just a bit of sun

Sunset at Cordova, Mactan

2006-06-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

My Flickr friends proposed a series of photoshoots over the weekend. They had a pretty hectic schedule laid out so I was only able to go to the Cordova sunset pictorial set for Saturday. Farley and I drove out to the pier from Compostela at about 5:00 pm and arrived at Cordova before everyone else because my boy knows a shorter way to get to the place, Mactan Island being his hometown. Hometown advantage, so they say...

We got trigger happy with the camera as soon as we got there. Farley as you could see in the picture above did not lose time and started capturing the setting sun. I, on the other hand, started eyeing this old boat docked near the road because the sunset light was bouncing off it such a warm glow.

By this time, the sun was really lying low and just about to set. It was the most beautiful yellow and its reflection on the sea surface was just amazing. The sky turned a screaming orange.

Just to show you the beauty of that reflection, here is my capture of it. I am so glad I did it justice.

After more than 30 minutes of shooting, our Flickr friends still have not arrived. They got stuck in traffic and so they missed out on the awesome sunset. While waiting for them, I got a shot of some homebound boatmen.

The quartet of Elmer, Estan, Tet, and Mark finally arrived. Greetings abound and I got into chika mode as I have not seen these guys for quite sometime. Elmer's trip to Japan was very especially interesting for me since I lived there for close to 7 years. But these guys were also here for a photoshoot, so I had to let them be. I even had time to capture these rowing boys:

Alas, it was almost 6:30 p.m. I was hungry and thoughts of the salmon sushi from Kagura (Farley and my favorite Japanese resto) was already haunting me. So, we bade our friends goodbye after taking this last shot...

Long Hiatus

2006-06-11T07:23:00.000-07:00

It has been six months since I last posted here. As usual, I got so busy with my job and traveling. I also fell in love with the most adorable boy on earth. That should keep a normal girl busy, right? Hehe.

Now that the dust has settled, I will go back to blogging. Wish me luck... :)

I Love Sushi!

2006-01-02T07:53:00.000-08:00

sushi set from my favorite sushi bar in tokyo

If there is one thing I miss about Japan, it should be sushi. Everytime I have the chance to go back, I always get excited because going there would mean an abundance of authentic, succulent, mouth-watering sushi.

When I was staying in Japan as a graduate student, it was inevitable that I would succumb to blue periods when life just hits me with really hurtful blows. Days would be spent holed up in my room, doing nothing but sleep, sleep, and sleep. Getting up gets too painful at those times. But after days of eating nothing but what I have laid out near my bed, hunger pangs take over and the first thing that comes to my mind is always SUSHI!

visions of this can snap me off any depression

Trembling because of hunger, I would take a bath and dress up, fly out of the room and into the nearest sushi bar and gorge on sushi until satiated! Miraculously, my blues would go away, a smile starts to wash over my face and I am a new girl again.

Yes, sushi is my Prozac.

sushi and sashimi from the breakfast buffet of circles cafe, makati shangri-la hotel

Louis Vuitton Madness!

2006-01-01T05:12:00.000-08:00

I went to Manila explicitly to buy Louis Vuitton bags. Cebu does not have an LV store yet, although I am hoping that one will be put up once the expansion of Ayala Center Cebu is completed. It is such a hassle to go to another city just to buy their beautiful bags.

In a previous post, I have already blurted out my Christmas wish for an LV Epi Alma in Mandarin. I was quite apprehensive since when I called the store the Sales Associate mentioned that there was only one bag left in this design and color.

Wishing that no one had thought of buying the only bag I have been lusting for months, I entered the store. Abby, the SA approached me and without hesitation I inquired if they still have the bag I wanted in stock. You can hear my sigh of relief from a mile away when she smiled and said, "Yes, Ma'am, we still have it." She showed it to me and THE BAG TOOK MY BREATH AWAY! It was that beautiful. Even my thrifty friend Maricel was mesmerized. We both may have held our breathe for about 5 seconds! Maricel did not even blink when the price was mentioned. Beside me, she was murmuring her agreement to my purchase. Well, it goes without saying that I bought it.

gorgeousness!

Well, since I went all the way to Manila, I thought that one bag was not enough. While the SA was packing my Epi Alma, I was in deep thought and was arguing with myself on what the second bag should be. The SA has already shown me the Speedy 30 and the Monogram Vernis Reade PM and I could not decide on which of the two I would buy.

sigh, if i could just buy all of those gorgeous bags and shoes!

The Speedy 30 is more practical since it is a hardy bag, but the Reade PM in Pearle was really beautiful and delicate. Although Maricel liked the Reade PM because it appealed to her ladylike personality, I was won over by the Speedy 30's toss and tumble toughness. I could bring it anywhere in any weather and I would not be too OC about it. So, there! Another bag bought!

yeah, i shopped too much..., but what the heck! :p

Thus and more, 2005 was a Happy Year for me! I hope the year 2006 will bring me more blessings, too!

Happy New Year everyone! :)

Posted in Shopping, Louis Vuitton, Bag

Christmas Party 2005

2005-12-31T10:33:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. This is 2 weeks late, but life has been uncooperative with this blog. First, I got sick before Christmas. Then, the merry, busy, migraine-inducing Christmas week was just too much for me...

Anyway to the topic...

student's videoke room

Our department decided to have a videoke singing contest for our Christmas Party. The students, teachers and staff were assigned to one classroom each where they could sing their hearts out for 2 hours (actually more! hehe). After the two hours, representatives for the standard, novelty and rock categories would be chosen for the CHEMISTRY IDOL finals.

jotay doing rock, while ising and maemae do the pose...

Really, it was the best christmas party we ever had! Hehe...

ma'am P's granddaughter and ma'am echong's niece were our cute visitors...

Sinulog Festival 2006 Tentative Schedule of Activities

2005-12-15T02:32:00.000-08:00

The Sinulog Foundation has released the tentative schedule of activities for the upcoming Sinulog 2006 festival. I know that all Cebuanos, whether currently here in Cebu or abroad would be very much interested in this. Pit Senyor!

The photos interspersed between the schedules are my pictures from the Sinulog 2005 Mardi Gras Parade. For more of my Sinulog pics, click this.

I am planning on taking pictures of the Sinulog 2005 Fluvial Procession at the Mactan Channel, the Solemn Procession through the streets of Colon, and of course the Grand Mardi Gras. Below, I made the fonts bold for these activities.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2006
2:00 PM - Solemn Mass at the Basilica del Sto. Niño sponsored
by Sinulog Foundation, Inc.
7:00 PM - Opening and Launching Program at the Fuente Osmeña Circle.
8:00 PM - Opening & Launching Program at the Plaza Independencia
9:00 PM – Street Party, Band Concert at the Fuente Osmeña Circle

SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2006
Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan
1:00 PM - Parade of Participants from Capitol to Cebu City Sports Center
2:00 PM - Competition Proper - Sinulog sa Barangay - CCSC
4:30 PM - Awarding of Winners
7:30 PM - Cultural Show, Dep-Ed, Cebu Division, Fuente Osmeña Circle
Cultural Show, LGU, Cluster I, Plaza Independencia
9:00 PM - Street Party Band Concert, Fuente Osmeña Circle

SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2006
Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Dakbayan
1:00 PM - Parade of Participants from Plaza Independencia to Cebu City Sports Center
2:00 PM - Competition Proper - Sinulog sa Kabataan
4:30 PM - Awarding Ceremonies
7:30 PM - Cultural Show, Dep-Ed, Cebu Division, Fuente Osmeña Circle
Cultural Show, LGU, Cluster I, Plaza Independencia
9:00 PM - Street Party Band Concert, Fuente Osmeña Circle

MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 2006
7:30 PM - Cultural Show, Dep-Ed, Cebu Division, Fuente Osmeña Circle
Cultural Show, LGU, Cluster I, Plaza Independencia
9:00 PM - Street Party Band Concert, Fuente Osmeña

TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2006
7:30 PM – Cultural Show, Dep-Ed, Cebu Division, Fuente Osmeña Circle
Cultural Show, LGU, Cluster I, Plaza Independencia
9:00 PM - Street Party Band Concert, Fuente Osmeña

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2006
7:30 PM – Cultural Show, Dep-Ed, Cebu Division, Fuente Osmeña Circle
Cultural Show, LGU, Cluster I, Plaza Independencia
9:00 PM - Street Party Band Concert, Fuente Osmeña Circle

THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 2006
January 12– 16, 2004 Devotee Tent City at Plaza Independencia
7:30 PM – Cultural Show, Dep-Ed, Cebu Division, Fuente Osmeña Circle
Cultural Show, LGU, Cluster I, Plaza Independencia
Ms. Cebu 2003 (Waterfront Hotel)
9:00 PM - Street Party Band, Fuente Osmeña Circle

FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2006
7:30 PM – Cultural Show, Dep-Ed, Cebu Division, Fuente Osmeña Circle
Cultural Show, LGU, Cluster I, Plaza Independencia
9:00 PM – Street Party Band, Fuente Osmeña Circle

SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 2006
6:00 AM - Fluvial Procession of the Miraculous Image of Señor Santo Niño from Mandaue City to Cebu City passing the port Lapulapu City.
9:00 AM - Re-enactment of the Baptism of Queen Juana & Rajah Humabon at the Basilica del Santo Niño Pilgrim Center.
2:00 PM - Solemn Procession of the Miraculous Image of Señor Santo Niño.
6:30 PM – Search for Sinulog Festival Queen at Fuente Osmeña
7:30 PM - Band Concert at the Fuente Osmeña and Plaza Independencia

SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2006
7:00 AM - Assembly of Contingents, Carousel Parade Route.
10:00 AM - Start of Sinulog Grand Parade.
6:00 PM – “Best of Cebu” Variety Show at the Cebu City Sports Center
7:30 PM - Fireworks Display at the Fuente Osmeña Grand Stage
7:45 PM – Street Party at the Fuente Osmeña Circle and Plaza Independencia

MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2006
1:00 PM - Awarding Ceremonies & Repeat Performance of Winners
at the Cebu City Sports Center

Phenolphthalein and Fluorescein

2005-12-14T12:53:00.000-08:00

It was a whirlwind of lecture and laboratory classes today. The sophomore Chemistry majors prepared phenolphthalein and flourescein in class. I have always liked this experiment because of the lovely colors on the products. The students get excited by it all, too.

Resurrected Shoes and a Dead Earthworm

2005-12-13T06:49:00.000-08:00

As I was looking at my collection of shoes to find a pair that would coordinate well with my outfit, I chanced upon this old pair which has served me well for the 3 months I was in Tokyo on a research fellowship. It has been two years since I wore these shoes and I chose to wear it since I found it to be a good combination with my brown halter blouse and cardigan.

The dead earthworm was attacked by ants! - a garage shot...

So what did I accomplish today?
1. I delivered my lecture.
2. I got my Pag-ibig check which will be deposited to my bank account this Thursday.
3. I paid my VISA card bills.
4. Not an accomplishment, but I got my 13th month pay! Yey!

Oh, and Pancit gave me a bottle of white wine as Christmas gift. Thanks, Pancit!

Brownies and Checking Papers...

2005-12-12T06:53:00.000-08:00

I have no classes on Mondays. With too much time on my hands, I baked a batch of chocolate fudge brownies and enjoyed it at tea time. My favorite tea of the moment is Houji-cha or roasted green tea. I love how it offsets the bittersweetness of the brownies.

As written in the New World Tea website:

Despite its brown appearance, this roasted green tea is still considered a green tea. Houjicha's (pronounced HO-jee-cha) exquisite smoky and roasted flavor is a perfect combination for almost any kind of food and contains less caffeine than other green teas. To insure the utmost freshness, our Japanese green teas are grown, picked, processed and vacuum-packaged at a single location, before being shipped to the United States. When you open your tin it will smell as if it were just picked from Japanese tea fields - you will be surprised by how fresh this tea is!

Then at almost 4 p.m., I started to work on checking the exam papers of my Organic Chemistry class. But as it is with me, I dozed off after about 10 minutes and woke up at 7 p.m. Bad teacher! :p

Oh, by the way! I also faxed Louis Vuitton Manila about the availability of a few bags in their collection. I have made a list of bags that I would choose from. Right now, I am veering on an Epi Alma in Mandarin. I also called them to ask if it is in stock. They said that there was one available, but they are not sure if it would not be sold by December 28 since this style and color is now in demand. Howell, I still have other styles on my list...

From the christmas 2005 catalog Louis Vuitton sent me... I want this one but in Mandarin yellow.

Rest Day, A Book, and Bananas

2005-12-11T08:09:00.000-08:00

Sunday is my rest day. As much as possible, I just want to enjoy a day of leisure, read some books, and eat well. Although I was already awake by 9am, it was only at past noon when I sat down for a late breakfast, which consisted of yoghurt and left-over pizza. This breakfast stretched to more than one hour because I was engrossed on a book while eating.

Entitled "On Food and Cooking" by Harold McGee, this book is a culinary classic and a masterpiece that any food lover should own. It completely describes the source of our food, the organic and inorganic compounds that they are made of, and how cooking results in a chemical transformation that makes them palatable and delicious. Here is an interesting excerpt:

Bananas develop a meltingly smooth consistency, and a distinctive aroma due primarily to amyl acetate and other esters, and green, floral, and clove (eugenol) notes. Banana acidity also increases during ripening, and sometimes twofold, so the flavor becomes more full in several dimensions...

McGee may write well about bananas, but I eat them better:

Banana-Q, one of the best foods in the world. Devoured for merienda.

Pinoy Big Brother Winner "Nene Tamayo"!

2005-12-10T10:09:00.000-08:00

Pinoy Big Brother just had a very successful Big Night at the Clark Expo in Pampanga. Everyone that I know wanted either Jayson or Nene to win the PhP 6 million prize money as the first PBB winner. Well, Nene won and Jason was the first runner up. Although I was rooting for Jayson since the beginning, Nene won the hearts and minds of the Filipino people and I acknowledge that she was a deserving winner. Her strength of character showed through in every episode of the series. She never resorted to back-biting and always did the tasks assigned by Big Brother with grace, poise, and a never-gonna-quit attitude. The girl was loved by my mother and most mothers I know. They must have seen in her the ideal daughter. My congratulations, Nene!

But in contrast to the excitement of PBB's Big Night, my day was kind of boring. I had a monstrous migraine last night which caused me to be groggy the whole day today. Yet I still had to go to school even on a Saturday because of the Pre-Midterm exam I had to give my second year Organic Chemistry students.

As you can see from the picture above, they took their exams in the faculty room because I wanted to work on my afternoon lecture while looking after them. Unable to concentrate because I was too hungry, I just enjoyed watching my friends play Tumblebugs - the latest craze in the Chemistry Department. I had to wait for the pizza to be delivered by 11:30am.

The pizza was delivered at almost noon. Good thing that I was too famished to complain! Anyway, here is proof of my hearty appetite:

My lunch!

Classroom Scenes

2005-12-09T05:44:00.000-08:00

Teaching may not make you a millionaire, but the fulfillment you get from the job more than makes up for it. I do get my share of lazy and dull students, but I am generally blessed with bright, enthusiastic, and respectful students who remain my friends even after they graduate from my class.

Today, I had Organic Chemistry laboratory and lecture classes for the Chemistry majors. They were engrossed in the lab trying to finish their analysis on an unknown organic compound. They have until next Friday to submit a report on the identity of the organic compound that I gave them for qualitative analysis.

Color reactions are fun!

For my lecture class, we continued on the discussion on how to separate the components of a mixture of organic compounds.

Settled on my desk, I noticed an envelop addressed to me. It bore good news as I finally got my tenureship! Tenureship means job security, but most all it means that I still get my 2-months summer pay even if I do not work for the 3 months of summer. During this time, I could focus on my translation job, photography, reading my back-log of books, watching DVDs, and trying out new recipes to cook. I also got promoted to Associate Professor Level 3, which is 7 levels my former rank of Assistant Professor Level 1. This signifies a higher pay and more financial security. When before I have to augment my income with my translation jobs (which actually pays me 5 times more!), now my salary as a teacher can support my lifestyle. The money I get from translations will be saved and a portion used to buy luxury items like another Louis Vuitton bag. hehe.

After a few shouts of joy on my part and congratulatory cheers from my colleagues, I had to eat lunch. Since the start of this semester, I have been preparing my bento box for lunch whenever my classes take the whole day. The food at the cafeteria got tiring on the palate and they were expensive to boot!

Pag-ibig, Dentist, and Some Shopping

2005-12-08T05:31:00.000-08:00

My application for the Pag-ibig loan had to be submitted today. I was already at the Pag-ibig office by 8:26 to get my priority number. The wait was not that bad, an hour for a really busy government office...

I got out just in time for my 10:00 am appointment with my dentist. It went along fine and I got some tidbit from my dentist about puppies of imported dogs costing PhP15,000 to PhP25,000 here in Cebu. Each dog could give birth to about 10 puppies which can be sold easily since demand is also up for them. That would be a nice business to take up if only I love pets. But I don't, so it's not a good idea at all. hehe.

Right after, I decided to proceed to Ayala Center to have brunch at Idea Italia. I love their minestrone! It is hot, delicious, and comforting. Satiated, I decided to walk around the mall. My first stop was the Beauty Bar where I got the Bebe Magic Matte facial oil absorber made of linen paper. At only PhP85, it was a bargain. To think that my Shu Uemura, with only a few sheets left, costs me 5 times! Hmmm. Let's see if the Bebe beats the Shu quality wise, too...

Remembering that the girl from What A Girl Wants texted me yesterday about the arrival of new Havaianas, I went to the 3rd floor to visit the shop. Fortunately, a pair of the Havaianas in white was available in my size. Bought! My last stop was my favorite magazine shop to get copies of the December 2005 issues of my favorite magazines.

I went home by 2pm to finish some proofreading job I had to submit by early afternoon. That done, I revert to teacher mode and made 3 exams.

Teacher's Day

2005-12-07T04:54:00.000-08:00

I attended to my laboratory and lecture classes the whole morning. As there were no classes in the afternoon due to Teacher's Day celebrations, I decided to go to the main campus to apply for SSS and Pag-ibig loans. I was advised to do so because apparently other people may loan using my SSS and Pag-ibig IDs if my records remain loan-free. The application process only took about 30 minutes. I do not have to go to the SSS office for the SSS loan, which is a big help as lining up there is hell. However, I have to go to the Pag-ibig building tomorrow to finalize my loan. It is sort of cute that I will only be receiving PhP12,000 from SSS and less than PhP5,000 from Pag-ibig for these loans. hehe. But still, better me getting the money than other people. Bad trip if you have to pay for loans that other people enjoyed in your name.

It was already 2:30 when I finished finished submitting all my loan related papers to the Accounting office. I was famished and was so tempted to drop by Jollibee for some fries and mais con hielo ice craze. But, I was more sleepy than hungry and decided to just go home to catch a nap. The 30-minute nap resulted in hunger pangs that could not be denied. I had to wake up and fry some banana turons and match them with yummy vanilla ice cream lined with Hershey's chocolate, and topped off with homemade yoghurt! Yummy! Perfect for the rainy weather.

There was supposed to be a Teacher's Day fete at the Grand Convention. But it was really raining hard. I was already ready to go and even changed to a skirt for the party...

In the end, I decided to celebrate being a teacher by staying home and continuing on that nap a few hours ago...

Pretty Normal Day...

2005-12-06T05:28:00.000-08:00

Due to some pressing tasks related to a translation job, I was almost late for my class. Luck was with me as the roads were clear and I got to class in 20 minutes.

After my lecture, I decided to pay a visit to Canon to follow up on the lens cover that they stupidly left in Manila. I am so pissed off with their incompetency. I had my Powershot Pro1 repaired because ants decided to make a home inside the hot shoe of my digital camera. It took them 2 months to return my digicam and wonders of wonder! The lens cover was not shipped together with the camera body. I discovered the mistake a month ago, but still the lens cover has not been shipped! My blood boiled over and they got a piece of my temper. Grrr...

I let myself cool off and since my dentist's office is in the same arcade, I decided to drop by to make an appointment for Thursday morning. Afterwhich, I stopped by the salon for my regular hot oil treatment, pedicure, and eyebrow grooming.

I also went shopping and bought Guinot skin care products and the last set of DVDs for Friends. Yey! All 10 Friends DVD sets are completed! Just like my 6 DVD sets for Sex and the City! Hurray!

Target DVDs for the new year:
1. Monk Seasons 1, 2, and 3
2. 2046 (A must have since I already own the DVDs for "In The Mood For Love" and "Chungking Express")

Time to spend and click on that Amazon icon...

Starting over

2005-12-05T18:21:00.000-08:00

I totally forgot about this blog! Blame my busy schedule...

But I hope to get the groove back and post more. Make that my New Year's Resolution. hehe.

Changes...

2004-03-26T05:14:00.003-08:00

I have started doing some changes here. Will continue to do so in the next few weeks...

It has been a while...

2004-03-17T01:50:00.000-08:00

Been very very busy. Give me 3 more weeks to get back here. Might introduce some changes...

Busy days ahead!

2003-10-09T03:52:00.000-07:00

I got two invitations to talk in two scientific conferences. The first conference will be in Tokyo on Nov. 6-7, 2003 and the other one will be on Dec. 16 - 17, 2003 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I like these things because not only am I presenting my research and interacting with other scientists, I get to go places for free and with an extra allowance to boot. Its not really that bad. :)

So I am leaving for Tokyo on Oct. 26, and staying there for 2 weeks. Ayachi has e-mailed me rejoicing at the news she got from Dr. O of my impending arrival. She told me a story about the stupid adventures of the ever baka T. Its too funny, it made me miss my laboratory in Tokyo. :)

The ticket is being booked Tokyo side, as Dr. O informed me just a while ago via e-mail. :)
Clothes and shoes for the trip have been bought. That was fun! Ahaha.
I now have to prepare for 2 talks, one on the conference itself and another one on our laboratory's regular colloquium. WAH!

I should also not forget that I still have translation jobs galore. Deadlines upon deadlines upon deadlines...

So multi-tasking days have to begin...

NOW!

It has been a while, ne.

2003-10-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

The last 6 months have been the most hectic period in my life. I spent almost 3 months in Tokyo for to measure the seawater samples. I had collected over the Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea, Philippine Sea, and South China Sea for the rare earth elements. To think that there were 120 samples, and the job should have taken 6 months to finish.

While in Tokyo, a professor at the University of the Ryukyus invited me to spend 3 days at the Okinawa. This was a great opportunity for me to visit such a place that well... reminded me of home. I went back to Tokyo driven away by a typhoon, though. That took away time that could have been spent doing some serious shopping at the United Nations Avenue... But still I got to see the Shuri Castle with the Professor, who was really a nice person, albeit talkative. :)

Before leaving Tokyo, my face got bloated due to an allergic reaction to Bufferin. For a few hours there, I had lips that would beat any of the supermodels'. I had to drink more than 20L of Dakkara to flush away the chemical. Thankfully, the fluffiness disappeared the next day, but I looked like I spent the whole night crying.

I left Tokyo, more sure of myself, having learned to let go of my attachment to this city. It was easy in the end. I was free.

I am back here in Cebu. Working two jobs. One that keeps my soul alive and another that pays my shopping bills. Ahaha.

Things are falling into place. I am at the crossroads of my life. And I have never been this happy nor contented.

Conference...

2003-03-10T08:27:00.000-08:00

Today was the first day of the conference. I served as the chairperson, together with Ruchaya, of the series of lectures done from 10:30 ~ 6:00. I am tired after the end of the day. I had Thai food for lunch and dinner. Lunch was at the Chulalongkorn U. cafeteria and dinner was at this restaurant in Siam Square which is sort of a Thai version of Cebu's Cafe Laguna. The food here is delicious. And cheap. :D

I am tired. Will have to rest and then wake up at 5 tomorrow to prepare for my presentation on March 12.

Sushi in Bangkok!

2003-03-10T08:22:00.000-08:00

Funny thing. For dinner I ate sushi and I am in Bangkok. :p
I redeemed myself by eating rice noodles again at the restaurant of Sasa International House as soon as I got home from window shopping at Siam Center.

Speaking of window shopping. It is end of season sale here. I saw Sisley, Mango, Benetton tops for less than 1000 Baht. Not bad...
But congratulate me for not buying anything from those shops. Instead, I got two 90 Baht pastel shirts at the sidewalks of Siam Square. nyehehe.
You would be proud of my haggling skills. :D

I also bought the Bangkok Lonely Planet travel guide for 600 B, and got sumptuous red Thai silk shawls for 199 B and 320 B each. I plan to make pillow cases out of them. I got some cute kitchen decorative knickknacks. They were actually tiny replicas of fruits placed inside small vials, covered with corks. I got 12 of them for 300 B. D

More shopping ahead. I am not yet done.

Bangkok, quite cool.

2003-03-09T00:53:00.000-08:00

the view from my room...

I am in Bangkok, man. However, I brought a laptop to be able to do translation work in case a job comes up. Koya, howag magalit. :p In it is also my PPT presentation to the Intercalibration Conference/Workshop I am participating in. I am staying at the Sasa International House of Chulalongkorn University, which is just walking distance to Bangkok's business and shopping district. I like it already. Hehe.

I tasted my first authentic Thai rice noodle soup, which was delicious and cheap at 50 Baht. Mineral water is also cheaper compared to Cebu at 10 Baht. Anyway, I will surely enjoy shopping here. I saw some shirts at 200 Baht here in MBK mall. Quite a bargain. Ahaha.

I will definitely have fun in Bangkok! :D

When it rains, it really pours...

2003-02-08T01:43:00.000-08:00

I am getting translation jobs left and right and so the next days will be hectic. I reckon 4 hour of sleep per day and it will be a while until the next post. See you next week and wish me luck with my deadlines.

Gambaru zou!

Not Too Busy to Shop

2003-02-06T17:45:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile as I have been very busy. The deadline for the midterm grades is tomorrow so I have been concentrating on checking papers and grading my students. I only have one more set of exams to check and that is a relief. :D

I also have my translation career to allot my time to. I just got a document to be translated from Japanese to English. There is no problem with beating the deadline as it is on Tuesday yet. I am also grateful that the client has given me a glossary of words to be used for the translation, which helps a lot in saving time to research for the proper terminology to use.

On the shopping front, I got me these gorgeous 4 inch-heel red and beige sandals. "Killer heels" they are. Haha.

2003-01-31T00:36:00.000-08:00

I had my schedule worked out to be able to go to Bangkok. My boss also gave his permission for me to go. I sent the title of my talk to Prof. M. two days ago.

So, I guess I will be going to Bangkok... :D

2003-01-28T02:34:00.000-08:00

Bangkok, very hot...

I just received an e-mail from Prof. MU of my institute in Tokyo regarding an invitation for me to talk in an international conference from March 10 - 14 in Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok. Its not even an invitation anymore since as seen from the conference schedule, my name has already been added to the list of speakers for the "Hot Topics of Pollution of Hazardous Chemicals in the Asian Regions". The conference is sponsored by the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), so there is no problem with money. I just have to show up and do my thing, wow them all. HAHA.

However, this is way out of my schedule and classes in my school ends March 23, 2003, yet. This would mean make-up classes for the week I will be away from class. Oh well, I am already used to this kind of life. And, I so need to go to Bangkok. :D

Black Ferragamo Bag

2003-01-27T05:24:00.000-08:00

Well, I had to shop.

The last time I shopped was in Tokyo about 3 weeks ago. I got myself these very comfortable walking shoes in black, 4 Japanese mangas, 2 Japanese fiction books, and Japanese fashion magazines.

So forgive me if I got myself my regular supply of Dior skin care products (I had to replenish them!) and this classic, beautiful black Ferragamo bag (They were on sale!) at Rustan's.

Nice, no?

2003-01-27T05:07:00.000-08:00

I had a bloody weekend.

On Saturday, I had back to back classes in the morning and afternoon, both of which are make-up classes. The 3-hour morning class was an undergraduate Organic Chemistry lecture on the chemistry of carboxylic acid derivatives. It was scheduled due to my absence because of the this sudden trip to Tokyo to attend my professor's wake and cremation. In the afternoon, I had to lecture for 4 hours on molecular orbitals for a masteral class on Theoretical Organic Chemistry. The extended lecture was to compensate for the failure of classes last week due to the Sinulog festival.

It was a good thing that I had a scheduled home-service massage waiting for me at home, or else I would have suffered from a killer tension headache again.

Sunday was spent checking papers and preparing for my classes for today. I also had to help Japoy with his post-doctoral application to NOAA by editing the English research proposal he sent via e-mail.

2003-01-23T19:08:00.000-08:00

The translations for China were sent 1am today, well before the set deadline of 12 noon. I sent the invoice at around 10am.

Yesterday, the 15USD check for a 1 word translation job arrived. Ain't that grand? :D

Translations. I love.

2003-01-22T22:50:00.000-08:00

I was not able to blog yesterday as I was swamped with work that needed to be done. Everything was done on time and I am proud of that. :D

I got a new translation job from China last night. There were some hitches early this morning since I was not able to open the rtf files properly with MS Word. Thanks to Koya and J for the tips, and my Project Manager for the e-mails. Without them, I would still be a frustrated mess by this hour. HAHA.

So, I get to start on the project. Deadline is tomorrow noon, but I have to send portions of it tonight so that the client can have a look-see at it.

OK. Work starts this minute.

2003-01-21T03:53:00.000-08:00

Darn it! I have the most painful tension headache from doing too much today and yesterday.

I accomplished all that I was supposed to do yesterday. Of course, to do all that I was only able to sleep at 2:30 am. I woke up at 6:41am like I had a nightmare since my class was at 7:30am! Everything was a blurr for 20 minutes as I rushed off to take a shower, dress, and do my make-up. I was out of my house by 7am. That was a record! HAHAHA. I got to my class on time, thank goodness!

After the lecture and laboratory classes in the morning, I had my lunch (1.5 cups rice, pork in sweet sauce, vegetable and beef soup), filled up my health insurance policy, and my request slips for make-up classes.

Since I was free the rest of the afternoon, I ran off to the post office to get the registered mail containing the check coming from Vietnam. It was an HSBC check drafted to a New York branch and my worries of it not getting encashed vanished... :D

Then, I was off to get the package of my Japanese colleague from the agent who handled our research vessel when it docked in Cebu. The size of the thing pissed me off. Not only will it cost thousands of pesos to send it back to Japan, I will have to send it in increment because I could not go to the Post Office carrying the whole stuff by myself. I could kill him for giving me this problem when my schedule alone is already tight. GRRRRRRR.

2003-01-19T20:14:00.000-08:00

It is a holiday over here since its after Sinulog. I am staying home but it is still a busy day for me. I have two make 3 exams, finish and submit a translation sample, correct a thesis proposal, and then prepare for class tomorrow. There are also examination papers that need the touch of my red ballpen.

I already sent the translation/copywriting job to Vietnam early dawn, and have re-sent the necessary revisions concerning font sizes this morning.

Hmmm, I better start the day with a heavy brunch.

Cebu Mango

2003-01-19T03:51:00.000-08:00

I had this for dessert at dinnertime. yum yum. Definitely, Cebu mangoes are the juiciest, most delicious in the world.

2003-01-18T22:35:00.000-08:00

Slept very late yesterday finishing the translation/copywriting job. Also read the collection of manga and japanese fashion magazines I bought home from my recent trip to Tokyo.

These must have been the reason I had the weirdest dream last night...:

______________________
In it I was on some sort of trip with my sister, cousin V, and some others to the north of Cebu. We were on a mission to find something at the peak of a hill. Whatever it was, I don't remember... Anyway, we started knocking on the houses along the route to ask for directions but could not proceed to the top because it started to snow! (he he... in tropical Cebu ha.) With that, we just decided to go back to the rented bus and go home. Sayang, as the view up there was awesome...

So we arrived at the bus to find our tour guide informing everybody that going back to Cebu City would be difficult because we are passing through NPA rebel infested towns, and they might try to rob us and burn our bus. Everybody was warned. True enough, just 50 meters along the way (was that fast!), we were stopped by men and a woman in black face hoods. A man and the woman proceeded to open our bags and get our money. When they finished, the woman rebel (robber?) had the gall to tell me, "Uy, yen imong kuwarta." (hey, your money is in yen."). Hmph.

For some reasons, the rebels left the woman on board the bus. As she was alone, a man, who i think was my highschool classmate, George, kicked her out of the bus. We shouted at the driver to speed off and never stop the bus as there were still some rebels (they were wearing those heavy afghanistan costumes... in tropical Cebu, ha! hehe) along the route trying to stop us... I then shouted at my companions to start calling from their cellphones any general, judges, and government officials they know. HAHA.

I called my mother. HAHA. Well, she works at the court house. She counts. :p
______________________

Then I woke up.

Sinulog NA! Adto TA!

2003-01-17T20:02:00.000-08:00

Every 3rd weekend of January

There are two hotels that I know which is on the route of the Sinulog dance parade: the Cebu Midtown Hotel and Garwood Hotel, both located at Osmena Boulevard. It might be too late to book there, though...

If not, try to get a ticket to the Abellana Stadium on sunday. Be sure to get there before 8am to get really good seats. This is where the parade starts, and the contestants get to show the best of their routine on this stage.

You can also position yourself on the streets. But this is not so advisable if you are alone or not that tall since a LOT of people are also there. It helps that specially made elevated sitting areas are placed at strategic points in the route. Again, you have to be early to arrive at those places since they do get occupied in no time at all.

There is also a procession of the Sto. nino at Colon Street on Saturday in the afternoon. This is more of a religious event with devotees of the Sto. nino from all over the philippines and the world joining in.

A fluvial parade at the Mactan Channel is also traditionally done on Saturday morning at 7am. You would get a great view from the 2 Mactan bridges. I just don't know if people are allowed to watch from there...

Remember these: wear comfortable clothes, preferably a dark shirt and jeans on sneakers. Do not bring any valuables with you as petty criminals are on the loose what with so many people on the streets. Be ready to walk walk walk since the festival in on the streets. Public and private transportation can not be had for kilometers. Bring lots of bottled water. A hat. A face towel. Candies...

But also HAVE FUN!!!

PIT SENYOR!

2003-01-17T19:41:00.000-08:00

The office told me that it is the discretion of the teacher if classes are held today. Since I (and my students) don't want to be stranded and walk 15 kilometers home, I cancelled my class. Make-up class next Saturday. Classes will be from 1-6pm. HA!

2003-01-17T19:32:00.000-08:00

Yay! Vietnam sent the files finally. Good thing that the deadline for the job was set to Monday. I also got a decent price for it. Hehe.

Off to the university for my masteral class, then. Though, i wonder if there is supposed to be a class. It is the Sinulog Festival over here. Will have to call the office to verify...

2003-01-17T16:47:00.000-08:00

Good morning. hmmm... Lets see. I am supposed to have a masteral class from 1 to 4pm. And this pending translation cum copywriter job, the files for which will be sent this morning from Vietnam. Deadline they said is this afternoon. I hope they can send the file asap because then I can work on it in the morning with little stress, and so I can focus on the class in the afternoon. If they don't, balancing act galore ensues. Gah!

I quoted a high price for the job since it entails squeezing my creative juices. I hope they bite on my offer.

Yesterday, I got to organize all my unpaid invoices using Excel and so realized that I have quite a substantial amount of money still owed me. Good thing that the check from Vietnam arrived via registered mail. I will have to go to the post office on Tuesday to get it. I will also drop by the amway building, since it is near the post office, to get my Japanese colleague's package from this shipping company. He sent a package to the research vessel when it was docked in Cebu during the research cruise i talked about in the previous post, but unfortunately the package arrived after the ship has left. Now i have to get the damn package and send it back to Tokyo. hmph!

I do hope the Vietnam check is drafted on a bank in the USA, or is a Citibank or HSBC check. Otherwise i can't clear it and so will have to send it back to them. such hassle...

The Last 6 Months

2003-01-16T23:43:00.000-08:00

Lets see how we have been busy the last 6 months of last year...

I finished renovating my room and bathroom late October, and this was started late July. Then, I left for Tokyo October 30, stayed for 9 days (to shop! and actually prepare for the cruise. Hehe.), and went on to participate in an international research cruise to the Philippine Deep, Celebes Sea, and the Sulu Sea for 3 weeks. I arrived in Cebu late November with 30 Japanese Scientists, who of course I had to tour arround not only Cebu but also Bohol. We went to see the tarsiers and Chocolate Hills. They also got to enjoy Plantation Bay in Cebu, and all the other fine and not so fine eating and shopping places in my town.

They left Dec. 2, and so I finally settled back to my classes. I, of course, was on leave of absence from the university and had so many make up classes to focus on. The usual christmas shopping ensued 2 weeks later. I barely survived Christmas since I got tonsilitis. Haha. Serves me right for eating damn melted chocolates. And, oh I started renovating my kitchen and utility room Dec. 23. Haha. For New year I cooked Media Noche.

Was getting ready for school January 6 when Bang! Someone, who later turned out to be Aya-chan, sent me this cryptic e-mail from a mobile phone that my beloved professor, my masteral and doctoral degree supervisor passed away Jan. 4 at 6pm. wahhhhhhh! The shock of my life. He was only 56, and although he had his first attack some 6 years ago in Brisbane, someone that GREAT should not die that early. Mottainai yo, sensei!

So, of course I had to get an emergency visa from the Cebu consulate office of the Japanese Embassy. On Sunday, January 5, 2003, I gathered all the e-mails I got of the sad news, prepared my travel papers, and had a 10-minute visa photo taken at Ayala Center. Early the next day, I received the official fax announcement of his death from the research institute and ran off to the consulate office for the visa. Fortunately, they gave me one the next day, Tuesday. (I am special like that. hehe.). So, off I was to wintry tokyo, Wednesday at 8am. Got to Narita at 12:30 Tokyo Time. Aya-chan was late in fetching me, but seeing her almost made me cry. We proceeded to the wake at Chiba, which was an hour and a half from the airport. She was so nice, as she prepared my koden (the money we had to give to the family of the deceased) envelope for me. The wake lasted until 9 pm. The next day was the solemn Buddhist funeral rites and cremation ceremony. It is amazing how many people loved my sensei. Over 400 people attended his wake and funeral rites. Could not help but cry my heart out over his loss. My teacher is gone.

Only a selected few could attend the cremation ceremony. His family and the staff and students in the laboratory went. I was the student who stayed the longest with him at 6.5 years, so of course I went. The burning of his flesh took 1.5 hours. We snacked on Japanese bon bons while waiting. And finally we had to help the family place his bones on the urn. Organic has turned to inorganic. There was closure in that. A great sadness, but I am glad I have said my good byes and gave my last respects.

I stayed in Tokyo for 2 more days, pondering on what will happen to my research now that my sensei has gone. I have to do everything by myself. The road ahead is difficult. But my sensei is somewhere, still guiding me...

Went back home to Cebu on Sunday, January 12, 2003. Am more resolved to be the most that I can be. Life is too short.

Busy, yet...

2003-01-16T22:49:00.000-08:00

I have no classes on Fridays and today I am supposed to do sample translations for 3 agencies and prepare for my 3-hour master's class tomorrow afternoon. But, but, I just had to start this blogging thing. Damn.

Adlaw blogs

2003-01-16T22:21:00.000-08:00

Finally got the gall to start this thing. Though, I don't really know if i can keep up with this. I am not only a full-time university Assistant Professor and researcher, but am also a translator (Japanese --> English, Tagalog <--> English, Cebuano <--> English) to boot. I travel a lot due to my research. In fact have been to 4 international cruises on board a Japanese research vessel and the same number of Japanese domestic cruises. Will talk about them all later...

I love to shop, too. Shoes, I have 47 pairs and counting! Bags, I have 20, half of which cost me an arm and leg. LV, anyone? I also have a closet overflowing with clothes, and funky necklaces and bracelets. As for make-up, i prefer Shu uemura and Christian Dior.

Adlaw means day. And we are in just for a bit of sun.