Chronicles of Maya 3: Loving London

I found these pics from our trip to London last April 2004. Fell in love with this city. It still tops my list. So many good memories here with my sisters. Everything was just brill. Hopefully, we can go there again someday. Love the people, the culture, the arts, the sights and sounds, everything modern and historic can be found there. And no language barrier + that lovely accent. The weather's just a lil gloomy (blimey!). A small country that produced so many great people from Shakespeare to Gaiman, Winston Churchill to Diana, The Beatles to Sting. There were so many things to see. It was just, in their words, bloody marvelous!

famous red telephone booths. oxford circus.

windsor station/ shopping center. near the castles and home of the British Legoland!!

hitting it off with hitler. madame tussaud's wax museum

Harry Potter's famous platform 9 and 3/4. stood between platforms 9 and 10 at the King's Cross station

we missed the ride to stonehenge. just "pissing around" in salisbury

i'm a scots guards(wo)man!. touring old castles.edinburgh, scotland

moin, ate and our good friend stella (artois) at a pub in edinburgh, scotland.

wallowing around worthing, west sussex.

Highlights of my US Trip 2

Theme Parking Like A Rockstar

Universal Studios: Meme, Anne and JD aka Bombom

Disneyland: Ate Karen, Moin, Ate Weng, Che, Josh and Baby Armaan.

Did the whole Universal Studios theme park in 1 full day (split in 2) where we all got wet in the Jurassic Park ride, where Anne and I screamed our lungs off with eyes shut in the Mummy Ride, oohed and aahed in the Studio Tours and more. All while carrying around miniature Spongebob. Ooh and we ate a lot, taking advantage of our Eat-All-You-Can Tags. We also went around the shops in Universal Citywalk a good hangout place lined with stores, bars and restaurants. Now I know where Eastwood got its name.

Disneyland was super!! Better than the one in HongKong (duh). My fave rides? Finding Nemo (submarine ride), Indiana Jones and The Haunted Mansion. (Not-so) Highlight of the trip: We saw David Hasselhoff (my only star sighting) and glimpses of the Human Torch and (drum roll please) Jojo Lastimosa!!! Hahaha. But seriously, Disneyland was great. I loved the Fantasmic show. It’s always been my dream to become a Disneyland employee. I’d love to be Jasmine and get paid to dance and pose for pictures and just wave at the kids. It’s like working in a whole new world . Going there just brought back my dreams that never quite came true. Sniff.

Viva (Viagra) Las Vegas!

Las Vegas Strip and around Nevada: Meme, Anne, Cecile and JD aka Bombom

In the States, there’s a commercial for Viagra where the jingle goes “Viva Viagra!” instead of “Las Vegas.” Hence, the title. The Three Little Pigs and the piglet go to Vegas. We stayed at the Luxor Hotel (a big pyramid) where the elevator goes side-wards while going up instead of just straight up. We braved the 100 degrees + and walked around the Strip and visited the cool hotels. My favorite was the Venetian. It was cool literally and figuratively. We also went shopping in the Primm Outlets (or was it Chelsea?) and ate Japanese buffet (salmon and crabsticks...yum) and burgers from this popular hamburger place, I don’t know if you’ve heard of it, um McDonald’s? Yes. We ate McDonald’s. I ate chicken selects with ranch dressing. Too bad it’s not available here. We also went to the Stratosphere and Fremont Street Experience and watched the Bellagio fountain show thrice J What was fun though was driving in the Hertz Mazda to, around, and from Vegas and getting rated by Bom on our driving skills. And yes we did a bit of the gambling and drinking. But just a bit. We were too exhausted to gulp.

Baby Love

But the highlight of my trip is really meeting Armaan for the first time. He’s just so adorable. He likes sleeping and drinking milk and staring at lights. He cries occasionally and has just learned how to coo. He also likes it when I dance for him and when we play cycling cycling cycling shorts and the staring game. He also likes to grab handfuls of my hair. He’s only two months old but he’s been around. That little traveler. And not just on his stroller. Car. Tram. Plane. Submarine. Oh and he’s got a fly crib. With the fishy mobile and projected lights and twinkly melody songs. All pimped up. He's gonna be a cool kid someday. Made in Vegas. (Born to rock).

he kinda looks like me doesn't he?

Highlights of my US Trip

From August 3 to 27 I was vacationing in California, USA. I’ve always wanted to go to the States and I was lucky enough to have been given a visa. It was my first time but I know I’ll go back before my visa expires. I believe in traveling while still young and worrying about your savings later. Haha. That may seem wrong to most people but there’s so much of the world to see!! And I think we should all see them now while we still have a strong pair of legs and full control of our bladders.

It was a great vacation. Relaxing, shopping, dining, sightseeing, babysitting and catching up with friends and relatives…unlike other vacations where you catch trains and planes, lug around heavy luggage, take audio tours and get lost in translation. But like other vacations, this made a heavy dent on my life savings. But it’s a dent well spent. This vacation was, as Mastercard tells us, priceless.

Here are the highlights of my trip:

A Bay Bay in L.A.

Artesia/ Cerritos: Ate Karen, Moin, Ate Weng, Che, Josh and the newest bundle of joy Baby Armaan.

My homebase was Ate Karen’s apartment in Cerritos. I spent free time babysitting Armaan with Ate Weng, playing Monopoly and Game of Life with Josh, swimming with Josh (and playing Joshua Airlines where I was the plane and he was the pilot), watching Pinoy horror flicks and late night snacking with Ate Karen and Moin. I also spent a great deal of my time in malls within the vicinity like Cerritos Mall, Town Center, and of course trying out the local restaurants (I especially loved Olive Garden for their salads, Soup Plantation, and the Golden Spoon yogurt). For the shops I loved Ross (hahaha for cheap reasons), Forever 21, Old Navy, Urban Outfitters, Macy’s, Claire’s, and our favorite H&M. But I also loved looking for good buys at Walmart, Target and Walgreens. We also went to two of the nicest malls: The Grove and The Block in Orange County where we ate at the famous Farmer’s Market (where Hollywood stars dine and do a bit of veggie shopping). Armaan and Josh went everywhere with us. Armaan gets really excited when he’s getting strapped in his carseat cause he know’s he’s going out!!! And Josh was just so willing to show me around (with trivia pa). They’re both soooo adorable.

The Hills and Thrills of San Francisco

Milpitas/ San Francisco: Ate Karen, Armaan, Miranda and Capili Families

Flew to San Francisco via Jet Blue Airways (Long Beach-Oakland) with Ate Karen and baby Armaan (his first plane ride). When we got there, we stayed at the Miranda house in Milpitas where I met the adorable dogs Buster, Milo and Rosco. We were there from Saturday-Wednesday. We toured Sta. Ana row and San Jose Area where we grabbed the famous Counter burgers, also went around the bay area and quaint little towns there about. Did all the touristy spots in San Francisco –Golden Gate, Union Square, Lombard Street, Little Italy (where we had the best gelato), and chilled out at home...bonded with cousins over wine&cheese, strawberries&cream, and Wii marathon til the wee hours. It was so fun seeing cousins Tin, Frances and Tommy again. We got to talk about family chismis the whole time J hahaha. Also met Tin’s fiancé Johnny Judo and Frances’s boyfriend Mark. Pretty fly boys J

Getting down(town) with Anne and Meme

Downtown LA and Hollywood: Meme, Anne, Cecile and JD aka Bombom

Stayed in Meme’s fabulous apartment. Anne’s trip from New York was such a hassle. They transferred planes last minute and their luggages were left in NY and delivered the next day. Mental note; Avoid taking Northwest Airlines. So we just went grocery shopping and cooked artichoke dip and munched on cornchips while playing Taboo. We also relived our Dapitan days while playing pool at their rooftop gamehall and just lounged around and chilled out. Stress days included: walking around Las Vegas strip in the heat of the sun, driving around in our rented not-fully-insured Hertz Mazda 6 and freaking out on the freeway. We also dropped by Hollywood where we were not that impressed with the Chinese Theater and Walk of Fame and the teeny Hollywood sign. But we were impressed with the Spongebob mascot who actually spoke like Spongebob. I haven’t seen these girls in a long time. It was so much fun hanging out with them. We haven’t changed much over the years. We’re still the crazy funny people we used to be. But a lil older and with a lil more money (and we talked about our tipid days back in college). But still crazy. Oh and Meme’s better at billiards now and Anne loses to Bombom in table tennis. And they’re both working on their triceps and talking gym talk.

To be continued…

Flying Away

August 3, 2007. 9:10PM.

Philippine Airlines Centennial Airport Gate 6

I think they should make airports more colorful. Put in reds and greens and more plants. More coffee shops with more comfy couches and more boutiques with friendlier prices. Airports are too gray and too concrete and too uncomfortable. Well, at least the new airports are. NAIA still reminds me of the CCP lobby with all the wood and worn out carpets. While we all appreciate all the glass and high ceilings and Duty Free shops, airports still feel so cold. Particularly the departure area. It feels drab and gray.

Or maybe because I feel drab and gray and cold right this moment. And very very anxious.

I hate flying. I really do. Especially really long flights. I flew to London once, 19 hours with a 3 hour stopover, to Paris for 18 hours with a 1 hour stopover and now I'm flying to Los Angeles for 7 hours with no stopover. So this will be a walk in the park compared to my other long flights. Yup a walk in the park indeed. Jurrassic Park.

I'm flying alone. And that in itself explains how Jurassic Park-ly this "short" long flight to the US will be. I will be alone, strapped to a seat for almost 7 hours, elevated hundreds of thousands of miles above ground with metal walls merely separating me from a horrifying plunge to death. I have no one to talk me through the scary take-off, no one to share the bland food with, no one to switch with me when the cramped seats make me feel like i'm getting bedsore, no one to watch my bag when i go to the teeny lavatory with the waterless toilet bowl...and that makes me feel very nervous. Add to my anxiety the feeling of loneliness. Because I'm currently in an airport full of families and friends waiting for a flight. And I'm leaving my boyfriend behind and we'll be celebrating our first year anniversary in different parts of the world. And I'm missing my mom and dad and wishing they were here with me and coming with me on this trip so they can meet my their grandkids and see my sister and cousin. All these thoughts are making me teary eyed. And i don't want to look stupid all over again because I was crying and sniffing all the way from the departure gate to check-in.

So I try to dwell on the positive. My sister. Cousins. Nephews. But right now all feelings of positivity seem to be a thousand miles away. 14 thousand miles away, more or less. And so we board the 10PM flight....

August 4, 2007. 3:15 AM. Flight PR102

So I'm on the plane. And trying to entertain myself with all the stuff I brought with me to keep my mind from remembering all the airline accident specials featured on Discovery Channel. My book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, my Ipod and my travel journal.

I've been drifting in and out of sleep. Catching glimpses of Spiderman 3 and Blades of Glory, the in-flight movie features for tonight. My stomach's upset. My back hurts. I barely ate dinner or snacks and now my stomach is so acidic I can feel it almost boring a hole to the surface of my tummy. I want to call the flight attendant and ask for medical attention because I feel like I will faint anytime soon. But I still write because it occupies me from all the pangs of sadness, anxiety and hunger. And i really don't feel like talking to anyone. Because that means reaching for my gum in my bag which is safely stowed under the seat in front of me. The only words I have spoken during this flight so far are: Chicken, Tea, Water please, Thank you, More water please, and No thanks (to the alcoholic beverages and Duty Free merchandise...I knew I should have said yes to that glass of wine). The guy beside me tries to make small talk. He's a businessman with his power suit and blackberry and laptop. But I just smile politely and give him the I'm-sorry-but-I'm-a-loner look. And he minds his own business. Argh. I'm counting the hours. Painfully counting the hours.

August 4, 2007. 5:25 AM. Flight PR102

I just woke up and realized how planes are actually time machines. When I get to the States it will be 7:40 pm of August 3 once again. Lucky pilots and flight attendants, going back and forth in time. But I wouldn't want their job even if I have the height. That's a tough job, pushing those carts up and down the narrow aisles while the plane's tilted or bouncing from turbulence. And dealing with this airplane smell all the time. My stomach feels queasy all over again. But they'll be earning money while flying to different parts of the world and they won't be strapped to this seat the whole time. And the time traveling's also pretty cool.

August 4, 2007. 9:12 AM. Flight PR102

We're almost there. I just freshened up. And now they're serving breakfast. My body clock is all messed up now. So much for the coolness of time travelling. It's breakfast here on the plane but when we get there it will be dinner and knowing my sister and cousin we'll have dinner or snacks before going home. But I still try to eat anyways....


Ok I ate a little rice and a little corned beef and took the ensaymada for baon. And sit back and wait and think of my family and Chev. And I feel sad and homesick and airsick all over again. And before getting off the plane, I threw up in that waterless toilet bowl and I think for the nth time I hate flying.

August 3, 2007 11:30 PM
I'm now here in California and still dizzy and queasy from the flight. ...but seeing this baby in person just made that horrible flight all worth it.

A Toxic Fantastic April 3

Week 3: heaven and hell on earth

Hell. I read somewhere that an office is hell with fluorescent lighting. Week 3 of April found me affirming this over and over again in my head. It was just hell week. Wyeth got their money’s worth as I worked and slaved my ass off non-stop for 3 days. I had like 45 tasks on my list of things to do (not kidding). And every time I marked one task as done, I’d add another one at the bottom. It was just plain hell. Burning, crucifying hell where I was on a sizzling hot treadmill chasing after time while being whipped left and right by beasts that look like men with goat heads (ok that’s really disturbing). I’d go to bed with the list dancing in my head like can-can dancers doing the can-can-can and I’d wake up panicking and running over the things that needed to be done that day as I shampooed my hair and gulped down instant coffee and drove off to work. I felt like my brain had dozens and dozens of neon-colored Post-its and I didn’t know which one to read first. I actually considered resigning to become a bum. Ok ok I filed VL for 2 days so I had to advance a lot of work but still, it was a really huge price to pay for a little R&R.

Heaven. 4 days in Bangkok with my friend Al Jean. 4 blissful days of shopping and Thai food, clubbing and sight-seeing. Absolute heaven. I love traveling and I wish I had all the money in the world to go all around the world. Damn, I wish I can find a job that will let me travel everywhere minus the pressure. Haha. Dream on Maya. It was my first time in Bangkok and this is what we did (will post the pics soon):

Day 1
8:30 flight via Thai Airways. “Bangkok. Economy. International.” check-in at the Sofitel Hotel in Silom where we oohed and aahed at our accommodations and at the view Welcome drinks at Pat Pong – first taste of Singha beer and an interesting couple of hours at this controversial red light district watching go-go girls. Bubble bath where I fell asleep in the tub and woke up at 4 am with my toes and fingers all wrinkled up like prunes

Day 2
Did the tourist thing by visiting the Wat Pho Temple, home of the giant golden reclining Buddha (which reminded me of my College Philiosophy Professor Dr. Co) and the famous pagodas of their previous Kings MBK mall shopping where I screamed “why oh why was I born in Manila and not here?” upon seeing the really cheap shoes and clothes Lunch at Food Corner – lunch for 35 baht! Pork fried rice and coke for 10 baht Siam Square shopping where we bought shoes, shoes and more shoes Dinner at Silom Village: grilled shrimp with garlic and butter, stir-fried morning glory veggies with nuts, fried grouper with garlic Drinks at a vodka bar in Sukhumvit where I relived my Vodka7 days A bottle of Merlot and JD&Coke at Saffron Sky Bar of the Banyan Tree Hotel, overlooking all of Bangkok. Pretty romantic place.


Day 3
Starbucks at Amarin Plaza, Mo Chit area – caramel macchiato and buttered croissant My first tuktuk ride to Pratunam Market (Bangkok’s 1-6-8) where we bought kikay stuff and pasalubongs Bayouk Sky 2 mall where we bought more accessories Lunch at Food corner MBK (again). Cheap and good food! MBK shoe shopping and grocery shopping at TOPS for sampaloc and curry powder and fruits. I did a little store check as well. Motortaxi ride back to hotel for 10 baht – I rode a motorcycle taxi cause I was too tired to walk all the way from the BTS to the hotel. I put on the lame excuse for a helmet and clung to my shopping bags and to the stinky driver for dear life. When I got to the hotel, I took the longest and most relaxing shower of my life. Thai Massage at Chang Spa for 250 baht – I’m ticklish so I was laughing the whole time then I fell asleep… Dinner at Joe Louis, Swanlum Night Bazaar (a better Metrowalk gimik area) - fishball in green curry, stir fried beef with nuts, pork in red curry Gimmick at Q Bar, Sukhumvit Soi 11 where we drank Tiger beer, Singha beer Bacardi breezer and Jagermeister with Red Bull. Entrance was 600 baht but the drinks were relatively cheap. Bonding over Bacardi Breezer, Mudshake, almonds and Lay’s potato chips in the bath tub. Q Bar closed at 1 am so we bought drinks at 7-11 and got drunk in the hotel room and talked about the usual topics and suspects.

Day 4
Jatujak Flea Market (ala Divisoria with all the Pasilios) – super pawis day I felt like I was going to collapse from the heat. We had strawberry shake and fried pork with sticky rice as merienda. Late lunch at the DinHao Cuisine resto (sour soup, barbecued pork, pork dumplings) – really good food! Mango with chili powder at the park before getting on the BTS back to the hotel Dinner at Brown Sugar turned Thang Long resto, Luan Sung Soi (fried fish, soft crab shell salad, shrimp and thai rice with shrimp paste and lots chili! Grilled pork with sticky rice) – again really good food and great ambience. I heard somewhere that the Princess occasionally dined there and they’d close the whole Luan Sung Soi just for her. Clubbing at Bed Supper Club where we each downed 4 glasses of JD and Coke and danced like there was no tomorrow with all the hip tourists in Bangkok. The music was great, the DJ was fantastic and the crowd was super fun. If you plan to go here, you need to bring your passport to get in. This place is a must see if you wanna have a good time.

Day 5
8:30 Limo pick up at the hotel. We dragged our zombie asses off to the airport KFC Brunch at Don Muang International Airport Headed Back to Manila and to reality It was really fun. We were never bored. When we had nothing to do, we’d talk about the people around us in Filipino or imitate the nasal announcements made over the train’s PA system “Next station is Sala Daeng.” We also pretended to be Thai whenever we saw tourists and greeted them “chenes” instead of “Sawasdee Ka” with matching head tilt while trying not to laugh. When people asked us where we’re from, we’d say Jakarta or Singapore depending on our mood. A lot of people thought we were locals though because of our hair. We also played games like “Spot David Beckham in the Pepsi ad” and “What place in Manila does this area look like?” Binondo, Taft and Divisoria were the most popular answers. Bangkok is not that pretty but it sure is a colorful place.

My first overseas trip with my college friend Al Jean. I had the greatest time. Thanks for being my tour guide, my photographer, my make-up artist, my gimmick buddy, my luggage fixer, my human alarm clock and my travel mate. If only we could do this every month!! Again, Khop Khun Ka. Next stop for Sayuri and Pumpkin: Cambodia J Hopefully the other girls can come with…