Confort de Vie II

Please read this link first before reading this entry.

I'm a woman. A pregnant woman at that. I'm allowed not to go direct to the point. Feel kong mag-inarte. Buntis e. My last entry was destined to attract compassion - a tap on the shoulder sabay sabing Wawa naman si buntis. Sige, pahinga ka na pala. Gusto mo ng popcorn at orange juice?

And what did I get? Aba, pinagalitan pa ko ng aking mga blog friend mommies. Reklamador daw ako. Ouch. Napaiyak tuloy ako kagabi. Lagot kayo sa bébé ko.

Kidding aside, I focused too much on the housechores when what I really had in mind is that - Louna will soon be sharing that 6-9pm precious time with her sibling. I'm being selfish. To really get to the point, I think I'm having mommy blues. 28 months had gone by too fast and now, Louna's a toddler, soon to be a big sister and a pre-schooler, and Maman's guilty for not spending too much time with her. Spending time with her is never enough. And I remember, we were even criticized because we put her to bed too late at 9pm. Naman, bitin na nga sa kin yung 3 hours a night e.

Oh, and by the way. I don't do all those chores alone (except when Frenchguy's on work travel), every housechore is being shared at home. Even Louna is helping us arrange the dishes in the dishwasher or putting back boxes of milk and fruit juices in the fridge. If there's one person who is not really working a lot at home, it's me. Lakas ko pang magreklamo. Buntis nga di ba?

And yes, independence is one thing my daughter has mastered early on in life. She wears and removes her coat and shoes on her own. She could remove all her clothes when it's bath time. She could even wear her swimsuit alone, she loves the pool. She eats and drinks alone. She goes to bed alone. She switches off all lights when not needed (she's even environment friendly!). She does the potty alone at daytime. She could get out of the car alone (so we implemented the car lock system). Sometimes, she would even take her bag and tell us bye. When asked where she would go. She would say le pain. Oh yes, she wants to buy bread alone now. And she's not even 2 and a half years old! Though I'm really proud of her, I'm having this selfish impression that she doesn't need me anymore. Can you blame me if I want to baby her more just before the baby arrives?

And oh by the way, to console myself, I'm buying myself a Canon EOS 400D (Rebel XTi) with Sigma Wide Angle AF 17-70mm f2.8-4.5 Macro Autofucos lens to congratulate myself for the pregnancy. Frenchguy agreed to pay 50% of the price. I'm sad and I need a new toy :(.

And if you have a US-based internet site to recommend which offers international warranty, please do so. Why US? Obvious and simple. 1€ = $1.57. Those who already know me knows that I'm not kuripot, just a wise spender. Thanks in advance. Ayan, masaya na si buntis ;).

Confort de Vie

Having a second child had been a hot topic at home. Frenchguy had been wanting another one since Louna blew her first candle. I was on the other hand taken into a whirlwind of work and was enjoying it. I was given more responsibilities, given a challenging project.. and I'm the kind who respect engagement at work.

Close family and friends started to ask for a little brother or a little sister when Louna blew the second candle. I always answered with a shy smile, justifying my indifference with reasons like : Louna's still too young or life in France is difficult. Frenchguy thought I wasn't interested. Then the topic died a natural death. Frenchguy not daring to ask avoiding disppointment, afraid of my negative answer.

Then my project had taken a lot of delay. And Louna's now approaching her 3rd birthday. I thought, there's more to life than burning my ass off at work...

Frenchguy was teary-eyed upon learning about the good news. It came as a surprise. Finally, he talked about his sentiments about my reactions when we talk about having a second child. He thought I would never be ready.

Announcing my pregnancy at work was another exercise - I hate to leave my job half-done - but it's time to set priorities. My boss wished me a healthy baby boy with a little survey on the side - What if it's a girl?

The question caught me unprepared. What if it's a girl? Without too much reflection, I told him that we only plan for two kids. Then adding that Life in France is difficult.

The last sentence surprised him. How on earth could life in France be more difficult if the only reference I have is life in the Philippines? He removed his glasses and looked at me inquisitively.

So I explained.

In the Philippines, it's just normal to have stay-in all-around maids and yayas even in lower middle class families. Families are always around to give us a hand especially in taking care of our kids. School buses are available to take our kids to school.

In France, it's another kind of lifestyle, thus another type of comfort. Both engineers in a multinational company, a leader in its domain at that, we cannot really claim that we receive a miserable salary. But all we could pay is a househelp who works 3 hours a week, cleaning and ironing included, and a nanny who takes care of 2 other kids aside from Louna, 8:15am - 5:45pm Monday to Friday.

With that, a load of houseworks still awaits us before and after work:

- Prepare breakfast / dinner.
- Clear the table (Even this tiny bit of housechore counts when you know Louna has to be at the nanny's place at 8:20am and on bed at 9:00pm. And yes, sometimes, it's left unclean in the morning.).
- Bring / fetch Louna at her nanny's place (Check the time. Avoid paying overtime.)
- Teach Louna ABCs and car colors while on the road. Time is gold.
- Bath time for Louna. Oh and yes, we still do baby massage till now. Tho it takes time, it sure gives us more bonding time.
- Prepare clothes for the next day (I loss a lot of time thinking about what clothes to wear in the morning so I prepare it the night before).
- Play/DVD time in between other housechores. Story time before going to bed.
- Breakfast / Dinner. Good thing Louna's independent in this aspect.
- Wash clothes if needed.
- Do some groceries once a week.
- Please don't ask about the bed. It's quite a mess.
- Add more minutes when I need to scrape off snow from the car in the morning.

All that are simple chores but certainly entails time. We normally arrive at home around 6:00 - 6:30pm so I need to shrink all those listed above up to 9:00pm.

A typical pinoy employee working in the Philippines would watch TV with his kids upon arriving at home (or other activities, of course) - oh well, that's what I would do. This typical pinoy employee working in France would prepare dinner and/or bath her daughter and dress her in pajama during that same time. (Imagine having two kids and a husband on work travel!)

No, I'm not complaining. Grrrr. Errr, am I not?

Life in a Suitcase

Long overdue. Started writing during my work travel in Milan last March 17-20 till today.

I’m pretty much appreciating this short work travel as I left cold and rainy Dijon to switch to 14°C sunny Milan. I was preparing my stuffs last Sunday night and I realized how packing my luggage became close to ordinary. That is to say, it only took me less than 10 minutes to stuff my bag with all the essentials that I need for a week.

What’s the secret of my *ehem* efficiency? Simple. I have my toilet set and phone charger permanently residing in my suitcase. Yes, I have 2 toothbrushes, 2 sets of shampoos, conditioners, creams and what-have-yous – one at home, another in my suitcase. So, in fact, I only pack clothes.

Travelling has been and will always be a part of my job (unless I change of course). Best bars and restaurants in town, mileage accounts, hotel tales, plane misadventures or even best bargains are regular topics in my entourage.

In my domain, dealing with men is nothing but ordinary. I was trained during my Mapua days where almost 90% of the student population ticked M on the gender case. I’m in my best form when I’m wearing jeans. I only wear high-heeled shoes on special occasions. I can handle very dirty jokes. I can drink beer and not visit the toilet every single minute.

This work travel in Milan is somewhat new to me – different from my normal travels where I go to our production plants and work with my co-employees. Here, I deal with suppliers who have their specific budget to please customers. I think I loved Milan because of that. I was able to eat in great restaurants and taste the best gelatos and espressos in town without swiping my American Express. Anyway, our travel officer won’t appreciate a bill of 90€/person for one meal.

Milan is the biggest industrial zone in Europe and apparently the biggest port in Italy. Funny when you know that the sea is still miles away. In fact, all fresh sea foods arrive first-hand in Milan. Once they’ve chosen what’s best, the rest would finally be delivered to the rest of Italy. Well, that’s what the Milanese claim, lol.

Most hotels in Milan (or probably the whole of Italy??) are coupled with motels. In the hotel where I stayed, a 4-hour stay in the motel costs 40€. Now I understand why I didn’t sleep well. I thought the couple next door were simply on honeymoon. Now I know, Italians are simply hot, lol.

Life on work travel is longer. Errr, I mean, I work longer hours. So I don’t really visit. It’s far from being a tourist. So don’t blame me if I visit but bars. But lately, I was just contenting myself with glasses of non-alcoholic beverages and a drop of red or white wine. Boring.

When I arrived back in my office the week after, I finally announced my pregnancy to my boss and my colleagues. My boss, after scratching his head and forcing himself to be happy for me, asked me his most delicate question of the day: Until when will you be able to travel?

Probably until my 5th - 6th months of pregnancy, depending on my condition.

That said (I was just being polite, lol), I think I'll arrange my suitcase at the most inaccessible part of my closet for the moment...

Frozen Babies

I was again shocked to hear that a body of a dead baby, enveloped in a plastic bag, was found in a freezer of a young couple living somewhere in the north of France. After the autopsy, the baby apparently had bruises around his neck. It wasn't a natural death. And it's the 4th incident in 2 years in France!

Psychologists could explain all they want, but my little brain just wouldn't cooperate. This news just goes beyond my comprehension.

All kinds of birth controls are available in France, and they are mostly covered by social security at a good rate. Abortion is legal, and again, covered by social security. If they don't want the baby, they could leave him in some institutions which would take care of possible adoption. Solution is not a problem. So really, I don't understand.

Louna wants to tell you something..

Find out here.

Blogging, My Reliable Friend

Does that sound sad? Probably..

I have been contemplating last night and finally came to a realization that well, I have no friend here. I mean, somebody I could call and meet up at a café in 5 minutes. Really. Of course I have my colleagues at work but well, it's as if, I didn't get out of my office, right? We will surely talk about our jobs and criticize big bosses non-stop.

I've met some Filipinas who live in this same city. But like a school girl who attended class in the middle of the school year, these ladies already formed a circle of their own. They tried to welcome me but I was probably too young for them, too formal, not always available.. well, I had this impression that I gave them a hard-to-reach aura. I don't know why. Probably because of the two Filipino gatherings I attended, I brought a bottle of wine while the rest of the girls brought pansit, ginataang bilo-bilo, adobong manok.. (I just arrived from a work travel for that two times I met them!). While they talked about how they learn French and how scarce job is in France, I hesitantly and timidly talked about my job while fighting a jetlag. They probably thought I was too boring. I thought they were too Frenched. Inspite the adobo, the ambiance lacked pinoyness. Or simply because we weren't at all at the same wavelength. Ewan. I'm tempted to send a message to one of them but I'm afraid of refusal. Communication after that was exceptionally rare. But well, in France, not sending a message for more than a month even to their closest friend is not anormal.

The pinoys I've met whom I totally appreciate are unfortunately living too far from Dijon. Not a 5-minute drive anyway. Occassional phone calls and once-in-a-blue-moon interrupted chats (between cooking and tending to our kids) keep me going.

Yahoo group email is great. My highschool friends started one. We exchanged stories, experiences.. my, we've gone a long way. We had very seldom meet-ups simply because we're scattered in the 4 corners of the globe. But lovely at it may seem, busy lives has got over it nonetheless. Now, it looks like it's slowly succumbing into a natural death. Physical contact is all that's missing.

Friendster is a great social network. I found long lost friends (or rather, they found me)! I sent a message to one of them, informing her that Hey, I'm just around the corner. We could probably meet up. and Know what, we will be around your area this coming spring. Care for a coffee somewhere? I didn't get any response and I know, she logged-in several times after my message. I thought, it would have been better if she didn't find me. At least, I wouldn't know she would ignore my messages.

Am I scaring / intimidating everybody? Honestly, what (first) impression do I leave you ?

Since nobody wanted to sip a good coffee with me while chit-chatting with what's happening around the world, I end up writing my thoughts through this blog. And honestly, I get more comments here than all my friends and family combined. Just a thought, when I was in NY last year, I met a HS friend and a blogger friend. Now that I think about it, I'm sure I knew more about my blogger friend's life than my HS friend's. That's what blogging could do.

Before I end my rants, if you don't want to drink coffee with me, I could also go with beer, wine, rhum, different cocktails, martinis, tequilas, whatever. Tea? Pwede rin. Do I sound desperada? Medyo hehe.

Egypt: The Pharaonic Experience II

Visiting Egypt had been in Frenchguy's wish list eversince. He wanted to experience hiking and camping with the camels in the middle of the Sahara desert, let alone the excruciating heat. I was reluctant. I can't support 40°C. I would literally melt down.

Then the idea of Egypt came back again this year. We wanted something different. I thought, why not. I checked Egypt climate and it said 25°C average on the month of February during daytime. That's end of winter in Egypt. Perfect for me.

So I packed light clothes. Finally, I could show more skin. But why the heck were we on winter jackets?

The Travel

Luxor, the world's greatest open air museum, is just a 5-hour plane ride from Paris. The travel with our active toddler was a breeze. She had her own seat, knew how to buckle up her seat belt, and was relatively calm for the whole duration of the flight. She was always looking out the window and was raising her hand to tell us, we're still là haut, up there.

We were welcomed by French-speaking guides who worked on the visas and informed us which bus to take. There were 3 flights from Paris to Luxor that morning, equaled by a long line of buses in Luxor. That was a clear picture of mass tourism.

The bus took us to our cruise ship which became our itinerant residence for a week.

Life on a Cruise Ship

We arrived at a port where cruise liners were parked one after another. Each of them displayed a banner of travel organizers, as if I just googled for Egypt travel and there popped up the list - live. We crossed 2 ships before arriving on our resident. Our cruise ship catered exclusively to French tourists so crews mostly spoke French and menus were close to French cuisine.

We had a suite with two bathrooms, one with a tub, another with a shower. Though the ship was visibly old, we nevertheless had all the comfort we needed - rooms made up twice a day, friendly crews, bar, swimming pool to chill out. They even have this way of transforming the towels into crocodiles or ducks which added to the fun.

We even had animated soirées, with crews who transformed themselves into singers and dancers, and Louna who actively participated all throughout the evening. That was a lot of pure fun.

The first navigation was done during daytime which was cool as we had the opportunity to marvel at the landscape along the Nile River and at the same time observe its people. Otherwise, the rest of the navigations were done mostly in the evening.

Left to right, top to bottom: A man praying after a day's work, fishing, the dromedary camels, typical houses.

The Temples

We had our first stop at the Edfu Temple of Horus - the major Ptolemaic temple, built between 237 BCE to 57 BCE, into the reign of Cleopatra VII.

Next was the Temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, god of fertility and creator of the world and to the falcon god Haroeris, also known as Horus the Elder.

Then we visited the grandiose Abu Simbel (picture above), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari, to commemorate his alleged victory at the Battle of Kadesh, and to intimidate his Nubian neighbors.

Back to Luxor, we visited the Temple of Karnak, a vast open-air museum and the largest ancient religious site in the world.

Then the Luxor Temple, made particularly popular because of its appearance at the movie Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie.

One of my favorite stop was at the Valley of the Kings (pictures not allowed) where 63 tombs had already been discovered (and some still hiding!). In modern times the valley has become famous for the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun (with its rumours of the Curse of the Pharaohs), and is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world.

Other stops were at Deir el-Madinah, an ancient Egyptian village which was home to the artisans who built the temples and tombs ordered by the Pharaohs and other dignitaries in the Valley of the Kings during the New Kingdom period (18th to 20th dynasties) and Medinet Habu or the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III.

Are you still with me? I know, that's much of an adventure already but the best is yet to come.

Egypt Profonde

A day with the Nubian population of Egypt was the cherry on the cake. We started the day with an hour ride on the dromedary camel which took us to the Nubian village. There, we were served with local delicacies and allowed to visit local houses and schools.

Louna with the kids at the pre-school, local products on sale in the middle of the desert, Louna taking a bite of the local delicacies (honey made from sugar cane), Frenchguy and Louna on the camel.

Le Souk

The commercial quarter in an Arab city, the Aladdin's cave where local produce could be bought - from different spices, to Hibiscus tea, to papyrus artworks, to belly dancing costumes to different souvenirs. Though I'm quite used to local markets from the different countries I've visited, I find vendors here a little too aggresive. The approach makes tourists run away from them. To the point that I refused to look at their products because a glance could fire up a long negotiation.

The systematic asking for 1 euro started to fed me up too. Even the teacher who played with Louna at the pre-school we've visited even ask us for euros! But well, that's part of tourism, right?

Frenchguy and Louna, pretending to listen to the tourist guide. Even listening started to be tiring at the end of the week, lol.

More pictures here. I added more pictures. Be sure to click on Diaporama for better view.

*Citations about Egyptian temples from Wikipedia.

8 Facts About Louna

Deye just tagged Louna to reveal 8 facts about her. I think these two girls know each other pretty well, not physically, but through their respective blogs. But we will nevertheless join the fun. Here we go:

1. She slept through the night at 3 weeks old. Mellow and easy. She would then wake up with an angel smile.

2. She was never a cry-baby. She would throw tantrums every now and then but not the typical toddler who would cry out loud, kicking and biting all people around him, throwing toys at his parents and all those full action drama. She's the kind who would sulk for minutes. If you try to approach her, she would suddenly turn limp voluntarily and we end up finding our daughter lying on the floor. Not a sound. Not a look. Her I-dont-exist attitude. Then, after several minutes and after saying us sorry to her, and her sorry to us, everything goes back to normal. She only cries when she's being scolded and she knows that she did something bad.

Continue reading here.

Egypt: The Pharaonic Experience

There's too much to say about Egypt that I don't even know where to start. I'm speechless. I won't bore you about Egyptology or ancient civilization - I'm not an expert and you could google it up anyway. I would rather share pictures and talk about the travel and the experience that goes with it.

The travel package I bought from the internet was a steal. I couldn't have appreciated the Nile River Cruise if I had to plan and negociate prices all the time. Everything was organized, from plane ticket to different transfers - from buses to the boat where we stayed for a week. Visits to important sites from historic Luxor to Aswan were also included in the package. And I tell you, they're affordable. Site visits (without the guides of course) ranges from 3€ (185 PHP) to 8.4€ (518 PHP) - for that price, you could already visit the tomb of the legend Rameses II!

More interesting stories next time. I'm still working on our pictures. Here's some of them (click on the album below).. Pictures are more on Egypt's lanscape and its people. Temples coming next. Yours truly is dead tired and needs to sleep. Enjoy viewing..

Egypt

We're back from Egypt

Here's an appetizer.

Guess who's riding the camel.

More kwentos next week. I'll be leaving for Milan tomorrow for work. Need to pack my stuffs. Ciao!

I opted for B&B

Julie’s comment on my recent post made me smile (tho I didn’t get what R and R is, lol).

Ana, this seems to be exciting. Ok ang problema mo, where you would spend your vacation. Well, you work hard and you definitely deserve R and R.

Indeed, I’ve got a good problem and I’m not complaining. I have been hiding behind my computer lately, discrete, invisible, no sign of life – no blogging nor bloghopping (sorry for that). I am in fact lurking around the net, reading travel forums and blogs, comparing hotels and prices and checking for great destinations.

Our May vacation has finally been defined. It will be a road trip around the Tuscany region up to Rome. Ok, I know, I have already been there but that was like 5 years ago and we’ve changed the Pope eversince. That’s a whole lot of difference, ain’t it? And we’re planning to do more than visiting big cities. We’re thinking of checking on cooking lessons Italian style, take a walk in small, typical villages, observe wine or olive oil making, stay in a farm..

If only I was rich and I could spend without thinking, I could have reserved whatever is there (or ask somebody to reserve for me) without looking at the € sign. But no, I don’t have that luxury.. and luckily, because I enjoy reading those comments, bargain with prices and plan the itinerary myself.

My objective is to finish all the reservations this week. I have booked for Florence and Rome – both in Bed and Breakfast (Chambre d’Hôtes in France). And I’m definitely booking B&B for our stay in the Tuscany region.

Why B&B? I don’t know. I’m probably and unconsciously fed up with hotels (reminds me of work!). Let me tell you why I love B&Bs.

- Welcome is personalized. You get to be greeted by the owner of the house like you’re a long lost friend.
- If you’ve chosen your B&B well enough, you could have yourself served with marmalades made of fresh fruits from the owner’s backyard. (well, this could not be the case in big cities like Rome and Florence but it will be another experience altogether).
- You could take your breakfast without meeting hundreds of faces without anybody greeting you good morning.
- Rooms are decorated with a touch of personalization and not for commercial purposes only.

Prices are comparable to hotels and sometimes, even more expensive. But you get first-class accommodation. I have tried a lot of B&Bs in France and all of them got my two thumbs up. I also tried B&Bs in England and in Wales (oh, they’re expensive!), but I tell you, for the same price, I would go to B&Bs rather than hotels without hesitation! Now, Italy, it’s your turn.

*There are some other types of accommodations which I find exciting but in the impossibility to do so. Couch surfing and home switching. They’re both internet-based and free. All you need to do is register in some available sites, create your profile and off you go.

Couch surfing is easy (mainly for students lol), you check for the city you plan to visit, surf for members with an available sofa (or even a little space on the floor!), and ask for permission. If it’s ok, then you visit the city without paying for accommodation. And if you’re lucky enough, you get a free tourist guide too.

Home switching is kinda different. The owners should be on vacation too while you invade their abode. I’ve heard that you could even borrow their cars! Cool, huh?

What about you? Are you ready for such kinds of travel accommodation adventures or are you the no-risk traditional traveller?

*Bed & breakfast is a term, originating in the UK, but now also used in North America, for a place that offers bed accommodation, and breakfast in return for payment, but usually does not offer other meals. Typically, especially in the UK, bed and breakfasts are private homes with only one or two bedrooms available for commercial use.

A boarding house is different from and has a longer history than a bed & breakfast. The boarding house was for longer term stays, bed and breakfast was for people travelling through the area on short stays.

Source: Wikipedia

Did I hear it right? My daughter is correcting me!

Maman: Louna, fini ton verre, s'il te plait. (Louna, please finish your glass).
Louna: Non, non, non (while shaking her head). Ca, c'est lait. (No, no, no. This is milk.)

Well, okay. How in the world could I ask her to finish her glass?

Continue reading.

The Art Of Vacationing

It was a lazy weekend. Though it was sunny the whole Saturday and Sunday, the below-freezing temperature outside was not inciting enough to prevent us from being couch potatoes. So couch potatoes, we were.

Another reason of not going out was that, I'm quite worried that Louna catch any sickness outside. I initially planned to go to Jura, the mountains, to catch a bit of snow. But we will be leaving for a week-long getaway to a country we've never been so I'm taking all necessary and not-so-necessary precautions. Maman's instinct maybe, but better be careful than sorry.

So the whole weekend was focused on preparing for our next vacations. And I'm not talking solely about our vacation this February, we also talked about the Labor Day weekend this coming May and our summer vacation.

Summer Vacation

I have received travel/vacation catalogs at home early this year and have already bookmarked some interesting offers for our summer vacation. Like the past two years, we will again book for a week stay in a Villages Vacances where meal is served from breakfast to dinner and a multitude of daily activities are organized by TOs (travel organizers). (We normally take 3 weeks - the other 2 weeks will be spent at the seaside with my inlaws).

I know, I know. You might think that we're lazy and we lack adventure and such vacations are reserved only to oldies. But I tell you, after a day of canyoning, kayaking or hiking, you would certainly wow the comfort. Pre-Louna time, we were the the kind who wouldn't even mind reserving a hotel:

- we once planted our tent somewhere in the middle of Corsica because it was already late and we haven't finished our hike yet. Unfortunately, we couldn't continue the hike because .. we forgot our flashlights. And yes, we've done this in almost all corners of France for divers and various reasons, lol.
- we slept in cheap motels on our way from Death Valley to San Francisco.
- We slept in tents at the Yosemite National Park and the Grand Canyon because we wanted to start a hike at the first hour of the morning.
- we stayed in a Youth Hostel in Barcelona (oh that was great! we felt young again!)

So you see, we've been to an enormous change already - we're responsible parents. Yey!

I'm eyeing on a Villages Vacances somewhere in The Alps where activities range from water sports to, well of course, mountain hiking. Facilities include sauna, hammam, heated pool for adults and kids... - a great reward after a day of physical activity. And since rates vary per month, I think I'll book for the month of June - Louna is not going to school yet anyway, so we have no constraint.

Labor Day Weekend (May 1)

I have invited my friend's sister to spend this weekend with us. After knowing how much moolah she spent for a one-day-one-night stay in Paris, I thought, I have to take charge of this little girl (Jean, wag mo ng pagalitan, babatukan ko na lang pag nagkita kami, lol). I willl have to show her how to get the most out of her hard-earned money. Why pay more when you could pay less, right? Right. Apir.

I have a problem though. I still don't have any destination in mind. Any proposal of an exotic destination within the Schengen states, do-able in a 4-day weekend?

Winter Vacation

The nanny asked for a one-week vacation this February. Her family will ski in The Alps. The first question we had in mind was What will we do with Louna? If you're a regular reader of this blog, you would know that the nearest family we have lives a long 6-hour drive from our place. But since we still have a lot of paid vacation to take this year, we thought, Why not take our vacation too? *ting! light bulb switched on*

Frenchguy: So were will we go?
Me: Hmmm, what about somewhere in the Schengen States?
Frenchguy: What about Egypt?
Me (after searching the net): I need a visa. But to get it, I need to go to Paris and release date is unfortunately, the next day. Don't you have any other destination in mind?
Frenchguy: I'll take my plane on Monday. Before heading to the airport, I could submit your visa application. What do you think?
Me: Great. I need to go to Paris on Tuesday. I could then take my passport back. That's good timing.

So there you go. Our vacation was planned and scheduled just like that. Without too much ado.

We're responsible parents, but not quite. After booking everything online, I started to read travel forums and it seems that visits start too early in the morning and this and that. I have a list of what to bring now: from mosquito repellent to drinking water. But if you have any tips on what to expect from a toddler on a river cruise and how to explain what a pharaon is, that would surely be appreciated.

Photo credit here.

Tag: Recent Movie the Family Enjoyed

Lovelyn started a family-oriented tag which is pretty interesting because you get a good and personalized review of kid-friendly films. And that's all I need for now. I start to run out of film ideas and this sure would help me out.

My family has been overly indulging into Dora the Explorer, Noddy (Oui-Oui), Tom and Jerry and Finding Nemo. Louna would normally start with Dora, then minutes later, she would take our DVD case and would look for Noddy, and so on and so forth. She still has a limited concentration span so we never finished a whole film in one day.

Louna wiping the tears of Little Star, then seconds later, she's already asking for Oui-Oui

We've been introducing english DVDs to Louna for her to be able to capture and learn the English language early on in life. I have other girly DVDs like Cinderella or the Little Mermaid but she's not into the princess thing yet. She would prefer to see the car of Noddy bumping into a dog, or Swiper following Dora and Boots all the time or even Tom and Jerry chasing each other.

I have a Tagalog Song DVD which I would surely show to Louna later on. Who knows, she might learn to sing Sampung mga Daliri and Bahay Kubo, right?

So now I'm asking these kids to ask their mom to do the tag: Basti and Mimi, Annika and Deye. Syempre yung mga ka-age ng anak ko, lol.

Rules Of This Tag:

1. Link back the person who tagged you and write what was the movie his/her family enjoyed watching recently.

2. Now your turn to tell about the movie your family had just watched.

3. Tell something about the movie and spoilers are accepted (hehehee).

4. Lastly, write anything that has something to do with movies: Trivia, your top choice or favorites and why, your family's story about your favorite motion pictures, the first film you watched with your husband, any traditional film the family 's been keeping etc...etc...

5. (Ooopps, I almost forgot) Copy and paste the rules of this meme on your blog and pass the tag to as many friends, bloggers and movie lovers you want. Don't forget to tell them they're tagged and leave a comment here if you're done with the task.

I Just Refused a Roundtrip Ticket to the Philippines this Morning

I was chatting with my colleague this morning and I was informed that the process she's setting up is not working well. What a starter for a sunny Monday! It was the same process I validated with her when I was in Bangkok before Christmas. We knew that we will have a problem though - we identified the causes and consequently drew an action plan. The problem is, the client wouldn't agree to any compromise.

At that same time, my boss and her boss were actually talking on the phone. And at their level, they thought that sending yours truly to the Philippines was a great idea.

So my boss talked to me this morning and I was surprised to know that he was already updated. Bilis. So he started off by asking me about my views and proposals on the problem and ended up by checking if I could add a short trip to the Philippines in my agenda - asap.

Naman, big deal.

I only have 3 weeks left before my vacation and I find it hard to schedule a business trip in-between. That would be too tiring. Add to the fact that I have to go directly to Milan after my vacation.

So I told my boss that I can't. As simple as that. A conference call is scheduled next Wednesday. Then we'll go from there. That sidekick of mine should learn to troubleshoot on her own too. Ano ako, yaya?

Travel Forum

I have been reading travel forums for the past few nights in preparation for our next vacation getaway this February. I of course read French forums because Frenchies have different expectations and demands compared to Americans or Germans, and more so with Frenched Pinays. Add to the fact that we’re travelling with our active toddler. Better prepare my frenchies on What to Expect rather than be sorry.

Travel forums have loads of information which should be filtered according to your needs. Take them or leave them. Some comments could make you irk, some could make you laugh and some could even make you dream.

So, ok, I’ll just talk about a comment which really made me laugh. The commenter was complaining about:

- TVs don’t capture anything. And so? You’re there to watch TV or what?
- They don’t speak French. If you’re one of those 80 million tourists who visited France last year, you should have noticed that most of the Frenchies don’t really speak another language other than French.
- They don’t adapt to the French culture. Hello. You can’t ask the whole world to bake French baguettes for you, can you?
- It’s a third world country. You’re not obliged to go there, you know.
- That it’s noisy. You should have chosen another type of vacation, sweety.
- That visits start very early. You can choose to stay in your bed too.

All that in only one comment. Too sad that he forgot to talk about how great the place was.

In italics: My comments on his comments.

¿Habla Español?

The doorbell rang again this morning. I wasn't expecting anybody so I wasn't surprised to see strangers infront of the gate. The short discussion went like this:

S: Buenas dias. ¿Habla Español? (Good morning. Do you speak Spanish?)
Me: Non, désolée. Je ne parle pas l'espagnol. (No, I'm sorry. I don't speak Spanish)
S: Pero su apellido parece español. (But your name sounds Spanish)
Me: Oui, mais je suis Philippine. (Yes, but I'm a Filipina)
S: Oh.. (doubting?)
Me: Les Philippines étaient une ancienne colonie de l'Espagne, c'est pour ça. (Philippines was a former colony of Spain, that's why)
S: Ah.. Perdónenos. ¡Adiós! (still doubting?)
Me: ¡Adiós! (smiles)

I doubt it if they believed 100% of what I said. Firstly, I undertood everything they said and answered them correctly. Secondly, I might not look Spanish at all, but my accent do sound, well, Spanish.

Speaking of accent, it's funny to note that this accent of mine has gone a long way. When I just arrived here in France, my French instructors thought I was a native English speaker (with the American accent, not British). Then my friends in the US thought I had a French accent. But my friends in the Philippines thought otherwise - they're sure that I have a Bisaya accent (I'm from the north of the Philippines, so my original accent is far from being Bisaya).

Now, 7 years after, the Frenchies think that I sport a lovely Spanish accent even if I tell them that it's a Filipino accent, nothing else. But hey, after thinking about it, what is a real Filipino accent anyway?

PS: Check out on Louna's 26th Month Update here.

Passport Renewal - Update

I called up the Consular Section this morning and you wouldn't believe this - I had helpful and kind employees. That is a real picture of To the service of the Filipinos. I spent like 20 minutes on the phone with Mr. Helpful explaining to me why we need such a list of requirements. In fact, it's to track illegal aliens and was implemented since 2005, the arrival of the new Ambassador.

So to recap:

1. BC with red ribbon authenticated only by DFA.
3. In the absence of voter's ID, an NBI clearance could do the deal.
4. Yes, baptismal certificate is required.
6. Sworn statement is also required.
8. Valid visas will be spared in the cancellation of the old passport.

Additional info: Passport issued would still be in the old format, not the brown with microchip.

In fact, with people like that, I just realized that I wouldn't mind providing them with the necessary papers. It's really how we convey the message that counts.

I have a bad news tho. After the conversation with Mr. Helpful, he transfered my call to Mrs. Kind so I could verify the status of Louna's registration at the embassy. I wrote something about this here. After minutes of looking into her files, she was still calm and not mataray at all. But it seemed that Louna is not yet existing on the list. They received the mandat cash but not the documents (They should have informed me, right?). Darn. Now I have to check the bank if the fee I transfered was withdrew by the embassy or not. If so, I have to go through all the paper thing again, but without re-paying.

Are your kids registered or do they have the dual nationality? How important is it to you?

Passport Renewal

My passport is expiring end of this year and I'm so glad that I started the inquiry this early. My goodness. I still can't believe the list of requirements.

The paper says - Issuance of Passport : Requirements for Passport not Issued in Paris with Schengen Visa. I asked for a Passport renewal.

Here are the requirements:

1. Birth Certificate (with red ribbon) - which means it should be issued by NSO and authenticated by Malacañang and DFA. Wow. Can't I present the NSO certificate without the authentication? Anyway, NSO's using a particular paper to avoid copies, right? So why the double authentication? And do I really have to send that? I'm just asking for passport renewal and not a new passport.
2. Marriage Certificate (with red ribbon) for married woman applicant
3. Certified true copy of voter's registration record or certificate of non-registration as voter issued by Comelec or Voter's ID. I don't have this. Where will I get this? Comelec? Would they issue such paper to a family member for example?
4. Baptismal Certificate or Certificate of Dedication - ??? What's the link?
5. Identification card with photograph - Errr? A passport is the best ID to testify your identity, right?
6. Sworn Statement - They sent me the paper to be filled up. It demands information on my true identity and the identity I used to enter France, including the agent's name and address and the amount I paid to falsify the documents. What if I entered legally, do I have to fill this up and pay 32.50€ (below)? I know this is a stupid question but who knows.
7. 4 copies of new photographs
8. Original Passport

Now, on with the Consular Fees - 123.50€! Ano daw? Ang sakit nun a. 65€ for passport fee, 32.50€ for sworn statement fee and 26€ for passport verification fee. Do I really have to pay all of that?

Ok, ok. I'm not that naïve. I know that there are Filipinos who entered illegally to France, thus the security check. But ain't this too much?

I still doubt if they sent me the right list of requirements. If I remember it right, I even talked in Tagalog on the phone. Di kaya nila ako naintindihan?

I actually inquired in the Philippines and it seems that they need the original passport (and not just the copy) and they also require personal appearance because of the new electronic system. I was actually planning to send my passport to a colleague and ask my sister to renew it, then send the new one back to France.

Now, if only a work opportunity that would require me to travel to the Philippines opens, I'd gladly comply. If only I knew, I should have worked on it last September when I was there.

Honestly, this list just motivates me to work on my French naturalization application. Hay buhay!

I'll be going to Paris tomorrow. Do you think it's intelligent if I go to the embassy and apply personally? I have documents 1 (not authenticated), 5, 6, 7 and 8. O baka matarayan lang ako? You know, I could hardly handle that.

If you have renewed your passport in France recently, kindly give light.

Careful With What You're Saying

One day, during one of her bath times, she started to look at her nipples and asked C'est quoi? (what's this?). Without really thinking, I said suso (Tagalog translation of nipples). To which she repeated chuchu. Then she raised her arms and pointed to her armpit saying C'est quoi ça?. Kilikili. She pronounced it in a very cute accent - kéké.

Continue reading here.

Lazy 2008

Happy New Year everyone ! Better late than never, right? 2008 for me starts with a lazy blogging lifestyle. I have too much to blog about and honestly, I don’t even know where to begin. I wanted to continue my Bangkok stopover, even thinking of giving some travel pointers to those who have a weekend to spend in Bangkok.

Then it was Christmas.. New Year.. and then I thought, Bangkok could wait, I have to have a holiday entry instead.. Laziness settled.. Before I knew it, holidays were over and work got in the way. Work suddenly changed my mind and thought of blogging about how I start to hate its environment.

Then the eco-tax system (taxing new vehicles with high CO2 emission) they’re about to implement here in France started to interest me - thinking that saving the planet doesn’t necessarily mean saving my pocket. And just as we finalized our financing scheme for 2008 at home, we had a little car accident which cost us 380€ (talking about saving for my car!)- just because the roads were still iced over when we left home Thursday last week.

Too much topics to blog, no real inspiration to write, a book to finish, a toddler to tend to and step aerobics to master – how in the world could I blog? Excuses! I was simply lazy.

Instead, I dragged Frenchguy and Louna to Ikea and bought my cool lampshade at 49€ to add ambiance to our living room. Out of topic. Wala lang.
So that’s how I will start my 2008. Welcome to my hideaway – I mean, the real one. Just knock. Louna is already waiting for you ;).

PS: I'll visit you guys, one at a time. No rush. I'm still hibernating. Zzzzz.

Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)

Wat Arun, located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River can be reached by boat from Tha Tien Pier - cost 3 Baht (near Wat Pho - Reclining Buddha). The decor, like all the other Buddhist temple in Bangkok is grandious.

I was greeted by this temple with superbly decorated temple guards. Who am I to say no to a quick pose?

Want a closer look? Lol. I look like a real tourist! Who says I'm here for work?

Inside this temple is of course a series of golden Buddhas. There's one detail which I didn't notice the last time I visited - the pictures of, I suppose, dead people displayed at the bottom part. Is this their cemetery? Really don't know. I'm a bad tourist, you see, lol.

The 79-meter high pagoda is of course the biggest attraction. Tourists are allowed to climb for a 50 Baht fee which I didn't pay. They probably mistaken me for a Thai. The beautifully-decorated-attractive structure is being carried by hundreds of Thai dancers and and is being watched closely by temple guards.

It's a sunny Sunday and the weather is really nice. Not a suffocating journey to visit and pictures come out as I want them to be.

Climbing the pagoda gives a good view of the east bank of Chao Phraya river. On the right is the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo view from Wat Arun and below is Wat Pho followed by the colorful roofs of the temples of Wat Arun.

Here's more lovely pictures around Wat Arun:


That last picture made me laugh. That's probably the reason why vendors don't entertain me when I buy baby clothes. I look like a highschool student, lol.

So that's it for my Sunday morning adventure. I still don't know what I'll do this evening tho...

Travel Blahblahs

Departure

Last September, I was still able to travel with my cabin luggage in the plane with me - which means, I had my cabin luggage, my computer bag and my shoulder bag - in economy class. Not today. It seems that cabin luggages shouldn’t exceed 8 kg. Mine weighed 12 kg. I’m just wondering if these cabin luggages around me (from other passengers) weigh 8 kg or below?? Parang mas malaki pa ang mga bagahe nila kesa sa kin. Hmm.

So now, I’m obliged to wait a minimum of 30 minutes at the airport for a 12-kg-luggage. Darn!

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My I-Pass connection isn’t working! Not that I want to blog while waiting for boarding (lol), I just want to check my emails before going to the battlefield (read: work) – kuno!

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I’ll be arriving early in the morning in Bangkok tomorrow – that’s Saturday. A quick shower and I’ll be off for work. .. Hmm, a need to blog is starting to itch my fingertips, really.

Bakit ba ayaw gumana ng i-pass dito?

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I start to believe that my lucky charm doesn’t work when it comes to hotel room designation. The last time I was in the Philippines, my neighbour had this bad habit of clearing his throat very early in the morning - and very loudly at that. Then I had this loud-moaning-Italian-lover in Milan. I wonder what Bangkok reserves for me.

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Uy, boarding na daw. Ciao!

Arrival

Aw, I just love this hot and humid feeling I could only get in Asia (no sexual connotation please). The thought that I'll be meeting my sisters this Saturday just excites me all the more.

The 12-hour flight seemed to be too long. Probably because I didn't sleep a single minute. And probably because the in-flight movies presented were all boring. The residence hotel which would be my 2-weeks getaway is actually a BIG appartment with a king-size bed, 2 TVs and a more-than-necessary living and dining rooms. I just can't complain.

And since I wasn't able to sleep in the plane and the king-size bed was simply inviting.. Saturday work was quickly forgotten. Bad me! I nevertheless called up my colleague and ended the conversation with an I count on you comment. Ang taray ko pang magpasa ng responsibilidad. Really bad me.

At 3pm Bangkok time, I found myself still enjoying the comfort of the king-size bed. With a bit of hesitation and a lot of bad moods, I hauled myself up thinking, I had to move my butt if I want to overcome jetlag.

Since I need to buy some toiletries, I decided to go to MBK Shopping Mall. What I love about Bangkok is that, even if taxi drivers try to drive you around the city before directing you to your destination (and honestly, there are very few of them), the fare still remains cheap. I paid 60 Baht from Soi Suanplu to MBK (it's normally cheaper), not bad.

I love the Siam zone of Bangkok because it's lively. I have never been to this place without crossing to a street show like the one shown.

So from the initial plan of buying only toiletries, I ended up buying some clothes for me and a Winnie watch for Louna. I'm a shopping addict when I'm here.

It's Sunday tomorrow and I still don't know what to do/visit. But jetlag is slowly taking over me.. signing off.

Sunset / Sunrise Tag

Life has been too busy lately, I have a hard time coping up. Blogfriends know that blogging is not in my priority list so when life gets in the way, blogging is set aside. Lately, as a way of getting away from reality, I have been indulging myself with our old pictures - trying to add colors to them thru Photoshop. Photography is a hobby I want myself to get addicted into. I don't have a top of the line camera nor the professionalism that goes with it. I only have eyes attentive to beauty, and that I think, is already a good start.

MegaMom tagged me to share sunset or sunrise pictures to which I am willing to oblige with gusto. Now, if you could allow yourself some constructive criticisms, that would be highly appreciated. Just be careful tho, you have an affair with an un-professional camera mom.

Sunset at the Chambord Castle, France

The inside architecture of the castle is loaded with what seemed to be the works of art of Leonardo da Vinci. One of the favorites is the spectacular double-helix staircase which is very ingenious. The two helixes ascend the three floors without ever meeting, avoiding the possible meetings of the King's wife and his mistresses. Galing no.

Grand Canyon

Taking a sunset picture in this legendary site was quite an event. Professional photographers and tourists alike crowded the place to capture what that particular sunset had to offer. I had loads of pictures but this one became my favorite. Trust me, the Grand Canyon is just at the background, lol.

Baywatching at Venice Beach, LA

I was a fan of David Hasselhoff, what else. It was a lazy afternoon at the beach and this cabin became a model for my sunset picture.

Fishing Cabin, La Vendée

Typical fishing cabin in the west of France, La Vendée area. Love this picture.

Bangka

At my hometown in the Philippines. Here is where I spent most of my childhood. Funny it may seem but I live just a few kilometers from the beach but I don't know how to swim.

Marseille, France

Hmm, mas malaki pala ang araw sa France kesa sa Pinas, what do ya think? lol!

Father and Child

Christmas last year. After a grand feast with the family, the two Frenchies asked for a quick dip at the beach. It was a quiet and relaxing family getaway. There was almost nobody at the beach. Look at how sweet my mag-ama were..

Business with Pleasure

I’ll be boarding the plane again next week. To Thailand. For two weeks. Alone. Buti na lang.

When Frenchguy knew I was going to Thailand just before Christmas, he eagerly suggested that I hop and spend the holidays in the Philippines - and bring Louna with me. At first, I thought it was a wonderful idea. My eldest brother, who never met Louna in person, will be in the Philippines for Christmas too so it will be a great occasion.

But bringing Louna with me would mean:

- Managing a toddler on a long-haul flight - alone!

- Asking my sisters to join me in Bangkok so they could babysit Louna while I work (which means they have to ask for vacation leave and two weeks is quite a lot)

- Buying 4 air tickets: 2 for my sisters (MNL-BKK-MNL) and 2 for Louna and I (BKK-MNL-BKK). This is quite a mess considering I changed the dates twice (because of work constraints). And since I buy the tickets at the last minute, I was offered the highest price!

- Buying another ticket for Louna (CDG-BKK-CDG). Our travel agent proposed a huge 850€ enfant ticket on waiting list. I should be insane to accept that!

- Worrying about my daughter while I work. Not that I don’t trust my sisters. It’s just that Louna is quite hard-headed and doesn’t want to give her hands when she’s outside. And though she understands English, she expresses herself in French. Not to add, what if she fells sick while in Bangkok? I just can’t justify an Enfant Malade while I’m on work assignment outside of France because my daughter is sick.

- Spending Christmas with my family back in the Philippines, but leaving Frenchguy alone here in France.

That’s just too much to manage. And too much to pay. So after weighing things out, we finally decided to cancel Louna’s trip to the Philippines – and mine too. Finally, we will be spending Christmas together as a family here in France. There will always be next time.

But my sisters would still go to Bangkok for a week. That’s a promise of great fun and shopping. Girls just want to have fun!


Cebu Pacific E-Tickets

Anybody who tried buying tickets online? Is it normal that I have received the e-tickets by email but no payments have been collected so far (3 working days after)? I’m quite used to online reservations here in France where payments are collected in no time. I hope my sisters won’t have any problem boarding the plane.

Objective: Replace Car by 3Q 2008

Moolah management at home has always been a hot topic. Frenchguy is the kind who would look at his finances closely - I mean, looking at his bank account almost every night, afraid that Alibaba might discover his hidden euros. On the contrary, I hate talking about money matters to the point that I leave Frenchguy manage our finances.

Here's our trick. We have separate and common accounts at home. A certain portion of our salary would be transferred monthly to our common account - destined to pay mortgages, taxes, groceries, nanny and househelp salaries, vacation expenses - everything. Then another portion would be destined to buy company stock options - a good investment as long as the company is in good health. The graph shows the value of our stock options when I started to buy till today. Not a bad progression, right? That makes me virtually rich.

The remaining amount of our salary is considered as our pocket money. And mind you, my finance manager computed up to the last cents that I only have enough to pay the canteen and gas for my car. A bit exaggerated, okay. But reality is almost close to that, lol. So don't even try to borrow money from me. When I say I have no cash, I mean, no cash!

Frenchguy sent me a message this afternoon (he's in the US) saying: You have to start looking closer on your finances now if you want to change your car next year. Huwatt?!!?? Is that some kind of a joke or what? How in the world could I save for a car next year from the few euros left in my wallet every end of the month? And hello, haven't you seen oil prices? It's soaring high but my pocket money remained the same, blahblah here and blahblah there! And why should I pay it alone, aber? I swear, if I pay it with my own moolah, you will never touch it, except for car washing and changing tires. Mokong na 'to, hmp.

So after negociations and another negociation, we settled for a common accord that I contribute less in our account and buy less stock options. It's no way that we borrow money from the bank and pay interest for a product which depreciates its value the moment I turn the key. Anyway, it will be a small, not-so-expensive, most-probably-second-hand car* which I will use to go to work, do the groceries and shopping. No big deal.

P.S.: He still agrees to wash my car and change tires.

*Concessionnaire cars, mostly 3-6 months old, with very few km could be bought at a very interesting rate here in France. It's a widely responded market that, at a certain point, constructors started to offer a large discount for a purchase of a brand new car to compete with this market.

Graph from this site.