Day 9 - Rainbow After The Rain

I am used to working night shifts but I felt like I was more sleep-deprived during the flood weekend. Probably because worry was also factored in. My brother was still out there, no update as to how he spent the night outside of home.

The sight from my window at 7:10 AM was still sorrowful. The water was then that of Cadbury chocolate's color except that it did not look yummy at all. Almost half of the first floor of our building was submerged.

The stranded people had no choice but to wait, hoping that the water will recede as soon as possible since the rain has somehow stopped. But the passing of time seemed like eternity.

Waterlilies have blocked the gates...with trash. Trash that caused drainage to be clogged. Thus, a flash flood.

Speedboats roamed the "Ortigas Extension river" that day carrying women and children. No more playing.

Desperate people walked on cables just to get to the other end, not minding of the consequences.

And it was worth keeping your bestfriend. Loyalty Awardee.

People scanned their surroundings to check the degree of damage in their homes.

A child does not usually understand what is actually happening outside. Such as this child neighbor of ours.

Choppers never ceased to survey the area.

A few have paid strong-willed men to send them home via improvised rafts. Either by wood...

...Or by using a furniture...

Amphibians have started to arrive to speed up the rescue of the affected.

Still, smiles did never fade. What faded was my worry because around 1 PM, my brother has arrived after being under the water for more than 3 hours. He tried his best to battle the current while ignoring the scorching heat of the sun.

Relief goods were dropped to the hungry crowd. But the wind was pushing the goods away and made them land on the houses. It was drizzling.

And so they thought of a better plan. Relief goods were brought to the ground. Sun plus drizzle equals rainbow over Ortigas. I let out a sigh of hope.

By 6:30 PM, the water has subsided by more or less 2 feet. Long and big trucks were able to transport people. Some of the stranded buses attempted to pass through the road.

Sunday night brought forth a more positive atmosphere. We could see some parts of the pavement which meant that most of the people have left the place and finally would be able to meet their family at home.

Day 8 - The Unraveling of Ondoy's Fury

I was offline for 2 days and missed my blog challenge. Nevertheless, I know I have things in mind to put in my blog. Things that were historical, shocking, scary, and real. I don't think I can even use words to describe the sight. So what I can do is share the snapshots I took during and after Ondoy's fury alongside our home at Ortigas Extension. Such a heartbreaking scene indeed.

I woke up at 11 AM on Saturday shocked by what I saw of Ortigas Extension. The water level was knee-high. I informed my brother who was working at Libis that time not to come home and better stay where he was. It's much safer there than be at risk. However, people seemed not to worry that much about the height and continued on walking through just to get home. You know how we are, we still smile despite the bad news. The water was not yet muddy at that time.

Children were even amazed of the instant pool that formed outside of their residences, thus, enjoyed diving into the waters.

This was the first "boat" I saw that day. It was the vertical half of a plastic drum. They were still enjoying the waters, no fear, no expectations whatsoever. Just playing.

Then at 4:18 PM, I was alarmed by the rapid flow of the river at the floodway. Manila was really caught by surprise. On a normal day, you won't see the water level from my vantage point.

The highest level was witnessed on Saturday night. No one dared to swim the "Ortigas Extension river." People were stranded, not knowing how they were able to pee, eat, or sleep.

Around 9:30 PM, we noticed what seemed to be a smoke of heavy density and thickness at Ortigas Center. I think there was even fire that night.

We slept around past 11 PM praying that the rains would stop and that the water would subside...and hoped that if it was a fire, nobody got hurt.

What Photoworld Asia 2009 Has Offered

This is my first photography class and it's all totally worth it! 

The event by Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation (FPPF) was held last January 30 - February 3, 2009 at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Conference Hall. The exhibitors such as Kodak, Canon, Nikon, JT Photoworld, Euro Color, Aperture, Avenue, Camera Haus, and Henry's to mention a few had their own booths at Glorietta Activity Center.

The invited speakers shared their own area of specialty.

Mary Fisk-Taylor is an expert when it comes to sales and marketing (get very, very close to the person who has the checkbook *wink*).

Mary's business partner Jamie Hayes is the light master and is into glamour photography (mimic natural sunlight through strobes if the weather is gloomy).

Hanson Fong's forte is to arrange his subjects to produce a perfect portrait. He believes in 3 things: 

1. The woman should look good

2. The woman should look good

3. The man has to pay

All three form a really great team.

Nick Tuason covered Color Management with Nino Carandang's help, while his wife, Pilar Tuason, discoursed a few of her Wedding Photography secrets, Victor Sison of FPPF filled us in with his strobe techniques, Nelson John sampled Photoshop CS4 directly from Singapore via Skype, Bobot Go and George Cabig impressed us with their captured moments and some once-in-a-lifetime chances, John Chua touched our hearts with his Autism project and his other Ad works (and insists in discouraging us never to enter advertising), Fung Yu brought us to the places he has been through his 360° Virtual Reality (VR) outputs, and Neil Confesor amazed us with how he captured things in action, including himself while kayaking via his invented camera-holder.

Sleeplessness did not bother me as I watch them unfold their strategies and unique ways. So many things have been learned from this event and I hope that the application of these lessons would materialize where they are needed.

Best of all, new bonds have been created by new acquaintances!

"Glimpses through Life's Windows"

"The Changed Cross" is a poem that tells of a weary woman who taught that the cross she must bear surely was heavier than those of other people, so she wished she could choose another person's instead. When she went to sleep, she dreamed she was taken to a place where there were many different crosses from which to choose. There were various shapes and sizes, but the most beautiful one was covered with jewels and gold. "This I could wear with comfort," she said. So she picked it up, but her weak body staggered beneath its weight. The jewels and gold were beautiful, yet they were much too heavy for her to carry.

The next cross she noticed was quite lovely, with beautiful flowers entwined around its sculptured form. Surely this was the one for her. She lifted it, but beneath the flowers were large thorns that pierced and tore her skin. Finally she came to a plain cross without jewels or any carvings and with only a few words of love inscribed on it. When she picked it up, it proved to be better than all the rest, and the easiest to carry. And as she looked at it, she noticed it was bathed in a radiance that fell from heaven. Then she recognized it as her own old cross. She had found it once again, and it was the best of all, and the lightest for her.

You see, God knows best what cross we need to bear, and we never know how heavy someone else's cross may be. We envy someone who is rich, with a cross of gold adorned with jewels, but we do not know how heavy it is. We looked at someone whose life seems so easy and who carries a cross covered with flowers. Yet if we could actually test all the crosses we think are lighter than ours, we would never find one better suited for us than our own.

SHARED BY JOE GATUSLAO
Bacolod City, Philippines

Here's the poem:

THE CHANGED CROSS

It was a time of sadness, and my heart,
Although it knew and loved the better part,
Felt wearied with the conflict and the strife,
And all the needful discipline of life.

And while I thought on these, as given me
My trial tests of faith and love to be –
It seemed as if I could never be sure
That faithful to the end I should endure.

And thus, no longer trusting to His might
 Who says, "We walk by faith, and not by sight,"
 Doubting, and almost yielding to despair,
The thought arose ‑‑ My cross I cannot bear:

Far heavier its weight must surely be
Than those of others which I daily see.
Oh! if I might another burden chose,
Methinks I should not fear my crown to lose.

A solemn silence reigned on all around –
E'en Nature's voices uttered not a sound;
The evening shadows seemed of peace to tell,
And sleep upon my weary spirit fell.

A moment's pause ‑‑ and then a heavenly light
Beamed full upon my wondering, raptured sight
 Angels on silvery wings seemed everywhere,
And angel's music filled the balmy air.

Then One, more fair than all the rest to see –
One to whom all the others bowed the knee –
Came gently to me as I trembling lay,
And, "Follow me!" He said; "I am the Way."

Then, speaking thus He led me far above,
 And there, beneath a canopy of love,
 Crosses of divers shape and size were seen,
Larger and smaller than my own had been.

And one there was, most beauteous to behold,
 A little one, with jewels set in gold.
Ah! this, methought, I can with comfort wear,
 For it will be an easy one to bear:

And so the little cross 1 quickly took;
But, all at once, my frame beneath it shook.
 The sparkling jewels fair were they to see,
 But far too heavy was their weight for me.

"This may not be," I cried, and looked again,
To see if there was any here could case my pain,
 But one by one, I passed them slowly by,
 Till on a lovely one I cast my eye.

Fair flowers around its sculptured form entwined,
And grace and beauty seemed in it combined.
 Wondering, I gazed; and still I wondered more
To think so many should have passed it o'er.

But oh! that form so beautiful to see
 Soon made its hidden sorrows known to me;
Thorns lay beneath those flowers and colours fair!
Sorrowing, I said: "This cross I may not bear."

And so it was with each and all around
‑Not one to suit my need could be found;
 Weeping, I laid each heavy burden down,
 As my Guide gently said: "No cross, no crown!"

At length, to Him I raised my saddened heart:
 He knew its sorrows, bid its doubt depart.
 "Be not afraid," He said, "but trust in me –
My perfect love shall now be shown to thee."

And then, with lightened eyes and willing feet,
 Again I turned, my earthly cross to meet,
With forward footsteps, turning not aside,
For fear some hidden evil might betide;

And there ‑‑ in the prepared, appointed way,
 Listening to hear, and ready to obey –
A cross quickly found of plainest form,
With only words of love inscribed thereon.

With thankfulness 1 raised it from the rest,
 And joyfully acknowledged it the best –
The only one of all the many there 
That I could feel was good for me to bear.

And, while I thus my chosen one confessed,
I saw a heavenly brightness on it rest;
 And, as I bent, my burden to sustain,
 I recognized my old cross again.

But oh! how different did it seem to be
Now I had learned its preciousness to see!
No longer could I unbelieving say,
 Perhaps another is a better way.

Ah no! hence forth my own desire shall be,
That He who knows me best should choose for me
 And so, whate'er His love sees good to send,
 I'll trust it's best, because He knows the end.

Anon. Written prior 1865.

Standing Firm

Standing Firm

You see it all the time. People achieve success, and then their personal lives seem to fall apart. As someone once said, success has made failures of many men. But does that have to happen?

The September 1996 issue of Standing Firm magazine contains a great story about Bobby Bowden. Bowden is head football coach for Florida State University. His team's winning record places him near the top in wins among active coaches at the Division I level. Bowden's record of successes in bowl games is the highest winning percentage in NCAA history. So he is successful in his chosen career. Whether you are a fan of F.S.U. or not, you have to admit that Bowden is a successful coach.

But there is more to Bowden than the statistics you read in the sports pages. He is a man of faith, and makes no apologies for that. During hi steam's Friday evening meetings before their Saturday games, Bowden uses valuable time for team devotionals, which he leads. As for his ongoing leadership of the team's staff, each day he meets with his staff for devotions and prayer prior to their regular staff meetings.

Each year, Bowden takes his entire team to a predominantly black church for worship. The following Sunday, he takes the team to a predominantly white church. There is no deception involved--he writes a letter to each athlete's parents or guardian to tell them about the church visits and obtain their approval. "I'm trying to show these kids that they are accepted in church whether they are white or black," Bowden said.

So what is the point of this and the many other ways Bowden walks his walk of faith? Bowden says, "I want to show these kids that you can be a Christian, you can be a God-fearing man, you can abide by the rules, and you can still be successful."

How Does This Apply to Our Lives?

A number of social commentators have asked the questions, "Where are our heroes?" and "Where are the role models for today's youth?" That is because we constantly read about people who were considered heroes, but turned out to be villains who compromised their values and broke the rules. Is it necessary to compromise your values to make it in life? Bowden's story shows that it is not. No, Bowden is not perfect. But there is a core to his life. Bowden stands firm in his beliefs--and is successful. What is the difference between the Bobby Bowden's of the world, and others? Simply put, some people are like onions. They have no core, just layers. And when you peel away all the layers, nothing is left. Don't glorify the "onions" of the world. Instead, lift up people like Bowden--men and women with a core to their lives, who exhibit integrity and faith. Help them touch others. Encourage them. Pray for them. Finally, build and strengthen your own core. Start by placing your trust and confidence totally in God. Trusting in God does not guarantee you worldly success or great riches, but the Bible teaches that something far more important will result, blessings from God.

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him." Job 17:9

Contributed by Rich McLawhorn email:REM@mail01.scdps.state.sc.us

That Paradise Feeling at Kawayan Cove

The blessings in between the free rides to and fro Nasugbu, Batangas were far greater than we have expected. Everything's so overwhelming because I really never thought such things still happen but they do! And I am so glad. So grateful.

Extending our waking hours to be a part of this Nasugbu visit never really mattered because that feeling of excitement was larger than anything. The skies were really cloudy and Marce's winds were still slapping the trees outside the Intercon Lobby, which was broad-casted as our meeting place at 6 AM of 9-11.

Around 10 AM, rains welcomed us as the bus trekked the hilly surfaces towards Nasugbu's edge. Despite the weather, Joey Puyat, one of the proud owners of the exclusive place, accepted us with a beaming face, thereby balancing the windy weather with his warmth.

As the little droplets continued to pour, we were first brought to their famous beige-colored Bamboo Beach Club via smaller vehicles. They let us wander around like kids to enjoy the beautiful sight and to play with our toys, never minding the drizzle. We met some friends, too.

Edward, my Godchild's father and officemate, came to know about this event through an online forum and Anton's blog (http://anton.blogs.com/) and invited me to join in and we were ecstatic about it when we were finally enlisted to become a part such great opportunity. Anton is a famous blogger who loves to travel especially going to beach areas.

While US was commemorating the WTC incident, Anton was giving us tips on how he records his travels through his full-of-life photos. Composition mattered more to him than the technical aspects. He is more into the story that the photo tells.

After flipping a few slide samples of luscious food pictures he had taken during his previous trips, he finally decided that we do it for real. Good follow-through! However, instead of us sweeping off the veggie viands from the pots and murdering the grilled fishes and chicken, we gathered patience and suppressed our hunger so as to take snapshots of the tasteful dishes just as Anton had taught us.

And then the party ultimately began. Green mango strips with bagoong appetized us. Delectable crabs were served per table and then the crispy lechon came in a little late but it didn't matter. Pots were filled with ginataang kangkong (which I loved), somehow marinated-in-sweet-vinegar turnip strips (don't know how it's called and made but it was very delicious), atchara, red egg with tomatoes, and sweet potato leaves. Crews were continuously grilling those juicy shrimps and healthy squids. Chicken parts were barbecued earlier as well as the grilled big tanguiges and they tasted so yummy. The soup of pesang manok completed the meal to serve as warmers. And to top it all, rice was wrapped in banana leaves, making us enjoy our food more.

The next thing I knew, I couldn't breathe. But the party has not ended yet for there are succulent, artistically-sliced fruits on another table. You name it: pineapple, apple, watermelon, and orange. Super perfect meal!

A little while after, Arbee, the organizer, began roaming around asking the sizes of our feet. Trailing behind her was one of the crews carrying a box of Havaianas flip-flops. Ohh lala!

Siesta was not an option after that hearty meal but there was a better alternative to that. Meditation. As Joey opened the gates of Meditation Point, the sight took our breaths away and all we could say was "Wow!" The view was incredible. Very refreshing, relaxing, and peaceful. Perfect for quiet times when it's not raining. The only sound you'd hear are the flapping waves that would want to cause you to sleep. According to Isabel, the grandmother, the place was at its worst so we better come back during its best and that would be summer time.

Mango Grove was our last stop before heading back to where there are sands and huts. It is a picnic ground perfect for family outings. It has a tree house, Spiderman's giant web, swimming pool, an amphitheater, grilling stations, a hammock, and kids' playground. An outstanding spot for total quality time and de-stressing moments. By 15:45, we were offered more fruits and cool water back in the clubhouse. Anton announced earlier that we could choose two of our shots and have them printed on a postcard-sized photo paper while taking a break.

And you think that's all? We thought so, too. Yet the Grace of God never stopped pouring. Before we hopped off to our tour vans that will send us to the bus for our ride home, the Puyat family distributed only-baked-at-Christmas round buttercakes housed in rattan-made boxes to everyone with some, getting two boxes because of the overflowing supply. I was one of them! I brought one box to Baguio for my family to take part in my delight. Edward and I went home that day, still with that floating feeling.

The best things in life are, indeed, free! I am so much grateful to the Puyat family's warm accommodation.

For more of Kawayan Cove's history and information, you can check out http://www.kawayancove.com/ and see the impressive aerial views.

P.S.

The factors that distinctively identifies Kawayan Cove were, sadly, none in my photos. I guess I was not creative enough to take a shot of the bamboos nor the cove. Well, I was able to get near the cove but concentrated on the waters and forgot about that inlet which Kawayan Cove is known of. I should never miss it next time. =)

More Kawayan Cove pictures can be viewed at http://elyt.multiply.com/

How Do You Perceive Sunsets?

Sunsets could tell us or remind us of a few things:

- That even if the day has ended, we don't have to likewise end things on our side. It could serve as our rest or break before we continue battling over our trials when the sun rises again. That is, battle trials with strength and gratefulness - grateful that these trials make us stronger, probably without us realizing it yet.

- That we evaluate and reflect how our day has transpired and try our best to count the graces of God, and maybe this way, we will go to bed hugging our loved ones, instead of stress. After all, life is balanced by pain and struggle so fretting about them is just a waste of time, energy, and most of all, happiness that we could not gain back when time has already passed.

- That no matter how frustrating, stressful, sad, and disappointing things could be, the sun reminds us that life goes on and we can flush these emotions that badly affect our decisions down along with the sun so we can always start anew.

- That since we cannot control its setting everyday, there are also things in our lives that we do not have control over. And even if we pour all our efforts to disagree, argue, or rage over uncontrollable things, nothing good will come out of it if the change won't be coming from the source. Thus, we go back to the second point above, waste of time. Since God has control over all things, the one thing we have control over is prayer.

I know things are easier said than done and I have been in these bad situations, too, but reminding us of great things definitely lightens up the mood, don't you think?

So how about you, how do you perceive sunsets?

Can you pronounce Wat Pho's official name?

We were made to be flexible. Though we were not able to follow our itinerary due to schedule conflicts and the limited time we had, we could say we have gone to the most visited sites of Thailand.

We promised on our first day that we were coming back to Wat Pho or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha no matter what, so that was our ultimate goal the very first part of our last day. This reclining buddha used to be un-sheltered and exposed. I don't know when Thais started to be concerned of the Buddha's "health" so they built a roof over it with thick pillars as support. This is, by far, the largest and oldest Buddha in Bangkok, measuring 46 meters long and 15 meters high dating back 200 years ago. Thai massage also originated here. Oh by the way, can you pronounce to me its official full name? It's Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn.

Wat Pho grounds have more than a thousand Buddhas. Our eyes were so full of it that we decided not to visit Wat Traimit anymore since the site also houses more of the same-looking golden Buddhas. We instead went to the Royal Temple, a spot recommended by a Thai we met while we were shopping for durian and jackfruit flakes plus more Thailand souvenirs outside Wat Pho.

Royal Temple was not part of our itinerary because, apart from not being listed, it was kind of limited to visitors since some of the structures were being destroyed during the time that it was still open to all. They wanted to preserve it since the Royal family regularly goes to the temple to worship. We met the architect of the Royal Temple and told us that the story of King and I surrounds the temple.

We visited Wimanmek Palace the last. Sadly, we were not allowed to take pictures, I guess they were afraid that we would imitate their designs. Nah, since it was a museum of the King's personal arts and handicrafts showing the Thai national heritage, everything should be preserved. It was built in 1901.

On our first day, we planned to postpone our visit to the Royal Barges Museum to the 3rd day. However, after the Wimanmek tour, we got so tired that we weighed if the Royal Barges Museum was worth visiting. Well, shopping won over the visit to the museum so we headed straight to where we think we should be to do our last minute chores. Royal Barges Museum was not meant to be a part of our memories. =D

Enough of Wats for now, how about outside Bangkok?

The sound of a floating market gets us all excited even before the trip since that spot has been broad-casted in the world as a Thailand trademark. It is not located within Bangkok but one can find it 106 kms away or 1.5 - 2 hours from the city, which is not bad at all. But whenever you hear the word market, does it always connote cheap goods? Nah, not for this market. The prices are surprisingly at least 100% more costly than the real prices, and the sellers would make this facial expression as if they have the best prices in the market. Since we only had faint ideas of how much the goods really were, we tried to bargain to the best of our ability (with all the reasoning I could think of at that moment accompanied by begging eyes). It would take me at least a minute to negotiate until they'd give me the price that was close, if not exact, to what I want. Sometimes, I would be startled to see them come running after me if I leave when I don't get the price I want. That made me think "Hmm, if they can give my price to me, then they must have enjoyed over-pricing their goods..."

There was even this one time when my kumare Lian was buying the carved floating market souvenir and I was also one seller away from her checking the same thing but in a smaller package (I didn't know she was almost beside me). I was applying my begging ability to the seller and was about to get the 125 or 150-Baht worth of smaller token when Lian came near me, I quickly boasted that I am about to get the token at 125-150 Bt ONLY, emphasizing the ONLY keyword. She almost raised her voice alarming me that hers was only 100 Bt and bigger. I thought I fell off the ledge down to the waters. Uh-oh! My eyes widened and confronted my seller "She got hers at 100 Bt only, what's the difference with yours?!" The seller explained that hers had more vivid colors etc. Alright, I believe I still have near-perfect vision and Lian was wearing her glasses but we CAN'T see ANY difference. Nice try lady. But I bought her smaller token after the argument anyway, with a low price (at 75 Bt) because I was afraid that I might exceed the baggage weight limit. So there it is. The weather was soo hot and things were even hotter with the great EFFORT made just to settle a good deal.

Then I thought I've got the great deal. What really hurt was when we discovered on our LAST shopping day that the same goods we've bought from the market in which we thought were already cheap, were even cheaper in the oldest mall of Bangkok by around 10-20%. Great, just great. But that's okay, we did not know. I'm fine. Really. =D

Anyway, going back to the outskirts of Bangkok, the day-tour also included a visit to the Samphran Elephant Ground and Zoo. I really really enjoyed what happened here. I've already witnessed 2 dolphin shows since I started traveling but trying something new would be refreshing. This is, again, another of Thailand's most famous site. We did not mind paying 500 Bt because we knew that this riding adventure might just be a one-time event for all of us. And yes, it was very memorable. The elephants were adorable. They know how to pose in front of a camera. When we gave our tip to our guide, the elephant used the trunk to get the money and passed it on to his master. Cute.

Oh before I forget, we had our stomachs full before we started our exciting Elephant ride. It was a buffet lunch and we were given the chance to try dishes that almost had a common denominator, spice. Even the pasta that they have prepared for Westerners was even spicy, the sauce almost tasted like curry. What the gang liked best was the sea brass fish fillet with the Jufran-like sauce (sweet and spicy), we kept coming back for that. We tried all the noodles our eyes could set on (and of course, I and Joy saw Pad Thai again and I think 1/3 of our plates were just noodles). I could not remember the names but the dishes were great! I wished I had 4 stomachs like that of a cow during that time.

The Elephant Show completed our day when they raced, wiggled, danced, did a "hand-stand", hopped with 3 legs, crossed their front legs, played the drums, and kicked soccer balls. One of them even played an invisible guitar - rock and roll! If only they could sing, then that would be a blast! (Find the videos at http://elyt.multiply.com/).

Getting nearer to Bangkok, we stopped by at Rose Garden to watch Thailand's cultural show featuring their dances, how they conduct a wedding, a Muay Thai fight, long pole-short pole fight, and a sword fight. The fighting scenes were enacted with actual fighting moves so you would really appreciate them. I'd also say one of their dances has a very close resemblance to our former national dance, Tinikling. In our Tinikling, we are already contented with just having a pair of bamboo sticks, one tempo, and a constant series of hops done by a pair of "Tinikling-ers." And for us, it already looks difficult to perform. But the Thais do not think that. If there's an existing contest for the Tinikling-like dance, Thais would have the trophy. Well, we saw 4 pairs of dancers, thus, 4 pairs of bamboo sticks and as the music continued on, the tempo went faster and faster requiring them to perform quicker hops. One pair did not just dance with their own pair of bamboos, instead, they danced passing all 4 bamboo pairs in different styles since the bamboo sticks were positioned adjacent to the others. (Find the video at http://elyt.multiply.com/). So okay, I give up. I'd rather play the rock-paper-scissors game.

Speaking of common denominator earlier, the activity that we never miss doing was the shopping-for-souvenirs activity. Since we stayed one alley away from Khaosan Road where stalls were set up during the later part of the day until late at night or very early morning, we always dropped by to check if there were items worth buying.

That night, I was still sick and dead-tired. So the moment we got into our rooms, I quickly cleaned up and it took me less than 2 minutes to be in dreamland.

Missing the glittering lights at Sunset

First day was reserved for famous temples or Wats such us Wat Arun or The Temple of the Dawn. This is because the structure glitters during sunset or sunrise. Unfortunately, our timing was off. We went there around 4:30 PM, the sun was still so high and our feet were aching from touring the Grand Palace grounds. Looking at our itinerary, we were supposed to visit this temple at the end of the day after we have gone to the rest of the Wats. Our list during that time says we will visit 3 Wats on day 1 (Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho, and Wat Arun) and Wat Traimit on the last day. I have already crossed off Wat Phra Kaew from the list after someone has explained to us that Wat Phra Kaew and Grand Palace were built in one compound. We then decided to pursue viewing Wat Pho, which should be located just BEHIND the Grand Palace compound. While walking towards it and dismissing the scorching sun, my friend Edward met a man who told them that Wat Pho closed early that day to accommodate the worshippers or something to that effect. We had no choice but to proceed to Wat Arun earlier than scheduled but we also made sure that Wat Pho should never be missed. We shall return!

Shopping concluded our first day at Khaosan Road, the road just behind our inn. Again, Joy ordered Pad Thai for dinner.

Driver, Wat Phra Kaew please? Oh you don't know?!

We already have the map in our hands but we were not aware that Wat Phra Kaew also stands within the Grand Palace compounds. According to the map, they are located near to each other but not so clear that they are bounded by the same walls. The site opens at 9 AM and we got there by around 10 AM since we had to procure closed shoes due to the dress code they are implementing according to the sites I have visited. But when we got there, we could see so many people in their open-toed footwear (but definitely no shorts!). Right there and then, my friends changed back to their more-comfortable sandals. We spent taking pictures the entire morning (still thinking that we have been touring only the Grand Palace but actually, we consumed the whole time capturing memories at Wat Phra Kaew).

And then our digestive tracts started to growl. We just walked out from the white walls and looked for any restaurant so we could easily go back to visit what we thought we hadn't yet. We landed at a seafood restaurant which stands by the river. They have great food and refreshments and that's when my friend Joy first realized she's starting to like Pad Thai (noodles) very much. Most of all, the blueberry smoothie we ordered was the day's highlight, I forgot what I have ordered for my main course.

After satisfying our buds, we decided to take a cab to what we thought should be our next destination. No wonder the taxi driver could not "find" it and he was also asking people around about where we want to go. And then finally, he drove us around the same white walls we just enjoyed a few hours ago. The next thing we know, we found ourselves standing outside a very familiar entrance. Alright, we were back to where we were. What just happened? Well, it was a great relief to find someone who could understand English. He explained to us that Wat Phra Kaew and Grand Palace are located in one compound. Okay, 2 down from our itinerary.

Abandoned

No matter how grand the place is if no one is there to listen, eloquent speech would be useless.

Pathway

“What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable." ~Joseph Addison

272 to Batu

I was wondering which of this one and the Statue of Liberty is bigger. Behind this is the Batu Cave in Malaysia and in order to get there, you need to climb 272 steps.

Front and Back Views from Petronas

From the 41st floor of Petronas, look at the front and back views that show the difference of green from gray.