TODAY...

I got this thru forwarded email:

Today is my day. Today belongs to me. I choose today to be wonderful, exciting, and rewarding. Today, I expect extraordinary ideas and opportunities to be revealed to me that will enhance my well-being, joy, and success. Today, I am more loving, more accepting of myself and others than before. Today, I do the very best that I can do in whatever I am doing. Today, I remind myself that I can do anything I choose to do. ANYTHING.

"Yesterday was but a dream, tomorrow is but a vision; but every today well-lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope."

TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF MY LIFE. :)

1st day of Simbang Gabi

Medyo huli na akong nakauwi kaya't muntik ko ng hindi maabutan ang misa para sa unang araw ng simbang gabi. Sa kabutihang-palad ay inabutan ko pa naman ang pagsisimula ng misa. Ang tema ng sermon ng pari ay: "kalkal" (ito mismo ang salitang ginamit ng pari). Inihalintulad ng pari ang mga tao sa golden buddha ng Thailand na noon ay nababalot ng putik. Gaya ng buddha, umaasa ang pari na ang mga tao matapos ang siyam na araw ng simbang gabi ay natanggal na ang mga putik na sa ating pagkatao at sa pagdating ng paghuhukom ay isa na tayong golden buddha na malinis, maaliwalas, at makinang na haharap sa Diyos.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Bangkok trip!

My first trip outside the Philippines - destination: Bangkok, Thailand.

Pre-departure dilemma

Due to Thailand's political crisis, all flights are cancelled since late November. We had to monitor the situation, so we'll know if it is safe to proceed with the trip. I decided not to go, scared of what was happening to Bangkok and scared of being stranded in the airport... then the next day, I decided to go, although I'm not 100% sure if I really want to go on with the trip... plus the rebooking fee is so precious! :)

Welcome to BANGKOK!

Day 1: December 9, Tuesday

we left Manila past 9PM (Manila time) and landed in Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok by 11PM (12midnight Manila time)… dropped by the foreign exchange booth… then met our tour guide, Ken. after the preliminary introductions and instructions, we headed to our hotel, The First House Hotel, located along Petchaburi Road, 45 minutes away from the airport. By around 1AM (Bangkok time), we’re ready to rest for the next day activity… ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Day 2: December 10, Wednesday

We had our breakfast by 6AM, then we walked around the block near the hotel… then we went back to our hotel for our 9AM half day tour. We went to (1) Wat Hua Lampong, like any other temple, we had to remove our footwear before entering; (2) Standing Buddha, which is extremely tall and big, and the temple beside it; (3) Jewerly Factory a.k.a. Juweli Factoli, they showed a 10-min video presentation, then we proceeded to the “factory” itself, then on their showrooms. If I had extra money then, I wanted sana to buy a ring with my birthstone, but well, there’s always a next time. Then, the last stop: (4) Leather Factory, they showed us the difference between the genuine and fake, and I learned that fish skins can also be turned into wallets… amazing! We supposed to visit also the Golden Buddha, but unfortunately, it was set to be transferred to its new house, which is under construction that time, so it was temporarily closed. For the afternoon, activity we all decided to go to the elephant show. We first dropped by in Tesco Lotus Mall for our lunch, KFC, it was my first time to eat in KFC… Bangkok, hehehehe! Then we headed to the show, which is outside the city. Before the main show of the elephants, we first saw the crocodile show and some sort of magic show.. after the amazing show of the elephants, we had the chance to ride on the elephant, yes! first time… hehehehe. By 5PM, we traveled back to the city; we went directly to “The Place”, a Thai restaurant, for our dinner, the food is extremely spicy!!! Then we went to the night market, it was so exhausting, my legs are almost numb when we went back to the hotel. There are so many “tyangee” near the hotel, there’s the Platinum Mall (Greenhills version) and the night market (Baclaran and Divi style). By 10:30, sleeping time again… ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Day 3: December 11, Thursday

Almost the same routine, breakfast then gala-gala. We decided to go to the MBK Mall, so we took the BTS (MRT here in Manila)… but when we reached the place, we realized that it was not yet open. A concerned Thai advised us to just go first on this another place (which turned out to be another Juweli Factoli), then we just go back when the mall opens, so we had our unplanned tuktuk ride… hehehehe. Tuktuk ride to Juweli Factoli then tuktuk again back to MBK Mall…. walkathon to death again inside the mall, we bought some pasalubongs and souvenirs… then we took taxi going back to the hotel. We checked out at exactly 12noon. Then Che’s friends went to visit more temples, while the two of us decided to go back to Platinum Mall… we had our lunch then gala again to death… by 5PM we went back to the hotel and made tambay in the lobby until 7PM, the we went out to have dinner in KFC again! Hehehe. 9PM, the driver fetched us to take us to the airport… we’re going back to Manila!!!

Day 4: December 12, Friday

12:20AM (Bangkok time) Flight 5J932 bound to Manila is ready for take-off. Bye-bye Bangkok! We arrived around 4AM. Welcome back to Manila!!!

It was such a nice experience… I never thought that my 2nd time to board an airplane will be an out of the country trip!