Be patient in this new world

“We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world”  by Hellen Keller

This is in response to the WOTD: Patient

The quote is so true isn’t it?

We learn from our mistakes.  If there’s a will there’s a way.  No pain no gain and so many other sayings.  This pandemic teaches us so many things in our lives.  How to be strong in these tough times.  How some of us become like a master chef or baker in our household without relying too much upon in takeaways or fast foods?  How to pray for our beloved safety and well being.  How to be kind to one another.  How to be tolerant about things we cannot control and accepted how it is.  Otherwise, you will only be miserable if you cannot accept defeat.  Life is in constant change.  We are facing a new life.  Be patient.

There is always a reason for everything and yes there are some positive outcomes of this world problem.  We learn how to be more hygienic or overdoing it at times just to protect our loved ones.  Our world started to heal from the pollution and the birds and other animals profited from it too.  If you love traveling like me, another positive outcome is you are now seatmate free as the seat in the middle will now be vacant for each passengers safety.  New Zealand is now on alert level 2 which means “almost” back to normal (apart from social distancing, proper good hygiene, and “being kind” as what the PM always telling on her media interviews. The tourism industry is now being pushed forward after being dormant for so long.  We just have to support and discover our own backyard deepest corners.  Besides, we have a beautiful country!

We hope of a safer tomorrow.  Wishing a covid-19 free world sooner than later.  Let’s be patient. It will come.

PS:  Please also support my other blog site as per this link >> Life and Wonders.  I have transferred some of my older posts in there as it was the first chapter of my new life being an ex-pat in the Middle East (The UAE).  There you can see how it was living in that world and you will be surprised.  Nevertheless, you can still see some of the remaining post here dated from mid-2015 up to early 2019.  FYI.  Thank You!

Destination: Rheinfall, Switzerland

“TRAVITUDE = When you start to feel grumpy and sassy cause you miss travelling.”   anonymous

“TRIPOPHOBIA” = The fear of not having any travel trips currently booked.”  anonymous

Just for fun but it still makes your soul happy to reminisce the past travels while we have some restrictions in place.  It is much safer at least so enjoy the ride and check out below photos surrounding the beauty of Rhinefall.  Just an hour away by train from Zurich HB.  We were there last January 2020 before people all over the world become aware and fearful of the COVID-19.

This is also in response to Cee’s Photo Challenges “Fan of (partially blue skies) Challenge“.  If you want to join and create your own virtual travels just click the link.

Rheinfall, vinneve

Schlossamrheinfall, vinneve

UpSchloss, vinneve

restaurant.rheinfall, vinneve

Let’s travel to Switzerland again once this pandemic is over but in the meantime I am looking forward to seeing more of my home country New Zealand.  Cheers!

Colorful Motiongate (Dubai)

“There is nothing more fun than entertaining kids!”  by Jerry Seinfeld

This is also in response to the Word of the Day: OPPORTUNITY .  This may be our last time to get this opportunity to be in this place as we finally went back home for good.  But who knows what will happen in the future?…

CNY2020@motiongate, vinneve

Motiongate1, vinneve

Motiongate2, vinneve

We were there last January this year and had a blast of fun! (related link HERE).  My son enjoyed it so much and asked me when we could be back. Unfortunately, we won’t be for a very long time.  As we cannot predict the future, especially now we have this covid-19 to worry about among other things in life.

Dubai is nice for some fun and will always recommend for people who will do some transit to both UAE Cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.  Try to have a stop over of at least 2-3 days to fully enjoy the country and what each city has to offer.

For now we will only reminisce our times in both cities.  And yes… wait for the new normal to push through once we all can safely travel again.  It depends in each country.  Stay safe everyone!!  Cheers 🙂

 

More than words

In response to the “Word of the Day Challenge” as per the words below. It summarizes the feelings we’ve felt while back in Switzerland last December to January 2020.

Updated:  I thought I better add some of these Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge:  Sense of Seeing and Sense of Touching.

“The words printed here are concepts.  You must go through the experiences.” by Saint Augustine

WISH 

Oberigberg1, vinneve

SURPRISE

IlluminariumZurich, vinneve

ADMIRE

Oberiberg2, vinneve

DELIGHT

MaroniDessert, vinneve

EXPLORING Unique places

Wettswil, vinneve

FOG

RickenbackSZ, vinneve

I am having a hard time publishing this and I wonder why, as this is now my 3rd attempt to publish this.  It will show as published but then the next day I cannot find it and so the viewers cannot see it too.  So I stop linking the words above as pingback.  I hope this will work this time so other readers can see this post.  If you are having a similar issue with WP please let me know by the comments below.  Thanks for checking, much appreciated.

Tschuss!!

 

 

 

Philippines virtual travels

“Travel does the heart good”  anonymous.

Since we all are on lockdown or some sort of isolation then I hope these photos can cheer you up and perhaps reminisce your past travel and bring good memories.  Remember you are not alone!  We all are contributing to make each other safe by staying home.  I am proud to say that there is a report that NZ is the 3rd safest country in the world right now amid this COVID-19 pandemic.  Here is the LINK if you’d like to read.

We suppose to travel today to the Philippines but unfortunately, it’s impossible and everybody knows why.  So I thought of bringing you with me in my daydreaming as I reminiscing the past travels that a few I forgot to post here and would like to come and visit again next time… whenever that may be!

Bonifacio Global City – famously known as BGC.  It is the newest modern city around Metro-Manila (condo resort style of living) and much preferred by balikbayans (like me) and foreigners as they can have a luxurious time here and very convenient but more affordable than other major cities in the world.  There is a Mind Museum that you and your family can enjoy plus hundreds of shops and restaurants to choose from within walking distance.   

Venice Grand Canal Mall – sorry not to be confused with a similar name in Italy.  Here is the INFO about this lifestyle mall developed by Megaworld and you may check my older post about this on this LINK.

VGC@BGC2, vinneve

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bataan – It was a beautiful and painful history of the past living from the 1600’s -1800’s century under the Spanish rule.  See LINK.

RIZAL SHRINE, Calamba Laguna – we just went here on impulse and we love it! Finally seeing with my own eyes the house of Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal and some of its surrounding place that seems to stay that way since the 1800’s under Spanish rule.

 

Calambamudpot, vinneve

RizalhouseLaguna, vinneve

Calambachurch, vinneve

I would like to revisit them again next time once this problem all over the world is finished.  Surely, there are more places I need to see aside from these.  The world is full of wonders so don’t stop wandering!  For now, let us be safe and stay at home.  Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

Focus Terra, Zurich

 

Allow me to post one of our travel backlogs last January 2020 while in Zurich, Switzerland.  Since my son and I love to go to a museum and we already been to the Swiss National Museum or also known as Landes Museum click the LINK (to read my older post about it)… I decided to see a smaller museum and it’s FREE to enter where some people don’t know that it exists, and yes harder to find if you are not familiar with the location. We got lost looking for a particular street on the map. So I make it easy by showing some photos below on what landmark to look from.

Here below is the Terra Focus, a museum about volcanoes, fossils, rocks, minerals, etc. Going there by public transport you have to take either Tram #9 or Tram #11, near the main train station Hauptbahnhof and tram stop @UniversitatSpital (University Hospital).  FYI.

Crystal @focusterra.zurich, vinneve

FocusTerra signage, vinneve

ETHZurich, vinneve

The brochures above are located inside the museum as it doubles as a University. See this LINK for more information if you happen to be interested in these subjects and wanted to study in Zurich.  ETH Zurich is one of the most prestigious universities in the world.  The location of Focus Terra is within the university belt and there’s a beautiful park nearby.  I will post some photos of the beautiful surrounding on my next blog. Please wait for it.  Tschuss!

Misfortune or Opportunity? It’s up to you.

Adding to this post: In response to the WOTD: OPINION

The COVID-19 really affected a lot of lives and some died from it, unfortunately.  In my case, I have to cancel 1 domestic and 1 international trip in March and April consecutively.  Yes, that’s a lot of money but a good thing I have bought travel insurance last year and I believe it will be covered.  Also, some airlines turn their conscience on as they offer a refund/voucher or rebooking in the future within 6-12 months of validity.  Even the hotel/motel big agents like Hotel.com offer free cancellation at a specified time to do it 2 days before your date of arrival.

So, for now, I will just show you some events and places that we supposed to go here in NZ  but I opted to cancel our attendance for health and safety especially I have a kid with me.  New Zealand now has 28 confirmed cases from a previous 5, to 8, 12 then 20 plus people under quarantined not sure how many.  Here are the link for affected Countries and how many cases and death.

Round the Bays

credit to TVNZch1

ST. PATRICK’s DAY (Auckland) pls. click this LINK

Photo by Pressmaster on Pexels.com

Kumue Showgrounds 2020.  The photo is from the previous event before we left NZ in

Kumueshowgrounds, vinneve

2015.  We love farm shows and their (farmer) skills.  Click this link to know more.

Christchurch – The garden city.  Sorry to say I cannot find my old photos 2014 since the last time we went here so just getting it from this site below. Please visit this LINK to know more about this beautiful city on the South Island of New Zealand.

credit to https://www.christchurchnz.com/

We meant to see them all this year as we miss it for the past 5 years being away. Unfortunately, this Covid-19 makes it harder for us to travel now that the government is asking people, to postpone traveling. UPDATE today: NZ govt. is announcing today that the borders will be closed.  Only citizens and residents are allowed to come here in NZ.

There is a good quote I saw somewhere which is really good because of the lockdowns from some Countries! SO TRUE.

Here is another positive side of it.  We will have more time for the family to enjoy bonding together, time to recover, time to do your old hobbies, time to ponder, and most of all we become more aware of our personal hygiene!  

So don’t think this is just a mere inconvenience.  There is always a reason for everything.

Cheer up!!

 

Life in this chaotic World

The year 2020 started with a BANG! with our personal lives, change of sceneries as we come back for good in Auckland New Zealand plus early in January the volcano in Tagaytay, Philippines (click the LINK) near my new condo unit has just erupted, fortunately, the wind blew to the other side (sorry to the other areas that have been affected) so the place only suffered minimal spewing of ashes. I was worried about my relatives’ plight as they live in the neighboring provinces, though I wasn’t that worried about my father because he lives in Metro Manila near the airport and it’s 2 hours away from the province of Tagaytay.  Nevertheless, the ashes of this small volcano spewing as far as up to Manila and surrounding cities.  It is now recovering as it’s now back to normal and thank GOD no people die but unfortunately, some animals were trapped and breathing the ashes can kill your lungs, human or animals.  According to Wikipedia, the volcanic ashes are made of some fragments of rocks, minerals, and volcanic glass and it even showed on TV how it looked like under the microscope.  It really looked like a shattered glass, particularly this Taal Volcano.

credit to CNN.PH link to read HERE

And now… it’s the coronavirus.  I think this tops it all and it’s just the beginning of the year!! Soon we will be traveling again and I am worried but hopeful that we won’t face any problems as this April travel (business trip) will be very busy indeed.  I am monitoring the news and flight schedule as it changed 3x already!

This virus shows the bad side of humanity.  If you don’t know yet, it started in December in China and yes they keep it a secret for a while (long story) and now one of my favorite tourist destinations (in Europe) shows some racial discrimination as most of them when they see an Asian they ignorantly categorized them as CHINESE.  So unfortunately for other Asians, though not Chinese they are being beaten, harassed out on the streets and being thrown outside by another commuter on the bus or train.  I was aghast that they are this mean!  But I guess it’s being human and fearful of this virus so much they forgot to think and be reasonable.  One thing for sure, I will not do that to another person!  I am sure if you are from that part of Europe you know what country I am talking about.  It’s all over social media, and perhaps it is not just there that this is happening, but all over the world.  I am aware because I have some relatives there.  If you’ve been following my blog for a long time now you know I have 2 Countries in Europe I always go to and spend some of our holidays.  Make a guess.

I leave you now with some HOPE and let’s PRAY together that this will be over soon. If that doesn’t happen then no more traveling, no more events to attend to, you won’t meet your friends or families for fear of being contaminated, no more joy in life but fear.  That is not living at all.  I believe in this saying.. “there is light at the end of the tunnel.”  I am looking forward to it.

Take care, my fellow bloggers and traveloholic people!

Destination: Dubai Parks and Resort

We were here 2 years ago but only went to LEGOLAND for our son to enjoy and no time to roam around after as it was late and we have to go drive almost 2 hours to go back home to Abu Dhabi.  So this year last January we finally able to get around and see what this big park can offer.

I highly recommended ROVE Parks Hotel as it is inside the Dubai Parks and Resort along with other resorts like LAPITA and 4 themed parks (Motiongate, 2 Legoland, Bollywood & Riverland).  We got a good deal at that time and 1 theme park ticket was included in our hotel accommodation. The room was enough for us, modern and clean.  The restaurant offers a buffet which is always good and it’s spacious inside with wooden style decors.  They also have a laundry room and a BIG plus is having kids playroom includes PlayStations, games, badminton, etc. (my son loves it!). Always check their website for more deals.  I would love to come back here if ever we go back to the UAE.

ROVE PARK HOTEL 

OUTLET VILLAGE MALL  all the branded shoes, bags, and clothing are here with some discounted prices.  It is also inside the Village of Dubai Parks and Resorts.  There are a lot of free shows inside so when you get tired and sit on the bench there are possibilities a new show will start for everyone to enjoy!  One more reason why you have to visit this place!

RIVERLAND beautiful landscapes and buildings surrounding the 4 themed parks with restaurants and souvenir shops.  They really developed this for the enjoyment of people strolling around, getting their selfies and instagramable photos. One day is not enough to see it all.  The place is HUGE  plus some theme parks inside and a connected resort (LAPITA) to this place.  How I wish we still have time to explore! 😦

I will definitely miss Dubai and other emirates (Cities) and of course my adopted city Abu Dhabi.  I am not sure if we will ever come back to the UAE as it depends on what the future will bring us.  Somehow it hurts that for now, we bid our farewell to the beautiful and tolerant country of the UAE.  I will look back on all the throwback memories on Facebook and can only reminiscent of the past while we were living in this Country.  There are times I took it for granted and all the luxuries in life we had but now I am truly grateful that I have experienced it all while we can.

Cheers and I hope you like some of the photos and may give you some ideas if you happen to be in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, not to mention other emirates who are also as beautiful and interesting as these two.  Please check my older post about it as per this LINK1 and LINK2.  Thanks for taking the time to read, like and comment.

 

 

Qasr Al Watan, Abu Dhabi

I told myself that we will go to this amazing palace even for my last time as you now know… We are now going back to New Zealand for good. There’s a lot of photos actually but I cannot put it here as I don’t have enough space.  I made sure that we will experience all the beautiful places in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai.  FYI, as some of you get confused with the two Cities… both have their own interesting places but Abu Dhabi is more of a family-oriented place.  No traffic unlike in Dubai and more parks.  It’s a year of tolerance too!

I got a neck ache as I keep on looking up!  Even the ceilings are amazing!  So if ever you want to go in transit via Abu Dhabi make sure that you get the chance to get out.  It is so worth it.  FYI, Emirates Palace is also just a few minutes away from this place.  Though this Palace is located at the back so a van is included to bring you to Qasr Al Watan. It’s that big!  Cheers!