Thursday, August 23, 2007

reflections on my travels...so far

traveling is so inspiring and opens up your mind.
it was interesting to actually touch the great wall of china, to ride a beijing bus, to haggle for cheap stuff, to navigate through the streets among thousands of people, to eat beijing duck. it was an adventure to ride a horse and carriage, to ride a galloping stallion, to build a fire, to live in a ger, to eat mutton, to listen to monks chanting.
along the way, i met interesting people. a swiss who loves the philippines, a dane who embraces asian cultures, an american learning mongolian, another american helping the reindeer people, a frenchman traveling through most of asia, a british family who loves adventure traveling.
the most precious and unique encounters however were with people who did not speak english nor filipino: a mongolian woman who, by signalling and pointing, directed me to the train ticket station; vendors at the last south tower at the great wall who i joked around with, i gave them candy, they gave us apples, and let me sit on a stack of books to rest; the mongolian girl who's in charge of the guesthouse where we stayed, who i talked to about TV shows and korean celebrities; the chinese girl at the cafe who gave me a cute souvenir and asked me when i would return to china. maybe soon. definitely, next time, to see more of the "probinsiya".
this trip could not have come at a better time in my life. it widened my horizons and opened my eyes, and despite the exhaustion, rejuvenated me.
pictures to come soon.

Saturday, August 04, 2007

senti-mental journey

you make a smile fly to my lips
you make a giggle rise in my throat
you make my hair feel glossy
you make me write a love poem!
GOSH!:P

packing!

gosh, i'm running around putting things together, trying to find one thing or the other, like a headless chicken i'm running...
but i know that in 3 days--count 'em, 3. it will all settle down and i will be ready for another adventure that i know i will love from the get-go. china, here i come!
i don't care how, but i will absolutely make the most of my stay.

places i MUST see:
tiananmen square
yellow river
yangtze river
great wall
forbidden palace

things i MUST do:
eat authentic peking duck
ride an authentic bike like in the movies
touch the historic ground from which at least some of my ancestors came

i'm super happy! now to go on packing!

captures it EXACTLY

my friend cely sent me the mp3 of this, saying it's exactly, precisely what i want to say to you. she's right. and one of these days, when i have time, i might just get around to it...unless you
beat me to it. that would be ok too.:)

"Can I Walk With You"
I woke up this morning
you were the first thing on my mind
I don't know were it came from
all I know is I need you in my life, yeah
You make me feel like
I can be a better woman
If you just say you wanna
take this friendship to another place

Chorus
Can I walk with you through your life
Can I lay with you as your wife
Can I be your friend 'till the end
Can I walk with you through your life
(fades away)

You've got me wondering
if you know that I am wondering about you
This feeling is so strong
that I can't imagine you're not feeling it too
You've known me long enough
to trust that I want what's best for you
f you want to be happy
then I am the one that you should
give your heart to.
[Chorus]

Now everyday ain't gonna be
like the summers day
Being in love it really ain't like
the movies screen
But I can tell you all the drama aside
you and I can find
what the world's been looking for forever
Friendship and love together
[Chorus]

Can I walk with you in your life?
Till the day that the world stops spinning
Can I walk with you in your life?
Till the day that my heart stops beating
Can I walk with you in your life?
Can I walk with you
Till the day that the birds no longer take flight
Till the moon is underwater
Can I walk with you
Can I walk with you
This is the moment I've been waiting for
Can I walk with you
Can I walk with you
Can I walk with you
You are everything I've been looking for
Can I walk with you
Creative intellectual
Can I walk with you
Can I walk with you as your wife

just strolling

last night, my friend, pam's short films were showing at mag:net cafe in katipunan. since i hadn't seen her in a while, her birthday's coming up, and i wanted to watch her award-winning film which i was involved in making but hadn't ever seen, i decided to go.
i never spent a lot of time in katipunan in college, despite its proximity. it just wasn't my "scene". but last night, after the rains had washed away the dirt and heat, i walked the stretch of katipunan to the LRT station, and it was a pleasant experience. it was dark but presko. such a distance, i don't usually walk--except in baguio. but last night, i felt good and ok. everything was peaceful and right with the world.
when i got home, i had a good night's sleep.