Korea Visa Checked

I woke up early again to head back to the Korea Embassy. I was surprised that the room was full. My queue no was 81 and it was at #41 when I got there. Good thing, they called all the collection early for faster processing. Managed to got out of the embassy still in less than an hour. And I am so happy we all got our Visas! Starting with the countdown already yippeeee!!! Today's brekky was Burger King at ION and did another round of shopping lol. Fetch baby in school too :)

current queue was 41

yummy brekky

Visiting Korean Embassy

Today I feel very useful. I woke up early to march down to Korea Embassy to apply for our Visa but decided to head down to Toa Payoh first to photocopy all our original documents. When I reach the embassy, I was surprised to see only 3 to 4 people inside. And the application was over after submitting the documents in less than hour. Whew that was easy. Processing was 4 days so I have to go back on the 11th to collect our passport with our Visa. I was feeling hungry so I head down to McDonalds for breakfast. I miss being up early and having breakfast :p Waited for Dadi until lunch time so we can have lunch together and to get the free Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffee maker and again to shop a winter jacket for our little princess. Went home after and so happy because all is getting well for our travel plans. Thank you Lord for this blessing!

Korea Embassy is really small compared to some I have been to

Yummy brekky

Princess C's ready to battle the winter

To apply for a Visa, go to the Korea Embassy website for the updated required documents. The requirements stated below were as per the date we applied. Philippine passports need not pay the Visa if the stay is less than 59 days.

HOW DO I APPLY FOR A VISA? 

Visa applications may be made in person or on behalf(letter of authorization not necessary) over the counter at the Consulates. The Korean Embassy in Singapore does not accept visa applications by post, email or online.

PROCESSING TIME

It takes 4 working days to process your visa. No urgent or express service is available.

It is advisable that you apply for a visa in advance, since not all visa applications can be processed within 4 working days.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

To apply for a visa, you should provide the required documents as listed below. Other documents may be requested on a case-by-case basis. 

1. Passport

2. NRIC

3. Completed visa application form *child's application is separate as well*

4. Colored passport-sized photograph taken within the last 6 months

5. Applicant's employer stating job title, salary and date of hire(issued within 1 month)

6. Latest bank statement or bank passbook for the transactions of the last 3 months

7. Marriage certificate 

8. Birth certificate

Busy Bee on a Monday

Today was a busy day for me. We fetch Princess C from School and head straight to my appointment with my OB which I am really not looking forward to. Last time I was at my OB's office we paid 500 bucks for all that shenanigans and now here it is again. At least it's a 200 bucks cheaper. Sheesh. I am so going back to my previous OB as this will make us financially drained. Good thing the only findings now is 1) I am low blood which I've always been. Ferrous Sulfate is all I need. 2) PAP Smear result is better now. Yeyyy!

Our next stop was at Lucky Plaza to have mine and Princess C's photo taken for our Visa Application. Then shop, shop and shop for some winter clothes especially for the little one. We then met Dadi for late dinner at Gerry's Grill.

Again, after midnight, we managed to book a hotel via Agoda. One more and we will be on our way of counting down the days!

here's the breakdown of that suppose to be PAP Smear appointment only :p

Sunday is Family Day

I'm in the mood for preparing something for my loves and the output looks easy but the process is not. Anyway, it's all worth it when I saw their clean plate. Except of course for the little one who, in fairness did her best to eat her star shaped bread *which by the way she really eats when it's at its normal shape*, choked a minutes later and vomits all that tiny little bread she had eaten. *Sigh* I will not give up giving this little one something to eat. I should not :p

pancakes galore!

bear shaped pancake and star shaped bread

egg-in-a-hole with bacon is a S U C C E S S!!!

On another note, after our brunch, we headed to China Town then Church then Plaza Sing to scout again for the cheap package. We decided to compare it via online booking by ourselves and it really turns out a bit better actually. So past midnight, we or Dadi managed to booked a ticket to Korea via Zuji! Yipeeee! Hotel and Visa to go and were good! Thank you Lord for all these blessings.

Day 4 – Manila Vacation

I woke up alarmed by the way Sister A is calling bunso. I guess this is just my intuition being the “dad” to them.There’s no panic in her voice or anything. I just felt like something was off. And I was right. The moment she said there were a lot of water coming out from her, I woke up my mom, brush my teeth, wash my face and wore something better than the one I had from sleep. We were all done in 10 minutes tops. I was so scared and my heart was beating twice faster than its normal rate. Eventually, we’ve managed to get a cab and went straight to Fabella Hospital. I know, what you’re all thinking. My mom was so opposed to it but my sister wants to give birth there so we let her. She’s had all her checkups at UST’s public rate which is quite ok. When we got to Fabella’s emergency room, I was stunned to see about 10 or more pregnant ladies waiting in line *to give birth????*. No other companion was allowed in there but I was still able to ask the nurse about Sister A’s situation. She’s not contracting. She’s not experiencing any other kind of pains or signs that she’s in labor. It’s her water bag that got me so worried. What will happen to the baby if it dried out? What if from that amount of water coming out from her, the baby comes out? Eventually, the nurse took her inside where I saw numbers of beds – are they going to let her give birth there??? We were not born with a silver spoon or anything but it’s so damn scary. I was so willing to sell my soul to anyone who could just give me enough amount to let my sister give birth to at least a decent hospital but she won’t let us. And adding more insult to our injury, the bitch who I assume was the doctor but doesn’t look like one and doesn’t act like one, we’re asking us in a higher tone of why are we there.

Bitch -> Bakit kayo nandito?
Me -> *in a nicer tone* Eh miss, pumutok na kasi yung panubigan nya. Worry ko baka delikado na sa kanya. Hindi pa ba sya manganganak nun?
Bitch -> *about 5 levels higher* Eh kaya nga dalhin mo dun sa labas para mainterview yan eh.
Me -> *shocked. About 3 levels higher na.* Kailangan mong magsungit? Nakita mong nagpapanic mga tao ditto, magsusungit ka pa?

Honestly, I was waiting for her to say something in return so I can convince Sister A to go to another hospital. But since she didn’t said anything, she queued outside and waited for someone to assist her. When I was outside with my Mom, I looked at her face and she was so freaking calm. She’s scaring the hell out of me and my mom and she’s just calm. But knowing her, among all of us, she’s really the strongest one. That’s one of her traits I really admire the most. I never thought of her giving birth. The way I look at them is the way what I always remember of them. What I always see in her is that pretty little girl in a kindergarten uniform with a long curly hair and blushing cheeks and a smile ready for everyone to see. She’s the apple of everyone’s eye. She’s always been the apple of my eye. The little sister I was always proud of. But looking at her now, she looks like she’s the one who’s 5 years older than me when it comes to situations like this. With that walking down the memory lane 10 minutes moment I was having, she came out of nowhere with an announcement I was truly thankful for.
Sis A -> Ma, ayoko na po dito. Dun na lang ako sa UST.
We hailed a cab to UST while listening to her about the reason she walked out of that forsaken hospital.
Sis A -> Sabi nung bwisit na doctor, bakit daw ang sungit ng sungit mo ate eh hindi naman daw ako dun nagpapacheckup.

Well, she’s got a point there. I guess I was so worried that time. And she did started it! Hay, so mature of me! ‘Niwey, as soon as we got to UST, although most are interns who are taking care of her, still, it’s a different feeling that someone who knew a lot of things better than I am is taking care of my little sister. The guy took her to the IE room *dunno what IE means???*, examined her and took out the dreaded “silver quack”. They kept on asking her questions which I almost answered for her but held my tongue, luckily. I let her manage her own situation and just sit at the side where she can see me. I was praying so hard to keep her and the baby safe. Another woman doctor came in who’s really nice. She explained to me and to my Mom on what’s happening. She eyed me suspiciously when I told her I was the elder sister so I called my Mom. She explain the expenses and how are they gonna do with the baby and my sister. She’s only 2 cm dilated at that time. At almost 3PM, she was still in the delivery room. I was too worried to go but thought of just using the money to pay to the hospital instead of paying $250+ bucks for another day’s extension. This was the very first time I went to the airport without anyone hugging me goodbye =( Surprisingly, I didn’t cry. I’m just too worried about my sis and the baby. But I prayed and prayed. I was able to sleep the whole flight maybe out of exhaustion. As soon as I got out of the plane, I called my Mom. She’s still in the delivery room and still on 4cm. The moment we got home, I cried. I wasn’t planning on sleeping so I waited till I received an SMS that she’s having a CS. She’s about 8cm but the heartbeat of the baby is slowly deteriorating. At about past 1 or 2AM, I received another SMS that both Sister A and the baby are healthy and sleeping. I thank God for everything, for the blessings, for that enough amount in my pocket so they could be in safe hands. I was so happy that they’re both alive and in good health. God is really good all the time =)

Let’s welcome our little angel. Our baby Naomi Ayesha.

Final Day in Australia

We were still at JM’s place in Canberra. We woke up at 6AM. The taxi we booked night before arrived at 6.30AM and took us to the bus station. We took bus 900 to go to the Jolimont Centre which was about an hour away. Soon as we got there, we took our ticket which we booked online too with JM’s help. Since our bus departure is at 9AM, we had brekkie at the coffee shop nearby. The bus left at 9.10AM and we were on our way to Sydney International Airport. Bye, Canberra. Bye JM! This is one great adventure with you. May God bless your heart. JM had been so thoroughly nice and generous and hospitable to us.

Canberra – Day 2

We were up really early as in 6AM and that’s 4AM in Singapore! JM was kind enough to drive us to Snowy Mountain which is more than 2 hour drive from his place. The road trip was really fun. The view on our way to the Snowy Mountain is really spectacular although as what JM said, rain in Canberra rarely comes by so you could see the grass were brown colored instead of green. I guess it’s much beautiful if it’s all green. There were a lot of black cows *yum black angus steak!* and sheeps. Although sad to say, there were few road kills that we saw along the way. It’s just sad. Saddest thing is you can’t blame anyone for that. The land is immeasurable. We got so excited *as in really excited* when we saw few parts of the mountain covered with SNOW! It’s just so exciting. After 32 years, now we’ll finally see some snow! Not just the man-made created kind of snow but true snow! Weeeeeee. This is just so huge and exciting for people who’ve lived in tropical countries so pardon our ignorance and excitement. We stopped by at the side upon seeing the river while JM is looking for our location, habiga and I went down and felt the snow. It’s about 10 inches thick gosh! We got lost but made it somehow to Selwyn. I was ecstatic and literally jumping for joy. I don’t care how many times in a second I cough because of the cold, I’m just damned happy to see the snow! We rented s walking boots and a toboggan. JM paid for it all again! The blinding whiteness of the snow is really beautiful. It’s freakingly cold but it’s great! We ride the toboggan, we threw snow balls at each other, we climb the highest peak we can reach and throw some snowballs again. It was sooooooooo much fun! We were there for more than 3 hours and by the time I get back inside to take a pee, I was really shaking with coldness. My nose are almost purple colored, my lips are chapping, I’m sneezing and coughing every chance I get but I’m loving it! We said our goodbyes to the wonderful snow and call it a day by 4PM. We went straight to Woden as suggested by JM so we can have a lovely steak for dinner. Only few kilometers away from the building and we’re almost there when JM’s car suddenly stopped in the middle of the street. Good thing we still made it on the side street. But we have to get out because we don’t know some cars might bumped into us. And it’s freakingly cold and we’re all tired and hungry. We walked about 15 minutes to the building and had a huge delicious steak at the Hogsbreath. I was so scared that some psycho might bumped into us and took everything from us. Luckily nothing like that happens to us. Just the experience of being stucked in the highway. JM managed to call the NRMA for road helped and the guy said that his car’s water pump was broken. Or whatever that is. The NRMA called for a tow to take us all back to JM’s place. While waiting, it was so sad that no one’s stopping by to offer help. Well, at this era I guess, I wouldn’t stopped by too especially if I see that nothing looks like emergency. A police dropped by eventually but offered no help. :( Well at least they stopped by. We made it at home quarter to 12. We’re just lucky to make it at home without losing anything. Hopefully tomorrow, JM’s car can be fixed easily.

Soon as we got settled in, we booked a taxi for tomorrow and checked the schedule of the bus going to Jolimont Centre. Thanks JM for the wonderful snowy experience :) And the lovely steak! Yummmmm!

Canberra – Day 1

It’s already 6PM and we’re now on our way to Canberra. We’re now on board Greyhound. Thr travel time is 3 and a half hours drive so got plenty of time to rest :) We arrived at Canberra few minutes before 10PM. And the wind in Canberra is much colder than in Sydney. JM is already there waiting for us :) We had dinner at a nearby restaurant. We ordered pasta which is too big for one serving. Good thing habiga and I just shared. There’s not much activity around unlike in Sydney. This is like the suburbs although Canberra is the capital city of Australia. Jolimont Centre is about 20 or 30 minutes away from JM’s place. He’s living in a place like the one you see in Desperate Housewives. Remember, the Wysteria Lane? It has so much similarities hehehe. His place is a neat duplex with a kitchen, a living room, a laundry room and a garage for his car. There were 2 rooms upstairs and a common toilet. It’s a really neat place which he said he was renting for A$360/week. Their rentals here are usually per week. There’s another Filipina occupying the other room but we didn’t get the chance to meet her. JM was soooo kind and hospitable to lend us his own bed and took out new bed sheets. Kahiya! Good thing he has a heater in his room ‘coz it’s really freezing out there. Hope we didn’t disturb them much as both me and habiga were really coughing in the night especially me. We had a good night sleep after booking our ticket going back to Sydney from Canberra.

Sydney – Day 5

We went to Ate J’s place since we never get the chance to go to Blue Mountains. Her place was in Rockdale which is 10 stations away from King’s Cross. We took a bus after that going to her place. The place was really quiet and very suburbs. They have a lemon tree! The got two cute adorable dogs – Rocky and Bo Bo. The place was really neat and very well decorated. Ate J’s boss were from Cyprus and they just asked her to go with them which was really nice of them. I guess her work wasn’t that much as she’s also helping out in their printing business  Ate J prepared a nilaga for us and a yummy lemon tea! We had our lunch and we went out for a walk afterwards at the beach which is just 5 minutes away from their place. The Sydney airport is so near to their place. We said goodbye and went straight to Martin Place and walked around. We were able to buy few chocolates from Lindtt. We went back to our hotel as we don’t want to be late for our trip to Canberra. Took our bags and took a bus going to Greyhound bus station at Eddy Ave. We don’t want to spend another 10 more bucks for the cab hehehe. We were still a bit early so we grab a bite and waited only few minutes before the bus driver calls for all the passengers to now board the bus. Yipeeee we’re going to Canberra!

Expenses for the day:
Lost track of the expenses :)

Places we've been to:
Rockdale
Martin Place
Lindtt Chocolate House
Canberra

Sydney – Day 4

We were with Michelle and Ate J today and tour around Central. We went to Hyde Park which was so “The happening” scene. Everything is green and it was clean and beautiful. We went to St. Mary’s Church afterwards which was said to be the place where the World Youth Day was held this year only. Church was impressive inside and out. It’s a must-place to see when you’re in Sydney. We then went to a Chinese Restaurant and had our lunch. Michelle seems to be so much into Chinese food. Well she said she loves to eat. She ordered a lot and our bill was A$120+!!! She paid for it of course hehehe. All we did today was walk and walk. And I don’t know if it’s just the wind but I was really feeling rather tired and weak. We went to Eddy Ave to buy our bus ticket to Canberra. We couldn’t see the Murrays bus so we had the Greyhound instead. We we’re a bit worried at first of not booking our bus ticket to Canberra earlier but it’s true that you can buy the ticket easily as hailing a cab as there were buses leaving Sydney at least every 2 hours or so each day. And not much people are leaving Sydney for Canberra so need not to worry. But for your own peace and if you don’t believe us hehehe, you can book your ticket online. Greyhound.com.au or Murrays.com.au. Only we don’t know where the office of the Murrays is. But greyhound’s office are everywhere in the Eddy Ave. Habiga paid for the bus ticket at A$32+ each using his credit card as we are already running low on cash :) We took a cab to the Central and we stopped by at a coffee shop looking at the harbour bridge and opera house. What a great view! Only I couldn’t enjoyed it much as I’m really feeling low at that time. My temperature is getting high. Habiga’s fever and flu was transferred to me. We still managed to take a few shots in front of the opera house but that’s about it. We said our goodbyes to Ate J and Michelle. Michelle gave me a pen so I can always remember her by. I was kind of embarrassed that I wasn’t able to give them anything. We went home and boy I was really hot. It was only 6pm and habiga’s now the one taking care of me. He ordered food outside but I wasn’t able to eat.

Expenses for the day:
Most were treat by Michelle
70.00 bus fare for 2 from Sydney to Canberra

Places we've been to:
Central Station
Hyde Park
St. Mary’s Church
Sydney Opera House

Habedey Bunso!

Sydney – Day 3

Habiga’s feeling a bit better so we went on with our plans in going to Taronga Zoo. We took the train from King’s Cross station to Central station and took the ferry to Taronga Zoo. Ferry fare is A$5.60 each return ticket. We bought our zoo ticket at the entrance where we were able to get a 20% for our ticket which was reduced from A$39 to A$31+. Cable car included. Though there was a long queue to get the ticket, it was still all worth it. From the zoo, we can see the Sydney Opera House and Sydney harbour bridge at the same time. Believe me, view was really amazing. At the entrance I was so excited to see the Koalas. But you will be able to get a photo with them only if you pay A$19.95. A bit pricey but this is a once in a lifetime moment so we grab it  Didn’t take much pleading to ask Mr. Financier’s approval  Who wouldn’t want to have a photo taken with the most cuddly and cutest animal in the world? Plus we don’t have any of those high-end cameras with long lenses so yeah that’s our reason  The Koalas are just remarkable. The little baby koala is just so cute. Nibbling incessantly at the eucalyptus leaves while her parents are having a blast sleeping at the trees nearby without a care in the world. Koalas were said to be sleeping at least 20+ hours a day. We had our picture taken and we’re off to see the rest of the animals in the zoo. The kangaroos here are huuugeee compared to what we saw in Singapore Zoo. Joey’s are so cute!

We bought a Koala bear souvenir!

From the zoo, we walked around the harbour to see the harbour bridge and Opera house. We decided to go back to the hotel first. We bought some more souvenirs from the shop across our hotel which was a lot cheaper than buying it at malls or any other souvenir shops near opera house or Sydney bridge. We went out few minutes after that for dinner. Money left is only A$20 from the A$400 allowance we have. It’s only the third day! I don’t know where have all those money have gone. We found one foreign exchange at King’s Cross and change habiga’s SGD$300 for only A$225  We went back to the harbour bridge and opera house and took a lot of pictures at night. We walked a long way finding a cheap place to have dinner but couldn’t find one so we decided to go to the nearby Thai restaurant in King’s cross. We managed to buy a Panadol at one pharmacy store which didn’t require any prescriptions. Luckily, habiga felt better after taking the medicine. After dinner, we went back to our hotel and call it a day.

Expenses for the day:
3.60 train fare for 2 to Circular Quay
10.40 ferry fare each to Taronga Zoo
31.20 zoo ticket each
20.00 souvenir photo with koala bear
23.00 lunch
3.50 water
10.95 panadol
3.60 train fare each to Circular Quay
26.00 dinner at thai resto

Places we've been to:
Taronga Zoo
Sydney Opera House
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Circular Quay

 

Sydney – Day 2

Happy 1st Wedding Anniversary, Habiga!!!

Ffg’s cousin Ate Jessica had been working in Sydney for more than 3 years now. So when she learned that we’ll be in Sydney for a few days, she insisted on meeting us. We met her at the lobby of our hotel waiting for us early at half past nine. We took a train from King’s Cross station to Bondi Junction station *fare was paid by Ate J!*, then took a bus to Bondi beach. Since it’s still cold outside, there’s not much people lying around the beach though there were few who were brave enough to go even topless! We went to the fruit market first to visit Ate J’s niece where she works. Her boss was a Lebanese but was really nice for not allowing us to pay for the small box of strawberry. We had a quick bowl of soup at the nearest Noodle King place tended by a Chinese guy. After that, we went around the beach and lay there for a while. Some aussies were really into jogging so imagine me drooling around looking at their yummy body hahahaha. This is absolutely wonderful. The vast clear blue water reflecting the clear blue sky with the perfect weather is truly amazing. This works of God is something that we should take a moment or two to fully appreciate its beauty. We went for lunch at the Noodle King and met Michelle again, Ate J’s niece. She ordered a lot and paid for it! We went shopping for my new rubber shoes since Ate J had been bugging me to buy one. I didn’t bring any shoes except for my boots. And actually I am comfortable with it but she keeps on insisting that I should buy a rubber. You have no idea how shrewd she is so we gave in. Even ffg who’s so against of buying anything that is not that necessary give in to her. I found one - a Vans green rubber shoes which was a bit expensive if you’ll ask me for a A$60. But it’s the cheapest one so I got it. I was surprised that Michelle paid for it. I even insisted on her to take the 50 bucks but she refused it and acted hurt. We were so embarrassed but really thankful for that different kind of generosity. We walked a looooonggg way from the Bondi beach to Tamaraman then Bronte beach. All are well known beaches in Australia. The rock formations were absolutely breathtaking. The view – W O W! There was one coffee shop facing the beach and we stopped for a cup. Enjoy the view, enjoy the coffee. This is soooo going to my blog! And by the way, everywhere you look here, if they were not carrying a cute adorable baby they have dogs. You know those large, Marley-look-alike kind of dogs. And they were all unleashed and could go around the park. Awwww, that’s when I fell in love with Sydney! They were family oriented, shops or companies closes at 6pm. They have this huge park where you can jog overlooking the beach. Though standard of living here is a bit high, you can still feel the people were relaxed and very laid back. Who knows? Maybe someday!

I just have to tell Michelle’s story as it moved me so much. She’s been having menstruation all year round non-stop. When I asked why, she nonchalantly told me that she have a cancer in her uterus. Though small, she was given a year and a half to live back when she was still in the Philippines. Now she’s on her third year now in Australia, and she’s not sure if the tumor’s gone. All she know was she’s given longer life than what was given to her. She said she’s just living her life to the fullest. I truly admire her courage and the way she looks at life in spite of it all. She’s truly amazing. I hope and pray that GOD will grant her more years to live. So she can still see her 3 kids growing up. So she could touch more hearts and spread more goodness in this world. I love her not just because of her generosity. I love her because she’s someone who’s truly beautiful inside and out. I love her because she always look on the brighter side of life even if it looks like there’s not much to see. God bless her.

We said our goodbyes after our long walk to Michelle since she have to go back to her work. We took a bus to the train station. We said our goodbyes too to Ate J and went back to our hotel to rest for a while. We went out few minutes later for our anniversary dinner  We decided to try the Sydney Tower Restaurant which was a bit crowded the time we got there. We made it though to the 8pm schedule. The view was spectacular. 360 view of Sydney and it was really romantic. We had buffet for A$65+ each. We ordered a bottle of red which was really cheap at A$32 only. The food wasn’t that great but I guess you’re just paying for the view. This is truly one memorable wedding anniversary! I love you habiga. I love you for giving me the best of everything. I love you for being you and always taking care of me no matter where we are. I love you for this truly amazing nine years of my life for I have traveled some parts of the world because of you. Happy Anniversary! My only wish is that we may stay strong amidst any storm that may come our way and stay in love for another set of nine years more and another set after that and another set after ‘till we gray and old.

Habiga was having fever and flu and I asked him to take the biogesic I brought with us. So wawa.

Expenses for the day:
4.95 breakfast meal Mcdo
2.50 mineral water
10.00 towel souvenir
7.00 juice
7.80 train fare for 2 from Bondi Junction to King's Cross
5.40 bus fare for 2 to bondi beach
12.80 grocery at woolworths
8.99 book, postcards
7.20 trrain fare for 2 from King's Cross to Martin Place station
30.00 photo souvenir (sydney skytower)
65.00 each for buffet at sydney skytower
68.00 souvenirs

Places we've been to:
Bondi beach
Bronte beach
Tamarama beach
Sydney Tower Restaurant

Sydney – Day 1

From the Sydney's tight security, we had our first taste of the winter cold air of Sydney. We went to the taxi stand and hailed a cab. I was surprised that our hotel is just near to the airport but was so shocked to pay A$36! I thought we were fooled by the taxi driver or something. It was still 11 in the morning and the check in time is only until 2pm. So We left our bags at the reception desk, and started walking around. It was really cold and windy but good thing we were ready this time unlike when we were in Japan. We were just wondering why it looks like a ghost town and not much people are walking around. We were scouting for food to eat for lunch but couldn't find any place that serves soup. Most were burger joints so we had our lunch at "Oporto". Meals are really expensive! A burger meal costs around A$10-13 bucks! We thought we're still on our first day and it hasn't ended yet and we already spent about a hundred bucks. Along the way we encounter few locals who were asking for loose change or few who were talking to themselves but they look harmless I guess as long as you're not so flamboyant with your belongings. While waiting for our checked in time, we stopped by at a coffee shop that has this heater outside. It's so very italian! Me sipping my cappuccino and ffg sipping his hot choco while people watching :) There were actually italians talking beside us. Very mafia! Hahaha.

We went back to our hotel and checked in. The room was huge! We slept until 5 and went to the nearest train station we could go to. King's Cross train station is about 10 minutes walk from our hotel. The train was so vandalised. It looks so demeaning and terrifying. If you're used to the clean and well lit trains in Singapore, this will be a huge change of scenery to you. But trains were a safe and cheaper means of transportation to go around Sydney. The minimum fare is A$2.60 each but it'll be cheaper if you take the return ticket at A$3.60 only. We alight at the Martin Place Station and surprised to see that no one's walking around. There maybe two or three but all shops were closed. We were so relieved to see one japanese place still open and after that long walk we've had we were really famished. That dinner costs us A$26! Gosh it is really expensive in here. We called it a day as there were no places to go to unlike Orchard and head back to our hotel.

Expenses for the day:
36.00 cab from Sydney International Airport to Devere Hotel
13.50 lunch
7.00 coffee
5.20 train fare for 2 to Martin Place station
5.20 train fare for 2 to King's Cross station
15.00 groceries
25.50 dinner at sakura

Places we've been to:
King's Cross
Martin Place

From Singapore To Sydney via Qantas

We are so excited! We're now on our way to the Changi Airport with 1 medium luggage bag, a small cabin size bag, a backpack and my ladies bag. We checked-in at the Terminal 1, Qantas window. On board, I was so amazed at the size of the plane! It was huge! Well, if you're like me who's already used to take budget airlines, this plane will be a new sight to you too :) There were 8 seats in a row! And my, the FA's are all yummy! They were all eye-candy! Anyway, pardon the ignorance hahaha but I was so happy with the provided pillow and blanket and kit with toothbrush, socks and eye cover. We couldn't be any happier. Some people hate airplane food as they were crappy. I don't! Though I hate the main dish, I do love the free flow of beverages and fruits and dessert and coffee. I was happy too with the featured movies. I watched Zohan which was really funny. Singapore to Adelaide was about 6 hours and we have another hour from Adelaide to Sydney. The flight was ok. We we're still given a breakfast at the flight from Adelaide to Sydney. We reached Sydney International Airport about 10 in the morning, Sydney time. Sydney is two hours ahead of Singapore. Sydney's International Airport wasn't what I expected. I guess my standard is base on Singapore's Changi Airport so comparing these two makes Sydney looks like a crap. When you're traveling, remember to put all your liquids in 1 clear plastic bag. All liquids no more than 100 ml. So better put all your toiletries in your check in luggage and keep those necessities in your hand carry making sure it was not more than 100 ml. No mineral water or any juice allowed :)

Travel & Adventure: Genting, Malaysia

Whew! We're now back from our Genting adventure. I guess you're wondering why I'm making such a big fuss giong to this place. It's not like going to europe or anything. I guess we just had so much fun while we were there with our friends. And I'm sure out of the population of noypis in Singapore, there were only about 10 or 20% who've never been to Genting. And most of them I guess hasn't stayed in Singapore for a year. And those who have been in Singapore for a long time like us is very unusual to haven't been to Genting. But this is a must-see place in Malaysia, in my opinion. Something different for a change. A cold
weather out of the ordinary day-to-day warm or humid weather. I think going back there is something we would do again maybe next year. But this time, we'll be staying on a nicer hotel. And we will still go there with friends or family as it is much fun sharing it with than just then two of you only. So here's the story!

August 1, 2008
We met half past ten at the Golden Mile with the Garillo clan cuz, and cuz' friend dennis. Mareng Bebit and Rak with the kids were on a different bus but same departure time. It was cuz who took the trouble of booking our ticket :) Thanks cuz! We left the Golden Mile at 10 minutes past 11 and reached the SG immigration after 45 minutes. By the time we reach the Malaysia immigration it was already saturday :)

August 2, 2008
I was ready this time for the embarkation card, filled up and all with signature but was surprised that they already ditch that process. Don't know for how long. We can't even remember the last time we've been to Malaysia. Anyhow, we've reached our first stop after an hour and a half on the road. Thirty minutes later, we were back on the road again. The executive coach we had was really nice. The chairs were roomy and there were games and movies you can play or watch on. Very far different from what we usually take going to KL. And I enjoyed playing the "puzzle bobble game" which I remembered spending most of my coins playing it in the arcade at the src in my previous work. Amidst of playing games and taking a nap then waking up to see where we are, we reached Genting at quarter to 6 in the morning.

We felt the nice cold air the moment we stepped out of our bus. We went to the lobby of the First World Hotel and found Mareng Bebit and Rak and kids. This was a first time experience for us seeing a big hotel lobby where you'll take a queue just to get a no to be able to checkin at 12 in the afternoon. Man, this hotel is huge! We left our bags at the bag counter, and walked around to look for a coffee shop or restaurant since most of us looks like we're going to kill anyone for a cup of hot coffee. We found one and was told that the kitchen will be open only at 7am. We asked one lady to served us some coffee first which she said no at first since they said that they can't served until it was 7 am. It was exactly 6.56 am when we called for her attention. She gave in after a while. My patience is much thinner than it's usual already thin line especially in the morning that I haven't had my cup of coffee yet. And my ready-to-kick-some-ass-look always works in most aunties and uncles in singapore hahaha. We were all feeling sleepy *except for the two kids who were both hyper* after the big breakfast. We walked around the indoor theme park and bought the "All theme park" ticket. It was the usual RM$56/per person ticket but got a 30% discount because some rides were closed due to the MTV Asia Awards to be held in the Outdoor theme park. So we paid RM$36/person only. Since we still have more than 2 hours to burn before check in, we started taking the rides already. Some shops were still close but most of the rides were already up and running.

We started with the monorail which goes around the indoor to the outdoor theme park. There we had another feel of the cold air and very foggy surroundings. It was zero visibility and it was really cold. We took a ride at the bump ride, the mini roller coaster twice, and floating ship indoor. We left noahby enjoying the bump car ride which was on his third round already. We were drooling upon seeing the starbucks already open and ordered one cup of very hot cappucino. We tried the "Flying Coaster" which i think was the higlight of the outdoor theme park but we paid RM$8 each because apparently it was not included in the ALL day pass ticket we bought. Well, for everybody to know, I am just not the kind who have the guts to try extreme rides. But it's not purely because of fear. I just get dizzy easily and i really hate that feeling of nausea. But I'll hate myself without even trying once. At least I can say that I did tried. But never again will I try to set foot on that ride again hihihi. We walked around the outdoor theme and found the "Go-Kart" ride. Ffg, Dennis and I tried it. It wasn't much fun because you can't go fast and for my liking it's really really slow. I'd prefer the Singapore luge than this. We went back to the hotel to check in and found our queue no 30 counts away. When it was our time, the lady was still serving someone so we stand aside and waited for that customer to be done. When it was our turn, she took our queue no and told us that it's already passed which we violently react that we were there all along waiting. WTF??? Didn't she see us? And what if she didn't, isn't she still serving another customer??? Grrr. From her tone, she looks like she wants us to take another queue no again. But we won't allow that won't we? ;) We made our point but I think in the end she still wins. She puts us on the room facing the parking lot, smoking room and cuz's toilet is not working. We let it pass of course. We'll be staying there for a night anyway. Soon as we left our things in the room, we went down for late lunch. The chinese food were really expensive. Well the same amount as in Singapore. It's just that maybe we were expecting it to be cheaper since it's in Malaysia. Ffg and I shared a very awful and worst Chicken Rice I've ever tasted for RM$13.50 and a RM$6.50 for 3-pc siomai. I mean I don't mind paying that amount IF the food is as good as what I'm paying in Singapore. But if it's that bad, I'd rather choke on a daily dosage of McDonalds or any other fast food chain. Well, I did finished it. Still! :D We went back to our rooms and agreed to meet up at 4 so we can have a quick nap.

By 5 we were already up. Garillo clan went out for their late lunch. Ffg and I took a stroll outside the Hotel Genting while waiting for cuz and dennis which we met afterwards to take the cable car ride. It was said to be the fastest and longest cable car in the whole southeast asia and it was inded among others that I've ever tried. Well there were only two cable cars that i've tried and this is the third (SG and HK). After the cable car ride trip, we had dinner at Kenny Rogers which was a lot cheaper than in Singapore with 3 side dish! We met the garillo clan afterwards and took a stroll and window shopping. Then coffee at coffebean! Ah! This is life! We still stoll around afterwards then call it a night minutes before midnight.

August 3, 2008
We met at the McDonalds for breakfast around 10 in the morning. We went back to our room to pack our things and check out. Express checkout just hands over the room key and no other things to do. There were no things in the fridge or something to take that is chargeable anyway. We stroll around some more until 2pm. We left the beautiful cold Genting at exactly 2.30 pm. Our bus driver was really fast that we reached home in Singapore at 9pm. He only took the usual 7 hours trip by 5 1/2 hours. Wow! It was a really fun fun weekend and I know bebe did enjoyed it as much as I do.

As I have proven it in the past, you can't have much happiness alone without having anything lost.

Well, to cap it all Genting is a really nice place. I like the cold weather. I like to feel the numbness I felt in my hands. But I think they should invest on at least renovating the place or keeping the place clean. Some of the rides were a bit rusty. It's good to maintain something that from generation to generation will truly enjoy. :D

Post-Honeymoon Trip - Australian Visa

We went back to the embassy in the morning and got hold of our visa. It's not as fab as US and Japan's visa but it will do. As long as we have now the entry permit to enter Australia. 

Post-Honeymoon Trip - Visit to Australian Embassy

Australian Embassy is at Nassim road just beside US embassy near botanical gardens. The application for visa is from 9am to 12noon and 2:30 to 4:30, Mondays to Fridays only. We took a cab from the Orchard MRT. Before we went in, we were asked to leave our camera phones, laptops, cameras and other electronic devices. They also asked us to leave any id with a photo then went through under security inspection. The visa application is on the second floor and we went straight to the reception area to get a queue no. It was quite fast than what I've expected and there's only few people waiting. While we were waiting for our no to appear on that screen, we overheard one applicant with her husband i think telling the officer that her husband is very rich. :D Wow. Talk about desperation. Hahaha. It's so funny though. When it was our turn, we submit all the requirements to the officer, asks us to pay $136 each, told the officer that we need the passport by friday for our genting trip to which she asked us to come back after 2 days. All that in less than a minute. By 10.30 am we both got a call which we both missed. It was from the Australian Embassy. And we thought that we forgot to submit something or that our visa got denied. Habiga called the office before lunch time and he was told to call before 2.30. We were both anxious to know what the call was about. Before 2.30, habiga called again the embassy. And he was told that our visa got approved! That was really fast! Wopeeeeeeeeee. So happy!

Post-Honeymoon Trip - Preparing the VISA requirements

Travelling is so much fun. Preparing for it isn't that fun although it's good you had to experience those things. And I couldn't say how fun it is to go after your employer asking for that piece of paper they called certificate of employment which they can edit the name in the template and print in a whim and still took them days to give it to you. Of course, after numbers of follow up emails. Habiga got his day after he asks his employer. Mine took 4 days.

Now that we already have two items off the list, we still need to photocopy a lot of things. Good thing we have our good ol' reliable printer/scanner/photocopying machine. It has been a great help to us since day 1 of preparing things for our wedding :)

Anyway, I've listed below the things needed so you won't get lost in knowing the requirements for getting the "Australian Visa (tourist)". Set for the travel date and scout for the cheapest ticket first. You can get an idea on the ticket price on my post Ticket Hunting.

1. Visa Application Form (48R) - can be downloaded at australian embassy site. pm me if you want a copy :)

2. Certificate of Employment - File your leave and ask your employer to provide you your certificate of employment. It should state the date of your employment, your salary, and your approved date leave. This shouldn't be a problem to the employers as they have a template for this. Photocopy the original.

3. Travel Itinerary - Compare the price quotations you got from different travel agencies. Don't forget to scout in the internet too. (But having it book on your own may cause you problems as you cannot buy your ticket yet unless you have your visa granted. And you can't get your visa unless you provide a copy of your itinerary. So I think for those holding a Philippine passport, better do it with a travel agency.) Once settled on the cheapest package, book the flight with the hotel and ask for a printout of your itinerary. Please remember that this should not be confirmed yet. A deposit of certain amount will be asked but don't pay for the whole package yet. Photocopy the original.

4. Passport and EP or NRIC - photocopy each

5. Passport Picture - to affix in the visa application form

6. Proof of Funds - print out a proof of funds (dbs / uob account)

7. Payslip - Photocopy latest 3 months of payslip