No Money, Mo Problem

You know that point in your yuppy life when you experience having to forego buying that lovely top on the boutique window or that killer car accessory you’ve been eyeing for months? Or how about that sleek black gadget you sooo want to have before the quarter ends? In short, it’s that time when you’re broke. Think: savings account in rock-bottom, overdue bills in deferred payment mode, and shopping for even the most affordable find could very well be the least among your priorities. B-R-O-K-E is that word which yours truly can sooo relate to these days.

Well, I’m never new to this kind of circumstances. Fact is, ever since I entered graduate school my budget has always been, err, in a sort-of rollercoaster trend. But I’m entirely to blame, for while I’m spending money on what could be a good long-term investment, there are one too many times when giving in to a certain luho gets the better of me. And then my so-called Broke Days would kick in, lasting until the next payday and then my days seem brighter again. But not this time. There will be some major changes that’s gonna happen really soon, and while I won’t divulge on the details here, I can tell you this much: it’s gonna be one hell of a sixty-day tipid mode for me for I am literally broke and I can only convince myself that this, too, shall pass. *sigh*

It’s damn hard, and while I’m only down to Day 5/60, I can already feel the frustration kicking in. I’m sure you know the feeling. Hey, I’m a girl and while I’m not exactly what you can call a shopaholic, there are a LOT of things I wanna get my hands on right now – new lens for my DSLR, new pairs of shoes and new clothes, a new designer bag, travel around the country and around Asia, a new car (Okay, maybe scratch that one for now), try out this famous buffet everyone’s been raving about… and the list goes on and on. But I had to check myself back to reality. Mike told me once when our Palawan trip was cancelled that he hoped “something good will come of this”. Well, I hope so, too. And I’m pretty sure it will. After all, I see it as another one of those life’s lessons learned the hard way. Take note: ‘hard’ is the operative word.

Decisions, Decisions

Changes come when you least expect it. But change comes in two forms. The first one is the subtle kind – one that stands and waits at your doorstep while you flip a coin and make the decision to either let it in or slam the door in its face. The other kind is the one that’s a lot more brutal and less considerate; it comes without warning and you just wake up one day and everything’s not how they used to be. In other words, you’re left with no choice but to sink or swim. Go ahead, take your pick. Although it’s not really much of a choice, just like how the wind chooses which direction it blows. I dunno. I guess change just comes.

And change did knock on my door that Wednesday afternoon. Of course, it had to wait for me to decide if I was gonna welcome it or not. And welcome it with open arms I will. But it’s nothing like an overnight decision. But eventually I had to give an answer. You know, it’s not a bad omen to really think about something before giving it a shot. Thinking is way too different from doubt. Thinking is a process, a sure proof that your mind is not as dense as you perceive it to be, and that you actually have the nerve to consider whatever options are available. Doubt, on the other hand, is that nagging feeling at the back of your head that maybe, something’s not right or should not be.

So if you ask me if I have doubts about the decision I made, I’d say none. Why? Well, because maybe I knew what I wanted all along; that I’ve made my decision a long time ago and just needed something – some sign or whatever – to fortify that decision. And this could be it. Life’s a gamble anyway, so why back out now? Change is peeking in, and I’m letting it in.

Despite The Thursday Rain...

1. My mom and I were able to have a quiet and simple celebration of my dad’s 60th birthday which, hopefully, would be the last time when he won’t be around to celebrate his birthday following his retirement this year. (Welcome to the Senior Citizens Club, dad! ^_^). It was a simple lunch at Mann Hann, which has always been our family’s choice of good and affordable Chinese deli that’s head-to-head with North Park as far as my family’s food choices are concerned. *burp*

2. I was able to watch the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on its opening day in La-Z-Boy fashion – something that has become a crusade for me since I fell in love to everything and anything Harry Potter. Okay, I won’t even spill spoilers lest I want to disappoint those who’ll be watching the flick in the succeeding days without having read the books. Still, if you’re one who’s looking for some hardcore wizarding action, then don’t even bother enduring the almost-three-hour movie that’s mostly talkies and raging hormones from the adolescent wizards. And no, don’t even compare it with Transformers II: Revenge of the Fallen because obviously, the two movies are both very good BUT are VERY (and I mean VERY) different I terms of theme, plot, and audience. The only common denominator is, well, both lead actors are my crushes! ^_^

Still on HP6 hangover ^_^

3. It was a good day. :)

HK Sojourn Day 4: La Vida Macau

And so the last day of my so-called Hong Kong sojourn with Cassey culminates with a day tour of Macau – a place I call Asia’s Little Europe.

Now, don’t even expect me to get started on how we got to Macau in the first place; to be honest, I’m not exactly proud of how my system fared during the hour-long ferry ride from Macau Ferry Harbour via Turbo Jet. Trust me, it was not my best moment.

Macau is simply beautiful. True, its streets may not be abuzzed with the hustle and bustle of yuppies going to and from work just like in Hong Kong, but somehow Macau has got a charm of its own that would make anyone want to go back the second, third, fourth, or nth time.

We only had less than eight hours to explore the city, so Cassey and I wasted no time in taking in as much of it as we could, squeezing in a bit more of pasalubong shopping and photo ops along the Ruins of St. Paul. Now speaking of pasalubong, don’t miss out on dropping by Pasteleria Koi Kei, for it is one of the most famous home-grown bakeries in Macau just like Philippines’ very own Eng Bee Tin in Binondo. Trust me, their Portuguese egg tarts - something of a notable local specialty – is a must-try. They have other native delicacies as well, mostly cookies of the assorted kind, which comes in neat boxes that should fare well enough during the travel back to Pinas. I know ours did. ^_^

Of course, a day tour in Macau would not be complete without dropping by the infamous Venetian Macao – home to a grand casino, and the gondola rides underneath the delicate ceiling that’s a close replica of the actual Venetian skies. It was a most picture-worthy scene for anyone who has a camera – compact or otherwise – with him that time. As for the gondola ride, we just couldn’t afford a leisurely time with the singing gondoliers because we need to hurry back to Hong Kong for a dinner with friends that night. Too bad. But Cassey and I did vow to ourselves that hopefully we’d fly back to Macau for a longer rendezvous. Oh, and it better be before the summer sale ends by September. ^_^

Asia's very own Little Europe

Until we meet again...

So there. Four days hopping to and fro on that other side of the South China Sea. Sometimes we all need a little break – a time to pause and break out of the routine that’s that usual eight-to-five for us to regain focus; a breather. Hong Kong, for me, would be one of those places I’d love to go back to sometime soon enough, just as long as my budget allows it. As for Macau, well, who knows? It may very well be our next destination soon enough. All I can say is, “Let’s see…”

HK Sojourn Day 3: Finding Mickey

Since Patrick and Elisha were both off to work that Monday, it was up to me, Cassey, and Jhun to figure out how on earth are we gonna get to Disneyland Resort. Mind you, we were all first-timers! Luckily, we made it in one piece, thanks to some useful instructions from Tita Minda before we left the house.

After purchasing our park tickets, we immediately got busy with lots of photo ops beginning at the entrance all the way to Main Street, where most of the souvenir shops were located. Following Main Street, our trio was off to Fantasyland and, at this point, I was about to commit one serious offense in photography – I didn’t charge my camera battery that night thinking the battery would last the entire day at the theme park. Well, you can only guess what’s bound to happen next. With all the posing and clicking, my camera eventually gave out by the time we were exploring Tarzan’s Tree House in Adventureland. Jhun’s camera died out as well, and the last one standing was Cassey’s ever-reliable pink digital camera. Oh, the tragedy of the dying battery!

Posing while Mickey does some surfin' up ^_^

Now what can I say about Hong Kong Disneyland? I’m a bit disappointed, actually. I was actually seeking out more thrilling and daredevil rides (Save, maybe, for the Space Mountain ride in Tomorrowland.), plus the fact that there were no shows nor a parade somehow made the experience a bit less jovial. The fireworks display was a bit of a consolation toward the end, though. And yes, the MTR Disneyland Resort Line was one fun experience as well – very Mickey Mouse-y!

(Thanks to Cassey for the fun pics) When you wish upon a star...

At this point, I only had enough HKD for the Macau trip the next day. You think it will get me through until our departure back to Clark?

(To be continued...)

HK Sojourn Day 2: 3M (Malls, Movie, and Market)

Sunday.

For the early part of the day, I had to explore the city on solo since Cassey had Sunday church service until late in the afternoon that day. So I took the 30-minute MTR ride to Mongkok, where I stayed and did some window shopping and photo ops at Langham Place – a mall that’s adjacent to the hotel and rises at 13 floors high. Since I had liberal amount of time to spare, I decided to watch a movie, and what better choice of flick to watch other than Transformers II: Revenge of the Fallen?

Third row from screen... goodluck to me!

Allow me a bit of segue about the movie. I.SO.VERY.MUCH.LOVED.IT!!! Of course, the whole Shia LeBeouf-Megan Fox thing was a big factor for me BUT the movie in its entirety deserves a five-star rating in all august opinion. The movie’s got it all – wicked and sexy humor, a touch of human drama, hard-core metallic action between the Autobots and Decepticons, plus the musical scoring was one hell to die for. Seriously. I recommend that if you’ve nothing to do and you’ve got broadband access, better get a copy of the OST. Truly a two-thumbs-up! ^_^

"Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing..." -Optimus Prime

At the end of the day, my mall tripping wasn’t at all that worthless, for I was able to buy this really cute kitty cat stuff from one of the shops where they’d let you choose the pieces or ornaments you want and they would gladly glue them all together for you in a bit of half an hour. ‘Love it! ^_^

A day in Langham. Bow.

Meow! ^_^

Later that night, I met up with Cassey, Elisha, and Jhun, while Patrick caught up a few minutes later. It was time for some night market action, and as usual my girl’s got her hands full with a couple of new shoes on sale. I, on the other hand, ended up buying this really cute shoulder bag at some stall in one of the nearby malls. The seller would never let me have it for more than HKD 20 off, so I just had to give in because I couldn’t get my hands off the lovely thing. As Cassey puts it, it was one of those rare occasions when I’d end up buying something with her in tow. Nevertheless, I was happy with the purchase even If I had to let go of a few more shilling than I originally intended to.

Dinner with friends at Mongkok

Night Market Scene

We were all drained and dead tired during the ride back home. Elisha and Patrick still had work the other day, so Cassey and I were really dyahe that they accompanied us on our night market shopping spree. Oh, and the weather was still a bit gloomy the entire day but I guess a bit more of the sun was beginning to show up compared to last time. The next day was supposed to be Disney Day, yey!

(To be continued…)

HK Sojourn Day 1: Pre-Departure Tales and Gray Skies

Before going any further with my blog, I would suggest my readers to read my girl’s side of the story here.

Done?

Okay, here goes my fair share of the story…

Now, I’m used to the whole early-morning travel thingies as well as staying awake ‘round the clock to go off on some out-of-town sojourn, be it locally or – in this case – overseas. But never, AS IN NEVER had I imagined that this particular sojourn of mine with my girl would be a bit of an adventure that’s as stylish as a ride on a rented semi-worn out jeepney could get. But I guess you probably have the idea in your minds already after reading Cassey’s blog. Funny thing was, it’s as if everything that could go wrong DID go wrong that day - from Cassey having had to spend extended hours at Mandaluyong office on a Friday (Which explains why we weren’t able to catch the Pasay-Clark Airport express bus that day), her credit card getting stuck in the ATM machine after we met up at RCBC tower, the pocket money which she forgot at the last minute (Thank goodness she remembered it while the taxi was only a couple of distance away from their place!), down to the DMIA immigration staff who were not so amiable as they asked her what seemed like a dozen questions as if my friend was conspicuously dressed like a terrorist. Seriously! In connection with this, let me just segue that flying via DMIA is never a wise idea; better opt for NAIA anytime over DMIA if you have the luxury of choosing.

And so we were off to Hong Kong we were around 7:20 via Cebu pacific on a clear Saturday sky.

Destination: Hong Kong baby! ^_^

Oh, did I just mention ‘clear sky’? Apparently the phrase was only applicable in the Philippines, for Hong Kong that time was blanketed in grays with occasional heavy downpour. So much for our first day.

We arrived in Hong Kong International Airport almost ten minutes late than the original flight schedule. After going through the usual immigration process and having a couple of USD’s exchanged for HKD’s, we met up with Patrick, Cassey’s friend, who helped us with our luggage all the way to their home, where we’ll be staying at for the next couple of days while we’re in HK. Theirs was a pretty cozy place located in Tseung Kwan O in Kowloon, strategically located in-between malls, bus stops, the MTR station, residential buildings, and LOTS more residential buildings. After unpacking our stuff and resting up a bit, he gave us a brief tour of the city and some MTR 101 as well. (Honestly, the MTR + Octopus Card are two of the reasons why I love HK!). Later in the afternoon, we met up with Elisha, Patrick’s younger sib, and went back to their place lest we’ll be caught in the hovering Hong Kong rain. Oh, and Cassey and I snuck out to grab some McDonald’s for dinner later that night since Cassey was on some serious crave mode for Sausage McMuffin. I, on the other hand, indulged into a double strawberry sundae. So much for healthy eating, eh?

(Thanks to Cassey for these pics.) Clockwise from top-left: Face-masked ladies; enjoying my piece of Hong Kong-style siomai; posing by the Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground; our first MTR ride with Patrick. ^_^

Well, that’s it for Day 1 of our Hong Kong rendezvous. At this point, I was seriously crossing my fingers for bluer skies the next day. What do you think? ^_^

(To be continued…)