Saturday, December 26, 2009

TODAY (Day 2): To Err Is To Be Human...

We had the time of our lives, didn't we? But time, like everything else, runs out too. Thank you for everything...

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Day 7 and Day 8: No Action... Then Too Much Action!!!

Day 7: The plan was to get up early and frolic at Lumpini Park. What do you think happened? Of course none of my supposed companions woke up in time to go to the park! So what does a girl with thwarted plans do? Stay online, of course! I edited my photos list and posted what I thought was postable... then I slept. For a little while.

When I woke up, Sissy and I helped Momsie cook one of my favorite foods: spareribs casserole! So in our bed clothes, we cut and squeezed the limes then peeled and minced garlic. Fun, fun, fun!

Early in the evening, Momsie and Bradir dragged me to United Center to fetch Popsie. Before I knew it, we were on the BTS at the Sala Daeng station en route to the grocery.

Now, I do love trains and all its incarnations (digression: I've never been on the PNR trains. Although I know the rails have been rehabilitated and new trains have been installed, the trains of yore still haunt me... you know, coffins on rails?) so I expected to be wowed by Bangkok's BTS. I was not disappointed. Stations and trains reminiscent of LRT Purple Line (aka LRT2) had me at....errr, I dunno what the announcer said. It was in Thai. Hehehehe... Nonetheless, I absolutely loved the train. Though the foot traffic reminds me the MRT at rush hour (think Magallanes North Bound at 6:30pm), Thai peeps don't bump and jostle. In fact, they don't mind being a few minutes late in boarding the train as long as they make as little bodily contact as possible. Practical, maybe not. Polite, most definitely.

So... on to the grocery. It's pretty much an ordinary grocery store. Kinda like Shopwise or Cash and Carry. Except I found a few things to shoot (covertly, as cameras aren't allowed in there) and they scared me sh*tless...

We got home quite late, which made me miss a few important YM messages but what the hey... I can always leave offlines. *wink*

Day 8: Christmas Day. Sissy's 19th birthday. Temple Tour day! I woke up at 8am (GMT +7) after just 4 hours of sleep... Since the Little Pigs were still snoring, I went online and chatted with Kyx. I also saw Jen and Nikka via webcam for a few minutes. (Ang laki na ni Nikka! I really miss her!)

After a quick lunch at Somtam Convent (Bradir's first time), we were on the BTS towards the Saphan Taksin station where the ferries were to take us down the Chao Phraya River and on to the wats (temples).

First stop: Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn) where the Hundred Buddhas are. There's also an obelisk-like tower which we were able to climb for 50 THB (about 70php), which was all good except that 1) I was required to wear a cardigan over my sleeveless dress and, 2) Wifey was afraid of heights. Nonetheless, we got some great shots (including one of moi sitting on the higher terrace overlooking the Chao Phraya River... before the guard blew on his whistle vigorously and signalled furiously for us to get off that darn terrace).

Second stop: Wat Po (Temple of... I have no idea). Home of the Reclining Buddha... that HUGE piece of gold shaped into the classic Buddha. We actually took more pictures here than at Wat Arun, mostly because we were fascinated with my camera's 10-second timed - 10 shot function. Just kidding! We were a photo-crazy lot so we took lots of pictures!

After dragging ourselves around the wats, we went on to the Grand Palace. Unfortunately, we got there 20 minutes after closing time so we took a couple of tuk-tuks to Siam Paragon, BKK's answer to Power Plant + Shangri-La Mall. We had dinner at Sizzlers (reminiscent of Friday's), which included unlimited soup, salad and dessert for everyone who ate there. We spent 3,000 THB for eight hungry peeps... not bad!

With full bellies, we went on the BTS back to Sala Daeng to have some ice cream at Swensen's. Alas, we arrived a few minutes after closing time (not our lucky day) so we postponed it for another day... hopefully on the 27th, as Bro and Wifey are leaving on the 28th.

So, will tomorrow be as busy as Day 8? I sure hope NOT! However, there's still a lot of shopping ahead... and Swensen's... and Gelatoni... and...

Thursday, December 24, 2009

TODAY (Day 1): People Lie...

I'm sorry. I, too, am but human... Forgive me...

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Day 6: Staying Indoors and Bradir Arrives!

Like Day 4, I didn't get my requisite 15 minutes of sunlight for maximum Vitamin D synthesis. I did, however, go out with Mom to the laundromat down the street for two loads of washing. Sis (KT) came too, acting as the photographer. Harhar...

Carrying the laundry... heavy!

Staying indoors, I was online checking office mail, chatting on office IM with my team mates eager for the long Holiday weekend, and on YM with Kyx testing out the webcam on my sisters' laptop. Thanks to that, our meal of kai yang and pad thai was broadcast over the web... while it was being devoured by one (huge) happy family (sans Bradir).

When one stays indoors for 24 hours, one will get bored eventually... Which happened to me! So, what's the best thing to do when indoors and bored? Turn on the A/C and eat! After eating, look at pictures to decide which to upload.

Bradir arrived a couple of hours ago and finally, we're complete! You bet there were tons of pics taken and I ought to post them soon. But since I'm feeling lazy right now and it's 3:20am here, I prefer to sleep... so goodnight, world! Will post the pics tomorrow.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

In Other News...

(Commercial muna...)

Dear Ginny,

After you called, I went online and surfed like mad. Desperate to read something interesting.

Anything interesting.


Just anything.

Anything to occupy my brain and keep my thoughts from straying back to That-Which-Must-Not-Be-Thought-Of.


I saw this song while randomly picking vide
os... The lyrics looked promising, I thought. But what sort of promises, I asked. I found out soon enough. You will, too.

Though a part of me wishes you won't... the same part of me that wishes that I didn't.

Touche, darling...

♥ Kaye
Me and my heart...
Wake Up - Coheed and Cambria

I'm gonna ride this plane out of your life again
I wish that I could stay, but you argue
More than this I wish, you could've seen my face
In backseats staring out, the window

I'll do anything for you
Kill anyone for you

So leave yourself intact
'Cause I will be coming back
In a phrase to cut these lips
I love you

The morning will come
In the press of every kiss
With your head upon my chest
Where I will annoy you
With every waking breath
Until you decide to wake up

I've earned through hope and faith
On the curves around your face
That I'm the one you'll hold forever
If morning never comes for either one of us
Then this I pray to you wherever

I'll do anything for you
This story is for you
('Cause I'd do anything you want me to for you)
I'll do anything for you
Kill anyone for you

So leave yourself intact
'Cause I won't be coming back
In a phrase to cut these lips
I loved you

The morning will come
In the press of every kiss
With your head upon my chest
Where I will annoy you
With every waking breath
Until you decide to wake up

Day 5: The Shopping Bug Bites Again!

Shopping is not something I enjoy doing on a regular basis. But when I shop, I do it all in one go. For me, shopping is a One-Time-Big-Time affair. It also means it's a one-time, big-time drain on my wallet.

Having visited Platinum Mall on Day 2, the family and I (minus Dad, who had work) made our way to Bo Bae Tower. I had awakened at 8:30am; late by my standards (as it is by that of Bro and Wifey) but crack-of-dawn early for my mom and sisters. So instead of traipsing around the six-floor paean to consumerism at 10am, we ended up hailing a cab at a half-hour past that time.

Arrival at the Bo Bae Tower meant two things to me: food and shopping. With the last meal being more than 12 hours before, the former need was crying for attention. I put my arm around my mom's shoulder and whispered "I'm hungry. Feed the monster!" She's my mom, so she didn't freak out; she's so used to me. So without further ado, my mom lead her brood to the 6th floor Food Station. Here I got a bottle of water for 20THB, a dish of
kai tom (chicken rice) for 30THB and a huge chunk of honeydew (looked good but tasted watery) for 15THB. Not a bad hoard eh?

The monster thus fed and already behaved, the shopping began. Shirts, shirts, and more shirts were the order of the day! With a few pairs of underwear thrown in for good measure (pun intended - it was a needle-in-a-haystack search for MY size, durnit!) and a few good cycling shorts, we were battle-weary and ready to head home.

At 5pm, the rush hour begins so we had a hard time getting a cab. Having successfully hailed one, mom shepherded my sisters, Bro and Wifey into the car and off they went. Mom and I had a leisurely walk to the main road, intending to take the train back to Thanon Silom. Luck was on our side, though, as a kind taxi said YES to Mom asking him to take her to the heart of traffic-land! Upon arrival, we found the sisters, Bro and Wifey on the street... eating! Of course, what else was new?

Back at the condo, we all went through our purchases. I must say, all the shirts I got (most expensive being 130 THB) were treasures. Now all I need are shorts and jeans.. I can't wait to shop again!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Day 4: Food At Home (And On The Street, Too!)

The light of day did not touch my skin yesterday... except through the windows of the living room. The sisters and I yacked our heads off till midnight, after which I fell asleep. We were planning to go back to Lumpini Park the morning after: to jog, take pictures and cavort on the playground. Alas, the sisters decided that Hotel 626 was boring and went on to Assylum 626, effectively depriving them of sleep that caused them to snore until past 2pm. Go figure!

So Mom and I kept ourselves busy with laundry and cooking. Yehehehesss! If there's good food on the street, there's better food at home! While mom sorted the laundry, I cut up some tomatoes, onions and ginger for pinaputok na pla-pla. The tilapia she bought from the market were HUGE! Picture a behemoth with singkong butas for eyes. Deciding to stuff the giant swimmers a few minutes before grill time, I cut up some kangkong for a stir-fry.

Chuvaness was doing her 6-millionth reader contest and I was watching the site meter sporadically throughout the day. The prizes were COOL... and not to mention, madami!

So anyway, I stayed in the house reading Her Fearful Symmetry (I finished it at around 2am this morning. I loved it more than The Time Traveller's Wife - maybe because the protagonists are twins. Two sets, at that!), surfing the Web (and getting fashion tips, harharhar), and checking my office email. My mom said, I should be on vacation but I can't help it. Anyway, if an issue comes up while I'm on vacation... guess who's gonna handle it anyways? *lol*

As I mentioned earlier, my dad's condo is smack-dab in the middle of the CBD. We live on a street parallel to Thanon Silom, kinda like Ayala Ave back in Manila where the office buildings are. Everyone walking around the area is dressed like they're all leaving on Lear jets at any second or will be airlifted to their next meeting destination. It doesn't help that down the road is a Catholic school that caters to children of diplomats and those of the hi-so (high society aka anak-mayaman). So what, you say? Like I said, we live in the middle of the CBD and as such, we're given to going out on the street dressed in full pambahay regalia (my Havs get lots of exposure here... *lol*) in search of the elusive manong roti (he's so hard to find...), the addictive puto-pandan (not its real label, of course) and the sweet merangue barquillos (not its real name, either). On our way to Silom, we bumped into my Dad walking home from work. We didn't find the treats we were looking for, so we went home.

In the evening, the sisters and I took more vain-pics (aka self-portraits) and did more ten-shot antics than should be done when wearing only underwear and wearing sleep clothes. But what the hey, I won't see them again for another five or six months and there is no better time to be a kid and be crazy than NOW! =)

On other news, I tried voice chat on YM using my work machine. That's when I discovered I could use it without the need for a headset! Hurray! Thanks to Kyx for urging me to try. Wouldn't have discovered it if not for you! Goodbye, cumbersome headsets! This beats hands-free overseas calls anytime!

So today, we're supposed to be shopping (again) but the two other Little Pigs (my sisters - I'm the third one, hehe) woke up later than expected and are now pulling me towards the shower. After all, the Three Little Pigs always do things together. Ciao!