Posting Holiday Pictures: Manila, December '08 - Muscat, January '09
This past December and January, I had a rather eventful holiday. So before I post photos from my last trip (to Dubai), let me post pictures from the latter and early parts of the last two months.
On the late night of Saturday, December 20th, I went to the airport for my Thai Airways flight to Bangkok. And that very same day, I had a presentation for one of my college modules (Varieties of English). So when I got home from school, I just prepared my few things then headed over to the airport. It was morning when I arrived at Bangkok where I took a Kuwait Airways flight to Manila. So I arrived at a rainy Manila on Sunday, December 21st, where I stayed for about a week and met with friends, played the piano* and reunited with my things.
On Monday, December 29th, I took the evening Thai Airways flight to Bangkok. I arrived at Bangkok pretty late into the night and checked in at the transit hotel. I was really tired so I was only grateful for the complementary Thai traditional massage. The next day, after being rather refreshed, I took the Thai Airways flight to Muscat. I had a lot of time at the airport after checking in so I managed to go around and buy some colourful toys, including souvenirs for my college pals. I arrived at Muscat on the evening of Tuesday, December 30th.
On Friday, January 2nd, just a day after New Year's, my folks and I went to the beach to relax in the afternoon. It also happened to be the day right before my first exam (English Language & the Media) and the 19th Gulf Cup inaugural match (between Oman and Kuwait). Oman disappointingly lost the match to Kuwait; however, they stunningly picked themselves up and went on to win their next two matches (against Iraq then Bahrain) until they won the semifinal (against Qatar) and final (against Saudi Arabia, by penalty kick). After two consecutive years of coming in second (almost coveting the Cup), they finally made it and now the Cup is theirs! As I type this, there was a victory parade to display the Cup they worked so hard for. Congratulations to the Oman national football team!
Another famous personality deserves to be congratulated. Today was Barack Obama's inauguration as the 44th President of the United States. His campaign revolved around a message of change. In the next four years, will there be a significant change in administration, in economic and foreign policies and in anything else that matters? We shall see.
Finally, the pictures from my December-January holidays...
Worlds Apart
left photo: A cloudy and rainy Manila. Taken from the Madrigal entrance of Alabang Town Center in Alabang.
right photo: Sunny Muscat. Taken from a commercial area walkway at Qurum Beach.
These pictures were taken on Wednesday, 24th December 2008 and Friday, 2nd January 2009 respectively.
Christmas at Manila
Alabang, Muntinlupa City, Metropolitan Manila, Republic of the Philippines
Wednesday the 24th and Saturday the 27th of December 2008
.
Mall Activity
Inside Alabang Town Center, by the food court.
In the right photo is a stand of Goldilocks, the popular local bakery and pastries chain.
More Mall Sightings
left photo: Waffle Time at the food court. Hotdog, tuna, Bavarian cream, chocolate, bacon, ham 'n' cheese and whatever other filling
inside a waffle shaped like a big hotdog. This is my little brother's favourite.
right photo: Filipino barong and suits on display at the tailor shop's window.
Christmas [Eve] at Alabang [Town Center]
far left photo: A view of Corte de las Palmas, my favourite part of 'Town', with its giant Christmas tree.
middle and far right photos: Bizu, all decked out for the Yuletide season. My friends and I have gone here for wonderful breakfast and dessert.
Saturday, 27th December 2008
Snapshots of Corte de las Palmas with its huge Christmas tree from the window of Powerbooks.
It was to be a reunion of three of us from the global cronies. Pat and I were waiting for Ysabel.
.
Post-breakfast/brunch at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
We had breakfast/brunch at Bizu! We then headed to CBTL for hot drinks and a little spider appeared on the umbrella pole in front of Ys. :)
Getting a Picture of a Passing Couple
left photo: I was covering my head (so I wouldn't be in the picture, of course!) when Pat tried to get a picture of a passing weird-looking couple.
right photo: And caught! That's the very odd-looking couple over there. A white man with tattoos and *gasp* some Filipina with artificially-coloured
(or was it a wig, ha ha) blond hair and wearing a scandalously revealing attire- super short shorts/skirt and a hanging and fitting top.
She also had armbands or something. So much for modesty and style. She didn't even really look good in what she was wearing. Meh.
Morning View from the Transit Hotel in Bangkok
Pictures taken from my room balcony at SP Power Lodge, Bangkok, Kingdom of Thailand
Tuesday, 30th December 2008
And I'm back in Bangkok after having spent the night, before a daytime flight to Muscat.
left and right photos: A street food vendor, some customers and a couple of dogs.
I think ever since I started staying at that transit hotel and looking out from the balcony in every morning I was there,
I saw the same vendor with his food cart and rising smoke. It was also the Thai new year that day.
Post-New Year's Coffee at Qurum
Il Gelato di Bruno, Qurum Beach, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
Friday, 2nd January 2009
So that weekend, my folks and I went to have coffee by the beach. My mum and I got cappuccinos from this Italian place called Il Gelato di Bruno, which was right next to Costa Coffee from where my dad got his americano. Before and after my cappuccino arrived, I took pictures of the sunny and laidback surroundings...
Pink Winter Flowers
And just right behind them is a view of the sea.
Overlooking the Beach
How fantastic is it for a coffee shop goer to have a beachfront view?
Kids on the Beach
These two girls were playing with their coloured plastic toys on the beach sand.
Red 'n' White Flowers
And tall coconut trees.
The Two Girls Playing
Clearly, I loved taking pictures of these little girls.
Of Beachside Establishments
The commercial area walkway overlooking the beach.
In the far left photo is a giant ice cream with a sign pointing to Il Gelato.
An Omani Kid Decides to Check out the Sea
A little Omani boy in dishdasha who wanted to thoughtfully gaze at the sun-kissed ocean.
A Bird up in the Coconut Tree
Muscat would be heaven for birdwatchers. So many birds of different colours, sizes, species and origins!
That bird up there was a little one, who flew away too soon.
.
The Little Omani Boy Turns around...
.
...Then Looks at the Ocean Again.
And tries not to step on the flowers.
The Multi-coloured Flowers by the Sea!
How many colours can you see on this flower bed!?
Going to Qurum Beach and Watching the Match
Qurum, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
Saturday, 10th January 2009
On the day before my fourth and final exam for the semester (Principles of Translation), my folks and I again headed to Qurum beach where we walked on the sand, then my folks had tea and I had a cappuccino at a beachside coffee shop, not far from where we had our Il Gelato/Costa coffee. It also happened to be the evening of Oman's Khaleeji 19 football match against Bahrain, the last match they had before the semifinal. So we stayed at the coffee shop, where they had a large screen, and we watched.
Blue and White Scenes
far left and middle photos: Our villa has been a construction site for some time now.
I think it's been under construction ever since I started school. They're building the second floor and roof top.
far right photo: A bird on the beach. And rather close to the water. I think it liked getting wet. :p
A Lone Boat
I wonder who left this boat behind. I would've maybe gone to steal it. Ha ha!
And Yes, We Watched the Game! Football Fever!!!
left and right photos: The Omanis watching the football match on the large screen of the outdoor coffee shop.
far right photo: And Oman won! It was the first time I witnessed the state of the streets after the national team won a match.
Football fans dressed in costumes with the colours of the flag and riding on top of cars continuously beeping their horns!
So that was almost it for my eventful December and January. I still have yet to post pictures from Dubai! That will be a long one and I think I'll need a separate entry for the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon.
Yes, this year, I actually went to the Dubai Marathon and supported my fellow Muscat Road Runners! A marathon entry more involved and personal, and perhaps better detailed and more accurately accounted, than last year's will grace the page of this blog in the future.
Until then!
*I did mention I played the piano while I was at Manila. So thankfully, I was able to get some impromptu videos and on-the-spot acoustic recordings of some of my old and of my new stuff. They are on my YouTube and my SoundClick. :D
On the late night of Saturday, December 20th, I went to the airport for my Thai Airways flight to Bangkok. And that very same day, I had a presentation for one of my college modules (Varieties of English). So when I got home from school, I just prepared my few things then headed over to the airport. It was morning when I arrived at Bangkok where I took a Kuwait Airways flight to Manila. So I arrived at a rainy Manila on Sunday, December 21st, where I stayed for about a week and met with friends, played the piano* and reunited with my things.
On Monday, December 29th, I took the evening Thai Airways flight to Bangkok. I arrived at Bangkok pretty late into the night and checked in at the transit hotel. I was really tired so I was only grateful for the complementary Thai traditional massage. The next day, after being rather refreshed, I took the Thai Airways flight to Muscat. I had a lot of time at the airport after checking in so I managed to go around and buy some colourful toys, including souvenirs for my college pals. I arrived at Muscat on the evening of Tuesday, December 30th.
On Friday, January 2nd, just a day after New Year's, my folks and I went to the beach to relax in the afternoon. It also happened to be the day right before my first exam (English Language & the Media) and the 19th Gulf Cup inaugural match (between Oman and Kuwait). Oman disappointingly lost the match to Kuwait; however, they stunningly picked themselves up and went on to win their next two matches (against Iraq then Bahrain) until they won the semifinal (against Qatar) and final (against Saudi Arabia, by penalty kick). After two consecutive years of coming in second (almost coveting the Cup), they finally made it and now the Cup is theirs! As I type this, there was a victory parade to display the Cup they worked so hard for. Congratulations to the Oman national football team!
Another famous personality deserves to be congratulated. Today was Barack Obama's inauguration as the 44th President of the United States. His campaign revolved around a message of change. In the next four years, will there be a significant change in administration, in economic and foreign policies and in anything else that matters? We shall see.
Finally, the pictures from my December-January holidays...
Worlds Apart
left photo: A cloudy and rainy Manila. Taken from the Madrigal entrance of Alabang Town Center in Alabang.
right photo: Sunny Muscat. Taken from a commercial area walkway at Qurum Beach.
These pictures were taken on Wednesday, 24th December 2008 and Friday, 2nd January 2009 respectively.
Christmas at Manila
Alabang, Muntinlupa City, Metropolitan Manila, Republic of the Philippines
Wednesday the 24th and Saturday the 27th of December 2008
.
Mall Activity
Inside Alabang Town Center, by the food court.
In the right photo is a stand of Goldilocks, the popular local bakery and pastries chain.
More Mall Sightings
left photo: Waffle Time at the food court. Hotdog, tuna, Bavarian cream, chocolate, bacon, ham 'n' cheese and whatever other filling
inside a waffle shaped like a big hotdog. This is my little brother's favourite.
right photo: Filipino barong and suits on display at the tailor shop's window.
Christmas [Eve] at Alabang [Town Center]
far left photo: A view of Corte de las Palmas, my favourite part of 'Town', with its giant Christmas tree.
middle and far right photos: Bizu, all decked out for the Yuletide season. My friends and I have gone here for wonderful breakfast and dessert.
Saturday, 27th December 2008
Snapshots of Corte de las Palmas with its huge Christmas tree from the window of Powerbooks.
It was to be a reunion of three of us from the global cronies. Pat and I were waiting for Ysabel.
.
Post-breakfast/brunch at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
We had breakfast/brunch at Bizu! We then headed to CBTL for hot drinks and a little spider appeared on the umbrella pole in front of Ys. :)
Getting a Picture of a Passing Couple
left photo: I was covering my head (so I wouldn't be in the picture, of course!) when Pat tried to get a picture of a passing weird-looking couple.
right photo: And caught! That's the very odd-looking couple over there. A white man with tattoos and *gasp* some Filipina with artificially-coloured
(or was it a wig, ha ha) blond hair and wearing a scandalously revealing attire- super short shorts/skirt and a hanging and fitting top.
She also had armbands or something. So much for modesty and style. She didn't even really look good in what she was wearing. Meh.
Morning View from the Transit Hotel in Bangkok
Pictures taken from my room balcony at SP Power Lodge, Bangkok, Kingdom of Thailand
Tuesday, 30th December 2008
And I'm back in Bangkok after having spent the night, before a daytime flight to Muscat.
left and right photos: A street food vendor, some customers and a couple of dogs.
I think ever since I started staying at that transit hotel and looking out from the balcony in every morning I was there,
I saw the same vendor with his food cart and rising smoke. It was also the Thai new year that day.
Post-New Year's Coffee at Qurum
Il Gelato di Bruno, Qurum Beach, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
Friday, 2nd January 2009
So that weekend, my folks and I went to have coffee by the beach. My mum and I got cappuccinos from this Italian place called Il Gelato di Bruno, which was right next to Costa Coffee from where my dad got his americano. Before and after my cappuccino arrived, I took pictures of the sunny and laidback surroundings...
Pink Winter Flowers
And just right behind them is a view of the sea.
Overlooking the Beach
How fantastic is it for a coffee shop goer to have a beachfront view?
Kids on the Beach
These two girls were playing with their coloured plastic toys on the beach sand.
Red 'n' White Flowers
And tall coconut trees.
The Two Girls Playing
Clearly, I loved taking pictures of these little girls.
Of Beachside Establishments
The commercial area walkway overlooking the beach.
In the far left photo is a giant ice cream with a sign pointing to Il Gelato.
An Omani Kid Decides to Check out the Sea
A little Omani boy in dishdasha who wanted to thoughtfully gaze at the sun-kissed ocean.
A Bird up in the Coconut Tree
Muscat would be heaven for birdwatchers. So many birds of different colours, sizes, species and origins!
That bird up there was a little one, who flew away too soon.
.
The Little Omani Boy Turns around...
.
...Then Looks at the Ocean Again.
And tries not to step on the flowers.
The Multi-coloured Flowers by the Sea!
How many colours can you see on this flower bed!?
Going to Qurum Beach and Watching the Match
Qurum, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
Saturday, 10th January 2009
On the day before my fourth and final exam for the semester (Principles of Translation), my folks and I again headed to Qurum beach where we walked on the sand, then my folks had tea and I had a cappuccino at a beachside coffee shop, not far from where we had our Il Gelato/Costa coffee. It also happened to be the evening of Oman's Khaleeji 19 football match against Bahrain, the last match they had before the semifinal. So we stayed at the coffee shop, where they had a large screen, and we watched.
Blue and White Scenes
far left and middle photos: Our villa has been a construction site for some time now.
I think it's been under construction ever since I started school. They're building the second floor and roof top.
far right photo: A bird on the beach. And rather close to the water. I think it liked getting wet. :p
A Lone Boat
I wonder who left this boat behind. I would've maybe gone to steal it. Ha ha!
And Yes, We Watched the Game! Football Fever!!!
left and right photos: The Omanis watching the football match on the large screen of the outdoor coffee shop.
far right photo: And Oman won! It was the first time I witnessed the state of the streets after the national team won a match.
Football fans dressed in costumes with the colours of the flag and riding on top of cars continuously beeping their horns!
So that was almost it for my eventful December and January. I still have yet to post pictures from Dubai! That will be a long one and I think I'll need a separate entry for the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon.
Yes, this year, I actually went to the Dubai Marathon and supported my fellow Muscat Road Runners! A marathon entry more involved and personal, and perhaps better detailed and more accurately accounted, than last year's will grace the page of this blog in the future.
Until then!
*I did mention I played the piano while I was at Manila. So thankfully, I was able to get some impromptu videos and on-the-spot acoustic recordings of some of my old and of my new stuff. They are on my YouTube and my SoundClick. :D