Showing posts with label bits about myself. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bits about myself. Show all posts

got an interesting tag from Kero's, a travel celebration!




Where, of all the places you have never been, do you want to go to most?

ahh, where indeed? an old friend from Denmark emailed me several days ago, just to say hello and asked about how life has been going these days, months, and years that quickly passed by. his life-update about living in his country suddenly reminded me of the memory of those far, far away lands that got my interest as a child. i got acquainted with these countries through a small table picture calendar of different countries around the world. the places that most intrigued me are the countryside photos of the Scandinavian countries: Norway, Sweden and Denmark. with my friend's email, I just realized that the feeling of interest is still there. these countries seemed sooo distant that, to me, they're mysterious, exotic and exciting. i'd like to go there.



Where do you most want to go back to?

ohhh, where indeed? I usually don't want to go back to places I've already been! but yes, to be honest, there are a few places i want to go back to, not much for sightseeing but to visit friends who are living in those places. i guess this means that it is the warmth, hospitality and friendliness of people that which brings you back to places.

i'd like to go back to Batanes (but in summer time!)

tokyo, tokyo, tokyo! - fast paced and busy but not chaotic; highly modern yet can be very traditional; crowded, yet can be an oasis of calm - a metropolis of paradox! I still have my favorite hang-outs there, and yes, a bunch of quirky, funny friends. (someday, again, will be back!)




tokyo in 2002




and, yes, I want to go back to China. China is such a huge country to explore, a world/empire/kingdom? in its own right. very diverse, very colorful, amazing nature and culture.




Favourite City?

i've seen only a few cities since i'm not a city person. as a passionate anthropologist would do, i'd prefer exploring the countrysides, the mountains and caves, the ruins, and tinkering with whatever remaining artifacts that may still exist.

but ok, of the few cities i really spent time in, i'd choose the idiosyncrasies of tokyo, and the soft charm and aliveness of Khao San rd in Bangkok.




Least favourite city?

awww! shall i say manila? i'm never fond of the place but i guess, if i live in a less dense, less polluted location, or in other words, in an upscale neighborhood, i'd tolerate this city and maybe even come to love it. i had such a brief experience for a week or so, staying at the Intercontinental hotel, a 2 minute sweat-less walk to the big malls, shopping, dining, watching movie and getting spa massage (ahh, shall i think that i had a privileged life back then? haha...). but those were occasional perks and not everyday occurrences (at least for me), so it doesn't really change my hard-wired biased opinion about the city.






Makati, view from the Intercontinental






swimming pool inside the hotel





see what i mean? manila can be lovely-dovey if you can afford the better neighborhood. (or is it just me and my subjective opinion?)





Do you speak other languages?

Japanese, and bits of Bahasa - just enough to get by, but perhaps i've forgotten it by now really.




How do you get by without being fluent?

that, i'd say, is a miracle.




Best airport?

what? oh, backpack traveling does not require airports does it? specially when you only explored Southeast Asia which is a string of connected countries where you can easily reach through buses, trains, boats, and even on foot!

but ok, to satisfy the question, my best bet would be the Narita International Airport.



Worst airport?

i'm not being bitchy here but NAIA I honestly gives me the creeps. specially that part across the exit where the people are waiting behind a metal fence as if they're, uhh... words to describe just eludes me at the moment.




Best travel tips?

pack light, don't bring along your wardrobe.

learn a few useful phrases of the country you are visiting. english is maybe the declared international language but the Chinese don't give a damn.




Biggest travel mistake?

hmmm... i could enumerate a few but i tell you, all the mistakes i would point out here were all based in one thing - "fear." stay in the safe side but do not be paranoid. examples: fear that someone out there is there to harm /cheat you; fear that you're going to run out of money and so you go really dirt cheap compromising the fun and comfort of the trip. so what's the use of traveling if no fun? huh?




Best coffee outside your city? Best coffee in your city?

a) - iced coffee conveniently sold anywhere in Bangkok is so far the best thirst quencher and energy (caffeine) booster. specially with Bangkok's perpetually hot days and nights.

b) - in my city, i love Mr. Donut's creamy coffee.





Best meal while on travel? Best meal in your city?


a) - countless i'd say. but as i am not so fond of foodies, i don't really keep tab of where and what I ate and consider to be the best. there are sumptuous meals everywhere, especially after a day's adventure and a warm shower and a meal is there ready for you. that, makes the meal "best" for me.




a meal at jungle guesthouse in Bukit Lawang, Sumatra




b) - what I considered the "best" meals in my city were served by a couple of international cuisines that has long disappeared: a genuine Thai restaurant and an original Indian restaurant. is this city unable to support and maintain such culinary variations? i've been wondering about that for years now.




at the Thai restaurant i was saying.



Most breathtaking view from your travel? Most breathtaking view in your city?

a) - too many to mention, really, too many. that is because when i travel i purposely choose to go and see the "most" breathtaking views :-).

nonetheless, according to its difficulty based on accessibility, novelty, and world rank, i'd say that the most and fiercest breathtaking views are the towering, rocky, icy mountains, and very deep and frothy gorges of Tiger Leaping Gorge in Yunnan China.


the limestone mountains and glassy waters of Coron and El Nido Palawan are also breathtaking!




el nido




the colorful fishes and corals in the deeps of Palawan and Aceh are breathtaking.




Weh Island in Aceh, fishes swimming can be seen right from your patio. unfortunately, i did not have an underwater camera so i couldn't share the wonders of the deep i was so impressed about.




the Balinese dancers are mesmerizing, thus, also breathtaking!





Barong dance in Ubudville




the blooming cherry blossoms gracefully draping the peaceful Kyoto and Nara temples and shrines are equally breathtaking!





me in Spring year 2000 in kyoto










i could go on and on but then we have to stop somewhere...
the world is certainly full of breathtaking views!!!



b) - in my city, there's sometimes a breathtaking view of the sunset right from my window. i luv it!




yeah, right from my window.



thanks Kero dear for making me remember the charmed past once again. :-)







.



... since coming back from a three day trek almost two weeks ago, i'm suddenly swamped with things to do; like chasing people who owed me money from several years back!


... i'm being busy with a house project where i need the money for. luckily, without me asking, my big brother offered financial assistance; enough to cover half of the cost. and the cost is still rising. and the work is getting prolonged, longer than expected.



... whew, but i feel joyous and excited in the process - it's what is important - no, not chasing the debtors - but the house project is somewhat very exciting.



oh, nevermind the debtors who are giving me a .g*jkhk*f!..............
i'll try to focus on my joy so more joy will come.







Artemis archetype:

moon goddess, also the goddess of the hunt, and the forest.















.






"great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from weak minds"

- Einstein









Artemis, your Life Path of 7 ...



You are a reserved, analytical and peace-loving soul who is blessed with intuition and intelligence. Your ability to concentrate, learn and absorb information far outshines other numbers and you often excel at all forms of scholastics. Usually your intellectual prowess as well as the clarity and foresight of mind is very evident to others at an early age.



However, at the same time you are also a very spiritual number. This is because you believe whole heartedly in the relationship between Mother Nature and science. This is part of your inquisitive nature and determination to get to the bottom of what makes the world tick.



You dislike braggarts, gossips and neurotic individuals and find socializing difficult. This is because you can barely hold back your contempt of other people, who are often, indeed acting like fools. You dislike crowds, noise and confusion, so others are more likely to find you watching television at home rather than attending a big sports events.



As you are so intelligent and intuitive, you almost always end up being in the right place at the right time. Number 7's tend to excel at any career that they choose as they have the discipline and mental power to master anything in half the time of the other numbers. As they are so smart, they are also often very good with money and never make the mistake of letting compound interest work against them. If you are a seven then you are the number that is probably the most reluctant to lend or borrow money.



Your mind works at the speed of lightning but often this makes it difficult for you to be understood by others. Others simply cannot evaluate or analyze information as fast as you. Some 7's have such quick minds that they have difficulty expressing themselves. One of your life path challenges is to learn how to slow down and accommodate those that may not be as smart as you but may offer you emotional rewards in your life.


* "slow down and accommodate ..."-- tehee, what a sacrifice!



The fact that you are so easily misunderstood makes social and love situations very challenging for you. Usually 7's suffer a great deal of rejection from their peers as they are seen as contemptuous and aloof. Overcoming shyness is also a common problem for sensitive 7's who can't understand why others don't appreciate how smart they are.


You are not likely to have a wide circle of friends, but once you do accept someone as your friend the bond is usually for life. The same thing goes for your love life. It is not unusual for a seven to go their entire life without a partner simply because you cannot relate to the emotions and drama that accompany most relationships. This causes you to appear self-centered to others as you opt to spend your time on more interesting subjects.


* :-) .. yes, "on more interesting subjects" indeed, lol!

some friends accuse me of being cold and unemotional just because i really can't stand their indulgence in too much drama, and the melodramatic movies they love to watch.



As emotions are very trying for your brilliant mind, you may find yourself feeling very unbalanced when you are in a relationship. More than any other number you are very prone to negative codependent behaviors such as obsession or acting out fears of abandonment on a partner. For this reason many close personal relationships don't often last.


* emotions very trying for my brilliant mind? tell me, is this a curse?

* close personal relationships don't often last? not very true in the past but possibly from now on as I have been discovering more of myself :-)


You are happiest when you are alone to pursue your innermost thoughts and inner dreams. You may also be interested in the occult or metaphysical matters as well as science, anthropology, archaeology and religions. Many number 7's are great music lovers as it is an art form that blends math with spiritual qualities.


*... i'm a music lover though i'm not a musician. the math they teach in school (or maybe how they teach it?) is not loved by me. the rest of the description is 99.9 % correct.

...


try yours @ http://123numerology.com, and see if it resonates. it's for free but requires email address.


* * *




there was once a friend of mine who is exceptionally brilliant. his Life-Path too, is number 7. though he is a genius and has a very strong character, he treats people really harshly - in the way he talks to them. i felt sorry for these people so i told him to be more compassionate; to be more accommodating and tolerant of the weaknesses of others. what is being a genius for if not accompanied by compassion and understanding of the different Life-Path of others?

i reminded him Jewel's song: "in the end, kindness is all that matters."


his response was something i did not expect. he posed the question:

"is the strong gonna stoop down to the level of the weak?"


he says that it serves the weak better to look to the strong, for challenge and motivation. so they could strive to strengthen their character and upgrade their level of intelligence. he said that he is being severe with the weak because he wants to challenge them and mold their characters - that he is acting as a "worthy opponent" to the warriors who take the challenge. and that by being a worthy opponent, he is in fact being compassionate.


his words made sense to me as it reminded me of Carlos Castaneda's worthy opponent, Dona Catalina, who stood in the way in his quest to become an impeccable warrior. Because of Carlos' "worthy opponent," who really was "worthy" for a warrior like his caliber, Carlos amassed more power.


Then there was this Indian guru who said something like this: if there are 20 poor people, and there's only 1 person who is wealthy, as an act of compassion and spirituality, is it advisable for the wealthy one to distribute his wealth to the 20 poor people?


the answer is NO, for that would NOT make the 20 poor people become rich. that would only make more poor people, as there will now be 21 poor people.


the wealthy person's task is to be a good example to the other 20 poor people, on how to become prosperous.




... such is the dilemma of a number 7; how to balance the gift of intelligence with compassion.












... is, A Charmed Life: Life's a Play, because my "Life Expression" number is:








Your Potential Natural Talents and Abilities

You are at the height of your self-expression when you feel that others are experiencing "being high on life" like you are. One of your personal goals may be to uplift humanity or spread joy or enthusiasm wherever you go. You know how to unite others through the magic of performance, song, dance, singing, acting or literature. For this reason, you are fated to entertain others in some way, whether you are in showbiz or not!

-- no showbiz for me, writing, storytelling, and dance, yes!


You are imaginative in every way possible. As you are a great innovator your career choice may be unorthodox in some way. You consider the accumulation of experiences to be your greatest wealth so you may choose a career in which you travel a lot so you can meet as many people and encounter as many different kinds of situations as possible.



You love to dare to be grand and this is reflected in your mannerisms and speech. You often speak in full paragraphs and are a captivating storyteller. You often throw your entire body into your self-expression so that it is one with what you are saying. For this reason many of you make incredible actors, opera singers, teachers or performers.



You also have a natural dexterity that makes it easy for you to learn and play music. Threes are often blessed with a natural sense of comic timing as well as rhythm. This makes you an excellent dancer and lover.



You love philosophy and the old cliches that are true in life so when you feel lost emotionally you rely on wise words to get you through. You rarely take anything that happens to you in life personally, a trait that frustrates your enemies to no end. This ability to let stuff "roll off your back" serves you well in the many complex emotional situations that threes often get into.

-- i'm a wandering philosopher, or is it wondering? lol.



You relate better to large groups of people then you do one on one. As threes are often no shows in their family lives and rarely have time to pay attention to their lovers they are likely to show their affection by giving lavish gifts. However this is often perceived by others as an attempt to buy others affection or as a lousy substitute for real emotional support.

-- uh, uh, does not resonate.



As you adore being in the spotlight you probably dress to impress. Either you dress in the latest trendy fashions or in an eccentric fashion that makes it impossible for others not to notice you. As you are an oddly sentimental creature, you are fond of heirlooms and one of a kind jewelry and clothing that sets you apart from the crowd.

-- dress to impress!?! :-) I don't usually dress to impress, but i do relatively like to dress differently, specially using some weird accessories.. tehee..



One of the greatest gifts you have to offer others is your boundless optimism and enthusiasm for life. Others who meet you rarely forget you as you always make a permanent first impression.

-- a charmed life


Although on the surface you might appear to be a bit shallow to others usually you are motivated by the desire to have others transcend petty emotions and pains in life. Nothing annoys you more than a person that insists on looking down at his shoes when he could be looking up at a big wide sky full of stars. The ultimate achievement of your life expression is to change the consciousness of others so that they aspire to their highest ideals.


All in all, 97% accurate, but most people actually don't know me, even those who think they do.



What is Expression Number? 

This is sometimes known as the Destiny Number
or the Personality number.

This sum describes all of the talents and potentials that are
at your disposal in this lifetime and is calculated from the
letters that compose your full birth name. It represents what
kind of ideals or standards that you need to live up to in
this lifetime to be "complete."






.

it's winter time in places where there is winter :-), yep northern hemisphere.


i LUV winter. oh, i lived for two years in "snow-country," a place where tons of snow lasts for almost half a year. yeah, it was really depressing for many, specially that we were all away from home. but I didn't make a fuss much about the weather then. perhaps because there were just lots of things to do. i mean, if schoolwork and deadlines come to you like avalanche themselves, you don't really have time to think about the weather...


with my very limited photo-manipulating abilities, i tried my best to make these old photos look better, but it seems this is how good it can get. (these were re-shoot pictures from a hard-copy photo album, since i have no photo scanner)...







yep, nothing striking about this photo to earn the first place in these very RANDOM bunch of pix, but yeah, it's special in a way. the caption says: first snowfall, tehee.....

(excuse me, i'm a tropical chick - meaning - first snow is like eating an ice-cream :-))









3 girls from the tropics went nutz!
went out in the middle of the night to play like craaazzzy!








we're readying for snowball throwing








my very first try of winter sports.

(i was too scared for skiing then when we went up north so i settled for the gentler one - ice-skating. t'was really lotsa fun.)








up north Nagano, that lake was frozen.
we could walk on icy-glassy water.









i was being taught how to ski.








i did learn... oh, i wonder when i can do this again...
yes this route is quite the easy one

(but i also managed to do the more advanced/steeper routes as i got the hang of it. just have no photo to show :-)








... just thought this was cute with the Autumn leaves framing the photo.








... and how i greatly miss those mountains...
2 years with those amazing views, ahh.....

(was like being in a monastery in the Himalayas, as we were confined studying political 'sutras' within our four-walled white little cells)









bland fresh ice-cream everywhere...

(but my hair really gets thick, shiny and straight during winter.)








inside an iglOo.....




apart from skiing, other things i love about winter are going to open air
hot springs, nabeh pot parties and drinking...


by the way, in japan, there are sprinklers everywhere (mostly), you don't have to break your back shoveling snow. but still, blizzards are blizzards, and are dangerous when traveling by car.




Travel Period: 99-00 & 02-04


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..... i am kinda feeling very lazy to post lately.
............ that feeling of "aversion" to blog has struck again... unfortunately.





anyway, i think the simplicity of this meme would be enough "update" for now. (while at the back of my mind, a voice says, 'there's no need to update?') ha ha.




8 MOVIES I watched recently:


1. Avatar
2. 2012
3. This Is It (MJ)
4. The Proposal
5. Red Cliff
6. Mr. & Mrs. Smith
7. The Ugly Truth

8. ------- i don't remember anymore as i have to go as far back as last year if i have to complete the list... i now only watch movies on big screen, or rarely, through internet download, as i have totally discarded the TV and my DVD player had mysteriously stopped functioning.....




8 THINGS I look forward to:

1. starting a rumba dance lesson with a friend, yikes!

2. go to hot-spring tomorrow (hopefully, supposed to be today but...)

3. attend a Benguet Kanyaw feast on the 13th, sat. (hopefully)

4. hiking on the 14th, sun.

5. attend a FREE Hebrew language class beginning on the 6th, sat. [i'm still considering this freebie.. i absolutely love to learn languages (and along with the free classes, they give free snacks too! plus a certificate at the end, though i'm not really interested on that little piece of paper which is supposed to certify that I learned Hebrew?) ... the catch is, the place is relatively far, and...and i hope this is a religiously non-partisan thing :-)]


6. Looking forward to moving to a "new" place.

7. ... and friends and I re-painting and re-decorating the new place.

8. finally, always looking forward to SUCCESS, :-)




8 THINGS that happened Yesterday:

1. checked mails and read some stuff (as usual)

2. had a nap at noon.

3. got together with some friends and ate pizza.

4. went to Booksale to check if the book i saw last week was still there (was no longer there).

5. walked down the street and bought peeled green mango soaked in bagoong and suka sauce, yummy!

6. ate a piece of prune cake at Jack's. (yes, right after eating the green mango above).

7. went to market and apart from the veggies and a kilo of bones for the dogs, i bought a pair of fleecy boots.


8. came home and found a very late-delivered Christmas card.


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i was going over some photos when i was inspired to form a photo-story that tells about so-called new year's resolution.



my new year's resolution?



here it is, (in general)
it's more of a new year's wish (?) actually!







this was the first pic that caught my attention as i was going over old photos.



ha! so, new year's wish?


1. go "international" (whatever that means, ha ha)












2. have lots o' fun!









3. no stop for adventure!

































4. ..............................................abundance!











5. do relax and treat the temple (the body)...... once in a while, go for massage, spa, etc.













6. be beauty!











7. cultivate and be at peace....























8. ... be happi!




















9. ...................... but most of all, just be!












...well, these has been what i've been up to for the past year(s). it was good, and so i wish to continue and make it even better...





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Happy New Decade Everybody!
Happy New Year!!




For the New Year....

I'm redesigning my wardrobe to reflect more of me!


Those formal work-clothes, mostly dark-colored, will have to go. The polyesters, too, will be gradually leaving my wardrobe to make room for more cottons and silks. :-)


I don't think I'm ever to go back working in the conventionally structured-work-set-up again. It's just not me, so why die trying?


I wrapped (very nicely) a couple of those very-slightly-used office work clothes in some bright-colored box and glittery Christmas wrap and gave them as a Christmas present to a friend (shhhhh... she shouldn't know that they weren't exactly new :-)). But I know she could make good use of them. As it turned out, they looked very elegant on her, as I have imagined. And she's luving 'em!


Some of the work-clothes went to my cousin who is just starting her work-life.


No more corporate world for me, ha! No more academic too! (seriously!)


Here are some stuff I shopped (ukay) last Christmas.







pink shirt, 20 bucks, 100% cotton
(I found it in a box for children's wear!)








100% silk, 30 bucks
(hilltop market)






black corduroy skirt, 20 bucks










95% cotton & 5% spandex, 20 bucks
(zamora st., market)









100% cotton, 20 bucks
(zamora st., market)










jeans skirt, 20 bucks




i bought the 6 pieces above on the same day,
which cost a total amount of 130 pesos.
however, my lunch that day (with friends) was 169 pesos!
what a disproportion :-(....
i guess i was too hungry and tired from shopping that i didn't care about the meal price!









cute shorts, brand new :-), 35 bucks,
bought 2 days before Christmas Eve








ha... 150 bucks, friend says it's expensive
(though she admits it was a good pick)








brand new swimsuit (but bought from ukay just the same)
it's tag was still attached to it.
expensive - 200 bucks,
'Rush-buy' the evening before a postponed swimming excursion with friends. (jeez! I could have had a 40 bucks discount if I didn't buy it that day!)






and to boot...




leader boots! 150 bucks
(spotted the other evening in front of maharlika bldg )





ohh, hope these will be my last shopping for this year!
haha, definitely so, i think.




fun to be a gal,
tehee! :-)




(ps. and last post for this year! :-)



hapi, hapi, hapi 2010!