Happy-logue 10-06-12

hell week noun \'hel wēk\ 1. the week where all deadlines occur 2. worst week of the academic term, usually occurs at the middle and at the end of the academic term and may last more than a week

One of the many things I learned during teaching: it's not just the students; teachers experience hell week too.

Now, being both a Master student and a university instructor, I'm experiencing twice the hell. (I can't even call it hell WEEK because it's been going on for months already!) And don't even get me started with research project deadlines.

In other words, things have been totally crazy. I haven't had time to relax, to get a pedicure, etc.

However, there are still a few things that keep me happy.

1. My students. For some reason, I like it when my students ask me questions. It just shows that they're listening and they're interested in what I'm teaching. Most of the time, I get really really tired but my students make everything bearable. Last Friday was the last day of classes. I'll surely miss my students.

2. AME friend Sty-chan just got back from his one-year stay as an exchange student in Tokyo. Before he left, I asked him to get me some postcards. He got me two...

Tokyo Tower

Buddha statue

...plus this cute and shiny Christimas greeting card with Asakusa printed on it.

3. The postcard I mailed to myself during my last trip to Taiwan just arrived! Why self-mail? Well, why not? I bought postcards, I had some stamps and there was a mailbox at the hotel.

4. New Grendha sandals. Parents' gift for me. 

Ah. Two weeks. Two weeks. Come to me, sembreak.

Color Added

I bought my second pair of Suelas shoes via Zalora a few weeks ago. I got the first when I was in 5th year college and it lasted only three months... which is not exactly acceptable considering its price tag. One does not simply pay PhP800 for a pair of flats that get totally worn out in three months. Recently, however, I had a 500-peso voucher from Zalora so I thought it'd be justifiable to buy a pair. The soles seem sturdier than they were last time. They're also comfortable and come in half-sizes. I hope this pair will last me longer.

The Zalora shopping experience was great though! It was hassle-free and delivery was really fast. I'm glad that I didn't get addicted to Zalora shopping!

The satchel is from Taiwan. It was surprisingly cheap. I got it for only NTD290 (~PhP440). The quality is not that good but then you get what you pay for. It can be a handbag, a shoulder bag or a backpack. But I love it best as a backpack. I'm not exactly a bag person (I'm a shoes person and I always carry a lot of stuff so I always bring a big backpack) but it doesn't hurt to carry a cute bag every once in a while.

Red, white and blue faux leather and gold hardware... my brother said it looks like a Philippine flag... which reminds me of our model structure for IDEERS 2012 haha. :))

And a cute denim + lace shirt from Shilin nightmarket. I love how it can be dressed up or down. :)

Skyline

I just came back from an overnight workshop in Antipolo.

It's work but we had some free time during lunch and in the evening.

View at the venue's veranda was very fitting as the workshop was kind of about buildings in Metro Manila.

Daylight.

Dusk

Night

I wore [wedge] heels for two days and my feet aren't dead. Achievement because I'm not used to heels (not even wedges). Then again it was a workshop so I was mostly sitting down while listening to presentations and discussions.

I have lots of work to do. They just won't stop! At this rate, I'll be busy with teaching or studying or research until... next year probably. This academic life. No to stress!

At this rate, I wonder if I'll ever get a boyfriend. 

I'm kidding, of course!! I'm not in a hurry just yet. :))

Ximending: Taipei's Version of Harajuku

Been reading and hearing great things about Ximending.

My friend, Meme, who studied in Taiwan before, told me how she much loves Ximending.

I also read from MKL's blog that Ximending is the "Harajuku of Taipei" where young people hang out and shop. And truthfully, I'd really really like to go to Harajuku. Then again, Japan is too expensive so Ximending it is!

After Maokong Tea Gardens, we took the MRT to Ximending Station. Upon exiting the station, I was immediately amused by the place. I felt like I was in the movies. LOL.

There was a group of young people right in front of the station who had "FREE HUGS" signs with them so I went and took hugs!

Should have hugged a guy too. LOL. Why didn't I?

Hugging a girl from Budapest

I was still in a daze when we decided to start scouring the area.

I was able to buy a pair of boots for NTD 590 (around PhP885). I love the buckle details but the best thing is that it has a zipper closure and yet it fits my thick calves just fine! I was even wearing pants! Boots with zippers here in the Philippines never fit my calves (i.e. I can't close the zippers lol), pfft.

We bought dinner from 7-11 (I had onigiri and assam milk tea) and ate at Taipei Cinema Park (just a few minutes walk from the station).

Taipei Cinema Park

Ni Hao Philippines!

Went around more and found this really cool area of stalls (just tents and tables) where artists sell handmade products every weekend! Stuff I've never seen in Taipei before. A lot of products (especially accessories) caught my eye and I wanted to buy them but they were too expensive (as in hundreds of dollars)!

Totally digged one of the necklaces with star and wing charms. Too expensive though. :(

EEE people will love these. Resistors, capacitors and other electronic things turned into accessories

All the accessories were pretty (made of wire and real crystals), especially the mismatched earrings but they cost 700 to 900 dollars :(

This pretty lady speaks really fluent English so we got to talk to her a lot. Apparently, she grew up in the States.

Cool wire art yo.

The guy is the one who makes the wire art.

However, I was able to get this customized wire art product for NTD130. The character means light. A bit expensive for some pieces of wire. Then again, it's handmade and I don't see these in the Philippines.

The artists' stalls are just around Taipei Red House

It's great that we went on a Sunday. The artists' stalls are just too awesome for words. It felt so indie and very much refreshing from all the mass-produced stuff in Taipei! I wonder if there's something like it here in Manila.

Now, I understand why Meme loves Ximending a lot. I now declare it as one of my favorite places in the world (well, not that I've been to many places in the world but still, LOL).

After Ximending, we went back to the hostel to get our luggage, took a bus back to the airport and that's the end of it.

Wore the new boots to the airport because my old ones almost gave up from my endless walking.

Short but fun and great and not bitin! That's how my weekend in Taipei can be summarized. Until next time, Taipei!

Shopping in Shilin

One of the best things about Taipei is the night market (or maybe shopping in general)! Cheap, fashionable clothes. A lot are mass-produced but there's still A LOT to choose from. And besides, while the clothes  may be common in Taipei, they are no longer common when you go back to Manila. Not everything has good quality (mass produced, yeah) but keep a good eye!

During the first night of our stay in Taipei last weekend, we went to Shilin night market. Oh, we never get tired of it. It's actually my fourth time to go there (first three was during the September 2011 trip). As far as I know, it's one of the most famous night markets in Taipei. It's just outside MRT Jiantan Station so it's very accessible and there are LOTS of shops as well! There's even branded stuff like Nike and Adidas. And Korean makeup brands like Skin Food, The Face Shop, Tony Moly, Etude House, and Nature Republic. As I said before, it's like Divisoria minus the sweat, the stink, the hassle, and the snatchers/pickpockets. 

Good to be back, huh

Yes, in the middle of the road!

I actually had a shopping list with me which consisted of a pair of red nautical flats, a pair of boots, a biker jacket, a chiffon midi skirt and pasalubong for my family. 

I first did pasalubong-shopping for my family. I got my brothers some polos on sale, which they liked. I got both polos for only NTD 500 (PhP750). Bonus that the salesperson was so nice and handsome LOL. For my dad, I got a taupe knit sweatshirt from Giordano for NTD800.

I was able to get the red nautical flats to match the blue ones I bought last September. (NTD390)

Unfortunately, for me, all the stores were selling winter wear so I could not find midi skirts that used to be abundant last September.

Of course, there were boots. Lots of them. But I could not find a not-so-expensive pair that I really liked.

I found cheap but great biker jackets too! Around NTD400 to NTD600. That's around PhP600 to PhP900 while biker jackets here in Manila usually cost no less than PhP1k. However, my practical self was kicking. The biker jackets in Shilin were too thick and were lined. Wearing them in Manila could equate to heat stroke. So I decided to let them go. Sigh.

In the middle of my shopping, it started raining hard! Also, I was getting tired because I had very little sleep the night before so after some more walks, I headed back to the hostel.

Oh, did I mention that our hostel is just a block away from Tonghua night market? It's a pretty nice place and a lot of people were selling food but it's a lot smaller than Shilin night market. After bringing my items to the hostel, I went down the night market for a while and I got myself a pair of thick black tights from a side street vendor for NTD200. I wasn't able to buy much because the stores were selling winter wear as well. I also wasn't able to take photos because I was so busy looking around.

So I guess the best advice to people from the tropics is that the best time to go shopping in Taipei is NOT during winter. Haha. Or maybe let's put it the other way around: if you're on a budget and would like to stop yourself from shopping, I guess winter would be a good time to go there.

Fridays

I went to Maginhawa Street three Fridays ago. Thanks to Sean for texting me that he was bored and wanted to go somewhere haha. We went to Alfakhr's where I had my favorite Keema Rice.

I love Alfahkr's Keema rice!

Sean and Ron

We also went to the new Moonleaf branch that same Friday. It's my first time going there because I've been too busy. Sadly, they no longer offer my favorite Peach Yakult and they ran out of Lychee so I just had Passionfruit Yakult instead.

Posing with my Passionfruit Yakult

Seana~

Two Fridays ago (when classes were suspended), I went to KK with Sir Christian and Sir Rain and solved ES 12 problems for practice.

Coffee, ES 12 book, trusty sci-cal

Last Friday, I was invited to places. Be a faculty model at the Engineering Opening Week party at Tomas Morato. Aggre's Transformers block screening. In the end, I was just working and modeling buildings at the office. But Ron texted me and invited me to go to Maginhawa. I ditched everything and went there. I needed to hangout with my friends for my sanity.

Although Sean, Maia and Che (Ron and Maia's common friend) were really tipsy when I got to Delish.

Hi Sean

I told everyone that I wanted Moonleaf so we went there. I had Yogurt Milk Tea and it was good. Another favorite, yay!

Sober Claire

Sober Chichan, Tipsy Sean and Sober Ron

Tipsy Che and Tipsy Maia

Yes, no more seats in Moonleaf so we hanged out at the couches outside the toilet haha.

I want to go to Crazy Katsu next Friday. :)

Teacher on weekdays. Review student on weekends. Researcher in between. Baking and crocheting if there's still some time left. It's hard switching hats and balancing roles. When I get too focused on one, I tend to forget the other roles. But I hope I get the hang of this.

Shoes, Books and Apple Pie

The past week went like this:

 

This week's planner page. Full with acad things. Spell STRESS.

But I'm still happy. For one, I got an awesome apple pie last White Day. Thanks bunch to Kuya Pchan!! (I gave him giri choco brownies last Valentines Day hence the apple pie on White Day.) I was really down and stressed recently because of acads so the apple pie meant a lot to me.

Apple pie kinda got broken while commuting but it's still tastes awesome

Sean also lent me his copy of Stardust by Neil Gaiman, which I read this week. Yes, I was actually able read fiction despite all the requirements. But it's so awesome so I couldn't resist. I haven't read fiction in years (blame English 12, that's when I got sick of reading) and I never thought I'd start liking reading again.

And look, I even got myself a Neil Gaiman book to read today. It's an impulse buy, actually. I was choosing between Coraline and The Graveyard Book inside the bookstore. There were very few copies of Coraline left in the bookstore so I just grabbed it. The Graveyard Book, YOU NEXT!

And finally, awesome shoes from Grendha to reward myself for my thesis final presentation.