Malaysia Truly Asia

I was planning to visit Thailand this year. I was looking for a place to top my HongKong experience and some of my friends suggested Siam. Hmmm, sounds like a plan to me, then. Thailand is known for its great hospitality, amazing beaches and breathtaking sceneries. But, more importantly, their cuisine is one of the top 5 that could satisfy (or sometimes, challenge) my taste buds.

Until we had our office get-together and we decided to eat in one of the Asian restaurants in Dubai. I have frequented that restaurant in the past and I know which food to order whenever I dine there. Unfortunately, their Phad Thai is not something I look forward to. Their to-die-for? Char Kway Teow. So, I ordered it and shared it to some of my colleagues. Their response? Very positive. They love it! That's when a light bulb appeared in my head. It started blinking as if it's telling me something really important. Why, of course! Malaysian cuisine!!!

That's when it hits me. Malaysia arguably has the best remembered tourism tagline among Asian nations (please see blog post title). Question now is: do they have the sceneries, cuisine, beaches and the unassuming hospitality to back that up?

If the pictures in this post can not convince you to visit Malaysia, then let me tell you that I only visited Kuantan, Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur the entire 7 days I was in Malaysia. I admit I am not a tourist guru but those 7 days were the best 7 vacation days I had so far. And I still wonder how I would top that...

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I would like to thank (parang sponsor lang ah!) the Hyatt Regency Kuantan and the Hyatt Regency Kota Kinabalu for the genuine hospitality and the Regency Club access given to us. Our stay was superb and your dedication to exceeding guests expectation makes me proud to be part of the Hyatt family. Well done guys!

Bumuhos Man Ang Ulan

Madamdamin naman 'tong kantang 'to! Tumatagos. Masyado akong masaya para maramdaman ang kantang 'to pero masarap s'yang pakinggan at gawing "moment" theme song. Chos! Ewan din! :))

Letter to Silence

So, silence, did you miss me? I believe you've been plaguing this blog for quite some time. I'm not here to shoo you away. In fact, I like how you do not seem to care yet still stay. I think you're doing the next best thing.

Silence, I don't normally ask for your attention but please allow me this time. I just need us to be together while I mumble some things which I decided to keep to myself for quite a while.

Lend me your ears. I need you to listen while I ask myself questions which I denied answering once upon a time. Let me ponder deeply why. Give me the choice to accept how weak was I.

You can call me ice, silence. I learned it from you. Didn't you teach me to become one? So, if it's not too much, comfort me with gazing eyes while I cry out all the emotions I have expertly tried to hide.

Soothe me with your nothingness. Make me realize how much I deserve that this time.

I admit, my heart is heavy right now. And I want to feel every void, every pain, every hurt, every anger, every regret...

...and then, maybe, just maybe...

...you could bring them with you when you leave, silence. And come back when you hear me again heaving a deep, deep sigh.

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As I previously mentioned, this blog is not doomed yet. I would probably edit out the word "yet" from the first sentence if I find enough time to post. I'm not sure why everytime I log in, I find no interest to write anything. And, whenever I find something to write about, I would realize that I am not logged in. Crap! I'm not making any sense, I know.

Black Swan

In case you feel like watching some other films, do yourself a favor - postpone it and just watch Black Swan now. It's Natalie Portman at her best. And, the plot is as psycho as one could enjoyably tolerate. Spellbinding and dark twisted.

But then, if you are still about to see Inception...I give up. Why can't you just be more recent? Sheez.

Self-Absorbed

I am narcissistic.

There, I said it. Hence, the picture below.

There really is no need to post any image for this post yet I somehow managed to conveniently attach my picture.

Narcissism verges on self-absorption.

But answer me honestly: who cares about other people's need more than his own?

A person in love?

Does being in love change a self-absorbed person? Does he think more of his partner's welfare more than his own?

For the sake of argument, let's just say love makes a self-centered person less so.

But does he not care more about his partner more than himself because the partner makes him happy? In other words, the partner's welfare is more of a person-in-love's concern because he (person-in-love) gets to enjoy a feeling he will not feel if he does not care more about his partner.

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FYI, this is the meds talking. I'm currently ill and this "lucid interval" allowed me to publish this post. Needless to say, my mind is tossed up right now.

And, yep! I'm in love. F**k Freud!

Call It Hardwork...I Call It Home

Hardwork pays off.

I still can't believe it's almost done. Not really my dream house (yet) but, like what I mentioned to one of my co-workers, if it's something that you want and you never experienced it yet, it still stands as a dream.

I never regret my decision to (re)build our family house. If you have been following my blog, you would probably know by now how I have impulsively decided on it. Just like how I have decided on seriously lots of things in my life. Call it instinct. Call it impulse. I just call it "being me".

The house got rave reviews from neighbors and some visiting friends and relatives. They really like it, oftentimes asking where the design of the structure's taken. Ma always tells them she got it from me. Well, it's true. I gave it to her but the design was the result of house design searches I did through the web and design magazines. Even then, I have just impulsively (again) chose that design from some other designs I "devised" ( I'm so out of words now ).

Honestly, it was not an easy task especially if you're not only putting efforts to a certain project. All the while, I am also considering the fact that most of the money I saved ( and will sacrifice saving in the next few years ) will eventually be contributed to this property.

Looking at this picture now, I can't help but feel really inspired and motivated. It's a long shot from the first time I came here in Dubai when my only goal for coming is to save our family house and lot from "foreclosure". I accomplished that after 2 seemingly-long, difficult years. But that's another story of mine to tell. Nevertheless, everything I learned from it, I am eternally grateful for.

I just feel so envious that my brother will see, feel, touch, smell and taste it first! He just flew back home last night for his yearly vacation and is probably only a few miles away from home now. Dang!

This Blog's Not Doomed...Yet

Where did I get the "inspiration" to post? Sa kawalan ko ng antok!

Nabasa ko kase sa Yahoo News na ang human resources department eh hindi na lang nagrerely sa kung ano ang nakasulat sa CV (curriculum vitae ) mo ngayon. Nagreresort na rin daw sila sa cyber searching ( exag - cyber stalking! ) to get to know you even more! Ang totoo, gawain kong mag-Google ng kung ano ano at sino sino kaya dapat hindi na ako na-shock dun noh!

Matapos kong magbasa, nag-try akong matulog. Hindi ako mapakali. Naglog-in uli ako sa laptop at itinype ( 'wag nyo akong paandarin ng ni-type!!!) ang pangalan ko sa Google, first name at last name and voila! Lumitaw sa first page ng search result ang blog ko! Dang!

Kaya agad akong nag-unpublish ng mga entries. 'Yung mga iba kong post eh talagang hindi ko naman balak ipamalita sa future employer(s) ko! Nagmistula na kaseng diary/biography/travel accounts/kung anik anik eklat na ang blog ko kaya nakakaparanoid na baka mamaya pagdating ko sa interview eh tungkol sa blog entry ko ang pagusapan namin ng interviewer. Honestly, may mga posts na kapag iyon ang naging topic, I would definitely feel uncomfortable. Hence, the unpublish act.

Ayokong burahin ang blog na ito. Ayoko ring maglagay ng password. Pero ayoko ring i-compromise ang current and future career prospects ko. So, for now, self-censorship(?) muna ako hanggang makaisip ako ng something.