Friday, September 14, 2007

How to Say Goodbye Video

I couldnt stop crying when I watched this video.....Watch it!


Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Mysore, India

Day 5 and 6 Mysore, India






With the Pasha family...the kindest family I met in Mysore....


In Tipu Sultan's village...


A Saree tailor shop in Mysore market area


In my Saree....this saree has a very interesting story...


I had a very interesting experience in Mysore. Again, wait for my blog entry...or ask me in person...

Getting better....hopefully...

wow! thanks for all the emails i got! Im okay...not suffering from Delli-Belly...hahaha...that's the usual sickness people get after visiting India...

I had a bad cold since last week. I went to see a doctor and I was told that it was pneumonia.....nothing serious...can be cured by antibiotics....although I was having a lot of difficult time breathing for the past 3 days.....couldnt sleep at all. I had to take time off from work and all my extra curricular activities on weekends.

I have decided to QUIT SMOKING.....until i get well......hahahaha.

no seriously, im quitting. Ive been wanting to quit for a long time now. i have the best excuse to quit now.

God help me.

Thanks for all the emails, everyone!

Monday, September 10, 2007

Bangalore , India

India, Day 3

My patient Auto Rickshaw driver waiting for me while I take pictures everywhere


Vidhana Soudha


The Lalbagh Gardens


Taj Mahal in Flowers...inside Lalbagh Gardens


In front of the Visveswaraya Industrial and Technological museum...this photo session took 15 minutes! These girls were sweet!


Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace


Shopping for my Punjabi


My first Lassi in India

Bangalore Station


Goodbye Bangalore--next stop-- Mysore

A Matter of Perspective

I love this story. I repeat it to a lot of my friends so many times. This is how i feel about my life at present. Try to reflect on this one.....It will save you a lot of insecurities and unnecessary worries for the future.....It's a great read!



The best job in the world….. is a matter of perspective!

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

“Not very long,” answered the Mexican.

“But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?” asked the American.

The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.

The American asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”

“I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, play the guitar, and sing a few songs… I have a full life.”

The American interrupted, “I have an MBA from Harvard, and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat.”

“And after that?” asked the Mexican.

“With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise.”

“How long would that take?” asked the Mexican.

“Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years,” replied the American.

“And after that?”

“Afterwards? Well my Friend, That's when it gets really interesting,” answered the American, laughing. “When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!”

“Millions? Really? And after that?” said the Mexican.

“After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings doing what you like and enjoying your friends.”

“With all due respect sir, but that's exactly what I am doing now. So what's the point wasting twenty twenty-five years?” asked the Mexican.

Author - Unknown

Know where you're going in life… you may already be there.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Chennai Pictures

Some pictures from Chennai, India. Again, wait for my blog entry. I have a lot of stories to share about my India trip. For now, ill share pictures....


My first Tuk Tuk ride in Chennai. After arriving in Chennai airport ( Air India...business class again..hahaha. ive been so lucky. For some reasons, most of the time, when i fly (even when I take the trains), I get upgraded...for free...yey! God is great!) Trivia*** 8 out of 10 times that i fly, i get upgraded either to business or first class....



My first public bus ride in Chennai....I was the only foreigner in the bus and people were looking at me the whole time...My Lonely Planet said that women travelling alone should avoid taking public buses.....but well.....





Government Museum in Madras





Im done with Chennai......Off to Bangalore next...taking the train from Chennai to Bangalore.... I didnt know what kind of train I was taking, so i was still smiling....After I saw my train and the car I was supposed to take, I started crying.....hahahaha....to be continued.....

India blog & Taj Mahal Pix

After Sri lanka, I went to india and was there for almost 2 weeks. I started in the South.....Chennai then ended in New Delhi. it's a whole new adventure. Will tell you all about it soon.

I'll write about my India experience soon. Im very sick right now. Sorry. My mind isnt functioning very well. Ive only been having 1 or 2 hours of sleep every night for the last 3 days.

Im posting some pictures from Taj Mahal, though.

Stay healthy, everyone!







Saturday, September 1, 2007

Sri Lanka

I was in Sri Lanka for 11 days during the last days of July up to early August. It was my first time in this country. I had a lot of different experiences there. Different because there were so many things I experienced for the first time there......

I arrived at Katunayake airport on July 28th after a very long trip.


My flight was from Osaka--I live in Gifu and I had to travel 5 hours to get to Kansai Airport in Osaka. From Osaka I had to fly to Bangkok. Had a lay over for 4 hours, then flew to Colombo. The flight was okay. I didnt have any problem with anything. People were kind and helpful.

As soon as I arrived in Colombo, the first thing I noticed was how friendly people were. People were smiling a lot and everyone were just so helpful. That was a good first impression.

Rajitha, her husband Ron, and their friend Suresh, picked me up at the airport. We went straight to their new home in Bataramulla. Rajitha's house is gorgeous!


I like her sense of style. Her house is very simple, yet very elegant. There was lots of air and light in the house so my feng shui vibes was very good. I stayed at their guest room. It felt like I was in a resort hotel coz I can see coconut trees from my window.It was awesome!

After I arrived, I took a nap in preparation for the party that evening. Rajitha and Ron were celebrating their 10th year anniversary which coincided with my 28th birthday. We planned about having a double celebration a year ago when they were still in Japan. The party was great! I met a lot of their friends and most people were very friendly to me.


The next day was spent at home. It was Sunday and most bars were closed and liquor establishments were not allowed to sell alcohol(I forget why...)Suresh and Rajitha took me shopping in Colombo, and I just went crazy! There were so many good things to buy. And very cheap too! Of course, I told them that i will go back the next day, by myself. I didnt want them waiting for me and I wanted to take my time shopping. So I went shopping everyday for the next 3 days.



My room in Rajitha's house was just so full of clothes and accessories



and I was already worried on how to bring them back home(Suresh kindly helped me solve that problem in the end).I just couldnt stop myself. Shopping in Sri Lanka is so cool! The last time this shopping spree happened to me was in New Jersey and New York with Golda (although Judith would always say that I went crazy in Seattle too, and Yuko would say the same about our trip in Korea, and with Jamille in Vancouver and Farida about shopping in Japan...lol). But I can justify this.......Since I lost some weight this year, I dont have much clothes to wear anymore. Everything is too loose. THAT'S WHY I need new clothes. OKAY? lol.

Another hightlight of my trip to Sri Lanka was the partying and drinking everyday. I dont drink that much anymore. I guess I just got weaker as I got older. haha. I loved Sri Lanka's local drink...Arrack....with Coke.



Rajitha, together with her cool friends introduced me to Colombo's night life. It was cool! It felt like being in Manila with friends...although nightlife in Manila(as I remember it) was much crazier. I got drunk again. Didnt know how I got home. lol. But It's different when youre drinking and you are with good company. I always feel that i can just drink and not worrry about anything coz someone will take care of me. That's really comforting.





I was walking on the streets near Rajitha's house in Battramulla and in Colombo as well, and everytime I'd stop to eat, I'd be so satisfied! I love Sri Lankan food! And I love how people in the restaurants were so nice to me there. Sometimes, I'd be confused whether as to order chicken or fish, and sometimes they'd let me try it first, and then decide. Cool, right? People were always so friendly. Talking to me, giving me tips in Sri Lanka, telling me about their culture, etc.

I had a chance to go to Kandy too. Suresh was very kind to drive me and Ron to Kandy (4-5 hours from Colombo). We stayed at Ron's house for 2 nights. I was able to go to Buddha's Canine tooth temple.




It was unfortunate that I was not able to go to a lot of places in Kandy. and nearby places too. Hopefully, next time. The best part of that Kandy trip was my bonding time with Suresh.

Suresh is great! He's very cool, friendly, funny, sweet, caring, thoughtful, and very considerate. I love him! He made my trip in Sri Lanka memorable. He took me shopping, then Karaoke, then Kandy, helped me fix my big problem of excess luggage, cooked for me! And he brought me to a casino. That was my first time. I had a lot of invitations to go to Casinos. In America, Korea, Philippines. But I never dared enter before for fear of getting hooked to it. I love gambling, that's why. (But Im a low key gambler.....just Poker (and Mahjong ) with very small bets at home.....) I loved the experience! We went to Bellagio the first night, and the next night, to Bally's with Lalik, another friend of Suresh.



I left on Tuesday August 7. I had to fly from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Madras, India for the next part of my trip. Suresh (being the kind and sweet guy that he is )drove me to the airport again.

All in all, my Sri Lanka trip was good! I had some not very good experiences with some people......but, in general, it was good. I learned about the country and the people. I was able to relax, had my massage, hair treatment,etc. Plus I have a lot of great clothes! And Im happy for the new friends Ive made!