Colourful Majesty

Finally did it!

Just announcing that I have just launched a new blog. It had taken me quite sometime to think about it and really getting to the task of creating one. It's a not-so-fancy blog as the purpose is more of a diary for my doctoral studies. Since I think most the technical stuff do not fit in here, I'd better have another one just to contain them. So I would like to invite you to visit my new blog at http://fishfulexistence.blogspot.com. For those interested in research and in fish, hope the blog will be useful for you. For those not really interested now, who knows in the future there might be some insights you will glean from reading the posts and comments. Thanks in advance for visiting.

Some boring travel stories :)

This is my 3rd Saturday here. Time flies. It is still cold but not that much for this time of the year, thank God. It's drizzling, and once in a while it rains more. After that the rain stops, then starts again. Sometimes the sun remembers to come out and gives us a smile :). Hmmm ... good to have my waterproof jacket with me all the time. Such is the weather here.

To backtrack a bit, when I landed in Frankfurt from Bangkok about 3 weeks ago, the weather there was fine. Sunny. Warm. I had about 6 hrs stop over there. As usual when passengers embarked from the plane to go into the terminal, there were guards at the gate to receive us and look at our passports. No hassles there except for some maybe that they thought they needed to check more. For me, the guard said good morning and welcome, looked at my passport, and said thanks. I've been in this airport many times before so it was familiar to me already.

I went first to the transfer desk to check my gate number. After that I walked farther to where the shops, seats and toilets are. To await my boarding time for Edinburgh.

I again looked for the camera battery which I found in one of the camera shops. Actually they were selling the camera bag and the battery was an add on. For about 24 euro something. But I did not buy it coz I just thought I didn't really need it yet. Then I went to the cosmetics shop to look for Max Factor Pan Stick Concealer. Also not available. Later on I read that MF has been bought by another company that's why they had to stop production. The product is so good I hope they will make it still, even if they had to re-brand it. I bought an alternative one. It was funny coz the saleslady who served me could not answer all my questions and she told me that she was just a trainee. It was not a good enough reason.

So now it was time to just sit down to rest my tired feet. I went to the coffee stand to get my coffee and muffin. And read my devotional. And started reading JP's book. I took photos as well to break the monotony of just sitting there. After a while, to do some exercise I walked around again, and went to a bookstore. I bought some postcards and a bottle of water. It is my habit also to send postcards to family members to let them know I am thinking of them and wished they could be there too. Then I had to find the post office. They had an elecronic post office nearby so I went there and the stamps were issued automatically. The post box was just nearby. Quite convenient.

Then I went to sit somewhere and continued with my book and watching things around me. I was sitting near the phone area and I watched two women who were trying to use the phone and complained that the machine took all their euros and still they were not able to connect. After some time a guy who also came from the same country tried to help. But nothing happened. Only more euros got 'eaten' by the machine. Now they were talking loudly in their own language. One young lady passed by who was also from the same country as she understood what they were saying. She told them in English that she also experienced the same thing earlier so better not waste anymore time and money trying to figure out how the phone worked. As for me, I was using my DTAC roaming to text Thailand & Philippines. It cost me 12 baht/text. It probably was cheaper than using my Globe roaming which cost 25 baht/text. Anyhow both systems worked perfectly well there, and also here in the UK. It's good to know I have them for emergency, i.e. if my tesco and lyca loads run out as the e-top up centers are not that easy to go to (for me).

It was now time to go to my gate. All hand carried items had to go through the x-ray machine. It seemed they found 'something' in my paper bag which had my winter jacket. One official took a swipe on that bag and went to check it. Ohhh ... what happened? I tried to think back what could have happened to my bag while traveling, if somebody put something there etc. I prayed silently that everything would be clear and they would find nothing. I was not guilty of anything so there was no need to be afraid. I just stood there confidently and with a relaxed expression. After a few moments, the guy came back and told me everything was ok and apologized for delaying me.

So I went on to find a seat. It was still early so there were not so many people there yet. Of the few who were there, I saw a couple of them lying down on the seat sleeping. There were a number of newspapers available for free and I went to take one of each to read. So I spent the time reading the news and opinions. Then I took out the pages with crossword and sudoku puzzles and started to work on them. Time passed quickly and now it was time to board my fight to Edinburgh.
It was announced we had to take a bus to take us to our plane. So we queued and the staff were checking passports and boarding passes. When my turn came, she asked me why I was going to UK and whether I've been there before. However, since they changed the aircraft type I was informed that my seat number had been changed. OK fine with me. It would have been nice though if they announced it while we were still waiting instead of just then as it took the staff some time to check the list and write it down. So it held up the queue. Dunno what they were thinking why they did not do it before hand.

The short bus trip to our plane was ok. It was good I was able to get a seat on the bus. Nobody sat beside me. This is one thing I noticed in this part of the world. You could almost guarantee that you have the seat to yourself as nobody would sit next to somebody looking different from them. I am being 'PC' here. Well, great for me as I have enough space not only for my bags but also for myself. The weather was nice and sunny and it made me glad as well that I did not have to shiver from the cold.

On the plane, I found that I was seated near the emergency exit, next to the window. That was nice coz I had enough leg room. And there was nobody on the 2 seats next to me. That was even better. However, the seats behind were full that one of the guys moved to the seat on the aisle side. Still ok as the middle seat was still empty. The flight was smooth. The snack was also ok, the one that I liked, ham and cheese sandwich using multigrain bread. And apple juice and hot tea. The pilot announced his welcome and the weather forecast. He said that the weather was ok but when we reached Scotland it would be a bit cloudy so there could be some turbulence, so he adviced everyone to keep their seat belts fastened at all times while sitting.

True enough, the sky was clear and bright, then when we reached the Scottish skies suddenly we saw all these gray looking clouds and everything changed. It became darker. The pilot announced that we were now entering Scotland and it was cloudy, 'as usual'. I found that funny but true. 'As usual' coz it was always like that. The change was really obvious, it was like coming from a room that was so bright and colourful and suddenly you go into a room that had gray walls and so dim.

We landed in Edinburgh ok though and it was time to go through the passport control. There were separate queues for UK/EU and non-EU passports. So it was quick for me to get on the front coz there were only a few of us non-EU passengers. The lady officer was nice and friendly and I did not face any difficulty. She wished me well in my studies and in my stay in Scotland. Then I waited for my bag, and went out to stand 19 to get on the city bus to Edinburgh. I had to buy my ticket first at the booth nearby. Then it was time to carry my heavy bag onto the bus. I could not believe I was able to carry it. So I put it in the bag storage before I took my seat. I was familiar with the route so I knew exactly where I was going. There were some in the bus who were just new to the place so they were looking at their maps and were not sure where to get off.

When the bus reached the Waverly train station I got off and had to cross the road. I dragged my bags into the station. It was quite a long walk and I was telling myself why I had to do this when I could easily had taken a taxi from the airport to my destination. Of course the main reason is the cost. The difference is quite big -- it cost only about 12-13 pounds total until I reached my destination. If I took an airport taxi it would cost me nearly 40 pounds or more. Anyway, I wanted to do it this way also as the public transportation was ok and it was not the rush hour. So when I reached the station I went to check the schedule and a train was leaving in about twenty minutes. I bought the ticket (single) from a machine and passed by a small shop to buy water and fiber fruit bars as I was feeling quite hungry already. Then I went inside to wait at the platform for my train. When it arrived I still asked a lady if this train would pass by my destination, just to make sure he he he. No harm in that. She replied yes and she was also going to the same place. OK then, I went up lugging my bag again and put it in the bag storage. I chose a seat where I could watch my bag, in case somebody made a mistake and took it. But I thought since it was heavy nobody would even bother :)

The train passed many interesting places which looked the same last time we were here. As I neared my destination I felt a bit excited coz I have reached this far and I could not believe that after 3 years I was back. It was so far from home, was one of my thoughts, and so different from where I was. And I was alone. Well not really as I knew the Lord had been with me every step of the way. I kept praying for protection as well as presence of mind as I travel, to avoid forgetting stuff and all that. I also always prayed for strength, esp physically as my bag was really heavy. Finally the train arrived at my destination and I got off, lugging my bags. I called a taxi then to send me to my flat. The driver helped to carry my bag and he was surprised at how heavy it was. Oh well, he could not complain coz I gave him a tip for that. Again as I was here before I was familiar with the area and it was a good feeling not to feel strange. At least one stress factor removed if you looked at some psychological analysis of what makes life stressful.

Remembering Dad

It's been six months since our Dad passed away. We continue to miss him and the pain of losing him is still deep in our hearts. Yet life goes on and we thank our loving God for His grace and love that bring comfort and healing to keep us going each day. Including as well the sympathy and love of some family and friends who understand us. We have the memories and memories. Even coming here to UK brings lots of memories, especially of the time in 2005-2006 when Key & I were here last. We would call home, send sms and write letters to Dad and Mom. I remember one time it snowed and it was very cold. It was still early morning here but already day time over there. Dad said to make sure we are warm and not become sick.

I brought with me his sweatshirt. It was his but he never used it as it was still new with the brand tag on it. It is quite big for me nevertheless I like using it. Keeps me warm and I always remembering his advice to keep warm. Some other stuff I have that I keep with me include a photo sticker he took with Mom when they visited Bangkok in 2001; and one of the birthday cards they sent to me. They would usually write their own message and seeing Dad's handwriting and reading his message bring comfort.

It helps to know the fact that in all the sadness and grief, Jesus, the Good Shepherd is here with me. It makes all the difference. There is light instead of darkness; there is hope. There is peace despite the chaos. So I thank the Lord that each day with Him reveals something new, His truth.

Last week's travel

Today I am starting a series of posts about my experiences in a new place. I remember in a post earlier this year I mentioned that there is some big change that will happen this year. Well, there have been many changes obviously, especially losing my Dad last April. The other one big change is me leaving the workplace and going back to school again for a higher degree. So during the past few months I had been busy with papers and preparations for this new change to take place. It took me quite a time to be writing here as there have been so many things to do before I traveled.

Last week, we left the condo for Suvanabhurmi airport earlier than planned, which was ok since we did not want to rush. We parked the car and walked towards the departure area. There was no queue in the TG counter, for a change. But there were still many people in the airport. I did not have to wait to get to the check-in counter. I had to manage the bags myself, which was practice for me since I will be traveling alone. I only had one checked-in baggage and it weighed a ton. The scale said 24.4 kg. I had 30 kg allowance from my ROP silver membership so it was ok. Since I had a connecting flight it took quite some time for the staff to check me in, making sure that I would be checked-in as well for the 2nd leg of my journey. I got an aisle seat for my first journey to Frankfurt, and a window seat from Frankfurt to Edinburgh.



After checking in, we went to the bank counter to buy some GBP notes. The exchange rate was 54.70 Baht to a pound. Such a big change since we were last in the UK, 3 years ago, when the exchange rate was around 70 Baht to a pound. This is good for us so we did not have to use so much Baht to get a certain amount of pounds. After this, I was ready to go into the passport control. Key & I said our goodbyes and I went in. Surprisingly again there was no long queue at the passport control area and I was able to go through quickly. As I went in I looked back to see Key and we waved to each other. We will be missing each other for sure. It felt like that time when he had to leave for his studies also.

Right after the passport control, the passengers had to go through the checking of hand carried items. This is a change from the previous system. Thus there were no more checks before one enters the pre-departure lounge/gate. Key had already told me about this change as he traveled to China just a couple of weeks earlier. Going towards the direction of my gate, I passed many shops. I had a list of items I needed to buy in the duty free, namely a pocket book, a gift for one couple who are our friends in Dunblane, a camera battery and a Max Factor concealer. Unfortunately, I was only able to buy the first two, as the last two were not available there. However I was also cautious of being in the duty free area due to the recent reports of some things going on there.

I always buy a book every time I travel. This time I bought the book, My Sister’s Keeper, by Jodi Picoult. Actually I prefer some romcom for light reading during travels but there were none that I like within my preferred price range. So I chose this knowing that this is quite heavy and serious reading - hospital scenes, stem cell research controversy, family conflicts, etc. I had other books with me such as a minibible, the ODB devotional and the Psalm23 reflections minibook. All fit into my handcarried bag and easy to take out to read anytime.


I walked a bit further and passed by an electronic shop but they were not selling any camera batteries. In fact the staff said that in the duty free shops no camera batteries are being sold. Then farther I passed one shop selling some Thai stuff so I went to buy a Thai doll for our friends. I passed a couple of cosmetic shops but they did not have any Max Factor products. I wonder why. In Bangkok they told me I could only find it in Central Ladprao or Chitlom, I forgot which branch exactly. But I was too busy the past weeks that I was not able to go there, and I thought I could find it in the duty free shops.

So I kept walking as I had plenty of time. Until I felt thirsty so I stopped to buy a bottle of water. A couple of toilet visits later, I finally decided to go to my gate and sit to rest my feet which had started to ache. Again due to a heavy schedule I was not able to have a foot and body massage before I left. I was planning to have them the day before but things were just hectic.

When I entered the pre-departure area there were already many people there, all different sorts. You got the feeling that people were all looking at you. I did not really care. I knew some were looking at what I was wearing, what I was carrying, my shoes, etc. Then I found an empty seat toward the front and started to read the newspaper which Key bought for me earlier to read. As they were calling for different groups to board, I suddenly felt that I needed to go to the toilet again. Anyway the queue was long and I did not really have to hurry as I already have my assigned seat. The only thing that’s irritating when you are last to board the plane would be that the storage for hand carried items above your seat would be used by others, leaving no space for your own stuff. Then you have to chuck them in somewhere far from where you are sitting. It is quite inconvenient when getting off and people scrambling to get out. There should be a system to make it less chaotic.

So when I got to my seat in the plane I was silently praying that there would be no one seated next to me. I don’t really mind it for short flights but for long haul flights the place could be cramped. My prayer was answered so the seat on my right was free. The other passenger on the same row next to the empty seat dumped his pillow and blanket on that empty seat. I was quite surprised and stared at him coldly. His friend just shrugged his shoulders, silently apologizing for his friend maybe. Since the seat was empty I was able to put my computer bag under the seat in front of it so I did not have to store it in the overhead bin. Only my winter jacket in a big paper bag was stored above me. I am not really good at these overhead bins as I find the doors heavy and it is a bit high.. I don’t know how they could design it this way, without considering that not all have big muscles and strong enough to push it up, and not all could reach it. So I pushed it to close and nearly broke my fingers. Apparently I did not close it properly because during take off it suddenly opened! Another passenger wanted to stand to close it but he could not as it was dangerous to do so at that stage. Then one of the senior stewards stood to close it. That was a relief because I felt a bit guilty and ashamed that I was the one who closed it earlier and what if something fell down and hit another person. I also prayed for God's traveling mercies. I knew there were also many who were praying for me as I travelled.

I read somewhere that to avoid having jet lag you have to time your sleeping, so that if you arrive in the morning like 6 am or so you have to sleep during the last 8 hrs of the flight and wake up before you land. But if you arrive in the mid-morning or afternoon or evening, you should not sleep before landing so your sleeping pattern will not be disturbed. So for our 10-11 hrs flight I told myself that I would not sleep until after 3 hrs into the flight, i.e. after the first meal. So even though it was midnight already when we took off and some were already dozing off, and the cabin lights turned off, I still did not sleep. I was also not feeling sleepy. Instead I read the magazines and the newspaper and did the crossword & sudoku puzzles. I had my own light on. Only a few of us were awake. Then the attendants started distributing the menu card for the two meals we will be having during the flight. After nearly half hour or so they were distributing drinks, and then later the first meal. So everyone had to wake up.

During long flights it is my habit to walk around to stretch my legs. I did this many times, with only my socks on. I had to remove my shoes to relax my feet. I haven’t been using closed shoes for a long time and now I have to get used to it again. I only have this one pair of rubber shoes as there was no space anymore in my luggage for another pair. Besides I was planning to buy a pair in the UK coz that means that the shoes would really be suited to the local conditions especially for walking, the cold and rain. When you calculate the price for the quality you get, it is nearly the same.

There was a movie on but I did not bother really to watch it. I had the headphones on listening to some music. After sometime I got tired of listening to the music as the channels were limited. I was looking for some mellow music to suit the mood in the plane but most were quite fast. It was time to sleep and I adjusted my position so I could be comfortable. Quite a difficult thing to find a comfortable position in the plane even when the seats are reclined, but I still managed to sleep, thank God. I woke up a few times to walk around to stretch. Also did some exercises. Sometimes I would just stand on the aisle near my seat and tried to do some stretching and bending. There were a few others doing the same so it did not look strange. I also did not feel shy coz I was thinking that I needed to do this for my own health and body and, anyway, nobody knew me there.

When the screen flashed the info on the local time at destination, I adjusted the time on my watch. In this way I would estimate the time I needed to sleep more. And also that when I arrived in Frankfurt I would know the time there so I would not miss my connecting flight. I was not able to read the pocketbook I bought as I felt sleepy already. So even though I took it out and put it in the seat pocket in front of me, I did not touch it during the flight. When the second meal was served I remembered to take a photo of it. So here it is.

Pearls for all occasions

Looking for gifts for loved ones and special people is tedious and yet very rewarding, especially when we see how happy the recipients are when they receive our gifts. I often do online shopping and there is one site that makes it all the more easier to order gifts for those special people in our lives. Jewelery from cultured pearls as gifts is a very smart one as pearls connote romance, peace, purity and something sweet. The OrientalPearls site has different types of pearls which will suit to every need. In addition to jewelery, they also have loose pearls and pearl in oyster as collector's items to display at home or also to be given as gifts. Besides, the prices are just amazingly affordable. The search feature makes it easier to go straight to the product that you want. And the pictures are so lovely I want one of those jewelery for myself. Do you also like pearl jewelery as a gift?

LP: Linis

Masarap maligo sa dagat basta malinis ang tubig. Kaya masayang-masaya ang pamangkin kong si JR noong pumunta kami sa Taringting Beach. Meron kasing mga lugar na marumi ang tabing dagat. Sa amin sa Antique marami pang mga dagat na malilinis. Dahil medyo malayo sya sa maraming tao, o di kaya talagang merong ordinansya ang munisipyo na huwag magtapon ng basura doon. Meron pa nga silang mga grupo na nagbabantay at sinisiguro na walang may nagtatapon ng basura o di kaya walang may kumuha ng mga magagandang bato.

Ang isa ko pang pamangkin, si Tonton, ay iniinspeksyon nya ang mga buhangin kung malinis ang mga ito.

Ngunit pagkatapos ng bagyo lalo na ang bagyong Ondoy sigurado maraming mga basura at gamit-gamit na naanod doon sa ating mga karagatan.

Marami pa doon sa Litratong Pinoy ang tungkol sa topikong Linis.