Christmas Wishing at My Age...

Before I get too busy with the hustle and bustle, let me usher in this season with my favorite Christmas song... Yes, as cliche as it may sound, this is...

My Grown Up Christmas List

Do you remember me
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you
With childhood fantasies

Well, I'm all grown up now
And still need help somehow
I'm not a child
But my heart still can dream

So here's my lifelong wish
My grown up christmas list
Not for myself
But for a world in need

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
and wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown up christmas list

As children we believed
The grandest sight to see
Was something lovely
Wrapped beneath our tree

Well heaven only knows
That packages and bows
Can never heal
A hurting human soul

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown up christmas list

What is this illusion called the innocence of youth
Maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth
(there'd be)

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end, oh
This is my grown up christmas list

This is my grown up christmas list

How Old Am I Again? (and Other Things I Forgot in Hong Kong Disney...)

It is exactly a year ago when I went to Hong Kong and totally forgot my age (among other things - stress at work, panic attack on getting older, social frustrations, etc...) at the HK Disney. It was my 2nd time in Hong Kong (went there in 2000 with my sisters, Ruby and Rowee) but still, I enjoyed this trip tremendously. Because this time, I brought along my "baby", Neigel... It's always good to travel with kids. Because their sense of awe and wonder infects you, and you tend to get as fascinated with the place and the experience yourself...

Highlight of this 3-days trip:
Walking out of HK Disney after the awesome fireworks display to close the day, Neigel, in his 9-years-old, still-childlike-innocence-and-honesty said to me, "Tita, hinding-hindi ko na makakalimutan 'tong araw na 'to sa buong buhay ko..." (Tita, I'll never ever forget this day for the rest of my life...) Wow! As in, WOW!!! That, of course, made Tita cry... Haha... That moment alone was well-worth the whole trip and the Pesos 80,000 I got myself so deep into debt with...

In celebration of the 1st Anniversary of our HK trip, I'm posting here short accounts and pics of our 3-days, 2-nights... Enjoy!

DAY 1: November 13, 2006

Getting there...

Neigel's first plane ride...

Arrival at the Hong Kong International Airport... At the Disney Hollywood Hotel in Lantau Island...

A day at Hong Kong Disney...

The Disney Castle...

With Neigel's favorite Disney character, Buzz Lightyear...

And his favorite ride...

The Disney Parade on Main Street...

The Disney shops...

Climbing Tarzan's Tree House...

My favorite of all the HK Disney attraction, The Lion King Musical...

The spectacular lights and fireworks show to end the day...

Walking out of Disney after a long, tiring, but happy, happy day...

DAY 2: November 14, 2006

From Lantau to Kowloon

Commuting by train from Disney Resort on Lantau Island to mainland Kowloon...
Ocean Park... for Another Hong Kong experience for Neigel...

Just had to bring my baby to Ocean Park as well...

The dolphin, whale, and sea lion show...The huge underwater aquarium...
Neigel has always been fascinated with dinosaurs...

Enjoying the cable car ride in Ocean Park...

Exploring Kowloon by foot after getting back from Hong Kong island...

The HK Museum of Art...

Hong Kong Space Museum

DAY 3: November 15, 2006

The Half-day City Tour...

Accross Victoria Harbour on a cold, windy morning...

At the Avenue of Stars...

Jackie Chan's Star of Fame...

A city tour of HK will not be complete without you being literally forced into a jewelry factory by your tour guide...

Bargain Shopping at the Mongkok District

Eating authentic beef mami noodles in Mongkok

Going home after 3 Days and 2 Nights...

At the HK International Airport Departure Area

Home, at Last...

The welcoming committe... mama Ruby and shobe Nadine at the NAIA...

Soaring with Music... (Part 2)

This is the instrumental version of Magolpy's "Girl In Flight"... Just close your eyes and listen with your heart and see if you can keep your spirits from flying off and soaring to the heavens... Enjoy!

The Best Commercial I've Seen in a While...

Ok, so I admit... I don't really get to watch regular TV anymore (except for some shows on the Korean channel, Arirang)... But I chanced upon this commercial on the Discovery channel while in a hotel in Cagayan De oro last week... And it made me cry... Brilliant work of McGarryBowen (NY)... Music by Paul Leonard-Morgan...

Soaring with Music...

"Girl In Flight" by Korean artist, Magolpy... I just love this song... I've yet to find the English translation and the meaning of this song... But I just love the melody and the beat so much... It makes me want to soar to the skies... Love the video too... And that cute girl... She actually made me cry...