welcome 2008

Manigong Bagong Taon sa lahat.

Siguradong nag-uumpisa ng magcountdown ang ilan sa mga kakilala ko. It's Monday and we are having WRS FM on the background. Genevan streets are so quiet. Tulog yata karamihan or nasa bundok na naghahanap din ng snow.

Bisperas pa lang ngayon pero parang nagbabadya na din what will be the New Year's eve. Hmm..

I can't think of anything to do today. Geodric is with me and my wife has to go to work so taong bahay na naman as usual. Ayoko ko na ring gumawa ng New Year's resolution kasi high school pa lang taon taon na naming ginagawa pero walang nangyayari. Lagi na lang sinasabi, "Ok, excuse muna this time." Ah, mahirap talaga.

I just miss holidays in the Philipiines. Ano na kaya nangyayari? Wala pa akong text messages na narereceive. Lahat siguro busy sa panunurutot o nagpapaputok na. Ewan.

Sana swertehin tayong lahat this 2008.

Happy New Year....Boom!
Read more...

Snow HUNTING

Ngayong Disyembre, lagi kong sinasabi ke Abou na "baka mag'snow nga ngayon dito 'bou kasi malamig". Pero 'di kagaya ng dati, snowless ang Pasko dito sa Geneva this year. Global warming ba 'to. Sabi ng iba dito polluted daw ang Geneva kasi 'di nag snow katulad ng dapat asahan. Tsk..tsk..tsk.. panalo talaga si Al Gore.

Kaya today, nag day off ang tiyuhin namin just to bring us kung saan me snow. Ang destination -- St. Cergue at Col de la Givrine about 20 km from Nyon area (http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/infra.cfm/rkey/806). Medyo nakakahilo ang paakyat at pababa kasi parang sumasayaw ng ispageti ang daanan.

Extension daw eto ng birhtday ko kasi doon na lang daw ako magboblow ng cake. Snow cake ang nangyari. Buti di naisipang halo halo na lang ang gawin kasi libre na ice.

From, St. Cergue, drive uli ang tiyuhin namin papuntang Montreux in Vevey. Breathtaking talaga ang view dito. Sikat nag lugar na ito sa field ng music, in fact, annually, ginaganap dito ang Montreux Jazz Festival. Kilala din ito sa kanilang Chateau de Chillon, one of Switzerlands historical symbol.

Just check these photos out:

Sa uulitin.

Read more...

This is MY DAY..

December 27.

Tumanda na naman ako ng isang taon pero pakiramdam ko wala namang nabago. Parang isang ordinaryong araw lang ito katulad ng nakarang Pasko. Hayy...

Bente sais pa lang ng Disyembre dito e may mga nagdadatingan ng mga text messages galing Pilipinas para batiin ako. Hmm..unang una sa kanila si Sir Louie, isa sa mga matalik na kaibigan (kaya Sir kasi titser) pero kelan ko lang din naman na sya natutunang tawaging ganyan. Merong pacorny na messages, merong pacute. Pero at the end of the day, naging emotional akong bigla pagkabasa ko ng text galing sa nanay ko. Saka ko lang na realize na ganon ko na din pala sila kamiss kahit pakiramdam ko kahapon lang ako dito s Suisse.

Walang champagne, walang cake at lalong walang inuman katulad noong nasa Pilipinas ako. Kahit sabihin pang maliit ang sahod pero maski paps, nagpapainom o sadyang wala lang akong katumahan dito. Maghapong nagtrabaho -- yon ang regalo ko sa sarili ko. Sayang ang kikitain, pandagdag na din yon pangtuituion ng kapatid ko. Hehe...

Last year din kasi napilitan lang akong magluto kasi inimbita ng asawa ko ang mga taga sa amin dito sa Geneva kaya, kahit pansit man lang meron bago mag-uwian at ano pa, tatlong cake meron ako.


Pero surprise surprise -- nanlibre asawa ko ng dinner. Matagal na kasi namin balak kumain sa isang Japanese Resto pero di magawa gawa kasi nga pulubi pero tonight, suot ang bagong bili kong jacket na sale, kumain kami sa Sagano. Sashimi, sushi, maki, tempura at teriyaki -- parang tatlong buwan akong 'di kumain . Talagang sinamantala, masarap talga kapag libre.



Pagkatapos magpakasawa sa sushi, ako naman ang nanlibre. "The Golden Compass" ang napili naminng panoorin na medyo nasagwaan ang asawa ko sa bibig ni Nicole Kidman, parang ke Pops na kinagat ng langgam.



And before the night ends, me regalo pa pala ako. Haha..kita nyo?

How I wish sana araw araw birthday ko. Salamat pala sa mga bumati through my friendster account. Ke Badet, Celma, ke Ryan, Malen, Chyreen, Delyn (panay babae) Atty. Alagos at sa pamangking Ryan din.

Happy Birthday to me.
Read more...

starBUCKS

I received a forwarded email from Kuya Rich based in Chicago a week ago about this "pasosyal" na kapehan which happens to be one of our favorite spot here in Geneva. And it says:

Guess I won't be drinking Starbucks anymore! ! !

Recently Marines in Iraq wrote to Starbucks because they wanted tolet them
know how much they liked their coffees and to request that theysend some of it
to the troops there. Starbucks replied, telling the Marines thank you for their
support of their business, but that Starbucks does notsupport the war, nor
anyone in it, and that they would not send the troops their brand of coffee.

So as not to offend Starbucks, maybe we should not support them bybuying
any of their products! I feel we should get th is out in the open. Iknow this
war might not be very popular with some folks, but that doesn'tmean we don't
support the men and women on the ground fighting street -to-street
and house-to-house.

If you feel the same as I do then pass this along, or you candiscard it and
no one will never know.

Thanks very much for your support. I know you'll all be there again when
Ideploy once more.

Semper Fidelis.

Sgt. Howard C. Wright
1st Force Recon Co
1st Plt PLT

PLEASE DON'T DELETE THIS . ALLOW IT TO BEPASSED TO ALL IN MEMORY OF ALL THE
TROOPS WHO HAVE DIED SO THAT WE MAY HAVETHE RIGHT TO CHOOSE TO SUPPORT THEM OR
NOT! ! !

Also, don't forget that when the Twin Trade Towers were hit the fire
fighters and rescue workers went to Starbucks because it was close by for water
forthe survivors and workers and Starbucks charged them! ! !

JUST A NOTE TO THIS; STARBUCKS HAD STORES ON SEVERAL MILITARY BASES
IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY ARE NOW BEING REMOVED BECAUSE OF THIS. GO GET
'EM AMERICA . STAND-UP FOR OURSELVES!

Very recently, me and my wife had a chance of hangin' out after a work at Starbucks at Gare Cornavin. I chose frapuccino latte something and a hazelnut hot chocolate for her. Hehe..pero may gameplan. How to take away one of the Starbucks mug. We sat at the seat upstairs where no one could possibly noticed to what we will do but unluckly after about 10 minutes ng pagkakaupo, may dumating na dalawang haponesa bitbitang kani kanilang tasa ng kape at doon talaga naupo sa harap namin. Nakishare ng table marahil baka wala ng bakante pero meron pa e.

Di ko na lag tatapusin ang kwento kasi nagiguilty kami pero we made it, we took home one of starbucks mug at home.

Tapang lang yan at tibay ng loob.

Pasaway!

Read more...

blah..blah..blah..part 2

Christmas is in the air. Six more days to go, putukan na. Pero, it couldn't be felt here. Oo, merong mangilan ngilan na nagsasabit ng Christmas decors sa windows ng unit nila pero majority deadma. Ibang iba talaga sa Pilipinas. These will be my third Christmas here and its always the same. Para bang, its nothing but an ordinary holiday. Sa Pilipinas, masaya kahit walang pera.

Ewan ko kung may simbang gabi din dito, meron din siguro pero ewan...and speaking of simbang gabi, Abou is determined to complete the nine mornings. Ok lang yon sa kanya, di naman natutulog yon e pero sige nga let's see..

Eto din 'yong time na walang natitira sa sahod ko. Sa dami ng gastos -- birthdays, parties, regalo at kung anu ano pa, parang isang klik lang ang pera, sakit ang katawan para kitain pero ang daling gastusin.

At isa pang pagkagastusan, whew.., 8 days na lang and I will be again a year older. Magpapakain na naman ako. At siguradong kakainin ako nyan (?). Pero sana, ang gusto kong regalo, Omega watch. Kapal ng mukha may brand pa. Hindi, simpleng Text lang ng birthday wish enough na 'yon for me to know that you care for me. Errkkk...Bahala na si Batman.

Ayus!
Read more...

blah..blah..blah..

December 19 na pala ngayon. I had been away from blogging for almost two months, minus 'yong pagpost ng jaxtr. Busy din kasi, alam n'yo naman, tatay ang lolo n'yo.

Well, ano na ba ang mga nangyari? After Inu's death and with the thought of leaving the two dogs for another work...ah..uhmm..nagseservice na pala ang tramway from gare cornavin to avanchet station. At least mas mabilis na at mas malapit sa trabaho ko. Hehe...sa Geneva po 'yan.

Last November, there was a barangay election sa Pilipinas and my 22 year-old brother won as Capitan del Barrio. Tsk..tsk..congratulations ke Boning. As ussual, missing pa din lagi sa YM si Ryan Relator. I haven't chatted with him for so long now pero 'di bale your red wine is coming.

Aha, eto, si Abou me blog na and please chect this out mga kaberks, its on my link list. Worth din basahin and, of course, my long lost "student" sa ballroom who is now a writer sa ABS CBN, remember ba ninyo si Maria Flordeluna, he was part of it and actually one of the composers ng theme song mismo, and right now, doing something for "Annaliza", another project. Mahilig din mandekwat ng DVD sa Quiapo. Mga kaberks, check Arden's blog, its also on my link list.

It is really freezing here in Geneva. With a tempreture that is below zero especially in the morning, hmm..mapapakuba ka sa bigat ng damit na dapat suot mo. I was thinking that it is rather beneficial sa mga suisse kasi it will keep their chocolates in shape, and so with their cheeses, and so with their wines and so with themselves. =)

My little Geodric is so makulit now. He is now 17 months and so full of energy. He is actually spending his wholeday during weekdays in creche. Parang sort of day care sa Pilipinas. Talagang nakakatanggal ng pagod.

My wife, her employer moved outside the city so hirap na din sa kanya ang magcommute kasi laging nasa oras ang train plus malayo din ang bus yet, namamanage naman kapalit ng Swiss Francs.

Ako, eto, patuloy na pumapayat. Since I lost that 10 kilos a year after I arrived here, 'di ko na maibalik. Tarabaho kasi. Kunsabagay, ok nga yon. Built lang naman 'yon e what matters e 'yong state ng health. Pero sa totoo lang nakakapagod na din.

Sabi ko nga dapat maigsi lang, kaya...blah..blah..blah part 2.


Read more...

welcome to EARTH

i'm BACK.

Para akong nagbabalik na kapamilya. Kelangan ko yata this time ang grand welcome. Matagal tagal ding panahon, as in panahon, ang nawala, i mean, na ako ay nawala. Marami na dapat akong maikukwento pero it will be boring kapag ginawa kong mahaba ang posting ko na to. Dapat siguro ganito lang.

Salamat mga kaberks sa muli nating pagkikita. Namiss ko din kayo....
Read more...