Ermita, United Nations Avenue (Philippines part 2)

Hi Kaibigan!

Kaibigan means friend(s) in Tagalog. I've procrastinated this post for quite awhile now. I've got readers who are going to the Philippines and asking when will I be posting this up. So here it is. It's not as thorough or complete as I want it to be.

We've been to the Philippines a couple of times before and it's becoming a familiar place now. Well this trip was on February 2014 almost a year ago from the date of this post. Overall, Philippines is a diversity of everything in this world! You will find yourself fortified by sky scrappers in Central Manila, unique building designs in rural areas, various mode of transportations, citizens' lifestyle and more!

In this post, we will share with you on what to do in Ermita (United Nations Avenue), and how to get to places and the list goes on.

So we landed in Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Well I can't say that it is the best airport ever but at least we landed safely haha! Yes, yes, yes, I admit. The airport does look a lil' bit old.

Jeepney, Cover Photo

Just so you know, Jeepneys are famously known as a mode of transportation in Philippines. Sort of like a public bus. Jeepneys were originally made from the United States.
The Jeepneys you see in Philippines are military jeeps left over from World War II. They were smart enough to refurbished or reconditioned the Jeepneys and made them as public transportation.

When you walk out of the airport, you will find that there are lots of taxis. We stayed in Ermita, Metro Manila, United Nations Avenue to be exact.

Well, there are two way to go to wherever you are going.

1. Taxi (Airport Taxis charge you a fixed amount depending on the place you wish to go, not metered) Our example, we took a taxi that costs 500₱ (RM40) to United Nations Avenue.
2. Take a taxi to Baclaran (nearest MRT station to Ninoy Aquino International Airport) which cost 120₱-200₱ (RM10 - RM15). Then, take the MRT to wherever you wish to go. 

Credit: roomrent.ph

You'll eventually find yourself stuck in jam if you're gonna use the taxi especially during rush hours. I would say that taxi drivers in Philippines are the second best drivers in the world! You'll be shocked to see a lorry tyre right up your window. 

MRT on the other hand, uhmmm.. If you think you've tried being "sardined", you should try taking the MRT. By that, it means the amount of people using the MRT is enormous and they would do anything just to get into it. 

Remember! It is best for you to book a hotel before travelling over. This is to avoid hassles and you normally get cheaper prices when booking is done online instead of walking into the hotel/motel. There are lots of website but I always recommend  www.agoda.com and www.booking.com

Here's a few tips in choosing the right hotel,

1. Convenient (nearby restaurants, convenience store, laundry)
2. Centralised (easy to access to places you wish to visit)
3. Offer mobility (accessible to taxis, mrt, and other mode of transportation)
4. Has WiFi
5. Comfortable and clean
6. Read reviews/testimonials of others

We stayed in Casa Bocobo Hotel. The people there are friendly, like supercalifragilisticly friendly!

It has WiFi, restaurants, massage parlours and laundry station on the opposite, 24 hours convenient store (7 eleven) just 50 meters walk away, a Mc Donald which is less than 5 minutes walk and more!

Current rate on Agoda.com (18/1/15)

The Price List

Checking In

The Cafe

If I'm gonna have to rate this hotel, I would say 9/10. Couldn't ask for more. Before I came to the Philippines, I did some research that resulted in a list of places I have to visit. Well, most of the places I wanna visit is located in Intramuros. Check out my post on Intramuros here! 

2 of the places on my list is, Manila Ocean Park and Rizal Park. We walked from Casa Bocobo to Rizal Park first which is only at least 10 minutes walk. There are a lot of street vendors and pedestrians. There are a lot of joggers/runners who look as fit as hell! Students on field trips also contribute to the big number of people in Rizal Park. Rizal Park is peaceful and filled with historical monuments. The park is open to public and it is supeeeer huge. 

Avoid taking horse carriages. They might cheat your money off your pockets. I'm not saying all of them are cheaters, but I've experienced them before so if would be advisable to avoid them. WALK! IT IS HEALTHY AND FUN! 

A map from Casa Bocobo to Rizal Park and to Manila Ocean Park

Rizal Park

Do not commit these offences abroad

If you're not the type of person who appreciates yourself being somewhere away from home, learning different cultures, living in a different environment, then you are no fun at all. I've learnt so much from walking 2 kilometres. 

IMPORTANT! Go get yourself a sim card so you can text/call/access the internet. You can get it in any convenient store for less than 100₱ (RM8). I recommend Sun Cellular. Check Sun Cellular out!

You're gonna need internet connections to access google maps/email/internet messaging anywhere anytime. Be sure to keep your original sim card in a safe place because embarrassingly, I lost mine somewhere in Philippines haha!

100₱ (RM8) got me 3 days UNLIMITED internet!

After going around Rizal Park for about an hour or two, we walked ourselves to Manila Ocean Park which is about 800 meters away from Rizal Park. There are cafes and a hotel in Manila Ocean Park too. The entrance fees vary depending on packages. We got ourselves the Ocean's Amazing Duo 2 which costs 550₱ (RM45) per person. We got to see the aquarium, penguins and snow/ice (antartica) world. Check out the price of packages of Manila Ocean Park.

                                               

We ended up spending 3 hours or more in Manila Ocean Park! There are lots to see and enjoy. When you're on holiday, there's no point in rushing stuffs. You are suppose to relax!

We then walked back to our hotel, grab a dinner and went for massage. Our feet felt like they were going to amputate themselves. It was an enjoying day though. 

Robinsons Place Manila is 10 minutes walk away. It is a huge mall but not as huge as Mall of Asia. 

Ermita church is also nearby. If you're anywhere near the area I stayed, you could drop by to the church. 

NEXT DESTINATION; Intramuros! You'll find yourself spending half a day visiting places in Intramuros such as the Fort Santiago, Baluarte de San Diego and the list goes on and on and on. 

Here ends my post for Ermita, Metro Manila, Philippines. 

Philippines part 3 will be all about Binondo and Ortigas and what to eat in Philippines! It'll be up very very soon so stay tune. I kinda think it'll be harsh for mobile users to load this post due to long posts of pictures, so I decided to post the Philippines trip part by part.

As always, be nasty stay happy peeps! Salamat sa iyong suporta!

Check out my previous post : Intramuros! (Philippines part 1)

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I am a Sino Kadazan!

Sup guys!

Lately I've been busy with some work stuffs. At first, blogging seems as easy as I thought it would be until I did it for real, I beg to differ. Having hundreds of readers daily, the tendency to blog is higher. Probably it is because I wouldn't wanna let my readers down. Just so you know, I'm also working on my Youtube channel so yea.

Anyway, I was at a car service station yesterday doing some car stuffs which I have been procrastinated for weeks now. For the first time in life, someone actually thought I am a mixed Indian! I'm not saying that I don't like Indians or being called one, I just can't seem to figure out on how on earth do I look like an Indian to him.

In Malaysia, we live in a multi cultural environment. Put the politics and racial issues aside because haters are gonna hate but I don't give a damn. I'm a mixed race/blood myself. As said, I'm a Sino Kadazan. What's that? Let me explain, easy.

SINO = Chinese (Somehow related to China)
So if you have a SINO in your racial status, you're most likely to be mixed Chinese. You could be a Sino Malay, Sino American, Sino Thai and so on.

My dad is a Sino Kadazan (Chinese + Kadazan), my mom is a Chinese (pure). Well that makes me 3/4 Chinese and 1/4 Kadazan which still gives me the status Sino Kadazan.

Kadazan is a local ethnicity commonly found in Sabah and Labuan. I'm not ashamed of my origins, I'm proud of it. Well, people often misjudged me due to my skin colour, facial resemblance as well as uhmm I don't know what else they're thinking. I'm tanned like apricot slight brown chocolate tan and I don't look like a Chinese AT ALL. I don't have small eyes that go away when I laugh like most Chinese do (not all, most).

But here's the kick, I can speak Mandarin and a few other Chinese dialects but not a single word for Kadazan haha! You can say that I might be Chinese educated, but you're wrong. I learnt to speak Chinese from friends. I picked it up bit by bit and now I can speak Chinese! Not butter smooth fluent though. I need to brush up my intonation that's all.

Out of all that, I'm still surprised on how did the Service Advisor deduced me as a mixed Indian. I was flattered though haha! Well, if someone misjudged you, don't be shy to tell them the real thing. I ain't afraid nor shy of where I came from. I am who I am, you are who you are and that can't be changed.

I am a Sino Kadazan.

Cheeeeeeers peeeeps! Be nasty, stay happy!


This week's upcoming post so stay tune!
Things to do in Central Manila
Scootering in Patong, Phuket

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NastyHappy supports adoption! (Dogs Care Books Give Away!)

Yo guys!

Here at nastyhappy.net, we highly recommend adoption. These wonderful pups were abandoned, some abused, some forgotten. They need a home, they need to express their love and loyalty. We work hand in hand with ACT Sabah to find these pups new homes. Located in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

If you are interested in adopting, you can connect to us via nastyhappy.net's Facebook page, ACT Sabah's Facebook page, or contact Sam of ACT Sabah at +6014-3503901.

To those who adopted any of these puppies, we at nastyhappy are giving out FREE DOGS CARE BOOK! Email us or let Sam know so you can claim the book from us!

Female, 2 months plus. Found her in Penampang.

Female, 2 months plus. Found her in Penampang.

Female, 2 years old. Abandoned by owner.

Male, 6 months old. Abandoned by owner because they only wanted pedigrees.

Female, 2 years old. Found in Taman Seputeh.

Female, 6 months old. Abandoned, owner only wants pedigrees.

Share this out guys! Thanks a lot for supporting!

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Getting your first TATTOO! My recommended tattoo artists.

Hello everybuddeh!

Do you have a tattoo? Are you planning on getting one? Is it your first time? Then you're in the right place! Haha! I'm gonna do a simple guide based on my experiences on getting tattoos and what should you do when getting one.

Having a tattoo doesn't make you a member of a Mafia group, doesn't make you an evil person, doesn't make you a murderer. Tattoo is just a body modification done by inserting indelible ink into dermis layer of your skin to change the pigment. Two words, ART and SCIENCE. I personally have 8 tattoos on my body and those tattoos are very very visible and huge. That doesn't mean I can't earn as much doctors or pilots can :)

I got my first tattoo when I was 15. Hell, my dad was furious when I got home with a tattoo on my back! We didn't talk to each other for a month. Well, I guess I was too young to think of the consequences because it was all about fun. I regret getting only 1 when I was 15. I should have done more haha! As years go by, I added another and another and another. I love each and every one of them as they have meanings of their own.

If you're planning on getting your first tattoo, here's what you should do:

• Pick the right time to do it. Do not do it if you're gonna be exposed to sun or water (submersion)  a week after the tattoo is done. You gotta give it more time to heal say 2 weeks

• Choose the right design. It could be portraits, geometrical, maori, tribal, calligraphic and so on. You can go to your chosen tattoo artist to request for a design. 

• Choose the right spot. Think twice before getting a tattoo on a visible part of your body. Remember, your body is a canvas and it is freaking huge. If you're doing sales job for example, do it on the back of your body so that it won't be very visible to your clients. Closed minded people judge by what they see, f*ck em.

• Meaningful. Do it for a reason or else you'll find it "pointless" years later. For instance, I have tattoos of both Nasty and Happy and there's no way I'm gonna regret it.

• Ask around. I've had one incident where I did a tattoo on the spot without checking much about the artist's background and he caused my tattoo to be "blown-out" and fucked it up but I'm fine with it. It was my mistake. So, don't do the same mistake I did.

• Do it! Nuff' said. :) Don't be afraid to go back for touch-ups. Be sure to take good care of your new tattoo. 

Here are three of my tattoos, Nasty, Happy and an Ukulele! 

Done by Bobby James

Done by Pip Lubasi

Done by Ronny, Ignore the leg hair :/

**If you're wishing for cheap tattoos, go ahead but don't blame anyone if you get crap out of it. Remember, they spent years of training and improving in what they do. So they charge you with what they think is reasonable. 

I have 3 artists I trust with my life. When the session starts, all I have to do is relax and chill. And when it is done, taddaaaa! I feel euphoric.

Mind you, I've got tattoos from them and my recommendations are purely based on the results they produce on my body as well as their portfolio.

1. St James Tattoo (Bobby James)

• He got his first tattoo the same age I got mine, 15. He wasn't scared at all. 

• How did he got himself in this industry and what inspired him? According to Bobby, he just likes to draw since he was 7 years old. He'll just do whatever he wanted to do and what makes him feel comfortable.

• What's the best tattoo you've had up to now? His reply was hilarious! "It would be the ones done by my friends when they were still 'beginners' although most of the tattoos look shitty" Haha!

• 10 years of professional tattooing has got him hooked up with new friendships and their trusts ranging from lawyer to mechanics.  

• He aims for public to understand more on how to know that a tattooist is good and which is bad. He has had a lot of customers going like "WOW SO EXPENSIVE!" but seriously, you're buying his work that require years of experiences and he is only charging you what he think his art is worth.

• Were you nervous when you had your first customer? "What's there to be afraid of? Its a start of my career!"

• His advice to first timers, "Make sure you know what you want. Do some research and not asking tattooist on what you should get because it is your life, so do what you want!

Be sure to check out St James Tattoo's Facebook page to check out his artwork and get in contact with him! His artworks are undeniably awesome!

     2. Jesselton Tattoo and Gallery (Pip Lubasi)

• Pip did his first tattoo when he was 17. It was quite fun for him because he was curious on how tattoos were done. It was done by a friend of his using stitching needles and mechanical pen ink for the tattoo pigments. It is a common and cheap method back in those days.

• He got into this industry by meddling with his home-made tattoo machine. He tattooed his uncle and cousin as well as his own skin for fun. until he landed a job as a tattooist in Taboo Ink Tattoo Studio in Kuala Lumpur back in 2005.

• He has patches of tattoos all over his body as he collects them from various friends around the world that he trusts. According to Pip, "I wish to have a back piece tattoo". 

• Pip said, "Since I became a tattoo artist, I've joined a few tattoo conventions around Asia and Europe. I've only won once, 2nd place for best tattoo of the day in Dutdutan, Philippines in 2007. Clients' satisfaction makes me happy each time they get a tattoo from me"

• Pip's advice for first timer, "Choosing the perfect tattoo design is more important than choosing the size and DO NOT tattoo your boyfriend's/girlfriend's name permanently LOL!"

Check out Jesselton Tattoo and Gallery's Facebook page! 

3. Passion Of Ink (Ronny Taptoe)

• As common as it seems, Ronny got his first tattoo when he was 17. He wasn't scared but instead he was excited about it.
• He was inspired by his first tattooist as well as friends who are into tattoos.
• Most of his tattoos were done when he was young. He has tons of tattoos and his favourite is the portrait tattoo of his wife and a few skull tattoos on his leg and neck. 
• His advice to you first timers out there, "Do what you wanna do while you're still young so you have stories to tell when you're older".

Check out Passion of Ink Tattoo Studio's Facebook page!

If you're thinking of getting a tattoo, STOP THINKING. Do it! :)

Thank you guys for supporting! As always, be nasty stay happy! We'll be posting stuffs on our site twice or three times a week yea.

Love, Nath.

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New navigation tab!

Hey ya'll!

We now have a new tab on our website and it's named "Our Voices". What is this? Let me explain. Many of you know that we're animal lovers, hardcore animal lovers. Haha! :)

So, we've created this tab for a specific reason. We love doing charities and helping out other people for the cause of their pets or other animals. So this tab is dedicated especially for;

1. Notices for missing pets 
2. Animal charity drives 
3. Non Profit Organisation notices/activities

The number of our readers are increasing day by day. So by doing this, we could actually help spread out more news of any above related matters. We will be working hand in hand with ACT Sabah and Stray Free Labuan. 

If you so happen to have a friend who is looking for their missing pet(s), do not hesitate to contact us and we'll put up a notice on our webpage for you. We just love helping others and we do not charge a single cent to anyone. Your voice is our voice!

Some of you may find it hard to navigate through our site. So, we decided to make a few tweaks and post a guide on our navigation tabs. Now I'm going to simply go through the other navigation tabs.

This is what our webpage looks like. At the right corner column, you can see "What's Up" which will be a short intro on what's trending or what's coming up. Nothing much :)

I friggin' LOVE doing guides! I love sharing my experiences with other people so this tab is dedicated just for guides I made for all of you. I am open to guides requests so don't be shy!

We effing love travelling! Who doesn't right? So, this tab will be all about our trip to places we went.
As I said, I love sharing experiences so it's basically some sort like a travel guide as well. Not really a guide but just uhmmm an overview of the particular place, things to eat, things to do, what's amazing and so on. Teeeeheeee!

YES! Give away! We love giving free items to random people. I don't know. We just do. So, be sure to check what we're giving away on the "Give Away!" tab alright.

Please, do not hesitate to contact us so we can help you expand the coverage of your notices. You can contact us at nathisme@gmail.com.

As always, be nasty, stay happy! Ngaaaahhh!

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I quitted my job. Seriously. What's next?

Hi!

Dreams, ambitions. Everyone has a vision. How do you see yourself in the future? Let's assume a year to maybe five years. Employed? Self employed? Well it differs to each and every individuals. Some may not bother to be working under an employer for the rest of their lives. As for me, I dream big :)

Have you had a superior who degrades you, embarrass you, or whatever actions that decrease your self-esteem? I had a bunch but I have to say that the superior of my recent job, he holds the title of being the crappiest. Yes, he has rights, so do I. I've been so mentally abused that I have never felt so pressurized or depressed in my entire life. 

Let me give you a scenario, when your company offers you $6000 for example, in condition you have to achieve a certain target. Let's make it a $100 grand sales/revenue per month. If you achieve the target given, you are then eligible for the numerations offered. So, vice versa. In the company I'm working at, never once I've failed to achieve whatever targets given. Thus, I am eligible for the $6000. However, the so called superior then thought I was being paid too much for what I'm doing and decided to find a way to get rid of me. He managed to convince the management, other superiors or even my own colleagues to turn against me. Well, I am proud enough to say I took it pretty well for at least half a year now.

Guys, there are humans out there who are just plain snobbish and they get very jealous/envy if you're doing better than them. Then they go around bad mouthing you to others. He is famous for his "signature move" which is doing everything he can in his power to get rid of someone he assume bad for him. Lol! I know right.

I then thought to myself, why let his negativity affect my inner peace? I get to go home to my family, play with my pets, hanging out with friends and I am so contented with my life. I bet he has none of what I'm having. I also bet he was tortured by his parents back when he was a boy which leads to his stammering in conversations. He has serious issues. Yes, I am in my mid 20's and hell there are a lot of other opportunities out there waiting for me. 

Not to boast but I have a lot of experiences in various industries which gives me another pointer. I've always dreamt of becoming a full time travel blogger or a steel industry tycoon. Back to my first question, where do I see myself in the near future?  If I were to continue working in this shitty company, I'm damned. What if I start striving for my dreams? Well, there'll be risks, obstacles, and even chances of failure but hey, what have I got to lose? Nothing.

Out of all that, right before Christmas in 2014, I QUITTED! I've never felt soooooo gooooood! I had great supports from friends, love ones, and family. Yea, I did it without thinking much. I was scared, being afraid I wouldn't be able to get a job to pay my rent, loans and more. 

On Christmas day, I went window shopping and I saw this book. This book was special because I found it amongst the rest of the cook books in the book store. The title of the book got my brain fabricating for ideas. "Blogging For A Living" by Grace Tan. Then it clicked me. I should start blogging! However, I decided no to get the book just 'yet'.

I went home, got on my laptop, spent sleepless nights building this blog you're currently viewing. The reason for me to do this website (blog) is nothing more than to express my interests to other people around the world. I was happy, I still am. I love doing what I'm doing now. Writing. 

Three days later, I decided to go back to the book store to get the book. This is the first time I've actually finish reading a book. Frankly speaking, I've never completely read a single book in my entire life as I was not into reading. This book inspired me to do what I want to do. To pursue your dream, you need to start doing it. I love procrastinating and that's why I fail in certain things I do. Well, I'm not going to be a full time blogger that's because I am going to start my own business in the steel industry.

So, in conclusion, I decided to be a full time Entrepreneur and Blogger. Grace Tan said this in her book, "There's no better time than now". I am fired up, I am ready, I know I can! I am currently setting up my business and at the same time trying to cope up with blogging which I love so much.

I couldn't have made it this far if it wasn't because of my family, love, friends and Grace Tan's book.

Should you too quit you job? According to Grace, do not quit your job if; 

• you already love what you are doing
• your bosses and colleagues aren't that bad, and
• you can see that you have a future in the company

What I did is based on what I think was the best decision for me.

If you're into blogging as well, go get this book! You can get it in most Popular outlets.

Don't forget to check out her Facebook page! Thanks a lot for your support Grace.

"If you don't build your own dream, someone will hire you to build theirs" - Tony Gaskins Jr.

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