Going up Westin Singapore’s main ballroom. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I was late. My room is so damn dark even if it’s already 7 am so I overslept. I have huge windows but it’s just one of the quirks of Singapore: it’s 7 am but it still feels like 6 am; it’s already 7:30 pm but it still feels like 5 pm and there is still daylight. 👀
So the conference already started when I arrived. Had to listen to the sessions because the topics being discussed are the same things that I write plus I needed to keep an eye on the big guys and network to death. And of course I got the big guys 😬
Fierce.
And as usual, my Malaysian colleague and I closed the open bar. We were chatting with a very jolly Indonesian real estate guy who works for a big conglomerate in his home country when another colleague of mine from the organizing team had to tap us to say they were already literally closing the venue 🤣.
One for the road. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I was walking out of the building complex where the conference was held when I called up my girls to check on them and the results of their midterm exams in their review sessions.
At Asia Square. Photo by CallMeCreation.com I looked really tired.
The twins said they sucked at Math and abstract reasoning. Errrm, I was good at abstract reasoning because of Tetris (and my older sister credits Tetris as well) so I told the girls to download the game and play it. Basically it’s logic and the game teaches you to flip images in your brain. I would have to help them review and quiz them when I get back home.
Meanwhile, my exhaustion today didn’t stop me from going to Maxwell.
Maxwell Food Center. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Because I wanted to eat chicken rice from Tong Fong Fatt. It’s better than that overrated Tian Tian.
Photo by CallMeCreation.com
When the Maxwell Station (brown line) opens, it would be easier to go to Maxwell hawkers center and go food tripping.
The yet to be opened Maxwell station on the brown line. Photo by CallMeCreation.com Changing stations. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I’m tired, I’m aching all over. I want a good bone cracking and muscle kneading session. 🤕💆
Barely slept. The Airbus that whisked me away to Singapore was narrow, ergo, the seat was small and uncomfortable. 😥
Before the plane took off. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
But I was given a beautiful sunrise before I slept in an upright position. It made the ordeal less intense. The real thing mimicked the PAL logo 😂
I lingered for a while at the Jewel a.k.a. Changi Airport mall to see what the brouhaha was about. For 8 years that I have been coming in and out of Singapore, this is the first time I bothered to check the place out. Well, I was forced to because I was looking for a convenience store that was selling a Starhub prepaid SIM. The ones being sold at the airport were expensive. SGD 32 for something that I wouldn’t be able to maximize because I would often be indoors i.e. have wifi access. I didn’t find a 7-Eleven or Cheers—the outlets that sell SGD 12 Starhub SIMs. I remember a few years ago I wanted to kick myself for succumbing to laziness by buying that SGD 32 from the OCBC kiosk when SGD 12 is available outside the airport. I didn’t even consume half of the allotted 100GB data from that SGD 32 prepaid and it just went to waste.
Of course I went straight to Song Fa. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
While I was looking for the convenience stores, I found Song Fa at the basement of Jewel. I was hungry and I was going to a Song Fa branch anyway, so there. Happy 😊
Checked in at my hotel to drop off my bags. Then off I went to fix some stuff as a transient Singapore-headquartered worker.
New ezlink card. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Among the other Singapore things that expired because I wasn’t able to visit for more than 2 years is my Netspay. It still had SGD 11 in it and I was told at the ticket booth at the airport there was no way I can transfer the amount because I don’t have a local bank account.
I was asking my colleague-friend if I can just transfer the amount to her account instead of letting it go to waste but she said she doesn’t use Netspay but instead other e-wallet that I haven’t heard of. Now it makes me think how many e-wallets are operating here and it seems like there is little interoperability among them 🤔
On the way to Lavender. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Anyway, I tried the ticket station at Bugis and ask the personnel there if she can transfer my expired amount to my Grabpay. She said she would just give me cash 👀
Wow, talk about consistency.
Me on the way to Bugis. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I went to Bugis to buy the prepaid SIM from the Starhub kiosk there. They were out of stock. Went around and saw a 7-Eleven and hoped for the best.
Wohoo! Got my new number now.
I shopped a bit for my girls. The usual stop is Lovisa because Twin I is obsessed now with earrings, the fancy ones.
Teh tarik. I missed this for some reason. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Went to Orchard to pay homage to my home away from home in SG: Kinokuniya Books.
I love Japanese pens. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I wasn’t really there for the books but for the Japanese stationery. I love their writing stuff like pens and notebooks. I took after my father in that aspect. I remember he always used a Parker pen and ordinary pens just wouldn’t do for signing docs or just for notes. For me, it’s Pilot Pens.
However, Kinokuniya didn’t have refills for Dr. Grip and Acroball. 😢 Not the ball size that I want.
Studio Ghibli items. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Of course, just like everything else in this country, the price is too much. I didn’t succumb to temptation.
On the way back to my hotel. Photo by CallMeCreation.com Searching for Harry’s along Victoria St. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Went for drinks with colleagues as my ex-boss, who is transferring to the data team, will be leaving for London for good on Wednesday.
To start the work week right, a pint of Guinness. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I didn’t take my antidepressant because I will be having a lot of alcohol this week. I was already booked by the conference team to have drinks with clients on Wednesday, so help me, God, that I will still be sober after this week.
Hot tub after 1.5 hrs of massage. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
There were sooooo many kids who watched the Red Velvet benefit concert that it took us almost an hour to get out of the parking area. Too many cars. We arrived at around 11:30 pm. The girls took their time in the bath while I had massage. When it was my turn, the girls just plopped on the bed and I took my sweet time in the bathroom. I was just aching all over because I was carrying a backpack with a laptop and clothes.
We slept in and had our brunch at 10:30 and we had a leisurely meal.
Of course she went for the bacon. Photo by CallMeCreation.comHad to get her greens. Photo by CallMeCreation.comThey want to come with me. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Did my last minute packing before I took a nap. My cats want to stuff themselves in my luggage 🤣 . I decided to drive my car and just park it at the airport at Park’NFly instead of spending for Grab+toll+gas for my mom’s car+pay for mom’s driver for three trips. It will turn out much cheaper if I just use my own car and park it there. I can also charge it to my office since this is part of my business trip.
Nap time!
Nowhere to park myself. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I book Philippine Airlines for the bigger seats and legroom but OMG I’ve already forgotten how terrible Terminal 2 is. No food, no money exchange kiosks inside, only a few seats.
This administration should prioritize the redevelopment of NAIA, which the previous Duterte admin conveniently put at the backburner to favor San Miguel’s Bulacan airport.
Now that Marcos vetoed the economic zone status of the Bulacan Airport, this project has been rendered financially unviable. Now the question is how will San Miguel proceed with this?
Working at Single Origins. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I’m now finishing my editing backlog so I don’t have to revisit this next week. I still have to finish my own articles and heaven knows when I can sit down and rake my brain for functioning cells needed for writing. I’m waiting for my best friend and the girls who are watching the Red Velvet concert.
We left QC at around 1 pm and checked in at Hotel Jen – Shangri-la at 2 pm. Good that Shangri-la was able to improve the old Traders’ Hotel that was badly in need of an overhaul but you can already see the age of the building and its facilities.
King bed. I hope the three of us can fit. Photo by CallMeCreation.comPhoto by CallMeCreation.comA peek at Manila Bay. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
At around 3 pm we met my best friend and her nephew (with the girlfriend). The couple went to Ikea and bff went with us and we had an early dinner while the girls attended their online review class.
At Lugang. Dimsum and congee. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
My brain is already fried. I’m dead. I just want to have a 2-hr massage and a long bubble bath and tuck in between those sheets.
Oh. I have kids with me in that delicious-looking bed.
It was raining when I fetched my car. Good thing I got Grab easily because Cainta gets flooded after a torrential rain.
Photo by CallMeCreation.,com
I was overjoyed when I finally met my car. Wohoo! I can finally do errands and go anywhere I want to go.
Photo by CallMeCreation.com
It almost looks new. This hasn’t been buffed and given a new sheen yet so I have to return it on Saturday. I would have the floor painted as well before I have the new carpet installed. I need to add fog lights below the headlamps so there wouldn’t be a gaping hole.
No more dents! No more scratches! They even painted the inside and the engine purrs like a dream.
Meanwhile, I’m busy packing for my trip to Singapore. Why this early? Because tomorrow we will be spending the night at Hotel Jen after the Red Velvet et al concert in MOA Arena. Then I would be running errands at the last minute the next day before returning this car to the shop for polishing. I don’t have enough time nor mental space for last-minute packing.
Yes, my clothes are all black. As black as my soul. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Sushi wants to come with my clothes. I’m a monochromatic person—I just wear black (or grey) like Steve Jobs. I don’t have time to bother with coordinating my clothes before I leave the house. I mean, I only have enough brain cells for my work and managing my home and children.
I was more harassed today than yesterday with edits piling up, stories to write, and coordination with the conference teams. Ghad, I still have two stories to write. Maybe I can write at the airport???
I had a call with the teams that are heading the conferences next week and I realized that I need to extend my stay in Singapore because there is no way I can finish all the tasks I am set to do. My boss told me yes, please extend because I need to meet Singapore candidate reporters as well. My colleague in Singapore will be taking her CFA Level 2 exam in November and after she passes that, I don’t have anything to offer her besides making her officially my deputy, which does not make any dent compared to other prospects that she will have. Even with a promotion and raise, what other financial institution can offer her would significantly be higher.
Stadium Road, Singapore. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
So I must do some succession planning. I need to hire one or two new Singapore reporters and if I need to go back in September, then I should, even though I would like to limit my travel overseas. I need to make room for my S.Korea working-holiday in October-November.
If this colleague-friend would leave soon, then there would be a big gaping wound in my team because she is very good. It’s going to be a huge wound, I tell you.
So there, I would be arriving from Singapore on 2 August and would be fetched by my mom’s driver from the airport at midnight and sleep in my mom’s house for a few hours then go straight to my college’s testimonial and recognition rites. Then my mom’s driver would bring me back to QC.
Today is hectic with calls, editing, and the amount of writing I must do. I’m still creating charts now to include in my crystal ball-gazing article for the region, which our commercial team is asking me to finish NOW because they will include this in the conference next week.
With the amount of ass-kicking I’m doing, I must really ask for another round of raise by the end of this year.
I have four to five pending articles I must write this week. Heaven knows how I would be able to shoehorn it tomorrow when I need to fetch my car, do more food shopping because I would be out of this house for 10 days, and I also need to buy a dress.
My head is swimming. I am wearing four hats all at once and I don’t have mental space for anything else.
That makes my S. Korea holiday a welcome respite from this chaos.
I decided I would be working in Seoul for the first week I would be there and just rent a unit via Airbnb and wait for my friends to arrive the following week. I was already exchanging emails this morning with the PE that I would be visiting there in October. I would just fix my schedule there after this SG trip since I would be meeting some Korean LPs in Singapore. Then I would just let my friends take charge of the itinerary because I’m tired of managing my life. I’ll be happy just being dragged along and be brainless. Anyway, I don’t have any real target that I must achieve/see in Seoul or wherever we would be going. Until Japan opens up to individual tourists without Japan-based family (and not group tours), Korea would be my best alternative holiday destination for this year.
OK, I must go back to my writing chore. The commercial team is waiting for my draft.
TIMECHECK: 12:35 am 21 July —> submitted draft to commercial team and to editing pool
