Monday, May 28, 2007
Home
Another summer day
Has come and gone away
In Paris and Rome
But I wanna go home
Mmmmmmmm
I’m coming back home
I’m on my travel thrills for my upcoming trip back home to the Philippines. With so much excitement, I don’t think I will be sleeping before my flight in the morning. I’m looking forward to spending time with family, old time friends (oh yeah, my week is booked just meeting them for lunches/dinners), touring my foreign guests and attending a college friend’s wedding. All in one week! So don’t be surprised why I’m suddenly feeling the adrenalin rush.
I’m coming back home
I’m on my travel thrills for my upcoming trip back home to the Philippines. With so much excitement, I don’t think I will be sleeping before my flight in the morning. I’m looking forward to spending time with family, old time friends (oh yeah, my week is booked just meeting them for lunches/dinners), touring my foreign guests and attending a college friend’s wedding. All in one week! So don’t be surprised why I’m suddenly feeling the adrenalin rush.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
LP= Lucky Plaza, Lotsa Pinoys
Most Filipinos here in Singapore would know and refer in having a meeting at LP. At first I was lost as to where that is, and it was actually referring to Lucky Plaza. I heard so much about it from my aunt, telling me that it's a place where you can get lots of Filipino food/grocery and see a lot of Filipinos hanging around.
I didn't realize that lots of Filipinos can actually mean HUGE amount of Pinoys who might as well brand the mall as Filipino mall. I now refer to it as Lotsa Pinoys mall. :p
Sundays have always been the busiest day for this place, with many of the domestic workers taking their day off and meeting their friends. It’s the second time that I saw a lot of Filipinos in Lucky Plaza, not only that it was a Sunday but also it was the start of the Great Singapore Sale. I only wanted to manage some legal documents which I thought would be easily manageable within a few minutes. Walking slowly from one floor to another, going back and forth it was not easy to pass through the clusters of Filipinos inside the mall.
So if you ever wondered where the Filipinos are in Singapore, just go to Lucky Plaza on a Sunday afternoon and you’ll see a big bunch in just one day. :)
I didn't realize that lots of Filipinos can actually mean HUGE amount of Pinoys who might as well brand the mall as Filipino mall. I now refer to it as Lotsa Pinoys mall. :p
Sundays have always been the busiest day for this place, with many of the domestic workers taking their day off and meeting their friends. It’s the second time that I saw a lot of Filipinos in Lucky Plaza, not only that it was a Sunday but also it was the start of the Great Singapore Sale. I only wanted to manage some legal documents which I thought would be easily manageable within a few minutes. Walking slowly from one floor to another, going back and forth it was not easy to pass through the clusters of Filipinos inside the mall.
So if you ever wondered where the Filipinos are in Singapore, just go to Lucky Plaza on a Sunday afternoon and you’ll see a big bunch in just one day. :)
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Living in European time
It shocked a European friend of mine when he would always just see me online whenever he was online. Did I ever go and sleep, he asked. Ofcourse, just about the same time he does in that part of the world I guess.
The past month has almost been like that for me. I just have more thoughts coming through my head at night, brainstorming some ideas with Nineo colleagues or filling in job applications in the middle of the night. It was almost a different concept for me when I'm not usually a night person.
I am indeed missing Europe at times, and maybe that helps me feel I'm closer to the people in that part of the world. It could also be that I am simply living in a different world now here in Singapore. Interesting. :)
The past month has almost been like that for me. I just have more thoughts coming through my head at night, brainstorming some ideas with Nineo colleagues or filling in job applications in the middle of the night. It was almost a different concept for me when I'm not usually a night person.
I am indeed missing Europe at times, and maybe that helps me feel I'm closer to the people in that part of the world. It could also be that I am simply living in a different world now here in Singapore. Interesting. :)
Sunday, May 13, 2007
An International Wedding in Jakarta, Indonesia
It was like a flash back of international conferences in AIESEC, a combination of global village and a formal dinner.
I recently attended a wedding of two AIESECers: Ika(Indonesia) & Mike(Switzerland). It was witnessed by relatives and friends from both sides, which also meant AIESECers from Europe & Asia. It was nice to meet some of the trainees that Ika was with in the Philippines, and AIESEC alumni from Indonesia.
I recently attended a wedding of two AIESECers: Ika(Indonesia) & Mike(Switzerland). It was witnessed by relatives and friends from both sides, which also meant AIESECers from Europe & Asia. It was nice to meet some of the trainees that Ika was with in the Philippines, and AIESEC alumni from Indonesia.
The church wedding was very traditional accompanied with songs from different choir groups and the ceremony was presided in English and Bahasa Indonesia.
As you enter the reception hall it almost felt like entering a big booth for Indonesia. There were traditional decorative arts that filled the whole room, with a photo exhibition of Ika & Mike from their childhood to the time they decided to share a life together.
During the reception, the couple enters the room with their entourage and they are received by hundreds of guests. At the stage, parents from both sides join them as they meet each and every guest in the hall. While the rest are waiting, there’s a live band playing Indonesian music, and a variety of food was available. Now, this is when I almost thought I was in a global village- with Western & Asian variety of food served to fit the taste of the guests.
There was a program that followed: a speech from an elderly in Ika’s family, cutting of the cake, toasting of wine, and a dance that was participated by everyone. Not to miss was the photo session with different groups which will be a part of their memory book.
The night was still young as the program ended just before midnight. All the foreigners definitely still had enough energy so we decided to go to a club in Jakarta. We managed to negotiate for a free entrance with 40 people provided we order a lot of drinks. Everyone was somehow “thirsty” so it was not a hard deal to manage.
The following day it was great to meet up with all the foreign guests, this time with a more casual and relaxed attire. We were invited for lunch at Ika’s family house after which we managed to take a tour of the city malls. I met up with an ex-trainee in the Philippines, Yohan. A karaoke session was not to miss and managed to convince the other Swiss guests to join us as well. With the talents of Edwin aka Michael Jackson, Yohan aka Jose Marie Chan & Bong aka Frank Sinatra, it was a night full of fun and laughter.
It was just almost 2 days spent in Indonesia and definitely a weekend to remember!
Congratulations Ika & Mike!
It was just almost 2 days spent in Indonesia and definitely a weekend to remember!
Congratulations Ika & Mike!
