So I’ll just show you pictures! All pictures came from Pinterest.

I’ve always wanted to share my itineraries for when I go on trips because I really take great care in making them. I research extensively and budget my schedule accordingly – down to the last minute. But of course, life would always happen and my itineraries would be forgotten – as should be. As they are really nothing but mere suggestions. So what I will share now are the things one must not miss when one is in Singapore. Granted, some of these places I’ve never been too myself but have always included them in my itineraries in the 3 times I’ve been to Singapore. haha maybe next year.

1. Maxwell Road Hawker Centre – I think it’s one of the biggest hawker food centre in Singapore (if not the biggest) and has over 100 stalls. So needless to say, you will not run out of food options here. I suggest breakfast or lunch here so it’s not too crowded. Have some chicken rice or prata with curry and a glass of milo and then you’re good for the next few hours. This baby’s in Chinatown so after chow, burn the calories by walking around Chinatown.

2. The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple – still in Chinatown. And it’s beautiful (at least from the outside coz I never really got to go inside). There’s a dress code so make sure you’re skirt and shorts are not above your knees and you’re shirt has sleeves or else you can’t go inside. At the back of the temple, there’s a small area where you can find old Chinese men playing some sort of board game (checkers, Go, i dunno)

3. Universal Studios – actually there’s really nothing much to see in Universal Studios. The rides are pretty lame (except for Transformers and Battlestar Gallactica) but it’s worth going to just to see what it’s all about. Plus the little things are always amusing: like the street performers, the guys dressed up as Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, etc. Just be wary that everything is expensive here – the food especially. One thing’s for sure in Universal, you will never run out of “Kodak Moments”.

4. Red Dot Museum – for the love of all things beautiful, you should go to this place. It’s quite amusing how they gave us a map, once we got in. The whole compound has more stores than displays in the museum but that’s ok. And the museum displays were actual working products, albeit designed not just for function but for aesthetics as well. Spend at least half a day here. We spent only 2 hours and we missed a lot of things.

4. Have your picture taken with the doorman at Raffles – and have a Singapore Sling while you’re at it :)

5. Haji Lane/Bugis – for your bottomless pit of pocket money. Don’t forget to bring a reusable tote for your shopping loot! Recently scored a fine looking satchel (not one of those Cambridge knock offs we can find here in Greenhills or in Facebook stores) for only SGD 29!

6. Chjimes Church – This was a pleasant surprise. It’s an old church restored to house pubs, restaurants and shops. The general look of the church has been kept and the courtyard home to pubs with happy hour rates, mexican restaurants and izakayas. Mostly expats come here considering it’s a pretty expensive place but worth visiting at least once.

7. Art Science Museum at Marina Bay Sands – ok. Marina Bay Sands in itself is woah-inducing. It’s big. It’s swanky. It’s shiny and it smells nice and expensive (that’s because everything in it is expensive). I didn’t get to go inside the Museum but I did take loads of pictures outside of it haha. But you should go, there’s always an interesting exhibit going on.

8. Orchard Road – shopping mecca! Check out Ion Orchard, the half-nekkid boys of Abercrombie and Fitch, the sex shops, the luxury goods in Takashimaya, of course there’s also H&M and Forever 21. Don’t forget to have a slab of ice cream sandwiched between wafers, ok?

9. Singapore Zoo/Night Safari – I’m not the biggest fan of caged animals but this zoo’s pretty cool. The animals have wide enough spaces. The animals seem well fed, and well taken care of. The white tigers and the polar bears were my favorites :) This place is huge! Spare a day for the zoo and then the night safari afterwards :)

10. Sentosa – I can’t remember much from when I went to Sentosa 5 years ago. I remember the aquarium which isn’t as impressive as Hong Kong’s ocean park but still quite cool. I remember walking around but I never got to to the man made beach since I just had half a day to spare. But don’t forget to try out the Luge Rides!

12. Esplanade – I actually prefer it at night when it’s empty of people and the lights are on coz it really is beautiful and offers a great view of Marina Bay Sands. The Makan-Sutra beside it also has a decent variety of food. Don’t forget to have some CHILI CRABS! One time I was there, in the underpass beside it, there was a group of kids dancing in public, just for fun I guess. They just had a boom box (yeah, a boom box) and they were taking turns street dancing. It was pretty cool :)

13. Last but not the least: GET LOST! Seriously. Ride the train and get off at a random station. You will be surprised at the things you might discover. Like this place here: It’s very youth-oriented and promoting art to get kids to stay off drugs and keep straight.

I still have a lot of things on my list (and I haven’t even gotten to the restaurants and the shops yet) like the National University Museum, the National Museum, The Science Centre, Battle Box (for the war and history buffs), Toy Museum, High Tea at Equinox Swissotel, Tony Tan Foodwalk, Go to Kappar Road and catch a free film (drive in style), X-Factor, Dempsey Hill, etc. But the ones above are I guess a must for every first time-Singapore visitor.

Have fun, eat a lot, and make sure you have enough money to spend (especially if you’re coming from the Philippines where SGD1=PHP 33 (at least) ). But if you don’t plan on shopping, you’ll be alright. Food is awesome and cheap!

It’s pretty easy to get around Singapore. Just know how to read a map and train signs. :)

I’ve been reading travel blogs lately (solesisters, justwandering, to name a few) and I was hit by an overwhelming feeling of sadness immediately after I’ve hit that x button on the right side of the tab (yey for tabbed browsers). Clothesline, side-swiped, train wreck of a sadness.

I’ve been to 3 places outside the Philippines. Just 3. Hongkong, Thailand and Singapore. Within the country I’ve been to quite a few (Pangasinan, Baguio, Ilocos, Sagada, Banawe, Quezon, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Palawan, Cebu, Bohol, Davao, CDO)- the operative word here being few. And every bone in my body is saying – nay, screaming: THAT’S NOT ENOUGH, BITCH! Yes, I can be pretty harsh on myself sometimes.

I’ve made a lot of lists over the past 27 years (well 7 since I only started making lists when I graduated) and most of them were list of places I wanted to go to and things I want to do when I get there. My lists are 7 years old (revised over the years) but essentially they still remain the same. I still want to live in a house with a blue door in Notting Hill. I still want to walk the streets of Prague. Maybe find a vampire or 2 in Romania (or not). And get eaten by mosquitos in Australia. I want to stay in Sagada for 3 weeks and just drink coffee and smoke a j, and read my books, get to know the people who come and go. And drink tequila in the middle of the day in Mexico.

San Cristobal, Mexico (image from National Geographic)

My passport is depressingly blank. And I’ve come up with a ton of reasons that prevent me from just packing my bags and get going.

1. I’m broke.
2. With my dad’s passing – my family kinda needs me to be with them right now.
3. Whatever money I’m making, it needs to go to the family fund. Being the breadwinner right now, I just can’t afford to spend my money on just myself
4. I have a job. And a demanding (and taxing one) at that.
5. Did I mention that I was broke?

At this rate, with all these excuses I would never get anywhere.

I’ve read about how some travelers just decided to leave their life. They sold their belongings, made their entire life fit into 2 luggage (some in just 1 backpack). And up they went, living their life continuously in transit. Not quite home, but definitely at home. Did that make sense? In my head, it did.  Live, they did.

And I keep thinking, “Can I do that?”

At this point in my life, I would honestly say no. I can’t. Not yet. I can’t quit my job. My family depends on me financially. Plus I love it (it’s a love-hate relationship actually but that’s a different blog post) I can’t leave my family indefinitely, we need to be together to keep strong. And these are not just excuses to not be able to do what I’ve always wanted to do. These are my realities.

So where does that leave me and my dreams? I don’t want to wait til I’m 40 before I can see the rest of the world.

But after much thinking (well not really, just about 5 minutes of emo and some tea), I’ve come to realize that there’s really nothing stopping me from doing what it is that I want. Just myself and my lack of creativity and my 10000000 excuses. I’m just lazy.

Maybe I can’t quit my job, sell my things and live a backpacker’s life. At least not yet. But that doesn’t mean I can’t take advantage of my 25-day leaves a year and use them? I keep saying that I’m broke but that’s my fault too. Just last weekend, I bought a ton of books and 2 dresses, and insisted on eating out for the most part of the holiday. And how much did that cost me? And I think my family won’t mind if I’m gone a few days to sort myself out instead of a few months.

I just need to get off my lazy bum, stop complaining and do something.

1. Save. – that pretty much sums up everything that I have to do. Cut back on unnecessary expenses. I have a lot of books that are still in their plastic wrapping so I shouldn’t buy more. I have clothes that I’ve only used once so I don’t need to buy new ones. I pretty much live in my sneakers and my boots so why do I need to buy that pretty black flats I know I will never wear outside the house anyway?
2. Start an Escape Fund (as the sole sisters would put it) – I can’t keep on dipping into my savings for whenever I want to travel. That’s not responsible (for me, at least, given my circumstances). I need to have a separate fund for this. Force myself to work towards a goal, and then reward myself afterwards. And this way, I don’t shirk on my responsibilities at home and yet still have money to do as I please (book the next flight outta here!).
3. Plan – I keep saying I want to go to this place and that. I keep checking flights whenever there’s an airfare sale. I read Lonely Planet articles and guides. And then what? Nothing. I stop at that. I’ve never really gotten around to making an actual itinerary. Plan my finances so I can budget. How much do I need to save? What’s my expected expense? When do I plan on going so I can plan my leaves for that. I used to just buy plane tickets on an whim and say “bahala na” after. But this isn’t sustainable if I want to keep doing this all the time.
4. Talk to my family – make them understand that I need this. For myself. For my sanity. They’ve never been bitten by the travel bug but they understand that I’m at this point in my life wherein I need to explode in a karaoke supernova (TM Ben Folds) and just be out there.

Just 4 things. 4 things that I need to do to get a taste of my dream. Maybe 2 weeks in Vietnam isn’t the same as spending 3 months hopping on trains and buses, exploring the Thailand countryside and then crossing the border to get to Myanmar. Maybe not. But 2 weeks is better than nothing. In 2 weeks, I can still have coffee with friends I’ve met on the road, exchange stories and maybe a few laughs. Have a beer by the beach and review the pictures I took of the architectural marvel I’ve been in just the day before. 2 weeks is enough time for me to see a part of the world. In 2 weeks, I can go rafting in Bontoc and see locals prepare Pinikpikan. In 2 weeks, I can stay in Ilo-ilo and then cross Dumaguete. In 2 weeks, I can taste as many Bicol Express as I want on my way to Donsol. A lot can be done in 2 weeks.

Maybe I’ll want more. Eventually the need to to quit my job and just cross countries in Europe will be harder and harder to curb. Eventually. But I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.

Right now, I’ll take what I can get. Anything to see the world outside of my 4 cornered room.

Who said you can’t have your cake and eat it too? Obviously he hasn’t taken a knife and cut himself a slice.

I’ve always wanted to share how I am the queen of itineraries (or at least I’d like to think that I am). How I scour every blog posts, every tip and article on Lonely Planet, go through photo galleries, forums, just to maximize the few days I’ll be able to spend on a city that is not my own. I even planned on sharing the itineraries I made for some of the trips I’ve been on and some of the itineraries I’ve made for friends.

But I’m too lazy. So instead I’m just gonna talk about the travel bags I’ve been jones-sing for lately.

1. Dana’s Messenger Bag by Manhattan Portage - I used to think these bike messenger bags were butt ugly but after finding out how much stuff I can fit in them, and add to that my love affair with bags that free up both my hands, I just can’t help but want this baby in my life. I just can’t help but imagine walking towards immigration, fishing for my passport that’s somewhere inside this bag, drowning in a sea of space alongside with a map, my wallet, my notebook, a couple of pens, loose changes, my camera (owning a dslr and not wanting to carry around a camera bag is not an easy life to have), a scarf, lip balm, sun block, sun glasses, my ipod, my phone, hand cream, a book – I did say that I need a bag that can fit a lot of stuff, right?

Ok so they’re not exactly ONA bags which are the prettiest things I ever did see. But for $89 (vs the $250-300 Onas), I’m pretty sure they would suit me just fine. Besides I’m a complete klutz so if I get stains on a Dana, or a rip, or a run, I wouldn’t mind patching them up with a duct tape so I can run, elbow people in the train, and bump into whatever without caring at all vs when I’m carrying an Ona, nobody can be within 5 feet of my bag and they have to be covered in plastic in the rain. Totally defeats the purpose of being a travel bag.

2. The Northface Longhaul 30 – ever since my sister took our communal Victory Knox trolley (well not really communal since it’s really hers and I just steal it from time to time) with her to Canada, I’ve been in a constant search for the perfect travel luggage. Something that’s easy to spot from a mile away, but subtle enough to fit my dry and drab personality. Something that’s definitely ok to be thrown around by porters who don’t give a shit about how expensive your luggage is – they will not take care of it even if you put a fragile sticker on it – but not butt ugly. And most especially something that can fit at least a week’s worth of clothes (that inclues a heavy jacket, a pair of boots, a pair of sneakers, a pair of nice sandals and a pair of flats). Then I walked into Bratpack, and then I saw this beauty. Perfect for a week long trip to Japan, don’t you think? Maybe even a 2 week somewhere else. It’s just perfect. And at nearly $300 it better be!

3. The Northface Terra Youth 55 Pack - and then you have those trips that are just too short to carry a giant trolley but too long for all of my things to fit into my Northface Heckler. Or maybe you’re going into those kinds of  trips wherein you will cross multiple countries and just can’t afford to be lugging around a heavy trolley because you need both hands free or something? I don’t know. But just in case a Longhaul or just a Heckler can’t fit your need, then I’m pretty sure the Terra Youth can. At least I’m pretty sure it’s just perfect for me. And for $89, I have to repeat how perfect it is for me (and my budget).

So there you have my travel luggage wishlist. And with my 2 upcoming trips later this year, I could really use these. Maybe a miracle will happen and Northface/Bratpack will pick up on the linkbacks and reward me for the publicity (or not because I don’t really bring in any additional traffic for them). A girl can dream, can’t she? Especially about these bags. And besides, at least I’m not asking for a gwapo travel companion (like say, Ryan Gosling that perfect perfect man) instead.

Maybe it’s as simple as “I’m an escapist”. But I’d like to think it’s more than that.

I’d like to blame it on all of the books I’ve read growing up. The Tales of the Otori. Alice In Wonderland. Wizard of Oz. Peter Pan. Norweigan Wood. Etc. The Magazines. The Travel Guides I’ve seen lying around the house when I was a kid.

Maybe it was seeing the pictures my mom took home when she got back from a conference, a training, her work sent her to. With tales about the freezing temperature in Frankfurt, the scary plane ride and the sheep in New Zealand, the theme parks in the States that made my 8-year old self wide eyed and asking for more.

Maybe it was the feeling I get when the plane just landed and I’m lined up at the immigration, waiting for my passport to get stamped. A map, my itinerary in my bag. A list of things I needed to see, experience, taste in a piece of paper – my lifeline in a country I do not belong in. Excited. Anxious. Dying to get out of the airport so I can start getting lost.

Maybe it was the high I get from getting off random train stations, walking by myself in a street that I cannot find in the map I was holding (most probably because I can’t read a map to save my life) – looking like a tourist but feeling like a traveler. My feet will hurt eventually, and I will be wondering how to get back to where I’m staying at and to my friends – but there will be that place and knowing that after a few hours of walking around aimlessly has changed me (in a way).

Or maybe it’s just that the world is so big and there are just so many things to see, experience, and do. And knowing that one tiny town can hold generations worth of stories reinforces the fact that I am just one inconsequential speck and there’s an entire universe out there that’s waiting to be explored.

I don’t know why, really why there’s this need for me to hop on the next plane out and walk around a place I’ve never been to.

To be honest, this post has no point (like most of my posts). All I know is that I have this itch that I need to scratch. I want to pack my bags again and get on a plane with my passport, a few change of clothes, and my passport (money will be needed to). And be somewhere else other than this little room in our office, typing out a blog entry about being somewhere else (and working too).

I remember writing this 5 years ago.

i really can’t imagine myself staying in one place for the rest of my life. wanderlust, being my middle name. there’s so much of the world to see, and i must see them all. so before i get married (if i get married at all), i made a list of things i absolutely have to accomplish.

1. surf in australia
2. be lost in translation in japan
3. dodge live mines in cambodia
4. dance the hula in hawaii
5. prove that the bermuda triangle is just a hoax
6. cross abbey road
7. wait for aliens in stonehenge
8. sell art in the streets of prague
9. eat cheese in france
10. ride the train from moscow to london
11. safari in africa
12. see the pyramids
13. dog sled in alaska
14. wait for my own acabar in finland
15. write songs in the canals of venice

i can’t remember the rest of my list. i left it at home.

i want to be a professional backpacker. wandering the streets of different cities, taking in the sights, the smells, with just a map, and an empty pocket. i’ll probably make a living selling art, or poetry or pictures. i’ll meet people of different color and culture, and spend hours conversing about the places we’ve been to, the people we’ve met, and the stupid things we’ve done. or we could spend hours just trying to make out what the other is saying. language barrier can sometimes be such a beautiful thing, albeit frustrating.

i’ll ride planes, trains, bikes, buses, boats, cows, horses or hitch a ride in trucks, cars, or somebody else’s back. i’ll walk until my shoes give out. i’ll walk until my feet get blisters. i’ll sleep in tents, inns, train stations, airports, benches, a stranger’s garage. and i’ll be fine.

i want to be out there. i want to live the life that i think is meant for me, and not be stuck in an 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 4 weeks a month, 12 months a year job that pays shit, for the rest of my life. i don’t want to be getting back problems, sitting in front of a computer in an air-conditioned room, pretending to be somebody i’m not. this isn’t me, with the pointed shoes, the black pants, and the stifling collared shirt, making small talk about the weather, writing reports and typing jargon only computers can understand.

there’s so much i could be doing instead of this.

i just need to get past being afraid first.

and here i am, although no longer in an 8-5 job (it’s now 10-7), and no longer getting paid shit and wearing clothes that make me itch – i’m still not out there crossing out things from my list.

i’m still afraid. but the want is more intense than ever. i have to get a move on.

the list is longer, by the way.

This weekend, I spent approximately 7k. 3 days, 2.3k per day.

• Friday – Ponti + Taxi = 700
• Saturday – Grocery + Gas = 2000
• Sunday – Divisoria = 4000

Whataweekend. Payday just hit me and I’m already broke. Somebody keep me away from my wallet. :(

A bit iffy about my new Project Manager. I mean I’m happy we’re no longer outsourcing to Yellowasp (I know they’re really good but they’re a pain to work with). So far I’ve had 4 Project Managers for CCP and yeah, maybe we are a pain to work with too; but 2 out of those 4 I really didn’t have a problem with (the 4th one didn’t work with us extensively so I really can’t say much about working with him). Why? Because of the following reasons:

1. They gave feedback when feedback was needed - especially during emergencies. especially when feedback was needed immediately. especially when I have abso-fucking-lutely no idea what was going on.
2. They explained things pretty well - I’m amazing (and humble too) so most of the time I know what’s going on (nothing like a little Google to help you in times of ignorance). But sometimes Google = information overload. Plus there are jargons to look up so what was originally a one item research usually becomes a 10 item research. So I appreciate a little 101 when there are issues that are not for the kids who did Basic Math in college. Oh and please, don’t use highly-technical words. It doesn’t make anybody sound smarter, nor like you know what you’re talking about. Using big words won’t impress me and make me stop asking questions or pestering anybody.  If you can’t explain it, then it means you don’t understand it well enough yourself. 
3. They didn’t promise anything - In my book, PMs should never ever ever promise anything. Especially since last time I checked, we are still in a world where “anything can happen”. Deadlines can be pushed, Requirements change, Earths quake and a sneeze from the other end of the world can so much as cause a hurricane on the opposite end. So don’t promise me anything. Don’t promise me that the site will be fast and there will no longer be any downtimes. Don’t promise me that you know what you’re doing. Because sooner or later those promises will come and bite you in the ass. And in this team, honesty is always the best policy.
4. They consulted - They didn’t decide to do things on their own. They didn’t change specs just because they thought it would be better. They asked. Because in the first place, it’s not their place to do so without consulting with the business owner first. At the end of the day, it’s my project, it’s my business – I make the decisions (or in some cases I consult with other people who should be making the decisions). Granted that in some cases, your way can be better or it makes more sense – OK. But at least have the decency to consult with me. Coz in the project food chain, business owners trump project managers in the decision making.
5. They were trustworthy - Sometimes it’s all about the hips. There’s a certain aura that is needed for Project Managers. It’s this aura that makes people trust you and trust what you’re saying. When I ask for something, I want to feel that I’m sure I will get what I asked for (on time and correctly). If you don’t think you can deliver it on time, then say so. If you have questions, then ask them. Because when you don’t do any of those and you come back to me late, and with the wrong requirement – then I will never ever trust you again. And when I don’t trust you, I don’t want to work with you.
6. They recognized that I am the business owner - Bypass me and I will wring your neck. I don’t care if you consulted with the CEO (of the other company, to be exact). He doesn’t make the decisions for this project, I do (and by I, I mean after I’ve consulted with our big boss, the marketing head, and the rest of the team involved with the project). So yeah, even if you’ve consuted with him, it doesn’t change the fact that I no longer need to know what’s going on. In fact, I need to know what’s going more than he does. And you need me to know what’s going on, because at the end of the day, I have a say in your evaluation.

So basically my new PM isn’t any of the above. But I’m gonna give him the benefit of the doubt. It’s only been less than a month. If he doesn’t change after we’ve talked, then I will strangle him.

I recently made my list of things to do before I’m 30. I’ll be 30 in 3 years and several months so the pressure is on! I realized that most of the things on my list are travel related.

Some things on my list.

1. Sleeper train across South East Asia
2. Backpack across Europe
3. A month in a different country – or at least a month travelling.
4. Bagel in New York
5. Batanes
6. Japan
7. Volunteer (Immersion style)

Day 1 of my HK escapade version 2011.