Friday, May 26, 2006
weekend in Bonn
“There’s nothing to see in Bonn!” That’s what my fellow trainees said when I was about to miss a weekend in Paris, filled with some cool plans of parties and picnics by the Eiffel tower. Well, I just had to miss it for the very reason that there’s more to see in Bonn than Bonn itself.
So what is to see apart from the DPWN tower that’s very prominent from the Rhine? It was more of the people in Bonn that attracted me to take a relaxing weekend in a nice, quiet city like Bonn.
There’s Bonnie who’s staying in Bonn, a Malaysian friend of mine who finally found his way to Europe after some visa hassles. There’s a Filipino trainee, Jennie Lee, who’s now employed but I’ve heard so much that we talk the same, even if we don’t really look like Filipinos (she’s always taken as a Chinese). There’s the bunch of my former AI teammates: Amit, Monika, Rajiv, Steve, whom I was just so happy to catch up with even if we just saw each other at the AI alumni reunion last March.
I had a few attractions of Bonn as well: the Rhine, Bonn university, DPWN tower, Japanese garden, cheap alcohol & drinks, and so much more.
Thanks to my “agenda manager”, Amit who’s managed to contact the people I wanted to meet in my short visit in Bonn. I really enjoyed his hospitality and entertainment combined, being updated of gossips including that of me and him! Hahaha! I’m sorry if I’ve taken away your prospects Amit, but for the rest of the people to know, we are really just friends… period!
Friday, May 19, 2006
Road Trips in France
What to do with holidays???
Well, we really can’t be that picky since trainees only get 12 holidays for the whole year to match with about 10 public holidays. Luckily there are 3 public holidays for the month of May, and it’s not yet even summer! So what about the moving apartment for the month of May? Hmmmm... It has been slowly postponed a few days later, and just decided to do the aesthetic design of my room in the coming weeks.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
As we were celebrating Labor Day, the whole idea was not to work at all!
The first weekend was just relaxing by the coast near Le Touquet. It was a nice posh village, you can easily notice with the houses and cars that pass by. The view was awesome as we just enjoyed walking around, filling our eyes with enough things to see. The following day was full of plans biking around the city, going for sand yachting, kayaking, etc.
The weekend theme was just to relax and unwind. So the following day we slept till 10am but feeling like it was going to rain all day. The plans in Le Touquet had changed, so we just decided to go a bit further in the nearby cities. We went to Boulogne Sur Mer, just 10 minutes away where we ended up in a nice fortress in the center, sunny weather and cozy cafes. Indeed a good way of celebrating Labor Day is simply to laze around, have a cup of hot chocolate and stay under the sun. This place reminded me a lot of St. Malo, when I first visited the countryside of France… similar ambiance and laid back feeling.
What else would make you feel you are indeed in the coast area but to eat something from the sea! I am always fond of seafood, and it’s not something I would have everyday in Paris. Apart from it’s quite expensive in the market, it’s also tough to cook in our small apartments as it would small all throughout the building. So I had the time of my life with my all time favorite mussels! Good to be no longer allergic with these yummy delicacies. My friends almost felt like I was not close to finishing it, but finally got there in the end with a whole casserole of mussel shells!!!
So the weekend went well having enough sun, heavy meal + desserts, and of course a nice view of the beach. We went where our legs could bring us, and where the roads meet the sun, which ended up in an unforgettable road trip of my life.
Indeed a victory for us to have another holiday by the coast. We got to celebrate it with the rest of the nation who was celebrating the end of World War II, and thus various marches and ceremonies done in the city centers. One of which was even around the Arc de Triomphe where the biggest flag of France I’ve seen was soaring in the sky.
We first joined another AIESEC conference, the 3rd one for me on my 3rd month in Paris. 7 other trainees joined me, along with 1 former trainee in HK and his friend. Trying to share our views with the AIESEC members, constantly trying to be part of the local network. They got to celebrate the end of the year, with the new MC team taking over and the elects of the Local Committees
After the conference we made it into full swing of going on another road trip, from the center to the northwestern part of France. This time we went to the coast of Etretat, where you could just see amazing rock formations and strong waves from the sea. It’s rejuvenating to just be hearing the waves and feeling the cold wind right through your face. My concerns felt so far away, thrown out in the sea, as the winds sheltered me from being hurt. On top of the rock formations, you can feel the winds much more, almost whispering to your ear that everything would be fine.
The next destination was just 20 minutes from Etretat, in a small village called Honfleur. Some said it almost felt like being in Denmark, with the dock area just close to the row of old buildings. For me it felt almost like Netherlands, where merchants used to do business with their boats, and have their storage rooms passing through the underground to their houses.
On the way to Deauville, we passed by the Normandy bridge- known to be the largest bridge of its kind in Europe (856m). The 2 Indian guys in our group tried to cross the bridge and started running but we ended up picking them up in our car again since it definitely will take them ages until they reach the end.
We went again into a nice and sophisticated city in France, where you can almost feel like all your dream houses were actually built in one city. It’s also known for some horse racing, where the elite people would have their best bets on the horses they own or simply enjoying the crowd of horse fanatics. In the center you'd see one of the biggest casino as well, unfortunately we didn't have enough time to enter anymore.... so didn't know if our luck would have worked or not.
Road trips would usually mean just sleeping at any place where the sun decides to set. Trying to limit our budget, we were in for some surprises and booked for the unconventional apartments/bed & breakfast rates.
It just turned out to be a great surprise!
The first weekend was a road trip with 4 girls in one tiny car, ending up in a nice big apartment with 2 big bedrooms, living room with TV, plus a nice kitchen. For only 200 euros for the weekend, I guess we were not just used to this much space when you look at our tiny little space with our apartments in Paris. Unfortunately we had 2 nights for ourselves, but didn’t bring a whole party in the house. Maybe next time we’d be successful, right girls?
The second weekend was least expected since the budget was getting tighter. I told the group that we’d be paying only 16 euros per person, for the bed & breakfast rate; so don’t even expect a nice place. Yet it seem to be the best deal with grandma and grandpa welcoming us at the door at 10pm and showing the rooms for each of their "9 grandchildren". It was even great that they even tried to speak English, and we tried to speak French too just to explain that we’ll be fine with the place. A good night sleep with each of us having a bed to sleep, you wake up with the moo of the cow and the sound of the tractor- this time not with an alarm clock or a morning rush to meet the 10am deadline. The breakfast came in to be the best part of the deal. Where else could you have a nice heavy breakfast, freshly baked cake and home made strawberry jam made by grandma? It was just such a relaxing morning, taking about an hour to enjoy a nice lovely morning.
So much for the road trips, probably more to come in the summer time when there’s more sun while lying in the beach. The next weeks are set for visiting friends in Bonn, and hosting people coming from Amsterdam, Leuven and KL. Not much I can promise in giving them a nice lovely breakfast like I had with grandma, but definitely a nice place & lovely company in Paris for any one to enjoy the night.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Tribute to mom
“Idol kita eh…”
That would be our usual complement to each other, admiring our similar interest towards traveling. When I consider myself as a global citizen from having reached different countries, I can’t help but look back at my global mom. I feel like she’s been to those countries even before I’ve reached them, by the way she just believes that I can make it through different opportunities. She’s opened my eyes with what you cannot see at first, but with a vast dream ahead, everything was possible with the first step of trying.
She is the one who introduced me to AIESEC, encouraging me to join this organization which at that time was not really known compared to the other organizations in university. She is the one who supported my interest to attend international conferences, to widen my network and increase my confidence in interacting with people. She is the one who challenged me at most to balance my studies with my activities, making me part of the dean’s list in the semesters I was missing classes because of attendance to international conferences. She is the one who gave me the freedom to be myself, with no reason for me to rebel at any point. She is the one who supports me despite the distance, constantly encouraging me to run that extra mile for the opportunities that await me there.
For all this I am thankful to you mommy, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Lab nak? Wen. Apay met? Tangamin mommy ka! Kepkep nak ngaruden...
Friday, May 12, 2006
The round about decision making in road trips
Most of the time, road trips really forms that bond with the people involved in the trip. The first one was not as easy, with 3 out of the 4 girls being a driver themselves and quite skilled in following directions, we had to decide as one group as to where the exit or entrance to the center was. The second one was even more tricky- with 2 cars and 2 guys driving… it’s sometimes good they just follow the woman’s instinct rather than trying to argue.
Overall I guess what helped the most was the roundabouts that you would see in every city of France. It’s not just to make a smoother flow of traffic, with no need for traffic lights, but also to ease out the decision making for which direction to follow. For most of the time, we’d have to go around once or even twice (that one is just to annoy the other car and make them feel we’re lost), then we’d feel comfortable with our decision.
If only life were about making choices from the roundabouts, then probably we’d never wonder about the road not taken. The roundabouts give us a clear picture of the different options, make us go around again to think again and finally make that decision as the best one.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
conversation with Luce
“iyak si liv…" (liv is crying)
That’s what my niece said after my long sigh while listening to her endless tales on the phone.
I couldn’t help but smile while listening to her stories: of how she has a new toy, talking about owo (lolo/grandpa) buying her ice cream, nanang (grandma) just in front of her, and almost everything that’s happening in that house. That’s when a tear started to drop after that long sigh.
"I wab you" (I love you!) "Ob wah!" (Au revoir)
With almost a French accent, as she tried ending the conversation and passing the phone to her mom.
I’ve always said that I don’t miss home… yet. After that call, my mind has changed and makes me want to fly back home even just for the weekend. As my niece was doing a roll call of what everyone in the house was doing, I realized that I was the only one missing.
She’s growing up quite fast, bubbly as her mom when she was a kid; I am just amazed by how much she can talk right now. I think she’ll grow up a really bright kid, always aware of the small details… who’s room is what (I hope she still remembers that it’s my room on the corner), where is everyone(yes, tita liv is on the phone), what everyone had done, and gives a long account of the day or the week as you please.
Hopefully through constant conversations I’d have with her, she won’t forget that small part of her life… me! :) Then I won't be crying of sadness but you can consider them as tears of joy as I would see her grow up into a young lovely lady named Luce.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
My Filipino Family in Paris
So I have found my Filipino home in Paris… at least for the past 3 months. I have enjoyed the Filipino dish I have every dinner, not to mention it’s always a different specialty that I would have from my province. I would watch Filipino soap operas with them or share the latest news of the country. Sometimes we’d have Filipino way of partying, eating and singing in karaoke all night long.
What was special for me to live a Filipino lifestyle in Paris was that I got to learn a different lifestyle from back home. Some things may have been similar, but in the lives of the people I’ve stayed with, it’s totally not the same from back home. Their profession is no joke, something you wouldn’t think of doing for other people back home. But the hard labor I get to see in them just for them to be able to support their families back home, the more that I felt more blessed and have ignored the pleasure I actually had back home.
Yet once the learning is captured, one has to move on and live other experiences. I have decided to live an independent life in the next 8 months of my traineeship. It was weird that it felt harder to leave that place, than it was to leave Philippines. Though I know we are still in the same city, and whenever I miss some Filipino food there’s a place I can run home to. The rest of my time would have to be left discovering more of Paris & France, which I would share in my next entry around my road trips in France.
Random thoughts....
I have managed to build those strong connections with them that no matter how far we’re apart I know that the times we see each other again it would just be the way it was. Blogs, messenger, mobile phones, phone calls, skype they are all just means of staying connected but never an assurance. That’s why for me I have always tried all means to be able to relate with them constantly, waiting for that moment when that plane would land in their country for me to meet them again.
I have not read the book “there’s no such place such as far away”, which my friend had recommended to me. But as the title probably implies, one can be miles apart from the other, but still stay connected and the vibes remain the same. The past 2 years I have just gained more close friends rather than just one. My life is not really an open book and would prefer to keep a few close friends who’ll get to unveil the mystery in me. Yet in the past years I felt that I have indeed learned to expose myself to more people, sometimes be more hurt but most of the time gain more support.
The world has become my playground, I’ve got a few “homes” across continents and “families” I am able to build.
Well, for those who failed to respond… it’s their loss not mine. For I would be ready to hop on to the next destination and find new friends once again.
