From The Land of Smiles to The Land Down Under
From Thailand to Australia...

It's been a year since I moved here. At a first glance, you would actually think that Bangkok is even more chaotic and uglier than Manila... but the longer I stayed, it came to me that it is a wonderful place, a mix of the Ancient Far East and the Ultra Modern West.



Thailand is exotic & exciting, and can be expensive or cheap as you choose to make it. Of course, normally I choose it to be expensive--- perfect for a glam girl like me ;-)

Many people think that I must be really out of my mind. But just recently, I've decided that I want to move my fat ass again. LOL

I am seriously considering to study for another degree or graduate studies in Sydney. My brother in Australia is already helping me to find courses/ programs which will fit me. At the moment, I like Advertising and Promotions Management - think it's a two year program with the semester starting on July 2006... a year from now. It may seem a long time to be planning this early, but I'm really excited!

Besides, I need to plan early. I'm pretty sure that I will not be able to get a scholarship, meaning I have to pay for it on my own. I have checked the tuition fees, if it's just a certificate course the cost will be just around AUS$8,000 for the entire program. But should I decide to actually do coursework and enroll myself in a Master's Degree program, it will cost 21,000AUS$ (that's approximately 651,000baht or PhP882,000) per year X 2 years?! OMG! Good luck to me. I've computed how much I need to save... goodbye shoes... goodbye bags... goodbye salon... goodbye Johnnie Walker...

I know that my friends and family will be very happy for me. But some really close friends cannot help but wonder... Is this a quest for knowledge and career advancement or just another escape to forget something that need not to be remembered, as I did a year ago when I left?

blah blah by LaraGirl @ 11:56 AM
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23.7.05

The Harsh Reality of Being Single
It's hard.

We were taught that in life, we should try to look on the bright side, to be optimistic. But now that I'm reading "He's Just Not That Into You", I must look on the dark side. Rejection.

It may be demoralizing at first. True. But the more I read it, it becomes intoxicatingly liberating. It's not an easy concept to actually live by because this is what we all do... we go out with someone, we get excited... and the guy does something that mildly disappoints us. Then we go into this 'hyper-excuse' mode for weeks or possibly months, because the last thing we want to think is that this great man that we were so excited about is in the process of turning into a jerk. We try to come up with some explanation for why they're behaving that way, whatever explanation we can make up, just so we do not face the truth: he was just not that into me...

So from this day forward, if there's a guy I'm dating who doesn't seem COMPLETELY into me, I will free myself and find the ONE who will be.

Syet, and drama ever nanaman. Charing!

blah blah by LaraGirl @ 3:21 PM
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22.7.05

Long Weekend
Yesterday was Asarnha Bucha Day and today is Buddhist Lent Day. Fun long weekend? NO. Well, unfortunately for me... I have to work at home. I have a 2 major presentations next week. And the bars are closed anyway, if they are open... they can't serve alcohol. There's a liquor ban since yesterday until tonight.

I'm taking a break for a moment and decided to 'review' my favorite book. And so I though of sharing with you a couple of interesting lines from the book

CHAPTER 10: He's just not that into you if he's married (and other insane variations of being unavailable)

What you should have learned in this chapter:

• He's married.
• Unless he's all yours, he's still hers.
• There are cool, loving SINGLE men in the world. Find one of them to go out with.
• If a guy is yelling about his wife or girlfriend, try to find someone else to take you to the movies.
• He's married.
• Don't be that girl.
• You are not easily forgotten. Let him find you when he's ready.

Harsh but real. I really like this book. It's like a bible for all the single girls out there. Towards the end of the book it says: RESET YOUR STANDARDS

Here are some of the standard suggestions:

• I will not go out with a man who hasn't asked me out first.
• I will not go out with a man who keeps me waiting by the phone.
• I will not date a man who isn't sure he wants to date me.
• I will not date a man who makes me feel sexually undesirable.
• I will not date a man who drinks or does drugs to an extent that makes me uncomfortable.
• I will not be with a man who's afraid to talk about our future.
• I will not, under any circumstances, spend my precious time with a man who has already rejected me.
• I will not date a man who is married.
• I will not be with a man who is not clearly good, kind, loving person.

Oh well, it's still easier said than done.

blah blah by LaraGirl @ 6:09 PM
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21.7.05

Back to Blogging

Today, I've decided to write more posts and perhaps take more pictures... even if my blog has a bug, just don't mind the bottom portion... (Jeff, I'm still waiting for you to fix it! hehehe)

My friend Mimi had a lay-over flight about a month ago, but I wasn't able to post pictures. We actually just saw each other for a couple of hours coz' she had to fly from Dubai to Bangkok then to Australia and back. She's a flight attendant at Emirates.

Here with Mimi and Jojoe at Santika Bar.

Ok fine, I know what you guys are thinking. Ang kapal ng mukha kong mag-sleeveless. Hahaha! Deadma na! Mainit sa Bangkok! hahaha! Actually, I was wearing a purple pashmina (with matching purple shoes) earlier that night, pero mainit na nga coz' the bar was soooo crowded and I had too much of Johnnie Walker Black to drink.



Next week, my other college friend is coming over, Maan. I haven't seen her for a loooong time. She's so busy with work that we didn't have time to match our schedule when I went home last December and a month ago. So, I hope this time I get to see her!

blah blah by LaraGirl @ 4:20 PM
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20.7.05

Remembering Floppy
I'm old.

Today, I was talking with my officemates and realized that some of the younger batch never knew what WordStar was, or that once upon a time... there was such a thing as a 5 1/4 floppy disk (remember that big one? even before Windows and 3.5 floppy)

And now, everyone seems to be carrying their whole life and work at a size of a thumb! Thank God for technology!

I remember Jeff posting about his USB flashdrive a month ago... it looked very professional and had more storage than mine. I guess, mine is just a 'flashy' flash drive without much capacity.



Ang cute noh? It's 256mb... just right for me.

blah blah by LaraGirl @ 5:20 PM
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19.7.05

Sunflower Power & Blog Anniversary
It's been a year since Vic introduced me to blogging. I was still contemplating on whether or not I'm actually moving to Bangkok. Well, I guess time really flies...

Here I am having a little fun with my officemates...

With Jaja and Ann




By the stairs with Tukta, Joe, Jaja and Pam


Tukta, Joe, Jaja, Dia and Ann



Well, my blog is still under repair... but it's getting close... (I think!) So, for the meantime, just don't mind the bottom of the page when you scroll.

blah blah by LaraGirl @ 7:05 PM
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