GOODBYE 2012! HELLO 2013!

It will be New Year tomorrow. I need to formally say goodbye to 2012.

2012 for me had been an interesting year for me. 2012 is a year that challenged my spirit and opened my horizon to new opportunities & adventures. 

This is my 2012 highlights: (Yes, I love lists... That makes me and Bridget Jones kindred spirits, hehe).

1. This is the year where I had an awesome, educational and foodie-approved trip in Vietnam with my family. I miss the food there and their coffee. And I need to go back there to do more shopping.

2. This was also the year I graduated in my three-years training in Family Medicine. Yes! I am a Certified Family Physician! (**Pat on the back..) I even gave the graduation speech on the commencement ceremony in our department's behalf.

3. This was also the year I have to temporarily experience the state of being unemployed while I wait for my papers to be approved to work here in Singapore. Even for a short duration, being unemployed, I realized can be quite unnerving. I know we complain of Mondays when we go to our jobs but there is something about having a stable job, a stable source of income that can give you a boost of confidence and gives you a sense of purpose. A little over a month of that phase, I did push my way through and found several jobs while I wait for my next BIG job, hehe.

4. 2012 is my year of adventure and new opportunities. My approval to work in Singapore push through and I got to work as a doctor in a great company & an out-patient setting that is somewhat similar to my training. (Yey! No night calls! I have my weekends!). I feel blessed.

5. It is also a year of independence. I get to live out my little dream of being a cool working girl in a different country, like one of the girls of Sex & the City, without the sex, hehe. I have my own room to decorate. Before getting married I have achieved my single girl's dream room, hurrah! I can just go to the park, eat pringles and read a book. I do my own grocery, laundry, pick stuff for my room & have my lazy Sundays and I absolutely love it. Yes! Even the laundry time...

6. I also have made new friends this year in every places I been to-- from my several jobs in the Philippines before I left for Singapore, in my old flat here (yes, I have been to two flats already), my workplace, and other places I been to here. It is quite strange that I have just met and been with some of them for a short period of time but we have bonded instantly and I still managed to maintain connection with those who are in the Philippines and not close by my place here.

7. This is also the year that I joined the ever-growing LDR Club- The Long-Distance Relationship Club. Some people would think its crazy that I left my fiance in the Philippines or that he allowed me to leave him without marrying me first. But we wanted it this way. And also this way I get to experience being a single gal living in another country before I embark into marriage-hood. Some also would say that LDR never work. But my fiancé and I can prove them wrong. We are just as sweet, if not even more sweet than we are before. We communicate every day, almost every hour if we are not busy. Thanks to BBM- Blackberry Messenger. It is such a relationship-saver! We plan our wedding by communicating through emails and Facebook. And our love for each other never wane even a bit. So for those who say LDR doesn't work, I guess you weren't just trying hard enough. 

I look so funny here, hehe.. One of our early pictures together. Candid pic!

8. A year that my family get to visit me here in Singapore. Being with my family is one of my favourite things in the world and it means so much to me to be with them. 

Yes, 2012 was a bit challenging in the sense that it tested me how I can handle change. And I passed with flying colours by the way. It also tested my patience which I know I don't have much, hehe but I'm working on it. If I would sum up my 2012 in two words, it is ADVENTURE & INDEPENDENCE.

Now, 2013 is right on the corner, peaking through. I can't wait for 2013! I know it will be an awesome and cool year. 2013 will be all about LOVE & BEAUTIFUL CHANGES.... 

www.dreamstime.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! LETS HAVE A GREAT 2013!

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PROUD TO BE PINOY!

Working and living in a different country made me even more proud of being a Filipino. I enjoy discovering different cultures and meeting new people of different races but I must say that Filipinos here and back home, are the still warmest people I've ever met. People I meet here would comment that I am such a happy person, I always have a ready smile and laugh almost too much. I would tell them because I am Filipino, Filipinos are like that. A Singaporean colleague told me that he plans to visit the Philippines someday and  asked me 'What is the best thing about the Philippines'. I replied, "The food- especially the roasted pork we call Lechon but the asset of the Philippines top down is the people." We are the most hospitable and loving people in the world. Walang kokontra, haha! 

I just recently saw the new DOTS "It More Fun in the Philippines" campaign. I love it! Great job , DOTS! Mabuhay tayong mga Pilipino!

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GOD BLESS THE VICTIMS OF THE CONNECTICUT SCHOOL SHOOTING MASSACRE

I heard a terrible sad news this morning about a 20-year old allegedly mentally-ill man shooting children between 5 to 10 and six adults, one of them his mother, in a Connecticut school that happened last yesterday morning. State Governor Dane Malloy said, "Evil visited this community today." He was right. Evil in its most gruesome form. My heart goes out to all the little angels that taken from this earth too soon. Here is the full new article of the massacre: CONNECTICUT SCHOOL MASSACRE

President Obama gave out a speech on the Connecticut School Shooting. He was teary-eyed as any father would feel. He said, " This evening, Michelle and I will do what every parent in America will do, which is to hug our children a little tighter".

God bless all the victims of this cruel and sad crime! May they rest in sweet peace in heaven...... 

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ALOE VERA: THE MIRACLE PLANT

I have been breaking-out quite badly lately maybe from the air-conditioning or stress, or the new facial cream or not enough exfoliation. For whatever the reason, my skin is screaming in utmost rebellious anger. And to worsen the situation, I over-treated myself with spot treatment causing several burnt skin in the process. Huhuhu! 

I am sure you have been in my situation that you wanted a cystic pimple to go away a soon as possible you keep reapplying  and reapplying the benzoyl peroxide ointments like Panoxyl , Katialis etc. on the pimple to notice that a large patch of skin was burnt and removed. And sadly, it usually takes 1-2 weeks before it will actually heal.

But a colleague friend of mine mentioned to me that a friend of hers told her to use aloe vera in her pimple-treatment-burnt-skin situation. (Yes, we were in the same predicament but apparently mine is much-much worst, huhuhu!)

I did search for aloe vera plant in the neighbourhood market but to no avail. And I don't know the Chinese name of Aloe Vera to ask Mandarin-speaking vendors.

But I was told by my friend that a repacked aloe vera gel can be found in some retail pharmacies like Unity. 

I found this. This is the same one used by my friend.

After 3 days with this baby, my burnt skin was healed. Ok, it didn't heal or helped my break-outs but it calmed my skin and speed up the healing of the burnt area. I am so amazed at the magical powers of this plant. This is definitely a miracle plant!

Aside from healing burnt skin, it can also be used for ezcema, falling hair, dietary supplements, fresh food preservatives, gingivitis and treatment of wounds. Recent researches are done for the possibility of treatment of diabetes, high cholesterol and cancer using aloe vera. Isn't this plant just simply amazing! My respects to you, pointy gel-y green plant! (*Salute) 

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BONCHON CHICKEN IS IN SINGAPORE!

Bonchon Chicken is a Korean fast-food franchise that is such a hit in the Philippines. My wonderful sis introduced me to Bonchon Chicken. Our bonding moments in Manila would usually involved some Bonchon Chicken, hehe.

I am ecstatic to learn that Bonchon Chicken is now available in Singapore after seeing it in heyrocketgirl's instagram.

For my weekend cheatdays with my friends, I had some take-away of Bonchon Chicken and their Japchae noodles.

Bonchon Chicken comes in two flavours: the soy-garlic and the spicy. I never liked the spicy variant but I love-love-love the soy-garlic.

I know in the picture you cant hardly tell the difference between the spicy and the soy-gralic but after tasting them, you can definitely know which is which. This Korean chicken is actually fried twice to lessen the oil and give off its crunchy texture. I love the sweetness of the crunchy skin of the soy-garlic chicken.

Japchae Noodles

My sis and I partner our chicken with this sweet-potato noodles that is stir-fried in sesame oil containing a lot of vegetables. It is mix with soy sauce and a bit of sugar. 

So happy that Singapore now has Bonchon Chicken! Can't wait for my sis to come over for a visit and have more bonding moments over some Bnchon Chicken and Japchae noodles.....

Bonchon Chicken

Bugis + Mall

201 Victoria Street, #01-03, Singapore
Tel : 65 68844768
 

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328 KATONG LAKSA: PERFECT PARTNER FOR THE RAINY WEATHER

The weather in Singapore has welcome the Northeast monsoon that usually starts on December and end early of March. The day would start with a scorching hot morning and gradually in the mid-afternoon, the island would be greeted by rain showers and strong winds. Chilly and wet, we need something to warm us up.

A week ago, my colleague friend introduced me to a perfect answer to a wet cold weather: Katong Laksa! She brought me to this famous 328 Katong Laksa in East Coast Road. On the same week, I went there again to treat my housemate's maid a nice afternoon of Singaporean food. It was also an excuse for me to have more of the laksa soup that is highly-addictingly-delicious, hehe.

Laksa soup is a spicy noodle soup that has descended from the Peranakan culture, a union between Chinese and Malaysian descent.  It is a thick spicy soup mostly due to its ingredient of coconut milk and curry. The noodles can either be the thick rice noodles or the vermicelli. I personally prefer the vermicelli. The soup contains dried prawn, fish, squid and cockles (salt-water clams). It is drizzled with laksa leaves with gives off such an enticing mouthwatering smell.

I am not a soup-kind of person  and I am not particularly fond of spicy food. However, this soup made me think otherwise. It is definitely a good way to lift my spirit in this gloomy weather. 

328 Katong Laksa

216 East Coast Road

Hotline 97328163

Opening Hours: 8AM to 10PM

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CHRISTMAS IS APPROACHING!

It is already December and Christmas is almost here. To greet the coming of Christmas, here is the ABS-CBN Station Christmas ID to lift up your yuletide spirit. This is especially for my brother and sister who are working overseas who won't be able to experience the unique Pinoy Christmas. Yes, iba talaga ang Christmas sa Pinas. 

To inject some Christmas spirit into my room, check out my hot pink miniature Christmas tree from Typo.... 

Can't wait for Christmas! Hoohoohoo!

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