Up in the air...with Thai Airways!

It has been ages since I updated this page!! This is sort of a diary and this is just to let my thoughts out so don’t expect an exceptional kind of writing….A lot has happened since I last posted and let me post about it next time (weh). 2014??? JUICECOLORED DAMI KONG PINAGDAANAN BESH (SA TRABAHO, SA PUSO, SA PAGKAKAIBIGAN, SA PAMILYA, SA KALUSUGAN. DAMI KO DING NAPUNTAHAN!!! CHECKED NA YUNG SOUTH CHINA SEA!!! SORRY I FORGOT TO TELL YOU MY DEAR DIARY)! Anyway, what happened is finished. Moving on to the purpose of this post...

Last month, prolly during my birthday week, the office asked if my passport was still okay because they’ll send me to Thailand at the end of the month. At first I was really hesitant (luh. ang arte ko forevs) because my mother’s birthday fell on one of those dates I was supposed to be away (I'm such a clingy daughter hahahah)…but with all her blessings, she said it was okay. There was also so much going on in the south and I was planning to go there but I realized this opportunity does not come often (and I was kind of stressed out with social media trolls, pseudo experts, and work at that time) so why not?! This could change my fate and maybe I'd become a lifestyle reporter....Hahahahahh JK. Anyway, let’s go.

I was sent out to join Thailand’s educational tour sponsored by Thai Airways and Tourism Authority of Thailand….so there, we have to relish every bit of Thailand (sometimes I really, sincerely, truly love my job!!!). I will not blog about the whole five-day trip because we had too many activities, so maybe separately. And I had interesting and inspiring people with me (I think ready na ako ipagpalit ang trabaho ko hahahahah jk), which also needs another separate blog post.  I will just describe our flight for now.

Thai Airways treated us with their Business Class seats…They call it Royal Silk Class. Well I’ve never been in one so this makes it my first time!!! Too bad the flight was only about three hours!! I'm always anxious during flights because I have fear of heights but this one...SOBRANG BITIN!!! First, I checked in early and so I was at the first row and at the window seat just the way I like it. Their baggage allowance is 40 kilos, in case you're curious.

We were on a Boeing 777-300— there is enough room for my legs to stretch, I think we can lie down up to 180 degrees if we wanted (I'm not sure) but I didn’t try (OA ah three hours lang). The crew were friendly. And my favorite part, the food:

That’s the menu…I tried a few wine and champagne just because I was excited….Hahahaha. I wasn’t really hungry during the flight because I had Jollibee before the flight and our lounge at the NAIA 1 also had plenty of food, too. They had an appetizer, light first course and a main course of your choice….They had cheese, fruits, tea, coffee, juice….and they are available as much as you want.

We could watch movies and listen to music (but I think the choices were a bit limited. I had a movie in mind but it wasn’t there….So I ended up watching London Has Fallen). The rest of the flight I just enjoyed the skies and tried to sleep. I had to enjoy the pillow and the blanket even for a short while.

What I also liked about it is you have your own outlet although I really didn’t need it at that time. Our lavatory also had designer scents and hand creams, which was really cool (but again it’s no big deal with me if it isn’t. It could be Watson's and I won't really mind hahahaha char).

Now I realized the importance of Business Class — I wish I could afford it when the time comes I will have long haul flights ala US and Europe (hahahaha kelan kaya pwe feelingera). Cheap flights are alright if you will fly domestic, but I now see why Business Class is also great deal. If comfort is important to you, that is. And you have a lot of money to spare (which I don't hahahah). On a second thought, I still feel at home and comfortable when I ride a Philippine C-130.

Thai Airways is a member of Star Alliance, one of the world’s largest global airline alliances. And by the way, Thai Airways' slogan is “smooth as silk”…which lives up to it. I hope I can fly with them again!!!

My stories about my trip are not yet finished...maybe I will just post the link once it's done!! Cheers!! 

China 2014

Last month I was privileged to do work for a week in China. It wasn't a big coverage, like trailing a President or whatever, but it sure expanded my perspective. It was also such a breeze not to have your editor to bug you for a week and you work at your own pace? I miss those China vibes. Anyway, it was fun and I would glad to be back. Nanning City is such a clean city and environment-friendly. I wish our country would learn from this city. Sharing some of the photos. 

Second life

This post is just to express (briefly) in writing how grateful I am for my second life. I've had a near-death encounter last month, and guess what, it is related with the first one.

So last month, I had abdominal pain which I thought was just gastritis that comes from time to time. That morning of May 7, I had that weird feeling in my tummy but I managed to come to work. By lunchtime however I could no longer eat and despite the meds the pain didn't go away. It went on until the next day even if I visited the hospital for relief the day before and I didn't stop throwing up. That was when I knew something was really wrong because I don't throw up because of gastritis.

It turned out I had intestinal adhesions. So what are these? When you've had a previous major abdominal surgery, you're in a great risk. Mine was ruptured appendicitis. WebMD says that adhesions are "bands of scar tissue that binds two parts of your tissue together when they should have remained separated."

In my case, my intestines tangled because of that previous surgery. It's an inevitable thing because I had a major operation before....and it will be like that for the rest of my life because I underwent surgery again. Last May 12, I had that surgery to untangle the kink!!! Well it wasn't that easy. Before the surgery, they put a tube on my nose for three days to let the bile pass out so I would stop throwing out. It's an SOP because it's way for relief and supposed to be a non-invasive treatment. But of course my luck is different that I needed surgery again. But that-- a tube on one side of your nose-- was just the grossest thing and the loneliest thing ever.

It was such a depressing time to be sick that I don't want to go through again. I am happy to be alive-- and yes, I was praying the whole time. I stayed in the hospital for nine days, and I wasn't allowed to eat on most days. This challenge was definitely harder than the first.

I am grateful for my friends and family. Recovery was faster than the first time maybe because I've been through it before and I know what kind of pain to anticipate. I am trying to take greater care of myself. God is good. Thank you Lord, the best and the greatest.

Mt. Pinatubo

Hello my dormant space in the web! Let me share photos from our Mt. Pinatubo trek last February. Sorry I haven't been updating. I've been lazy and busy at the same time with work and outside work. I wish I am one of those travel bloggers but I'm always in a hurry to be too detailed in my posts and second, I don't travel that much! Wala akong K. Huhuhuhu.

Anyway, my friends entertained MY idea of trekking several months back because we were all brokenhearted that time (uy, joke lang hehehehe). Pinagbigyan lang nila ako. This year, my highschool friends and I agreed that we should travel more and this was our first project. So we researched on Google, the go-to of everyone in the planet (with internet) and there were lots of blogs about Pinatubo already!! Yaaaay! This volcano in Luzon (which covers Tarlac, Zambales and Pampanga) erupted in 1991 and is said to be the second largest eruption in 20th century.

I've seen Pinatubo before but that was only when we rode the Sokol choppers of the Air Force. It was beautiful then but I also wanted to see it closer. I wanted to do the trek.

To get to the trek's jump off point, we rode a 4x4 truck for two hours somewhere in Tarlac very early(near Camp O'Donnell). Sorry if I will not go into details about this because this has been months ago and I have a poor memory. Ask me in person and I will ask my friends for our contacts. It was a bumpy ride but was a lot of fun!! The lahar from the eruption was a beautiful sight, though I don't think it's pretty when it rains as I imagine that it would be muddy. This is the very same lahar that killed thousands during the 1991 eruption.

Along the way, we met Aetas, the indigenous people living there. I've read in a blog that we will see Aetas on our way to Pinatubo so I brought them candies! When I was in college, I had a student Aeta for our National Service Training Program in Pampanga that's why I have a soft heart for Aetas. Naks, soft daw. Seeing them, I wish I had brought more than candies. I observed they needed slippers because most of them were barefoot. Huhuhuhu. So if you plan of going there, please bring slippers for the children. Bring as much as you can for these kids. Hehehehe.

This was my first time to trek and I didn't have any preparation except for my twice a week jog at Camp Aguinaldo for less than a month prior the trip. We had to walk for the next two hours under the scorching heat of the sun. It was only February but it was sooo hot and my bag, despite my efforts to travel light, was still heavy. My being 'lampa' also revealed itself at a few moments during the trek. Hahahahahaha.  I think my water bottles made my bag heavy. Bring your happy food!!! Thank you to our tourist guide, who is also an Aeta, for carrying some of our loads so it won't be that hard for us.

The view up there was BREATHTAKING. I was running out of breath when we reached the top of the volcano (hahahahaha). But I swear it was really worth it! But then we had to go down (not an easy trek again) to the crater. In the blogs that I've read, nobody mentioned that it would be this tiring. Ako lang napagod?! Bwahahahaha. This trip really tested my stamina huh. Not bad for a first time though.

This is my photo of the crater view before we went down to go closer. This was taken by about lunch time. No photoshop, filter whatever. Diba, ang ganda ganda? #itsmorefuninthephilippines! :)

By the time we were at the crater side, we were so hungry and we finally had our lunch. Grabeee ang sarap sarap ng adobong dala namin!! :)

While it was honestly tiring for my part, it was really worth it. When I saw this view I was reminded of God's greatness. Heaven on earth. Majestic. Magical. Who would have thought that this place is also capable of destruction?

There were many tourists at Pinatubo --both foreigners and locals. I think the best time to go is January to early March when it doesn't rain too often and there is still the northeast monsoon which brings the cold winds. It was cool near the crater but at the same time it was also hot because it was lunch time. I can imagine it would even be warmer during dry season. Of course you wouldn't wanna go when it's rainy season because from what I heard it's not allowed and also I heard that waters rise and it will be muddy. It is good that the place is well-maintained. Those who are more adventurous can also go overnight. There is no Globe signal, by the way. I'm not sure about other networks.

Too bad swimming and boating are no longer allowed because the depth of this crater is unknown it could be unsafe. So we had to be happy with splashing on the edge. Tampisaw lang eh ano magagawa natin?! It is said that the water on the lake is accumulated from the rains. My overactive imagination says it could have healing powers. Hehehehe. :)

Our way back to the jump off point was a breeze unlike when we were on our way up. But man my legs were swollen after but it's really, really worth it. The experience was even better because I was with my highschool friends. Here's to more travels, my girlies! So you think Pinatubo is for you? Go plan your trip now!! :)

It's Fertility Awareness Week!

My birthday month is almost ending (Whaaat. I know, sorry. No birthday post for me. I was too busy from disaster reporting caused by storm Maring and southwest monsoon which just ended. Thank you Lord, by the way. I got three pimples in the aftermath of that sleepless stormy coverage! May our country recover very soon) and next week is Fertility Awareness Week (Aug 25 to 31)!! I'm way too far from getting pregnant because 1) I dont have a partner. Duh. 2) this is still far from my plans anyway (very much not ready, thanks). But I was sent to a fertility awareness seminar for a coverage which I still can't understand why my editor assigned me at (her words: I always do things for a reason) and yet  I found it very informative and you know what, I actually enjoyed. Hence, I'm sharing it here. And also, I was the only reporter there and the rest were bloggers!! So feeling ko dapat i-blog ko din sya. Hahahaha. I suspect that my editor just wanted me to chill away from my beat. Pwede rin.

Anyway, pharma company Merck Serono collaborated with Asia Pacific Initiative on Reproduction and Philippine Society of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility to put up a website dedicated to couples challenged with infertility at www.fertilityphilippines.com

Infertility is the difficulty of conceiving a child after a year of unprotected sex, as per defined by an  OB at the event, Dr. Mark Ancheta.

I love babies more than you guys ever know, and I think the point of marriage is to eventually have babies in the future. Kaya nga family eh diba. So this post is dedicated to them who are having problems and those who are just curious! I don't want to go to the geeky parts and explain infertility factors here, just go to their website. Or I'll post the link of my story in our news website as soon it's published. Here's a video from Fertility Awareness Asia too!! :)