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.

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.

The road brings me back here

Another trip back to a familiar transit point.

SFO. Cold windy winter night, staring out into the blackness of the night, wondering how my wife and son are doing back home. Checking my watch, its 7pm, 50 minutes after we touched down from an uneventful flight, and waiting for the shuttle to come pick us up. I’m stuffed, and I’m very appreciative of the food on the plane. (I still remember how Nina still finds it strange that I like plane food, but ours is really yummy.)

It’s Sunday, 11am back home. Wonder if Matt is playing with his cousin Kiana right now and Nina’s up and about…

Then, looking up, I saw this sight:

The moon peeking through the metal lattice of San Francisco International. Just had to capture it, even through my mobile phone (my digital camera was in my luggage). Wish I had better equipment on occasions like this.

Small comfort.

Once again, I’m alone.

SFO to OAK to SEA to Lynnwood, WA

This blog entry will make up for all the wordy entries I made in the last two posts. The images may not be as clear; I took it all from my Motorola V3X 1.3 Megapixel camera (not your average digital cam). But I’ve tried my best to adjust it through Paint.net (it’s a very useful digital editing tool – check out the link).

The Journey to Oakland

going down the bridge from San Mateo to Oakland

almost on the waterline

Seattle to Lynnwood

dowtotwn Seattle…its always raining

passing through a the city’s stadium

a famous landmark – Pike’s Market Place

Flying to and Being Stuck in Amsterdam

I left Manila for yet another company-sponsored trip to Germany. I decided to take my chance onboard the KLM direct flight to Europe, instead of taking my chances with the Lufthansa flight which stops – and takes passnengers – at Guangzhou, China. It’s quite sad to note that there is more traffic between China and Germany that it leaves no chance for a waitlisted passenger like me to be onboard that flight (perhaps because of the Fraport shenanigans of Terminal 3 that affects business from Germany?).

I hate these trips. It takes me away from Nina and Matt. And to leave on a Sunday somewhat makes me feel shortchanged. And to leave in the morning…. oh, well. I left Nina and Matt still asleep, since we had a long night at Mall of Asia. 

The flight left on time, with the Captain declaring that we may be able to arrive earlier that predicted. I need that exta time, though, cause I’m going to dash for my connecting flight to Frankfurt. Oh, and I’m waitlisted on that flight as well – the last KLM flight to Frankfurt that day.

Even though I’m in Economy, I’m really glad KLM has AVOD (Audio-Video on Demand) for all the seats. I usually take this time to brush up on movies Nina and I didn’t get to watch.

Music and Lyrics

I really wanted to watch this movie with Nina, but time for us is a bit scarce since we have to ‘book’ Matt with his lola (Nina’s Mom). By the time this movie was shown, we weren’t that much thrilled and so decided to forego it altogether. Now, I want to get Nina a VCD or DVD of this movie, not jsut because of it’s love story (althought we both agree that Drew Barymore is way too young for Hugh Grant), but because of Drew’s strugle as an author and from someone who has power over her.

I liked the movie, so much so that it made me smile at times and miss Nina so much. (Gosh, I get so emotional on these trips, I often times find myself holding back tears and frantically get a grip of myself).

And who can forget the song?

Way Back Into Love lyrics

I’ve been living with a shadow overhead
I’ve been sleeping with a cloud above my bed
I’ve been lonely for so long
Trapped in the past
I just can’t seem to move on

I’ve been hiding all my hopes and dreams away
Just in case I ever need them again someday
I’ve been setting aside time
To clear a little space in the corners of my mind

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can’t make it through without a way back into love
Oh oh oh

I’ve been watching but the stars refuse to shine
I’ve been searching but i just don’t see the signs
I know that it’s out there
There’s got to be something for my soul somewhere

I’ve been looking for someone to she’d some light
Not somebody just to get me through the night
I could use some direction
And I’m open to your suggestions

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can’t make it through without a way back into love
And if I open my heart again
I guess I’m hoping you’ll be there for me in the end

Oh oh oh

There are moments when I don’t know if it’s real
Or if anybody feels the way I feel
I need inspiration
Not just another negotiation

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can’t make it through without a way back into love
And if I open my heart to you
I’m hoping you’ll show me what to do
And if you help me to start again
You know that I’ll be there for you in the end

Oh oh oh

 (It’s sort of the song before Nina and I met…)

Children of Men

 This movie was suggested by one of our managers who recently went to Amsterdam for a business trip with KLM.

Remeber how Marlin, Nemo’s father, together with Dory, followed the light bulb at the bottom of the ocean, and then saw it was attached to a fish with gigantic fangs that wanted to eat them?

“OK, good feeling’s gone.”

It’s so emotionally draining to watch this film about a grim future, where humans are unable to reproduce and civilization is plunged into depression and consequent chaos. The only hope – a pregnant woman -  hold the key to Humanity’s future. Admitedly, I like the premise, which is actually a very very scary possibility.

Every scene is actually depressing – from the main character’s loss of a son a few years back, to the different group’s motives of obtaining the pregnant woman. You’ll just be relieved a few seconds before the credits begin to roll.

Everyone dies here… except, of course - Hope. (I recommend that you watch something happy after this, much like what I did – watch an episode of Friends!)

Back to Reality…

I arrived in Amsterdam to find out that my flight to Frankfurt is full and that I have to stay the night here. Good thing I was able to spend some time here last year, and know an affordable hotel nearby. I apologized to the company that arranged my pick-up at Frankfurt (since I’ll be travelling to Schwabisch Hall, a 2-hour ride from the airport). Our contact assured me that it’s OK.

Got to the transfer desk of KLM and was comforted to learn that I’m assured a seat on today’s 4pm flight to Frankfurt. Thank God this hotel has wifi… (it costs some money – in Europe, the Internet ain’t free).

Visual DNA, Page Updates

On searching through ranking.pinoyblogosphere.com (i recently joined Pinoy Blogosphere… wala lang), I came across this blog from an engineering student (wonder if we come from the same university?). And then, thanks to his blog, I discovered my Visual DNA. You can check it out in my “About Me” page by clicking the link at the top part of this blog or on this link.

[Reading on, I found this guy to be a good writer. Easy reads and full of content. So, I hope he doesn't mind if I add him to my blogroll.]

I’ve also managed to update some of my pages, minor updates on my Travels page.

Weekend’s coming up. Let’s see what will brew in the couple of days to come…

Home…

It always breaks my heart to leave on official business. And leaving last week was probably the most heart wrenching experiaence for me so far.

Matt was awake when I had to leave for the airport and he cried when both Nina and I told him i had to go to ‘work’. The young kid is bright and I know he’d expect me to be home again soon. But when I leave for another country, that just doesn’t happen.

Nina has had to bear the sad news of a son of a fellow scrapbooker who just passed away. And I know it scared us both. The little angel is about Matt’s age. It just brought us to think of how life is so fragile and that if it’s time to go back to the Father, it’s time. Now, it’s been magnified since I’m going on a week-long trip and she’ll be left alone doing all the house chores AND taking care of Matt.

For me, I don’t think I was prepared to leave. Not after the fun times us three had when we last visited SM Mall of Asia and discovered teh TimeZone at the back. Matt had a fun time playing bowling and basketball. And I’m going to miss that when I’m away.

Of course, it didn’t help when Michael Buble’s song played on the in-flight radio….

———- 

“Home”

Another summer day
Has come and gone away
In Paris and Rome
But I wanna go home Mmmmmmmm

Maybe surrounded by
A million people I
Still feel all alone
I just wanna go home
Oh, I miss you, you know

And I’ve been keeping all the letters that I wrote to you
Each one a line or two
“I’m fine baby, how are you?”
Well I would send them but I know that it’s just not enough
My words were cold and flat
And you deserve more than that Another aeroplane
Another sunny place
I’m lucky I know
But I wanna go home
Mmmm, I’ve got to go home

Let me go home
I’m just too far from where you are
I wanna come home

And I feel just like I’m living someone else’s life
It’s like I just stepped outside
When everything was going right
And I know just why you could not
Come along with me
‘Cause this was not your dream
But you always believed in me

Another winter day has come
And gone away
In even Paris and Rome
And I wanna go home
Let me go home

And I’m surrounded by
A million people I
Still feel all alone
Oh, let me go home
Oh, I miss you, you know

Let me go home
I’ve had my run
Baby, I’m done
I gotta go home
Let me go home
It will all be all right
I’ll be home tonight
I’m coming back home

———-

WAAAAAAHHHHH!!!

———-

You know what’s sweet? Nina managed to make me a “Travelling Kit” – a small tin box filled with stuff that she made – pictures of us as a family, quotes, her thoughts on how she loves me and how much they will miss me when I’m out there. She made it for me about a day before I left and it has brought me comfort on those lonely nights when I think about them, how they’re doing, and if they ever miss me that much.

In essence, it’s Love – boxed up and ready for viewing and remembering whenever I need it. Thank you so much, Hon.

Back from Nowhere, Happy Thoughts, and more on ‘Gizmo’

Back from Nowhere

Whew! made it back in time for a Special Occasion…

My company sent me to attend a meeting somwhere-out-there. It’s jsut a 2-day meeting but since I’m on an interline ticket, I’m the last priority on every airline I have a ticket on. So, I had to leave way early just to be sure I’m at the site during the days I need to be there. So I left Sunday on a Dutch airline, connecting via Amsterdam to Frankfurt.

In Frankfurt, I learned that my pick-up was not there and so I had to spend a night at a hotel there where I wasn’t booked. The travel to Nowhere began the day after. And from then on, I can’t wait to be home. It’s hard on Nina everytime I leave since she takes care of young Matt all by herself…

Happy Thoughts

I should’ve posted this earlier, but hecic preparations for my trip didn’t give me much time to blog.

CONGRATULATIONS, HON! My wife’s scrapbook layout got entered into a US gallery Basic Grey. Basic Grey is a line of papers and other scrapbooking stuff that my wife loves to use and is in line with her style – a combination of bold, intricate patterns and subdued color tones that bring emphsis to the picture and theme of the layout.

Here it is:

Here’s the link to her page on the Basic Grey gallery. You’ll love the journaling as well.

‘Gizmo’

Here’s a PR for ‘Gizmo’ at hardwarezone.com.ph. You’ll also find a link to this article at BLUE’s website. I have people having interest on the BLUE Radon W310 based on my blog entry and my post at TipidPC.com. I don’t know if that’s a good thing. I know of at least 2 people who have bought the same machine – an officemate and a brother from TtipidPC.com. Hope they don’t kill me if this machine has other problems I haven’t yet discovered…

It’s 4 months of worry-free ‘Gizmo’ usage and counting.

Yes, i know, the review… (I’ve run the 3dMark05 on it though… AND have the results already…)

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Oh, if you want to experience something  unique this Chinese New Year season, there’s the 2007 Light Expo along Coastal Road/Roxas Blvd, fronting Uniwide Coastal Mall. Nina and I plan to visit it with Matt sometime this week. I’ll post an entry once we get to see it and have some lovely looking photos.

You won’t miss it at night…   

 ;-D

Windows Vista @ Mall of Asia, a Keyboard, a Mouse, and a Laptop Riser

Just got home from a short trip to Mall of Asia. It was on the way home from a binyag at QC which we had to attend. It turned out to be a binyag and a birthday party, the baby’s first birthday. Elijah, the celebrant, was the son of my brother-in-laws friend who happened to load up my desktop when i first bought it more than a year ago.

Nina also had to do her work at Star and we had to stay until about 4pm. Then, it was off to MOA, which just so happens to be the venue for Microsoft’s Vista launch here in the Philippines. Matt was sooo tired at playing with the confetti at the party that by the time we were half-way to MOA from port area, he fell asleep. Poor kid. had to wake him up early for the trip to QC.

 Hirap kasi ng nasa probinsya… hehehe…

The first signs that the Vista party was happening there was when we saw unusual balloon arches at the entrance of some computer shops at the second floor. The next signs were people running around with flimsy cloth bags that sport the Windows logo. And of course, once we got to see the main lobby from the second floor, blaring music and a small crowd was down there midst the Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 stands, poking around the available laptop displays. Even with the loud music, our son was way out there in snooze land and wasn’t even bothered.

Nina and I decided to roam around the second floor to check out some of the stores we rarely visit (the E-X-P-E-N-S-I-V-E stores), just to check out if they have that perfect laptop bag for my new Blue Radon W310. But alas, my heart is still bent on getting the Parker Bag at the National Bookstore - a cool black, sqaurish messenger-cum-backpack that’s supprisingly non-descript and roomy enough for a laptop and a few articles of clothing. Costs around P3,000. Why choose a bag that’s roomy? Well, I leave for official business often and it’s important to reduce my handcarry to a minimum of one bag. Then, of course the bag has to be decent enough to carry to a company meeting….

So we ended up buying a new keyboard and mouse for the Desktop. The old cheap keyboard we had back home had some letters turning stubborn, and the mouse had to be dragged a looooong way out for it to go to a part of the screen (plus, it’s also the old mechanical ball thingy). We’ve decided to buy relatively ’stable’ components. So we chose a Genius keyboard and optical mouse. Now that I’m using it, it’s turning out to be a worthy buy Hope it lasts!

Oh, and I bought a nifty laptop riser – that’s what I call the thingy that lets my laptop rise 15 degrees at an angle so that when I type, my hands are not flat down. The brand is Aidata. It’s relatively cheap at around P400. All the computer stuff were bought from Octagon. That store’s turning out to be our one-stop-shop for all our computer needs.

After that, I tried my hands on the Windows Vista at the main lobby. There were only a few onlookers now that the main event shifted to the theater area at the back of MOA. Here’s my humble take on it hands-on:

• Cool visuals and effects – there’s no doubt that it will definitely sweep you off your feet in terms of eye candy
• Preview of what the application window looks when mousing over the application’s minimized bar in the taskbar is really a great help
• Lotsa bundled programs that I never got to explore (Windows This, Windows That, Windows Thing… whatever those things were called)
• Expensive (at the moment) at P 13k for the basic package! (Office 2007 is at 15 – 20k!)

Hmmm…. I’ll just wait around 2 years before I upgrade. That’s when the prices go down (hopefully)!

To top it all off, Me and Matt got a picture with the Windows Vista ball outside MOA, before we went to the nearby fountain for Matt to throw his coins in (which is one of our habits… at least the coins will end up with Pondo ng Pinoy of Cardinal Gaudencio Rosale).

I wonder what wishes the little kid has already made with all our trips to MOA and to that fountain…