Went with my mom and nephews to our "farm" and picked out fruits which they called oranges and vegetables they called "kalumismis". Weird.

I want to post pics, but I don't know how anymore. Photobucket takes time. Oh well, towel.

Now watching Ms. World. The production value is so-so. And the Q&A portion is just asking the finalists to say practiced speeches. Why?

I am posting again! Oh yeah, because it's a long weekend and for some reason, I'm not that busy yet.

Last sem was ok, I guess. Failed 1 class, and got good grades in two others. This semester, I will be focusing on passing my theory course, then will mix in some thesis work. Hopefully, I can graduate by the summer. Here's to my last two semesters in school, cheers!

Kinda miss drinking, kinda don't. I want to dance -- learn lyrical hiphop. I want to go back to swimming every week. I want to go back to QC early tomorrow and pick-up my violin again. Re-learn the fingerboard. I want to code. But I think, I want to design elegant solutions more. Yes, elegant... pretty software art. That would be nice.

But there's a sauna thing at home here in the province and they want me to try it. I'm up first!

Yes, my sister's getting married and I'm soooooooooooo happy for her. And I like her fiance. So nice. They're great together. Actually, he's the first serious love interest of ate that I've met. All the guys before him, after the fact ko na nalaman. Do I remember right? Well, for sure I only saw her boyfriend in college in a picture.

Ah, Ate and future Kuya --- I'm imagining their future life together, and I'm so excited for their family. I want a new set of nephews and nieces already!

Which means, I have to attend their wedding in the US? I still have to handle the tickets and my leaves. Ang hirap! Waaaaaaaah...

Now that I think about it, ang swerte ng any guy with ate. She's hardworking, has a good set of values, smart, a great cook! She'll be a good mommy. Ang wala lang sa kanya dati is sweetness -- pero nagbago na yun ever since she met Jiggs! Awwww, you're so touchy na Ate Karen. That's Jiggs' effect on her :)

I remember a short letter/ journal entry I found in one of Ate's drawers. She had already left for the US then, and I was trying to free up some space in the room we once shared. I'm not sure if she wrote it for an assignment, but it looked like she wrote it while she was in college in Manila and I was still in high school in Davao. In that entry, she said she missed her little sister. Even if we would argue when we were together, she said she missed me. I was so touched that I cried a little. But I couldn't tell her about it 'coz well, we're not cheesy sisters. Now, she'll know.

Thank you ate for looking out for me when we were kids. For setting a good example in school. For being my kakampi in our fights with Kuya over the remote (hmm, not so sure with this one). For teaching me isometric drawing. For cooking yummy sinigang, pinsek prito(?) and other pacham dishes. For getting me hooked on Koreanovelas for a while. For buying me clothes form ukay. For getting a cool digicam that you wouldn't let me borrow, but I would "steal" anyway sometimes for very special occassions in school. For being my perfect example then of why I should not put on too much weight (yes, not applicable now). And for those very rare moments at night when I'd be your little sister, just bugging you to tell her everything about your lovelife.

You deserve to be happy ate. I wish you and Jiggs all the best in your married life!

Yes, that's literally how I feel.

Work life. not doing so well with my current assignment. Trying to make a system using Open Office Calc and Base. And it's not working! Argh.... Can't even find the documentation to help me out. It's so frustrating. I've been at it for like 4 days.

Love life. Steady state, but so far away from each other. There are so many times I'm weirded out by my situation and my inability to make myself feel better. Can I be happy just by force of will? Thank you violin lessons, swimming, and friends (also, school soon) for taking my mind off things.

This is the time to think and decide on my next move. Five years have gone by since college. So where do I want to be five years from now?

I feel that I can't ever dream out loud. To do so would be like sin.

Sad thing is, I can't think of an alternative. The person I can talk to about these things is almost always never around. Hope things change soon.

To the set of Tomb Raider! Yeah



According to our guide, this was built as a tomb for the king's mother. There was also a small city around the area before. Then, because this was a Buddhist temple, it was abandoned for some time. Result: trees growing on the buildings!



The Tomb Raider tree from the front



Now we're inside, and this is the same Tomb Raider tree.


Auto mode under the tomb raider tree. Yeah, yeah, I need a polarizing filter. Derik has the presence of mind to strike a tomb raider pose.


Tree roots like fingers


There are wooden elevated walkways for the tourists to follow.


Boys trying out the echo place. You can hear the echo when you pound on your chest. In fairness, it's true!


Soooo many Chinese and Japanese folks everywhere! Aside from the locals, we were the only other Southeast Asian group.


Their "Higad" on one of the walls. Bright orange version.


Yeah, a solo shot! There were trees above me, so I'm dark... :(


Lady's face under the roots


Another gigantic tree trying to envelope the walls. These trees are soft and the bottom becomes hollow.



With me!!!



I wish the Philippines had stuff like these...


Group photo op under with another tree. I like the backlight on our hair :)


Parts of the temple under restoration. There are Indian artisans here.


Ruins... :(


Last group photo op before leaving the tomb raider area.


Walking to our tuktuk at the other side, Derek has his "tawad"/haggling moment with George.


Group shot with the smiling buddha.


And on the tuktuk, I take another shot of Phia...


We pass by another temple. But we can't explore it 'coz we don't have time anymore...


More churning of the sea of milk statues... But you can't really see anymore


This is the courtyard area. Tuktuks parked on the right. Beautiful sunny weather :)


Courtyard! See the elephants?


Picture with the elephants. It's amazing that they had the smarts to create these.


George, our guide, is great! I love this shot


Candid Lito shot


Elephants on the courtyard wall! See the holes? They supposedly had gems/ precious stones before


Elephants in 3D


Where are we?


Creatures on the other side of the courtyard. Can you see the people on tour at the top?


On our way to the last temple: Bayon. Couple shot by Phia


Here's our first look at the place


Some guy taking a photo was rude to us here. He wanted us to move immediately after this picture. Garr...


More smiling buddhas. Lito asked: Why are these smiling? And why do the buddha's in China look different? George replies: It's just different culture. People make how they look. Oo nga naman


With a smiling buddha


George says to us: Go up there one by one. I'll take a photo from down here. Okies!


Picture with George, our guide! He talked to a guard to take the photo. Argh to tourist passing by.


While on our tuktuk, we passed by some elephants. Weeeee!


We even saw some monkeys on the road


And I managed to get a perfect shot of Cams and Derek with George, while their tuktuk was passing the gate. Photo achievement! :)


And when I turn to look back, I see the more-or-less complete version of the churning of the sea of milk. They're holding a snake, by the way.


On our way out of the Angkor Wat area, our tuktuk passes by the entrance again. There are still many tourists around.


In front of the hotel with our main tuktuk driver, who we think fancies Phia.


And so we leave Molly Malones, you cozy-but-expensive-relative-to-others-lonely-planet-featured inn...


We were able to haggle just 8USD each from our tuktuk driver for a ride back to Bangkok. They said we had to leave by 12nn. Ok! At first, we thought we would ride a bus to the border. But we were made to ride a taxi. Oh no, cramped again! When we arrived at the border (Thailand-side) at around 1:30 pm, we were made to wait for the bus and the other passengers. This is a picture during our 2-hour wait (or was it 3?). The Europeans beside us were so bored, they played charades


Finally! At around 4pm, we're finally on board the bus! As usual, we're the only Asians there.

We met our tour guide. His name is complicated, so he told us to just call him George.


There are other tour groups around. There are Naga balustrades. Snakes that escort... someone, or something. Hihi. They're on the outside areas of Angkor Wat.


Bullet on the wall from the civil war


Hindu god (brahma/ Vishnu?)... but they pray to him in the Buddhist fashion. They mixed it... Confusing


The head was chopped off before. The Khmer retrieved it to put back in Angkor Wat.


It's around 8:30 am already. Clear and blue skies!


The facade under construction. These are lions, but their heads are gone now.


Our guide explaining the bas relief. This part is a Hindu story about the gods.


More stories inside


3 divisions: Heaven, Earth, and Hell


People are judged by... (insert some name here that I've forgotten), poked by a stick, and sent to hell. There are 32 levels of hell, I think


Punishment for murderers: Nails all over


Punishment for abortionists: Tummies opened, then bodies burned


Our guide explaining that that side of Angkor was closed for renovations...



Lito looking at stairs he does not want to climb


George: Go up, I will take photo


Geaorge: One more


George: Ok, good shot!


How do they do it? First, they "sketch" the design on the wall, then continue from there. This is supposedly a real, unfinished work.


Stairs to the 3rd level. People aren't allowed to go up though.


Phia's tawad moment with our guide. Notice the Naga balustrades (I swear I read about Naga's from Harry Potter...)


Wow, the view from the back of Angkor Wat is good too!


Group shot before leaving Angkor Wat


Wacky!


The back gate. This entrance is used for elephants. Front entrance is for people

Landed at BKK airport around 1030pm. Hotel by 1130pm. Quick bath and sleep. Woke up at 2:00 am to eat noodles and prepare things. Taxi to bus station at 3:00am. Paid 300BHT for taxi to Moichit station (for 5 pax). Got there around 3:30am. Paid 212BHT each for the bus ride to Aranyaprathet (border to Cambodia).


Cams and Phia sitting in front of us

Bus left at 4:30am. Arrived in Aranyaprathet around 9:30am. Our "novel" by Gi on what to do during the trip said we had to ride a tuktuk to Poipet (that's on the Cambodia side of the border). After asking a local, we found out we could just walk.


Yeah, Cambodia!

Immigration stuff for departure and arrival took about an hour. Apparantly, all taxi rides to Siem Reap is now controlled by the government (or so we were told). Rode a free bus to the taxi station, then paid 55USD for the 5 of us to be taken to the Siem Reap taxi terminal of the taxi company, with transfer via tuktuk to our hotel (molly malones) in Siem Reap.


4 people at the back


Lito at front seat


Sign saying we're going to the right place

When we got off the taxi, we were endorsed to the tuktuks. The tuktuk driver greeted Cams "Ni Hao Ma!". Cams was speechless. Derek replied back: "Ni Hao!". Funny, Cams doesn't speak chinese.


Phia, Cams, and I were in 1 tuktuk


Cams in the front tuktuk seat


Lito and Derick were in the other tuktuk

Got to Molly Malones. Price is 35USD per family room. We reserved 2 and given 2. We were too tired to think and say that we would get a double room (at 25 USD) for the boys instead of the family room. Hmph....


The 4-poster bed is pretty


Girls on the bed


Derick with Cammy

After freshening up, we walked to pub street to eat lunch. There were so many Europeans everywhere.


We found a place called Cambodian Soup. A little pricey. It was our first meal after all. We paid 23USD for our meal (includes coconut juice for all!)



Noodles


Curry... Seafood, Beef, Chicken, Pork


Eggy thing, also in different flavors. By the time this was served, we were getting full already. I was getting dizzy from the coconut milk too

\
Pic at the corner of pub street


My turn to be in the group pic! Garr, with eyes closed :(



Went to the old market for some shopping. Won some and lost some

Lost: assorted pencils and bookmarks (5 sets) for 4USD each. What were we thinking?!? Turned a corner and found the same stuff for just 2USD!!! Garr, bad mood.

Win: Snow/ glitter globe at 2 for 5USD
Win: Shirts at 6 for 11USD
Win: Scarves at 4 for 7USD
Win: Ref magnets at 2 for 1USD
Win: Shot glasses at 2 for 5USD

At 4:30 pm, we went to Angkor Wat for the sunset view. Paid 5USD to rent each tuktuk.


Lito and I on the tuktuk


Seeing the outer gate for the first time, while on the tuktuk. This is not a river or a lake, it is a moat! - Cams and Derik's tuktuk driver


Locals riding their bikes


Phia with the water, on the rainbow bridge. The rainbow bridge is 50 meters long and connects the world with heaven (heaven= Angkor Wat). Angkor Wat has 3 levels, and the highest level is for the King. Found all these out the next day during the tour. This is just the outer gate of Angkor Wat


Lito with his camera


First look inside, after the outer gate


Do not sit on the balustrade


Yehess! We're here


Lito getting funky with the half lion entity (but the head is gone)


Bas relief on the walls showing hindu myth (again, didn't know this yet when I was looking at it)


Lito's sexy pose


My turn with the pillars


More bas relief


Phia: peek-a-boo!


Stairs to the second level


Stairs to the 3rd and highest level. Entry not allowed this time. Notice that the steps are sooooooo narrow. Found out the day after that this is intentional (it is hardest to get to the 3rd level of heaven)


Lito and Phia resting while looking at the narrow steps


Going around to get back to the front of Angkor Wat...


Walking towards the setting sun. It's actually very dark already

Went back to our tuktuks and to the hotel. It was soooo cold and dark! To cover our big souvenir loss, Phia and I insisted we eat streetfood. Win! Fried rice with beef for 1USD. Was too excited to eat, didn't take a picture :(

The next day, we ready by 6am to go see the Angkor Wat sunrise.


Darkness... Cloudy. But still there was some reflection


Left side of the bridge


The surroundings were getting brighter, so we decided to walk in


But photo op first


Then walk again


The entry way area is very dark


Then behold! Soooo many people were inside! At 6am?!?! Wow...


Auto mode photo op


And with me! Yay! :)


Went to a spot on the left because a lot of people were there...


And the reason was, there was a pond with lillies! And you could see the reflection of the towers on the water... weeeee


Another take...


Lillies!


Just the reflection. Imagine how this would look like without the clouds


Wide shot with more skies and clouds


Our turn! The sun is up and most people have left to get breakfast. A group of European girls are looking at our picture-taking spot.


Then one of them asks: You want us to take your picture? Yes please...

Then after us, I offered to take their picture. They wanted a jump shot. Hahaha. Too bad I didn't think of asking for a group photo with us. They looked like they were all shaped from the same cookie-cutter. All fair, blonde, and pretty.



Inspired by the pretty girls, we decided to have our own jump shot when they left.


Trash bin near us. The girls were coming our way. We didn't want them to see us doing a jump shot too.



And now, a jump shot with me!!!


Walking back to the entrance to meet our guide and have breakfast. Wowo, the sky is so blue!


Look here! Picture please :)


The air is so crisp

Ok, the first sem ended. I must say I'm pretty disappointed with my grades.  I can't really call myself grade conscious. I wasn't during my undergrad. And I don't think I am now. Just really sucks when you get low grades when taking your masters. Ang effort effort kaya pagsabayin work and school! garr, dapat ba mas naging bibo ako? Haynaku, disappointing.

So this sem, LOA na ko! Hay, happiness and gimik time, here I come.

Sidethought: Hope I still have a job next year if the company doesn't do well. If I don't, hope I can get another one quick! At sana may ipon para hindi maging dukha.

The people around me are having such active love lives. I feel like I'm in Dawson's Creek or Melrose Place. Wahaha.. Ganito na ba talaga when in your late twenties???  Now that I think about it,  darn it I'm more mature than I give myself credit for. So friends, just go for it and don't give me too much details. Wahaha

Missing Lito, but good thing I'm busy. Thanks to school for keeping me awake thinking and tense. Thanks to friends for keeping my social calendar full.

And now, let's wait and see which of my friends will have steady dates by Christmas time.