Jordie Sparkle

Right now it's pissing rain here on Boracay, which kinda defeats the purpose of the beaching and the sun.  So I'm holed up in an internet cafe, which means I can catch up on the blog!

If there's one thing that you can appreciate about Boracay, aside from the beautiful beach, it's the food.  The beachfront is like a 2.5km international food court - whatever cuisine you're craving, you can find it here.  Aside from Manila, it's probably the best place for food in the Philippines.  That being said, it's given me an even deeper appreciation of the food scene in Vancouver.  So far I've dined Indian, Japanese, Italian, German, Filipino, and New York style, and with the exception of Filipino (which could have been better), I've had better in Vancouver.  We should be proud :)

Confirming the food tour, all our family pictures have generally revolved around us eating.  That's just what you do here - eat, drink, and lounge on the beach!

Pictures will come soon :)

Good Day,

To all the mother's in attendance, Happy Mother's Day.



Good Night & Good Luck.

Right now I am in Boracay, a tiny island in the Philippines that boasts one of the most beautiful beaches in the world (White Beach).  At this moment I am tucked away in an internet cafe that overlooks the beach, which is just fine because it's pretty late at night here so there's nothing to really see.

But there's definitely lots to do!  The booming bass from the club next to us tells me that the nightlife scene is up and running.  Vince and I will be heading over to one of the local clubs in the next hour or so.

We just arrived in Boracay yesterday after an early morning flight (we were up at 3am to catch our flight at 5:30am), and spent yesterday mostly just wandering around the beach.  I've been here before, but I was surprised by the number of new shops, restaurants, and resorts that have popped up since I was here three years ago.  I didn't think it was possible to cram any more stuff into such a small space, but apparently when money calls the investors answer.  This place is also crazy busy because it's now holiday time for most middle to upper-class Filipinos.  Last time I was here it wasn't peak season so it was pretty quiet - I actually prefer it busy, there's more interesting things to do in the evening.  I also like the bustle of crowds from time to time :)

Our first three days in Manila were good; we spent the time with my aunt and uncle, Basion and Rene, their daughter Maga, and their friend Trudy and her son Gerome.  We did the mall thing, and took care of some important touristy errands, such as cashing travellers cheques.  Word of warning: if you ever plan on coming to the Philippines, DO NOT bring travellers cheques.  Major cases of fraud in the last couple of years has made most banks and moneychangers reluctant to cash them.

Okay, my time is up!  I will write again soon :)  Much love!

Just arrived in Manila late last night.  Traffic at the airport was a nightmare - it took our ride almost an hour just to get around the terminal to pick us up!  We're staying the Orchid Gardens Resort in Malate; the hotel was an old 1920's mansion, it's quite nice.  After breakfast we took a taxi to a relative's condo in Makati, which is where I am at this very moment.  Makati is the financial district, which basically means everything is expensive and you'll find the most expats here.  We feel right at home!

I didn't realize exactly how much I missed this country until I got here.  I actually do feel like I'm at home again.  I can't wait to start the actual travelling :)

Now to go malling.  Yes, "to mall" is a verb here.  That's pretty much what you do during the day if you're not working.  More updates will come later!

Hello good friends,

The blog is back! And it's even the same blog I used for my first trip to the Philippines, so if you were really keen to see what I did on my last trip there you could go all the way back to 2004/5 for a summary. For those of you who aren't so crazy/time-endowed, feel free to follow from this point on.

I have just finished packing with the organizational help of Shari and the moral support of Meghan (oodles of thanks ladies), and now am doing all the little frivolous things one does when they aren't inclined to sleep and are leaving the country in a matter of hours. My frivolous activities includes uploading additional albums to my iPod, picking books for the flight, writing last minute e-mails, and this journal entry.  Exciting times.

Misc. details of what's in store for the next few days:
-flight leaves 1:40pm today in Seattle (Seattle!? thanks Dad)
-flight path: Seattle to Seoul, Seoul to Manila. Total trip time: 17 hours...
-staying in Manila until May 9, then fly to Boracay for a week of resort/beach time.  glorious.

I'll be keeping you all posted.  tee hee.  Much love!

Camille

It's amazing how I spent six months in Glasgow and pretty much don't miss it at all but whenever I talk to someone I knew while I was living in Mallaig I'm filled with great pangs of homesickness. I only lived there for 10 weeks and yet the village became a part of me.

I'm in the process of applying to BCIT for the Medical Laboratory Technology program that starts in January 2009 (the application deadline is the end of May) and there's a summer break from June-August next summer. If I get accepted to BCIT then I am going back to the UK next June. Hopefully Alasdair will be able to come with me, and maybe Brie and/or Celine will be around Europe/London, but even if I go it alone a visit to Scotland in June 2009 will be my reward for a successful first semester back at school. If that isn't a goal, I don't know what is.

Does anyone read this anymore? If you do, and you see anything on this list that you'd like to do, let me know.

Things I really want to do this summer:

Go to Tofino (Pat booked a campsite for July!).
Hike Mount Gardener on Bowen Island.
Go camping somewhere else, preferably near a lake.
Hike Mount Garibaldi.
Hike the Grouse Grind at the start of the season.
Explore either the Sunshine Coast or Saltspring Island. This may involve cycling and camping or hostelling and travelling alone or travelling with friends and/or any combination of the above.
Rent a kayak and kayak around Jericho Beach/False Creek/Stanley Park.

I'm so glad I came home.