Happy 21st to ME!

My first birthday in Vienna. It was anything but fabulous. I was even wearing a shirt I wore the last night. Talk about dugyot days and ambush dinner, huh? But it's just the way I like it. No party, just a few good people -- yes, family! I wasn't really planning on doing anything at all. But my parents insisted on going out for dinner. Since I wasn't buying, anyway, I gave in! Haha, I know I'm bad. :D We ended up at a Chinese Restaurant just in our neck of the woods, one block away from home.

It was interesting that the resto was also celebrating it's 21st birthday this year! Yikee! Happy 21st birthday to you, too, Zhong Hua Restaurant! Thanks for giving me my first dose of Peking duck!

Dad at 45

At Brandauer's with family. Spareribs overload, but yummy! Ordered "Schweinbraten mit Knödel". It's basically thin-sliced pork and flat-sized bola-bola in gravy. I liked it!

2 am, twice it was!

My computer clock struck 2am twice! When it’s about to turn 3am, the clock struck back to 2am. Cool. It’s the time of year when they adjust the time here in Austria (and some parts of Europe). It’s nice, people get to sleep longer.

The Symptoms!

It’s undeniable!


Early in the morning…
…woke up from a dream
…found it hard to breathe
…then, checked on my phone
…and kept telling myself this could not be “IT”


This could not really be it, right?

Plans, plans, plans

It’s really a pain in the ass when things don’t go as planned. I am so used to planning ahead, writing every single detail on my planner. When something suddenly comes up out of the blue, I get all sorts of agitation. Like how I planned to be home from September 2 to 13 (12 days), leave on the 1st and go back on the 13th. Actually, last night I was supposed to head off to the province up north. Unfortunately for me, I made some miscalculations. The event in the province down south would actually be on the 13th and so I have to be there on the 12th, which means I have to leave on the 11th. That’s minus 2 days. And also last night, to my surprise, someone called to say they’re coming over. They have something from my parents for me, which means I have to move my trip today. That’s minus 1 day, all in all that’d be three days less. It’s not that I blame anyone for it, I just feel stressed that’s all.


Having said all that, it is a mystery that I don’t see a clear view of my future. I mean, the bigger view. It is, to me, still as vague as it has always been. Being so into details makes me miss out on the main point. I guess I’m just constantly going with the flow. Wherever river I’m in right now, I hope it’ll lead me to the right sea.

Mar Roxas gives way to Noynoy Aquino for 2010

I’m teary-eyed while listening to the speech of Senator Roxas. It gave me goosebumps. I just hope that the selflessness he talked about will not be just on pen and paper. Pinas, ftw!

Adventures of the traveling feet

With the foot photo at the center (2007, one rainy and a little floody day, wearing my favorite Dupé flips) as my header photo in my multiply site, "Adventures of the traveling feet" was born. Since then, I've collected quite a few foot shots of myself.


The first one on the leftmost part was during my thesis experiment at the Natural Sciences Research Institute (NSRI) in U.P. where I spent the whole day on that lab, monitoring my experiment. Below that was a shot while riding an Ikot jeep in school. The second picture on top was taken on my way from U3 to Tita Helen's place. Right next to that picture is technically not a foot shot but a slipper shot with my legs crossed. That was one mood swing attack at Karlsplatz on a Sunday with Tita Helen and Mom. I ended up going home shortly after we arrived. :) The second picture at the bottom was on a snowy Sunday at Schönbrunn. I remember how my hands freezed and got really numb (because I didn't have my gloves and I was taking photos out in the cold) I had to really rush home. And beside that is a photo while walking on a pedestrian lane on my way home to Linke Wienzeile.


The topmost photo on the rightmost part was taken along the small alley on my way home to L. Wienzeile. The next two pictures below that was at Cagayan river and along its shore during one of my Echague home visits. Below that is a picture of my black nail polished toenails, the first time I voluntarily had my toenails get polished, dated March of 2008. And last, but not the least, is a photo of my feet donned in my Puma sneakers at the Marine Science Institute (MSI) lobby while patiently waiting for my class to start.


Because I often stroll alone and I am not so much of a sel-ca (Korean slang for self camera shots) fan, I figured that maybe photos of my feet would be just as great to capture memories. True enough, my feet always had adventures to tell.