Updates! Updates! Updates!

So here is what I have done so far,

1. In line with my lose 15lbs goal, I have joined the MMA Gym near my apartment together with some friends. I have started doing boxing. :) It's not an easy exercise. I think I lost a limb. haha. I have attended 2 sessions so far. Every sessions costs me around 270 pesos (session fee, tip and water) so I plan to do the boxing every Friday and Sunday because the gym offers 50% off on session fee during the said days. Boxing is a bit costly but I think it's worth it. Each session lasts for 1-2 hours.

2. With regards to my swimming lesson, I have enrolled in TriSwimJose. :) I will start my first session this afternoon. Yay! :) This costs 3000Php for 10 sessions (pool fee excluded. 125 pesos per session in Army Gym). This is one I think is money well spent. This can save my life. haha.

3. I have gone to the dermatologist last Sunday. :) Had a facial. So I am still on track with my care for my skin goal. Another thing is I had my eye checked and had also bought a new pair of eye glasses. My 6 year-old glasses really need to retire asap.

4. With the savings for emergency fund, I am currently behind but I'll try to catch up in the following months. I've had a lot of expenses this month. I bought glasses, paid for gym membership, swimming lesson, gym bag and a new sofa. hahaha. So I have negative savings for this month which something I am not proud of. Boo.

5. For my UPOU application, I have already gathered the requirements expect for one, my recommendation letter from a former professor which I will meet tomorrow. I think by Friday, I can already send my application to UP.

6. I am still on track with my Kuripot-Pinay challenge. Yay me! :)

7. Out of the country trip. (I am scheduled to go to Malaysia-Laos in March. :D I just need to apply for 3 days leave. haha.)

That's it for now. I still need to take driving lesson. The FAMI thing will be changed to Sunlife. My friend will become an agent so she will help us out. :p

Cheers to A New Year!

I have created this blog to document my adventures in Shanghai. After 2 years and a few months, I have decided to come back home. I found a new job in a company located in BGC, the traffic lights capital of Manila. haha. So what to do now with this blog? I figured I could just use this to blog about my everyday quarter-life crisis in the gates of hell. =))

I want to start blogging for this year with my goals for 2014. I don't do resolutions. I just set goals that I need to achieve for the year.

Here is my list (in no particular order)
1. Apply for MIS in UPOU
2. Start investing in FAMI(MF)
3. Lose 15lbs (I know, 15lbs is quite ambitious)
    Therefore I need to exercise more and eat right.
4. http://kuripotpinay.blogspot.com/2014/01/52-week-money-challenge-kuripot-pinay.html (I accepted this challenge!)
5. Achieve my target emergency fund amount
6. Care more for my skin (A friend of mine once uttered these words, "I need to take care of myself more")
7. Bake more often
8. Take driving lessons
9. Take swimming lesson
10. Take at least one out of the country trip
11. Go to at least 3 local(Philippines) destinations
12. Take my family to a vacation

So far, I have gone to Baler last weekend, so I have achieved a part of goal number 9. I have also started gathering the requirements for UPOU application. :D

Tax: It's a PUN in the Philippines!

Totoo nga, I don’t need sex. The government fucks me everyday!

Sa loob ng tatlong buwan at kalahati kong pagtatrabaho, hiyang hiya naman ako sa mga kups sa gobyerno. Buti pa ung tax ko eh, as of today, may XX,197.01 na naipon galing sa XXX,002.42 na pinaghirapan ko! Samantalang ako, wala!!!! 

Dao Le!

friendship. laughter. tears. love. heartache. lessons learned. adventure.

"Mga liham ng nilihim kong pag-ibig
At litrato ng kahapong maligalig
Dahan-dahan kong inipon
Ngunit ngayo’y kailangan nang itapon"

Paalam Shanghai. Salamat sa mga alaala... Iiwan ko na sa iyo ang lahat ng bagaheng hindi na dapat dalhin. /wrist

Ako'y Isang Sirena!

Noon ko pa gustong matutong lumangoy ngunit sa kasamaang palad, walang libreng "swimming lesson" si Mayor nung bata pa ako. Hindi rin naman madalas lumabas ang aming pamilya dahil gastos lang yun. Hahaha. Hanggang sa nakuntento na ako sa alam ko. Marunong naman akong magfloating dahil tinuruan ako ni Jean, yung ka-batch ko sa college noong 18th Birthday ni Guian. Pwede na yun. At least kahit kaunti marunong ako. Lumipas ang panahon, nawili akong sumama sa mga out of town, naiinggit ako sa mga kaibigan kong kayang maglangoy. Minsan ay binalak ko na ring magswimming lesson pero bukod sa namamahalan ako sa tuition fee, ayokong magswimwear. Bwahahaha! Matapos ang 27 taon, akala ko wala ng pag-asa, pero sabi nga, habang may buhay may pag-asa! Nagsimula akong mag-aral maglangoy last month. Tuwing Sabado ay nagpupunta kami sa sports center malapit sa amin. Sa halagang 25Rmb, maaari kaming gumamit ng pool ng hanggang isa't kalahating oras. Medyo nakakaculture shock sa locker room. Hindi kasi ako sanay na may mga babaeng naglalakad ng hubo't hubad sa aking harapan. Nakikita ko ang kanilang mga kagubatan. >.< Sinunod ko ang payo ni Ate Renee na manood ako sa youtube kung paano maglangoy. Sa aking unang pagpunta, hiyang hiya ako. Hindi kasi ako marunong. Pero tinuruan ako ng aking mga kasama. Tinuruan ako ni Ate Renee ng frog kick. Tuloy lang din ang aking panonood ng youtube! Sa aking pang-apat na Sabado, sakto rin sa aking kaarawan, nakayanan ko na ang lumangoy! Weee!!!! Para sa kin, isa yung napakagandang birthday gift. Thank you po Lord. :) Sa aking pang-anim na visit, nakayanan ko naman ang magpunta hanggang 6 feet. Pahinto hinto nga lang ako. Kinakabahan kasi ako. Kahapon, sa aking pang pitong session, kaya ko na ang tuloy tuloy na langoy sa magkabilang dulo ng pool. Woohoooo! Kahit pakiramdam ko ngayon eh bugbog ang katawan ko dahil sa 8.5 laps kong nilangoy, masayang masaya  pa rin ako. (At oo, intensyonal ang pagsulat nito in elementary student format dahil feeling ko elementary ako na natutong maglangoy. :P)

Update sa aking checklist:

• Learn how to play the guitar: CHECK!
• Learn how to swim: CHECK!
• Learn how to drive: Not yet started. (kelangan kong umuwi ng Pilipinas para dito)

PBB Housemates

The day I turned 21 is the day I received my first paycheck. Right that very moment, without having any second thought, I decided to buy a new mobile phone. A Sony Ericsson K550i, and poof! my salary is gone.  That was almost 6 years ago. When every thing was a lot simpler. When all I worry about is to get my rent and utilities paid.

Twenty one feels like centuries ago. It's like million light years away from 26. We used to order pizza in the middle of the night just because it's pay day or we were just bored. Gone are the days of getting drunk for no reason at all only to wake up the next day with a text from our landlord about the neighbor's complaints. Apparently, we were too noisy. We used to have a bathroom schedule, house rules and other house chores assignments. We used to be happy in a very tiny space. If the apartment was a ship, it would probably sink for trying to fit all six(or at times eight) of us in there, and that's not even including the frequent guests! The plus ones! We used to just talk about simple things, about the new gadgets, about the latest movies, about how work sucks or how great it is.

Days have gone by so fast. We have watched each other grow ( Older and fatter! Or in Kulas' case, slimmer and hunkier if there is such a word). We've seen each other go out of the country for the first time. We have watched each other fall in love, get hurt and fall in love again (Marianne, please do us a favor and fall in love already. haha.). We really have come a long way. Talks are not just about the latest gadgets anymore or the latest movie. Nowadays, we talk about paying housing loans, condominiums, insurance, investments, car loans and starting a family. Some of us chose to try their luck outside the Philippines, some got married, had kids while some are getting married soon. And I'm pretty sure others will follow suit. (Ehem Tyrone, CJ, Tonyo). ;)
In a few months, the apartment in Cuanco, just like the SouthStar Plaza unit, will be nothing but a piece of memory to all of us. We are all moving forward. I am so proud of us guys. :) I am going to miss dropping by that apartment whenever I am in Manila, but most of all, I am going to miss you all. :) Awww! Ang keso. hahaha.

Dental Procedures... More Fun in the Philippines.

Dahil masakit ang MGA ngipin ko, nagpunta na ako ng dentist. Wow lang sa mahal. :( Dahil may waiting period ang aking insurance, sinabi ko na lang na ipapagawa ko ung problem tooth ko na possibleng iroot canal sa March. Hahaha. Hindi ko kayang maglabas ng 4500RMB(Approximately 29000 pesos! Ano to, brace?!?!?) para sa root canal. Wala pang crown yun ha! So bumalik daw ako the following Saturday, pagbalik ko, ibang dentist ang tumingin sa kin at sa records ko. T_T Sa kasamaang palad, yung nasa may upper molar ko na may onlay ang ginalaw today. At boom!!! Nachorba ang root. Huhu. Gagawan na lang daw ng paraan ni te na Pinay yung sa insurance ko. Actually slight lang 'tong sumasakit, yung molar sa baba na root canal ang peg ang mas masakit pero pinadelay ko kasi nga di pa covered. Parang hindi ko na maramdaman pa na masakit tong lower molar ko kasi ang mahal ng mga dental procedures.. Pesteng mga ngipin to, lahat na lang kelangan iroot canal. Pakibunot na lang please!. T_T)

Ang fapiao ng aking unang visit sa dentist...

Para sa check up, consulation, xray at scaling, tumataginting na 1300RMB (8500 pesos.) Thank you talaga kay insurance.