My Life In Manggachupoy Street

Manny Does It Again!

2008-12-11T13:41:00.004+08:00

photo grabbed from bbc.com.uk

i know this is late but i just had to blog it.

it was really awesome how manny pacquiao beat oscar dela hoya on the non-title bout last sunday.
it was labeled a mismatched in favor of dela hoya but who would have thought that it was the other way around?

watching the fight was really not much of a thrill as dela hoya wasn't throwing any punches against pacquiao.
he just let himself be clobbered by a smaller guy.

good job for pacquiao and his coach freddie roach for preparing for this fight. as for dela hoya i guess they were too confident and didn't much prepare for a strategy or fight plan. probably just relied on being able to land a powerful punch to keep pacquiao dizzy for the rest of the fight.

too bad. the fight ended(TKO) with oscar his face battered and bruised while manny with no bruises in his face at all.

but i have to give credit to dela hoya for being humble and approached pacquiao's corner as soon as his coach announced that they had enough.
when interviewed this was what the mexican fighter said,

"He was the better man. He deserves all the accolades."
"If it's not your night and a true champion defeats you... there is still another day tomorrow."

Ayannah Meisha's Christening

2008-11-24T15:35:00.007+08:00

yesterday we trooped to san fernando, pampanga for the christening of Ayannah Meisha. ayannah's mom, noanne is a very dear friend of mine when we were in asiana til she transferred to emirates.

as expected we were late again and we weren't able to attend the church ceremony.

aqi had a field day running around the clubhouse and park while i was busy chatting with friends.

this is Ayannah Meisha M. Baluyut... isn't she an angel?

at 1 month ayannah looks like her dad which the mom hopefully wishes that it would change and look like her in the future.

aqi with sleeping ayannah

hubby, aqi ,me, kristian, ayannah, noanne, dulce and alvin
too bad we missed one more friend who wasn't able to make it coz her daughter was just recovering from a digestive problem. this picture would have been complete.

Alpahabet Song

2008-11-19T20:29:00.002+08:00

overheard a yaya with her alaga,

yaya: "kanta tayo! eh-be-se-de-e-ep-je..."

poor baby....

2nd Anniversary

2008-11-18T00:46:00.002+08:00

happy 2nd anniversary hugsy.... ilove you.

Sports Clothing as the It Thing to Wear?

2008-11-17T00:15:00.003+08:00

there are a lot of rules in fashion but at the end of the day it all boils down on dressing for one's own comfort and individualizing each outfit to stand out from the crowd and making it your own.

The Future MasterBaker

2008-11-12T15:07:00.003+08:00

let me tell you that the kitchen was never my territory.
my hubby does waaaayyy better than me in being a domesticated person.

last week i saw a simple recipe on how to make shortbread cookies. it just had 3 ingredients and said to myself that i can do that. the steps seems fairly easy so i decided to make some the other night.

the verdict? hubby says i have a future in baking! the cookies were pretty good and it reminded him of lengua de gato.
aawww.... i felt so happy hearing this..... a future in baking.....
just need more practice. practice. practice.
i can do that!
i'll make some tonight.

My Brother's Psychic Ticket to Fame

2008-11-08T22:34:00.003+08:00

last week was the season for tv programs to feature supernatural stories for their halloween special.

Matanglawin hosted by Kim Atienza had a topic about a haunted house somewhere in (i forgot). together with him to make it more spooky were The Spirit Questors, a group of young, pyschic volunteers, who communicate with human and non-human entities.
everybody in our household waited for this program not because of the story but because Juno, my brother is a spirit questor. yup... his 10 minutes of fame. he even had a spirit stand behind him. creepy!

and oh we also saw them again on another program Chillspot on the ETC channel.

that's about it!

My Closet=The Tambyolo

2008-11-08T00:06:00.004+08:00

i have been very busy lately trying to clear out the clutter that is my closet.
Hubby says it's like a tambyolo for the grand draw wherein you just rely on your luck to get a piece of clothing that you want.
it's taking me daaaayyysss to organize it because i can't let go of some or most of my stuff. it's funny how i feel that way as some of my stuff i haven't used for years and the other half of it i totally forgot that i had them in the first place!

A Trip to the UK (ay-ukay)

2008-11-06T00:14:00.001+08:00

Guess what I found in an ukay-ukay store!

My hubby who is an ukay-ukay addict dragged me to this shop to look for some thermal outfits. I wasn't planning to buy anything but my eyes sparkled when I was able to unearthed these 3 beautiful items:

a black halter jumper
a white sequined top
and an original LV Saumur bag

All of the items were in good condition. I just had to buy them!

Well I still had to haggle some more with the bag and kept on looking at it to check if its the real thing. I was skeptic at first but my hubby insisted that the lining, straps and the markings were just like my Montorgueil.
We haggled some more and got it for a good price.

Now I'm keeping my eyes wide open the next time my hubby drags me there coz I just might find me a vintage Chanel.

Trick or Treat!

2008-10-31T22:02:00.006+08:00

for a 1 year old the whole trick or treat experience was for the parents- especially the MOM- ahem... who so excitedly dressed their little bundle of joy with the child having no choice as to what costume he would like to wear. poor little babies... hehehe...

for aqi's first trick or treat experience we took him to sm southmall, a stone's throw away from our house. he was dressed as a dragon which i got on sale at old navy.

the costume was not presko as it was designed for use in the US but aqi was such a trooper because he didn't attempt to struggle his way out of his costume. he was game with doing the trick or treating while the parents and the yaya enjoying every minute of it.

we decided to eat when we sensed that aqi was already tired and rest he did. as we were giving our orders at kenny roger's aqi was already sleeping in yaya's arms. i think we stayed there for an hour and a half just to have a comfortable place (meaning strong aircon) to stay while aqi napped. he never slept that long in a mall before.

let me leave you a picture of us after aqi woke up- recharged and ready for more kalikutan!

Show Me Your Uvula!

2008-10-21T01:08:00.007+08:00

we noticed that aqi has a signature smile- head tilted a little backward, squinting eyes and a very big ( i-can-see-your-uvula) smile.
where did he get it? we really do not know.

2008-10-20T23:39:00.005+08:00

yesterday we visited Del Monte, Malabon the place where hubby spent his childhood days til he was 7 years old. he would always tell me stories of those days wherein he would just be like any filthy street kid hanging-on to jeepneys passing by and relieving himself of pee and poop along the shallow canals beside the houses.

i have lived in the south all my life so the very long trip was enjoyable for me. it was my first time to reach Monumento!

aqi also enjoyed the visit because the place where we stayed was a busy thoroughfare. there were a lot of kids loitering outside and there were just so many things to look at. aqi was fond of looking at the talipapa and was staring at the lady chopping meat and even wanted to touch the longganissa hanging by her stall.

aqi being aqi was still a snob (especially to his lola) but surprisingly he willingly with outstretched arms went to one of hubby's distant relative and giggled to this man's antics. it was such a funny sight!

let me leave you with a picture of aqi with his cousins

nazh, thor, thea and my hyper aqi

Seoul Survivor

2008-10-18T01:03:00.016+08:00

i've been living in and out of seoul for 7 years and admittedly i have taken it for granted.
i have never truly seen the beauty of the city and have just contented myself with subway trips to kangnam or ehwa university and the usual bus routes from the airport to the hotel.

so to prepare myself for my final days in korea i decided to take a downtown tour via the Seoul Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour.
this bus tour costs just around 10,00won or around $9 and goes around 26 popular tourist spots. you can hop off at any destination and hop on again at anytime. some of the major sites this goes to are the National Museum of Korea which is the 6th largest museum in the world, The War Memorial of Korea, Namsangol Traditional Korean Village, N Seoul Tower, Gyeongbokgung Palace and the National Folk Museum.

i wasn't able to go down at all the stops because i ran out of time! i would have loved to go inside the National Museum and take some photos outside as the place is so beautiful. i also missed some photo ops at the War Memorial which is so grand with all its monuments and aircraft on display.

since i was touring alone i was always on the lookout for surfaces to prop my camera to set in on the timer. surprisingly i was able to get good shots and crappy ones from well-meaning strangers offering to take my picture( i am such an ingrate). it's so disappointing how people can be so poor in organizing a shot. they'd always focus on the person being shot and not the view! geez... i could have taken my picture at home and tell the whole world i was in paris!
let me show you an example

crappy shot

with a use of a timer

i'm so bummed out that i wasn't able to bring the charger of my new canon camera( which is a pasalubong from hubby) so i settled on using my trusty old casio camera which never failed me on its battery life but would always give me sub-par shots. being submerged in icy cold water in Yosemite has something to do with it though but that's another story.at the Namsangol Traditional Korean Village (with the timer)

inside a traditional house

at the National Folk Museum (again with the timer)

gotta fit in the picture!

at the Gyeongbokgung Palace

a building facade, cute huh?

a cover-up for a construction in the middle of a busy thoroughfare

Happy Hyper Birthday!

2008-10-17T00:18:00.012+08:00

we had a party for Aqi last saturday at Madre di Portofino Clubhouse and it was fun! fun! fun!
The Chubster was our host and magician and Partytime Philippines was our caterer and venue decorator. they did great!

aqi surprised us again as he didn't throw any tantrums during the party unlike what happened 3 months ago during Aidan's party he refused to enter the party room in Shakey's and cried his heart out at every attempt to enter the room.
i guess it shows that my son is maturing alright. atta boy!
it's a work in progress though as he still snobs and refuses to interact with other people- even his lola(hubby's mom)- but he's very friendly with kids.

gotta give aqi some credit as he was lively and energetic all throughout the party. his spirit was up and about until we left the clubhouse at 9pm. but by the time we stepped in the car after only a couple of minutes he was dozing off in my arms.

more pictures here at my brother's site.

click here for aqi and his balloon video.

Aqi's 1st Birthday

2008-10-15T21:12:00.016+08:00

we had a simple feast on aqi's actual birthday.
hubby prepared all the dishes and it was absolutely YUMmm-MY!
my gosh i ate a lot as it was an ala- Almon Marina menu:

the melt-in-your-mouth Cheesecake Factory cheesecake uh-hmm

creamy shrimp pesto

grilled garlic chicken

hungarian sausages and schubligs

Aqi's First Haircut

2008-10-15T15:39:00.004+08:00

aqi had his first haircut on his birthday last friday.
hubby had to cut some of aqi's hair to follow his elders pamahiin to keep the baby's first haircut and keep it in a book. you can actually choose what book to keep it in and hopefully the baby will be a genius of that subject in the future. i kept aqi"s hair in 3 books: a Bible, an algebra book and hubby insisted on putting it in a Tom Clancy hardbound book to hopefully make aqi fond of reading.

surprisingly aqi was well-behaved during the haircut. he was a bit fidgety but that was okay because we expected him to wail and cry.

hubby holding aqi during the haircut

mohawk courtesy of the dad

Couch Potatoes--Rejoice!

2008-10-06T09:39:00.004+08:00

i am such a couch potato.
i have a lot of books that's waiting to be opened because automatically i would always reach for the remote and watch TV all day long.
it pisses me off when my next destination doesn't have the program or channel that i religously follow.
i guess i need to choose all my flights because Fall TV Season has begun!

what tv program are you looking forward to? let me know!

Moving On

2008-10-04T00:11:00.003+08:00

i did it.

i have officially submitted my resignation paper and i've got 3 more flights to go before i become a stay-at-home mom.
i received a good amount of crappy advice from the male overseas crew manager when i submitted the paper and said that quitting a job to be a housewife is not a wise thing to do. a lot of korean crew who quit the job to be a housewife regretted their decision of doing so and that being a housewife would mean being stagnant and lessens the opportunity to grow as a person.

WHAT??!!

being a non-korean crew in this company is the same as his description of a housewife- STAGNANT.

in the 8 years that i've been with the company they only increased our salary twice(by a mere $50) and the chances of promotion are close to none. oh but before i forget they did try to promote some of us seniors to business class duty, and it was the first time in history, that it was received by mixed reactions by some of the korean crew. some liked it and some thought that we had no place in their territory. they respect us filipina crew as exceptional employees but that was about it. even if i'm the most senior in the flight they would always go for the next korean senior. we actually don't have a voice. so where's the growth in that?

yes i would miss the travel and earning my own keep and being able to shop everywhere but i wouldn't have it any other way. eversince i could remember i have never imagined myself as a working mom. i'd like to be the kind of mom who is always there for her kids and understands them in all of their phases. i'd like to be the one to teach them good values as well as their ABC's.
i'd like to be the one to witness all of their firsts and be there on every special occasion there is.

the finances would take a toll but that is hubby's problem. it's time for him to be the breadwinner this time and me to be finally be a MOM.

Omuto Tomato

2008-09-24T02:11:00.010+08:00

for dinner i decided to eat at Omuto Tomato-- nope they don't specialize in tomato dishes but in Omurice. Omurice is nothing less but japanese omelet rice, an omelet with fried rice filling. in this restaurant they have around 20 variants of omurice. i was really drooling for the seafood cheese stick omurice but the server said that they ran out of it already so i settled for the burger omurice which is around 8,900won($7).
together with my dish were pickles and radish kimchi.

i know... i know it doesn't look appealing but when you're in korea this one thing that a foreigner would appreciate.

i ate the whole thing off and it was good but i was not satisfied because i was thinking of the dish that i initially ordered which i saw from their display window was drowning in cream sauce...uh-hhmmm.

Visual Talking

2008-09-24T01:25:00.000+08:00

A Corn-y Post

2008-09-23T01:38:00.005+08:00

i've just recently discovered this Corn Loaf bread from Gardenia on a grocery trip on my layover in singapore.
it's smells corn-y (no pun intended, bwaha!).
the bread is as usual consistently soft just like other Gardenia loaves and yummy with corn bits all over.
i'd recommend this variant as it is light and can go well with any palaman.

Funny Hotel Name

2008-09-22T22:57:00.001+08:00

Get the Message?

2008-09-19T23:07:00.003+08:00

Isn't her shirt amusing?
i'll upload more next time.

Interline Tickets and Waffle Shop

2008-09-17T05:01:00.010+08:00

it was my day off today but had to lift my lazy butt out of bed to buy hubby's return ticket to manila. (we would've saved a lot more if he went h0me early before his original return ticket expired).
we decided to get a confirmed interline ticket from china airlines to avoid the hassle of being on standby but almost fell off the floor when i was given the price. i had to pay around $450 for that freaking return ticket from new york to manila. and now i'm contemplating if i should've bought the cathay pacific interline ticket which would've cost around $100. but it's a standby ticket BUT cathay pacific has around 3 flights a day out of new york. surely they would have an empty seat in one of those flights, right?
oh well, hubby deserves to go home without any stress. he has had enough of that.

i stumbled upon a hole in the wall waffle shop near our hotel. it's a takeout counter but can sit 2-3 people inside. it's a cute shop and me thinks i want to do this in manila.i ordered the pork cutlet waffle. so it's just like ordering a sandwhich but instead of bread waffle is used. the price was quite reasonable at 2thousand won($2) and it was quite filling. it's the same novelty as buying in Plato Wraps.their menu consists of waffle with jam (choose between strawberry, orange,melon and choco), waffle with ice cream( walnut, bluberry and grape) waffle with egg, waffle with chicken cutlet, pork cutlet or shrimp cutlet.

i think i'll be coming back for more to taste all of their yummy waffle sandwhich plus the ajumas (old lady) manning the shop were very nice. and oh they have pictures that showed that they were featured on tv. yay!

Last Song Syndrome

2008-09-15T23:26:00.001+08:00

A Sweet Note from A Passenger

2008-09-15T20:07:00.004+08:00

a passenger travelling with his kid gave me a picture of his son with this written at the back. it made the my 10 hour work worthwhile.

Pigging Out

2008-09-15T18:30:00.010+08:00

i have bee PIGGING OUT lately which signals my monthly period to make its visit in about a couple of days.
just had a layover in LA and couldn't believe i ate a lot - and slept after that too!
it started 3 hours before the flight I ate a Bibimbap meal in the office cafeteria and since it was Chuseok (Thanksgiving) Holiday in korea they also serve Tteok (korean rice cake). i ate them all! during the flight i also ate another Bibimbap meal. when we landed in LA as soon as we arrived the hotel i got out and went to The Grove to go shop. didn't notice that it was getting dark already so i decided to just go back to the hotel and buy takeout from Carl's jr (was surprised to learn that Carl's jr. is already listed in Zagat). i got the Prime Rib Burger and ate it inside my room. while enjoying my meal i started to get sleepy, obviously because i have been up for more than 24hours already and i have just to roll my eyes for prioritizing shopping than resting.
what a slob! i fell asleep after i finished my (heavy) burger. i woke up after 4 hours in the middle of the night and started to munch on some Milano milk chocolate cookies.

now i just brought 1 pair of skinny jeans for my 3 flights.
i'll be a butete for a week!

Tteok

Bibimbap (airplane food)

Carl's jr. Prime Rib Burger

Milano Milk Chocolate Cookies

Aqi at 11 Months

2008-09-11T22:19:00.003+08:00

we celebrated aqi's 11month with pizza and cake.
as you can see he looks so serious. remember he has stranger anxiety and we finally accepted that he is a moody baby.
this was his reaction when i asked everyone at home to sing a happy birthday to him in preparation for his party. ika nga di mo maipinta ang mukha. we knew he wanted to cry but we were all familiar faces that probably prevented him from throwing a fit.

Friendship Tag

2008-09-11T22:05:00.002+08:00

i got a friendship tag from sherryl. thanks!

We need friends for many reasons,

all throughout the season.

We need friends to comfort us

when we are sad,

and to have fun with us

when we are glad.

We need friends to give us good advice,

We need someone we can count on,

and treat us nice.

We need friends to remember us

once we have passed

sharing memoriesthat will always last.

Spread the poem of friendship. 1. Everyday Life 2. Words of Love 3. Sheng's Simple Thoughts . . . 4. good thoughts, good trades 5. Ours and Our Kids 6. Our Family Adventure! 7. My Life In Manggachupoy Street 8.You!

i'm passing this to cyril, dulce and noanne.

A Perfect Blend of Friendship Award

2008-09-11T21:36:00.002+08:00

Awarded to me by Sheryll
Awarded: Mai Yen Suzanne Clark & Butchay's Blog MommyBa's Journey Hope This Helps You by Mec Popcorn's Thoughts Our Family Adventure! My Life In Manggachupoy Street Your blog where you posted this

I'm awarding this to Joy and Chell

Spread The Christmas Spirit

2008-09-11T21:03:00.003+08:00

to kick start the BER season let me start with the tag i got from jannesse.

Here's what you gotta do:

It's so simple. Copy the photo below then write your blog and your wish this Christmas 2008. Your wish has to be something PRICELESS and SELF- LESS... something that money can't buy... something that another person will treasure dearly.

1. Bits and Pieces by Jan :: I wish Gino and I will be able to convince friends to help us sponsor a simple Christmas party for the children of White Cross Children's Home in San Juan.

2. The Wifey Diaries by Jannesse : My birthday falls on the 22nd of December. I have always wished to spend it with orphaned or abandoned kids. I'd be super happy to spend my birthday with them. That way, they get early Christmas presents from me. Oh, and can I wish for a baby, too? Please?

3. My Life In Manggachupoy Street: To be able to finally FINALLY use my "Charity" coin bank. I've been keeping a coin bank that I promised myself that I'll use it to feed street kids come christmas time. It has been full with 5-peso coins for a long time now (that's how long it is already. it has been full way before the 10-peso coin was in full circulation). For 6 years i have always been working during the christmas season that by the time i get home during the new years i tend to forget about my plan and i try to catch up on what was left of all the festivities.

I'm now passing this on to candishh, joy and chell.

Cool Slogan Shirt by Cebuana Lhuillier

2008-09-02T23:39:00.005+08:00

i was in the subway when i saw a korean guy wearing thisi wonder how'd he get that shirt?
was he one of the korean students who studied english in our country and shopped in an ukay-ukay store? go figure.

Welcome September!

2008-09-02T06:58:00.002+08:00

welcome to SEPTEMBER everyone!
it's the start of the -BER months once again and 113 days to go before christmas.
this month is usually my signal to start saving double time for the christmas season.
this quarter also starts the significant dates of my life,
october - my son's birthday and my dad's too
november - our wedding anniversary and hubby's birthday
december - christmas
january - me and my brother's birthday

so it's four months of non-stop special occasions. go for broke! hehehe....

Gucci..Gucci...Ayayayay...(to the tune of Lady Marmalade)

2008-08-29T05:39:00.003+08:00

a couple of korean girls probably in their mid-twenties were the last to board the aircraft to our flight to singapore. with a number of duty free shopping bags in tow they most probably had a shopping frenzy of designer items while waiting for the flight. you see, a korean traveler psyche is like this: they not only save up for the trip but they also save a LOT of moolah for the shopping in duty free shops inside incheon international airport. before the start of their trip they have already parted with thousands of dollars already buying a gucci bag, cartier watch and chanel sunnies.
anyway back to my story, less than 5 minutes after they boarded a girl came rushing back to the door and said she was missing one shopping bag.
too bad we really had to leave ( do i sense some mocking here, hehehe) and can't delay the flight just for her.
by the way, you know what was inside the shopping bag? A freaking GUCCI BAG!!!!

2008-08-29T04:36:00.007+08:00

early this year hubby dropped and broke my bobbi brown shimmer bric compact. so for the longest time i have been using thisi thought i can live with it, with the broken pieces and all, but the small pieces and the ones that has broken down into powdered form leaks out of the case and just scatters its way in my makeup bag.
good thing i had a singapore flight this week and the cosmetics at the airport duty free there are quite cheaper plus airline crew get 5% off.

BETTER!

Toddling Aqi

2008-08-26T01:38:00.003+08:00

i was browsing through my brother's multiply site when i saw an updated post--pictures of aqi!
i was teary-eyed when i saw the pictures... probably because it's been 11 days since i last saw him and seeing him even only in pictures brings me overwhelming joy.

the last time i was at home he was toddling his way around the house with a lampin around his chest for support. for a brief moment he took 2 steps without support and that was because i was so ngalay from holding him. i didn't tell it to the yaya because she might try it.

View From My Window

2008-08-26T01:11:00.003+08:00

this was the view from my hotel room window.
this is i think the best hotel that the company has billeted us. nice huh?

5th Best Airline In The World

2008-08-25T20:10:00.007+08:00

oh wow.... we ranked 5th on the world airline awards plus we bagged World's Best Cabin Staff and the Best Economy Class award!
there is still more room for improvement like fluent english speaking (korean) cabin crew perhaps? miscommunication is always a problem.
but then again if they learn to speak english fluently then they wouldn't need any more filipina crew. yikes.

news article from
http://www.airlinequality.com/news/110808_airlineawards.htm

2008 WORLD AIRLINE AWARDS ANNOUNCED

SINGAPORE AIRLINES NAMED AIRLINE OF THE YEAR IN WORLD AIRLINE AWARDS

LONDON, 11th August 2008

"For the 3rd time in 10 years, Singapore Airlines has been named World's Best Airline, winning the 2008 Airline of the Year title in the latest World Airline Awards" said Edward Plaisted (CEO of Skytrax). "We extend our congratulations to them for this notable achievement, coinciding with the time that Singapore Airlines was the world's first airline to fly the Airbus A380."

Over 15 million eligible survey interviews were completed during the 11 month Survey period. From Seoul to Sao Paulo, Copenhagen to Cape Town, the scale and breadth of the 2008 survey further strengthens the well-established reputation as the World's Largest Passenger Survey.

Singapore Airlines also collected the Award for Best Business Class in a very competitive section of the survey. "Business Class standards continue to be upgraded by airlines across the world, and Singapore Airlines managed to retain their title amidst this growing level of competition" said Edward Plaisted. "It is the whole business class package that is evaluated, from airport lounges, ground services to the quality of cabin seating, inflight entertainment, catering and of course the cabin staff service."

Cathay Pacific takes 2nd place overall in the 2008 Awards (up from 3rd in 2007), and picks up the Award for World's best First Class, giving due recognition to their new onboard 1st Class product and service concept.

Qantas is ranked 3rd worldwide (5th in 2007) and collects the Award for Best First Class Lounge - achieved in a period where the airline has seen competition ramped up both in its domestic and regional market. "The global rating for Qantas is interesting" says Edward Plaisted. "When we look at more localised studies, reporting etc, we found that Qantas comes under fire from some media that clearly contradicts a more widespread view of Qantas customers that voted for the airline in the survey. We do find that many countries flag-carrier airlines suffer fairly vitriolic levels of reporting in their local regions, and the airline industry remains a business that some areas of the press seem to love-to-hate!"

"Another closely contested Survey category, the Best First Class Lounge Award is a true recognition of top-end quality being delivered, and Qantas have set a clear benchmark with their First Class facilities at Sydney Airport. This lounge in Sydney is the flagship for Qantas. Designed by Australian Marc Newson, the lounge concept for both product and staff service has been modelled around the finest quality you would expect to find in a 5-star hotel or restaurant, and the best part is that the concept is being so well delivered by Qantas" added Plaisted.

Thai Airways maintained a strong ranking, placed 4th worldwide (2nd in 2007) together with picking up 4th place in the Best Cabin Staff section of the Awards.

Asiana Airlines was one of the biggest improvers across the 2008 results, ranked 5th worldwide (up from 12th in 2007), as well as taking the sought-after World's Best Cabin Staff Award and also collecting the Award for Best Economy Class. "This is clearly an airline on the move upwards" says Edward Plaisted. "Smaller than it's national counterpart Korean Air, Asiana Airlines are developing an ever-increasing level of customer support, achieving some of the highest levels of customer satisfaction across today's airline industry. Some innovative cabin service concepts clearly contribute towards their success, but it is more apparent that Asiana Airlines is gaining a worldwide reputation based on the concept of superb customer service."

A Scene from a Flight to India

2008-08-20T21:48:00.002+08:00

the scene of the crime

this happened sometime 2005 on a flight from seoul to new delhi.
i was doing my customary walk-around-the-cabin thing when i saw something long in the middle of the aisle. since the lighting of the cabin was dimmed to allow passengers to sleep i initially thought that it was just a shadow of something. upon looking at it at every angle i realized that it was POOP!
someone pooped in the aisle!
omygahd!!!
we tried to investigate who did it and later found out that it was an elderly indian passenger who probably didn't know where the lavatory is. he was travelling with his family and geez the family didn't even apologize for what happened. as in deadma pa.

31 Going on 25

2008-08-20T05:11:00.003+08:00

it's funny how my korean colleagues especially my juniors flip over whenever they learn that i'm already married (their eyes wide open) - at 31 years old (their jaws drop) - and have a 10 month old baby (gusto na nilang tumambling).
they would always tell me that i look young. i look younger that most of the juniors.
they'd always make a guessing game of my age and most would guess that i'm around 25 years old.

since i have to adapt to their culture i don't really like to be told that i look young. since seniority is how things get done here it's actually a disadvantage for me because most of the time i get bossed around by those bitchy koreans and later find out that i'm more senior than most of them!

there was also another instance when a latino guy was making small talk and i could sense that he was going to ask me out. he was surprised that i was working for the company for a long time and thought that i skipped college. i told him i actually took a 5-year course and he finally asked for my age (which i've been waiting for him to ask). he was dumbfounded and turned out he was actually 6 years younger than me. he still invited me out but i declined and told him i'm married.

35Pounds in London

2008-08-15T17:46:00.006+08:00

i had a london layover last week and was quite pleased that our new hotel was just behind bustling oxford street. the hotel itself wasn't that nice but hey i'm all for the location!
right behind the hotel is Primark a retail clothes and lifestyle store. some of the items are quite cheap and the items are made in ireland not from china. so as second nature to me i breezed through all the racks and bought 2 stretch-y shirts for 2pounds each. i wanted to buy it in all colors because the fit was so nice but i was on a 35pound($70) budget. i bought my mom a tummy and waist girdle for 4pounds and i got a tummy,waist and thigh girdle for 6pounds. all the items were of good quality that is why this store is sooo packed! a lot of tourists and locals apparently shop there because it is unbelievably cheap. it's just like shopping in manila!
i somewhat got culture shocked since all the fitting rooms had endless queues some teenagers opted to fit the items in some corner stripping down to their bra oblivious to the people around them.

while inside i overheard 2 filipinas talking. it seemed that they just met there.

pinay1: bumibili ako para padala
pinay2: di ako taga dito. taga saudi ang amo ko. binigyan nya lang ako ng 50(pounds). bumili daw ako kung ano.

wow inggit ako.... i just had 35pounds as budget and had to struggle with myself whether to change more money or not.

despite of my limited budget i was able to buy a lot of things. the rest of my money I spent doing groceries at marks and spencer. i was able to buy 3 handwash and 3 body lotions for 4pounds. also bought some cookies for a couple of pences(centavos), pasta sauces, pita bread, cheeses and baby food.i had a good time in london and i'm looking forward to my perdiem. *wink!*

Love in Oxford St.

2008-08-11T23:18:00.004+08:00

i was walking the stretch of oxford street in london when i saw this lovely couple.
isn't it sweet?

August 10- Aqi Turns 10 Months

2008-08-11T18:01:00.003+08:00

at 10 months aqi is picky with his food. refuses to eat table food and is much more comfortable eating semi-pureed meals with pieces of chicken or fish. he loves cheese that is why i often put melted cheddar or cream cheese in his food. he likes munching on biscuits and would always take one big bite that would make the adults shout noooo.... baka ka mabulunan! so far he seems to be able to manage a big bite of biscuit which makes us wonder why he always gag whenever we try to give him mashed rice with soup and ulam.
his vocabulary revolves around mamama.....dadada....and atatata......
on a good day he might show his best baby trick which is "where's the light?" and he would make tingala and look for a light bulb with accompanying pa-cute smile.

Margot Magdalene's Christening

2008-08-11T16:23:00.006+08:00

August 3, 2008- we went to the christening of the daughter of a very dear friend at Icebergs in Santana Grove, Sucat. as usual i was late and blamed it on aqi who i fed at home and took longer than the usual time for his lunch(which is actually true).

this is Margot Magdalene M. Palomera. isn't she cute?
glad to know that she is purely breastfed and i somewhat influenced her mom to try it.

true to his temperament during gatherings aqi cried when greeted by people so he and yaya ting stayed outside for the rest of our stay. i think his stranger anxiety is somehow improving because i saw him being carried by two different people.

i was glad to see 3 of my dearest friends. we haven't seen each other for a long time.

preggy noanne, lactating cyril, workingmom me, and spa owner dulce

aqi in mohawk

Baby No More

2008-07-29T01:51:00.006+08:00

oh my look at my son. he doesn't look like a baby anymore!

aqi at 9 months and 2 weeks

Me... A Thief?

2008-07-27T01:29:00.002+08:00

in seoul it is not customary for them to give you a grocery bag unless you ask for it.

i was going in and out of convenience stores around midnight looking for something to eat.
i was holding a muffin( i bought in the first convenience store that i entered) when i went to the nth store and found nothing that appealed to me. so i went out the place then later realized someone calling me. it was the cashier from the store and thought that i stole the muffin!
yikes!
i told her in english that i bought the muffin from a different store. chincha! (really!)
good thing she believed me and didn't push it.
whew... that was a relief.
next time i'll always bring a bag whenever i buy from any convenience store.

Food Tag

2008-07-23T05:52:00.003+08:00

oohh another tag, thanks joy!

START HERE —Eaters: kathyrazzi kathycot buhaymisis whenmomspeaks kathycotcooks my precious niche just me.. eds edsmommylife Me,Myself+2 Le bric à brac de Cherie Chez Francine La Place de Cherie My Angels World, Life is Good and Beautiful, From This Side, MyLifeInManggachupoyStreetADD YOUR BLOG HERE!

1. Chicken sa McDo, Jollibee, or KFC? KFC
2. Pepsi, Coke, or rootbeer? Coke light
3. Greenwich, Pizza Hut, or Yellow Cab? Yellow Cab
4. Adobo, sinigang, or nilaga? Sinigang na baboy na madaming kangkong
5. Beef, pork, or chicken? Pork
6. Starbucks, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, or Gloria Jean’s? Coffee Bean's Tazo Chai.... i once ordered tazo chai in starbux tapos parang pinagtawanan ako ng barista kase wala daw yon sa starbux but then at the back of my mind alam ko nakabili ako ng tazo chai sa starbux then the foll0wing week naglayover ako sa newyork i realized sa states lang pala may tazo chai ang starbux.
7. Cornflakes, Honey Stars, or Milo cereal? Honey cornflakes
8. Goldilocks or Red Ribbon? Red Ribbon
9. Tokyo Tokyo, Teriyaki Boy or Rai Rai Ken?- Tokyo and Teriyaki
10. Take Out or Dine In? Dine- In
— END HERE —

now i'm tagging jannesse, chel

On Rising Cost of Air Fuel

2008-07-21T07:28:00.004+08:00

was reading the Seattle Times this morning and there was an article about US Airways plan to lighten its load by removing its in-flight entertainment system to save on fuel. removing it would decrease the weight of the plane by 500 pounds thus saving around $10million a year.
moreso the article gave out suggestions albeit useless ones on how to have a lighter load for the plane. (from kristin jackson, seattle times travel staff)

Ban all food and drink on the plane - great idea! reducing our workload by 70%.
Get rid of all the seatbacks. Instead, use ottomans with seatbelts. - i was laughing so hard at this.
Take out the seats completely and turn plane cabins into standing-room only moshpits. - mrt up in the air!
Passengers pay by the pound of their own weight. - anorexics will rule air travel!
All bladders must be empty; go-before-you-go will be mandatory at special jetway restrooms.
Headphones will be provided: however, for one ear only- your choice of ear ( at least you'd get to choose an ear.)
Want to read? No hardbacks permitted; paperbacks must be less than 100 pages.
No sugar or cream with coffee, no ice, no stir sticks, no napkins. Wipe your mouths on your sleeves. - i should probably suggest this to the company.
Dump the co-pilot on each flight. God is our co-pilot.

There's No Place Like The Lavatory

2008-07-19T01:17:00.004+08:00

on a flight back to seoul from san francisco a female passenger was about to step in the lavatory when she called me and said that there was somebody sleeping inside.

WHAT?!

i hurriedly checked and saw that the person inside sleeping was a crew member! she was seated in the bowl (of course with the lid closed) with her head bobbing sideways. she was probably in a deep slumber for she didn't hear us open the door.

the passenger was understanding and just went out to find another vacant one.

well you see dear readers the lavatory has sometimes become a refuge for us from the chaos of the cabin and galley. in a 12 hour flight there are times passengers can be so demanding and would ask anything that they could hoard inflight. juice? nuts? beer? coke every 10 minutes is just too much!

the only mistake that my colleague did was SHE DIDN'T LOCK THE DOOR. hehehe....

Appearance Inspection Again

2008-07-18T20:50:00.003+08:00

this past week was our quarterly appearance inspection.
i really hate this time of year because it means an additional hour in doing my hair and makeup. as if 2 hours in not enough!
getting a new set of uniform is advisable to spare you the hassle of doing a re-inspection. but since i've used up all my points for a new set of uniform last april i have to settle for what i have right now.
these koreans are sooooo particular with appearance. OA na talaga.
check points are

the hair - should be in a sleek bun. not a single strand in place. don't forget the little hairs by the nape. and oh, the bun should be like a perfect ensaymada and they strongly advise to use less hairpins as possible. fixing my hair is quite a challenge because after i had the baby i've had tons of hair falling and now they're starting to grow back hence the tuchang everywhere. i've never used so much hairspray and hair gunk in my life!
nails - well groomed with either a colorless nail polish or the approved red, pink, or tan color.
apron - clean with no wrinkles and the embroidered design in our apron should be clean without any thread falling off. this i had to hold the apron in a strategic way so that the checker won't see the ballpen marks on the left side of my apron. ha, got away with it.
skirt - our skirt has a slit at the back. they are very particular with the slit being minutely ripped off.
shoes - they want shiny shoes even if the shoe itself has a matte finish. what to do? minutes before going to the checker i slathered on some baby oil on my shoes and voila! shiny as new!

so far so good. i got away with all my filthy uniform. til the next inspection!

2008-07-15T18:14:00.002+08:00

overheard from a young passenger in a seattle-seoul flight:

" look ma, we have blankets... cooool!"

i was wondering taga-bundok ba itong batang ito?

There Goes My Savings

2008-07-13T11:31:00.004+08:00

just as i was patting my back for being able to spend only $100 for a day and a half layover in san francisco i passed by H&M and was surprised that they have a baby and kids section already. i didn't know that they have stuff for the little ones.

i spent around $38 for thiswell to justify my purchase this is much cheaper than buying in Gingersnaps!

BEH!

2008-07-10T23:42:00.004+08:00

this is my hard to feed son.
he would rather stick his tongue out than open his mouth.

sorry for the very amateurish video.

Aqi at 9 Months

2008-07-10T22:23:00.002+08:00

Aqi turned 9 months today.
we actually celebrated it yesterday because i was leaving that night.

aqi at 9 months is starting to be stubborn.
my oh my... he would always want his way done and if he doesn't get it he cries right away or makes a growling sound with his face turning red.

he loves to jump and his face brightens up and makes random movements, as if dancing, whenever i dance in front of him.
he loves the Palmolive Fashion girl shampoo commercial of Julia Barretto. he watches it intently and surprisingly even when he's asleep he'll suddenly wakeup and watch the commercial and fall right back to sleep! no kidding.

Tagged Again

2008-07-08T22:07:00.006+08:00

I was tagged again by Sheryll. This is fun!

:::::BEGIN COPY:::::

Rules:
1. Start Copy from “Begin Copy” until “End Copy.”
2. Choose the photo(s) of you and your child(ren) that you would like to share in your blog, with a small story/explanation about when and where the photo(s) was/were taken.
3. Add your blog name and url blog, then leave your url post in here. And I’ll add you to the Master List.
4. Please help spread this tag by tagging your friends as much as you can.
5. Please come back again to copy the update of the master list, often. This process will help new participants to get the same gains as the first participants.

Master List:
1. Juliana’s Site
2. Moms…..check nyo
3.PinayWAHM
4. Surviving deployment
5. Live Love Life
6. HotMomma
7. a {GIRL} for all status
8. BaReFooTeD Me
9. Uncomplicated
10. FunFierceFabulous
11. Hailey's Domain
12. Hailey's Beats and Bits
13. On A Wonderful Day Like Today
14. House Everything
15. Shopaholic Ties The Knot
16. Our Family Adventure!
17. My Life In Manggachupoy Street

This is our picture:

La Luz, May 28, 2008~ this was our first family outing. aqi was afraid of the water at first but eventually warmed up to it. he had some cough and colds during this time that my mother wasn't at all happy in bringing aqi along but eventually after the trip he was breathing easily.

Now i'm tagging Cyril and Jing

Random Questions from Sheryll

2008-07-07T17:11:00.003+08:00

This tag came from Sheryll.

The rules are simple. At the end of the post, the player tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago? a struggling physical therapy student but happy in love kasi boyfriend ko na si bong.
2. What are the 5 things on my to-do list today?

go to the dentist. sakit ng left molars ko.
take care of aqi
figure out how to download skype in my asus ee so that i can chat with hubby
enjoy my day-off

3. Snacks I enjoy: cheeseburgers, pizza, cheetos
4. Place where I lived: las pinas city since birth and seoul, korea
5. Things I’d do if I were a billionaire:

pay it forward by donating to lesser known charities
build a commercial complex and dorms in dasma, cavite
franchise a food biz
travel! travel! travel in business class!
get LASIK for my eyes
finally be able to address my lifelong dream--to get a liposuction for my thighs!!!! hehehe

6. People I want to know more about: Juno, Jannesse, Dulce, Ennah

Attacked By Seagulls

2008-07-06T23:10:00.005+08:00

as i was having a wonderful time observing the scenery and relishing my double quarter pounder in circular quay a seagull swooped by my shoulder and took a bite of my burger!

oh my... these seagulls have turned into monsters!!!! scary!

ha! they were probably expecting that i'd give them my burger or at least feed them the "contaminated" one.
of course i didn't let them win. i took off the "contaminated" part and kept it inside the paperbag
and continued on with my burger while shooing them away.

tsk... these creatures are so smart.

later after searching the internet i found out that i wasn't the only victim of these aggressive creatures. these seagulls have attacked a lot of unknowing people having their quiet snack in circular quay.

my double quarter pounder

the culprits waiting for their next attack

I Closed Clark Field International Airport Today

2008-07-06T22:37:00.004+08:00

Haaaayyyy......

arrived midnight via clark field, pampanga today and mang caloy, the driver hired by the company to drive us to and from clark, forgot to fetch me!
imagine i had to wait in the airport for an hour and a half because he'll be coming from makati. it was actually yours truly who closed the diosdado macapagal international airport!

well according to mang caloy, it wasn't his fault because based from the list that was given to him i wasn't scheduled to come home today.
didn't know that i should have texted him earlier when i was still in seoul. apparently this was the new rule with crews coming home via clark field.

arrived home around 3:30am.
aqi woke me up at 6:30am.
we slept again at 8am.
aqi woke up at 9am.
cried to wake me up.
i woke up at 11am.

i was dead tired!

Boring Sked

2008-07-01T12:44:00.002+08:00

saw my schedule for the month of august and i didn't like it. paulit-ulit na lang.
i have london, bangkok, ho chi minh, seattle and sydney again.

haaaay..... wala na bang ibang flights?

i was hoping to get a flight to newyork since hubby will be there.

ugh! boring sked.

Missing my Friends

2008-06-29T01:10:00.004+08:00

oh i wish i had a lot of time in my hands then i would go out and meet my girl friends. we haven't seen each other for a looong time.

cyril and noanne are both pregnant while dulce is busy taking care of her new spa business. wouldn't it be nice for uh... me to host a baby shower inside a spa? i believe this is a wonderful idea but i don't have the time. am i a thoughtless friend?

it's just hard to do a lot of things in 3 or 4 days of my day-off. during these period i spend my days with my son catching up for lost time. most often than not i forego things that i usually do when i was still single like having a mani & pedi a day before my flight or watch a movie with hubby. having a baby really changes everything.

another bit of a hassle is that our circle live at opposite ends. noanne lives in tarlac, dulce in bulacan while cyril is in paranaque.

oh well... friends will always be friends no matter what.
we'll see each other soon.
i'm working on it but i just need ... time.
this was taken 2 years ago at a couple's shower for mark and cyril.

Aqi's First Taste of Ice Cream

2008-06-28T23:33:00.003+08:00

tasting something cold is new to him thus the expression on his face.

One Good Deed

2008-06-26T20:29:00.004+08:00

twas nice to know that i made someone smile in my own little way.

during a recent flight, a junior korean crew was in so much stress because a senior korean crew seems to be picking on her. i had to agree because this senior crew would always call on this junior to do a lot of things. my gahd, she's still a newbie give her a break! and i noticed that senior crew has a different way of doing things which absolutely makes things a lot more difficult.

while this senior crew was having her rest at the bunker, this junior crew poured out her feelings to me. she told me that this was the most difficult flight that she has been to so far and that she wasn't able to sleep at all in the layover because she was haunted by the thought of the senior crew and all the booboos she apparently made.
she also added that she was very thankful to me because i helped her in most of her chores and uplifted her spirit throughout the flight. she said that everytime she would pass by me i would always have a smile on my face. i had a positive aura and that made her make it through the flight.

haaay... it's nice to know that you unknowingly helped someone make it through the day.
wouldn't it be nice to work in a place where everybody is just plain nice? no bitchiness, no seniorities. work wouldn't be work at all!

Internet is for P*rn

2008-06-21T15:57:00.011+08:00

haven't been able to blog for a couple of days because i was home in manila.
arrived midnight of june15 and flew out on june 19.
busy busy busy coping up for lost time with aqi and hubby.
June 15 -- since it was father's day. i invited everybody to eat out. we ate at Outback upon the request of my dad. bong and i took turns in eating because aqi would grab everything that was on the table.that evening hubby and i watched Avenue Q. it was hilarious! it was a fun fun show. we especially liked the Internet is for Porn song. see it here in youtube (by the broadway cast).

June 16 -- played with aqi in the morning and fed him during lunch time. it was hard feeding him! it was either he's not fond of eating or he gets bored right away. it's such a big production every mealtime for aqi. toys should be out and entertainers should be present. hehehe... it's usually ghia, our helper who does the entertaining part. everytime aqi sees her he laughs and opens his mouth which signals my mom or me to put the spoon in his mouth. my mom says that this behavior was totally me when i was a baby. may pinagmanahan. hehehe...
tried using Sansfluo (baby toothpaste) on aqi and brushing his teeth was such a breeze! he loved the orange-y taste!

June 17 -- aqi and i tagged along with hubby to his workplace. he brought pizza for everybody since he'll be having an indefinite leave to take the physical therapy state board exam in the US.
it was the first time everybody has seen aqi so it was but expected that everybody doted on him. you know what aqi did? he cried! and was a snob to everybody. geez .... partypooper itong si aqi.
not cute at all.... hahaha.... he probably has stranger anxiety, again... like me when i was little.

we also went to my in-laws place. aqi cried again when his lola carried him but was playful already when he was able to settle down after an hour. he played with his 2- year old cousin andrei. they are fond of jumping in the bed.

june 18 -- went out to buy my essentials for travel and was back to do another mealtime production with aqi.

june 19 morning -- aqi woke me up and we played but had to pass him to his yaya coz i was already running late but he didn't want to. shucks....he wants to be with me. teehee!

good thing my flight is just seoul-sfo-seoul. i didn't cry before leaving.
i'll be back on the 25th!

SFO layover

2008-06-12T08:49:00.003+08:00

yes......

it's good to be back in one of my favorite cities in the world-- San Francisco.
we are staying right now at Hotel 480 which i really like because it is located right smack in union square. unlike a year before we were staying at the ramada hotel which is only a couple of blocks away from the shopping area but it was the land of the homeless! walking in broad daylight would still give me the creeps.
Hotel 480 doesn't have a big lobby but the rooms are spacious. it's clean and their complimentary toiletries are from bath and body works.

since I was flying deadhead i had ample rest. in less than hour after check-in i was ready to roam the streets of san francisco or rather i was ready to shop shop shop!
i must admit i had spent a lot. *gulp* but it was still less than my shopping days before. i'm still adjusting on being a mom who needs to save a part of her paycheck for her baby's needs.

mygahd there were so many cutesy stuff at BabyGap. i wanted to buy them all! there were also lots of toys that i wanted to bring for aqi but it wouldn't fit my crew luggage.

*~*~*~*~*~*
hubby texted me and told me that aqi already has 6 teeth out.

whoa.... too fast too soon.....

sigh..... i missed another milestone.

America's Next Dance Crew

2008-06-11T20:37:00.004+08:00

was watching America's Next Dance Crew at channel mtv and was amazed by this group SoReal Cru. they are from houston, texas. i think they are filipino or rather fil-ams that grew up in the US that they don't know how to speak filipino. but still... i'd support them all the way.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bWyITjicAU

vote for them here

another group that i saw was Team Millenia from fullerton, california. too bad they didn't make it as representatives of the west coast. they were awesome!! but i had to hand it down to the judges because the crews from the west coast were all great. probably if they represented another region they would've gotten in. this group is composed mostly of filipinos... again....fil-ams but they are proud to be one. one of them was interviewed and told the crowd that she got her talent from her mom who balances a candle while dancing which is we all know is Pandanggo sa Ilaw. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ayKVDsZG_M

2008-06-07T14:15:00.007+08:00

i'm here in seattle right now. we are billeted at the double tree airport hotel. far from downtown but the rooms are nice and cozy and they give out yummy chewy chocolate chip cookies upon check-in. i'm flying with cristina, another filipino crew.
the flight to here was smooth and the passengers were well-behaved. there were a lot of babies on board. there was this caucasian couple who i assumed adopted the baby they were carrying because the little one looked very korean. the baby kept on crying and the mother couldn't pacify him. she was so helpless that she was on the verge of crying. good thing ajumas (married or old woman) who were sitting nearby offered to help calm the baby. i just hope that the baby was just teething and not having stranger anxiety with his new mom. i wonder how the real mother could've given up an adorable and chubby little thing.

we didn't do much during our layover because it kept on raining which is not a surprise though (hello?! it's seattle!). we went to the southcenter mall (because that is the only place that the complimentary shuttle would go) to do a little shopping. i expected to find a foodcourt but unfortunately it was under renovation so we had to go out, cross the street and get drenched in the rain to reach the thai restaurant nearby. mygahd, i ate a lot!
after that we walked over to Target to buy some dry items. i was able to buy Aqi a toy, camo shorts, sandals and a bath wash. i regretted buying shorts yesterday from Gymboree for $6 because there were a lot of $2 shorts at Target.
and oh i lost a shopping bag yesterday with a blouse inside and i don't know where i lost it. good thing it was just $8 but still!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*
i got hubby his plane ticket to new york and mygahd the tax was so expensive! it was an FOC (free of charge) ticket but then we still had to pay for the tax. i forked over 88,000 won which is around $88.

The Crew That Eats Together....

2008-06-04T23:51:00.005+08:00

got this from the Fly Away Cafe
didn't know that it's the same way with other airlines.

Q: Does the whole crew get together for meals on layovers?

A: Rarely, although a lot depends on the size of crew.

With smaller crews typical of commuter carriers, a crew may be three people — two pilots and one Flight Attendant. In those case it is fairly typical for the entire crew to get together for dinner. Those layovers tend to be in smaller cities, which means fewer dining options, and it’s easy to coordinate preferences for only a handful of people.

At the major carriers you are talking about a crew of at least five — two pilots and three Flight Attendants — and it goes up in numbers from there. Since that’s the work environment that I’m accustomed to, it’s the one that I can speak to the best.

I haven’t been out for dinner with the entire crew since longer than I can remember. Crew members have their own interests - whether it’s visiting family on a layover, pursuing a personal interest, working out, shopping, or even slam-clicking (going into your hotel room (slam), locking the door (click), and never being seen or heard from until the flight the next day). It’s not typical for everyone to be on the same page about what they want to do on a layover.

Despite what might be portrayed in movies or on television, we don’t always like one another very much. I don’t mean that we hate one another either, but most of the time you don’t share a lot in common with most of your co-workers. If you are fortunate enough to fly with someone that you like, you’ll probably go off and do something together. But no one wants to spend quality layover time with someone that you have nothing in common with.

Another reality is that crew members have different budgets, and that carries over into meal choices. While some might enjoy going on for a leisurely meal and glass of good wine, others subsist off of cheap fast food eaten in a hotel room. The two extremes rarely can find common middle ground to make everyone happy.

Some crew members view their layover time as a time to be alone, away from family at home and passengers on the plane. The layover is a time to decompress, relax, watch mindless television, read a book, etc. The last thing they want is to be around co-workers.

Most Flight Attendants have made all of these choices at one point or another in their career. I know that I have. It’s all about making a personal choice, and rarely is an entire crew going to make the same personal choice.

2008-06-04T22:29:00.003+08:00

i just came from a seoul-cebu-seoul flight. aircraft assigned to this flight is the scarebus-321(airbus321). i don't like this aircraft because it is quite small with a single aisle. the galley is so cramped and it's difficult to stow items for the flight as there are not enough space to keep them. we usually end up stowing it in the overhead bins. malas na lang the passenger seated near the galley if he has a big bag to stow.
since the flight was on a sunday we had a couple of honeymooners onboard. fyi, in korean culture couples usually are dressed alike. and they usually take the flight right after the celebration. so just imagine a couple dressed exactly alike from their sporty or casual top down to the shoes with the female still in bride mode hair and makeup. it's like noah's ark inside the plane. hehe...
we also had a couple of families with little kids in tow. apparently for koreans cebu is a honeymoon and a family destination.
we had a smooth inbound and outbound flight. inbound seoul was the best because the passengers were all asleep as the flight was at 1 am.

our hotel in cebu was the Hilton Cebu Resort and Spa. the hotel facilities and service was superb but i didn't like the location though. it's located in mactan island an hour away from cebu downtown. if you will take a taxi it would cost you 700pesos roundtrip. good thing they provide a complimentary shuttle service to the downtown area for their guests.

i have nothing much to share during my layover there because it was quite short. i just went around ayala center to eat and have a pedicure. my korean colleagues on the other hand had a massage outside the hotel. they have a korean contact and according to them the massage is really good.

Aqi Updates

2008-06-03T19:23:00.004+08:00

At 1 week short til he turns 8 months, Aqi already has 4 teeth with 1 more starting to come out.
I am quite surprised that his teeth came out so early one after the other. Good thing he wasn't irritable during these times. I just wish that we'll have a peaceful and enjoyable dental hygiene habit.

Aqi All Around Me

2008-06-03T17:51:00.003+08:00

Every time I see a baby I always see Aqi's face in them. Every cry and every smile they make would always warm my heart.
Somehow it makes me less homesick when I take care of them during my flights. I can totally relate to the mothers who travel with their babies because it is quite a very challenging experience. This is why I exert extra effort and give them more attention to their needs.

Aqi Goes to the Beach

2008-05-31T21:38:00.010+08:00

We had an overnight stay at La Luz last May 28. It was Aqi's first time to the beach and my first outing since 2004. We had so much fun.

At first we let Aqi stand by the shoreline but he got scared by the tides. We moved a little bit farther and played with the pebbles. He enjoyed playing with it and didn't realize that his feet was already touching the water.

Since it was just the 3 of us I carried Aqi a lot. Later on he wouldn't let go. He would cry when I had to put him down because I had to take a shower or he would whimper when he loses sight of me. Awww....This really warmed my heart.

10 Random Things About Me

2008-05-26T02:06:00.004+08:00

I was tagged by Joy

The rules are:
1. Each blogger starts with ten random facts/habits about themselves.
2. Bloggers that are tagged need to write on their own blog about their ten things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 10 people to get tagged and list the ten random things about themselves.
Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

10 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME

I am afraid of riding any type of rollercoaster and I would never ever try bungee jumping.
I love animals and I talk to them in a gibberish way.
I have a high tolerance for pain.
I usually delay eating for sightseeing or shopping.
I have a forgettable face. I've been working in the company for 7 years and some of the people here don't remember me.
My major turn-off in a guy is his diction.
I am so poor in math.
I'm not assertive and at times a pushover.
I can stay 4 hours in Walmart, Kmart or Target. I drown myself in reading and studying product labels.
I hate swimming.

Now I'm tagging Juno.

Vietnam Adventure

2008-05-21T23:16:00.016+08:00

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
Went to Saigon Square to do a little shopping. It's like Tutuban but smaller. In here you will find a lot of branded shirts and bags.

Since Northface bags are made in Vietnam you'll find a wide array of it on the market at half the price. Actually, you'll also find Kipling, Deuter and Jansport. I don't know if they are knock-offs or quality control rejects but they sure look good to me.

I bought hubby an Angstrom25 flight series. And I bought a MNG top for myself.

Since a lot of Vietnamese ladies have nail arts adorning their nails I decided to go to a nail shop. Manicure and pedicure with nail art only on 2 toes is approximately $1o. The nail artist is pretty good because she really paints them on. It's not stick-ons. The mani/pedi was pretty good. It's not like your neighborhood parlor mani/pedi because they use cuticle creams and nail oil and they buff the nails to a shiny finish. And they use Sally Hansen, Essie and OPI.

I decided to walk going back to the hotel. It was a mean feat to do because crossing the streets of Vietnam such a scary thing to do. Imagine a swarm of motorcycles going right at you!

Ready for the Great Big Sale

2008-05-19T01:20:00.004+08:00

Yoohoo!
I'll be getting my per diem tomorrow!
I can now splurge!!!!!!
Do I hear Great Singapore Sale?????
Singapore here I come. I'll be there on the 24th.
Bwahahahaha!!!!!

Fun Fun Sydney Flight

2008-05-18T04:30:00.011+08:00

Flew to Sydney again last Tuesday. It was a pretty easy flight because it wasn't a full load and all the crew assigned on the flight were very nice. I got to fly again with Araki, a Japanese crew who I flew with last month to Sydney. We were assigned to the same galley (yey!) together with 2 other korean crew, Eun Hye and Ji Hye. These 2 girls are the best of friends that's why they were also happy to be working together. Usually, pursers don't assign batchmates or overseas crew together in one galley. The reason? to prevent idleness.
It was smooth sailing for 9 hours until an hour before landing the captain announced that due to foggy condition at Sydney airport all aircrafts are being diverted to Brisbane. Geeez.... We all wanted to get some decent sleep now. We were preparing ourselves for the complaints of passengers. Koreans being very mareklamo.
Additional information soon followed. It would take around 2 hours for the fog to subside and we will just stay inside the aircraft. Good thing we still have a lot of nuts and beverages inside.

Surprisingly, the passengers were calm about the situation and decided to sleep it through.

While waiting, the 4 of us in the galley started fooling around.

me, araki, eun hye, ji hye

Haaay.... I wish all my flights are like this.
Easy-going but hardworking colleagues. It
makes the job much easier and makes me less
homesick.

Missing Aqi

2008-05-14T01:06:00.002+08:00

Kainis.... I still have 3 more flights to go. It feels like forever. I want to go home na. I miss my baby. 12 more days pa before I go home.
I love you Aqi. I miss you.

Simon Says Gayahin si Aqi

2008-05-14T00:55:00.002+08:00

Talk To The Foot

2008-05-14T00:47:00.000+08:00

I Wanted You More

2008-05-13T10:59:00.002+08:00

Got this from the Chicken Soup for the New Mom's Soul.

I Wanted You More

I wanted to be rich
But I wanted you more.
So every time I paid the doctor's bill
I lightly stroked the tiny bulge
That was my priceless treasure,
You.
I wanted to live a life of passion
But I wanted you more.
And since you came to me
I've felt a love I've never known,
Flowing out of me
To you.
I wanted to see the world
But I wanted you more.
So I set aside my traveling
And discovered a world
Right outside my door,
Through your eyes.
I wanted to be carefree
But I wanted you more.
And now I spend my days
Looking out clouds and chasing butterflies
And losing myself
In your laughter.
I wanted so many things
And I got them all,
Because I wanted you.

by Barbara Nicks

Shopping in India

2008-05-10T02:12:00.007+08:00

Back from New Delhi.
Bought a couple of scarves and shawls. Some of it for selling.
Also bought some medicines for my parents. Medicines in India are so cheap, around 60-50% cheaper. But I am very selective of what I buy. I check first for the pharmaceutical company before I decide if it's worth buying. My parents health is at stake here. Well I also bought StressGuard, an anti-stress capsule. It is herbal based from ayurveda.
I guess i need this supplement because I have 4 of the listed stress triggers.

Surprisingly the weather in India when we were there wasn't too hot. It was a bit overcast therefore we had a pleasant market-hopping experience. We went to Janpath, which is a stone throw away from our hotel, Khan market and the timeless Sarojini Nagar market. It is in this market where we find Mango, Zara, H&M, Gap, Roxy, Billabong tops and dresses. They're quality control rejects but you just have to be patient enough to inspect each item. Also, patience is also needed in bargaining with the tindero. The technique in dealing with indians is to bargain at 50% off the price and if they don't agree just walk away and let them chase you.

Books in India are also very cheap. They're like 30-40% cheaper. I am currently reading Chicken Soup for the New Moms Soul.

I also bought 5 shirts and 2 shorts for Aqi at 75rupees each. So cheap!

Ayan na-miss ko na naman ang baby ko.

3 Weeks Out

2008-05-06T00:12:00.005+08:00

I'm back in Seoul after my 8 blissful days in Manila.

Now it's time to pay for the consequences. I'll be away from home for 3 weeks or 22 days. This is the longest(so far) I'm away from my baby. I won't be able to celebrate his 7 month birthday and be present for his monthly checkup (again!).

I need to stop sulking.

Anyway these are my updates of what happened during my 8 days in Manila:

4/26- went to see my good friend Doods to pick-up a padala that Aqi's Ninang Marie gave. Aqi's loot contained 4 Baby Gap rompers and a Braun 1-sec digital thermometer.
4/27- it's Tatay's birthday ( Bong's dad). We went home to Tanza, Cavite and there was a merienda get-together with the relatives. As usual I ate a lot. Aqi kept on giggling.
4/28- my eyelid surgery
4/30- follow-up checkup to the opthalmologist and went to the mall.
5/1 - did some grocery and Aqi kept on giggling and talking to everybody who makes eye contact with him.
5/2 - attended a wedding at Fernbrook. Maygahd, this was a spur of the moment decision as Bong was undecided if he will attend his highschool classmate's wedding or go to a Aqi's cousin's birthday party. He decided for the wedding because it was just 10 minutes from our place as he will be coming home from work. He called to tell me to dress up at around 3:45pm. Wedding was at 3pm. Ngek. I was quite pikon because I haven't had my nails pedicured and my toenails are reeeaaaalllyy that bad. I just rummaged through my closet and grabbed a dress that I hoped still fit me. It fit me alright but had lots of stains and small holes. Just covered it up with a brooch. We were at the reception by 5:45pm.
5/4 - Bong surprised me with a Mother's Day gift. It was a photo cake with Aqi and me in it. Sweet.

I Signed Up For PPP!

2008-05-05T23:32:00.014+08:00

I've never imagined myself as a working mom. All I ever wanted was to be a stay-at-home mom and take care of the kids. I guess that never happened now that I have a family of my own.Finances are quite tight and two people working in the family is a really big help. I really still hope that one day I'd just stay home and take care of the baby.

Until recently I've been reading through the net about earning through blog ads. A lot of people swear by this. I checked it out and got interested because a lot of stay-at-home moms signed up for this. Imagine getting paid by blogging about stuff you are interested in. The most popular site that I reckon while searching through the net is PayPerPost.I immedietly signed up for PayPerPost and it was easy! There's nothing to lose when you sign up for this. Nothing to be hesitant about because the website is very informative and teaches you the steps on how to have your blog approved. And nothing beats posting about stuff you are truly interested about. There are a lot of topics or as they term it "opportunities" to be written about. From alternative lifestyle to business to religion and parenting. You can also blog about politics, technology or your recent travel holiday. Anybody, and I mean anybody with their own interest or specialty who loves to write can earn a lot through blog ads.

I'm so excited because I finally found an earning opportunity while staying at home. I guess my plan of being a stay-at-home mom will finally come true.

Tagged--The Hubby Meme.

2008-04-30T22:05:00.004+08:00

I was tagged by Chell.

How long did you date? duh... but we were together for 9 years when we got married.

How old is he? 33

Who eats more? same level... we eat a lot.

Who said “I love you” first? him! him!

Who is taller? he's taller by a couple of inches. lagot siya if i wear stilletos.

Who sings better? I DO (with conviction)! nyehehe.... but i have been telling hubby many many times that he should sing because i really believe that he has a wonderful singing voice. he has a nice deep speaking voice by the way. a lot of people have asked me if he sings because of the tone of his voice.

Who is smarter? him

Whose temper is worse? mine!

Who does the laundry? i'm allergic to detergent but i wash the baby's clothes period.

Who does the dishes? him. it's his most hated chore.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? it doesn't matter. i stay where it is presko or kung saan malakas ang hangin. madali akong mainitan.

Who pays the bills? Me. he pays for the miscellaneous expenses.

Who cooks dinner? he is a good cook

Who drives when you are together? Him. i don't drive.

Who is more stubborn? him

Who kissed who first? He did and i asked for more. he was my first kiss.

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Nobody. I seldom admit that i am wrong and he is seldom wrong.

Whose parents do you see the most? Mine. we live with my parents

Who proposed? he proposed in tagaytay (chapel on the hill, 28 of may '05)

Who is more sensitive? I am.

Who has more friends? him

Who has more siblings? me

Who wears the pants in the family? i think i do but he doesn't mind. hehehe....

Now I'm tagging dulce and cyril.

Goodbye Tired Eyes

2008-04-29T01:16:00.009+08:00

I finally had the mass on my left eye removed already. Yay!

It was an accumulation of kuliti. Dr. Francisco actually found 2 mass in my eyelid. Ewwww...
The mass was not really life threatening. I just want it removed for aesthetic purposes only. Lately, a lot of people would tell me that I look tired after the flight. DO I REALLY LOOK THAT BAD? hahaha.... It's probably because my left eyelid doesn't fold anymore because of that mass thingy.
The operation was pretty fast. I was done in 20 minutes.
I love Asian Hospital. The facilities are so clean. I didn't feel that I was in a hospital.
Funny though even if it was a super minor outpatient procedure I still had to wear a patient gown without my undies. It was a nice touch that the nurse provided me a thick WARM blanket. As in fresh from the steamer pa yata.
I like Dr. Lionel Francisco. I like the way he explains things. He was actually a reliever for another doctor in casa medica in sm southmall. I told him I wanted him to do the operation.

It's now 16hours since the operation and the swelling is gone. I even took a bath already.
No more tired eyes for me anymore.

Just for Laughs

2008-04-23T15:59:00.002+08:00

Just want to share a poem that a colleague wrote.

Asiana ang aking kinalakihan
sa labas ng aking bayang minamahal
Nagsimula nang batang bata..
inabutan ng drama at pag aatungal
sa bawat lipad.sa bawat koreana
at sa bawat pasaherong inaral

Naalala ko pa ang bawat pabibong galaw ng isang
pilipina
Sa lipad bilang junior..ang katawan halos lumusot na
sa loob ng headphone bag at sa loob ng kubeta..
kulang nalang ika'y sumigaw ng darna..
nang sa isang iglap ito'y matapos na..

Dose oras na lipad ang laway ko ay panis na.
Kelan kaya ako papansin ng mga Koreana
Hindi makaupo..maghapong nakatayo
Maging junior ay di biro..hmmm buksan ko
nalang kaya ang pinto..

Paglabas mo ng eroplano..
bali na ang likod mo
kaka BOW sa mga bossing mo
at mga pasahero
Hindi bale at natapos na
ang pakikibaka
sasakay na ko ng bus ko
bahala kayo sa buhay nyo

Pagdating sa Seokyo..
wala akong kwarto!! naku po
ano ang gagawin ko...
magtumbling muna kaya ako.

Nang dahil sa asiana..natuto ako
kumain ng sari sari at kung ano ano..
tira tira man o bagong luto
basta may kasabay ka..kakainin mo
kahit buto-buto.

Isang araw napaisip ako..aalis nga ba ko
o mananatili ako.
sa isang lugar na humubog ng pagkatao ko
Pag naaalala ko ang mga tao sa paligid ko..
umuurong ang paa ko

Si mader raqs ms haze ms tony at ms tetet ko
ah teka..baka makalimutan ko ang bossing ko
na si Beiget Tiongco..naku po lagot ako sa
DUTY ng DELHI ko!

at sa bat h 67 rin maraming nakasundo..
ms sophie ,ms dizay at ms magno
pati narin si ms dulce na ngayon ay OPSEO!
si ate tisssh at ganon din si ms olimpo

WAAAAH..ito na ito na seventy poor na!
magagaling na titser ISRAEL at VILLAHERMOSA!
BERNARDO, CASTA at CARPENA
na dito naging INA sa loob ng ASIANA
INFANTE,SANTOS ACSAYAN AT SUNGA
kayo ba ay kailan..kailan ang "KASALAN NA"!
GUINTO at FABELLA kelan magiging INA!

otoke otoke...MANAYO pa pala..
ako ay nasa PALSHIP-IL ki pa..
pwede po magrest na? bukas ay maaga pa..
maglalaba at mamalantsa ang inyong ajuma
bukas ay appearance check baka sumablay pa..

PAALAM PAALAM..
sana sa susunod tayo ay magkita kita..
hindi man sa asiana..
baka sa singapore na!

**Bunz Perez Ramos

Filipinos and Souvenirs

2008-04-23T15:17:00.005+08:00

Read on the article below.
I'm not surprised that this happened coz Filipinos loooove to take along souvenirs from everywhere.
A lot of times you'd see passengers taking the cutlery( ang ganda daw stainless,huwaaat?), blanket and lotion that is supposed to be in the lavatory for everybody's use. But the most popular airplane souvenir for Filipinos is the PLAYING CARDS. Kakaupo pa lang nila yun na agad ang hinihingi.

2 Filipinos fined in HK for taking plane’s life vests
By Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

G'day from Sydney

2008-04-22T22:48:00.006+08:00

It was a wet weather in Sydney but that didn't stop me from shopping.
I shopped not for myself but for my baby boy. Bought 2 bucket hats, 2 cargo shorts, 1 cargo pants, a sando and swimming trunks. I also bought a pack of disposable bibs and placemats for Au$2 per pack. Everything that I bought were on sale so I give myself a pat on the back for a job well done. Of course shopping in the US is much more cheaper but I can't help it. I shop everywhere I go.

*~*~*~*
It's the first time I saw this shop in Sydney. Cute.

*~*~*~*~*
It's funny how Filipinos hate bringing umbrellas whereas in Sydney, men in suits young and old alike, bring their own umbrella. I'm talking about hot guys in suits ha.

Tagged-kids question

2008-04-22T22:27:00.004+08:00

Tagged by Jown

Copy here:
1. Answer the Kid’s Question by Gregory Stock, PH.D. Remember: Don’t respond as you think others want you to. Respond the way you actually feel!
2. Add your name (linked to your blog)
3. Tag everybody else!

Kid’s Question #1 If you were the ruler of the world and you could have anything you wanted as well as have people do anything you wanted, do you think you would get greedy and mean or would you be a good and fair ruler?
i believe that i'll be a good and fair ruler coz i hate people who take advantage of their power, wealth and yes, beauty. everything would be much simpler if there is good all around.

Jhong, Alpha, Women Xplore, Em, Something Purple, Our Journey to Life, My Planet Purple, Princess Bela, Here & Now, God’s gift, Through the Rain, The Adventures of Dong and Jing, Jan

I'm tagging Juno.

Inflight Booboos

2008-04-19T12:17:00.004+08:00

During meal service while working on a flight to Manila I was telling the passengers that the choices were beef with rice and seafood with rice. As I was about to finish serving all my passengers, a co-worker asked me if I still had omellette in my cart. OMYGAWD!!!!

Was wondering why no one questioned me. I probably gave the "supposed seafood" to those passenger who were really sleepy at that time and would settle for anything. Whew!

Tagged

2008-04-15T18:41:00.002+08:00

I was tagged by chell.
first time to do this.

The rule says: Remove one (1) question from below, and add in your personal question, make it a total of 20 questions, then tag eight (8) people on your list. List them out at the end of this post.

1. At what age do/did you wish to marry? around 25

2. What color do you like most? blue and yellow

3. Have you ever shoplifted? not yet but it's one of my secret desires... weird no?

4. Where would you like to go to the most? the mall-- ang babaw!

5. Which part of you do you hate the most? originally it was my thunder thighs but after having a baby i now have love handles

6. When you encounter a sad moment, what do you do? i'm always in-denial

7. If you win $1 million, what would you do? build an apartment complex in Dasma, Cavite (near DLSU campus), travel with family, give to the lesser know charities and SHOP!

8. What do you loved the most about last year (2007)? having AQI

9. List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you: don't know her personally but she seems nice

10. How do you cope with boredom? i daydream

11. What’s the one thing that you regret the most? taking up physical therapy

12. What kind of person do you hate the most? people who basically doesn't smile

13. What is your ambition? to be a work at home mom

14. If you have one wish, what would you wish for? world peace

15. How did you celebrate new year? breastfeeding aqi...hehehe

16. Name your body part that hubby tells you he adores. i think my clavicle area

17. What are your cheap thrills? watching romantic tagalog movies and cheeseburgers

18. What do you look forward to in 2008? hubby's career advancement

19. If your life is a song, what title best fits it? Dreaming of You

20. When you die, what is it you'd like to be remembered for? to be the nicest person they've ever met

I'm still new with this blogging thing. Don't have anyone to tag. I'll just tag my brother, Juno.

Back in Manila

2008-04-14T20:33:00.008+08:00

I'm now back in Manila.
So happy to see my baby boy.

He turned 6 months last Thursday and I asked hubby to take a picture of him with a small cake as what we've been doing for the past five months. I asked for the pictures and he can't find it! Grrrrr.... he can't seem to handle his O2 phone. He said it's in his phone somewhere.

*~*~*~*~
This is what my room looked like in Korea...
Disclaimer: the pictures you'll see are not for the OC people.

my skincare and make-up stuff....

my study area....

my bedside table....

~*~*~*~*~
Aqi has been eating rice cereals for a month. It wasn't hard feeding him. The first time I gave him his first spoonful of Rice Cereal with Applesauce he took it approvingly and couldn't wait for the next one.
Now the doctor gave the go- signal to eat any baby food variants. He's now eating Gerber Squash and Carrots. His face turns sour when eating it but swallows it anyway. I think he has a sweet tooth like mine because he never has a sour face when he eats the cereal with applesauce.

Funny funny aqi.... thinks his foot tastes much better than his cereals.

Updates

2008-04-07T15:56:00.011+08:00

I just arrived from an observation flight which means I'm officially done with the safety training course.
Tomorrow will be the dreaded business class retraining course. I've been studying my notes these past few days and nothing seems to register. I'm having a hard time memorizing stuff. Old age? Or anesthesia? hahaha...
Givry 1er Cru, Sellier Aux Moines 2003 (zheev-ri pree-myer croo, sel-ye ohh mwan) Shucks, I hate memorizing french wines. Aside from it being a tongue twister it's also doubly hard memorizing character and description such as this Pinot Noir has a good ripeness and classical freshness. The nose is very elegant and displays aromas of red citrus, wild berries and spices.
Haaay... I've got a lot more wines to remember with different nose and undertones... blah...blah...

*~*~*~*
Woke up yesterday morning and realized that the pain on my left thumb is gone. Yay! I no longer have DeQuervain's Tenosynovitis.

de Quervain syndrome (also known as washerwoman's sprain, Radial styloid tenosynovitis, de Quervain
disease, de Quervain's tenosynovitis, de
Quervain's stenosing tenosynovitis or mother's
wrist), is an inflammation of the sheath
or tunnel that surrounds two tendons that control movement of
the thumb. [1

Didn't take any meds except for the steroid that was injected on my wrist last March31 but wasn't that effective that's why I was planning to have surgery the next time I go back to Manila. Can't believe that this chronic pain just magically disappeared! God is good!

*~*~*~*
Wasn't able to use my new AsusEE notebook here. It just wouldn't boot. Was able to use it for a day then the next time I opened it the operating system won't boot. I probably did something. No fingerpointing necessary. I was looking forward pa naman in chatting with Bong and seeing Aqi through webcam.

Overwhelmed and Worried

2008-04-05T08:56:00.003+08:00

I'm now in Seokyo hotel in Korea.

I'm overwhelmed by all the changes the company has done. So many old things that I have to remember and a lot of new things that i have to learn.

I'm done with the 2 days of classroom requalification safety training. My gahd, my brain was really rusty because I had a hard time memorizing definitions and locations. Next week it's going to be about service retraining and a lot more of memorizing and demonstrations. I'm so worried that I may not be able to relearn the procedures right away. You know I' m not the calmest person in the world and almost always at work Murphy's Law strikes on me. And add to that koreans are not that really forgiving and sometimes have a close minded attitude.
All the while I thought I was going to work in economy class for a couple of months then try to work my way up to business class. I was fine with that until I saw my schedule and all my flights are in business class. I'm really not ready because before I had my maternity leave I was fairly new in working in that area and still haven't adjusted to the procedures there.

My mind is preoccupied with worries that I'm not yet missing my son. I'm content at looking at his picture book that I displayed here in my room.

Boo-hoo

2008-04-01T00:13:00.002+08:00

My idle days are over.

I'm going back to work on Wednesday. Dang, that's tomorrow.

MyTechnologically Challenged Parents

2008-03-31T23:32:00.004+08:00

My parents just came back from their first trip to the US and this is what my aunt emailed to us:

PLEASE GET THEM AN EMAIL ADDRESS(I'LL SEND THEIR PIX VIA THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS) AND TEACH THEM HOW TO USE THE INTERNET! EVEN JUST GOOGLE.THEY NEED TO GET WITH THE PROGRAM. I REFUSE FOR THEM TO BE LIKE DINOSAURS. THEY ARE NOT ANCIENT. THEY NEED TO BE UPDATED AND BE HIP, LIKE DADDY BEN. I'M SURE U GUYS WANT YOUR PARENTS TO BE "IN THE KNOW" THERE'S REALLY NO EXCUSE. I'M THINKING OF THIS FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT.

I love the dinosaur part hehehe...
My parents are both technologically challenged. Just imagine my dad lugging his jurassic - unbranded point and shoot 35mm camera. I offered to lend him my digital camera but he refused.
I think they are just too lazy to learn these new stuff. They are not ignorant because my 2 brothers have all these hi-tech gadgets scattered in the house.
I once lent them a very easy to use digital camera when they went to Baguio but they didn't use it. blah...blah...blah...So many excuses.
I also made an email address for my dad once but he never used it.

When it comes to technology the oldies tends to be depended on the young ones.
I think they just refuse to understand because if they listened and opened their minds they will realize that these technology around is making life so much easier.

Salvaged Pictures

2008-03-26T01:48:00.004+08:00

These was what I got from my friendster account...

just 2 pictures from Angkor Wat, Cambodia... too bad i've got nice souvenir shots from here ala-Tomb Raider. i remember i couldn't quite understand the tour guide because of his accent so i just bought a guide book instead which costs only $2.

Unexpected

2008-03-21T16:44:00.002+08:00

Hubby and I were in BF Ruins last Tuesday. We were surprised to see that the Pacquiao-Marquez fight aired last Sunday was already pirated. All stalls were selling the pirated DVD version already.

Another unexpected surprise was Gretchen Barretto 's album Unexpected was also there. My gosh someone bothered to illegally copy her CD and make profit of it. Tsk...tsk..tsk...
According to the press her album turned Gold already. Hmmph... she probably bought all the copies to save face.

Lost Pictures

2008-03-19T22:58:00.002+08:00

I'm fuming mad.

I've been keeping my photos in ofoto.com since 2005 and now it's all GONE.
All of my travel pictures as well as my friends wedding pictures and our bridal shower(censored) pictures are there.
I did not keep a backup file-- my fault. Well I thought all of my pictures were perfectly safe in it. I'm trying to avoid clutter in my room that's why I didn't bother putting it in a CD.

Pictures are so hard to replace coz it captures the moments. It's also very expensive to go back to famous tourists spots like Angkor Wat and Taj Mahal.

Good thing there are some photos that I posted in friendster. Try to salvage my remaining travel pix.

Crying Spiels

2008-03-13T16:19:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was such a harried day.

Aqi was crying the whole day because he wanted to nurse from me. We're quite successful already in drinking from bottle but he insists on nursing from me when he feels sleepy. I've already already set my foot down in nursing him only in the evening. My gosh he didn't sleep the whole afternoon. I wasn't able to eat lunch or even read the newspaper. I was only able to munch on a sandwhich when he was able to sleep(after 2 hours of crying) but woke up after only 20 minutes. Here goes another crying spiels again.
I also started to cry... to cry as loud as Aqi's. I cried because I felt so tired and helpless. I also felt so stressed out thinking that I'll be back to work next month. There are so many things to be done before I go back to work and it all depends on Aqi. I need to get a medical checkup but can't right now coz my breasts are still producing milk... need to study again for the recurrent training... take steroids for my chronic pain in the wrist... and have my eye lids sliced.

But while I was crying my heart out Aqi suddenly stopped crying. He looked at me as if wondering why I was crying too. Then he leaned his head on my shoulders and kept quiet and would occasionally look at me and smile.

He probably understood what I was crying about. And I felt a comfort in my heart that he's telling me that everything is going to be alright.

He still didn't sleep but at least he wasn't crying his heart out.
That's enough for me.

Aqi Turned 5 Months Yesterday!!

2008-03-11T15:27:00.000+08:00