overplayed:
Yeah x3
what's my name
Ok, I know it's been quite a long time since my last post, but can you blame me if my family's been in town and we've been travelling the US from coast to coast? are you shaking your head? I thought so.
Previously I stated how excited I was to have finally completed the program (received my 'ears', wrapping up working for the Mouse, getting the hell out of that bubble); well, yes I'm now 'free' from all that. It was exciting to know that my family would be in town and that I would finally be able to get some rest and relaxation. Here comes the big BUT - I'm already missing Disney.
Back at Vista, The thought of packing up my stuff preparing myself for the real world seemed thrilling at first. But my brain was constantly scattered, thinking of a million things simultaneously. It was not as easy as I thought. I was busy planning the activities that my family and myself could do whilst in Orlando: the obvious touring and enjoying the Walt Disney World parks. Universal Studios (especially Harry Potter World), shopping at Downtown Disney, etc; at the same time, I was trying to figure out how to consolidate all the stuff that I've accumulated over the past 6 months (aka crap) into 2 check-in luggages and 2 hand carries. It was impossible. I just had to stuff everything into separate bags and warn my family to pack light coming to the US. I was too preoccupied with all that, that I almost forgot the most important part of the college program - my friends.
While everyone else was busy scurrying about the apartment, collating their belongings and talking about their plans touring and roadtripping on the great American soil, I was stressing myself out with the itinerary for my family. I feel as though I neglected my 3602 girls.
On the 6th of January, After checking into the Blue Heron Beach resort, i lugged all my stuff into the family suite and anxiously awaited the arrival of my family from MCO. Oh how good it felt to have finally been able to hug my mom and my sisters (my dad was arriving 2 days later) I was in a moment of pure joy. Once they've settled in for a couple of hours, off to Magic Kingdom we go for a 7pm dinner reservation at the Crystal Palace. It was definitely an experience for them, we met Pooh, Tigger, Puglet and Eeyore; mom even managed to get Eeyore's autograph, which she was ao thrilled about.
Feeling like I've neglected my 3602 famly, I then suggested to my mom that we both visit Vista as I also really wanted her to meet the beautiful ladies I've been living with for the past 6 months. She loved them, plain and simple. Yes, I know that I've made friends for life. she heard of just sone of the wacky advntures that we've been through, including the story of tegan's mysterious bruises. Mom and I promised to bring them over some starbucks and donuts for breakfast the following day.
The long-time-coming January 7 arrived and my 3602 girls finally also got to meet my sisters. I see the rest of them were finishing off their packing and were ready for the roadtrip to Texas and elsewhere. Time to say goodbye...for now. Even though I know well be seeing each other in the near future, it was still SO hard to part ways. I've been living with the most amazing bunch of girls I could ever imagine, I've been soo blessed. Bittersweet day as after we said our 'byes-for-now', it was off to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT for my family and I. I said goodbye to my co-workers, Magjc Kingdom, Vista Way and my friends. Thus, the start of the new chapter in my life...
Friday, January 28, 2011
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
One Step Closer
So close to the end, everything seems so surreal now. I've literally got 7 work days left here in the Happiest and most Magical Place on Earth. Exciting, yet sad. One part of me is saying, 'bring on the last shift and end this madness', but the other part i saying, 'please press the pause button (if there was one)'. My mind is reeling and I've actually got to start - wait for it - packing!! *dun dun dunnnn!* that word alone is cringeworthy enough.
Am I ready to say goodbye to this place and goodbye to Fantasyland? I am really gutted. The thought of saying goodbye to my fellow Fantasyland cast members is slowly killing me. Tears are welling up in my eyes as we speak and I'm getting slightly emotional, typing even faster now. I may never see these people again. Reading that really depresses me. I almost cannot accept it. I will not accept it. Sooner or later, I will come back, and I know it. I will come back to the US and though I may not see them back in Walt Disney World, I will plan on visiting them, eventually. I have fallen in love with all these beautiful people, and I don't know how to let them go. I am already anticipating that saying 'bye' will be THE most difficult part of the entire program.
Oh Orlando, why did you have to steal my heart away? Haha. I've been working soo much over the past few weeks that I am quite frankly, burned out. I haven't called in to work for more than 2 months and I think it's fair to say that I was due for one today =)
Christmas week was a bit harder than I thought. My Christmas Eve shift dragged and I felt drained the whole time. Finishing at 2:30am did not do me any good, and skyping with my family soon after I got home, resulted in waterworks. I did not mean to ball in front of them on Christmas day, but I was tired, I was lonely and I was hungry - plus, I had to go to Church at 7:30am, which meant that I only had like 2 hours' sleep max. It was a pretty terrible Christmas for me, but I had to keep in mind that others were probably going through the same thing, if not, even worse. Only one thought kept me pushing through on Christmas Day: 12 days. It was only 12 days til the end of the program, 12 days til my family come down, 12 days to what I would call, 'freedom'. I cannot wait! I got this. Of course now, there's only 7 workdays left and 10 days til my family arrive. Oh what bliss that would be...
Positive thoughts. That's all for now.
Til next time.
xx aBz
Am I ready to say goodbye to this place and goodbye to Fantasyland? I am really gutted. The thought of saying goodbye to my fellow Fantasyland cast members is slowly killing me. Tears are welling up in my eyes as we speak and I'm getting slightly emotional, typing even faster now. I may never see these people again. Reading that really depresses me. I almost cannot accept it. I will not accept it. Sooner or later, I will come back, and I know it. I will come back to the US and though I may not see them back in Walt Disney World, I will plan on visiting them, eventually. I have fallen in love with all these beautiful people, and I don't know how to let them go. I am already anticipating that saying 'bye' will be THE most difficult part of the entire program.
Oh Orlando, why did you have to steal my heart away? Haha. I've been working soo much over the past few weeks that I am quite frankly, burned out. I haven't called in to work for more than 2 months and I think it's fair to say that I was due for one today =)
Christmas week was a bit harder than I thought. My Christmas Eve shift dragged and I felt drained the whole time. Finishing at 2:30am did not do me any good, and skyping with my family soon after I got home, resulted in waterworks. I did not mean to ball in front of them on Christmas day, but I was tired, I was lonely and I was hungry - plus, I had to go to Church at 7:30am, which meant that I only had like 2 hours' sleep max. It was a pretty terrible Christmas for me, but I had to keep in mind that others were probably going through the same thing, if not, even worse. Only one thought kept me pushing through on Christmas Day: 12 days. It was only 12 days til the end of the program, 12 days til my family come down, 12 days to what I would call, 'freedom'. I cannot wait! I got this. Of course now, there's only 7 workdays left and 10 days til my family arrive. Oh what bliss that would be...
Positive thoughts. That's all for now.
Til next time.
xx aBz
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Procrastination Strikes Back...
Damn, it's been almost a month since my last post. Gotta admit, I've been lazy and putting it off yet again. So here's what's been happening since I got back from my mini break in NJ and NYC:
-Thanksgiving
-I've been working almost 40 hours every week
-Not going out much or at all
-Been applying for jobs back home (gotta be prepared)
-Ate good Japanese food at Teppan Edo in EPCOT with the girls
-Being homesick
-Waiting on payday every Thursday to go shopping
-Enjoying 50% off Disney merchandise
-Picked our Secret Santa (and trying hard not to disclose them to anyone)
-Working even more
-Being more homesick
-Jay Sean, Bruno Mars, BoB and Enrique xl'ent XMAS 2010 concert at HoB
-Disney Graduation this Thursday (16 Dec)
-Tegan's birthday; and
-Not looking forward to working during Christmas...
It's been pretty eventful, so much is going on that I am, to be honest, quite overwhelmed. It's so close to the end that I am both anxious and excited. I keep telling myself to hang in there and not get myself worked up too much. I should really cherish these last moments here. I know that once I leave here, I'm going to be so upset. *deep breaths Abbie* I can do this. I'm at that point that I can almost see the end and taste it, but then again, I don't want to. Gaah! I'm missing my family. I have no idea what will happen after the program; I'd rather take it one day at a time.
Til next time.
xx aBz
-Thanksgiving
-I've been working almost 40 hours every week
-Not going out much or at all
-Been applying for jobs back home (gotta be prepared)
-Ate good Japanese food at Teppan Edo in EPCOT with the girls
-Being homesick
-Waiting on payday every Thursday to go shopping
-Enjoying 50% off Disney merchandise
-Picked our Secret Santa (and trying hard not to disclose them to anyone)
-Working even more
-Being more homesick
-Jay Sean, Bruno Mars, BoB and Enrique xl'ent XMAS 2010 concert at HoB
-Disney Graduation this Thursday (16 Dec)
-Tegan's birthday; and
-Not looking forward to working during Christmas...
It's been pretty eventful, so much is going on that I am, to be honest, quite overwhelmed. It's so close to the end that I am both anxious and excited. I keep telling myself to hang in there and not get myself worked up too much. I should really cherish these last moments here. I know that once I leave here, I'm going to be so upset. *deep breaths Abbie* I can do this. I'm at that point that I can almost see the end and taste it, but then again, I don't want to. Gaah! I'm missing my family. I have no idea what will happen after the program; I'd rather take it one day at a time.
Til next time.
xx aBz
Monday, November 22, 2010
Fear is how I fall, Confusing what is real...
Tonight is my last night here in Jersey. Oh what a break it has been, it's been so good to get away from 'the bubble', away from work and the 'surreal' environment. I needed this little vacation, especially the little naps and longer sleeps I've had. I can probably say that I am now 70% ready to face the most Magical place in the world - everyday gets me closer to the end of the program, which leaves me feeling bittersweet.
Seeing my relatives in Jersey and visiting NYC sites again has made me feel more refreshed and once again, rejuvenated. It makes me look forward to the future even more, I'd love to one day live in NYC, or at least visit it more frequently. I loved it so much, I honestly do not want to leave. But hey, I gotta set my priorities straight, right? Oh, why does reality have to bite you in the ass sometimes? So tempting to just stay here and forget about everything else...
Okay, as soon as I land in MCO tomorrow at round 2:15pm, and I'm going to think positive about the rest of the week and go to work at 5pm - gotta psych myself up somehow. Doing 45 hours this week. Woot! Oh I cannot wait to start work now and get it over and done with. Only a little while more to go til I see la familia again!
But then again, I also don't want this to end. When the program is over, I'd like to look back and be able to say 'yeh, I made the most of my time there. No regrets'. It's probably the best decision I've ever made. Ooft, here I am getting all emotional too soon... I'll return to this subject later on.
Til next time.
xx aBz
Seeing my relatives in Jersey and visiting NYC sites again has made me feel more refreshed and once again, rejuvenated. It makes me look forward to the future even more, I'd love to one day live in NYC, or at least visit it more frequently. I loved it so much, I honestly do not want to leave. But hey, I gotta set my priorities straight, right? Oh, why does reality have to bite you in the ass sometimes? So tempting to just stay here and forget about everything else...
Okay, as soon as I land in MCO tomorrow at round 2:15pm, and I'm going to think positive about the rest of the week and go to work at 5pm - gotta psych myself up somehow. Doing 45 hours this week. Woot! Oh I cannot wait to start work now and get it over and done with. Only a little while more to go til I see la familia again!
But then again, I also don't want this to end. When the program is over, I'd like to look back and be able to say 'yeh, I made the most of my time there. No regrets'. It's probably the best decision I've ever made. Ooft, here I am getting all emotional too soon... I'll return to this subject later on.
Til next time.
xx aBz
Friday, November 19, 2010
Pre-Thanksgiving break...
I'm back in New Jersey, and I've been here since Sunday (14th of November). I arrived here with one of my housemates, Gabi. We're staying with my tito here in Edison, New Jersey and have since then we've done the following: gone to the local mall; stumbled upon Times Square in New York; played in the biggest Toys R' Us in Times Square; visited PopTart World; gone shopping on 34th and Broadway; shopped in Jersey Gardens outlets; had authentic NY pizza at the well-known 'John's Pizzeria'; met up with and visited the MET with our friends Brodie, Dean and Bec (who are all on the Disney College Program); eaten at Ben & Jerry's (which Gabi loved); visited Madame Tussaud's famous wax museum of celebs; and bought our I heart NY shirts; and all of us had pre-Thanksgiving dinner back here in my relative's place (which was TO DIE FOR - did someone say TURKEY! =)) It's just too bad Gabi had to leave so soon, today actually (18th of November).
After we dropped Gabi off at Newark airport, I hung out with Brodie, Dean and Bec as they toured Downtown NY. The highlight: Ground Zero memorial. It's still in the process of being built, but just being there sent thrills up my spine. The last time I was there was April 2001 - just 5 months before they came down. We went into the 9/11 memorial store, which replayed footage of the chaos that happened on that fateful day all over the store. It was heartbreaking. Most of the people in-store could not help but shed a tear - me included. It was so surreal, the quote that struck me on one of the souvenirs was: "No Day Shall Erase You from the Memory of Time" - hits the heart. We then continued to head down Wall Street and saw the New York Stock Exchange, the biggest Tiffany & Co I've seen yet, and further down we took photos of the Brooklyn bridge. Feeling under the weather a bit (literally, as I only had 2 layers of clothing on), I decided to say goodbye to my friends early and go home. But before that, I took a little detour and went back on 42nd st and 6th ave (Grand Central Terminal) to look for the famous 'Magnolia' bakery, which was featured a couple of times on Sex and the City. I sampled their Magic Cookie Bar, and I gotta say, as good as it was, it does not compare to the one we have in WDW :) yay!
After my sweet treat, I made my way to MSG, where I was to catch a train from Penn Station to Metropark in Jersey, but before then, I bought myself a 'Nathan's Famous' cheese dog. Authentic NY hotdog, which did not disappoint. I felt like a New Yorker walking the streets of the 'Big Apple' on my own. I felt invincible. I really wanna live here And I can so picture myself doing so as well! Eventually, I would love to, if the opportunity presented itself then I'd jump at the chance.
Aah New York, what have you done to me? Haha! Oh well, I still have til Monday (22nd of November) here, til I go back to Fantasyland. Whoop-ti-dooo! Gotta make the most of it then.
Til next time.
xx aBz
After we dropped Gabi off at Newark airport, I hung out with Brodie, Dean and Bec as they toured Downtown NY. The highlight: Ground Zero memorial. It's still in the process of being built, but just being there sent thrills up my spine. The last time I was there was April 2001 - just 5 months before they came down. We went into the 9/11 memorial store, which replayed footage of the chaos that happened on that fateful day all over the store. It was heartbreaking. Most of the people in-store could not help but shed a tear - me included. It was so surreal, the quote that struck me on one of the souvenirs was: "No Day Shall Erase You from the Memory of Time" - hits the heart. We then continued to head down Wall Street and saw the New York Stock Exchange, the biggest Tiffany & Co I've seen yet, and further down we took photos of the Brooklyn bridge. Feeling under the weather a bit (literally, as I only had 2 layers of clothing on), I decided to say goodbye to my friends early and go home. But before that, I took a little detour and went back on 42nd st and 6th ave (Grand Central Terminal) to look for the famous 'Magnolia' bakery, which was featured a couple of times on Sex and the City. I sampled their Magic Cookie Bar, and I gotta say, as good as it was, it does not compare to the one we have in WDW :) yay!
After my sweet treat, I made my way to MSG, where I was to catch a train from Penn Station to Metropark in Jersey, but before then, I bought myself a 'Nathan's Famous' cheese dog. Authentic NY hotdog, which did not disappoint. I felt like a New Yorker walking the streets of the 'Big Apple' on my own. I felt invincible. I really wanna live here And I can so picture myself doing so as well! Eventually, I would love to, if the opportunity presented itself then I'd jump at the chance.
Aah New York, what have you done to me? Haha! Oh well, I still have til Monday (22nd of November) here, til I go back to Fantasyland. Whoop-ti-dooo! Gotta make the most of it then.
Til next time.
xx aBz
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Food & Wine
Let me start by saying, 'I Love my Days off'. There's nothing better than taking my sweet time, not worrying about anything and just plain chillaxing. I had last Monday (November 1) and this Monday (November 8) off for two reasons: Boyz II Men and Hanson, respectively.
I needed some 'Me' time last Monday after a Halloween experience I can hardly remember, and now that I've heard stories and seen photos, I don't want to remember. I went to EPCOT for the Food & Wine Festival with my ever trusty D5000 in hand, and tried out some palatable dishes being offered at the 15th Food & Wine festival. Some of which included the cherry colada in Puerto Rico, the churro in Mexico, shrimp cake and noodles in Singapore, happy lychee in Chine, baklava in Morocco and much more. Dead set, it was looking out to be a good day. At around 4:30pm I then made my way to the stage where Boyz II Men was to perform. To my surprise, I was shown by a lovely cast member to a front row seat, I was ecstatic. D5000 in hand, I kept snapping away when the group (now 3) came on stage. They performed such hits like 'Motown Philly', 'On Bended Knee', 'Water Runs Dry' and my fave, 'I'll Make Love to You'. Once they sang the latter, they brought out a dozen roses each. I'm not gonna lie, I squealed. Shawn, the lead singer, a rose to every female in the front row, lucky me! I could not stop smiling after that. The best, nuff said. I also got to meet 'Beast' from Beauty and the Beast, as well as the EPCOT rep, 'Duffy'. Though I started the day hungover, it turned out to be such a great day!
Today was no exception. My roomie, Tegan decided to give me a tour of her workplace, The Boardwalk. I was already in awe looking at the scenery when we got off the G bus, and she goes, 'wait til you see the lobby'. I was floored. The lobby was absolutely amazing, I can only imagine what the actual rooms and villas look like. There were replicas of the Royal carousel and a rollercoaster in the lobby, and the resort was 1940s themed. We took a walk along the boardwalk (there was actually a real boardwalk!) and Tegan showed me a few of the shops that stood out, such as 'Jelly Rolls', 'Kouzzina' and the 'Flying Fish', this called for more snapping away at the D5000. Great start to the day. Next stop, EPCOT, a 5 minute walk from Boardwalk. here we go again with the cherry colada, then cheese soup at Canada, seared scallop in New Zealand, Golabki in Poland and the dreaded Belvedere Strawberry balsamic chiller, thanks Teegs. I was quite tipsy after skulling the (really concentrated) drink. Afterward, we went to see Kayla and Bec in line for Hanson. Oh dear, I didn't realise there would actually be a line - guess those guys are still huge, after Mmmbop. Even after getting married and having kids, those guys still know how to melt girls' hearts, girls from 10-100 years, it was quite amusing to see grandmas dancing and singing along to their hit(s). Absolutely entertaining, this group still has it. *Squeals* Zac! Love my days off...
Till next time.
xx aBz
I needed some 'Me' time last Monday after a Halloween experience I can hardly remember, and now that I've heard stories and seen photos, I don't want to remember. I went to EPCOT for the Food & Wine Festival with my ever trusty D5000 in hand, and tried out some palatable dishes being offered at the 15th Food & Wine festival. Some of which included the cherry colada in Puerto Rico, the churro in Mexico, shrimp cake and noodles in Singapore, happy lychee in Chine, baklava in Morocco and much more. Dead set, it was looking out to be a good day. At around 4:30pm I then made my way to the stage where Boyz II Men was to perform. To my surprise, I was shown by a lovely cast member to a front row seat, I was ecstatic. D5000 in hand, I kept snapping away when the group (now 3) came on stage. They performed such hits like 'Motown Philly', 'On Bended Knee', 'Water Runs Dry' and my fave, 'I'll Make Love to You'. Once they sang the latter, they brought out a dozen roses each. I'm not gonna lie, I squealed. Shawn, the lead singer, a rose to every female in the front row, lucky me! I could not stop smiling after that. The best, nuff said. I also got to meet 'Beast' from Beauty and the Beast, as well as the EPCOT rep, 'Duffy'. Though I started the day hungover, it turned out to be such a great day!
Today was no exception. My roomie, Tegan decided to give me a tour of her workplace, The Boardwalk. I was already in awe looking at the scenery when we got off the G bus, and she goes, 'wait til you see the lobby'. I was floored. The lobby was absolutely amazing, I can only imagine what the actual rooms and villas look like. There were replicas of the Royal carousel and a rollercoaster in the lobby, and the resort was 1940s themed. We took a walk along the boardwalk (there was actually a real boardwalk!) and Tegan showed me a few of the shops that stood out, such as 'Jelly Rolls', 'Kouzzina' and the 'Flying Fish', this called for more snapping away at the D5000. Great start to the day. Next stop, EPCOT, a 5 minute walk from Boardwalk. here we go again with the cherry colada, then cheese soup at Canada, seared scallop in New Zealand, Golabki in Poland and the dreaded Belvedere Strawberry balsamic chiller, thanks Teegs. I was quite tipsy after skulling the (really concentrated) drink. Afterward, we went to see Kayla and Bec in line for Hanson. Oh dear, I didn't realise there would actually be a line - guess those guys are still huge, after Mmmbop. Even after getting married and having kids, those guys still know how to melt girls' hearts, girls from 10-100 years, it was quite amusing to see grandmas dancing and singing along to their hit(s). Absolutely entertaining, this group still has it. *Squeals* Zac! Love my days off...
Till next time.
xx aBz
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Inconsistent blogger...
Blogging at 4am probably isn't healthy, but I'm doing it since I'm still wide awake anyway (getting home from work at 2:30am isn't healthy either).
Here are a couple of highlights for the week:
1. Character Hunting at the Magic Kingdom;
2. Working at the Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT and;
3. The end of working during Halloween parties!
Last Thursday (Oct 28), a few workmates, myself and my ever trusty Nikon D5000, made our way to Magic Kingdom in the hopes of getting more snapshots with and autographs of some Disney characters. It was quite a success; we managed to add another 12-13 more to our collection, including the new characters, Rapunzel and Flynn Rider; and we finally got to meet our boss, Mickey.
The second highlight for the week was being able to work at EPCOT for the 15th anniversary of the Food and Wine festival. I was working at the Welcome Centre selling Food and Wine merchandise, cookbooks, etc, and got to meet a couple of celebrity chefs, including Kat Cora. It was such a great experience and I had such a blast, before I knew it, the day was over. I actually wouldn't mind getting deployed to EPCOT even for just a while.
The final highlight is the glory of not working for the final two Halloween parties! For someone who comes from a country that doesn't really celebrate this holiday, I've had my fair share to probably last me a lifetime. I know it sounds mean, but I'm being serious. No more Halloween games! Yay! Hehehe. No matter how much I may bag working at these parties, I will always be thankful for the ones I have worked, as I may never get to experience them again.
Well, I guess that's all for me right now. Next step, sleep.
Till next time
xx aBz
Here are a couple of highlights for the week:
1. Character Hunting at the Magic Kingdom;
2. Working at the Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT and;
3. The end of working during Halloween parties!
Last Thursday (Oct 28), a few workmates, myself and my ever trusty Nikon D5000, made our way to Magic Kingdom in the hopes of getting more snapshots with and autographs of some Disney characters. It was quite a success; we managed to add another 12-13 more to our collection, including the new characters, Rapunzel and Flynn Rider; and we finally got to meet our boss, Mickey.
The second highlight for the week was being able to work at EPCOT for the 15th anniversary of the Food and Wine festival. I was working at the Welcome Centre selling Food and Wine merchandise, cookbooks, etc, and got to meet a couple of celebrity chefs, including Kat Cora. It was such a great experience and I had such a blast, before I knew it, the day was over. I actually wouldn't mind getting deployed to EPCOT even for just a while.
The final highlight is the glory of not working for the final two Halloween parties! For someone who comes from a country that doesn't really celebrate this holiday, I've had my fair share to probably last me a lifetime. I know it sounds mean, but I'm being serious. No more Halloween games! Yay! Hehehe. No matter how much I may bag working at these parties, I will always be thankful for the ones I have worked, as I may never get to experience them again.
Well, I guess that's all for me right now. Next step, sleep.
Till next time
xx aBz
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
