Life...as it happens

by the bed

2009-02-02T17:37:00.000-08:00

They are my neighbors.

I was staring at the window last night. Thinking. Looking.

Thinking of what i will do next.

Hmmmm.....

Gong Xie Fa Cai

2009-01-26T21:44:00.000-08:00

We went to the plaza Chinese New Year eve, we were expecting something extravagant...(think Hong Kong), there were many people outside, kids were playing and running (with very thick jacket).

Temperature dropped to 10 degrees Centigrade that night.

When the clock struck 12mn, there were no ultra-mega night lights. only a few colored the night sky.

While everyone's looking at the night sky, i saw these lanterns behind me, they were dancing. i can't help but stare at them instead.

I like this shot. it stirred me up...I still can't belive i am in China and celebrating New Year.

Happy Year of the Ox!

golden oranges

2009-01-16T22:21:00.000-08:00

Went to the corner flower shop this morning.

This is what i saw...golden oranges!!!

Chinese New Year is just around the corner, most of the offices and other business establishments now have golden oranges inside the lobby.

Last Friday as i was eating kiat-kiat (the fruit - that's what we call it back home) a collegue asked me where i got it so i pointed (me mouth was full) to one of my colleagues (the person who handed the fruit that morning)...she thought i was pointing down, so she blurted out: "What you got it from the office lobby?"

I nearly choked of laughter...why would i ever do that?

Can't wait for Chinese New Year, there will be a lot of kiat kiat and nuts next week! yipeee! almonds! pistachios and cashew!

bleep

2009-01-13T22:36:00.000-08:00

Will be posting soon...went back to Manila over the holidays.

orangey!!

2008-11-09T18:48:00.001-08:00

this corner fruit stand is where i get my fresh fruits...day in and day out. I am in China, so...persimmons, plums, dragon fruit, carambolas, longgans and cherry tomatoes are cheap and abundant.

BUT....i still have to try them all.

i am still sticking with the basics (the one i am familiar with) apples, bananas, oranges, and pear (grapes are not sweet so i veer away from this bunch). I promised myself i am going to try the plums and persimmons before i go home next month.

oh, and by the way, this may sound weird but i've never seen a real peach. They come in cans in Manila (pity!). So, when i was offered by my officemate i had to ask...do i eat it with the skin? There was along explanation of us being a tropical country and peaches growing in colder climates...oh well, it was a good experience. Can't wait to try the persimmons.

industrial park at night

2008-11-06T20:13:00.001-08:00

After a long hiatus....i am back (hopefully). Remember the trees on parade? this is what the area looks like at night.

Was on my way home, when i had to stop (and remembered i have my camera yesterday) and take this picture.

You see...it's is pretty much safe to walk home every night, i pass by this area, no traffic, just people walking home.

red lanterns

2008-09-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

I saw them last year. Same day last year...

It's been a year.

Seeing the lanterns made me miss the Parol.

They celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival. Red lanterns everywhere. People flocked the parks and stayed until midnight and as the moon shines brightly, family and friends exchanged mooncakes and in between heartfelt laughter sweets and fruits are passed around.

I was not there, i was in Taiwan wet and laughing in the rain.

crocs...you gave me pain!

2008-09-18T22:17:00.000-07:00

After spending 2,700 seconds trying to look for the perfect footwear, i settled for crocs. It was the most random decision and i made the biggest mistake!

Not the perfect footwear, there were so many things to see and many alleys and areas you can go to, but my crocs just won't cooperate, i got blisters (big-time). I thought they were comfortable...

Anyway, crocs or no crocs, my trip is indeed one for the books.

Hope you were there with me, i think you'd also enjoy walking in the rain and laughing and thinking what you've gotten yourselves into.

rail station

2008-09-17T20:57:00.000-07:00

This is Taipei's Main Station.

This is where i saw the Taiwan Visitor's Center...unfortunately they were closed that day, by now i think you know why.

I had the best time in Taiwan, albeit rain, wet shoes and clothes, closed stores and peopleless street.

This experience made a mark and i'm really going back, but this time i will check the weather.

tower in the rain

2008-09-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

Saw taipei 101 today...by the way it's raining here and Everything and i mean EVERYTHING is closed. my friend took me to the biggest bookstore...closed, we were supposed to eat breakfast at Dante's Coffee...closed...Taipei 101...closed....so what did we do?

went to the train station, bought an umbrella and walked around taipei.

had the best time, i had to buy shoes twice, broke my first pair, got the other so drenched that when we walk all you can hear is squish squish.

all in all....it was FUN, catching up over curry, beer, sausages, sushi, popcorn, pilaf...well that summed up Day 1. i think you know what happened. Tomorrow the typhoon will get worse...so tomorrow, we eat more!

fisher girl

2008-09-08T18:27:00.000-07:00

She stands there day and night, silent witness to her island's growth. This statue is located along the scenic Xianglu Bay, think Manila Bay without the sunset.

Zhuhai is also famous for its "lover's path", a winding boulevard with the sea to your right and the mountain on your left. It starts from the ferry port all the way to those tall buildings.

This city is the perfect escape when you want to ran away from the crazy crowd in Shenzhen, might do it after the holidays.

zhuhai

2008-09-07T23:09:00.000-07:00

The team went on a retreat! We went to Zhuhai! We had fun and now finally we've met the faces behind those voices.

We have weekly conference calls and since we are scattered in 5 different offices, we don't know who's who.

This is the view from the room's balcony, and you can see from the room the hot springs (left)...here we had wine baths, milk baths, mineral ore soak and the different hot baths and with varying temperatures. They close at 2 am, and we stayed until 1:30 am and we were all pruney!

I will upload more Zhuhai pictures in the coming days...I will be in Taiwan this coming Friday...more pictures!

breakfast

2008-08-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

This is their everyday fare. Steamed bun, egg, rice wrapped in lotus leaf and in another table you'll find the soya milk (not in the photo)...but i haven't tried any of it.

You can find steamers like this at every corner. You won't miss it, this is the morning hotspot.

Reminds me of the puto and taho. They do have taho here, but they don't put caramel on top, instead they add chili paste and fried tofu (soya overload).

calm before the storm

2008-08-08T05:07:00.000-07:00

Went downtown after work. Accompanied a colleague to HQB because he said he hasn't been there. As it turns out, he saw the place a few weeks before (because he got out of the wrong exit).

So, we walked around the area, looked at some stuff, went window shopping until 9pm.

We decided to go home a few minutes later.

This is the the typical bus station scene in downtown. So quiet, everybody seemed normal. I was supposed to take a picture of them getting on the bus and scrambling to the door, but i couldn't, people came out of nowhere and shoved me.

Maybe next time, when i'm more prepared!

afterthoughts

2008-08-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

It's almost noon.

Outside, the sky is still dark.

Can you see the four tall buildings? They welcome me everytime i get off the ferry.

These buildings houses the four different banks; where we (foreigners) usually converge at the end of the month to catch up on things, gossip and pay our bills, rent, internet subscription, mobile phone plan and everything that we think ARE necessary.

Before i came here, I always thought of China as the country filled with people wearing nothing but black "Mao" inspired clothing, i never imagined tall buildings, well-paved road, subway and working traffic lights (professors told us that they are sleeping giants...so, i thought that the only "urbanized" area is Shanghai). I came here with that in mind...what a shame!

They've come so far! No more rickshaws here.

Now, rickshaw is a brand of tea that my housemate drinks every morning.

red riding hood

2008-08-05T18:37:00.000-07:00

It's raining today. I've always wanted to show my friends this picture...this is how they get to work when it rains...

No kidding!

They hop on their bikes with raincoat and all, sometimes they have umbrellas, but that is very difficult especially in a downpour. Others just go walk and take the bus -- no fun there.

I prefer to walk, i don't have a bike and a raincoat, i belong to the "no-fun" group.

no magic here

2008-08-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

I went to HK Disney last Saturday.

Ma ma hu hu, pretty much sums up what i felt.

I didn't get to enjoy the rides, got dizzy on the carousel. Enjoyed the 3-D theatre though. I saw Buzz Lightyear then went inside the "It's a Small World" because there was no queue.

The magic didn't rub in. Probably i'm too old! Hmmm...what could have happened?

totally uneventful and unexpected

2008-08-01T02:37:00.000-07:00

Went to Guangzhou yesterday to renew my passport. It took me two and a half hours from Shenzhen. I slept the whole ride...therefore it was uneventful.

Got to the Philippine Consulate, met a Filipino who happens to be a designer in Shenzhen. We talked about missing Manila, things we like in China and food. He taught me how to cook adobo, the perfect garlicy and oily adobo, which i will try to do next weekend.
We got our passports around 3pm and since we both haven't taken the train to Shenzhen we decided to try it.
We purchased our tickets through the "English Speaking Counter" (good they have that or we will end up in Beijing), went to the waiting area which was not chaotic. Went up the platform and that is when i took this shot. I never expected the train to look like that...clean and looks well maintained. The ticketing system impressed me, so did the train. Totally UNEXPECTED. It's clean and the seats are comfortable.

We took our seats and promised to sleep the whole ride...so again the ride was uneventful...Uneventful is actually an understatement!

i wanted one...

2008-07-29T21:41:00.000-07:00

I wanted to buy my own bicycle so i can save on cab fare (usually i take the cab when i am running late - which is almost everyday).
What stopped me from buying are the following:

Rain - I don't find raincoats or umbrellas fashionable, especially when you're pedalling away

Crazy Drivers - they drive like crazy, they drive fast, they speed drive.

Security - 2 of my officemates parked (and locked) their bikes outside the local bread shop when it started to rain, when it cleared...the "rain" apparently took their bikes.

uniform

2008-07-29T00:16:00.000-07:00

I would have not noticed her, but guess what caught my attention.

You are right, the hair accessory, the scrunchie. it's part of the uniform! I completely understand the caps, hats or aprons, but the hair accessory...it's completely...fascinating!

Speaking of uniform, something went into my head. High School field trip, we were required to wear our uniforms, we were on our way home when suddenly one of my classmates screamed..."The curtain on that bus and our skirts are one and the same". Shucks!

I would have followed her all the way to the resto where she works, but nah...i only have 5 minutes left. What i will do now, is look for her by having lunch in one of those restaurants near my office.

I could imagine it now, all of them serving me lunch and i will be looking at those scrunchies...with a smile on my face.

parade

2008-07-28T00:38:00.000-07:00

I went to work early, i was looking for the best route, the "summer route" with more trees and shade. This is the first time that i saw them, they are all dressed up!

Like they are participating in a parade of some sort.

I was just here last Friday, they were not "dressed" then. It took me a while to notice the lampost on the left and the floodlights below...ahhh...these are accent trees. They will make the area look less industrial especially at night.

I saw the other side last Saturday night, the facade looks a little soft with yellow lights and wall features...I promise to take a night shot and show it to you.

Oh. by the way, I had a very nice walk.

rainy sunday

2008-07-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to swim...i played badminton very early, i prepared adobo, i cleaned the house while the adobo is slowly being cooked...i had the whole day planned, at 3:40pm it started to rain, it was a downpour. I was wearing my swimsuit, i was so ready to plunge in the water. i had to cancel, i had to change, i had to think of something else to do!!!

I love it when it rains in Manila, i love the cold wind, the sound of it and the way it streams in our street, i just love it. i love rain.

Everything is different in China, i don't like going out in the rain, roads are muddy. I've been here for a year, i know what the street looks like, rain or otherwise.

There was nowhere else to go but stay at home and watch DVDs, cable won't work, i have a satellite dish that will never receive feeds if it rains or blocked by very thick rain clouds.

high fashion

2008-07-26T00:06:00.000-07:00

Is it me? or them?

It was summer the second time i visited China and for most of them, summer means showing off their best in short summer dresses which they usually match with stilettos. I was trapped in prom fever, everywhere i look girls are dressed like they're out to party! Laces, satin, sequins, ribbons, everything you can imagine.

They go to work everyday wearing those frilly dresses, sometimes when i get on the elevator, i feel so lost and so underdressed...i usually have the "i-didn't-get-the-memo" feeling.

What bothers me though...is how in the world do they ride their bicycles? Bicycles are still in fashion here, it is still very much used. I guess you can imagine people-wearing-skirts and bicycles together...but add to the that the stilettos(?)

Well, it's summer once again, and yes i see them everywhere. The are back! Going to work today i saw her, i like her dress, not to frilly...and to answer my first question, it's me. i don't read memos, i think its high time i wear one to blend with the locals.

of buses and queues

2008-07-25T18:42:00.000-07:00

Bus or Train?...i will choose the former. They have a very efficient public transport system, every area is practically covered. You'll have to do a little walking to get on from one station to another; or a little hike if you forgot what bus number you should take and ended up taking the longer bus route, that will never in a million years stop at your station...but it is perfectly fine. You can always cross the street and take the same number back and start all over again.

The only problem is that locals are not really fond of queuing, they'll wait for the bus at the designated station, and once it arrives...pandemonium erupts. People just claw their way in. It's messier when it rains.

I am used to it, it's like Manila, particularly in the Philcoa area between 4 - 6pm, where half of the Quezon City population waits for their buses and jeepneys bound for Fairview or Lagro...those were the days. It was a good training.

This bus station is very near where i live. Buses here goes to the beach (2 hours), pass by the public market, and that clothing depot that i have yet to explore.

why did i forget the battery?

2008-07-23T21:38:00.000-07:00

I promised to take pictures everyday...of places, of what i see, of everyday things.

I woke up very early to catch the 8:00 am bus to HK (for work) i figured i had plenty of time, i moved a little slow today.

I took my cab, i was at the Immigration area, about to take out my passport....then i remembered, i plugged my phone in together with my camera battery...it was supposed to be the perfect shot...7:20am, just me, the immigration building and the clear blue sky...sorry...will have to do that next time.

I know you've seen a lot of HK pictures (from friends and family), but i am posting my favorite HK picture, somewhere in Stanley Bay. We were crossing the street (and taking pictures...multitasking), when this cab blocked my shot...it turned out OK.

why?

2008-07-23T00:44:00.000-07:00

This is where i am now. I am in China, i've been working as a planner in a multinational firm for a year now. So far, i am enjoying every minute of it. I've been in and out of Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi for the past 12 months because of work...it is physically tiring - ferry, bus, train, plane, you name it - but i am fine with it.
So, why did i work in China? I've been asked and i have been asking myself why...up to now, the only reason i can think of is...because it's China.
Maybe in the next couple of months i will be able to answer that.
But now...i am still enjoying everything...