Burger King!!!

Finally, another American fastfood in town! Although I still prefer Mike's Burger (local burger) but still, a good very good option to have. I luuuv Burger King especially their Whopper which is what I ate :-)

Burger King is located in airport, immediately outside the arrival area. It's in front of Cafe Fresco. I just arrived here last January but in 3 months time there are like 2-3 new restos I think in the airport. Going back to Burger King, inside there are high stool bars or chairs...in case you are a single traveler  and wants to mingle with others. 

There are also comfy seats inside and outside

Good thing this is located not within walking distance or else.... say goodbye to diet! 

Cons of Work From Home (WFH)

The last time I posted the pros of a WFH arrangement. So this time let me share what I think are the disadvantages. I can only think of 3 things:

1) Social Network - in the professional environment will be limited. You won't be able to attend company parties, events. You're not part of the day-to-day pantry chit-chats (hopefully you are not the topic). And usually during big events, that's the time you can get to talk to other co-workers maybe on a more personal level thus building relationships.

2) Visibility - to top management is a challenge. So when they talk of promotions or other career opportunities, top of mind are people that they see everyday. Because they get to literally see the challenges and hard work that an office person goes through. Like being able to present in front of management, staying late at work to meet deadlines, if person is not in his/her desk you can assume that s/he is in a meeting therefore 'busy', harassment look in their faces when piled with a lot of work and when they are able to get through then it creates a very good impression. As opposed to WFH,  what they see is only the output - -finished product. The key here is to have a very good relationship with your manager who can really represent you and talk about how you;ve done all of these things.

3) Airconditioning - hahaha. I live in Cambodia so this time of the year it's really not cool to WFH. Electricity bills will go high for sure.

WFH is not simple as you think. One has to ask the question, what type of work environment would I thrive in?

Yellow Lights

I just  don't like it or any dark lighting! I really can't stay long when I go to bars. I also don't appreciate restos with yellow lights to create ambience. There's only one place where I would appreciate having one --- in spas. For some reason, yellow lights make me fall asleep. Suddenly my energy gets absorbed by these lights and all I want to do is sleep sleep and sleep. That's very difficult for me especially when I am out with friends in restos. Sometime they ask me why I am silent and they find it amazing everytime I say it has something to do with the lights. Sad to say most of the restos here in Phnom Penh (and even street lights) are in yellow. 

So, all the lights in the house I had it changed to white lights except for this one that you see in this blog. Sometimes you need it if all you want to do is rest, listen to calm music and eventually fall asleep....LOL

Law of Supply & Demand

When people hear of Cambodia, they expect things to be 'cheap'. When we were relocating back in 2011, we asked people how much is cost of goods and basic services and everyone said "it's cheap." My biggest mistake was.....I asked the expats, Europeans to be specific! And you know, for them a dollar is like one peso equivalent to PHL currency. If you compare how much things are in their countries, definitely it's way much cheaper here in Cambodia. But if I compare Cambodia to PHL, it is more expensive here. Like riding a tuktuk, the shortest distance can be $1-$2 one way. In the PHL if I have Php80 I can ride a tricycle (which equals the tuktuk) then Metro Rail and be able to pass 2 cities. Ergo, it's a matter of perspective. 

I started wondering why my budget for food/groceries is higher here and my opinion is this -- for basic goods its because most of them are imported (shampoo, soap, lotions, canned goods etc). Following the law of supply and demand, since Phnom Penh is where the expats are and they are willing to pay for these basic goods so it's easy for supermarkets to charge more. At the end of the day, people will buy especially for products that only have limited stocks. Same law applies with the cost for riding a tuktuk. There is no other alternative if you are traveling as a group (3-4 pax). If you want a cab, you have to phone them. Of course if you are in a hurry, you don't have the time to do that and wait for the cab to arrive. 

Now i learned my lesson and next time we relocate, I will have to brush up on my MacroEco....LOL

Happy Valentine's

Valentine's day is an event we celebrate as a family. That is why I really don't associate this day to just "romantic" love but love in general. I remember always haing dinner outside with my parents and sister even if it's traffic. Yes, traffic is horrible and at its worst during this day. Yeah....like 1 hour from Ayala Ave to The Fort area which on a normal day may take you just 15-20 minutes. 

Last year, aside from being away from my family, my husband was also in a business trip. But of course he did not forget to send me flowers. This was unforgettable because the flowers were in a vase that doesn't match its colors and it was raining that day so I almost cannot read what was written in the card. But this year was great! I love the flowers, I love the buffet dinner and just the fact that he is here with me....I am so happy! Here are some pictures of our valentine's date with our friends at Regency Cafe, Intercontinental Hotel.

Fitness

After 3 months of no exercise, I'm back! This pool is 25 meters, I think. So let's see if I can make it to the end or how many laps I can make....ulk, good luck to me!

Airlines in Cambodia

April is the first long holiday here in Cambodia so we're taking the opportunity to travel and where else but where it's more fun (haha...just using the country's tourism tagline)...in the Philippines. Come to think of it, we can explore other places, visit other countires and yet we still choose to go home. That's simply because our parents are already old. As much as possible we want to spend every minute of our time with them. So it's a balancing act for us.

I started scouting for airfares. Unfortunately there are still no directflights from Phnom Penh to Manila. There are 4 major airlines and very recent 1 budget airline that allows you to book RT tickets  from PP-MNL-PP. Thai Airways via Bangkok, Tiger Airways and Singapore Airlines via SG, Cathay Pacific via HK and Malaysia Airlines via ....yes you're right. Now you're getting it. There are other airlines via the routes I mentioned and sometimes it can be cheaper taking different airlines. Like example PP-Ho Chi Minh via Angkor Air then PAL or CebuPac from HCM-MNL. There's Air Asia from PP-KL and Bangkok and also Bangkok Airways going to BK. And from Bangkok there's PAL and CebuPac.  If you want a budget airline via SG, there's JetStar and also Silk Air (which ain't a budget airline). Another route can be via Siem Reap as there is CebuPac that flies directly to MNL from SR. So many options to choose from and I have 3 major considerations: 1- convenient/relaxing experience 2-reasonable price 3-will match our preferred travel dates.

I am quite surprised that Thai Airways is cheaper than Malaysia Airlines. Like a difference of $100 and that will be huge savings for us because that means $200. I have shortened my list of options to two. So let's see where I end up later. For now, off to hear mass....