Whacked.

I had been having very weird dreams lately --

... about my front tooth falling off, and me pushing it back in and wondering whether it will stay there and not rot (I know, ewwwwness!)

... backpacking through a crowded market place, checking into a cheap hotel and washing dirty cups

... finding my way through a maze of tunnels with rooms in them (apparently because I have a job interview with two Japanese businessmen), and when I didn't find the room I wanted, I ran into the Japs outside the tunnels. They tell me that they were going to email me to say that my application failed due to non-attendance. Sheesh.


I've consulted my "dream dictionary," but none of it makes sense. It tells me either success is imminent or that something's bothering me. Surprise, surprise.

Who's got the punk?

If you are into punk rock music and dress up in punk rock-style clothing, naturally you would want to be with someone who "gets" you, right?
Punk singles now have a chance to hook up with other people who are on the same wavelength by going to PunkMatch.com, where they can register for free.

PAL Real Deal -- A Real Bomb

My sisters and I have been trying to book flights through Philippine Airlines (PAL) because their Real Deal promo was so tempting -- we were going to save at least 50% of the usual flight to Los Angeles, which would be foolish of us to pass up. Unfortunately, the seat sale only ran on April 27-28. ONLY TWO DAYS.

So, what happened then?

The site went down... ALL FRIGGIN' DAY... AND NIGHT.

1st sister and I managed to get booked, but our youngest will be left behind! We were trying to get her into the same flight as us (the first credit card went over the limit), but we eventually failed. Now, how in the world did that happen?


You go visit the PAL website to book a flight online, and you get this stupid announcement:




PAL is experiencing an unusual number of website visitors who want to avail of its internet promo Real Deal.

Yeah, you try again later. But that thing just keeps popping up.


Then, when you eventually reach the part where you can book your flight, you end up staring at this thing for a good 10 minutes:




Yup. It processes the details FOREVER.



If you're lucky enough, you just might see this error:



Add Passenger Details Generic Error.



I tried to call the PAL hotline, but you get a busy tone all the time. When I eventually managed to get through, I was on hold for virtually 90++ minutes or AN HOUR AND A HALF. Even then, the booking agent couldn't book youngest sister into the flight without us having to pay the normal price. Sheesh. How stupid is that?

Philippine Airlines, before you make a promo like that again PLEASE get your shit together. It's not funny. It's like an online raffle! Pfttt.

Guam Island Tour Part 1

A trip to Guam wouldn't be complete without a round-the-island tour. You'd think it would take us all day to do this, but we managed it in TWO HOURS. Yes, you read that right. That includes photo ops, as well.




So yeah, we just drove around the island... a 2-hour joyride. Hahaha!


Photos of mountains, valleys, historical places and other lovely views after the jump!






The weather was actually quite nice for a drive.





But I don't think the guy driving the Maserati was enjoying the views..





First stop was the Southern Mountains Overlook. Obviously, there's not much here but mountains. No tourists either, just us.






Then just down the road was this Vietnam war veterans memorial.






It has got a nice view of the valley beneath it.






Then Umatac Bay comes up just after you go down the mountains.






Magellan landed here too, apparently. According to the information table, he was welcomed by the natives and was fed well -- but he tried to burn the village down because they tried to steal his spiff.

What, he thought hospitality was for free??? Which planet did he live in????


To be continued...

Fantasy kitchen

I can't cook, but I've always wanted a fancy kitchen. You know, those ones that are clean and gleaming, with a breakfast counter (if that's what you call them).

Why do I want a fancy kitchen? Well, I like to try my hand at baking but I can't because I don't have a proper oven. Although we have a tiny oven at home, it's not the kind I want to bake muffins and cakes in. I want to be like Martha Stewart at some stage in my life too, if that makes any sense.

I've been to a Home Improvement Blog and have found loads of good ideas there for my dream kitchen. I'm sure it will happen for me someday, just you guys wait.

FS Picks of the Week, Apr 27 - May 3

Every Monday, Frustrated Sosyalera will try to bring you the best of the week to come -- called FS Picks of the Week.

If I get the movie schedules wrong, I'm sorry. Sometimes the showing times aren't final 'til Wednesday, so pfttt. =P


Again, not much going on this week.






X-Men Origins: Wolverine


Starring
Hugh Jackman
Liev Schrieber
Danny Huston
Dominic Monaghan


Synopsis
Leading up to the events of X-Men, X-Men Origins: Wolverine tells the story of Wolverine's epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X program. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends of the X-Men universe whose appearances in the film series have long been anticipated.





The Battle of East & West...Pacquiao vs Hatton


(Everyone and their grandmothers know about this one, so I'm not about to list down where you can watch it. -- FS)

Puppy House Dream

I am looking forward to the time when we move to a bigger home, then I can think of getting all the dog breeds I want -- a maltese, a papillon, a long-haired chihuahua, a beagle, a lhasa apso... is that too much? Gusgus needs a brother or a sister, because he gets all lonely and stuff when he is left alone in the flat. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough room for another puppy. *sigh*


If I ever want to look for a home, I think I'd go with Wilmington NC Real Estate if only because they support an organisation that helps rescue homeless animals. I'd rescue them all myself, if I could.

Pinoyisms in Guam Part 1

What I found fascinating about Guam is that I don't think a Filipino migrant won't find it hard to adjust to life there. Why?

I found these at a shop in Micronesia Mall (which is consequently owned by Mr Lucio Tan) --



All Filipino munchies!







It ain't cheap though at $1.50! That's like nearly FOUR TIMES it's actual value! Tsk. Imported goods these days, huh?

Building a better home

My parent's house is in tatters. It's a 2-story house built in the 80's, and hasn't been fixed eversince. It needs a new roof, new tiles, a new paint job... you name it, we need to have it done.


But as the folks are retired, it's up to the children to have these things done. Unfortunately, none of us know where to start! I'm the eldest, and even I don't know where to begin. One thing I do know, however, is that we would need a budget as well as an actual plan on how to do the home improvements. If only there was somebody we can ask for advice on that, it would have been quite helpful.

I read on Austin Remodeling that they can help with people's home remodelling needs as well as help them plan around the budget that they intend to use for the project. They can also help advise people on what kind of remodelling will increase the value of your home. Apparently, if you have improvements done in your bedroom, kitchen and bathroom, they return the most value.

But I thought that since our roof is beginning to leak, that might be the best place to start with our house. All I need to do now is scrimp money off my sisters!

Guam: How to get around

So when you arrive in Guam, how do you get around? Sure you can hire a car, but that would be expensive. What about the rest of us destitute people?

You can take cable car, err, shuttle bus!

There's more where that came from, so read on.







The shuttles basically run in routes, so we took the one that takes the scenic route through to the popular hotels in Tumon because we're in no hurry to get anywhere.






We were basically doing it for kicks.





The air is quite clean in this island, so open-air buses can be enjoyed. Unlike in Manila where you get TB or lung cancer inhaling smog all the darn time.





We took the bus from Guam Premier Outlets shopping center (where I've done the most damage to my credit card).





And where you can also catch the latest film showing in the cinemas.






So we weave through the hotels...






They've got quite a few popular ones out there.






Most signs are in Japanese, because they have a lot of Japanese tourists. We don't really want them getting lost now, do we?





Then we pass by other shopping centres (this one, I hadn't bought anything because they're all designer, pfttt).





Sometimes you'll see mall security guards dressed up in suits. Gosh, they dress more professionally than I do!



And to give you an even better idea how the ride went, here are the short videos I took along the way --









Sorry if it's a bit shaky, we were in a moving vehicle after all.

Who are you and why do you have my number?

I know this happened to you too at one point or another, but doesn't it bother you when you get calls from people you don't want to hear from?

There was this one time, my mobile was ringing and the number was unregistered in my mobile phonebook. I was hesitant to answer it, because I don't exactly like talking to people I don't know on my mobile. However, I picked the handset up, just in case there was an emergency from home.

It definitely wasn't an emergency call. It was some guy who wouldn't introduce himself properly. Although I knew who he was, it was someone I would rather forget, really. Thank goodness for the caller ID function in mobiles, I can avoid any further calls from him.


However, not all our landline phones have that function. So what if you get an annoying call there, what do you do?

I've found a site called Caller Wiki where you can enter a phone number and the site will give you a report about that number's owner or which company it's registered to, its address and its call details (like if they scam people into buying stuff).

I gave it a go using my mum's US mobile phone number, but Caller Wiki didn't have anything on her (which is expected). However, they did have this Reverse Calling Detective function, which told me my mum's location and a picture of the location on Google Maps. How cool is that, right???

Guam: Holiday Resort

Hafa adai!

I know it has taken me a looooong time to post photos of Guam, so I will go straight to the point today -- the beach!

I don't look very happy, right?

Read on! Read on!




We went to the Holiday Resort in Tumon (where nearly all the hotels were), not to stay there, but just to visit the bf's mum (her office is inside the resort, fancy huh?).








But as we parked the car when we got there....





We saw something hanging from the coconut tree -- a black bra. Somebody had too much fun the night before! Woot!





These stone things look like drums, but I can't confirm that because my bf is a less-than-perfect tourguide. Peace, bebeh! XP





I just had to get my picture taken by the fountain which doesn't symbolise anything. The statue had its back to me as well, pfttt.





There are no security guards here to stop you from walking to the beach, even if you're not a resident of the hotel. So walk on, we did.





It was amazing, of course!





The sand was so fine and white, and won't stick to your flipflops like the coarse ones would.





Makes you want to just sit there, forget about sunburn. It doesn't exist here...





... you wish it doesn't. Make sure to slab on a lot of sunscreen.





Otherwise, you'll get really burnt while being hypnotised by the cool breeze, staring out into the ocean.





Or maybe headless Japanese tourist meat is more your kind of thing, I don't know. Hee!

FS Picks of the Week, Apr 20 - 26

Every Monday, Frustrated Sosyalera will try to bring you the best of the week to come -- called FS Picks of the Week.

If I get the movie schedules wrong, I'm sorry. Sometimes the showing times aren't final 'til Wednesday, so pfttt. =P

Looks like it's horror movie week with the creepy films coming out in the middle of April. Weird huh?





The Haunting in Connecticut


Plot
A family is forced to move nearer to a clinic where their teenage son is being treated for cancer. While there, they begin to experience a series of violent supernatural encounters, and they discover that their newfound home had a much darker past.





Sumpa

Starring
Joross Gamboa
Mark Gil
Mocha

Plot
A young man moves into an opulent house given to him by his father. He lives there alone, but every now and then he sees a beautiful woman swimming in the pool. He soon learns about a curse on the house, and a violent history that involves his family.






Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Plot
A desperate, down-on-her-luck governess pretends to be a social secretary for a bubbly aspiring actress and gets caught up in the machinations of London high society where people treat love as a commodity.

Corregidor: Cine Corregidor

Frustrated Sosyalera has somewhat made it her personal mission to show the world how awesome Corregidor Island is, and that's why this series of posts on it seem never ending! I just went on a day tour, but ended up taking hundreds of photos to document it and thought it would be a waste not to share with everyone.

We're nearing the end of our tour, and today the feature is about Cine Corregidor.




The island's residents are so lucky, they had their own cinema!


More photos after the jump.




Lovely panoramic shot (mine. hehe!)





This is the booth were the Corregidor peeps used to buy their movie tickets. I can almost imagine it. Must have been dreamy back in the day.





And this was where they actually watched those old films. Not bad, really. I wish they also had photos of how it looked like back in the 40's. It's a shame that it's all in ruins now.

What to eat in Guam?

It's my first time to be in Guam, so what do you think was my first meal?

Taco Bell. Hee!

I know we've got these in the Philippines, but it's still kind of different there.

Because they've got some damn cool hot sauce packets. I feel like they're talking to me. I think I'm goin crazy.

The Big Outlet Sale 2009

For all you shopaholics out there (ehem, like me), you'll be happy to know that BPI is bringing us The Big Outlet Sale 2009 at the Mega Tent, Meralco Avenue.




I don't think I've maxed my credit card (yet), so I might head out there on Saturday (just to be nosey).





I'm already drooling on the list!


The entrance is free for ALL BPI cardholders (BPI Express Credit, BPI Express Teller and BPI Express Cash) and children aged 12 years or younger. You MUST remember to bring your BPI card and valid ID to show at the entrance, though (don't be silly now).

NON-BPI cardholders may also enter the venue provided:

(a) Applies for a BPI Express Credit Edge at the entrance of the venue (customer must completely accomplish application form and submit ID to be photocopied by DS agents)
(b) Purchases a BPI Express Cash Card with load via E-Cash booth at entrance of the venue
(c) Pays P50 entrance fee (that's quite cheap, I think).



The Big Outlet Sale 2009
April 17,18 & 19, 2009 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
The Mega Tent
#30 Meralco Ave.
Ortigas
Pasig City