10 days only?!

We've been here for only 10 days, yet it feels like we've been here forever. We've met a whole bunch of cousins we've never seen before. They feed us, they drive us around and they make sure we always have something to do. It just feels so weird having all these people go out of their way to make us feel at home.

We watched a movie at a drive-in last night( Da Vinci Code, which I partly slept through. Didn't like the movie that much) and we got home by 3am, at which by that time my mom was already starting to worry. She kept calling Tito Jun to ask where we were.

I ate deep fried larva yesterday. Yah I know, Ewwww! But they were suprisingly good. Not that I'd do it again. I think once was enough for me.

It's true, Canadians are so friendly. When they see you they greet you with a Hi or Hello, when they sense that you're in trouble they immediatley offer their assistance. I'm just blown over by this. I'm so used to being always suspicious of people, I'm having a hard time adjusting.

A day and fifteen hours

I have so many pics to upload but I can't because of the unreliable wi-fi connection. hehe! we just kind of mooch off what ever signal we can get, so can't really complain.

May 18

...that's how long it took us to get from Vancouver to Winnipeg. Why that long? Well, because we took the train. How cool is that?! We've never traveled by train before, so this was a great first experince. You know how in movies they usually show the characters sitting in little private compartments?(Think Harry Potter) Well turns out they are pretty expensive! So we're in coach. Which isn't at all too bad beause we're right near the dining cart & viewing dome. The scenery was so breath taking. We saw a lot of snow-capped mountains, long rivers & some of the local animals. We think we even saw a moose at one time but we're not at all too sure beause all we saw was it's butt. And at one point during the trip, while we were having lunch in the dining car, the maitre'd (who we think is Michele from the Gilmore Girls personified,he's got the accent, attitude & tan to go with it. He's just a bit nicer though) started shouting “Look a bear!” Ofcourse by the time we had already turned our heads, it was too late.
We also passed through a lot of little towns,where there would always be people waving at us.
Trains aren't all that reliable though when it comes to being on time. There've been times where we had to slow down or completely stop. At one point we stopped for almost an hour because a train ahead of us stalled & had to be pulled by another engine.

May 20

Been in Vancouver for a day now. It's like we've been in Canada for a long time, but it's only really been a week. It's so weird, everytime I think about our life back in the Philippines, it's like this dream I had that doesn't really exist. And it's slowly fading away. Does that make any sense?

Urgh! my legs hurt! The only mode of transportation we have is our feet, and well I think mine have almost reached their limit. The only thing that keeps me going is the thought that by the time we get back home, all the walking will shed pounds off my weight.....well hopefully.....I am allowed to wish right? Hahaha!

Day one

May 13
8am
We arrived yesterday (May 12) at 7:30 pm. The sun was still up! If I didn't know better I would have thought that it was only 4 in the afternoon. That is so weird. Last night I wrote that it isn't as cold as we thought.Wrong! It's so cold that I haven't even changed out of my travel clothes. (Yup, I know, Ewww!)I slept in them plus a jacket. And I was still freezing under the thick blanket that we brought. Right now I'm still working up the courage to go & take a shower. I absolutely have no desire to be naked, even if only for a little while. I wonder if I can get through this trip without a shower. Maybe I can just keep adding layers to my present outfit. It's two birds with one stone. I won't have to undress & I'll just keep getting warmer each day! Yeah! I'll spend this vacation being grungy & smelly....and most probably alone! Hahaha! Eww! Even I wouldn't want to have to do anything with me by then. Urgh! Ok, fine I'll take a shower now.

10:32pm
Spent the day doing tourist-y things. Tita Lovella et al took us around the city visiting the tourist spots, like the clock on one corner that was powered by steam. Canada Place where there was this huge cruise ship was docked. It's like a humongous hotel on the water. The rooms were something else. They had little balconies and some even had a jacuzzi. Wow!

We also went to the Capilano Suspension Bridge today. Not as boring as it sounds. It's this huge park full of gigantic hundred of years old trees and you just kind of walk around and commune with nature! Hehehe! They have these living dioramas, there was one where the people were singing and dancing. Galing! They also had exhibits on the insects you can find in the forest, complete with gigantic replicas of the insects. Click for more pics!

Thoughts in transit

Writing this from Taipei....

So obviously we were able to get on the flight. We were (literaly) the very last passengers to be checked-in even though we were at the airport by 10:30am (2 hours & 15 min before take-off). Being on stand-by meant we were low priority & could only be checked-in after everyone else & if there were available seats. Being on stand-by meant we half-ran, half-waited-in-line all the way to Gate 14. Being on stand-by meant we didn't get to sit together, so we spent the 2 hour flight in silence, unable to talk to our Taiwanese seatmates. Being on stand-by meant Isha & I getting upgraded to business class where the seats are several inches wider, allowing more wiggle room (ah! the simple pleasures!hehe!). Being on stand-by meant me getting a window seat & a chance to see the brilliant white sea of clouds & feel as though I could almost reach out and touch them.

We landed here at 3pm. Our next flight is at 12am. So for the next 9 hours Chiang Kei Sheik Int'l Airport is our playground.
See our shoes? My sister and I have stopped wearing matching shoes. Hahaha!

ummm......

12am-on the plane...
I'm sitting here between two strangers several rows away from my mom & sisters. Eva air's economy class is no fun at all. It's out of style! It dosen't have the little itty bitty personal t.v. screens, or the foot rest...and now the captain has announced that there'll be a slight delay because of...urgh! Can't understand what he's saying. Ok, that last part doesn't really have anything to do with the former, I'm just in a ranting mood.

And another thing, as of right now, we not sure where we're staying while we're in Vancouver OR Winnipeg.

Life is an adventure.

3am Manila time
I'm bored. I'm bored. I'm bored. I'm bored. Everyone's asleep but I can't go to sleep because of the light from the monitor and the constant sound of flushing. Not really my kind of lullaby. Yep, I'm unhappily seated near the toilets. urgh! I envy the guy next to me, he's blissfully off frolicking in dreamland. Maybe I should kick him just so I have something to do...

Forgive me. I'm just grumpy.

11:24pm Vancouver
We have finally arrived! It's not as cold as we thought though.

strike one

Well, we didn't get on the flight. Didn't even get near the airport because of the horrendous traffic all caused by one truck at the bottom of the flyover near Makati.



Had the job interview rescheduled for today, so I had to wake up really early to make the 8am appointment. Galing! 'cause it only took an hour for me to get to Buendia, I was expecting at least two hours. Spent the next hour and a half getting to know my fellow applicants. There was one girl there who so early she arrived at 6am! She wanted to make sure she was punctual this time around, because the day before she was late for the interview and the company's really strict with the time. While they made us wait, they were kind enough to give us free coffee, but no pasteries :( hehehe! Then I went to Megamall where, mom and Aien were shopping, so I was able to buy shoes too. Yea!

Urgh! So tired from walking.

I had to wear these purple socks I got from Singapore Air because I had already packed all my other socks. Hehehe!

Pillows my sister's friend sent her from the US. I want something with a Care Bear on it! Or better yet a little Care Bear doll! I don't know why though. I just want one. Maybe because I keep seeing them everywhere.Let's do the Care Bear Stare!

Will be doing another "practice run" to the airport tomorrow. Hehehe!

Not ready

Okay, so according to my dear mom, we will try to get on the flight TOMORROW. What the?! Oh well..... When she called the airlines they informed her that the flight's not full so there might be a chance we can get on. Hmmm...I'm not even packed yet. But if we don't get on this flight, we're going to try on Friday. And if we don't get on that flight, then there's the Sunday flight. Which I'm sure I'M getting on. Hehehe. I got a booked ticket while the rest of my family have to be chance passengers. I try to rub it in with my sisters whenever I get the chance! Hehehe! Meanie! Bwahahaha! Ah! Whatever! Well the reason I got a booked ticket is because I'm already twenty-one, so I'm no longer considered a dependent of the parental units.And they HAD to get me the ticket because of course! It's no fun if I'm not there! ;p

It's weird because I love traveling, and wouldn't miss an opportunity to do so, but a part of me doesn't want to leave yet, for a couple of reasons: I have a job interview scheduled tomorrow, I'm supposed to see my friends on Saturday, and.....well I'm just not ready to go yet. I mean my mind is set on leaving on Sunday, not tomorrow. I don't know it just feels weird. Now I know that does not make any sense, but ack! What the hell?!

Spent a couple of hours in a parlour last Friday looking like this:

So, yep. I'm back to being curlylocks. I just couldn't resist. It's just so much easier!