Hoover... Dehm!!!

On our way from Vegas back to LA, we stopped at Hoover Dam. And dehm, it was high! Thinking of that waist high wall and that deep deep dam just below me was not a very good feeling. I did manage to give (nervous) smiles in my pictures so I think I did well.

It was just a quick stop since there wasn't much to see during that time. The skies were gloomy and there were mega-bridge construction ongoing nearby. The winter weather was also not friendly. Hoover dam is still best viewed from a plane. We did manage to get good shots though:

Pit Stop # 4: Las Vegaaaaaaahhhhhs!!!

After our overnight escapade in Arizona, Pit Stop # 3, it was finally time to drive 5 more hours to Las Vegas where we are staying for the next 4 days. Yes, indeed, 4 days in Las Vegas! Woopee!!!

It was my 2nd time in Vegas but almost nothing looked familiar. Well, it has been 4 years since, it should be expected. There were so many new hotel resorts now, and a lot more under construction. I didn't think it had that much space. The once very walkable "Strip" is not so walkable now. It has expanded everywhere. Though the day pass bus ticket was just 5 dollars, the group opted for the "walking for fitness" type of touring. A typical day would be: buffet brunch, then walk in and out of the hotels for the next 5 hours, walk back to our hotel and take a nap. After a quick nap would be another few more hours of walking/touring. Add to that the chilly wind of the desert.

We also watched Cirque Du Solei, the best stage production you will ever see in your life! The stage was literally moving and spinning everywhere! People flying here and there. Too bad I can't show you how it looked like, no photography allowed inside the theater. There are some videos in youtube though: www.youtube.com/watch. I would also like to commend their security staff for finding my lost scarf in about two minutes. Great job!

All that walking did not lose us some pounds because of all the eating we did, instead gave me some blisters but that doesn't really matter when you've got yourself the opportunity to experience these magnificent architecture. Below is the photo taken from our hotel room window. Pretty neat huh? ;) We got to watch the Belagio fountain show every time.

Here's the whole set from Flickr:

Pit Stop # 3: THE Grand Canyon

We drove from Los Angeles at 3 AM and arrived in Arizona by sunrise.

I am (almost) out of words. It was BREATHTAKING!!! Let the pictures speak for me...

Complete set of pics and slideshow here:

Couldn't do any hiking during this time of the year. Snow and wind... not a very friendly combination. Next time, we plan to go back during Spring and hike down to the Colorado River.

Pit Stop # 2: Los Angeles

Pit Stop # 1... done.

We arrived in LA on December 13. After being in the windy-chilly San Antonio TX air for 2 weeks; the breezy-sunny weather in Los Angeles was very much appreciated.

This is actually the 3rd time this year that I met with my sister and brother in law! Wow. ;) As always, I enjoy the views made by the hills and mountains in their side of LA. Added to that is the snowy mountains that seemed to be paintings from the sky. Imagine driving to office everyday with this view:

Above pictures were was taken along Chino Hills. And that is one of the reasons my sister loves LA. :)

We spent our days eating BUFFETs everywhere, shopping, watching DVDs, eating again, and preparing for our roadtrip to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. ;) Woohooo!!!

Tower of the Americas

It was Friday, our last night in San Antonio. Coincidentally, it is also one of those rare astronomic nights where the moon will be closest to Earth, thus will appear biggest. It was a perfect excuse for us to try out the Tower of the Americas:

Tower of the Americas is a 750-foot (229 m) observation tower with a restaurant in San Antonio, Texas. Tower of the Americas, designed by San Antonio architect O'Neil Ford, was built as the theme structure of the 1968 World's Fair, HemisFair '68.

The tower is located in the middle of HemisFair Park and has an observation deck that is accessible by elevator for a fee. In addition, there is also a lounge and revolving restaurant at the top of the tower that provides panoramic views of the city.
*Excerpt from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_the_Americas

The feeling of fine dining is unfamiliar to us, but the oh-so-melts-in-your-mouth-delicious food, the sunset, the view, the rotating restaurant, made the prices definitely worth it!

The Alamodome, home of the Spurs.

Big Moon


Mac enjoying his lobster and steak.


Inverse sunset.

Night lights, slow shutter.

Moments you need a point and shoot camera. Hehehe. Taken by the waiter, using aperture priority. :P


From the viewing deck on top of the restaurant.

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More pictures from: http://flickr.com/iamkayan

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The Riverwalk, Texas

We went back to Riverwalk and rode their much recommended Tour Boats to show us some parts (and some history) of the river. It was 30 minute long but I did not get a good shot of it. Or perhaps did not find a lot of interesting shots. I was really anticipating the night shots because what they did to the San Antonio River area (AKA Riverwalk) is absolutely amazing.It does bloom into a charming place at night!

We were having a hard time looking for a good parking slot that we decided to drive back to the hotel and walk the whole 6+ blocks going to the Riverwalk to take some night shots. These are photos taken on the night of Pacman and Dela Hoya’s DREAM Fight. We were planning to drive 30 minutes away from downtown just to watch the fight for free at some bar but at the end my husband did not like to drive that long after walking around the Riverwalk area for more than 1.5 hours already. We did try to check out bars along the river but no one seemed to be showing the fight in this classy area. (Anyway, we were able to watch it online for free! Woopee!)

Okay going back to the Riverwalk blog...here are some of my favorite photos:

This was literally at the corner of where we entered the Riverwalk strip. We got so excited with the view that we spent 15 minutes here taking photos, when we have a few more miles of even better lighting as we walk deeper into the strip.

This one was 10 meters from the previous photo. We spent another 10 minutes taking photos on this spot.

This is my favorite. :) I forgot what they call those lovely flowers though.

I had Mac stand under the spotlight under the bridge. I took the shot while the tour boat was passing by.

This shot I call the "Merry Christmas Photo." Hehehe.

For this one, there was too much mood lighting everywhere that the whole place turned into a beautiful red.

More photos from:

Pit Stop # 1

My birthday kicked off Amazing Race - Kayan & Mac version.

We woke up at 4:00 AM and were at the airport at 5:30 AM. The whole morning was spent at the airport, boarding the planes to our first ‘pit stop’ – Texas. 10+ hours later, no thanks to a 2 hour delay, we arrived in San Antonio. The weather was great. Not too cold, and just enough sun. Perfect for people like me who are still on tourist mode. ;)


Grabbed the rental car, stopped by the hotel to check in, and then went straight to find of course, what else, but FOOD.

We celebrated my birthday over a romantic dinner – steak and salmon. Yum yum! We picked a cozy restaurant overlooking San Antonio River. The area was really romantic, perfect for couples like us. Hehehe. The whole Riverwalk is a really lovely place; it felt like I was in a little village in Europe. The fact that the locals seemed to be light hearted and happy people did add to the charm. The wind was chilly but it didn’t stop me from ordering vanilla ice cream for dessert. Perfect way to end our date. =P

Meet the Packers

They came at 9:00 AM.

3.5 hours and 2.5 crates later, EVERYTHING has been packed and loaded in the truck. As the 'SBC Packers’ say it: “It’s simple, we pack anything!”

Goodbye sofa, goodbye bed, goodbye tv,

goodbye house…

Hahaha. Ang drama! ;)

‘The Packers’ will be moving our stuff to Guam while I and my husband will meet our stuff there later, at the end of this year. Counting the days!!! New year, new country, new home. Exciting! ;)

Now that we’ve moved out of our house, my husband and I have a 3-luggage-worth of stuff with us that should survive us until end of this year.

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Next week, goodbye kotse naman… :

Dun sa "Apple Picking-an"

One of my dream jobs is to own an orchard and harvest anything everyday for the rest of my life! ;) Went to Winchester Virginia to have a taste of that dream job and it was F-U-N! =D

Here are more tips on how you can enjoy apple picking:

1. Ramdamin ang mansanas.


2. Pang-gigilan ang mansanas kung kinakailangan.


3. Give in to your emotions Umiyak sa sobrang tuwa.


4. Ipikit ang mga mata habang ninanamnam ang tamis ng pulang mansanas.


5. Itodo ang kain habang namimitas ng mansanas.


6. Lumipat sa kabilang puno at ulitin mula simula.


Ngayon alam niyo na kung bakit kinagat ni Adan ang Mansanas ni Eba!!!

Acheche! ;)

waterMark my Word!

I was googling for some pictures when I accidentally came across a website of a friend of an acquaintance who published an album using all of the shots I took.

While I have no problem with sharing the photos I shot, a little credit or thank you would have been nice. All I am saying is, labeling your work may cost you additional time but sometimes it is worth it.

So from now on… I will watermark my work! ©2008

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(or at least I will try… hehehe)
;)

Something's Fishy in MD

Tagged along with the family as they went fishing at the Hog Point Recreational Fishing Area and Camp Sites in Southern Maryland.

It was a perfect day for fishing! The weather permitted a few days of summer-like heat (low 80s) in time for the long weekend (Columbus Day - Holiday). It was an hour's drive from where we live but I enjoyed the whole ride, especially for someone like me who finds happiness watching the foliage start to look like autumn; and the fact that I wasn't the one driving. ;)

It was a lot of “nature firsts:” first fishing experience, first time to see a snake swimming by the river, first time to see a bald eagle flying above the landscapes (they say flying eagles means lots of fish roaming around too =P). Even the first time I saw a real holly is not being taken for granted. Hehehe. Which should also remind us that Christmas is just around the corner...

Not one picture was taken of the actual fishing experience though. Do I dare bring the camera when there was a 60 degree slope going down the muddy river shore? Do I dare hold the camera while I had to slice bloody bloodworms (yes, with emphasis on blood) and strategically place them gently on the fishing hook as bait? Then take out the fishes caught by holding their shaking body and then carefully taking their mouth off the hook? N-O. No.

Fishing is FUN. But be forewarned: Bring your own photographer when you plan to do fishing yourselves. Hahaha!

I got great shots of the landscapes though. :) As my husband said, they only get great sunsets here in the east coast during fall season. Gotta love that fiery beach sunset! :)

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Sa uulitin!!! :P

Anecdotes of a Military Wife

· You unpack your things and at the same time get yourself ready for packing up again. Me and my husband love to travel. We keep our plans flexible so we would always be ready to adjust according to the blueprints and surprises that come with being in the military world. My husband received his orders early this year and we will be moving to one of the islands in the Marianas in a couple of months. Anothergreat adventure ahead! ;)

· It took 10 minutes to get my Military ID card, 5 minutes to enroll in Military Health Plan. Took 2 hours of waiting and 16 weeks of processing just to get a TIN from IRS.

· While we were jogging in the base, we had to make a 5 minute rest as the trumpets begin to play at exactly 5:00 PM (ahem 17:00 pala). Everything and everyone stops to pay respect to the flag retreat. You face towards where the sound comes from and wait for the national anthem. While it was a little weird for me, well, it was something new – listening to a familiar yet unfamiliar tune. The embarrassing part is the fact that I do not even know the words to that popular tune. Not that I need to sing, but because singing (even if it’s just in your head) makes any anthem an anthem. I just use that 5 minutes standing there watching my husband and waiting for the end of the hymn because that’s the only line I know for now. =P

· I absolutely love the Air Force logo! :)

· Communication revolves around thousands of acronyms. “TMO billets are located at all USMC Base/Station, MARFOR G-4 SMOs, MEFs, and FSSGs.” Amazing! :)

· You make the most out of the most normal lifestyle you can have for you know that the commitment they have being in the military could change everything anytime. They might go to some faraway unstable place and you have no choice but to prepare yourselves for it.

· I would get to know the people as Sgt this or Master Sgt that. The problem for someone like me is: 1. I am really really bad with remembering names, 2. All the more, I would not know their first name and calling them by their last name would seem disrespectful; 3. If I do decide to call them by their surname, I have to connect the correct rank to the correct surname. Someday I might need for my husband to discuss their org chart to me, visual aids always works for me. Then he should give me an exam.

· The base here in Maryland is where the Air Force One Hangar is. So far I’ve only seen Air Force Two, the one that is being used by the vice president. It was wonderful having to see all those different kinds of planes and fighter jets, parked or taking off, while having someone who can identify each of those and tell you stories about them too. It makes them all the more real.

· I get to shave my husband’s head because razor crew cutting is fun! An automatic 10 dollar barber shop savings for us. Hehehe!

Couch Patatas

Wow! The advantages of being a bum! :)

Though it’s been over a month now, I still haven’t gotten myself used to the channels nor have researched the schedules of the shows I wanted to watch.

I can be happy spending my whole day just watching Home and Garden TV where I get to see endless house renovations! Paint here, paint there, redesign this, redesign that, replant here, replant there. Woopee!

A Fan Deck is already included in my Bday/Christmas Wishlist:

However, when not watching HGTV, I usually spend at least 4 hours of my day catching up with shows I've missed. I just go to the ever-reliable network websites (which did not allow me to do so when I was in Manila since it is only allowed on US IP Addresses, hmp!) and catch up on the episodes of my favorite shows.

I get to watch Ugly Betty or Pushing Daisies from ABC. I also watch House on Fox. Heroes and 30 rock on NBC. Another on my queue is Desperate Housewives.

But wait, there’s more!

Thanks to our friends here, I also have Grey’s Anatomy Season 2 and 3, Sex and the City DVD (since the Manila movie version must have censored almost all the punchlines when it was shown there), and of course, Sarah Geronimo’s A Very Special Love DVD.

Make the most ouf of the freedom of having free time!

Wehehehe…

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Yes, I am very busy indeed. :P

Pansigang at TV

Wife: Anong gusto mong ulam mamaya?

Husband: Hmm, parang masarap sinigang.

Wife: Ay oo nga! Kaso wala tayong talbos at sili…

Husband: Eh di bibili tayo sa Filipino store.

A few minutes passed…

Husband: O, tara na.

Wife: Saan?

Husband: Bibili tayo ng pansigang tsaka TV.

:)

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Later that night, they were toasting over sabaw ng sinigang because of a newly bought 40” LCD HDTV.

Something About the Moon (Again)

The moon is unusually big here, it was impossible to resist the photo op. Although the moon shows the same face wherever we would like to see it; I guess the moon’s orbit is not a perfect circle, it is definitely closer in this side of the earth than from where I grew up. So therefore, the moon revolves around earth in a spherical orbit. Okay, enough of the nerd in me. Wehehe! =P

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Taken on September 16, 2008 from our porch.

10 Years, 11 Digits and 1 Number

In lieu of my upcoming 10^th anniversary with my cell phone number…

(Yes, I am very proud to announce that I got my first cell phone on 1998 and I still use the same number until now!!! Globe prepaid all the way!)

*** The Evolution of Kayan’s Cell Phone Units ***

Mitsubishi MT-20

Nokia 3210

Nokia 3650

Nokia 7260

Samsung E-730

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Globe Telecoms should give me an award, free phone, or something!!! This is a huge achievement especially for a public commuter like me. Hehehe... =P

Goodbye Bea

I've watched this trailer on TV maybe a good 5 times already and it never failed to leave a grinning smile on my face (grinning smile = kinikilig na nagpipigil smile).

I therefore conclude, I may be able to like John Lloyd but Bea was just really not my type.

I may also be able to conclude, I am a Sarah Geronimo fan. =P

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Calling the Kaladkarins!!! This is it!!! ;)

Aqua Net

What if your 2 year old niece decided to get a pen and do some doodling on your laptop? What do you do?

For demonstration purposes, I did some more doodling myself.

Feel free to do this at home. =P

1. You get a tissue paper or dry cloth.

2. You get the almost forgotten hair spray in your mom’s cabinet (no matter how old the bottle is)

3. Spray it generously on the doodles.

4. Count 1 to 5.

5. Wipe it out.

Tadaaaan! Good as new!!!

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Learned this trick from the show How Clean is Your House? It is most useful on our leather bags. Hehehe. The benefits of being a couch patatas. :)