Vikings in Life

Fabian's Adventures

2012-01-28T03:41:00.000-08:00

I love reading travel blogs and personal experiences of every travellers or backpackers around the globe. With that, it inspires me to daydreaming more of going to some places that I wish to visit.Backpacking involves money but not so much so long as you know how to budget your finances while on the road, unlike travelling in style and staying in an expensive hotels. Some backpackers worked in a country where teaching is the most lucrative specially for English native speakers,yet, even those who aren't native speakers of English took the advantage of grabbing the opportunity so long as you are blonde and white and speak English well surely the school in Asia would rightly hired you.Some backpackers joined some voluntary work abroad to start their trip overseas just like me. But I am not gonna tell my voluntary story here but to a person who voluntarily assisting a certain organization by soliciting funds through his travels. I came across on his blog page and thought of posting it here, it's a long line but worth the read:
Down are the pics of Fabian and Vivien and their video promotion of their cause.

Fabian, before we talk about the trip and your motivation to do it, let´s start with the basic facts. Tell us a little bit about yourself, your education and what you did so far in your life.

I grew up in Detmold, a small and quiet city in Germany, a very rural place near to the Teutoburg Forest. I spent the half of my childhood in the countryside: small forests lakes were my playground, building river dams and carving my own slingshots my favorite activities Paradoxically, I was also a computer kid, growing up with the Commodore-64 and the Amiga computer of my older brother. When I was twenty I moved to cologne and started to study computer science. To earn a living, I always worked as a web developer for internet startups and other small companies.On a backpacking trip to Thailand in 2001 I developed a huge interest in traveling to far away places, meeting people from other cultures and learning languages.In my third year of studies, in 2004, I went to Santiago de Chile to do an internship. It was supposed to be 3 months long, but I loved Chile so much that it became a year.I returned to Cologne, and very motivated from my experiences in Chile and the desire to see more of the world, I finished the last courses of my studies and went to Madrid to write my thesis and to improve my Spanish.Again it was supposed to last 3 months, but since I fell in love with a woman from Chile and with Spain´s capital it became a year. Again.One of my friends whom I met in Thailand had just moved to Berlin and was talking about it in the best ways. My Chilean girlfriend also liked the idea of moving to Berlin and so in 2006 I went from Spain´s capital to Germany´s capital. In Berlin I studied again: A master in the science of “Human Factors”, which opened the world of Psychology to me, which still is, a very interesting area for me.In the last year of my master and after finishing it, I worked for the Berlin based non-profit organization betterplace.org.

What is it that you like about traveling?

To answer that question I will give you an example of something that happened to me during a trip to Morocco, but first a little background: When I lived in Madrid, from several sides I heard bad words about the people from Morocco or Algeria. The Spaniards would call them “Morros”,and say that I should watch out for the Morros during the night, that they steal and whatnot.Three years later I went to Morocco the first time. In Tangier I met Monir, a Moroccan guy, who became my friend and whom I visited every time I went there since.One evening we were sitting on a wall on a viewpoint in the northern part of the city watching the lights of the Spanish city Tarifa, which is only 20 km away, it was there where Monir revealed his incredible story to me.“Fabian, I am only here with my body, my mind is over there”, Monir pointed to the Spanish side.“I never no chance to have my own place and have a family here in Morocco. I will not even try it. Since I was nineteen all I do is trying to escape.At night my friends and me go to the harbor and watch out for the big trucks. Monir escaped to Spain for the first time when he was 19 years old and stayed for three years until the police caught him and sent him back. He met his girlfriend there in Barcelona, they are still together, they are still in love, but they hardly see each other. Monir is now 26 years old, but every time he manages to escape he is send back.See, this is what I love about traveling, my prejudice about Moroccan people, which was placed in my head by the Spaniards, was replaced by a personal encounter with an actual Moroccan person.I developed a deep empathy with Monir and his personal story. Whenever I see somebody from Morocco now, my first reaction is not fear or distrust, it is curiosity and interest in their story.I need to see the world with my own eyes and meet people myself. Reading about politics and immigration issues in the newspapers does not make me feel, it doesn´t touch my heart, it only let me rationally understand things.On the other hand, if I meet a person whose life is affected by these issues I understand the importance of affairs like that and start to care about them in an emotional way.After that I can read the newspaper, not before.Traveling, in a way, makes me see the world from all perspectives: I had the chance to learn about the perspective of a clandestine from morocco, the perspective of a veteranwho lost his leg in the vietnam war, the perspective of a prostitute from Thailand and many more perspectives.Traveling also lets me see the relativity of luxury and material possessions. Sometimes you meet people who have near to nothing, but still you have the impression that theyare not less happier than people in Germany, I also often think the opposite is the case.Traveling is dissolving boundaries. Boundaries between countries and boundaries between people. You meet people from all around the world, from all sorts of social backgrounds and you realize that we all want the same: We want a roof above our heads and something to eat, we want to be happy, we want to love and be loved. Some of us are “fortunate” and are able to reach this things without violatinga law, others not. But these others have the same right as we have, no matter if they were born in Morocco, Cuba or Malawi.By establishing personal connections to all sorts of people from this planet, one includes these people in his moral circle. I think that is what we need, realizing that we are all inhabitants of this planet, that there are no boundaries, that we are one global family.

Why should somebody try to make the world a better place? What is your motivation?

Wow, this is not an easy question, I will first answer it for me personally and later try to give a generalized answer.First, let me tell you about a dream I had a year ago. It is one of the most impacting dreams I ever had, with a very clear message, I have no idea where it came from. Immediately after waking up I spoke the whole experience onto a tape recorder, that´s why I remember so many details about it. This is my transcript:I am surrounded by darkness and complete silence. No floor, no ceiling, I am floating in the void.In the left bottom corner of my visual space a being, which I would describe as from “out of space”, appears, a little alien.I feel anxious.

Alien: “Don´t be afraid, we are your friends, no matter where we take you now, don´t be afraid, you are save, let´s go!”I find myself underwater, looking at a great coral reef, surrounded by crystal clear water, rainbow colored fishes andthousands of corals.

Alien: “Think of this ocean as the cosmos, the great universe, infinite and eternal with all it´s beauties, like the fishes, the flowers and the mountains, the human brain, the internet, and the never ending cycle of evolution. This ocean is the miracle of life. Do you see these corrals over there? This is you, the human beings”. I watch the corrals and see how they swing from the left to right, back and forth, totally in tune with the waves of the cosmic ocean.

Alien: “See how amazing and beautiful this ocean is? See how big it is and how little the corrals are in comparison? Now, look at the one little corral over there!”The alien points to a particular coral which seems to try to stand against the waves and also to be bigger than the other corals.I realize how stupid and impossible it is trying to resist the strong waves.

Alien: “Life is about being one with the ocean, accepting what it gives you. Life is about trying to appreciate every moment of existence and take it as a gift that you can be one of these corrals, that you can take part in this crazy project called ‘life’. You are just one of billions and billions of beings in this universe, why should this corral try to be higher than any of the others?”

Alien: “The most noble, the finest way you humans can live on this planet is by using your hands, your feet or your voice to express the miracle of live. No matter if you write poems, dance or sing songs. A great artist is someone who tunes in, into the cosmic waves of the ocean and acts only as a channel to express beautifulness. For this he needs to leave his ego beside, he cannot be this corral who tries to stand out. The mission of the artist is to, through his artwork, help other humans realize how amazing it is to be alive.”

I think to myself: “Not everybody can be an artist”

The alien replies: “Not everybody is an artist and that is ok. No matter what you do, it is good as long as you use your wealth to maximize the moments of awe in front of the miracle of life, for yourself and for others.”That morning I woke up very, very happy and inspired. You know, sometimes I can be very selfish and egoistic, like the one corral trying to stand out, but I know, that somewhere inside me the message of this dream is the essence of my values and what I believe in: We all should worship and appreciate what it means being alive and help each other remember this. We all have to awaken and maintain our “divine within”.Now, in order to be able to look at life this way, I think some basic necessities have to be covered:Somebody who is struggling for survival, or a mother who has to see her children dying from a malaria infection, which could have been avoided by using a 5$ bed net, is probably not really in the mood to appreciate life.But theses people have the same right to experience the beauty of life as we have.My personal, logical conclusion of realizing these things is: I have to do something about it!This is only my answer to the question and I understand that there are people with different perspectives.Still I think there is a general answer to the question why somebody should try to make this planet a better place:In the “west” we live in luxury, but our comfort rides on the back of people who do not have the same privileges as we have.Nowadays, we have the technology to lift up the people in extreme poverty among us to at least an acceptable level of comfort and freedom, we though have a moral obligation to act, we have to take action!

How did you discover your way “to act” and what can you suggest to others about finding ways “to take action”?

I can´t remember who said it, but somewhere I heard the phrase: “Ask yourself the question: Which passion or interest of mine could contribute to the great project of creating a better living on this planet?” I also like this phrase which I noted down at a ted conference: “Do what makes your heart sing, to make a better world for all”. Steve Jobs, in his Commencement Speech at Stanford, put it this way: “You’ve got to find what you love, and that is as true for work as it is for your lovers. [..] If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking, and don’t settle.”That´s what it´s about: Think of your passions, your interests, the stuff that you love and makes your heart sing, and then see how you can use these things to make something good out of it and convert it into your daily work. In my case, I love traveling and meeting all sorts of people. I am also fanatic about the internet and social media.I like shooting and editing videos and don´t feel uncomfortable speaking in front of a camera. I also like playing the guitar and singing songs. So my way “to act” for the following year is combining all these things: Travel the world, raising money for people in need of support using the power of social media, making it entertaining by singing songs together with many people and hoping that we also inspire others with our actions.For me this is a dream coming true. There is nothing else I want to do more.I have no idea what happens after the trip and how I will make a living when I am back in Germany, but to use Alejandro Jodorowsky´s words: “I believe in miracles, or rather in the existence of a law that if my intentions are pure and I do what I must do, the money will follow, in some way or another”.

Interracial Marriage in Poland

2012-01-27T00:07:00.000-08:00

According to wikipedia - Interracial marriage occurs when two people of differing racial groups marry. I am not a newbie anymore of this mixed race marriage since most of my (women) kins had successfully found their happiness to their respective foreign husbands. Let me clear, when we say interracial marriage - race issues have come up specially if the color of the skin is the main point to every talk and blah blah around here or anywhere. Better yet, what matters most then is the focus of the marriage is LOVE, commitment and respect each other irrespective of the color of the skin.The other week, I went to a wedding because I was invited & they happened to be my friends, whom I just met here in Poland not so long ago. Practically, the girl is originally from Jamaica and the guy is from Poland which their love story began when the guy went backpacking to Jamaica & the rest of that ended to a so called "husband & wife".Aside from the obvious reason that they both comes from different countries the wedding rite was done in a modern-Polish wedding if I may say so. Moreover, it has also been my childhood dream to marry from or to a different race so long as not from Asia. I find it more colorful and lovely when you marry to someone far different from the color of your skin, language and belief.In fact, I had been to an interracial relationships while I was still in the midst of my studying in college. There are some undeniable truths, but a lot of stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding this issue that why I preferred marrying someone outside the canopy of my country or outside the vicinity of Asia?Well, that's gonna be a long discussion to talk about, the point is I don't see anything wrong on interracial marriage, to say the least, the pictures below are proving of a success relationships from different origins.

It's More Fun in the Philippines

2012-01-24T11:12:00.000-08:00

My country has a new form of promoting the Philippines. With its new campaign, hoping it could tempt and invite a lot of foreigners to come to the Philippines.
"It's More Fun in the Philippines", is the newly campaign of the Department of Tourism, finally, after some arguments and war in the DOT office it has been cleared and decided. It is a perfect platform of introducing the island to the world.

Check the website to see its full image:It's More Fun in the Philippines

Poland Second Winter Experience

2012-01-17T14:02:00.000-08:00

This has been my second winter here in Poland, and I am now learning to deal with the whole snowy winter like the depression and the winter sickness. Just enjoying most of it while I still can.
Aside from that, snowy is only good on the first day but on the second to the third after then its annoying. The snow this time isn't as heavy as it was last year and it came just late of January which it suppose to be early of December the reason I didn't experience a snowy Christmas.

First New Year in Poland

2012-01-06T09:03:00.000-08:00

The year 2011 has finally said its goodbye. It was both a good and bad year for me but I am not gonna talk about that.
Truely, I have observed how the Polish people celebrated the New Year while the rest of the world too in different time. What I like most about here is they don't use much of some fireworks and other form of chemicalized materials to get noise while counting. The Filipinos and the Polish are quite similar on spending it, lots of young and old people keeping wasted around with beers and some sorts of alcohol or bar hopping around.
That's what I did too with my new friends from Italy and Ukraine, trying to look some Polish girls to hook up with that night & bar hopping. However, I didn't stay much longer because it was freezing outside and I could feel the chilling has gotten inside my body.
I just left all the naughtiness that was being planned, aside from the unfriendly cold breeze the smoke that covered on air made me sick as well. Here with are some of the pixies that I took in Warsaw.

My First European Polish Christmas

2011-12-27T10:08:00.000-08:00

The Christmas celebration is fairly done globally, but not in the Philippines yet. I recall seeing homes, shopping malls, companies and establishments with christmas lights and decors already up around of October in the Philippines. Filipinos are overly enthusiastic and in love of this season maybe because of the strong influenced by (the) Catholicism and other Christian denominations.
Personally, I view christmas as the celebration of Christ born in this planet though December wasn't the accurately exact date of Christ birthdate. However, I find it such a great celebrations that promotes happiness & unity among Filipino people.
This has been my second lonely christmas abroad, firstly was in Thailand. I'd say it was the saddest season I had since Thailand doesn't celebrate christmas because it's a buddhist country. Long before I could think of another christmas away from home, my fate has just brought me to a farthest country that for sure celebrated my favorite season of the year.
Poland is in eastern part of Europe, a cold country filled with history, but I won't tell stories about it though. I always dream of a white and snowy christmas and Poland is the perfect country that fits to my dream. Sadly, christmas has just over ,yet, the weather isn't fair this time which it supposed to be snowy early of December.
I spent most of Christmas day facing my laptop and listening to various christmas songs that took me to different places and different times of my life. Clouds of emotions filled my chest and gone up, eventually watered my eyes. Memories started to flash back and soon fell down and enveloped my mind. Every tune of the christmas songs that played had taken my emotions to be more dramatically sensitive that tickled me to rekindle the sweet memories, reminiscing the beautiful moments in my life while I was with my family and friends back in the Philippines.
When this season comes that's when I miss my parents the most. I am this longingness in my heart that one day soon that I'll be with my parents together in one home celebrating christmas.
It is honestly so hard celebrating christmas with few people around me especially in the absence of my parents. The more I could feel the sadness when Polish people doesn't much seriously celebrated different to the environment that I've known.
I didn't even see the full view of how they celebrate it as a catholic nation. Better yet, I spent my christmas just as it was and partially observed how the Polish family did it. Thanks to my Pinay friend and her extended Polish family forcing me to stay and celebrate with them till noche buena hour came. Without them, I might have my first lone christmas in Europe. The food that was served was fantastic and traditionally Polish.

The Way that He Loves

2011-12-21T14:44:00.000-08:00

Been blog absent for a while, I failed to update here due to some unavoidable circumstances. These past few weeks were truly toxic. I've been stressed and is still recuperating for now, the cause that I couldn't even make a few dash in here nor think of any words to write or gather any thoughts in mind.
I miss blogging and since I started to have one, this blogsite of mine has been my rendezvous and a shock absorber of sort, everytime I want to cry out and unload my burden. Speaking of burden, I came across of an old song or let say a hymn that I used to hear when I was a kid. It flashed back in my mind the days that I was still a new converted Christian. Thanks to a new pal, who just sang it by chance. Sometimes, songs or music are good remedies to cure the brokenness in us.
The song that I am talking about is a religious song, of course, an old Christan song that slowly heals the damage done by stressful errands. It tells that the Love of God never fails and it's everlasting.
It will always be in my memories believing the way that God loves is like a sweet rose that provided beauty and aroma.

THE WAY THAT HE LOVES

The way that He loves is as fair as the day
That blesses my way with love
The way that He loves is as soft as the breeze
Carressing the trees at night

VERSE 2
So tender and precious is He
Contented with Jesus I’ll be
The way that He loves is so thrilling because
His love reaches even me

VERSE 3
The way that He loves is as deep as the sea
His spirit shall be my stay
The way that He loves is as pure as a rose
Much sweeter He grows each day

VERSE 4
His peace hovers near like a dove
I know there’s a heaven above
To Jesus I’ll cling, life’s a wonderful thing
Because of the way He loves

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The Paradox of Our Age

2011-12-03T12:24:00.000-08:00
I read this poem a long time ago that touched me and moved me in some way everytime I read it. It touches my soul and sometimes it gives me some sort of insight and different thoughts to ponder. With this poem, I've been able to stop and realize just how small I have donely good in life and how I should I try that much harder to be happy, understanding and tolerant. This moving piece has been an inspiration for me to be more appreciative for all that I have every day in life.
The essay appeared under the title "The Paradox of Our Age" in Words Aptly Spoken, Dr. Moorehead's 1995 collection of prayers, homilies, and monologues used in his sermons and radio broadcasts.

THE PARADOX OF OUR TIME IN HISTORY IS THAT ...
We have taller buildings ... but shorter tempers;
Wider freeways ... but narrower viewpoints.
We spend more ... but have less;
We buy more ... but enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses ... but smaller families;
More conveniences ... but less time;

We have more degrees ... but less sense;
More knowledge ... but less judgment;
More experts ... but more problems;
More medicine ... but less wellness.

We drink too much,
Smoke too much,
Spend too recklessly,
Laugh too little,
Drive too fast,
Get angry too quickly,
Stay up too late,
Get up too tired,
Read too seldom,
Watch TV too much,
And pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions ...
But reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom ...
And hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living ...
But not a life.
We've added years to life ...
But not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back ...
But have trouble crossing the street
To meet the new neighbor.

We've conquered outer space ...
But not inner space.
We've done larger things ...
But not better things.

We've cleaned up the air ...
But polluted the soul.
We've split the atom ...
But not our prejudice.

We write more ...
But learn less.
We plan more ...
But accomplish less.
We've learned to rush ...
But not to wait.

We have higher incomes ...
But lower morals.
We have more food ... but less appeasement;
More acquaintances ... but fewer friends;
More effort ... but less success.

We build more computers to hold more information,
To produce more copies than ever ...
But have less communication.
We've become long on quantity ...
But short on quality.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion;
Tall men, and short character;
Steep profits, and shallow relationships.

These are the times of world peace ...
But domestic warfare.
More leisure ... and less fun;
More kinds of food ... but less nutrition.
These are days of two incomes ... but more divorce;
Of fancier houses ... but broken homes.

These are days of quick trips,
Disposable diapers,
Throwaway morality,
One-night stands,
Overweight bodies,
And pills that do everything ...
From cheer ...
To quiet ...
To kill.

It is a time when there is much in the show window ...
And nothing in the stockroom.

Indeed it's all true.

Think about it ... read this again.

~ Dr. Bob Moorehead ~
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The Things I Realized About Life

2011-11-26T11:06:00.000-08:00
As I grow older, my perspective in life has changed a lot. I tried to be fair and mutual when things has not the way I wanted to be at all times. I guess, it is already a sign of maturity in me. Sometimes life is so hard to understand when you see it in a different angle, yet, that's the way it has to be. It is not exactly the perfection in life that matters, because nobody's perfect but the appreciation that counts.
Life isn't fair no matter how tragic the surrounding could be, still it's good. No one know's you better than your family. As always, things are not always as complicated as you make them out to be, there is always and so much to be thankful for.
Herewith, are the list of the "Things I Realized About Life" which I copied from Definitely Filipino. As I go down all the way from the list, my realizations proved me right that I need to be fair and just.

1. Reality changes. It depends on what perspective you take.
2. No one’s really objective, your experience and the people that surrounds you affect your judgment about things. People see things the way they want to see it.
3. First impression is important. It will always comes into your way. How one perceives you and how you perceive others will determine the relationship that you will have with them.
4. It is difficult to think rationally when you are emotionally involved.
5. Student life and work life are two different things. The moment you left college and started working, everything changes. College buddies will be replaced by officemates; making ends meet with your income is another thing. Your parents will be your last resort when you need money.
6. It is the way you carry yourself in all circumstances that matters. No matter what the situation is and how clueless you are in the situation that you got yourself into.
7. Know yourself. People will always be judgmental. At the end of the day, you are the only person who will answer for yourself.
8. When something screwed up, we tend to look for others to be blamed. Guess what? It’s human nature. Sometimes it is difficult for us to accept we are at fault.
9. There will always be good days that all you wanted to do all day is to laugh. Nothing can ruin your good mood. And there will always be days that even the simple things annoy the hell out of you.
10. Don’t overanalyze things. Just accept it the way it is.
11. No matter how good your intentions are, people will have good and bad interpretation of what you have done.
12. Don’t generalize. You might be surprised about the thing called “individual differences”.
13. Dream big. You’ll never know how important it is until it happened.
14. History repeats itself.
15. Power changes everything. People will do everything just for power.
16. It is the way you deliver your message that changes everything.
17. You’ve got to know a person first before you can judge his character.
18. What you sow, you reap.
19. Everything happens for a reason.
20. There is always hope. Even if the situation couldn’t get any worse.
21. Don’t dwell on your problem too much. Sometimes fate has its own way of solving it.
22. Destiny comes into the way, but it also needs your consent before it happens.
23. Age is a number when you started working.
24. When you do not conform with other people’s opinions, they would presume that you are weird or a deviant.
25. It’s not good to compare yourself with others but sometimes it will push us to do better, strive harder and be competitive.
26. When you were a fresh graduate, all you wanted was to have an experience and as you grow older, you realized that money plays a vital role in one’s job.
27. There are always two sides of the coin.
28. Hurt,betrayal and disappointment are part of life.
29. You can forgive, but it is hard to forget.
30. Don’t argue with your boss. After all, no one wins an argument with the boss.
31. Sometimes it is hard to be happy for someone else’s success. It only highlights your weaknesses.
32. Positivism and realism are two different things.
33.Don’t take everything personally. Sometimes, people are just too caught up with their own problems to be aware of their actions.
(Texts owned by Definitely Filipino)
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Friday Night - Out

2011-11-19T15:19:00.000-08:00
It has been a couple of months that I haven't been out of my comfort zone and getting wild for a while. Thanks to my Polish friend Paulina ( & a fellow couch surfer) who invited me to be included in her celebrations after she successfully defense her dissertations.
My hesitations had prevented me at first to say my yes because of the freezing cold weather outside. I guess, that's where I got a bad cold. However, confining myself in the four corners of my room would killin me more, so despite of the chilling weather I need to stretch out of my legs and jive with the people whom I only meet occasionally.
The good thing about it you tend to meet new friends, though friendship intimacy would not be that close enough to go, one day or another you will still meet them on the way 'coz we are only living but in a small world.

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November's Fall Colors

2011-11-10T10:42:00.000-08:00
I haven't updated much lately because of my busyness, now that I have enough time to do so, let me write something here about Autumn/Fall experience. Just to continue of what I have had posted lately, pictures would do more of the talking rather than doing the blah - blah. Since, I got hold of a cheaper camera, taking snapshots and different subjects has been a good habit of mine and I would say its addictive.
The sad thing is I don't have a DSLR camera yet, and I don't even know when I could get the chance of getting one, hope it would be sooner than later. I just wish somebody out there would serve as santa claus & unselfishly give me a DSLR, sounds like I'm dreaming with my eyes open, I knew that it wouldn't happen.
Well, November provides splashes of colors that is what we called fall foliage. The temperature & the circle of time has changed, the sun completely refused to show. Fogs and moist envelopes the surrounding to keep the daylight shorter.
As we know, fall or autumn is the time for harvesting the crops sown in spring and ripened in summer. Trees loose their leaves and is often called Fall in USA because leaves fall from trees.
I appreciated so much of the changes of the autumn hues, and seeing its differenty colors makes it even more beautiful than spring so to speak. Now, I have completed my four seasons experience and this winter would be my second time.

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My Autumn Blues and Fall Colors

2011-10-25T11:35:00.000-07:00
This is my first Fall experience,I would say that I am happy & a bit melancholy when summer is gone because the atmosphere started to be so freezing, but the Autumn color gives so much vibrant and spectacular features of nature's beauty.
The beauty of Autumn is filled with colors. The crisp cool wind, the bright red-yellow maple trees, is the perfect time to explore the colorful vistas of the surrounding.
A full colorama of Autumn, a joyous feasting for the eyes. The magic of the autumn colors and the fragrances of falling colored leaves together with the freezing cool wind gives me a feeling of excitement and joy while the loneliness of winter hasn't come yet.
Herewith, are the photos that I took for Autumn souvenirs since I can't experience it back in the Philippines.

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Photo Diary: Historical Landmarks 2

2011-10-16T01:33:00.000-07:00
What I love most of Europe is the structure of their buildings. The buildings itself brings so much awe to me enough that I would say, I love Europe. No doubt why Europe is the most romantic place in the world.
It also tells the history of the country and the pride of every European nations. Herewith, are some of the heritage buildings of Warsaw.

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Photography Captures of A Thai Monks

2011-10-08T02:14:00.000-07:00
Came across to Samuel's blog and got these pixies as he explained how the Western people like him thought of a serene peaceful picture of a monks in Thailand. As an Asian, that's exactly the same perceptions I had somewhat a saintly and holistic images of sort, but on the contrary, discouragement would be firstly hit you to describe these religious servants in Thailand but as the day you stay longer you'll get used to it and be unmindful of what you see around even in the temples.
On the lighter note, I enjoyed myself observing the monks doing their rituals and ceremonies, and sometimes mingling with them in the temples in Bangkok.
The pixies that you are viewing right now is rightly true as what Samuel describes on his blog the misbehaving monks.

(Pictures courtesy ofNomadicsamuel.com)
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Inspirational Story to Live By

2011-10-07T13:31:00.000-07:00
I was moved by this story when I came across of checking a common friend's Facebook account. Without any second thought, I rushedly copy & paste it here to share how moving the story is.

Somewhere in Milaor, Camarines Sur, there lived a fourth grader boy who would follow this route to school everyday: He has to cross the rugged plains and cross the dangerous highway where vehicles are recklessly driving to and from.
Once past this highway, the boy would take a short cut, passing by the Church every morning just to say Hi to God, and faithfully say his, "Magandang umaga po" in Bicol dialect. He was faithfully being watched by a Priest who was happy to find innocence so uplifting in the morning,
"Kamusta, Andoy? Papasok ka na?"
"Opo padre ... "he would flash his innocent grin, the priest would be touched. He was so concerned that one day he talked to Andoy.
"From school...", he advised "Do not cross the highway, you can pass through the Church and I can accompany you to the other side of the road...that way I can see that you are home safe...."
"Thank you father ... "
"Why don't you go home ... why do you stay in this church right after school?"
"I just want to say 'Hi' to my friend, God," and the priest would leave the boy to spend time beside the altar, talking to himself, but the priest was hiding behind the altar to listen to what this boy has to say to his heavenly FATHER.
"You know my math exam was pretty bad today, but I did not cheat although my seatmate is bullying me for notes... I ate one cracker and drank my water, Itay had a bad season and all I can eat is this cracker.
Thank you for this! I saw a poor kitten who was hungry and I know how he feels so I gave my last cracker to him ... funny but I am not that hungry.
Look, this is my last pair of slippers ...I may have to walk barefoot next week, you see this is about to be broken... but it is okay....at least I am still going to school.... Some say we will have a hard season this month, some of my classmates have already stopped going to school .... please help them get to school again, please God?
....Oh, you know, Inay hit me again, it is painful, but I know this pain will pass away, at least I still have a mother.... God, you want to see my bruises? I know you can heal them.... Here... here and .... oh ...blood ....I guess you knew about this one huh? Please don't be mad at Inay, she is just tired and she worries for the food in our table and my schooling that is why she hits us....Oh, I think I am in love ... there's this pretty girl in my class, her name is Anita ... do you think she will like me? Anyway, at least I know you will always like me, I don't have to be anybody just to please you, you are my very best friend! Hey your birthday is two days from now!!! Aren't you excited? I am! Wait till you see, I have a gift for you . but it is a surprise! I hope you will like it! Oooops, I have to go ..." then he stood up and calls out, "Padre, padre, I am finished talking to my friend ....
youcan accompany me to the other side of the road now"
This routine happens everyday. Andoy never fails. Father Agaton shares this every Sunday to the people in his church because he has not seen a very pure faith and trust in God, a very positive look at negative situations.
One Christmas day, Father Agaton was sick so he could not make it in the Church, he was sent to the hospital. The Church was left to 4 manangs who would chant the rosary in 1000 miles per hour, would not smile and would always find fault in what you do, they were also very well versed in cursing if you irritate them! They were kneeling, saying their kilometric rosary when Andoy, coming from his Christmas party,playfully dashed in.
"Hello God! I ......"
"P----!! (a curse) bata ka!! Alam mo nang may nagdadasal!! Alis!!"

Poor Andoy was so terrified, "Where's Father Agaton? He is supposed to help me cross the street ... and to be able to cross the street I will have to pass by the back door of this church .not only that, I have to greet Jesus. It is His birthday, I have a gift right here....

" Just as he was about to get the gift out of his shirt, the manang pulled his shirt and threw him out of the church. "Susmaryosep!!! (does the sign of the cross fervently) Alis kang bata ka, kung hindi matatamaan ka!!!
So the boy had no choice but to cross the dangerous side of the road in front of the church. He crossed. A fast moving bus came in.
There was a blind curve. The boy was protecting his gift inside his shirt, so he was not looking. There was so little time. Andoy died on the spot. A lot of people crowded the poor boy, the body of a lifeless young boy ...
Suddenly, out of nowhere a tall man in a pure white shirt and pants, a face so mild and gentle, but with eyes full of tears... He came and carried the boy in His arms. He was crying. Curious bystanders nudged the man in white, and asked,
"Excuse me sir, are you related to this child?
Do you know this child?"
The man in white, His face mourning and in agony, looked up and answered,
"He was my best friend . " was all he said. He took the badly wrapped gift in the bloody chest of the lifeless boy, and placed it near His heart.
He stood up and carried the boy away and they both disappeared in sight.
The crowd was curious ...
On Christmas Eve, Father Agaton learned of the shocking news. He visited the house, and wanted to verify about the man in white. He consulted the parents of Andoy.
"How did you know that your son died?"
"A man in white brought him here." sobbed the mother. "What did he say?"
The father answered, "He did not say anything. He was mourning. We do not know him and yet he was very lonely about our son's death, as if he knew our son very well. But there was something peaceful and unexplainable about him.
He gave me my son, and then he smiled peacefully. He brushed my son's hair away from his face and kissed him on his forehead, then he whispered something..."
"What did he say?"
"He said to my boy..." the father began, "Thank you for the gift .... I will see you soon ... you will be with me..." and the father of the boy continued, "and you know for a while, it felt so
wonderful ... I cried, but I do not know why....all I know is I cried tears of joy .... I could not explain it, Father, but when that man left, something peaceful came over me, I felt a deep sense
of love inside ... I could not explain the joy in my heart, I knew my boy is in heaven now but...tell me, Father, who is this man that my son talks to everyday in your church, you should know because you are always there ... except at the time of his death ......"Father Agaton suddenly felt the tears welling in his eyes, with
trembling knees, he murmurred, " ... He was talking to no one ......
but .. GOD...."
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Photo Diary: Historical Landmarks

2011-10-01T04:05:00.000-07:00
Buildings are amongst the representative of every countries historic style that would give much of a lot stories proving that one event took place.
Warsaw has nothing much to brag about in terms of historical buildings when Hitler destroyed them all during the World War II. However, there are still a few remains that stood still up to now and being preserved by the government.
Landmarks also captured of every tourists that would come and feel the full presence of ancient history that reminds of the old times.

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Photo Diary: Catch the Last Days of Summer

2011-09-18T00:53:00.000-07:00
Hanging around with friends is what really keeps me busy these days to catch the last days of this summer. Summer days are drawing to a close as it the autumn started to show its signs, I already feel the chilling of the air.
Leaves starts to change its color which makes the surrounding even more colorful. Huh, summer wasn't satisfying but I already have completed the real experience of four seasons, something that I'd love to brag about.
I saw the mutual changes of time, and that I'd compare to a man's life. For now, I have to say goodbye to summer and welcoming Autumn.

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Photo Diary: Last Summer Days in Poland

2011-09-12T06:06:00.000-07:00
It does start to feel like it's the last warm summer days left to enjoy. The days are getting shorter and morning are quite misty and chilly. My friends and I had enjoyed them to the full I guess as we can’t seem to imagine the cold that’s about to come soon and stay so long.

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Photo Diary: Warsaw - International Day 2

2011-09-09T15:34:00.000-07:00
If you're looking for an answer to "How can I be happy?" then the response from the experts is, "You're asking the wrong question." The better question is why our idea of happiness is so screwed up that most of us wouldn't recognize the real thing if we saw it.
One way of being happy is being contented and satisfying the little things that we have and enjoying of the things around us.
Just like this man, he's happy when people look at him laugh or take a picture of him while he's dancing. He doesn't care about what people would say about him so long as he's happy. It may sounds so wierd and strange but that's how it is to be.

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Photo Diary: Warsaw - International Day

2011-08-30T03:37:00.000-07:00
I had great weekend as I'd say it. Met some Filipinos in Warsaw and spent half of the day with them so as feasting the Filipino foods being served. Whew, I truly miss Pinoy food so much, I just let myself attacking the dried fish, sure enough my stomach was happy.
On that day, Warsaw had a special activity for its last celebration for the summer & that's International Day. There was a parade from a handful of different countries who just participated. Just wondering why Philippines hasn't participated any of Poland's program.

Man from Peru.

A very seductive lady.

A Jamaican brother teaching the crowd a Jamaican moves.

Turkish exotic dancer.

another dancer from Turkey.

A Somalian brother singing & dancing for a cause.

Young street performers.

I can feel her loneliness & sadness.

Young Polish girls dancing A Cuban break dance.

Strike a pose for a while.

Dancers from Belarus.

Dancers from Poland.

Young dancers from Armenia.

From Mexico.

Dancers from Turkey.

From Romania.
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Was Featured in a School Promotions in Poland

2011-08-29T06:17:00.000-07:00
I was featured in a Christian Primary School- School of Montessori in Poland with my co-Filipino teacher.
The school was trying to promote its new curriculum program about making its Bilingual school as a School of Montessori.
'Am just happy that the school has trusted me to teach in the school though I don't have much skills on handling kids.

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Why are Foreign Tourists Hesitant to Visit the Philippines?

2011-08-17T13:27:00.000-07:00
As a newbie Filipino backpacker, I always try to promote Philippines to any backpackers that I met on my travels even in a gathering of group travellers. Honestly, everytime I introduce myself or being asked where I'm from, I answered it with so much pride and friendly manner to encourage one of a picture of Philippines in me how nice we are.
I've met several tourists in Thailand and Malaysia and none of them had given me a positive signs of making Philippines as their future target of destinations to visit, yet, a negative comments and a silly grin. In my opinion, I knew why we can't encourage tourists to come & enjoy the beauty of our country its because of the travel advisories against Philippines that they heard and saw in TV issues about terrorism, kidnapping, killing, pickpockets, swindlers etc. That really broke my heart because it's true, and it turned out to be so embarrassing in my part and losing my spirit to continue my story of promoting my country.
Reading travel blogs from experienced and professional backpackers I've known, keeps me motivated to dream of traveling no matter what, and one of those travellers that I admire is Plif Damon of Flipnomad.
Browsing his blog and reading his articles every now and then gives me a lot of ideas about the recommended places to go, budget travels and the do's and don'ts on travelling. One of his writings caught my attention that also brought so much answers to my questions, Why are Foreign Tourists Hesitant to Visit the Philippines? I didn't ask his permission at all to repost his blog post, but here are the answers that he gathered from fellow travellers.

Juno of RunawayJuno.com
“I don’t think Philippines is well known as ‘backpacking’ destination to Koreans. Well, to be fair, there’s not so much ‘backpackers’ in Korea. I’m really a unique case. (or weird? ) Philippines is well known as ‘beach’ and ‘honeymoon’ place, especially Cebu. I think Philippines has a lot to offer other than just the perfect beach, like culture, or people but it’s just Koreans way of travel. because in Koreans mind, travel equals luxury. So they are finding luxury beaches. Well, it’s a long story to talk about. But it’s popular destination. It’s close, it’s cheaper than other places and it’s beautiful!

Nina of JustWandering.org
“People fear what they do not know. Not a lot of news about the Philippines are good — they’re mostly about a bombing or foreigners getting kidnapped and killed. The tourists I met in the Philippines have the same thing to say about the country: that it’s beautiful and they’d like to return. The travelers I met outside the Philippines, however, don’t know much about our country. That’s one of the reasons why people don’t consider coming here as much: they don’t know what they can expect here and if it’s safe to travel here. Another reason is our location in Asia. Even with budget airlines, going to the Philippines is not as easy as it is to travel from Singapore to Laos, which can be done overland or at least much cheaper by air.

Dave and Deb of ThePlanetD.com
“Having not been to the Philippines ourselves I can’t say that we are experts. But I think that people are hesitant to travel to the Philippines because of the crime rate. There is a perception that the Philippines is a dangerous place. Something like the “Wild West” complete with pirates and bandits. It has a dangerous reputation. There isn’t a lot of literature out there to promote its beauty and not enough people are writing about it to encourage visitors. The tourism board should do more to change people’s perception by inviting journalists and bloggers to show the positive side. We look forward to visiting soon.”

Mark of Migrationology.com
“I think many travelers are just not familiar with the amazing sights and things to see in the Philippines. Part of the reason is because the entire country is made of up of islands, that happen to be inaccessible by land forms of transportation. Once a traveler gets to the mainland of SE Asia, it’s easy to get around and visit many places by land. To travel to the Philippines takes an extra flight which can translate to a little more effort (and money). However, traveling to the Philippines is worth above and beyond all the effort it takes to get there!”

Dave of TheLongestWayHome.com
“Initial hesitation on the part of international tourists is first, and for most part, brought on by the prospect of multiple flights. The Philippines by nature is broken into many regions only accessible by flight. So it needs to tackle this element logically.
In relation to this, the first city many people will encounter is Manila. Which is not exactly inspiring, fun, nor enjoyable. The airports are badly linked, confusing, and the international one when flying out is easily the worst I’ve ever encountered.
Internal infrastructure for tourists is very weak compared to neighboring countries. Simply trying to find out how to get from point A to point B is a challenge.
Bad press. Simply put, the antics of your politicians makes people laugh. Used, correctly, it might even become a tourist attraction. But for now, people shake their heads in disbelief. Examples last year alone would be the farce that was the tourism boards new plagerized website and tourism campaign (I won’t even mention the pornographic dibacle attached to it). To the utter tragedy of the tourist bus massacre in Manila, and how it was handle afterwards.
The Philippines has all the potential in the world to become a premier tourist country for all of South East Asia, but it keeps shooting itself in the foot before it can even get to the planning table.
It will continue on this way until someone final takes the Pinoy ego out of the equation, and actually see the reality on the ground. Focus on the end goal of a tourism campaign. Draw up a blue print for this. Relate it to other similar countries based on real tourism not just a junket. Involve national regional tourist sectors. Control the campaign nationally, and not regionally. Make someone fully accountable for the campaign with full transparency.
Could this happen in The Philippines? Maybe the real answer is, if this did happen great things would happen”

Anil of FoxNomad.com
“Personally, I think it’s due to a lack of organized and sustained travel marketing by the Philippine government. A single message to put the Philippines into people’s subconscious, so that when they’re planning a vacation somewhere, the country comes to mind would go a long way. Beautiful beaches, diverse islands, wonderful people, and a great deal in southeast Asia, getting people to come won’t be difficult once they hear about it.”

Claire Raborar of LakwatseradePrimera.com
“Yet compared with the hordes that visit other popular destinations within South East Asia, the Philippines remain largely undiscovered. It’s just not on the “tourist radar”. Why is that?
Partly it’s geography. Lying well off the coast of mainland Asia, the Philippines is not en-route to or from any other destination. It’s hard to tempt travellers off the beaten “backpacker trail” through Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos when to do so would mean incurring the expense and logistics of arranging additional flights – easier to just jump on the next bus to Krabi.
But that doesn’t explain it fully. Intrepid travellers will always find a way to get to a new, unexplored destination – but you have to know about it first. If you know nothing about a place, why would you go there? Tourism in the Philippines suffers because people simply aren’t aware of the wonderful things it has to offer.
Other SE Asian countries have had great success running extensive global tourism marketing campaigns, raising awareness and creating a “brand” for themselves. This is something that the Philippines lacks. You would be hard pressed to find a backpacker or travel agent in a western country that knows anything about tours or places to see in the Philippines. Thailand or Vietnam? Absolutely. Philippines? Ummm…”

(Don't forget to check Flip on his travel blog at FlipNomad.com)
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Warsaw Summer Photos

2011-08-12T08:49:00.000-07:00
The sun hasn't showed its full appearance up to now, its supposed to be sunny and hot, yet the weather isn't giving us the exact pictures of a European summer. I really want to see and feel what its like to be summer in Poland.
I had enough rain in the Philippines so as a cool breeze last spring so enough for this gloomy rainy days. However, I am still appreciating the cool breeze of the wind everyday and its boring gloomy days, I know when I get home in the Philippines you surely hear me again complaining about the excruciating hot weather back home...so probably I must praise God still for this.
Well, I took a lot of pics around Warsaw since I couldn't do that much at all when winter comes..so here are the pics that I have last weekend.

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Inspiring Travel Movie

2011-08-07T13:03:00.000-07:00
What would it be like to travel the world? That's the usual questions of everyone around who desires to travel but never get enough courage to do so.
Not recently, I posted about a travel movie that inspired me to go and backpack more one day. Today another movie again that is even more convincing to me that I need to go out from my comfort zone and see the entire world no matter what. And that is " A Map for Saturday".
It is a documentary movie of a man name Brook Silva-Braga from New York who quit from his good job and travel around for a year. The name comes from a feeling that Brook says you find, living this kind of lifestyle. He describes it as the feeling that it’s always Saturday – not really a vacation but, still, you don’t have to go back to work tomorrow.
The movie was truly amazing and it moved me, really spiritedly convincing that sitting and be bored on your job without travelling is only a matter of money and time wasting.
This movie reminds me of a certain blogger sisters in the Philippines who decided to quit from their jobs and sold some of their things just to travel around the world for a year. Honestly at first, I was thinking that it's a crazy concept of quitting your job just to travel, better yet when I started my backpacking abroad realizations proved me wrong that backpacking/travelling is a good idea.
When I saw the video it stucked in my mind that I could possibly do it and get the chance when I could to travel.

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Americans - Taxi Drivers in the Philippines?

2011-08-07T03:43:00.000-07:00
Because I am on a summer vacation right now, checking the internet like Facebooking, watching movies and everything has been my usual hobbies for the meantime. As I tried to check some videos in youtube about the possible videos that would reminds me of Philippines, I stumbled into a recorded video cam in youtube about two Americans experimenting jobs in the Philippines. They were featured in Jessica Soho's program, and that really astonished me to see how these two foreign people in my country doing the Pinoy jobs. So funny to see yet it reminds me that we could possibly survive if try to start on doing the minial jobs in the Philippines.
I might be too late to post this on blog but you see, I am trying to update myself on the latest buzz in the Philippines, it so happened that I was late about this infos.

At Jessica Soho's Report:
http://www.channel-pinoy.org/watch/v-230666?title=KAPUSO%20MO,%20JESSICA%20SOHO%20-%20SEPT.%2004,%202010%20PART%201/7
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A Travel Movie that Inspires Me to Travel More

2011-08-02T10:13:00.000-07:00
Have you ever watched a travel movie? well, I did. Movies are great way to inspire us more especially if you are a traveller and the more it motivates you to bring to the unique places around the world.
As a neophyte backapacker of sort, I might have seen movies before about travelling but that didn't ignites me to carry my backpack and travel, as backpack word wasn't born in my vocabulary then. Backpacking really provides all unexpecting adventure which contribute to your unforgettable experiences.
A travel movie that inspires me to carry my backpack and see the world was the "Last Stop for Paul". That movie dropped my jaw that it makes me so emotional about travelling.
As what Paul says: "Travel it gets inside of you, it touches your soul- the more I saw the world, the more I realize how little I knew, there's so much to learn & experience in life"
."
Well, see it for yourself so that you'll know, least try backpacking.

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Warsaw Entertain

2011-07-31T08:09:00.000-07:00
Being in a foreign land isn't easy, especially if you don't have much friends and mingling with the locals around is hard when the language is the number one problem.
However, for my 6 months beyond staying in Poland, I made a bunch of friends around both Poles and fellow foreigners. I just realized then, that you need to be actively member of any organization that involves foreign activity.
One of that is Warsaw Entertain, I was being invited to join the group in Facebook and participate on their nightly activities. For the first time, I attended their summer English video-karaoke held at an Irish Pub inside the Warsaw Towers.
I had a blast and met fellow foreigners and Polish party people, I sang that night just as the Pinoys love to sing and addicts to video karaoke, yet, I was missing a good pitch the reason I refused to sing again...blame it on the stage freight.
The best of that was I met new friends, it may not be the closest that you'll get, (who knows?) better yet its nice to expand your friendship.

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Can't See Clearly nor Understand It

2011-07-24T11:49:00.000-07:00
I can't tell what's up with the weather up here in Poland. One day the sun is out and everyone is coming out of their houses wearing summer clothes. The next day, its raining and cold. I can't really understand it, it suppose to be hot 'coz it's already summer. Been asking my Pinoy housemate "is this what they called summer?", I rarely seen the sun coming out and giving its full shine enough for the people to enjoy the season of summer. My housemate would just simply answered me, "you can't expect a summer in Poland like in the Philippines", yeah right, geographically speaking Poland is in the north-eastern part of Europe, which the freezing wind coming from Siberia (coldest part in the north)goes down to Poland the reason why we can't fully get a taste of summer.
Being in Poland for more than 6 months now, I didn't see the sun made its final appearance. I'd completely feel that Poles people are so thirsty of sunshine & it's heat, 'coz too much cold is no longer fun at all. From freezing winter to colder spring and strangely cool summer. Despite of a little rain, cool gloomy summer, my housemates and I find ways to enjoy summer break - travelling to the nearby places of Warsaw for a perfect weekend to a somewhat boring summer break. We went to a famous lake in Warsaw, where Polish people surf, jetskiing and yachting on a lake while winter is way too far to come. For some odd reason mother nature hasn't decided to that it wasn't quite time for summer to arrive & quickly sends some chilly weather filled with clouds, & rain. I am expecting that this August would be the final amount of hot summer.

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Summer in Warsaw

2011-07-14T07:56:00.000-07:00
Was blog absent for a long days. Better yet, I am blogging now.
Experience summer in Warsaw! The months of June, July, and August are great for travelers to the Polish capital city. Polish people's getting active and alive...
Warsaw summers are warm and the evenings are comfortable. If you plan to be out and about all day, sunscreen is a good idea, and a compact umbrella for a darker skin like me, referring to Asians and Africans who are in Warsaw, remember that Warsaw is a northern city, so you may experience a chill in the air, especially at night or at the start and end of the summer season.

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Life Lessons from the Movie Kung Fu Panda 2

2011-07-01T12:37:00.000-07:00
I downloaded a recent movie Kung Fu Panda 2, at first I was hesitant to do it since it's cartoon and more on kiddy type of movie thing. However, my instinct wins so I watched it and realized the lessons we can practically get out of the story of the movie itself. Practically recommending this movie to adults especially to those are battling to get inner peace within theirselves and appreciating who they are. Herewith, is a long list I got online about the Life Lesson we can get from this movie Kung Fu Panda 2, it's a long texts to hit but worth to read.

In KUNG FU PANDA 2, Po's new life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. He must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will Po be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.
Who would’ve thought a movie about an overweight Panda and a vengeful peacock would give us goose bumps? Seriously, from start to finish we were endowed with little nuggets of wisdom,
and quotes cleverly delivered by the various characters. Animated or not, wisdom can be found anywhere. All you have to do is look and listen with an open mind.

Lesson # 1 : God’s will, will be done.
Po didn’t even know he was chosen; he was selected long before he was born. But there was this peacock who knew from an oracle that a panda would finally seal his fate. So he had his minions kill all the pandas in China. He was an ordinary old panda. But God uses the ordinary, and no matter what anybody says, no one can stop God’s will for your life, not even cocky little peacocks.
You are the master of your destiny: No-one and nothing can come in between you and your destiny, except you. Take destiny by the horns and have fun.
Lesson # 2 : A Pretty Plume won’t make you happy.
Shen the peacock had a gorgeous plume, but he still wasn’t happy. Because he wasn’t happy, he spent his entire life trying to make everyone miserable. When he meets Po the Panda he is in awe of how peaceful he is. Po has nothing going for him. Yet he was comfortable with himself and had inner peace. As Master Shifu stated, “Remember…anything is possible if you have inner peace.”
You don’t need to meditate for hours and hours to attain inner peace and enlightenment. You need only see, feel, act from the heart. Let the heart guide you to your peaceful enlightenment.
Lesson # 3 : The only thing that matters is what you choose now.
Shen (the peacock) asked the Panda how he did it. Shen reminded Po that he’d killed his parents and almost killed him. Po told the peacock he had to let go of the past and choose right then to move forward. The point here is that holding on to pain from the past keeps you from obtaining inner peace. We have to choose now to embrace inner peace and let go of the things that hold us down. Don’t push past memories deeper inside of yourself. Let those memories breathe and let old wounds heal.
Lesson # 4 : Having it all means absolutely nothing
Shen had it all. His mother and father were rulers of the land. He was rich. He was smart. He was a pretty peacock with brilliant feathers, but he was empty. He wanted more. Even though Shen had everything, he still ended up with nothing. Po (the panda) on the other hand, had absolutely nothing. No one thought he’d amount to much except maybe a good noodle maker, but he becomes a hero. Be ONLY Yourself because Inner peace, calmness comes only when you are completely at ease with yourself- physically and emotionally.
Lesson # 5 : Anything is possible with inner peace
It’s a good thing we watched Kung Fu Panda 2 then. Thanks for the reminder Master Shifu! Come to think of it, when we are peaceful within, there would be a lot more peaceful and happier communities. (Isn’t that how the song – One More Gift – goes: “Grant me serenity within.. for the confusions around are mere reflections of what’s within.. what’s within me?”)
Achieving inner peace is also achieving inner strength.
Lesson # 6 : I know who I am
This reminded me of the importance of knowing who we really are – we are all, whether you choose to believe it or not – sons and daughters of God. “Who we are” is not so much defined by what we can do (remember Po, who said that if there was no Kung Fu, then he wouldn’t know who he was anymore?). We are who we are. Beautifully, wonderfully created to bless the world with our unique talents and skills.
“I know who I am. I’m your son.” – Po to Mr. Ping
Lesson # 7 : Good gifted friends are good gifts
Po had a group of friends that never let him down. They accepted him for who he was and helped him develop his weaknesses into something he could use. All of Po’s friends were super duper Kung Fu fighters, but they were all skilled in unique areas. They weren’t jealous of one another, and once they pulled all those gifts together they made an unstoppable team.
Friends are those who stay with you through thick and thin. No questions asked. Time spent sharing with good friends is equivalent to a thousand meditations. Good friends calm you and help you unburden.
Lesson # 8 : Work together as a team
The other lesson that was taught in the movie is the aspect of team work. There is a success trait called the “Circle of Influence”. The concept is that we are the sum of the 5 most influential people in our lives. Po was surrounded by friends that had common interest and goals, they had to work together to achieve maximum success. Ultimately, they were stronger together then they were apart.Share your gift with the world. Who knows,how many lives you are saving just by doing so. Your gift not only helps you, but all those you come in contact with.
Lesson # 9 : Investing in the next generation.
When Goose Dad saw Baby Po, there was no return of investment immediately. He patiently took care of Po, fed him and treated him like his real son. We as men should invest in our kids and the next generation. Guard the legacy that we have and pass it on to our sons and daughters.
“It takes a village to raise a child”
Lesson # 10 : Go with your gut.
Po could fight back and win against the most notorious enemy. The same is true in our real life, if you believe in yourself, nothing is impossible. You can do anything, as long as you believe you can. Go with your gut, because it’s an awesome conductor.
Your intuition is always active and alive. Go with your gut. It’s an awesome conductor.
Lesson # 11 : Notice the signs and take the lead.
It may just be a life lesson that you need to take. Life is never a bed of roses. If you do not recognize the lesson for what it is, you will find yourself continually stuck or attracting more of the same. You are in a vicious cycle, unable to break out. Step aside, take notes and learn from there. Notice the signs and take the lead. Then, you will find yourself moving on, becoming a more evolved and higher Self. The Universe is constantly giving you signs and messages for your journey. Notice them. Take the lead.
Lesson # 12 : Embrace your awesomeness
What Po dreamed about was right: you can’t really have enough awesomeness in your life. Embrace your awesomeness and dream your biggest dream and have faith it will come true. If Kung Fu Panda did it, you’ll do it too. There isn’t any, really. That’s just a fact!!!

Original text taken from: http://www.slideshare.net/bright9977/12-life-lessons-from-kung-fu-panda-2-8384210

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Talking to Myself

2011-06-28T03:48:00.000-07:00

I am suddenly feeling lonely now,I've been living abroad away from my friends and family for two years now and never felt the need to go find friends. I have managed to turn into a completely lonely person which I am still not able to stop wondering how I brought this on myself. I have become incredibly used to my loneliness, I am depended on it and yet I find myself surprised and disturbed by it every single day.
Thought of travelling & working abroad would erase my loneliness believing that half of my dreams has granted,yet, the longingness of complete happiness is still hard to gain. I tried to show my own parade and chased my loneliness away but being away from friends whom you've been with since then is irreplaceable.
I guess, I am still in the verge of adjusting myself to the environment that I am not familiar with. Poland is a beautiful country, so much to see but it added loneliness in me....Huuh, can't express the right words to say & surely you've gone to the same fate when you are abroad.

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Photo Diary: Warsaw's Jewish Ghetto 2

2011-06-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

My life’s dream has now been realized: Jewish self-defense in the ghetto is now an accomplished fact.…I have been witness to the magnificent, heroic struggle of the Jewish fighters.- Yitzhak Zuckerman,

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Photo Diary: Summer in Warsaw 2

2011-06-19T12:33:00.000-07:00
When I first arrived in Poland, I didn't appreciate much of its real beauty because it was winter, cold and freezing. I couldn't get much of a real pictures of an European country since winter is gloomy and people refused to get out, who would love to stay in the park in the midst of winter? I won't dare either. So I realized then that summer or spring is the best season to travel around Europe.

Who would dare to dance in the midst of winter? meaning summer is the best season for outdoor activities.

Kindda weird of idea just to get people's attention and sympathy.

I don't think that would work out in order for you to stop in doing something that doesn't pleases you.

Thought these two young lads were just showing their skills but I just found out that the're begging money too in a different form.

Poland is getting so colorful, lively and vibrant in summer.

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Photo Diary: Summer in Warsaw

2011-06-19T04:18:00.000-07:00
It's already summer and spring has just bid farewell. I can see Polish people's getting active and alive during this warmth and a bit hot weather. My appreciation came out when I saw a lot of people coming out from their houses going here and there, which the real beauty of Poland started to come out.

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Photo Diary: Warsaw's Jewish Ghetto

2011-06-08T10:41:00.000-07:00
The Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw was really frustrating when I and my friend decided to trace the remains of the Nazis cruelty during WWII in Poland. According to the Poland's WW II history, the Nazis didn't leave any marks of their crimes in Warsaw but destroyed everything so as the city was totally devastated then.

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Auschwitz II – Birkenau Experienced

2011-06-03T10:27:00.000-07:00
Auschwitz-Birkenau is the world’s biggest concentration camp established by the Nazis during the World War II in Poland. It is also world known symbol of the Holocaust. Auschwitz Camp-I is the starting point of the holocaust tour before Birkenau. For lone traveller or group of tourists who don’t have any vehicle or tour guide can visit Birkenau by a shuttle bus provided by the camp. It’d only take a few minutes to reach the place. Having completely a lone long tour the Auschwitz 1, I knew in my mind that there’s something’s missing that I hadn’t seen inside the camp based on the pictures that I Googled before I came down to Krakow. And so, I asked the young American-Jewish lad stood next to me busily taking pictures if there’s another camp aside from the 1. From that, I walked around looking for some knowledgeable person to ask if there’s a way I could possibly get to the next Camp, good thing that the people I asked with could speak English & showed me directly to the location of the shuttle bus rightly in front of the Auschwitz office.
My excitement had no bounds that my holocaust exploration didn’t ends there. According to the infos I got about Birkenau ” It was initially served as a concentration camp and as a place of deportation of Poles, alongside Soviet prisoners. In 1942 it also became the biggest camp of immediate and mass extermination of Jews, Poles, Roma people and representatives of other nations & ethnic groups.” Usually, some visitors declined the opportunity to visit Auschwitz 2 – Birkenau, it’s there that the impact of holocaust can be fully felt through the collosal size of the slaughtery done of the second camp. It became the most savage of all the Nazis death factories with thousands of prisoners held that time. As I went through the entrance of the gate of Birkenau, a vast & wide expansion of space was flashed before me as if an endless horizon. It was really a huge camp with little remains bricks barracks at the left side and a wooden barracks at the right side that used to be a quarantine area. At the furthermore part of the camp lies the numbers of the crematoria ruins and at the most top part is the remains of dynamited gas chambers, which was destroyed during the Auschwitz Jews uprising when thousands of Jews refused to be herded to the gas chambers. Auschwitz-Birkenau is the spot of the tragedy, inhumanity and the survival of the will. The former barracks of the prisoners turned museum stands as a testament to the incomprehensible atrocities of the second WW while paying tribute to the millions of lives unjustly taken. It was also considered concentration camp hell to the prisoners who were frequently struggle to survive the ruthless of the Nazis regime.
If someone would try to visit Poland, Auschwitz is the first top place that I’d certainly recommend because when you get there you’ll become completely immersed and loose track of time. Some fond moments of your life that you went through in the past were easily slipped away in your mind temporarily while inside the camp. Visiting Auschwitz added ones historical knowing for sure, that it is even more tragical comparing in the Philippines. I was even telling the holocaust survivor that I’m grateful to God Philippines isn’t a part of Europe, ‘coz if it does surely my parents and my ancestors would have been slaughtered & by that I won’t be here where I am right now. The feeling of gooseflesh in Auschwitz-Birkenau wasn’t that forceful comparing to that in the Auschwitz I, yet, so many questions had come in mind if I were one of those prisoners, would I be able to survive and stay strong still till the liberation day? Just try to think, during that time, kids & teens were being separated by their parents so as wives would be separated to their husbands before they were herded to the camp, lucky it’d have been to be if you’ll meet your family & friends inside the Auschwitz camp.
Cramming inside the camp mixed with other prisoners coming from other countries, so as diseases was expansely scattered around because of hunger, the lack of tidyness and personal hygiene, adding the lack of heater which the worst during winter, prisoners had no winter clothes to warm themselves but dressed them in a striped rags. Their possessions and their own clothing were taken out from them. Well, history as it is but it will remain as reminders but a warning to humanity around the globe that holocaust remained a painful memories and human suffering to those who experienced the genocide war and occupation.
My Auschwitz –Birkenau tour was an experienced worth to tell, that I saw, I felt, I cried, the anguish and grief of those holocaust victims.

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Auschwitz Concentration Camp – Visit

2011-05-16T06:42:00.000-07:00
Was blog absent for over a considerable days, our internet connection at home is disconnected still - the reason I was inconspicuous online. Amid of that, I was in a long weekend holiday in Krakow southern part of Poland for four days. My long weekend vacation was ungratifying as I’d say it, four days weren’t enough which Krakow has so much sight seers to offer and one of that is the WW II historical place Auschwitz. It is only one hour & a half by bus from the center of the city of Krakow which the fare was as low as 20 zlote back & forth. There’s a lot of tour guide agencies in the city that offers good services, charging 125 zlote for adults and 105 for students going to the most visited tourist place in Poland.
Upon knowing that it’s possible to travel to Auschwitz without a tour guide, I immediately went-off to the bus station early 7 in the morning to be an early bird. It took me an hour curiously observing around since I didn’t know whom to approach & everything was in Polish like the signs and schedule. My desire to investigate & learn had led me directly to look for a bus departing for Auschwitz. Rigthly then, I found my way boarded on a bus with fellow foreign visitors. As we closely arrived, I could see far-off the principal face of the Concentration Camp I - was already rounded with buses, cars and tourists. In spite of the bad weather ( it was raining & partly freezing) it didn’t prevent us to see the so called death camp. To get a bird’s eye view of the camp & a way of looking its brief history, everyone has to go through a film screening about holocaust though it wasn’t a must. If you are a lone traveller & wish to go around refusing to join an English group tour without staying much longer is the easiest way. Or you could go around by yourself renting a walkman type of radio with recorded voices on it in different languages to feel the holocaust history deeply while wandering around. The tour of Auschwitz Camp I begins by passing beneath a replica of the infamous ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ ( Work Makes You Free) entrance gate, which is an oxymoronic because nobody was freed instead ended up in a gas chamber.

On entering the camp, the feeling of aghast & mostly disturbing was indeed incomprehensible, observing along the circuits of the camp, goggling the notable pictures inside the barracks that was once an atrociously dwelling place of the victims of holocaust was an extravagantly pathetic experienced I had on my travels, that sometimes in the history of mankind a horrendous mass slaughtery took place.

The most stirring part of an emotions was meeting up close to a holocaust survivor while I was blending with the American-Jewish High School students by chance inside the barracks. Everyone became so tacit when an old lady stood up in the midst of the crowd introducing herself while we were staring on a huge picture of the Jewish kids framed with burb wire around. The entire room was completely mounted with emotions, tears was visibly seen on every cheeks of the spectators (including myself) while listening to her tearjerking story how she survived the pangs of death and cruelty inside the camp. Without getting the chance to pass – I asked her several questions & of course taking pictures with her.

A tour guide pointed the picture of the holocaust survivor.

Another gooseflesh scene was inside the gas chamber, I could feel the pain & agony of those innocent lives exterminated inside the incinerator. That’s when the group of American-Jewish students and their guardians started to emit a long uncontrollable doleful sounds of cry while inside the gas chamber offering a prayer and a chant in remembering their ancestors. I honestly felt restless being inside the incinerator looking every nook and cranny of the small dark room imagining how those 350 Jews cramming inside with fear helplessly without the chance to escape. The walls, ceilings and the fume still marked the dark soot of incinerated souls of both kids & adults when they were forcibly thrusted to get in the gas chamber.

I didn’t expect in my life that I could get a quick vis-a-vis of a holocaust survivor on that day, of course getting the opportunity to visit Auschwitz was a rare chance. My attention grew even more greatly to learn about holocaust. This summer vacation here in Europe, paying a second visit to Auschwitz is a primary option in mind aside from trekking to another concentration camps close to Warsaw like Treblinka & Sobibor.

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MY FIRST SPRING EXPERIENCE ABROAD

2011-04-25T23:27:00.000-07:00
If I haven't accepted the teaching call in Poland, I wouldn't experience the four season. Being in Europe would be a great memento to look back experiencing four seasons. The first one was winter and now its spring.
Spring is the time when plants and animals awaken after the long period of winter hibernation. The air is cool and soft rain provides the necessary nourishment for flowers and soil alike. Animals, plants are very active in spring as they start their search for new food.
Outside the window of my room are two trees that provides beautiful flowers that makes my morning so lively while seeing them blooming.
At the backyard is tulips that really makes me smile to see how wonderful our planet is having such beautiful flowers around.

From Spring

From Spring

From Spring

From Spring

From Spring

From Spring

From Spring

From Spring

From Spring

From Spring

From Spring

From Spring

From Spring

From Spring

From Spring

From Spring
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ENDANGERED PLACES AROUND THE WORLD

2011-04-22T23:50:00.000-07:00
I just found this scary news in Yahoo News Blog while browsing the net. Couldn't believe that we are seriously facing a tremendous climate change or Global warming issues. Thought it was just a not so problematic stuff that could be solved by sitting at the table and doing the blah blah blah thing. While some parts of the world were enjoying and some are solving problems about politics, financial,economy, etc. we have neglected the most important parts which is our planet itself. This is the place where we live in and we've got only one, yet, only a few I guess who are worrisomely concerned of the environment. This issue has alarmed me to be more aware and taking care more of our environment.
We have a beautiful planet and amazing places to see, as an aspiring Globetrotter or backpacker I have a lot of places in this world that I wish to visit which I realized that it is included as one of the endangered places which one day they'll all be gone just like that without seeing it at all. Our planet is so amazing that it shows natural beauty that we could imagine yet it'll be a story & a pictures to tell if we neglect to love what God has entrusted us.
According to Yahoo News Blog:
We all know that climate change melts glaciers and shifts sea levels. But have you ever thought about how rising temperatures can threaten beautiful places in every corner of the world? Some of these spots may be closer to home than you think.

Wadden Sea Denmark;is a low-lying coastal zone where tourists can walk along a land bridge in shallow water to a small island where teeming wildlife resides. “The tide brings up the water and then it goes down again,' explains Gaute Hogh, the publisher of the book '100 Places To Go Before They Disappear.

Congo Basin, Democratic Republic of Congo,Africa’s Mbuti pygmies, who grow to heights of only 4-5 feet, are a group of nomads who live along the Congo Basin, which stretches from Cameroon in the west to Zambia in the southeast. The Congo Basin is one of the most species-rich areas in the world and it serves as the foundation for the pygmies’ culture and livelihood. Around 90% of the region is untouched, but deforestation threatens to change this. If logging continues at present rates, half of the rainforest will vanish in the next 50 years, increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Kauai, Hawaii
Kauai, the fourth largest Hawaiian island, is famous for its tropical beauty and lush mountains. Global warming could disrupt its distinct “cloud forest” ecosystem, pushing life-giving moisture to higher elevations. Home to the hummingbird-like honeycreeper, a rare and colorful animal that sips nectar from flowers, this cool zone is vital to Kauai’s verdant environment. Deforestation and non-indigenous species like pigs and goats have also decimated the honeycreeper’s habitat in recent years and the bird is now in danger of going extinct.

Zahara de la Sierra, Andalusia, Spain
Hogh describes Zahara de la Sierra as “a white city in this very green place.” Also known for its olive oil production, the region faces the risk of desert- ification as olive orchards face increasingly dry seasons. Due to climate change, the IPCC projects that rainfall in southern Spain will decrease by 40% by 2080. Local temperatures in the Iberian Peninsula could also spike, turning green pastures into deserts and choking agriculture.

Gujarat, India largest producer of cotton and salt and is also the birthplace of Mahatma Gahdhi. Monsoons will intensify with continued global warming, causing severe flooding and destruction in India.

The Ganges Delta, India the paddy fields in the low-lying Ganges Delta are crucial for local farmers as more than 300 million people depend on the crops produced and 130 million actually live there. If climate temperatures rise unabated, sea levels are expected to climb throughout this century. Parts of the Ganges Delta would permanently flood within the next 50 years. “If the people are depending on what they are producing it will impact even more people,” Hogh says. “It’s a chain reaction that will hurt the economy.”

Olympia, Greece the first Olympic Games are believed to have been held in Olympia, Greece, in 776 B.C. The earliest evidence of building at the site is the Temple of Hera, honoring the wife of Zeus, which dates to around 600 B.C. In recent years, extremely warm and dry summers have increased the number of wildfires in Greece. Fires in 2007 severely burned the area surrounding Olympia. With temperatures projected to rise with diminishing rains, the frequency and ferocity of wildfires are expected to grow. “If you go to Olympia in Greece and you can’t see it, that will be part of our history which will disappear,” Hogh says

Big Sur, California stretching for 90 miles along the Californian coast midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Big Sur is arguably one of the most breathtaking landscapes in the U.S. For the last 20 years, most of California has been experiencing increased droughts with less rainfall in the spring and summer, leading to a severe escalation in the number of large wildfires. In 2008, a major fire destroyed 16 houses in Big Sur and more than 50 square miles of forest were swallowed by flames. Fires and subsequent flooding also threaten the region’s fragile access roads and infrastructure.

Mergui Islands, Myanmar spending most of their lives on boats, the Moken dive for fish, turtles, shellfish and sea cucumber in and around coral reefs. With rising sea levels, the Moken way of life is endangered by changes in ocean currents and water temperatures, which threaten the delicate balance of the reef ecosystem. “They can fish with these long sticks and they catch these fishes in the shallow water,” Hogh explains. “If the sea level rises it could impact a whole culture. The whole culture would disappear.

Mergui Islands, Myanmar the Moken people can dive in deep water for long periods of time. Their underwater vision is also clearer than any other people in the world. Within 30 years, scientists fear that Asia will lose 30% of its coral reefs. Deforestation and increased erosion also threatens the Mergui Island reefs. If the ecosystem collapses, the culture of the 4,000 Moken people could also vanish.

Trinidad, Cuba founded 500 years ago by the Spanish conquistador Diego Velazquez de Cuellar, Trinidad is renowned for its preserved Spanish colonial architecture and has even been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The once-rich town belonged to wealthy landowners who prospered from the sugar and slave trades. Today, most of their houses—many built by hand—are museums and tourist attractions. “It’s so colorful and lovely,” Hogh remarks. “But because of global warming, the weather in the Caribbean will become more severe with storms. Many of these houses will disappear because they are built by hand and fragile.

Mississippi River Delta, United States the Mississippi River Delta, with its rivers, marshes and barrier islands, provides a habitat for many species of birds, fish, shellfish and small mammals. At the rim of the delta, the Chandeleur Islands form a chain that acts as a buffer zone against hurricanes and storm surges for the densely populated regions of Louisiana and Mississippii. But ferocious storms, like 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, have greatly reduced the islands’ defenses. Storms and hurricanes are expected to grow even fiercer in the future with global warming, leaving the local environment and vital culture more exposed to destruction.

Yangtze River, China stretching for 3,900 miles, the Yangtze River is the longest river in Asia, surpassed only by the Amazon in South America and the Nile in Africa. The agricultural area of the Yangtze generates almost half of the total crop production in China—in total, China accounts for about a third of the world's rice production. Roughly 500 million people depend on the river for fresh water, including those living in Shanghai and Nanjing. Due to the diminishing of the Tibetan glaciers, the flow of the once mighty Yangtze is dwindling.

Kitzbuhel, The Alps, Austria esteemed as a winter wonderland, Austria and the Alpine region is Europe’s snow resort Mecca. It’s also gorgeous in summer with its evergreen pastures and cascading mountainsides, made famous by the classic Hollywood musical 'The Sound of Music.' “Everyone here in Europe is used to going there, for skiing,” Hogh explains. “They’ve been skiing there for the last 200 years and some of the country is less and less snow.They try to make snow with snow cannons. You’re not allowed to heli-ski as much anymore because of the pollution. It will go down by 80% of its normal size. Will my children be able to ski there? I don’t know.

The Battery, New York City, United States the southern shoreline of Manhattan Island, known as the Battery, is the largest public place in downtown New York. Hundreds of thousands work nearby and over 36,000 residents live in its surrounding area. About every 100 years, the area experiences extreme flooding that reaches heights of up to 10 feet. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of winds and hurricanes and cause sea levels to rise. According to the worse-case scenario, extreme events may occur every four years by 2080, with floods raising water levels by 11-14 feet and paralyzing the whole Manhattan infrastructure. “The tidal area there with the Hudson River is a very beautiful place but it will go underwater,” Hogh warns. “There is more than 280,000 people working in this walking district.”

Tuvalu, Pacific Ocean
Located between Australia and Hawaii, in one of the most remote areas of the Pacific Ocean, lies the nation of Tuvalu. Only 10-square miles – made up of tropical reef islands and narrow coral atolls encompassing blue lagoons -- Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world. Only 12,000 people inhabit the nine-island nation. At 16 feet above sea level, the country has one of the lowest maximum elevations in the world, making it extremely vulnerable to storms and changes in sea level. Tuvalu is also affected by the King Tide, a high tide that raises the sea level higher than normal. Coupled with the expected rise in global sea levels, the entire nation could ultimately become submerged. “I don’t care whether the place is big or small,” Hogh concludes. “It’s the same thing with people. No matter if you’re black or white or Chinese or whatever. It’s about treating each other with respect and it’s the same thing with these small islands.
(Photos & Texts from Yahoo News Blog)
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MEMORIES I HAD IN PAI MAEHONGSON - THAILAND

2011-04-21T01:08:00.000-07:00
I previously posted about my trip in Pattaya and letting my pictures to speak much rather than making the usual blah, blah, blah since you can find lots of blog travellers who are good and experts in explaining detailed about tips of going to Pattaya.
Pai - Maehongson is somewhat a summer capital in Thailand just like in Philippines - Baguio. However, I appreciated Pai than Baguio because of its people who are very warm, the place was so clean and filled with sights seers that's fully developed. I wrote an entry about my visit in Pai while I was in Thailand last year and I was pretty vocal of telling it frankly that its my fave place in Thailand. Very laid back, relaxing weather, fabulous foods and amazing nature.

The Gong of my life....

A young Chinese-Thai girl selling vintage stuff.

An old Chinese resto in the village.

Preserved Chinese hut.

Old village where the first Chinese immigrants came to Thailand.

The village wasn't only contains of historical story but an awesome view as well.

Some of the preserved huts were converted as souvenir stores.

This rock was among of the historical landmarks that stand still proving Chinese came to Thailand as the Chinese writings printed on it.

Burmese kids performing their traditional dance.

Burmese temple.

Pai was a nice city to relax, very laid back, the weather was perfect for vacationers.

Minority kids in Pai - Maehongson..they performed in the street to entertain tourists.
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MEMORIES I HAD IN PATTAYA - THAILAND

2011-04-16T22:51:00.000-07:00
One of the memories I had for one year stayed in Thailand was travelling down south of Bangkok, Pattaya. It is also one of the hottest places in Thailand for western tourists since its pretty close to Bangkok and not so expensive comparing to Phuket.
The pride of Pattaya is the beaches which is not an impressive so to speak,however, westerners doesn't care about it at all. There's so much to see outside of Pattaya city if you'll not enjoying the beaches, there's Noong Nooch tropical garden and other tourist spots. My trip to Pattaya was unplanned, and it took me courage to decide since I was just fresh from my trip in Hongkong and that trip really cost me much. Going to Pattaya wasn't a long trip from Bangkok, there's no traffic and there's a lot of cheaper places to stay if you are in a budgeted trip.

A lone boatwoman

Not so busy floating market...

Indians inspired replica...at Noongnooch tropical garden.

rounded stones, as they said intentionally made for the King.

even the cottages are not good but old and some were already tattered.

Faces that mattered .....Pattaya beach.

My first Thai jetski ride...

Thai street vendor in Pattaya beach....

Pattaya's floating market is better than of that famous market in Damnoen Saduak, its not crowded, its big and so much to see.

You'll surely enjoy Pattaya's floating market, though its quite expensive especially for foreigners..

delicious Thai traditional food.

Floating houses that's connected to another houses.

I was freshly arrived from Hongkong and my friends in Bangkok invited me to get along with them.

we ruled that day....since it happens once.

we visited this park for its famous golden buddha curved on a rocky mountain.

My first elephant ride in life....

I believed that we Filipinos can make a better one than this in Thailand...why don't we make one, even foreign tourists came to see and appreciated this garden.

My first photograph...I mean serious of taking photos....Pattaya, Thailand.
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MELODY OF THE HEART

2011-04-09T01:51:00.000-07:00
If it's Saturday, its either I'll be in church or stay home listening to heavenly musics. While browsing the Youtube searching for nice and soothing religious videos, my searching brought me to this video which the song eases the pain from the burden of life. I felt like being carried by the Lord unto His precious hands.
Its my first time to hear this wonderful melody, remedy that cures the broken pieces in me. Thanking God for this heavenly music.....indeed a melody to the heart.

1. As water to the thirsty, as beauty to the eyes,
as strength that follows weakness, as truth instead of lies,
as song time and springtime and summertime to be,
so is my Lord, my living Lord so is my Lord to me.

2. Like calm in place of clamor, like peace that follows pain,
like meeting after parting, like sunshine after rain,
like moonlight and starlight and sunlight on the sea,
so is my Lord, my living Lord so is my Lord to me.
Find More lyrics at www.sweetslyrics.com

3. Instrumental solo.

4. As sleep that follows fever, as gold instead of grey,
as freedom after bondage, as sunshine to the day,
as home to the traveler and all he longs to see,
so is my Lord, my living Lord so is my Lord to me.
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International Pillow Fight Day in Warsaw - Poland

2011-04-05T13:21:00.000-07:00
Obviously, I haven't posted any recently not just because I wanted to build the anticipation but I was in the hiatus for a while, just for awhile. April 2, was a special day for the Polish people in Warsaw the capital city and to some countries participating this Pillow Fight Day.
Since it's already spring and the weather is perfect for any outdoor events. The weather is warm, sunny and a bit cool, so no winter coats are needed. So,the plaza in Warsaw was filled with participants and expectators,I had no idea till a message posted in Couch Surfing forum inviting everyone to participate or simply watch the event. I took my camera with me to take some shots proving that I was there.
I met familiar faces from Warsaw Couch Surfing chapter, we had a little chit chat and taking pictures. The festival as they may say it lasted for 1 hour only, of course, who would like to be hit by a pillow for long hours. According to the event website:
One of our goals is to make these unique happenings in public space become a significant part of popular culture, partially replacing passive, non-social consumption experiences like watching television, and consciously celebrating public spaces in our cities as our “urban living rooms.” The result, we hope, will be a global community of participants in a world where people are constantly organizing and attending these happenings in every major city in the world.

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ONE OF MY FAVORITE BLOGS

2011-03-23T03:53:00.000-07:00
This isn't a look back at some of my favorite blogs, but reposting pictures from one of my favorite blogs and among who stood out for one reason.
I enjoy reading Chyng Reyes's blog, I gained a lot of ideas from her travels and some recommended places to visit in the Philippines. Chyng recently
wrote and article entitled: "Photo + Walk + Stories" , that reflects everything that I've been thinking about in life. I actually got pumped up when I saw the pictures with inspirational captions.
She simply states about the usual sayings that'd help us to realize about. So much blah blah, just simply look at the pictures that I posted here from Chyng's blog and try to reflect and be inspired. I didn't repost all of the pictures but wisely picking some of my favorite captions from her post.

The last two colored photos here are the reflections of the owner herself.
(Source: Visit Chyng's Blog Chyng Reyes )
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MY FIRST WINTER EXPERIENCE

2011-03-19T15:00:00.000-07:00
Growing up in a tropical country, winter or snow is somewhat a myth unless you see it yourself.
I have never experienced shivering just as like the freezing winter temperature in Poland.
Until, I got a teaching job offered abroad & that's when I started to believe that it is a dream come true and for sure,it's really true when I touched it for the first time.
Yes, my first winter experience, I always have this imagination of myself celebrating Christmas in a winter wonderland, walking in a white and soft snow like cotton balls. Honestly, I was pretty excited to see snow and have a blast on it. My imagination started to play again that I'd certainly take the chance of indulging myself the moment I arrived in Poland.
But little did I know that experiencing it first hand would be a different thing. Knowing later that I couldn't take a shower or bathe everyday even if there's a hot water( but you won't smell, promise you just wash your face and your private thing everyday) yet, you'd still chill and my skin starts to dry and itchy. Everyone told me that how much fun would it be to see snow and play with it so as during winter solstice where the days are shorter and the nights are longer. Truly, I didn't miss the defining moment of my life the first snow drop in my hands.

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PICTURES AND MEMORIES - LAOS TRIP

2011-03-17T09:58:00.000-07:00
One of the cheapest countries in South East Asia is Laos. Was in Vientianne twice, the people are friendly and likes to accomodate foreigners, however the cost of living there is quite expensive comparing Thailand yet, you can still travel around without worrying much of your budget.
It wasn't hard for me to travel Laos 'coz they too speaks Thai language similarly especially in the capital city, the food was the same as well. Frustratingly to speak there's nothing much to see around except the neighboring provinces of Vientianne (according to some backpackers I met) but I failed to get out of the city.
Sad to say, if I'm going to compare the number of tourist in Laos and Philippines we couldn't have much of foreign backpackers than Laos.
Hope Philippines would be safer like of those other south east Asian brothers of ours so that there'll be more tourists love to visit our dear country.

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COUCH SURFING FRIEND - 3

2011-03-13T03:25:00.000-07:00
From my previous entries, I featured about Couch Surfing friends whom I just met during my backpacking trip and CS gathering. Being a part of this backpacking community is a good chance to meet people from other countries with the same interest in budget traveling so as gaining ideas of the do's and dont's on traveling.
For my 2 months stay in Poland, I met some of the CS members whom I just asked several questions about their trips and one of them was Aniko from Hungary. I enjoyed talking to this brave lady, who just love to travel alone.

1. How did you discover your love for travelling?

I was really obsessed with Finland and its culture, so I really wanted to move there and see. When I was there I wanted to compare with other Scandinavian countries, so then I could see where can I position Finland in it. Then I wanted to compare Scandinavia with other countries to see why it is soo succesful and calm place, then... :-)

2. Best travel experience that you’ve ever had?
I love them all and I cannot choose. Why? Because all of them was my idea, my plan, I organized it and I saved the money for the expenditures. For me it means a lot as before it was impossible for me to afford to go anywhere, even in my home country sometimes.

3. What's the farthest place you have ever traveled?
Probably Norway and Portugal.

4. Name the top 5 places both local & abroad that you like?
I like Scandinavia as it is, St Petersburg also must be in the top five. France also a must. Portugal and Switzerland, probably.

5. If there's one tourist place in your country that you could recommend to a lone traveler where'd it be and why?
In Hungary: Széchenyi Spa and Budapest itself.
In Finland: Helsinki, and the forests are amazing (traditional sauna is a must!!!)
Switzerland: I think here anytwhere you go it is amazing, like a postcard. Really! As a dream!
France: Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris

6. Bad experience that you’ve had on your trip?
None yet and I am very hapy about it! Although I have to add that I try to prepare very well for every travel to avoid any problems. But of course luck is a big factor always!

7. Things you learned on travelling?
Life is amazing. I think this fact should already make people happy and satisfied. When I go and see and experience I am happy and balanced with my life and my surroundings, because I can see how coloful and perfect our planet is. I have to add that I don't believe in perfect-perfect as perfect-perfect is unnatural! I think something is perfect with the beauty of the defaults involved, like our little planet. :-)

8. Where’s your favourite place in this planet and why?
I think Europe is really cool. I have to add that I haven't been out of Europe yet, so I am not objective, but my explanation is:
Europe is one of the smallest continent, but the most colorful with languages cultures and historical buildings.

Imagine this in any other continent:
I lived in Lausanne , Switzerland. There the religion is protestant, language is french and people are swiss citizens. If I went 70km west: I was already in France, where the language is french, but the religion is christian!!!.
If I went like 300km north I was already in Germany, where people speak german and they are catholic!
If I went like 100km east I was in still switzerland, but all the people were speaking German (german canton) and the religion is catholic.
If I went south like 200km I was already in Italy and there people are very strickly catholic and they speak italian, etc...
And the top of it: all these people:italian, german, french, swiss german you could see in their faces as they were also different in appearance and not to mention the buildings and the landscape!!!
I think now you undesrtand why I think that Europe is the best!
You travel a little and you see soo different culture that you cannot imagine and all these cultures, nations, countries live peacefully together (most of the time... :-))

9. How long will you backpack?
I don't know yet. I hope for a long time!!! :-)
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RECENT CALAMITY THAT AWAKENS THE WORLD

2011-03-11T22:42:00.000-08:00

The world is grieving and praying for Japan.

Japan is one of the fastest and rich countries in Asia, mentioning technology and everything but you see Japan is not exempted of any calamity when the anger of nature strikes.
The world is shocked when the news started to show videos and pictures of scary disaster happening around Japan. Hope this will be an awakening call that we need to look up and pray, clinging God's promises that we shouldn't take for granted and ignore of the signs that we see on air and everywhere.
We have no power to protect ourselves but asking the good Lord a shelter in the time of storm for He will save us for He is the mighty rock.

(pictures was taken online)
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PICTURES AND MEMORIES - MALAYSIA TRIP

2011-03-10T22:19:00.000-08:00
In the End, all that really matters isn't the things you did, but what its effects are today, not the knowledge you have learned, but how you applied it, not the words that were said, but how they made you feel, and most of all, not the moment of occurrence, but how its now just a part of our memory. Everyday, we make memories let's paint lives with happy ones.
Staying in Malaysia for three weeks was a great opportunity to be acquainted with the capital city Kuala Lumpur. Like I said from my previous entry about the city there's nothing much to see around Kuala Lumpur except the Hindus temple, Petronas tower, China town, Batu caves and Merdeka square. You won't impressed much of the city's tourist attraction,however, you'll still appreciate the cleanliness and the progress of the economy so as the love of Malaysia's protecting the environment.
Malaysia is a strict country mixed with different races coming from Sri Lanka, India and etc. I was really hoping that I could make my way to Malacca as I dreamt of going there but instead I was confined around the canopy of Kuala Lumpur. Was also thinking of my budget then so I decided to stay in the capital city instead.
Now, you'll see my pictures that I took inside a Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur that remain a good memories in my heart one of my trips that I treasure.

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COUCH SURFING FRIENDS - 2

2011-03-06T03:53:00.000-08:00
Was spending on my bed for two weeks and now I'm recuperating and trying to regain strenght from such an unexplainable Winter depression, that took me a while to update my blog. The previous entry of my blog was, I made a brief interview of James Betia the author of travel blog "Journeying James" about his passion on backpacking.
As a regular member of Couch Surfing and made some friends whom I just met during the CS meeting here in Warsaw and in Malaysia, I also thought of why not asking my CS friends about their love on backpacking and how they got started.
I selected a few who have gone longer on backpacking, so here's the first couple that I'd love to feature first.

Dianne and her husband, on their travel.

1. How did your love for travelling start?

Went to Kenya as missionary and did not know we liked to travel until then

2. What’s the best travel experience that you’ve ever had?

there have been no bad trips all too good to chose one

3. What's the farthest place you have ever traveled?

China

4. Name the top 5 places both local & abroad that you like?

1. home
2. Sanibel Island
3. Germany
4. Kenya
5. the next place we go

5. If there's one tourist place in your country that you could recommend to a lone traveler where'd it be and why?

any quiet beach anywhere - because i love the beach

6. Something that you learned on your travelling?

it is a really big world out there and I will never see it all and everyone is so nice to meet and they have such wonderful stories to tell

7. Where’s your favourite place in this planet and why?

even though travel is the greatest thing home is best of all.

(I'd certainly agree with you, there's no place in this world called home,that's why its called Home Sweet Home.)

8. How long will you backpack?

till I run out of money!! already using the thing with wheels since can't carry a pack anymore

9. If you could treat yourself in style by traveling, which country you wish to see & why?

around the world!!!

10. What Not to bring (on)backpacking?

to much stuff - too much stuff - too much stuff
every time we travel we carry less and less.

Well, I am looking forward of traveling this godly couple one day soon. Traveling with the same interest so as you go in the church would be fun I guess.
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BLAME IT ON THE WEATHER

2011-02-28T11:15:00.000-08:00
Sorry, I haven't updated my blog for a while, I am not feeling well and I'd say that physically 'am tired and weak.
Just wondering why it's different from the sicknesses I used to have. Couldn't breath normally 'coz my chest and my back were aching and I was gasping. My boss brought me to the nearby clinic & the Doctor couldn't see anything wrong on my body but prescribed me a certain medicines that would help to ease the pain and it did. However, my body is still weak and I can feel inside that I can't managed to teach and be stressed by the pupils.
Friends back in the Philippines diagnosed me of having a Psychosomatic, being stressed of thinking too much that cause of my ill - it can be true.
However, my housemate here in Poland said I have SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder or in layman's term "Winter Depression". It's honestly my first time to hear such term winter depression.

Because I was doubting of the term used, I searched it right away. According to my research, "Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression or winter blues, is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter.-Wikipedia)

Another website gave me a clear explanations about SAD :
This is the season when most people leave for work and return home in the dark, temperatures plummet, heating bills soar and even the most optimistic individuals are prone to prolonged bouts of grumpiness.

As the amount of sunlight decreases and the days grow shorter, almost everyone suffers a certain amount of depression. But for millions of Americans, these darker winter days trigger the onset of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a clinical condition that affects their ability to work and results in depression.

Over the past 20 years, there have been numerous studies on the causes and treatment of seasonal affective disorder. Clinicians and researchers now believe that SAD is a cyclical illness prevalent in the fall and winter months that is directly related to the amount of light that is absorbed through the eyes.

This winter depression is caused by a connection between the optic nerve and melatonin, a chemical in the brain. SAD is triggered when the brain releases too much of this chemical at the wrong time, specifically during short dark winter days when bright sunlight is at a premium.

For most people SAD is a mild condition that is generally referred to as the “winter blues.” But for others SAD is a seriously disabling illness that prevents them from functioning normally without continuous treatment.

Seasonal affective disorder occurs throughout the Northern and Southern hemispheres and is extremely rare in those living near the Equator, where daylight hours are long and extremely bright.(Source:http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/lifestyles/3952854-423/ideas-to-treat-seasonal-affective-disorder.html)

Well, as a Filipino sayings; Bawal Magkasakit (Not to get sick)....rightly true, who would take care of me 24 hours a day? nobody, I couldn't force my housemates to look after me and leave their work. Now, I know that winter could be so depressing, too much cold and enduring it for three months till Spring is no longer funny. I thought seeing snow and playing on it could be fun,well, it is at least but it makes people so lazy to move.
As a first timer on winter experience is a lot of fun and could be an answered prayer. Now, I fully understand why western people hates winter (not all, but at least 90%) they get sick, they don't like to go around and most of all you really have to suffer the bath and shower of your life and I mean it 'coz I refused to do it for at least 3 to 4 days 'coz it catches u cold easily and when you get out of the house though you shower of boiling water still it freezes you & frost you.
With that, I miss the sungligth the hot weather in the Philippines, because I am no longer happy of my situation now.
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SWEDISH STYLE RENEGADE

2011-02-22T11:18:00.000-08:00
Charlie is a fashion guru of his own, an Asian-Swedish born lad has so much ideas in terms of expressing himself in fashion.
He was featured once in my blog because I like his creativity & invention, I mean the styles he created just as these pictures that I posted here. His style is not boring and he's adventurous with his clothing.
This guy knows how to play it up without overlapping.

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JOURNEYING with JAMES

2011-02-22T01:07:00.000-08:00
James Betia is the author of the blog Journeying James. It was him who influenced me to join Couch Surfing online community site for backpackers, and among of the backpackers who inspired me to travel more in a budgeted and less expenses and why traveling light is right ( I used to bring my whole closet in the trip, as if I could use them all, after all my back aches).

One of the blog sites that I've added to my lists of my must read. I check his blog and follow his twitter everynow and then just to get the recent & a birds eye view about backpacking in the Philippines.
He's not just an ordinary blogger but mind you one of his entries was posted in Mabuhay magazine(the official magazine of Philippine Airlines),isn't that amazing?

Well, here is my brief interview with James about his passion in backpacking.

1. what's the farthest place you have ever traveled?
-I've been abroad twice only, I've been to Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore and Malaysia. So I guess Cambodia.

2. Name the top 5 places both local & abroad that you like?
-Local:
Puerto Princesa City, Palawan
Coron, Palawan
Guimaras Island
Batanes
Bohol

-Abroad:
Angkor Wat Complex
Downtown Ho Chi Minh City
Esplanade, Singapore
KLCC and Twin Towers, Malaysia
Train ride from Saigon to Hanoi

3. If there's one tourist place in the country that you could recommend to a lone traveler where'd it be and why?

Hands down Palawan. The crystal clear beaches, the underground river, the stunning karst, lagoons, diverse flora and fauna and the chillax life- its like paradise on earth.

4. How long will you backpack?

Until I die or until I visited all countries of the world.

5. If you could treat yourself in style by traveling what country do you wish to visit and why?

I want to travel in style to Europe and NYC! I wanna be like the models in London Milan, Paris, Rome and New York City.
Better yet, I wanna visit all the New 7 Wonders of the World.

6. Backpacking isn't much a lucrative to every Pinoy, how would you encourage everyone and promote backpacking?

I'm planning of doing the cheapest 100-day backpacking in the Phils (maybe P500/day or lower budget), then blog about this and hopefully write a book about it.

7. What Not to bring (on) backpacking?

-Judgemental heart. Also, if you think you will need it, you actually won't.

As James said, he won't stop traveling till he reaches the four corners of the world...hmmm sounds like we have the same passion for that. I guess every backpackers wishes that.
You can also read his other blog at: http://running.journeyingjames.com (running stories of journeyingjames

This is an excerpts from the interview of Flipnomad to James:

How did you discover your passion for travelling?
“I have been travelling a lot since 2003 but it was year 2008, when I was in Kabayan, Benguet when I met a Vietnamese backpacker. We had a simple talk about what we do in life etc. After the chat, I was so ashamed of myself that he has been almost everywhere in the Philippines for only 2 months and I’m stuck in Manila and Luzon. I said to myself, I don’t want to be a foreigner in my own country. After that, I did my first backpacking trip to Vietnam and Cambodia.”
What’s the most horrible experience that you’ve had on the road?
“I just crossed the border from Singapore to Malaysia and was about to go to Thailand. When a man pretending to be police told me that I have drugs in my backpack in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Turns out he is a holdaper. He got my travel money, borrowed camera and worst, my passport. I was stuck in Malaysia for a week without money and any friend. Detailed story can be accessed here.
What’s the best travel experience that you’ve ever had?
“My recent 14-day Solo Backpacking trip to West Visayas where I challenged myself to spend only Php250/day (all-in food, transpo and accommodation).”
What’s the biggest realization that you’ve got out of travelling?
“The wonders of God’s creation both the nature and the people are amazing. Take care of nature and she will take care of you. Respect the people and they will really love you.”
What keeps you going? What keeps you motivated?
“Challenges and an unending lust to explore new territories. Curiosity and the love for learning.”
This is a silly and hypothetical one. If you would be given a chance to travel with a popular person or a celebrity, who would it be and why?
“A lot: Les Stroud of SurvivorMan, Janet Hsieh and Bobby Chin of TLC and Bear Grylls of Man Vs. Wild. Lastly, Keira Knightley of Pirates of the Carribean would be a great companion for Round-the-World Cruise.haha”
Where’s your favourite place in this planet and why?
“Easy! Palawan. I live there for almost a year just because I love the island.”
What do you think about yourself?
“Self-proclaimed backpacker. I appreciate God’s love through the beauty of his creation- human kind and nature.”
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A GLIMPSE OF THE OLD TOWN (CITY OF WARSAW)

2011-02-21T11:54:00.000-08:00
Last Sunday (Feb.20) I was in Warsaw again with my housemate to get a full glimpse of the city's pride the Old Town. As it was also my housemate's desire to see the Old Town, I toured her around in the midst of a snowy cold Sunday.
I thought, there'd be few visitors on that Sunday around the Old Town but it was filled with both locals & foreign visitors.

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Uncertainty Over Actual

2011-02-19T10:56:00.000-08:00
After I celebrated my birthday just this Valentine(honestly I didn't celebrate it), I was awakened by a great realizations that I am no longer young in the sense that I need to be financially stable and have my own family (as my own). A stable job that I could proclaim "that I love it and enjoying it for life", like without worrying about what I am going to eat tomorrow, to wear, just like the same worries everyone is concerning about.
Because of that, I checked the website of my church and went to the Prayer Request area, shared all my cares to all my churchmates around the globe to pray for me.
The prayer request's staff responded with a bunch of verses in the Bible that could possibly helping me of worrying not.
I know, we have the same worries just let me share these verses I have with the hope you'd be enlighten just as I do.

Dear Eric,

Thank you for your request. We will pray for you.

You indicated that your prayer request is for yourself or someone else who is worried. We can find the promises of God to be trustworthy. Here are some promises that you may find to be helpful during this time.
1. The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. (Psalm 9:9-10).
2. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul.... I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. (Psalm 23:1-3,4).
3. Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. (Psalm 32:7).
4. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. (Psalm 46:1-3).
5. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22).
6. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. (Psalm 91:15).
7. And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. (Isaiah 32:17).
8. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. (Jeremiah 17:8).
9. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30).
10. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:41-42).
11. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28).
12. We are trouble on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
13. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7).
14. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19).
15. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)
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CITY OF WARSAW

2011-02-17T04:58:00.000-08:00
Warsaw is not a pompous and grandeur city comparing to Krakow. Never been to Krakow yet but I heard a lot of side comments that Krakow is better than Warsaw. In fact, according to a British travel magazine; Warsaw is the ugliest city in Europe.
Well, can't give a comment on that since I haven't been around Europe, which the truth is there's nothing much to see around except the Old Town that is being preserved.

Related Topic: Your Everyday Review
Your everyday review and news!
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FLIPNOMAD BUDGET TRAVEL

2011-02-15T02:38:00.000-08:00
Among of the travel blogsites that I read is http://flipnomad.com/about/ of Flipnomad. I learned so many things of his travel specially on budget trip 'coz I am a poor traveller or let say a budget traveller.
He posted his infos that we could use especially to those who travel, backpacks for the first time.
So here's what he wrote about his backpacking and the answers to your possible questions:

"Flipnomad.com is a compilation of my travel experiences around the Philippines and as well as other countries. I’m an ordinary and a typical guy who started traveling when I was a kid, together with my grandma and other relatives around Luzon, Philippines. I then ventured outside of my usual destinations when I reached the age of 25.
When I was younger, I thought it would be impossible for me to travel to far flung places. But as time passed by, I realized that I shouldn’t stop believing in what I could do but instead stay positive and optimistic that I could achieve whatever I put my mind into.

My way of traveling kept on changing, from going to the usual resorts when I was still in school, to going to nearby provinces when I started working. Then I started backpacking which changed my life forever. It opened my eyes to a lot of other cultures. It gave me a chance to meet interesting people that have interesting views in life. It even led me to the wonderful world of blogging.
We’re all travelers regardless of where we go. Traveling starts when we close our eyes and open our minds to all the possibilities in this journey called life. Let go and trust your instincts and don’t forget to have fun.
Smile and everything will just be fine and you’ll be surprise to where your feet will lead you to.

FAQs
When did you start travelling outside the Philippines?
I started travelling when I was 25 years old. I went to Singapore with my friends and then to Thailand.

Do you often travel alone?
Nope. I’ve only tried it last March – September 2009 when I backpacked for six months and I liked it. It gave me more freedom and flexibility in travelling.

Do you also travel locally?
Of course, I do enjoy going to different places. Actually, the destination is now just an excuse to keep on moving. I do enjoy travelling (going from point A to point B) regardless of where it is.

Why do you like travelling?
I just don’t like it, I love it. Travelling is the only thing in this world that makes me feel alive. It’s also fun!!!

Do I need a lot of money to travel?
There really is no absolute answer for the amount that you’ll be spending on a trip. It really depends on the choices that you’ll make. You could fly out on a promo economy ticket with a low cost carrier or you could fly Business class. You could even stay for free by camping out or staying on local people’s houses or you could pay $1000 room in a very exclusive hotel. The amount that you’ll spend depends on the choices that you’ll make.

Will I die out there?
First, everyone dies anyway right? And there’s a lot more scary things in this world than travelling. But of course there are some risks involve especially if you go to a place that you’re not familiar with or a place where people don’t speak your language. You might get lost every now and then but that’s what makes it fun and memorable. Take necessary precautions and exercise common sense when you travel.

Is it sad to travel alone?
Exactly what I was thinking when I first traveled alone. But based on my experience, I could say that you will never be alone when you travel by yourself. There are thousands of individuals travelling on their own and most frequently than not, these individuals meet each other along the way and sometimes travel together. There are also plenty of locals to hang out with. I’ve travelled with people that I just met on the road, I even shared a room with some of them to save money and a few of them became my friends that I still keep in touch with.

What would be your advice to first time travellers?
If you really want to travel, go out there and have fun (really). Life’s too short to risk it not doing the things that we love. If we couldn’t do it continuously, at least do it once. Let go and lose yourself for a moment. You’ll be surprise on what travelling can do with how you see things and even the way you live your life. Travel with an open mind and an open heart (but at the same time take necessary precautions and exercise common sense, but don’t overdo it). Enjoy! – Flip"

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MY SECOND BIRTHDAY ABROAD

2011-02-14T13:09:00.000-08:00
14th of February is my birthday and I am celebrating it now while updating my blog today. This has been my second birthday abroad, the first one was in Thailand and in Europe. As usual, I didn't celebrate it that traditionally just as the other people would do like preparing a lot like a feast. I thought of going to Warsaw with my housemates, shops a little here and there, dine in style as a gift of sort for myself. I bought sweater, two tee shirts. I ordered food in a Japanese resto and feast myself.
When I came home, my friend and I went to a bargain or thrifty stores checking what we could see and buy. As part of my guilty pleasure, I was tempted to buy two winter bonnets, sweater for spring and a winter socks without checking my budget at all. Right after, we went to an Egyptian diner to buy Kebab for lunch. That's how simple my birthday is, I don't indulge much on something that worries me what to prepare and inviting people to come.
I am a kind of person who's lazy to cook a bundles of food, preparing in the kitchen and washing an endless dishes. While checking my FaceBook, I was catching a lot of greetings and wishes from very close to not so close and even to an acquaintances. My fingers were so tired of typing and answering all the chat with friends who just remembered me on my birthday. With that, I am so much filled with joy though I am far from family, and friends, yet, the warm wishes keeps me at home to a cold and far country.
Most of all, I thank God for the countless blessings that I have been receiving each day specially on this special day of my life..thank you so much Lord.

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WARSAW - POLAND'S CAPITAL CITY

2011-02-14T07:53:00.000-08:00
I haven't updated my blog for weeks because we had just moved out to a new house just as we needed a big space and a room for me and for the new teacher. We used to stay in a nice warm flat but its too small for us 4 teachers so we needed a bigger place to live. In other words, we had disconnected for more than two weeks. To bring my blog up to date so as my Twitter & Facebook were moved aside for the mean time.
However, I tried to sneak-out using school's internet to check my FB which is eventually a big No-No during classes time.
My staying here in Poland is a joyous one, if I'd exclaim it literally. Who wouldn't be happy working and traveling Europe at the same time?
Since I am just 30 minutes away from the capital city, attacking the city and exploring around would be easier for me. Down are the pictures that I had in the center of Warsaw, and partly in the famous Old City a most visited area.
I won't talk more and more doing the blah blah or giving infos just as I am new to the place but will surely post it here in the near future.
For the time being just feast your eyes of the pictures that I have...

Behind me is the tallest and biggest building in Poland, the Palace of Culture and Science.

with fellow Couch Surfing members from Poland.

My fave.resto in Warsaw, Vietnamese restaurant, affordable and of course its Asian.

A trendy street in Warsaw.

One of the narrowest streets in Warsaw.

The famouse Old Town Square, listed in UNESCO World Heritage.

So narrow.

Copernicus the father of the modern Astronomy.

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FROM ASIA TO EUROPE

2011-01-21T11:10:00.001-08:00
My Asian adventure had just over. I truly miss Thailand and the friends I made there but I need to move out and find a better place that God has prepared for me. Thailand was a nice starting point of my Asian trip so as learning more the Asian culture.
I left Thailand 12th of January and started my flight through Ukrainian airlines that delayed 3 hours from the expected time.
We arrived in Ukraine (Kiev - the capital city) 4 pm which was already dark and breezely cold. So, the flight that I supposed to take from Ukraine was already in Poland so the airline booked me another ticket through Hungarian airline that I needed to have another transit via Budapest. I boarded Ukrainian airline which majority of the passengers were Ukrainians. There were 5 of us Asians at least.
When I arrived in Kiev-Ukraine, an old Ukrainian lady that I met in the airport assisted me where to go and what to do about upon arriving in the airport.
Upon waiting to my next flight going to Budapest-Hungary, people in the airport kept on staring at me, with so much wondering and questions in their eyes who I was and where I came from and why I was totally different from them facially(skin color).
Boarded to Hungarian airlines going to Budapest, still their curiousity looks didn't stop them to stare at me throughout the flight (funny right? thought Pinoy would only do that).
Arriving at Budapest airport on time, we were transported by bus from the airline who fetched us rightly. They have different style of transporting passengers instead of letting the passengers off entering through the airport's passage way connected to the building of the airport, but in Ukraine, Hungary and Poland we need to walk a little in the midst of the airport before getting on the airport bus that'd take us to the boarding area.
In Budapest, they were so strict that we needed to go through a very rigid checking and frisking. While waiting for my last flight, passengers who'd boarding on the same plane that I went to keeps on staring at me. I really felt so exotic and constantly vain of myself for a while thinking that there's something wrong on my face or what. In Poland, nobody waited for me in the airport. They were wondering where I was which they thought that I could be on the flight that was being scheduled. I waited for a while and didn't know what to do. Of course, I prayer and God helped me and was able to contact my boss.
Being in Europe is an answered prayer, I know that it is the beginning of my travel around Europe(with God's permit)same thing that I did in Thailand. I have been praying for this since I was a kid, and now it is already in my hand. I'll be looking forward to a great Euro adventure soon.

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MY ASIAN TRIP

2011-01-19T09:20:00.000-08:00
My first ever trip abroad was in Thailand, didn't expect that I could live and stay there for long since it's not my desire to see Thailand not even thinking of myself going there. I'd say that I made the right decision of accepting the job offer given to me, well, I was already so desperately sad then of going out the country because of the uncertain future in the Philippines. That worried me much of my future in the Philippines, that going to Thailand would be a golden gate for me to travel the nearby places around Southeast Asia.
In Thailand, lots of opportunities came and that is the possibilities of my first backpacking trip abroad. The second country that I saw was Laos, its just so near in Thailand and its one of the poorest countries in the southeast of Asia. I got the chance of going around the capital city since it's more accessible. My budget then was enough for two days, I guess staying there for a short trip was truly enough. Was told by another traveler that outside Vientianne is better.
The most exciting and memorable trip I had was in Hongkong, it was summer vacation in Thailand and my head teacher(Thai) invited me to go on a trip with her to Hongkong, honestly why would I refuse? its Hongkong you know. Seeing Hongkong was a dream come true, it's one of my fave countries in the world. Love the energy, the place and everything in there amazes me.
In the midst of my trip in Hongkong, I was told by a New Zealander friend back in Thailand that I could possibly make a side trip to Macau that'd only take 1 hour by ferry boat. That ignited me to find ways on how to get there easily from the hostel that we stayed on.
To be exact, I was in Macau for a day. Never had the chance of going around the city of Macau but it was really great to see the Las Vegas of Asia. Nice hotels and casinos are very common. If I'd have the blessings to travel Hongkong again, Macau wouldn't be forgotten even for a day of trip.
Who would have thought that Malaysia was a part of my trip. Thanks to my Polish boss who supported all my expenses going to Malaysia. Coming to Malaysia was not just merely on travel but on purpose, lawfully purpose that I really needed to be there. I stayed in Kuala Lumpur for 3 weeks and sorry to say this but there's nothing much to see in Kuala Lumpur. I saw a lot of backpackers and even met some of them during a gathering of the Couch Surfing local members. Malaysia isn't included in my fave list places in the world but I appreciated the chance that was given to me, though it's close to Thailand but its honestly expensive traveling around Malaysia, just thinking of the low value of Baht money to Ringgit. However, I was happy when I saw Malaysia. It's cleaner than Philippines and Thailand, more progressive and organized.
The unexpected and unplanned trip I had was going to Singapore. I was in the middle of joy when the bus I boarded was already in the boarder of Singapore. That's when I thought that I was already in the vicinity of the lion city. Though my trip there wasn't that light and abundant of traveling, yet, the experience I had was irreplaceable. I realized how expensive Singapore was the reason I could not stay another day or so.
I thank God, really for the opportunities He gave me to travel the southeast part of Asia and partly in the north. It'd be so hard for an ordinary Filipino citizen to make a step just to get where I am today and the travels I made.
1. Singapore

2. Malaysia

3. Macau

4. Hongkong

5. Laos

6. Thailand

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AN UNPLANNED TRIP IN SINGAPORE

2011-01-15T23:45:00.000-08:00
I didn't expect a quick travel to Singapore on New Years eve while staying in Kuala Lumpur for three weeks. Was already set my mind of spending it in a friend's house, however, things changed unexpectedly when my friend refused to answer my calls to confirm if he'll be around by then or he'll be going somewhere else.
I was really annoyed when he didn't get back my calls, instead I decided to go Singapore and thought of spending my New Year there. Because it was a quick plan,thinking of a place and the money that I was going to spend wasn't really in mind so long as I'd see Singapore and to witness how's Singaporean people spend New Year.
I took a bus going to Singapore that took me 5 hours drive which was a bit cheaper. Spent the New Year on the road while on my way there, got held by the immigration for 30 minutes and was interrogated, my cellphone was checked, bags, and wallet, yet I was allowed to enter Singapore. The bus that I boarded left me so I took another one and paid 20 RM. It was already past 2 a.m. when I arrived the city and no idea where to go and where to spend the whole wee hours till the sun rises. Just wandering around till I reached to a train station that was close to a hostel that I searched online with the hope I could make a room reservation(who would dare to let me in?). Realized that Singaporean $ was higher than RM so I had thought of staying for a day and leave Singapore in the afternoon.
Exhausted, hungry, soaked with perspiration, sleepless but despite of that I managed to go around and see those landmarks of Singapore that we usually see in the pictures, magazine or tv.
It was a great trip eventually and that experienced would always be a good reminders for me...when backpacking, plan well, avoid and risking the quick decision.

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COUCH SURFING FRIENDS

2011-01-06T00:31:00.000-08:00
I just had a great day yesterday while staying in Kuala Lumpur. At least for my two weeks stay, it wasn't that boring because I got the chance of meeting other CS friends here in KL so as from other countries too.
Meaning it was a gathering of backpackers in Kuala Lumpur so as backpackers from other countries who are travelling in the capital city right now. Was and am certainly is happy to be a member of this backpackers online community.
To update you about our happenings let me show you some pics.

With the CS from other countries that I met in Kuala Lumpur.

Susanne Wilke from Switzerland, a very friendly and funny lady.

Me at the roof top of Traders Hotel with Petronas tower in the evening.

The street that we hang-out...place for backpackers.
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MY SECOND TRIP TO KUALA LUMPUR

2011-01-02T23:42:00.000-08:00
Sorry for not updating for a while. As usual, I'm blogging based on diary style. I just copied them from my Note Book diary.

December 22, 2010
I just arrived in Malaysia safe and sound by train. Was my first ever ride on a train. It was a long trip which isn't stressful comparing to bus. The train provides pillows, blankets and they have sleepers or berth for the passengers to sleep on. On my way to Malaysia, met fellow traveler from USA. He's at his age travelling alone and he's been coming back to Southeast Asia. I learned so many things about his travels which is a helpful one for me.
The weather in Malaysia is a bit cooler because of its frequent rains. Right on my arrivals in Kuala Lumpur, I immediately went to the place of a Malaysian girls who happens to be the friends of my friend too. I was hesitant at first because they were all girls and its my first meeting to these good Samaritans.

Train station in Bangkok.

My ticket going to Butterworth Malaysia.

Inside the train.

Sleepers or berth of the train.

December 23, 2010
Went to Poles embassy and was a bit disappointed. Didn't know that're close by Thursday. I might have forgotten the sked. After knowing the short cut going to the embassy, just realized that I could go around KL by on foot. Reached and found my way to Petronas tower by walking from Polish embassy. It wasn't that far but enough for me to be soaked with so much "pawis". Decided to go back to the apartment of the Malaysian ladies because I was kindda tired of walking around, looking some tourist places to click on.

December 24, 2010
Went back to the embassy again but the man in charge was so strict and sort of conceited. Was praying that it'd be my last day of applying my visa. Left the embassy with my head down filled with anger and desperation. Thought there'd be no problem at all, much to my expectations I failed. That night, the song "He Leadeth Me, medley" and "When Answers Aren't Enough" were the only tools that I used as my medicine to ease the pain I had, it was really soothing hearing those wonderful songs.

December 25, 2010
Christmas day so as Sabbath, but the pain is still there. Had a fellowship with the Malaysians and other nationalities in the church. Joined their community service by visiting those abandoned old folks by their children.

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DIARY NOTEBOOK

2010-12-23T04:33:00.000-08:00
Updating my blog here in Kuala Lumpur. This has been my second time to be in this country. It's pretty cool to be around the city and the weather seems to be cool too unlike in Bangkok hot balmy. Will try my best to visit Singapore before I hit back to Thailand.
This blog entry was written at my notebook diary of sort. Started doing it when I arrived in Kuala Lumpur for the first time, recording things about of my trip and everyday happenings since I can't be online everyday. So its kindda traditional a bit but let me share it with you online.

December 10, 2010
I just got back from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was a tiring trip,yet, fun. Was glad that a chance of visiting another country was granted and I am so ever thankful to God for that.
At Merdeka Square.

December 11, 2010
Refused to go to church because of my ill-feelings towards God. Well, whatever that is - its just between me and the Lord knows it. My trip to Malaysia wasn't a just plainly on travels alone but working on my visa for Poland. Been waiting for a good results of this applying since October ,yet, none of it came out positively good. Saturday afternoon was also the arrival of my visitor; a backpacker and a skate board fanatic-he's from Vancouver Canada.
Devin Lilly.

Devin on his skateboard....

December 12, 2010
A Christmas party at the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok. There was a display of various Filipino foods and items. Went there with Kim through out the whole day. A group of Pinoy band rendered songs. Many came even foreigners to witness the Christmas party. Seeing Filipinos gathered around exchanging of words as if they were in the Philippines reminded me of so much about Philippines. That was the only moment that I felt the spirit of Christmas since I left Philippines . I miss my parents and friends back home.

December 14, 2010
Devin my visitor from Vancouver Canada left yesterday afternoon for India. I accompanied him to the airport. Joeper's couch-surfing visitor from Malaysia cancelled his trip. Blessing in disguise 'coz we have important visitors coming on Friday. An American SDA missionary couple serving as teachers in Taiwan.Will pick them up at the airport Friday night.

Stacy and Zac were my visitors.

December 21, 2010
Is the day of my departure going to Malaysia again. My first ride on a train as in ever first. Never experienced getting on a train even in the Philippines. It's gonna be a long trip since train runs slowly, it is quite clean and good.
Received money worth 300$ from the school in Poland. Will be using it for my trip going down to Kuala Lumpur. Of course, the purpose of my trip is working on my visa for Poland so its not merely on traveling alone but for some significant reason. Will arrange my trip too going Singapore dunno where to spend my Christmas. Lots of backpackers boarded on a train, thought I was the only foreign backpacker on the train. The train is leaving now so, gotta park my pen here for now.
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GENTING HIGHLANDS - MALAYSIA

2010-12-19T03:28:00.000-08:00
Genting Highlands in Malaysia is a resort and recreational located up in a mountainous area of Kuala Lumpur.
I'd no idea that there's such a thing about this resort along the outskirt of the capital city, till I met fellow Filipinos in Kuala Lumpur suggested me to visit this place before I left Malaysia.
The resort doesn't only provides recreational for kids and family, but it has hotels and casinos to those who love to stay and be rejuvenated of the crispy cooling weather.
The place is just one hour away from the capital city by bus. There are ticketing offices around Kuala Lumpur for local visitors and foreigners wish to enjoy their stay in the country.
When I went there it was a bad timing I guess. The weather wasn't that favorable that time. It kept on raining so as the highlands was covered with fog and it was freezing that I didn't even bring any jackets to keep me warm. I couldn't see much of the magnificent views so as some of the rides were closed because of the bad weather.
There are two ways of getting up to the resort itself by bus directly drive you up and a skyway cable car that is so fast and that will take 30 minutes, imagine the distance of the hilltop city is 4 km. down to the bus station. I was shaking when I got off alone and the skyway cable started to fly up over the thick forest of the area.
Genting Highland is a hilltop city with its magnificent view overlooking the breathtaking views of Malaysia with its preserve forest.

A welcome sign for visitors.

Skyway cable going up to the resort.(source:http://www.destination360.com/asia/malaysia/genting-highlands)

Skyway cable car station.

Signs and guides..

Italian inspired sculpture at the hotel.

Pathway going to the theme park.

Lobby of the hotel.

At the theme park area.

One of the fine restaurants in Genting.

Vietnamese resto.

A Venice inspired canal.

A bus station in front of the colorful hotel.

Views that you'll see down of Genting resort.
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DRESSES I LOVE

2010-12-17T02:41:00.000-08:00
Got these pictures of male dresses from another fashion blogger. I have this desire of looking myself wearing any of this clothes one day or at least a local version or imitation from these dresses. Or let say close to these dresses...hmmm, I need to huddle myself at a thrifty store again.

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GETTING CLOSE TO NATURE

2010-12-14T06:55:00.000-08:00
Since I bought my own Canon camera as a self-gift, taking pictures or let say photography has been a sort of my fave hobby.
I realized that taking photos of nature specifically is a self reflection and appreciating God's creation by just a matter of clicking and a lens. Dreaming of having a DSLR type of camera is always a desire with the hope I could start my own photography with a high standard of effects and quality.
As a beginner, I start studying of my own the different angles and its curve based on my own standard and tastes in taking pictures according to the subject. I can see the great art of taking photos specially around Thailand.
The other day, I went to the King's garden alone thinking of nature communing and contemplating for a while.
The King's garden is big in terms of its surrounding, it is built dedicated to the King himself.
The area was wide with a man made lake where everyone can make their own picnic with a well manicured gardens bloom with so much flowers around that soothes your weary heart.

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