"Happy" Birthday

It's sad how some of the people that matters most to me seemed to have forgotten to greet me on the day I celebrate my birthday. So sad.

Nevertheless, I feel grateful for those who remembered.

December vacay

I finally got my plane tickets after a gruelling couple of weeks tormenting HR to get the money to book the tix. I flipped when they asked me to pay for the tix first then get it reimbursed. No way I'm goin to wait forever to get my money reimbursed.

So anyway, I'll be going home on the 2nd week of December til the 3rd. I'm hoping this time I get to see more friends than my 2-day trip last January.

Here are a few things I'll need to adjust to once I'm back in the PI:
- Ima need to learn how to shut up when I want to make okray. Here kase pede ka mang okray kahit kaharap mo na yung Intsik..di ka kase nila maintindihan if we speak Tagalog! One of the perks when living in another country.
- Ima need to re-learn how to be cautious when it comes to my belongings. Here kase I feel safe. No metal detectors on mall entrances, police stations are stationed everywhere, and the cabs are comfortable and the taxi drivers can understand my Chinese directions.
- Ima need to learn how to cross the streets properly. Jaywalking is normal here in Beijing, I just hafta be wary of motorists and those on bikes not following traffic signs as well. =/
- I don't hafta always look down when I'm walking. It's only in Beijing that the streets are riddled with spits and hawking locals trying to get rid of excess "laways" because it's supposedly "bad for their health if they don't let it out". Double grossness.

In the end, I'm stoked that I'll be vacationing at home. I get to eat my fave dishes, visit my fave restos and be with my fave friends.

Can't wait!

I miss home

It's true what they say that you'll only miss something when it's already gone.

Or in my case, I only miss my family when i'm far from them. I've worked so hard to finally be independent and be able to move away from home. For the first time since I've been away from them..I am genuinely missing home.

I chatted with my dad tonight. We were just catching up on what's happening at home and on mine when he all of a sudden said something about him missing our kakulitan when we were kids..

I just realized how much my family misses me. How they always worry about what I eat here..how I'm coping up with being alone in a different country. Nabigla ako..I found myself crying. Because I don't think of them that much. I know, ang sama ko. Weird because I never thought or missed my family or my dad in particular ng ganitong katindi.

I've always been a daddy's girl. Anything that concerns him, I'm super sensitive and I always end up crying. Although I don't let them see me cry. I'd like them all to think I'm this strong person. But deep inside, I wanna provide everything that my family needs. Kahit na sometimes sobrang reklamo na ko, I'll always find a way to be able to help them.

I do love my family after all. Ang hirap ma realize un tapos andito ako sa malayo. Iyak na lang ako.

---

The temperature here's dropping at an alarming level. I think it has something to do with the cold front from the news I've watched yesterday. Although it sucks having to brace myself every time I have to go out because one can never expect how the cold will welcome you outside, it makes me feel excited at the prospect of an early winter. Hopefully the snow this year lasts for more than 2 days like what happened last year.

Oh, my bestfriend right now is this. It's only in Beijing that I have the need to find out the weather all the time. I can't just cross my fingers and hope the weather won't force me to hail a cab to go home. I almost caught a frost bite last year. I swore to myself it won't happen again..or else I won't leave home at all.

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One thing I like about being here is how my geographically challenged self has improved. Well, it's actually a small change. Because even though I now know where East or West is, I still rely on my mental picture of Beijing's subway system to know how I'm gonna go from one place to the next. Although at the moment, my latest "lifestlye" according to Cujo is taking a cab when going to my full-time job. My excuse being that it allows me to wake up later and it enables me to go to my part time job at the end of the day.

I'm still at my part time job by the way. I surprised myself because I found the part time-data encoding/photo-scoring interesting than my full time-managing Filipino, Chinese, and Russian agents. I guess doing stuff which I normally don't do interested me more. If they offer me the same pay and benefits they're offering me at my full time job, I'll drop the latter in a heart beat. I'm sick of call centers.

Help!

HELP!!

I need to regain my interest in my full-time job. I'm definitely losing it.

Argggh!

Brrrr...

Hey y'all..Jouie was here in Beijing over the weekend. Some team building to be given a free trip to Beijing! Sana kame din! Well, it was more like they got a free ticket to take a wee bit step into Beijing then go home again. But hey, nobody's complaining.

Their first day after arriving in Beijing was to go to the over rated Forbidden City. Nilamig sha coz the temperature here is starting to drop. Haha! Morning's at 7-8 degrees, afternoon's at 13, then at night it could even drop to a 6.

He managed to smuggle some goods from the PI (thanks to Deej) and here's a pic..I'm soooo happy to finally taste Mr. Chips, Flat Tops, Cheese Whiz, Chunkee Corned beef..tocino..yummmmeeee!! I didn't realize how I miss eating these stuff til I finally saw and taste it.

Happy National Day!

Last weekend was spent fixing my new digs. It was tiring having to get stuff from my old apartment and riding the subway (I don't have enuff money to hire a car for lipat bahay) and lugging bags, plastics, and even my big maleta all the way to my 8th floor digs. It took me several days of shuffling from the old to the new apartment.

The only bad thing about my new place is that it's so frickin' hard to get up in the morning..kase ang sarap mahiga sa kama... and now that I bought quilts in time for the cold weather..ay sobra..para akong nasa clouds whenever I'm in bed. It's soooo hard to get up. So I always end up rushing and taking the cab all the way to the office. Gastos, ever!

Last Saturday night, just when I was getting ready to sleep, I got a text from a co-worker from Guangzhou that they'll be going to Tiananmen Square and I can go there to meet up with them & get the goods I asked another co-worder from Guangzhou to buy in the PI.

I grabbed a friend, brought my camera and headed off to Tiananmen Square. We ended up freezing our butt's off for an hour waiting for those co-workers to arrive. I was just glad I brought my camera and took a couple of shots of the locals and tourists visiting. You can check some of the pics here.

This week, the whole of China is celebrating National Day from October 1 to 3. The holiday is from Monday to Wednesday. What the locals do here is that they go to work on a weekend (Sept 29 and 30) so that they won't have to go to work on Oct 4-5 (Thurs and Friday) para mahaba vacation. Can someone suggest this to the Philippine gov't?

BUT it's not the same for us lao wais (foreigners). Unfortunately, we had to show up for work, and for me, hada din sa part time job. The good thing about going to work during the holiday is that we get x3 holiday pay and the subway is not so crowded. I can't wait for next payday so I can get those extras.


P.S. To all my former colleagues and friends from Sykes who know Jouie: He'll be visiting Beijing on the 19th. I'll be meeting up with him soooooo...kung may mga ipapadala kayo saken...wala lang..chichirya, corned beef (wala kase dito nun), pancit canton, Mr. Chips, Nova, etc...Feel free to meet up with him. :) :)

Guh-reat news!

So finally..after ten days of working straight (full time/part time job) as in no rest..makakapag pahinga na ko ngayong Saturday..tapos trabaho ulet. Haay! Once a week na lang ako makakapahinga from now on..How sad.

One benefit of having two jobs is that I get to lose weight. What with all the walking (15mins) from my office to subway..going down several flights of stairs..riding the subway..walking again (10mins) towards my part time job..ayun..lumuwag ang mga damit ko. Hahaha! I love it! Tipid sa gym.

One other great news - MAY BAGO NA KONG APARTMENT!!!! Can I get a *woot *woot!?!!?

Disclaimer: Kulang pa bayad ko..good thing pumayag landlord that I pay the other amount for utilities next week once I get my pay AND loan from my company.

The new apartment has one bedroom with balcony extending towards the living room..has a kitchen, living room..basta maganda sha!! I'm so happy! The neighborhood look's nice..my landlord looks nice (cutie but he only speaks Chinese) and it's oh-so-frickin' near the Dongzhimen subway! As in just two cartwheels...okay maybe three cartwheels away.

So makakatipid na ako kase one subway going to my full time job, one subway again pauwi, then lakad na lang papunta sa aking part time job! Pucha, makakaipon na ko after neto!!!

God is good talaga...pramis. I'm sooooo hahahahaha-ppy!

When it rains, it definitely pours

I can hardly contain myself! Ang bait talaga ni Lord!

Remember the part time job I wrote about before - mobile tester? Well, I gave up that job so my agent can take my place. She needed the money more so she can save up and move to a nicer apartment.

Good karma talaga..Just this week, I got contacted by not only 1, but 3 ads I applied for:

1. Marketing researcher - I get $200 for giving them 5 of the biggest cellphone retailers in the Philippines. After that, they'll do all the work and I'll just serve as their middleman for future transactions with the 5 retailers. May share ako! Kewl! And I'm not required to go to their office! Buti na lang kase 2 subway trains ang sinasakyan ko and mega lakad ng 3 blocks to get there. Whew!

2. Editorial assistant - I'll be rendering 25hrs/week and per week din ang sweldo. All i hafta do is score or rank pictures per assigned cities. Online travel guide ang company na to so mejo madali ang trabaho..un nga lang lalabo mata ko kakatitig sa mga pictures. Tsaka yung CR sa building de-squat. Eww.. Kebs lang basta pera!

3. Part time cellphone seller - Pati agents ko dinamay ko dito. Interview pa lang next week. Every weekend ata to..pero with the two other part time jobs I have PLUS (not forgetting) my steady job, e di ko na keri patulan to.

Lahat ito para lang makalipat na ng apartment and makaipon! THank you, Lord!!!

God is good! All the time!

Have it all

Friggin' mid life crisis..how many times do I hafta experience that? Does it hafta happen only once? Or am I just labeling it as mid life crisis for lack of a better term for what I'm going through?

Looking at old pictures always makes me feel like shit. I know, I know one should look at the past as something for the books..experiences, lessons...some more crap. Today when I looked at my old pictures, it made my superficial self cringe because the old me is fresher, more idealistic and last but definitely the most important of all, had a friggin' fast metabolism. Yeah, I'm bitching about how I had the ability to gain and lose weight faster than I can eat a whole box of donuts in one sitting. How I miss my old thin self (and the donuts back home).

So, yeah I've gained a few pounds. I'm at that point where I started putting my old medium-sized clothes in boxes (not throwing them yet as I am always hoping I'll regain my ideal weight..*wishes). Sometimes it's a nice excuse to hit the malls and tiangges to buy clothes but right now I just feel icky and heavy. Just great!

But then my trusty old conscience reminds me to take a look around. I'm not at home, in fact I'm approximately 4 hours away by plane if you take PAL (pick other airlines and it will take longer). I have with me the person I love. I'm a few RMB/Pesos richer than I was back home. And I'm actually taking charge of my life. "What could I possible want more" is what I should ask myself then maybe a hard knock on the head should stop all this ranting.



Have it all - Jeremy Kay (Scrubs soundtrack)
Some days I feel like crying
It don't matter if it's rain or shine
I feel like my heart was broken
At least a million times

Some days I wake up dreaming
Feels like I've never even woke
I answer life's big questions
As if it's one big joke

Maybe it's too soon to be sure
But I really do believe that someday
We're gonna have it all
So I try to hard to keep the rhythm of a train
Rolling right along
When the ride gets rough you got to carry on
Carry on

Ditchwitch

I can't believe it! Switchfoot will be in Manila on the 10th of this month..and I'm here in Beijing.

Crap! Double crap!

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Last Sunday my team and I finally had our first ever team building. We finally got our funds from Finance.

Anyway, we went to the Caribbean Lagoon at the (frickin' distant) Huairou District Beijing. Check out the pics here.

I'm so lazy to write here in Blogger. I prefer posting stuff in my multiply site nowadays.

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Financial update: Still no savings. Need to transfer to a nicer bigger apartment, give money for my brother's tuition for the next semester, and save up for my Euro trip with Kaje. *fingers crossed

Wo shenme she?

Lunar eclipse daw ngayon.


My station is near a small window but the view I see is the trashy apartment building behind our office. One thing I noticed as of 18:00 hours is that it's already starting to turn dark. I'm not sure if I can attribute that to the eclipse or it's just one of the changes in season. Nung summer kase mga 8pm na dumidilim dito..since Fall na (ata), then night's gonna start dominating the sky.


Hooray for me! That means no more stinking hot afternoons stuck inside buses with stinky people. Goodbye to the family of roaches that's currently infesting our apartment kitchen! I hope they migrate soon. Wala na kaseng effect ang bug spray sa kanila.

A few more months at lalamig na ulet! Yey!

~~~


Last weekend I (we) upgraded camera.


I did the same thing Deej did, naming the new camera after the person it was bought from. His camera's name is Ramon, mine's ChunYi :).


The new cam takes some getting used to. I've transcended from point and shoot (Canon A40) to semi-SLR (Canon S3 IS) and now Canon 400D. Goodluck saken, diba?


Now I'm just waiting for my paycheck so I can finally go out and take a chance in getting some decent pics. Last weekend we went to Wangfujing, Silk Market, and The Place. Check out my lame attempt to play with Chun.



~~~
Remember the part time job as a poker dealer I mentioned before?


Well, 10 of the frequent players and the owner attended the World Poker Tournament that was held in the Philippines. I learned that the Tournament held in the PI is one of the three part tournament. The second one will be in Korea while the third and final round will be in Australia.

Too bad none of them managed to enter the top 10. I can't wait til the next game to get some juicy stories from their trip to the PI.


Baka wala na silang lahat pera since natalo silang lahat! Bwahaha!

My part-time job

May contribution na ako sa Nokia community!

I almost didn't show up for my first part time job. I got a return email offering me a job as a language editor. In other words, ako ang mag check kung tama ang mga Tagalog translations nila sa N81. (I get a kick out of changing my cellphone's language to Tagalog back in the PI..seeing the phone menus in Tagalog is a riot.)

I eventually showed up after lunch and was ushered to a low-ceilinged office with lots of people tinkering with cellphones. Turned out they were on a tight deadline that same afternoon. So they couldn't afford not finishing the Tagalog language check-up if me decided not to go.

So I did! And it was a funny experience. Natatawa ako sa ibang translations but my partner (Chinese guy who takes down whatever corrections I'm showing him) can't seem to get why I'm laughing so I just saved it till I'm out of the building.

Here's some funny translations I saw (and ahem..changed) in the phone:

Latest updates - Pinakabagong pagpapasariwa (panget pakinggan daba?)

Web search - Aking Laman ng Paghanap (say what?!?)

eto ang da best...

Slider (slide phone kase) - Dumadausdos na Takip (san ka pa?!)

The phone's scheduled (as per rumor) to be launched 4Q of this year. So sa mga bibili jan sa Pinas, check nyo yung Tagalog language...ako nag edit ng mga words dun! Hahaha!

Finally, I'm a part of something! Charing!

Funny Pic of the Week

Yahuu!!

My contribution to the Beijing community. Lol!

Check out this link:

Lakas ng Trip

After 2 days of rain, last Friday's dry and sunny day was the sign we were waiting for to finally give a go for our 2nd Great Wall trip the next day.

So yeah, we regretted it after we got stuck in traffic, fought our way through a traffic of people and the friggin' rain to boot. We didn't finish the whole Badaling section and opted to ride the slide car to get out of the craziness.

We obviously enjoyed our time in Long Qing Gorge better than the Great Traffic at the Wall. There were a lot of activities there like bunjee jumping, flying fox, bubble, rowboat, cable car, etc.

We're already planning our 2nd visit to the gorge.

Crazy Weather & Drowning Daughter

"Weather forecast shows that Beijing will experience thunderstorms from Aug 1 to 10.."

Friggin' thunderstorm they're talking about...it's fuckin' crazy here! You go out in the morning and see the sun showing it's fierce rays you'd be sorry you wore SHORT/LONG sleeves to work..but in the evening..fuck! it's a deluge of thunderstorms I haven't seen before! Tinalo ang Pinas!! It also comes with some fierce ligggghtning....

..and yeah, did I tell you that it's been happening everyday! No wonder everyone's sniffin and rubbin 'em noses..magkakasakit talaga kameng lahat dito dahil sa lecheng weather na yan!

And I'm gonna remind myself not to wear high-heels until August 10. I don't wanna be stranded in the office and hafta brave the streets with my shoes flooded inside with water. It happened the other day, will never let it happen again.

I think it has somethin' to do with the experiment the gov't here is doing to manipulate the weather so that the rain clouds would disperse during the Beijing 2008 Olympics next year. They're doing some test by preventing any downpour from happening during the day..and feeling ko lahat ng ulan na naipon e naglalabasan pag gabe..parang bagyo lage pag gabe dito..kabaliw!

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*DISCLAIMER: eto ay walang kwentang pagsasaad ng aking nararamdaman sa araw na ito..feel free to skip this part if you're not my mom, dad, or a close relative

*clears throat

I can say that I'm actually starting to be smart when it comes to money. I can now distinguish the needs and wants although sometimes I indulge myself into my wants first. (Na deprive kase ako mashado when I was in the PI). Being the eldest and somehow my family's breadwinner, I never thought that day would come that I'd teach my mom how to manage the finances at home. I don't want to do it but I didn't have any choice. Paying for my brother's studies and giving money for their day to day what-have-you's proved to be hard for me but I never thought I would also be paying for my family's debts. It pains me to hafta lecture my mom on which should be paid off first..but I did it anyway. If I don't they'll only think that I'm okay with that set up when I very much know that I'm not.

Nakakaiyak isipin na all your hard earned money..dugo't pawis kasama na pati laway nawala sayo para lang makapag bigay sa pamilya mo..tapos ganito mangyayari?

*clears throat

Sorry mom, if you ever get to read this. I've told you that I can shoulder most of the expenses but not everything..


It's time for my other sibs to step up..nalulunod na ang ate nila. *sniff


>>Note to self: Say "Good karma will come" ten times before you go to sleep and when you wake up. And hope it comes soon.>>

Happy Friday

Thank God it's Friday!

I've got a lot to be thankful for..
Cujo finally got a steady job, he's on his second week. And he also started working at his part time job...as a poker dealer! Hehe! At the rate he's planning on going, he'll be able to rake more at the end of each month than I do. I got no problem with that! Hehe!

I've managed to finish Deathly Halows as per my previous post. Not gonna elaborate though as some may not be finished reading it and would not appreciate reading spoilers as I do. So 'nuff said.

We've committed to two trips so far: first one's going to be next saturday which we will spend hiking the Great Wall. Second time for me, first time for Cujo. Then next would be on September when we go to Datong on a 2 day trip. I'm excited to see the hanging monasteries and the giant stone buddhas. I'd prefer going to Inner Mongolia but it's effin' expensive so Datong will do for now.

Job's so-so..still looking for a part-time job for myself..can't wait for next week's payday..will go to church on Sunday to thank Him for everything.

Happy weekend, everyone!

Deathly Hallows

I bought the book last Sunday. And although I'm a fast reader, knowing that this is the last installment on the HP series, I took my sweet time reading it. Well, not really that long because two people are currently lined up to borrow it. :)

So what did I think of the book now I've finished reading it?

I can say that is was awesome and truly unforgettable!!! I'm surely gonna read it again, maybe before I let the others borrow it. Hehe!

It had more action then all the prior 6 HP books combined. Although a lot of characters died in the last book, it was all worth it in the end. I am mostly impressed with how JK Rowling ended the series knowing that HP fans are going to want the ending to be a blast..she really delivered it.

Knowing that this is the last book made me sad, though. The HP series is like an old friend that visits every year or two; and tells me stories and takes me places I can only imagine.

I'm surely gonna miss 'ol Harry but who knows, JK Rowling or maybe a new and brilliant author will cook up another wonderful series to captivate all of us.


"Which came first, the phoenix or the flame?"

"The answer is that a circle has no beginning."

Regrets??

Whoa! I just spent a good 3 hours looking over my college batchmates' multiply sites and I couldn't help but compare their lives with mine.

They followed their dreams. I mean, we all studied Communication ARts back in college but not all of us seeked jobs related to that field. These guys which sites I've checked out followed theirs. Some are now working in TV, advertising, one's a recording artist..and I couldn't help but ask what I did with my life.

Right after graduation, I spent a full day courting the idea of working for a tv network. Not infront of the camera but behind; perhaps a scriptwriter of some sort. But since I'm the eldest and obviously the first to finish school, then there's a huge weight on my shoulders pushing me towards a job that will give my family more money. Hence, I ended up working in a call center.

I have to admit, during the first few years I've worked as an agent and worked my way up to managing people, I've thought that I was doing good. But then there are random moments specially when I'm alone that I ask myself if this is what I'd really like to do for the most part of my existence. The answer is always a "no".

I do know that one can never be contented with what they have. Maybe that's just what I'm feeling. But sometimes it hits you real hard that maybe you aren't doing what you're destined to be doing. I don't know about you, but that's what I think.

I'm away from family and friends, under the guise of "travelling" but I really wanted to get away. When I think about it right now: I'm in the same situation where I was before, it's just that I'm away from my homeland..which make things worse.


Oh crap, there goes my whole week.

Celebration

After almost 8 months, we're finally able to go to church..as in really hear mass. Not just stand outside, take pictures and leave..but really hear mass.

It was done in Chinese so I was only able to catch a few words and phrases. The celebration had a lot of differences to how we celebrate ours in the Philippines:

- the priest blesses the crowd at the start of the celebration; back home, it only happens when we are celebrating something.

-instead of having someone tell the crowd to 'stand up', 'kneel' and such, there's just someone assigned to his a stick as a signal for everyone to standup, kneel, sit, and even bow! We did a lot of bowing during the celebration. If felt so weird.

-they don't have dress codes. Those who were assigned to read wore pants, even those who walks around during collection wore khaki shorts and sneakers; and they're all fairly young.

-3 kids head the Offering while wearing white capes that almost reached their waists. They were so cute, one Indian national took pics of them when they walked by. There were also church volunteers who ushers people and helps them look for a vacant seat.

-They did a lot of bowing in between readings and a lot of songs. The mass went on for an hour and 30 because of this.

-There's an LCD in front showing what responses to say and the Gospel the priest read to the crowd.
It's refreshing and weird (at the same time)hearing mass on a different language. It makes me want to learn the language more. As for now, one thing I'm sure of is that I'll be coming back next week to hear mass again.

To see more pictures, please click here.

Wala lang..

Feeling ko nasa Pinas pa din ako tuwing nagkakaproblema ako sa pera. Pinagkaiba nga lang e dito intsik salita ng mga tao, yung iba mababaho pa.

Kung tutuusin kaya ako nagpunta dito para kumita ng malaki at makaipon. Po#!h pag may naiipon naman ako biglang magkakaprobema at kelangn magpadala ng pera sa pinas. WALA PA KONG IPON!!! WTF! 8 months na ko dito, daig pa ko ng mga agents ko at nakaipon na sila para papuntahin parents nila ito.

Sakit na ng ulo ko soobra! Waaaah!

Feeling ko din wala ng kwenta tong trabaho ko. I'm just in it for the money..and the fact na ayoko bumalik ng Pinas muna.

Kainggit nga yung Senior Rep ko eh..nakahanap sha ng part time, dealer sa small time casino. Mantakin mo ca bring home no lower than 1kRMB (6k pesos) sa isang gabe. Tangina, kaya nya makuha yung buong sweldo sa company namen ng isang linggo eh.

Swertihan lang makakita ng part time dito kase kelangan marunong ka mag-Chinese. Pede mag-aral kaso wala akong pang-aral.

Sabe ko nga baka may opening dun sa casino eh, kahit waitress or dancer (as if!) papatulan ko. Di din naman kase ako mashado marunng mag-poker..what more pag nag dealer ako. Leche!

Yun lang!

Returning the faith

Last Sunday, we finally, FINALLY, managed to catch the church in Wangfujing open. We have been attempting to attend mass or just plain visit the church but to no avail. So we were surprised and glad to have caught it open just as the priest was wrapping up a mass celebration.

It's been around 7 mos since I last visited the church. I'm relieved and grateful that I finally know the schedule and would finally be able to attend weekly mass. The Lord has been very kind to me so it's just right that I return the faith.

After spending a couple of minutes inside the church and a couple more looking at the trinkets outside, we then headed for the Wangfujing road and went inside the Wangfujing jewelry market.

It has a lotta jewelries that they sell for only 38RMB, that's around $5 a piece.
We found this gold necklace with a large pearl as the pendant. We plan to show it to Cujo's mom so she can sell it in the US. It's really purty!!

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We then went to my fave mall, Oriental Plaza to have brunch at Yoshinoya. On our way to Yoshi, we passed by this sorta-fashion show..well, it was a show introducing Nokia N95. The models were funny so I decided to take a couple of pics.

The Place

Last Tuesday, Cujo and I went on a few errands:

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We went to Dongzhimen to meet up with an American guy who bought Cujo's PS2 slim for Y850. He met us just outside the subway station and we followed him back to his apartment so he can test the good.

We were freaked out when a bunch of police standing near the gate of his apartment called us and asked to see our friggin' passport. Now, I won't recommend brining your passport everywhere with you coz in cases like these, the police can just grab your passport and keep it.

Turned out the police was just rounding up Caucasians and looking at their residence permit. Dunno why..but thank God were Asians! Haha!

----

After that we went straight to the Silk Market, one subway station away. The plan is to get Cujo his new PSP with the money he got for selling his PS2. After a few 'suplada tinderas', we decided to just buy the gadget somewhere else.

We then went to The Place which was one bus ride away. The mall was a cross between Manila's Eastwood and Greenbelt. It has this long walkway with an LCD for it's roof. Sayang we didn't bring our camera. But I managed to use my cellphone's camera to catch a few shots while they were showing off some short vids. We spent almost an hour sitting outside Starbucks, smoking and watching the overhead LCD. Kewl-ness!

I also bought my first pair of Crocs. The original design was fugly but I found a lot of pretty slipons to-die for. They're oh-so-friggin-comfy that I'm planning to use it when we go back to the Great Wall. I love it!

Big Brother

It took one offline message from DJ for me to realize how I'm so out of touch with my dear friends back home.

I know that me being here is no excuse for not being in-the-know when it comes to the stuff me and my friends used to talk about.

I got an offline message from him yesterday. He said he misses me and he gave me a new link to his blog. It's pathetic how I'd have to read his blog to find out he'll be leaving the company where we've been together for 4 years.

I consider him my eldest/younger brother (depending on our mood), and I can sometimes be an older sister or a nagging mom (depending on the moon cycle). I can say we've been through a lot.

Do you still remember..
How I've chaperoned you during your first date with you-know-who (hehe, it was an unforgettable experience for all three of us)?
How we'd tell each other anything and everything...
How we'd talk (in all seriousness) about life or the people we've dated...
How you'd help carry me when I get drunk during our account's countless parties..
How we'd hang out after shift or on Sundays at the mall, watch movies, go to Powerbooks, hang out at Starbucks and bash the people passing by.


*sigh
miss ko na din ikaw

Cock-a Cola

Well, what do you know...nabibili na pala ang cock sa murang halaga..at may sizes pa!!

Haha! What a riot! We got this from the menu of a Korean Resto in the Woudaukou area. Laugh trip everytime we'd say stuff like: "I'd like to order one large cock", "Can you pass me the cock?"

Oh, and in case you're still wondering what the menu's trying to say..it's Cock-a Cola..as in yung softdrink.

Hairy Situation

Hi, how have you been? ---- It's the middle of summer here in Beijing (starts in May and ends in July).When it's summer here, one particular week can have a string of real hot, dry and loooong days/short nights, and there would also be one particular week when it would always rain. So, where was I? The thing I hate most about summer here are the girls...why? Well, the guys seem to like it because summer would mean that the girls would come to the office or to anywhere wearing short skirts and sleeveless shirts..but not me...me don't like it. Well, what I hate about it is how the local girls here DON'T SHAVE THEIR ARMPITS?!?!!!!! Yeah, you read it right. I heard the locals don't shave because they say only prostitutes do that. Well, WTF!! Seeing a handful of you-know-what showing up whenever they put their arms up..and even if they don't is FRIGGIN' DISGUSTING!! So yeah, for some of you guys who knows the real me...well, you'd know what my wicked self would be doing during idle moments, right? Hell, I check out the girls wearing sleeveless and bet against whoever I'm with that there would be hair in between those friggin' arms! *evil laugh

Sometimes it could be dang funny but more often it would leave me terrorized and shocked that i'd go straight to a psychiatrist if i can only afford one. Talk about being traumatized! Fuck! ---- In a more pleasant note, i'm done training the 4 Russian agents this week. Finally! They'd be going live on Monday. We went out tonight to celebrate their graduation. They're a fun bunch and i get to learn a few Russian words like Da(yes), Nyet(no) and spacibo(thank you).

---
Not sure if we'll be climbing the Great Wall (second time for me) this Sunday. But I guess, we'll have to reschedule because of the damn heat. We'll be fried if we ever attempt to climb it. I'd rather fry in a beach or anywhere that has water than be out and about in hot and dry Beijing.

Nevertheless, I'll post our pics once we're able to go there. Ciao!

Rant and Rant

*the thing I hate about being an 'OFW' is that everytime the Peso wins over the Peso Dollar rate, a part of me breaks. I mean, when I was back home I'd be all glad for my country but now that i'm on the outside and sending $ home, seeing my hard earned moolah shrink everytime the Php recovers is the absolute pits. When I first got here the peso dollar rate was like P49 to a $1, now it's P47 to a friggin' $1.

It's a pain having to convert my ￥ to $ and then to Php every time I have to send money home because the amount sent last month won't have the same worth as the current month.

C'mon, give the OFWs a break here!


*..and i thought the 'i hate being responsible' stopped or at least mellowed when i managed to separate myself from my family by moving here. I was so f#!ckin wrong.

I mean, I don't really mind that I send money every month. It's the least I can do with what's happening back home. It's one of the reason I wanted to work abroad. Now, we finally got the cable back on, computer now has DSL, and some debts are starting to get paid. But when I start getting IMs from sibs asking for money because one wants to get a PSP and one wants to borrow money to pay off a loan...even before they ask the "how r u stuff is just plain arrrrghhh!!

I'm not mean, but I'm no ATM machine either.

Tuition fees and monthly entregas are tolerable, but that, coupled with the shit I mentioned above??! I've developed a phobia for going online in YM. Heck, I now use the "appear offline" mode just so I can see who's online first before I show myself.

But hey, it's just me and my bitching.

'nuff said.

Beijing Art Museum

Last Saturday morning, we went to see the Pompeii Exhibit at the Beijing Art Museum.

We had a hard time looking for the 'sundial' landmark because it's somewhere behind Beijing's Military Museum. The picture above is the revolving sundial. You wouldn't think it's an art museum if not for that big blue banner saying so.

This picture can be seen outside the Beijing Art Museum. It's a huge map of China with dragon engravings encircling it.

We decided to check out the Ancient Civilization exhibit first. We were allowed to bring our cameras inside BUT we weren't allowed to take any friggin' pictures! WTF! When we were finally inside, I was kinda resigned to the fact that I won't be getting any pictures fromthe exhibit when I saw a man, with his camera dangling from his neck, stealthily taking pictures. AHA! Now here's my chance! I did the same thing the man did and left my camera open so I can take pics whenever 'the coast is clear'.

With Cujo and Ester as my two accomplices, they served as my look-out whenever I 'stole' some shots. It was so hard wearing a poker face while nonchalantly 'checking' out the exhibit. So you must understand why there were only a handful of good pictures taken because I wasn't looking at the viewfinder when taking pictures. We were afraid the museum guards will take my camera or worse, get us deported! Haha!

Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption

We finally checked out the Pompeii exhibit. A little background for you: around 79 AD, Mt. Vesuvius erupted and buried Pompeii, a well-known comm'l center of the early Roman empire and Herculaneum, a small seaside resort. Untold numbers were buried in volcanic debris, and the city vanished overnight. The exhibit showcased the stuff excavated from the site.

This is a cast of a dog buried alive during the eruption. Casts were made from remains showing real people (and animal) caught as they fled to nearby towns.

The exhibit has also shown a family buried inside their home, a man sitting down, well..you kinda get the picture. It was horrid and fascinating at the same time. It's scary how one instance, in this case an eruption, can bury a whole town alive, never to be seen again.

Happenings

Payday...brings a smile to our faces. Specially because it means we can now continue exploring the city.

Saturday:

We went to China's Ethnic and Culture Park near Tobal's place. The park is divided into the North and South park. We were only able to visit one part coz we all came from our shifts.

Sunday:

We had a crazy Sunday night at our apartment. Tobal and Day joined us. We played tong-its, Tobal taught us how to play Poker (I won twice!), and later on played the Beer Game. It was hilarious because there were a lotta consequences given during the game.

Some of us were asked to dance, do push ups, stand on one leg, touch another player's nose w/o looking, and of course drink, drink, drink.

This

Tuesday:
We went on a pilgrimage to Sacred way and Ming Tombs. It took us 3 buses and a subway ride to get there. It was like we went to Pampanga or Laguna because it's that far from the city. One indication that told us we're reaaallly a long way from home are the bungalows we were seeing. You won't see that in the city.

All we did was WALK, whine about walking, and WALK. My feet's still recuperating from all that walking.

The OFWs exploring Beijing. Haha! There were signs saying "Cherish the cultural relics please don't climb" but we didn't care.
Another group picture. This was taken atop the underground palace which wasn't such a sight given that we didn't have any tourist guide to explain the what-have-you's of the Ming Tombs and the Underground Palace. We're in it for the pics, that's all! =P

Rant and Rave

---

I'm a zombie here at work. *i look like the pic above*

I can't function well because lately I've been lacking on zzzs. I work until 6am (graveyard), go home, catch a few zzzs before I have to wake up and go with Cujo to fix his visa, then go back to sleep in time for my next shift. It sucks but I'm not making reklamo..it's just that my normal sane self is MIA when I'm lacking sleep. It's like my brain cells have shrunk and the only way to bring me back from the dead is to let me sleep a straight 8hrs..ok, 7hrs would be enough.

---

I chatted with Toie today. She's with a new account and finds it refreshing because her superior is proving to be such a mentor. Kinda reminded me how she and MJ served as mine when I was with Macromedia back then. Made me miss them as my superior here at work's not that way. I've dropped hints a couple of times just to get the message across that I want more stuff to do. Come to think of it, the project of creating a manual and orchestrating the upcoming training for our German counterparts have been dropped in my lap so there's the additional "load" I was looking for.

Must be short-term amnesia because of lack o' sleep. *curses Chinese government for making it hard for Pinoys to get their visas fixed.

---

I miss the beach.

I miss the excuse of getting slap-happy drunk, drinking beer in the middle of the day and never missing the chance to gorge on food I won't normally eat when I get back from the beach.

---

Cujo finally got my Ipod running.

I have retired the 32 songs that were playing for almost 3mos in my playlist. *had a stupid accident with a virus and something I did with the folder for Ipod.

Thank God for techie boyfriends! Harhar!

---

20 degrees don't even require a thin jacket.

Had a funny incident when Cujo walked me to my 2blocks-away bus stop going to work. It was 20degrees outside so he decided to wear shorts instead of jeans. Well, he regretted it after he got some curious stares and a LOT of double takes from the locals. Some of the double takes even came from people inside buses picking up passengers. Haha! We had a blast laughing at people's expression when they look him up and down, and DOWN again because they see him wearing shorts. WTF's wrong with wearing shorts on a not-even-cold night?!?

Baka naman may dress code sila? They should try visiting the PI. Gulat sila sa mga naka p#kp*k shorts dun. Haha!

---

Shenme? (What?)

Yes, folks. The long wait is over. He's finally here. At last!

To tell you honestly, I'm stoked and scared at the same time. Scared because we're together but in a different setting. No one's complaining, though. I am happy!

We spent the first few days trying to fix our room because he just brought a lot of stuff with him (talo pa nya ko ng pumunta dito!). I showed him around: we went to my fave mall at Wangfujing, went to Nurenjie and bought me a laptop (Yey!) oh, and I managed to get us lost...it's me and directions..they don't really get along. What else? We went to the 3 large malls in front of Beijing Zoo. The biggest one was like Divisoria - a lot of meiwenti stuff, the other 2 malls were like ukay-ukay. Let me tell you, once you've been to these shopping places, you don't ever want to shop elsewhere because everything is friggin' cheap! (oh, and my target of buying him something turned out to be half a dozen shirts for me..oh, well).

Oh, and he got the sniffles for the first two days. Probably the change in temperature and the fact that dust were everywhere. Worse thing was he managed to make me hawa. I still got the sniffles. Sayang di pa naman na ko sipunin dito Beijing.

Showing him around made me exercise what little Putonghua I managed to learn while I'm here. I can now ask for the price and haggle in Chinese without asking for help (i sometimes still take a few seconds to translate what they're saying though). Sometimes I still give this clueless look because I'm mentally reciting the numbers so I'd know which is which (yi, er, san, si, wu, liu, chi, ba, jiu, shi).

me: Duo shao qian? (Magkano to?)
store clerk: yi bai liu shi (160 yuan yang shirt)
me: tai gui le! (ang mahal!)
me: yi bai er shi (120 na lang!)

*after much haggling, and playing the aalis-na-kunwari-pero-magpapahabol-lang-sa-tindera game, we finally got the shirt for the price we wanted =D. I actually wanted to bargain for yi bai (100 yuan) pero baka isipin ng boyfriend ko sobrang barat ko. Haha!

Moral of this post is: sarap mag shopping dito! Hahah!

World Park

Ester and I went to Beijing World Park last Saturday after our shift.

I was wearing heels which I regretted as soon as I saw that it's gonna be a big place we're covering. It took us 3 hours to "tour the world", checking out the famous churches, buildings, statues, bridges, etc from different countries. Ex: Eiffel Tower, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Pyramids of Giza, well..you get the whole idea.

Oh, and an explanation for the "no climing" sign - I make it a point to capture any sign that's http://www.engrish.com/ worthy.

Best part of the day was when we ate at this resto outside the park. It made us want to travel a good 1.5 hrs AGAIN just to fill our tummies with cheap but real good food.

Almost independent

Moving to Beijing was the biggest and by far, the most financially rewarding move I made.

I went here not only pave way for a new life for my beau and I; but also to gain financial independence. I must say, it feels so good to get my monthly pay, subtract whatever payables are required and have lots to spare to buy stuff and save up. It may sound childish but believe me when I say that back in the Philippines, I can never do all the stuff mentioned above. It would always be: responsibilities to my family that have to go first, then the bills, and most often it doesn't leave me with enough money to buy stuff, what more to save up!

I'm just so happy and thankful.

Proving yourself

Why would one want to limit their potential by not taking on new challenges?

This co-worker and friend baffled me and our superior by declining a new task assigned to him. He was asked to collate the scattered documents we used when we trained for the account and train the Russian agents before they go live.

His reasons: he's not bred to be a trainer and he's not compensated enough. This guy wants to move up to the TL position, mind you.

Now that really got me confused. In the past, I have done a lot of stuff that weren't in my job description as an agent: trained and interviewed candidates; when I was promoted to the Senior Rep position back in Sykes, I created processes that wasn't really stated in my JD and yet I did it. And look where I'm at.

Geez, I get his explanation but I can't fathom why he wants to limit himself to just manning people. Future employers would want to look how multi-faceted a candidate is before a position is given to him. For some, they even have to prove themselves first while unpaid in order to get to the position they desire.

Why would someone want to move up but would not be willing to learn new skills that will help him attain his goals? Why? Why?

I guess I'll just take that load from his shoulders and probably introduce 2 or 3 of my best agents to this task. I know they'll be up to the challenge.

Har har!

We just discovered a way to go around the banned blogspot shit. I was given this link. It was freakin' fabulous! I can access blogspot sites again! Woohooo!

~~~

I just finished the entire 18 episode of Heroes. I love it so much I can't wait til April 23 for the next episode to show! I love Hiro! I want his power to teleport and stop time. I would've stopped time and made bad things turn out good. Hell, I would even teleport myself to various parts of the world I am just dying to go to!

'Nuff rambling about a tv show..

~~~

10 days to go til the big day.

I'm excited and scared at the same time. This will mark a new chapter of our life together...and I can't wait!

STOKED!!

Blogspot has been blocked here in Beijing!!!

Do you believe that?! I do, especially when I can't access any xxx.blogspot.com site.

Some news said that the government blocked it because of negative shit being posted by people about China. Crazy, huh?

~~~~
Last Saturday was the first time we've ever seen the sun at it's brightest even at 7am. Most of the time it's just fog and smog that obscures our view of the sun and clouds.

This was shot near our bus stop. On the left side's our office building overlooking the flyover.

This was shot in An Zhen Xi Lu. Tobal asked me to go with him and take some nice pics while it's sunny outside.

Knowing Thy Self

So now I'm done talking to almost everybody. I'm done talking to one team member I'm most concerned about. Telling her the whole scenario woke her up. I told her that if she wants to go back to P.I., I'd even help her..but she has to stop dragging the team down. That got her thinking.

I've yet to set up a meeting with my boss. She's insanely busy nowadays with a new account launching. I'm still hoping the talk we'll have will give her the message that we don't want to go back and she be inclined to do something about it.

Anyway, I've told my team to have a back up plan if things don't go our way. I know I got mine laid out already.

~~~~~
Having a blog proved to be many things to me..

It made me spill my heart out regardless if I get comments and advices from people. It made me meet new friends: some I never even got to see. It also made me a few enemies because of a few hard truths I've written down. It also made me famous a few times, both good and bad.

The best part about having a blog is I get to know myself. Reading old posts can send me laughing at myself; at how I've let people and circumstance make me miserable when I know in the end I'll be able to sort things out and emerge as a new person.

I read old posts about me ranting because I wanted to travel or do something new. I was envious of other people having the balls to move out of their comfort zone. I never thought I'd be one of 'em people now. I'm in a new country experiencing new things and discovering my new self. I'm being responsible and making plans on a short and long term basis. It's refreshing, it's overwhelming and scary all at the same time.

No matter what happens, whether I rant or rave about my life and my future; I'll know in the end I'd just laugh about everything and tell myself, "I've had a good life. It was worth all the pain".

Last week we had a meeting with the boss and the VP. It was supposed to be an update on how the team is doing and how we're coping with life here in Beijing.

Then the word "expansion" was dropped - a lot of job openings for the company's HK and GZ offfice. At first we were pretty excited because they were looking for Filipino agents to fill the posts. No, we here at Beijing can't apply.

And then the VP mentioned something about the Vertu team (our team) might expand. That didn't sound well because expanding would mean that there is a chance that the support will be transferred to the Philippines *shock.

-----------

So now I have this burden of sharing this scary news to the team. We all love it here and the thought of moving back to PI and our salaries dramatically slimming down because of the friggin' monster of a TAX is awfully considered a nightmare for us all. After a couple of sleepless nights, I decided on talking to each of my people to tell them this possibility, get their views and tell them my plan.

My plan is for the team to excel in their work. In doing so, I'll have the confidence to ask a big favor from my boss - not to bring us back to the PI. I know it's "asking for much" but I plan to either promote or move my agents to other departments and/or regional offices (HK, Guangzhou); and then help my boss in filling out the empty posts and eventually train new people that will replace my team. It's worth a shot, right? *crosses finger

I've also done some planning for myself and included some worst case scenarios. I can't believe I'm actually doing this much thinking and planning about my future. I guess the thought of moving back home after all these spooks me to death.

-----------
I'm stoked! Cujo will soon be joining me here. He's just waiting to get his English Teaching certification so he can finally book a flight to Beijing.

Can't wait! I know getting him here is only half of the plan but I'm still excited coz I''m finally gonna see him again! Yey!

-----------
We're currently crazy about Tudou.com.

Since there's enough idle time at work, we've been browsing the net for sites that can let us watch movies and series we missed watching. We've transcended from YouTube and Peekvid because it's still slow for us. We've discovered crunchyroll that houses Asian series (Full House, Marmalade Boy, Meteor Garden) and animes (One Piece, Naruto, Initial D). It loads faster compared to Peekvid.

Recently one of us discovered this wonderful link. The site's in Chinese but don't worry because all you have to do is type in whatever series or movies you have in mind in the search field and voila! Movies like Devil Wears Prada, Age of Innocence and Stargate the movie are all there. There's also loads of series uploaded there: Stargate 1 and Stargate Atlantis, Prisonbreak...well, you get the drift. AND it's helluva lot faster to load compared to all the sites I mentioned earlier. If you can't find something you've typed in English, try translating it to simplified Chinese then copy the translated word onto the search field. NEAT!!!

Sorry, we soooo love this link that I had to share it. We already have our own lists of movies and series lined up. I'm such a geek!

I'm bored. There, I finally said it aloud (well, written it here, that is).

It's weird for someone outside her comfort zone and away from loved ones but exploring new places could say that it's boring. I know, I'm weird like that. I've been here for more than 3 months. I'm past the "surreal" state and finally gathering up my starry-eyed self to face the challenge of living here in Beijing. I get surprised when I encounter that familiar feeling of boredom and laziness I often felt back in P.I. I can't help but hit myself a few times in the head whenever I get the feeling.

Cujo was right when he said that once i "get the hang" of the job and mastered it I'd feel bored and antsy. The only difference with me living here is that looking for another job won't be a piece of cake unlike back home. It's just that there's not much to do here at work. My work day consist of: checking my mail (20mins- Outlook and Yahoo mail), filling up reports (30mins to an hour, depending on what type of report I'm doin'), fulfilling impromptu demands by my boss then the rest I use to browse the net, chat, check my Friendster, and blog. This is the first job that ever let me do an "almost" limitless browsing. Kinda weird that I feel bad about it. I should've taken a job as an agent instead..but same pay. Hehe. Hit me now.

Know any interesting sites I can visit?

~~~~~

Chinese New Year was spent at work. It would've been a blast if only I was able to find a box of "tikoy" in supermarkets. It makes me wonder if Chinoys back home were the only ones who came up with the idea of eating "tikoy" during the Lunar New Year. It's all just round fruits, ginseng, fireworks and spirits during the holiday. Bummer.

I was told that the reason why they like the color red and use fireworks is that they have this old belief that a monster comes down from the mountain and terrorizes the village. The only two things to make the monster not eat you is to wear red and use fireworks. Good thing I was wearing red underwear last Sunday. Hey, now that I think about it, the government can use that ploy to cut down on overpopulation here in Beijing. Get a real monster and deport peeps not wearing red.

~~~~~

Spring Festival!

Eight parks around Beijing hold these Annual Fair during the Spring Festival. Unfortunately, we get our pay every end of the month so we were kinda running low on moolah that we ended up visiting 3 out of 8 parks: Ditan Park (Temple of Earth), Summer Palace, and Chaoyang Park (largest park in Asia). It's like their own version of 'perya': rollercoasters, haunted house, Doraemon mascots, shoot-10-balloons-with-a-dart-and-you-get-that-cute-stuffed-toy game. It's that time of the year where Chinese people have an excuse to get drunk and silly..

And I got to wear bunny ears and a wig. =D Far out!

Great Wall and Spring Festival

I've conquered the Great Wall!!! And yes, I'm crazy as I'll be bringing my Cujo to the GW once he gets here.

KUNG HEI FAT CHOI!!!

Spring is here, and I'm ready to have fun!

Where I've been these past 2 weeks..

...

it's weird and disconcerting how I'm suddenly looking up old friends and old pictures from my then life. I'm not sure if it's because I'm already away from home that I'm suddenly missing it terribly. I'm not sure if it's a normal reaction now that I'm here. I'm scared because it feels as if I've left a part of me - the child in me back home.

I never realized that with leaving, I have blindly stepped out of my childhood and the life I've known. I feel as if I've finally closed a certain chapter in my life I can never go back to. I've stepped out, waved goodbye, people were (kinda) sad of my going but after that life for them continues - minus me.

I guess it's different for me because with leaving, I've to create another comfort zone for myself - minus everyone I love nearby. It scares the shit out of me.

I suddenly miss my bestfriend, my girls, my old friends. I think I've been trying to avoid feeling all these because I have to be strong not only for myself but for my family that depends on me.

The carefree me would always welcome new experiences, but that's not the me talking right now.

Maybe I'll just bawl over and cry when I get home..maybe then I'll feel better.

'Nuff said.

Getting Sick / Getting a Part Time J-O-B

Being independent has its downs..and I just experienced it AGAIN here in Beijing.

I rented an apartment when I was still in Manila. I remember how it sucks everytime I get sick. No yaya to get medicine for you..not even a mom to remind you to actually drink it. I just had my Cujo who would stop by before or after his shift to bring me food and medicine or to plain stay with me if it's his rest day.

Well, it's different now that I'm outside PI. Even if I'm with my agents sharing the apartment, I can't just go knock on their doors and ask for their help because I'm sick. I have pride, ya know. *yeah, stupid pride will get me killed someday

Heck, I got sick 3 days after I returned from the 'business trip' to PI. I think it's the very cold-very hot-very cold again that did it. Or maybe it's my excessive smoking ever since I got back that triggered it. *O well

Anyway, it was a nasty experience. I was asleep most of the time. I couldn't drink my meds because I'm too sick to prepare me some food to eat. I went on a 'pancit canton' diet coz it's the easiest food to prepare. *Yeah, I managed to bring w/ me the ever famous Lucky Me Pancit Canton Calamansi and Chili-mansi flavor...Yum

I was out for two days..heck, this is the third day but I forced myself to get my butt back to work. *Why?

My boss called and said she's gonna bring me to the hospital if I don't get any better. THAT, kinda cured me. I'm scared shit of hospitals..well, hospitals here in Beijing I guess. Just being on the same street where people spit like hell makes me sick..what more if I'm in an actual sick place?! *Can't imagine..won't imagine.

~~~

In other news, I'm on the look out for potential part time jobs. *Yeah, yeah, it's still me writing here. Don't get shocked, people change ya know

I applied for a part time restaurant staff and a teacher's assistant. The latter pays more so I guess I'd show up for my scheduled interview tomorrow.

I used to hate job ads saying 'Native English speakers - a requirement'. My colleague here was nice enough to enlighten me that we're actually one of the 'Native English speakers' the ads were talking about. *smart ass

So yeah, here's to hoping I'd be well enough to show up for the interview. Heck, I'm already contemplating if I should just bring my stilettos with me and wear my boots on the way to the interview. Just thinking of commuting on heels on board a bus makes my feet cringe.

Trip to PI

It's good to be home...=)

I'll be coming homeeeeeeeee.... *grins from ear to ear

It will only be a short stay..but hell, I don't care! It's all worth it. Company pays, while I'll see Cujo and my bes.

I can't wait!!! *still grinning from ear to ear

Musings

+++
Spending the holidays at a strange and unfamiliar country, it made me appreciate the intricate and unique way we celebrate Christmas and New Year back at home. The homesickness reached me unexpectedly that it left me yearning for the old familiar surroundings.

+++
I love you..

I love you for making me learn to be independent..
I love you for making me realize that I won't always have to put other's needs first...
I love you for always making me feel that you are with me no matter where I go..
I love you for making me feel all sorts of emotion..(stuff I've yearned for the longest time)
I love you for giving me surprises that I sometimes hate but secretly love..
I love you for inspiring me to grow up and stand on my own..
I love you for letting me love you in my own crazy way..

I love you for being everything that I've always dreamed of.

+++
I got the biggest surprise to date..

I can't stop grinning anticipating the confirmation that I can spend a few precious day back home. I can't stop thinking up stuff I'll be doing once I step into my comfort zone again.

I can't wait.

+++
I miss you Bes...

I read old posts exchanged between the two of us. Yes, you're not only my precious bestfriend but also my surrogate mom and sister, reliable hitman, and my unrelenting shrink. And yes, I felt you beam with pride when I made this major decision to move away from home. We may have branched out and carved our destinies into different directions but there would always be that crossroad where we will always meet.

I can't wait to sit and smoke the day away while we talk about nothing and everything.