The Real Pirate of Malacca

Well, at least that's how he appeared to us. Mr. Yearbook Yourself Hairstyle No. 2 was rude, abrasive, self-absorbed and really, a pain to deal with. We knew our luck would run out sometime during this trip since we had such a worry-free adventure yesterday and so we just sat back, relaxed while listening to him chat away during the 2-hour trip to Melaka. Of course we were careful not to let him see us dosing off at baka masigawan pa kami. Heehee.

Melaka is a small, sleepy town just outside Kuala Lumpur that was the center of trade and industry during the early history of Malaysia. Because of its strategic location straddling the Straits of Melaka, it thrived as a port/harbor and served as the point of entry for ships and merchants from China, Japan, India, the Middle East and South Africa.





Along the way, we saw unusual structures such as the tombs shaped like an inverted mother's womb with matching ovaries. The area itself is known as the Bukit China Burial Grounds. Our pirate/tour guide says that when we die, we go back to the womb or something like that. They also had beautiful waiting sheds lined up along the main avenue and their houses were built on stilts.








Our first stop was St. Peter's, a lovely charming church right outside the town center of Melaka. Notice Mr. Man-In-Black in the middle picture. He is wearing a WOOL coat in 90 degree weather and he would not take it off! My goodness. We were all sweating just looking at him. Cute ni Lolo! Just like my buddy Maja, no apologies! Heehee.








The most famous and photographed area in Melaka is the Dutch Square located right at the center of the city. The Dutch, who held Melaka for over a century, left many fine buildings marking their heritage. The most imposing relic of their occupation is the Stadthuys, a strikingly pink town hall which is today the oldest Dutch building in the Far East. Right next to it stands the bright red Christ Church, constructed with pink bricks imported from Holland and covered with local red lacerite. These buildings together with the ruins of the Portuguese built A Famosa and St. Paul's Church are the most prominent reminders of the Europeans' presence in Melaka. Which is where we're off to next.





Its namesake, the Ruins of St. Paul in Macau is the more famous one but the one in Melaka is just as enchanting. As you can see, its mostly just the wall that's standing. Talagang very similar to the one in Macau. Was not able to take a picture of the A Famosa, which literally means The Famous. It all formed part of a mighty fortress meant to guard the city from pirates like Mr. YYH No. 2. Can you imagine he made the four senior citizens in our group trek on a grassy, slopey area that was prone to slipping and sliding. And if you'd walk slow, he would bark at you. As in! Awang awa kami kay lolo and lola(s) but you know what? They walked the 101 steps to the Ruins, trekked the grassy, slopey area and went down the other 101 steps to our bus. And they were all smiles, making jokes, being kulit. Really funny moment. And all throughout, lolo was wearing his wool coat! Hahahaha! Pero at lunch, he took it off na. Baka daw pawisan siya. Heehee.


After a hearty lunch, our next stop was Jalan Hang Jebat, formerly known as Jonker Street. This area is a definite haven for antique collectors and bargain hunters! Authentic artifacts and relics can be found among a host of interesting collectibles, each with its own history and mystery. Also in the vicinity of Jonker Street is the Kampong Kling's Mosque. It is one of the oldest surviving mosques in the country. The Sumatran influence is apparent from its three-tiered pyramid-shaped roof, in place of the more conventional dome. The free-standing minaret resembles a pagoda, again reflecting an infusion of Oriental influences. It serves as a popular venue of worship for the local Muslim community. The mosque is open to visitors but since I was wearing my short dress, I was banned. Well, no apologies as per Maja.





We also got a glimpse of the Cheng Hoon Teng, the oldest traditional Chinese Temple in Malaysia. It is a premier historical monument that has survived the ravages of time. It remains one of the most beautiful Chinese temples around. In fact, it was given a UNESCO award for outstanding architectural restoration. The temple ranks among the most significant in Southeast Asia, being central to the spiritual aspirations of the Chinese community in historic Melaka.


Too much walking around makes you hot and thirsty. At this point, we tried one of the local favorites, the ice kacang. This is the classic Malaysian dessert that everyone loves especially on a hot day. It is also known as ABC or Air Batu Campur (Malay for Mixed Ice). Essentially, it is a mound of shaved ice packed on top of a mixture of sweet red beans, toasted peanuts, creamed corn and jelly bits. The ice is flavoured with syrup and a mixture of evaporated and condensed milk. The one we had used brown palm sugar syrup and a splash of evaporated milk. Well, at least we tried it diba. Taste a lot like our halu-halo except I think our version is better.

By the end of the afternoon, the others just opted to stay in the bus while our pirate/tour guide still insisted on going to other temples and points of interest. Nena was still game taking pictures but Rina and I had our butts firmly planted on our bus seats. It was just too hot na to get off and on the bus.



Kaya naman at our last stop at the actual Straits of Malacca, Mr. YYH No. 2 no longer went down the bus. Nagtampo siya! No more explanations, no more Q&A, no more guiding us where to go. We all went down, took pictures then rode the bus 5 minutes after. Very unprofessional noh? Of course we didn't say it to his face that we had every intention of dumping him in the water--hahahaha! We needed to get back to our hotel before we could give him a piece of our mind. But then the 2 hour ride back to KL mellowed us out and so by the time we got back to Royale Bintang, relax na kami. We were ready to take on our last meal before our red-eye flight back to Manila.

Did I say how lucky we were today? Well, our luck continues on to dinner. Our first restaurant choice turned out to be more of a merienda place so that when we got there, it had just closed for the day. Our second choice was in a very remote area which our cab driver was not familiar with and so he drove aimlessly for about an hour before we arrived in Restoran Sek Yuan.





As we step inside, everyone looks at us like we were lost. We tried asking for a menu and oddly enough, they didn't have one. Nena picked a really authentic place! So authentic that we were getting lost in translation! Heehee. But you know, you just have to have faith in people. Right at the next table was a very mild-mannered gentleman who spoke very little english but was very willing to assist us in ordering. He translated everything for us and he even allowed us to take a peek at his table for their orders so we could copy off them.

And what a feast we turned out having in Sek Yuen! We had the mandatory duck, super yummy ribs and fish with sweet, tangy orange sauce. And since it was our last meal in KL, I succumbed and finally had 2 bowls of fried rice, my absolute guilty pleasure.

Two days in KL doesn't seem like a lot but Nens, Rina and I had great, great fun in our short stay here. There was really more places to see and more restaurants to try but we all needed to get back to reality in Manila. Then again, that just gives us more reason to come back to this lovely city. With Hannah hopefully the next time around. Heehee.

For The First Time

In my younger years at CSA, we were usually arranged alphabetically and so it was no surprise that V would always sit side by side with W. This is how I met my good friend Nena. We were classmates in pre-school, hung out in grade school, grew apart in high school, reconnected in college, was sidetracked by work and law school then finally met up again in 2006. But in all our years as friends, we never really travelled anywhere together except for a college retreat in Tagaytay that doesn't really count because we were not allowed to do anything but pray (yeah right!).

So after talking, ym chatting and emailing about it, we finally, finally took that trip together! We booked way back in May, had a planning dinner two months ago and met up in the airport last October 30. Then the nightmare on Cebu Pacific's Check-In Counter began.

Fellow travel companion Hannah was refused check-in because her passport was nine days short of the six-months validity for passports. Hannah was shell-shocked! She didn't know what to say---we also didn't know how to comfort her. She tried calling her friend who works in CebuPac, I called Reymond to ask him to talk to his friend in Immigration and Nena and Rina (another fellow travelmate) was trying to convince her to check-in at another counter. But the one thing we couldn't assure her was how the Immigration in KL would handle her case. Makalusot man sa Manila, we still had KL to deal with. That being the case, we didn't push the issue anymore and so we sadly let Hannah go. Pero as i said, this trip was years in the making. I told Nena that we needed to shake off this speed bump and just have fun in Malaysia!


In my previous trips to KL, we would always have Sherbert waiting in the airport to take us to Marriott. This time, Nena, Rina and I decided to take the bus to the city. There were no money changers open when we arrived (it was around 1am) and so we were very lucky that Rina had some left over HK dollars (small bills) with her to pay for bus tickets. The StarCentral Bus kiosk located at the Arrival Area of the LCCT accepts any currency when purchasing tickets. The only hassle with taking the bus is that you have to wait until it gets full before you can leave. The other hassle was the unpredictable behavior of the bus driver! Mr. Yearbook Yourself Hairstyle No. 1 was continuously swerving from left to right and from our angle, his eyes seemed to be half closed. When we told Rina who was seated directly behind the driver, she reprimanded him and the bus conductor who had the gall to laugh at Rina's comment. She even clapped her hands (lola move) to make sure he was awake which left me and Nena in stitches! Thankfully though, we got to Royale Bintang in one piece---bus dropped us off right in front of the hotel. Since my roomie was detained in Manila, I had the room all to myself. Sarap? For me, no! Im so used to having either my hubby or my kids in the room. It felt so weird talaga. So weird that i had to put chairs on the knob of the adjoining room door and the main door itself. Prani.....

Because of our early morning arrival, our day in KL started at 10am already. The breakfast buffet experience in Shanghai last December has left me wary of hotel packages. Thankfully again, our morning meals were the typical buffets served in normal hotels. Talagang may balat lang ako sa Shanghai! A quick stop at the money changer in front of the hotel then we were off to our first stop.




The Petronas Twin Towers is the most recognizable symbol of KL and its imposing structure is found in the heart of the city. In a previous trip, we were able to make it to the 41st floor. This time around, we didn't have boys to line up at 630am to get tickets to the viewing deck. We just contented ourselves with looking around KLCC Suria (the kiosks in the middle have the most interesting items!) and taking pictures right outside the towers. After the towers, it was off to Merdeka!





The Merdeka Square or Dataran Merdeka or Independence Square is also found in the heart of the city. It is surrounded by other well known structures such as the Royal Selangor Club Complex which is situated on one corner of the square, the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, the National History Museum and the Memorial Library, a building dating back to 1909, St. Mary's Anglican Cathedral, a Gothic style building which is more than a hundred years old and the impressive modern Dayabumi Complex. You can stand in the middle of the former cricket field and start clicking and turning and everywhere your camera points is an impressive landmark. Nena had a field day here!



From Merdeka, we walked until we reached the Masjid Jamek also known as the Friday Mosque. How appropriate too since we came to visit it on a Friday! No wonder there were hordes of people by the gate. If Nena and Rina didn't shout to stop me from going in, I would've probably offended the people inside seeing how i was dressed in a skirt plus my arms and my head were also exposed. Nena and I wanted to go in to take pictures of the mosque but we were limited to pictures by the gate. Ho-hum. So off we went in search of Little India.





This too proved a little tricky as there were numerous Little Indias around KL. The particular Little India place we were looking for was not in this area but was in Brickfields. We got a bit frustrated walking around so Nena suggested we try the Imbi Market off Bukit Bintang. After walking through Sungwei Plaza and Imbi Plaza, we realized only too late that the Imbi Market closes at noon. Bummer! It was already 2pm so we were desperate to eat lunch. We found our way to Kopi Club at the Plaza Low Yat and what a pleasant surprise it turned out to be. Rina was the winner with the nasi goreng ayam berempah! It is basically deep fried chicken marinated in spices. The chicken is very fragrant and the skin is crisp. But my fried flat noodles (char kuay teow) and Nena's curry chicken and cuttlefish (nasi lemak ayam sotong) were also just as yummy!


Imagine our surprise when we realized that Plaza Low Yat was right behind our hotel! As we walked into the lobby, we were already making plans to head on over to Ikea when the concierge informs us that there is a FREE shuttle departing from the hotel at 345pm. Not only that, the FREE shuttle would also be taking us back to the hotel at 8pm. As Nena would say, walang ganyan sa Marriott! Hahahahahaha! Really, this hotel was heaven sent. All my apprehensions about it were useless. The location was great, the room was clean and spacious and there was a FREE shuttle to and from IKEA. Winner! We also used the free time to extend our stay to 11pm the next day. Our flight was very late so we needed at least one room to store our luggages and for last minute changing. The room extension cost us 120 MYR or approximately P1,660 (500 plus each). Nena also booked us for a day trip to Melaka the next day. Everything was going right!


Too good to be true? Guys, there's no catch. The day was really perfect. At 345pm, we rode on the shuttle that would take us to IKEA, about 40 minutes away from KL. When we got there, I was awestruck. Believe it or not, I have never been inside an IKEA store in my life. I was super excited and Nena and Rina were telling me to take it easy. Heehee. True enough, I had spent the most! My packages were also too much for me to carry. Its a good thing Rina and Nena had extra fingers. Heehee. By the time we got on the shuttle back to Royale Bintang, we had already made arrangements with LBC-KL. Cebu Pacific only allows 15kgs baggage allowance so there was no way our purchases would be less than that. I was really too happy! Could anything possibly go wrong?



WALA PA RIN! After freshening up and leaving once again for dinner at 930pm, we found out that Nena's restaurant of choice taken from the Malaysian foodies and bloggers was a mere 100 meters away from our hotel. Jalan Alor is street food heaven and the particular stall we were looking for was a sniff away. Although we passed on the very plump frogs (eewww), we enjoyed all the dishes we ordered. Nena and Rina loved the barbeque chicken while I was admiring the grilled stingray. While I thought it would have the consistency of squid, I was surprised to see that it looked and tasted like fish. Something new : )





After dinner, we strolled along Bukit Bintang and chanced upon an usual offer --- a fish spa. Nena had it on her list of things to do in KL and so we all agreed to try it. OH MY GAD. These little fish were not so little and harmless! The minute your feet are submerged in the water, the little piranhas attack! Hahahahaha! It is a weird sensation and I can't quite describe it accurately. It feels strange and ticklish and we all had to switch places until we found the area with the smallest critters. And since the fish in that area had 3 pairs of feet and legs to feast on, they were not as wild as the killer piranhas. After 15 minutes of the fish spa, we indulged in 45 minutes of pure foot spa bliss. That feels much better! And less ticklish!

And so ends Day 1 in KL. Yes, Day 1 palang tayo! It was a very long and productive day. We accomplished a lot and Nena had a lot of checks on her to do, to see and to eat at list. Time for some culture and history. We're off to Melaka tom.!

Home Sweet Home

Last October 18, Mom and Tata invited me to watch the dry run of my Tita Bebe's Velada at Assumption in San Lorenzo. Tita Bebe is my Mom's first cousin who is not married and has no children. We are her family and so I was more than happy to see her in 'action'. Tita Bebe is a Diamond Jubilarian -- 60 years since she graduated from Assumption Herran. What a feat! Of course I just had to be there! We were all set to watch the actual velada on Oct 19 but Mom thought the dry run would be a better show to watch as it would be less crowded and we would actually have seats.

Imagine my surprise when I walk inside Assumption for the first time in maybe 14 years and I find that the Mother Rose Hall has been converted to Greenbelt! I'm serious. I was so shocked to see the changes in the school. The cars could go in and we were actually dropped off at the rotonda in front of Mother Rose Hall.

When I stepped into the auditorium, my jaw just dropped. The school had changed so much since I left my alma mater. Before I could even get over my shock, everyone had to take their seats as the dry run was about to start.

Alam mo talaga, Assumption girls are the best! Dry Run ha! What a dry run it turned out to be! The women were all made up, dressed to thrill and performance level lahat! The program started with the hosts, AC Class of 1983, coming out in a show of force representing the women of substance, of strength, of resilience -- all representative of the Assumption core values. Out came Pocahontas, Darna, Cleopatra, Mulan, Anna (from the King and I), Maria (from the Sound of Music), Lara Croft, the Convent Nuns, the Dreamgirls and many more! Opening number palang yan!





After the opening number, out came the other classes, all well represented by their alumni. (NOTE: The order may be a little mixed up so please forgive the oversight) We were now thoroughly entertained by the Pearl Class of 1978. In the past, only the Silver, Ruby, Golden and (if you're lucky to still have them standing, walking and out so late in the evening!) Diamond Jubilarians perform at the Velada. But because bida talaga ang mga Assumptionista, they invented the Pearl (30) and Jade (35) Jubilarians which added fun and flavor to the event.



The Pearl Jubilarians have to be given 100 for costume design! Check out those headpieces worn during their performance. I swear they are worthy of an Oscar!

They sang songs from Disney Animated Movies, danced, swayed and looked oh so pretty in their colorful ensemble. Akala ata ng Pearl, sila ang Silver Jubilarians! Hahahaha! Nakikipag-contest pa! They were so good and talagang I felt so much pride watching these women perform.



Akala niyo ba magpapatalo ang Jade Jubilarians? My goodness, these girls have so much energy. They came out all clad in green and singing with so much fervor our all time favorite --- DANCING QUEEN! Hahahahaha! It was actually an ABBA medley and so out came Mamma Mia, The Winner Takes it All and all the other classic hits from that wonderful, wonderful foursome. My mom was just about ready to stand up and dance but alas, her manang daughter was around to pull her down as she was getting up.

Tita May Gonzales-Benedicto is part of the Gang Green and I've always known her to be very prim and proper, quite reserved actually. Just like The Transformers, there is really more than meets the eye! See her in the first picture above, with the green vest, her finger pointed at 10 o'clock.





Not to be outdone are the Ruby Jubilarians who were celebrating 40 years out of high school. They did a Saturday Night Fever dance medley if only to prove they were more of a child of the 70's than the 60's. Heehee.

Can you just feel their energy? I know non-Assumptionists are probably thinking I've gone whacko but really, the vibe that evening was just so infectious. I probably texted at least 10 of my high school buddies telling them of how great an experience I was having watching these women perform.

My Tita Nancy Huang-Santos is part of this class. She was actually their Class President and is now a top Neurologist in the Lodi-Stockton USA area (ang taray!). I'm going to make it my special mission to have her become more involved with her class. She would be so proud of how her classmates organized themselves.




My Tita Amy Comcom-Pecache came home from San Francisco a full month before the Velada to take part in the practices so that she could be more than a wallflower in the program.

These ladies started out all dressed in their traditional Filipiniana costumes and it looked like it would be a boring number. Wow, we were severely misled. All of a sudden, the ladies came out in black with something glowing on their clothes. Nagmistulang rave party! Hahahaha!

The highlight of the number was a lady who was rolled in on a wheelchair that got up all of a sudden and started singing "oh ang babae, pag minamahal"! She brought the house down. My goodness, and when she was rolled back to her seat in the audience (which was very close to me), she had to be given oxygen as she was already short of breath. Really, she gives new meaning to total performer!



My Tita Bebe's class was the oldest in the bunch but they gave a very heartwarming song number that literally had the hair at the back of my neck standing. There were at least 34 old girls in attendance. I can't even get that many people to attend my high school reunion! Can you imagine? These women were probably tired and sleepy at 9pm -- bedtime na nila yon noh! But here they were, singing, dancing (sorry, couldn't find any pics) and just melting everyone's heart in the audience.

In the picture below, My Tita Bebe Estela is the lady in deep orange, second from the left.





To close out the evening, AC '83 came back now clad in their 80's attires and were even more vivacious and enthusiastic than their opening number. Some came out to boogie, others were dressed for a luau, for a ballet recital and my good friends Ana Magboo-Ortanez (AC '90) and J Gamboa (wife Maja is AC '90 as well) had their sisters, Leah Magboo-Francisco and Gina Gamboa-Pimentel, going all out on footloose.

It really was a successful affair. Congratulations to the Assumption High School Class of 1983 for a job well done! I've never been prouder to be an Assumptionist than in that exact moment I was at Mother Rose Hall on the evening of your dry run.





Lest I forget, kudos also to AC '83 for raising P1,100,000.00. Eye popping, unbelievable, enviable and most of all, sensational! Hahahahah! The money raised by the class will be donated to the Assumption Alumni Association and they in turn will use the money for the different mission schools around the country.

The reason I posted this Velada is that I'm hoping this can reach as many AC'90 classmates as possible. Hopefully, these women will also inspire us to come together as a class. It's been a class with no clear direction and we really need to get our acts together. I hope this post touches ALL my AC'90 classmates and if it does, I hope one of you can convince Therese Ng to be our class rep once again. Hahahahaha!

To end, this post would not have been possible were it not for the beautiful pictures of Bernie Paras Gan. She so generously allowed me to post them and I want to make sure I give credit where credit is due. As such, thank you also to Tita Jean Gonzales-Salvador and to my Tata Ruby Santos for harrassing Bernie until she finally caved in. Heehee. By the way, all the ladies I mentioned are also graduates of THE Assumption.