A Tale of 6 Wannabee Gangsters

1982 was a good year to start something, anything. Six sophomore kids decided they’ll be a force to reckon with, age no withstanding, in campus.

And so we started to make a name. On top of the heap was Caloy De Guzman, followed by Arnold Motos. Next would be Ramil Olayres. Distant fourth would be me, followed by two equally short-fused guys namely Anthony Armabulo and Amado Ngo. We have a seventh member, Garry Gonzales, our glamour boy. But somehow, he got lost in the maze. We never heard from him after our junior year.

We were never really the terroristic type, we just didn’t give any turf we thought we owned. We were the go-to guys when other friends were in trouble, big or small. Most of the encounters would fall on Caloy and Anoy. Ramil was not really a starter but couldn’t be hit either. He’ll explode in a zip! I had my share of those, probably about 2 major, the rest minor and are easily patched up among the protagonists.

Lots of people-family, friends and peers, thought that we were a bunch of lost or at the very least, troubled souls. At some time, we probably thought so too. But we were happy with what we do, we never really thought of it too seriously. We were just a bunch of happy kids coasting thru our high school and finish it, if at all.

Once we entered college, we sort of fell off the grid. We never got to be as a group again after that. I maintained a constant communication with Caloy, we being neighbors in Tondo and also provincemates here in Rizal. But for the last 5 years or so, we lost contact too.

I bumped to Anoy once in a while, being also a neighbor of sort on the other side of the railroad tracks. But once I joined the workforce, we never got to talked again. I would meet him again, turns out for the last time, in 2004, after about a 14-year lay-off.

Ramil, on the other hand, would become a neighbor of my mother in our old house in Solis sometime in the mid 90’s. We met twice in the streets but couldn’t really talk that long as both of us were on our way to work. After that, we get to talk, albeit very sparingly rare, only here at FB.

As for Jing and Anthony, I never really touched base again with them up until today. But I have heard that both of them are doing well. Glad to know that.

Because of our reputation in school, most of the batch has written us off. They thought that we only have 3 places to end up with-Hospital (Good), Jail (Better) or Cemetery (Best). I wouldn’t blame them, we really were that notorious back then, but only if you got into trouble to us or one of our friends. Otherwise, we never really terrorize anyone on a whim. It has to have a reason before we act on it.

Good thing we didn’t fare bad after all. Caloy is a seafarer and have toured the world a number of times, he may be sick and tired of it. Arnold was a Shift Supervisor at a Panasonic plant in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Ramil is working for a big consumer product distribution company. I went on to become a banker all my professional life. Jing, I heard of is working abroad. Anthony, eventually became and still is a Barangay Kagawad in his hometown. Somehow, us wannabee gangsters found redemption after all. We finally found our place under the sun.

Last Wednesday, I got the jolt of my high school flashback days-found out Anoy has passed away. Wasn’t so sure, or maybe I never wanted to be assured that he really died, until Josie Arambulo confirmed it to me. Only then it sunk in to me that a comrade has died. For the first time, I really didn’t know how to feel about it. I have been to a number of wakes of a friend’s this and that but never to a wake of a friend. This is the first time for me and when I went there yesterday, it was so surreal. It’s like seeing a time of my life sucked out. We were just kids a few years back and now he left a bunch of kids of his own. Just too untimely.

I haven’t talked to any of our bunch except to Ramil. I sent him a PM telling him we should all meet and pay our last respect to a friend, collectively, if possible. I guess some things get in the way as the idea hasn’t bore fruit yet but I’m keeping my hopes alive it will, no matter how pressed up we are as time is ticking away so fast.

We may have forgotten to say hello to each other through the years but as I found out today, true friends never really die. They just fade away in memory. Anytime you need them, you can always retrieve them back.

It was heartening to know, nearly made me cry, that Anoy’s wife, whom I never met before until yesterday, knows me by name. So did she remembers Caloy, Ramil and as she puts it, “yung nakatira sa Balut”, meaning Jing and Anthony. Turns out Anoy keeps telling his kids of our exploits and foibles then, and of increasing frequency, lately before he died.

I’d be too silly to say that I never shed a tear writing this, my eyes welled and I’ll never be ashamed of it. And if it’s my way of remembering and mourning a friend, I’d be the first to say, I am happy I did.

Take your rest now, pal. You deserve it.

Who BFF?

Martin was invited to a birthday party. No, he wasn’t the principal guest, sabit lang sya. Debbie was the real invitee. Since they got together again after so many years of separation, he obliged.

Though the celebrant was not a close friend, they’ve known each other for a number of years. Bumped into each other a number of times but never said more than a Hi or a Hello.  But nonetheless, he found himself in the party because Debbie was a grade school classmate and a very close friend thru high school and to some extent, even in college. Or is she?

At the garden, where the party was happening, Martin saw a number of familiar faces. There was Bettina Herrks who flew in from Frankfurt, there’s Melita Pumps who now works a Marketing Director for a winery in Napa Valley and Jillian Sights who is a lending magnate. Each of them is sitting on different tables although all of them knew each other pretty well.

First stop was Bettina whom she knew from high school.  Martin overheard her saying “Si BFF talaga ang ganda! Swerte ni Pareng Joven!”. A guest in her table asked her, “Close ba kayo ni Ms Lian?” She replied, “Close? Ganito kami, noh!” Pointing to her index and middle fingers closely together. “Swerte nyo naman Madam! Kayo pala ang BFF ni Ma’am Lian.”

After waiving to Bettina, Martin moved to another table, this time to Melita. Now, Martin is actually close to this lady so they greeted cheek-to-cheek. He didn’t realize that he actually interrupted her with her explanation to the other guests in her table. She too, is a BFF! She was telling them that they’ve been thru a lot; from the time both of them are nobodies to today that they’re both made and famous. Martin asked himself, “Kayo din?”  As if to answer him, Melita said, “Kung di man sila nagkakilala ni Joven, I am sure marami rin sya makilalang mayaman, matalino, gwapo at sikat kasi super ganda si BFF!”

To Martin, this is just another bragging rights being blurted out. He told himself, “Who am I to say no? Di ko rin alam kasi di naman ako privy dun sa celebrant.”

Seeing Debbie having a good time talking with her old friends from grade school, Martin thought he’d be better off in the sidelights. Anyway, lahat naman eh di nya barkada, much less BFF. So in the farthest corner table half-empty, he thought he can probably sit na. Wrong!

At the table is Jillian Sights, a lending magnate so to speak but a past due debtor and was a bad client of Martin in a bank he used to work with. They had a falling out kasi ni-recommend nya but in the course of the loan, she defaulted.

Right away he knew, off limits sya dun. So Martin thought he’ll spend the whole night standing up or sitting in anything solid enough to hold his butt. As such, he never got to hear what Jillian has to say as yet another BFF.

So sino ba talaga yung BFF nila? Why are they so bragging in the rights to be her solo BFF? Well for one, Lian is now a famous model and has an equally famous husband. To be seen with her is like a billboard ad in Guadalupe EDSA, libre kaagad plugging mo! And syempre, konting pagmamalaki na si BFF ay, BFF mo!

Right after Lian gave a short speech, she went down to the tables to meet and greet everybody. What happened was a bit of a comical event. Bettina, Merlita and Jillian are all tugging Lian to their respective tables, as if to show she’ll go to their table first to show kung sino nga talaga BFF!

It was evident that Lian was irritated with the gestures. But ever the gracious person, she let it all in stride.

After satisfying each and every BFF’s desire to be photographed with her, Lian saw Debbie and Martin having cocktails in the corner and non-chalantly joined them. She said to Debbie, “O, dito pala boylet mo bakit di mo man sinabi sakin? Just like that, they greeted each other cheek-to-cheek and was surprised when a flash bathed them. “O, enjoy lang kayong dalawa, marami pa tayo pagkukwentuhan. Don’t ever leave without telling me!”

Needless to say, after an hour or so, Martin and Debbie waived goodbye to Lian. But Lian went after them and both gave them another cheek-to-cheek good byes. Again, flashes filled the area and cameras clicked.

The next morning, Martin was reading the paper and on the social page was a double shot of Lian, each one showing her giving a kiss to Debbie and the other to Martin with a caption “Future Power Couple?”

Martin gave it a quirky smile and said, “Who’s the BFF now?”

Incurably Happy Guy

Something happened on my way to the bank yesterday afternoon. Driving along the main road of our village, I passed by a man of somewhat small height and frame, pushing a wheel barrow filled with 3 trunks of coconut tree about 6 feet long each. I could sense that the load was heavy as his neck’s blood veins are just about ready to pop.

But what caught my attention is that despite the heavy task, he was still all smiles. When he passed by a group of carpenters constructing a house, he flashed an even more genuine grin. And I thought how on earth can he still smile with such a heavy load he is moving.

Didn't want the bank to closes shop before I arrive, I proceeded.

This morning, on my way to SM Taytay to cash in on a friend’s promised birthday gift of a Philips RaGa MP3 Player, I chance upon again this man, this time trimming the bushes. I know he’s a laborer on a per job basis as I have seen him only now. Otherwise, if he’s a regular hand in that house, I would have known him a long time ago.

The curiosity in me took the better of me and the next thing I know, I am alighting from the car and walking towards him. I told him “Kahapon nakita kita me tinutulak na kartilya. Mabigat yung karga mo pero ngiting-ngiti ka pa rin!”

He replied “Oo naman, sir. Natapos ko kasi agad putulin yung puno. Maaga ako nakauwi at nakapamalengke. Binayaran ako 200 ni Madam at ibinili ko ng 2 kilong bigas at ¼ kilo na hotdog. Paborito yun ng anak ko eh!”

I thought I am gonna have a heart attack. What he told me, floored me.

Here I am, driving a car, celfone in my hand, watch on my wrist, the trappings of our generation and still, on my way to buy another toy, an MP3 player. Though I don’t consider myself empty, I don’t still consider it full.

And here he is, working in the heat of the mid-morning sun, perspiring and all, but was very happy he was able to buy a hotdog for his kid.

He just thought me a lesson, on how much pure happiness costs-nearly nothing at all!

Quite ashamed of what I heard, I went  to my car and decided to proceed with the day’s plan.

But on the next corner, I abruptly turned around and went back. I told myself “F*** the MP3! I’ll have more happiness with what I intend to do now.”

Stopping on the next sari-sari store I saw, I called him up and said “Pare, halika dito, softdrinks muna tayo!”

With the sun rays starting to burn his skin and half the task is already done, he thought, yeah, maybe he can have a break.

I gave him a bottle and he took it with his ever sunny smile, I said to myself, “This son-of-a-gun is incurably happy! He’s probably the world’s happiest person!”

Having soda and crackers together, cost me nearly nothing, he in turn gave me pure joy.

Isn’t life supposed to be simple? 

Respect

I am very respectful person. I respect everything there is to respect, people, religion, creed, race, views etc. I make it a point to be very polite, on all situations whenever necessary.

If there is one thing I can’t respect are bank officers who don’t have a pedigree in banking, never started as clerks, barged into because they know somebody or for any other reason, make it appear they know everything, and worst, throw their weight around.

I have lots of experiences of this kind back then. Since I was a neophyte, I can’t complain. Now that I am an officer myself, they’ll have a hard time pulling strings for no real reasons whatsoever. They gotta show me some logic on their acts before they can make a believer in me. They gotta earn it first.

Take this instance.

I was interviewed by an SVP for Consumer Finance, a lady almost my age, maybe a few years older, of a big rural bank based in Makati. She came from a bankrupt rural bank (she told me the name of the bank, she didn’t know I have an inside track) bought by a big commercial bank, assets only, not including personnel and prior to that, in a motorcycle marketing company.

She told me that she finds my resume very thin. Working in 3 commercial banks, one global bank, 2 savings banks and a foreign financing company, that comment left me perplexed. If she has either Bank of America, Citibank, MBTC, UCPB, BPI or BDO work experiences in her back, I wouldn’t mind. But from a rural bank in Laguna, though I mean no disrespect, and a bankrupt at that, I take offense!

I told her that I am proud of my pedigree in banking, having spent almost 20 years of my professional life, practically all of it. And if this conversation is taking too much of her precious time, I’d be happy to leave her in peace.

Sensing my displeasure, she backed out a little. She told me that for the years spent in banking and finance, I should have done better. I should be the one asking that question. “Where are you now, Madam? What have you done for the growth of the banking industry, lately?” But from thereon it was already too late; she got me riled up by now.

She sensed that I am no longer interested in joining the bank much less her team, so she told me to ask her a question. Bad move! Especially if a banker asks a not-really banker but acting like one. I said ok, shoot!

“What is the first and foremost product of the bank?” She said it was too easy a question. She also said it depends on the type of bank but it can be categorized into 2 main products-deposits and loans. Wrong!

Now her true bearings are showing up, she doesn’t know her Banking 101. I told her that if a greenhorn bank employee was asked and answered that way, he might get away with it. But coming from a Senior Vice President who seems to throw her weight around, that’s sacrilege! 

Any good banker worth his salt would tell her that neither one is the foremost product of banking. Far from it though very correlative. The first product of the bank is neither counted, touched nor visible, just felt. Indeed you just feel the product, without it or if you doubt it, you’ll never transact in a bank. It is called TRUST. Simply put, if you don’t trust the bank, why would you put your money in there? That’s the main reason why some banks are named METROPOLITAN BANK & TRUST COMPANY (or simply Metrobank), Manufacturers Hanover Trust Bank (that’s in NY), Mitsubishi Trust Bank, and so on.

Red in the face, the SVP was flabbergasted. She couldn’t believe I’ll lecture her on the finer or basic things of banking. She could probably accept some from other higher ups but definitely not from this guy whom she, just a few minutes ago, thought to have a very thin work experience. She should have been polite, even to lower level officers. That’s called respect. Tactlessness has definite demerits.

Then I bid her goodbye and so is my application. I don’t mind. I’d be an anomaly there, in their corporate culture anyway.

Learn your lessons well, madam. Not every thin is really thin. They could even be heavyweights, for all you know.

China Crisis Live In Manila

Got home after watching the part deux of the Manila Tour of China Crisis. Good thing I did. It was a lot better than the first one last night, even though the last gig was already very good, only dampened probably, by the heavy rain.

This time, it was staged at the Venice Piazza inside the sprawling McKinley Hill. Though McKinley Hill is the poor cousin of Forbes Park, it is the richer brother of Eastwood City, nonetheless. With the crowd about 90% on the affluent level, I am on other side of the spectrum, the remaining 10%.

But surprisingly, the crowd was a lot looser than those of yesterday. And with GARY DALY in his more “cheerful” elements, whatever that means, plus the fact that the weather was terrifically cool, everybody is in their happiest circumstances.

The concert was longer this time, with 2 additional songs not played last night, Diary Of A Hollow Horse and the other one I forgot. And with Gary talking and laughing and dancing all the time, the crowd got even more animated. He must be in high spirits as I saw Eddie Lundon holding a can San Miguel Pale Pilsen, just like they loved it back in 2002, with the booze helping them carry on with what they call stifling heat, believe it or not, our cool holiday weather. They had to change clothes right before the encore.

To sum it all up, it is a wonderful New Wave/80’s weekend. Though combined, it is still a little short on the meter compared to when TFF drop by and dropped a bomb at Araneta, making everybody inside stoned and shocked, seeing their New Wave legends churn out wonderful music only us, our generation, can truly understand and love. Those were nonetheless, wonderful and brilliant evenings.

If only somebody can bring in U2. Now that’s a different story, altogether. But until then, let’s keep rocking!

Singapore Sojourn

Singapore Sojourn

It was a hot, really hot, mid-morning of April 2010 at Clark DMIA when we’re told to board the plane. 

 

Six hundred bucks and no ramps? Expensive airport, indeed!  I’ve seen better deals---Dubai-free, Manama-free, NAIA-ok, P650 but there’s a tarmac and a lot more space to wander and kill time before boarding. Plastic chairs, probably hundreds of them, are the only thing we can laze around with while patiently waiting for our bird.

Tiger Airways Flight TR2795 is on an Airbus A320. The plane looks beaten up outside but inside, it looks nice and new. A few minutes later, we’re taxiing. In no time at all, we’re airborne. But wait, I’m sitting at Seat 08-C. I’m supposed to be a Seat 03F coz I paid for it. WTF?

Anyway, my sis-in-law got my replacement seat at 08-A. I’ll let her enjoy the view on the window seat. It’s her first time anyway.

Three hours and little over 15 minutes, we’re touching down. As smooth as we left DMIA, the pilot landed the plane just as well. There was one instance though where the pilot did a joke on us at DMIA. He turned the plane on a 180° turn and everybody, specifically my son and my sis-in-law, their first flight ever, felt the G’s and thought they wouldn’t last the plane’s turn. Afterwards, we all broke into a hearty laugh. Welcome to the age of flight!

It was a wet afternoon in Singapore. And from where we landed in that part of a huge runaway, we taxied for about another kilometer to reach our terminal. The plane even crossed a busy highway atop an elevated pathway.

After we cleared immigration, our host was already there. She toured us right away in what could be the biggest and most modern airport I’ve been to. Alright, Dubai will have something to say about it. I’d say it’s a close shave, whichever is bigger, better.

But Changi is a marvel. Clean, beautiful, organized, the airport is like a computer mainframe you can actually set foot on-everything works-marvelous! There are even works of art abound, free to look at. It’s like an airport and a museum and a mall all rolled into one. I can live here---there’s a mall! And I thought that was already surprising. But wait, there’s still more!

Then there’s the tram-for free. Nice to look on and hold but the wonder of this is---look pal, no driver! Ride all you want, all the time. Ride till your sense of balance tilts over but never pay a cent. I would learned later that almost all, if not all already, trains, trams, light rails and monorails have no pilot/driver. Too bad for our MRT and LRT pilots here, you got no future in Singapore.

We then proceeded to our accommodation which is our host’s house in Sengkang area, a spanking and relatively new residential complex about 25kms away from the airport. But you’d never notice the distance. The trip was seamlessly taken. No traffic, no stupid driver-ours in the bus or anybody outside, no overtaking moron to contend with. Everybody here follows the rule. I’ll repeat-Everybody here follows the rule. As we cruise along, I wonder-can we do this at home?

Dinner was had right away. After the usual catching ups, we retired early-there’s a lot to cover tomorrow. We need every ounce of energy we can gain on this lengthy sleep. Tomorrow then.

Being in a foreign land, in a foreign room and most especially, in a foreign bed, I woke up early. And this is when I felt the real Singapore weather.  4am and it already feels like 2pm, Manila weather. Humidity must have been invented in Singapore—the Philippines got envy and copied it. Wow, I have never broken a sweat just standing alone at 4am in any place I’ve ever been to. We could be in an oven by noon.

First stop was a ride from Sengkang Terminal, in what they call North East/Purple Line. We took a bus from Rivervale Avenue to the terminal, a very short ride, just a little over five minutes.

North East Line, and so are the other 2 lines, is again a thing of beauty and modernization. Took 5 years to built, it is worth every second of wait. Running smooth and seamlessly, you wonder why not all train rides be this good. And very cool too, even the terminals. I guess what makes this train ride very good is also the people. Everybody knows what to do, when to go inside and when to board off. No rushing off or rushing in. Everybody waits for their proper turn. Manila, read this well!

Twenty minutes or so later, we took off at Dhoby Gaut Terminal, on our way to city proper. First we saw was the St. Andrew Church, next up was the old Supreme Court. Turn a corner and then you’ll see the real city, skyscrapers everywhere, modern urban area.

A few steps and we’re into the site where Sir Raffles first landed. Didn’t passed the chance to take pictures—I’d even copied his pose!  Next up was the Cavanaugh Bridge where the old style but actually modern water vessels are for hire. Of course we didn’t try. We only have budget for a walk not for a ferry!

A few more steps later and we went down to the side of Cavanaugh Bridge. Feeling the heat of the day, my feet are weary already. It didn’t help that I wore just a pair of slippers. I thought it would help dissipated the heat right away. Bad choice---my feet felt the weather all the more.

I saw a small lagoon where an opportunity to waddle my feet for a cool break might be had. Fearing I’d be fined for washing my feet on it, I asked first an Indian expat who works as a gardener if I can dip my feet on it. Being mistaken as an Indian myself everywhere I’ve been to, he easily allowed me to dip my hot and weary feet on an oasis for hot and weary feet. Ahhhhh! Wonderful!

I jokingly revealed to him that I am not an Indian. I may have Indian blood, hence a bit of them in my facial features, but still I am very much Pinoy. Then the walk continues.

Coming up from the other side of the bridge is the place no tourists worth their salt would deliberately miss. This is where you’d get reimbursement, satisfaction and gratification for all the money spent, tiring walks and sweaty shirt all combined. This is the mecca---the Merlion. Definitely the most photographed entity or place in the whole of Singapore.

Next in the itinerary is the Marina Square, a modest but still looks new and modern, mall. Mall---this word you’ll be reading all article long. Why? Because there is mall everywhere! This is probably the country with the world’s most number of malls per capita.  There’s just a mall every corner. They can’t seem to get tired of having a new mall erected. They just got to have another one.

After touring most of Marina Square, we ended, via a glass tube, in yet another mall, Suntec City. I can’t take this anymore! We gotta stop malling. Ok, let’s eat first. Let’s resume our malling afterwards.

The choices at Suntec City Food Hawkers Stall are enormous. I have always wanted to try the street food in Singapore. What they did was invite all those food hawkers inside in orderly and neatly arranged stalls where you can have your choice of food. Clean and cool while you eat---neat!

At first I was aghast with the cost of food---S$ 4 for hot Tau Foo soup? There’s gotta be something deep in there to cost that much. Actually, there’s none. When I was handed the bowl, again I’m shocked. It’s the size why it costs $4. I’d need a buddy to finish the soup, otherwise I’ll get bloated. And tasty, too!

Next stop was the FOUNTAIN OF WEALTH. We were told that anybody who got wet being beside the fountain will get wealthy. Hey, I am swimming now!

Minutes later, we were walking towards the area called Bugis. It is where you will find the old Singapore; back when it ain’t a super-rich country yet. Here you can buy souvenirs, form shirts, magnets, lighters, everything at Divisoria-like price. 4 shirts for $10, roughly Php 85.00 each. Not bad, not bad all.

But it’s not the bargain priced products that really caught my eye here. There was a store with this  name . I guess the picture says it all.

The food and the shopping spree drained our energy and allowance, for the day, so off we go home.

9am and we’re on our way to Sengkang Bus & Purple Line Station. First, a short walk to LRT Loop onto the subway.  We embarked at Dhoby Gaut station. Going up turned out to be Lucky Plaza Mall. I told you, there’s hundreds of mall here.  At the exit is Orchard Road where the Istana, the presidential palace is located. After that are rows and rows of stores selling electronic gadgets-you name it, they have it-and again, malls.

When buying electronic products, say camera or phone, make sure to have a strong stand when bargaining for the right price. They’ll shock you first with their price but if you know how to bargain, you’ll do well here. I was supposed to buy a Canon DSLR 1000D. Found out that the resolution is not quite up to my liking so I was offered, at the same price of S$1,000, a Sony 230 instead. Unbeknownst to the salesman, I have already made the rounds and got, so far, the best price of S$550 for the Canon 1000D, so I made my first offer of $500. He was floored! He countered $850, but unfazed, I made an offer of $600. To cut a long story short, as this haggling took 2 hours, believe it or not, we met halfway at S$650. I later found out that the same camera sells at S$649 at Challenger Store which you can find at almost all major malls, principally at VIVO CITY.

We were supposed to proceed at Chinatown afterwards but I spent too much time haggling with the salesman, it got late. Again, on our way to Sengkang and call it a day.

But not after attending a childhood friend’s birthday, whose brother Mario is also an old friend way back in the 80’s. It was good he was there too. We haven’t seen each other for almost a decade. Then we called it a day, finally!

It’s a Saturday so no work. Our host’s hubby, MIKE went with us this time. He had grand plans for us for the day. First up is a long subway ride to Vivo City.

Next is a short tramway ride to Sentosa Island.

Here is where Universal Studio Theme Park is located. Hardly opened to the public, it is bursting in the seams with people wanting to go inside. At S$70 a pop, I’d rather have my picture taken at the gate for free. I got better things to do for that amount than just enter a park...

...like wallow my feet in the fountain--free.  

Now walk again to another destination---the new MERLION

Though it looks more majestic than the original one, it still lacks the charm of the old. Give it some time, it will be at par.

Then walk again, to Sentosa Beach.  

The signpost says it all though it is disputed by some quarters. I couldn’t care less. I am just a visitor.

 

Time to go back to Vivo City via a ride through this wonderful machine.

It was a long day. I was tired and hungry. I thought I could eat a whole cow. But Big Mike will lead us to yet another Singapore landmark.  Food would be later.

Now off to Mt Farber Park. Big Mike wanted to have some coffee atop the peak. But the cost was quite prohibitive, so off to lesser-priced pleasures.

It is the highest point in the whole Singapore. From here, you can almost see the whole city, well almost. Not really a big fan of heights anymore now-I get itchy feet-this really made me very hungry.

Hey lady, bring us down fast, please!

And so off again to yet another Singapore landmark, Serangoon Chomp-Chomp.

From this station, our gastronomic trip will start. We got out from this cavernous terminal, clean and modern.

Final destination for the night. They better have good food here coz I lost a lot of pounds walking.

The minute our food was served, we gobbled it all up. Walking all day can really zap you. Food is the best thing to replenish lost poundage, and we had lots of it.

Now time to sleep and recharge for tomorrow.

       

Lights out, please…

Sunday morning, our penultimate day in Singapore. Tomorrow morning, and early at that, would be our flight back home. Last chance to make the most of time left in this city-state. Atop a double-decker bus, we went off to Tampines Mall, a community mall built for the residents of the area. Most communities have their own, part of the community master plan.

Then off to IKEA Store via a free shuttle bus ride, but only during Sundays. I’ve been to another one of this, specifically in Abu Dhabi. Once inside, it feels like you’re in the same store. Same floor lay-out. We did a little window shopping, hoping we can buy something cheap but useful. We ended up having hotdogs and sodas, instead.

A few more minutes later and we hit it home.

Rise and shine at 5am. Flight is at 8.25am so we couldn’t be late. Though traffic would be the last thing we should worry, it’s better to be early than late.

At the airport, last chance to snap up some memories while still there.

Taking photos is the only thing we can do now. Got money no more for other stuff, blew them all away.

Much thanks to our gracious host. Hope we didn’t damage much of your budget for accommodating us.

Simple but still looking elegant, they actually call this Changi Budget Terminal Airport. If only our airports are like this…

I wouldn’t mind paying Php1,620 travel tax and Php 650 airport fee!

And so ends our Singapore sojourn. Short, meaningful, hot and humid, technologically marvelous, wonderful and enlightening. I’ve been asked a number of times why do I like traveling a lot. Some do it for photo ops and bragging rights. For me it’s an education, a learning curve. You learn more by visiting the place and knowing the people, places and culture first hand than by reading hundreds of books about it. Add up the cost of that and you’ll probably spend the same amount if you did actually go there, and at twice the fun. It just makes sense, doesn’t it?

So where’s our next stop?