armed only with my passport, extensive toiletry kit and dream of seeing more of the world...

A Quick Trip to Indonesia

veragoesgallivanting — Sun, 27 May 2012 04:08:00 GMT

I stepped into Indonesian soil at exactly 1:55 PM in the afternoon of May 26, 2012 and all it took to get there was a seventy-peso taxi ride. This I did without leaving my own country. How is this even possible? You can literally be in foreign territory if you're inside an embassy.

I had decided barely a day before to join my friend Earvin for a ten-week Bahasa Indonesia class being offerred for free by the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Manila. The class will be held every Saturday for three hours for ten weeks, at the end of which all participants who attended at least 80% of the sessions will be presented with a certificate. I was not interested at first due to ridiculous reasons but later on realized that I had nothing to lose by learning a foreign language, especially when it's free of charge!

I was nervous and a bit shaky when signing the visitor's log. It was 5 minutes before the start of class and I was cutting it close. As soon as the guard handed me my visitor's ID, I made my way into the lobby where the class was to take place. It was a big relief when they announced that actual lessons won't start until the next meeting. Since it was the first day, we were treated to a program which was attended by the Education and Culture Attach. There were film clips and slides on Indonesia, with the films focusing more on the island paradise of Bali.

The overview was interesting but what really caught everyone's attention was the announcement that the top 5 participants would be rewarded with a cultural trip to Indonesia! My friend and I vowed to do our best and ensure that we make the top 5. For now, I'll have to content myself with the quick trips for the next 9 Saturdays and hopefully soon after I'll be heading to the actual place itself! Indonesia, here I come!

Photos: Phuket April 2012

veragoesgallivanting — Sun, 27 May 2012 02:40:00 GMT

Nine days in Phuket, Thailand

My Scholarship entry - A local encounter that changed my life

veragoesgallivanting — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:32:00 GMT

The midmorning heat greets me as I step off the van and into the pier. We join other travelers, faces and shoulders tanned and red from too much sun exposure. A stocky man in a sleeveless shirt ran to meet our group and hastily distributed round green stickers which we stick on our tops.
We are ushered into the shade and our guide, Britney, steps onto a plastic stool. She is slender and graceful with a pixie-cut hairstyle, almond shaped eyes, golden brown skin and a laughing smile made more obvious by the braces meant to realign her teeth. Clad in tiny denim shorts, a faded striped blue and white bateau-neck shirt with three-fourth sleeves and a soft faded red scarf hanging loosely around her neck, she quickly gave the audience an orientation to the day’s island-hopping activities, her high but pitchy voice belying her true sex. Tips on swimming and staying hydrated drew in laughter from the tourists as we set off for the day.
By midday Britney has donned a headband with a mug-sized plastic pineapple on top, nimbly walking in the hot powdery sand with a parasol in one hand while navigating around the gamut of tourists spread out on the beach. Later in another island, she has ditched the parasol for a tray of sliced watermelons and pineapples, lithely sashaying between beach umbrellas like a dancer, stopping by our reclined chairs and insisting on placing the slices of fruit in our mouth.
On the way back to the port, she dons a blue flight attendant’s costume as she and another host performed a dance number. As the tour came to a close, they said, “We’re happy that you’re happy.” The smiles of our hosts never wavered. Their eyes spoke genuine joy.
Only a day before the island of Phuket was shook by earthquakes and a tsunami warning sending a vast number of people to higher ground. Today it was business as usual with yesterday’s worries forgotten for now. Tomorrow would be the start of Songkran and I smile as I walk lazily towards the waiting van.