sun cellular plan 350

the wacko signal of globe has led me to revisit the services that other networks can offer, and between smart and sun, i opted to choose sun cellular. first - because ed's company issued the sun cellular handsets and plans. second - sun cellular has economical plans, very affordable, and cost-effective. third - they let me choose my cell number... yey! fourth - sun's signal is at least much better here at home than globe. i haven't really explored what other good things there are about sun, but really, i am enjoying the forever-unlimited-calls-and-text to sun subscribers, and of course, the 250 free text messages to other networks. all these... for only php350 a month!

Hotel Review: Holiday inN Bangkok

Can't help but make a review for Holiday Inn Ploenchit Bangkok that made my first visit to Thailand a memorable one, with that being a great hotel where I celebrated by 27th birthday.
Guest Rating: 4/5
Rhoda M. S. E.
PhilippinesBusiness Traveler
Date of Stay: March 18-24, 2007
Value for Money: 5/5
Location: 5/5
Staff Performance: 4/5
Hotel Condition/Cleanliness: 5/5
Room Comfort/Standard: 4/5
Food/Dining: 4/5
The Good: 1. very very good corporate rate of 90USD per night!!! 2. very clean and relaxing rooms. 3. free internet 4. wide as in wide selection of breakfast menus! 5. superb in-room dining experience 6. nice location - near the shopping malls and the BTS 7. friendly staff, always smiling :) (after all, they're the city of smiles) 8. enchanting aroma within the hotel 9. fast checkin and checkout
The Bad: There was this bellman who acted indifferently towards me when I failed to give him a tip after getting me a cab. It's not that I'm kuripot or something, but it just so happened that I really didn't have any loose change with me. After that day, this guy started ignoring me, and not minding me.
Sightseeing/Attractions Tip : Close proximity to the BTS which makes it very convenient to go to other areas of Bangkok. They say the pool is nice, but didn't have the chance to visit it.

one best thing for every visit

kulit nung kausap ko eh. first thing that comes to my mind daw when i hear the word...

*baguio - everything!
*bangkok - shopping. no need to elaborate. period. =)
*boracay - the beach. what else could it be?
*cavite - home-cooked ulam.
*cebu - otap
*india - food. spicy i don't like but they certainly have several dishes that i like: paneer, tikka, kurma, lassi
*laguna - the hot springs
*malaysia - feeling of being at home. since i look malay anyway, i am not being stared at as if i was a foreigner.
*nueva ecija - the farm
*puerto galera - hmmm...
*singapore - transportation system.
*sri lanka - hotel galadari.

the master is compromised

what the heck is happening with mastercard? all four mastercards that ed and i have are now suspended because they "might" have been compromised. out of the four incidents, i was only given two specific possibilities of where this could have happened: in some merchant in singapore (which i hardly believe because of the honesty that the country is known for) and another in a popular seafood restaurant in alabang (damn... sarap pa man din ng crabs nila! rrrrrrrr... go figure!) in singapore, the card might have been cloned daw, and then in alabang, someone might have copied my credit card information and used the same for online transactions. well... pissed as i may be, (because i have to stay home to wait for the card delivery... long story later) i am still glad that these companies are taking a proactive approach to the prevention of theft and fraud. yun nga lang... hassle talaga: 1) like i said, i need to stay home. laging tanong sakin, "ma'am, if you won't be at home, you could leave an authorization letter with your authorized representative..." eeeeeeek... wait lang! wait lang! hindi lahat ng tao ay may househelp. hindi lahat ng bahay ay may naiiwang tao sa umaga. why can't couriers at least contact the consignee to ask about their availability? this way they are saving on time, and transportation cost. 2) if you don't receive that "account-has-been-compromised" call prior to swiping that card in some establishment... dang! pahiya ka pa niyan. you end up being embarassed as the transaction will come up as "declined" 3) what if you are out travelling abroad, and you depend on nothing else but your mastercard? shunga... pano na yan dava? 4) now this is getting me worried about my other "safe" cards. are the visa cards still "safe?" 5) getting all four cards compromised is scary - what should i do to prevent this? gusto ko naman sanang magcash nalang kaso wala nga akong cash. KAS pwede pa. (kaskas :P)

"There are some things money can't buy. For everthing else, there's MasterCard" --- huh?

let's get zany on friday

happy monday morning everyone! how was your weekend? mine was all cool, less the aircon... in 2600 - the city of pines... my hometown... Baguio City! ed and i left 4103 at around 11pm [shyete, di na ako naka concentrate sa panonood ng dyesebel, kim sam soon, and survivor philippines! babawi nalang ako mamaya. kasi naman nag empake pa ako at naligo (of course!)] for victory liner pasay. ah before we went to the terminal nga pala, i asked manong driver to take us to ayala avenue, to get the much wanted krispy kreme doughnuts for my fave SIL Gladz who's giving birth soon. yey!!! i called krispy kreme customer service in the afternoon pa lang of friday, and they assured me that the stores are open until 1:00am. so excited din naman ako, kasi matagal na din akong hindi nakakatikim. shunga! pagdaan namin ng ayala... nakasara! so ayan, pinilit ko pa rin - we went to The Fort. Napagtanungan na namin lahat ng manong guard, wala silang sinabi sa akin kundi "...punta po kayo dun, diretso lang..." o "...mam lakarin niyo lang po ng konti nasa left side po" o "...ay ma'am dun po yun, kung lalakarin niyo malapit lang." mga anak kayo ng teteng... dalawang blocks na yung nilakad ko hindi ko pa rin nakita! buti pa yung taxi sinusundan lang ako. bwehe. biruin niyo... from market market to one serendra, to bonifacio hi. sana sinabi niyo nalang B2 lang pala eh di tagal ko na nakita. haaaay... ang mga manong guard talaga. so ayan, finally nakita ko na din. buy ako ng two dozens na assorted... yummy... tsalap. sulit na rin sa halagang 700+. eh nabilhan ko na din ng doughnut si manong driver para matuwa naman. sabi ni manong driver delicado daw na binigyan ko siya ng doughnut, at baka hanap-hanapin niya na din. hehe. when we arrived at victory liner pasay... my goolay... nakapost sa ticket booth - BAGUIO: 3AM NA PO ANG NXT TRIP. waaah! eh 12:30am pa lang. tumbling. eh tinanong ko si guardagurl (astig na manang guard) kung pag sa cubao ba ako nagpunta eh makakasakay kami kaagad, sabi niya mas marami daw pasahero dun. o d cge, getz ako ng two tickets to baguio. gosh, ang mahal na! ang dating PHP390 ay PHP460 na. how many months ago lang ba bago naging PHP390 ulit?! rollback rollback rollback rollback rollback rollback... lolz... anyway, tumambay muna kami ni edongs sa passenger waiting area. imbyerna lang ako sa mga observation ko:
1. mga bag ang nakaupo sa upuan! anak ng pwet. bawat upuan diyan ay may isa pang space na pwedeng pagpatungan. Isang pwet isang upuan lang po! kung kulang ang space, problema mo na dapat yun. wag ka mambiktima ng mga gustong maupo.
2. may mga taong naka-apak ang paa sa upuan. may nakasapatos, merong hindi. naman! mukha bang doormat ang upuan? maawa-awa naman kayo sa mga taong uupo diyan. eh pano kung may naapakan kayong anik anik diyan?
3. syempre kung may bag na nakaupo, meron ding taong nakahiga. hmmm... with matching hilik pa.
4. ayan at may nagpipictorial pa. ok lang sana mag kodakan diyan sa terminal kaso, wag niyo namang siku-sikuhin ang mga tao sa paligid niyo.
5. pinagbabawal ng victory liner management ang mga taxi sa loob, pero... kapag mga "kabagang" nila yung mga driver, eh pinapapasok ang mga ito.
6. may isang pamilya sa likod ko, may kasamang baby... anak ng patola, mas maingay pa yung nanay sa anak! sabi nang sabi ng "anak wag kang magulo..." "anak wag kang malikot" "anak upo ka lang" pero pag tinignan mo yung bata, behaved naman?! o baka may imaginary baby pa ang mommy?
7. may mga taong kumakain ng nissin cup noodles. again - i have nothing against this... pero... wag ka naman humigop nang parang hihigupin mo kaming lahat. at pagkatapos mo kumain, sana man lang tinapon mo sa basurahan ang pinagkainan mo.
8. bakit parang lahat ng bus ay kalahati lang ang sakay? almost half are either chance passengers, or passengers who opt to go early? i think this is a modus operandi: they make buses half-full only then proceed to issue tickets for the next trip so that the passengers who got later time slots will be enticed to pay the surcharge of 10% instead of waiting for their reserved times. imagine, kung dalawa kayo, PHP92 na kaagad yun.

all these things i've seen, from 12:30am to 2:30am. naglalaro na nga ako ng psp eh di ko maiwasan na hindi sila mapansin! [kainis, tagal tagal ko nang nilalaro ang "miss guided" level sa collapse, di ko pa rin matapos!] so pagpatak ng 2:30am eh nagpasakay na ang mga manong driver and manong condi (kunduktor) ng mga pasahero. eh ano pa nga ba, kundi may mga kakrungkrungan na naman.
1. nauna ako sa pila, sa door ng bus. then may tatlong mama na bigla nalang sumingit sa harap ko! grrrr... mauubusan ba kayo ng bus? mauubusan ba kayo ng upuan?!
2. may nagtitext habang napasok ng bus. huy! mamaya na yan! marami ka pang kasunod iha.
3. may mga nag-aargue pa kung san uupo, so again, naipon na naman ang mga passengers sa likod nila
4. eto pinaka-hate ko: kapag yung passenger sa harap mo eh nagrerecline ng seat na para bang naka business class siya sa eroplano! grrr... i would have wanted to go and sit in front of her and do the same. let's see what she's gonna do. narerecline nga po ang mga seat, but please be considerate enough naman with the people seated behind you.
5. may mga bata sa likod namin ni edongs, na tuwang-tuwa pagsisipain ang mga upuan. pwede na sana yun anoh, kaso sinabunutan pa ako. hindi baby ito... mga 10 years old na yun bata. ngyaks... syempre napa aray ako!!!
6. paalis na yung bus, saka pa naisipan magweewee. eh di hinintay pa tuloy!
7. yung mga giniginaw sa aircon, dina-divert yung exhaust sa iba. tama ba naman yun?
8. alam niyo ba ang maingay na mommy sa sumbong # 6? aba... nasa likod ko, nonstop ingay pa rin! this time naman kakwentuhan niya ang husband niya. para bang kinukwentuhan niya yung buong bus sa lakas ng boses niya!

while i've been whining about all these on the bus... ed and i go zany by quoting bitoy on bubble gang...sumbong sumbong kay bonggang bonggang bongbong. dito na kayo magsumbong... derecho pa ang aksyon!

let's get zany on our ridey

happy monday morning everyone! how was your weekend? mine was all cool, less the aircon... in 2600 - the city of pines

Why I won't let my future kids study in Buhay-na-Tubig Elementary School

Situated right behind

A Memory for every SCent...

I am sure you know what I am talking about when I say that there is a memory in every song... the instance where you feel a "spark" upon hearing a song. Rachel Alejandro's "Paalam Na..." reminds me of a high school experience where a 'former' actually sang the song literally in front of the class, and openly told everyone that the song is dedicated to me. To make things worse, the 'Trigo' teacher excused me from my current class to witness the heart-pounding event. Well of course it was a 'kilig' moment a few years back, and it remains a 'funny' yet 'touching' encounter for me.

In the same manner as these songs stimulate my emotions, scents are nostalgic too.
1. Angel’s Breath – my very first “pabango” which I got when I was in Kindergarten. Of course, the set includes the powder and the cologne which I called “perfume.” [Who would have cared what I call it, except my classmates who acted like they were ‘dalagitas’ na?!] This scent also reminds me of Euclid, a former colleague at TeleTech. Hambangooo! J
2. Anais Anais and Tatiana – childhood memories of Mama Taw, and my stay in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija. Mama Taw first introduced these scents to me, and I loved them. I wore these two alternately everyday kahit na magpapakain lang ako ng mga baboy (si Ringo Star lang ang naaalala ko, iniyakan ko kasi nung binebenta na siya), itik and pabo.
3. Tommy– given to me on my 10th birthday by Uncle Jun. It came with a white sling bag which I liked very much, in fact, the bag is still with me until now. :) I took it to an overnight camping of Girl Scouts in Baguio. I hated one of my 5th grade classmates who accidentally stepped on my bag. Nung Grade 6 naman, gustung-gusto ko ibigay sa classmate kong girl na may BO. Sayang kasi matalino at maganda siya kaya lang choleng nga ang smelliness. Hehe.
4. Red Door by Elizabeth Arden – yes, very strong indeed. I used to wear it every time as in every single time that I wore my matching faded maong pants and Guess maong jacket. Any shirt inside would do, but my favourite was my fuschia shirt with flowers and “Colorado” printed on it. Again – these items I still have with me until now.
5. Poison by Christian Dior – addicted ako noon sa bottle niya, ang ganda kasi ng pagka green, parang may crystal powers ba. Ma-late na ako sa lakad ko wag lang hindi maglagay ng Poison.
6. Bench colognes – well... yung latest lang ni Kris Aquino ang remember ko. Ginagamit ko pampabango ng bahay-bahayan ko dati sa Laguna. Pang-alis din ng amoy “araw” sa unan. In fairness, madalas din ako nagamit nito dati... kami ni Marky utol.
7. Alyssa Ashley Musk – when I first smelled this, I literally went around the house, looking for the scent. Eh yun pala, the lotion has a very looong lasting effect. When you say Alyssa Ashley – I’d say Tita Tingting. J
8. Pleasures by Estée Lauder – all good, as in! Wore this in later years of high school, then college, then my unforgettable debut, and until now. No specific event in mind, (except for times na sinasabihan ako ng mga tao na “ang bango” ko daw... nyaha... feeling! :P) kasi all good talaga.
9. Bvlgari Blv – the first gift I got from Ed, on the first Christmas as a couple. (hindi pa married ha, boypren-boyprenan pa lang. Hihi.) Shunga, sa office pa ako nagpasko nun ha! December 2003. Mega-cry ako sa CR nung 12am na kasi homesick na lovesick pa...
10. Bvlgari White and Bvlgari Green Tea– Singapura! First purchase ko ng perfume sa Duty Free. USD 75 yung dalawa. Eto rin ang gamit ko ng three weeks, nung first time ko sa Singapore. Buti nalang ito ginamit ko kasi “ambabango” nung mga kaklase ko. Wanna know what I mean? Check this out à http://flickr.com/photos/rhodamarie/354592683/in/set-72157594474630625/
11. M by Mariah – alala ko si mamita... gusto niya din kasi yan. So nung kiss niya ako and hug niya ako when we went to their place... talagang tinapat ang ilong sa leeg ko. Pag-uwi naming, sinabihan ako ni howe na kung pwede daw eh bigyan ko si mamita ng maliliit na samples ng perfume. So... yan binili naming na birthday gift niya. J
12. Bvlgari Omnia Amethyste – Waterfront Hotel sa Cebu. Aspect eWFM User’s Group Forum. Nakasuot ako nung burgundy na blouse, black skirt. Here I first met Cehra D, and Julie Ann H. Halos maligo rin ako sa pabango na ito nung manggaling kami ng “Tabuan” (bilihan ng mga dried fish, chicharon, etc).
13. Bvlgari Omnia (yung red) – laging sinasabi ni SIL na ang bango daw, type niya. [Sensya na, di ko ma-afford na magregalo nito. Bwehehe]
14. Kenzo Flower – my first trip to India! I HAD to as in DI PWEDENG HINDI gamitin ang powers nito! Mommy used this too on my wedding. (Ewan pano niya kaya nakuha ito sa drawer ko eh tagung-tago naman. Sabi niya meron din daw siya pero hinanap ko talaga sa cabinet niya wala naman siya nito?)
15. Chance by Chanel – Geez. My most luxurious loot ever, from Changi. Nung papunta na ako ng Cashier para magbayad, pinukpok ko sa ulo ko yung pabango. Haha. Then the saleslady asked me if I was Ok, sabi ko... “Oh yes!... (mapupurdoy ako nito)
16. Bvlgari Extreme ni Ed – Gosh! Kaka-inlove. Gwapong gwapo tingin ko sa asawa ko kapag gamit niya ito. Nung nasa mall kami sa escalator, sabi nung girl... “Hmmm... ang bango naman nun. Sino kaya yun? Kapag ganyan kabango manliligaw ko, sasagutin ko kaagad.” Syempre hinila ko kaagad si Ed away from the girlalou when we reached the next floor. Hehe.

Let me end this with a song, and a “scent” – makes me miss the BellSouth Days with Tin and Mommy Dods. [Sinasayaw pa nga yata namin ito? :)]
Ang bangu-bango... ang bangu-bango... ang bangu-bango ng bulaklak... PAg inaamoy... pag inaamoy... pag inaamoy ay kaysarap... ang bangu-bango... ang sarap sarap... amuyin ang bulaklak... hihihi...

Hotel Review: Peninsula is it?

O sa aking friendship dyan na naghahanap ng review about hotels in Singapore... eto na para sayo. This is published in www.agoda.com - where I do my hotel bookings. I'll post another on Grand Churva so that you have one more. :)

Guest Rating: 2.3/5
Rhoda M. S. E.
PhilippinesBusiness TravelerDate of Stay: 21 Aug 2008
Value for Money: 2/5
Location: 5/5
Staff Performance: 3/5
Hotel Condition/Cleanliness: 1/5
Room Comfort/Standard: 2/5
Food/Dining: 1/5
My Stand? I think Peninsula Excelsior should renovate not only the outer areas of the hotel, but also the rooms instead. The current state of the hotel does not match the prestige that the "Peninsula" brand is known for. I would have appreciated an old room, but not a dirty bathroom, not the dirty towels, and not the stinky carpets. My only good experience with Peninsula is the fact that it is within the city area and that because of staying there, we were introduced to the very good Aangan Restaurant.
The Good: Only these - close proximity to the city area and instant confirmation via Agoda (probably because this is not a sought-after hotel anymore) and the Aangan Restaurant which was nearby
The Bad: 1. Expensive rate which was not matching to the over-all service of the hotel 2. The staff were not interacting with their guests 3. Broadband Internet was priced expensively at 25 SGD per 24 hours (other hotels would give this for free) 4. The rooms are very old, not to mention that everything around the room smelled so old too 5. The bathroom was the dirtiest I have ever seen among all hotels in Singapore. 6. The toilet flush wasn't working well. 7. Shower and bath tub were not separate 8. The bath tub's drain was clogged... and dirty 9. Windows in the bathroom were dirty 10. Towels were not as white as they should be 11. Carpets smelled bad and were dirty 12. Water kettle was rusty (I had it changed though)
Sightseeing/Attractions Tip : Close proximity to the City Hall MRT which makes it very convenient to go to other areas of Singapore. Walking distance to the Singapore River which has a lot of dining options around.

Hotel Review - Grand Plaza Park Hotel

Guest Rating: 4.0
Rhoda M. S. E.
Philippines Couple Date of Stay: 18 Aug 2008
Value for Money: 4/5
Location: 4/5
Staff Performance: 4/5
Hotel Condition/Cleanliness: 4/5
Room Comfort/Standard: 3/5
Food/Dining: 3/5
My Stand? Like what I have read from many reviews, the Grand Plaza Park Hotel lived up to its friendly image. (Thanks to Emily at the Club Lounge, and Albert, the Filipino attendant at the lobby). This is the most noteable observation, and a lasting impression. For business trips, this is the best hotel to stay at - economical compared to same grade hotels... and what can I say... I enjoyed the broadband internet access - which was free! It was a good experience all throughout except of course for some "not-so-bad" things that I saw, but could be seen as areas that need improvement: the variety of buffet breakfast for one. I would love to come back again, so I would be happier to get another good rate, and some membership points.
The Good: 1. Complimentary broadband internet access 2. Very friendly, helpful, and accommodating staff 3. Good rates via Agoda 4. Proximity to the city area 5. Good housekeeping procedures 6. The food was good
The Bad: 1. The shower and bathtub were not separate (I found this so inconvenient) 2. I wanted to stay longer and enjoy the Agoda rate but the rate was almost doubled. (Other hotels would offer a lower rate for extension, but I was treated as a walk-in guest) 3. Good food, but very less variety 4. There were only a few power sockets 5. No complimentary drinking water
Sightseeing/Attractions Tip : The hotel is in close proximity to the City Hall MRT, which makes it much easier for you to go around the other distant parts of Singapore. The Clarke Quay, Boat Quay, Raffles, Singapore River, Singapore Flyer, Chjimes are must-sees and the nearest areas for dining.

READ!

A friend asked me to post the books I have here with me, so that she can try to give those books a try too. I was telling her to look at my Facebook iRead account box but... tinatamad daw siya. So dear **chenelou** eto na... :P

1. Second Chance by Jane Green

2. Spare Wife by Alex Witchell

3. Tuesdays with Morrie

4.

when your DREAM becomes a nightmare

From 2007 until this last Sunday, I have been feeling good about my subscription with Dream Satellite TV http://www.dream.com.ph/. [Hindi po ako pa-sosyal, wala lang talagang cable providers pa dito sa village namin, eh hindi ko kakayanin ang hindi manood ng GMA Telebabad, Amazing Race Asia, CSI, Las Vegas, and House... lol] So guess where the bad dream starts? With a simple conversation with the customer service representative from Dream TV. My subscription ended on Sep 13 so I have to either reload a prepaid card worth 890, or to request for an auto debit arrangement between Citibank and Dream. So here is how it went:

Ring ring... ring ring... "Welcome to Dream... yadda yadda... "

"Hello good afternoon, this is Bembol*. How may I help you?" *D ko sure kung Bembol nga, ganun dinig ko eh.

"Hello good afternoon. A few minutes ago I called Citibank and enrolled my Dream TV account for the Auto Debit arrangement. What else do I need to process with you to get this going?"

"Ah ma'am pwede ko po ba makuha ang smart card number niyo?"

Yadda yadda... "...bale I am transacting in behalf of my husband."

"OK lang po yun Ma'am. Eh Ma'am, nag expire na pala subscription mo nung Sept 13 so since may pending autodebit arrangement request naman kayo, ipapa temporary recon ko nalang po yung account niyo hanggang maka receive kami ng fax document from Citibank, stating na nag apply nga kayo for autodebit."

"OK cge, pwede ko makuha fax number niyo? Ipapa-send ko na sa kanila ngayon."

"Ah ma'am eto po..." yadda yadda...

"Cge thank you, I'll call you back once OK na sa side ng Citibank."

So I called Citi and the officer willingfully obliged to send Dream the screenshot of their request utility (where they put in my request for autodebit arrangement.) After 30 minutes, I called Dream.

"Good afternoon, kanina I was asked by your rep to ask Citibank to send a confirmation of my enrolment for autodebit. Kindly check if it's there na?" I waited for this rep to ask my name or my smart card number... pero di tinanong... clairvoyant siguro siya!

After mga 30 seconds: "Ma'am wala po eh. Wala kaming natanggap."

"Ah so hindi mo pa ako tinatanong ng name ko or smart card number ko, eh alam mo na agad na walang nareceive na fax for my account?"

"Ay oo nga pala ma'am, ano po bang pangalan niyo? Or smart card number?" Yadda yadda. I gave my details.

"Ma'am sandali lang po, ichecheck ko ulit." After a some time...

"Ma'am wala po talaga kami nareceive eh. Paki sabi nalang po sa Citibank magpadala ulit."

"Okay, confirm ko lang fax number ulit ha.." yadda yadda

"Yes ma'am tama po. Kapag po okay na, tawag kayo ulit."

Guess what... this same conversation repeated itself THREE times, with THREE different agents, and still the same freakin' result: asking Citibank to "REFAX again and again." In other words, the very helpful Citiphone officer "faxed" the document SIX TIMES kasi they have two fax numbers. [By the way, thanks to Citibank for being very professional, for being very patient, and for being very consistent with their customer service.]

And for the fourth time... hindi na makatiis ang lala girl niyo. So... ayan at naisip ko... iphone conference ko nga itong churvang Dream na ito with the highly professional Citiphone officers. Exciting!!!

After the usual opening script...

"Hi. I'm calling for the fourth time na. I'd like to know if you have already received the document sent by Citibank via fax?"

Hindi pa rin ako tinanong ng name and account number!!! "Ah ma'am wait lang po ha."

"Ma'am wala po eh."

"Grabe naman kayo... tatlong beses na pinadala sa isang number, so may SIX documents na dapat kayo diyan na pare-pareho lang ang laman..." Hindi ko tinigilan! Nanggigil ako eh. "Pano niyo ba tinitignan kung meron nga o wala eh hindi niyo pa tinatanong ang pangalan ko? I am sure wala naman kayong caller ID. Hindi naman automated ang system niyo. Alam ko yan."

"Ma'am kunin ko po smart card number niyo."

Yadda yadda. "Ma'am wait lang po."

Later... "Ma'am wala po talaga eh. Pakisabi po ipadala nalang ulit sa amin."

"HA?! Eh di four times na sila magpapadala?! Teka lang ha... actually nasa kabilang line na yung Citiphone officer eh. Kayo nalang ang mag-usap. Icoconference call ko kayo ha."

"Ma'am ano po?"

"Icoconference call ko kayo. Ibig sabihin, tatlo tayong mag uusap."

"Ay ma'am wait lang po, teka lang po. Check ko nalang po ulit."

O di natakot ka! Grrr...

Later... "Ma'am may nareceive po kami, three documents po pero malabo. Pakisabi po magpadala ng malinaw."

"Teka, akala ko ba wala?! Eh meron naman pala?! Iba ang WALA sa MERON pero malabo ha. Magkaibang-magkaiba yun. Kung kanina niyo pa sinabi sa akin na "malabo" eh di sana yun ang sinabi ko sa Citibank. Wait lang. Mag-usap kayo."

"Ma'am..." Nagsasalita pa si Inday eh kinausap ko na si Citi. I explained what happened - Dream received the docs but these were not clear enough for them to read. The professional Citiphone officer assured me that he would just talk to Dream to assure them of my pending application, and that he will supply them with whatever details they need to get.

Okay so the conversation between these two agents went on smoothly. As said, Citi remained very professional and consistent... while Dream transformed from being too nasty to "a little bit less nasty" because of the respectful manner by which Citi handled the call. One thing I noticed is, while the Citiphone officer was talking to this Dream lady... natatawa naman si dreamlady. Parang nakakaloko di ba? Sarap sapakin. (sabi ko naman eh... nagiging barumbado ako kapag ginagalit ako.) So ayan, natapos na sila. Dreamgirl summarized the conversation by saying na:

"Cge po sir, ma'am. Temporary reconnected na po ang account ni Mr. Sta. Elena, with smart card # yadda yadda."

"So from Citiphone Banking, do you still need any further information?"

"Wala na po."

Click... Call ends.

So we enjoyed Dream TV the whole night. Then came Monday night... Wala na naman akong reception ng Dream! Hindi ko mapapanood ang paborito kong si Kuya Mike, si gwapong Richard, ang kinaiinisan kong si Dyesebel, ang cute na cute na si Buboy, ang impressive na si Chef Dina, ang hot na hot na si Cyrus, and ang idol kong si Kim Sam Soon. I was scared... scared... natakot ako na hindi ko sila mapapanood... so... kinulit ko na naman si Dream!!! Bwahahaha. I am now their nightmare. Until they finish processing my audtodebit request... I will be their bangungot.

Sa inis ko I wrote an incident report this morning, sinakto ko lahat ng details. As in! So let's see. So far... sa ngayon, I am enjoying Asero. Then CSI mamaya.

Ciao. Will I DREAM again tomorrow?

Change of Heart?

Last night, my good friend lalabelle insisted that I tell her what happened when Badong came over to 4103, so I did as requested. Let me share...

... the idea that there might have been a change of heart on my side... "somehow."

Okay, so di ba nga, after his "meeting" at the now defunct Domestic Airport [hindi na nga ako naki-argue nga!] he went straight to NAIA Terminal II to pick up mommy dear who was due to arrive at 10am. *Wait... before that... he texted me at 8am sakto: "Anak, san ka na ba? D2 na ako airport." So I called him and told him that I just woke up and couldn't make it on time anymore. [Actually pa-utot ko nga lang yung makikipagkita ako ng 8am sa kanya d ba, kaya nga kumindat pa ako kay Ed. Nalilito ka? Balikan mo yung isang blog ko... bwehehe...]

I wasn't surprised na, when he called me at 11am to ask for directions on how to visit 4103. Well pano ba idetalye ito... nagiging "kinda" emotional ako. lol...

Nag text ako sa kanya, sabi ko dito na sila mag lunch. Pumayag naman. So ang lalabelle niyo, nag order sa Max's Delivery: pinakbet (type nila pareho), daing-na-bangus (paborito ni mamita), sinigang na hipon sa sampaloc (type ni Badong yung shrimp), and fresh lumpiang ubod (paborita ni mamita).

So pagdating nila dito, syempre ano pa! Eh di pagsara ko pa lang ng gate eh nagbangayan ulit ang mga retarded. (Bad bad bad). Kesyo ganito kesyo ganyan. Di ko naintindihan ang pinag-aawayan kasi mega ignore nalang ako. Tsaka dahil takot sila sa akin... d talaga nila pinaparinig na nag-aaway sila. Basta parang tungkol sa gahiganteng maleta chenelou yun! hihi.

Pagpasok ni Badong sa munti kong tahanan... bininyagan kaagad ang trono ko. YES! Ang trono ko, kasi kina-career niya ang Edmark! (http://www.edmarker.com/) [In fairness kay Uncle Dong, effective nga ito... magiging best friend mo ang trono (idea courtesy of Balong).

Eh... walang masyadong exciting na story kasi. As in wala lang. Pero nung kumakain kami... nagtanong siya kung magkano daw yung delivery. Sabi ko "PHP100+ yung isda." (Ayoko sabihin na inabot ako ng PHP700+ kasi...) O tapos sabi niya, "...Ibig ko sabihin, magkano lahat?" So sabi ko nga "700+" Aba ang Badong, halos mabulunan, sabi niya... "...Aba... mura lang pala..." Dat dat dat. Sabi ko, "Ok lang yan, kasi paminsan-minsan lang naman kayo dito." Ayan eh di kain-kain. Maya-maya after, natulog na. 4 solid hours! So ang sabi naman ni mamita, baka napuyat daw. Sabi ko "Natural! Humataw yan kagabi habang wala ka pa!" Dat dat dat. Nakatulog na din si mamita.

Boooring... Booooring for an event-seeker like me! O eto na... Actually ang kwento ko talaga is how I felt about seeing him. Well, I wanted to believe it was nothing. I wanted to keep believing that he no longer had an impact on me. I wanted to be "manhid" and treat the encounter as a casual event - nothing special. But as soon as they left, I felt an outpour of mixed emotions. I was crying while closing the gate. I couldn't understand what I felt. I wanted it to be hatred, but no. It was something else.

I guess my mind kept on making me believe that I was mad at him, and that he was supposed to be ignored. But my subconscious "missed" him. Deep inside, I think I was really glad to see him. Kasi nga, as I have said, the last time we spoke was in June pa, and he was "Badong a.k.a Joseph a.k.a Joe" that time, not my Daddy. Change of heart, maybe? Don't know. I miss Daddy... not Badong, not Joe, not Joseph. I miss my Daddy Ben.

I cried again at night when Ed arrived from the office. I told him how I felt. He simply said. "...kahit ano pang manygyari, he's still your daddy."

Betcha My Aby Wow

I’m back with yet another story of infidelity, of martyrdom in love, and of unselfish love but this time this is not concerning Badong. I dedicate my own rendition of the song Betcha By Golly Wow to my friend ________ not because I want to make fun of him... but because this is the only way for me to express my hatred for this lady who broke his heart. Read on and you’ll figure out what I mean.

Betcha my Aby Wow...
There's a spark of shopping in your eyes
Dollar signs appear each time you smile
Never thought that your shoplist will come true
But they come true when I'm with you
You're a bilmoko in disguise
Full of shop bags and tag price

And betcha my Aby, wow
You're the one that I've been spending for forever
And ever will my cash for you keep growin' small
Keep growin' small

If I could, I'd be the world bank
To spend for you so high as the sky
Order all things in your favorite shade
To show I love you, to let you love me
Write your name across the cheque
Anything you ask I'll give, `cause

Betcha my Aby, wow
You're the one that I've been spending for forever
And ever will my cash for you keep growin' small
Keep growin' small

Betcha my Aby, wow
You're the one that I've been spending for forever
And ever will my cash for you keep growin' small
Keep growin' small

**New!!!** Cebu_Pacific now flies Laguna - Domestic Airport!

My mom's arriving from the US at 10 am tomorrow. I learned from dear Lola this afternoon, that Badong, together with our bunsoy Beneilski, is going to pick her up from the airport. Thinking about the close proximity of the airport to our home, I thought of swallowing my pride just to invite Badong to our humble abode. I had some plans in mind, both evil and good... well...
1) I had the feeling that, at last minute, he'll decide not to take Neil with him to Manila. Kasi nga naman, today is his last day of independence from his 'legal' wife. Gone are the free days with Cheribitch - the Spare Wife. [[By the way, I just bought the book, and I'm looking forward to read it. I just have to finish my latest Grisham first]] (I was told that he's home once a week, for at least one hour lang, to leave his dirty bitch-smelling clothes, and get new ones enough for one week. Anu ba yan, dami kong paningit! Bwahaha.) So... guess what, I was right! Soooo damn right! I called Lola again just two hours after we first spoke, and was told the Buboy our bunsoy was to be left at home nalang. Kasi daw... may exam siya on Wednesday... and... mamaya nalang, masisira kwento ko eh. Hihi.
2) I want to ruin his last free hours with Cheribitch. D ba nga hindi niya na isasama si bunso, so feeling ko, kasama niya si Cheribitch papuntang Manila. They'll check in to some hotel. Badong picks up mommy, then pagdating ng Baguio, sasabihin ni Badong na may seminar siya sa Edmark, tapos babalik siya ng Manila, tapos lalakwatsa sila ni Cheribitch sa Mall of Asia, tapos magsshopping sila. MAg-uubos ng hard-earned money ni Marky... tapos good time na naman... tapos churva churva na. Haay buhay! Ang talent talaga ni Cherry ay kakaiba. !!@#$%^*&()
3) I want him to see our hard-earned "wealth" - our simple home, to prove to him that I failed him on his negative expectations on me. (Na hindi daw ako aasenso sa buhay ko kasi suwail akong anak).
4) Since nakapost sa fridge namin yung pictures ng other "family" niya, gusto ko makita niya! As in!!! Hindi ako magbabanggit ng kahit ano, pero gusto ko makita niya na bahagi ng fridge ko, ng kusina ko, yung pagmumukha ng babae niya at mga anak-anakan niya. Gusto ko makita niya, at malaman niya, na sa araw-araw na ginawa ni Lord ay tinititigan ko ang pagmumukha ng mga homewreckers na yan. Ehem.
5) Ginusto ko lang siyang tawagan late at night, 10pm ha, para guluhin sila (nyahaha), or gisingin siya (nyahaha), or pagselosin ulit si Cheribitch (nyahaha)! {Nagseselos kasi si Cheribitch kapag kinakausap namin si Badong nang magkasama sila.) Kapal di ba! Leche talaga! Surely din, kapag sinagot ni Badong yung phone that late, meaning magkasama sila. FYI - si Badong kasi, "early-to-bed-early-to-rise" person yan. For how many years na kasama ko si Badong, tulog na yan ng 8pm the latest tapos gigising ng 3am-6am the latest. Ngayon nung nakilala niya si Cheribitch... naging owl na din siya. Syempre! With a girl like Cheribitch... will the guy ever sleep early?!
6) Eh... baka nga namimiss ko lang si Badong... kahit papano. *Shyet* Can't believe I am saying this! Last ko kasi siyang nakausap talaga nung "Skypee" episode pa! And take note... kausap ko pa siya as Joseph (aka Badong, Joe) so hindi talaga siya yung tatay ko that time. Wehehe.

So eto na nga... ano hula mo? Kinausap ko ba o hindi?

Syempre naman oo!!! I called Badong!!! Ring ring... Ring ring... Ring ring... Ring ring... leche hindi sinagot! Nagpustahan pa kaming mag asawa: pusta niya hindi daw sasagutin kasi naglalabing-labing, pusta ko sasagutin kasi takot sa akin yun! *Shyet* Talo! Tententententen tententententen... ayan... ring tone ng phone ko yan ah! Tumawaaaag siya!!! Tumawaaaag si Badong!

"Hello Daddy!!!"

"O anak, Good Evening. Kumusta?! Hindi ko masagot tawag mo kasi may kausap ako kanina."

"Ah ganun po ba. Tanong ko lang kung anong oras kayo luluwas?"

"Ahhh... Ahhhh... mga madaling araw anak. Kasi 8am may imi-meet ako sa Domestic Airport. Si... Misis Ah... Misis... yung kaibigan ni Uncle Dong mo, may kukunin akong mga products ng Edmark..." [Eto na, be prepared...] "...Hindi ko na isasama si Neil kasi MAY SEMINAR AKO NG 8AM SA AIRPORT TSAKA MAY EXAM DAW SIYA." [For reference, go back to Item # 1... tama ako... tama ako!!!]

"Domestic Airport? Daddy... sarado na yung domestic airport! Sa Terminal 3 na lahat ngayon! Ano pa ang pupuntahan mo sa Domestic Airport?"

"Hindi anak... Ahhh... Ahhh.. Dun kami sa Jollibee... tama... sa Jollibee malapit ng Domestic Airport. Cebu Pacific kasi siya eh."

"Eh yun nga po ibig kong sabihin, lahat po ng domestic flights tsaka intl ng Cebu Pacific, sa Terminal 3 na po. Ano pupuntahan mo dun eh closed na yun."

"Hindi anak... Ahhh... Kasi galing ng Sta. Rosa, Las Pinas... ay Binan Laguna pala yung si Misis... basta yung kaibigan ni Uncle mo."

Sa isip ko... *Shyet* Sakay ng Cebu Pacific yung galing ng Las Pinas? Este Laguna? Ano ba talaga Badong? Tsaka... Misis Ahhhh ba ang pangalan? So hindi na ako naki-argue pa. I rested my case. lol. Pero ayan... krung krung talaga. Kulang nalang mag google ako, kung kailangan mo bang mag eroplano from Laguna to the Domestic Airport.

"Ah OK po, cge. Pero taka pa rin ako bakit hindi nalang sa Terminal 3?"

"Eh anak, hindi ko kasi alam papuntang Terminal 3 kaya sa Domestic nalang." *Shyet* Talagang pinanindigan niyang mag-eeroplano nga si Misis Ahhhh...

"O cge Daddy.." Kumindat ako kay Ed. "...Magkita tayo ng 8am sa airport bukas?"

"Ahh... Cge anak... Pero hindi ko sigurado kung anong oras ako dadating ha..." (Eh akala ko ba 8am?!) "Basta itext nalang kita pag nasa airport na ako."

"O cge po, hintayin ko text mo. 8am bukas"

"Cge anak. Kumusta naman si Ed?"

"Okay lang po, mabait pa rin!" (Bakit ko kaya nasabi ito?)

"O cge anak ikumusta mo nalang ako sa kanya."

"Cge po goodnight, ingat sa byahe"

"Cge anak babye..."

Having read the dialogue... whatchathink? Naguluhan ka ba? Yan... yan si Badong... Ganyan makipag-usap sa mga taong maraming nililihim. Ganyan kausap ang mga gumagawa ng kakrungkrungan. Nyaha.

O... don't forget ha... May flights na ngayon from Laguna to the Domestic Airport, via Cebu Pacific. For more inquiries, contact Badong!