Friday, November 30, 2007

Belgium awaits

Alan and I are both very excited about our forthcoming holiday trip to Brussels. I’ve started reading up on the trip and I’ve found that besides Flemish, most Belgians speak French and English. I am all the more inspired to on with my attempts at learning French. I’m trying, I’m trying!

Meanwhile, my visa application is now with the Belgian Consulate and they told me it should be out in 2 weeks. There were no lines and I came ready. I have the brochures I’m supposed to read and just reading about the calendar of events gets me all excited because Belgium seems to be very big on Christmas…

I am also eager to browse the pages of Virtual Tourist whihc had been such a treasure trove of information for my last trip to Paris and my side trips to Versailles and Chartres. It’s a very informative site which gives you first-hand information without the hardsell. The entries can also be very detailed delving into points which would otherwise be glossed over by the travel books. And best of all, it’s all free!

I’m still searching for my rice cooker and I’m trying to decide which vacuum food container I should get. Although Angel is now a little more adventurous with the food he eats, I don’t want him not eating well because we couldn’t find a suitable place to get some white rice from. We encountered difficulty right in Maine where we had to search for the Chinese restaurant in town to give Angel his fill of “kanin-rice”. I just don’t want to take the chance in Europe.

I’m eyeing something from Walmart or Target — I’ll get it soon.

Posted by PINAY NEW YORKER at 00:12:28 | Permalink | No Comments »

Friday, November 16, 2007

Homecoming 2008

My sister wrote me an e-mail and was asking if I was coming home over the holidays.  It somehow pained me to say no — even if I knew I would eventually make it home sometime next year as we are planning a trip home definitely sometime in the first half hopefully.

So many things are in the way right now although it would’ve been ideal to go home over the holidays.  Unfortunately, the fares are prohibitive and they had closed out early.

I still dream of one day celebrating Christmas in Manila again.  It has been 7 years since I last did that. 

Posted by PINAY NEW YORKER at 17:29:55 | Permalink | No Comments »

Where have I been?

I haven’t been blogging as much as I have wanted to this past couple of days.  I’ve been busy, I’ve been doing other things, and I usually cannot access the blog from work.  For some reason, today I can.  (Hooray!)

So what’s the Pinay New Yorker been up to?  I’ve been busy at work, back to knitting scarves (finished two projects in the last four weeks and now working like crazy on a third!), slowing down on the scrapbooking (for now), and trying to get started with the holiday preparations.  I’m also trying to study French again.

It’s a week to Thanksgiving, and while we aren’t hosting the luncheon at our home, we have to do our part in putting together a feast for the Gonzalez-Lacsamana clan.  I have a pretty light week next week so I am not even sweating about that.

We’re also trying to get ready for a holiday trip between Christmas and New Year — just to do something different as a family.  (More on that later..)

I have put up my Christmas tree here in the office. Bringing the holiday in cheer early.  Back at home, my mother-in-law brought home some Christmas decor for the corner dollar store.  She said she didn’t want them running out before we got our share as the other old ladies have started buying.

Meanwhile, I’m renewing my passport and trying to get another visa.  (Picture in pink coat taken!) 

I’m trying to read Joel Osteen again.. (Haven’t been reading at all which really has me stumped!)

Getting there.. getting there…

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Brussels not Paris

We are getting ready to go to Brussels for our after-Christmas sojourn this year.  I was kind of hoping to do a third trip to my favorite city but the fares just went skyhigh while Brussels remained reasonable.  Would you believe that it would be cheaper for us to go to Brussels than do an Orlando trip?  Isn’t that crazy?!

So I’ve started trying to learn French (for the nth time).  Reminds me of how I went through the same basics when I dabbled in Spanish as part of our senior year curriculum in high school.  AAaaaarrrrggghhhH!!!!  It’s not quite as difficult, though, considering that I want to learn French.  It’s just that it takes some effort to do it. 

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Wednesday, November 7, 2007

A year since my last time in Paris

It was towards the end of November that I was in Paris last year and I am thinking now that the City of Lights must be getting ready to get all decked out in holiday decor. It feels so much more festive there because Christmas is celebrated as Christmas — not just a holiday depending on one’s religious persuasion.

Here in New York, cultural diversity has made for a politically-correct way of celebrating the season which only makes me miss Manila all the more.

Right now we’re getting ready for Thanksgiving. After that, I will put up my holiday decorations. That’s something I am looking forward to because I am sure the little tyke will want to help.

But I’m thinking Paris, and if we can find ourselves a good deal, I look forward to seeing Champs Elysees all lit up again, and the gaily decorated windows of Printemps, Galleries Lafayette and Le Bon Marche. (Take note that shopping in those stores is not part of the plan…). Hopefully between Christmas and New Year… That is my wish.

Posted by PINAY NEW YORKER at 14:05:33 | Permalink | No Comments »