Kuala Lumpur: Day 2

On our second day, we went around Kuala Lumpur. Our first stop was none other than our next-door neighbor, the Petronas Twin Towers. We went up the skybridge situated between the 41st and 42nd floors to have a panoramic view of the city. I clearly remember this particular skybridge where Catherine Zeta-Jones filmed the movie, The Entrapment. 

Next, we went to Jamek Mosque, the oldest mosque in Kuala Lumpur. As a sign of respect, we were asked to cover up as we roam around the mosque. This was where the early settlers of Kuala Lumpur built their shacks. After, we walked to Sultan Abdul Samad, dubbed as the “Big Ben of Malaysia.”

Clockwise: 1. Merdeka Square. 2. Selangor Club which hosts various sports matches. 3. Independence Square, the site of the annual Merdeka Parade.

Clockwise: 1. Office of the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad, the main railway operator in Malaysia. 2. National Mosque of Malaysia, which has a capacity of 15,000 people. 

Clockwise: 1. Petaling Street, which is Malaysia's Chinatown. 2. KLCC Suria Mall, the mall beneath the twin towers. 3. Petronas Twin Towers

My Kuala Lumpur Jaunt

On our first day, Ate Jov and I went to Genting Highlands, a self-proclaimed City of Entertainment. My cousins have been here in the past and they gave very positive feedback, but when I saw the place, it wasn't as pretty as I had imagined. It was a bit old and under-maintained. Genting Highlands is a bit far from the city center. We took the metro to KL Central Station and then took one more bus to get there. We rode a very long and steep cable car to get to the highland proper. 

Genting Highlands has an indoor and outdoor park, but we stayed indoors most of the time because it was raining. 

The sunset was beautiful as we were heading back to the city. Mind you, this was already 8:00pm. For dinner, we ate at the food court of KLCC Suria Mall. We had noodles and watermelon shake at Only Mee. As we were walking back to our hotel, the Petronas Tower was glowing at our midst.

The Zon All Suites Residences

Last October 28, Ate Jov and I went to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for a short vacation. Since we took the budget airline Cebu Pacific, we arrived at such an unholy hour: 2:00am. This complicated our hotel reservation in The Zon All Suites Residences. Technically, we were booked for October 28, but check-in time is not until 2:00pm so we could not enter our room yet. The staff was kind enough to offer us a Two-Bedroom Deluxe Suite (the only available room) for the price of the Superior Room we initially reserved.

On our first night, we slept in the very spacious Two-Bedroom Deluxe Suite complete with a bathroom, living room, dining table and kitchen. On our second night, we moved to the Superior Room. I have always been a budget traveller so I stay in hostels most of the time, but this hotel is an exception because it is surprisingly budget-friendly despite its 4-star reputation.

The Zon All Suites Residences is a 4-star hotel located close to the Embassy Row and blocks of government and corporate offices. The hotel is just walking distance from the number one tourist attraction in Kuala Lumpur, the Petronas Towers.

Graduation is in the Air

Yesterday, we had our block pictorial for the batch yearbook. I still can't believe that graduation is just seven months away. I got these photos from our block's resident photographer, Mark Tiu. This is my beloved block since freshman year, Block R1. 

Meanwhile, these are my JTA blockmates for two semesters.  

This was my college block during our freshmen orientation seminar back in 2006. How time flies!

Casino Royale 18th Birthday

My cousin, Misha, celebrated her 18th birthday at the Manila Polo Club last August 22. I've got to say, it was one of the most well-planned and brilliantly-executed parties I have ever attended. The theme of the party was ala Casino Royale complete with all the things you normally see in a casino setting. There were also lots of exciting prizes in store for everybody during the games. My relatives came all the way from Cagayan de Oro and Cebu. The best part of the night was the photo booth. It was so fun to goof around and be our silly selves!

Farewell Cory

Last August 5, we gathered at Anda Circle for the funeral of former Philippine President Corazon "Cory" Aquino. I had the rare privilege to go near the Manila Cathedral together with Sir Cholo and Johnoelle. Uniformed policemen gathered at the premises of the Manila Cathedral to control the crowd. The police were asking all the bystanders to leave the area because it was only for the media. But when we flashed our Ateneo IDs, they allowed us to stay. Sir Cholo, Johnoelle and I got the chance to see the bigwigs from politicians to movie stars to socialites.

We watched from a giant screen the mass officiated by Fr. Arevalo. His homily was very touching and the last words by Kris Aquino left us all teary-eyed.  After the mass, the rain poured so hard as we waited for the remains of Cory Aquino to pass by for the final procession. Despite the bad weather, catching a glimpse of the icon of democracy for the very first and last time is something I could proudly tell my grandkids someday

Discovering Manila

It has been three years since I moved here in Manila but I have never taken the initiative to check out the cultural sights in the city. If I were in a different city or country, I would have immediately checked out whatever there is to see since day one no matter how small or mundane they may be. But here in Manila, I never had the interest to go sightseeing.

When our Computer Science professor asked our class to visit the National Museum as part of our assignment, it made me realized how ignorant I am of my own country's historical sights. From the outside, the building does not look so bad compared to most of the unmaintained structures in the city. 

Afterwards, we decided to go to Binondo, the Chinatown in Manila. We dropped by the shop selling Lord Stow's Egg Tart. It's been ages since I last tasted this. For lunch, we went to President Teahouse. They serve the yummiest dimsum!

ASD Team Building

Last May 30 to 31, the ADSA Student Deputies had a team building activity in Las Haciendas, Batangas. It was a perfect R&R together with the staff and deputies of the Student Affairs Office and the InTact Core Team. We stayed in very cozy bamboo huts. I loved the drapes and Japanese lanterns as well as the bed cushion.

After lunch, the whole gang went trekking. We all trekked until we got to Ambon-Ambon Falls. The long walk and slippery rocks were all worth it!

As proud student deputies, we managed to form the letters ASD, which stands for Adsa Student Deputies.

Later in the afternoon, we took a dip in the pool. I am definitely gonna miss my ASD Family when I graduate soon.

No Longer a Teen

I can't believe that I am no longer a teenager. For my birthday this year, I didn't have any concrete plans but as always, God has this unique way of surprising me. May 1 was Labor Day so we didn't have any class. Gui and I went to Sizzling Pepper Steak just beside my boarding house.

Over lunch, Gui randomly asked me if I wanted to go clubbing in Embassy with some of our friends that night. I do not really fancy going to clubs because I hate the smell of cigarette on my hair. But I decided to go this time because the following day is a Saturday and I have a reason to celebrate..I am turning 20!

Cebu: Microtel Resort

Last April 9 to 11, my family and I met up in Cebu for the Holy Week. I was at first hesitant to join this trip because I still have to study for my final exams. School has been so hectic since the JTA semester is almost coming to an end, but I figured I needed to unwind a bit. Hence, I brought my lecture notes with me so I could study in the presence of the beautiful Mactan Beach.

Directly in front of the lobby is this beachfront with eye-catching white cabanas.