Rainy Rainy Day

According to Inq7.net, typhoon Mileyno is the worst storm to hit the Philippines in 20 years. I spoke with Mama over the phone earlier today and found out one of the windows in our house broke. She also told me about the plight of our relatives in Manila. The roofing of their house was blown away and all their belongings are now ruined.

In the office today, we spent most of our lunch break just storm watching, looking out the vibrating glass windows and seeing how the random objects in the construction site below flew from every direction. It was pretty scary at some point because our office building was swaying. Some of us thought we were just getting dizzy, but then the building was moving because of the strong wind.

Sigh. A few hours later, the metro seems quieter and darker than usual. SLEX was closed earlier today, and I don't know how it's doing now. I am blogging from the office, and we have no electricity at home. I wonder how I'm going to sleep tonight... I wonder how all the other people who were victimized by nature's wrath will be sleeping.

One more sigh for the road.

Another thing to sigh about... Release 6.2 is right around the corner and it's gonna be huge... from a testing perspective. Deng. Good luck to us!

I'm liking this John Mayer song (Stop the Train, I think is what it's called). Will post the lyrics tomorrow.

14 Hour Work Day

I was in the office for fourteen hours! Very reminiscent of my Dow days. Testing intesive days. I am without teammates for the past three days and well... the detailed designs are just piling up and I still have to finish my deliverable. Ugh.

I did realize today that I am simply adjusting to the new work hours. And I confirmed that I am not a morning person. Haha. I work better in the afternoons I think. My brain is more alive during the hours of 4pm-8pm. I've been that way for five years, so it will take a lot of undoing.

Project updates... we are officially shifting to Aussie business hours and holidays! So good bye Mandaluyong Day, EDSA Revolution Day... and all those wonderful Philippine Holidays.

Speaking of Holidays.... I am pretty excited about the upcoming Christmas season. I always am, I think. I love the hustle and bustle all the Christmas rush. Buying gifts for peeps. And finding out later how much they loved and appreciated it. Seeing all the people you usually see once a year. And the bazaars! I was in a not-so-great mood the week before and iTunes randomly played "Maybe this Christmas" from the O.C. I remember how much Marchae and I love this song (how we discreetly shed a tear after listening to the song for the first time).

Then again, I recall my conversation with Karina and Maan a few holidays ago. Although Christmas is such a happy time, there's also a sadness to it. Maybe it's because we've had more memorable and exciting Christmases when we were little. When a simple Barbie doll brought so much joy. When picking out an outfit to be worn to the annual family party was the most important holiday decision. Hehe. I guess being older means having the responsibility of bringing joy to those who easily appreciate the smaller things.

Speaking of older... I'm turning 27 in two months... wait... in a little over a month. Crap. Hehe. Hmm... now... how to celebrate?

Still Adjusting

I think today officially marks week one of our early morning shift. I can say with great certainty that my body clock is still screwed up. I have to drag my lazy ass out of bed every morning. Drive to the office (sans traffic, which I love). Have my coffee. And try to convince myself to work work work... until my stomach grumbles. Hehe. I dunno. I think I'm uninspired and distracted lately. The drive I used to have is MIA. But I try to make it work. So I'm still holding on to the thought that perhaps I feel this way because my body clock is still adjusting. I'm sleepy most of the day, and my very lazy eyes are indicative of that. Oh well. I'm sure things will pick up in a week or so. I think I'm lacking the energy. Perhaps I need to be engaged in some physical activity.

But I am enjoying coming home early!! Last Friday though, I think I had three cups of coffee the whole day! Meeting up with mah girls is definitely a pick-me-upper.

I have black hair now! Very Morticia Adams. Very Ashley Simpson.... Very me, before the red hair. I was pretty shocked myself when I saw the color for the first time. But well... I think I'm used to it.

Weekend with the girls

Aside from sleeping and sleeping and sleeping and eating, I spent my weekend with my girls! Saturday, Karina and I met up and well... At first, we didn't know where to go. We definitely wanted to get out of Makati. Alabang was too far. So we found ourselves in Greenhills! The Promenade to be exact. I was pleasantly surprised at the wide selection of restaurants. We finally decided to have dinner at Cibo and then dessert at Bizu (Both restos with outlets in Alabang! Hehe!). Check out these colorful macaroons...



Figgy and I had to take a pic of ourselves of course. Maan!! Just to prove how much we miss you... when I dropped Karina off sa house nila, I said to her absentmindedly, "Bye Maan!" Hehe! I am loving your new hair by the way!



Sunday was a day with the younger girls. Iris, Ina, Ate Lovely and I spent the rainy Sunday afternoon hanging out in Conti's BF. The girls showed me their new sizzling thingie. And I showed them the tiger look! I couldn't stop laughing at Ina's take on the tiger look!

Here's me and Iris (last pic taken with my red hair! I am back to black!):



And Ate Love and Ina (both lovers of designer goodies).

Movie of the Week : Step Up

Yesterday, Keysi and I saw "Step Up", this dance movie with the dude from "She's the Man" (Channing Tatum) and the girl from "Take the Lead" (Jenna Dewan). Story was ok. Pretty predictable. Sacrificial lamb and all. Script ... could have been better! There were so many cringe worthy lines in that movie. But the dancing! Wow! it did not disappoint! Channing Tatum as the male lead... wow. It was pretty obvious from the suppressed squeels of the girls in the cinemas that they were loving every scene when he would give Jenna Dewan this really intense look, or would lean over for a spontaneous kiss. Girls will love this movie. The guys... well. One guy said, "nakakabading yung pagsayaw nung guy." Haha.

Shopping day yesterday! It's pretty amazing to see the effect of the opening of Zara stores in Manila on Mango and Topshop! Wala nang tao sa Mango or sa Topshop masyado! Manila hearts Zara. Goodie. I tried looking for comfy flats (like the ones I got on sale for a whopping 499 bucks!), but I think I'm all lucked out.

Keysi and I had dinner at Zen, Jap resto in Glorietta. We had the sashimi platter and an order of philly cream cheese sushi roll. Anything with cream cheese is just divine! Haha! Green Tea ice cream for dessert.

In Greenbelt, we ran into Teng and her boyfriend! After the movie, I saw Bibay, Erik, their friend Regine, and Macky! We exchanged stories (I of course told them about the Day of Infamy in Sydney), and I think I was just smiling while walking back to the parking lot! Crazy, crazy peeps.

I got home at 1AM, and I think it was just the coffee I had before the 945 movie that kept me going. Geez. I think my body is still adjusting to the early morning shift (among other things... hehe!).

Weekend's here! Half of the day through, and I've been lounging around, lazy coot that I am. Might visit the kids (we still need to record part four of our radio play).

3rd 6AM shift day

It's exactly 10:29pm, and my very droopy eyes are telling me to hit the sack. Today is day tres of our 6AM-3PM shift. It's been... challenging to get out of bed at 5AM everyday. Condo days and my high school school bus days have honed my speedy preparation skills in the morning. Starbucks coffee press and ground coffee a must every morning.

I visited MTS homebase in UBP today and it was super duper fun! Mel and I ended up talking for more than an hour! I can't believe the many many updates and how fast MTS has grown. I miss facilitating the trainings (I've always been a big fan of teaching), and meeting a new batch of people every week. Then again, project deployment is pretty challenging.

Weekend's here! Woohoo!

And time to go to bed!

Top 11 Sydney Highlights

It's been a week since I officially arrived in Manila. So it seems pretty fitting that I post my Top 11 Sydney Highlights today. Most of the stuff here I've written about in detail in my previous entries. But what the hey? I still have the Aussie hang over (but it's slowly wearing off... given that I had to haul ass to the office at 6AM today!).

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(11) Blue Mountains

I'm pretty glad the Blue Mountains package tour we took didn't involve so much walking (I didn't have my inhaler handy!). The view of some the Grand Canyon-esque looking mountains was pretty neat. Scenic Railway ride was a lot of fun! We wish it could have been longer (and faster!). Going on this trip with the O42 peeps made our day extra fun! Although the ferry ride back to the city was biting cold, it was a nice relaxing way to end the day.

(10) Taronga Zoo

Animals and animals galore! The Sydney City scape was a really nice backdrop to to the giraffes and zebras. This was the first time I saw a kangaroo and a koala up close. I'm no big animal fan, but I enjoyed the wide array of animals. Taronga Zoo was huge! The Animal shows were pretty fun, too! Kids were swarming the place (and some happy parents and some impatient parents).

(9) Bondi Beach

Got off at the Bondi Junction stop, rode the bus to the beach. And there we were. Bondi Beach! I've been so used to the Boracay stretch that I was just in awe of how big Bondi was! Surfer dudes all around! And fish and chips for a late lunch. Ice Cream for dessert! Mint and Chocolate Chip for me! The water was pretty cool and was so the sand.

(8) Sydney Opera House

Our first tourist-y trip in Sydney. Say Sydney and you'll get someone else to say, "the Sydney Opera House" almost automatically. When we first arrived, our cab driver drove us past this edifice and we were thrilled. Seeing it up close was pretty cool too! All tiles! So very everyday, yet from afar and all together, it was pretty glorious.

(7) September 1, Day of Infamy

Will not go into much detail about this day. Hehe. What happened in Sydney stays in Sydney right?? No more Park St. Bar for me! My best friend, red wine, and I almost had a falling out. I think I pretty much recovered not even a week after. Thanks so so so much to the O42 peeps for taking good care of me!

(6) DFO Shopping Spree

Thank you, Yas, for showing us the DFO light. Hehe. Shopping is always fun. Especially when Ralph Lauren is on sale! Hehe! Great 10 dollar finds. Baves moment though is a now-deleted-fitting room photo of a certain "Lehv it" person. Hehe.

(5) Crazy Office Afternoons

"Kkkkkkxxxxasi," "Jetlog", "Half Chinese, Half Garter", "Three Bears Joke", "The Dagger", "Quota"... and the list goes on and on and on. I've been shushed for the umpteenth time because of my boisterous laugh. The O42 peeps in Meeting Room 9.40 just made the usual office days into crazy office days. Laughter indeed is the best medicine for 'Guisado Garantisado' Q&A sessions.

(4) Dinners (Darling Harbour, Guiseppe, Blue Ginger, Indian Resto at Mislons Point, Baia, Makoto Sushi Train)

My my... it was eat or be eaten! I love Sydney for the diverse and wide selection of cuisine. We were able to sample Italian (Guiseppe's at Blue's Point and Baia at Darling Harbour), Indian (Blue Ginger at Blue's Point & that Indian Resto in Milson's Point), Japanese (Sakae, Makoto (both along Liverpool), this Indonesian resto in Kensington, Thai and more Thai (Saap Thai over and over again and Thai-riffic at Blue's Point). Oh my... so many more to mention. I love the breakfast places we went to as well (the best was where the Italian owner happily spoke with us). My favorite lunch place is most definitely that nice sandwich place up Miller street.

(3) Dinner at Pony

Special mention... Although I have a entry for our dining escapades, this resto is the best of them all. It was pretty fancy. Pretty pricey. And pretty worth it. The interior was slightly up scale (no tourist-y photos please). Service was good. The food... wow! I finished my dinner. So that should be indication enough that I liked it!

(2) Ben Folds Concert

We are Ben Folds converts. Simply put.
He was amazing. Exceeding our expectations! He made our last Saturday in Sydney super entertaining. The Sydney Symphony was awesome too. And the acoustics at the Opera House. Our view was no cheap seats indication. Our only regret... not buying any Ben Folds CDs! So far, the local music stores here in Manila do not have any Ben Folds CDs =( .

(1) Hunter Valley

Worth every drop and cent! Australia is well known for its wine, and we sampled a lot of 'em! Shiraz, Merlot, Port, Cabernet Sauvignon, Port, Pinot, Chardonnay... Lunch was superb! We enjoyed singing "All By Myself" whenever we saw the tourist who was alone. It was fun seeing this Filipino tour group trying to get more free wine. Given my red red ears and pink cheeks, red wine is most definitely my best friend. If someone asked me to go to Hunter Valley again, I would in a heart beat!

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Some pics I wasn't able to post before...

Babies and Little Ladies

As I promised the kids, I went to visit Ina and Iris today in their BF "Under Renovation" home. We took a trip down memory lane, viewing their baby pictures! We found this super duper adorable pic of the girls, and I just had to capture it!



We spent the afternoon recording our radio show, featuring Rosita, the poor household helper and her very cruel boss, Pheobe. Of course, Ina played Rosita, and I played Pheobe, the malupit na boss. Iris was the narrator. Haha! Us girls later had merienda at Pizza Hut, where Iris just "murdered" the mango panacotta. I had about three teaspons, and the girls just gobbled up the two orders we had.



I missed my girls! And Iris was insistent that I stayed longer. Or else di daw nya ako na-miss. Awww...

It's been scorching hot in Manila! I miss winter. Haha!

The Devil Wears Prada!

My first movie in six weeks (almost seven!)! And it was well worth the wait. I felt like I was watching an issue of Vogue or In Style! It is a chick flick... or a fashionista flick. Meryl Streep is absolutely wonderful as Miranda Priestly, vicious editor-in-chief of Runway magazine. She was ice cold, driven, and wow! Just plain fabulous in all her outfits, accessories and bags! Keysi and I enjoyed the following memorable lines... "6 is the new 14", "It's no fair though, I mean you eat carbs!", and " I'm on this new diet for Paris. I don't eat anything... and then when I feel like I'm about to faint, I eat a cube of cheese." The movie is really about career choices we make... Work and personal life balance. Core values time! Hehe! I thoroughly enjoyed watching it... and wouldn't mind seeing it again.

It felt real nice to watch a movie after more than a month of movie haitus. We did catch one trailer, the one with Leo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, and Mark Wahlberg. Hope that's a good one!

Work today is... work. Hehehe. I'm still very apprehensive about testing and our project. Got some large shoes to fill. And very tiny feet.

I'm glad for the weekend. Planning to see my girls (Ina and Iris) tomorrow after their gymnastics class. After dinner partey with Macky, Bibay, and Karina. I'm sure I'll be laughing the evening through. I was just telling Keysi about the joy of being with the kids (although mga dalagitas na sila, I refuse to believe they're not babies anymore). They say the darnest things. I hope they're free for some play time tomorrow. Ate Love told me that Ina has seen the Devil Wears Prada twice! Hehe.

Mental note to self.... finish my Sydney top 11 this weekend... while it's still fresh. I'm still missing Sydney very very much. =( This morning, while watching one of 'em local morning shows, they were flashing the temperature in different cities in the world, and when 'Sydney' scrolled across the screen, I was a little sad. Hehe. But well. Happy for the memories and fun experiences.

Back to the grindstone...

The time on my computer reads 11:03pm, but the time on my wrist watch reads 1:03am. Classic case of denial! Haha! this is my second night back in Manila, and well. I am missing Sydney a whole lot!

I barely slept the day of our flight, Tuesday morning. It saddened me to throw out uncooked veggies and our super marinated spare ribs (I say "super" because it seemed to have absorbed the marinade to the bone!). I slept for an hour I think and my phone alarmed at 4:30am. I bathed, got dressed and took some last pictures of my apartment. My luggage, and the living room, where we watched a couple of Futurama episodes (loved the dog episode!) and this Disney movie, "The Heavyweights" on one lazy Sunday afternoon. By the way, my brown paper bag wasn't was sturdy as I had hoped! I had to bring out the green Aldi bag in the airport!





Girls in Denial! Tammy and myself on the flight from Sydney to Singapore. We couldn't believe how the six weeks flew. The passengers on board were so few in number that Nelson was able to transfer to the three seater row behind us to sleep a little more comfortably. More memorable moments on the plane... Jaime shedding a few tears over Kramer vs. Kramer. I loved that movie. I guess so did Jaime! Junel laughing real hard and loud while he was watching Nacho Libre.



Mama and Papa picked me up from the airport and asked me about my trip. I filled them in, sharing some of my memorable experiences in Sydney (but not the Sept 1 most memorable experience of course). They shared a couple of family updates as well. It's been scorching hot here in Manila!!!

At home, I realized how "normal" things are again! It's like I never left. It's quite easy to go back to my usual work routine. Wednesday evening, after a day of rest, I met up with Chae, Rachelle, and Mark in Tavern who watch Side A (surprise surprise!).



First day today back in the office. I think I had a pretty productive day. I met with my testing team, and tried setting up my mail and catching up on stuff. I have to admit that today, I am the unwilling employee... For the most part, I just wished I could go home or see a movie. No movie in six weeks! Tis a feat for a movie buff like moi. But well. It's back to reality for us.

Tonight we went to Ate Mylene's house for Tita Linda's despidida. I was telling Tita Linda I wish I could've taken her out. Everyone seemed pleasantly surprised to see me back. =) It's feels nice to talk to my cousins and aunts again. I think I'm pretty updated with the latest now. Haha!

Weekend woohoooo!

With a Bang...

Today marks our last day here in Sydney. Last day of transition... and probably the beginning of a truly memorable and challenging project for most of us.

This morning, the white board in room 9.40 had all our KT scribbles. But most noticeable was this note from Mark. He reassured us that he was joining the shark feeding anyway!



The folks from the project took us out to lunch at Victoria Cross. In true Aussie fashion, I had fish and chips! And in true Pinoy fashion, camera flashes were abundant! Trigger happy tourists (soon to be trigger happy balikbayans).



Here we are while waiting for our lunch.



Dinner time, Jason and Andy took us to Thai-riffic in Blue's Point. Rice was free flowing and we all thoroughly enjoyed the Thai food. Angelo, Judilyn, Sanny, and Ceasar had us reeling with laughter! The evening was a great showcase of talents! Magic tricks, bending fingers, 360 degree turns...

More photos in the office!! This was super fun photo shoot because we had a gazillion cameras on timer mode! Sydney's been good to us, and this night was really, really fun! I got a good ab work out from laughing.



Of course, first things first. Time report time! This was the last thing I did before officially leaving the office.



We have a picture of Jeremy Cruz, but I still need to get a copy! Hehe!

This was an awesome way to end our 6 week Sydney trip. We've all grown closer. Endless inside jokes! Guisado Garantisado sa mga Q&A sessions, Batman and sidekick Robin, "Old By Myself", Body punches, the dagger... Hehe. We end our Sydney trip with a bang.

Right now, I still have to figure out how to close my suitcase. I still need to do some cleaning up in the apartment. I am in my jammies... but will be changing into my travelling clothes in less than five hours. It seems surreal that 6 weeks have passed! So quickly! Sydney has been so fantabulous (my top ten list coming soon)!

Farewell Sydney! For now... Hehehe!

Last Day in the Sydney Optus Office...

Just came back from lunch! I am stuffed. Fish and chips with special tartare sauce. Hehe.

I wanted to blog real quickly before I swim in my sea of tasks. I wonder if I'll get to finish what I need to complete today. I wonder how my last Q&A session will do. And I wonder how I'll be able to close my suitcase!!

Ben Folds Weekend!

Friday was a crazy day at the office. So crazy that we were all playing with a small soccer ball and doing the Adonis pose (all choreographed by Angelo). We left the office at eleven, kind of exhausted and famished.



After grabbing a slice of pizza for dinner, we met up with Arcy and Val. After a quick chat about the latest with the other project, Mike called it a night. Arcy, Val, and I went to V Bar for one round of drinks. Arcy and I both had a Cosmopolitan. I slept over the De Yao-Gomez palazzio Friday night! Thanks girls!



Saturday was Ben Folds day!! We were lucky to get tickets last Thursday. I admit, I just wanted to watch something in the Opera House. But wow!! This is by far one of the best concerts I've been to. Ever!



Our tickets were half-priced and we sat behind the Sydney Symphony.



The concert hall wasn't big at all. It had a great intimate feel, and I don't think there's a bad seat in the hall.



Row D was pretty close to where the percussion section was. We could see the members of the Sydney Symphony leafing through their music sheets.



Ben Folds was amazing!!! He sang "Brick" of course. He played the piano like there was no tomorrow. And he was equally entertaining! We were surprised that was funny! He looked so serious on the poster! He mimicked his "geeky" high school self one time, pushing his glasses from slipping down the bridge of his nose... Hmm... sounds like someone I know...



I think my favorite Ben Folds performance was "Still Fighting It", a song he made for his son. It was such a nice, sweet, and sad song. I think I was a little teary when it ended! The Sydney Symphony was just amazing too! I appreciate classical music and well... it was just a great fusion of alternative and classical music.



Mike and I were just happy Ben Folds-converts after the concert. Sulit ang 50 AUD!



Of course, Mr. San Juan could not resist making a funny face.



After the concert, we had dinner at Baia in Darling Harbour. It was still raining, so the hem of my jeans was pretty soaked! But the resto kept us warm. We just had to order the potato wedges with cream cheese and sweet and sour sauce (one of our greatest culinary discoveries!). Food was ok. However, our Pony restaurant dinner two nights before, is still the best meal we've ever had.



Sunday was a slow, rainy day. I made beef teriyaki for lunch and for the girls, Nieva and Arcy. We had banana split for dessert! Lots of packing action in the afternoon and some last minute shopping.

I've been chatting with Maan for the past two hours! We are missing the JB togetherness!

I still have my suitcase which needs packing! I can't believe six weeks have passed. Time flies when you're having fun. =) But I do look forward to coming back to Manila. I miss my family and my friends.

Hmm... I might do a Top 10 Sydney experiences list as well... =) Maybe when I'm done packing!

Thursday Splurging

Lately, although our KT is wrapping up, the work load in the office has somehow lessened. I dunno if it's because most of us are excited (or dreading) to go home. The afternoon in the office was filled with lots of laughing moments. Tammy and I had a good chortle over her recording of Haha, playing with "Just My Imagination." It was a theme from Jerry Maguire moment.

In the evening, Mike and I went to The Rocks. We stopped by the Opera House before dinner. It was a Kodak moment (see pic below). We see the Opera House almost everyday, and it's still pretty up close (and in the evening when there's a show). Alas. By some stroke of luck, we were able to get our hands on Ben Folds Five concert tickets for this Saturday!



After a triumphant visit to the Opera House, we had dinner at this posh restaurant called "Pony" at The Rocks. I had the lamb and a glass of Merlot. Mike had the sirloin steak and the Shiraz. Dessert was rather nice too! Chocolate Indulgence with a side of biscotti. Wondering why we don't have pics of our food?? We were a little shy about bring out our touristy cameras! Mejo sosyal yung place!



But we took a picture when we stepped outside after dinner.



Tomorrow, we have an 830am meeting with the Aussie manager. I wonder how that's going to go. I was planning on sleeping early today, but then Sex and the City was on. Can't say no to Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha! And i figured... what the hell? My remaining days in Aussie are few... So sulitin na! Hehe!

Rommel wrote to me today and I was just happy about receiving an email from him. He merrily detailed all kwentos from Ate Mylene's wedding. I suddenly realized how much I miss my makukulit na brothers. Just a couple more days to go!

Dinner on Parade

"Dinner on Parade" was the phrase of the evening (Side note, words for the day however... 'hatdog' and 'ehsier'). We finally had dinner at the Pitt st. corner Liverpool Makoto Sushi Bar restaurant. I've been wanting to dine in a sushi train resto since my trip to Singapore two years ago.



Sushi variety was a-plenty! I took on the ones which obviously had salmon! Yummy! It was fun just picking out the different plates from the conveyor belt.



Mike enjoyed himself obviously, stacking about 6 sushi plates!



Green tea everywhere! We both ordered green tea, had green tea cheesecake, and green tea ice cream! Haha! The end result? A craving for coffee!



Happy sushi-and-green-tea peeps we were. Thanks Mr. SJ! Congrats!



Tomorrow is shopping day!

Work today was pretty productive. I was able to do some more prepaid registration! But then the connection to the external systems pretty sucked so everything was stuck in Staffware. Haha! Eww... Techie talk!

Carbs and more carbs

Today was such a busy day! I had a Q&A session this morning, which went.... Hehe. There. It just went. In the afternoon, we had a KT session with Chris, which was pretty interesting! This guy knows so much about the system and the business side of things! The afternoon session was slightly funny because of a certain someone who was struggling to stay awake.

I was able to do a prepaid activation today! Next, a Pre to Post Transfer. I hope tomorrow's a better day for my testing. Siebel is not as easy as I thought. I just need to get my hands dirty I guess.

We left the office rather early on this busy Tuesday... to make this long-awaited Fettucini Carbonara! Haha! Packed with lots and lots of lean bacon, three different kinds of cheese (Philly cream cheese, parmesan, and cheddar). Mike gave it a thumbs up!



Dessert was improvised! Cookies with whipped cream and a portion of a snickers bar. Not for the faint-hearted!



Tis our last Tuesday in Sydney. =) We fly back to Manila on the 12th. I have mixed emotions about returning home. I am pretty excited to see Karina and Keysi! Reinstate our movie nights and girlie sessions. My family has a ton of kwentos for me. I sure missed a lot of reunions and special occasions. On the other hand, I am pretty scared about the work we need to do in Manila. I should start espousing a "can-do" attitude I think. Lately, I'm bordering on being a realist/pessimist. It's kind of tough to be back in square one when you're used to being more skilled at something. But hey. That's project life.

And our work hours will change! We need to be in the office by 6AM!!!!! Me?! An early riser?! Haha! Good luckers!

Crazy Crazy Weekend...

Crazy office scenes... Here is the famous Nelson-Angelo tandem like you've never seen them... Our mundane, sometimes stressful days become fun and interesting days because of their crazy antics.



Here's another picture of Angelo and Jessica, making Zoolander proud!



Friday was a crazy, crazy night. So crazy I did not bothered taking pictures! It all started with these few bottles of Victoria Bitter... in the office!



We had dinner at the Star City Casino and the peeps played the slots. Most of us were lucky and earned a few extra dollars. Afterwards, we had drinks at our favorite bar. We followed it up with more drinks in Park St. bar. And well... haha. It was pure embarrassing craziness after that.

Saturday, when I was feeling better, I met up with Arcy and her friend Darlene. We spent the afternoon just chatting in Gloria Jeans at The Rocks. We then met up with Darlene's friends from school, Ari, Raymond, and Winson. Ari took us to Kensington where we had dinner that this Indonesian restaurant. The food was absolutely amazing and yummy! Mr. San Juan is curiously absent because he had to work this weekend for the implementation.




Sunday, I slept till 1030! My bed, with my freshly washed sheets, was such a comfortable place. I had half of a croissant (with butter and jam) for lunch. Twas an afternoon of shopping for me! From Wynward, I had a nice walk to Pitt Street Mall where I finally found two pairs of shoes which fit me! More shopping in George Street and Paddy's Market! My list of must-purchase-pasalubongs has considerably shortened.



Right now, I'm watching "Under the Tuscan Sun" on channel 7. I think I've blogged about this movie before. I like how Francis got her wish, but not exactly how she imagined it. Life's interesting that way. "Unthinkably good things can happen. Even late in the game. It's such a surprise."

I also spoke to Tita Gina today about Ate Mylene's wedding. I can't believe I missed it! Tito Mar sent pictures and I think I was a little teary while browsing through them. I'm sure the parties and happenings i missed will without a doubt amount to a day of non-stop kwentuhan.

We return to Manila in 9 days! I can't believe how time flies! No plans yet for next weekend. But I hope we get to visit some of the unchecked items on our list (drafted during our first week here in Sydney).