La Dolce Vita, Roma in 3 hours

So, to continue my story, we met up with Tita Mildred, and walked over to the Ponte Lungo metro station and stopped at Lucio Sestio. From there, we walked over to her flat and took a few minutes to freshen up and relax.

Warning us that dinner was served late, tita Mildred served us her tiramisu, which I requested her to make :P It was just as I remembered it, creamy, slightly sweet, a perfect blend of coffee, mascarpone, cream and sponge cake... molto bene! We finished half before we headed out. Check out the pic on the right, Ria was the one behind the cam.

With renewed energy, we were ready to take on Rome. In my initial itinerary, we were scheduled to check out the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps on the first day. And visit the different Piazzas along the way. Unfortunately, we were told that there would be a huge rally the next day from 5 different sectors, that would occupy the areas around the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, all the way to Circo Massimo. So, we had to squeeze in those locations into the itinerary.
First stop, the Colosseo...OMG...as soon as you get out of the metro station, you immediately see the imposing structure. For a bit history, and for those who are still unaware, the Colosseum is one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, and was host to thousands of bloody battles between gladiators and sometimes with wild animals. The Romans had a bloody taste in entertainment, and they couldn't get enough of those gladiator fights, were they literally held the life of the gladiator in their hands (thumbs actually), a thumbs up meant the gladiator could live to fight another day, and a thumbs down meant death.

You also get to see the Arch of Constantine from here... the Arc de Triomphe in Paris is actually modeled after this arch. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get in close to take pictures in detail. BTW, I want to note that I am not happy with the quality of pics that I took from my camera so some of the pics are from Ria's, Eis' and Marbi's cams. Some of my pics come out looking washed out and even yellowish (above)! Although I have no plans (or the budget) to replace my cam in the near future, so please pardon the pic quality.

We walked around and headed over to the entrance of the Foro Romano, but the entrance was already closed. So we had to make do with taking pictures of the ruins from outside. I think there was still much to see inside... but we didn't have time. I was hoping we could still see it the next day, but it depended on how big the 'rally' would be. Below is a pic of the Roman Forum from a distance. I'll upload more pics on my Facebook and Multiply albums.
Then, we headed to the Pantheon. Along the way, we stopped to take pictures of Piazza Venezia and the Victor Emmanuel II monument (Il Vittoriano).
The Pantheon is the best preserved building from Roman era, it's now used as a Catholic church, and among the illustrious dead buried here are Raphael the painter, and the first king of Italy Victor Emmanuel II. I am also uploading a video of the inside of the Pantheon, coz really pictures can not capture the beauty of the structure.

Then, we were on our way to Fontana de Trevi or simply, the Trevi fountain. One of the most recognizable landmarks in Rome, it's been featured in several movies including La dolce Vita and the Lizzie McGuire Movie. According to the myth, if you throw a coin into the fountain, it will ensure a return trip to Rome. The 'expanded' version of this myth, says that if you throw in one coin, you'll return to Rome, if you throw in 2, it will lead to a new romance, and if you throw in 3 coins, it will lead to marriage. :P Tempted as I was to throw in 6 coins into the fountain, I only threw in one, hehehe. :)

By this time, our feet were sore and we were tired...it's been a looong walk. Our last stop was the Spanish Steps. But we were so tired by then that we couldn't wait to ride the metro and go back to tita Mildred's flat, which we did after a few pics.
Back home, we still had to cook dinner. :) Tito Enrico was already home by this time, so while I helped in the kitchen, Marbi, Eis and Ria played charades with Tito Enrico as they tried to guess what he was saying since he spoke very little English. It's a good thing Tito Enrico is such a colorful character and he was so entertaining we immediately felt at ease.
The dinner consisted of, frutti de mare pasta, which is a seafood pasta, a salad with sweet vinegar and olive oil, Roast beef, salami dolce, sauteed mushrooms and for dessert, tiramisu and strawberries with orange juice and sugar, believe me this combination was perfect. We were all so very full by the time dinner was over. All in all, a good start to our Rome vacation.

Roma Rants...Fiumicino, the worst!

Just before leaving Bratislava, my teammates and I took a side trip to Rome, Italy for a few days. I have an aunt living in Rome who very graciously offered us free accommodations so we decided to take the opportunity and go. I've only had time to post my updates now because i was busy during Holy Week and preparing for my family's trip to the US soooo it's late, but hopefully still interesting. :)

Before I recount my trip to the eternal city, Roma, I will first rant about the airport. Because in all the airports I've been to... this is BY FAR the worst (yes, counting crowded domestic airports in the Phils). And I'd rather get this rant out of the way before I start talking about Rome, lest it ruin the memories.

We arrived in the Fiumicino (Leonardo da Vinci) Airport a few minutes ahead of schedule. However, we were made to wait about 10 more minutes in the plane as they couldn't seem to find someone to operate the stairs that would be connected to the plane. Thinking it's just a slight oversight in airport management, I let it slide. Little did I know that Fiumicino had a few more 'oversights' in store for me.

I already drew up a schedule, and we were supposed to catch the 1450 train to Tuscolana to meet up with Tita Mildred. Our schedule was packed pretty tight so every minute counted. I thought we had plenty of time to spare as we were out of the plane by 1420. But while waiting for our 1 piece of checked in luggage, it took another 40 minutes! Really, how long does it take to unload luggage? I was already getting impatient, and it was pretty obvious to my officemates, long story short, we missed the 1450 train, and barely had enough time to catch the 15:20 train. We finally met up with tita Mildred to begin our Rome adventure.

But before I continue, let me get the rest of the story off my chest... on our way back to Bratislava, Tita Mildred's husband, Tito Enrico, was kind enough to drive us to the airport. We were in pretty good spirits, and relaxed and excited to get home. We were able to check in without any problems, and then we headed over to the security check... and it was chaos.

There were hundreds of people crammed together, making their way to the security scanners at the very front. I have no idea why the airport didn't think of organizing this place.. I mean, how hard is it to set up some tape to mark a queue? After some struggling, we finally saw the semblances of several queues. So, we followed the line, with a few people cutting here and there. We were there for a while, following the slow moving line, but at least there was order.

And then. a few metres from the scanners, THE LINE ENDS and it was chaos all over again! I just can't forgive the fact that they couldn't do such a simple thing as to continue the queue all the way to the scanners! Was it too much to ask? Our bags were heavy, and patience was running thin as we had to force ourselves to stay in line. And of course, there were so many people trying to cut in line. This one woman even shoved her child in front of me to try to cut in! Out of patience, I still put my things on the conveyor and raised an eyebrow at her for good measure. Her child was practically squished by the guy in front of me, but she didn't even care just as long as she could get an opportunity to cut in line, what a horrible woman.

Anyway, I finally made my way past the damned security check. I even saw someone collapsed on the floor, probably passed out from all the pressure. It was already borading time according to my watch. But at least we were through, and we still had time to board, so we thought our troubles were over.

So we head on over to our gate, we arrived just in time for an announcement to sound that the flight to Bratislava was actually boarding in Gate X instead of Gate Y. I forgot the exact numbers, so we transferred from Gate Y, to Gate x, and stood in line.

Now, we were expecting to board, but noooo, we had to stand there like idiots WAITING FOR ANOTHER 30 MINUTES! No one even said anything, there was a girl in the counter, but she wasn't doing anything, not telling us that the plane wasn't ready to board yet... so we just stood there, waiting.

I was so pissed and annoyed and tired and I couldn't believe how our very short Rome trip could be marred by this completely annoying experience. It alsmost ruined the entire trip for me, and it probably did for my travel mates... worst airport really, you need a lot of patience for this, and I can't understand why they can't improve it.

Wow...this is a long post for a rant, but at least I'm done. Next post, living la dolce vita in Roma!

Back in Bratislava

Yup, I'm back... but only for a short while. :) This is a short, two week trip to renew our work permits. A short, two week trip that gave me (and my teammates) an opportunity to take a trip to Rome before flying back to Manila on the 6th of April.

First, the flight from Manila to Dubai was uneventful, barely even a trace of turbulence which was great. Upon reaching Dubai, we headed over to the Skywards lounge and spent the next few hours waiting for our connecting flight to Vienna. It's my first time in an airport lounge, and I have to say it was quite relaxing. And there was food so we didn't go hungry while waiting.

But the best part of the trip was when we were checking in at the gate for the Dubai-Vienna flight. You see, we were upgraded to business class! I can never sleep on flights but the reclining seats and the noise canceling earphones made it possible for me to catch a few zzzs before reaching Vienna. I love business class! But if I had to point out one thing I didn't like about it, it's that the food service is longer, since they serve appetizers, main course and dessert separately. The only reason I'm complaining about that is because I would have rather just reclined in my seat and slept. Take note, I have been up for a full 24 hours by that time. But I'm sure I would have enjoyed the meal more, had I not been so sleep deprived.

But my lucky streak didn't end there, when we reached the hotel and I checked in, I was given the exact room I wanted, the same room I stayed for 3 months in, last year, without me even having to ask. It was a very lucky coincidence. So I was immediately 'at home' when I got to the hotel room.

Then a few of us trooped over to Billa to buy some water and things to eat for dinner. When we got back, I spent a few minutes chatting with family and friends before I decided to go back down to the lobby to have my drinks exchanged.

It was at this point my luck probably ran out. On my way back up, the elevator got stuck between the 2nd and the 3rd floors. All the floor buttons were flashing and non-responsive and I didn't know what to do. I was alone, slightly claustrophobic, with no cellphone, and paranoia was starting to set in. But I was able to stay calm and had enough sense to press the button with a bell on it. It emitted this high pitched, chirpy kind of sound that I wasn't sure could even be heard outside. I did that like 4 or 5 times hoping someone would hear. I didn't want to yell or anything, I mean, I didn't really think I was in any danger. Then suddenly, all the lights turned off and I was in pitch black darkness! If I was able to keep calm before, I was quickly losing that battle. I do not like small, dark, confined spaces. But thankfully, it didn't last long, I think the elevator was 'reset' and it went back down to the basement. As soon as it opened, I quickly went up to the lobby and reported it to the receptionist. Apparently, the elevator does that some times, and I was just 'lucky' to have experienced it. I found out the next day that it does happen quite a lot, and there's really no need to panic.

The whole ordeal probably lasted only about 3 minutes, but I still won't be taking any elevator rides alone in the near future. I guess that's just the fates way of telling me I should take the stairs. :P

Well, that's it. Today was just a regular work day, and I wasn't stuck in any elevators so I have nothing else to say. I'm still deciding what I'm going to be doing on the weekend. I could go shopping... or rather, malling coz I really don't want to spend much during this trip. Or I could go to Vienna with Ivy... decisions, decisions. Not complaining though, I'm very fortunate to be here and I can't help but look forward to Rome. It's my absolute dream European destination. I hope I don't get too emotional when I get there...I'd be mortified if I cried. Hahaha!

Anyway, I have laundry to do... till next post. :)

On Watching the Watchmen

I really liked this movie...I've been 'warned' by some people that I might not enjoy it since I'm not familiar with the story/graphic novel, but I think that actually worked to my benefit.

What ensued was a weave of stories flashing back and forth to show us the lives of these superheroes. And of course, how it relates to the central plot of the world being on the brink of nuclear war, and with a 'the end justifies the means' moment that was slightly predictable but still unsettling. It's a long movie, (approx 2h40mins), but it was entertaining enough to keep from dragging.

The only thing I didn't like much, was how Laurie Jupiter acted. Actually, she didn't bother me so much while I was watching it, but when my sister pointed the fact out while we were discussing it, I agreed with her. She wasn't terrible, just okay. Not unlike the rest of the Watchmen who were totally absorbed in their roles. My favorite was Rorschach, How could I not like him? He was totally bad-ass. :D

Warning to the squeamish...it has some very graphic, brutal scenes. But hey, it is from a graphic novel right?

I have to reiterate, I really liked this movie... I'm sure it's not for everyone, but if you're looking for something worth the price of your admission ticket, the running time alone should make it worthwhile. Who knows, you might actually enjoy it as much as I did. :)

Never compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon. - Rorschach

I Want to be the Exception :)

A couple of years ago, there was all this craze about a book called 'He's Just Not That Into You'. It's a 'self-help' book written by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, who were both working in one of my favorite sitcoms, Sex and the City. The book lists down the 'signs' if a man is not 'into' a woman in a no-nonsense, straightforward way, like 'He's Just Not That Into You, If He's Not Asking You Out, Because If He Likes You, Trust Me, He Will Ask You Out'. I borrowed a copy of the book and read through it, but I didn't like it. I didn't find it enjoyable, or empowering...I found myself questioning it and insisting it didn't apply to Filipino culture. So, I just read it and promptly forgot about it.

Fast forward 5 years later, and I am reminded of the book because it has now been made into a movie, starring Jennifer Anniston, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Connelly, Drew Barrymore and Scarlett Johansson among others.

So, along with some of my office pals, we went to watch the screening in a full-packed (read: full-packed) G4 cinema. Let me tell you, it was really fun to watch. And I absolutely loved it, and I couldn't help agreeing with the points it mentioned. Sooo....I found a copy of the book and re-read it, just to see if I would change my mind about it. Granted, I still did not find it 'enjoyable' to read, but now I agree with most, if not all of the points mentioned. So yes, I guess now I do feel empowered by it. But anyway, back to the movie, it's really a must see for all the ladies out there. I'm sure you'll relate to at least one of the story arcs, and it was all beautifully done, I wouldn't mind seeing it again (like tomorrow), hehehe. The pic below was taken after the movie, thanks to Dianne for making the collage.

So, why did I like the movie so much? Well, it was honest, it was believable, relate-able(?), and it really showed how vulnerable women feel at times. But what I like most about it, which I didn't find in the book, was that it gives us hope. No matter how empowered we have become, it gives us hope, that we too can still be the exception to the rule. Yes, there are signs that show how men are just not into us, but there are exceptions... and I know that we have to think of ourselves as the rule and not the exception, but I want to be an exception, I dunno, it seems sweeter that way. If all I said in this paragraph is gibberish to you, it means you haven't watched the movie yet, trust me it'll make sense if you do.

Bottom line is, it really depends on how you interpret the movie or the book and whether you agree or not, it's up to you. Me, I just wanted to say my piece. :)

Ewan

One of my friends posted this on Facebook and I found it amusing... I'll be altering the rules a bit, I won't be tagging anyone, feel free if you want to repost. But I followed everything else. :)

Rules: Put your player on shuffle and hit the 'Next' button to get your answer to every question. You must indicate the title and artist, no matter how far-fetched it sounds. Tag people who might be interested in doing this same thing. No cheating.


WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
It's My Life - No Doubt

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Can I Get A - Jay Z (Hahahahahah!)

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Illegal - Shakira feat. Carlos Santana

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Decode - Paramore

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
The Call - Regina Spektor

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Hella Good - No Doubt

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
All You Need is Love - Diana Fuchs Band/Jim Sturgess Across the Universe OST

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Amnesia - Britney Spears (waaaah, ayaw ko maging ganito!)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Walk This Way - Run DMC feat. Steve Tyler Sex and the City OST

WHAT SONG WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani feat. Akon (Woohoo!)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Viva Forever (Spice Girls) Hahahahah!

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST
Rollin' - Limp Bizkit

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Helena - My Chemical Romance

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
So What - Pink

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Breaking the Habit - Linkin Park

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Jaded - Aerosmith (Ok, so I will die jaded, hahaha)

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Bodybumpin - Public Announcement ;))

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
How You Remind Me - Nickelback

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Lonely No More - Rob Thomas

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Push - Enrique Iglesias Step Up 2 OST

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Sorry, Blame It On Me - Akon

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
First Time - Lifehouse (Like being in love to feel for the first time...naks!)

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Ewan - Imago

Sick Week

For the first time in my entire 5 1/2 years of working, I've been off work due to sickness for longer than 2 days. My cough actually started in December, I had bad colds and cough which caused me to lose any sense of taste and smell for Christmas. I took antibiotics for 7 days and it cleared up a bit just in time for Palawan.

But then a week ago, my cough came back with a vengeance. At first it was tolerable, only happening every few hours and seemingly under control by Lagundi capsules, but then during the weekend my coughing fits became so violent that I almost threw up. I couldn't sleep, because every time I lay down I would be racked with continuous coughing fits that I could barely breathe. I was still able to go to work on Monday, but the cold air-conditioning made everything worse, by the afternoon I was already feeling feverish, and the next day, I opted not to go to work anymore and visited my pulmonologist. The official diagnosis, Asthmatic Bronchitis.

Dr. Cesario gave me a full barrage of drugs, anti-asthma meds, antibiotics, steroids and an anti-tussive cough syrup. I have to get better soon because the drugs are expensive! I've also been advised to stay at home for the rest of the week, I need rest and I could be contagious to my officemates. So, for the past three days, I've been at home, only leaving to go back to MMC or for meals (Maitz is already leaving on Monday, so we're eating out a lot).

Anyway, I'm feeling better... still not 100% but definitely better. The drugs are working (they should!), I'm glad the weekend's coming up, at least I have more time for R&R, and Monday will be a new work week... hopefully by then, I won't be barking like a dog every few minutes. And hopefully, I won't need to go back to the pulmo, ayaw ko na bumili ng gamot. :P