My First European Escapade

I called this My first European Escapade because I've never been to Europe at all. When I got the chance to be sent to Sweden for a business trip, I got a bit excited and as well as skeptical in the sense that I may have to adjust slightly to the culture and get myself out of my comfort zone.

Rosenberg Palace


My scheduled flight was around 10:45 am from terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. I got there at 6:30 am. Isn't it obvious that I was excited... I thought so too! I boarded 13 hour KLM flight to Amsterdam 15 minutes prior to departure. I just didn't mind the long hours of helpless stay in an airline and just entertained myself. It was not fun to be in a long flight. My back ached so much. I wasn't able to sleep. All I did was to track the flight route and the remaining hours to our next stopover.

Jorke's Passage


It was a relief that we were able to land safely at Schiphol International Airport in Amsterdam. The next connecting flight was 3 hours after and was bound to Kastrup International Airport in Copenhagen, Denmark. I again entertained myself by looking around for some stuff to eat and buy yet I never found some or maybe because I thought that the stuffs for sale are all way overpriced... (c'mon man, that was not Manila) hehehe! I just looked around again for any sign of a smoking area. I realized that I have not smoked for almost 15 hours. So i walked and walked and walked yet there was not even a sign directing me to a smoking zone. To my frustration, I had the couraged of asking an airport personnel. I became more frustrated knowing that the whole airport is a none smoking zone... what the...!!! I just hoped that the airport in Copenhagen will allow me to smoke.

Another hour on board to Copenhagen was no matched to a 13 hour journey to Amsterdam. My excitement lived again. I looked forward to planning my itenerary the next day. After a moment, an annoucement from the cockpit said that we were about to land to Copenhagen. Wow, that was fast!!! I realized that I got a bit busy on thinking about my leisure plans for the following day and did not noticed that an hour had passed. We landed to Copenhagen at around 11:15 pm Denmark time.

Nyboder


The airport is huge and they allow smoking on designated areas. It was a relief. After puffing two sticks of a Philippine made cigarette which I brought with me knowing that vices in Europe is really expensive, my taxi which will take me to Malmo, Sweden came. It was another 30 minute of land travel over Oresund bridge which connects Denmark and Sweden.

St. Alban's Church


We came to Malmo at passed 12 midnight. I checked in at SAS Radisson Hotel in Malmo which my company booked for me. After getting in to my room, I laid myself down to the bed, set my alarm at 10am and I realised that it was already morning and I needed to getup for a walk around.

God’s Love

I wonder how God sees through the skies
What he thinks whenever we make lies?
I wonder how he speaks through our hearts
How he comforts us when our dreams fall apart?

When I was a kid I tend to look above
To see the clouds and directly speak to God
When I feel alone and my tears shed on
I feel His presence to continue and move on.

On the latter part of day my life seems ending
Like shattered glass… each piece is breaking
I kneel down to ask for his guidance
The rays from above shines through my countenance

I whisper a prayer of solemn gratitude
For a love so endless and forgiving attitude
I tried to keep my feet on righteousness
The dreadful is stronger than my own holiness.

I know I’m unworthy of God’s true mercy
Unacceptable to the promise of life eternity
My existence is a living testimony
That without Him… I’m useless… unworthy!

Sunsets in my mind

I'm fascinated with how the sun sets itself in the horizon. This phenomenon gives a poignant thought in me thinking that a day full of happines, struggles and hope bids goodbye to make way for another sunrise the following morning.


When I started photography, the sun has been one of my favorite subjects. I've always dreamt of capturing a full bodied sun yet until this writing I'm still unlucky. The photo on the right was my first attempt but it seemed that it wasn't my time yet. Manila sky became so cloudy that afternoon and only an orangey sky concluded my day! My second photo may seem a sucess yet I'm still not satisfied. I became helpless. How would I be able to capture the sun's full glamour while setting down slowly? One of my good friends gave me a sensible suggestion. Back then, I was using Olympus FE-170, a compact digital camera which I used for a year. She mentioned that since there will be no way for me to adjust the settings of my camera, images are captured automatically, thus I have no way to focus on my subject accurately. "It would have been better for you to get a DSLR... and see the difference.", she added. That's when I thought of getting my first digital SLR cam.

Below is an example of my most recent shot:



The result may not be how I want it to but this is better than my previous one. The original image is a bit pale so I decided to run it through my own digital dark room, the Photoshop. I adjusted the toning, a bit of cropping to release the photos potential. The photo looks better now, I think!

Vote for the New 7 Wonders of the World

I encourage everyone to cast your votes to the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

Voting for nominees will continue until December 31, 2008. The top 21 nominees will be selected and will be announced on January 2009.

Let's support the Philippines' nominees and make our country proud!


Tubbataha Reef


Chocolate Hills


Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park


Mayon Volcano

The New 7 Wonders of Nature will be chosen by popular vote and will continue through 2010. In the summer of 2010, the New 7 Wonders of Nature will be declared.

Live Ranking is available here!

Photos from: www.new7wonders.com

Am I happy? You guess.

Have you ever asked yourself if you're happy?

I've tried asking this question myself for a lot of times now. A part of me says, I am, but my head keeps on whispering otherwise.

When I was still a kid, I dreamt of growing older. I even asked if God could pull the days so I'll be older sooner than it should be. I wanted to quickly finish my school, receive my diploma, go to work and earn money, lots and lots of money so I could make myself and my family happy.

When I got to high school, I tried to apply for a part time job but no company needed my service then. I even tried to do someoone's homeworks in exchange for food or for pieces of coins which I kept for emergencies. Life was so cruel, time was rough. I've shed so may tears questioning the existence of poverty, of my misfortune. Why was I born poor? Why were there children who could go to school without thinking of where to find the money to spend? Why are there people who could afford to buy luxury without asking for its price? Why can't I do the same?

Then I went to college and strived really hard to be able to finish a "degree" which the society needs to get you to the job. I was able to make it. At last, I received the very fruit of my perseverance and my every drop of sweat and blood.

I can say that I am sucessful, atleast to the path that I took. I'm now at the middle of my growing career, surrounded by bureucratic and nepotistic colleagues, pathetic peers, temptations, envy and deceit. If you have the appetite to swallow these, you'll earn that money.


I bet you're asking how much do I earn. I think the safest way to answer that is that I'm earning more than I need.

But the bottomline is, am I happy? You guess.

This life is so miserable that it thought me how to be greedy. It thought me how to turn things around in my favor. It thought me how to wear that smiling face. It thought me how to lie. It thought me everything against the norms and beyond the truth. It thought me how to not be me.

As I keep on pulling the days and times of my life... I lost myself.

I think... I already answered the question.