...alone....

well, here I am again.... past midnite and waiting for another flight.... i should be used to this - flying alone each and every month... i guess in a way I am, but still, it is a bit trying especially when flying in some un-God-ly hour... my flight is actually at 1:25AM - lols.....

Th airport is soooooo DEAD..... all the shops and restaurants closed.... nothing to do whatsoever.... THANK GOD there's WIFI, Facebook & Blogging.... kills the 2 looong hours i have to wait..

i see the plane now... so at least am smiling knowing the flight will not be delayed.... just an hour more....

GREAT WEEKEND TO YOU ALL!!!

Back From Another Trip!!!

was away for a little over a week.... monthly trek to MANILA... just got back last nite... did not have much net connetion so am a bit out of touch - and DEFINITELY - SOOOOO BEHIND in emails.... so very sorry guys... will get to your emails - for sure!!!

and THANK YOU ALL for the concerns regarding the recent Typhoon and Floodings here in Taiwan... we fared nicely but sadly, alot of people did not... OUR THOUGHTS & PRAYERS to them, their families & friends...

Oh Horrors!!!

So, am back in Taiwan... but not without a whole lot of nervousness on my part... scared of being flagged down and being quarantined -- the same worries plaguing most, if not all the travelers of late...

The SUMMER WEATHER in Manila took its toll on me - finally and I actually got sick... so much so that I was practically bedridden the last couple of nites... Thank God it was not the dreaded H1N1 Virus -- and with proper medication my fever came down and was controlled.... still I could not help but worry going to the airport this morning, an early one at that, to catch my flight... then it was fretting over crossing CKS Airport's Health Customs at the airport... Glad that in the end, I was cleared and all is fine....

well, fine except for all the work (and everything else) waiting for me.... but that's another matter....

Yilan Outing

Saturday, the 18th of Oct. we decided to take a trip to City Of Yilan - just to look around...check out the different scenic spots, and of course some of the town's delicacies.... normally it would have taken an hour and a half or two hour drive from Taipei... With the newly constructed and opened tunnel through the mountains - it is not under an hour.... we had a late start so of course, the first stop was to hunt down some local delicacies... a bit of a late lunch / early dinner.... and that WE DID!!!
After satisfying our tummies, we drove on to satisfy our eyes... we decided to drive a bit more to the town of Jiaosi and hike up the mountains to view the famous Waterfalls - Wufongci (5 Peak-Flag)Falls It is the oldest and most famous scenic attraction in Jiaosi... and got it's name from the 5 peaks that line the background of the waterfall which look like a flag from afar.... Within the Peak is the St. Mary's Church and Villa Located at the top of Wufongci Scenic Area, St. Mary's Villa is considered by Catholic pilgrims as a sacred place. Legend has it that, Mother Mary once appeared to 5 climbers in the St. Mary's Pavilion here helping them to safely descend the mountain. In order to remember and pay gratitude to Mother Mary, an outside Grotto with a statue of her was erected on the side of the pavilion.
After the hike and with the sun having set already, we drove down to the town center, which is running amok with Hot Springs, after Hot Springs... this MUST be the Hot Springs capital of Taiwan...The Jiaosi Hot Springs won their fame early on during the Qing Dynasty when they were known as the "Tangwei Hot Springs", and were selected by Wu, Jhu-Fan, the Qing Dynasty Kavalan Magistrate, as one of the "8 most scenic spots in Yilan". On this crowded weekend, we were LUCKY enough to have been able to at least, soak our tired feet to some really soothing Hot Springs... Across the street from where we soaked our feet, Fried Tofu and Bing Tahui was calling us... the laoban (owner) was soooo kind, and must have taken a liking to us, we were treated to a lot of freebies... I seem to think that he wanted us to sit there as long as we can in order to attract more people to sit and dine.. and it worked as more and more people came... the laoban also took his time to chat up with us... told us some town history and told us of the many places to check out, and best hot springs to go to... notes for when we return, and he is so sure we will....

Heading on to the nite market for some more delicacies before heading back to Taipei, we came across a bakery super crowded with people -- we of course, had to pop in and check out all the commotions... and we were treated to some really nice Cold Tea and slices of different muffins and sweets... all courtesy of the shop... SUPER NICE and GENEROUS shop.... all in all, the township of Jiaosi, we have concluded, is a very KIND and GENEROUS town....

Another Visit to Mom's

Back from my monthly visit to check up on my Mom... as always, it is a PLEASURABLE one for me as not only do I get to see how my Mom is doing, I also get to hear more stories of my childhood, as well as those of my siblings....

This time around, David tagged a long and was kind enough to not only bring OOLONG TEA but to also give pointers (to everyone's delight!)in making it properly... to get the most of the tea....

Before going to my Mom's for lunch though - we got to stop by ANTIPOLO and visit the famously known Antipolo Church.... it is said to be the church where traveler's must go to before embarking on their journeys... to pray for a safe journey.... I was even lucky enough to have been able to buy the Church's actual Patron Saint, The Virgin of Antipolo, to add to my collection.... that is always a treat....

..winter has come....

...last HOORAH for SUMMER 2008....
So THANKFUL for the extra time this last trip in MANILA...was able to check up on my Mom.... do my family obligations.... and even had a a few moments to do a bit of relaxing.... we got to have a one nite get-away and am I ever so THANKFUL for it.... got to celebrate the last rays of summer and bid it adieu once again... and return to the coldness of Taipei - Typhoon and all....

SO LONG SUMMER!!!

IKEA: more than a furniture shop....

Sunday Brunch @ IKEA.... what more could you ask... great food.... lots of people to see... and beautiful things to peruse through afterwards.....
Blows me away as in the US - I know IKEA as a place to spend hours and hours perusing affordable and somewhat stylish furnitures plus other household goods.... here - IKEA is a whole lot more... it is a Family Outing.... a SHOPPING EXPERIENCE..... and if nothing else, a nice place for a SUNDAY BRUNCH -- if you want to be seen, as well as, see people -- and the people are just as colorful as the goods you can find at IKEA - That's For Sure!!!

Any Ride Will Do!

...CARS... just like Cel Phones are all FOREIGN to me... meaning I do not understand them... I know nothing about them... and I could not tell a MAZDA ZX from a TOYOTA CELICA... LOLs!!! (The only two cars I can actually recognize are Jaguars (because my DAD had one in the US when I was younger - but it was a two seater so he had to give it up... too bad as it was even a dark green color which I really loved; and the Mini Cooper, which I think are just the cutest little cars... but oh-so-expensive)

...SO PLS DO NOT TALK TO ME ABOUT THEM.... I always say... if one needs to get anywhere, there are buses, tricycles, tuk tuks, bicycles, TAXIs, scooters, etc.... Anything!!! as long as they run and they take you from point A to point B!

AM NOT PICKY!!! Not Picky At All!!!

Ten On Travel

"and in the end it is not the years in your life that counts... it is the life in your years....."
-Abe Lincoln
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This is something FUN I got did because I was TAGGED in one of my accounts... the rules were simple just write 10 RANDOM Facts about myself.... I chose the TRAVEL theme as I could not think of anything fun and interesting to write about... thought I would share it here too... you might want to try it, it will be a fun trip down memory lane am sure.... and maybe you can share with me some of your funny TRAVEL moments:
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1. Took a 3 hour hiking trip up an active Volcano in Guatemala... in the rain.... and...
2. Coming back by bus, back to the city, we were held up by bandits with biiig guns.... no one got killed or raped... they just took our money and left us alone... survived both!!!

3. Have always been LUCKY about SEEING STARS at airports: Takeshi Kenishiro In Bangkok, Harry Connick in Vancouver... Chris Isaak in Los Angeles.... Jeremy Northam & Gavin Rossdale in London....

4. Not really knowing the German language, I worked for 2 months one summer at a produce stand in Cologne, Germany. All I had to say was GutenMorgen, Danke & Auf Wiedezehein.... it helped that the owners were parents by the boy I was dating at the time... I could not get fired.... hahahaha

5. Arriving soooo late at nite in Mumbai (Bombay) we had to sleep at the Train Station - to wake up and see lots of BIIIIG RATS crawling about.... ICKY!!!

6. I have survived two of the biggest world earthquakes - the one in CALIFORNIA on Oct 17, 1989... and the one in Taiwan on Sept 20, 1999

7. First time I went out to a club in Manila, i thought I was getting picked up by -- even bought me a drink... after an hour of hanging and talking - the person started quoting me prices...LOLs!!!

8. I slept with 100 people for one nite -- hahahaha... it was the only time I have stayed in a YMCA (KYOTO, JAPAN) where you pay big bucks to sleep in a room with 100 other people... LOLS!!!

9. In Madrid, I was accosted by GYPSIES who would not leave me alone till I let them read my fortune - for a lot of money!!!

10. In Xiamen, upon our arrival late at nite, we were accosted by female prostitutes while we looked for a hotel... they literally cornered us... thank GOD it was a HOTEL - so we ran in not caring how expensive it was.... just wanted to get away from the ladies....

wha, wha, what??? 10 years!!!

Could it really have been 10 years already since I first set foot here in Taiwan? How come it still feels like it was only a year ago?

Lately I have been going through my old negatives - which is way too much... unorganized... and everywhere.... am trying to get them all organized, getting modern and high tech by converting/burning them into CDs.... loooong ordeal and costly but am happy am getting to do this... as am able to see so much old photos -- seeing places I have been... things I have done... and of course, the best part of all, people I have met over the years.... old and new friends... forever friends....

One of my latest find is one of the negatives from my first visit to Taipei back in 1998... have not moved yet... it would be a year later when I made that move but you can say it was a precursor to what was already brewing... My sister, who was still FAT then (hahahaha!) and my Aunt (Tita Mita) joined me visiting David for a few days....

With David as our tour guide -- we were able to see soooo much.... we walked everywhere... much to my sister's dismay as she is more used to being driven around... shopped a lot (both my sis and aunt must have gone back with a suitcase full of clothing, fabrics, and of course, true to their form - JEWELRY - Phillipe Charroil & Jades)... and ate a lot... and as an added bonus, when DAVID took me to the place where they film lots of TV Soap Dramas, we ran into one that was being shot and I got to even take my photo with the main star, a famous actress/model whose name escapes me now... she was gracious when I asked her -- in ENGLISH of course, as I did not know a word of Chinese then except for XIEXIE (Thank You)... Of course 10 years later my comprehension and extent of Chinese command has grown... now I can also say BUKEQI (Your Welcome)... hahahahaha....



Taiwan has been good to me... and living with David all these years had its own share of ups and downs... but for the most part we have been happy and blessed... and meeting his family who welcomed me as if I was one of them from the very beginning is just really touching.... not forgetting to mention all the friendships I have made here through the years... might not be much - but they are all REAL!

Yes, I miss my friends and family (both in the USA and Philippines) while living here all these years... but I can honestly say that, I feel, time flew by sooo fast with all that I got to do... accomplish... see...., and experience living here..... and that even given the chance to think things over, I would have done exactly the same and make the move here...

all these photos even made me remember something a dear friend, Richard Yep, said to me during my first months living here: "Rudi, you are one of the few people I know who has the GUTS to move to a totally different country - not even knowing the language..." I took it as a very NICE COMPLIMENT and it made me feel then, what I am still feeling now when I think back to his words - PRIDE!

Proud that am able to manage through, no matter what I do, or where I go... Proud that am able to stand for the decisions I make in life... make the most of them... and just live life....

it's all FOREIGN to me....

Growing up in America, I developed my love for Foreign films at a very young age... I believe it stems for my LOVE of traveling; discovering new cultures...seeing new places..... and hearing different languages... they all seem and sound sooooo exotic to my ears..... and I figured, i I cannot travel to those faraway places, I could at least experience them through the art of movies.... PURE ESCAPISM.....

In the 80's it was all about EUROPE - SPAN in particular for me... telenovelas.... Almodovar films.... Chayanne, Alejandro Fernandez, Luis Miguel & Miguel Bose..... then I got to live in SPAIN and everything was 100 times much more beautiful as I already had pre conceived notions of what I would like to see, try, and eat.....

Then in the 90's it was time to turn my eyes into ASIA - Japanese & Chinese.... life was filled with animes, kung fu / fantasy films.... Wong Kar Wai artsy films.... Korean & J POP music.... soap operas.... food.... and now am living in Taiwan and traveling to JAPAN & CHINA at least 3 X a year.... so everything is a bit easier. too.... streets to navigate.... things and people to comprehend.... and so much more....

Living in Taiwan though makes it a bit rougher at times... most everything is in Chinese... though I can speak & comprehend it pretty well (thanks to numerous Chinese flicks and Mandarin Music) I cannot read Chinese.... Foreign movies are subtitled in Chinese... and for the most part - NO ENGLISH... so my trips to see foreign films are a bit limited to those of Chinese films only....

yesterday though, I was really itchy to see something FOREIGN besides a Chinese movie - I was in luck, The Orphanage, from SPAIN was playing and it was going to be in SPANISH with Chinese subtitles.... so I knew it was going to be work to understand but nonetheless a very good & exciting challenge.... am was I glad I did.... though I understood maybe only 75% to 80% of the dialogue - it brought back, and actually revived, my love for everything foreign....

and so I have decided, I MUST make it a habit to see more foreign films as often as I could... and not just HOLLYWOOD Blockbuster films... even if I have to resort to buying the DVDs...
am even beginning to develop an appreciation for PINOY films.... if only I can get over the long kissing scenes.... and the the even longer crying scenes..... lols!!!
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and for my REVIEW of The Orphanage:

I decided to be more adventurous and go see The Orphanage
-- produced by the GREAT Spanish director, Guillermo Del Toro... though I knew it was going to be a bit of a struggle as it is in Spanish with Chinese subtitles, I just could not let it pass by without seeing it... I just knew that it would be another classic ghost story that does not involve gore and dismemberment to scare you. Definitely not perfect but a good antidote to the schlock put out by Hollywood! If I have to compare it to anything from Hollywood, I would got with The Others starring Nicole Kidman... which incidentally was also directed by another talented Spanish director.

It is a ghost story set, as the title suggested, in an old haunted orphanage building. The house is lived by a family of parent and their adopted child, incidentally, the mother used to be one of the girls from this very own orphanage. It starts with the little kid making comments about seeing and playing with other kids in the house, which cannot be seen by the parent. The director has led us by peeling layers of clues in uncovering the mystery of the orphans who used to inhabit the house. The movie is quite scary in the vein of the Sixth Sense or The Others complete with it's own surprise ending. This film also resembles some of Del Toro's, the executive producer, style (like last year's super cool, Pan's Labrynth).