Too late somehow?

What's up.

I'm blogging from my sister's iTouch and borrowing Internet from the Escosars next-door. (thanks, hehe) I haven't bogged in ages! I feel guitly lest I'm gonna post this whether it's too long or too short. Here we go.

Well, it's actually true this time. We're here for good (fr now); we live in the Philippines again!

We arrived about two weeks ago and stayed with Tita Edna in Makati for our first ten days. Last Friday, we finally moved into our house down south.

In many ways I'm glad to be back in Manila. Though the traffic and terrible air make me miss Penang, there's just something about this sense of new things to come that makes me excited.

As is usually true, moving is hard; goodbyes aren't easy and packing up and relocating, even harder still. But I enjoy discovering new things, meeting new people and rediscovering, well practically everything. I decide and agree that this next season of my life will be great.

I cannot wait to get back in touch with old friends, develop relationships with acquaintances and meet new people!

Random fact, insects seem to love me so. Caladryl has become new best friend.

This for now.

Cheers.

Holy moly, it's like I'm traveling with a child.

I never got to post that blog entry about my trip to Kuala Lumpur a few weeks back.

It was a great trip. I want to post pictures so I don't need to explain everything. But all my pictures from the past month are on my mom's computer back in Penang, Malaysia.
(Also, in the past 2 and a half weeks, I've spent about 38 hours in a bus and five hours in a plane. AND NOT TO FORGET, Mandy Marcos was in Penang! more on that later...)

So instead, I'll just let you guys know that I'm now in Manila! Yes, Manila, Philippines.

I'm here applying for college and stuff. And depending on where I'll be studying, I'll have to either dorm or look for a place (and a roommate or roommates). Pretty hyped about moving back. But at the same time, kinda getting overwhelmed with even just the thought of moving again; new place, new friends, new everything.

Yeah, let's hang out while I'm here. To Penangites, will be back before Christmas! (And did you know that there's an iMax Cinema coming to Island Plaza?? RIGHT?! There's a 3D cinema now. Isn't that just plain awesome?)

Anyway I've been on tumblr again lately. Here's a really funny one:

Random side notes:
1) About to watch Star Trek on HBO
2) Watched 2 movies since I've been here: "Due Date" & "Megamind".
3) I want to watch Due Date again. Now. Please?
4) Why didn't I put "The Hangover" in my hard drive before leaving the house last week?
5) I have to get a copy of "Scott Pilgrim vs The World" as soon as possible.
6) Curros Con Chocolate is so good.

Maurizio Galimberti, Stefano Gabbana, 2008

I find this really, really cool.
Click on the link above, or here, then click on "Portraits". The whole collection's there. There are some of Sting, and even Johnny Depp. Check it.

Bed time. Please show yourself out.

Postcards

I received three postcards yesterday.

"Pen-mail"

"Santiago De Compostela, España" from María Miguens Fernandez (Spain)

I don't think I've mentioned it yet in this blog that I collect postcards. Well, there it is: I collect postcards! 

I joined this postcard project site, Postcrossing, a few years ago but only really started using it last year. The concept of the site is actually very simple and it's tons of fun. I urge you to check it out if you're not lazy.

Though none of these postcards were sent via the website. I found two of these people from the postcrossing directory, but we're sending outside the project now. I've received and sent each of them more than three postcards each already. Pretty cool.

From the site alone, I've received a hundred postcards. My total number of postcards is unknown (not because I have so many, but because I've never counted, haha). But even though I have a lot, I still get giddy when I receive a new one. Sending is fun too.

 "Wanderlust" from Elle Battung

(US postcard, sent from the Philippines)

"Braga Costa Verde, Portugal" from Pedro Cubal (Portugal)

I'll post my favorite postcards soon!

Here's "Love Lost" by the Australian band The Temper Trap live in KEXP.

Had 'em developed.

So, had the fisheye pictures developed! Check it!

HatYai, Thailand.

At the 3rd largest reclining Buddah

Klong Hae Floating Market, Thailand (wasn't supposed to be double exposed)

Before eating the Scorpion, hahah!

We took a Tuk Tuk to the beach.

Jonathan Henson, Songklha Beach

Cindy Leow, also at the beach.

Songklha, Thailand

Night Market.

More pictures here. 
Lastly, this was from Jenny's camera. Something went terribly wrong and I love it.

I feel bad for this blog... (And about Thailand)

... I really do.

I keep telling myself to blog consistently, but I never do.

Anywho! I just got back from Hat Yai, Thailand and I had fun. It was my first time in Thailand.

We hired a van that came with a driver that drove us (No, duh) across the border and into the city of Hat Yai about an hour and a half from the Malaysia-Thailand border.

We left Penang last Thursday morning– at about 630am, 7am? We watched the sunrise from the van and the air-conditioning was cold. The trip took about 4 hours. By the time we reached Hat Yai, it was almost lunch. So we just checked in and walk around town looking for Green Curry but instead had Pork Leg. By the end of the trip we'd had Pork almost every single meal (Yes, it's that good! Like really good Crispy Pata!!) and we never found our Green Thai Curry. Fail.

The girls Jon and I accompanied were Jenny's classmates. They had to film a documentary for their final project in school. Jonathan and I were supposedly gonna be their "body guards" but at the last minute, something came up and Jenny couldn't go anymore. But since we'd already paid for the transportation and hotel, we (Jon and me) still decided to go even if Jenny wasn't with us and we were the only guys, heh. So I guess we were their body guards?

The entire trip didn't cost more than RM400. Of course it depends also on how much shopping you do--I barely shopped. I spent most of my money on FOOD. Gosh, we ate A whole LOT (of pork, hahah!). We stayed at the Golden Crown Plaza. And went to Songkhla twice. The second time we went we took a tuk-tuk (A really small, tiny version of a Jeepney). Now that was fun, sticking our heads out the windows and hanging from the back

Me and Cindy Leow

We spent the entire Saturday afternoon there and got badly sunburned. OK, maybe not that bad but my back and face were really red and my arms and legs got really DARK. The next day our backs or faces didn't hurt. I didn't peal, so yeah, it wasn't that bad.

Songkhla Beach

Here are a few places of interest:

The third largest reclining Buddah

Klong Hae Floating Market

Klong Hae Floating Market view from the bridge

Night Market - Eating again, haha!

And of course, the highlight of my trip was eating a scorpion! That same night we also ate maggots, grasshoppers, crickets, and two types of beetles. Though, nothing came close to this.

Before tackling the mountain, haha

 

'Twas a good trip. Let's go again?