December 24, 2009 by annadulcekelly.

December 22, Tuesday, Manila time…
    Bro got to go with me again.  He went with me to our old house, so I can go see if there are things I want to take with me.  I did not realize that I left a whole bunch of Mad magazines behind; I can’t really imagine why I did that.  He got a USN ring that belonged to my ex-BF.  And then of course he got fed again.  The day before was at Mang Inasal, this day it was at Chow King.  Then I went to see if I’d be lucky again and find more tops at P100…no such luck.  I did get some peanuts…not cooked the same way anywhere else.

I really should not use public transport much…it adversely affects my throat.  I can’t risk coughing on the way out; I don’t want to be quarantined or anything.

December 23, Wednesday, Manila time…
     This was not a very eventful day.  We did go to a different grocery store to buy some items not offered at the one that the family regularly goes to.  I did find my brand and type of astringent, FINALLY…so I bought a whole lot of bottles, and if I’m lucky, they’ll last me a couple of years.

My mom had been trying to reach a catering service for our Christmas dinner but they weren’t answering their phones.  So we dropped by…they were not taking orders anymore, and of course my mom complained about not being able to reach them for the last few days.

We were supposed to try to go to the birthday dinner of a relative but she did not exactly live nearby.  This being the last working day of the week, most people who were going to the province for the holidays were on the road then.  At some point we decided we were not going to make it, so we ate at Barrio Fiesta.  It was not bad but it wasn’t as good as I remember.  I think things are just really going down the drain, quality-wise.

December 24, Thursday, Manila time…
     We got home around 2am, and everyone was tired.  I did set my alarm for 7am so I can call DH and get ready early.  Well, let’s just say that my efforts to get ready early got wasted.  There was a lot of time spent waiting…and waiting…and waiting.  It was not pleasant; with about a week left to enjoy my vacation, it felt like the clock was ticking.

We did get to our studio appointment.  These photography studios really have their gimmicks down.  Yeah, there’s a studio fee…more charges for more people…pay for each printed picture…pay for the CDs (priced per 25 images) you can get an hour later…except of course the pictures have their watermark and they are only good for wallet-sized prints.  Well, I don’t need big prints.  I’ll just copy the contents of the CDs and print my own wallet-sized pics.  Sure, those pics are not yet edited but I think I am qualified enough to play with them myself.

We went around buying what we wanted to eat for Christmas Eve dinner.  No blueberry cheesecake…poor me.  At one store they said they were phasing it out.  WHAT?!?

Well, we finally made it home around 8pm, it felt like.  We did not get our pictures taken till around 1pm, although our appointment was for 9-10am, when the mall opened.  Like I said, there was a lot of waiting.

I’m tired.  DH is delivering papers in a car other than his own…not good…will talk to him when he gets home.

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December 21, 2009 by annadulcekelly.

If I don’t make sense at all, blame the white wine.

December 18, Friday, Manila time…
     First of all, I think I should say I am too lazy to read my previous post so if I am repeating myself, oh well.  I finally found a store that sold Wahl’s trimmers, and yeah, I think I mentioned that.  I don’t think I mentioned that I cut my own hair (my mom thought it was too short), my brother’s hair and one of my sisters’.  I’m going to leave the set here, and I hope someone learns to use it, so they can make the most out of the high cost of it.

This day was a bit disappointing.  I was hoping we’d leave early but the workers were here so that was not happening.  We just all went together, and we didn’t leave till after 3am of Saturday.  This day we did some grocery shopping, and I bought 3 liters of milk.  I finished a liter that night, and it made me fart a lot.  I was napping and I apologized for the first two, but figured that after those first ones I did not have to apologize for the rest.  It was sleep, fart, wake up…and repeat…about a dozen times at least.  I got the booze I am bringing home, so I got presents for 2 people right there.  Nothing much happened that day.

December 19, Saturday, Manila time…
     We got to Baguio and the house we were going to live in, sometime around 8 or 9, I don’t remember.  I know we rested a little, then we went to the Mansion and Mines View Park.  My best friend was right when he said I was going to be disappointed.  The place was too crowded, warm, and smoggy.  It used to be quite peaceful, cool, and clean…no more…too bad.  I think we ate all our meals at the house of the owners of the boarding house we were staying at.  I think we had all our meals at their house, actually.  We had a late start so we did not really cover a lot of ground.  I did remember that I couldn’t go to the main part of Mines View Park because of my fear of heights and uneven stairs with no handrails.

December 20, Sunday, Manila time…
     As much as we would have liked to do it, we did not have an early start on this day either.  We went to the Philippine Military Academy.  I was there 20 years ago so I don’t remember anything about how it was then.  I had to go buy batteries for my camera too.  I knew that earlier but that’s where my camera died.  Then we went to the Grotto…actually I think we went to the Grotto first…we did skip the first flight of stairs, but it was still very tiring.  I can’t remember.  I’m sure if I look at my pictures I’ll know, but I’m too lazy to do that right now. We also found a flea market full of (mostly) export-quality surplus stuff.  I got myself a couple of winter gloves for around $1 each.  I should have gotten more but I did not want to buy so much when I haven’t seen all the stores yet.  Then by the time I was done, I was tired, so I did not go back for more.  Also I was watching what I was spending.

We had lunch at the Forest House, and boy, was that yummy.  My favorites were the crab and mango salad with strawberry dressing, and the blueberry cheesecake.  But then again I am biased, I LOOOOOOOVE cheesecakes.

We rested a little bit, then we went to the market so my mom and my sisters can buy veggies and coffee.  I did not buy anything from the market because I did not want to spend any more money and I was tired.  We went back to the house, had dinner, and I went straight to sleep.

I did not meet up with my best friend, because I did not really want to take up any of his weekend, and I felt like we did not have much time to spare either.  I’ll just call him up later.  I think we left just before midnight, had a short trip and got here shortly after 4am Monday.

December 21, Monday, Manila time…
     I kind of knew that my mom would not be available to drive me around so I recruited my brother to go with me to the mall.  I did not like riding the jeepneys because of the pollution, but it was either that or staying home.  I got more clothes, some more suitable for the next trip out of town.  Of course I fed him for his efforts.  I’d already warned him that I was going to need him tomorrow too, so he shouldn’t plan anything.  He agreed.

I should really take a video of my youngest sis and bro jamming.  I heard them upstairs and they seem to play together well.  Well, the white wine is really doing a number on my eyelids, and I need to email DH.  So this is it for now.

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December 17, 2009 by annadulcekelly.

December 16, Wednesday, Manila time…
     Well, I woke up pretty early again, called Scott again, told him I will call him in 2 days, and then waited to go somewhere.  My dad had a luncheon he didn’t seem sure he wanted to attend; it was for December birthday celebrants, hosted by his old officemates at noon at their office.  Half an hour before it was supposed to start, he tells us he is going.  I have no idea what time he got there.  Anyway, my mom and I had to wait for someone to get home or be close to getting home before we could go.  So we did not go anywhere till the afternoon.  We drove around Marikina and in our old subdivision.  I saw the mom of one of my old classmates, and I wondered if she saw or even recognized me.  Then her husband sent my mom a text message.  It turned out that one of the other dads is visiting from CA, and his older daughter was with him; they used to live next door to us.  They were going to have a small gathering.

We came home, my dad came home, other siblings came home too but they had to be elsewhere in a little bit.  So we drove them where they needed to be, then we went to the mall again because I needed pants.  It’s nice shopping with my mom, she can smell a good sale.  I got really cheap pants.  My brother sent a text message that said he was going to join us later on, so we had a light meal, figuring that when he arrived he would want to eat.  One of my other sisters went to the mall too.  We were waiting for my brother, and then he sent a text message saying he wasn’t coming after all, and asking to be picked up.  So we went, thinking that after we picked him up, we’ll go somewhere to eat…BUT FIRST we had to go pick him up. 

Oh…and he said he can’t come with us to Baguio because he has a class on Saturday.  What a downer!

So anyway, so we go to where we dropped him off, tried to call him to tell him to come out…and it turned out he was already home.  So we had a light meal and skipped going where I wanted to go because he said he was joining us.  We did not go and eat somewhere after the mall closed because we had to pick him up.  And then he was already home.  Wonderful.  I was not too happy with him, and I was determined that at some point he was going to hear about all the disappointments I had that day.  He was already asleep when we got home so I couldn’t let him have it then.

December 17, Thursday, Manila time…
     We knew we had that gathering to go to, so we left a bit earlier to go to the flea markets we saw the previous day in that area.  The first one did not have anything interesting.  The taste of the people who shop there is very different from mine.  Then on the way to the next one, we finally found a place that has an electric razor with attachments.  However, it is about 3 times as expensive as it is in the US.  I understand though why that is.  Non-professionals do not buy that kind of items here.  Probably 99% of people buying that Wahls set are barbers or have salons.  I just needed it to cut my own hair.  It is actually very expensive but I really do not want to have someone else cut my hair.  I wouldn’t be able to deal with the disappointment if the haircut doesn’t turn out the way I want it to.  So there’s that.

Then we ate at Red Ribbon, finally.  I had my favorite dish.  Then we went and hit the other flea market.  That was a different story from the first one.  The first stall we went to had tops at a very reasonable price, and they were pretty.  I got 4 tops.  And then we went back to the cake shop to get a cake for the gathering.  Of course it was one of 2 favorite flavors, so I checked that off my list.  Oh, and to backtrack a little bit, I had longganisa Lucban for breakfast too, so it was nice to cross off 2 items in one day.

So we went to the gathering, it was pretty nice to meet up and catch up.  My dad followed.  All the dads on that street were there, and I got a picture of them watching something on TV.  We did not really stay long but my old playmate and I agreed we should meet up with our other old playmates sometime while we are still both here.

Then we came home, and we waited a little bit for a fourth sibling to show up, then we went out to dinner, and I had kesong puti so that got another item on my list checked off.  Three in one day, that’s pretty good.

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December 15, 2009 by annadulcekelly.

Well, it’s my 4th day back home.  I thought I better write things down before I forget.

December 10, Thursday, MN time…
     There was a snow storm the day before so I asked Scott to drive me to work.  I did not want to get into an accident the day before I had to go.  I had my one last day with my favorite baby/toddler, and I had to leave him crying in the gym with the toddlers.  Poor thing, when I come back, he’s going to be in the next room.  I’m going to miss him…I probably should say “poor me” instead.

December 11, Friday, MN time…
     I woke up 20 minutes before 6am, we were on the road by 6:15, and Scott just dropped me off.  I guess I expected him to hang around a bit.  I went to the Continental Airlines counter, tried to check in to get my boarding pass, asked for help, forgot to grab the boarding pass out of the printer, went to the checkpoint, was asked to go back and get a boarding pass…printed a second one out, found the first one too, went back, X-ray person called out “bag check”.  I guess seeing 3 dark cylindrical items on X-ray is something.  So some guy unpacked my duffel bag.  It was the 3 magnet cartridges for the Xyron Creative Station.  And then of course I had problems packing my bag as neatly as I did the first time.

I will have to say that not having check-in luggage made things go so much faster.  So…waited to board the plane…flight delayed because of strong winds in NJ…small jet + strong winds = no good.  I napped a little on the plane.  I guess I don’t like big airports, and I don’t like having to get out of the building and get on the bus to get to the other terminal.  And of course people are different in other places.  The restroom nearest to my gate was being cleaned, and I asked the cleaning lady where the next nearest one is.  She just pointed in the general direction, no talking, no smiling, no nothing.  It was fine; I did find it, but it was just different.

The flight from NJ to Hong Kong was VERRRRRRRRY long.  I guess I wouldn’t have minded it so much if I were sitting next to a different person.  First off, I will say that I did like it that each seat had a screen in front of it.  I do feel that airplanes are getting really cramped (this coming from a small person…not good).  Anyway, I had a slight problem with the guy next to me.  No offense to Chinese people (and I would like to say that my best friend in college with whom I am still in touch is Chinese), but this particular Chinese guy was disgusting.  He got on the plane with a bottle of Snapple.  By the second half of the flight, that empty bottle was on my side of the floor.  He had trash and put it in the pocket in front of him…when the flight attendant came around collecting trash, he did not give her his trash.  And yes, he understands and speaks English.  When he napped, he left his table down with his laptop on it.  I did not have to go to the bathroom, but if I did I would not have wanted to bother him, what with all the things he has to do before I can go by him.  Now the worst part was that he LOVED picking his nose.  He must have spent an hour (a few minutes here and there) of that flight picking his nose with at least 4 different fingers.  And then he was asleep when hot towels were being given before our last meal.  So he ate our last meal, without any grace at all and with disgusting hands.  I was just hoping I wasn’t touching a lot of the same surfaces he was touching.

There was one flight attendant that got me a little bit irritated.  We must have been flying above China by then.  I lifted my shade a bit to see what is below.  Granted, there wasn’t much to see, but it was nice to have some sunlight after hours and hours in the dark.  I was starting to get claustrophobic and bored.  When she walked by, she told me ( not asked me nicely) to put my shade down.  Back in the dark I went.  The whole point of sitting by the window is so I can use the window.  No passenger was complaining about my shade being open, it wasn’t open that much, and it was not that bright out.  It was at least for that flight, MY window.

So, anyway…we landed in Hong Kong…the girl on the other side of the disgusting guy forgot that I am not Chinese (how she could even think I could be Chinese is beyond me) and started talking to me in Chinese, so I went, “I’m sorry, what?”  Then she said it again in English.  She wanted me to move up to where she was standing so she can go back and make sure that she didn’t leave anything behind.

After getting in the airport, there were people waiting and asking where we were headed to make sure we got to our gates in time, because time was pretty tight, what with getting the boarding pass, getting in line for the checkpoint, actually getting through the checkpoint, walking to where the train is, riding the train, going to the gate, getting in line to board, and boarding.  Whew!  I am Filipino, and I don’t mean any disrespect for other Fils, but I have never seen any other group of people clap when the plane lands.  I don’t really get why they do it…to each his own.

December 13, Sunday, Manila time…
     Getting through immigration was a breeze, no check-in luggage meant no waiting, I was out of the plane and out of the building in 15 or 20 minutes.  I waited about 10 minutes outside for my parents to pick me up.  I was pretty easy to spot…the only one waiting without a cart full of luggage.  I am almost sorry that I can’t go back without check-in luggage.  It was so nice not to have so much.

So they picked me up, and I started remember how tightly packed with cars the streets are…and how people drove.  Every day, I feel like I might have a heart attack riding in the car going somewhere.  So…mama…daddy…2 sisters…1 sister elsewhere, brother asleep at home.  We did pick up that one sister (and her BF)…dropped the BF off, went by the condo, had coffee, went home.  And then I couldn’t sleep.  I tried though…but some dog somewhere was barking…some rooster was crowing…and public transport went by every now and then.  So I did not sleep the first night (or very early morning).

When my brother got up, he was talking about how they’re going to do interpretive dance at school.  And then we got some funny dance moves from him in the kitchen.  It was so hilarious.  I wish I’d taken a video of it.

We went to the mall so I can buy clothes (and to keep my dad occupied).  I fed my brother lunch…and discovered how much he could eat and how fast.  I asked him if he remembered about my dad’s surprise birthday party later on, and he assured me he’d have enough space for all the food.  He was not lying.  When we met up with my dad and one of my sisters later on, they were hungry and we sat with them while they ate…my brother ate some of my dad’s food too.  We got to the sky lounge one floor above the condo for the party, and he ate like he did not just eat at the mall.  The kid is a bottomless pit.

It was a nice party, the view was pretty, the food was yummy.  I was tired but still not sleepy, so I thought I might not be able to sleep when we got home.  I did sleep for about 5 hours, until the birds started singing.

Oh, and I got phone cards so I can call DH and the folks to let them know I got here just fine.  I called DH when I got home, then I called the folks’ house, but Mom was not there.

December 14, Monday, Manila time…
     I called Mom first thing in the morning, and we chatted for half an hour.  Normally I would be at their house just hanging out with her.

I greeted my dad happy birthday and said that at last I got the time zone right (well, duh).  I wanted to go shopping for clothes, and I did, but I did not really find much that I liked.  Then I had dinner with my college best buddy, his wife and his daughter.  That was a lot of fun.  For starters, it had been 7 years since I last saw him.  That was the first time I met his wife and child.  So half the dinner conversation was about college classmates.  The other half was about toddlers and what is considered normal for them.  It was fun, and I did like being thought of as the expert on child development (which I kind of am).  I did, however, forget to take pictures.  GRRRR, I hope we have time to meet up in Baguio this weekend to get some pics taken.

December 15, Tuesday, Manila time…
   Well, I was up before 9am, hoping we would get an early start on the day.  I was hoping to find an electric razor with attachments so I can trim my hair and also my brother’s before we go to the studio to have our family picture taken.  We ended up leaving the house after 6pm.  We did not have much done but I did get my brother a new case and a nicer strap for his guitar.  We ate at Shakey’s…one more thing crossed off the list, after taho either Sunday or Monday morning. 

 December 16, Wednesday, Manila time…
     We’re hoping to get more done the next day…that’s today.  We’ll have to wait and see.

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