Now I can feel Christmas in the air

Yes! It's been a while since I felt that Christmas is nearing. During the times that I worked in the metro, I was very busy that I can't feel the Christmas air, no decors. It's still different when done in the premises of a "HOME". So, even during the time that I come home here in the province, the feeling still lacks that certain magic.

I am happy that I am here again in our home! Yehey! It's a Merrier Christmas!

Here are some of my photos on our Christmas Preps.

My light painting:

Our Christmas tree:

Having a closer look at our Christmas Ball:

The spray painted twigs used on our Christmas tree:

My cross cut-out filter..:)

My heart cut-out filter..:)

with my eldest nephew..:)

putting the twigs:

My star cut-out filter..:)

Wonderful experience in Ha Noi, Vietnam

Last September 22-27, 2010 I was lucky enough to be a delegate for ASEAN People's forum. But my blog is not really focused on that but more on what have beens in between our meetings.

Vietnam is such a nice place to roam around. They have lots of shops near Huan Kiem Lake (pronounced as Wan Kim Lake) it is the km. 0 of Ha Noi City, anything you need to buy is just around its vicinity. If you're looking for bags like Northface, Chanel, LV, Samsonite, Kipling (just to name a few) they have it in a very low price. But those bags are either replicas or factory defects. Of course I bought a Northface backpack and Kipling aside from having it as souvenirs, I am really wanting to buy one sooner or later. So far they are good, great actually if only for the price.:)

We bought propaganda posters too! I am planning to have it framed in the future (will post some photos of what I have bought sometime soon). There are a lot of things to buy in the market. If only I have lots of money to do so, haha! by the way just to share 1USD = 19, 450 Dong during our stay there. Their food is good too! I love the spring rolls, Ice cream and Bun Cha, try it when you are about to go there!

Every Sunday there is a night market where you can buy until midnight and the lake is illuminated with colorful lights with music. just be wary of motorcycles! Just this for now. Will tell you more about Ha Noi and later our side-trip to Tam Coc before we left Vietnam on my next blog.

If ever someone is going to ask me if I want to go there again, my answer is YES! but for a vacation and not work related..^_^v

In times of trouble: PRAY

I am asking you dear blog readers to please PRAY for my fellow Sorsogeños who are currently suffering from ash fall and volcanic eruptions from Mt. Bulusan. The weather is also unpredictable and there are times that heavy rains are falling along with the ash fall. Most of towns residents near Mt. Bulusan are already worrisome of lahar. It's been months since the eruption of Mt. Bulusan for this year and so far it is more active this days than in the past.

This time where nature is raging, we only have God to hang on to, so please help me pray for their safety and may the Mt. Bulusan lay low now. There are also news that a resident died due to asthmatic attacks that were triggered by the ash fall.

I hope residents near the area have really good gas masks to protect them from ash fall or might as well they'd be lucky enough to have any damp fabric protect their health.

Here's a news from GMAnews.TV:

Phivolcs: Mt. Bulusan spews ash again Sunday morning

11/21/2010 | 09:50 AM 

(Updated 11:27 a.m.) Mount Bulusan, the volcano in Sorsogon, spewed ash as high as two kilometers from the summit Sunday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

The ash explosion occurred at 7:22 a.m. and the ash column reached two kilometers above the crater rim and drifted southwest, according Phivolcs' Sunday bulletin.

"The ash ejection was accompanied by a rumbling sound and reflected as an explosion-type earthquake with duration of nine minutes and thirty seconds. Prior to the ash ejection, the Bulusan seismic network detected a total of 12 volcanic earthquakes," it said.

In an interview on dzBB radio, Phivolcs supervising science research specialist July Sabit said that the magma in the volcano is not rising to the surface yet.

Residents located in the northwest and southwest sectors of the volcano were reminded to take precautions against ashfalls.

Radio dzBB quoted Sabit as advising residents near the volcano to use gas masks to protect themselves from the ash.

Phivolcs added that the residents near valleys and river or stream channels should be watchful against sediment-laden stream flows and lahars because ash and other loose volcanic materials may be re-mobilized during heavy and prolonged rainfall.

For his part, Phivolcs volcanologist Ed Laguerta said rains in recent days may trigger lahar flows in Irosin town.

"It may be advisable for residents to leave their homes after about 30 minutes of heavy rains," he said. http://www.gmanews.tv/story/205308/phivolcs-to-sorsogon-residents-avoid-danger-zone-around-bulusan


“It may be advisable for residents to leave their homes after about 30 minutes of heavy rains," Laguerta said. — JE/VS, GMANews.TV

Batanes: My dream destination!

Batanes: An Island on the Northernmost part of the Philippines, a place which is hit by typhoons most of the year and was given much attention in recent years for it's beauty beyond compare! and the only place in the Philippines that experiences four seasons just no snowflakes and white Christmas, hehe!

I have couple of friends who are also having Batanes in their long list of travel destinations and we always dream that one day soon we'll be given a chance to visit and walk around it's green green grass, take good photos and all..:) but, budget is always the main concern (as always, aside from time). It is so expensive! imagine spending a couple of thousands just for the fare! I once browsed through the internet to see how much it would cost me to book a two-way flight from Manila to Batanes, and it's a whooping 10 thou++ (not so sure if it's a two-way ticket already), maybe because it's peak season. So, I set aside that dream but at the back of my mind, I am telling myself to save money for my Batanes trip.

Why of all places, I want to go to Batanes? I don't know, maybe for the fact that I see parts of it in travel programs and I fell in love with the place. I want to feel the greens, to breathe the air that the Ivatans are enjoying, to run, to swim and to take photographs of that scenic place!

Batanes is such a good destination for lovers, soul searchers, nature lovers, photo enthusiast etc., its serenity seems to give peace to the mind of the burdened. I want to explore Batanes not only once but over and over again! If only it's near our hometown I'd live there just like how I did in Baguio.:)

I want to take my own photos of these that I saw on the internet. To meet and greet Ivatans, to experience buying at the honesty store -- the sooner, the better! and of course have something to blog about!(and the long list of what to do's follows)

The lighthouse and the coastlines:

This stone Chapel:

Their stone houses that withstand super typhoons!

I hope that someday I have someone with me that I can go to Batanes and will have the chance to say "I Chad Lao Koy Mo" to under the bright blue sky while walking at the long coastline of Batanes.

Hmmmnnnn, could it be that I can visit Batanes for the first time with the help of SEAIR? Well, if anyone here doesn't know yet, Seair is having a blog contest again for Batanes! Yes, you read it right. They're giving a tour to Batanes for this winter season!!

To know more about them and their contests you can visit their Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/flyseair or if you want to check their flights just visit http://flyseair.com

If given the chance, it'll be my first fly with SEAIR! (because I happened to have cancelled my flight to Boracay last March 2010 due to some circumstances)

P.S. If you happen to have an FB account and liked this post, please vote for my entry. Thank you and God Bless! (but you have to like Seair's fanpage first before liking my entry)

Hello!Hello! Can you help me get/earn many likes for my blog entry? You just have to like www.facebook.com/flyseair and then like my/this entry http://www.facebook.com/flyseair/posts/10150094177191171 Thanks a lot!.:)‌

Photo courtesy:

http://blog.folrana.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/batanes.jpg

http://lakwatsero.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Batanes200912027.jpg

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/8986/batanes3ij7.jpg

Wow!Quicker8.com is having another contest!^_^

I don't blog hop that often for these past months, but one thing is for sure, if there's a blog that's in my number 1 list for blog hops, it's www.quicker8.com! So, I was amazed that she is throwing a blog contest again from October 12, 2010 to December 18, 2010. Anyway, I haven't got the chance to join her last blog contest 'coz I haven't got the chance to do so. I hope I'll win, especially for that wrist watch because I am in dire need of one, hmmmnnn, good birthday gift too!hahaha!wish-a-wish-a-wish-wish-wish!..;)

Faye a.k.a Quicker8 is sooo generous to give away these prizes: (Just in time for Christmas Season eh?)

1st prize - Fossil Ladies Watch

2nd prize - Fossil Ladies Watch

3rd prize -Kate Spade kikay kit (orange)

HERE's HOW:

1. Subscribe to her feed via email located right side bar (REQUIRED ) - 1 Entry
2. Blog about the contest along with the Prizes {You MUST include the Prizes and My link}- 5 Entries
- If you have multiple blogs, much better. Each blog post along with the Prizes -5 Entries.
3. Leave a comment her post telling me what you did and give me the link of the blog post. 1 Entry.
4. Comment to any of her post. From Oct 12,2010 to Dec 18,2010 and you’ll have 1 entry each comment.
-Make it sure it's at least three word ! LOL And NO SPAMMING, PLEASE!

The Contest ends on December 18, so if you wish to participate you must enter before that date. Winners will be announced on December 28,2010! The winners will be picked through Random.org!

So what are you waiting for?? Visit her blog, go to her entry and join now! (Click Here)

God bless guys!..^_^