SG Day 2a Travelogue: Beat 'Em KC!

(because I was informed that I write too long, this would be a half-day account, haha!)

As I face myself in the mirror, I tell myself firmly: “Yes! You can do it. Beat ‘em KC! Beat ‘em!” I had an extra assignment from my boss and that is to impress these counterparts of mine. I’m not actually sure how to do it whilst training but I think being on-time is one.

Everybody knows my problem when it comes to waking up early so aside from the 2 cellphones I had set to 7 AM, another alarm in the room was set, the phone also set-up for wake-up call and I also called the receptionist last night for a manual wake-up. There’s also the TV turned on the whole time for you know, extra disturbance in the morning. (Well, the truth is, I was scared alone. Remember my Davao experience?) But thank God! All alarms conspired to wake me up early.

I put on my finishing touches and added more gloss for extra effect. I already know I am the only belle in the training: the rose among the thorns (like I’m not used to it) and I should put less on my face but you can never (can) tell, (can you?) Haha!

Before I left, one more check on my number. I can’t dress up fashionably yet and have to look smart. So I went for: Top, white polo from Kamiseta (on sale); cincher, no brand; trousers: Ensembles (on sale), Pumps: So Fab! Bag: Guess (on sale). I almost want to put on bordered eyeglasses for a professional feel but alas, I left it at home. Not bad! OK, go!

It’s 8:15 on the dot when I left my room: 1410 of Riverview Hotel. It was a sunshiny morning in Havelock Road. I patiently queued for the taxi that will take me to Church Street. Just for relief, I initiated a conversation to the driver as to how long would it take for us to get there. He mistook me for a Malaysian. Hmm, this is already the 2nd time I heard it, 1st was in the airport. And it just gives me a natural high. I feel like I already belong here. Ü (Ni haw ma? Wo Ay Ni, how's my accent? :D)

Hmm…I wonder what our office looks like. Well, I’m not surprised that it will be a towering building in a place that can be compared to somewhere like Makati in the Philippines. It hasn’t been more than 5 minutes when the cab turned right and there emblazoned infront of me is SAMSUNG HUB. I paid “uncle” the fare and excitedly got out of the vehicle. Now there’s one little glitch, out of the 46 floors, I don’t know exactly where is the training. Damn, I should’ve asked back in the office.

Thanks to the receptionist, I initially got in on the wrong floor. Uuugh! Leon (the trainer) welcomed me from the security protected door of the 32nd floor and ushered me onto the training room. There were about 5 men in the room, 6 seats untaken and I turned my heel onto the chair where my nameplate is which is near the clear glass that shows the view outside. The 4 seats on our side are already filled but I don’t dare look at the faces of my co-trainees. I was just studying the names of the latecomers infront and I reckon they’re the Vietnamese, about to turn on my laptop when the one on my left who was busy typing a while ago on his PC accosted me. “Hi, I’m Lawrence.” I beamed back at him with what I hope is a natural smile, offered my hand to shake saying “It’s KC.” with my mind telling me he’s a bit cute.ű See? The make-up’s subtle yet effective. That’s what I’m talking about (it). Haha!!

the view outside

Of-course the ice-breaker wouldn’t be missed on sessions like this so it was around 9:45 AM when we officially started. I already felt confident after hearing everyone introduced themselves (I’m 4 months employed, the rest are just freshies.) Ha-di-ha!! That will make the training easy as pie! So, I didn’t fail my boss. At each and every topic, I made sure to raise an intelligent question, give my inputs, share my experience but the thing is, this Lawrence also does the same. I felt a slight dart of annoyance especially when he’s asking something and everybody’s like trying really hard to impress him with an answer.

I almost wanna shout: "You should be paying more attention to me. MORE! I’m experienced, I’m fluent and I’m I’m………..pretty!!" Haha!! The morning session was about to end when Leon informed Lawrence of an after lunch meeting with someone. Hey, that’s weird. He’s a newbie. Then my mind flashed back as to how he behaved during the training. Yeah, he was almost all the time busy typing away but manages to listen carefully let alone ask sensible questions. Could he be…………Could he possibly be????????????

(to be continued)

Through the Years: Intel NEO Batch June '04

Time to bring out the old pictures again! Those whose captions perfectly fit, "some 10 pounds ago", haha!!

Daisy, Fely, Roy, Moi, Joseph, Joanne, Sheena, Lisa, Bert, James, Karen and Jeed

At the end of our 2-week training, this is all of us, ready to get on board:

NEO Batch of June '04

We were mostly RCGs (recent college grads) back then, so no digicams yet. Haha!!

And then there's the test to our friendship and togetherness: the bloody job! Everybody's busy but we made it a point to calendar atleast a lunch or gathering every now and then: whether be it a planning in a conference room of Intel, holiday celebration in EK, plain videoke session in Magdaragat, a buffet lunch in Jabanero, a taste of Mcdo in Manggahan or an upcoming wedding of a NEOmate. :) (Hey, I don't have a copy of our pics in Tagaytay!)

Then came our 1st year anniversary. We're all sooo happy that we survived!! Haha!! Sad to say, 3 of them already resigned but one made it and came:

Resignation is inevitable. But there's a sort of a vow to keep each other in the loop for any news.

This month, Jeed came back from Qatar so we met up @ Makati 2 Fridays ago.

Now it's been 3 years: some are already abroad, some has just started on their new career, some stayed but one thing remains: we're still friends. :)

@ Teriyaki Boy Glorietta

With the one I missed the most, our baby Citas:

Lastly, I'd like to share a photo of the delinquents:

versus the last ones standing: *LOLS*

Guess who's happier? Haha!! :D

SG Day 1 Travelogue: Can We Still Be BFF?

(so much for the wallowing...)

At Changi airport’s walkalator headed to the luggage claiming area, got out my phone and dialed Joy’s number.

Joy: Hello?
KC: Joy!
Joy: Yes, may I know who’s this?
KC: KC ‘to. And2 nako!
Joy: (in her usual funny gay manner): KC, ikaw na ba yan? Grabe gurl, totoo ka na! Akala ko ika’y nasa larawan lamang.
Followed by a bellow of laughter. Now tell me, who wouldn’t miss this gurl??

Well, the official version is, I had a slight sulky feeling towards her because of an “issue” in Laguna which for now we can leave for another conversation. I sent her a whole page of MS Word with my explanation of being innocent for that matter and I just had to think that her demanding work was to be blamed for our lesser and lesser communication as days passed by. It’s almost like we already fell apart. :(

So when the news of training came out, it felt like an answered prayer. Coz the day before that came also the news that her supposed to be 3-month training is done but her stay will be extended and is probably for good. (Our much anticipated Boraventure scheduled Aug 2-4 had to be cancelled.)
Nonetheless, I still prepared all her “padalas” most of which are foods. Mind you, this girl requests as if she’s craving like a pregnant woman! Imagine my luggage having some home-cooked tupperwares of tulingan (tuna), adobong atay (liver), yema, hotdog (because they don’t like the taste of SG’s brands) and SUN tea raspberry! In exchange, she prepared an itinerary for my entire stay (which actually none of them was followed.) =P

After check-in at Riverview Hotel around 7 pm, I just changed my outfit and transferred her things in a separate bag and went straight to her flat in Spottiswoode. Their place is tranquil and it is infront of Singapore General Hospital. And the supposed to be Merlion visit on a Tuesday night was spent doing things that we love and miss the most: shopping and pig-out! :D

We walked from Spottiswoode to Chinatown where all the radio are blaring out “Beautiful Girls” to check out some within-the-budget clothes. There’s this crazy running to beat the 10-second road crossings, silly pictures everywhere and the just keep walking attitude. Straight after I was treated to this hawker near their place where delicious noodles are served and barley juice. Ahem, I didn't dare spend in Chinatown coz I still have these calculations going on in my head non-stop everytime the price is being mentioned. =P

(a) pic in hawker (b) @ Spottiswoode (c) Subway

It was past 11 when we finished, she insisted on me sleeping in their flat but I was advised that maybe tomorrow someone from the office will pick us up from the hotel. She said I could go back early in the morning but I said I don’t have my night essentials. I can see the look of disappointment in her eyes whereas back in the Phils we used to sleep in one bed almost everyday talking and laughing boisterously ‘til the wee hours of the morning. I also excused myself of arranging my things which she don’t dare believe (after showing her my room). So this is what you get when you tell your friends everything huh? But I think for that night I just wanted to for once actually enjoy living independently in a nice hotel far far away from manila and have a nice hot bath in the tub. In fairness, I really arranged my things. Here are proofs:

(a) the lucky shoes who travelled out of 50 pairs ^^ (b) accessories (c) my first Sing dollars

It was almost 2 AM when everything got settled and slept with this thought in my head: Can we still be the best of friends?

2 Controversial Women and 2 Gorgeous Men

(have a good read on the hyperlinks :D)

Being the astute reader that I am, I took it upon myself to share some of the news I gathered yesterday. (I barely watch the news, hehe.)

#1 The Pig's Article. What can I say? This article has surpassed Kwentong Inday’s, Jay and his gf Part 1 and Part 2’s popularity on the web. I’m not surprised though ‘coz this obnoxious column writer named Malu Fernandez and her repugnant article provoked our OFWs especially with her arrogant reactions after. According to the clip below, she has already resigned. And we’re all rejoicing! Wooohoo!! There isn't enough ill that I could possibly say about her. That serves her well. But my question is, isn’t the magazine or the publishing company also responsible or has a bit share on that? Hmm??

#2 Britney’s VMA Performance. I already heard it a week ago but I refused to look at it in the web ‘coz frankly, I don’t know how I’m gonna react. You see, even if she’s always involved in controversies, I still have this soft spot for Britney Spears for some unknown reasons. I won’t deny the fact that I once shook my bon bon on her ditties, but that penchant seems to vanish whenever I see her posing for paparazzis looking all smug in her fugly outfits. It’s appalling. She still remains to be my #1 worst-dressed celebrities you know. Now this video below explains the real reason behind her opposite-of-gimme-more performance in the VMA. A broken heel!

If it’s true, it should’ve been published eh?????? Thoughts???

Aaaah, the wonders of youtube!! :D Now on to the delicious men, ahaha!! :))

#1 Dr. Hayden Kho Jr. I’ve seen him before in our event and I was just like, "OK, he's a hunk!" but now watching him every Saturday perform on Duets, I’m…….enamored. and I’m really really really wracking my brain here trying to understand how come he fell for Dra. Vicky Belo? At times, I’d just like to think that Belo used her dermatology magic and transformed him to the hunk that he is now. But it’s impossible ‘coz he’s of the same profession. Aaaargh, life is so unfair!! UNFAIR!!!

#2 Shia LeBeouf. Wow!! Just look at my new crush here. I thought he’s just some weakling guy like the one that he is on transformers. But he just looks so absobloodylutely gorgeous here, agree?

Well I just hope I won’t hear some news in the future that he has gone out or has a boyfriend like Mark Feehily and Wentworth Miller of Prison Break (after all the ogling!). I’m sooooo not going to pass up on that Disturbia and Indiana Jones remake. :D

But the most controversial of all, get this! I'm going to be on TV. Hahaha!! Actually, it's not yet sure but most likely. Sssshhhh!!!

7 for 37!!

7 days were all it took me to finish this bloody game with 37 levels! Oh yeah, i'm a definite game hustler, haha!!

What am I talking about? It's N95's 3-dimensional Snake**. Goodness! This thing has got me hooked, gripped and above all.....UNPRODUCTIVE! Haha!

Well at least, I'm not like my buddy Lisa who's desperately searched for clues and tricks in the Web. Needless to say, we're FRIENDS!! Addicts! *LOLS* I can still remember the animation on our faces as we talk about it during our NEO gathering last Friday (for another post :)

Phew! I don't think this is already over coz the next challenge is to acquire the highest score. That was the original aim of course but it's hardly possible as your curiosity rises towards the next round. I had to drop it. Initially, I intended to make this a sort of "tips" for enthusiasts out there but I figured that would spoil the fun of playing it.

So what I can say for now is that it's all about Keys and Maneouvers baby! :P It has been one fun roller-coaster ride! Enjoy! :D

**Yup, still working for Samsung. This is a company phone for comparison only during testing. ;) My observation, battery is not good. Only lasts half a day for playing. :P :P :P

Garage Sale!!!

For a start, I know you all know me about being so Becky Bloomwood-like but just to be clear: I’m not in bankruptcy! =P Yes, I may have credit cards but I think I’m managing them pretty fine, thank you very much. For another start, this event is not for charity purposes or whatsoever just like what celebrities do. Owkie?

It just came upon me one sleepless night. It was already 4 AM when I’d given up on all sleeping positions I can think of and all the somniferous music I can listen to, I rose from the bed and started cleaning my room. WEIRD! I know but it’s been eons ago since I did its last general cleaning. But as I go through one corner, I realized that prior to that, one thing has to be done first: FILTERING. Aaaack!!

No doubt about it, my room has got to be qualified only “a dressing room” because of the behemoth of items it contains. The last time BFF Joy helped me clean it, she was still convincing me to throw out some items from the past that are still of importance to me which I only did that night or that early morning to be precise. For example, NCAA tickets I’ve been meaning to show to an ex-crush (a cager who’s now out of the country) just in case you know, the 100 solved problems in physics I’m still keeping because I’m proud of my handwriting in it (I kept some pages though), chocolate cans my ex gave me (what???? They did well as containers of trinkets!) and…….ok, enough of my frivolity. :D

And as I inspect the others, I thought they might do well to be of benefit again since some are just slightly used. And hence the garage sale which would contain my:

(a) Stationeries. The ones I collected during my entire high school and early college.
(b) Wallets. Not that many but there’s one from Liz Claiborne.
(c) Paper bags. I don’t know why I still collect these things.
(d) Belts. Believe me you don’t wanna know how many my belts I have.
(e) Accessories. Kikay, period!
(f) Shoes. I’m not sure if ‘tis the proper venue but I’ll explain anyway. With what my big size it’s really hard to find a pair mind you. So when I find one, I’m forced to grab it. Hehe. But of the 50 pairs, more or less 30% of them were bought on sale. I can be lucky sometimes too. ;)
(g) Bags. That goes with the shoes. =P
(h) Clothes. Can I say blame it on industrialization? Haha. No excuse on this one, you know me. :)

There. I never thought all the items wouldn’t fit in one suitcase. I looked in my room and to my utter disappointment, nothing’s changed. It didn’t feel like it’s broaden or something. Phhbbt!!

My mom is in charge of the whole thing. I asked her to do the opening on a Saturday so I could oversee it thinking it would be fun but she didn’t. Last Saturday around 6 pm when I came home and saw the people looking and sorting on my items, I cringed and hid. I don't know why but I just didn’t like the thought of them imagining the things on me and back to them, whatever!

The last news I heard, an afternoon sale summed up to a whopping………….......Php 800. Haha!! Not bad I thought, there are still a lot more unsold. I’m betting a figure close to 5 digits and I’m keeping my fingers crossed on this one. :) I also took a picture shown below to serve as remembrance of some of the things I once owned. =)

Offer good while supply last :D

Safety Reminder :)

Guys, it’s the BER months again. And I know what you’re thinking: The Holidays! I know you’re all excited on the upcoming celebrations but I would have to prick your bubbles first and tackle on a not-so-interesting topic: robbery. Yup, ‘tis the season when bad guys abound all over the metro.

I’ve been a victim many times. Maybe one factor is the location of our house but you’d have to agree with me that these crimes don’t choose any specific locations or time of day. So for azygous ladies out there like me who ain’t depend on nobody (we rule, yeah!), I’ve listed down some helpful tips for you:

#1 Gather information. Keep yourselves abreast on the latest tactics gangs use these days. Actually, this idea came up when I heard a friend being victimized again yesterday. I know it’s really fainting and horrible to hear how things happen but be strong: it’s helpful. It might help you get out of the situation if possible.

#2 Be observant. This will be the application of the facts you gathered. Though I know I have a hard time describing details on a person’s profile but I still do study carefully the faces of suspicious looking persons in the public vehicles taking into details their clothes, tattoos or any significant features on them. This move will somehow make them think twice on their motives if they knew they were being eyed on.

#3 Stay safe. One time I went home late, I finally brought home this really huge company give-away umbrella (the length of which measures up to my waist, duh!) which I’ve been hesitating to carry for days due to you know, its tackiness but that night I don’t care. It’s a self-defense tool. Choose carefully the vehicles you’ll be in (if possible with most girls/women) and taxis! Gurls, don’t be complacent with cabs (take note gimikeras!), there are a lot of modus operandi on them too! It’s ok to be skittish sometimes like I for example dropping on the jeepney and taking another whenever I sense something fishy. Better safe than sorry.

#4 Value life. And when everything else fails, LIFE is still MORE IMPORTANT. Please!

I’m not saying these things because material things are important. I’m sharing this because I don’t want you to experience the trauma I’ve been through after my last horrendous experience.

So there! I know they do not cover all but if you wanna share something you can comment on below. (Click on comments for blogspot readers and reply for multiply readers.) I would really appreciate it. I do hope that I won’t hear any more news like this from you in the future. Take care friends! :)

Cosmo's Hottest Bachelor

.......is of course none other than my brother himself. ÜÜÜ

Ok. Now tell me, how does Dingdong Dantes fare compared to him? Alfred Vargas, Derek Ramsey, Jake Cuenca????? Booooo!!! Haha!! Ok, I'm being biased here. Truth is, that centerfold with Luke Jickain has got me ogling at that page. :D But what can I say? It's brothalurve..ű

This hunk has been extra lambing to me lately. "Ate, bilhan mo ko Brothers Burger or Spag with Meatballs." Followed with "Kung hindi, hindi kita ige-guest list sa The Fort." Hmmm..that sounds more of a bribe doesn't it? Haha!

Anyways, do check the Manual September issue he's inside the pages as well. His latest TV ad is the Lucky Me Supreme (extra lng, haha!). Do ping me if you want updates on his so-called "rackets" hehe. Ok, since I can't help it. I'm making this his pseudo-website, unbeknownst to him of course. Haha!!

So what are you waiting for???? Grab your own copies now!! :)

Damage Recovery @ 24!

Just early this year, I underwent a mammography to check for some lumps being groped in my right breast area. After a week the result came out and thank God it was negative.

About two months ago, I went to an eye specialist to check on something that’s tingling from the inside of my right eye. The ophthalmologist found a tiny mass and prescribed a certain eyedrop to be used for two weeks that will somehow remove the irritating sensation. Yes, it has now vanished.

Why am I saying this? I just turned 24 today and everytime I feel an aching or any ailment in my body, I get all perplexed saying “Grabe, 24 pa lang ako.”

It’s not that I’m not taking good care of my body though there are cases that were unconsciously caused by my unnecessary vainness. Take for example, cosmetic wise, my toe nails that are now very thin and stuck to the flesh due to constant self-pedicure and how about some unwelcome varicose veins about to appear at the back of my knees due to my consistent use of platforms. *sigh*

But what about these shoulder and lower back pains caused by heavy carriage of laptop for some 2.5 years and some strenuous work positions that are now being slowly recovered by a monthly massage and nightly application of special oils and plasters? Are those supposed to be still my fault? I don’t think so.

Honestly, I really don’t wanna worry you my friends as to my condition. But the 1st two cases above are not unique scenarios, it can happen to all of us.

I know I just turned 24 and I should’ve said some things like being grateful to my existence blah blah blah. I am, honestly. And I’m not complaining. But I hope it’s not that bad if I impart a lesson that is more often than not neglected by other people: the simple lesson to take care of our health. ‘Coz there are really some times you’ll never know when it will just hit you and it will be too late for you to realize some of the important things in life. And after all, amidst all hurts and pains, we still find this cliché very true: “It’s still nice to live in this world.” :)

My oh my, I just turned 24 and I’ve just written the least fun post of my entire blog. =P