I seldom get the chance to talk to my friends and keep them up-to-date with what's going on with my life...
well, this is it. My online journal. Yah, another personal blog,just exactly what the world needs now. Let's be realistic, it's cheaper than overseas calls. Less tiring than novel-like emails.
About Me
Name: celgee Home: Philippines About Me: just read through my entries and you'll get to know me :) See my complete profile
The first thing that greeted me when I got back to my cube is the "Welcome Back, Home" sign that my teammates created. Followed by the constant teasing of what I have missed for the past 4-weeks and stories of how things were in the team, showbiz, latest couples, Grace's new bestfriend... Gosh. I have missed a lot.
Last September 1, Anna and Redge progressed to SE. They have organized a team lunch at Mr. Choi's with our former teammates as a treat. Too bad Christian wasn't able to join us (due to chicken pox)... It would have been exciting to hear about his new found group of friends. Blue said that Christian now only mingles with team leads in their new project. :) Aaron is still funny as ever.. I have missed our heart-to-heart sessions, and countless times we had to go down to the Cybergate ground floor to grunt about all sorts of things. Blue shared her "fondest" memories of her TL and manager. Stories just came pouring in... It has always been fun to be with this wacky bunch - I have only known most of them for a year, but it feels like I've known them for a very long time (must been due to the long hours, weekends and times we shared a place in Makati).
I was supposed to fly home last Sept 8, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, I was informed last Friday that I had to stay a week longer in Germany. Another week wasn't that bad.. esp. now that I have a friend to share a place with. :) A colleague from Manila arrived last Sept 9, for a 6-month assignment, and luckily, her place is big enough to accomodate me for the remaining days that I'd be in Germany.
Shenz and I had some fun adventures for the 5 days that we have lived together. Like our long talks while walking our way back to the flat(and missing our street)... or our grocery adventures, but my most funny memory with Shenz was on one night that I came home late from a nice dinner with Steffen and Kirsten. I was walking back and forth outside the flat trying to keep myself warm while she tried to look for the keys to open the door. After 20minutes of searching, she ended up assisting me to climb up the porch since she could not open the door. :) Hahahaha...
There's no place like home. It's true. I am used to working for 12 - 16hrs a day (or even 20+ on some very 'special' ocassions), but it is really depressing to come home to an empty room and feeling too tired to even cook or eat. I finally came to a realization that it is my family, Jp, my friends and teammates who are keeping me sane everytime I had to go thru stressful days. Even if everyone has been treating me nicely, and all I could see are wonderful sights... I longed to see them again. Though I know that they do not have answers I need, their presence give me strength to stand and face whatever it is that is troubling me head on.
Hmmm... A prelude of a life that is yet to come? Note to self: better start planning well, to mitigate the risk of ending up alone esp. if **outside my 'comfort zone' ;)
Every morning while going to the office, I would put on the song by Michael Buble... and wish that the next time I open my eyes, I'd be home (sweet home)... Can someone please hand me a pair of ruby slippers?
Home
Another summer day, Has come and gone away In Paris and Rome But I wanna go home
Maybe surrounded by A million people, I, Still feel all alone I just wanna go home Oh, I miss you, you know
And I've been keeping all the letters that I wrote to you Each one a line or two "I'm fine baby, how are you?" Well I would send them but I know that it's just not enough My words were cold and flat And you deserve more than that
Another aeroplane Another sunny place I'm lucky I know But I wanna go home Mmmm, I've got to go home
Let me go home I'm just too far from where you are I wanna come home
And I feel just like I'm living someone else's life It's like I just stepped outside When everything was going right And I know just why you could not Come along with me' Cause this was not your dream But you always believed in me
Another winter day has come And gone away In even Paris and Rome And I wanna go home Let me go home
And I'm surrounded by A million people, I, Still feel all alone Oh, let me go home Oh, I miss you, you know
Let me go home I've had my run Baby, I'm done I gotta go home Let me go home
It will all be all right I'll be home tonight I'm coming back home
After taking a short nap from a tiring escapade in the Amsterdam Centrum, we went to Scheveningen. A nice place to do what I love most - take pictures!!!! :) It would have been nice to take a swim at the beach but the cold, icy breeze made it difficult for anyone to run to the shore with their swimsuit on. I am really glad the weather is nice - sunny, yet not hot. :)
We had a buffet breakfast the 'The Twins'. After recharging our 'batteries' for hours of walking and shopping, we headed to the Pier, and of course, the walk to the pier was a bit longer than expected because we had to stop a couple of times to take pictures. It's a good thing that my friends aren't photophobic nor anti-pictures... otherwise, they might have thrown me to the beach. :) We have finally reached the pier. There were a lot of shops in the pier, souvenirs and various stuff - but the prices were quite high -- mostly intended for tourists. :) The view from the pier is breathtaking. Seeing the waves and the people took my mind off everything that I have fussing about, even for just a short while.
Immediately after the birthday celebration of Tita Helen and Tito Hans (Jannet's parents), we (Allan, Jannet, Kuya Beng and myself) packed up and headed to Amsterdam. We left Laudenbach at 6pm, and arrived in Amsterdam at around 11pm.
We then headed to De Wallen. It is the largest and well-known red-light district in Amsterdam (a major tourist attraction). After walking a couple of blocks, Jannet and I were slightly having a headache already from the smoke coming from the people having marijuana. It smells really bad... we weren't sure if we were having a headache because we were tired, or hungry or if it's because of the 2nd-hand smoke we have inhaled. We headed to a chinese place (Wok To Go) and while waiting for our food, it dawned on us (or was it Allan or Kuya Beng who told us?) that we were already got (contact) "high". Jannet and I were on a laughing trip just from the MJ smoke coming out of the shops or the people we've come across with. Jannet and I were laughing about almost every little thing we could notice. It was sooo funny. ;) Whew! Good thing we were back to our normal (?!?) selves after several minutes.
After eating, we went back to the famous red-light alleys. It is crossed by several canals having several (maybe hundred or so, but I didn't really count) tiny one-room apartments with female prostitutes (and some ladyboys) who offer special services (which is legal) from behind a window. You would actually see the beds inside the glass-door/window. They would just close the curtain if they are currently handling a customer. As much as I would want take pictures, I wasn't brave enough to ask if I could pay them for me to take a picture.
There were a lot of sex shops & theatres, peep shows, a sex museum, a marijuana museum, and a number of coffee shops offering various marijuana products and seed banks. Sorry I wasn't able to take pictures of the other shops or museums. ;)
After walking around for 3hrs, our eyes finally got tired of seeing the women on the windows and checking the shops, and called it a night :)
