Tampines: Just Around the Corner

The Arrival!

Yes! We safely arrived at Singapore! Yey!

And, just as warned, we arrived at this warehouse-looking terminal.

(Oh what do you expect on such a low fare!)

But still, it's really clean, operational and clear. Just imagine how great the terminal 1 and 2 looks like. They said it's really, really beautiful. It’s one of the top airport terminals in the world! We went straight through immigration, got our baggages, scanned them through xray, went out of the airport J

At first, I really can’t feel that I’m already in another country. But when I saw the customers in a café in the terminal speaking Chinese, that’s when I realized that I could already drink water from the faucet. hehehe

The transportation!

There’s no one to pick us up, so we decided to get a cab. And yes, just like any Filipino tourist show’s riding in the front seat, I made a mistake to go to the driver’s side.  It’s because their driver’s seat are in the right side. In the Philippines, the driver’s seat is in the opposite side. With that, all the roads, even the escalators are in reverse.

Singapore: Forested Development

They are almost like a garden with concrete walls.  They have massive buildings but still they don’t forget to care for their environment. Almost everywhere you turn, there are trees. And their normal street birds are really different – mynas and pigeons.  I already knew I’ll have a very exciting vacation…until...

The Mishap!

We took the cab because we really don’t know where the address of the house is. So we’re talking to the driver and I, actually, can’t understand his English. We went round and round the blocks of Tampines until we decided to our known landmark, a primary school located near Tampines blocks.

It was really tiring because of our baggage, long walks, asking for directions. We’re literally lost in the city. It took us quite a while to find the address and to get to the house. Well, I got a bit familiar with that walk, that’s for sure.

But that is not the longest walk I’ve ever done in Singapore. J

Tune in for another posts on my Singapore Series J

Thanks for reading!

Hello-Lah! :) (whatever that means)

Hey!
I'm creating this entry on-board. Yep, in my first international flight.

***

Two Thousand and LATE

Check in - i did a web check-in, it's a new thing in Cebu Pacific Website. it basically let's you check in Online.  The good part is that we are not required anymore to be early in airport, just around 45 minutes before the scheduled flight. Preety cool, huh?

Payment - Travel tax was 1600++, Terminal Fee is around 750. haiiist, it's very expensive to travel. You're not yet leaving your country, you already have to pay these things. That's life. . . in the Philippines. I dunno if such exists in other countries.

Immigration - Ah yes, the secuiring personel of the country for criminals or the likes to be barred on escaping the Philippines. Actually, i thought i'd be stopped here because of my DOST scholarship. i really got nervous in this part of the trip. i was asked for the purpose of my travel. i just checked Holiday/Pleasure...PLEASURE? hehehe green. Sorry :)

Everything was a breeze. So we went to the Boarding corridor where all the gates are. We should be on gate 115. I thought, hey, where are all the people waiting for the boarding of our flight? the halls are almost empty. especially for the gate 115 part.

Then, the announcer radio went, "Waiting for the last passengers of Flight 5J 801 bound for Singapore, Mr. Aldrich Danan, please proceed to gate 115 immediately."

Turned out, all our co-passengers are already inside the plane!!! hahaha.

I told myself, "pag nakarating tayo sa boarding desk, they'll tell us, we're the last team to arrive!" [Ala Amazing Race]

I took a picture of the gate to the runway, i'll post it here.


***
VRoooooOOOOmmMMMM!!!

And the plane is moving. . .well not that much. I thought i'm much faster than the plane if i run, so i'm wondering  why we're a bit slow...

Moments later, after some quick turns and curbs, we suddenly picked up speed. i was really eaten by the seat, it's that fast! Really Really fast and started to fly! Men, what an experience. I've seen buildings and houses and reads at the window. It was really COOL!!!

***
Stewardess' Dance
(With props)

When they (The Stewardess) are explaining all the thingy ma jing in the plane, it looked like performing, not demonstrating. they all knew the steps by heart (of course, it's their job), and it's entertaining to watch. . . ok ok, informative as well.

***
Turbulence

I thought of the movie Turbulence when it's announced that we're experiencing such.

We're entering several gigantic clouds, really massive and we start to shake, go up and down, sudden feeling of weightlessness (the one you feel in a roller coaster ride) and it's nerve-wracking!!!

. . .and fun at the same time :)
***
The Flush

After 2 fun and enjoyable turbulences (had fun?!), i went to the lavatory/ comfort room to answer to call of the river nymph

(corny!) you know what i mean.

So, i've noticed that my weewee is filling up the bottom side of the bowl. After i was done, i pushed the flush button. Whoa! it really sucks! As in really loud and hard vacuum sucks all the weewee from the bowl. I've kinda panicked and feared for my phone that it might go with the pee. Hehehe

***
Closer to God

If the lump of clouds is the same with the image we'll see when we go to heaven, whoa, WhattaSite!

It looks like cottonballs out of the windows. Really nice view.

For a moment, i thought the higher i go, the closer i get to God, but i immediately cancelled that idea thinking that it's inside the church that we feel closer to Him. [AMEN to that, brother!]

***
Current Events

As i'm doing this, we're going lower gradually to the clouds. It's like an ocean of cottonballs down there, with static waves.

We are near to landing.
Until my next post!

Bye! :)

Singapore!

Hey! i've on hiatus for 2 weeks here due to my vacation in SG. There's just not enough time to do all those tours and blogging all the experience. So, here i am, back again in the Philippines, to relay to you all my experiences and thoughts about my vacation in SG and everything i think about any topic in there.

Enjoy!

Last post...not really

Hey!

This is my last post. . . in the Philippines :)
I'm in my last 48 hours of stay in my homeland which i endear most. (drama) It is as if im not coming back hahaha. I'll be back, don't cha worry :)

Hahaha.
My next couple of posts will be created in. . . #HangingEnding

the BLACK notebook: Post # 1

I hope i could monitor my numbering of these posts.
You see, i have 3 of these stuffs

1. Old posts
2. the BLACK notebook
3. the CRYSTAL notebook

Here's a poem i made in BLACK notebook.

If you could, think of the main topic of this poem. I swear, this is not a literal train :)

Hope you like it :)
***

Pinaasa
 - Aldrich

Imagine. . .

Nasa LRT ka,
Maraming tao,
Alas-otso na ng umaga,
Male-Late ka na,
At naghihintay ka ng tren.


Biglang may dumating!
Isang apat na dugtungang tren.
3G! (susyal!)
Bumagal pagdating sa istasyon.


Maharan mong sinundan ang pinto
Sabik na ang iyong mga paa
Upang makapasok
Nang biglang. . .


Kumaripas ng takbo ang tren
Ramdam mong tinatawanan ka ng piloto nito

. . . At maghihintay ka na naman ng milagro
para makasakay sa tren ngayong "rush hour"

***
:)

Old Post #2.5: Medical Madness

This is the second half of my old post # 2.

back when i was in college, i applied for student assistant job. It's kinda cool 'coz i get to enter and leave our college office whenever i want :) also, our class schedules are not that toxic, so we really got time for these stuffs.

One of the requirements for the job is a physical exam. here's my misadventures for it!

Enjoy!
***
July 21, 2008

My Medical Madness

I told you last time na I’ll be applying for student assistant ryt? Eh, isa sa mga requirements nila ang medical certificate… kaya nagpamedical ang kuneho.

I went to the clinic to get a discount card at the “physician’s tower”, so that my urinalysis, CBC (complete blood count) and chest X-ray will only cost me 150php.
(I must be thrifty! I don’t have much money left!)

Pagpunta

Sa U.N Avenue lang naman siya, so it’s not that far from our school.

Si Manong Dumi!

“oh! Bili na kayo para may paglagyan na kayo ng dumi”

That is the opening statement that welcomed me in the physicians tower… nagulat talaga ako sa sinabi nya… un pala, that place is one of the few medical laboratories that is prescribe by the agencies to people who want to go abroad under them. Meaning… super medical talaga siya… complete! Para dun sa mga mangingibang bansa…

4th floor, “akin na ang iyong LARAWAN”

Heto pa isa… sumakit ulo ko, hahaha, napakapilipino ng pagkakabanggit nung humihingi siya ng ID picture… buti may dala ako… kung hinde, paktay… magpapapicture ko ng wala sa oras, mahal pa naman, (remember the keyword? Thrifty!)

Damian…Damian…

Sino un??? The cashier is calling someone named Damian… slang pa kamo ung pagkakabanggit… parang DAMIENNE ang pagkakasabi… ang nakakapagtaka, AKO lang naman ung naghihintay dun!

Un pala…

Damian…Damian… Danan… Aldrich???
<kung anime ako, tumambling na ako palabas ng tower>

Mr. PLM

After I paid sa cashier… 150php I went sa laboratory, passed the paper from the cashier and waited for my name to be called…

Nakatayo lang ako sa harap nung tatawag ng name…
Nakakangawit…
Uupo n asana ako ng biglang

“Mr. PLM!”
Sabay abot ng lalagyan ng WEEWEE.

Bwahahaha, parang alam nila na ako ung nanalo sa Mr. and Ms. PLM ah… hahaha, JOKE!!!

Interviews…

So after the “vial” was given to me, I rushed to the rest room kasi naweeweewee na talaga ako… wenk!wenk!

And init… nung lalagyan… HAHAHA!
Oh tama nay an… nakakadirRRRZZZ nah

After that, I sat down and waited for, again, my name to be called.
Eh madaming naghihintay, aba, edi nanginterview muna ako ng mga tao dun…

Lam nyo, lahat halos ng nakausap ko, puro magaabroad! May Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Papua (? Huh! May trabaho pala dun!) at marami pang iba… halos lahat, middle east ang work!

May isa lang na local… si lady guard, ang mahal ng pamedical ng mga magaabroad! 2.6k! complete na naman un sabi nila, at pahayag pa ng ibang mga tao dun, after mu makapagpamedical… at cleared ka, ilang tulog na lang pasko na… eh este, aalis ka na…lilipad na!

Gwahoo!!! Ang Blood test

They called our names na and each was given 1 small test tube… yup… that is where they will put your blood for analysis..

Nung nakuha na naming, kinakabahan kami… hahaha, lahat nung mga nainterview ko,dinaga!!! Hahaha,

Sabi nung isang welder na pupunta ng Saudi,

“meron nga dyan isa, pulang pula nung pumasok, nung lumabas ang putla!”

Tawanan kami…

I thought, since kanina pa sila nakapila, sila mauuna… can’t wait to see the agony and pain in their faces nang biglang

Aldrich Danan, PLM!!!

Hala!!! Ako pala mauuna! Howmigawsh!

Inaalala ko baka tumaas ang blood pressure ko, sa sobrang kaba!

Hala sige, upon a… binigay ko na ung weewee ko sa kanya, and raised my right sleeve na, para madali… tinalian na ako ng goma…

And then, may tinatanggal siyang malaking parang plastic, nung nilabas nya ung laman, halos himatayin ako sa gulat!!!

Anlaki ng KARAYOM!!!!

WhaA!
<kung anime lang ako, tumambling na ako…pauwi!!! Hahaha>

Braced myself…
Closed my palm…
And slowly…the…needle… entered… my …b.o.d.y……

Lam nyo, hanggang ngayon, hindi pa ako maka-move on sa gulat ko dun sa laki nung karayom… I swear!


Hingang Malalim…Pigil!!!!

Chest xray!!!
This is easy, though my arm still hurt a bit…
Kinakabahan talaga ako… baka may kung ano makita nila!!! Howmigawsh talaga…

Post ko dito results…

Jobs for the … 

I really don’t know kung ano itatawag sa kanila. Maybe…”survivors” is a better term for this.

Sa basement… nagpaxerox ako ng document na magpapatunay na I undergo medical na. and there are these “survivors” working…that has stable jobs… it’s really amazing and cool.
May nagtratrabaho dun, naputulan ng arm… ang ginawa, they placed his hand and connected it sa siko nya… and amazingly.. its working! Ztig talaga!there are also mga may clef (bingot) na paiayos through operation, na nagtratrabaho din…

Nakakatuwa na government do give these survivors so many chances to prove to the society that they have their own skill and specialty! APRUB!

Well, that’s it for today… ang haba noh, thanks for reading… ‘till my next misadventure!!

Old Post # 2 July 21, 2008 (Poem)

Hi again!
This is half of my old post number 2. I actually don't know how to number it since i'll be posting the other half, too...oh well :)

This is a poem for my mom's birthday. She haven't read this yet. hehehe. how very private of me :)
(To think that I'm letting all of you read this first before my mom. hahaha)

Here goes!
***
-my mom’s bday-

Because of You
-Aldrich

Every morning she wakes me up…
Every time I wake up, she’s always my sight

Since the beginning of my life
She stood firm by my side

From every trials
Hardships and pain

She’s always been
My first aid

From the start of my kinder years
Until today that I’m a graduating kid

Nobody can even compare
To my first teacher, school is our home

Twenty years has passed
Twenty-four years from then on

Care has been nothing less
Than the very best

Today on your birthday
Let me be the one to say

“I’ll take care of you, nay”
‘till the end of days

“I’ll always be your best panganay”
Proud of his best mom

Soon I’ll stand up on stage
My diploma at hand

And say to the whole world
“she raised me up!”

“And I can have no other
Than my best mom ever”

“this is all...
Because of YOU”


This is a poem I wrote for nanay. ? though I’m “absent” in her very special day… I know, she knows , I’m very proud of her. And this…yeah, this post, this post is dedicated to her. Love you nay.
***
Reading it again made me teary eyed. hehehe :)