Thailand Adventures

On February 18, 2015, we flew from Singapore to Thailand and our plan was to stay there for 4 days -3 nights. We arrived in Thailand late at night because our flight got delayed and got re-routed to Vietnam instead of a straight flight from Singapore and because of that we really didn't get a chance to go anywhere.

We stayed at Novotel on Siam Square. We always have good experience with Novotel hotels plus Siam Square is a very good place to stay(it's walking distance to shopping areas, lol).


DAY 1.

The next day, our tour guide picked us up at our hotel to go a hundred and so miles away from the city. We want to see and ride the elephants and to experience the floating market.


Floating Market.
The first place our tour guide took us is at the Damnoen Saduak and was said to be the real floating market and dates back to 1866 when King Rama IV ordered that a canal 32 kilometres long be dug at Damnoen Saduak to connect the Mae Klong and Tacheen Rivers (his reason for doing so lies in the fact that the quality of the soil on the banks of the canal is excellent for growing many kinds of fruits and vegetables including Malacca grape, Chinese grapefruit, mangos, bananas, and coconuts). The Floating Market is an ideal place for tourists to see the old style and traditional way of selling and buying fruits, vegetables and other from small boats. Remember to bring your haggling skills!

a short video of the floating market experience

Bridge on the River Kwai.
Next stop is in Kanchanaburi province. Home to the famous Bridge on the River Kwai and the beginning of the Thai-Burma Death Railway. Both poignant reminders of the thousands of prisoner of wars (POWs) and forced laborers who lost their lives during World War II.

bridge on the River Kwai

I'm not much of a history buff  and to be honest, this really didn't piqued my interest. I was more interested on the floating restaurant we went to for buffet lunch.

Floating Resto for Thai Lunch buffet

and we have the view of the Bridge of Kwai

Elephant Ride.
After lunch we went to see the elephants!
Hubby is a big elephant fan (he even donates at an Elephant Sanctuary) so he is the most excited. We booked the one where you can bathe the elephants but we were in for a surprise because it was us who the elephants bathe! LOL.

The first part of the ride was just walking around the sanctuary with both the hubby and I plus the mahout on the elephant.

first part of the elephant ride

Then we had to wait to change elephant that would take us to the river. While waiting

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What's there to look forward to and beyond...

Ear worm.

That song has been playing in my brain cells for weeks now and have been trying to remember who the artist is (without googling, I like to torture challenge myself sometimes). Eventually I remembered and it's an OPM (Original Pilipino Music) and thought, maybe i could use that as a title for my first blog of the year. So here we are!

Hello 2016.

But before I say hello to 2016 I wan't to look back, savor and remember the things that have transpired in 2015 (you can skip this part and scroll all the way to the bottom).

2015 was a very important year for me.

February, we went home to visit the Philippines to enjoy the beaches and to attend a couple friends' wedding. More about it here. Then a few days later we went to meet my friends in Singapore and got to stay at Marina Bay Sands for 3 nights. Hubby is really stingy but when it comes to vacations, he doesn't skimp. We're opposite. I pride myself as someone who can go on vacations at the cheapest way possible, but I'm not complaining, lol. We always split the travelling bill but still.

early morning dip at marina bay sand's infinity pool

our view from our room

In February, we also got to visit Thailand for 3 nights to see the temples, to try the dinner river cruise on the chao praya river, to experience the floating market and got to ride with the elephants.

thailand's grand palace
one of the many temples we visited in thailand

Most importantly, February was when I found out I was pregnant. We were in Singapore that time.

at marina bay's ku-de-ta restaurant...
the night (day in the U.S.) i found out i was pregnant

The rest of the months just rolled by so fast. I was not feeling well most of the time but the rewards afterwards is more than I could ask for. I'm talking about being pregnant.

September 2015 was probably the happiest month of my life. A little tiny person, who looks like me, said "hello world". Well, figuratively speaking, that is. I have been praying to have a baby someday and it was a long wait but that doesn't matter. What matters is it's prayer granted, I am a mom now!

maternity photoshoot at 30 weeks
(it's either genes or i got lucky that i didn't have linea negra nor stretch marks)

So every time I look at my baby's face I will be reminded that 2015 was a very very special year. Because that's when I got to meet this special person whom I carried in my womb for 36 weeks and 2 days.

Then came November.
November was when I finally got my U.S. citizenship. When I applied I was contemplating on whether or not to use my hubby's citizenship or just use my greencard of 5 years. I chose the latter. Less requirements. So on November 30 of 2015 I did my oath taking and is officially a U.S. Citizen. No more applying for visas when I visit other countries!

...now i'm no longer
the only foreigner in my tiny household :P

So what's there to look forward to and beyond 2015? For me, it would be the many firsts. First crawl. First step. First birthday. First Mother's day. First Father's day. Just to name a few.

Here's wishing you all a lot of wonderful firsts for 2016. Or seconds. Or thirds. Doesn't matter. Just don't forget to appreciate each little things that makes you feel wonderful and alive. Remember what the past year had taught you, but don't linger too long. Prepare for the future but learn to let go of what is not yet too so you can enjoy the present.

Happy New Year!

HAPPY  2016 ! ! !

note: red bold fonts are clickable.

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Random Thoughts of a New Mom

So, I am a mom now...
   ...and I have already forgotten what an 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep feels like.
or 5... or 3... or 2... or 30 minutes


So, I am a mom now...
   ... and I can no longer shower in peace (if i even get the chance to do it), because my baby knows exactly when to cry. Yep, when mommy's in the middle of shampooing her hair
   ... oh, and don't get me started on when I'm in the middle of pooping.


So, I am a mom now...
   ... and now I say goodbye to spontaneous trip because a trip now involves 10,000 more things to pack and 15,000 more things to consider because you know, i have a tiny pooping machine, err, i mean tiny human company.


So, I am a mom now...
  ... and I can no longer hastily make decisions.
  Like, you know that eggnog cocktail I've been craving for with extra shot of rum? I can't have it because baby's breastfeeding in 30 minutes.


So, I am a mom now...
   ... and that new gadget I so want to buy? not happening.
   Because now I have to think of daycare expenses and 529 Plans.


So, I am a mom now...
   ...and that unfinished sandwich with a single bite sitting for hours on the dining table was mine... because baby decided to poop (and is now screaming bloody murder) around the same time mommy is taking a bite of her breakfast, lunch, dinner or midnight snack.


So, I am a mom now...
   ... i used to wear perfume...now my perfume is my son's pee..
i have a bellagio fountain right in front of our changing table...wanna see?


So, I am a mom now...
   ... and in spite of all these, i am not looking forward to my maternity leave ending... i'm already having separation anxiety just thinking about going back to work... i  don't think i can even last 5 minutes.

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i'm having twins

...not really

but i feel like that sometimes. that or i'm having an octopus for a baby (the way he moves sometimes feels like he has 2 sets of legs).

maternity photoshoot at 30 weeks

                    

i'm loving every one of his movements though. even if his jabs and kicks startle me. i cannot count anymore the number of times i have yelped and jumped on my seat because my little one had punched my bladder, either with his hand or with his head.

but i will not have it any other way. that is my assurance that he's doing well inside. i had to count his movements now and if it's below what is expected, i have to go to the hospital ASAP. so his jabs and kicks are good affirmations.

even though i complain a lot and i'm so ready to give birth, i'm still enjoying this experience because i might not have this experience again. it always fills me with amazement that there are two beating hearts inside me. his and mine. that there is a a tiny human being living inside me that has half my DNA. that this little one inside me would soon be filling our house with smile and laughters and smell of stinky poop, lol.

like any other first time parents i'm worried about a lot of things. would i do a good job? am i built for this kind of responsibility? will i be a good mom? a tiger mom? will i live long enough to see him get married and have kids?

so many scary stuff but i know negativity won't get me anywhere and would just make my anxiety worst. so i have to choose. either choose to think about all these negative thoughts and create problems in my head that is not yet or just enjoy the moment and take it one step at a time.

i chose the latter. 

one baby step at a time.

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Pinas in 2015

just some collection of photos and videos during our recent trip to the Philippines.
here you would see and read about our experiences while visiting Tagaytay, Bohol and Boracay.

Day 0.

(Feb 11). Our trip started with a very pleasant surprise, from Premium Economy, we got upgraded to Business class for free.  It's funny how that turned out, because the hubby was trying to do their bid thing from Cathay Pacific where Business Class seats are up for bidding. He bid for $1,000 per person (one way only) and didn't win so just imagine our surprise when they told us we got upgraded. Yep, that means bed, baby! For a 16-hr straight flight. We also got upgraded to Business Class from Hong Kong to Manila and we're hoping it would be the same deal coming back to the U.S *wishful thinking*.

champagne welcome drink

nyt-nyt

Day 1. Isdaan

(Feb 12) We arrived in Hong Kong at 5:30 am and left Hong Kong for Manila at 8:36am. We were at Manila Terminal 3 (which looks very nice, by the way) at 10:38 am and didn't leave the building until 11:18am. From there we went straight to Isdaan floating restaurant. We rented a van and I instructed the van to pick-up my family first so we could go straight to Isdaan from the airport. It was a good hour and 10 minutes drive. We had our lunch there and ordered some favorites and a few intriguing dish. There were 6 adults and 2 kids and we still ended up with left overs to take home.

sangbalde at isdaan

isdaan

I have been to Isdaan before but the one in Tarlac, which I believe is the original one, and it's amusing to see that the one in Laguna is

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