Great weekend in Chambana! Mark & Amy's wedding was so nice. It took place at Amy's parents' home. It was an intimate ceremony but very nicely done. It was great to see Mark again, as well as several of his friends from Edwardsville who I had met while we were roomies at UIUC. After the dinner (which was wonderful), there was some music and dancing and socializing time, then Amy's dad started a big bonfire in the yard where several of us gathered to sit and chat.
After the wedding I hung out with Greg & Julie at their apartment, and slept on their easy chair. :) I treated them to Sunday brunch at Perkin's, then on my way home I drove around campus to see what has changed since I left there. I also took a few minutes to walk around the engineering quad to check out some of my old hangouts. Then I drove home and took a much-needed nap. :)
Tomorrow I start my new project downtown. I'm looking forward to it mostly. The only thing I'm not so excited about is that I'll have to wait for the trains and buses in these darn below-normal fall temperatures. I had better find my scarf and gloves...
Monday, October 21, 2002
Monday, October 14, 2002
Orlandoooo
I returned from my Orlando trip this morning. It was a great time! Elaine and her new husband Joe had a lovely wedding ceremony, and a small but fun reception. Afterwards, Elaine & Joe and several friends and I headed out to a mall near our hotel to hang out and have a relaxed dinner. My parents and godmother, Elaine's parents, and another couple went out separately around the same time. Guess which group got back first? Yup, some of the "kids" (including myself) returned to the hotel shortly after 10pm while the parents waltzed in laughing and giggling around 11pm. Well, I'm glad they had fun too. :)
Right now my mom is in NJ at a reunion with people from her hometown in the Philippines. She was chosen to give the opening speech at the reunion dinner. I hope it went well. I also hope someone videotaped her so my dad and sister and I can watch. hehe
OK, gotta fold laundry. Fun, fun.
Right now my mom is in NJ at a reunion with people from her hometown in the Philippines. She was chosen to give the opening speech at the reunion dinner. I hope it went well. I also hope someone videotaped her so my dad and sister and I can watch. hehe
OK, gotta fold laundry. Fun, fun.
Friday, September 27, 2002
See y'all, Huntsville
I'm finished with my NASA assignment! I'm gonna miss the people here but I'm definitely ready to head back home and hopefully to a new project assignment in the Chicago area. I am glad though that I got to experience life in the "Deep South" for a little while, and that I got to spend time with Tita Fe and Tito Oscar and their family here.
Tomorrow is my parents' 34th (!!) wedding anniversary. :) We're going to Maggiano's for lunch to celebrate. Should be fun (and filling).
Tomorrow is my parents' 34th (!!) wedding anniversary. :) We're going to Maggiano's for lunch to celebrate. Should be fun (and filling).
Tuesday, July 30, 2002
Back from Spain!
I'm back from Spain! My sister and I were (barely) able to leave Chicago for Madrid on Wednesday afternoon. We arrived in Madrid shortly after 11am Thursday and had a wonderful time with our host family and other friends we met there. I'll maybe go into more detail later, but all I have to say is I wish I could have stayed at least a week longer and I hope to be able to go back and visit again before too long!
And now, I have to unpack my stuff and sort out all the souvenirs I bought... :)
Edit: Pics are up! Also, I've copied over the blurbs about the trip that I posted on my personal website...
Day 1 - July 25, 2002: Today we arrived in Spain, met Sandra's family, had lunch, took a siesta :) and then set out to see Alcala de Henares. We met up with Sandra's friend Dani who accompanied us around town. We visited a church down the street from Sandra's flat, Cisneros University, Plaza de Cervantes (the main town square in Alcala and a very popular gathering place), and other places around downtown Alcala. That night we saw a performance by the Ballet Raza dance troupe which presented a series of folk dances from different regions of Spain.
Day 2 - July 26, 2002: Today Sandra and Lorena took us to Sandra's university campus in Alcala. We toured the building she takes classes in. We then met their mom in Plaza des Irelandeses for a snack, then we walked home to have lunch. After lunch, we met up with Dani again, and Sandra's dad drove us to Parque Corredor, a large shopping mall nearby. We bought a bunch of souvenirs there and had some refreshments as well. We then caught a bus back to Alcala and had dinner at Sandra's home.
Day 3 - July 27, 2002: Today Sandra and her parents drove us to Segovia, a city about one hour drive from Madrid. Among other things, we saw a gorgeous cathedral, a huge castle, and an ancient aqueduct. After enjoying a nice lunch, we visited a palace built by a former king, which featured a huge garden area with several ornate fountains, some of which were turned on for the visitors' enjoymenet. On the way back to Alcala we drove into the mountains near Madrid.
Day 4 - July 28, 2002: Our sightseeing today took place in Madrid and El Escorial. Lori and I went with Lorena and her dad. We first went up Faro de la Moncloa, an observation tower in Madrid from which you can take in a great view of the city. We also saw a former presidential retreat, where leaders from other countries stay when they visit Spain. Next we traveled to El Escorial where there is a large monastery. After touring the monastery and grabbing lunch in El Escorial, we drove back to Madrid and rode in Teleferico (a "sky-ride" over part of the city). Later we walked/drove around the downtown area and other interesting sites.
Day 5 - July 29, 2002: We spent today shopping for souvenirs and checking out other sites in and around Alcala. We visited Dani's university campus, stopped by El Corte Ingles (a large upscale mall nearby), and walked around our favorite areas in Alcala. Then we enjoyed one last dinner with Sandra and her family before sitting, chatting, listening to music, and reluctantly getting ready for our trip home the next morning.
And now, I have to unpack my stuff and sort out all the souvenirs I bought... :)
Edit: Pics are up! Also, I've copied over the blurbs about the trip that I posted on my personal website...
Day 1 - July 25, 2002: Today we arrived in Spain, met Sandra's family, had lunch, took a siesta :) and then set out to see Alcala de Henares. We met up with Sandra's friend Dani who accompanied us around town. We visited a church down the street from Sandra's flat, Cisneros University, Plaza de Cervantes (the main town square in Alcala and a very popular gathering place), and other places around downtown Alcala. That night we saw a performance by the Ballet Raza dance troupe which presented a series of folk dances from different regions of Spain.
Day 2 - July 26, 2002: Today Sandra and Lorena took us to Sandra's university campus in Alcala. We toured the building she takes classes in. We then met their mom in Plaza des Irelandeses for a snack, then we walked home to have lunch. After lunch, we met up with Dani again, and Sandra's dad drove us to Parque Corredor, a large shopping mall nearby. We bought a bunch of souvenirs there and had some refreshments as well. We then caught a bus back to Alcala and had dinner at Sandra's home.
Day 3 - July 27, 2002: Today Sandra and her parents drove us to Segovia, a city about one hour drive from Madrid. Among other things, we saw a gorgeous cathedral, a huge castle, and an ancient aqueduct. After enjoying a nice lunch, we visited a palace built by a former king, which featured a huge garden area with several ornate fountains, some of which were turned on for the visitors' enjoymenet. On the way back to Alcala we drove into the mountains near Madrid.
Day 4 - July 28, 2002: Our sightseeing today took place in Madrid and El Escorial. Lori and I went with Lorena and her dad. We first went up Faro de la Moncloa, an observation tower in Madrid from which you can take in a great view of the city. We also saw a former presidential retreat, where leaders from other countries stay when they visit Spain. Next we traveled to El Escorial where there is a large monastery. After touring the monastery and grabbing lunch in El Escorial, we drove back to Madrid and rode in Teleferico (a "sky-ride" over part of the city). Later we walked/drove around the downtown area and other interesting sites.
Day 5 - July 29, 2002: We spent today shopping for souvenirs and checking out other sites in and around Alcala. We visited Dani's university campus, stopped by El Corte Ingles (a large upscale mall nearby), and walked around our favorite areas in Alcala. Then we enjoyed one last dinner with Sandra and her family before sitting, chatting, listening to music, and reluctantly getting ready for our trip home the next morning.
Tuesday, July 23, 2002
Passport oopsy
Woops, we hit a snafu in our trip to Spain, before we even left... Somehow, neither my sister, my parents, nor I managed to notice that my sister's passport expired two years ago. DOH! The agent at the check-in counter informed us of this fact. She asked if I would like to travel today as planned and have my sister catch up tomorrow, but sis wasn't too keen on that idea since she'd have to navigate the Amsterdam airport by herself during her connection. Anyway, my mom scheduled a "rush" appointment with the passport office tomorrow morning. If all goes well we will be able to make it to the airport in time to catch our late-afternoon flight; our trip would just be cut short by one day (the gate agent kindly re-booked us on a flight tomorrow free of charge). If there's a delay, however, either I'll have to head off to Spain by myself, or we'll pay a ticket-change penalty to push the departure and return dates back even farther. Egads!
Wednesday, June 26, 2002
Tickets to Madrid?
I'm trying to price tickets for a trip to Madrid for myself and my sister (and potentially my parents too) for late-July/early-August... but every airfare I can find is >$1000. Ugh! My mom is trying to get in touch with a travel agent friend-of-a-friend who will hopefully be able to find some reasonable fares.
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