Sentosa Island, Singapore

We agreed to meet up at Vivocity at 11am. After having lunch at one of the many restaurants, we bought a ticket to cross Sentosa Island.

As soon as the train door opened, the sight took my breath away! Clear blue sparkling waters greeted my eyes. I hurriedly went down and ran towards the beach. Aahh... the feeling is just indescribable. They have grains of sand as fine as sugar and as white as cotton balls. The heat is scorching but no one gives a damn!

My friend Zai and Nasriah bellowed at me to come back for we need to try the Luge first before embarking on Beach hopping. So I dragged my heavy feet back to the hot pavement and queued up for the ride.

In order to ride the Luge, which is like a bump car ride back home, we need to take the Skyride that will take us up the hill so that we can start our drive downhill. As soon as the cable car started climbing up, my excitement grew. Below me is a soothing view of thick green trees and in front of me is a breathtaking view of the splendor of the island.

The drive downhill was adrenaline-pumping. Zai and I raced to the finish line. The feel of the wind whipping on my face was refreshing.

We started our trek to the next beach which has a lagoon. The girls decided to plop down under a coconut tree and took out our form of entertainment, playing cards, while the boys rushed to the shoreline and devoured every bikini-wearing gal within their sight.

When the boys came back after "touring", Emily and I organized a childhood play that we both love, "Patintero". Our foreign friends were able to get the hang of it easily and started laughing and panting in no time.

After catching my breath from the game. I went ahead and immersed myself in the beckoning sea. Pure bliss! It's been so long since I took a swim so for me this is heaven.

By 6pm we started heading to the station. We spent 2 more hours at the coffee shop below the station before finally boarding it to take us back to Vivocity. Then we took our dinner of KFC chicken at the deck of Vivocity Mall facing the island. Another round of picture taking took place and a couple more rounds of playing cards.

I finally arrived at the doorstep of my apartment at 10pm, all bone-weary tired and sticky. Great way to spend a Sunday!

Postscript:

Sentosa Island is a tourist destination and a must see here in Singapore!

Multicultural Night Out

from left to right: Mahesh(Sri Lanka), Lily(Indonesia), me(Philippines), Zai(Singapore), Su(Myanmar), & Haresh(India)

After a grueling week, my friends and I decided to unwind and visit the local bars. We met up at Clarke Quay. After walking around and checking out the best place to hang out, we sat down at a table outside of Le Noir bar and I began my night with ordering my favorite drink... Blue Frozen Margarita.

for me nothing beats a frozen margarita...

A duo of Caucasian origin started performing tricks right in front of where we are having fun. I gave them 10 minutes of my time and came to the conclusion that they were not that interesting. However, I give them credit for trying.

We went on to check another bar down Havelock Road named Connections. Lily, my Indonesian friend recommended this since she's a regular here. To my surprise, the regular band members are Filipinos and Bisaya to boot! We danced the night away. I made new friends, both Filipinos and foreigners. I even danced the Chacha with one of the vocalists.

mga bisdak sad!

Sad to say, the performance ended at 2:00am but I left the place with a smile and a promise to the regulars and staff that I'll be back.

It's nice to know that there is a place around here that makes me feel not so far away from home...

Batam Island, Indonesia

November 4, 7:45am, I found myself going to Harbourfront where I bought a ticket to Batam, Indonesia. It's a one day trip. After being cooped inside my pad for the whole day yesterday, I decided to get some fresh air and go to a place where I won't be able to see a lot of people with Chinese or Indian origin.

And indeed I got what I wanted! It was like stepping home. The people in Batam look like Filipinos.

"...where the town Mayor abides."

I arrived at 11:30 am, Indonesian time which was an hour behind Singapore. I then started walking without a specific direction in mind when I heard a voice (and no, it's not from God Himself) in a not too distant area booming over. I found out that it was from a temple or something to that extent (don't ask me the name or what religion it is for I have no idea! I tried asking some of the locals around the area but it seems I get blank stares or a response that is equivalent to alien talk).
So, I continued on and found myself in front of a mall (it's not that big though, kind of like Gaisano Mall in Cebu). I ended up buying a bag! To my sheer pleasure, I discovered that this place is not as expensive as Singapore and it's a good place to shop. (although my primary reason to come here was to take a breather, I just can't resist!) The main city in this area is Batam Center, there's another city named Nagoya where seafoods abound (Since I'm not fond with that menu and after knowing it's 20km from where I'm at, I decided to stay put.) I spent 1 1/2 hours in that mall named "Barata" before I started my way again, this time, towards a much larger establishment they call MegaMall-Batam Center.

I took my lunch at Bistro Godiva Coffee where to my amazement is an all-smoking area! (by the way, this one is located inside the mall itself. Made me remember the Philippine malls years ago.) After stuffing myself, I started walking around the shops. Souvenir items and accessories added to my purchased list. When the soles of my feet begin to hurt, I took a seat at the same restaurant/coffee shop where I had my lunch and got myself a Frappe to quench my thirst (their Frappe is good!). This is when I noticed that its supervisor is quite good-looking! (definitely my type and I bet Joeyboi, he's your type too!) Moments like this make me miss my dear friends more. It seems that checking out guys is not as fun as they were around (nevertheless, their absence didn't stop my wandering eyes. hehehe. Who can blame me? I'm unattached anyway! Besides, why am I defending myself??) Oh well, it took me 30 minutes to forget the presence of Mr. Good-looking and started to enjoy my drink and my Marlboro. It was already 3:30pm when I left that place. (sorry Joey I was not able to get his name or number but I was able to get a few seconds eye contact with him before I stood up and made my grand exit. hehe)

I took a last walk around the area before heading home. One thing I learned about this place is that the locals are quite friendly, a far cry from Singaporeans. They easily give out a smile and even if their English vocabulary is limited, they never fail to try. Another thing I noted while walking the streets is that these people easily offer a ride. I got offered more than ten times and one was even from a policeman in a police car! (I politely declined to all though since I don't even know where I'm going!) I ended my wanderings at 4:00pm Indo time and said goodbye to the place.

Postscript

Overall, it was a nice experience. I'll probably come back and may be stay for at least a night with friends. Hope Mr. Good-looking would still be around! Hahahaha (What's wrong with me? I'm beginning to be like Joey! Supervisor??)

By the way Joeyboi, I found out as I checked information about this place online that more than half of the population are single! Good information, right? Interested? hahahaha

What Money Brings...

November 1, 1:47pm. I was walking down the road from Funan IT Mall where I just purchased a book that I have been postponing to buy for weeks now on my way to City Hall MRT when I passed by a store that has a sign that read, St. Andrew's Cathedral, You are welcome here. That didn't stop me from my tracks until I saw a huge poster inside the paneled glass that read "Money No Enough" (yup, that's exactly what it said!)


I started reading its content...and I found myself agreeing to the words. Let me share them with you. I know this is not the first time we have heard or read about this but somehow it made me think about it again.

"Money No Enough"

Money can buy a House but not a Home.

Money can buy a Bed but not Sleep.

Money can buy Books but not Knowledge.

Money can buy a Position but not Respect.

Money can buy Medicine but not Health.

Money can buy Blood but not Life.

Money can buy Sex but not Love.

These thoughts made me re-think about my life and how I'm living it. It reminded me of what is really valuable in this existence. It made me reorganize my priorities and put more thought on the important things in life.

Somehow it made me appreciate the things I have now. It made me feel grateful for I realized I have in abundance the most priceless things on earth... a Home which my loving and supportive family has given me, quality Sleep that my current lifestyle made possible, Knowledge that the vast experiences and people around me have contributed, Respect that I tried so hard to achieve and was paid off, Health that the Almighty One has blessed me, Life that He graciously lent me, and Love that my family and friends have unconditionally showered me.

So you see, I am RICH!

And I will try my best to treasure and keep these riches as long as possible. I hope everyone can do the same.

*************************************************************************************

The second poster on the same shop that caught my eyes read " Money and Greed".


Have you ever stopped to think about the amount of energy we spend trying to get more money for that lifestyle we can't afford? Our desire for material wealth can overtake our life. It can become an addiction loading us with debt. Let us not feed greed!

This poster narrates the reasons why people want and will do whatever means to own the material things in this temporary world which they can hardly afford. Most people want it because other people have it. Some want it to establish or reestablish their position in society. This message reminds us not to be caught in the money trap but rather invest for eternity.

Matthew 6: 19-21

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Job 1: 21

"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."

Postscript

Joey, I know this is not my usual style but whatever!