Mt. Arayat, Pampanga, Philippines

Toronto, Canada

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Autumn walk in the park (Montreal Park)

Vancouver and Ottawa, Canada

Montreal and Niagara Falls in Canada

Am posting pics here from my past travels as inspired by Photonski

Photonski and my passion for capturing moments of my journeys

Recently I joined an egroup of Flip photographers, both professionals and non-professsionals, like me. I wanted to be part of this group in the hope that I could learn more about the techniques of taking picutres. I also joined them so I could share my passion and hopefully will turn this 'interest' into a more serious hobby and later on, perhaps, become more adept at it.

I guess the first result is good. Now am more encouraged to posts more pictures here so that I could show some more of those that I have taken from the travels I had done for the last six years.

The following pictures are testimony to how much I really love taking photos. So to photonski, which celebrated its 3rd year anniversary recently, a big cheers and thanks for letting me into your group.

Taj Mahal

I cannot remember how come I seem to have missed posting the picture of a place I visited three years ago which is very unique, most romantic and nostalgic, and simply amazing. Actually, I have seen the Taj Mahal in movies and TV.

But what I could not imagine was that I would feel the same magical way as the rest of those who have come before me. It was really an amazing and captivating sight to visit. I felt like I was transformed to the period when the Rajah would sit on his fort and look over the Taj Mahal to look at the building where his beloved wife is buried. Is it not the most romantic gesture I have heard in my life so far. And I just felt like his love for her endures and all of us who have come and visited his fort and visited the Taj Mahal could certainly sense and feel it.

It was even made more special as at that time I visited it, I was visiting my close friend whom I have not seen for about six months. I remember feeling such an affinity with both lovers. Maybe it was because I too was in a relationship then. So the feelings were more real to me. I also remember being disappointed that he could not go with me there.

Then another friend told me that I should be happy he did not join me then. According to her, there is a belief amongst Indians that you should not visit Taj Mahal with your special someone, because you will end up separated.

Well considering that two years after that visit, we parted ways, maybe it is not true no? Maybe it is the other way around....when I try to ask other Indian friends about this belief, they do not seem to know anything about it and they have given me a look of disbelief.

Hmmm....hopefully I could come back there and then I will try to bring along my special someone, then let us see if the belief is the other way around....

I visited Taj Mahal, Agra, Jaipur and Delhi, India last February 2003

The great Angkor Wat

I have always dreamt of one day visiting Siem Reap in Cambodia. Six years ago, when I had a chance to visit Phnom Penh, also because of work, I told myself one day soon I will have an opportunity to visit Siem Reap and see the world renowned and one of the 'must see' world heritage sites in Asia-the great Angkor Wat. I was quite surprised at how beautiful it really is. The feeling certainly was totally different than what I had felt when I was in Taj Mahal in India. What is the same is that feeling of being in awe of such a huge structure. It was really a wow place to visit!

Siem Reap has other things to offer, except shopping. It is not a place to buy stuff. But it is a place to go for nice French restaurant, nice and very fancy hotels and bars. We even managed to sort of call one of the hotels there (a new one)as our favorite hotel. The name of the hotel is Hotel De La Pais. Very fancy indeed from the lobby to the bar to the restaurant to the room (yes, we had a chance to see the inside of the presidential suite there).

Well that is one place I can now check off on my list of 88 cities to visit!

I visited Siem Reap, Cambodia and the Angkor Wat last November 2005

a friend has just left to seek her new home

i think this is the first time am posting something about a friend and her journey. i met mitz about 5 years ago when i joined the filipino ladies group (singapore) or FLAG. i was told she came from aklan, that province where my favorite beach island is located. for the first three years, we were what you call, org mates type of friends. the ones you meet and talk with when there is a meeting or an event or an outing organized by our group.

then two years ago, we started to become close. got to know each other better and then she decided to go off to the US to seek a job in New York, which is one of her childhood dreams. she stayed there for more than 6 months and then when she realized it was tough not to find a job there, she came back here and promptly got a job with another bank. but she knew she may not stay here for long. she found this temporary place to stay and did not stop pursuing her dream to go to the US. and then one day, she got the email saying she is being considered for a position in a bank in Bermudas. well, maybe she needs to go somewhere else first before she can find work in the US.

after some serious thinking, she decided she will go there and work for three years and see where it leads her.

so again, i found myself sending her off at changi airport. this time around, i felt more sad as we have become much much closer since she came back from the US. in fact, she was our constant weekend guest at home. and she spent the last two days of her stay in singapore with us at our oxley rise apartment.

i also had a chance to work with her on her last dream project- photo contest and the exhibit- LOVE IS IN THE AIR. she was fun to work with especially as she is one person with tons of energy. and i admire her for her commitment to FLAG and her relentless pursuit of her dreams-both in terms of her own career and her other interests.

but we also have our differences. whereas moi is one who would fight with anyone whom i feel like has been unfair with me, she thinks i should just forgive and let go. though in some areas, she is such a fighter herself. i guess, we disagree on which battles to fight.

well today she sms'ed me to say she has landed safely in Bermudas. i know she is where she should be at this point and time. i know as well she deserves to get that job and am sure she will make us proud again of her achievement.

so to you my dear dear friend mitz, best of luck! i know we will meet again soon....most likely there...as i have never been to that part of the world. i will treasure the moments we have shared and the time we have spent together.

friends are there for us to meet, get to know, love and let go at some point...you are one of my good and close friends...i think you are the fifth i had to send off within the last two years of my stay here in singapore....

and i thought i was getting better at sending off friends only to realize i will never be good at this. i guess am one of those people who will always find it difficult to send off someone close to me. i should as i live in this part of the world where people do not stay for long, they either move on to some place where there are better opportunities or they decide to go back home where they come from.

maybe i will as well at some point....either go somewhere else to stay or go back to my beloved home country....

but perhaps not too soon...

so to you Mitz, a big thank you and a big hug for being part of my journey here in singapore....and see you again my dear friend!



Mitz left Singapore for Bermudas last 8 July 2006 at around 3 am, which meant that we were at Changi airport from midnight to 2 am.

i love Shanghai

it was my first time to visit mainland China. first time to visit this city that i recently saw from the film, Mission Impossible 3. i did not have that much expectations. the only thing i did try to remember was my promise to myself and to a colleague that i will not do any shopping in shanghai. of course, before the first day was over, i managed to break that promise.

i think shanghai managed not only to make me break my promise but it also managed to capture my heart. i do not know what or when during my 9 day stay there was it able to do so...it could be when we were at the top of the Peace Hotel and was viewing the Pudong area and the Huang Pu River, with its two tallest buildings, Pearl TV Tower and the Grand Hyatt, that i fell in love with it. i liked the view from that hotel. one of the must things to do in Shanghai.

i also love the nice people who turned out to be nice. i was quite surprised to be the recipient of a good service from everyone at the two hotels where we stayed at (New Harbor Service Apartment and the Holiday Inn Pudong). all of them were very helpful and made our stay more enjoyable.

i love the shopping and the very cheap stuff, almost anything you can think of. and i enjoyed the bargaining sessions we had with the various non-English speaking salespersons we come across all over the city. i was particularly happy when i was able to buy 4 oriental blouses at only SGD80. very nice handmade silk blouses in my favorite colors.

i love the old town....with its nicely and well preserved colonial looking shops and tea houses...and that all RMB10 bag shop. really a good find for us!

i love 1931 restaurant. very nice decoration and very tasty food....comfy and intimate ambience....good place to have a quiet dinner with your close friends...especially after a full day of either a meeting or a conference session or a full day of sightseeing....this is definitely our favorite place to eat in shanghai...this one is located along maoming lu....

then of course i love jazz & blues...this great find bar where carlton smith and his band plays cool blues and jazz sounds. here, you can really let your hair down and dance to their music....they even play your requests, well at least those that they know lah....this bar is only 5 minutes walk from the 1931 restaurant.

i love also M on the Bund....cool and hip place to be especially on a friday evening....nice view as well of the Bund and the Huang Pu River....

i also love Cloud 9 at the Grand Hyatt...reasonably priced drinks and minimum expense for each person...

i also love CJW or Cigar Jazz and Wine Bar at the Bund Center...the American singer croons lovely jazz songs that you can definitely dance to as well...though because of its more classy ambience, makes you hesitant to do so.

in all, i found out i really enjoyed every minute of my stay in Shanghai, even the more than 10 hours of walking we did for three days. and my presentation apparently went well and the meeting was not as intimidating and serious as i thought it would be....

maybe this last one cemented it....or maybe because we had a great time at blues & jazz one night...and maybe because because it was my first time to be away from home on my birthday....

indeed turned out to be a wonderful birthday week for me...i certainly wish i could come back soon....sigh sigh sigh....

I visited Shanghai, China from 23 June to 2 July 2006 because of an international conference and a regional meeting.