Recharging with BFFL's

pals since childhood, bffl's indeed.

there's nothing like recharging with these guys . . . gets me ready for another year abroad all the time . . .

i miss these guys

DJ's Mom Blogs

Huwaaaaaaaaaaaat!

that was my very first reaction when I cam across this auroramontano.blogspot.com blog

in what seems to be a very very wierd twist of this saga,

Aurora Montano blogs

Mother bear is mad.

and yet some more Slovenia Photos by the Don

More on Maribor, Slovenia through the eyes of Don Miguel

Don Miguel visits Maribor, Slovenia

barely a day after returning (unwillingly) to Brussels, I had to fly to Ljubljana, Slovenia and take the train to Maribor.

Here's a preview of how Slovenia looks like through the eyes of this Don . . . I'll be posting the photos in the photo albums soon.

Don Miguel inspects the world's oldest grapevine (400 years, beat that)

http://www.maribor-pohorje.si/default.aspx?str=284&jezik=2&stran=priporocamo&id_pod=20

An exceptional Maribor wine tradition: Old Vine, the oldest vine in the world, and the Old Vine House

Old Vine, the oldest vine in the world

* With an age of over 400 years it is registered in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest vine in the world.
* It symbolises the rich wine culture of Maribor, Štajerska and Slovenia.
* Its scions grow on almost all continents and in numerous places in Slovenia.
* Its grape, the sort Žametovka or Blue Franconian, is one of the oldest domesticated noble wine sorts in Slovenia.
* The 35 to 55 kg symbolic annual grape harvest is bottled in 2,5 dcl glass bottles, designed by the famous artist Oskar Kogoj.
* Its wine matures in Maribor's wine underworld, in Vinag's cellar,which is one of the largest and oldest classic wine cellars in Europe.
* It is the starting point for 3 wine roads and wine – cultural trails of Archduke Johann, which intertwine in hilly, wine growing surroundings where there are lots of wine shops and tourist farms and excellent white sorts of wine and Štajerska delights.
* Throughout the year in the vine's honour a cycle of events unwind From Vine to Wine, from pruning to St Martin's Day.
* A ceremonial harvest of the vine's grapes is the annual highlight of the Old Vine Festival.
* More about the Old Vine.

Tulips in Maribor

Don MIguel digs these tulips in Maribor
little reminders that
we have the BIG GUY upstairs
looking after us

be good

Les Fleurs de Bohol

les fleurs de Bohol
Don Miguel et ses vacances
en les isles des Philippines
a la proxieme
a la proxieme

The crazy lady I bumped into in Maribor, Slovenia

We had a Caucus this afternoon at three that ended around five. The next sched was departure for a dinner with the Mayor of Maribor somewhere else, at 7pm, so I decided to troop back to my hotel room from the convention hall, just about a couple of minutes' walk.

I passed a small bridge in a garden and there was a lady, in her mid forties who had flowers in her hand and she smiled at me. So the nice guy that I am, I smiled back. She's rather thin and pale, and she seemed like she came from a hike in Pohorje's mountains at the back of Habakuk hotel. "chinese? japanese?" "chinese, japanese?" she asked twice, when I did not seem to mind her the first time, so the proud pinoy that I am, turned her way, while walking the path to my hotel, and said, "Nope, Filipino" with my usual pa-cute smiling face. then I went on along my way. "she advanced towards me and shook my hand, "Oh, filipino!" then grumbled something about some lady filipino who works in some place she knew. (I swear we ARE everywhere!)

And so I was sensing something wrong so I continued my way. "So you live here? what are you doing here?"

I replied, "nope, I'm just here for a convention."

"What about?"

I said, "Asia Europe Senior Official's Meeting on Trade and Investments" pointing to the banner that announced our meeting in front of the hotel lobby.

"Oooooh" she said, "tell, them, We are all one in this world" and repeated shouting "WE ARE ALL ONE IN THIS WORLD"

ngeeeeeeeeeee

so I said, "Ok, I really have to go now" and hurried along my path to my room, walking briskly.

Then I heard her steps, taking up her pace, from slow, to fast, to faster and faster and running, behind me. WTF!!!! She was running after me, while I was trying to walk fast with all dignity in my suit and long coat and all that.

waaaaaaaaaaaaah, dthud thud thud, i could hear my heartbeat

When I reached the side door of the hotel, oddly enough, we were provided keys to the side door. I was reaching fumbling for the keys in my man-bag and she was pacing nearer and nearer to where I was, waaaaaaaah. finally after what seemed forever, I managed to open the door just as she was behind me, I quickly entered, without looking behind me, and closed the door on her face. waaaaaaaaaaaaah.

I ran-walked to the hall and up to my room, fumbled with the keys again, while I can heear her ringing the doorbell for the receptionist, I opened my door, and locked it with the keys from the inside.

waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

anyway, after a few minutes, I called the lady at the side reception, and she told me the lady with flowers in her hand was finally gone. whew. She was looking for the hotel boss, the receptionist told me.

now, what if she's there again later when I go back to my room after dinner at 1030pm?

yikes!!!!!!!!!

help! help don Miguel! hehehe

loony people are everywhere, I swear! waaaaaaaaaaaah

Guess where Don Miguel is now . . .

Don Miguel is in Slovenia! Yup am here in Slovenia now, in Maribor City to be exact. Geeez Luis.

for the past month i was in Roxas City, Manila, Tagaytay, Clark & Angeles, Bohol, Cebu, Hongkong, London, Brussels, and now Slovenia.

Yup Slovenia.

haaaaay buhay

I'll post pictures soon.

British Airways: The World's Worst Airline!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don Miguel is furious. This ain't the first time they "lost" my luggage. When I arrived in Manila last month, March 16th, i had to wait till 3am to receive my luggage, nearly 16 hours after my 11am arrival.

Now that I'm back in Brussels, it's happening all over again!!!!!!!!

Geeeeez, I VERILY HATE BA. BRITISH AIRWAYS AKA BULLSHIT AIRLINES!!!!!!!!!! It's a pity my favorite airline, Cathay Pacific links with BA, for all my flights back home. F*CK talaga!!!!!!!!

They're flying out of what could possibly be the world's worst in service airport, Heaththrow, with soooo many arrogant and indifferent staff to mention. Manila, with its rundown NAIA, is sheer bliss Then when you go on transfers, you gotta live with that hideous trot down a maze of corridors, then a verry loooooooong bus ride indeed to get from terminals 1 through 8.

Down with British Airways, truly the WORLD'S WORST BLOODY AIRLINE INDEED!!!!!!!!!!

Aside from lost luggages, they also have the penchant for terrorizing passengers with their stupid policies in Heathrow. For example, back in February 2007, we were in Barca. The BA check in staff allowed us with 2 hand carried bags, without as much as a mention. All of a sudden, in Heathrow, all the schoolmarm looking airport staff were strictly enforcing the "one handcarried item" only policy, out of nowhere!" WTF!!!!!????????????? My friend tisha, had to check out of the airport and check it all in again, which meant she had to go out and clear customs and immigration, then trudged her luggage to check in again for HK! Good thing she had a canadian passport. If you had a Philippine Passport, and no visa to enter the UK, tataaaa . . . goodbye luggage number 2!

then BA flight crew nonchalantly sell liquid duty free items even to passengers who are connecting through london. then security will happily confiscate em. this happened to the girl who was just ahead of me while passing security check today!


Don Miguel is on the warpath. Don't they dare, lose my suitcase, otherwise, they're minced meat, I'll go to an EU court if I have to.

If you wanna read the recount threads of BA's Victims here's the link:
http://www.topix.com/forum/com/bab/TAKTFJCD58SN1GHMD