Arizona, baby!

That’s not what i want to shout out actually..

After the recent weekend’s trip to the Grand Canyon, - yey finally - i am blogging!! Wee (”,) And this also means that I survived the below zero-degree coldness up there in the morning.  My first encounter with the cold of American Fall season 2009 was not so great.. I barely took decent pictures due to the numbness, and the prickling cold all over.  

I will be forever thankful to Michelle for letting me borrow her warm jackets for the occassion.. thanks so much!!  And below is one great shot we had yesterday at sunset.. 

Yavapai Observation Point at South Rim, Grand Canyon 

Ok, so - Grand Canyon.  Now we understand why our colleagues at work told us to just ‘walk in there, enjoy the view’.  It was just amazing to be in front of this enormous wonder, after the long drive from Scottsdale.  The last hour of the trip was just this really straight 80km stretch of highway 64, and then the entrance to the village will greet you.   And then another 5minute drive up, and the canyon was there, this colossal deep hole in the otherwise flat plateue.  All brown and orange and gray.. I can’t help but silently praise God again for such a beautiful work of nature.

This pic will do for now.  Will post the other pictures online this week.. and hopefully I could catch up with my blog soon too.

I still owe my dear friend Joane my account of my engagement in Tokyo (http://www.pinakamaganda.net/?p=1027)

BFN!

Craving

It’s a real irony that I’m praying for the rain to come whilst it’s raining non-stop from March-May here..

Yes, consider this a pre-birthday ranting - I want the rain to come.

I want it so bad, that i might do the rain dance haha!

And when it comes, i will curl up in our sofa, drink hot chocolate, and just be.

And weird, but the trickling rainfall and the breeze sounds comforting in the veranda just beside the sofa.  Why go to the spa for a weekend chillax?

I want rain to be there, so that it is gray and wet and damp and cold when I think of the past months.. it makes me think much much more clearly..

God I wish it rains this weekend.. i miss it so much!

Ahoj Shopaholics!

This is showing in Malaysian cinemas next month! Yay can’t wait to see it!  It’s an adaptation from the popular Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella (I’ve only read the first book though, and it’s really funny!), and first heard of it from my girlfriends back in Manila.. I really wish we could all watch it together, oh well.

Anyway here’s the trailer:

River Flows In You - Yiruma

This is one heart-felt piece!  I get goosebumps listening to it.  Popularized by Twilight phenomenon, referred to as Bella’s Lullaby.  In Midnight Sun, the story of how Edward came to conceptualize the piece was told.  The melody’s perfect for the mushy mood, but all credit still goes to Mr. Yiruma…

Enjoy!

Yiruma - River Flows In You (Yiruma)

The Twist

My stomach is twisting in hunger right now… I think I could take this much upto another more hour, any more minute beyond that and my hunger will definitely show in my mood.

I don’t really want to express gloom (or anxiety for that matter) in here anymore.  My blog is supposed to bring out the brightness in me, as part of my NYR 09.  But really, how could anyone get unluckier than me last weekend?

Well that was the long weekend extended because of Lunar New Year.  Jun and I booked a 3-day vacation in Langkawi island.  It was at the northmost part of West Malaysia’s west coast, that is, Andaman Sea.  Langkawi speaks of pure relaxation, fun, and worrie-free haven.  I actually hate myself for delaying this trip for more than a year now.  There were so many things to do, yet its beaches are so divinely serene that you wouldn’t want to do anything else but stay there on the sand and just be.  And so we did as much as our time there permits.

Ok, maybe at this point let’s just forget that the unfortunate part happened, and linger on the better moments.. hehe.  It wasn’t so bad anyway (yea right).

We rented a car to better roam the island, thanks to suggestions of friends back at work.  The roadtrip part was fun, me being the ever-reliable navigator, him the driver.  We could both tell it worked pretty good.  I enjoyed figuring out the map, as it is really one of my favorite things to do.  There was an unexpected zigzag road on the way to the cable car, but it wasn’t that difficult to get through.  Jun actually used that road 4 times going around the place.

Food in Langkawi, of course, is superb.  Oh wow my stomach is grumbling again now at the memory of each meal.  Splurging on food — right on!  I wouldn’t trade the chance to indulge in seafood for anything.

Before our flight back, we hang out at the Cenang beach again to catch the sunset (that is past 7pm in MY.)  Several other tourists, obviously on their way to the airport as well judging from their outfits, lined up the beach to watch the view too.  There were no clouds at that moment, it was lucky.

And so we drove back to the airport terminal… returned the silver Vios to the car rental, and went ahead to check-in.  That’s when the unfortune started.  Sigh.  Stupid military time.

Our actual flight apparently was that morning, 12hours ago.  We completely missed it.

Never, in my wildest dreams, did it occur to me that time will come when I will overlook a flight schedule.  Military time sucks, i so hate myself.  Ironically, I use 24hr format everywhere — in my mobile phone, notebook, even in my iPod.  How could I have missed that??

I wanted to go home that night so bad,  good thing another airline still had a couple of seats left.  We bought tickets 30 minutes before boarding time.  And yes, it was excruciatingly expensive.

Start of new year and there goes my luck.  Next time, if there will be, as budget approves, a next time, I swear to plan it perfect.  I hope next time is soon..  I don’t like this feeling of commiting mistake and taking long to regain self-esteem.  Maybe next month I can plan a trip again to Andaman.. let’s see..

Unfortunate event aside, it is surely one of my best out-of-town trip.  A second visit is a must, the more the merrier.  I’ll push my luck this year nonetheless.