Day 1: Dead tired

Low battery.

I woke up at 6 am so I can start preparing for my Ms. Universe pageant, as I call my networking events. Had tea and instant cup noodles because I can’t be bothered to go outside for a proper meal. I just needed some carbohydrates to last me the day because in networking events, I barely eat.

All I do is talk and be charming. And get info.

So now I have two stories I need to write down. If I find the time to write them. 🥴

Anyway, just as I was about to leave my room, I noticed that my new dress had split a seam on the shoulder part. So I had to quickly change clothes 🤦‍♀️

Full house for the small conference today. There were more people at the back of this hall and some were standing. And to think the main event is still tomorrow. 🫣

A lot of GPs, LPs, fund of funds, family offices, etc. Moreso tomorrow, which is a bigger event than the one we organized in July.

I started talking to people at past 8 am, got back to my hotel for a bit (about four bus stops away) to get more business cards because I realized the stack I brought with me were not enough. 🤦‍♀️

I stopped at 7 pm because my throat could no longer take it. My legs, too. I’m just too tired. I’m supposed to attend the awards dinner but they couldn’t find my name on the list despite being registered by my colleagues. I finally had the perfect excuse to go home back to the hotel and rest. 🫠

Good thing I brought a lot of Strepsils and Bactidol candies for my throat. My capacity for talking even astounds me. 🤣 One company I had been covering had a presence there and I told their rep that ohhhh I know you guys pretty well. You were bidding for this and this and you have some pending xxxx with yyyy. He laughed and said you have a photographic memory and I wish I have that. I said, in my line of work, it’s a requirement because how else can I gather the things I need for my stories? 😬 And I featured one of your companies. “Yup, I read it,” he replied and I said, “You don’t have any complaints?” Nope, he said. Oh good, I said. This is one of my worst fears when I talk to the people I write about, I told him.

So I have five pending interviews/requests for connection and some more introductions for my contacts, because that’s how I am generous with them. That’s how I keep relationships.

Ahhh, these guys. They don’t give me the time of the day. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Bus on the way home. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I bought dinner from Plaza Singapura because I don’t have the energy to eat in a restaurant. I just want to put my feet up, have a very hot shower, and retire early.

Sushi for dinner. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

And a lovely tea pack from one of the booths at the conference.

Very relaxing blend for the tired body and soul. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Looooong day

I always choose the earliest flight so I can maximize my day. In any case, I can sleep at the terminal and in the plane.

4 am at NAIA Terminal 2. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Before arriving at Changi Airport, I topped up my Starhub via app. No need to bother myself with looking for a convenience store, which I did since 2014. Then finally Starhub launched a wonky app in 2018-2019 so I could do everything online.

Then I got robbed by UOB at their money exchange kiosk in T1. Their exchange rates at the airport is nuts! PHP 11k for only SGD 239! I may have to use my credit cards more. Annoying.

Here is the worst part. My Dizo phone is not working here in Singapore. I bought this so I can use my Smart SIM so I can receive my OTPs for online banking and other transactions. And damn it, it’s not working. I didn’t check that it’s only capable of 2G, which I think Singapore has already retired.

I wasted PHP 1,300 for this thing. I’ll just give this away. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I was forced to buy a new base model Oppo (A17 = 4GB RAM, 64GB ROM) from Challenger @Jewel because I cannot NOT have my Smart SIM dysfunctional. I will just pass this on to Twin I when I come back (since hers is only 3GB, 32GB ROM) and I will use her old phone for my travels. I just need the SMS capabilities of a phone for an OTP.

OMG, I promised that I will not spend so much here but here I am…

Still feeling under the weather so I had bak kut teh to relieve my colds. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I have yet to arrive at my hotel, I was already tired….Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Park near my hotel along Penang Road. I could hear some of them speaking in Tagalog. Probably domestic workers on their day off. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I went to a ceramic exhibit at the nearby Visual Arts Centre. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
More ceramics. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
They are for sale. Some ceramics were dainty and lovely to have at home…but my cats will kill them. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Next door is a studio where they have art lessons for kids and adults. They have various courses there for different media. I talked to the manager there and it was interesting. You can have an a la carte class for SGD 45 for watercolor. Something nice to do on my weekend day off. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

At the back of the National Library. Interesting to sketch. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Resting for a bit at the National Library. Not much visual interest here. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Along Raffles Hotel. Looking for some interesting angles to sketch. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Finally found the Straits Art supplies store at North Bridge Road. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I found Holbein, Rembrandt, Schmicke, some Russian brands, and Old Holland. I held back and reminded myself that I just spent SGD 229 on a cellphone because of my idiocy.

Second-hand bookstore. I have to keep myself from buying random stuff that would add weight to my luggage. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I wonder if I can sketch this with complete details…Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Went to find a nearby Kopi Tiam because I was hankering for hawker food. I was generous with the chili oil because, again, of my colds. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Finally, my bed! I’m so tired. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
No closet and the sink is outside the bathroom.
And bathroom is all glass. Good thing I’m not with someone. It would be awkward seeing your partner pooping. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Big-ass TV that won’t get used. This is a 65″ Samsung. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Ah lovely. Tea to calm down my throat. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Sleepy. Big day tomorrow…Awards night in the evening. And there are only two journos. What am I going to do? How will I stretch myself. Better get some sleep.

Super driver

We stayed behind this morning at the resort so the girls can attend school online while I can have my weekly call with my team and edit some stories. We left at around 12 noon and I decided to have lunch at Twin Lakes Tagaytay because I was hungry.

Taal Volcano. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Lunch at Mary Grace. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

It was windy and the temperature was much lower there. We stayed there for an hour I guess…

And Waze told me to take the Talisay-Tanauan road so it seemed like I took a Taal Loop road trip. The views from Talisay are as pretty, if not prettier than in Tagaytay. The volcano island is much closer to Talisay so you can see how desolate that place is.

From Tanauan, I drove through Sto. Tomas and then Bay, Laguna. We took the MakBan Geothermal route.

Steam from the Mak-Ban Geothermal Power Plant.

Those pipes transport the steam and it runs for several kilometers.

We arrived at my home town after 4 hrs (4:20 pm) because we stopped in Tagaytay for an hour or so. I signed another check to my contractor and looked at the construction progress.

Large windows. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
More large windows. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I was told I will have a giant door. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

So far so good. ❤️ I think my father would have been proud of me.

But I think he would have meddled with the construction, just like when he messed around with his brother’s (who is an architect) design. 🤣 Our house turned out differently… And my uncle told me when he first stepped into our house after we moved in, he scratched his head and said, ummm this is not how I drew it. 😱 Since he was 8 years younger than my father, he just didn’t raise an issue and kept his mouth shut forever.

So after my father died and my mom decided to renovate the house to change the layout, my uncle redrew the plans and he put everything to its original position 🤣

After I finished editing the last article for the day, the girls and I went out to have dinner with my sister-in-law and nephew.

With Kuya P. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

We left at 9:30 pm and it took me only 1.5 hrs. to reach the apartment via Skyway 3.

Basicall, I’ve been driving for most of the day. 😑

Perfect weather

Finally! Photo by Twin A.

After several months, I finally had a chance to freedive again. Even though there was nothing to see except for some dead corals and some fish, I was glad I was able to practice again and my lungs had a good workout. My long fins really made a huge difference because they allow me to dive deeper with less effort.

Photo by CallMeCreation.com

It was difficult though because we had with us my indescribable nephew. So after an hour we had to leave.

The rest of the morning was spent in the pool.

Twin A. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Twin I. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

To satisy Twin I’s deep desire to get thrown in the middle of the sea, we hired a banana boat driven by a jetski. It was fun but it was difficult to lift myself out of the water because my legs kept slipping off the banana boat; I blame the sunscreen.

Photo by CallMeCreation.com

We were rewarded again with a beautiful sunset to cap our weekend here.

Next time, it will just be the three of us when I’m freer to book Layag Resort in Anilao. It’s difficult to enjoy the weekend if a kid keeps on throwing tantrums.

I just need to finish my tiny house.

I’m sun burned

Putting photography skills to the test. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Fujifilm XQ1
Focal length 25.6mm
Aperture f/7.1
ISO 100
Auto white balance
Exposure time 1/600 s

We left QC yesterday at 6:30 am and took Skyway 2 to exit at Mamplasan then Silang, Cavite.

I’ve been writing about CALAX since forever but this is the first time I used this Cavite-Laguna Expressway.

It was a smooth drive and we were ahead of our original ETA that I decided to have coffee along Aguinaldo Highway in Silang.

At Starbucks Downhill, Silang Cavite. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Lovely breakfast and we’re getting a good dose of vitamin c.

We arrived at the resort at 10:30 am, so minus the Starbucks stop, it took us 2:45 hrs of driving from QC to Lian. Our family room is huge, it was as big or bigger than a two-bedroom condo unit in Makati.

Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I left the kids to do their thing while I checked out the rest of the property.

I don’t want to walk around in my swimsuit.
Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I had hung out in one of those floating rafts. And got stranded the rest of the morning there until I got hungry.

Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Photo by CallMeCreation.com

After lunch, we had hung out at the pool because I was tired from the drive to go diving somewhere.

Tequila Sunrise at the pool. Because why not? Photo by CallMeCreation.com

The rest of my family arrived. It’s my mom’s birthday on Thursday and my nephew’s last week so that’s why we’re all here.

Photo by CallMeCreation.com
One of my sisters. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Fujifilm XQ1
Focal length 25.6mm
Aperture f/9
ISO 100a
Auto white balance
Exposure time 1/1300 s 
My sister and nephew. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Oppo Reno 7 Z 5G
focal length: 4. 71mm
apperture: f/1.7
ISO 100
white balance: auto
exposure:1/873 s

Too much sun, two rounds of alcohol, and a too early drive knocked me out flat at 8 pm.

Diving today at 8 am. ❤️