My mum was at the electronics store earlier this morning and was loooking at the different netbooks available. She was initially looking at the Eee PC 1000HE but somehow ended up with the Neo Vivid V1190 instead. I guess with the little differences in the specs she opted for the lower priced of the two and with 0% installments at that. I guess all that’s left is to set it up with all the software that she regularly uses.

My mum’s new netbook:

I admit I’m not such a big fan of the sport but I can’t help but watch when it comes to Manny Pacquaio. My earliest memories of watching the man in interviews (I think this was pre-Roach) I didn’t like how he came across. But over the last fights he had, I like how humble (compared to other boxers) and unassuming he is in interviews. In yesterday’s fight against Hatton, Ichi and I were in awe with how fast he was, we couldn’t even see the punches. I just hope that he has smarts about him with regards to the money he’s earning now that down the line we don’t hear that he’s squandered all, maybe even follow in De La Hoya’s footsteps (in terms of boxing promotion)? But please don’t go into politics, I really believe he can do more as a private citizen.

I recently ordered online for some goodies to be sent to friends in Manila for Christmas.  I didn’t have any problems with placing my orders, both of the shops that I dealt with were really good with their customer service, answering my emails quickly and updating me with the progress if needed. What I was terribly disappointed and frustrated about was that when I transferred the payments online to their bank accounts, I got charged P150 each for the two transactions that I did. This was not the charge imposed by my bank (which charged me P10 each for the online transfer) but a charge by BPI the receiving bank. I don’t mind any additional charge for the transfer if it was only minimal but a P150 for receiving an online transfer? I find it a big amount to charge. Considering that this was a local bank to bank transfer and not an international remittance. I don’t know what the difference is with how the banks in Manila do local bank to bank transfers to how banks in say Singapore and Australia do it. In both Singapore and Australia, where I have experienced doing domestic bank to bank transfer we don’t get charged for both outgoing or incoming transfer. Or in the case of Australia you get charged depending on your account type and only if you exceed the allowed number of electronic transactions. Hay, I really can’t understand it. I think it should be a basic service that should be part of online banking, I would think that it costs less for the bank to have their account holders do their transactions online than have them all go to the branches to do their banking where the bank would have to put more people to man the counters. Oh and when my suppliers asked their bank about the transaction BPI told them that the missing amount were charges made by my bank. They don’t tell their account holders that they charge for the incoming transfer. Grrr! In the end, I had to ask a favor from my brother to go to the bank and deposit the balance when it should have been covered to begin with. Good thing both of the suppliers still went ahead with the deliveries while waiting for me to settle the balance.

Thursday morning we were informed with the sad news that Ichi’s maternal grandfather passed away. Although I didn’t get the chance to really get to know angkong I found him to be a very quiet and caring man. I was amazed that even at an old age he knew everyone and he knew where and what is happening with his children and grandchildren’s lives — that’s with about 50 people in the family (children plus in laws, grandkids and great grandkids). It is unfortunate that we won’t be able to make it home for the wake and funeral and to say our final goodbyes. But I know that angks will understand. We will miss you!

Photo taken during the celebration of Angkong’s 90th birthday in 2006.

Forbes.com recently released their list of The Philippines’ 40 Richest. You can read the whole article here. Below are the Top 10.

1. Henry Sy & family – Net Worth: $3,100 million
2. Lucio Tan & family – Net Worth: $1,500 million
3. Jaime Zobel de Ayala & family – Net Worth: $1,200 million
4. Andrew Tan – Net Worth: $700 million
5. Tony Tan Caktiong & family – Net Worth: $690 million
6. John Gokongwei Jr & family – Net Worth: $680 million
7. Eduardo Cojuangco Jr – Net Worth: $610 million
8. Enrique Razon Jr – Net Worth: $525 million
9. George Ty & family – Net Worth: $435 million
10. Inigo & Mercedes Zobel – Net Worth: $430 million

What do you think of the list?

Happy happy birthday my dear brother tj! We love you! And here’s you’re poging nephew/godson singing you his greeting.

Ps. go to the multiply site for a longer version.

While in Manila, I got the chance to meet up with our friends from high school. The first one was also to meet up with N (who is also based here in Sydney) and her hubby and daughter J at Fely J’s in greenbelt 5.

With kiddos.

All girls!! I didn’t bring E with me during this meet up.

With my god-daughter T, this one was at the chinese resto we had dinner at on our way home. The pose was her idea, such a sweetie!

And the other one, which was not really planned at Cafe Breton in Tomas Morato just a couple days before we were scheduled to leave.

E with A, who doesn’t know her ninang mich

See the gallery for more pics.

Went to watch the movie last Wednesday with my mom and aunt. It’s a fun fun fun movie, I really enjoyed it a lot. My mom super enjoyed it that she is adding the Abba songs to her repertoire on their karaoke nights. Meryl Streep is such a good actress, you can really throw any role at her and she’ll just shine. And I so love Pierce Brosnan here. 

While in Manila last January, my mom took us to dinner at Metrowalk and we saw that they had a dolphin show there (Wonderful World of Dolphins) and of course E wanted to see the show. It was a bit pricey though at P300/head, and at the same rate for both adults and kids but we still watched since the guama wanted to please the apo hehe. So we watched the show with I think about less than 40 people in attendance. But the good thing about it was E got chosen to go up for the sea lions, he didn’t know what was gonna happen that’s why when the sea lion kissed him he didn’t like it. As soon as he stepped off the stage until he got back to his seat, he was wiping off his cheek with his hands and saying “eeww!”. After the show though when they were announcing that you can have your picture taken with the dolphin, E immediately told me that he wanted to do that. And after asking him a number of times if he really wanted it (obvious ba na ayaw ko nung una kasi may bayad eh :p) we queued up. And yes, we ended up buying his pic with the sea lion as well.

To our extended family that is. Our new baby niece – Mika.

Congratulations Ival & Cathy.  Welcome to the world baby Mika.