Video Diary - Fractional co2 Laser Treatment

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The Year That Was... (almost)

Wow, how time flies!!! It feels like it was only yesterday when I was planning my leaves for 2011 and what do you know the year has almost ended. This year has been very eventful and I feel nothing but gratitude for all that has come my way- be it good or bad.
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A Series of Unfortunate Events

  

DISCLAIMER: This is mostly a rant post so don't click on "read more" if you wish to keep your sunny disposition :-P

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Maids in Uniform? Is it really necessary?

I was about to go to bed, browsing through some regular blogs that I read and something struck me. It may seem petty and unimportant but can you help me answer this - Is it really necessary for maids to wear uniforms?

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The Elusive iPhone 4S...

I finally met Siri! haha. But only after falling in line for an entire day - to be exact, 12.5 hrs!

Honestly, I'm not a sucker for techy gadgets. But the thing is my 8gb iPhone 3G is so damn slow and is starting to hang. Plus, my $100 voucher for mobile recontract plan is expiring on 31st Oct. So since my office is right beside Starhub in Vivo City (luckily thank god), I decided to troop down yesterday around 10:30am to check it out. 

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First morning in Amsterdam

Its 5am in the morning and I'm already up, I slept around 10pm last night but already feel energized with just 7 hours of sleep. The flight was VERRRYY long. Almost 20 hours of total travel time. I took Malaysia Airlines after all and not KLM as per my previous post. I think those passengers who booked KLM rode Malaysia airlines instead because of the code sharing. Our flight was delayed due to a passenger who fell unconscious just as we were about to take off. We spent around 2 hours inside the plane waiting until the passenger was able to come back on flight after being checked up by doctors. I hope he is ok...

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In Transit... @ the Kuala Lumpur International Airport

  

I'm here at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and loving it!!! :-)

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Johnny English Reborn & A Little Bit Of Heaven

I didn't realize there was an original Johnny English movie, thus I'm not sure if that one was more funny than this "reborn" sequel. Rowan Atkinson has got to be one of the greatest comedians on the planet. I mean, really, who doesn't know him as "Mr. Bean"?
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The Best Ever Miss Philippines-Universe!

I said it in my facebook status and I'll say it again - Shamcey was the best ever Miss Philippines in the history of Miss Universe! She definitely represented our country better than any other philippine candidate.

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Bad Teacher & Contagion

These past few weeks were great for moviegoers like me as a number of worthwhile movies were shown. Bad Teacher, starring Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake was a funny riot. Not as hilarious as Bridesmaids though, but funny nonetheless hehe.

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Final Destination 5

S. T. R. E. S. S.

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Getting Ready for Amsterdam...

Less than 2 months to go 'til our epic Amsterdam trip! (haha I'm just assuming it's going to be epic). Tomorrow is my interview/application at the Netherlands Embassy and I've double/triple checked that all my documents are complete. I hope everything goes as planned as my parents and twin brother already got their schengen visa just recently. This trip is even more special as my cousin and her parents are tagging along!! It would have been better if the rest of my cousins could come but most of them are busy with their growing families and kids.

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Bridesmaids

I haven't done a movie review in a long time, despite the fact that I've seen quite a number of movies lately (The Hangover Part 2, X-men First Class and Kung Fu Panda 2), but this movie is soooo hilarious that I just have to make a review! :-)

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Project Chocolate: Godiva

Wow, I didn't realize the last project chocolate review I did was already 7 months ago! Anyway, when we were at Marina Bay Sands Hotel a few weeks ago I decided to bring back to life this chocolate review and chose Godiva for this post :-).

They didn't allow pictures... the saleslady on the left was rushing to stop me from taking pics, too late though hehehe

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Manpuku Japanese Gourmet Town, Tampines 1

Today was "me" day. I think we all need some "me" time for ourselves to reconnect with our spirit. Sounds deep but it is true. Of course it's fun to spend time with loved ones but nothing beats spending time with yourself hehe.

Anyway, I had to accomplish a few things. Woke up pretty late and wasn't able to pass by the nearby clinic to replenish my supply of Xenical, so this one I have to do next week. First stop was to get some chocolates for my twin and stepdad Bob. My cousin is going home to Manila over the next few weekends so I thought of buying some stuff for my family since it's also Bob's Birthday this August.

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Fitness Blog #11

I'm sure you can't believe your eyes but yes, the fitness aspect of this blog is still alive and striving! hehe. Early last month, Aileen and I went though a blood profile test, just to find out if there's anything wrong with our bodies. I turned 30 last year and I think it's just about time I start checking my internal issues (as in literally), especially that I am overly overweight.

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Marina Bay Sands Hotel

Wikipedia pretty much sums it up - Marina Bay Sands is an integrated resort fronting Marina Bay in Singapore. Developed by Las Vegas Sands, it is billed as the world's most expensive standalone casino property in the world at S$8 billion.

The resort features 2,561 rooms, a 1,300,000 square foot convention/exhibition centre, the 800,000 square foot "The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Mall", an iconic ArtScience Museum, 2 large theatres (e.g. Lion King, etc), 7 celebrity chef restaurants (e.g. Molto Mario, Wolfgang Puck, etc), 2 floating crystal pavilions, an ice skating rink, and the world's largest atrium casino with 500 tables and 1,600 slot machines. The complex is topped off by a 340-m long Skypark with a 150m infinity pool, on top of the world's largest cantilevered platform.

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Raisin Banana Pudding with Vanilla Sauce and Caramelized Bananas

Haha that title was a mouthful. So darn happy it's the weekend! I've been working for 11 years now (on and off) but I'm still amazed that I can make it through a 5-day work-week hehehe.

Anyway, back to the recipe... I baked "Raisin Banana Pudding with Vanilla Sauce and Caramelized Bananas" for our weekend staycation tomorrow. Let's just say the universe conspired and the stars aligned that we ended up with extra money to allow ourselves to stay for a night at Marina Bay Sands Hotel :-) In true filipino fashion, we wanted to make "baon" to save up on money and also to allow us to maximize our stay in the room hehe.

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Valencia, Back to Barcelona and a Glimpse of Doha

Finally, we've come to the last installment of my travelogue on Spain. Just about time since it's now been 2 months since our trip. It was a hectic 8-day 5-city trip but was well worth it :-). Again, I'm always thankful for the chance to work here in Singapore because if it weren't for the opportunity to be here none of this would be possible, hehe mushy but true.
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Ruthless Real Estate Agents

I am writing this post with the intent to help those people who are perpetually being harassed and taken advantage of by ruthless agents. I've been searching forums and sites these past few days trying to find answers to my questions until I finally contacted the Council for Estate Agencies to shed light on our concerns.

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Delicioso Paella

A few weeks ago our cousin, Brett and his wife Pinky, were in Singapore for a week to attend a conference and for some R&R, as well. Thus, we found a good excuse to prepare something special, ergo we decided to cook Paella since I bought quite a lot of ingredients from my recent Spain trip :-).

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Buttercream-Frosted Red Velvet Cupcakes

It's a Saturday night and I was bored haha. I am definitely getting old as previously my weekends would be spent partying, clubbing, drinking or what not. Now, it's baking haha. But seriously, cooking is my therapy. It takes my mind off whatever worries I have at the moment (not that I have any major ones right now, luckily).

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Granada, Spain

I just woke up from a long nap as I got home earlier than normal because my appointment finished early - the perks of a sales job hehehe, so back to blogging! Finally, my post about Granada is here - my most favorite city in Spain! :-)

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Cordoba, Spain

I've been sick these past few days, caught a really bad flu bug. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the the other day when I went inside my airconditioned room after a jog - wet sweaty shirt and all. Or it's just the fluctuating weather. Or I got it from some passengers in the bus or train who sneeze or cough without covering their noses/mouths. Oh well.

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Madrid, Spain

Madrid is my second most favorite city next to Granada :-) We walked so much in Madrid I felt like my legs/feet were going to fall off at the end of the day. The weather was colder in the morning but got bearable in the afternoon. I guess the cool weather also made the long walking bearable.

Estacion de Atocha - main train station in Madrid

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Update: Yeah I'm Cheap Like That...

This is an update to a previous post...

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Tiffany-Blue Cupcakes

I had no plans at all to bake yesterday but since I accompanied my cousin to the baking supplies store then I might as well do hehe.

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Barcelona en route to Madrid

Spain left me breathless, literally and figuratively. Figuratively as the sights, sound, smell, taste and feel I experienced in Spain were truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Literally because we were left breathless in fear due to our 3 encounters with pickpockets in Barcelona on our 2nd to the last day. Anyway, let me try and set aside that horrible memory and focus on the beauty that Spain has to offer.

First of all, let me just say that you totally have to get hold of these 2 books below if you wish to travel to Spain. These books were very helpful even as far as what bus to take, how many metres away was a particular attraction and some insider information. Rick Steve's book even had walking tours that were totally great! Really, these books were literally our tour guides in Spain!

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Blueberry Wheat Bran Muffins

Every first friday of the month, our company has a mass workout then one team will prepare our healthy breakfast. Last friday, it was our team's turn and since I was the assigned leader I put my baking skills into use hehehe.

Thanks to my colleague Darren for the pic

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Getting Ready for Spain...

Happy Labour Day everyone! This is the 2nd long weekend in a row and it feels grreeaaattt! 12 days to go 'til Spain and I can hardly wait! We pretty much settled everything we need for this trip and all we need to do now is count down the days :-)
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Fitness Blog #10

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Rolling in the Deep by Adele

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Fitness Blog # 9

3KG. 

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European Escapade

My mom and stepdad are fortunate to have been able to travel to a lot of places and they recently realized that we haven't gone on an overseas trip all together. So this October, they decided to treat myself, my twin brother and our step brother on a trip to Europe! Thank god for the immaculate realization! hehehe.

One of the canals in Amsterdam

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Nantsuttei, Parco Marina Bay

My cousin, Quincy, is in town and since he said Japanese ramen is such a craze in Manila, and since we ourselves are going gaga over everything japanese lately (haha), we decided to head to Parco Mall to try out Nantsuttei.

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Yeah, I'm Cheap Like That...

I can be so cheap in some (or most?) ways that it's just pathetic...

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Meidi-Ya Supermarket, Liang Court

These past few months, because of my cousin Aileen's influence, we have been obsessed with Japanese food. This afternoon, while waiting for Vice Ganda's show to start at Clarke Quay, we wandered around Liang Court and found this japanese supermarket.

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My LTO (Land Transportation Office) Experience

I was at the LTO on my first day here in Manila to renew my license. I'd like to share my very detailed experience so that the people out there would know what (and what not) to do when renewing your driver's license.

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To Invest or Not to Invest?

Tomorrow night I'll be flying to Manila for a short 4-day trip. I got lucky with Jetstar and got my ticket for only S$130, what a steal!

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"Kevin Smith 'Too Fat' to Fly Southwest"

Thank you to "stranded soul" for sharing this article which he posted in his comment in the SG Yahoo Article.

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Update (8Mar): Compromised Safety at the Universal Studios Singapore Galactica Rollercoaster

The New Paper article has finally come out (the reporter has yet to send me the softcopy which I will append to this article upon receipt see end of this post for the article), and surprisingly there is also a yahoo article on SG Yahoo. You can click here, or see the full article below at the end of this post.

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Bienvenidos a España!!!

So it's that time of the year again when we plan for our holiday trip. We were actually choosing among India, Australia or Spain and after many bouts of discussion, consideration and after visiting the recently concluded NATAS travel fair, we decided on Spain!!! :)

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Update (4Mar): Compromised Safety at the Universal Studios Singapore Galactica Rollercoaster

Just a quick update as I am doing this from the office:
I finally had the interview with the reporter last Wednesday, 2 March. Just this evening, my friend was also interviewed over the phone by the reporter. I heard the article is coming out tomorrow. I'm quite apprehensive as I know it will get mixed reactions from people but I'm sure the intelligent public will know the purpose of me sharing my story.

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Update (1Mar): Compromised Safety at the Universal Studios Singapore Galactica Rollercoaster

I just received a call from a reporter for The New Paper. The New Paper is Singapore's second-highest circulating paid English-language newspaper, first launched on July 26, 1988, by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). Its daily circulation is around 110,000.

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Update (28Feb): Compromised Safety at the Universal Studios Singapore Galactica Rollercoaster

This morning I received a call from a Lady from the Forum section of The Straits Times. The Straits Times is an English language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore currently owned by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). It is the country's highest-selling paper.

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Update (27Feb): Compromised Safety at the Universal Studios Singapore Galactica Rollercoaster

I just received a call from a columnist named "Mia" of Lianhe Wanbao. Lianhe Wanbao (literally United Evening Paper) is a Singapore Chinese afternoon newspaper published daily by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). 


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Compromised Safety at the Universal Studios Singapore Galactica Rollercoaster

I had the most unfortunate incident at Universal Studios Singapore yesterday. I have written to all the major publications here in Singapore, including NBC Universal and Universal Studios Orlando in the US.


As of today, 27 Feb, the Universal Studios Orlando responded to my email and forwarded my concern to US Singapore. Just a few minutes ago, someone from US Singapore called to say they received my letter from US Orlando and ensured they would address the issue (though at this point I don't know what exact measures will be done as I'm sure it's their standard protocol to apologise and tell customers that they will do something about it).


I will update this blog as soon as I hear news from the press or US Singapore management. Below is the letter I had sent out:


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127 Hours

"127 Hours" is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston's (James Franco) remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah. Over the next five days, Ralston examines his life and survives the elements to finally discover he has the courage and the wherewithal to extricate himself by any means necessary, scale a 65-foot wall and hike over eight miles to seek help. (Synopsis from SG Yahoo Movies)
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Honeymoon Dessert, Vivo City

After watching a movie yesterday, we were intrigued with this newly-opened (or is it?) dessert place called "Honeymoon Dessert" as people were queueing to get in.
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Sentosa Boardwalk

You can always trust the Singapore Tourism Board to come up with new ideas to further promote tourism. Last Saturday, we took a stroll down the newly-opened Sentosa Boardwalk as we wanted to buy advance tickets for Universal Studios in time for Galactica's re-opening (though when we were there the lady at the counter said the Galactica was already operational). All I can say is that the boardwalk is major major very nice! hehe (as you can see in the pics below). 

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The Rite

Inspired by true events, "The Rite" follows skeptical seminary student Michael Kovak (Colin O'Donoghue), who reluctantly attends exorcism school at the Vatican. While he's in Rome, Michael meets an unorthodox priest, Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins), who introduces him to the darker side of his faith, uncovering the devil's reach even to one of the holiest places on Earth. (Overview taken from SG Yahoo Movies)
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Jurong Bird Park, Singapore

Thanks to my insistent prodding, we were finally able to go to Jurong Bird Park yesterday despite the uber rainy weather. No project chocolate review for this week for the meantime, else I want to get diabetes and go bankrupt at the same time haha.

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Sapporo Petit Doughnut, Takashimaya

I've googled the net in vain to no avail. I can't seem to find the origins of this stall in Takashimaya (which replaced my all-time favorite Auntie Anne's).  Now I don't know about you, but to me the brand name is a bit very confusing... Is it Japanese (Sapporo - 5th largest city in Japan)?? Or French (Petit is french for Petite)?? Or English (Doughnut - English spelling of Donut)??
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Project Chocolate: Leonida's

I actually now look forward to my weekends because I know I'll be tasting a new brand of chocolate hehehe. So I randomly chose Leonida's as the second contestant for my project chocolate. This stall is actually right beside Patchi in Takashimaya. I've heard of Leonida's before but it never really crossed my mind to taste it.
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Fair Game

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Extreme Dining - Dinner in the Sky!

W-O-W!!! This truly brings dining to a whole new level! (literally and figuratively that is haha)

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Fitness Blog #8

GUILTY. GUILTY AS CHARGED. My attempt to fitness has become my journey to fatness. I AM GUILTY BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT. Even more guilty than Hubert Webb. Haha kidding, that was totally out of line and irrelevant.

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