My UK Trip

These are just some of the photos I've taken during my 3 weeks stay in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.









I'll post the rest of the photos when I get back from another trip in the UK. I'm flying this Saturday and will be back probably on February or worse March. Just be patient guys!

All Smiles

I'm fascinated by how most Filipinos still managed to smile amid adversities and challenges that we experience everyday.

Life is getting harder as time passes by. Jobs are getting scarce, money is hard to find, casulaties are everywhere yet we still have the courage to show big smiles with our friends or even to strangers that we feel to share our positive outlook in life.

I've been dealing with numerous foreign citizens, most of them are colleagues and some are long time friends. They feel weird everytime they see Filipinos laughing while chatting with friends on the streets and still have time to sit back and relax on coffee shops and restaurants. As for most them, we should be thinking of other ways to keep our lives better, either by looking for a better paying job, keeping up with debts and dealing with national issues.

If you will ask me, my logical side will say they're correct. We should have been a little more proactive in looking for possible ways to live better and more comfortable other than being contented on what we currently have. We should have the initiative to do our own small ways for a progressive nation building. We should be working harder than what we do to keep up with other countries who leave us behind economic progression.


But if you will ask my practical side, I think, there's nothing much that we could do. I'm not saying that we can't do anything at all to correct what we've done wrong in the past. I just would like to justify that if we need reforms, this should start with revising the current system. If we will live with the system that we're used to, regardless of how we work hard, it will just be worthless, as if like we're saving money in a pocket with a hole.

We Filipinos love to smile, to laugh and to show the world that we are still contented though life is harsh. This is our own way to at least forget our miseries, our failures and misfortunes. This shows our appreciation to life and it's blessings however small. This is who we are. This is the Filipino trademark.

My Sagada misadventure

I was about to go to Sagada in Mountain Province to spend my weekend there. Everything were set. My holiday, my itenerary, my long journey and the adventure ahead, I was so excited.



Aboard Victory Liner at around 7 in the morning Saturday (October 4), I patiently waited for the bus to arrive in Baguio and looking forward for another 6 hours travel from there to Sagada. Prior to these, I've constantly visited alot of travel blogs about Sagada and the route to go there from Baguio City. As per what I;ve read, I would need to reach Baguio City at before 1pm the latest and get a Lizardo Bus which will leave to Sagada at 1pm.



At around 12:40pm which I was very happy because, usually Victory Liner arrives in Baguio few minutes late but this time, the travel was smooth and fast. I took a cab to Dangwa and asked the driver to take me there as fast as he could so I could catch the bus before it leaves. He did what I said so I gave him a little tip for doing a great job! To my disappointment, no more bus will leave to Sagada that day until the following morning which is Sunday. The last bust already left at 10am. The travel blog I've read may have not updated the information. I was so furious!

I cannot leave Baguio to Sagada on a Sunday because if that's the case, I won't be able to attend a company gathering on Monday afternoon as planned. Due to tight schedule, though there is still hope to get to Sagada the following morning, I didn't push it anymore. I just stayed in Baguio with, embarassed and frustrated.

I immediately changed plan and got a hotel room to stay. Good thing, I know my way to Baguio for an affordable yet comfortable accomodation. I checked in at around 2:30pm. I just laid myself on the bed to rest my tired body for a moment and lingered my changed itenerary over my head. At around 3:00pm, guess what? It rained!



It actually didn't just rained, it poured! "What a weekend!", I just murmured! Instead of taking a cab again to go somewhere else, I just stayed in the hotel and got myself for a late lunch! I just spent it rest of Saturday sleeping. I travelled this long just to sleep? I need a life, c'mon! The rain didn't stop until around 2:00 in the morning on Sunday.

The next morning, I woke up at around 7:00. I took a quick breakfast over the cafe down at the hotel lobby and got myself to go. I decided not to go too far for I needed to check out at 12:00 nn for Manila so I could have time to still sleep before going to work. I strolled the very famous Burnham Park, the Baguio City Market, Session Rd for the ukay-ukay and that's it, nothing Special!



I came back to the hotel at 11:00 in the morning to get a nice bath and fixed myself to leave. With a bagful of Baguio-identified products, I took a cab and headed to the bus station again! Nice weekend? Yeah right!

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!