The start was not so good however. Plenty of indecision and arguments on where to go, when to go, how to go…the questions seems endless, and while there were answers – there were plenty of them and that’s what led to the problem once again. Finally we decided on a place called Saguna Baug, around 100 kms away from Mumbai and the 11 of us set out in 2 cars.  The journey was timepass however, as we had some great music playing in the car on some recent hit numbers and with a good music system on the expressway, it was an amazing ride! With time however, the road progressively started getting worse as we were nearing our destination. There were two schools of thought still prevailing

1. To go for a walk in the clouds (fog was the precise word)
2. To go for a ride on the buffalo

We were going for obviously for option no 2 J

By the time we reached Saguna, the sun was out in full & the buffalos had run away! So we did a quick course correction and headed for the foothills of Matheran in search of the visible yet elusive fog!

From a distance we saw at the foot of one of the many hills was a waterfall, and promptly headed in that direction. The next couple of hours were spent in getting to the waterfall and having a good time there. There was another group of guys partying out there and playing a desi version of water polo with a bottle in the small pond that got formed by the side of the fall! We had a great time and towards the end, no one really wanted to leave the place – totally away from work related thoughts and no one in a mood to get back. For a bunch for barely knew each other before this, I thought we got along really fine. Finally we laboured our way back to our cars and then had a couple of stopovers including lunch at 3:30 in the afternoon!

We started around 5 again towards Bombay. The journey back was especially pleasant, as it was now evening time with no sun, and Singh is King numbers belting out at full volume! But the journey was not over yet. We stopped at this place called Masala Chai at Vashi and had adrak / masala chais. We were kind of worried about the traffic that would await us in Mumbai due to Ganpati visarjan, but the ‘Universe’ had planned an super day for us and it did not disappoint as we reached home with barely any traffic on the road; certainly much less than a normal day.

Overall, a great trip, met some nice folks, had interesting conversations – and yaah, a verdict : the countryside in these parts of the world can beat most tourist destinations hands down!  

Our admission tickets included a tour of the park by train. There's no better way to see the wilderness than to the tune of an aging diesel engine.

This brave Seminole died so that sweaty white people could feel cultured.

Andy loooooves trains!

We saw no birds. No birds!

Some tools that help make turpentine! Turpentine is made using sap from trees. Turpentine has many uses. Many cleaning products include turpentine. Did you know that turpentine is used as an ingredient in many cosmetics? 

Turpentine!!!!!

A bear made out of dead vines. Sweet.

For fifteen glorious minutes, we were allowed to explore a place called Pioneer Island. It wasn't so much an island as it was a part of the park that we drove by on our way in that is completely accessible by foot or by car.

An indigenous swamp creature. 

Proof that we are taking video, even if we aren't able to upload it.

Caitlin loved the goats. Andy just fed them boiled peanut shells.

Look! An alligator! And it has a second face that comes out of the middle of its upper jaw! Must be all the turpentine in the water.

Caitlin was a differently-abled bear in a past lifetime.

The set for their nature show. It depicted what life was like for the Cherokee Indians who lived in the area before the government sent them on a happy little hike to Oklahoma.

"Lure of the Wilderness"? Our favorite movie of all time!

The sign reads, "Seminole Village." Apparently they were very small.

The reptile handler at the reptile show. He whispered to the snakes.

Seconds later, we were rushing to the hospital.

The tour guide kept pronouncing this as "Haffert," so we thought Caitlin might be the Okefenokee heir.

What a day! We learned so much about so many things. Too bad we'll never get to come back.

I know it’s been a ridiculously long time since I posted, but I’ve had a lot going on. Ross and I went on that incredible week-long cruise to Alaska and it turned out to be the best week of my entire life. As if the trip itself was not worth several drool-covered posts… Ross proposed!

The Ring

We were standing in front of Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau when he reached into my backpack. I asked him what he was after because I knew he already had his camera. He reaches around me and I see the little red box. “Oh my god!” I look at him in shock… and giggling with nervous excitement. “So, will you?” says the many of many words. “Of course… you know I will.” Giggles and kisses. And it was done.

There is so much to say about the trip and I don’t even know where to go from engagement. It all feels a bit anti-climactic. I now say that everyone must go on at least one cruise in their lifetime… and after that one you will long for another. I have never been treated so well, eaten so well, or lived so well. Nothing beats the fresh sea air on your face and the sight of whales frolicking in the waves. It’s an experience you will never forget!

Tomorrow, Mike and Lauren will board the NCL Sky for their first cruise. As of now it looks like Ike has moved far enough south to not have hug impact ontheir cruise vacation. Due to their unpredictability, I do not want to get over confident. It has been a stressful week, tracking the storms. Traveling during hurricane season will teach at least one life lesson, try not to worry about those things out of your control. When I get word on how everything is in Miami, I will post it here. ~ Happy Sailing

Click here if you are curious about Pricing for the NCL Sky to the Bahamas!

Galing akong school! At ang saya dahil hindi ko na kilala ang mga mukhang sumalubong sakin. Iba na ang Lyce.

Halos alas dose nako nakaalis ng opis dahil nambubulaga ang mga boss nung bangag-bangag na kami. Ako, nahuling nagpapatugtog nang naka-pump up the volume. Ang dalawa, nahuling natutulog. Ang isa, nanonood ng TV sa ibang channel. Ang isa pa, missing in action. Haha. Perfect. Pero tapos na naman ang shift namin noon. Sana palampasin. Dumating din yung isa ko pang bossing maya-maya. Miss ko na siya.

Dahil walang magawa sa buhay, sa likod ako dumaan. Maling move pala. Anlayo ng lalakarin. Nabawasan nang marami ang enerhiyang inipon ko sa pagtulog noong gabi. Nakakita ako ng National sa may Rustan's. Parang di nga halata. Parang, bakit biglang may nagpa-pop na National out of nowhere, in a place na parang di naman siya necessary.

Tapos pagtawid ko sa kabila may Red Ribbon. Alam nyo na siguro ang sumunod na nangyari.

Kaso eto yung malas. Yung nasakyan ko afterwards. Dapat 30 minutes lang from QAve to school. Kaso leche yung driver, rightmost lane lang ata ang alam niyang i-graze. Kaya naging one hour yung biyahe. Bilang ko sa pasaherong bumaba at sumakay e 21. Astig ka manong. Pakyu.

At yun nga, sa wakas, nakarating din ako sa Lyceum na minamahal. Lyceum na mahaaaaaal. Ang tuition. Nakita ko sa Gate 2 ang mga nag-aabang saken. Andun din sina Des, Sahara at Noren. Parang nakakita ng artista si Sahara. Haha.

Pumasok kami at kahit naka rubber slippers ako, hindi ako nagka-violation. Oha. Ako lang nakakagawa nun. Tas papakitaan mo pa sila ng ID ng *insert abusive media giant's name here* pucha, basag-basag na. Ni hindi man lang pina-surrender gaya ng nasasaad sa protocol.

Dumiretso kami sa Sentinel opis at grabe, anlinis na neto. Ibang-iba na. Ang kulit. Pero opcors, amoy ko pa rin yung baho. Mga kasamaang naitanim sa opisinang yon. Hindi na siguro matatakpan ng bagong pinturang locker, maayos na cabinets, mga mesa, at iba pa. Nakita ko kasi at naramdaman yung bitterness na nabuo dun, first hand. Wala, nakibalita lang ako sa mga pangyayari. At medyo nawindang ako sa lineup. Tse!

Tapos nagyaya ako sa library. Kasi andun na daw yung thesis namin!

Bulaga! Ayan na siya. Nasa kanan yung amin, kina Jam yung nasa kabila.

Then a torrent of memories started gushing in. Waw! Wala lang. Naaalala ko lang yung mga thesis days namin, lahat. Although hindi ko maipagmamalaki yung thesis namin, basta, andami nung kwento. Grabe, habang nasa library andami kong nakitang parang si Icy at si Mitch. Tapos nai-imagine ko na darating si Aiza, late, may errand na naman. Tapos si Vidge na hindi madalas dumating hehe. Si Xhelle na nakataas ang kilay. Si Angila at ang kanyang syota na may dalang laptop. Ang China Information Center na puno ng ingay dahil samen.

Walang pinagkaiba ang lib nung time namin, maliban na lang sa mga tao. Hindi ko na sila kilala. Tsk dapat mas madrama pa dito ang post ko e. Pero di ko na kakaririn. Kwento na lang nan kwento!

Tapos nagpunta kami sa Photography Lab. Andun si Sir Henson! Grabe, di niya malaman kung bebeso o yayakap. Nataranta kami pareho after magkita. Natakot nga ako kasi akala ko cold siya parang nung nagpakita si Benj, pero hindi pala! Grabe! Sayang di ako nagdala ng pasalubong.

Tas nung napagod at nagutom na, sugod agad sa Suqui's!

Andami kong nakain! Di ako sumuko! Ilang kanin ba yung nakain ko non, akala ko nga hanggang one rice lang ako pero hinde! Haha. Astig talaga dun. With matching kitchen smells emanating from the counter!

Ngasabin ang sarap ng Tonkatsu ng Suqui's! Teka, Katsudon ba yung last kong kinain dun bago yung kahapon? Yung balot sa itlog. Teka mali, mali. Mali yata yung na-order ko kahapon. Ngayon ko lang na-realize! Hahaha. Teka. Tsk. Whatever!

At di ko pa tinantanan at namili pa ng sari-saring uri ng panghimagas paglabas. Yung pastillas na pinagkakaguluhan namin dati. Haha. Parang bata.

Gusto kong umupo pagkatapos pero sa SM Manila din ang tuloy. Naglibot, nahilo sa dami ng tao, nahilo sa dami ng paninda. Sale pala. Sayang.

Nagwakas ang araw ko sa pagkain ng Stawberry Ice Cream Cake mula sa Bake 'n Churn.

:)

Ok so I went to all the trouble of creating a blog and now I should post something of substance on it. One of my motivations for getting a blog is that, for a while now, people have been asking me what's happening with Dave and I moving to Seattle. Well, one can get tired of telling the same story over and over, so now I hope to say 'Read my blog M*#&)%F*(&^%' - although probably more polite than that. I have some other motivations for setting up a blog like keeping track of my research and other mundane details of my life.

So the current state of affairs looks something like this...

If you are very outdated on my life in general: at the beginning of the year Dave landed a sweet job with the Exchange team at Microsoft. And even though most people thought he was a confirmed old academic already, its turns out that sometimes one needs to diversify. Even sweeter is the fact that this job is based in Redmond, which is basically in Seattle which is, like, Dave's favourite city and is also where his brother lives. I've been to Seattle for a month or so and liked it a lot, so I'm pretty excited about our adventure there. Sadly, I still have my PhD do to so I can't go with just yet :-( This is bittersweet for me as I'm going to miss my family, friends and city very much and I get to delay leaving them behind but also I will miss Dave and have to delay us setting up our life in Seattle.

The latest update is that in just under two weeks a lot of big things will be happening. Movers will be coming to our place and packing up about half our stuff, the half that will be going to the States. Then two days after that is the day that Dave leaves. On that day an animal travel agency (one of those things you don't realise exist until you need them) will come fetch the scottie and koko (a.k.a the bunnies) and they will fly to Seattle via New York. We realise its considered kind of peculiar to take bunnies half-way across the world like this but we don't care. We love our bunnies!! Anyways, on that same day, Dave will leave for Seattle via Amsterdam in the evening. I will be very sad. But I won't have too much time to dwell on it because the next morning me, my sisters, my mom and my aunt (who's a nun in Mozambique) are flying to Cairo to begin a pilgrimage of the Holy Land. This is something we have been planning for a while and we are all looking forward to a lot. We will be visiting many of the holy sites and... well I will blog about this quite a bit later I imagine.

When we get back my lovely sis, Luisa, will be moving in with me (well the flat actually belongs to her ;) and we are going to have a good ol' girly riot in Cape Town which will consist of such scandalous adventures as going to the Neighbourhoods Goods Market on Saturday mornings, sipping homemade lattes regularly, inviting Isabel over and, most importantly, falling asleep in front of the television nightly. In between all this I'll keep trucking and hope to get my PhD done around 2010.

I've done the spinning carnival rides (remember Gravitron anyone?) and they never really bother me. Sure, like anyone I may need a moment to get my feet under me, but after that I'm off to another ride. In my memory there have only been two rides to make me feel sick to my stomach after riding. One is Mission: SPACE at EPCOT at Walt Disney World. Mission: SPACE is one of those motion mind tricks that makes a LOT of people sick. In fact, they've toned it down a lot and now have half the ride without the centrifuge (what a waste of money that was). Many peoples bodies (like mine) don't like spinning in a direction that your eyes don't detect. In other words, Mission: SPACE's screens make it "appear" that you are heading in a straight line (up into space) but the ride is actually spinning to give you the G-Force simulation. Jedi mind trick I tell you! Sick as a dog!

So does Cedar Point have a Mission: SPACE esque ride? No, they have maXair.

What is maXair? It is a giant frisbee ride made by German manufacturer HUSS.  What you can't see in the photo above are the seats, but I'm sure you are guessing this is some sort of swinging ride, like those pirate ships at all the parks right? It does. This one does not flip all the way upside down, but what it does do is bad. It is real bad. You see, everyone sits around in a giant circle at the bottom of the arm and the arm begins to swing:

The basic swinging motion is no big deal. I've done it many times. It could have gone upside down and I would have been fine but this ride cruely adds another motion to the mix. It spins. Thats right, while the ride is swinging, you are also spinning. This means that sometimes you swing backwards, sometimes forward, sometimes you spin in the opposite direction of the swinging motion and sometimes you spin with the swinging motion increasing the speed immensly.

The speed is pretty awesome. So much so that you can litteraly feel your body compressing into the seat. According to Cedar Point's maXair site, the top speed is 70mph and riders top out at 140 feet off the ground. Not too shabby. But it got to me.

Now don't get me wrong, I hopped off and plotted a course towards the next coaster. I didn't puke or need to sit down. It just is rare that I get any affect other than adrenaline from a ride.

Got to Central Air Nagoya Airport to change my departure date, but SIA closed damn early man 11am...so i have to go back there early tomorrow again. Lucky i got the railway pass.. like our Singapore bus-pass..exploited until siao. And i think i have accumulated about 70, 000 yen or more worth of train rides free.

And yeah... tired to walk around searching for places of interest to visit, minus away all the castles, enough of art museums, enough of looking at ceramics... i just wanna go to the mountains again... but it`s a distance away... so maybe, next tuesday...just maybe.. i`ll go to another mountain.

After that will be back to my so-called Japanese hometown..Tokoname. Got to document the exhibition there and also have a nice chat will the volunteers for the residency. And after that, my so-called childhood `lover`s wedding.

Swaziland king celebrates in style

One of the world's last remaining absolute monarchs, King Mswati III of Swaziland, has held lavish celebrations to mark his 40th birthday and 40 years of independence from Britain, reports.

King Mswati III was flanked by dignitaries as he delivered his speech

Mswati III arrived in the stadium framed by mountains in the capital Mbabane in a brand new BMW - one of 20 bought just for the occasion.

The king, dressed in traditional clothing and wearing a beaded necklace, was welcomed by cheering, flag-waving supporters.

"We all trust him," said a young man with a front-row seat, also in traditional dress.

"He's a good man. He believes in his country. He loves everybody. We are all like the royal family."

The king has a taste for the finer things in life - something he shares with his 13 wives.

Some of them arrived for the so-called "40-40" celebrations fresh from a shopping trip to Dubai.

With marching bands and dancing troupes, and a garden party to follow, it was a party fit for a king.

But can his impoverished kingdom afford it?

Contempt

The official budget is $2.5m (£1.4m) but some estimates claim the real cost could be five times that.

Critics say that it is money that could have been better spent elsewhere - on education, on health, and on saving lives.

Cheering crowds turned out to welcome the king to the stadium

With the world's highest rate of HIV (adult prevalence of 26.1%), many believe there is nothing to celebrate.

For two days this week trade unions and civic groups took to the streets in protest calling for change and for multi-party democracy.

"We condemn this party with the contempt it deserves," said Swazi Trade Union leader Jan Sithole, as he marched in the capital.

"People feel so strongly because this is a plundering of the country's resources in the height of grinding poverty for most of the Swazi masses.

"People feel their money is being wasted, with arrogance."

Powerlessness

Take a drive into the bush, and poverty is written all over the landscape - dirt roads, rundown homes, and hungry children.

A collection of African heads of state made the trip to Mbabane

Sibusiso Mamba is one of them. His name means blessing. Sibusiso is an Aids orphan, who is HIV positive himself. Now aged 14, he looks more like a seven-year-old.

For the past two months he has been on anti-retro viral drugs (ARVs).

They brought him back from death's door, according to his grandmother, Ntsambose, who is caring for him at a remote homestead - 80km (49.7 miles) from the nearest hospital.

Now, as the king is having a banquet, she has run out of food.

"I feel bad when I see that he's hungry," she said. "It hurts me. He's better because of the medicine. But the problem of hunger will make him sick again."

Ntsambose knew nothing of the celebrations in the capital, or of the money being spent.

"Who am I to say anything?" she asked. "There's nothing I can say about what is done by the king."

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe was among those present

Many feel powerless to speak up against the monarch - criticism of Mswati is still frowned upon here.

Ntsambose can hardly see, so she relies on her grandson to gather firewood.

It takes all his strength to carry a few sticks. He dreams of being well enough for school next year, and of growing up to be a policemen. But he may not live to his next birthday.

Aids campaigners Tengetile Hlope, whose has been helping Sibusiso and his grandmother, believes this is no time for parties.

"HIV is killing the country. When you think of the budget that is being used for the 40-40 celebrations, you just feel like crying," she said.

"There are people here who don't have water, food or transport to a clinic.

"They are just out in the rural areas on their own. The people who are organising and celebrating the 40-40, they don't even know about this place."

'40 years of poverty'

The government denies that the birthday party is extravagant, and insists it's a fitting way to mark a milestone.

"I think the nation can celebrate the achievements of the past 40 years," said Percy Simelane, a government spokesman.

After the celebrations, many of those who attended waited in line for food

"The country has changed tremendously. At independence we used to get teachers, doctors and nurses from other countries. Now we export them. ARVs are provided free.

"Aids orphans go to school free of charge, and the government pays for meals."

But a short distance from Sibusiso's homestead we found more evidence of the hardships many face, at a neighbourhood children's centre.

About 60 children visit the centre every day - more than half of them are Aids orphans.

The volunteers who run the centre feed them when they can - that is about two days a month.

On the day of our visit, there were songs, games and informal education for the children, but nothing to eat.

Tengetile Hlope believes this is the reality of life for many in rural Swaziland, four decades on.

"I feel like I am just celebrating 40 years of poverty and hunger in this country," she said.

so back to the drama, i go to a sales office, which is crowded with people that have been dumped... they have now mustly been placed on teh next flight at 6pm, which i have been informed in now full as well. yes, as you can imagiane i am startign to freak out inside, externally trying not to lose it but, must be honest, i was hovering on the edge. you see, i have to meet my group in the city then first thing tomorrow (today) we are taking off for the jungle... so panic is really setting in.

i have now been told that the best they can offer is a flight to Entebbe (uganda) then 'perhaps' a connector to kigali 'maybe' tomorrow for an addtl $300... so as i am sure you can imagine ...in my mind, i am quickly trying to analyse the best way to deal with this... do i lose it on the ticket guy in front of me (but as a longtime cashier, i know it serves no purpose yelling at someone who doesn't make the rules), do i sob like a baby in hope of pity, do i rationalize... well, you know me, i did all of the above and MORE, but of course, demanded a supervisor first!!

after much drama, much back and forth debate, which (as we know) he had no hope of winning, they surprisingly found me a s pot on that 'full' flight at 6pm.

So here i am in rwanda... missed dinner and meet n greet with the group - lil upset about that BUT big picture is that i am estatic to be here.

will be a hard day today as we are planning to visit the Genocide Museum and Memorial... really want to pay my respect but know it will be hard on the heart... as has all the poverty and desparation i have already seen. (VERY eye opening... even though i was somewhat prepared for it)

will check in when i can... and TAM< there were a few times i needed your strength yesterday, as i know how brilliant you are at talking your way thru just about anythign and eventually getting what you want... so believe me, i was challenging you all the way!!

Plus, check back for some awesome pictures from Italy (and from the volcano we are going to hike...eeek!)

www.photoblissbyelizabeth.com

photoblissbyelizabeth@gmail.com

(208) 251-6771

Wish me luck (or safety)!  Elizabeth.

Bye bye!!

So, we completed the training with flying colors (assumption, haha). We rented a car and drove to Interlaken, Switzerland with the help of GPS and of course the map. We stopped for a while at this huge lake named unknown (i cant remember, i'm aging, oh nooo). Then, we crossed the border to Swiss. Once we were in Swiss, the view, the temperature and everything changed… since it’s getting darker, we chose the highway rather than the countryside road…it wasted our precious 2 hours, but for safety, we didn’t mind since the road zigzags the countryside at higher altitude, arrived at the hotel around midnite. The following day, we went up to Jufraujoch (3300++ meter above the sea). There are few trains that we need to ride. From Wilderswild to Lauterbrunnen (with few amazing waterfalls).

Then took the next train to Kleine Scheidegg. And next to our destination, Jufraujoch. There is snow all the year but as it is summer, the snow is not so fluffy, sort of ‘air batu campur’. I was so jakun… hahaha.. the team even called that day as one of the program show entitled “Bersama ‘me’ menunaikan impian”..hah hah..funny..just assume that I didn’t notice the excitement in their eyes once they stepped on the snow… We went into the Ice Palace..but i dont have the pic now... it's like few tunnels were dug inside a huge iceberg and we can walk into the tunnels... After Jufrau, we went down and drove our way back through the zigzag road..the view of the countryside is soooo wonderful, I was even thinking to pinch myself just to ensure that I wasn’t in a dream… spent the night at Aigle… a small town in Swiss… the next morning, toured a bit to the orchard area… then drove back to Genoa… on the way, we stopped at a small town named Courmayeur … from here, we can climb up to Mont Blanc with the cable car…from the town, I could see the snow at the top of the mountain… Mont Blanc is actually a border of Italy and France… since we need to catch our flight, we just viewed Mont Blanc from Courmayeur… then Alhamdulillah, we safely arrived in Genoa airport for the next flight to Rome, before going back to Malaysia… in Rome, it was the first Ramadhan and unbelievable, I managed to stay fresh until 5pm, after that I sort of fainted at the hotel room..hihi.. this time, took the chance to enter Colloseum (9 euro) and visited some of the main attractions that I didn’t visit during my previous trip 6 months ago… and I guess that’s all…THE END..

For the picas...

Swiss and Rome

Pisa and Florence

Milan and Venice

Genoa

]]> http://silvianovesette.wordpress.com/?p=55 Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:50:44 +0000 silvianovesette http://silvianovesette.wordpress.com/?p=55

Ida and Wolf on a tiny red wooden chair "borrowed" by a house in Lamole: that tuscan accent mixed with the austrian Audi: well done!:-)

Ida found an old friend that haven't met from ages but she discovers he lives in Lamole, he uses to wait until the wee hours at the Bar-Restaurant "Il Ristoro" together with the owner Paolo, that here helps Ida to contact him.

The Reunion with her friend Dario, former owner of a Restaurant in Veneto, a very empathic person, creative and a great host, here on the terrace of the Cecchini's Butchery where he works now. He entartained us with stories and memories of his friendship with Ida, showing us his passion for women and for true relationships among people, with a genuine and zen spirit.

The Entrance or the Exit of the Cecchini's Butchery: a synthesis of art and "ciccia" (slang for meat):-)

In a few hours, lives and feelings as if it was raining. Everything spontaneous and memorable. Where Ida goes...:-) I'll be waiting for Ida and Wolf's pictures to write the final episode:-)

B.

However the Norweigan guy running it was one of the most abrasive people I've ever met.
If you asked him a question, it would immediately be thrown back at you as stupid, and too much effort to answer properly.
He was vocally racist against Russians and Ukrainians (right in front of them in the restaurant, hope to god they didn't speak English).
Not to mention the fact I'm almost certain he charged me 360 grivnah for the first night (about 50 euros!), though I evened the score by getting a free night without him realising).

However if you look at the alternatives on hostelworld.com you'll see similar stories (and worse) at the other hostels in Kiev.

In fact he was telling me of an English guy who set up a hostel in Kiev with a very similar name to his, which created an ongoing debacle whose highlights include the English guy leaving a dead cat slit from top to tail in front of the Norweigan guy's hostel,  operating on a tourist visa and without a hostel licence and threatening the Norweigan's wife and 7 month old son, or so we're told.

All in all I think there's a niche in Kiev for a reasonably priced and more importantly sane hostel owner...

Still he did have a couple of pretty young things working for him who were always insisting on a joyride, so it wasn't all bad!