Roadtrip: Al Ain

We left Dubai at 5am in the morning to have a quick trip to Al Ain, known to be the Garden City of UAE.  True enough, this emirate is full of green scenery far cry from Dubai landscape of buildings and highways. I see trees lining up the streets of Al Ain. The roundabouts are also covered with grasses and flowering plants.

Our first stop was Jebel Hafeet, second highest peak in UAE. The road going up is a winding highway. People come up to the summit cycling or running. In contrast to what you green scenery in the town proper, Jebel Hafeet is a bare mountain. At the summit, the temperature has no difference in the city proper. But this mountain summit is still worth checking because of the enormous highway leading up. My only frustration in this trip is that I wasn't able to take a snap of the winding roads. Maybe next time. :)

Next stop is Al Ain Zoo.  The zoo opens late in the morning (9am). Wanted to see the giraffe and zebra at close range but the viewing deck is too far.

flamingos

Third stop is the Al Ain Paradise Garden which is unfortunately closed because plants have dried up due to summer heat. After that, we tried to find the Camel Market but unable to locate it so we headed to the nearest mall to grab quick lunch and went back to Dubai.

It is wonderful to take a road trip in UAE because the roads are well maintained. No traffic.

Quick road trip tips: make sure that your car has enough fuel and conditioned to travel, bring lots of drinking water, don't forget to wear sunblock, bring GPS and your camera with enough battery to capture the scenes.

p.s. I thought I was back in Singapore. We passed by Lucky Plaza. :))

Show Love, Find Time

I came across this thought on love in FB.  A brother shared it in his wall and I took the liberty of posting it here.

Your best expression of "love" is time.  "Time" is your most precious gift to someone because you only have a set amount of it.  You can make more money but you can't make more "Time".  It is a portion of your life given to someone else and you will never get it back. -DKP

This is so true.  Time is priceless and more expensive than gold.  I also understand now why sometimes I felt bad in the past is because I was asking for time from some people who matters in my life and it was inconsistently given.

Time should be spent wisely though.  You got to find time for yourself and time for family and friends.  You got to love yourself more so when you overflow of love you can also give as much to others.  I had a not so good experience in the past wherein I always put someone else welfare before mine and I was expecting the same but I don't get the same treatment.  When I started putting myself first and then other people second place, people started to pay me more attention or try to please me first.  The key is putting balance in loving yourself and others.

Here is another quote I stumbled on this morning.

"When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free. " - Catherine Ponder

I absolutely agree with the author.  A good Christian should have a forgiving and loving heart all the time.  It is a test of a character for a Christian to love his own enemies.

Boredom is the beginning of curiosity

This afternoon out of boredom, I changed my walking route and wandered farther from the villa I live in. I have discovered that I have aptitude at remembering landmarks and finding my way back home. I acquired this skill from traveling alone abroad and I relished the joy of stumbling to something unfamiliar and satisfying my curiosity.

Boredom is the beginning of curiosity. It should read "Curiosity is the cure for boredom" but I prefer to put it my way. :)

My boredom has lead me to a more posh streets in Al Quoz 1. The roads are wider and the houses are not the typical box type I see in our street. But I noticed here in Dubai that the government is not good in street naming convention. It's difficult to find a villa or house if the people who live there won't give you detailed directions. The streets are labeled by numbers and the community is by number as well. So the street where I live in is 23a Street 354b Community. This is type of naming the streets is replicated all throughout Dubai. If I go to Al Karama, I will see 354b community and 23 st also. The streets are not uniquely named.

I am hoping that I can get inside one of the villas in the posh street. I am so curious how the houses of Arabs are structured. Architecture or style of houses is influenced by topography, customs, and climate.

Wandering into those streets gave me the idea to shoot. Will go back there this Thursday with a friend to take my snaps. :)

City in the Land of Desert

I have set foot on a foreign land again. This time I found myself in a city in the middle of a desert they call Dubai. I thought I will never like this city because of its sultry weather but when my brother drove me around, my perception has changed. :)

The place is more progressive than the Asian cities/countries I visited before. I am amazed with building designs and I love the fact that roads are very wide.

However, I noticed that this country shouldn't be called United Arab Emirates because a lot more Indians live here. It would be more apt to call it United Indian Emirates. In Singapore, there were lots of Indian nationals there but here they pop everywhere! Maybe because of its proximity to India.

Have seen three malls in Dubai already. I have watched the dancing fountains as well. I am looking forward to the desert safari. I would love to ride a camel, try sandboarding, and watch bellydancing.

Let's see what's in store for me in this city in the desert.

Pick me up!

The first person to motivate you or uplift you when you're feeling down is YOU. There is an inner strength from within that comes from faith in God. Just like happiness, you can't rely on other people to find happiness but it should come first from yourself.

Allow yourself to cry or be sad but after that smile, look forward to something positive because God is with you all the time.

Xin Nian Kuai Le! Gong xi fa cai.

Today the Chinese communities celebrates the lunar new year. I would like to wish everyone a happy new year and a prosperous one. I am enjoying my stay here in SG though my main purpose in coming here has not materialized. I am blessed that I get to fellowship with the brethren here and I get to share the word of God to a new friend.

The positive things outweigh the negative ones. Thank you, Lord!

Thinking Out Loud

Robin Sharma's 35 Tips for a Better 2012

I'm sharing these tips from Robin Sharma. If you haven't read any of his works, you can start this year. :)

35 Fast Tips to Make This Your Best Year Yet

I’m sitting on an airplane thinking about what the best performers and most successful people do to continually outperform everyone around them.

As we enter what I hope will be the single best year of your life yet, I’ve come up with 35 Tips that I invite you to concentrate on. Share these tips, reflect on then, post them where you can see them – and allow them to infuse your mindset:

1. Remember that the quality of your life is determined by the quality of your thoughts.
2. Keep the promises you make to others – and to yourself.
3. The project that most scares you is the project you need to do first.
4. Small daily improvements are the key to staggering long-term results.
5. Stop being busy being busy. This New Year, clean out the distractions from your work+life and devote to a monomaniacal focus on the few things that matter.
6. Read “The War of Art”.
7. Watch “The Fighter”.
8. In a world where technology is causing some of us to forget how to act human, become the politest person you know.
9. Remember that all great ideas were first ridiculed.
10. Remember that critics are dreamers gone scared.
11. Be “Apple-Like” in your obsession with getting the details right.
12. Take 60 minutes every weekend to craft a blueprint for the coming seven days. As Saul Bellow once said: “A plan relieves you of the torment of choice.”
13. Release your need to be liked this New Year. You can’t be a visionary if you long to be liked.
14. Disrupt or be disrupted.
15. Hire a personal trainer to get you into the best shape of your life. Superstars focus on the value they receive versus the cost of the service.
16. Give your teammates, customers and family one of the greatest gifts of all: the gift of your attention (and presence).
17. Every morning ask yourself: “How may I best serve the most people?”
18. Every night ask yourself: “What 5 good things happened to me this day?”
19. Don’t waste your most valuable hours (the morning) doing low value work.
20. Leave every project you touch at work better than you found it.
21. Your job is not just to work. Your job is to leave a trail of leaders behind you.
22. A job is not “just a job”. Every job is a gorgeous vehicle to express your gifts and talents – and to model exceptionalism for all around you.
23. Fears unfaced become your limits.
24. Get up at 5 am and take 60 minutes to prepare your mind, body, emotions and spirit to be remarkable during the hours that follow. Being a superstar is not the domain of the gifted but the prepared.
25. Write love letters to your family.
26. Smile at strangers.
27. Drink more water.
28. Keep a journal. Your life’s story is worth recording.
29. Do more than you’re paid to do and do work that leaves your teammates breathless.
30. Leave your ego at the door every morning.
31. Set 5 daily goals every morning. These small wins will lead to nearly 2000 little victories by the end of the year.
32. Say “please” and “thank you”.
33. Remember the secret to happiness is doing work that matters and being an instrument of service.
34. Don’t be the richest person in the graveyard. Health is wealth.
35. Life’s short. The greatest risk is risk-less living. And settling for average.

I genuinely wish you the best year of your life.

Stay Great.

Robin Sharma

How to be happy

I stumbled on this website about the science of happiness. It's worth checking out.

How to Be Happy - Less Wrong

Happy Friday the 13th!

Some people believe that the 13th day falling on a Friday is bad luck. Others who are superstitious enough won't go out to travel or start a new project.

Personally I believe, there is no bad luck. As the Bible says all things work together for good to them that love the Lord God and do His will. If something you really want goes wrong, it happens for a purpose. It isn't lady luck causing the bad result.

I believe there is a reason or purpose for everything that happens in one person's life. But I still wish someone good luck when they're about to undertake a new endeavor or exam or whatever. I think it is odd. I think I say it because I want the person to be confident and be positive about his new endeavor.

Today, I have this great feeling of being in love but to no one in particular. I am just extremely happy! I wish I could show in pictures my joy but unfortunately the card reader slot of my laptop isn't working.

Folks, don't let Friday the 13th scare you. If you want to have dinner outside, go and enjoy it.

Happy Friday! :)

Kung Hei Fat Choi

The new year based on Gregorian calendar is over. We are about to observe the Lunar calendar new year on Jan 24th.

Went to Ang Mokio Hub and I ran into the three prosperity gods. It's time for photo-op :)

Thank You, God

Yes, it is true. You can never run out of things to thank God for. Start your day with gratitude and end your day with gratitude. Think about the air you breathe, that is something to thank God. Think of the food that's on your table. Think of the people who made you smile that day. Think of the birds that sing for you near your window when you get up in the morning.

I am in awe with what the Lord is doing in my life. I didn't get a good job in 2011 but God has blessed me spiritually tremendously. He opened my eyes and made me realize a lot of things about my life, work, friends and family.

I stumbled on this video via twitter. It's a nice video about gratitude.

New Year's Eve 2012

Getting around SG via Bus

I am getting the hang of riding buses when I go out. The area am staying at is a good place because there are lots of buses going to the north and east of Singapore. I never get bored even when I go out of my own because (1) I enjoy being with myself and (2)I make use of the travel time to observe people or reflect.

I get amused watching people in MRT or bus. The other day I went to Marina Bay to see the New Year's eve countdown and watch live performances. I was on the upper deck of the bus and keep myself busy clicking pictures. An Indian guy with his kids boarded the bus in City Hall. The Indian girl sat beside me and her brother sat behind. They were chattering loudly in English. Just hearing their Indian accent while talking made me smile because I remember Russel Peter jokes about his fellows.

I consciously eavesdropped of the kids conversation.

Girl: You know I don't want to buy the electronic gadget.
Boy: I like it! it's nice.
Girl: what if the battery gets over? can you buy a battery?
Boy: (he was silent as he doesn't know the answer)
Me: ( I was thinking the girl is smart.)
Girl: Aneesh, you can buy the gadget. You can .... blah blahh
Father: You are telling him to buy when you don't want to buy the gadget. What's wrong with you?
Girl: Daaad, I didn't say he should! I said "he can"."
Father: Hmmn, smart answer ha.

The kids continued to talk in their high pitched voices and their father keeps reminding them to talk softly. I asked later the boy when he sat beside me their names and ages. The boy is 7 years old and his sister is 5 years old.

Me: You know you and your sister are smart kids.
Boy: (without batting an eyelash) Yes

I caught their dad's smile when I said the kids were smart.

*****

Singaporeans women love fancy nail polish. I saw an old woman in her 60's wearing 3 inches long nails and polished with silver. One time, I saw also a woman in her 40's sporting silvers. She has glittery silver nail art, a diamond studded watch and fabulous silver shoes!. I see young girls also sporting fancy nail arts.

*****
some snaps I took when on board bus 133 :)

I'm Trading My Sorrows

It's human to feel miserable when you think you hit the rock bottom. But don't forget that you are not alone in your journey, God is with you all throughout. He gives obstacles in life to make you a better person. When you feel down, think of Christ.

The following song is a wonderful song that could uplift you. Trade your sorrows for the joy of the Lord! :)

*****

I'm trading my sorrows
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
And we're singing

Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord, Amen

I'm trading my sorrows
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
And we're singing

Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord, Amen

I am pressed but not crushed,
Persecuted not abandoned
Struck down but not destroyed
I am blessed beyond the curse
For His promise will endure
That His joy is gonna be my strength
Though the sorrow may last for the night
His joy comes in the morning

I'm trading my sorrows
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
And we're singing

Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord, Amen

And we're singing
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord
Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord, Amen

Yes Lord, Amen
Yes Lord, Amen!

A christmass-y affair (2)

These pics were taken at Suntec City.

Dec 24th in SG

Time check - it's 9:55pm in Singapore. Am spending christmas eve not at work this time but in a friend's place in Serangoon Central. Well, Christmas is not really a big deal for me. I can be anywhere in the world because I know what the real meaning of Christmas is. It's Christmas for me daily. I thank God daily for His grace and steadfast love.

No country I guess can beat Philippines when it comes to celebrating Christmas. The atmosphere everywhere is Christmas, be it in office, home or malls.

Here in Singapore, people can only feel the christmassy atmosphere in the malls. You can also barely hear christmas carols in the street.

How are we going to spend the eve? We are doing a movie marathon tonight and feast on food prepared by Myla and Divine. Chow time na! :)

*****
I missed the street party in Orchard Road. I prefer to go out and observe how Singaporeans celebrate the event rather than watching movies. Maybe I can do it on new year's eve.

Christmas Wishlist

Everyone is putting up their own wishlist. I would like to join the bandwagon and make my own list this year. My wishlist isn't directed to Santa Claus to fulfill it. I don't believe in Santa. My grandma never brought gave me the illusion Santa exists. My wishlist is for the Lord to fulfill it. :) I know He is real and does exist.

1. You already know this Lord, I have been praying for more than a year now.
2. Hmmn, Lord you also know this. I have prayed for this so many years
3. and so is item number 3.
4. I want to own an iphone 4s in white color
5. I will be happy to capture the festive mood using a Canon 6D Dslr
6. My laptop already brokedown, I would love to have a new laptop (mac or dell)
7. I would like to go on a backpacking trip to BKK via train.


That's all for this month. I got more next year. :)

weekend at Coasta Sands

I spent the weekend at Coasta Sands Downtown East in Pasir Ris. My pastor celebrated his 62nd birthday at the resort. We had pork barbecue and grilled seafoods.








We had fun also swimming at Wild Wild Wet. My dear brother documented the event thru video and photos.

Meet Up in SG

Trip Up in SH happened today. I woke up not feeling well and wanted to cancel the event but there were 11 people who signed up and don't want to disappoint them. While on my way to the meeting place, I was silently wishing that only 10-12 people will show up because I might not be a gracious host if it will be more than that.

The heavens might have heard me because it rained in the afternoon and only one showed up. A Singaporean teenager decided to show up. He is a triptrotter member and have traveled to so many countries already. A nice guy who keep up with my boring chatter. :) I asked him if I was boring him and he said no. Hahahaha..

Although only one showed up, I'm happy it was not just me and myself. The young guy discussed to me what is a real Singaporean is and what is Buddhism. Well, he is a typical person who would like to go out of the small lion city. He wants to study in the US and hopes that his father will send him there.

After dinner, we went to the biggest bookstore in SG. I learn some new things thru this young guy.

Meet up is fun and I hope to get know more people the next time.

Trip Up in SG

Am looking forward to this event am organizing here in SG.

I Lift My Hands

I lift my hands, you are my refuge and you are my strength O Lord. Let faith arise, O Lord.

Flash Mob - NY

I love this scene in the movie Friends with Benefits. Would love to see one in SG. :)

Jason Mraz

Listen to these songs of Jason Mraz. He's such a talented songwriter and singer.

I was thinking of something to do to while staying here in Singapore aside from blogging and FB. I thought of organizing meetups with other netizens in SG. I already sent my proposals to Tumblr and Triptrotter and am waiting for their approval.

Another thing I stumbled on to while looking for a place to gather is the Singapore Parks. Did you know that this city-state Singapore has 300 parks? The government has started this Passport Parks campaign encouraging people to explore these parks. Well, you can do walking trails, jog, exercise or play in the parks. My flat is overlooking Bishan Park and it is so wonderful to just walk or jog in the park because there are lots of trees and it's not hot there.

Here are some more photos I have taken at Bishan Park.




In Toa Payoh Town Park you can even find butterfly circle.

I will start exploring other parks of Singapore next week.

My New Eyeglasses

Am excited to wear my new "cat eyes" glasses! Myla and I found this pair of eyeglasses at Alexandra Road near Ikea.


This is my new look with eyeglasses on.

It's December!

November is over and christmass-y air has officially started. I say officially started because some people wait for December to put up decors. Wow, in just few days we will say goodbye to 2011 and welcome 2012.

We had fun time last time in Orchard road taking pictures at giant christmas trees.

Transformation in times of trouble

Something has changed in me and it is a positive thing. I am surprised how I look at my challenges in my life now. I can feel there is so much faith and patience in me. There is also happiness radiating from within.

The changed in me happened last week after sharing with my Pastor's wife my troubles in life. God has changed how I look at things. He has made me more positive.

I believe there is a time for everything as the Bible says. God has not answered all of my prayer requests yet but I can say all is well.

A Time for Everything
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboreth?
10 ¶ I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God.
14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-16

When I looked back at the past 12 months of my life, I can't regret my actions. God allowed everything to happen to strengthen me as a Christian. I thank the Lord for my journey. It wasn't a smooth ride but I reached the destination. I cried buckets and conversed a lot with God. I drew closer to Him while going through the journey. I made sure I attend church service regularly, read the Bible daily and attend prayer meetings.

Oftentimes, I felt that I was alone in the journey. Have no family nor friends to count on but I know inside my heart that even if God does not answer my prayers right away, He is with me all the time. I am grateful for the roadblocks on my journey. However, human weakness made me cry and complain a lot even though I know the purpose of the rough ride. I never forget though to thank Him for putting me in this journey. My journey has made me a better Christian. Now I can tell a personal experience as a testimony.

All is well and everything works together for good to them that love the Lord God and do His will.

*****
Pastor preached on the subject Transformation In Times of Trouble. Not all trials or challenges we go through is a chastise from God. He wanted to see something from us on how we react at life's difficulties. It is His way of making us a better person. He wants to see the character. So when faced with troubles, don't give up but look up or get down on your knees! Keep the faith and smile all the time. :)

JB Adventure

It was the first time am spending birthday on a foreign land. I made a quick trip to a neighboring country which is accessible by bus.

Johor Bahru or simply "JB" is the capital city of Johor southern Malaysia. JB is easily reached from Singapore. There are so many options to get there. You can travel via car, SBS bus or coaches. I opted for the cheaper one, I took the SBS bus and used my EZ link card to pay.

I rode bus 950 in Woodlands bus interchange. All passengers got off from the bus in a checkpoint area for immigration purposes on the side of Singapore. From there, I took the bus 170 which brought us all to JB Immigration dept. I had my passport stamped and surrendered my embarkation card. I didn't ride the bus again after that, I just went straight to JB sentral and nearby malls. Took a walk in Jalan

My palate wanted to try Malaysian cuisine but it seems all spicy so I settled with something familiar. :) I just ordered noodles which seemed it tasted good in the picture. Well, the picture fooled me as it tasted bland.

There was a group of high school girls in the food court and I asked them for some directions how to get to the places of interest in JB.

Bahasa Melayu or Bahasa Malay has similar words to Filipino Language. Though most of the road signs and boards are written in their language, I didn't feel completely lost because of its similarities to Tagalog. Here are some words that mean same thing to Filipino language.

Bus - bas - bus (in Tagalog)
Taxi - teksi - taksi
Rice - Nasi - kanin (in tagalog), nasi (in pampango)
Door - Pintu - Pinto (in tagalog)

In my short trip to JB I learned few Bahasa Malay words.

Terimah kasi - Thank you
Keluart - Exit
Selamat Datang - Welcome
Masuk - Entry
Sotong - Squid
Ikan - Rice

I am glad that most Malays can understand and speak English. In Indonesia, I had difficulty going around because taxi drivers can't speak little English. I took a taxi going to Istana Besar but unfortunately it was closed.

I also walked along Jalan Wong Ah Fook hunting for some souvenir items like t-shirt and fridge magnets. I noticed there are lots of indian who sit on the road and selling trinkets or offering i think palm reading. I got almost tempted to have a palm reading session. :) Saw a lot of street food but didn't dare to buy.

Around 4pm I decided to go back to Singapore. Had no problems in Malaysian immigration but I had been questioned a lot at Singapore checkpoint. The immigration officer asked for my plane ticket going back to Philippines. I had none to show. I told the officer it was my birthday and just decided on a spur of moment to visit JB. The immigration officer granted me entry to Singapore but warned me that next time I should bring my ticket. I was saying a prayer during the questioning time that he would allow me to go back to SG as all my things are in my apartment.

Going back to Sg, I took bus 950 again and then from Singapore checkpoint I boarded bus 160 to go back to Woodlands Bus Interchange.

Happy Birthday!

Yey, it's my 36th birthday today. I planned to make a day trip to Johor Baharu, Malaysia. I don't want to spend my whole day here in SG infront of computer or watching TV. Glad that it is a sunny Thursday. :)

I thank the Lord for adding another year in my journey. There were so many low points in my life the previous year but I can't achieve the significantly high points in my life without going through those. As the Bible says, "all things work together for good to them that love the Lord God and do His will." I will continue to walk daily with the Lord.

*****
I took some pics before going to Malaysia.