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Showing posts from 2011

Tribute to OFWs

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I am very proud to say that I came from a family of OFWs. My father left when I was about 8 or 9 years old to work in Saudi. As difficult as it was for my mother to be left on her own to look after me and my brother, more than 11 years of being apart was well worth it in the end. If it were not for my father's (and my mother's) sacrifices, I don't know if I would have been who and what I am today. I couldn't imagine myself going to college because life was hard way back then. That's why I owe everything to them. Being apart from my father was not easy. But perhaps we were still lucky because at least we saw my father every two years. Some OFWs that I hear about nowadays have not gone home in a very long time.  I am really glad that I learned how to sacrifice at a young age, because that is exactly what I am doing right now. As much as I wanted to see my niece and nephews grow up and my parents grow old, I had to give that up to provide them with a better lif

No Other Woman

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Watching the movie No Other Woman last friday lead to a very random dream about an ex-boyfriend and his wife. Honestly I don't even think about these people, so why on earth would I dream about them? In the dream, I was flirting with the ex-boyfriend in front of the wife. Parang Anne Curtis lang. Naging kontrabida tuloy ako.  Anyway, let's talk about the movie. First of all, I wouldn't have watched the movie if it were not for Carmi Martin's punch lines. I must say that Star Cinema made the right choice in including that scene in the trailer as it drew curiosity among people like me, who wouldn't necessarily watch Filipino films (anymore) but has a passion for funny and palaban punch lines. I couldn't think of anyone else who could have delivered those lines better than Miss Carmi Martin, so well done. With regards to the main characters, Anne Curtis is actually the best among the three. She was perfect for her role and her acting was very natural. I think

London's Best Kept (Breakfast) Secret!

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If I happen to be in London especially on a weekend, I normally have my favourite longsiloglog (because I always have two eggs) at a Pinoy restaurant in Earl's Court. Either that, or I get my usual double sausage and egg Mc Muffin and pancakes at where else, of course Mc Donald's.  But when my friend Mila took me to the  The Breakfast Club  in Angel  last week, I think I may have found a new breakfast hang-out. So on Monday, I went there again, this time at their Soho branch. We got there just after 8am, so the place was very quiet. We were greeted by a guy who looked like he just got out of bed and couldn't be bothered to go to work. He could be forgiven because it was early Monday morning. It's just a shame though because the place although rather small, had a very welcoming ambiance. So the experience would have been better if the staff was more accommodating. Anyhow, I would probably still go back for the food and the place, but not necessarily the staff. T

The Hills Are Alive At Villa Trapp in Salzburg

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Sometime in December 2009, I was woken up at 1 o'clock in the morning with the news that we would be staying at the real The Sound of Music family home on our trip to Salzburg. That was the best news I've heard at that time in the morning. I have watched the film a few times and I absolutely loved it. In fact, we were watching it again last night that's why I was reminded of our wonderful trip and thought I'd share my experience with you.   The Villa Trapp is not the house that is featured in the movie, so don't expect anything too fancy like the lake terrace or the beautiful stairs. The real house is actually located in a quiet town of Aigen, few minutes away from Salzburg Old Town. Because we were coming from Munich, we took the train to get to the villa. The train station is actually the same train station that the Von Trapp family used to escape from the Nazis. It is just about 5 minute walk to the villa. Then we took a 10 minute bus ride to the centre. The

My Journey To My Friend's Wedding

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Before I finally got to my friend's wedding, I spent four hours stressing out on things that I could probably have done sooner rather than later. Since I have been busy with work and flat-hunting in London all week, I didn't get the chance to buy a wedding gift until the day before. And then I forgot to buy a gift wrap so I had to go back to town (on the day that I was due to attend the wedding) to get one. Thank God I live a stone's throw away from the city centre, so that was not too bad. But I don't think I can forgive myself for not trying on my outfit few days before the wedding, or even the night before. Mind you, this was the first time that I have not done this  (trying on). For some reason, I just assumed that the dress would fit me. But when I tried it on, the zip wouldn't close. And just to make things worse, it wouldn't come off! Although the dress was stretchable, it would not stretch enough so I can remove it. I was about to get a scissor and jus

Cheat Day At Mickie D!

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I had a very long day at school today. The lectures on anti-microbials and the endocrine system almost left me brain dead. Honestly, I didn't even know which bus stop to get off. I think I have come to a point where I just want to get on with my remaining essays and start studying on my own. After almost six months of information overload, my brain cells can no longer take any more diagrams and 15-20 pages of handouts. I should really stop moaning because I know one day it's all gonna be worth it. But it's just totally draining. If I only knew, I could have done this course when I was younger. That and a text message (that stressed me out a bit) prompted me to move my cheat day two days ahead. Hence, my trip to Mc Donald's. I can't honestly remember the last time I had Mc Do's Single Bypass Burger,haha! Mc Donald's french fries dipped in Sweet 'n Sour sauce is my favourite! And to add a bit of the healthiness in my meal, I went for tropicana

The Mediterranean Cruise With Norwegian Gem

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Reading too much travel articles over the weekend reminded me of our Mediterranean Cruise in 2009. I would never have thought of taking a cruise if not for our friends in New York. It was never on my list to do before I die. First, because I don't really like the open sea. The thought of being in the middle of the sea at night, or even at day for few hours without seeing any land really freaked me out. Second, because I thought it was expensive. But I am glad that we did it at this early age so that even if we are not be able to do it when we are older, at least we can say we have done it. It is one of the best things I have ever done in my life. To be honest, that was the first time I have ever come close to a Cruise Ship. It was overwhelming! And when I entered the ship, I felt like I was in a completely different place. For a while, I forgot that I was actually inside a ship. It was massive. My fear was suddenly overshadowed by the feeling of excitement. It was very surreal for

My Tooth Scare

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I was gonna write about Amanda Knox's acquittal and the death of Steve Jobs, but I know that my brain cells will not be able to cope with writing even just the first sentence, so I decided to stick to what I do best - writing about myself. =) Three weeks ago, I decided to register with a dentist here in Bristol. I have been here for a decade but has never gone to a dentist. First, because it's expensive and second, because I thought there was a waiting list. I would normally save my dental check up for when I go home to the Philippines. But when I went home in April, I just didn't have time. So I didn't have a choice than to get a dentist here because my teeth have not been checked for three years. Yes, three years and that's disgusting! When I went for a dental check up, the dentist told me that I have a gum disease. I kinda knew I had a gum problem because it bleeds everytime I brush my teeth. This really scared me because I know that gum disease is assoc

I Love My Water Bottle

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For the longest time, I have been buying bottled water for work or for when I travel. Although I only bought the cheap bottled water ( Nestle Pure Life Water ,  £2 for 12 bottles at Tesco), it added up as days went by. Don even kept telling me to reuse the bottle, but I only did it for so long because the bottle left a funny smell after two days of reusing it. So, I got frustrated and then I started looking for "designer" water bottles, yes "designer". I don't know but I have this mentality that if it is a designer water bottle, it will look more interesting (and different), and will last longer because they are expensive. I know I'm wrong, but..... I don't drink a lot of water anyway. When I am at home, I only drink at least three glasses of water a day. And when I am working, I drink a little bit more, but I don't just drink water at work. I mean I don't drink water directly from the tap, because it's the hospital. You probably know