LBC is the most UNRELIABLE Courier Service EVER!!!!!!!!!

I would never ever ever ever use this courier service again! I hate them to the core.

From Day 1 it was a total disaster. I personally came to LBC Lucky Plaza to update my address & personal details and request for an UP SIZE box to be delivered to our place by Tuesday. Much to my surprise not only was a wrong box size (SULIT) delivered but it was also delivered 2 days later than promised. Not only that, they just left the box & the receipt outside our gate. They claimed that there was no one in the house while my housemate was there the whole day because she was also waiting for a delivery. When I called them to replace the box & told them that I just left the box untouched outside, they asked me to make a full payment of $45 to pay for wrong box before they send a replacement because it could have already been damaged. the nerve!!!! of course i got irate (di ba moonlight?) so they just advised me to keep the box, not pay for it & they would just send a new one.

They also picked up the box late. I paid for it on Nov.18 but they picked it up a week after. They have a tracking number which is no use because their website (http://www.lbcsingapore.com) is down all you can see when you go there is "web server is ok ." Likewise, asking LBC branches is no use because they do not have a way of checking. Instead they gave us the customer service hot line which was also as useless.

I understand that its customary for courier deliveries to be late for the holiday season but what i really don't like is for them to put the blame on the customer. Upon our inquiry,we were advised that we provided a "defective" address. duh!? defective. how could this be!? the reason why i chose LBC was because i already have a record with them because i already sent a letter to my sister thru them before. secondly, they are claiming that my Mom's number cannot be reached when they tried to call her. My Mom is like a 24/7 customer service hotline. People who know her could attest that my Mom almost always answers her calls & SMS in a timely manner. We even offered to pick up the package personally if they cannot deliver it on time but they said that they do not allow this & that they do not disclose their warehouse location. I have worked as a customer service officer for almost 7 years in different fields, so i know that the excuses that they gave was not acceptable and is actually considered as a big NO NO.

i guess just don't have any choice but to feel angry & take this as a lesson not to use LBC ever again.

P.S. After almost 2 months of waiting the damn box finally arrived a day after I shouted like hell at the customer service rep of LBC Manila while i was at the LBC branch in singapore at Lucky Plaza. I was the classic " i need to speak 2 your supervisor" irate customer. hahahaha it was so funny. But then a few items were missing, 4 lotions, a few bars of soap & boxes of toothpaste tsk tsk tsk...

My brother the achiever

actually this blog is long overdue. i first thought of writing this when kyle got his gold medal of excellence in history & geography last year. but i never found the time to do so until the excitement was gone.

now being the stage ate that i am, i will once more brag about my little bro's achievement in school. i really don't have to say anything else because his grades would speak for themselves.




but wait, there's more! my brother is not only a wiz in academics but is also very talented. he can sing like his ate zar/les & dance like me. beat that!

love you so much bunso, i guess the pressure is now on us to give you a good reward. hmmm i think you might get that gadget that you've always wanted sooner than promised

Song Hye Kyo in Singapore (The Video)

Sorry for the ala Blair Witch Project video. People were pushing & she had a lot of PAs so I was trying to get a good shot =(

Song Hye Kyo in Singapore

Another dream come true for me. Who would have thought that I would get to see my ultimate favorite Korean actress in person. That's why I can't help but say, I love Singapore!

19 sept 2008
close up photos courtesy of pam's sister who was also there.

Up Close & personal with an F1 car

Polar Bear show at the Singapore Zoo

Zarah's elephant ride

Sisters' Day Out - The Singapore Zoo

Thanks to AiA's corporate pass, my sister & I enjoyed a day in the Singapore Zoo for Free.

www.poseandprint.com

http://www.poseandprint.com
POSE N PRINT

While your physiological memory can bring you back in time and place, it is always better to have your bare eyes see just how the grins were – every detail, every glint. Because in time, your memory can only recall so much, but the statements beyond each photograph are unfathomable. Capture the moment. Touch the moment. Live by it. Savor it. Get smitten! POSEnPRINT offers you the one-of-a-kind photobooth experience to have every momentous event stashed – because no one has the power to bring back the past, but we can help you make that one minute last!

POSE N PRINT brings the photo booth to your event’s site. Your guests can go wacky, serious, funny, formal whatever they wish, the camera will click when they are ready to POSE then we PRINT within minutes in the lay-out of your choice. A really nice and memorable souvenir. Not only are they worth keeping, the guests star in them and have surely enjoyed and had a great time POSING for the camera….


FAQ

What is POSE N PRINT?
POSE N PRINT is photobooth reinvented. It is a portable photo booth brought on the site of your event so your guests can enjoy, smile and POSE for hours as the camera clicks it away. The pictures are printed right there and then and serve as an instant endearing souvenirs.


Set-up a Pose N' Print photo booth in birthday/debut parties, weddings, school parties, corporate events, family reunions, prom events, graduation parties, school/company anniversary events, homecoming events, and many more! Let Pose n' Print take memorable photos for you!



How does it work?
It’s a hassle-free souvenir since we set-up the booth, we design the lay-out and all your guests has to do is POSE for the camera. They can be wacky or formal, the booth will print all the pictures no matter how many they are. Yes, it’s unlimited shots and print outs. You’ll run out of poses but we’ll not run out of prints. Good thing is that you can take home all your pictures.


Are the pictures in good quality?
Of course. Our pictures are of high quality and printed in a 4”x 6” (4R) photo paper. Lay-out maybe personalized to suit your event’s theme. This sets POSE N PRINT apart from the rest.


Why POSE N PRINT?
We can personalize the lay-out of your pictures. It is not just like the usual dust collecting souvenirs--- we can put your name, date, venue, your company’s logo and your picture in the lay-out and most of all, your guests’ unforgettable moments are also in this picture souvenir. They are meant to be framed or kept in those cute photo albums or scrap books. Not only that, there maybe as much as 6 of those unlimited poses in one lay-out. Check out our samples in the gallery section if you want to know what exactly we mean.


What do I need to have the booth in my party?
An outdoor or indoor space of 3x2 meters will do as long as there is electricity access. Give us a lead time of 30-45 minutes to set-up the booth, lighting and the backdrop of your choice.

I can choose my back-drop?
Sure, we can customize your back-drop for FREE if you notify us 3 days before the event.

Hmmnn sounds interesting, is there more?

You will have a softcopy in a DVD of all the pictures taken at the event. These pictures will also be available at the gallery section of our website www.poseandprint.com. You and your guests may view them when you are in the mood for reminiscing.

Who should I get in touch with to have a booth in my party?
Please email abi.flores@poseandprint.com, abif12@yahoo.com or txt or call Abi at 09189064854 or 09228212004. You can also visit our website www.poseandprint.com (soft launching).

POSE N PRINT PACKAGE

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GOLD
Php 15000.00 DISCOUNTED PRICE PHP12750
Unlimited Quality Post Card Prints
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Custom text or logo on prints
Customizable Backdrop
Online Photo Gallery
On-site technician
DVD Gallery

SILVER
Php 12500 DISCOUNTED PRICE PHP10625
Unlimited Quality Post Card Prints
3-hrs of Service
Custom text or logo on prints
Customizable Backdrop
Online Photo Gallery
On-site technician
DVD Gallery

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Php 10000 DISCOUNTED PRICE PHP8500
Unlimited Quality Post Card Prints
2-hrs of Service
Custom text or logo on prints
Online Photo Gallery
On-site technician
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the mycologist in me

in college i was an plant pathology major specializing in mycology. i chose this specialization because of my very interesting adviser who was the head of the mycology department. she loved to collect mushroom thinggies. she has items from all over the world from ref magnets to notepads to picture frames. i never thought that the day would come that i would follow her lead =)

i really like pink objects: pc speakers, celfone caddy, electric fan, tops, bags, kikay kit, pens etc. that's why i also appreciate men who wear pink clothing. anything that is pink in color, gets my attention instantly. the last valentine's day i saw a young lady holding a pink stuffed toy. as i was walking closer i saw that it was a mushroom, like the mushroom in super mario brothers. i actually found the idea of making a mushroom stuffed toy quite weird. but apparently, the rest of the country does not agree as it has already become a lucrative business. recently i have been seeing other items using the character & most of them come in pink. so far i have seen a soft phone caddy, tray, tissue holder. hmmmm i think i like to collect this thing after all.

i sought the advise of my sister zar... isn't it too patweetums for a 30 something woman to buy these things? she said who would care, i'm not going to use their money anyway hahahaha. as i was still in the process of deciding whether i should start collecting it or not, zarah made the decision for me, last friday she bought my 1st piece, this cute soft celfone caddy.... really love my sister!!!



P.S. My little myco now has a mommy 18 Oct 2008

my debut MTV

the 1st ever MTV that i directed hahahahaha. starring doraemon & mumu

Dreamwalker

http://www.dreamwalkersworld.com
another one of her sites =)

points of view : a song for my best friend

romantic couples normally have theme songs. you can also have a song for your mom or your dad. but it's not very common for us to have a song for our best friend. that's why while i was watching  the gala performance of PDA last night (pasintabi sa mga kapuso friends ko, TFC lang po kasi  pinoy channel na meron kami... for now) that features the scholar's songs for their best friends, i began to think... what song would best describe the relationship that i have with my best friend? i fell asleep with this thought in mind.

my best friend's name is niña theresa villa luna - manalili. we were batchmates since grade school, got closer in high school & became official best friends in college when we both entered uplb. people who know us would agree that we are total opposites in all aspects. apart from sharing the same crush, being consistent class officers & scout leaders, we had different interests in high school. i'm the bubbly cheerleader-dancer , while she was the president of the religious group in school & the parish. i'm outspoken & opinionated, while she's the quiet type. almost always we would have different views or opinions on things but never fight about them. we just respect each others opinions & take each others advice. for us the saying that opposites attract holds true. so when i woke up this morning, the song points of view popped out. this song is for you bespren! i miss you so much. hope to see my best friend, bespren-in-law & my lovely inaanak nyza very very soon. mwuah!

Working abroad: The good & the bad

Living & working in Singapore has been a dream come true for me. I carefully planned everything and waited for almost 3 months until I finally got a job. Now I'm working for a well established American company that pays me well along with a good benefit package. I can easily buy the things that I want & was even able to bring my mom & siblings here for a summer vacation. It got even better when my sister zarah was hired here as well. So now I have someone to share the expenses with along with the allowance that we send back home. Not to mention that I now have somebody to tag along to visit places that I want to explore.  Sounds perfect right?

Today filed for urgent leave because I had to bring zarah to the doctor. She had a very high fever last night, which almost scared me. It was one of those rare occasions that made me wish I was back home where (the experts) my mom & nanay are both there to take care of us when we are sick. I think being sick makes us feel like a child again, waiting for your mom to pamper & cuddle you. But after calling my sister Lianne who made fun of the whole thing, i calmed down.

The doctor said it was food poisoning. He said it was no serious matter. He just advised her to take 2 days rest. Avoid oily, spicy food & milk. She got a shot for her 40 degree fever & a lot of pills to take.




After we went home zarah just ate a few slices of apples, half a banana, her pills & dozed off. She woke up just now, but couldn't convince her to eat anything. She just took a sip of water & dozed off again. Hopefully by tomorrow everything will be alright.

Notorious Nitoy

Ang Batang ayaw magpaawat hehehehe

Cable Car Ride 2

Sting rays

(Under Water World - Sentosa)
... pero mas bida yata si Kyle d2 kesa sa Sting ray, o kontrabida hahahaha

Sea Angel

(Under Water World - Sentosa)

look for the fish =)

(Under Water World - Sentosa)

I Found NEMO!!!!

(Under Water World - Sentosa)

Water Werx - Science Discovery

Kyle's 1st Cable Car ride

Kyle, Lianne, Mom & Me - from The Jewel Box (Mt. Faber) to Imbiah Lookout Sentosa

my first MC =(

MC is the singaporean term for our SL (sick leave). i think it stands for medical certificate. please correct me if im wrong.

my friends & former office mates could attest that its never my attitude to be absent from work even if im sick. im just not that kind of person.  and even the very famous typhoon milenyo did not stop me in coming to work from calamba to alabang even if i had to ride a military truck dressed in slippers, jogging pants & tshirt.

but today, i gave in. had a lot of changes at work for the past 2 weeks, for which i had to adjust to. as an effect of these adjustments i had to work overtime even more that i previous did. this week i had to go home at 10pm mon-wed plus maybe because it has been raining for the past few days, i got under the weather & now i got sick.

i tried to get out of bed this morning although i was feeling a bit funny (that's how they phrase it here if its something out of the ordinary). came to work on time & did my best to juggle phone calls & admin work. but during lunch break i was feeling a bit woozy to went to see the doctor at one of our panel clinics in the area. he thinks its a viral infection or can be the flu, so he gave me a medcert & advised me to go home. what i like about going to doctors here is that i get the meds as well. so u dont have to worry about spending a single cent when you see ur doctor & because we also have a mediguard card as part of our company benefit, i got everything for free.

i went home had a short chat with ate & then i went to sleep at 2pm. woke up at 5:30 feeling rejuvenated, watched tv a bit (was able to catch the season 2 of heroes yahooo!) & now im writing this blog =) in a while ill be sleeping again zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

The Formula One car that was too fast for me to shoot ;-)

HOW I LOVE UPLB

Im not the type who would copy another person's thoughts & post it as my own just for the sake of having a really great blog entry. But every once in a while a really nice joke, a touching story or another person's inspiring blog entry will be sent to you as a forwarded message, and even though you have the skills to compose another blog along the same line, you just can't seem to capture the greatness of it. so here it goes, i am posting a forwarded message by my good friend orange that best describes my college days. enjoy...

HOW I LOVE UPLB

"But it's always you I run home to, take me back, take me home away from here back to where I am free" -"Los Banos" by Sugarfree

Dalawang oras mula sa usok-infested streets of Metro Manila matatagpuan ang aking personal heaven ditto sa mundo. Matanaw ko pa lang ang Mt. Makiling mula sa
South Superhighway, kinikilig na ako. Wala naman akong girlfriend sa LB. Lalo nang wala ding boyfriend. Kahit ka-fling na pwedeng balikan, wala naman akong pupuntahan. Pero yung feeling pwede mong itulad sa pagpunta mo sa bahay ng mahal mo
matapos ang isang buwang walang pag-uusap o pagkikita.

Nasa LB ang org ko, pero hindi naman kami close ng mga orgmates, actually parang iwas pa nga sila sa kin e. Nandito sa Metro Manila ang mga kaibigan ko. Nasa Pasig ang pamilya ko. Wala naman akong ancestral roots sa Los Banos. Mayroon lang talagang hindi maintindihang connection sa pagitan ko at ng napakagandang lugar na to.

Bakit kaya ako napaibig sa Los Banos?

Suspect : Yung environment.

Kasi sa umaga, ang sarap langhapin ng hangin. Ang sarap panligo nung mainit na tubig na lumalabas sa gripo. Lalo na pag may matinding hangover, ang sarap pantanggal ng sakit ng ulo. Lalabas ka ng bahay, maririnig mo yung iba't-ibang huni ng mga ibon.
Dadampi sa mukha mo yung lamig ng  simoy ng hangin, at didikit sa sapatos mo yung damo na nabasa sa hamog.

Hindi ko kayang lakarin ang Ayala Avenue from EDSA to Buendia, pero pag sa LB, kahit
doblehin pa yung same distance, wala akong reklamo. Kahit ilang milyong bumbilya pa ang ilagay mo sa mga building ng Makati , walang tatalo sa napakagandang backdrop ng LB, ang Mt. Makiling . Minsan magtataka ka, sa isang araw na wala kang makikitang ulap, makikita mong nakatambay ang mga clouds sa tuktok ng bundok na ito.

Suspect : Yung pagkain.

Wala namang pinagkaiba yung pagkain sa LB kumpara sa Manila e. Sa totoo lang, hindi din ako madalas kumain ng buko pie. Madaming kainan sa LB, pero ginawa kong suspect yung pagkain kasi napamahal talaga ako sa nanay ko dahil siya yung araw-araw na nagluluto ng laman-tiyan ko. Kung gagawa ako ng list ng "The Best
LB Food", nasa menu ko ang mantika-licious Ellen's Fried Chicken, yung Pinoy-style siomai sa Papu's, yung, Doner Durum (LB version ng shawarma), yung dinuguan na
binebenta sa Lapitan's Meat Shop, yung chocolate cake ng Mer-Nel's, yung tokwa sa IC's bar, at syempre ang aking all-time favorite na Bug-Ong Roasted Chicken. May natikman pa akong bagong panalong chibog, yung sa Ihaw Express na malapit sa White House.

Kahit sinong taga-LB ang tanungin ninyo, sasabihin nya na mas masarap ang Lucky Me Pancit Canton na niluto sa LB kesa sa niluto sa kung saang lugar.

Suspect : Yung inuman.

Kung magtatayo ka ng business sa LB na ayaw mong malugi, magtayo ka ng liquor shop o kaya ng affordable na bar. Dahil may kasabihan nga na "hindi ka taga-LB
kung hindi ka marunong uminom". Madaming resto- bar sa LB, pero nothing beats the house parties. Bago pa sumikat yung gin-pomelo sa Manila , yun na yung iniinom
namin. Madami pa kaming nagawang kakaibang cocktail. Yung Kamehame Wave (vodka ice tea), yung POGi (pineapple orange gin), yung FuKiKo (fundador,
hershey's kisses, tsaka kape), yung Boracay (Tanduay 3-in-1 coffee mix evap), at ang walang kamatayang Pina ColaTa (pineapple coke tanduay).

Sa LB, mas maganda ang tagayan kaysa kanya-kanyang kuha ng inom. At shempre kulang ang inom pag walang home-made pulutan tulad ng Kilawing Cornick at
ang sikat na sikat na Tuna-Skyflakes.

 

Suspect Yung mga tao.

Ewan ko lang ngayon pero nung nandoon pa ako sa LB, walang social climber. Walang pa- sosyal dun. Yung mga galing sa mga mayayayamang pamilya (conio in layman's
terms), kailangang mag-fit in sa masa. Hindi importante ang porma. Kahit naka-
pambahay na damit at tsinelas ka pag papasok, tanggap ka na ng lipunan. Kaya yung mga kilala ko na taga-UP Diliman dati, hindi ma-gets yung mga kwento ko kung gaano
kami ka-barok sa UPLB. "How baboy naman the pig", ika nga nila.

Walang mapagkunwari sa LB. Siguro dahil nga small town lang to, lahat magkakakilala. Kung may pino-protektahan kang image, eventually, lahat ng baho mo lalabas din. Kaya mas magandang ilabas mo na yung totoong ikaw kasi mas mapapasama kung mabubuko ka lang.

Suspect Yung memories.

Ahhh. The memories. Siguro sa lahat ng suspect ko, eto ang parang "Mastermind" . Pag nakasakay ako ng jeep sa LB, o kaya kahit naglalakad lang, hindi ko naiiwasang
tumingin sa isang bahay, sa isang bar, o sa isang kainan, at sabihin sa sarili ang mga
bagay na tulad ng "uy, diyan yung first kiss ko sa 3^rd girlfriend ko", o kaya "diyan sa bangketang yan natulog yung brod ko nung nalasing", o kaya "diyan kami
pinakitaan ng multo". Halos lahat ng lugar sa LB, may naiwan akong memory doon. May mga napalitang mga establishments, pero may itatayong bago na maaring pag-
iwanan ulit ng alaala. Kung tutuusin, ang LB ay isang buhay na diary para sa kin. Bawat lugar, isang pahina. Bawat araw, isang linya.

 

Madaming hindi nakakaintindi sa akin kung bakit pabalik-balik ako sa Los Banos, lalo
na yung mga batchmates ko noong college. Lagi ko nang naririnig yung mga phrases na "Grow up", "Move on with your life", "Leave the past behind", "Wala ka na sa stage
ng buhay mo na college ka pa din".  Masakit marinig, pero may point nga sila.

Kaya minsan, tinanong ko yung housemate ko na umuuwi sa LB every weekend. Sabi ko "bakit kaya ako bumabalik sa LB eh isinusuka na ako ng mga tao doon, wala naman
akong binabalikan, wala naman akong napapala?"

At hinding-hindi ko makakalimutan ang sinabi nya."Tinatanong pa ba yan? HOME. Home is where the heart is."

paalam singapore

ate & i went to changi airport twice in a span of 2 weeks to send off 2 of our celebrity house guests ;-)

tropang gising.... mga PRANING!

i finally had some free time to browse through the net & clean up my inbox, including the email accounts for ygs & group friendster accounts that i have created. one of the last things that i logged into was my highschool friendster account, squire93. luckily there was only 1 update, it was an uploaded photo. upon seeing the photo i couldn't help but laugh out loud. it was a picture of one of our performances during my highschool days with the caption, question #1: what year?

i know u can easily recognize me in the group. the girl on the left side is my sister lianne. the guys from left to right are : james (in pink) karl, kuya andrew & renan. i remember every step until now, which is quite funny since i have performed maybe close to 100 dance routines already. we danced OUR HOUSE by francis magalona. this is also one of the dance numbers that we performed in march for letran's grand foundation day and the 2nd one was mga praning, still by francis magalona.

now it makes me feel sad =( i remember those happy times when all that mattered was how our dance numbers would turn out. i remember the last half of our 4th year (if not the whole year) was just spent in practicing for a dance routine for one program to another. from cheer dancing, to interpretative dance, to JS  cotillion to our most memorable foundation "our house/praning" presentation. haaaaaay buhay, parang life.....

my neighborhood at night

alighted one bus stop ahead of actual stop to take pictures of the neighborhood using the night scene setting of my digicam