It's Never Too Hot For Angkor Wat

Tired as we are, we had no choice but to wake up at 3:30 AM as we got ready to leave KL. After checking out of our guesthouse (and failing to leave a fat tip for Kuya bc of a mix up =.=), we hailed 2 cabs to take us to the Sky Bus Terminal at KL Sentral. If you booked flights via AirAsia, the Sky Bus is probably the cheapest and fastest way to get to the airport. Plus you can conveniently avail it through their website right after booking your flights.

We got to KLIA's LCC Terminal around 4:30 AM and went straight to the check-in counters. LCCT reminds me a lot of NAIA's Domestic Terminal - chaotic but only bigger. After check-in, we had breakfast at the nearby Café Espresso before boarding the plane. And good thing, we did! The distance from the boarding area to the plane was definitely the longest I had to walk in my entire traveling life. Whew! Mala-Revenge of the Mummy.

The flight was only an hour long - parang MNL-KBO lang. Upon landing at Siem Reap International Airport around 7:50 AM, we were greeted by traditional-looking buildings which showcases Cambodia's culture and architecture. Cool! I suggest all other international airports follow suit.

As we exited the airport building (after going through immigration of course, but not customs because it was nowhere to be found o_O), we easily spotted our host. He was the one with a huge smile on his face and a sign that says "Mr. Karl Mopia and friends." He was obviously a very happy (naturally happy, I hope, but more on that later!) and friendly person. He even gave us bits of trivia about everything we passed by. And if that isn't cool enough for you, he's a huge Manny Pacquiao fan! He was gushing as he talked about him and even asked if Manny currently lives in the Philippines. Haha How amusing!

Skwala Lumpoor* in Kuala Lumpur

Around an hour into the bus ride, we found ourselves getting off at the border to go through Singapore's immigration and customs, and then on to Malaysia. I was amazed at how physically close the two countries were. When we got to Malaysia's immigration, Karly got through with ease but an officer saw my cousin's passport and announced to the entire room that those with Philippine passports should line up at a specific counter. WHATTHEACTUALFRACK? It was clearly discrimination right there but I let it go because I know that there are a$$holes in this world. It didn't end right there though. The officer actually asked my cousin how much money she has or is planning to spend in Malaysia. ARE YOU FREAKIN KIDDING ME?! Don't you have a form for that? I have visas from three different OECD countries and never in my entire traveling life have I been asked such ridiculous questions. It was really infuriating especially since I wasn't even that excited to visit Malaysia. If it wasn't part of ASEAN, I probably wouldn't even bother. Good job, immigration officers. You're doing your part in promoting your country's tourism. If this is what you mean by "Truly Asia," I am disgusted and insulted as an Asian. I wish the government would refrain from letting rude people work for them because they're not doing their country's image any good. And that goes out to all countries. Not just Malaysia nor the Philippines.

Oh well, moving on to the better parts of our Malaysia trip. I'm glad we decided to travel to KL at night. We were greeted by the magnificent view of the Petronas Twin Towers. We were taking pictures even while we're on the bus. So when the bus came to a halt, we decided to go straight to the majestic towers instead of our hostel. It looked so beautiful at night, we just had to take a closer look and take more pictures. Yup, even with luggage in tow!

The Petronas Twin Towers look even more magnificent at night.

We left our luggage in a seemingly secure place, visible to where we're standing while taking pictures. I don't think anyone would even attempt to take them as it would be too difficult to carry it around without being noticed.

Singapura Take 2

The first time I was in Singapore, I didn't think I'd be back any time soon. Or ever. For me, it's worth visiting only once. It's a small country after all and if you're after the cultural experience rather than shopping for signature brands, there's not really much to do. As I'm not one to travel just to go shopping abroad, I wasn't really planning on visiting it again.

Dinner with Nee-chan and Karly @ Yellow Cab, NAIA Terminal 3

But guess who's back in less than a year? Both Nee-chan and Karly haven't been to SG yet so we decided to make it the first stop in our South-East Asia (SEA) adventure. Don't get me wrong, Singapore is a beautiful and extremely clean country. But there's only one thing that can make me want to come back again and again in a certain place. Food. And from the last time I was there, it didn't really leave a lasting impression on me. I went home barely craving for anything from Singapore. I don't think Reese's White Peanut Butter Cups and flavored Yakult count as authentic Singaporean cuisine, right?

SK 2012: Ah chuketta~!

South Korea is definitely one of those places you'll never get tired of coming back to. Free visa, promo fares, cheap accommodation, convenient public transport, beautiful tourist destinations, tasty local food, shopping paradise, and really helpful locals. What more can you ask for? Probably a longer stay, that's what!

Photo credits: PleasureTripping.com, Skyscanner, Google, SheKnowsCanada

Our last day in Seoul was all a blur after we started packing our stuff. It was so hard trying to fit all of our clothes AND purchases in our luggage. Honestly, our room looked more like a WWF ring rather than an all girls room. We were all trying to lock down our suitcases by sitting on top of them or just hugging them tight until they give up and finally choke close down. It was so exhausting, I literally passed out while packing. In my defense, I don't over-pack. But I do over-buy and I try to fit everything in one luggage. Thanks to compressor bags, I can fit 30kgs worth of stuff into a 20-25kgs luggage. >:)

On our way back from Mr. Pizza, Faye and I had this crazy idea to skip going to bed and just stay awake until our red-eye flight back to Manila. We wanted to go around Hongdae one last time and get our pictures taken at Psy's billboard. Obviously, that didn't happen. Haha I couldn't even remember lying down. Or even putting one sock on. The next thing I know, Vanie was shaking me to get up. She was already dressed in her outdoor clothes so that woke me up pretty well.

It turns out, I fell asleep while organizing stuff in my handbag. Thankfully, I managed to finish all my check-in luggage. I actually put on a sock to get ready for our mini adventure. Unfortunately, I passed out before I even put on my other sock! HAHA We were so bangag at 4:30 AM, we all had boo-boo's of our own. But as a true friend, I wouldn't disclose the other girls' Oops! moments here. Just know that I wasn't alone in my kasabawan. Hihi

So I woke up in a semi-trance and just started shoving everything onto my handbag and put my other sock on, my boots, and my coat. I was out the door with all my things when I realized we were actually leaving Seoul. :(

And as if the feeling's mutual, we were greeted by Seoul's bitter cold weather as we walked out the door. It was so cold, it's like the wind is telling us to just stay indoors. We had to leave though whether we like it or not. So after fitting all our stuff in the call-van, we said our goodbyes to Mr. Choi. And we were off to the airport!

Since we had time (and wons) to spare, Faye and I went shopping while the others had breakfast at Lotteria. Funny how we kept coming back to the counter with more and more stuff until we've used up all our T-money and wons. When we're done, we went back to Lotteria to have breakfast and eat some of the lovely cupcakes Karen gave us. :)

And then it was time to finally board the plane. Sure, leaving Seoul made me sad. But the good news is, I slept all throughout the flight so it wasn't so bad.

When I got home, I realized I got a lot of Kim Soo Hyun stuff. And most of them were freebies. 8D Apparently, he's really hot in SK right now. His standees are everywhere! How I wish I could have seen the real thing though.

Lots and lots of service!

Oh and I also brought home a lot of service as Koreans like to call it which is basically the same as freebies. They're mostly free samples of beauty products.

You know you've had a great time when your map ends up looking like this. Seoul, once again you've been too nice! I'll see you soon, promise. Hopefully, in spring. :)

SK 2012: Dramarama in South Korea

As you all know, I got addicted to The Moon That Embraces The Sun (해를 품은 달) thanks to my love for Kim Soo Hyun. Want proof? Click here and here. So I made it a point to include MBC Dramia to our itinerary. But come Day 5, we were down from 12 to just 9! Talk about survival of the fittest. Who would have thought that in our party of 7, Erin, Vanie, Faye and I turned out to be the strongest? >:) Jona, Rona and Ate Light decided to stay behind because of fatigue.

We left the guesthouse before 9:00 AM (way past our scheduled time) and went to Nambu Bus Terminal to catch the bus going to Baegam Terminal. The ride from Seoul to Baegam was almost an hour long and we had to keep an eye out for landmarks.

For tourists who can't even construct a proper sentence in Korean, it was a pretty risky trip. But we didn't want to pass up this opportunity to get off the beaten track and start a new adventure. Chos! I think it was our wanderlust and the fangirls in us that made this trip possible. Even Karen was surprised to learn that we were on a bus to Baegam when she checked up on us. Haha

Thanks to our sharp eyes and my Hangul-reading skills, we got off at the right stop even though the road was under construction. It was truly then that we realized we're in Korea. Unlike in Seoul, everything was in Hangul! Sure, I can read them. But I absolutely can't understand them.

Lunch at a No English zone.

Since it was almost 11:00 AM, we decided to grab a quick lunch at the town proper since there were no restaurants in MBC Dramia. Again, everything is written in Hangul so we looked around for pictures of food. We settled for the nearest restaurant which was also near a restroom sign. As expected, the owners cannot speak a word of English so I put my Hangul-reading skills to use. I recognized most of the items on the menu except for the specifics. In the end, we ordered kimbap (김밥) and bibimbap (비빔밥) while Faye's cousins had bowls of ramyeon (라면) and udon (우동). It was so funny how we ordered and asked for our bill. It was like playing charades with the owners. We even tried asking help from our smart phones but for me, nothing beats old school charades.

MBC Dramiaaaaa!

To get to MBC Dramia, you can either take the city bus or hail a cab. Since the road was under construction, sharing a cab was the better choice. It took around 10 minutes before we finally saw the complex. It's located in a pretty huge and isolated piece of land which I suppose is what makes it perfect as a filming location.

SK 2012: East Meets West

I've been to Nami Island before and the almost 2-hour commute is literally a pain in the ass. It's worth it though and I wouldn't miss going back there during the fall season where all the leaves are turning into beautiful shades of red. As expected, Nami found it's way back to our itinerary. To make the commute even more worth it, we decided to visit Petite France as well since it's also in Gyeonggi-do, just two stations away from Nami.

We woke up around 7:30 AM (an hour later than our original plan) and met up with Faye's cousins so all in all, there are now 12 of us. Field trip much? As we made our way to the subway, a group of ajummas approached us and asked for directions. They looked like Filipinos but I know better than to assume. We were already telling them how to get to their guesthouse when one of their amigas suddenly spoke in Filipino! Kami na nag-Englishan sa Korea! Haha Apparently, they thought we were locals and told us we look like Koreans already (even though we've been in SK for only 4 days). Maybe because of our outfits? :)) I don't know. But as a traveler, passing as a local in any country is definitely a compliment.

Before and after

To get to Gyeonggi-do, it took two train transfers, one of which was more than an hour long. But as you already know, I can sleep through anything. And apparently, so can the rest of the girls! Haha Obviously, this week-long trip is slowly taking it's toll on us.

SK 2012: From Neverland to Everland

The first time Jona and I were in South Korea, our trip to Everland became more like a trip to Neverland. It was on our itinerary but we never made it there. We just didn't have enough time on our hands and the winter air was too harsh for outdoor rides. So this time, we vowed to go to Everland no matter what happens.

Bus #5002

Jona is our navigator for the day so she's responsible for all the commuting directions which felt really good as I can finally relax and just enjoy the trip. I've been having cramps since last night so today kind of felt like a day off for me.

SK 2012: Traditional Meets Modern Seoul

I woke up around 7:00 AM feeling recharged. Thanks to our hanok's ondol flooring, I slept like a baby. The heated floors were like hot compresses on my tired and hurting legs. So good~!

Complimentary traditional breakfast. Excuse our bangag faces.

Our host called us one by one for our free complimentary traditional breakfast around 8:00 AM. She told us that we should eat breakfast first before anything else (i.e. make-up). I later found out that she told Faye to wait for everyone to be seated at the table before she starts eating. Haha Low EQ kasi e! I guess they value meal times that much.

SK 2012: Hey Seoul Sisters!

Autumn in South Korea is hands-down our most-awaited trip of the year. The girls and I have been raving about it for the longest time, even our office mates can't help but get excited for us. Even though it'll be my second time there, I feel just as giddy as I was the first time simply because it was love at first sight for me and SK. It's definitely one of those places you'll never get tired of going back to.

We were lucky enough to book tickets during one of Cebu Pacific's crazy piso sale promos, so it's alright even if we ended up with red-eye flights. Not bad for Php 3,000+ yo! At least we get a breathtaking view of the city skyline during take-off and landing. Plus, we can easily sleep through the 4-hour flight. This trip was a year in the making and I spent grueling hours researching just to make the most out of our 6-day trip. All that effort was worth it though seeing them girls get excited by just looking at the itinerary and sample photos.

Waiting for airport limousine bus #6002

We arrived at Incheon International Airport (IIA) around 6 AM. After exchanging a few dollars to wons at the nearest Foreign Exchange booth for breakfast and transportation money, we bought/topped-up our Seoul City Pass Plus cards which is basically T-money with additional discounts for tourists. Tip#1: Do not exchange all your travel money at the airport. Wait until you get to Myeong-dong where you can find some of the best rates.

Eiga Sai 2012

So it's finally July and it only means one thing.  It's Eiga Sai season once again!  Eiga Sai is a Japanese film festival presented by The Japan Foundation, Manila as part of the celebration of Philippines-Japan Friendship Month held every July.  I have always been amused by Japanese culture so I make it a point to go every year.

I still remember my first Eiga Sai experience ever.  Instead of sleeping in, Nee-chan brought me along to watch Waterboys (starring Satoshi Tsumabuki) at the UP Film Institute one Saturday afternoon.  It was my first non-anime Japanese film that I watched and I loved it!  I enjoyed every minute and I was laughing my head off the whole time!  I was still in high school back then and up until now, I never missed a year.  After I graduated from college, I try my best to watch all the films year after year.  So naturally, when this year's schedule came out, I created our game plan within minutes.

Oh, and surprise surprise!  This year's featured film, Villain, stars Satoshi Tsumabuki!  Only this time, he's not wearing a speedo and is no longer part of a synchronized swimming team.  Oh how time flies!  I can't believe it's been eight years since I saw my first Eiga Sai film.

If you're interested, here are the screening schedules.  If I watch all those highlighted in green and everything goes according to plan, I'll be able to watch all films this year. :)

For more information regarding Eiga Sai, click here.  To get a PDF copy of the official Eiga Sai flyer which contains movie synopsis and screening schedules, click here.  See you there!