Cambodia Trip

I woke up at 5:00 in the morning today because I had to attend a visa extension trip going to Banlem, Cambodia. Last time, I went to Vientiane, Laos. My sweetheart accompanied me to the bus station and before I left, he bought me something to eat for my early breakfast. He is just so thoughtful and loving. As usual, before I rode on the bus, we kissed… so cheesy!

I went off at Ekkamai and took the BTS (MRT version in the Philippines) from there to On Nut. That was fast and easy so I reached the meeting place at exactly 7:00 am; I was still early so I decided to eat breakfast again while waiting for the van lolololol. I noticed that I was the earliest passenger arrived there and I was happy because I can choose where to sit. I preferred to sit at the second row, at the back of the driver because it has enough room for my long legs and so the journey will be comfortable for me.



I met some of my fellow pinoys there. They are the ones I met in Laos and Cambodia sometime on July and November. We were only five passengers there and all of us are Pinoys. I was happy as I could chat with them while we’re on the road trip. There was no traffic at all, perhaps due to holiday season. It is December 31. I reminisced that during this day in the Philippines, there are heavy traffic everywhere.




When we reached the border, it was already 12 noon. We gave our important documents at the Thai embassy to exit, cross the border to Cambodia. Then, we went to the nearest restaurant in Banlem, Cambodia to have our lunch there. After, we rest for about 15 minutes so we could go to Cambodia immigration and then, back to Thai immigration office so as to extend our visa permit to entry. They granted us 60 days or two months. My visa will expire on February 28, 2010.



Before my visa expires, I will have to go to the Thai Immigration office in Bangkok to allow me not to travel anymore because of my condition. By then, I will be 32 weeks and 4 days or more than 8 months pregnant. That would be so risky for us (my baby and I). After giving birth to our precious baby Sofia, I will be studying Thai language for a year so I could get a one year student visa. Then, I would no longer travel every two months for extension.




All in all, my Cambodia trip was safe and fun. We arrived at 5:06 pm at Tesco Lotus On Nut. I called my sweetheart to inform him that I was safely arrived Bangkok and will be home soon. But, I got hungry so I had my early dinner at KFC inside the mall. Then, I took the BTS from there going to Ekkamai then to Minburi (our place). I almost got home at 8:00pm. He actually started to fall asleep while waiting on me :)

I wish to go to Vietnam though because the organizer said that there is a new route for this year going in there. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to go because of my student visa plan, which is very important to me. I will miss the visa run next time, but for sure, I will be happy :)

My Christmas Day 2009

We woke up almost 8:00 in the morning already. He greeted me first and kissed me on my forehead. We got up to give each others' presents. He gave me this beauty spa pack in basket rack and a Selphy CP 760 camera printer.



That was so thoughtful and sweet of him. I gave him my gift and I was so shy because it's just a simple present coming from my heart (nax!hahaha) and I bought that gift for him with my own money. It's ironic if I'll spend his money to buy him a gift for Christmas, isn't it? So I decided to think about something to do for an instant cash while I'm home. I participated in an online site game in siampinoy.net (Filipinos living in Thailand site). And I won an instant cash prize for the month of November just by joining/signing in and participate in the forums everyday.



He also gave me a Macadamia chocolate, which is one of the best chocolates for me. I really just loved the taste. And... I want more :D



After we had our very light breakfast, we went to the Fashion Island Mall for our lunch at Sizzler's Steak Restaurant. I ordered the spicy fish fillet with french fries. I enjoyed the salad bar buffet. They have variety of salads there, including soups and pasta. First, I got the pasta noodles with ham and mushroom sauce, topped with grated cheese and bacon crisps while waiting for my order to be cooked and placed on my table. I love the taste of garlic bread, soooo tasty. After, the main course, I chose to eat the vegetables (like spinach, broccoli, lettuce, etc.)and fruits (dragon fruit, pineapple, watermelon, yellow and green melons). Sizzler's is just one of my favorite restaurants here in Bangkok because the taste of food is really superb at a reasonable price.



I was really full as in full charged and I wanna go home because I was sleepy. But, I asked him to walk a little while before we go home so that we could digest some food we ate. I felt so heavy. The love of my sweetheart for me is still the best gift I've received this Christmas.

Life is like a journey

       



I would like to share this very inspiring post/article by Shannon Spaunburg, entitled "Life Is A Journey".

Life Is A Journey

Life is a journey filled with lessons, hardships, heartaches, joys, celebrations and special moments that will ultimately lead us to our destination, our purpose in life. The road will not always be smooth; in fact, throughout our travels, we will encounter many challenges.

Some of these challenges will test our courage, strengths, weaknesses, and faith. Along the way, we may stumble upon obstacles that will come between the paths that we are destined to take. In order to follow the right path, we must overcome these obstacles. Sometimes these obstacles are really blessings in disguise, only we don't realize that at the time.

Along our journey we will be confronted with many situations, some will be filled with joy, and some will be filled with heartache. How we react to what we are faced with determines what kind of outcome the rest of our journey through life will be like.

When things don't always go our way, we have two choices in dealing with the situations. We can focus on the fact that things didn't go how we had hoped they would and let life pass us by, or two, we can make the best out of the situation and know that these are only temporary setbacks and find the lessons that are to be learned.

Time stops for no one, and if we allow ourselves to focus on the negative we might miss out on some really amazing things that life has to offer. We can't go back to the past, we can only take the lessons that we have learned and the experiences that we have gained from it and move on. It is because of the heartaches, as well as the hardships, that in the end help to make us a stronger person.

The people that we meet on our journey, are people that we are destined to meet. Everybody comes into our lives for some reason or another and we don't always know their purpose until it is too late. They all play some kind of role. Some may stay for a lifetime; others may only stay for a short while.

It is often the people who stay for only a short time that end up making a lasting impression not only in our lives, but in our hearts as well. Although we may not realize it at the time, they will make a difference and change our lives in a way we never could imagine. To think that one person can have such a profound affect on your life forever is truly a blessing. It is because of these encounters that we learn some of life's best lessons and sometimes we even learn a little bit about ourselves.

People will come and go into our lives quickly, but sometimes we are lucky to meet that one special person that will stay in our hearts forever no matter what. Even though we may not always end up being with that person and they may not always stay in our life for as long as we like, the lessons that we have learned from them and the experiences that we have gained from meeting that person, will stay with us forever.

It's these things that will give us strength to continue on with our journey. We know that we can always look back on those times of our past and know that because of that one individual, we are who we are and we can remember the wonderful moments that we have shared with that person.

Memories are priceless treasures that we can cherish forever in our hearts. They also enables us to continue on with our journey for whatever life has in store for us. Sometimes all it takes is one special person to help us look inside ourselves and find a whole different person that we never knew existed. Our eyes are suddenly opened to a world we never knew existed- a world where time is so precious and moments never seem to last long enough.

Throughout this adventure, people will give you advice and insights on how to live your life but when it all comes down to it, you must always do what you feel is right. Always follow your heart, and most importantly never have any regrets. Don't hold anything back. Say what you want to say, and do what you want to do, because sometimes we don't get a second chance to say or do what we should have the first time around.

It is often said that what doesn't kill you will make you stronger. It all depends on how one defines the word "strong" It can have different meanings to different people. In this sense, "stronger" means looking back at the person you were and comparing it to the person you have become today. It also means looking deep into your soul and realizing that the person you are today couldn't exist if it weren't for the things that have happened in the past or for the people that you have met. Everything that happens in our life happens for a reason and sometimes that means we must face heartaches in order to experience joy.