Graffiti art from a wall of The Circle Hostel Baler

Almost every night after work, I would sit on the bench in front of our flat for a few minutes. I will just sit there, spread my arms and look up at the sky. It would be stark black and filled with clouds. Come to think of it, I actually haven't seen stars from this part of Singapore. Come to think of it, I actually haven't seen stars IN Singapore, except from a balcony in Little India on Christmas Eve.

Just like many firsts, seeing those twinkling balls of gas gave me goosebumps. I have been working deadly hours this whole December. Like deadly deadly. I can count two full days when I didn't work for the whole month. This is why I can't help but still be grateful for every small win.

Those stars? Yup. Small win.


Speaking of wins... Oh hey Kriz and I won in Cash Cab Philippines! If you still haven't seen it, the replays will be airing on AXN Philippines until they start showing new episodes by January 9.

I have promoted this on my Facebook profile a few days leading into the premiere night because I was really proud of it. It gave me one of the moments I will remember for a long time. I call it my "defining moment" but alas, they cut all of that due to our already long air time. I will edit this post this weekend to include the behind the scene story of our overly excited reactions when we won.

Sorry from Jennever Pelaez on Vimeo.

I haven't really made new friends here in Singapore yet, but the ones that I already do have take turns visiting me. They are really sweet! Although arguably, this could also probably be why I don't have enough time to go out and mingle. That, and the fact that I also go home relatively often.

Last week, my best friend booked her KL-MNL flight so she can do an SG layover for a few hours just to see me. To save some time, I checked us in at a hostel along Arab Street. She was coming in at 1AM and it was more likely that we can find someplace open nearby the Bugis area. It was also gonna be a lot cheaper than taking a cab back and forth to Ang Mo Kio, where I live.

We did manage to find open restaurants, but during a detour in the popular-amongst-tourist hipster(?) Haji Lane at 2AM, we saw an empty street that was very inviting. We just had to make a short dance video on the spot, of course!

Book your The Circle Hostel - Baler accommodations through this link. 
Okay, not exactly breaking news. The Circle Hostel - Baler has been operational for many months now. I'm just really ecstatic about this hostel amenity, and given a choice between Circle Hostel La Union and Baler for a surfing/beach trip, I would most likely choose Baler for the kitchen alone.

There's just so many possibilities when there's a kitchen. At 6AM, the first thing I did after dropping my bags on my bunk bed was to take a tricycle to the market to buy ingredients for a quick omelette breakfast. This is what we did for the three days we were there. (Related: I crashed Kira and Alex's Baler trip) I wish I took photos.

And when you luck out, you might just happen to be checked in at the hostel at the same time with, I don't know, a chef. Rafa and Raff, cousins and the latter a chef, were the ones who volunteered to cook dinner. They made us chip in PHP 120 each for the market costs. (This is less than SGD 4, now that I think about it)

Apart from the photos I will post below, I think I only missed taking a photo of the REALLY delicious ensaladang talong at mangga.

Are you ready???

First, let me ask you. When was the last time you were served tuna and octopus sashimi at a hostel? I'll give you 3 seconds to think about that... Okay, time is up! I'm super excited, especially by this photo. We had bowls and bowls of these pretty looking things and I have four words for you--FRESH FROM THE MARKET.

Someone here in Singapore recently asked me if the Philippines as a nation is obsessed in having fair skin tone, as what is usually assumed of Asian countries from the Malay race. I said, before it really was a big deal and very evident. But now, I would like to think we, Filipinos, have already grown past that notion, and that slowly the local media is making its way to tell the masses that skin color should not really be a scale of beauty. I am very optimistic about this and because every skin color is beautiful!

Since I lived in Manila 10 years ago, it took me quite a while as a probinsyana to adjust to seeing a lot of fair-skinned people. It also didn't help that a lot of commercials and ad campaigns were all about equating fairness to skin health. But as I grew older, that's when I really learned by heart that whatever skin color I have is only an aesthetic part of me, and in no way defines my character. That realization turned into acceptance and then into confidence in wearing my skin color.

Reason why I suddenly had to type on my keyboard frantically about this is because I was just browsing the photos from a photowalk a few days after my last surfing trip in Baler, Philippines three months ago, and holy cow, I have never been this in love with my skin tone! Huge contrast to 10 years ago, when I would have panicked about being out in the sun for too long.


Back story: I was touring my visiting friend, Kriz, here in the city. It was blazing hot in Singapore around that time so I kinda had to force him to take my photos.

[Photo 1][Photo 2][Photo 3]

Related: Cool coincidence. Kriz also posted about Singapore last night. You can read about it here.

A three-parter post that I typed on my phone at separate instances with no particular reader in mind. As stated in the title, it's a ranting rampage so proceed with caution. Or maybe just don't read it at all.

I F*ckin' Forgot I Had A Lighter
I have been very irresponsible by accidentally bringing a lighter in my bag for a total of 6 flights, local and international, all of which touched base in NAIA. Irresponsible, because I essentially upped those flights' risk factor, and worse, without me being aware.

It wasn't even concealed. It was right in the middle of my handbag, along with other trash I refused to part ways with. (Read: most likely highly flammable) It was a very cheap lighter we bought at the convenience store one midnight in Taguig. I can still remember which date it was and who I was with. It had sentimental value.

Even so, every time I'd see the lighter still in my bag after a flight, I'd give myself flak and then a mental note to remove it right away. Of course, me being me, I forgot. And since I have never actually smoked or had no other use for the lighter, I kept on forgetting I had it in there.

I know the much sensationalized Laglag Bala Scam we keep hearing about in the news has already (thankfully) started to die down but as an OFW who would want to visit the Philippines every now and then, I must admit I still have a fear of getting victimized. IN MY OWN COUNTRY. BY MY COUNTRYMEN, WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SERVING SAID COUNTRY.

That seemed more absurd as I was typing it.

If I had unknowingly brought something dangerous that could endanger the lives of others, I want to be stopped by the scanners and be dealt accordingly by all means. But a frame-up is a completely different thing.

OFWs only have a few vacation days. I don't want to spend hours or even days getting hassled. I don't want my precious time to get wasted. Time I could spend with my family and friends. And more importantly, I don't want any more international ridicule towards the NAIA Terminals.

I just want these officers to do their jobs, and  to do their jobs well. After all, this is what they are being paid for to do. Is this really too much to ask?

[Add]: After verifying what the regulated/illegal items that can be brought inside a plane are, I have learned that a single lighter is OKAY. What's not allowed is if you bring two lighters or more. The law also states the lighter should always be with the person, not inside the checked baggage. 

It makes sense but a few months back, I had a cheap lighter blow up in my hands. I was able to save our kitchen from getting lit up so no harm done. But it makes me also think lighters are unpredictable, even on their own.

Since I got here last June, I have been diligently taking note of my expenses. Not that it actually helps me think twice about requesting an Uber--because as you will soon find out, my transportation expenses are terribly managed--but to help me document these outgoing cash flow so I can take those details into consideration when I'm setting up a budget for the following months.

Last Saturday, I decided to finally break the streak of five weekends spent on traveling and socializing. Like a hermit who went to his cave, I suddenly stopped talking to my friends and I locked myself inside the house. I attempted to deactivate my Facebook for a while, but then had to reactivate after a day because Spotify won't let me use my Premium account without my linked Facebook account. I couldn't bear life without my guilty pleasure, my Tito Playlist, okay?

I slept in until I had to unwillingly get up to eat a very late lunch. Then, I binged-watched all the reality TV shows I missed--four episodes of Survivor, four episodes of The Amazing Race, some episodes of America's Next Top Model, and since those were not enough to satiate my TV addiction, I also caught up on three episodes of How To Get Away With Murder. And idk I guess Sunday wasn't exciting enough so I reinstalled Tinder.

Ang haba ng intro but here we are now! Bear with me. 

Total Time: 30 minutes

If you haven't registered for overseas voting in Singapore, you still have nine more (working) days to do so! And you don't even have to file for a full-day leave.

1. From the embassy gate, go straight to the farthest end of the compound, and enter the door on the left.



2. You will be told to sit on the chairs, and be asked to move along as the queue moves. You will be given a clipboard with the registration form and a pen. If you don't have a photocopy of your passport and IC, an OVR officer will photocopy it for you, while you wait on your seat.



3. When you reach the first seat in front, you will be asked by the next free OVR officer to get processed.



4. Submit the filled out form and photocopies. Get your picture taken (mag-make up na habang nakapila!), your thumbprints and signature.



5. That's it! You are registered!

Some time last week I read that we have hit the most number of overseas voters who registered for next year's elections. I'd like to think this is an effect of the efficient registration process that the OVR offices are doing, so good job to the Philippine Embassy in Singapore! The OVR office was full of applicants but it only took me EXACTLY 30 minutes. (I timed it!)



Philippine Embassy - Singapore
20 Nassim Road

Nearest MRT: Orchard Station (Take a taxi from here as even after taking a bus to the nearest bus stop, you will have to walk 699 meters to the embassy)

Add three girls, three smartphones, and one camera, and what do you get? An impromptu photoshoot on a rocky beach!


Warning: Some photos of bikini-clad girls ahead!

Have you ever met someone who eats pork but does not like bacon? Because I haven't. If I did, I'd probably hate this person and we'd never be friends.

The most common question I received during my visit to the Philippines was: What do you usually do on weekends in Singapore? The answer is this. I take my camera out for a walk and I stalk people.

If you check my geo-tags history, it's pretty evident where I've been hanging out the most during weekends. I'm often in Little India because there's always something happening at every corner. It's also a good change in scenery and perspective from the weekday work bustle.

Click here to view the entire photoset on Flickr.

For Palaweños currently based elsewhere except Puerto (as what we, the locals, lovingly call Puerto Princesa City) it is imperative for us to visit our favorite Chaolong-an place before going back again out into the wild. However, during my surprise visit in Palawan two weeks ago, I was so caught up with family and friends (a good problem to have, btw) that I forgot to include eating the local Vietnamese food into my itinerary.

Last Saturday, I posted a very vague Facebook status about me almost not making my flight back to Singapore because I got held up at the Philippine Immigration desk. I wanted to write in detail everything that happened while it's still fresh in my head because a.) it was a VERY nerve-wracking experience, and b.) if anyone out there is facing the same situation, reading about this could maybe help a tiny bit. (That's a lot of uncertainty in one phrase since we all have different scenarios. It may be easier or harder for you, depending on the circumstances.)

During the Baler leg of my short Philippine break, I did something I always imagined myself doing when traveling--I rented a motorbike and drove myself around for almost two hours.


I thought it was gonna be a walk in the park. They say, after all, that an old skill will never be lost on you. Well, apparently it was. I didn't take into account that there will be other vehicles in play, people crossing the road, animals resting ON the road, sharp road curves, broken bridges that made you detour to a steep rough road path. To stop burying the lead, I lightly crashed into a mountain of gravel three minutes into driving, and had two VERY scary near-misses on sharp curves on the way back to The Circle Hostel.

To be honest, I was scared for my life and I kept swearing and shouting "Tangina! What did you get yourself into, Jen?!" However, to me that was still an achievement unlocked, considering I haven't driven a motorbike for the past 12 years. And because, you know, it was exactly as I envisioned myself doing before doing this side trip--driving by the sea, getting mesmerized by the view. I am very cheesy, #sorrynotsorry!

Note: I forgot to schedule this post! Chapter 1 and 2 can be found before the Onok Island posts. Not that anyone actually reads these. :)) 

CHAPTER 3: OMG SHE'S NOT DONE TALKING YET?

Speaking of what I do for a living...

I want to tell you about the first three job offers I got right out of college. The first one was with SMITS, the second one was with IBM, the third one was with this IT Firm in Ortigas, which name escapes me. What do they all have in common? They all offered me good programming jobs. They all also got turned down by me. Thing was, I wasn't interested in being a programmer.

Programming in college was fun for me. There was no pressure. If you made a mistake, it will only cost you your grades. But when I was a fresh graduate, thinking of programming for a living really got to me. Did I really want to slave hours and hours in front of the computer to think of logic that would make a program run? No. I was done with it! I was done with thinking on that level. I decided I wanted to go work in the infrastructure IT department. Then, HP came along with an offer to the same department, but very different career track.

I spent two years in a role that was low-paying and had no potential for career growth. Truth be told, if I was privileged enough, I would have resigned the moment I felt I had already saturated everything I could learn in that role. But I wasn't. I was living in Metro Manila independently. I had bills to pay.

Welcome to this video clip compilation where you will be seeing...just me for the entire last half!

I shot the clips using a tripod for my (failed) jumpshot stills, which I will screencap later on for Instagram purposes. It will also give you an insight on my beach kaartehan when I am alone and how I spent the first 30 minutes as mentioned in my Onok Island Itinerary entry.




Because I have learned from my mistake a few months back, I went on and finished this travel video without all the pretty wide shots of Onok Island from G's gopro. I can always go back to the old draft and re-edit when everything I need is in my hands.

That mistake being, waiting for the video clips to be sent by other people so I can finish compiling the entire thing. Two of the best travel videos I have put together so far will not see the the light of day because my work laptop crashed just before I left Manila, and the IT department was unable to recover the files. Like any grown adult would do, I ugly-cried upon hearing I have lost ALL of my files forever. *echoes foreverrr*

IT Personnel: Sorry, your HDD is already corrupted. 
Me: But it's an HDD. It's 2015! Everything can be retrieved now! Technology!!!
IT Personnel: We already tried everything. 
Me: Are you SURE you cannot do anything???
IT Personnel: It happens. 
Me: *keeping myself from crying*
IT Personnel: Accept it. 
Me: Excuse me. *walks out of the room*

(I may have dramatized this exchange for retelling purposes but something like that really happened.)

Kuala Lumpur and El Nido trips last year-- you have been wonderful and you will always be in my and my friends' memories. But not on my Vimeo page. No, you will be not. (Kriz says he was able to get the recovered files from the IT department, but when I asked him to search for the KL and El Nido drafts I have already rendered, they were not there.)

P.S. Should I go ahead and just buy my own GoPro???

Related: Road To Onok: The Nitty Gritty

Onok Island: Checked! In a perfect world, after a nap you could just go down a ladder and swim in the ridiculously clear sea.

A little over three months ago, I crossed off an item in my travel bucket list-- Onok Island. Being there was so surreal. Half the time, I couldn't believe we actually made it. (Related: Road To Onok: The Nitty Gritty) And the other half, I spent napping on a hammock in a stilt cottage perched on the beach. Easily the best nap I have ever had in this lifetime!

Onok Island is a privately owned small piece of land situated within the Balabac island municipality in Palawan. The island came out in public light when a shot of Onok by George Tapan won National Geographic's Best Photo of 2011. Since then, a lot became interested to go too, including me. This post is an attempt to give you a guide on how to get there using the same itinerary my best friend, G, and I did.

Sample Itinerary



Important: Before hauling your backpacks to Balabac, make sure to ask for permission from the owner, Mayor Astami and his family. I won't put the contact number of the tourism officer here because we had a bad experience dealing with the officer. I wouldn't want to put you in that position, if I can help it.

Edit: Contact Ate Beth instead at +639494241605. She's a newly appointed tourism officer and she's very nice. Ask her for the Mayor's permission to go to Onok.

(RELATED: Onok Island Itinerary)

The road to paradise is not always glamorous. I have always known this, but the idea kept on reinforcing itself during that trip to *Onok Island with my best friend, G.

Port of Rio Tuba. Some of the boardwalk planks felt like they would give in at any moment.

I am only posting about Onok now because I have reviewed the photos and videos from my camera just last night, for the first time! Why I waited for so long, I don't know. Maybe I just didn't want to get lost in its beauty all over again?

But this post is not meant to gush about how wonderful the road to Onok was. Because in reality it was not. It took a total of 20 hours to get to Balabac island municipality from Puerto Princesa, including the waiting time for the daily ferry from the port of Rio Tuba. And that was not it. After reaching Balabac, we had to wait until the next morning before we could take another boat ride to Onok Island.

Port of Rio Tuba: Shanties on Stilts. Photo taken from the ferry.

Politics and local corruption made it so much harder too. I didn't mind the wait and the lengthy travel time, but when we were already being conned for our money outright, I was fuming mad. This is my home province, and you are making me pay that much?! My pride (and sense of entitlement) almost had me catching the next ferry ride back to the mainland.

To reiterate what I said after that trip, I am glad I went through with it, with all of it--not just the good, but also the not so good. It was a great exercise in practicing grace under pressure. And at the end of it, I got to go home with photos and anecdotes, too.

As promised by the title, well sort of, here's the second part. Unlike my previous "drawing" posts, I have already typed everything up to the last part of this very long blog post. I reckon the pills had something to do with this. Yes, let's blame the pills, shall we?

I say couch, as in couch potato, but I really mean the bed. Because more comfortable!!! Also, #hotdoglegs

CHAPTER 2: CATCHING UP WITH THE COUCH
It took me a while before I finally decided to buy myself a personal laptop. I couldn't torrent using my work laptop, and I didn't really want to spend that much time binge-watching, like what I normally used to do back in the days.

Well, as I've figured out, TV addiction is real, and just like any addiction, when you relapse, you fall into a hole much deeper than you were used to. Since I was on bench for a while before the next project, I fell back into watching. Good thing my shows haven't started from their break yet, so I didn't really miss that much. The bad thing? My exercise and library time have been swapped to TV series time. It was not a good replacement, I'm telling you. I think this could be why I'm sick.

As to the shows I binged watched (because again, no one calls it TV marathon now), here is the mini-list.

1. ANTM Season 22 - I love reality TV drama, okay!
2. UnREAL - Finally got into this. Very meta. Reality TV world is possibly also very dramatic in real life, and more likely more than dramatic than my programming world, but it can't possibly be THAT dramatic, right? Really, a death on the show and it doesn't gets cancelled??? And it wasn't like that recent Survivor death too that was caused by a challenge. This one was because **SPOILER ALERT** a contestant jumped off the roof! I hate people who spoil TV for me. Highlight that part before the exclamation point to view.
3. Parks and Recreation Season 6 - Rewatch
4. Blindspot - leaked pilot ep
5. Lucifer - leaked pilot ep; I have announced this on Twitter, but Lucifer is really gorgeous!!! I want to see more of him!
6. Minority Report - leaked pilot ep
7. Mr. Robinson - If you loved Daryl's character in The Office, you will like this. He gets to play someone who gets to play music on the show. His love interest, same as the girl protagonist in Minority Report. That girl is working hard!
8. Another Period - Keeping up with the Kardashians meets Downton Abbey. It's so absurd and cringe-worthy, I love it!
9. Impastor - new show about a con man, trying to pose as a pastor. I kinda liked it.
10. FRIENDS - Rewatch. And oh, it once saved my life.
11. The Office - Rewatch. I will never get tired of everyone in this show.
12. Wayward Pines - I said this was the best TV show of Summer '15, but I saw it before Mr. Robot.
13. Mr. Robot - Still having an inner argument with myself if this one should hold best show title, at least for me.
14. Halt and Catch Fire - AMC just keeps on shitting great shows. Where are they getting these hits??
 
That was a handful, and I don't even want to tell you when I exactly bought the laptop. I enjoyed watching Mr. Robot and Halt and Catch Fire for obvious reasons. It somehow touches with what I do to pay the bills and I get a lot of real life parallels, albeit not as intense as their television-hit-level storylines. (Sorry, no hot bosses nor hot programmers in my world! Hoping to see one in this lifetime!)

Traditionally, when you're learning a new programming language, hello, world is the phrase that will be asked of you to print out on your first program. I won't be talking about my first program however. Instead, I'll talk about college, my career and TV shows I have recently watched. Fun!

I will try to keep this in layman's terms as much as I can. For your reference, I will be talking a lot of computer-speak, mostly in the context of programming. Programmer will sometimes be interchanged with developer. Also, I am bedridden and on painkillers as I'm typing all these so please bear with my babbling. I will try to edit out some of the babble in the next coming days when I'm well. I REALLY REALLY hope it's not appendicitis.

That's Len beside me. I know, I will get flak from her for posting this photo, but look at me! And yes, that is me in the lavender hoodie. As my bestfriend now, who shall not be named. said "Mukha kang payat-mahirap dati."

CHAPTER 1: REAL PROGRAMMERS4U2LUV
Almost a decade ago, me and my college best friend Len entered a programming competition during the University Fair. Let me rephrase that. Almost a decade ago, I forced Len to pair up with me and sign up to a programming competition during the University Fair. Because why not! We had nothing to lose. We were girls anyway.

Okay, okay. That sounded really bad. We attended college at a male-dominated computer university. And yes, gender stereotyping was evident. At the time, that was my best sell so Len would agree to pair up and enter the competition with me. 

We entered the computer laboratory where the contest was to be held. And surprise, surprise! Yes, we were the only girls. We took two computer terminals at the back, because no matter how I hyped it up to my best friend, that moment still sent me the shivers to my spine. Imagine this. EVERYONE WAS LOOKING AT US AS WE ENTERED THE ROOM. We were a sore thumb next to all the greats of that school when it comes to programming.

Mechanics:
1. We were given 20 (difficult) machine problems that we needed to code.
2. How we split the tasks between the pair was up to us.
3. We can either use C language or Java, and I think Assembly too
4. There was a time limit of 3 hours, or was it 4 hours? Bahh I can't recall, but it was a long time.
5. The programs will be judged based on cleanliness, efficiency and timeliness.

Now, I suck at remembering life moments, unless they were really big and invoked all sorts of emotions in me. That moment was a good example. At the last hour, we hit a road block. We literally stopped coding our half of the list of machine problems. We said out loud, "Is this it? Are we going home?"

I thought, "We already went this far. We can't lose to this." Then, I had a light bulb moment. I started debugging Len's programs on double time. I took over her station, and asked her to do the same to my programs. I remember this exact moment because everyone in the room got up from their screens to look at us switch seats. It was like carnival show to them. We couldn't tell if they were amused or horrified for us. Some even cheered.

We did all we could do, but it was not a TV show. We were not the female protagonists that had your sympathy for the underdogs. We were not also ridiculously hot like the ones we see on TV. (Refer to the photo above.) We were not bound to win at the end. You know what we DID get out of all that? That we coded at a standard so familiar with each other, we were able to figure out what went wrong with the programs and how to fix them, all in a matter of minutes. (I'm talking about your incorrect nesting, Len! Haha!) Talk to any developer, and you will always hear it is much harder to fix something another developer did.

Oh, and we actually did place. We won 2nd Runner Up, could you believe that? Nevertheless, to us, it was just icing on the cake. It also solidified our choice to get each other as thesis-mates.  

I know the exact moment when I realized I wanted to stop from over-eating. It was a Saturday-- I woke up at 11AM, cooked bacon, bought a 32-oz Iced Tea from 7Eleven. I went back home and I ate three plateful of rice with that. And then for dinner, I did the same thing. Six plates of rice, a lot of bacon and 64 ounces of Iced Tea. That was it. It was enough to make me feel so disgusted about my eating habits.

Last night, or should I say early this morning, I passed out in front of my laptop while finishing up on work. That was around 4AM. Come 6AM, my alarm clock went off and I dragged myself to the bathroom. I had to wake up early for a client interview that was located two hours away from where I live.

To be exact, I got to the Changi Business Park an hour and a half earlier. I went to the nearest breakfast place I could see and took my time getting caffeinated. After all, the building I was going to wasn't really that far. When you get this snark from gothere.sg, you probably really should walk.

With 30 minutes more to spare, I walked the 5-minute estimated route. I took time to smell the flowers, and admire the trees. I got to the building with 15 minutes to spare. Then, it hit me. No guards? No reception? Where was I?

I hurriedly looked for a person, while at the back of mind I kept thinking there was no freakin' way I would be late for this interview. I woke up really early just to get there sooner. Finally, I saw someone walking towards his motorbike.

"May I know where's the reception area? I'm here for an interview."
"Who's the contact person?"
"It's this one." Then, I showed him the name of the contact from my phone.
"Hmm. I don't know him."
"He's in the IT Department." *OMG PLEASE TELL ME I'M IN THE RIGHT PLACE!*
"This is the wrong building, Miss." *

As a response, I laughed. Not because I was crazy or anything (ooor maybe I am idk) but because OF COURSE, something like this was bound to happen to me. Nothing ever comes easily nor without drama!

I asked for directions and as soon as I got off from the shock of it all, I ran towards where it was located. It was a 10-minute walk but my running slashed more than half off the time needed. Still, I got there 5 minutes late. On the way up inside the elevator, I said audibly: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, my ass! Screw Murphy's Law!"


"Hi, I'm Jen. I just ran from the other building. Thank you for the ice breaker!" *smiles*
The interview went really well. I went out of that building feeling really happy about what just happened. After all, I was 1 out of 2 people who got shortlisted among all the profiles submitted to that company. That in itself was enough for me to feel giddy. Although, I can honestly say I'll be sad if I didn't get it as I thought for sure they wanted to hire me right then and there.

Hurriedly, I went to start the long journey back to my current office in Ang Mo Kio. As my butt found an empty seat at the bus stop, I casually checked on my bank account thru my phone. I don't even know how to describe that moment. Tears rolled off as soon as I saw the balance. It was my first salary since I started working here, already deposited a day earlier than I was expecting.

And the icing on top? For all transit changes I had to make along the way, I got to the stop just in time for the train's/bus' arrival. That's the commuting equivalent of driving thru all green traffic lights!

You've seen the title. If you're a guy friend who would rather not know about things about me such as places I go to get waxed, take this as your cue to stop reading this post.


The moment I got here, one of the things I googled was "brazilian waxing in singapore" and then, followed closely by "cheap brazilian waxing in singapore." I gave myself a deadline because my friends from Manila planned on visiting during my third weekend and we all agreed on swimming at the Marina Bay Sands sky pool and/or at a beach in Sentosa.

Knowing full well how hard it was to find online reviews on waxing services here, let me list down the options I considered.

1. DIY Waxing
This was actually my first choice. I have done it on myself, at first out of necessity during my December 2014 holiday in Palawan. (Short backstory: There were virtually no waxing salons in Puerto Princesa. I looked everywhere! I found one that had them in their services menu but it was a salon specializing in nail care and they didn't have an available attendant to do the waxing. AND it was pretty expensive too! Strip Manila pricing levels, kaloka sila! Desperate me saw Epilin wax at Watson's and had a light bulb moment--"why don't I just DIY it?", I said rhetorically. Long story short, it was the most painful experience ever. It was so painful, I spent 2 hours trying to get the wax and hair off while crying at 2AM.) After that, I eventually got the hang of waxing myself and had been doing it until I left Manila. It meant shaving (pun!!!) off a thousand Pesos off my monthly expenses then.

Back to Singapore, I looked at Fairprice and all the Watsons I've passed by but I didn't find any Epilin or any hot wax variation. My best bet, there would be some in Sephora (???? Can anyone confirm??) or online shops specializing on depilatory waxes.

Cost: The price of the wax and comfort food, because if you're a first timer at waxing yourself, you will need ALL the comfort you can get AKA food.

2. Home-based Waxing Service
In my Google searches, this "home-based waxing" result appeared and it services those who are within the Ang Mo Kio area. I didn't get the chance to try it since they only allow appointments booked at least 2 days before the schedule. But in case you live in the area and want to try this out, here's the website.

Purplicious: The Wax House
http://purpliciouswaxhouse.com

Cost: A Brazilian wax is priced at SGD 50. For other services, check out the price list here.

3. Waxing Salons/Beauty and Wellness Spa
I tried calling more salons and spas in my proximity but most don't offer waxing services. I was quite tempted to just go to Strip, but not only is it really expensive, it is also far. I have also read posts on how the service won't make you feel like you got your money's worth. Then, I saw another listing on the internet, a beauty and wellness spa in Toa Payoh.

Blossom Beauty House
http://www.blossombeautyhouse.com

My waxing attendant was named Angie. The waxing experience was like just having a chikahan moment with a girl friend, except this girl friend was casually, yet carefully, stripping off hair after every sentence. I don't know if it's the wax they use or the technique, or maybe both, but I will say on record that that was the least painful waxing experience I've ever had. (Or IDK, are Manila waxers really just not as careful?!) By the end of the waxing session, I wanted to be best friends with Angie.

Cost: For first timers, a Brazilian wax is priced at SGD 38. Such a steal, right? However, the original price is SGD 98 for non-first timers. But fret not, there are packages you can avail wherein you can pay for 5 sessions and get a big discount, making the service cost around SGD 50-55 post-package discount.

I'm pretty sure I'll still always find myself near a body of water (#IslandGirlForever), and that means more waxing. I will update this post as soon as I get to try other waxing options here. Friends who are/were based in Singapore, feel free to chime in and share your hair-free secrets!


Related: Where I Go To Get Waxed (Taguig)

Today marks the first month of my very abrupt move to Singapore. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT, YES I MOVED TO SINGAPORE!

Until now, I have been getting Facebook messages from former colleagues asking me why they can't contact me via the office communicator. In case you missed it, I already resigned from HP last month. And in case you don't know, I'm not here in Singapore for vacation, as what the rest of those who have also private messaged me originally thought. Nope. Not on vacation. I am here for work. I have compiled the frequently asked questions I have received in a separate post. But first, I want to share an anecdote that will forever be ingrained in my mind.

AKA My Week So Far Vol. 2

Hello, world! I am typing this blog post from my new phone (Yup!) while on the bus to work, running late (for the first time here, believe it or not) because I just came from the bank, where I got my very first MasterCard debit card. (What took me so long to get one?!) There's a LOT of "big girl" moments for me this past week-- opening a bank account, queuing for a postpaid mobile account and watching a movie alone while waiting for for my turn, leaving the mall with an iPhone 6 using my savings, and buying my first piece of "furniture" and carrying it all the way home, to name a few--and it's only making me fall in love with this Singapore stint even more.

Now, let me tell you about work. As stated in my sidebar, I'm an IT Consultant, a general term I use in place of SAP ABAP Consultant because the latter's harder to explain in layman's term. I program business systems. I code. I debug business application errors. Basically, I have the same work title like the one I had in the Philippines. I'm under a contractual agency, and got deployed to a company VERY close to my heart. Can you guess which? (Hint: It's the same company I used to work for.)

Work has been great so far. Although here it's much different. Working up to the late hours is a norm. And when you say work, people do not kid around. It's work. Period. BUT I'm not even complaining. Right now, I'm just very grateful to have a job.

Apart from that, it helps a lot to have Filipino teammates who are more than willing to help whenever I encounter work issues. It's just a bonus that they are actually very welcoming too. After work last Friday, they brought me to Jollibee because it was June 12, after all. Then, we went to Clarke Quay for beer and a very fact-filled tour of the bay area. Thank you to my good-looking AND rich teammates for the warm welcome! (#insidejoke, also they read my blog so hiii!)

I have moved the rest of this VERY long post to separate blog posts because you probably won't read it if this whole thing was that long. I know I won't!

I live in an HDB unit where there are no full length mirrors. If you've been to my place, both in college and while already working in Metro Manila, you wouldn't miss the full length mirror that I have owned for 10 years. (Read: As soon as I set foot in Manila, I had my landlady buy one for me. It was 1.5 meters wide and taller than I am. People say they look prettier and slimmer looking at that mirror. IDK if it is true, but it was a good mirror that I had to say goodbye to before leaving for Singapore.)

I tried being mirror-free for two weeks but I couldn't take it any longer. I finally bought a full-length mirror a few days ago from the furniture shop, about 300 meters away from the public library I frequent. Here are some facts:

1. The furniture shop was more than a kilometer away from my house.
2. The mirror won't fit the taxi or the bus.
3. The mirror was heavy.
4. The shop owner offered to carry it for me.

You see, even though I, admittedly, can get my way in things with a simple smile, I am actually very prideful. If you tell me you want to do something for me and I feel like proving to myself that I can do it on my own, I will throw away all logic and do it myself.

I said to the owner, "No, Uncle. I can carry this! I live not too far away."

(LIES!)

So there I was carrying the mirror through the sidewalks of Ang Mo Kio, and I made very sure that I'd look like I'm not breaking a sweat while at it, too, carrying it like it was a clutch bag. I was trying to mentally one-up all the joggers in the area. But did it work? That, I will never know.

This is the mirror during my stopover in front of the library. Cheers to pride, independence AND vanity!

It's like a fuzzy dream. Not more than ten days ago, I was still in an isolated island in Palawan, having problems getting urgent requirements sent over the internet. (Read: 3G in the province sucks big time!) I almost thought it won't happen as I kept on facing a LOT of obstacles along the way, every single day. I won't bore you with every detail but I can tell you that it's been a long while since I prayed as much as I have during the past two weeks.

Why is my polaroid not on that wall yet until now, Gap Year Hostel??

It's a tradition: Chicken rice is ALWAYS the first and last meal

Santy's Ma-Yey Treat. Thanks a lot, bud! Wine night soon!

WHY AM I HERE???

"Pinanindigan ko na itong Jen Never Blogs. I never blogged."

Obviously, I haven't written anything on this blog in a LONG while! I have so many food and travel posts in my Drafts but I don't have the will or the time to finish them. Life has been overwhelming lately. I was too busy running around, making things happen that when I finally got a full night's sleep the other day, everything finally caught up with me. Suddenly, it just sank in. After weeks of denial. I just finally let go of the longest relationship I had--my employment with Hewlett Packard.

That was six years, and three and a half months of my life, only two weeks longer from another long relationship, the one with my last ex. (I'm a very loyal ~bae~, you see!) It didn't end really well with HP in a way, because I kept to myself during the past few weeks. I didn't want to see people. I was in denial that it was finally happening, but now that I think about it, it was because of legit sadness from the thought that I will be separating myself from a second family in Manila. It was like being in a breakup. I knew it was coming but I couldn't accept it. I knew I needed this to happen, but I was still holding on.

I don't have regrets in leaving HP. It was a life decision I needed to make because I was already too comfortable being mediocre with my career. What I maybe should have done though was to have bade everyone in the office a proper goodbye.

Hewlett Packard will always be a part of my life. This is where I made and nurtured lasting friendships. This is where I knew what I wanted to be in life, and how to be courageous enough to try to go and get to where I want to be.

I never got to send my farewell email because I already lost my email access, so I'll take this space to thank everyone I crossed paths with during my tenure--my ITO-GSD team, SAP Practice team and managers (who can kill it at ballroom dancing,) my Coke Appdev team, my Sharp Girls, Groove@HP, my Friday Night Club, and even the ISS employees who never fail to greet me every day. THANK YOU, EVERYONE!!! You will all be missed.

XO,
Jenn


P.S. For updates on my colorful life (lels sa colorful!), follow me on Instagram: @jenndpelaez -->This was really going to be in my original farewell email haha #plugplugplug)

I'll try to keep this one short.

I'm writing this to say why I have been so busy the past few days--I will be leaving Manila in about three weeks time. Finally, this is happening after a lot of second thoughts!

I haven't told everyone yet so if you want to say goodbye, please let me know. It's very "living life like it's the last day" for me these days, which means I'll have lesser time to write, and I'd rather spend this time left with friends. Again, if you want to hang out, let me know before I leave for Palawan.

Things are not yet in line so I cannot tell you exactly what is gonna happen, but I have hopes and a lot of will.

I have one extra ticket for Wanderland Music and Arts Festival 2015! 

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