My Last Week in the Philippines

I just posted up some new pictures of my last week in the Philippines. It is always so hard to leave, but I did have a great time. After we got back from Bohol, we were still very busy.

I went to the dentist while I was there. There was a dentist office in the same building as the hotel I stayed in. I had heard the dental work in the Philippines was on par with the United States, but a lot cheaper. I ended up getting my teeth cleaned, some cavities filled, and my front two teeth fixed. For the latter, I had previously gotten an estimate of $600 to fix my teeth. In the Philippines, it only cost me $40!

Also, when I was getting my cavities filled, the dentist did not use anaesthesia when drilling. I was very surprised at this. However, I was even more surprised that it did not hurt that much without it. When I asked the dentist why she did not use it, she told me it is helpful for her to know the viability of the tooth she is working on. She said if the patient cannot feel any pain, then she would have a harder time telling if the tooth was viable.

I also had an early 40th birthday party in the Philippines before I left. We reserved a private room at the Majestic restaurant. Glyn's family, including some cousins, aunties, and nephew were there. I think there was about 20 of us overall. The food was plentiful and we had a good time.



It was very hard to leave the Philippines as always, but I look forward to the next time I visit.

Trip to Bohol for New Years 2008

We had a great time again this year visiting Bohol for New Years 2008.

We took the ferry over from Cebu to Bohol. It is about a 2-hour journey. We went with Camilo and his wife Lizel and their son Lourence. Here is Glyn and Lourence on the ferry ride over:



After we got to Bohol, we have to get some transportation to Inabanga, which is the town Glyn lives near. Our transportation of choice is called a tricycle. The Filipino version of a tricycle is a motorcycle with a side car attached. Here are some videos of our trip to Inabanga:







There was so much going on at Glyn's parents. It seems like it is the house in the neighborhood that everyone comes to visit. There was also so much going on in the neighborhood while everyone prepared for the New Year festivities. Ayan, Glyn's brother, was involved in a basketball tournament in Lawis, which is the town her parents live in. See some video of Ayan playing in the tournament:



We hung around Glyn's parent's house on December 30. Of course, one of the things that we did to keep us entertained is singing Karaoke. Here are a couple of clips of Coning, Glyn's brother, singing:





I was also playing with Glyn's nephew, Lourence (I swear...he was really dancing by himself...I was just holding him up):



On New Year's Eve, we slept a lot preparing to be up late. Filipinos celebrate Media Noche after midnight...This is a meal that is eaten at the beginning of the New Year. So, knowing we would be up until almost 3 am, we got plenty of rest.

A lot of the women helped prepare for the big meal. I watched the finals of the basketball tournament. Unfortunately, Ayan's team did not play in the finals, but Camilo, Glyn's oldest brother did referee.

That night, we went over to the disco they have in Lawis. A lot of people were there and were having lots of fun. See some clips of the disco:





Here are Camilo and Lizel dancing:



Here is May May dancing:



Here is Sadam dancing:



I even got on the dance floor:





At midnight, we went over the chapel and prayed. I really love how they do this in Lawis...giving thanks to God for the New Year.

After going to the chapel, we went back over to Glyn's parent's house for Media Noche. You can see that everyone was excited for the New Year:



The next day was spent recovering from the long day. I joined some of the neighborhood guys while they were drinking Tuba (Too-BA), which is wine made from coconut (buko). I have had some before on a previous visit and I had gotten a rash, so I just stuck to drinking beer.

While I was there, I saw an actual cock fight. There was no gambling or anything. Just some guys in the neighborhood brought their roosters by. Glyn's brothers told me that is more dangerous for the roosters in a official cock fight. See a clip of it:



I actually got burned sitting outside, even though I was not in the sun. They thought I was red from drinking. I guess most of them have never seen a person sunburned before.

Later that night, we had an engagement dinner for me and Glyn. Many of Glyn's family and other neighbors came over for dinner. I was overwhelmed at the number of people who were there. It was a lot of fun and the food was great. I am lucky to be part of a great family in the Philippines.

The next day we headed back to Cebu. It rained most of the night and during the day when we were traveling. I had never seen it rain so much before.

It was a great time again being in Bohol. I look forward to my next visit back.

Don't forget to see all of the pictures too.

In Philippines Before New Years

We were very busy during the first week, in the Philippines. We flew from Hong Kong to Manila to Cebu. Our plane was 2 hours delayed in Manila so we didn't leave there until after 6:00 pm on Christmas Eve. We got to the hotel here in Cebu after 8:00 pm and they did not have a room ready for us. Luckily they eventually put us up in another room while they got our room ready so we could change and get ready for Christmas Eve Mass. We just made it over to Glyn's apartment and then to Mass at 10:00 pm.

However, the night was not over yet. After midnight, a lot of Filipinos celebrate Noche Buena, which involves fireworks and firecracker and a lot of eating an d drinking. We had the meal this year over at Glyn's apartment with her siblings. It was a lot of fun as we ate, drank, and open some gifts.

Christmas Day was more laid back as we were so tired. Glyn's brother Camilo, sis-in-law Lizel, sister Jen, and nephew Lourence came over to the hotel to visit. It was nice just relaxing and hanging out with them.

During the next couple of days, we spent some time relaxing and we also did some shopping too.

We spend another evening over at Glyn's apartment singing Karaoke, which is a National Pastime here in the Philippines. I read somewhere that Karaoke is to the Filipinos what food is to the Americans. Here are some clips of the Karaoke singing:









The one of me is embarrassing...but remember I had a few beers in me, and, hey, "do as the Romans do."

We are leaving to Bohol today to celebrate New Years. Have a safe and happy one too.

Enjoy the pictures.

Visiting Hong Kong

Glyn and I had a great time in Hong Kong. It was both of our first time actually visiting there. It was Glyn's first time out of the Philippines. We were about the same age when we left our home countries. I was 27 when I went to Bermuda.

We both got in late on Friday from the airport. I got in around 8:00 pm and Glyn got around 12:30 am. We took the train, then a taxi to the hotel. It was around 1:30 am before we got to the hotel. We stayed up even later since we were so excited to see one another after over 10 months!

We got up relatively early on Saturday morning and headed downstairs to have breakfast at the hotel. They had a wonderful buffet breakfast complete with made to order omelettes and waffles. They also had an assortment of various Chinese foods too. It would be hard to give the buffet its proper due without leaving something out...so I will just say it was a big meal.

We then hopped into a taxi and headed to Hong Kong Disneyland! It was Glyn's first time at any Disneyland. I had previously been to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and to Disneyland in California. The Disneyland in Hong Kong is the smallest of all of the Disney parks, which was good because we only had one day there. We could easily get to all of the rides and attractions.

The first thing we did was to go to Space Mountain. This is a classic Disney ride that is in Tomorrowland. It is a roller coaster that is inside...and it is dark. You are given the feeling of riding through space. I had previously been to Space Mountain in both of the Disney parks in the US; however, this was Glyn's first time on any roller coaster.

She was not sure what to expect, but I convinced her it was worth trying out. We went there for the first ride because it is a well known fact that the popular rides get busier as the day goes along. It worked well because Glyn really loved the ride! So after we got off the ride, we got a Fast Pass to get back on later. A Fast Pass allows you to get on a popular attraction without having to stand in line again.

After riding Space Mountain, we slowed it down for the Buzz Lightyear ride. It was like playing a video game in person as we helped Buzz shot various creatures through the ride. We also got to take a picture with Buzz himself! What a treat!

We stayed in Tomorrowland and headed to Autotopia. These are "futuristic" cars that you can drive around. Because Glyn has never driven before, I let her drive as we went around the track. It was funny because the driver's side was on the right, which was standard for Hong Kong.

After the Autotopia ride, we went back to Space Mountain using our Fast Passes. We did not really have to stand in line again for the ride! It was great even the second time of the day.

We then went over to Adventureland! The name sounds so exciting, doesn't it? There we took the Jungle River Cruise. This is another classic Disney ride. We rode on a boat and saw various (mechanical) animals and had lots of laughs as we rode down the river.

After the Jungle River cruise, we relaxed a little and enjoyed a show. We saw the Festival of the Lion King, which was a musical that had all of the songs from the movie. It told the story of the Lion King again. We took some video of it:



It was mostly in English, but they did have a couple of characters that spoke in Cantonese, which the local Chinese dialect, which you can see in this video clip.

After the show, we headed back to Main Street USA and ate at the Corner Cafe. I believe it is the only sit down, service restaurant at this Disneyland. It was around 3:00 at this point, so we were finally starting to get hungry (after our big breakfast).

After our lunch, we headed to another show called The Golden Mickeys. It was an "awards" show that had lots of the Disney characters and songs. This program was mostly in Cantonese, but they did have a screen that showed the English translation, so we could follow along. Here are some clips of the show:







It was a good show...and a very popular one too. There was not an empty seat in the whole auditorium.

After taking in the awards show, we saw another show called Mickey's Philharmagic. (Can you tell that everything revolves around Mickey yet?) This was a great show. We had to put on 3D glasses for the show. Characters and objects were constantly flying in your face. We also got a little wet and could smell some of the smells of what we were seeing (no, not Donald Duck...apple pie). It was a sensory delight.

Next, we were able to catch the Let It Snow Christmas parade. This was one of our favorite things to do while we were there. We got a good spot on the parade path and were able to interact with a lot of the dancers going by. Here are some clips from the parade:









After all of the excitement of the parade, we boarded the Disneyland train that went around the park. It was a pretty nice ride, but we really could not see too much while we were on it. At this point, the sun had gone down, so we headed back over to Main Street USA to watch the lighting of Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Led by Mickey (again...he is SO busy), it was a great light show. Here is another clip for you to enjoy:





Are you getting tired yet? We were a little bit by this point, but we knew we had more to go!

We went back to Fantasyland and saw the Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. We had gotten a Fast Pass for this ride, so we did not have to stand in line again. We followed a story of Winnie the Pooh and friends as we went through the ride.

We then headed back to Sleeping Beauty's Castle for the big moment. As we were walking through the castle, I stopped and said something romantic to Glyn about being in Sleeping Beauty's Castle and then I got on my knee and asked her to marry me. She was very surprised...so surprised that she did not even respond the first time. Luckily, she eventually said "Yes!"

We were both in a daze at this point, so we took some time to go souvenir shopping and take more pictures. We even got our pictures with Mickey and Minnie!

We ended the day at Disneyland with a great fireworks show. See a couple of clips from the show:







What a great day we had there, but at this point we were tired, so we took the train back from Disneyland, and then we boarded a mini-bus to our hotel. We had enough energy to stop at McDonald's to have a snack before we got to the hotel too.

Day 2 was just about as busy as day 1 in Hong Kong. We slept in a little bit before taking a shuttle to Tsim Sha Tsui, which is a downtown area of Kowloon. Here there are many hotels and lots of shopping.

We walked over to Rosary Church for Mass. They had a 12:30 Mass in English. It is an historic church, being founded in 1905. Like the Masses I have attended in the Philippines, it was very much the same as Mass at home. One difference from the Philippine was we actually had air conditioning!

After Mass, we walked over the Peninsula Hotel. This is an historic 5-star hotel in Hong Kong. I had heard about it from a guy from the tobacco shop I go to at home. They are famous for their High Tea.

When we got there, we had to stand in line to wait to be seated for tea, since they do not take reservations. We did not have to wait long because we got there just before they started serving tea.

We enjoyed ourselves very much at the tea. It was Glyn's first time having hot tea. She tried it with no cream, and then later added cream. She didn't really taste much difference between the two, so see just had no cream later. She drank the mango tea, and I tried the Peninsula Afternoon tea.

We also had a tray of finger sandwiches, scones, and some desserts. Both of us did not think it would be filling enough, but we did not even finish the desserts!

While we were eating and drinking, we were entertained by live music, including a children's choir (who both Glyn and I agreed were not very good compared to what we hear in the Philippines). I even enjoyed a glass of egg nog after I saw it was on the menu. I really associate egg nog with Christmas, so it was good to have it. Glyn even tasted some of mine and thought it was good.

After tea, we took some pictures around the hotel, including pictures in front of the Christmas tree. Here is a clip of the Christmas music being played in the lobby at the hotel:



We were going to go up Victoria's Peak after tea, but it was so foggy that day that we knew we would not see anything, so we went a more casual route and headed over to the Hard Rock Cafe. Now, those of you who know me well, know this is what I do when I go to a city...visit the Hard Rock Cafe. I began collecting the pilsner glasses and guitar pins years ago, so it is something of a obsession by now.

So, here we were, my umpteenth time going to Hard Rock Cafe, and it was Glyn's first time. We were full from the tea, so we just got a drink there. We were also very happy to be joined by Glyn's relative Christina. She is Glyn's grandmother's sister's daughter (which I think makes her Glyn's second cousin). She has worked in Hong Kong for 7 years.

We had a good time at the Hard Rock Cafe and then we walked around looking at all of the shops there. We were all amazed at the very high end shopping that was around the city. Let's see, there was Guicci, Ralph Lauren, Christian Dior, Versace, Louis Vuitton, and many more. It was surprising to see lines waiting to get into these stores.

We finally got hungry again for dinner and found a place called Wu Kong Shanghai Restaurant. The wait was for an hour, but we thought it looked like a good place so we waited.

Boy, was it worth the wait! The food was very excellent. We had spicy and sour soup, shrimp with chili paste, fried chicken, and crispy duck. It was a very good meal and so much food. We did not even finish everything. Luckily, we could give the rest to Christina to enjoy later.

It was getting late so we headed back to the train, said goodbye to Christina, and took the mini-bus back to the hotel from the train station.

We had to get up early again on Monday and we headed back to the Philippines. As you can see, we were so busy, but there was so much we did not do. We are both looking forward to visiting Hong Kong again some day!

Don't forget to look at the many pictures too!

Regret

A year ago, I attended my 20 year high school reunion. I could not believe 20 years had gone by so quickly! When I thought about it, I had lived a longer life than I had done when I graduated high school.

I was nervous about going. I don't really keep in touch with anyone from high school anymore. My good friends from high school were not going, so I was afraid I would not connect with anyone at the reunion. If I were married or had a girfriend with me, it would have been a good buffer in case I had a bad time.

I did not go to my senior prom and I always regret it. I think it was because of this regret, that I went to my 20 year reunion. I did not want to regret not going. So, even though I was 20 years older and about 50 pounds heavier (and my hair was 80 percent grayer), I went to my reunion.

When I got there, I saw there was a line waiting to get in. Actually, it was a line of people waiting to get their name tags and sign in. I looked at the people in front of me, I did not recognize anyone. Then people started coming behind me, and I did not recognize them either. For a moment, I was worried that perhaps I was at the wrong place.

Then I heard a voice behind me ask, "Do you recognize anyone here?...How about this guy in front of us?" I turned around and looked at the guy behind me. It was his wife who was asking him if he knew anyone there. I looked at him again....and suddenly I recognized him. It was Jimmy Winand. Wow, had he changed!

In high school, he was rather skinny and had great winged back, feathered hair. The guy behind me was taller, buffer, and had no hair (shaved), but it was still Jimmy's smile. He introduced me to his wife and told me that they lived in Hawaii.

I was really impressed that they had come all of the way from Hawaii to be at the reunion. It was great hearing about his life and how he met his wife. They were really nice to me, and I think they even bought me a beer when we finally got inside.

It really was one of the highlights of my reunion. Here was a guy who was in many of my classes and it was great to see him and to hear about his life. He and his wife being so nice to me at the start of things helped me to relax and enjoy myself for the rest of the reunion.

Last week, I got an e-mail from the reunion committee that Jimmy had passed away. I could not believe it. How could this be? They had a link to a blog that explained everything. Jimmy had died of colorectal cancer.

Even writing this, I still can't believe it. It was the first time in my life that I had known someone well who was not a family member who had died. He seemed to have this great life and great wife....and suddenly it was gone.

I am so glad that I got up the courage to go to my reunion last year. I am so glad too that I got to see Jimmy again and to meet his wife.

After reading the blog that his wife wrote, I realized even more of the great man he had become and what a faithful wife he had. I regretted not knowing the man he had become, but was glad to learn that he lived a good life and had many people who loved him.

As I write this, people are gathering in Hawaii to celebrate the life of Jimmy Winand. Please take a moment to read through the blog that was started for him and learn about the journey of faith that he and his wife went through. Warning: It is a tear jerker.

When you are done, perhaps you can take a moment to pray for his family and to thank God for the many blessing in your own life.

I know I thank God for allowing me the opportunity to have known Jimmy and to see him one last time. Rest in God's peace Jimmy.

I'm it!

My brother Kevin (http://itskev.blogspot.com) had tagged me. Of course, like him, I don't know why I am doing this. If it give me a reason to post in my blog, then it can't be bad.

A- Available or Single?
Huh? Strange question. I am neither, I guess.

B- Best Friend.
In this world, Glyn and my buddy Jeff are currently on top. I have been blessed with many good friends in this life.

C- Cake or Pie.
Cake. German Chocolate cake is my favorite.

D- Drink of Choice.
I usually drink water, but I also enjoy a beer, a glass of bourbon, or a martini..

E- Essential Item.
Toughest one. I don't think anything in this world is essential. However, right now, it has to be my computer. I spend a good part of my day on it. Mostly chatting with Glyn almost every morning and every night. Having a computer is essential to a long distance relationship these days.

F- Favorite Color.
Blue... It brings out Kevin's eyes. (hehehehe)

G- Gummi Bears or Worms.
I really hate them both.

H- Hometown.
This is a tough question. I was born in Annapolis, MD, and lived most of my childhood (8 years) in Stafford, VA.

I- Indulgence.
Baseball...and smoking a nice cigar. Also, a Quarter Pounder with Cheese. (Don't ask me why, I just love them.)

J- January or February.
January. The beginning of the year, usually some snow, and there is my birthday and my mom's and brother Steve's too.

K- Kids.
None yet. A special prayer goes out to April and Angelo...two children that we lost to ectopic pregnancies.

L- Life is incomplete without…
Baseball.

M- Marriage Date.
My first marriage was 5/20/95. It was the greatest day of my life. We will see what God has in store for me for another one.

N- Number of Siblings?
3. All brothers!

O- Oranges or Apples?
I think I enjoy apples more. Less messy than an orange. Plus nothing rhymes with orange. :)

P- Phobias/Fears.
I used to be afraid of a few things. I am working with God with most of these. The one that has been around the longest is the fear of falling. I used to think it was the fear of heights, but I have been at the top of some of the tallest structures in the world (Sears Tower and the Empire State Building) and was not afraid. Also, I enjoy sitting in the window seat in an airplane. However, get me on a pair of skates, and I am terrified.

Q- Favorite Quote.
"I desire so to conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reins of power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend left, and that friend shall be down inside me." - Abraham Lincoln. I think this is a great philosophy on life. It is important to be true to yourself.

In second place is: "If you don't live what you believe, you will soon believe what you live" - Father Bill LaFratta. Fr. Bill was my priest in college. This viewpoint on life has been so true.

R- Reasons to smile.
Waking up to a new day.
The start of baseball season. (See indulgences.)
Being in love.
Knowing that God loves me, no matter what.

S- Season(ing).
I like winter, because of Christmas, my birthday, and the snow.
I love basil, because it makes pesto...yum! I also enjoy cayenne pepper in my chili! Spicy!

T- Tag Three.
Arjean (I am too hoping she will blog again).
Joy (I'd like to compare husband and wife).
Steve (I would love to see him blog again).

U- Unknown Fact About Me.
If I tell you, it would not be unknown, would it?

V– Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals.
Definitely not a vegetarian, so I must be the other one. ;)

W- Worst Habit.
I can be very messy. I can clean up my place, and in a day, it looks like a hurricane went through it!

X– X-rays or Ultrasounds.
I have had both. Ultrasounds are cool because you can usually see what they are doing when they do it.

Y- Your Favorite Foods.
Pizza and Mac and Cheese. These were my favorite foods when I was 5, and they have since remained my favorites. I have also grown to love creme brulee, baklava, apple crisp, and a good steak.

Z- Zodiac.
Capricorn. I don't really follow it too much.

Slingbox

I have to tell you about the coolest product I have ever bought. A buddy of mine told me about it and after reading about it, I just had to get it. What is it? A Slingbox. What is a Slingbox? Well, it really is an amazing product. It allows you to watch your TV from anywhere you have internet access. That's right. I said ANYWHERE!

The product itself is rather small. It sits on the top of the TV and hooks up to your cable or satellite receiver. Then you plug it in to your router, Ethernet bridge, or Ethernet port. I happen to have my router in my TV entertainment center, so it was simple for me. I just plugged it in to my satellite DVR too and downloaded the software, and voila! I was all set up.



It was very simple to set up. You do not have to know much about audio-visual equipment or port forwarding to get going. They had an easy guide and the software was very simple to install.

I can now watch my TV on my laptop from anywhere where I live. I only have a TV in my living area, so this allows me to watch the TV from my bedroom or even outside. (I am currently sitting outside with my laptop and watching ESPN Sportscenter.) They have a great interface that even includes a remote...the exact remote that I currently use for my DVR...every button! So I can change channels, look at the program guide, pause live TV...all just like I was sitting in front of my TV.

Pretty cool, huh? Wait, it gets better.

Not only can I watch my TV from any spot in my place. I can watch my TV from anyplace in the world! I had Glyn in the Philippines download the software and plug in my finder ID (that is all you need to hook up to it). Before you knew it, she was watching my TV from halfway around the world! She said the picture and sound were good. She does not have the fastest internet connection, but it works good for her too! I was sitting in my living room watching her change the channels. She even paused the TV after I showed her how to do this.

They have software that works too on Macs, Palm Treos and other handhelds, Pocket PCs, and Smartphones. This means you can watch your TV from your handheld...as long as you have internet connection.

I have seen some amazing products lately. Apple has done a nice job with their iPods, Apple TV, and the upcoming iPhone. This tops them, in my opinion. If you have not seen Apple TV, it allows you to stream all of your media (pictures, music, and videos) from your home computers to your TV. You could use the Slingbox in conjunction with Apple TV to access your music, video, and pictures anywhere in the world!

I was able to get mine because I had some Amazon.com gift certificates lying around (including one from my former employer...thank you very much). The version that I bought was $149 online at Amazon.com.

I can't wait to go to the Philippines to see it in action myself. (Like I need an excuse to go to the Philippines.)