Letter Equations

I really had fun with what my friend texted me yesterday. I really did not know what it is called so I checked it out from the Net. It’s called Letter Equation pala. I even found a lot more samples but are much harder so solve.

When I was on my way home last night, my kulit nature got attached with that Letter Equation thing. Following the mechanics, I instantly thought 10 ‘kulit’ Letter Equations of my own. These are rather on the less serious side. So, here they are:

1. 12 D of C
2. 3 M a D
3. 3 C in a F
4. G and the 3 B
5. 10 L I B
6. 1 M R
7. 1 M C
8. 7 S of A
9. S 50% O
10. B 1 T 1
11. O 24 H

At eto, pag nasagot nyo, bilib talaga ako sa nyo:

  12. P180 T R

Here are some of the clues:

• Random things that we see on TV and cellphone everyday.
• Phrases that we use.
• Things we learned from home and school.
• Familiar songs that we sing and hear.

Item #12 is mostly seen in billboards… overly familiar billboards! Hehehe!

Feel free to take this fun test and post your answers.

8 C of a C

An hour before lunch, a friend texted me this:

1. 7 D S
2. 9 M of P
3. 8 T of an O
4. 7 C of the W
5. 10 Y in a D
6. 28 D in F
7. 6 S of a H
8. 10 C of a M
9. 7 W of the W
10. 5 F in a F
11. 8 C of a C

I immediately texted her back with, "Ano ‘to? Exam?"

She answered back, "Yeah, nasa team building kasi ako. Help please"

So, I checked the message again and tried to solve it. It was fun. And after solving the puzzle, I texted her back with my answers:

1. 7 Deadly Sins
2. 9 Months of Pregnancy
3. 8 Tentacles of an Octopus
4. 7 Continents of the World
5. 10 Years in a Decade
6. 28 Days in February
7. 6 Sides of a Hexagon
8. 10 Centuries in a Millenium
9. 7 Wonders of the World
10. 5 Fingers in a Fist

The last one was left unanswered. I can’t think of anything anymore.

How about you? Do you know what " 8 C of a C" means?

Miss U…

Yeah, I deeply miss you… hehehe!

Well, I just finished watching the most coveted Miss Universe over Velvet Channel. I wasn’t able to watch the entire show though but I had a good glimpse on some major parts like announcement of top winners (top 15, 10 and 5), swimsuit and evening gown competitions. I didn’t pay much attention to the Q&A portion anymore as I needed to go online… work-related! 😦

I really do not recall why I stopped watching this beauty pageant some 3 years ago. Was I that busy for missing it? Or did I just loss appetite for watching the show? Well, I guess it’s because I’m way over-age to dream to be a part of the pageant. Yeah, when I was a little girl I dreamt of joining… it’s every little girl’s dream, I guess. Well, I want to put the blame on those Barbie dolls for making us think of turning into skinny beauty queens, hehehe! I was lucky to have joined some beauty pageants in school… all were actually forced on me by teachers and friends. Syempre, kunwari ayoko magjoin, pakipot pa ako nun… bebe pa eh! Hehehe!

Going back to Ms. U, it’s no longer a surprise for a Venezuelan candidate to bag the title. In fact, it’s the 5th time for a Venezuelan beauty to take home the crown. This is not stored knowledge, I just read it from a website a while ago, hehehe! Well, if a Venenzuelan doesn’t take home the crown, she is definetely part of the top 5. I just don’t know what’s with these girls that make people (or rather, the judges) think that they are more fit for the Ms. U crown. I guess, it’s the kind of beauty that they exude. Well, we can’t blame them, these girls really look like breathing mannequins whenever they glide in their swimsuits and evening gowns.

Oh well, so much for the defense for Ms. Venezuela. Here’s a photo I snatched from yahoo.com:

But know what caught my attention? It was Ms. Dominican Republic’s attire in the long gown competition. It’s kinda unique and sexy. I’d rather have the photo speak for the gown:

Ganda di ba? Mirrors nicely and appropriately embellished on see-through garment. Hmmmnn… di kaya nakakasugat yan? Well, I would still wear it if given the chance! Hehehe!

On a sad note though, another Ms. USA candidate fell on the floor… 2 years in a row for USA! Ah this one is based on my stock knowledge as I got to watch the show Pageant Place (also over Velvet Channel) last Sunday. I learned that last year’s Ms. USA candidate also slipped in her gliding-in-evening-gown walk. So as not to put more damage to injury, I’d rather not post Ms. America’s “downtime” photo. I applaud her though for putting a light mode on that surprise fall.

One weird thing I noticed before the coronation was the recently-dethroned beauty queen’s outfit in her farewell walk. What was Ms. Universe 2007 thinking? Why was she wearing that weird outfit? Parang galing lang sa magic show di ba? Too bad, I can’t find any pics online 😦 So, for those who watched, you know what I am taking about. Well, I guess Niyo Mori wanted to make a difference… in a weird sense nga lang! Hehehe!

July Calendar

                                                                  

I Will Make You a Fisher of Men

I dreamt I was being ordained. The chanting calling on all the saints grew louder and louder till it woke me up, sweating and gasping for breath as with a nightmare. It was my three-year old son, Marti, tinkering with the volumen contrl of my Ipod again. I sat him on my lap and held him close to my chest. His favorite toy was his plastic fishing rod and Nemo and his friends. I guess we are all called to be “fisher of men” through the “little faith stories” of our lives. Thse will be the building blocks of the Church as with the first Christians.

                                                                         – Joey Velasco

A Blessed Monday

Note: I started this entry on Monday (June 30) but was only able to finish today (July 2) simply because I wasn’t in the usual blog writing mood and too exhausted with lots of things. Anyhow, here’s my one-of-a-kind entry about blessedness, inspiration and hope 🙂

                           ***************************************************

I was off from work again today (June 30) as I needed to attend one important event. I have reserved this day long time ago for that very special occasion. It’s wasn’t for me though… but for a very close friend who made my and a lot more other people’s Monday overly blessed.

June 30 marked a very important day for my good friend, Jhoen… or should I say, Reverend Jhoen. Today, Jhoen was ordained as a deacon… finally!

Just a backgrounder, I have known Jhoen, err Reverend pala (whew, will I ever get used of using this term???) since high school. Known him in 1987 and been friends since then (hmmm… parang close na close talaga kami, hehehe!). I’ve witnessed and known most of his endeavors, both religious and professional. There was even a time that we both served one youth ministry. He was still an aspirant that time while I was one of the youth leaders.

With all these stories, I am just glad that I have finally witnessed Jhoen in front of the altar, announced his vow to forever serve God’s entire Catholic community.

Attending Rev. Jhoen’s ordination was a bit of an effort for all of us Manilans as it was in San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish Chuch in Poblacion, Mariveles, Bataan. Yup, you read it right… far far away land in Bataan! It was a tiring trip yet a very meaningful and memorable one.

As always, I tagged my Mom along. Rev. Jhoen actually invited her as well. We travelled with (read: nakisabay lang) my classmate’s parents as Nang, my other close HS friend, is in US. She just sent her parents to attend the ordination in her behalf. It was a drooling 4-hour travel. I was glad though that we made it ahead of time as I personally wanted to witness the entire ceremony.

I’m not new to Deaconate ordinations. I have witnessed and attended a lot of similar ceremonies of equally-close friends in the religious circle in my not-so-far-away past. But this ordination is a bit different. It’s a bit more personal for me.

The San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish, not to mention its parishioners, was completely dressed up for the occasion. Complete with band and banderitas, the entire place threw an atmosphere as if it’s the feast of their patron saint. Everybody can’t wait for the ceremony to start as it was a first time for the church to hold an ordination. I felt that each of the parishioners felt so overly blessed for witnessing and being a part of that momentous occasion.

Seeing Jhoen walk down the aisle (yep, parang wedding!) gave me goosebumps. It made me smile knowing that he was indeed on his way to become God’s chosen disciple.

The ceremony was officiated by no less than Balanga’s Bishop himself. Bishop Soc Villegas, D.D. It was a bit long… not like the usual mass that we attend every Sunday. Similar to that of weddings, Jhoen accepted the vows of a religious and God’s forever humble follower.

 

 

When Bishop Soc announced that Jhoen is alrealy part of the Sacred Order of Deacons, it was overwhelming. I saw people shed tears of happiness. I wasn’t that sure though if all those people were personally known to him but everyone was glad to see him take that serious leap. Nang’s mom, for one, cried all throughout the ceremony. She said she can feel what a mother should feel knowing that her child chose a special path of religious service. Mommy, on the other hand, was overly happy for Jhoen as she prayed hard to be well on that day to witness the ordination. Apparently, my Mom was so sick days before Jhoen’s grand day. Both my Mom and Nang’s mom were eager to personally greet and congratulate Jhoen.

So after the mass, we had one photo opportunity with the newly ordained Deacon:

And another one after the reception (yes, parang wedding talaga!)… 

And to you my dear friend, Jhoen, congratulations for making the right decision. You’ve always known how much we all wanted to see you become a priest. This is just the beginning of a very challenging religious life. There’s another ordination coming up. We still hope to see you walk the aisle to priesthood. We’ll continue to pray to God to continuously grant you the strength and faith you need to be His humble servant… now and always!

Not My Usual HK Pics

Grabe, sobrang busy ba talaga ako o sadyang wala lang talaga sa usual blogging mood? Sobra-sobra na ang backlog ko ah! Up to now eh HK pa rin ang topic. Parang 3-week backlog ‘to ah! Hehehe!

Well, well, well, siguro naman, matapos ng apat na blog entries (mostly in English!!! sagad-sagaran ang nosebleed ko dun ah!) eh alam nyo na binagyo kami sa HK. Yeah, mala-typhoon Frank ang dating! Hehehe!

The hardest rain fall was on day 3. At nang nagising kami, tila bagang gabi pa dahil OA sa kulimlim ang langit! And to our suprise, nagbaha dun sa area namin. At dahil wala kaming magawa nung araw na yon, pinatripan na lang namin pikchuran ang baha.

Kadiri!!! Pero in fairness, parang baha lang sa Binondo! Hehehe!

At nang sinubukan kong mang-zoom, eto ang nakita ko…

Yikes, trunks kung trunks! Hehehe! Hmp, sayang! Wala namang nakapagsabi sa akin na pwede pala mgswimwear sa HK! Di ko tuloy nadala ang 2-piece ko, hehehe!

Nung day 4 naman eh naka-experience kami ng konting traffic nung papunta ng church. Syempre, ang unang naisip namin, “Baka may baggaan!” Very Pinas, di ba? Oh well, eto lang naman po ang bumalandra sa amin:

That’s a shot while inside a moving cab 🙂 My gulay! Pano naman kaya bumaligtad ng ganyan ang kotseng yan?!

Dun naman sa Causeway, after the mass, may nakita kami nagaganap na commotion. Kadami ng tao sa kalsada. Pati sa mga building ang daming nakadungaw. Nakakataka lang eh karamihan sa kanila eh may hawak na camera. May shooting pala. Of course, wiz ko know ang ta-artits. Pero syempre, nakigaya na lang ako. Eto ang paparazzi shot ko.

Sino kaya yang mga yan, noh?! 🙂

Eto naman, hulaan nyo kung ano ‘to:

EDSA rally??? Naaah, usual Sunday scene po yan in Central District in HK. Day off ng mga Bayani ng Bayan eh! 🙂

Hongkong Adventure (Day 4 – 060808)

Day 4: Blessedness, happiness and sadness

It was our last day in HK. We all have until 6 pm to do our last minute shopping.

Since our pre-set 4D3N itinerary was drastically ruined by the freaking down pours, I made our day 4 as a free day for everyone. And since it’s day 4 already, I completely assumed that most of my companions were already familiar with the place and knew how to go to places that they please.

Since it was a Sunday, I reserved some time to hear mass at St. Joseph’s Catheral and at the same time meet up my aunt as she needs to hand me some stuff to be brought back home. Nikki and Candy (who was celebrating her birthday that day) opted to join me in my day 4 quest: church and shopping!!!

We started the day a bit late as we were able to leave the condotel at 10am.

We started off with Central, as usual. I needed to go to a money exchange outlet as I already ran out of HK dollars. We passed through SASA and Watson to buy some personal stuff and pasalubong items. Nagpanic-buying ako ng wipes, ang mura eh! Hehehe!

Upon passing through Giordano, we got surprised to see that there was a big sale going on. Yes, I still buy Gio polo shirts as they are very comfy and way cheaper than Lacoste shirts, hehehe! So, we immediately went inside the store as there were Buy 1 Take 1 promos. There were lots of bilins and pabili so I grabbed the garments as if I was in panic mode. When I was at the payment counter, the saleslady handed me a piece of paper and asked me to fill it up. Since I did not understand a word that she said, I did as I was asked. The saleslady encoded my info in their database and informed me that I am already a VIP client. I guess, I reached a certain amount that qualified me for membership. Ooops, don’t ask how much I spent on Gio… it still is killing me as of this writing, hehehe! Pero say nyo, valued client na ako ng Giordano HK! Hehehe!

After the Central stint, we went to the market for a short while to buy some other pasalubongs. Yep, I know where the market is. My aunt taught me well how to go around HK 🙂

Then, we all headed off to St. Joseph’s Church to hear the 1pm mass. Hearing mass in St. Joseph isn’t that easy. As Sunday is a special day (read: off day) for HK OFWs, we needed fall in line just to get in. Well, thanks for my aunt. The reservation and VIP treatment really helped big time 😉

Hearing mass with lots of Filipino overseas workers really made me feel at home.  And sitting amidst them really reminded me how blessed I am. Unlike them, I went to HK for a short 4-day vacay. I have some spare time (and money) to give myself a well-deserved treat. But those overseas workers were there to earn for a living… in a very hard way. Well, seeing their bright faces inside the church somehow gave me assurance that they are indeed happy with the kind of life they have there… and the kind of life that they are trying to give for their loved ones.

I was able to take a snapshot with the officiating Filipino priest Fr. Midas together with my aunt, Candy, Nikki and cute Brit boy (alaga ata nung isang OFW :-)). Here it is:

Right after the mass, we bid goodbye to my aunt as we were way too pressed for time. I dragged Nikki and Candy to Causeway Bay as I’ve heard there were a lot more stores in that area and that they’ve just had a weekend sale. I was really hoping I could buy some stuff there.

Causeway Bay was way crowded. We saw some nice brands but were way too out of my (our) budget. So, we didn’t spend much time there and decided to go back to Central to complete our shopping list.

Upon reaching to Central, I asked that we separate ways so we could do whatever we want to do. Nikki agreed and went shopping alone. While Candy and I headed to the usual not-so-expensive shops. I was able to get a couple of tops more for myself and some inexpensive (read: cheap) pasalubongs items for my female cousins 🙂

Candy, who was waiting for me at an alley, called my attention and pointed to a nice white bag. Well, she knew that I badly wanted to buy a big white bag 🙂 When I asked for the price, the old lady said, “HKD 130.” As I would usually do, I immediately converted it to the currency I know and thought, “Ang mahal, P780! OA ‘to si Manang ah!” Candy further bargained and said, “2 bags for HKD180.” The old Chinese lady frowned. Since I wanted to get the bag so very badly, I followed up Candy’s statement with, “Give her discount, it’s her birthday today!” The old lady, smiled and gave in to our ‘tawad’. While packing the bag, my kulit nature blurted out, “Hey, greet her. It’s her birthday today!” The old lady smiled again and greeted Candy, “Happy birthday! Happy birthday!” Candy laughed and said, “Ok ka rin tumawad noh?! Hehehe!”

That was the last thing I bought. I’m done shopping. I did not complete my shopping list but I was so happy with all the things I bought for myself (and my mom).

Nikki was still nowhere to be found. So Candy and I opted to maximize our time and did some photo op. Say nyo, pati pagtawid may picture. Lakas talaga ng trip! Hehehe!

Nikki was on time to have met us up at exactly 5 pm. We needed to head back as we were scheduled to leave the condolel before 7pm.

The van took us early to the airport. So upon check in, we all wandered inside HK airport. Checked out some stores. Did some last photo op.

The HK airport is darn huge that it took us 30 minutes to get to gate 42, the Cebu Pacific boarding area. I then started to feel sad. I was leaving HK again.

Hope to go back again soon.  Try ko naman magcelebrate ng birthday sa HK. Yikes, need to save up again!!! 🙂

Til my next HK adventure! 😉

Hongkong Adventure (Day 3 – 060708)

Day 3: Giving up and Giving In

Since it was my second trip to HK, I appropriately set up our itinerary so I, as an equally paying traveller, could also see new things. In my first visit, my aunt took me to Shenzhen, China. It did not impressed me a lot though as I found the place a way too messy than HK. Or my aunt wasn’t just aware of that Windows of the World thing so my impression on Shenzhen was a bit nega 😦

Do you want to know how badly wanted to go to Macau? Prior to our trip, I spent lots of sleepless nights on researching about Macau. I have viewed numeruous photos and regularly read forums in Pinoy Exchange to keep me tab and informed of the must-see places in Macau. I was really hoping to see the Venetian Hotel, Fisherman’s Wharf and Senado as well as experience the night life as I learned that Macau turns into a little Vegas at night.

Here’s our planned itinerary for the day:

       8:00 am to 11:00 am – Kowloon Exploration/Cruise

       11:00 am to 10:00 pm – Macau, China

       10:00 pm onwards – Free time (good luck, if we still have strength :-))

Well, well, well, some disappointments segued on day 3.

I shared room with Nikki and Candy. And when I woke up, I immediately looked at my watch as was surprised to see it’s already 8am. And I thought, “Oh crap, we overslept! Need to head to the bathroom now!” But when I looked out the window, the skies were overly gloomy, so I got confused with my watch. Then I learned, it was still raining hard. I looked out the window for the second time and was surprised to see flood! Oh yes, you heard me right… may baha sa Hong Kong! So I thought, this will again ruin our itinerary for the day! Mishaps are coming in one after the other. Dang!

Since we can’t do anything much with the freaking weather, some of my HK co-travellers opted to oversleep a bit more and some got theirselves busy in front of the boob tube. While, I took the chance to go online, tried to check out the weather forecast in Macau as I was really optimistic that we could all explore the place later that day. But the forecast said otherwise. It was equally raining in Macau. So, I had to put my hopes down. Whether I like it or not, I had to give up Macau.

As all my companions were HK first-timers, they really wanted to make a trip to Ocean Park as we scrapped it out in our Day 1 itinerary. I wasn’t really that interested anymore to OP as I have explore the entire place during my first visit. Besides, I felt that riding the cable car without my mom is less fun for me. I thought, strolling in Central and Kowloon for some shopping spree would be more fun. But I was a minority. It was 7 to 1 on going to Ocean Park. I saw in my companions faces how they badly wanted to see OP. So I finally had to give up Macau and give in on goint to OP. Besides, no one knows how to go to OP but me 😦 I guess, I’ll just do my Macau itinerary on my next HK trip, hehehe! (May plans pa talaga bumalik ng HK noh?! :-))

At nearly 12nn, rain finally stopped and the streets are cleared from flood. So we started to get dressed to at least maximize our time. We agreed to head to OP at 2pm. Since most of my companions were not yet ready and dressed, Nikki and I decided to go to Central ahead to check out some stores.

At 2pm, everyone was at Central. We again purchased our tickets at Worldwide House… the discounted one, you know 🙂 Then, head off to Admiralty to take the 629 bus. The Ocean Park bus, that is!

Our time at Ocean Park was a bit short… I guess, only a little over 3 hours. We were able to see the main highlights though like Dolphin Show, Shark’s Aquarium, Coral Reef and Jelly Fish Sanctuary. Had two cable car trips. And that’s it. We were not able to explore the entire place. No roller coaster rides and other stuff that OP has to offer. So it’s not much of an adventure for me. But my 7 other companions had fun in OP, I think :-).

Here are some of our snap shots. Hope these would show fun and enjoyment in OP:

 

 

In fairness, puro group pics! Hehehe!                      

Since everyone was still at the top of their pasyal mood, we agreed to have a quick dinner and head off to Mongkok for some night shopping. And so we did.

Mongkok was more of a tiangge type. Items sold here are similar to that of Greenhills’ stuff. I had to give them pointers on how to get discounts as items are highly priced in most of the stalls in the Street Market. Dapat ang tawad, 50% agad! At ‘pag di binigay, magsuplada at umalis. The store owners/salesladies themselves will be the one to further lower down the price just to get the sale. Hehehe!

And when we got to Mongkok, Nikki and I asked our other companions that we separate ways so we could do our individual shopping. Besides, I wasn’t that much interested in buying in the Street Market. Nikki and I found ourselves in lots of shoe and garment stores. My being shoe fettish overpowered me that I didn’t notice, I got 5 pairs of shoes in my shopping bags. And I just got started, hehehe! Then, off to garments shops to buy some casual tops from Esprit and Bossini. (Oh yesserie, I still buy those 80’s brands as these are the cheaper brands in HK :-)) I think I got around a dozen tops from those stores. Not all mine though. Some were pasalubong for Mommy and some relatives. 🙂

It was 50 minutes past 11 pm and stores were starting to clean up as it was closing time already. So it was time for me to stop shopping. Too bad, I wasn’t done yet 😦 But it’s ok, I still have one more day to accomplish some shopping tasks… task talaga yung term! Hehehe!

To be continued… one last entry on HK adventure…

Hongkong Adventure (Day 2 – 060608)

Day 2: Disappointment and Excitement

Our second day in HK was dedicated entirely in the hope to explore Lantau Island and some night shopping. We were supposed to follow this schedule:

          8:00am – 12:00nn – Ngong Ping/Big Buddah/Citygate shopping

          12:00nn – 8:00pm – Disneyland Resort

          8:00pm onwards – Ladies Market in Mongkok

It may look a bit simple, but I tell you, an itinerary like this will kill any naughty traveller’s feet. Even I, really hoped that I’d still have strength to brave Mongkok at night to do some bargain-items shopping.

Since we were all wanted to keep up with our pre-set itinerary, we left the condotel as scheduled. The skies were a bit gloomy so we were all geared with jackets. I tagged my every reliable hat with me while Nikki was more assertive as she has an umbrella with her. Some girl scouts there, eh! 🙂

We headed straight to Central to get us the MTR Disney unlimited day pass. According to the ads posted in the Central’s MTR Customer Service counter, that MTR card offered unlimited trips to various train lines. Tung Chung Line, the train line to Lantau, is one of them. With this in mind, we did not hestitate to purchase the said unlimited day pass.

For easier reference, here’s the generic map of the MTR stations. The Tung Chung Line is the one in orange, lower left portion please 😉

And so we all got in the MTR going to Lantau.

But while inside the train, we saw some drizzling outside. Rain started to build up. And then it rained real hard. We were all wishing that by the time we get to Tung Chung Station, rain will be a bit more bearable to walk through. Too bad, our wish was not granted. We all got stucked in Citygate Outlet. We all started to get disappointed.

More disappointments came our way when we learned that the Citygate Outlet only starts its operations at 10:30am. It was only 9:00am! That meant, we’ll have to wait for an hour and 30 minutes before we could do some initial shopping spree. Nikki and I opted to stroll inside the dim-lighted mall and have some coffee at a very nice cozy Stabucks-like cafeteria. The rest of our companions, however, opted to just rest, sit and do some photo op. Well, we all need to entertain ourselves. Otherwise, boredom will kill us all.

When some of the stores started to open their doors, we all rushed in to shop for good finds. Some bought their pasabulongs already. I did not do much shopping there as I was still thinking of our afternoon schedule. I don’t want to punish myself with lots of shopping bags while strolling in Disney.

After an hour or so of shopping in Citygate, we noticed that the rain did not stop… and has no plans of stopping at all! Huhuhu! We had to rethink our itinerary. From the looks of it, we needed to scrap out Ngong Ping and Big Buddha from our sked. It was really disappointing as I wasn’t able to see those places when I went to HK in 2006. I got sad. But there’s really nothing I can do about it. Bwisit na ulan yan!

Our wish for the rain to stop was granted at around 1pm. So, we are now one hour behind our schedule. And with some drizzle, we all went on to have some fun time at Disney.

The weather didn’t not look very promising as skies remained gloomy. But what the heck! Nothing can stop me from going to Disney. Not even the rain! (I only speak for myself though as most of us were not sold to the idea of having a rainy Disney adventure.)

Any Disney adventure is not complete without having a photo op at the famous Disney entrance. So, we all did our share of picture moments. And here is mine…

We all started to stroll together. I again acted as a tourist guide and advised all my companions how to maximize our stay in Disney.

We initially checked all the show schedules (which I failed to do in my first visit) so we could at least know how to properly manage our time.

We started off with the Stitch Encounter in Tomorrowland. It was a fun 15-minute interactive cartoon show/encounter. The Stitch voice-over was a kababayan which was evident on the perfect Filipino-English accent used all thpughout the show.

The Stitch Encounter exit apparently led us to the Space Mountain entrance. Being the adventurous kid that I am, I didn’t think twice and entered Space Mountain. I did not at all had a hard time in dragging Nikki and Candy along as both are equally adventurous as I am. While waiting for our turn, we got surprised to see Mina and Rose falling in line as both were afraid of dreadfull roller coaster rides. We instantly asked them to join us in our coach/coaster so we’d all share the fun together.

Space Mountain is really a must-ride in Disney. We all had fun. And guess what, a photo captured our thrilled faces while inside Space Mountain.

Ang saya noh?! Hmmmnn… next time nga, I’ll try to strike a pose! Hehehe!

The next thirty minutes were spent watching the Golden Mickey’s show. It was a very nice Disney-character-filled theater show. I was able to get some snapshots and short videos. It was also my first time to witness the show so I was equally thrilled and amazed as my other companions. The show revealed something to me though… Intsik pala sina Mickey Mouse, all the while I thought Amerikano sila! Hehehe!

The next 1 hour or so were spent having photo op with the famous Disney characters. I was able to share some picture moments with Mickey, Minnie, Pooh, Pluto (who is in adik mode that time kasi OA sa kulit!) and Goofy. Too bad, there were no Donald-Daisy Duck and Chip-and-Dale in sight.

No more Disney character pics, huh?! OA sa dami eh! 🙂

After the Disney mascots photo op, Nikki and I got separated from the rest of the gang. So, we tried to explore the place a bit more and checked out the new “It’s a Small World” exhibit. We rode in a small boat and we were both amazed with what we saw inside. The entire place is overwhelming with lots of colorful dolls… in various forms… in various themes. Too bad, I wasn’t able to take still shots. But I did able to capture some video clips. Hope I could also share them with you.

We explored the place a bit more until we found ourselves stranded inside a specialty shop as rain poured harder. We were able to manage to ran to the nearest resto though so we could grab something to eat. We both had ramen noodles which was so perfect with the kind of weather that we were experiencing.

Rain somehow slowed down at 7pm so we were able to make quick rounds in some other specialty stores, which by the way, all shops sell the same darn things! Hehehe! Moving from one shop to another and broswing things over and again is such a fun activity for me. And so for Nikki, I suppose. 🙂

As soon as we’ve heard the fireworks announcement. we hurriedly proceeded near the famous and nicely lit Disney Castle. We weren’t able to get the best position/location though as lots of excited and patiently waiting spectators were already position in the central garden.

I took the best position I could ever hold as I already knew what to expect. The fireworks will last for around 10 to 15 minutes so I need to keep a steady position so I’d be able to take good video clips to show to my Mom. So, unlike in my 2006 experience, I really wasn’t able to see the entire fireworks display as I was too busy capturing the entire show both in my digicam and cellphone. I did an ok job though 🙂

For the second time, I enjoyed Disney. The colorful and spectacular firework display left me with a magical feeling. It was indeed a good way to end our Disney tour.

 

Til my next visit, Disney! Wish ko lang di na maulan on my 3rd trip 😉

 

Sad to say, the rest of the gang were too tired already so we all decided to call it a day. So our Day 2 itinerary was then cut short. We all headed back home to take a good night’s rest and prepare ourselves for our Day 3 adventure.

Still to be continued…

Hongkong Adventure (Day 1 – 060508)

As promised, I’m posting my entries on my recent trip. Yes, I spent my long weekend in HK. 4D3N, that is! Together with 3 other friends and 4 new found friends, I headed to HK last Thursday. For easier reference, here is the complete cast of characters:

• Nikki – my officemate and Bohol companion (remember her?)
• Candy – my choirmate and ever reliable friend
• Mina – my choirmate with a new found love
• Rose – Mina’s officemate and close friend
• Loloy – Mina and Rose’s officemate
• Jap – Mina’s new found love 🙂
• Fred – Jap’s brother

Getz? If we are clear on the cast of characters, let’s continue on with my HK adventure story.

We got the first flight last Thursday, June 5, so we all arrived in HK at exactly 10:00 a.m. In fairness to Cebu Pacific, they were on time this time 🙂 All my companions were HK first-timers so I had to take the lead and explain the place a bit. Oh hah, feeling tourist guide. Oh well, at least I have a fall back in case I decide to shift careers. Hehehe!

We were booked in Manhattan Condotel along Bonham Strand in Central. The area wasn’t that nice at first for it resembles Binondo, but the unit was fairly conjusive and clean. The room gave a good homey feeling… so I was generally ok with it.

We were originally scheduled to go to Ocean Park at 1pm but my companions were a bit tired so they opted to have lunch and rest for a while. It was a little over 1pm and we still have to go to the World Wide House to (1) find a money changer outlet and (2) buy Disney and Ocean Park tickets. Yep, I don’t buy ticket at Disney and OP gates as I can get discounted ones at World Wide. My aunt taught me this so I could save some money.

As we all ran late for OP (it’s really not advisable to go to OP at 3pm as it closes at 6pm… it’s really not worth the money to spend a 3-hour tour in OP), we decided rehash our pre-set itinerary. We explored Central to familiarize my companions with the place and hopefully do their initial shopping spree.

So, after an hour or so roaming in Central, we headed to find the Peak Tram. I wasn’t that familiar on how to get to the Peak Tram as we took a cab when we went to the Peak in my first HK trip. It was as loooong walk to the Peak Tram. My companions and I were all exhausted. Chinese people are not fluent in English and are a bit snob so we had a difficulty in asking for directions. We almost jumped for joy when we saw a nice tall building with brass sign that said “THE PEAK TRAM”. We did find our way to The Peak.

We instantly headed to the ticket counter and secured our pass to the tram and Skyline Terrace. It was a different tram experience… a very steep tram experience. Going up The Peak was a bit exciting for me as I have heard lots of good feedback about the place. The Peak is a must-go place in HK as it gives an overwhelming look of the entire Hongkong Island. Any HK trip wouldn’t be the same without The Peak Adventure. See for yourself…

Time flew so fast that we didn’t notice it was nearing 7pm already and we still need to go to Kowloon to witness the most famous Symphony of Lights. Hurriedly, we all took a bus to going to Star Ferry as it’s much more convenient and fast to take ferry going to Kowloon.

We were just in time for the Symphony of Lights. Lots of spectators, despite the unending drizzle, were eagerly waiting for the lights’ show to start. And when it did, all of us were amazed to see the colorful and synchronized lights blinking all over the buildings in Hongkong Island.

Such a nice way to end the tour of the day!

It was dinner time and all of us were dead hungry so we headed to the first cheapest Chinese resto… Cafe de Coral. This one actually turned into the official resto of our entire stay in HK, hehehe!

Our day didn’t just end in that dinner. When we headed back home, we opted to take a bus as there was a station near the Grand Clock Tower (also in Kowloon). We saw this bus with a sign that said “Central”. Since it was the nearest landmark to our condotel, we didn’t think twice and hopped in. The bus instantly left. Half of us  (Mina, Rose, Jap and Fred) were left behind. Thanks to Globe’s roaming service and we were able to send them message and tell them to take the next bus to Central. We’ll just have to wait for them in front of the World Wide House.

The bus ride was a bit long. I got instantly confused why it would take us more than 20 minutes to get to Central. Nikki was in low batt mode so I didn’t bother to tell her my confusion. Candy, who was seated directly behind me was also exhausted and fell asleep. Loloy was too far from me so I didn’t also bother to talk to him. I was trying locate us as I have a map with me but I really can’t recall all the streets that we passed through. And so I thought, we got lost.

Mina, who was on another bus with 3 other companions, already texted me and also got a bit worried on the long bus ride that we were all in. I didn’t answer back as I was lost and confused myself. I dragged Nikki, Candy and Loloy out of the bus when I noticed that we were the only ones left there. And I announced, “Friends, sorry! Nawawala tayo!” I really do not know where we were. I was hoping that Mina and the 3 others will notice us as their bus would pass by. And so they did.

To cut the long story short, we were able to ask for directions, find an MTR station and head back home… safely!

I had some lessons learned:

(1) Always carry a map. Map is such a useful piece of paper for easier navigation. It’s also a good reference in asking directions most especially in lost-in-translation kind of place like Hongkong.

(2) When in HK, find the nearest MTR station. No one can ever get lost in MTR. It can take you anywhere you want to go.

(3) Getting lost makes you see you things and lets you explore the place in a very exciting and unusual manner. At least I can say: “I got lost in HK!” Hahaha!

So, that was our day 1.

To be continued…