by almost 5 is to 1 in Phuket. I swear, it was like being in Europe (or any place with lots, and I mean lots of white people.) Actually, I felt proud of my skin color there. Kasi there I was spending baht to buy SPF 50 sun block and hiding under the sun, while there they were buying sun tan and lying on the beach to get a tan. *sigh* That was ironic. haha! They came from every corner of the globe, all wanting to see what Phuket had to offer. Proof of this are direct flights from Norway to Phuket, can you imagine that!? Friggin' Norwegians have direct flights to this tiny island paradise! 
This certainly was a weekend ticket maximized to the brim. Carpe Diem baby! Even Oana said that I looked happier this week. God, travelling gives me such a high! And this is just the beginning, the next volume of the Wanderlust Chronicles comes next weekend.
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April 9, 2009
Wanderlust Chronicles 2: Bangkok, Thailand March 2009
Posted at 08:58 PM in Life as I Know It
Wanderlust Chronicles Two: Bangkok, Thailand
Coming from Phuket last week, this time I went to another place in Thailand, Bangkok! Being the high-and-mighty capital of Thailand, I'd expected it to be more metropolitan compared to the laid-back-yet-commercialized nature of Phuket. And boy, is metropolitan such an understatement. Here's what happened in Bangkok:
1. The Journey - The flight was at 6, so I had to leave the office at 4. But i had this last minute meeting, so I left at 4:45 instead. There was minor traffic along the expressway, but by the grace of God I still made the flight. Flight in itself was uneventful, most people slept through the 2 and a half our flight. Before I knew it, I was in Bangkok.
2. Suvarnabhumi Airport - All I can say is that this airport actually is a great combination of KLIA's design and NAIA's busy-ness. Felt na felt talaga ang tourism sa airport nila. There were also a lot of food available. So it was not only like an airport, it was more like a mall as well, lalo na sa lower floors.
3. Accomodations - My usual policy for lodging is that I'll only spend as much as I have to. Budget traveler to the next level! So I chose this small room, with a built in bathroom, and air conditioning for just 450 Baht a night! Amazing deal, considering it was very near the city center. It wasn't a formal hotel, more of a guesthouse, but the owners were really nice and hospitable. No free breakfast though. But that's what the restos outside were for anyway.
4. Transportation - Can I just say, ang mura ng taxi sa Thailand! I swear! I mean, it's basically like Philippine taxi charges, but without the meter tampering. To be honest, this trip, I rode a cab every chance a got. Kasi ba naman, sa Singapore, halos SGD3 na ang charge, kakaupo mo pa lang. Eh sa Thailand, that's how much they charge you, kahit 1 hour na kayong nasa traffic. Amazing! The only drawback is that the drivers can't speak/understand english that well. So what was useful was that hotels and establishments would have small cards with Thai instructions for the taxi driver. At least, all I had to do was show the card and then the cab driver would bring me there.
I also rode the underground subway system and the Skytrain (Bangkok Mass Transit System). Sobrang efficient! And I was actually laughing at the voice coming from the PA system. Kasi sa Singapore, it would always be "Please mind the platform gap." Pero sa Bangkok, its "Please mind the gap between train and platform." Ang taray! haha
5. Nightlife - Undoubtedly, talbog ang Singapore nightlife dito sa Bangkok. Its no wonder they have so much tourists. From the illegal to the surreal, amazing to the downright disgusting, you have it here. Not to mention the shows and the clubs. I was out until 3 am. haha That's how amazing the night life was. Basta, what happens in Bangkok, stays in Bangkok. haha!
6. Shopping in Chatuchak - Oh yes, the whole point why I went to Bangkok! I've been saving up for the past few months for my shopping trip to Bangkok. And I can finally say that I've been to and have shopped in Chatuchak! Amaaaazing! Sobra! I mean, I couldn't believe how stuff could be so cheap. But the amazing part of my shopping experience was when I was able to buy stuff from independent designers. So these weren't knock-offs from prestige brands, but they were their own designs. They made their designs over the weekdays, and sold them in the Chatuchak market over the weekends. I mean, I bought several one-of-a-kind shirts, shorts and jeans, for a mere fraction of what I would have paid for them in Singapore, or even in Manila. But that's not all. Sobrang laki ng market! There were areas for pets, handicrafts, books, food and even paintings and porcelain. It was like Divisoria, Quiapo, Cartimar and Baclaran all rolled into one, and then some, and then some more! Grabe, saving up for this trip was definitely worth it!
7. Siam Square, Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery - Yup, puro Siam. It was like a bunch of malls all in one area. It would be like their Greenbelt/Glorietta counterpart. And can I just say, ang sushal! haha Their foodcourt even had these card system and aquariums every five meters. As usual, all of the branded stuff were there. I didn't buy much there, kasi mas mura ang branded stuff sa SG, pero it was a good place to see how the middle class and rich thai people looked like.
8. Temple Visits - I've always wanted to go to Bangkok ever since this gradeschool classmate of mine went to Bangkok just before we were about to graduate. I have to admit, I was bitter as to how much culture she was able to see and experience when she went there. And now, it was my turn. Amazing! Yun lang, as in it was culturally overwhelming to the point that I just couldn't believe how much culture the Thai people could be proud of! From the big palaces and their intricate designs, to the lotus ponds and well landscaped gardens, to the Wats, and even the pictures of the king all hailed in golden frames. I even tried (take note, tried) to meditate inside the temples. After a couple of minutes, I was out and about na. haha (di ko kinaya ang silence.)
 
9. King Love - Coming from the Philippines, I did not grow up with a concrete form of monarchy. But Thailand is a whole thing altogether. I mean, mafefeel mo talaga yung love nila for their king. His pictures can be found everywhere, with matching food offerings and flowers. He's also in calendars and statues. His face is even on their money. Its just amazing how ingrained their monarchy is in their daily lives.
10. Dejavu - To be honest, if you don't mind the different language and alphabet (or the fact that not a lot of people can speak good English), Bangkok reminded me of the Manila that I grew up with. I was a child of the 1990's, where Manila was more or less a different place, where the Philippines in general was (dare I say it), a little bit better off. There was a time, just a decade ago, that the Philippines was a tiger economy (nevermind na yung tiger, naging kuting.). Those were the times before we actually had sachets, and people smiled more often. And Bangkok reminded me of that. Yes, poverty was still present. But life was more or less, better. And that was my impression of Bangkok. Yep, third world, no doubt about that. But definitely developing. Its just amazing how we all look alike, and actually, I'm getting used to being mistaken for a Thai. haha At the end of the day, we belong to the same region, the same corner of this big blue earth. And just like India and China, there will come a time that it will be ASEAN's time to shine.
Bangkok, was definitely worth it. And I'm definitely coming back. Definitely.
Until next week.
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April 18, 2009
Wanderlust Chronicles 3: Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam April 2009
Posted at 10:05 PM in Life as I Know It
Wanderlust Chronicles Three: Saigon (Ho Chi Minh), Vietnam April 2009
What better way to enjoy the rare holidays than to continue exploring South East Asia! And this time, I headed east of Thailand, to Saigon (officially called Ho Chi Minh City - HCMC), in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam!
1. Flight Out - Because of the holy week holidays (which in Singapore, is only for Good Friday), I scheduled my flight early in the morning (read: Check In time at 5:30 am.) Thanks to the power of three alarm clocks, two cell phones and a wake up call from Faith, I was able to make it. But I swear, I only gained consciousness when I was actually crossing Singapore immigration - the immigration office complemented my t-shirt that I bought in Bangkok =). Before that, I swear I was just sleep walking. haha!
2. Socialist Republic of Vietnam - And so I arrived in Saigon at around 8 in the morning (with a 1 hour time difference), and was surprised as to how damn nice their airport was. But what struck me the most was the fact that this was the first "communist" country that I've been to. Amazing! And they're damn proud of it, seeing Vietnamese flags everywhere. But other than that, it just feels like any ASEAN country I've been to, at least from where I was standing in the airport.
3. Weekend Millionaire - And of course, I had to exchange my handy Singapore dollars for the local currency - the Vietnamese Dong! And for the first time in my life, I was a millionaire. haha Imagine this: 100 SGD was roughly 1.1 Million Vietnamese Dong! They had paper bills in denominations of 200k, 100k, 50k, 10k, 5k and in some places, 2k, 1k and 500. They even had coins for 500, 1k, 2k and 5k Vietnamese Dong! It was surreal! haha And it took a lot of adjusting from my end. And a lot of Forex calculations in my head as well. (hindi pa naman ako magaling sa mental math. haha) So sometimes I'd convert to Php, pero most of the time, I'd convert to SGD na lang, 1 is to ~10k, so its easier.
4. Pham Ngu Lao - I rode a cab to Pham Ngu Lao, the backpackers area in one of the districts of Saigon. Thanks to my handy Lonely Planet guide, i was able to get a private room with bath, for just 8 USD a night. From there, I booked all the tours that I wanted to go to. And mafefeel mo talaga na backpackers area siya. I mean, sobrang daming travellers from all over the globe, and in a place like Vietnam where English isn't a mainstream language, there's definitely safety in numbers. Plus, I met these girls from the Peace Corp who teach English in some rural parts of Cambodia and were in Saigon just for the weekend. Amazing kasi with less than 10 USD, you can ride a bus to either Cambodia or Laos! Grabe, sobrang ibang iba from the islands in the Philippines.
5. Motorcycle Overload and Multiple Near Death Experiences - To say that I was overwhelmed with the number of motorcycles in Saigon is an understatement to the nth level. Ang dami dami dami dami dami dami dami dami dami dami nila! I swear! I mean, seeing the motorcycles move in Saigon was like seeing the blood that flows through Vietnam. It was weird kasi it seemed like it was so chaotic, but so organized at the same time. Parang walang traffic rules, but everyone seemed to know what they are doing. I didn't even dare to rent my own motorbike. Sabi nila, everyday, 4 people in Vietnam die out of motorcycle accidents, and 3 of them die in Saigon. Yikes! Ayaw ko naman maging statistic. So, I just rode around using a xe-om (motorcycle taxi). Mura lang naman eh. And at least he knew where he was going, all I needed to do was point sa map kung saan ko gusto pumunta. haha Natakot din ako tumawid. I swear, I lost count as to how many near-death experiences I had in Vietnam just because crossing the street was so dangerous. haha
6. Visita Pagoda - Oh yes, I was there over the holy week long weekend. And while most people would go do their "Visita Iglesia", visiting different churches in different areas, there I was in Vietnam, with my very own xe-om (motorcycle taxi) touring me around different pagodas accross Saigon. And it was an amazing experience! A totally different culture. To be honest, not all of them were well maintained, but they had their own charm nevertheless. It was just so different from the ones that I saw in Thailand, it was more like they share the same foundations, but of course, they were influenced by their respective local art and cultures. Although towards the end, medjo inattake na ako ng sinuses ko sa sobrang daming incense. But that day trip was worth it. Sobra.
 
After that, I also went to the Notre Dame Cathedral together with the Post Office that was right beside it. That was the ultimate proof na talagang French colony ang Vietnam dati. Their architecture was so different from the spanish churches that I'm used to. It was so, sophisticated! haha Sushal! haha And it felt like I was outside of Sout East Asia when I went inside them - lalo na yung Post Office, it was sooo Old World, just like stepping back in time.
7. Caodaoism & Cu Chi Tunnel Visit - This was a day trip to a couple of places, first was to visit the "Holy See" of this religion called Cao Dao ism. Its a relatively new religion founded in Vietnam in 1926 - basically a combination of Buddhism, Christianity and if I'm not mistaken, Judaism. Basta, it was an overwhelming experience of seeing how all three religions can merge into just one. Color coded pa nga sila eh, blue, red and yellow for the different ranks in the order (Buddha, Saint and Sage), tapos white, for everyone else. And then, we went over to the Cu Chi Tunnels, part of how the North Vietnamese won dun sa Vietnam War. Touring that area made me realize how little I know about the Vietnam war. haha! I guess coming from a previous American colony, the war that the Americans lost was kind of downplayed in our history books in favor of WWII. But it's amazing kasi you feel the tremendous sense of pride that they have in their own country, and how they were able to get rid of the “devil” that is America. Dun ko nafeel na this is one country that doesn't worship the ground that the US steps on (unlike *ahem* other countries in the region. What's more, there's this lingering sense of hatred against the Joes. They showed us this documentary (and actual samples) of primitive hunting techniques that they used against the American soldiers. We even had a chance to fire a live machine gun!
But the highlight of this day trip was the Cu Chi tunnels, which was used by the Vietnamese against the Americans. Nainis ako, kasi hindi ako kasya sa original tunnels. SO I wasn't able to take a picture. It's not that I'm fat (defensive?). Its just that Vietnamese people have really small frames haha! But they expanded this one tunnel just to accommodate the tourists. And so, we crawled for a little more than 5 minutes. Grabe, that was such an enriching experience - take note, I'm not even that interested in the Vietnam War, pero it was all so real, so engaging.
8. Vietnamese Cuisine & Shopping - One thing that I had to try was of course, Vietnamese Coffee! Kami told me that this was one thing that I had to try, and so I did! Not really a big coffee fan, but boy was it good! haha On top of that, i tried various street foods, and of course, their staple, Pho - which are white noodles in beef/chicken broth with lots of greens. One thing about Vietnamese cuisine is that there's so much green going on. I swear, parang pang kambing yung diet nila. haha That's why puro sila payat. (kulang sa protein! haha). And another thing that was really nice was that there were these small stores that sell sandwiches na french bread (mini baguettes with different spreads to choose from) yung ginagamit. 10k Dong lang, and solve ka na! In fact, yun yung breakfast ko for the three days that I was there. haha
9. Remnants and Memories of South Vietnam - Saigon was previously the capital of South Vietnam, once a flourishing capitalist state with its own president and a promising future. And then, well, history happened - the so-called Reunification. And basically, remnants of the past are all over the city. And the epicenter is of course the Reunification Palace, where the president of South Vietnam used to live. It's actually quite reminiscent of our own Malacanang Palace. It seems a little bit outdated, especially some parts of the palace, but I could really sense that this was a place of splendor in its time. I also went to the Remnants of the War Museum, which was filled with so much information about the war, with of course a slight anti-American bias. haha
10. The Grand Surprise! - And so I was on my way back to the hotel riding a xe-om, and there was a traffic jam, so I was looking around. To my right were hordes of motorcycles, but to my left was a very familiar mascot - there, a life-size statue of Jollibee was, smiling back! P*tang Ina, merong Jollibee sa Vietnam! And I was inside that store quicker than you can say "Chicken Joy." It's been months since my last visit to Manila, and i haven't had a chicken joy ever since. Grabe, this was such a gift from God! I wasn't expecting it! haha And take note, the price maybe different (40k dong), and the nationality of the cashier maybe different, but the chicken joy and the gravy was even better than I remembered it. It was as if I was eating it in Jollibee Katipunan! And while kumakain ako, napaisip ako, bakit may Jollibee sa Vietnam, tapos sa Singapore wala? Eh mas maraming pinoy sa SG!? haha
Sa totoo lang, Vietnam was so much more than I expected it to be, and you don't even have to dig deeper than its "Socialist Republic" exterior. 'Til the next wanderlust Chronicle.
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April 19, 2009
17 Again
Posted at 03:38 PM in Life as I Know It
I've been travelling for the past three weekends now, and boy, that was really tiring. Yes, thrilling and exciting at the same time, but it does take its toll. And I'm just thankful that the next trip is a couple of weeks away. Until then, I'll just be relaxing and taking it easy. After all, having lazy afternoons is one way of maximizing the weekend right? haha
Anyway, this friday, nabuhay ulit ang Friday Night Club! haha And we wanted to do two things that night - try out the lechon baboy and lechon manok in Lau Pa Sat and then watch either 17 Again or Confessions of a Shopaholic. haha, either one of them are perfect - shallow and feel-good movies. Enough drama and analysis happen over the weekdays. haha Tapos, nalost kami ni Clark papunta ng Lau Pa Sat. It turns out, none of us knew where it was. But we did know that we had to start from Raffles Station. It turns out, there were lots of signs pointing us there. Medjo mahaba-habang lakaran, pero we got there. We looked for "Mang Kiko's", and then found it, together with this outrageously long line of fellow Filipinos craving for a taste of home. I swear, it took us at least 30 minutes, before we had our hands on lechon manok and liempo. Decieving nga lang kasi out of stock yung lechong baboy nila.
And while waiting, I was really hungry so I bought palabok and chicken from Jolly-V. Oh yes, it does exist, like an evil twin. haha Medjo mahal nga lang even for Singapore standards, pero ganun talaga eh. The palabok was really good, and so was the chicken. It was seriously like Jollibee, well except for the gravy, that's something that they have to work on.
Finally, dumating na din si Wen and si Jho. Pero we had to wait for another 15 minutes. I swear, ang bagal ng service. Anyway, we finally were able to sit down with our liempo and lechon manok. Babuyan talaga to the next level. I swear, para akong naglipgloss sa sobrang kintab ng mantika sa labi ko. I have a feeling that I'm going to regret this very soon. haha At least my fat cells were happy. (not only happy, they were screaming for joy!)
Tapos, we watched 17 Again sa Cathay Cineleisure. It was the perfect movie for us, very straightforward, shallow and not much analysis needed. haha Pero it just feels na parang can't Zac Efron get out of the high-school-and-basketball combination? It honestly felt like HSM 4 (pero without the singing)!
Pero anyway, ayun. haha I just feel happy that this weekend is here, and I didn't have any major plans. Sometimes, lazy sunday afternoons are all I need.
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