Quick blog as always. Title is totally unrelated with the post, just want to post the link to my travel photos in webshot. Some shots of Hexham and Bath trip, more soon.

http://tinyurl.com/5gcx9m

Spring is coming but it's still cold. It's brighter and you can see lots of sun during the day but don't get fooled, it's 3C outside today :(

Ciao!

I've been very busy these past few weeks. Sorting out visa, entry and exit clearances, getting pissed off by the sheer incompetence of some people, though everything seems to be sorted now. I've started to pack my luggage, put my new skywards tags, list down things I still need to buy, and squeeze in last minute meet ups with friends and relatives. We just got back from a one day visit to my lola in the province over the weekend, very hectic and tiresome but I just have to see them one last time before I leave for a whole year.

I'm quite excited, it's gonna be a new environment, new people, new work altogether. I'm expecting lots of challenges too. Right now I'm trying to get accommodation remotely, google map comes in handy in locating potential flats close to the University.

My thinking is that I've survived Johannesburg, I'll definitely survive Newcastle. But looking at the weather and the kind of assistance that I'm getting, I'm starting to doubt that. My stay in SA is soo organised: somebody had picked me up from the airport, I already have a place to stay before I got there, transpo going to work all sorted out. This trip looks like a journey to Mars coordinated by Philippine airspace travel (which is basically nonexistent). At the moment, I'm quite stumped deciding over which shoes to leave and which to bring.

Good thing about me is that I don't easily give up. I was able to communicate with a Filipino living there in Newcastle and he's really so nice to help me out. Too bad he's moving to Australia.
I've also been negotiating with a Brit for my accommodation, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she'll see reason over the Western Union money transfer thing which I'm not gonna budge in.

I have a hundred things to do and only two days left, I think I'll be needing some vodka.

***
This is gonna be tough for hny and I, but we have plans on meeting up probably next year and we're both praying that he'll get the scholarship so we can travel around Europe together :)

Photo from PHIVOLCS

I came back Monday afternoon and has been sleeping erratically since then. I have also developed a weird craving for meat which I don't understand since I've been eating sausage with poppy seeds every morning at the hotel as part of our buffet breakfast. It's buffet but it's the same food over and over again. Like mushrooms and tomatoes and croissant, etc. I found myself eating a Quarterpounder meal at 2.30am last Tuesday.

From a staff perspective, the WA this year is more organised compared to last year. We were not too stressed out (we had to rapporteur five or more sessions last year), we stayed in a very accessible hotel and we had time to attend plenaries and workshops and even network with guests and participants. There are still glitches but I'd say manageable, it's a lot of work to keep up with hundreds of people from 135 countries. And we had less volunteers this year.

The weather seemed to cooperate too as we didn't experience too much rain, it drizzled a bit but the sun was always up in those 6 days. There were more Filipino delegates and speakers as well and had some time to chat a bit with a lovely and exuberant May-i from GCAP. We had fun being photographed with the former Foreign Affairs minister of Greece, George Papandreou.


It was also great to see my dear friends/colleagues in CSI and see old and new faces in CIV . We had enough time to catch up on what's happening with our lives, the project, and Johannesburg in general. Not all stories are happy though, there are concerns within the team and within the broader organisation just like in any normal organisation but I hope we'll all learn from those experiences and move forward.

It's difficult to sum up in one blog all the things that happened in Glasgow in seven days. It's another unique experience which is definitely worth keeping and reminiscing. What's great for me is that I've learned that my team really appreciates the work that I do and they're very happy with it. I take pride that this is one of the strengths of Filipino professionals and workers abroad: we work hard and we strive for excellence in what we do even under difficult circumstances sometimes.

Oh and lastly, we were given sufficient per diem this year that we spent in too much shopping. Woohoo! Ciao!

I'm off to Glasgow on Sunday and I haven't packed a single thing. Bummer. Lots of things to do but I just can't find the energy to start off with anything. Then I'll cram on Saturday, so predictable no

Have to sleep first..

Just got back today from our 6-day trip to KK. Lots of stories, no energy to blog. Will try tomorrow. Have to sleep. Quick pics..

Ciao.

Day 4

The usually quiet Gaya street in the middle of the city transforms into a colourful avenue with local people selling their wares. You can find everything here from beautifully crafted batik made by the locals to fake Louis Vuitton bags from China. We got several dusters for grandmas, moms, and aunts; t-shirts for dads and some friends; white Borneo coffee; a nice shirt for hny and nothing for me. I was so tempted to buy an exquisite batik which would be great as a bed cover or wall hanging but it's quite expensive. Very much like the Kashmir-made bed cover I so covet at the Rosebank Sunday market in Johannesburg. I hope there'd be a next time.



We had a quick lunch in a dodgy Chinese restaurant. I told hny if we eat there I'd be signing my death warrant. My tummy hasn't fully recovered from my terrible ordeal the other day. I feel like my body took a lot of beating from the rafting we did on top of the grueling train , but every ache and sore was totally worth it.



In markets like these, you should be armed with good haggling skills. I got five "dasters" (long, comfy dresses worn inside the house) for RM55 while I chatted with the sales ladies about our soap operas, apparently these and our actors are widely known in Malaysia. While other Asian countries are exporting computer chips and cars, we are exporting soap operas haha They even asked if I'm an actress back here jeje I said no but hny later told me that I should've said yes maybe I could have gotten a better deal. But I was worried it might cause a stampede :D

We took a cab to Warisan Square to check out what their malls look like. It's nothing compared to the giant malls we have in Manila. It looks like it's quite new and still needs a lot of locators. Coincidentally, there was an ongoing sale that day, which further dented my credit card. We also saw a stall named La Manila and we thought it serves Pinoy food, hny took a closer look and saw that they're serving Vietnamese food instead. After a looong day, we had a 'healthy' merienda at Yogur Berry. It's frozen yogurt with your choice of 6 toppings plus an assortment of rotis. Looks nice and tastes good too. I hope they'll have a franchise here in Manila.



We headed home early as hny was already complaining with the weight of our shopping bags and also we need to prepare for the Kinabalu National Park trip tomorrow. Had dinner at Sinario cafe which is conveniently located behind our lodge and serves really good naan with tomato and kari dip.

Day 3

Just came back from a very exhausting but fulfilling travel adventure from Padas where we did white water rafting. I thought I won't be able to make it as my tummy has failed me again! Must be the drop of sugar cane juice hny shared with me last night at the night market.

To go to Padas, we had to drive from KK to Beaufort for 1 1/2 hours then from Beaufort, take the local train to Padas. The train ride was quite hellish, it was hot, slow and bumpy. We are the only Pinoys amidst a sea of young Chinese people. Well, maybe 3 if you count the Half-Filipino, half-Malay tour guide, who speaks super broken English hehe

The rafting was great and I'm glad we did it. Our raft almost capsized twice if not for hny's hefty weight, it does help sometimes bun... We were very lucky as most of the rafts capsized in the 7-named sections of the river (Warm up, headhunter, washing machine, cobra's pit, snake house, scooby doo, and lambada) , we even saved two rafters and geez, it was no fun getting underwater in the churning, chocolate brown river. But we were briefed so we basically know what to do that is if you don't panic. Me and hny and some friendly Chinese people again as well as the tour guide with a speech defect were able to triumph over the giant waves of the merciless Padas river. I couldn't believe I was able to hold on for that long geez

Details when we get back, we still need to find a Chinese restaurant here selling maki and drop by 7-11 for gatorade.

Day 2
Friday, May 11 2007

Started a bit late. Prepared our beach gear and met Crystal, the friendly owner/manager of the lodge, on our way out. We decided to walk from the lodge to Wisma (Plaza) Sabah to pay our white water rafting fee for tomorrow. The city is very walkable, it's about 3kms from end to end.


Walk early though as the sun is harsher here than in Manila, Malaysia is closer to the equator that's why. If you have a map, walking is a breeze and you won't get lost. After meeting with Misliana of Borneo Ultimate Sports Adventure Tours (BUSAT) who was very nice from the start (back in MNL when we were still making a lot of inquiries) and she also gave us a huge discount, we headed to Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal, a 10 minute walk from the building scorching hot though, slather lots of sunblock.


The WISMA SABAH building


At the terminal, there were several locals milling around, coaxing tourists to try this and this island. We discussed and decided to check out what's inside the building. There were several
shops, a waiting area and several tour operators inside. We opted for the first one nearest the

door. We paid Rm74 for two, including the RM6/pax terminal fee for three islands. We thought it's cheaper that way as they charge RM17/island, excl. tariff. And you have to pay RM10 each for entrance on the first island. Remember to keep your entrance ticket so you don't have to pay for the other islands you'll gonna visit later.






Inside the Jesselton Point Ferry terminal, shops upstairs, a waiting area for passengers and several tour operators.


Manukan Island. We reached the first island after 10 minutes in the boat and confirmed with the boat man the time he's gonna pick us up. It seemed that we were the only ones who are visiting more than one island. He told us he'll be back after two hours.

There was a walkway from the drop off point until the entrance to the island park. Under the walkway are thousands of fish, about three or four different species.

We opted for a table near the life guard as there were few people and swimmers on this side. There was a net which divide the schools of fish and the actual swimming area. It's prohibited to swim in their designated area of habitat. Swam a bit, despite the broken goggles we still enjoyed the serenity of the place. You go there to relax and unwind, you don't want noise definitely and it seems that tourists there know and respect that.
Manukan Island with a lone swimmer.


Approximately, 30 mins before the agreed pick up, we rushed to see if we can grab a bite before heading off to the 2nd island. We found 2 al fresco restaurants, one serving set meals: satay, fruits, veggies, etc and farther down, a buffet charging RM60. We ended up buying from the cooperative a beef and chicken dish and rice for RM5. You can bring your own food though if you don't want to spend money on food.


Sapi Island. After our quick lunch, we were picked up and headed towards Sapi Island. It's smaller than the first but there are more people swimming. We got down to business right away and swam our hearts out. Here, we also decided to rent snorkeling masks which I was so afraid to use for fear of contracting tb and other disease jeje. I just used the mask without the mouth gear. We saw more sergeant fish and a lone cleaner wrasse, a very pesky one which decided to hang out with us the whole time. This time the boat man stayed in the island and waited for us. After 2 more hours, we headed towards Mamutik.



Mamutik Island. The smallest of the three but has the most diverse species of fish. We were able to swam and fed them using leftover bread from other people's feeding. We were the last ones to leave and took good picture of the island and ourselves of course.


Dô and Tin at Mamutik Island, Malaysia.

Day 1 (10 May)

We're in KK!! And I'm writing this in a very nice lodge we found in the net. It's called Velvet Lodge and it's in the city center, lots of restaurants a few steps from the place. It also has a lounge, but we haven't been there as we're still trying to settle and count our ringgits. Speaking of which, thank God there's now a bureau de change at the KK International airport. We were quite worried..chit chatting with the staff now, he's half Malaysian half-filipino and he's been talking a lot! Super friendly :)

Got to go now...more tomorrow!

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.

Every time I come back to my room, I'd always look outside and check out the cityscape: everyday it's the same gloomy, old Victorian buildings staring back at me and a minute of rain. But I don't know, I keep on saying it looks sad and gloomy yet the bleakness has a certain appeal to me.


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.

I wanted to take a picture of myself with the cathedral in the background and see how my face looked like that day, must be extremely bored and a bit pale from not eating blood pudding offered daily at the University cafeteria.


I pray that this year won't be so blah, though I don't know how. Half of the people I was with last year are gone. Maybe I'll just go and visit my friends at the necropolis one last time.

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.

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.

Weekend was spent meeting up with group mates for our two papers on traffic impact assessment. I was able to squeeze in editing articles for my volunteer engagement with a South African organisation and finish the e-bulletin for the CSI. In the midst of all these, I was able to watch the previous episodes of Naruto and Bleach. Both had extremely long fillers which started even before I left for Johannesburg and lasted until January of this year I think. With Naruto, I skipped the fillers altogether and watched the new season where Naruto and the rest are all grown-up and the new battles will involve the Akatsuki.For Bleach, I'm backtracking to watch the Bounto episodes which I have to admit is too long and after a few eps started to get boring, I started with episode 70+ and the non-filler episodes will resume at episode 109(?).

I also found an interesting Japanese series titled Gokusen. Watched the first episode online which was subbed by a fan but can't find the second ep. Though there are lots of uploaded episodes for season 2.

I'm also quite busy researching for the best places to go in Kota Kinabalu and its nearby islands for our travel in May. Like I've said in my previous post, we're definitely going to Mt. Kinabalu but not for the climb. I'm sure we're not fit enough to conquer it even though we can still get in shape as we still have several weeks. Quitters ;) Besides I'm reading posts from the Lonely Planet Thorntree forum and a lot were saying that one doesn't have to be a climber or be extremely fit to climb Kinabalu. We'll see.

I hope our next trip would be in Cambodia or India, which reminds me of the beautiful fabrics I've seen in the Rosebank Sunday Market in Johannesburg.

In the midst of my concentration in computing for the projected traffic volume for a proposed residential area in Sucat, a brown envelope was delivered to my uber comfy "office". It's my very own poster map of World Heritage Sites delivered all the way from the UNESCO HQ in Paris! I happened to visit the UNESCO website one day and saw that they're giving away free posters, so I signed up right away.

I have a penchant for traveling and I am very fortunate to visit some of the most wonderful places on Earth which would definitely make one think twice about the non-existence of a Great Designer. I have visited two in South Africa (the uKhalamba/Drakensberg Park and the Fossil Hominid Site of Sterkfontein), one in the United Kingdom (New Lanark), one in South Korea (Changdeokgung Palace), and one in our country (the Cordillera Rice Terraces). Unfortunately, of all the WH sites I've visited, the least conserved or protected is our very own. It is in fact marked as a "property in danger" by UNESCO and might be taken out of the list if it continues to degrade.(Although this action, despite being sanctioned by the World Heritage Convention, has never had to be applied, is our case going to be the first?)

There are still hundreds of places to be visited and explored, each of them of unparalleled beauty and each tells an interesting history/herstory of our species,
this thought alone made me realize how beautiful life is despite the difficulties we find ourselves in. There are still oases where we can find solace and bask in our God's/gods magnificence.

Some photos can be viewed here
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Next WH site: Kinabalu park in Sabah, Malaysia.

I got a lesson on karma and the philosophical interrelation of things. Please!

Rewind.
I love Indian food, especially the curries, the rotis and the naan breads. While in Johannesburg, I didn't pass up the opportunity to try out Indian cuisine (and Chinese too, oh well). One of my favorite places (since it's the most accessible from the workplace) me and my friends frequent is Bismillah. We'd have a bet on who's gonna use the f word while with teacher Per and the first to say it would pay for whole gang's next Bismillah meal. I'm fortunate that I have a housemate, J, who has lived in India for two years and taught me how to cook some basic Indian dishes. And how could I forget Mamu's fish curry!

I forgot to buy garam at the Oriental Plaza before heading back to Manila, I thought maybe it's easy to find it here since there's definitely an Indian community somewhere in this bustling metropolis.

I put off interviewing Indians in motorbikes as I thought they might be too busy doing their daily house to house debt collections. I inquired in a forum instead and somebody assumed I was Indian because of my nick, and told me that somebody named "krishnna" should know where to buy garam...connect.

****
Update: I've left this a draft ages ago and I'm too lazy to finish it now. Read in forums (fora) that one can find masala and other spices along UN Avenue. Haven't been there yet. Bought lots in Kota Kinabalu: dried chili, different curry powder, soup mix, etc. Also, I have seen a shop selling spices in Market! Market! at the Fort.

5 days na lang hny, magkikita na ulit kayo ni GMA :D Dô and his brother in Canada