There and back again

No.it’s not Bilbo Baggins’ book I’m gonna write about (for all you Lord of the Rings fans out there, that is).

It’s about a week before my family and I once again board the airplane bound for Taiwan for another 2-or-so months away. Yup, it’s time to spend my birthday away from home again. And possibly, Matt’s 5th birthday as well!

Nina’s concerned about all the stuff we have to pack – which is a lot, and I really don’t blame her. I’m scared of just even thinking about it!

Two months and a couple of days in the hotel… we survived the same ordeal last year when we left for Taiwan on the 27th of July and only had the chance to come back on the 11th of October! I had a 90-day visa, but had to have Matt’s and Nina’s visas renewed due to the unexpected delay of the project there.

Now, the second ‘project’ will start on the 9th of Feb – that’s when we leave too.

We had fun in Taiwan, on our first and second visits. Now, our third one, it’s almost like a provisnce we regularly go to. A place to come away from it all and experience a different culture and trying to find new experiences each time.

We’re scheduled for another one near in the second half of the year, so this may not be the last trip there.

Here are some pics I’d like to share from those past experiences:

Taipei Zoo - Matt’s free until he’s 6 years old!

… and here’s what Nina and Matt liked very much about the place:
Butterflies and Beetles!

Here’s our place of refuge - The Church of Mary, Taoyuan, Taiwan

What makes this place fun are the Pinoys who congregate here every Sunday to celebrate Mass – and the Filipino priest who hosts it! The liveliness of the Filipino Community in Taoyuan is addicting. And you can feel the love of God in the Filipinos around.

And who could miss this landmark when you’re in Taipei?

Taipei 101

At Night…

And the view from above…

Things will change this time around, but it’s all work related.

Nina and Matt will be homeschooling in the hotel again.

With a lot of prayers, I hope we make it through again.

Twenty-O-Nine

First post for the year;

on the verge of

- changing from a tumultuous Rat Year

to a hopeful ushering of the Year of the Ox -

the journey began a year or so ago will bear fruit…

… it is time to pack bags and settle into a new frontier -

as the adventures of the Final  Frontier…

…undergoes reimagining -

and the world’s hopes pinned on change...

… and hope that, for all things we have to overcome this year and the next,  Yes, we can!

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Courage – The Mark of a True Hero

This is a story about a young boy…

… who was a Taiwan Tourist last March …

… discovering a new friend in a strange red octopus, naming him ‘Octy’ …

… who just recently celebrated his Fourth Birthday (but his Dada didn’t come home early) …

… who also exhibited an extraordinary amount of courage.

Last April, our family (all three of us – Matt, Nina, and Me) went out to our usual hang-out place – Mall of Asia. We dined, laughed, played, and had a ton of fun. Exhausted, and carrying some groceries/stuff we bought, we decided to go home at around 10pm.

But when we got home, we found that we cannot open the front door of the house. A new lock was installed by Nina’s mom during our 3-week stint in Taiwan last March, and we knew that the key given to us was the right key for the front door.

For whatever reason, it would not open.

There was the option of calling the village guards to pry open the door, but I was concerned that they would have knowledge that our door was broken. Nina then realized that we can try to squeeze into a window – but with my size, I could not remotely fit into it (my thigh had a difficult time to go in – I’m that, um, big!). But there was someone who can fit into it – Matt.

We talked to him encouragingly, and tried to check if he can fit in, to which he effortlessly did. But he was scared. He was just 4 years old and his parents now thrust him to go into the dark house alone to open the door from the inside! Crazy parents!

But that was the only solution, except of course I was ready to call the guards. Oh, and we tried the credit card thing and lock picking to no avail.

We told him that it was OK, that Mommy would call to him at the door and that he would be alright. The poor kid was in tears. Nina and I were heart broken. But just as we were ready to give up, Matt offered his help. I was so proud of him that moment. Now, Nina and I were the ones asking him if it’s OK.

We re-assured him again and, getting a flashlight from the bag, tried to show him where he should be going.

He entered the window… Got down the platform near the window… and ran to the kitchen and the front door, following his mom’s voice… opening it finally!

He was near tears again, but Nina and I were very very proud of him. He didn’t know how happy we were that he was ready to face his fears – and conquered them!

A few minutes after, he was a bundle of smiles and laughter again. Who would have thought that such a little boy would carry a big big heart filled with courage!

***

I plan to commemorate this act of bravery by giving Matt a badge and a certificate.

***

Years down the line, when you’re in your teens, Matt, remember this day that you faced your fears and conquered them. You have a brave spirit, always remember that. This blogpost is a testament to it and to how your Mom and I are so proud of you!

Am I a Geek?

And they say I’m a geek… JUST a geek!!!

[Thanks, Pat, for the link I found in your blog]

Seriously, if you’re a big Star Trek Fan (and still one despite what has happened to the franchise lately), you automatically ARE a geek. The answers to the test seem to just add to my geekiness and I scored a little over 25%.

Retreat

I’m on a retreat right now… A retreat of my own making… There are many things I would want to blog about since a LOT of things have transpired in the past few weeks – Taiwan, and now, Germany.

But I am in a period of inward consolidation.

Maybe after my ‘exile’ here, I will have the proper perspective to write about the harrowing harassing enriching experience.

I have to thank my wife and son for keeping me sane all throughout the ordeal.

—

In Military Strategy and Tactics, a retreat is not always a signal for defeat. It has been employed as a ploy to lure an enemy into a trap. But generally, it is a time to gather up one’s forces, assess the situation, and think over a new, more effective plan to subdue the enemy.

—

Sorry about the military strategy thing, but I’ve been buried in Romance of the Three Kingdoms – both the novel and the game (the 11th one is a souvenir from Taiwan; a PC game in Chinese where I found an English translation patch on-line).

What Number are you?

Here’s another quiz; got the link from Nina:

You Are 3: The Achiever

You’re confident and competent – with a lot of energy. Eager to reach your goals, you are ambitious and competitive. You are good at motivating yourself and motivating others. You’re also a charmer, with a great sense of humor. At Your Best: You are kind, confident, and completely authentic. You are witty and full of life. At Your Worst: You are insecure, narcissistic, and jealous. Your Fixation: Vanity Your Primary Fear: Being worthless. Your Primary Desire: To be important and valuable. Other Number 3’s: Tom Cruise, Sylvester Stallone, Michael Jordan, Madonna, and Shania Twain.

What Number Are You?

Funny thing is, I’ve always been attracted to the number 3 – I thought it was because i’m always ‘30 something’ in PE back in gradeschool.

So, for those of you who know me, you be the judge. (here’s a hint: I wouldn’t put it if I didn’t think it came close…)

Queen of my Heart

It’s the first Valentine’s day I’ve spent away from Nina ever since we met. AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

Why should some [evil] machinations conspire to separate us…

Anyway, hon, this gift for you is true:

You are truly the Queen of my Heart.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Future Home – Riverfront Residences, Pasig (Part 1-The Story)

“For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the LORD…”

About half a year ago, Nina and I saw this flyer about a 5-storey condominium complex in Pasig. It was right smack where we were planning to live – halfway between my work and the Ateneo, where we plan Matt to go to school in the future. It had nice floor plans. I particularly liked it that every unit had a balcony.

A balcony! I always wanted us to have a condo unit with a balcony. I typically imagine lazy afternoons just putting up your feet on a chair, the calm winds blowing through, me having a book to read or just plain lounging around with Nina and Matt by my side, themselves enjoying the afternoon at the balcony. And of course, the view! (Well, the unit has to be well-situated for that.)

But early on, we though that that place was inaccessible – where you need to have a car since it would be far off from public transportation. And back then, I didn’t think I’d be able to afford the down payment.

So, whenever we would see the same flyer, I’d just kid about it and be excited and just dream that we find a similar property when finances would be manageable.

“…plans for your welfare…”

December 2007 entered so unexpectedly. Everything was in a rush! But, there was good news to be had for the Christmas season. My mom in Australia decided to give me a little financial boost. This paved the way for me and Nina to think whether to buy a car or to look for our own little place.

We were so sold into getting a new car for our little family to move around the city more freely when…

“…not for woe…”

It’s funny how God chooses to speak to you through other people. We were at a business lunch meeting at a restaurant near the Domestic Airport when I got to discuss plans with a young father (who happened to be a schoolmate, but belonged to a much younger batch).I asked him if he was also thinking of getting his own car. He said no, and that his priorities are to get his family their own place (they live with parents like me and my family.

Nina was right all along. She had also been expressing her frustration in living in her mom’s house for long and that we needed our own place so that we have control over everything in the house. Besides, a car’s value would only diminish through time, and it will be a source of regular expenses due to maintenance and gasoline.

But where do we go from here?…

“…Plans to give you a future…”

God also chose to guide us in a chance encounter between Nina and our would-be agent, Jhen. Nina and Matt were about to go home from a trip to SM Sucat when they saw the small selling space of DMCI Homes. Jhen was also about to leave, but decided to stay, or for some reason, was kept from leaving about an hour earlier. There, Nina saw Riverfront Residences, the condo community we were drooling over for months and almost gave up on!

The clincher? Remember we thought it to be inaccessible? Nina asked about it from Jhen and Jhen said that right outside the gate, a jeepney passes by! Turns out this jeep will lead you towards the main road where you can ride up to Quiapo! I can take it to ride the MRT at Shaw station or take a cab at C-5.

That chance encounter turned into a tripping on a Saturday, just after our wedding anniversary.

“…full of hope. – Jer 29:11″

Needless to say, we liked what we saw:

We reserved a 2-bedroom unit on the third floor of the Rhine* Building, with a balcony looking out into the narrow space between 2 buildings and glimpses the clubhouse and amenities area.

*all the buildings are named after rivers, funny how our unit turned out to be in the building of a German river!

And we trust DMCI Homes in the way that they’ve packaged and presented this community. In this development, they expect families to live in all the units, not merely rented out for investment. So we knew then and there that this will be a family-friendly place.

On our way back from the tripping to the site (looking for an ATM to pay the reservation fee because it IS selling like hotcakes!), we saw the verse on top of the gate of Rizal High School:

“For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe! Plans to give you a future full of hope. – Jeremiah 29:11″

We knew God is calling us out of our Egypt and into a Promised Land!

(that’s why we can never get a unit in the Nile building… wink wink)

Fire and Ice

It is a weird day today, dominated by two notable, yet incongruous events.

Fire…

My wife has been published in an on-line scrapbooking magazine! Please check out her beautiful blog, particularly this post. You can clearly see why I admire her works. The family picture was taken at a studio at Mall of Asia.
This layout also reveals what our family’s future plans are. Check out a few posts before and you’ll get the entire picture (will blog about it soon).

Ice…

Heath Ledger, an actor who I thought could be the next Tom Hanks, has just died this afternoon in an apartment in New York. Another great thespian yanked out from existence for unknown circumstances.

28 years young, it came as a shock. He seemed like a nice, professional actor (Geez, I’m even older than him!).

Cold cold days

Here’s a picture of how cold it is way up north in Washington state:

Fire and Ice…

They’re not glass sculptures (as what I first thought they were when we came out of the restaurant last night). It’s morning, about 8:45am. This is the Hearthfire Restaurant near Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Washington (2-hour ride from Seattle).

Ice have formed due to the splashing water from the fountain underneath the cauldron of fire.