In Absentia

I never realized how internet-dependent I was (yeah, right!) until we lost our internet connection. It was around a week ago when I realized that the WIFI of our neighbor was not working. Strangely enough, I was able connect (meaning the source did not ask for a Network Key [or WEP] of some sort), but the computer wasn’t able to receive anything.

The first thing that came to my head was their server is down…kasi diba kung hindi na ako pwede mag-access ng internet, dapat hindi na ako makakapasok? Pero nakakapasok naman ako, Very Good pa nga yung signal e. Kaso nga lang, wala akong natatanggap. Anyone who can share their thoughts on this? Maybe you can help me? It has been a week or so since our last internet connection (via WIFI). Please (pretty please), e-mail me or reply to this entry (please don’t use the tagboard – I might not be able to see it in time).

Hayyyy how upsetting. Feeling na tuloy naming, parang Big Brother na kami: no communication to the outside world!!! Anyway, I’m giving this a week more, hopefully it will be fixed by then. In the meantime, I will depend on kind neighbors and friends who will let me use and abuse their facilities.

Went to Catania, Sicily for the weekend… will write about it soon!

B(lo)ody Plumpin'

To continue with my previous post, Cuccina-io Cuccina-yeah wanna plump your body baby, here are some pictures of my daily routine:

Here I am cooking lunch while Annie washes the dishes

Photo-op muna bago mag lunch

I promise I won't cook tonight. (Yeah, right!) Tangna ang taba ko na.

Finalmente, i fotografie!

And now I present i bursisti (the scholars):

Clockwise from L-R: Annie Luis, Jerome Sanchez, Me, and Micki Poso.

Since Reggio Calabria is surrounded by the sea, here are some pictures of.. what else...

Well, more to come. Haha tamad na ako mag upload. Sorry. More can be seen at my multiply site.

Cuccina-io Cuccina-yeah wanna plump your body baby

(Please sing to the tune of... I forget the title... please messsage me if you know.

If there's one thing I hate about Italy is cooking is so enjoyable!!! In the Philippines, I try to avoid cooking, mainly because the heat and the humidity make it more like a chore than something enjoyable (besides, that's what cheap labor forces are for.. evil). But here, ahhh mannaggia, with the cold and the rich ingredients, I can't help but cook.

I also like cooking here because it relieves me of dishwashing duties. I loathe dishwashing and I try to avoid it as much as I can. So, being the escapist that I am, I choose the chore I would rather do, which is cooking.

So for the past week that we've been here, I've been busting my ass in front of the stove. And, surprisingly, they turn out to be quite tasty. They're not five-star-restaurant quality, but they're comfort food, which is probably worse because one cannot help but gorge down (chow = ciao hehe corny) comfort food. BOO!

So, in effect, after one week of staying here -- after a week of experimenting, eating, eating a lot, and the siestas in between, we have, sad to admit, expanded our stomachs (and so much more). We've already heard from two Italians that we have gained weight! Ahhhh Managgia!!! Ci siamo ingrassati! (literal translation: we have fattened ourselves up!)

Kabobohan at kabobohan

I forgot to lock my keypad before putting it in my bag.. and guess what!!! It sent messages to Raf... They were Mothers' Day messages pa to Raf. Major engeng... so, Handy Dandy tip #4: ALWAYS LOCK YOUR KEYPADS!!! I just spent 200 bucks sending good-for-nothing messages!!!! Ahhhh mannaggia.. sono come un pollo!

Happy Mommas' Day

Happy Mothers' Day to all the Mothers, sick-and-tired-of-being Mothers, retired Mothers, GrandMothers, Great GrandMothers, soon-to-be Mothers and wannabe Mothers. I hope you enjoy your very special day.

Will upload pictures soon, promise!

So far, so good

Today is our fourth day here in Reggio Calabria, and so far, everything is A-O-K. We've been trying to live as normally as possible, which I think is difficult considering that our life is well, surreal.

We've already started with our classes, but first, we had to take a diagnostic exam to gauge our proficiency in Italian. Since I only had minimal formal education, the rest was experience (nak),I stuck to basic Italian. Besides,it has been years since I really learned the language, grammar et al.

Our daily schedule is like this: Our classes are 9-10.30, 11-12.30. I usually wake up around 6 to cook and prepare breakfast. Cook, you say? Yes, I am the cook. I cook and cook and cook, three meals a day. Shocking to believe, even my own mother is astonished, but yes, I cook. I have been cooking, loving it and cooking some more.

We usually get home around 1.30 and I cook lunch. Since most of the stores are closed 1-5 pm, I lounge around the house, do chores and what-not. I discourage myself from going out because going out = spending. I even discourage myself from going to the Chinese clothing store (abbigliamento) downstairs even if sweaters cost 6 Euros, and jackets 10.

Classes are ok, Annie and I are taking basic Italian, whereas Michelle is taking Intermediate and Jerome is taking Advanced. Oh, before I continue, here is a picture of us four.

Ay, ayaw gumana nung external hard disk ko. Next time nalang... to be continued...

FINALMENTE!

After 30++ hours of traveling, I am proud to say that we have finally arrived at our destination. The flight itself was so-so, I really wouldn't recommend China Airlines to anyone. The food was ok, but they don't have individual screens at the back of the seats (which is a big requirement for me).

Our layovers were pretty long, and it was very tiring, since we had to wake up from deep sleep to get out of the plane and what-not. In short, kakabitin yung tulog. I prefer Emirates over this, kasi sila at least tag 8hours yung biyahe.

So, we arrived at Reggio Calabria stinky, tired and groggy (well at least I can say that for myself). As for the others, who I will introduce in my succeeding entries, were ok. I guess they're better with coping than me. The association who organizes this scholarship met us at the airport and they brought us here, cooked for us.

The apartment we're staying at is quite huge. 3 bedrooms for 4 people is not bad at all. It's very spacious, plus there's a kitchen w/ dining, 1 1/2 bathrooms, and terraces outside our rooms. And it's a good thing the neighbor has WIFI. We're mooching off them right now.

Tomorrow is our day of rest. Tuesday we take a profiency exam for our Italian. O mio Dio, prega mi. Ho domenticato tutto di mio Italiano.

Dizizit!

This is it! I'm off to the airport... til my next entry... ci vediamo. :)

The Curse of the Bloody Mary

I've always thought that I have outgrown this curse. BOY AM I WRONG! This started when I was 16. A day before going to Boracay, I got... dendenden, my period!

Since then I've always had the Curse of the Bloody Mary. My theory is that because of the anxiety of the travel, the body has a difficult time coping with the stress, and voila, a day before, it suddenly releases hell in liquid form.

My trip last year also was such a hassel (not hassle, but HASSEL). I remember backpacking to Scotland with my period. I also had going home. Basta.HASSEL.

Sooooo.. after a month of waiting, right on the day before I leave, the crimson tide decides to gush in and grace me with its presence. Hayyyy stress.

Long-overdue Thanks

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my editor, and probably the only one patient enough to read this. Raf, not only are you the shoulder I lean on, the hand I hold, and the heart which mine belongs to, but you're also my best friend, my boyfriend and now my editor. I love you.



Sorry for the cheesy-weezy love shit. I am currently suffering from separation anxiety.

Of toilets and what-not

I just realized I revealed a little bit too much about myself in my previous entry, but since the damage has been done and I'm too lazy for damage control, I decided to write an entry about... (drum roll please...) TOILETS.

My trip last year has helped me with this little entry, and because of my strong feelings toward this great piece of ceramic craftmanship, this is for the weary travellers who have undecided little bottoms.

Most train stations and airports are ideal for the upset (stomach). Train Stations and airport WCs (or water closets for the Americanized) are big, spacious, and most important, clean. They welcome the tired traveller with open arms and sing, "Come on, abuse me, I'll like it" (borrowing from Silverchair's song, Abuse Me). This is great for those who cannot use cramped transport WCs to save their lives.

However, most train stations' wcs are monopolized by Mr. Clean, or Mc Clean, or the entire Clean family (sorry, I forget) who requires the exhausted traveller to shell out a few coins. So, handy dandy tip #3: bring lots of coins! for you never know when you'll need loose change. Ok, not a lot, but just enough for you to be able to use the toilets thrice.

If you're going around the city, I discovered that the best place, if you're really desperate, is to go to small, close-to-empty cafes. First, this is great because of my toilet theory: the less people inside, the lesser chance they'll use the toilet, ergo, more time for things to air out. Busy restaurants are definitely a no no!Second, it is highly probable that the employees use the same toilet, so cleanliness is guaranteed. Overall, however, most restaurants and cafes have clean, ready-to-sit-on bowls, so one wouldn't have a problem.

Of course, it is quite rude if one would just go in such venue and abuse its facilities. Ordering a cup of tea or a cup of coffee would do, but if you're having stomach problems it's better to stay off the caffeine and the cream for a while. Well, actually, tea will soothe one's protesting stomach. And, it's mandatory for one to leave a tip, it's just common courtesy. (Handy dandy tip #3 also applies)

Oh well.. if you have a stomach of steel or have a fixed schedule, I applaud and envy you. If you're like me, then, believe me, I KNOW what you're going through.

My two new best friends

I ran the last bit of my errands this evening (aka shopping) and I discovered two new best friends. To those who don't know me, my stomach and bowel movement have an intense love-hate relationship with the toilet, which, according to Raf is because I was not potty-trained properly when I was growing up. Anyway, everyone I know knows how mucked up (again, change the m to f) my stomach can get. Wait, I'm getting off track...

While buying my must-haves for the trip, I discovered my two new best friends: 1: Freshening Professional FLUSHABLE Toilet Seat Cleaner (sold at PCX) and 2: Plush BIODEGRADABLE Hygienic Toilet Seat Cover (sold at Watsons). Isn't technology amazing?!?!?? I got so excited when I saw these. I love them, I love them, I love them!!!!

For the future travellers out there, I highly recommend you buy a few packs of these for your trips. These come in handy-dandy travel-size packs and boxes, so they're practically weightless and easy-to-carry. The toilet wipes are individually packed, so you can remove them from its box and put them anywhere. So actually, these are really great for everyday use. Well, you never know when you'll have to go...