Welcom to the Fine City

01/14/11

I woke up at 4AM, took a shower and put on my favorite tank top and my sister's fuchsia hoodie. The day before was spent making lecture notes for my classes, and three sets of test questions for the students' midterm exams. Yes, that was supposed to burn me out, but no - I was energized and upbeat (think Energizer bunny energized). I was about to have one big adventure that I'll remember for life.

My family drove me and my cool aunt to the airport. An hour and a half from boarding time, we were all set. Destination: Singapore.

It was the first time that my aunt and I got to travel abroad so we were pretty excited. We got to Changi Airport 20 minutes before the ETA so with the Energizer bunny's energy and Dora the explorer's spirit, we were ready to explore Singapore! We took a bunch of street maps from the airport and headed out. With nothing but our cousin's home address, we took a teksi (the ordinary one) and told friendly Mr. Cabby where we wanted to go - and he brought us there after entertaining us along the way.

We took the lift going up to the tenth floor and just as we were going out of the elevator, we knew at once that the door right across was our place - the air was thick with the aroma of adobo. YUM!

After having a hearty lunch prepared by our hosts for our four-day vacation, the Li family, and after being told where to go and which trains to take (by that time, nothing really sinked in and I just nodded and pretended that I understood what they were saying), we headed out to the train station to get a local sim card and MRT cards. And we were by ourselves.

I sure felt like a pre-schooler - curious and excited. We asked for people directions and Singaporeans proved to be a really helpful & friendly bunch. We made our way to Snow City with little trouble. In the Philippines, it's summer all year long so it was a really refreshing idea to get to experience snow, or a least what it felt like to be in the snow. It was FREEZING! despite wearing demin jeans and double sweaters, the chill still permeated and felt like needles. But I could care less about the pain  - it was fun playing in the artificial snow, tubing and all.

After Snow City and taking snaps from the Science Center, we headed towards one of the busiest centers in Singapore, Chinatown! This time it was much busier with the upcoming Chinese New Year. Everywhere you see red and gold, which symbolizes wealth and good fortune! The Chinese are blessed with a very rich Culture indeed. Not only that, if you're looking for bargain and cheap souvenirs, this is the place to go. You have to buy in bulk, though. But if you come from a highly collective community such as the Philippines this is a great place since many people from back home will be expecting pasalubongs, or souvenirs, even if you only went out of the country for few days. :) We scoured the place for more goodies to buy and sights to capture when we came into one interesting spectacle. Right in the middle of Chinatown stood a golden Hindu temple. It had a tower-like decor filled with their Hindu gods. It was such an awesome sight to behold! And take note, it stood in the middle of the very busy business and merriment town. So I guess you don't really need total silence to commune with your God - for as long as the heart is there. 

After cheap shopping, we decided it was time to let our eyes feast on the more luxurious strip of shopping centers. Destination: Orchard Road. With the help of our EZ Link cards, we got there fast and without breaking a sweat. We posed outside the big labels like Prada, Dior, Armani, & LV. Never even bothered to queue to go in those classy shops. Those shops intimidated me for a bit, to be honest - I felt like a rifraf. But anyhow, it was a nice experience to see nice shops - a reminder that if I work hard enough, it won't be long until those shops would no longer intimidate me. :) When we met my aunt's friend, Richard, we had our first gastronomic experience in Singapore. He bought us dinner and introduced to us one of  SG's staples, chicken rice. Delicioso!

After dinner, we did some more shopping. I bought ballet flats for me and my sister at a discounted rate of S$30, which isn't bad at all. For those of you who plan to shop at Singapore, be sure to present your passport prior to purchasing your goods so you can avail of tax-exemption and enjoy tax-free shopping. Take note that most shops usually require a minimum of S$100 single receipt so be sure to check with the guest services what their procedure is. We were not aware of this and so we weren't able to enjoy the 7% off GST. :( After shopping, we took the train back to Yishun and walked from the train station going back to our cousin's flat. Take note, we were walking on the street at around 12 midnight, but we felt safe. It's a welcomed change. Back home, we would never dare walk out in the dark! 

When we got home, I felt satisfied and happy. Our day one, which was started around 2 in the afternoon, felt like a looooong day, and we could feel the adventure in our bodies. Pama-ul galore! 

Fundamental Attribution Error

Have you ever experienced being reunited with a good friend after months and months of separation? Exciting, right? That is exactly how I felt when I was given the chance to meet up with a friend I used to hang-out with a lot. The excitement lasted until we got talking, and then even more talking--when  realized I do not know the person anymore.

We used to share stories, experiences, ups and downs, and so much more back in the days when our hairs were silk-straight and parted evenly in the middle. Back then, I knew she had a problem with people but she was my friend, and so I accepted her and loved her in spite of everything. I often found myself defending her from people who could not understand her eccentricities. It is a known fact that she was never really the people person but I totally got where she was coming from before and thought she was okay. But now, after hearing her say this and that about things made me wonder why we ever became friends back then when she was the epitome of the person I would most likely avoid now--the selfish, demanding, cynical, ego-depleting, fun-sucking, hope-crushing toxic people Positive Psychologists warned me about.

The ice cream we shared that afternoon left a bitter taste in my mouth. Has she changed THAT much within the times we were apart? Or was it I who changed?

I feel very ambivalent. If, indeed, it was she who has changed then I feel so sorry for her that even after all these years, her vision remains myopic and self-centered. I thought the years of education has somehow helped her broaden her horizon a little, like it did mine. Apparently, it didn't. On the other hand, if it is I who changed, then I can say that I might have done justice, after all, to the taxpayers who subsidized my education. But still, I shiver at the possibility that I used to be exactly like her...and I just grew out of it while she remained stuck in that phase. Gosh, did I use to be this appalling before too? Shame.

I used to be quite judgmental and sometimes I think i still am BUT I'm most definitely sure this has been toned down. I was so much worse before. I'm not sure if this commentary has anything to do with me still possessing that trait (which was triggered by the conversation) or we had just been apart for so long to the point that we have grown apart. Maybe it's me, or maybe she has really changed dramatically in a negative way.

Or perhaps, she just had a very bad day.

bucket list for 2011

The year 2010 had been a great year, and 2011 will be so much better! This bucket list will help me rock 2011. Yes, things don't always go exactly how you planned them to be, as plans may be malleable, but it is always good to have one than none at all. If by chance you lose your way, your plans would help you get back on track. So here are the things I wish to get, fulfill, and achieve in 2011.

1. Travel - locally and internationally. This year I am setting my eyes on Singapore (of which i already have tickets to. Yay!) and Hong Kong. And of course, I have a longer list of places to go to in the Philippines. After all, it would be such a shame to travel a lot abroad without even seeing and tasting what my own precious Pilipinas has to offer. So this year, my local trips should include: Bantayan, Cagayan de Oro, Siargao, Davao and Siquijor. Of course, the thrills like white-water rafting, bungee jumping, and zip-lining, that are found in the places I want to go to are included in my list. 
2. Skills. Improving oneself should never be off anyone's bucket list. This year, I have to be physically, cognitively and emotionally prepared to do the following: blogging (whoa, I guess this should be off my list now), surfing, and ballroom dancing!
3. Languages. One of the things that is vital to our survival is communication, and knowing more than necessary has never been so bad. To enhance my English speaking skills, I'm planning to join Toastmasters club with a co-teacher. I am hopeful that I will have the time and money to join their regular meetings to improve and polish my English. This year, to enrich my new passion for Special Education, I have decided to master at least the basics in Braille and the American Sign Language. I've already sort of started learning late last year with a classmate in grad school. Hopefully this year we would be more serious and dedicated about this and learn a lot more than we did last year.
4. Grad school apps. Right now, I am sort of side-tracking from my original field of interest which is Psychology. I am taking up another major for my Master's degree. I had a lot of things in mind when I applied for this program and so now that I am almost done with it, I would have to go back to my first choice. I would need to look into my options here and abroad for Psych MA degrees. In line with this, I was supposed to take the TOEFL & GRE last year but because of the many surprises last year, I had to postpone it indefinitely and hopefully this year I would really have the time to prepare and take them.
5. Fitness. I will go back to jogging twice a week and lifting not-so-heavy weights, not even to lose weight but just so I would have not be so sedentary and develop all these lifestyle illnesses, which can be avoided with just a little sweating. In addition, I also aim of participating in at least three running events...even though what I do is mostly just jog and walk. :)
6. Volunteer work. A former college batch mate of mine who studied Political Science now works in an NGO and late last year, he asked me if I wanted to do some volunteer work with the kids and the women. I never really heard from him. I will make sure that I will bugger him for details so that before the end of the first quarter of this year, I could start serving and giving back to the community that helped shape me into the person I am today.
7. Life's little pleasures. Ever since I graduated, I had always dreamed of getting a class ring but two years after switching my sablay in the opposite direction, that still has not happened. And so, despite all my travel plans, I hope to still spare extra moolah to get my class ring at the end of the year.
8. Extra job & save. My list looks very ambitious, even to me. One way it can be realistic is if I have the funding I need to make all these possible. I am already very blessed with my job now...but it would not hurt to moonlight (maybe home-based/part time) to help in paying the bills. :)

With a bucket list full of ideas and hopes, a sound mind and a relatively able body, I shall conquer 2011 with a smile in my face!:)