TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE DIARIES

My Dutch colleague Isabelle found a brilliant new job which calls for a grand jubilation. So we went out and celebrated the evening (last night) together at the Stadscafe Van der Werff in Leiden. The café restaurant is remarkably charming overlooking the hushed river by the bridge right before entering the Centrum. She´s one of my selected friends at work and in fact I felt quite honored that she decided to celebrate her success with me. She has accepted the position of Sales Director for a Dutch flower company. Her responsibilities will mainly be establishing and building the flower market in Russia, then later to other East European countries. She speaks Russian and is currently finishing her Ph.D. in Russian Politics. The new company will also buy her a flat in St. Petersburg, all inclusive with a chauffeur waiting at her doorstep. A lady Expat commuting in Russia is not practically safe especially if you are all by yourself in the big city. She gets to jet set between Holland - St...

How much do you save? Or do you save any at all? Realistically speaking, we can only save what is left after expenses, right? Which brings me to the next point, how do we actually qualify and quantify our expenses? Are they needs or wants? Or worse, are we that extravagant that we have almost become a poverty statistic? I guess some are already without them knowing it. Many people are duped into thinking that they have money because they can spend… but in fact they are living a life of deceit, a life based on credit lies. What’s piteous is more and more financial institutions sustained their existence through the profits leeched out from these sorry individuals. Don’t you just hate those spam emails offering credit to people who are already half dead, almost drowned on credit? Hah, the perfect solution: a buy-out of your credit! Crucial question: “What is your attitude towards saving, towards the future…. and towards money?” Ideally, a sound individual can save 20%-50% from his/her n...

Ah, uiteindelijk (finally), I have a nickname in the office: The Asian Princess I honestly have no freaking idea how this moniker came to existence. Colleagues used to call my kingdom (actually my work space) as the -Asian Persuasion- and -The Asian Connection - . I really don't mind though, in fact I enjoyed the fun titles.

Did I say that it´s birthday season? My sister in law turned 41 last Sunday. Being a nature lover, she decided to celebrate her birthday in the forest, in the Nationaal Park Utrechtse Heuvelrug in Doorn. The bos (forest), Nationaal Park Utrechtse Heuvelrug, summer and fall. The kids (my nieces and nephew) were flashing their huge smiles at me whislt getting all warmed up for the walk. On their arms were tiny rattan baskets. We will be picking castanes, acorns and chestnuts along this little journey. The Birthday Walk During the walk, we saw several colorful and huge mushrooms and believe me when I say huge, they are GIGANTIC, like the size of a plate. This particlar mushroom was in red and orange colors. Somehow my mind was thinking of faraway Snow White and her 7 Dwarfs, hehe. Then everyone started giggling when we came across this other mushroom, which was really shaped oddly... like a piemeltje, says my 8 year old niece. Piemel or piemeltje means a PENIS! Haha! At the end of t...

These foto's are already 4 years old! (I was 30 that time) I feel cute, hahaha! Pa-sweet is not me, bitch be it *LOL*. Dutchman actually do not like this foto. I guess it's too sweet for him. Up close... darn, I have such a huge face back then! Makati working girl. The foto Dutchman fell in love with. Well one of the foto's... hehe. How I look now at 34, 4 years later (taken this year, several months ago). Feeling and looking old, er MATURED...

Intermission - I will post later my Business Travelogue Part II because I can’t resist sharing my exquisite castle experience yesterday! Introducing, one of the beautiful castles in the Netherlands (near where I live yeah right, hehe), Castle de Haar in Haarzuilens .The whole set just looked so theatrical, like it jumped out straight from the fairy tale book. Indeed very stunning and breath-taking! The castle facing the frontyards. Right after we did our weekly grocery shopping, I dragged Dutchman to visit this castle yesterday Saturday. And I am so darn glad I lugged him behind. I mean gosh, look at the foto’s... I feel like a little girl in the candy shop! Prachtig (Beautiful). Simply magical, mystical and enchanting. Notice that castles always have a slot gracht (moat - closed canal)? They say it's for protection if invaded. The only thing lacking in this foto is the glamorous and fiery creature - the dragon! The castle also stage parties, mainly for kids. I think...

The DEPARTURE My suitcase is heavy… heavy enough for a 156 cm. woman let alone drag it all over the airport. Thank God for trolleys! Still it is a pain to load the massive thing into it. Here’s the dilemma, I over packed. So now I have to make sure I can get away with this. Knowing KLM, I must find a way! The airline is very notorious in sticking to the 20 kilos limit, no ifs and buts. Hmm, my colleague (let’s call him McDee) traveling with me, he’s male and fortunately we all know that most men travel light. They have this habit of picking and packing only the necessities in life. I was right. So I called him, “ Vraagje, hoeveel kilos heb jij? ” (Question, how many kilos do you have?) “ Misschien onder de 12 kilos ” (Maybe less than 12 kilos) he replied. “ Zullen wij de check-in samen doen? ” (Shall we check in together?), I said, with a big grin all over my face. I actually arrived in the airport earlier than McDee because I planned to buy some souvenirs for my customers. I have ...

It is very very strange but I felt like I am home... My plane landed this morning Wednesday before 7am and I was home before 9am. The Dutchman was at the door when I arrived ready to leave for work. The first thing that came out from his mouth when he saw me was (he actually screamed), “ Your hair is red! ” And would you believe I survived the jetlag and I´m at work now typing this entry? (I was at work 11:30am!) In the coming days, I will write my 1 Week Business Travelogues in the Philippines… from the baggage limit problem at Schiphol airport before departure; to the maniacal cab cruise along EDSA in Manila, my Dutch colleague actually thought the driver planned to murder us(!); juggling 6 business meetings in a day and bustling to and fro Ortigas - Makati route in unadulterated traffic plus pollution; meeting and dining customers till 22:30 (10:30pm); the change of atmosphere when we touched down in unhurried Cebu , our last leg in this strenuous business trip; and the interesting ...