Some Travel Photos Last December
Travel
Vacation Photos (Again) From Way Back (2014)
European Vacation 2014. Okay okay, so I was a few pounds heavier then, aside from being two years younger. Please take note: No photoshop at all this time. My sister just sent me these pics which she had kept away from me for almost three long years. Grrr…
Foremost Goal
Filing my income tax return consumed my time and attention for the past two weeks. Although our Bureau of Internal Revenue made it more arduous for me because of an unexpected glitch on my tax identification number. In spite of the complication, I went ahead and completed the task with crossed fingers that it has been settled, more or less (sshhh…). A crucial necessity more than ever as it’s a prerequisite to my goal of traveling I intend to do by the end of this year.
Last night, I was busy scanning the tour packages being offered by various travel agencies. My sister who’s going to New York in November earlier asked me if I wanted to tag along. “Well, okay…” was my reply. But as I mentioned before, U.S.A. doesn’t excite me so much knowing its urban areas abound with Asians and Latinos. We’ve got a lot of them here, too. Besides, its tall buildings and malls and infrastructure aren’t dissimilar to what we have here. Not to mention the chances of someone like me being granted a U.S. visa for travel purposes are quite nil. My sis has obtained 10-year approval from the embassy. Of course, she’s a consistent member of the jet set club. What about me, you ask? I’ll be forever part of the jet sam squad. (Stop asking)
My point is, if I have to choose between the U.S. and Europe, I’d still go for the continent which has also become a most favorite destination of the Syrian immigrants. So far, I’ve been setting my sights on going back to Switzerland and visiting Italy for the first time.
In 2014, while we were in Interlaken, I skipped having latte with my sister in a posh coffee shop to go outside and proceed to a lovely wide park where I could watch more than a dozen paragliders up high embellishing the beautiful afternoon sky. I wished I had participated – but our time there was very limited. So maybe, maybe next time…
Whereas last night too, I chanced upon a travel agency that offers a trip to see the Northern Lights of Iceland. I went “Wow!” and started considering changing my original plan. Iceland. Cooool… There’s glacier there — it’s cold cold cold for sure. I remember the temperature at top of the Swiss Alps made me freezing stiff and numb I thought I’d die. No kidding. Iceland no doubt will instantly turn me into an ice cube.
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Is there anything as uninteresting as working on your tax return? I nearly procrastinated for eternity and alternately kept on going out for walks and daydreaming about future posts to write, at the same time turning to YouTube searching for my favorite tunes from the past. This original version is still a highly favorite love song of mine.
I Went to Singapore
I spent 3 nights and 4 days in Singapore on the last week of April. It was great.
Me at Changi Airport
The first night at Summer View Hotel, (somewhere in Orchard Road) we were given a room with one queen-sized bed and no window. I got depressed. I had actually wanted to go home. You see, my period had just ended so my hormones were still in knots. My son must have thought I was nuts. We just arrived there. Why would I want to go home?
The view from ourcable car at Sentosa Island
The second day was our Universal Studios trip so I managed to drag myself out of bed and joined my son for a pleasurable tour around the fabulous site. We only had two rides. No way would I dare ride the rollercoaster that seemed to be engineered to give one a heart attack.
On the background is the rollercoaster ride at Universal Studios
My mood had improved after we were given a new room which has separate beds and a window. Lovely.
For 3 days in a row we simply ate at the decent canteens of Albert Centre. To my delight, I didn’t see even a single fly during our meals. In fact, I never saw a fly in Singapore. That’s how clean the country is. Amazing.
Cable car ride going to Sentosa Island
What else can I say about Singapore? I was actually surprised to see a lot of Indians there. The country is populated by Chinese and Indians. Of course, filipinos were everywhere too. From our city tour, the guide managed to mention these facts: Singapore’s got only one season, and that is, summer. It rains every now and then but generally, the weather’s hot or warm. Very warm.
A view of the castle inside Universal Studios Singapore
There’s no agriculture or livestock in Singapore. It’s mainly a city. They earn money from Tourism, Industrial means, Treatment of water sent back to Malaysia and Cargoes.
There can be no heavy traffic in Singapore. Owning a car is exclusively for the wealthy because government imposes a huge tax for car ownership.
There can only be double-decked buses in the Lion City
The government of Singapore is a good one that truly cares for its people.
Elderly Singaporeans are still employed and productive in Singapore. I was surprised when a 65 year old woman took my orders and served our food at Burger King.
This is what I like about travelling. I learn a lot. And I enjoy the process and sightseeing at the same time.
Now I’ve got no more plans to travel domestically in the Philippines. In fact, if there’ll be another travelling that will happen in my future, it can only be international. I am gunning for Australia the next time. But it will happen two or three years from now. You see, I still have to save for it.
Bohemian Sentiments 