a holiday in Singapore: day 1

After a month and a half of planning, December 25 found Francis and me flying to Singapore.

But let's backtrack a bit. Since it's the holidays and it's been tradition to spend Christmas Eve at either my mom's place or my in-laws' (it was at my mom's last December), this trip proved to be quite a challenge (the whirlwind of activities proved to be bad for me, as I was currently recuperating from asthma right before our trip). After spending dinner on the 24th at my mom's in Taytay, Francis and I went straight back to our pad to freshen up and make sure everything's packed. We then headed to hail a cab to NAIA 3, worried that it might be hard for us to find one after midnight. Good thing we didn't have to wait long, and at about quarter to 12MN, we were already on our way to the airport.

Come Christmas Eve, Francis and I whipped up our phones to call our respective families. We were exchanging Christmas greetings while on the road, it's weird and funny at the same time!

Apparently, we arrived at the airport a couple of hours earlier. To make the most of it, we spent our Noche Buena there, with congee and barbecue chicken as our very humble Christmas Eve feast. Afterwards, we tried so hard to catch some sleep--I was unsuccessful while Francis snoozed like a baby. 

Finally, it was time to check in our stuff. Fast forward to a few hours later, we found ourselves padding the streets of Singapore in the morning sunshine, on our way to our hotel. We stayed in Mayo Inn on Jalan Besar Street, near Little India. Since it was too early to check in, we just left our luggage at the lobby and headed off to grab some lunch. We then came back to our hotel and got settled in, then it was off to exploring Singapore on Christmas Day.

Our cozy, Japanese-inspired room at Mayo Inn

 

On our way to Esplanade, we found this tribute to Singapore's various artists

Artworks on display in Esplanade

Yes of course, I lusted for this, but decided otherwise. Perhaps next time?

This one, too! My preciousssss!

Francis and my first shopping loot from Charles and Keith. Had to restrain myself in that store! But hey, I did get something for someone else (for my mom, actually)!

Esplanade, the durian-inspired building

The imposing Marina Bay Sands can be seen from just about anywhere in Singapore

Hello from Mr. and Mrs. Funa!

Smiggle store is bursting with so many colors!

I wish our MRT/LRT system is this clean, safe and efficient!

That's a giant Pinoy parol on display!

Christmas dinner at Trattoria Cucina Italia in 313@Somerset

 

Giddy about my rootbeer float!

Next up: exploring Ann Siang Hill and Chinatown!

poetry on the fridge

I apologize for the blurry photo.

One of the treasures we found in Singapore is this Magnetic Poetry set, which I've been secretly wanting ever since I saw it in a magazine. So when I found the tin boxes in the souvenirs section of the Asian Civilizations Museum (for SGD32), Francis and I immediately agreed to buy it. 

So, aside from forcing me to flex my mental muscles in order to come up with decent syntax  once again, this nifty set also forced us to get rid of unsightly receipts tacked with mismatched magnets on our fridge's door .

Hurrah for Magnetic Poetry!

let me pull myself together first

So the holidays have been a whirlwind of activities and a trip to Singapore that almost got ruined because my body suddenly decided to get sick while I was there. 

Anyway, I'm excited to post entry after entry (with lots of photos!) of the holiday that was. In the meantime, forgive me as I collect myself first. Being sick during the holidays--and as I was out of the country, at that--didn't do my brain good. It's still reeling from all that had taken place. 

I hope to be back on my feet soon, like tomorrow, perhaps. 

Happy New Year, everyone! I pray that 2013 will be kind and blessed to the brim!

like stepping into Tolkien's world

This photo was taken by Francis; all else were by me

 After church then dinner, Francis and I took a walk in UP to check out if Quezon Hall is already decked in the holiday garb. Though there are not so many Christmas lights yet, nighttime in UP proved to be picturesque. The night's cool weather and the fog that enveloped our Alma Mater even made our evening walk more mesmerizing and photogenic. Unfortunately, I have only my phone with me, so these photos don't really do justice to the actual scenery. 

And since I just finished re-watching the LOTR trilogy (in preparation for The Hobbit movie; yes, I am such a huge Tolkien fan, please don't get me started), I can't help but think that some of these scenes look like they're straight out of Rivendell...or Ithilien or Lothlorien or the woods in the Girdle of Melian (in The Silmarillion). Just add in a few ethereal elves carrying flickering lamps, please! 

 

praise God for 14 years!

Today, Francis and I are celebrating out 14th anniversary (not to be confused with our wedding anniversary, which will happen a few months from now)! Thank You, Lord! 

Since today is a weekday, we decided to celebrate it a day in advance yesterday. And for a change in scenery, we scuffled over to Eastwood (because TriNoma and The Block can be so boring already, haha!)

First stop was late lunch at Zao Vietnamese Bistro. 

From top: Zao's interiors all decked out for the holidays; their shaking beef, chicken satay and stir fry veggies in oyster sauce

My very handsome date!

This is me as a bubble head. Haha!

 The food's just okay, and the ambiance as well. Unfortunately, this overbearing family seated next to our table ruined our otherwise peaceful lunch date. The dad kept on fussing over his teenage daughter, and he was incessantly yapping about mundane things. It's like we're listening to a commentary about his generation's favorite music and how his daughter's food choice is good, etc. Francis and I were wishing he'd just shut up, but he didn't. So as soon as we were done with our fare, we immediately asked for the bill and scrammed out of the restaurant. 

Anyway, moving on: the afternoon was filled with binging. Hahaha! A couple of minutes after lunch, we moved on to dessert at MoMo. 

   

 

 
We stuffed ourselves until we can no longer bear thinking of what to eat for dinner (we ended up in McDonald's, anyway). And, I must commend myself for not buying a single thing, considering the mall was bursting with good buys from an ongoing bazaar. Must save up for that Singapore trip, lah!

The faux winter wonderland setup in Eastwood

Sorry, I could not help but pose for a photo. Haha!

It has been a wonderful celebration. We really praise the Lord for giving us 14 blessed years together, and we're sure there'll be more years to come!!!

exciting months ahead!

I got to go behind the camera again this weekend, after months of hiatus!

A good friend is launching his sugary products in time for the holidays, and I was asked to shoot the goodies! Here's a sample.

Sugar (and) Spice, and everything nice for Christmas!

Will post more details about Sugar Spice soon, but in the meantime, let me rave about another thing: an SG trip next month!

Francis and I will be spending Christmas day in Singapore! I am super stoked! It's my first time to spend Christmas away from home (and I'm being all sentimental about it, but it's not like I'm gonna pass up the opportunity, haha!). I've been busy planning the trip, but I must finish this story I'm assigned to first (it's a cover story for Good Housekeeping Jan/Feb 2013 issue!), so I can have undivided attention to our holiday tryst.

And so with that, I must first write, write, write, so I can then plan, plan, plan!

(Sorry for the very random post. I'm just too excited not to share these blessings. Haha!)

that sneaky little monster

It reared its ugly head once again, just when I thought I'm already free from it. 

I thought I can finally be happy whenever someone I know becomes pregnant. Sure, I still feel a tinge of envy, but at least I know it's already under control. I've already managed to feel happy for others.

Or so I thought. 

Until a good couple friend announced that they're expecting, after years of waiting for that bundle of joy. Suddenly, when Francis told me the news, those feelings I so detest and hate came rushing back with a vengeance. It was all so sudden, so sneaky, so raw. I was left powerless again, and soon enough, I was sobbing, sobbing, sobbing. Once again, I feel sorry for myself, I feel so selfish; I blame how and ask why my body would betray me like that, why it would deprive me of that kind of joy and suspend that celebration of life, even though I know hope isn't really lost. Once again, I question when; I feel this hatred towards the wait that seems to go on and on and on. It's tiring to wait, really.

It's like I never really healed, and that I was only led to believe that I already got over this.

the halloween that was

As has become the tradition every Halloween ever since my dear mom-in-law passed away three years ago, Francis and I went to visit her grave in Holy Cross Memorial Cemetery, just a stone's throw away from where my in laws reside. And as is usual, we visited late in the afternoon together with my sister in law, Tita Neneng and Tita Pearl, who was accompanied by Francis' cute little cousin, Cid (how he's grown from that chubby tot who was our ring bearer!). 

Since some relatives are also in the area, they dropped by and a mini-reunion took place. I especially found the kids crazily fun to hang out with. They were teasing each other like there's no tomorrow, and us adults had no part but just to supply the laughter to their hilarious antics.  

Francis bullying his sister to giving him a back massage

Caught on camera: in between snacking on cheese-filled sandwich

The riot that was brought to us by these funny kiddos

Even us adults had fun with these colorfully lit toys!

Going to the cemetery has always been what Halloween meant to me. I'm never one to attend Halloween parties. I find dressing up in costumes too frivolous for me. I'd rather visit loved ones who have found rest, as morbid as that may sound. Plus, cemeteries during that time of the year isn't really boring, what with all the food stands scattered about, light-up toys that the kids go gaga for, and people of all ages milling and mingling about, saying hello to their departed loved ones and having a reunion with those still living. It's not so bad, really.  

 

In other news, it looks like the new year has something new and exciting in store for me. I just hope and pray that things go according to plan, and that I finally snag this deal. Heck, I have waited for this for, like, years!

and the bar is raised

So the other night, I was telling Francis that I never got starstruck nor did I go gaga over the male celebs I've interviewed...

Me: Di ko sila type, though yung ibang girls super kilig na. Yung kinilig lang ako, yung kay Luke Landrigan. The rest, wala lang!

Hubby: E syempre, masyado na mataas yung standard na si-net ko!

Oh my. I think I married a demi-god.

no slumber party

If there's one bad thing that this new career path has brought in my life, it's this messed up body clock. 

A few weeks into this freelancing lifestyle, I've been sleeping at two or three in the morning, typing or editing away; lately, I got caught up with watching Outsourced. Then, I'd wake up early morning to prepare hubby his breakfast, then go back to sleep again only to wake up at lunch. Because I still feel too sluggish to cook, I'd end up eating lunch at two or three in the afternoon. Sometimes, I get to lazy that I end up ordering unhealthy burgers and fries. Once I get my fill, that's the only time I feel in the mood to work on my writing/editing stints. 

And then I'd get online, and everything goes downhill from there. 

The 500-word article that usually take two hours to finish would end up getting done and ready for email at, oh, one in the morning. Thank you, distraction in the form of the Internet!

It's crazy, I know! And I better start losing this bad sleeping habit. Must fix this body clock ASAP, or I'll be a walking anemia.

this afternoon

If you were here with me right now, I imagine we'd be out on the balcony looking at the white tufts of clouds slowly moving across the sky. Then we'd notice how the buildings are being washed with warm rays in this golden hour.

Unfortunately, you're there somewhere in Manila, doing whatever it is you best do as an engineer. Then you'd have to go back to your office to process all the data you've gathered in your day's field work.

But I don't have to worry. The next few weeks have holidays in store for us. Then, we can idle away looking at those clouds and taking in the late afternoon sun together. 

I can't wait.

cooking up a storm

Cooking up another book that'll come out before the holidays!

As usual, the team I'm working with is such a doll. It's the same bunch of lovely people that I worked with in the other book that I managed. I love how it's so easy to work with them, despite the fact that the deadline we're working with right now is insanely tight.

I really wish I can spill more details, but I can't. Suffice it to say that it's another reading material that will come in handy when it comes to nesting. 

I'll announce what exactly it is as soon as it's almost done. This is exciting!

a love affair with order and chaos

A couple of years ago, I could not see myself working as a freelancer. Back then, the idea of not being a part of a company did not appeal to me. I could not imagine myself working at home because that was too boring. I tried that for a month or two, when I was in between jobs, but I felt like I was growing roots telecommuting. I wanted Christmas parties and company outings. How trivial, right?

Fast forward to a few years: I was imagining, no visualizing, myself sitting at a cozy corner in a coffee shop, furiously typing on my laptop as I try to beat article deadlines; or I'm at home, waking up early in the morning to prepare breakfast for my husband, then napping again and waking up late in the morning to attend to domestic duties in between freelance stints. There's not much stress--only a degree of that that I can manage. In place of uncontrolled chaos is some kind of order that gives me the career satisfaction that I need. 

That vision came true. I am living it now. I am no longer a slave to emotional, physical and mental stress that used to box me in. I no longer wake up each morning dreading deadlines and cranky clients and Murphy's Law. My phone is no longer ringing off the hook. I am free from inhumane multi-tasking. I am free from sudden bursts of rage because of projects (and people) who drive me crazy. There's less crankiness in me now. 

Now, there's more balance. My freelancing stints interspersed with my copy editing part-time job give me just the right kind of busy-ness. In fact, I am enjoying this new experience of managing my schedule. So far, so good, never mind if I get constantly derailed by the Internet whenever I sit down to write or edit an article. My part-time work injects that kind of routinary rhythm that balances off the unpredictability of my freelance career. I don't get overwhelmed too often nor do I get bored too much. In other words, what I do now is something sane, something I should have done two years ago.

But there are really no regrets. I know it's never too late for me to be trying this. I also know that I may eventually find myself signing up for another day job, sooner or later (when that happens, I pray that I do it voluntarily and not because I don't have any other choice). 

Right now, I am basking in this new-found career freedom, and I shall enjoy every single drop of this. This is a blessing that should never be taken for granted, a kind of peace that I will always thank God for.

when the going gets tough, the tough goes dating

The Prism Plaza gets illuminated with these changing light

Francis has been so stressed lately, we've been frequenting our favorite massage place once every two weeks. His current project assignment has been much of a challenge for him. Actually, I've never seen my husband this tired and...whiny. Hahaha! It's usually me who's complaining!

But I guess me being a freelancer now is of good timing. I can't imagine both of us coming home from work, grumpy and all stressed out and ready to lash at each other because we're already at the end of our respective rope. At least now that I have a relatively relaxed work pace, I can readily attend to his rants and needs. I try my best. Whenever I can (and I'm glad I can do it often), I prepare dinner so that by the time Francis gets home, all he needs to do is plop down on the dining chair and attack his grub. I volunteer to do the dishes even on those days when it's his turn, because I know such a simple task can add up to his physical stress.

Honestly, it's pretty alarming to see him looking all harassed. Like I said, it's usually me who's in that state. Sometimes, I feel helpless, but I remind myself that I'm in a better position to do something about his situation and help him cope with things at his work. And so in another attempt to ease up things for him, I took dear hubby out to dinner last Sunday at the Prism Plaza in Two E-com Center, MOA Complex. There's this good Thai restaurant there called Just Thai, and I thought he'd appreciate good food amid a nice place like Prism Plaza. (Good thing I discovered the area when I had a meeting for a project a couple of months back.)

From top: Interesting lighting fixture in Just Thai; and their delicious fare: crispy tilapia and broccoli flowers with carrots

 I'm glad he actually liked the place and the ambiance. Prism Plaza is located at the quiet side of MOA Complex, away from the busy crowd and jam-packed restaurants in the mall. There are a few people loitering around, taking pictures of the nice area overlooking Manila Bay. 

I was actually intending to bring him there just right before sunset, so we can be all cheesy together watching the horizon, haha! Unfortunately, we were both distracted by the Internet, hence, we were late. Oh well.

Anyway, dinner had been great, and the food equally satisfying. We lingered for a couple of minutes, then proceeded to stroll in the mall. (Quick shopping grab: a loose cardigan in mustard yellow from Forever 21, which I got for about 60% off!!! Plus, two back issues of Real Simple and one Travel + Leisure from Booksale!) I was coercing Francis to buy some polo shirts, but I guess his shopping mode was turned off (unlike mine, which seems to turn itself on by its own will, hahaha! But I promise to just buy small stuff, since I'm on a self-imposed shopping sabbatical again.) An hour or so of strolling tired us out, so before going home, we walked to One E-com Center to grab some coffee/dessert (Starbucks there is less crowded).

Seeing Francis looking less worked up and more upbeat a few days after our dinner date means that I succeeded in my attempt to somehow help him de-stress. That's enough to make a wifey like me feel very happy.