Mi Piso

Took pics of the view from my apartment in the central business district. I live solo in a studio unit a stone's throw away from my work, the malls, grocery, park and church. With a balcony with an open-sky view. Nice! One side of my studio is like a glass wall, transparent, with a glass door opening out to the balcony; as opposed to having the doorway be part of a solid concrete wall. I guess it helps make it look more spacious.

As to the roofdeck (see pic), I don't always get to go to my roofdeck as, I guess, am just such a lazybones to do so. The only times I go up there, it's to have my laundy done by the laundry service. The condo where the unit is at is also a hotel/serviced apartment sort of building. But since am not a guest but a tenant, I have to bring my own laundry there.

It has a pool but I've never got around to using it. Though my brother has, several times. Neither have I used the gym. I'm usually out of the apartment Mon - Sat daytime. So understandably, I'd wanna stay inside, relax, and be a homebody come Sunday. What a waste of rent. haha!

As to how it was when an earthquake struck, well, let me tell you, it's something to dread as I live almost on the 30th floor. So any thought of trying to even use the stairs to rush down to safe ground was, is, and will always be, a futile exercise were the earthquake strong enough.

Whale in Puerto Galera

Was stranded in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro because of Typhoon Dindo. Which meant:

- two nights more of stay
- more time
- more card games
- more drinking sessions
- more shopping
- more wind and waves (literally!!)
- more exploration
- more photo ops

Actually missed Manila and the grind and started worrying. Ack! Horror of horrors! haha.

A dolphin? No... a whale!! Whales, more like
Saw dolphins, oops, I meant killer whales on our way back to Batangas. Hehe! We initially thought it was a dolphin we saw until our boat got nearer and as the creature was surfacing, we saw the telltale white area and realized it's a killer whale. A juvenile maybe. Definitely not an adult. Ack! Then as it went past our boat, another one surfaced/swam beside the first that we saw. Who would have thought. Was able to get a shot during our mad scramble, tracking it as it went past our banca. And I had only one shot left free in my camera. Talk about good luck! :D Love you, whales!

Random Thoughts

to do list:
- consolidate my address book online and in hard copy
- set up birthday reminders

This blog:
- feeds my vanity
- I check when am not busy and I remember to check it
- needs to be updated or
- has to be pulled off the web to keep my privacy :P

I wish I:

- would create a page in this site where I can gripe on things and people I deal with at work. Hey, I need some stress relief too. ;)

What's playing in my Mp3 player for the past 3 weeks now:
- Juanes - Un Dia Normal album
- Certain songs off the Alejandro Sanz Unplugged and No Es Lo Mismo albums

I should be sick of them by now but am not. Hmmm. They make me want to run off to Spain. Hehe!

Why is it that
The CDs I want to buy aren't always available in the record bars here?

This weekend I'll be:
- out after work watching a very Hollywood film and hanging out with some friends
- out of town to an island resort in Puerto Galera courtesy of another entity. Lucky me. ;) Have sunblock, will travel... and maybe learn some diving skills...

Lastly:
- It's always a good idea to have few items in one's baggage, with only the occasional indulgences. Makes life simpler but still meaningful.
- Am happy for my friend who's got his wish and shall be leaving for Spain sometime this year (and not for a vacation too). Maybe we'll all hook up in Europe next year with a friend who's in the UK, and some who will also be moving to Spain this year. Yeah, I wish! Ciao!

Second Week of April 2004

would be interested to read
a. Angelina Jolie's journal on her development work in the Third World
b. many other things :P

travel ideas
a. South Africa
b. Croatia, particularly Dubrovnik
c. Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam
d. Morocco

work clothes and shopping, chore chore chore chore chore. :P
Sick and tired of my work clothes. Realized that it's been quite some time since I last bought clothes for work that I hardly remember when that last time was. Imagine? hehe! Every morning, opening my closet, gives me my first problem for the day. What to wear -- 'cause am really sick and tired of seeing the same old stuff. Argghh!! And I hate shopping in the malls 'cause it's tiring to walk quite some distances between shops and not really knowing what am looking for. *Sigh* If only I can afford to hire someone else to do the shopping for me. As if!! haha! Never thought that clothes shopping can be such a chore until now. I don't quite look forward to it. I guess that's why I've procastinated for so long already. Maybe if I do that overseas, I can feel enthusiastic. Hmmm!!