あきましておめでとう！

2020. End of another decade. I mean, I know it’s all going too fast but man, this year passed by like a breeze. I have stayed in the Philippines for like 11 months now. I have been working for 6 months now and yeah, time just went by like that. I have so many things to be thankful for. I have been in 4 countries in one year. I mean, that’s the life, right? I can’t wait to be in 5 next year! I’m just kidding. Wait, am I? LOL. You know what though, I think I want to visit all the provinces in the Philippines because, I’m already here, right? Might as well! I’m gonna be 28 this year. Like, 28, ladies and gentlemen. OMG.

Can I just share that it’s my first time tasting this and yeah not a fan. It’s too spongy for me. I feel like I can have something better at a cheaper price, you know what I mean? That’s all! I won’t be having resolutions because I always fail. One thing I would like to do is to drink lotsa water I think. My SGOT and SGPT levels are on the roof! Also my triglycerides! I can’t believe I’m already having tita problems when I’m not even a tita yet! Well I have one nephew but hey! Well it’s probably because I’m fat so yeah I’m kinda planning to eat less this year too.

You know what I fear though? I just keep on getting fatter! Like I’ve never been able to find a photo where I’m fatter than I am now. So let me just share this photo because this might be the slimmest I’ll be or something. Hate it!!!! Totally not hating myself or something though just the thought of it makes me kinda annoyed. That’s all! Happy New Year!

Frozen II

So we actually didn’t watch with my mom nor did we watch on the day this picture was taken. Can I just say that it was probably the most insane cinema showing that I have encountered so far. Like, 4 cinemas were showing the movie and we were only able to watch it late at night because they don’t have seats available for the next two showing time. 

My shadow be like the HULK. Anyways, Frozen 2! This is actually a very late review because we watched it on the first week of its release. I’m sorry. I actually was conflicted whether or not I’m gonna review this movie because...But! I actually really liked the movie. I think I may actually like this better than the last one. At least Anna is not as stupid in this one. Or not stupid at all. She redeemed herself here kind of.

I like the back story and all! I don’t know if it’s just me or what but I feel like the older I get, the easier movies seem to be. Like, been there done that moments. When I was younger and naive, drama seems to be a little bizarre because come on, what do we know about that, yeah?  Can I just say how ELSA’s glow up is soo lit? I liked the transformation and the hair and all!!

Queen Anna of Arendelle’s glow up though and her NEXT RIGHT THING number. I guess it really teaches kids to be more proper and just do the next right thing duh. I like how Anna is still Anna but wiser. That’s all I have to say. 

It’s Christmas Time

Sheraton Hotel 

We went here to visit/guide my dad’s friends when they visited not so long ago. They had a very festive display like the Christmas tree above. 

Robinson’s Place Manila

Robinson’s Place Manila

They also went to a nearby mall to buy souvenirs to bring back home. There was also a very nice display going on there and we took some pictures with it. 

Sheraton Hotel

Sheraton Hotel

They also had/have something going on outside the hotel which is very nice. Festive. Christmas is kind of different nowadays don’t you think? We’ve been talking about it at work and yeah, everything is different now, for sure. I liked the old times better so to speak. My lolo and I would go to my ninongs and ask for AGUINALDO. Bless my lolo. I wouldn’t know right away if they’re home or like hiding somewhere. LOL. Thank you for always accompanying me when I was younger. Now people would just PM/send messages to their godparents. Where’s the thrill? I remember being so happy receiving new bank notes from my ninongs! MALUTONG PA! Now, mamamasko nalang namemresyo pa! Wow ha! Not from personal experience though. Just saw it on Facebook. Bless my inaanaks! 

We went to Clover Leaf Mall to watch The Mall the Merrier. The movie was actually very easy to watch. I like it. Nothing too heavy and yeah, I guess it’s either I like it very easy and like, very heavy. Anyways, watching movie has been a tradition to the family ever since. We don’t really celebrate Christmas/Eve anymore since my grandmother died. I mean, we used to but that kind of stopped. We just eat during Christmas Eve and on Christmas day, we just attend a mass and watch a movie afterwards. Not much of a celebration anymore I guess. It’s kind of sad though since I really miss that mini celebration we used to have. Like, relatives coming over and stuff. Carolers! We used to have a lot of them starting end of November up until January but now, I’ve only seen a couple. But oh well. My dad just passed and maybe that’s why it’s more depressing and stuff but it’ll pass. We’ll be back soon. 

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you have a good one. 

Worst Paskuhan Ever? 2019

Can I just say that we’ve waited more than 3 hours to get in the university because of the poor system of security check thingy outside. Like, 3 hours!!! What the heck? I would have been able to ride the T-Express at least twice. Or go to Hong Kong. IDK. I don’t know if they lack security or whatnot but yeah it was crap.

The line outside was horrible! Like we had to go from P. Noval gate to España and to P. Noval again just to enter the campus. That’s how long the lines were. There were three lines to and from the starting point and my sister and I went thru all of that only to find out that when we were already on the main line going in, those who just queued, already joined those who are on the main line and I was like, it can’t get any more unfair than this. My sister and I was actually very concerned for those who are on that line when we were in the middle of it all only to find out they’d be able to go in first. Ang kapal lang ng mukha. The young lady in front of me kept shouting “kuya guard, kaya ba today?” . Lots of respect to those who waited patiently in line though. Mabuhay! Wag tayong garapal tulad ng iba. 

But! We were able to get in just before the fireworks. I’d probably explode if we weren’t able to go in but since the fireworks display was delayed for about 45 minutes, we made it. Ha! 

This year’s theme is inspired by Harry Potter and I have a huge liking for it so thank goodness because I’d really lose it, you know. 

We were able to hear two songs from Ben and Ben inside so yeah. 

Fireworks was amazing as usual

This is the best I’ve seen the Christmas Tree so far. Me likey. 

So much for #ZEROWASTE though. It’s not just the organizer’s fault whatsoever. It’s the people who were there. The lines to start with. People have no discipline and respect for those who lined up properly just to get in. People have no respect for those who’re gonna clean their trash. I don’t know where you guys came from but if you’re a THOMASIAN, shame on you. 

The Paskuhan lights was pretty as usual but I just wish I was able to see all of this before I was really pissed. I probably would have appreciated this more. I wouldn’t say I had fun though. But it was still a beautiful event. Well except for the unreasonable long lines and the trash people left. That’s all! 

The Passing of my Dad.

I knew that one day, I would have to face this scenario but come on, how could one ever prepare for this kind of loss. My dad passed on the midnight of the 12th. It was very shocking. I actually won’t go into details on that and what happened that day but yeah it happened. I’ve been with my dad for almost 21 years and it’s just sad to say goodbye. My dad is actually hospitalized the same day as we went to Korea. Not for like emergency thing though just for IV antibiotic therapy. But on the third day, I think dad had some kind of trouble breathing and everyone thought he’d be gone but he miraculously recovered. My dad was released the same day as we arrived back to the Philippines. He was weak at first but he kind of recovered. And then all of that came to an end two to three weeks later. My dad then refused to eat anything and was only drinking orange juice up until he passed. 

My dad died of COPD. He smoked a lot when he was younger and I can’t help but warn people about what could happen to them if they don’t quit smoking. It’s kind of sad though. Like, the way my dad lived his last year was kind of sad because from bad, he got worst real quick and there’s nothing we can’t do about it. A week before he passed, he was always confused and can’t really talk properly. My dad was really smart so I know the thought was there but he’s probably not able to convey what he really wanted to tell and all but yeah. If there’s anything I regret doing, it’s probably not being able to spend more time with him than I should have. But I tried so I’m also kind of okay with that. 

We’re all okay now. Not at the same level but we’re moving on, I guess. It’s been a rough week but we’re slowly going back on track and I guess the thought that he’s not in pain anymore is very relieving. I don’t really know what happens to the dead after life but hopefully he’s happy and know that he lived a very meaningful life and have touched hearts of people in his own ways. Like, can I just share one of the many things he thought me? To keep trying! Even if you fail so many times in life. JUST KEEP TRYING. That’s all! 

Lotte World VS Everland

So if it's your first time in South Korea and you're on limited time, it's wise to actually just pick one because a trip to this place could take up a day of your travel. I mean, unless you don't really like rides and just want to check the place out but also, why bother visiting? I have been to these places twice. So I guess I can impart my knowledge to everyone. Question mark.

So here’s a short comparison of Lotte World and Everland.

LOTTE WORLD

EVERLAND

1. Location

Lotte World is way more accessible than Everland. In my understanding, you can either ride the train, bus, or taxi when you want to go to Lotte World. Everland, I’m not so sure because the two times I went there, we rode a tour/shuttle bus.

LOTTE WORLD

EVERLAND

2. Food

I find Everland better than Lotte World when it comes to food. I didn’t really see a lot of options in Everland and quite a lot of options in Lotte World but yeah. I think Everland has better and easier access to food. ALSO, can we not forget about the corn! THE BEST CORN I EVER HAD IN EVERLAND and probably the worst in LOTTE WORLD.

LOTTE WORLD

EVERLAND

3. Rides

Everland has more exciting rides than Lotte World I think. But I actually used to like Lotte World than Everland but now, I like Everland better I think. T-Express for the win!! I mean, it’s worth the 100 minutes of waiting time. For Lotte World though, ATLANTIS ADVENTURE. But yeah, I liked T-Express. We actually almost missed it because I was like, meh let’s just skip this.

LOTTE WORLD

LOTTE WORLD

EVERLAND

4. Parades

I don’t know anymore. I think I used to like Lotte World’s parade and programs but Everland’s concerts and short programs are leveled up and I like it better now. The light parade is better at Everland I think.

5. The Vibes

LOTTE WORLD

EVERLAND

I actually like the vibes of Lotte World better. It's more compact therefore you can see the action more closely than that of Everland. Also, can I just say that the uneven ground/mountainous setting of Everland makes it very hard for oldies like me to enjoy so yeah.

Our KLOOK VOUCHERS in SEOUL

Can I just say that KLOOK is the key to any travels you might be thinking of. Except probably Japan. Or maybe that's only because I didn't see any difference from their DISNEY ticket prices. Well you know what? Maybe the line matters. But anyways, I'm going to review all of our KLOOK vouchers on our trip to SEOUL last month. LEGGO!

This is actually the first voucher we've availed successfully because the wifi we weren't able to get because of a faulty credit card. I was able to refund it though thanks to the staff there who suggested it. Anyways. The hanbok shop was actually very nice. They have a very nice photo spot where we took a lot of pictures of. 

This is a post that I’ve made about this. And more! 

Can I just say that having Klook transfers is a real winner. When I went to Namsan Tower for the very first time, I was scammed on our downhill trip back to the mainland so yeah this is really a steal!  Also very convenient! You just have to wait for your driver and be done. We were actually supposed to take the 8:30 trip but then again I thought it’d be a waste of time to hang out there so I’ve decided to ask the driver if there’s any way we can make it to an earlier trip and he said that we can configure it using the app and so yeah SUCCESS! The driver was kind of late though so we had to wait for like 10 minutes past the call time it seems like but I don’t really mind. Traffic in Seoul is very common.  

This is not a bundle because it’s not available that time so we had to book this separately and the drop off place was kind of further away than the last time I went there where we availed the bundle but it’s all good. As usual, we availed the last trip. 

I actually really enjoyed our tour. I would have loved to drop by the Garden of Morning Calm but I’m glad I didn’t because our schedule would have been very tight. Our tour assistant HENDRA was very friendly and made sure everyone is feeling relaxed and informed during the course of our trip. He was also very helpful to all of us in that trip and answers questions regarding almost everything even after the trip. I just hope that they extend the Petit France stay for even just 30 minutes for someone to enjoy the place more. To be fair though, there was a puppet show that consumed most of our time but it was the best part of the trip still. We weren’t able to go to every stops as we were short in time but maybe next time we could. EXTENSION PLEASE! Thank you.

This is probably what caused us the most hassle. We actually went by train and had to enter the basement of Lotte World but the QR code should actually be exchanged to a physical ticket for some reason so we had to get to the office where they do that which was at the main entrance so yeah time consuming and kind of a hassle if you ask me. But then again it’s okay.