daily drudgery…

We’re planning a surprise send off party for our department head who’s retiring in January 2005… and it ain’t a pretty sight, simply because there is so little time and so much preparation is needed. It’s fun though, everyone contributing in their own little way. Unfortunately for me, I suddenly found myself handling several things when only 1 was officially assigned. I guess that’s how the pecking order is translated into reality.

Aside from that, I have also uploaded part 2 of the photographer’s saga, Apsara dancing in Cambodia. It was a sight to behold, young ladies garbed in bright colorful, jeweled costumes moving in Khmer music. Apsara dancing is Cambodia’s version of ballet and uses sensuous hand and body movements, with each movement imbued with meaning. Apsara dancers are beautiful girls with great skin or the girl from paradise. They are also called celestial dancers because in the past, this was a royal dance performed only before royalty to celebrate and honor their gods and ancestors. Each hand, body, leg, and head movement echoes nature and how Cambodians feel about nature. It has developed into a subtle and stylized art form. Most of the dancers are smiling but do not show their teeth. They believe that a woman’s character is known by her smile, a perfect woman smiles without showing her teeth, while a simple woman shows her teeth when she smiles.

The Apsara show was part of a meal deal at the Koulen restaurant, a diner pays $12 to see the show and have a buffet dinner. The price doesn’t include drinks so that has to be added to the cost. Other restaurants that have Apsara dance shows are at the Apsara Theater in front of the Angkor Village Hotel, Angkoriana Hotel, Chao Praya Restaurant, and Grand Hotel D’Angkor, among others.

Of French influences and Asian nuances: Saigon leg – 04-05 November

I got up early to get Joy and head to the airport in time for our 7:30am flight to Saigon. Still groggy from sleep, we tumbled into the already bustling Centennial terminal… nu ni nu ni nu…

Finally it was boarding time… we sat in the plane and waited… for half an hour… and then the PA system went on, we were to disembark because there were plane problems! I was torn between feeling relieved that we hadn’t taken off and feeling frustrated because it was another delayed PAL flight. Good thing we met this cute kid at the airport, Liani, she’s soooo magulo! She’s about 19 months old and loves climbing and walking around airports. She’s traveling with her 9month old brother, Jaheem who is so adorable. Both kids were good-natured, no tantrums! So, at least we had a cute distraction. Finally at 11 am, we boarded the plane again and this time it was for real. So much for maximizing our limited time in Saigon.

I have been designated the itinerary planner, so I went straight to business as soon as I got my hands on a Saigon map. I attempted to locate the sites I wanted to see but had to enlist the help of the hotel staff of the Oscar Hotel on Nguyen Hue Blvd. in District 1. Ho Chi Minh city is organized into districts, so if you looking for a place, your search is easier if you know the District… especially when a lot of the road names start with Nguyen!

After settling down we immediately hied off to the Viet Nam History Museum… and like any museum… it was full of artifacts. This museum basically shows Viet Nam’s history archeologically. A lot of kewl stuff but it could get boring. Don’t forget to visit the canons outside. They also have a puppet show.

Next stop was the Jade Temple, a quaint, dark and sorta dank place. The Buddha images were different and there was this guy at the entrance who looked like a Chinese shopkeeper. Just outside the temple is a lagoon full of turtles.

The War Remnants Museum houses photos and war equipment used in during the Viet Nam war. The exhibit of photojournalists who died was particularly depressing. They also had kewl chambers to depict scenes during the war.

…more adventures to come….

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

CC’s Random Thoughts

CC’s Random Thoughts

Oh me oh my…..

I was writing my tomb raiding experience and the French influences and Asian nuances of Viet Nam and Cambodia until I got derailed by a mysterious disease! Mysterious because my doctors have been treating it symptomatically, to my utter frustration. I started feeling weird when we got back from Cambodia but I shrugged it off as exhaustion from the trip. I went to work Wednesday last week and gave up on Friday because I was really feeling bad. Headaches, tummy aches, muscle and joint pains so I trooped to the clinic on Thursday and they gave me something for hyperacidity and paracetamol for the fever/headache. I didn’t feel any better Friday evening so after much prodding from Joy, I finally agreed to be taken to the doctor on Saturday (Joy took me, ain’t he such a great guy!). The doctor was surprised that I wasn’t complaining about my throat because it looked really bad… huge tonsils with white puss… eewwww! Well, I told him it happened to me before early in the year, around May when after several days of minor discomfort I finally went to our clinic and lo and behold, my panic stricken doctor asked me what the $!@#^%%$ I was doing in the office because my tonsils are about to give up. Anyway, to make that story short, the doctor gave me a super antiobiotic to take for 3 days to treat the tonsilitis.

After the Saturday visit to the doctor, I spent Sunday doing nothing…lounging, sleeping, eating… sounds like fun huh? Boy, are you mistaken! It was horrible. I couldn’t find a comfy position to sleep, I was constantly hungry but I would throw up every time I ate so I had to be really picky and hope to be really lucky I’d chosen the right food. I used to eat oranges but gave up when I threw it up. Now I’m eating apples and bananas and so far so good.

This debacle has led to me to discover the wonderful powers of the lactobacili shirota strain bacteria found in Yakult… yes, ok ka ba tyan!

Monday I felt like I was off to recovery… so I decided to go to work today, Tuesday, 16 November…. I was WRONG!!!

So off to the doctors I went, specifically to ask if I could change my antibiotic because it was wreaking havoc with my tummy. Diagnosis: my tonsils are recovering so no need to change antibiotics. Let’s give you another medicine to take. Ugh! Not another one! Unfortunately, there is nothing to prevent tonsilitis from happening. However, this doctor in ADB, turns out he’s good because my regular doc who usually sees me left already, said that most of my problems were tummy related so he suggested I go have a gastroscopy. Sounds kewl. The first question I asked was whether it was painful…. nope, only uncomfortable, which was why he gave me a tummy medicine. I should come back to schedule the tummy probe after a month. But if I don’t respond to the tummy medicine to schedule the tummy probe sooner.

inner space…. see you soon!

Hallows Eve…

Today is 01 November and most of the city slickers are out attempting a couple of days of respite. Me? I was left here to look after the great metropolis. It was a good deal considering it isn’t often one experiences an empty Metro Manila. It was very quiet and most of the stores were closed… well, at least half the day.

On this glorious and quiet day of all saints, I met up with my friend Tricia whom I haven’t’ seen in a looooonnnnngggg time. Ok, maybe just a couple months, but a couple of months too long just the same when we used to see each other everyday, being office mates and all. We had a late lunch in Galleria and a salon date at the new Azta Salon at the new Metro Walk along Meralco Avenue. It was fun and full of juicy tidbits, plus having my nails and hair taken cared of added to our ultimate satisfaction.