WORK & PLEASURE TRIP IN MACAU

Ruins of St. Paul. Usual flock of tourists a.ka. your photo bombers the whole day from 8am. 

I never expected that my supposed 1-day side trip to Macau from HK would turn to be a 10-day duration. Unfortunately, t'was bittersweet for me because the main purpose of the trip is to work my ass off to catch up some commencement delays of the expansion project our company had in there. Heck, I always favoured more the circumstance to the pleasure than the job in any way possible. (See HK blog)

REKINDLED LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE CANINES

When I was young... I never needed anyone... (crap! too many songs in the world, I could barely pop a tune all over me in my head) To the top!

When I was young, I used to turn off my humanity towards dogs; turned my affection for them to abomination. Remember when we’re clumsy kids and we stumble with our face first to the sturdiness of the furnitures? We cried screaming at the top of our lungs (what's going on!) veeerrry angry aiming to get back at the furniture to contain our bitter blaming…That feeling! D’you feel me?

As to why I reach the point of loathing dogs then? (let's say you care.)

First story, my father’s. It was a gloomy morning as I dip and nibble a morsel of bread brushing round my cup of coffee, a little girl with her grandma got down of the trike alongside the highway heading home with a basket full of produce bought apparently from the wet market. Just a few walks away, a very loud howling ‘askal’ (local) dog coming from like nowhere attacked the little girl directing to her face. Quick response from the grandma to her granddaughter’s defense, the basket took charge of the beating but it did not stop the pooch from snatching her wrist all for the killer bite. As the assault progresses, it caught my father’s attention; with no second thoughts, he run into the scenario empty-handed of anything for resistance. (hero be like!) Not as successful as it was hoped to be, the dauntless dog continues to be aggressive managing to crunch both my father’s arms. Patience out and adrenaline is rushing, my father muddles through by grabbing both the dog’s legs and fleetingly followed it with a hard smash to the ground in succession. The dog was weakened and partly unconscious right after that instance and wails a forbearing sound. The hapless victims quickly underwent an anti-rabies shots and it was found out that the dog was deranged for a couple of days in a cage and reached the peak of its twisted fate that fine gloomy morning.

MY TOP SCENIC CATHOLIC CHURCHES IN SINGAPORE

Nothing can be more close to heavenly than attending mass to these beautiful Roman Catholic cathedrals here in Singapore. Of the 31 churches, I find these worship houses below the best in Architecture. And because I haven't tried my new Canon EOS M mirrorless camera into a dry run, these Churches are the perfect feat! Plus, I get to celebrate this year's Holy Week a little bit extraordinary.

1. Church of St. Teresa (1929)
Address : 510 Kampong Bahru Road, Singapore 099446 (View Map)
Tel : 62711184 / Fax : 62711175
Website : http://www.stteresa.org.sg

Nearest MRT Station: Outram Park (EW21/NE3-Green/Purple Line)
Bus Services to the Church and Carmelite Monastery : 61, 124, 143, 166

FAMILY WEEKEND AT DAHICAN SURF RESORT, MATI CITY, DAVAO ORIENTAL

Aware of the possible progression of low air pressure days before the weekend affair, the family insisted to go in good faith that everything will fall in our favor. Through the years, the insistence is always based on our traditional and superficial ways of asking signs to our Lord Almighty. Given that I have made this blog, God is and always reasonable to his answers. As an overseas worker in Singapore where annual vacation is limited to a maximum of 14 days ONLY, it is imperative sometimes to push the planned pleasure trip against all odds to satisfy your soul. (soul gyud?) But yes, it is for me.  

The whole duration of travel to Mati City was raining with varying rainfall intensity municipality after municipality but it never reached the downpour to heavy. The whole night is no different but the rain took a break around 8pm for an hour and then the raining continues.

I think January is a surfing season in most parts of Mindanao just like Siargao. They say the 
best waves are during the months of December to February- they say.

I WANT FINANCIAL FREEDOM!

According to Wikipedia, Financial Freedom is generally used to describe the state of having sufficient personal wealth to live, without having to work actively for basic necessities. For financially independent people, their assets generate income that is greater than their expenses.

At this point of my life where I reached past the quarter of a man's lifetime, I am really anxious why I don't still have my own house? a car? (that's coming! God at least!) an earning business? and a lot more that makes the becoming of an accomplished man or what I want to say a wealthy man. Fortunately, I am not blinded to know the answers it is more on when is it the time I can win my battles over these struggles of mine? In the early years of my career (scary... it sounded like a success story), I already have had a list of goals to take effect in an unknown time. And I strongly believe that is the Commanding General of the major major problem -I don't set target dates to my goals to bail its freedom from the imaginary world. What I just learned in making things happen, are the convictions to desire a goal and religiously be an iron-fist to say pens up! finished or not finished pass your papers! Metaphorically speaking aside - the deadline!

Another year will come, and I will become a year older then. I really wanted to dig deep in financial literacy this late. And at the moment, I find Mutual Fund a good start to make your money at sleep while generating instead of having it laid on the banks. Of course, there are risks but awareness will protect you from it. What is good news is that you can open or invest in a mutual fund account to a minimum of P5000.00 now without obliging yourself to program it on a monthly basis. It is an invest when able sort of thing.

Below is a compilation of my study to briefly summarize the FAQ's a beginner like me could understand better. I want this blog of mine translates my quest from scratch to a reality starting next year and will claim the glory and success it will take in the coming years. For now, my plan is to get an Equity and Balanced Fund accounts. (Information courtesy of Pinoymoneytalk.com)

Try to look at the Returns and Performance Reports of the Mutual Fund Companies for the last 5 years. In my case, I kept a keen eye on 2 companies --- Philequity Management Inc. (PEMI) and First Metro Asset Management Inc. (FAMI). They are by far the best performers.

SANDS SKYPARK'S MOST RAVED INFINITY POOL

Located 57 storeys above the ground, the most raved pool in Singapore is accessible only to hotel guests from 6am to 11pm that leads to mean that it is not open to public who wants to compensate for the use of the pool. Before, I always get to bring tourist friends at the observation decks on the other stretch of the SkyPark and daydream in the tightest of seconds how it is like to hang out on the other side. Then suddenly, a tap from my friends' hands woke me up, back to the real dimension. And now, the reason that I get here is nothing different from getting into the observation decks, my tourist friends help me out to experience this. It was a stunning night. I felt very rich and famous.

Finally, now I can join the pseudo-elites saying "been there done that".  lol. (It's a climb!) 

BLOG JOCKING 2013

Year-end again! And here's to my annual routine, compiling club songs to devour in the coming series of get-togethers in this holiday season. Wouldn't it be nice to make your nights festive while preparing the foods and each abode for the special eves of Christmas and New Year? Le's Go! Speakers Up!

As it is, run the buffers of the succeeding songs to enjoy full scale uninterrupted air plays. You can do that while pausing the play buttons or if you may, visit my youtube playlist for this. Click HERE.

INTERNET WHEREABOUTS: FREE DOWNLOADING, EDITING, STREAMING AND BOOKING SITES

In so many ways, the internet revolutionized the whole norm how people live their daily lives. Things were never the same again after the 90's. To date, it works as a sanctuary for online retailers, a playground to the ones who doesn't love the outdoors, an escape for the loneliest people in the world or a perfect place to be somebody else like being digitally rich and famous lavishing their swags to impress such reputation. (so much negativity!)

But paramount to that, we cannot deny the fact that Internet is the most powerful tool these days to run the world. It makes us get entertained, be interactive, prompt, knowledgeable and even generating money from it. Except from the latter (yet), I get to experience all of those. I can name as much as a thousand adjectives relating internet to its positive effect on people. Most of my time online, I spend it watching youtube while running my TV series downloads. Sometimes, the mood is going for music indulgence when I only have the room and me playing online radios and my personal youtube playlists. And if I feel movie is the flavor at the moment, I am heading to the movie streams directly and drown. 

Thus, I have numbers of online sites I barely haven't kept on a solid note but just holding it in my head. I think it would be better if I could share these to my lurking readers (like you. lol) who were and might be clueless at all on how to spend the most of their bandwidth. There are a lot of sites sprouting now and then and I just jotted down the good ones that I've tried. Check and click the Sites below. Now and then I will update these lists for some sites got busted for copyright issues.

AEROSMITH + EUPHORIA AUDIO CONCERT

The all-time great American rock band is back again on the scene of hard rockin' storming countries by its Global Warming World Tour that just started late of May last year. The band was said to complete the total sets of 67 concert performances. Now on its 3rd leg, Aerosmith will be and has been performing to New Zealand and the Philippines for the first time.

This week was Singapore's turn to host "The Bad Boys from Boston" highlighting a 2-night performance of Singapore Social 2013. I really don't have plans in watching the show for I swear to the fireworks of New Year's Eve that I will religiously cut expenditures from gadgets, concerts, movies and travels even having a girlfriend (the most expensive) this year in exchange for a material dream due to be real on the year-end.

The tight goal I set to myself has been squandered the time a remark from my housemate is so irresistible to consider. She said, "we should not let this opportunity come to pass because they were already old and may not be able to see them electrify the way they were in their prime and to date that they're still capable in the years to come." What can I say? This one's definitely an exemption. You can find money anytime but not in the case of indulging an experience made for the right time.

Somehow, I felt good about it more than worry for we get to pay the regular S$180 general admission for only S$151 because we completed 4 heads to avail the promo. I got served!

Aerosmith's Vocalist Steven Tyler (65yr-old) and Guitarist Joe Perry (62yr-old).

CHINESE & JAPANESE GARDENS

The other day, I totally lost track of time since enjoying the run of my unemployment period from 16th of March. First week of this month, we're already eyeing to contest watching the second installation of the film GI Joe on its premiere.

Not long and the time has come, I booked movie tickets for two online in the morning, prep ourselves up in the afternoon and directly hit the cinema. My brother and I claimed the tickets shortly, bought some Nachos and spotted a friendly face to take us photos with the life-size poster of the film. Delighted to enter the movie house with excitement, we exchanged smiles to the lady guards while handing over our tickets. The guards were puzzled and not so sure of what to say, so they checked their list twice, thrice and to the nth times only to find out that our tickets are booked for tomorrow and the movie as well will debut on the same date.

Pfffft! What now? Of course, we deal with it lightly and laugh it out until we start to think of the nachos and the sodas. Ting!!! So, here's the thing, why not go to one of the parks that I've never been and my brother never been to before as an alternative? - The Chinese and Japanese Gardens.

Pouring the best out of my iPhone camera, here's to my garden shots!

Pagoda Twins as seen from the Chinese Garden

BATAM OVER THE WEEKEND

For almost 3 years in Singapore, this was my first attempt to visit Batam despite the bombardment of nothing-much-can-be-seen feedbacks and the proximity of the place from reaching (45-50 min. ferry travel). That's because my little brother needed much more time to stay in Singapore and this was one of the starters portrayed at the back of my mind for a menu of closer countries to exit from Singapore.

This recent week, the plan took place Saturday at 2pm departing at Harbourfront Centre Terminal and arriving in Batam Centre Terminal at 2pm (Indonesian time), 1 hour late from Singapore timings. We also booked in advance our return tickets online for the day after to prevent the hassles of fully-occupied seatings.  And to the true purpose of this trip, we bring up the hopes of another 30-day social visit stamp in the disembarkation card on our way back to Singapore which we fortunately achieved in the process. Nowadays, the safest duration of an exit is not less than 5 days below than that you will not be given another full 30-day stay. For ferry bookings, visit: Batam Fast.

BARELANG BRIDGE. The name is composed as an abbreviation of 3 places namely Batam, Rempang and Galang. The cable stayed bridge stands about 40m high above water level, stretches at a length of 642m. Most of the tourist advocates in the web and in the place said that you had not totally hooked with Batam if you never get to see this bridge. So, even if it means paying a cab or taxi for 400,000 Rupiah (53SGD) from our distant hotel in Nagoya (Standard Hotel), we didn't mind the price just to close the issues of regrets in the future. Since I'm doubtful how far Barelang bridge is, I did not go further with my haggling and just made only a 50,000 IDR cut-off. Anyway, the 400,000 IDR covers the trip fare from our hotel to Barelang bridge to Waterfront City to Batam Centre Terminal. Just a tidbit guys, all taxis here don't have meters, so you better agree with the fare first before making a ride. Haggling is a major budget saver of all and again my forte should play the part-the ACTING! The going-to-see-another-taxi is very effective to bait drivers from giving up their fare rates down. The normal fare here could cost you around 30,000 Rupiah for a 1 to 3 km distance. They also have other means of public transpo here like ojeks (motorcycle cabs) and mini-bus fleets but these are hardly elusive to avail in this place that's why we opted for a taxi.

LET'S DO THE HARLEM SHAKE! THE RAW VERSION!

Gangnam no more! Bid farewell to the greatest monster of 2012 and welcome the new dance craze by joining the wagon of rocking your epileptic moves through the air waves. Technically, most of the pioneering harlem shake videos are branding the dance craze nowadays in a wrong way and then blown in numbers the misinformation into viral state including our video (damn!). The Harlem community in the US finds it irritating and ridiculous to see people in the videos banging their bodies into everywhere like that of those who were electrocuted and forgot to do research what harlem shake dance truly is. My point, they maybe right but in the name of fun I think technicality sUcKS and could not bring as much fun as what this crazy idea is all about---RIDICULOUSNESS!