trip-of-the-year of the tiger

this i'd call my trip of the year 2010!

been to the US for 2 weeks last october 2010. only 2 weeks yet i had a blast. i didn't waste a single moment. been to 5 states...not bad for 2 weeks, right?

i still recall very vividly the day i left...

i left Manila with a heavy heart. i was crying on the way to the airport. i almost canceled my trip because sam was sick. fortunately, the day before i left, i went home earlier than usual so i can finish packing but we ended up bringing sam to her pedia because she was sick (everything she takes in, she takes out by vomiting and/or defecating). it was a good thing we did because her pedia gave her meds to combat the sickness. and another good thing was that my parents were at our place to baby-sit (thank goodness for that). and so i decided to continue with my trip albeit with a heavy, heavy heart.

at the airport, i cant help but cry every time i remember sam's situation. but hubby assured me that everything will be alright. and he had been updating me every now and then. fortunately, the very day that i left, sam's condition has improved and she was ok soon after.

now back to my trip (that was a side trip to the trip-of-the-year), after going through the usual process at the airport, there i was at the gate waiting for boarding. i boarded a delta airlines flight to San Francisco via Narita. i just slept all the way from Manila to Narita. i needed the rest. when we got to Narita, i just bought key chain for my sister and ref magnet for me, then waited at the gate for my departure.

let's jump to SFO (the long ~9hr (?) trip from NRT to SFO was uneventful). i was so anxious during the long queue at the immigration. this will make or break my travel. this is my gateway to the home of the brave and the land of the free. one false move....well, let's think positively. anyway, after a few questions from the immigration officer, i think he just asked me how long will i be staying, to which i answered 10days, he quickly stamped my passport. i smiled broadly and said thank you. whew!, that was it! just like that and off i went to my next trip, the chartered flight from SanFo to Sac.

unfortunately, there was a delay in my trip to Sac, i waited for over 3 hrs. i ended up buying snickers and bottled water for my lunch plus Dan Brown's latest book to pass the time.

i thought i was already primed at how small the chartered plane was. i had my seat reserved online, and the plane only had 11 rows of seat! when i saw it on the hangar, i was so shocked to see how teeny-weeny it looked beside the taxiing jumbo jets. it had a total of 28 seats, 1 (voluptuous) FA and a pilot. i felt so big in that plane and my co-passengers even bigger! i didn't know where they put the luggages...

but the ~2hr flight to Sac was OK. nothing unexpected happened. we landed at the Sacramento Intl Ariport. the airport was old and rusty, even though Sac is the capital of California. it looked deprived compared to the other airports i've been to. must be because very few passengers take off from Sac. most people would go to SanFo, a much bigger and busier city. i was expecting another check point, but i was surprised that arrows led me straight to the exit where my cousin and her husband were anxiously waiting for me...

finally, i was at my final destination. oh, did i mention that i was here to attend a conference? (i seem to have forgotten) i was sent by my company to attend a 3-day conference at Sacramento Convention Center. but im extending my trip in order to visit some relatives and friends and get to feel the life here in the wild, wild west.

i landed in the west coast but being an avid fan of TV series set in NY like Friends, Will & Grace and of course, Sex & the City, i can't pass up the chance to see the east coast...

this is just the beginning....

WARNING: METROCLUB SCAM

hi,

if it's any help

i received a call yesterday (dec 1, 2010) from a certain Senior VP (i didn't catch his name) from "METROCLUB" saying that i was recommended to have a pre-approved "ULTIMATE VIP PLATINUM CARD" he said i was the youngest to be ever given (he knows my exact birthdate). he said it's a discount card and if ever i decide to migrate to Canada and Australia, my visa would be approved immediately, and through the course of our conversations the word "CITY LIMITS" came up. btw, he speaks weird, thick european accent, knows a bit tagalog but slangish (not american-slang).

anyway, when it comes to credit cards, i am really skeptical, im afraid of all the scams that i have heard before. so, being the skeptic that i am, i asked him again his company name to which he said it's METROCLUB, an intl company affiliated to visa and mastercard but not a bank. he speaks real fast.

I asked him who recommended me, but he can't say who specifically, he just reiterated that they are affiliated to banks and accdg to their system, im in good standing daw. so when he asked me how long i've had my credit card (and i really can't recall), i just said, “can't u see it in your system?”. he said just for verification, so i invented a month...but he didn't refute what i said (dubious, right?). and when he asked me my billing address, i just said it's same as my BPI card...(you get my point) i totally distrust the guy.

good thing i was in front of my laptop, and i immediately googled his company. but i can't find any. so i asked him to spell it out for me. and i said i can't find it in google. hesitantly, he told me that their system is undergoing maintenance. i was about to tell him that for a company whom he claims to be huge (affiliated to AIG, Chase Bank etc), isn't it weird that their system is down, but i didnt get the chance coz he immediately hung up on me saying that he'll check their system.

fortunately, i didnt give out any info on my credit card (which is really not a habit of mine). but for my peace of mind, i called my banks, i have BPI and HSBC, to ask if there was any dubious transaction on my account. they said none, i just hope there will never be. later when i checked google again, there appears this website displaying the accounts of the many who have been victims of a scam from a METROCARE company. I have this gut feeling that this is related, that’s why im posting this. Im just glad to be a skeptic and always grateful to the ever-reliable google.

and to those who have experienced worst cases, i hope you'll be able to clear it up. and warn your family and friends that they might be using a different name now (METROCLUB).

good luck to all of you

carefree soul no more?

Gone are the days when going to Divisoria feels as safe as going to Church....

Gone are the days when traveling alone is as thrilling as cake and ice cream on your birthday....

Gone are the days when watching a movie by yourself is just as normal as rain in October....

Gone are the days when you think that skydiving and bungee jumping is much easier that calculus and thermodynamics....

Are these just things of the past? Or signs of growing old?

Is it just me? Or did you feel the same way, too? Come, share how you feel. I'd like to know that I'm not alone in these bizarre yet honest feelings of mine....

3 more days to go before departure

3 more days to go and i'll be able to scratch USA off my VERY LONG list of places to visit (so long as no problems encountered at the immigration ---crossing my fingers)

i feel excited and scared at the same time. i've never traveled this far, unaccompanied. i've been to different places here and abroad. been to UK with cielo, that's the farthest so far. been to Indonesia alone...but that's just about half a day travel plus the stop at Singapore. this trip will be a whole new experience for me.

i'll be boarding the delta and united airlines (codeshare flight) and this is my exciting but complicated route:

MNL-NRT-SFO-SAC

SAC-SLC-NY

NY-MNL

i feel sad, though, for having to leave my baby sam for 2 weeks. i'm sure she would miss me :( and i too, would miss her terribly. but this rarely happens and i'm sure hubby and my parents will be able to fill the gap.

baby love

my baby love

the long wait is over

i gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on my exact due date (amazing!). well you may have deduced from my very long absence from this blog site, i've been busy taking care of her, i breastfed for 3-4 months and now i'm back to work.

it's amazing, really. until now, i still feel awed by the experience and the fact that a life depends on me now. i've never felt so needed in my entire life. and i'm still waiting for the day when she'd call me "mommy" or "momma". im hoping it would be in the next couple of days. that would perhaps be one of most thrilling part of being a mom. now, all she can say is aahh, aahh, aahh...

i never seem to get enough of her. i could stare at her forever. i could cuddle her forever. i could kiss her forever. and im dreading the day when she'd be old enough to stand on her feet and refuse any help from me.

i turned into a worrier the instant i became a mom. im paranoid that my baby doesn't get enough milk, that a mosquito might bite her and get sick, all those things that my mom used to worry about...i understand now. i never fully comprehend my mom's strictness until i became a mom myself, cliche but it's true. and for these reasons i wanted to become a full time mom so i can take care of my baby 24/7 and probably start a business so i own my time but this i'd talk about in my next entry. hopefully soon.

can't wait

37 weeks pregnant and i can't wait to give birth already....

im not due until May 11, 2010. but i can possibly give birth 2 wks before or after my due date. although most of the articles that i've read say that in most cases, first time moms usually give birth after their expected due date. im really hoping that i do not have to wait that long. im ready and anxious :D

feels like i've been carrying her forever. i can no longer remember the feeling of not having a bump in my tummy...and im wondering if i'll ever fit into my old jeans again...

baby shower

i know it's been quite a while now, but still i would like to thank all my friends for the wonderful baby shower you've given us (tin & i) last april 9, 2010. we really had a wonderful time. great food and excellent company...and thanks for all the gifts.

love you guys!

just keeping u posted :P

we've been shopping for baby essentials almost every weekend. it's become a past time for us :) actually, all we can think of right now is "for baby"...

excited parents

...if only we can accelerate the time...it'd be election time already :)


shortlisted:

-children's book
-baby album
-children's nursery rhymes/songs
-aveeno baby wash
-baby towel
-nursing blanket
-car seat

and the list goes on and on (recent version)

and the list continues:

-bottle rack/storage
-bonnets
-children's book
-children's nursery rhymes/songs
-aveeno baby wash
-baby towel
-bath sponge
-nursing pillow
-nursing blanket
-infant bathtub
-car seat
-cradle/bassinet

long stressful trip

almost two weeks ago, on a weekend before valentine's day, we headed to hubby's hometown for the celebration of her mom's birthday. it was a good 5 hour travel. hubby was hesitant at first since im already 6mos pregnant and i might not be able to endure the long ride. being the travel person that i am (and thinking about the corn and mangoes that await me), i insisted that i can still bear the trip. and to ease our worries, i texted my OB to ask for permission. it was a go!

there...

hubby picked me up after office hours. it was one stressful friday at the office as i recall. and so i left office with my baby kicking and all. i just thought that on the way home, i might be able to take some rest.

and we headed straight to our destination. after about 2 hours of battling with traffic along EDSA to Monumento to NLEX, we arrived at tarlac where we had our dinner at the famous "sisigan", Victor's (yummy dinner). however, during those 2 long hours, my baby didn't stop kicking and punching and God knows what she's doing inside my tummy. maybe after dinner she'll be able to rest (we thought)...

and so our journey continued. unfortunately, the movement went on and on that we were so worried that she was so stressed that we had to stop at a gasoline station near SM Rosales for me and baby to be able to rest. we stopped for more than 30mins. luckily, the kicking somehow stopped (my poor baby). we shouldn't have taken the trip in the first place -- i felt so irresponsible.

and we continued our trip at a very slow speed that even bicycles were speeding past us.

we were home at almost midnight. so, the supposedly 4-5 hour trip took us about 6-7 hours to complete.

i was so exhausted...but the celebration was worth it (i hope), because we spent the entire saturday on a beach. i did not swim (hubby knows why :P ) but the fresh air did cleanse my lungs :)

monday came and i had to file for SL to get some more rest.

well, that will be our last long trip before i give birth....

names and their meanings

Samantha - God-heard, flower
Annika - sweet-faced
Alena (Alaina) - rock
Veronika - true-image
Elizabeth - God's promise
Safiyah - friend, pure
Aleena - noble
Shantel - strong place
Ayana - beautiful blossom
Aydan - little fire
Ayesha - alive
Yakira - precious, dear
Brielle - God is my might
Kiran - ray of light
Priya - beloved
Samiya - high, elevated

for baby

for your reference:

here are the things that we still need to buy for baby :) though we might be doing some shopping these coming days. i'll keep you posted before the baby shower comes--hahaha.


-bottle sterilizer
-infant bathtub
-nursing pillow
-breast pump
-aveeno baby wash and shampoo
-nursing blanket
-car seat

baby checklist

we're makin' a list and checkin' it twice :)

we would like to thank our sponsors for the following:

-stroller (thanks kuya utan)
-crib (thanks lola sernadilla)
-crib mattress (thanks ate yanee)
-feeding bottles (thanks ni)
-baby clothes (thanks ate's and kuya's)
-even 1-2 yr old babygirl clothes (thanks ate yanee)
-receiving blanket (thanks ate yanee)
-baby shoes (thanks ate yanee)

one of the perks of being the youngest in the family...

i won!

needless to say :)

'coz there's a bond between us...

baby kicks

im positively sure she's a girl....


....but she behaves like a boy.


i was on my way home yesterday aboard a passenger van to sta rosa, laguna. upon reaching the magallanes interchange, my baby started kicking, punching, tumbling, somersaulting...well, understandable, the road was bumpy and i wasn't sitting comfortably being at the rear of the van. added to the fact that my maternity jeans is getting a li'l bit tight...(hmmm....i wonder why :P).

but the kicking didn't stop when we hit the smooth road...it went on until i got to my destination. unbelievable! it felt like there was a circus inside my tummy! almost an hour of "quickening" as the books call it. i nearly conceded that he's really a boy :)

i can already feel him/her moving as early as 4 months. it's startling and scary at first, but after some time you'll get used to it.

at 5 months, it's even more startling now that the movement got stronger and more frequent. the kicking/punching would normally happen after i've had my meal...my mom said that it's his/her way of thanking me for feeding him/her. i would often talk to him/her that he/she is welcome...no need to thank me :)


interesting!

well, few more days then we'll get to know the baby's gender...

hubby wants a boy...i want a girl :)

find out who wins...

soon...

Happy 2010

Happy 2010 everyone!

I've got no resolutions to make-- never had any ever since... :P but i know there'll be lots of changes to expect esp during the middle of the year (excited and scared). and like most of my friends, i also have my "TO DO THINGS" in life. but mine is shorter because i have additional limitations in life now...here goes:

1) Submit the remaining 3 chapters of my THESIS!
2) Save for the rainy days...(steph--i won't say my projected figure--hehehe)
3) Plan a family trip again -- even just a local one

Actually, i'll be one of the happiest persons alive if i can do just the number 1...(2 and 3 can be postponed til next year)

Have a wonderful and fruitful year ahead!!!