settling down...

it's been around 2 1/2 months since i arrived here in Singapore. Until now, I really can't say that we've settled down already. Things to buy, things to do, this is all too tiring. I miss my family. I miss going to gigs, watching my friends play and even playing myself.

we rented a room in this condo. it's quite expensive but then again, we could not afford to rent our own flat. even if it is expensive, it's quite ok since i share the rent with nette. the thing is, you can't do things the way you want them to be since there are other tenants in the house. I want to buy my own furniture and decorate the living room but i cant. i want to change how the kitchen looks like and is organized but i cant. well, until we have enough money we'll just have to make do with what we have.

right now, even if i miss home i can't imagine myself working back home. the difference between the two countries are just huge. too huge to ignore. now i'm not surprised why everyone is coming here. im quite surprised though at how i am able to manage my own finances. during my first payday. nette and i went out to eat at a place we do not normally eat. i treated my old boss to dinner when he was here. i brought a PSP, i was able to pay off my debt in the philippines. i was able to buy some furniture stuff for the house, do weekly grocery and even save around 43% of my salary for the first month alone. i couldnt believe that i was able to do that. there is just no way that anyone be able to do that in manila unless you're earning more than a hundred thousand.

...now tell me...who says living in singapore is expensive?

things get pretty expensive when...
1. you smoke and you can't stop puffing away. cigarettes here cost around 11sgd. which is around P330 (roughly).
2. you party all day all night. i heard the entrance to a bar like MOS (ministry of sound - something like embassy in manila) is around 20sgd (roughly P600) and the drinks don't come in cheap either. plus...after being robbed by the bar...you need to pay the cab fare which is 1.5 times more than your usual fare (after 12am). Yes, cab rates depend on the time of the day.
3. you drink alcohol even at home. yes, beer, hard drinks are also quite expensive.
4. you do not eat cheap hawker food and go to more elegant places to eat. hawker centers offer a wide variety of dishes with the prices ranging anywhere between 2sgd to 6sgd depending on the type of food you are eating. even McDonald's is more expensive. -- I have never tried McDonald's here and I have no plan to try it out in the near future. Hehe!
5. you turn on your aircon like there's no tomorrow. yes, singapore is hot but is it hotter than manila? it's supposed to be but it isnt. i think it really has something to do with the cleanliness of the place and the abundance of trees around.

in other words...mahal lang magkaroon ng bisyo dito. hehe!

currently listening to: silent sanctuary - ingat ka