Magic Carpet Stories

All I want for Christmas is a magic carpet to fly me to my friends. Holidays aren't holidays without them:

- Fuego gang Christmas tradition at Nikkipoo's,
- Cuenca Bazaars with Andy and my Ate,
- Town fireworks with Boy Gwapito,
- Starbucks and Dreams with Kimber,

Need I say more? There's always more.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS from Mr. Camel,
Hugs and Mistletoe kisses from ME! ;)

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Just when I thought I needed to surrender to humdrum work life...Voilà! A two-day excuse to wake up late and walk around in pajamas thanks to the celebration of Bahrain's National day YAY. My mother and I kicked it off yesterday with a mouthwatering breakfast of Cinnamon French Toast generously topped with fresh strawberries and honey, which I never had the slightest chance of photographing for the sake of making you all drool SORRY. They were gone in an instant and Ihadnothingtodowithit.

Oh screw that, I want more. Gimme gimme more!!!

I hoped to enjoy "me time" today by taking in the cool morning breeze while sipping hot chocolate. When I woke up I couldn't even tell if it was day or night. Apparently, it DOES rain in Bahrain. Buckets, barrels, tanks of it. Nakngtokwa. Last night as raindrops tippy-tapped against our windows and hypnotized me to sleep, I was utterly grateful. 10 hours and 10 degrees later it became too depressing to bear.

Don't laugh at me for being O.A. but I think I may be having a case of Seasonal Affective Disorder. S.A.D. (a very appropriate acronym) or the "Winter Blues," according to this site, is depression marked by unusual sleep patterns (check!), carb cravings (CHECK!!), and fatigue (check!). It's what you get when the cold creeps too high up your head, but it's nothing that can't be fixed by a healthy dose of sunshine. For good measure, make it Christmas vacation in Manila...or a Caribbean Cruise if Santa's in an extra good mood. You know what they say, prevention is better than cure. Hmm, I wonder where I can get an official prescription for that.

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Please pray for the repose of the soul of my Tito Chito. He was shot this afternoon at QC, suspects have not been apprehended. Read the story here. :(

Do we really want
our generation, to be the one
who left humanity with a legacy that
Life is the currency for buying Power, and
Peace cannot be told apart from Fiction?

We could still be known
As our children's
Heroes.

"No matter where you go, there you are."

I was introduced into Europe by 7 friggin degrees of windy-rainy weather. I couldn't help but agonize over not bringing enough clothes for layers, in attempts to travel light and prove my dad wrong. Never again will I allow men to reverse-psychologize me about how taxing it is to HEAVE my luggage from security checks to conveyor belts. Next time, just think of it as a chance to show your machismo.

Notorious Amsterdam, homosexual haven, land of the hippies, and stoner's paradise. Just one advice, if you want to make the most of what Amsterdam's got to offer, do NOT travel with your parents. ;) Nevertheless it was nice to see the sharp contrast between Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands, especially the Dutch countryside which was charming and green as I've never seen. I rediscovered my love affair with cheese and sparked a new one with sweet dutch pancakes or "pannekoeken." I am still awestruck up to now from seeing the paintings of Van Gogh, my favorite painter. Oh, and Heineken will remain my constant companion until my Euro Trip hangover is nursed.

More photos of the Netherlands here. Other destinations to follow.

We stayed in Vienna and took the scenic drive up to Salzburg. I dream of owning one of those lakeside cabins we passed along the way. Having to endure about 5 years of piano lessons, the names and works of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Haydn, and Strauss are familiar to me. As dorky as it seems, I could practically hear the waltzy tune of "The Beautiful Blue Danube" as we walked the streets of Vienna. However, when we reached Salzburg I was hit with "The Sound of Music" nostalgia. I'm hoping that nobody heard me sing Do-Re-Mi and Edelweiss under my breath.

Italy is such a majestic country. The Colosseum, the Palatino, the Sistine Chapel, Via Veneto, Fontana di Trevi - every attraction was overflowing with beauty and grandeur. In the Vatican, we had the honor of sitting under the rain in an audience with the Pope. Being in St. Peter's Basilica gave me goosebumps, and seeing the tomb of Pope John Paul II made me teary-eyed. Sadly, I didn't find Italians to be very friendly, probably due to the language barrier. For some reason, we were also very unlucky with our meals. Being a sucker for pizza, pasta, and gelato, I was on the hunt for what's-my-name-again authentic Italian food. I was either looking at all the wrong places or had much too high expectations. This huge disappointment calls for a compensatory dinner at my all-time favorite Cibo when I come home for a visit again, my treat. Seriously, any takers? Oh but, BUT speaking of home, we met this extremely hyper pinoy working in our hotel and every night he'd sneak a fruit basket into our room. Willy, you're the best. Grazie Mille Filipino!

*SIGH* Where do I begin with Greece. In Athens, we went to the Acropolis where the famous Parthenon is found. Memories of 7th grade Greek mythology (and Brad Pitt in "Troy") prompted my search for greek gods or look-alikes to the very least. HAHA. We climbed up Lykavittos hill which, as I've already told others, has the most breathtaking panoramic view of city lights as if stars were sparkling beneath my feet. We spent a day at Aegina and I tried to catch a glimpse of how people lived their lives there. Of course a few hours would not be enough to know, but as the Island was bathed in gold by the sun, life there seemed to become so glorified and simple. I felt like I had no choice but to submit myself to this miracle that we so often take for granted in the city. My heart was left in Greece and I have to come back for it. ;)

Before it gets old and submits itself to memory, I should probably write something about living my dream of a trip to Europe. Apologies for the shortage in enthusiasm, normally I would've jumped at the first chance to show off (at least to the people who care to read my nonsense haha fishing). Then again, somewhere along the way, Normalcy strayed off from my flight itinerary. Maybe it loved Europe too much and wanted to take a longer vacation. As of now, all my efforts are desperately dedicated to getting it back. Come home to mama Normal Life, bawal magTNT.

Hence this lethargic disposition. I've become one of those ho-hums who drown themselves in work and lack the desire to resurface. (Yes, I am working now YAY, and No, I haven't turned into stone). I guess having to deal with loss does drain a lot of energy from people. That's completely understated in this case. A GREAT friend has just passed away and it feels like a big meaty chunk of who I am was taken along with him. Forget prosthetics, this void can never be replaced. Nope, I am no longer bitter or angry. How can I feel rage when I'm certain he's in Heaven looking down on all his friends who are being as silly as me? It's just that I MISS YOU CHRIS now more than ever. I have always said this to him given the fact that I'm 4,584 miles away from home; yet this distance now seems too trivial, almost a joke, compared to Eternity.

"Eternity. It is the sea mingled with the sun."
-Arthur Rimbaud

Because of this, every sunset will remind me of you.

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I will write about Europe on my next post, I promise. :c)

I want to scream at the whole world to stop and get down on its knees for it has lost one of its most precious souls. An irreplaceable soul. It hurts too much...

We're all going to miss you, Chris... Thank you for reminding us how fragile Life can be. I know you'll be on the other side, waiting. So when I see you again, remind me that I owe you a mojito.