Mabuhay….Finally set foot in Pilipinas

My trip to Philippines was to visit Kath, after she was transferred there for work….aaanndd also to take a short break from work la. Took Air Asia flight to Manila early Friday morning and landed in Clark Fields which is about 2 hours drive from Manila City.

I spent 6 days here and visited couple of places such a Tagathay Volcanos, Villa Escudero ,The American Cemetary and the Manila memorial park.

Tagaytay (Taal Volcano) is located about 70 km south of Manila.The volcano is one of the smallest and most dangerous in the world. It was soo small and not impressive as i had imagined, after visiting the Kintamani Volcano in Bali.

Lake Taal  is a huge volcanic crater that has filled up with water and has become a lake. Within the lake, other eruptions have occurred producing more craters and micro-lakes.

 

The Manila  Memorial Park is where the Aquinos (Curazon and Ninoy) are laid to rest. Its a very simple mausoleum compared to the others built surrounding it. It definitely looks like a park instead of just as a memorial park. There’s lot of open spaces, gardens and greenery, as well as ponds and fountains. It seems like quite a serene place actually. The best time to visit this place is in the daytime so that you can appreciate the different styles of Mausoleums, tombs and other forms of burial place. We were there after the recent typhoon, the place looked a little like a disaster scene out of a movie, huge trees has uprooted all around the park.

I spent the rest of the days, touring Manila city and boosting Manila’s economy by doing what a girl knows best ….shopping shopping and shopping..hehhe. I visited the SM Mall of Asia is the 2nd largest mall in the Philippines and the 4th (Ref. Forbes' World's 10 Largest Shopping Malls) largest shopping mall in the world!!! This is mall has just about anything you can do for the rest of day..IMAX, discovery centers, foods, ice skating rink, Cinemas, Music Halls…soooo happening. Well Ladies, if you are in Manila, this is certainly a must visit mall!

Overall i observed couple things during my stay here, the Ladies here are very fashion consious, most girls can be seen wearing oversized sunglasses and well dressed. The guys too!

Service culture is apparent. The employees of malls and any tourist areas here are well trained to attend to customer needs.

Besides that, anywhere you go, the public toilets are extremely clean, impressive. Although the city seems a little polluted, the roads are kept clean. The life in Manila seems very shopping mall oriented. They even have chapels in malls! How cool is that?

Bogus scam

A couple of months ago, I have advertised my apartment which i wanted to sell on a local property website.  3 weeks ago, I received an e-mail from a person known as "Captain Allen Smith" which goes as below...

 Contact telephone:- +447045760722
 Message:- Dear Friend,

 My name is Captain Allen Smith, I saw your property at thinkproperty.com.my and I am

interested in buying it. Please get back to me so I can make an offer on it. My email is

estccoms@hotmail.com. Phone: +44 7045760722

Take care,
Capt Smith


Welllll.... seems a little weird that a foreigner wants to buy a 10 year old property without even viewing or asking for details. I went on to reply it to know his exact intentions, and then he replied as follows.........

Dear Rageni

 Thank you for your email response, I intend to be in Malaysia on or before the end of next week to enable me inspect the said property. Like I told you in my previous email message, I am looking for a partner, colleague and a friend whom I can rely on and trust as I expect to purchase your property and other subsequent properties and duly invest in your country with your assistance as a captain with the United Nations Troop in Iraq on war against Terrorism.

Based on the United States legislative and executive decision to withdraw troops from Iraq this year, I have been deployed to come and work in your country’s military base, to help beef up security in Targeted Airports, Train-Stations, Tourist venues mostly in the United States and the European Union. For the duration of this mission, I should be staying in the property which I intend purchasing from you.

The funds which I intend using to purchase the said property was realized from an oil deal/transaction here in Iraq which I happen to be a part of, as a top ranking officer, I played some roles in some oil transactions since the US troops has been here in Iraq mainly because of the benefits derived from oil rich Iraq but as a top Military officer who is affiliated with the Government, I am not allowed to have such funds in my possession

Hence the reason why I contacted you to be my partner, friend and colleague to receive the said sum of $16.2M(Sixteen Million Two Hundred Thousand Dollars) as the SOLE BENEFICIARY AND OWNER. Once the funds duly gets to your custody, the property purchased will be paid through your account to the owner as I am not allowed to have the funds in my name. Once that is done and other properties obtained, the same processes will be employed after which you will assist me open an investment which I will then use to set up an account in my name then transfer my remaining share to the said account.

I worked so hard to acquire the said sum and will want you to handle this with all sincerity and secrecy until the transaction is finally concluded.

All the necessary paper works will be duly provided to you for your perusal including the verifiable payment confirmation slip which you can verify with your bank. I was able to move the funds to Malaysia via diplomatic means with the assistance of the Red Cross Agency. Upon your confirmation to act as the sole beneficiary to the funds, the contact details of the agent who assisted me move the funds to Malaysia will be given to you to enable you finalize arrangements on how the package will be received then you can deposit it into your account.

 You will keep 30% of the total sum for your assistance while the remaining will be for me as I plan purchasing your property with part and investing the rest with your due supervision as I do not have much experience in investment. I can send you a copy of my picture taken with the funds to enable you know that this is not a child’s play. Most importantly, the agent was not informed of the contents of the package as I told them they were family jewels intended for you as the beneficiary.

I intend meeting you in Malaysia for a face to face meeting and signing of the necessary paper works, once the funds is claimed with your assistance so I can make my arrangements to meet with you by next Friday.

We have no further time left to delay as we are expected to conclude this within 7 bank working days.

 I will be glad to receive your positive response towards the proposal in question by sending 

YOUR FULL NAME.........
YOUR FULL ADDRESS....................
YOUR DIRECT TELEPHONE NUMBER.........
 

Capt. Allen Smith

And yeahhhh, then I realised i am being scammed!!!!!!!!!!!!! I stopped all further correspondence with this person. Then last week, was really suprised to read the headline on The Sun newspaper.... A reporter of a local news agency has received a similar e-mail to mine and made a report with the police about the e-mail. They went on further on a plan to capture this criminal and succeeded. It was also mentioned that a lady lost RM 1.2 Mil to this scam as well. 

So people, beware when someone writes to you and says you have to pay some money as handling fee and in return you will be given a Millions of bucks!! Its a scam!!

Pit stop at Mamak

We were at the rodent infested food stall called Williams (named after the owner). Sat down to the smell of garbage in the air…wasn’t that appertizing indeed! I have no ideas why people fill up this place like flies….errr. The seating arrangement were kind of dangerous as the table are arranged by the side of a busy road.

The food portion were large, and pricey, above standard of a typical mamak stall. I guess the specialty seems to be that Williams puts Itallian dishes on its menu, which you cant find in other roadside stalls. It was my first ever time here and probably its my last!! Sorry Alan, don’t seems to like it as much as you do.:-(

 

The nite we sang our hearts out….

 
It was a very “long awaited” karoake session that was planned months ago…finally we made it on 3rd June 2010. I must say Karoake session brings out the unknown, the hidden personality of a person. Dean sang preety well, although was gaping for “fuel” at times, Alan – was very dramatic and emotional , a trait i have not seen before! and Benson Oh Benson, loves to hum ooohs and ahhhhs, but sang “Ich Bin Schnappi” extremely well!!:-p hahah
Well certainly was fun going out for this K session, a prefect entertainment for stress release!

Drama again….?

This time i was just glad i was on half day leave due for a Docs appointment….why u ask……….

7.30am, Opened the door to take the garbage out…GUESS WHAT?….4 cats, I repeat 4 CATS  hurdled together  underneath the table with the table cloth !!! As soon as i started opening the grill, 3 cats sped off leaving 1 Garfield look alike cat behind, i mean in size.

I shoooed it away but it just refused to move! Just to get to the point, I ain’t no cat lover, specially not in this scenario. So i went over to the tap, turn it on ,armed with jet water hose  and SHOOT!! well, that worked!!! All clear, got back in, took the table cloth, soaked it in Dynamo, locked the door and went up to shower.

After breakfast, door open, Guess what???   arrrrggghhhh…… ALL FOUR IS BACK…caught them running away from the pots this time…hmmm, seems like they;’re asking for trouble. This time, i just decided to wash off the driveway as well….……what a morning…sigh***

Drama…. drama…. drama…

Well its has certainly been a week full of drama, which has just come to an end.

To start off, I had planned to take Kath’s car to a workshop in Rawang during lunchtime. As we have a narrow driveway, my car is normally parked behind Kath’s car.Just to get a better understanding, her car in , my car out. The neighbour’s car was parked on the side of the house, therefore i could only move and park my car slightly about 20metres  away from the house. I took my important belongings from the car, Touch&Go, shoe etc…Then i walked back to the house…unlocked Kath’s car and loaded all my stuffs and my bags. Left my car keys in the house and locked it up. Mind u, I have to secure 2 padlocks, lock the grill and the main door. Time was about 7.45am, the Sun was up and i was already getting a bit sweaty. Happily got into the car and started it…well guess what – the car wouldn’t start!!!!! THIS IS WHERE THE DRAMA BEGINS…………….

I tired again and again, it just didnt work, I was becoming even more frustrated that i was sweating more at this point. There was no tissue at site as well. Annoyed, I started unlocking the doors….stepped in, switched on the fan, grabbed a towel to wipe my face. It was already 8am. Hmmmm…unloaded ALLL my stuffs out of Kath’s car a and walked to my car. Drove it back to the front of the house, and loaded my stuffs again into MY car, locked the main doors AGAIN and drove off…after a few seconds, realised that my phone was missing. Drove back to the house, opened the gate and found my phone on the table outside the house…PHEWWW…saved me another round of opening the doors….arrgghhh…. got to the office and found out that the shoes i wanted to wear is in Kath’s car…duhhhh….enough is enough!

Gurls Nite Out!!

Hot Balloon Festival - Putrajaya

I have always felt i have been blessed especially when it comes to the Friends i have in my life. I was touched by the kindness and love that was showered to me especially when i am going thru a difficult time. From the friend who stayed by my side in hospital, the other who bought me breakfast at 7am on the way to work, the ones who helped eat my lunch, the ones who visited me at home( which really cheered me!) although i live quite a distance, and the well wishes that i have received from friends near and far....i am certainly feeling sooooo blessed. Thank you for the bottom of my heart!!

Its the beginning of the 3rd week that i have been on home rest. Feeling a bit bored , longing to step outdoors soon. Kindda getting tired of TV shows, DVDs and  the net....no joke, really. Planning to spend couple of days soon at a friends place...go for movie, do some photography and stuff. Too long staying indoors...no good la!

staying posiitive

i am trying my level best to keep my spirit high and look forward to complete recovery. I am aware at this stage , keeping endometrosis from recurring is priority. Been reading alot about "Endo" and facts and details that i 've come across has not been very encouraging. However, i have to opt for a lifesytle change, even if it means that i have to give up some dreams i've held onto for many years and coming close to achiving it now. I felt like i have been given a second chance and from hereon i will have to fight for my life more than anything....

Operation day....

I was awake lying still in cold icy room for a few hours. Couldnt really get any sleep at that point of time with lots of thoughts running thru my mind. Its my first time . Never have i been warded in hospital nor had any sort of surgery before. Around 6 am, the nurse asked me if i wanted to go to the bathroom. I recalled at that point that the Doctor has instructed the nurse not to get me off the bed for any reason, but nevertheless i followed the nurse. I only remember sitting on the toilet bowl and ........i fainted. I woke up few minutes later back on the bed, covered in sweats! Then i continued to rest until my mum appeared at 7.45am.
Aroound 8 am , i was changed into a green long coat, got a jab on my back and was wheeled into the operation theather. At this point of time, i  just wanted get over it and move on. I wasnt in fear any longer. AT the entrance of the OT, i was asked to verify my signatures on the consent letters, which i could barely see without my contacts, but i just nodded! Then i saw a big light above me which resembled a flying saucer:-)
Last thing i remember  after that, the Anesthetic Doctor and a very long needle.........................snoooze

Brunei

My trip to Brunei on the 17th March was on a very short notice….besides it was a 2 day business trip. It takes 2 hours and 20 min by air to reach Bandar Seri Begawan from KLIA. Initially i was in doubt if i was at the right boarding gate, judging from the number of significant Indian travellers. Thought it was the gate for a flight to an Indian destination!!…hahha

At the airport, I got picked by the driver from the Hotel i was staying, Plaza Kiulap Hotel . The room was very spacious and nice.

My first impression of the roads was that it was similar to Singapore. It was well developed with clear signages and seemed very landscaped as well.

After the meeting was over on the first day, we headed down to a evening market that sold fruits, foods and vegetables, to get our dinner. As i got down from the car carrying my laptop, my Brunei colleague  informed me that its okay to leave the laptop in the car, its very safe here!!! wow, i was shocked. Apparently most people hardly even lock their car and some even leave the windows down! hmmmm….was hard to believe though.

Strolled around the market, which was kept very clean and everything soooo organised. Very rare scene if you are in KL! The vegetables sold here are not wet or dirty. In Brunei, you can use the Singapore Dollars as well as the Brunei Dollars.

They also sold Ikan bakar, Tuna, Mackeral, u name it….hmmmm… ( had to try one!)

Spotted a very large “Cucur Udang”…….

here’s the left over of the fish i was having for dinner…it was just waaaayyy too big for me…:-(

Sneak peek of a Famous mosque in Brunei, the  Jame’ Asr Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque, with the golden domes

The next day, on the way to Seria where the Oil and Gas Industries populates, i noticed that Bandar Seri Begawan is surrounded by very vast and thick rainforest.

There is most certainly not much (possible zero) night live entertainment here…If that was you are looking for, its best to stay in Miri, then.

On the way to KL, i got a chance for the first time to fly on Royal Brunei Airlines, Boeing 767….surely gave me the royal feeling, with all the golden decors!

Verdict on the Hotel Oasis, Benoa

On the southeastern coast of Bali, neighboring the popular Nusa Dua resort area is the small village of Tanjung Benoa. We stayed in a twin sharing deluxe room, its spacious and clean. We did however spot a coakroach in the bathroom, but got it extinguished by the House Keeping staffs!:-)The room opens up to the swimming pool which was sooo inviting. And the Hotel on the beach. This is a place you wanna be if you wanna soak in the pool and just put your feet up and relax. The breakfast was crappy, not much choices.I ate toast and eggs almost everyday!! After 2 days we couldnt take it any longer. If I am ever back in Bali, i’ll probably try another hotel la. Here some pictures…

  

Day 3 - Tanah Lot & Uluwatu

Our first stop at 10 am, was the Pasar Oleh Oleh Bali. Here you  can find almost anything and every kind of souviner at a reasonable price. Prices are fixed here. I got some Javanese scrub of the well known Sekar Jagat brand here. Was looking for some fridge magnets but still could not find nice ones here. You will need at least about 30 minutes, to look thru this entire warehouse full of souviners.

 

Temperature was quite high now. Next we made our way to the Tanah Lot temple. This temple looks like a floating one if the tide is high but when tide is low, people can walk to the temple. Tanah Lot also houses the best markets in Bali for knick nacks, souviners and arts. I would recently recommend this place for shopping , you can bargain and  get the prices you want!! I picked up a t-shirt, costume jewellery and art piece:-) Sort of regreted buying some pieces earlier.

Next stop…….LUNCHHH…..we decided to check out the Mc Donalds in Bali!! The menu was the same, price a bit less but the environment and interior layout was very different… there was Mc Cafe which serves coffee and cakes like Starbucks and also an internet cafe!! so cooolll

 

 

 

 

After recharging our “batteries”, we noted that the weather was still blazing hot. So we decided to head to a Spa to book a session for the next day and also find a shopping mall, to buy an additional luggage bag, to bring back our purchases. Weelll, what do expect when you have 2 ladies on a shopping spree..hehhe

It was almost 4pm , when we reached Pura Lulur Uluwatu . The temple sits on a cliff and the view is purely amazing!!

I try to mention much about the monkeys here. Precautionary signs have been put at a few places to remind about their aggressiveness. I did not experience any bad incidents with them, but I did take off my sunglasses  just in case. But the monkeys stole my friends hair scrunge!! wonder what the monkey is gonna do with it…hmmmm

At sunset, Kecak dance performance is held here everyday.