It's funny now that I think about it, I really didn't have fond memories of Glasgow (except a time or two with my friends). And I find it odd because going to new places always excites me and it did actually, but it was a different story when I got there and stayed for a week. The weather has always been grey since the day we arrived. The conference organiser had to give out hundreds of raincoats to conference delegates. I got a yellow one, screaming "slow down" to incoming traffic. I didn't figure in a vehicular accident, thankfully. I'm not sure how one can, since the roads are too narrow in the city centre and the bus drivers seemingly polite with their hats and Scottish accents.
still the roads are quite narrow for a main thoroughfare, I guess most roads in Europe?
I had to wear eyeshades and draw my curtains to block out the light
I wandered alone one day, decided to skip the early part of the conference and visit the Glasgow Cathedral. I got there so early that it was still closed. The dead in the nearby necropolis kept their silence as I took frame after frame of that morning's stillness. They decided to keep mum about the cathedral's opening time. They must thought that everybody can read the sign, but what if I'm blind.
Early morning visit at the necropolis, too coward to go inside though
grey as usual and a drizzle every 5 minutes or so
how can people survive this kind of weather
I'm blogging about my new shiny, fresh books from FB.
Listening to an assortment of songs, mainly Coldplay's, Tori's, Freshly Ground, etc.
Trying my damnednest not to watch another ep of CSI.
And watching Alanis Morrisette's parody of My Humps in Youtube.
Busy.
Aside from the terrible heat today (31 deg), I couldn't complain more as I just received my freshly stamped passport from the British Embassy. They gave me 6 months multiple entry, God bless UK.
Did I mention I'm working full time now? From home? God bless Civ.
Now hny and I can focus on our travel to Malaysia which makes me a bit nervous expenses-wise.
I have to pay for everything for my Glasgow trip upfront then I'll get reimbursed later. Just too many expenses and the dollars won't come until the the first week and end of May. By then, I'll be paying huge amounts for my credit card bills. Ah life.
At least I got an uber-nice shoes for hny and myself, the amount of the latter totally pales in comparison to his shoes, like 13 times less. Oh well.
If you're a fan of the anime series Bleach and Naruto, you definitely know Dattebayo as they are the leading subber for these two highly-anticipated shows.
When DB released the subbed Bleach episode 122 yesterday, there was a "troll" message inserted in the opening message of the episode about the Virginia Tech killings. I'm currently downloading it so I don't have an idea what's its all about. I hope it's not another prank of DB as it might not elicit a chuckle from its supporters compared to the nicely executed April Fool's joke it pulled.
Read DB's apology here:http://yhbt.mine.nu/pr/30
Will update once hny and I finished watching.
http://yhbt.mine.nu
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Life's little surprises
Kinda busy today as I'm now working full time, eight hours of work...bliss.
Still with my org in SA, still with the same program, the name of which I'm thrilled to say whenever people asks where I work : CSI. Beat that. hehe
Okay got to go, the Italian slave driver needs my help ;)
So, Thursday night, the three henchmen and I decided to meet up at Henny Penny situated beside Hi-top supermarket in Quezon Avenue. The place is very unassuming, it's cosy and good if you want to have a quiet conversation. I plopped down on one of their comfy seats and surveyed the place. Not too many diners that night. There's a display window with lots of cakes and weiners at the counter and loaves of bread as well. A divider is up between the main dining area and the cashier's counter which displays different gourmet-flavoured coffee, which I didn't bother to check. I can still wait for my Kenyan coffee still traveling halfway around the world, I presume.
I was really famished and hoped that the food is great and the serving big enough to sate the revolution in my tummy. There's a lot in the menu but we all asked for the tried and tested selection: I had a plate of french toast, two eggs, bacon, huge weiner, and a grilled tomato (Php168) plus hny and I shared half a chicken (Php138). The guys had the same except for pancakes. I also ordered Buko shake (Php50).
The meal was very satisfying. The french toast cut in, bite-size for easier nibbling and the pancake were both fluffy and not too sweet. The sausage was tender and not oily nor rubbery plus it's huge! I also liked the roasted chicken with its sweet and spicy sauce, I think roasting was perfectly timed as if it's left too long the meat would be hard, too short there'd still be blood on the chicken.
While eating, the guys are comparing the food with other restaurants serving "breakfast" meals, like Harry's and Pancake House. The latter got the biggest flak for serving size and Harry's is a bit far along UST plus I remembered their sausage was a bit overcooked when I had it in their Baguio branch. Obviously, HP is the hands down winner.
Henny Penny is located beside Hi-top Supermarket along Quezon Avenue. Ample parking.
The commemoration of Holy week was one of those times when I felt like being part of the minority. I don't belong to an organised religion and sometimes the consequences of making that choice are quite discomforting. I've learned that since I was a kid, there'd be a time of the year when there'd be no cartoons on TV, for a week! That's quite traumatic for a kid you know.
Last week, I received an email from a colleague in Johannesburg inviting me to attend the World Assembly in Glasgow. I was asked to book my ticket and by Friday send back the costs that I'll incur for that trip. Knowing that the entire nation would temporarily hibernate for the rest of the week, I frantically called travel agencies trying to book my ticket. Communication with people during these times would be futile since their minds are already in vacation mode. I received erratic quotes (there was one where my name is Cristianne) though not entirely their fault. I think I did panic too. Thursday night, I was on the verge of crying, and yet again I was saved by Technology. Yes, that god-less, amoral creation of man. To cut it short, I was able to book a ticket with emirates.com and sent back the claims form that same night, within a few minutes, without the hassles of misspelt names and incorrect dates.
I still have loads of things to do and at one point wondered if Glasgow is worth all these sh*t. I have to cancel my attendance in a summer course on globalisation and civ soc, get bank statements, letters, and undergo the whole rigmarole of applying for a visa, where you're life would depend on a single individual with biases and prejudices deciding whether to give you that much-coveted stamp or deny you entrance to their blessed country. And yet, it's different the other way around, when 'they' apply for a visa to go to Asia, it's almost served in a silver platter. What's more pissing is the waiting time. I have to get my passport back before May 10 because of our trip to Malaysia.
Last night, I stopped thinking about these for a while and enjoyed glasses-ful of vodka, cherry and sprite, and I thought, this is how life should be; chilled, uncomplicated, worry-free. But no, because most of the time someone eventually gets drunk, makes a mess of himself, and you have no choice but to see the bastard home.
