Summer Break

Spring has sprung, school is out and I am back.

I am officially on summer break, but it seems that the summer months will be proven busy.  I will be blogging more the next few months, but my posts will be a bit sporadic as the clock has started for us to search for a new home; I'm very excited.

Here's a bulleted update from me:

• Spring semester was a bit troubling. I had a professor who barely spoke English and had the tendency to gloat all about his international/political feats during his lectures. I'm afraid to get my grade on this one; I did give him the lowest evaluation ever. I hope the dean would do something about him. Although I doubt it, as he told us in class that "[he] is an institution". Blah, as if I care. It bothers me that Georgetown allows him to teach there.
• Pinky is now on the market; we've been doing a lot of renovations and I think it's time to let her go. I feel sad that I'll be leaving my first home soon. I hope the next owners will look after her and keep her in great condition. We're now in the midst of finding our new home; I am excited.
• My wedding was beautiful, and I'm not just saying it because it's my wedding.  We were blessed because all we've prayed for came true: (1) it was a typical spring day - not too hot and not too cold; (2) no rain; (3) the tulips were in full bloom; and, (4) friends and family came. It was an indescribable moment for me; there was a mixture of excitement and stress but in the end, everything came together as it should be. This is one event I'd like to experience only once.
• NIH decided to take me off my treatment due to a growth on my left leg. My doctors think my treatment is causing the growth. My leg is under observation at the moment, so I'm not sure what are the next steps. Right now, I don't want to think about my health concerns. I'll let my doctors worry about that.
• I've started to cut off the people that are negative in my life. I have no use for their toxic energy. As I went through health and other types of crises, I came to recognize who are my real friends and they're not usually family. Sad but true.
• I'm excited for our long weekend trip to Niagara Falls. This time the parents will be with us. It will be their first time to see the place.

I hope to catch up on everyone's blog.

Real Alcazar Of Seville

We passed through the Alcazar several times on our way to dine and to explore Seville.  The Alcazar was not on our top three list, but once we visited, I was convinced that this is one of the most impressive monuments of Seville.  We had to go back the second time...this time longer.

The Real Alcazar is a royal palace in Seville and was originally a Moorish fort.  According to the guide booklet, it is the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe, and it was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Façade of the Peter of Castile's Palace in the Alcázar. - visiting this place would take at least two to four hours especially if you're like me and you love to take photos.

This is located at the Hall of Ambassadors and the centerpiece of the Royal Palaces.  This majestic dome is made of gilded wood. It was formerly called the Middle Orange Hall because of the gold- or orange-like dome.

Exploring the palace felt surreal.  The mudéjar architecture is stunning and impressive wherever you look.

The doors in the palace are well designed and invokes mysticism and curiosity what's on the other side.

The Courtyard of the Maidens - this place speaks of a legend that the Moors demanded 100 virgins every year as tribute from Christian kingdoms in Iberia.

Beauty and space.

The palace walls are decorate with these inscriptions. If I'm not mistaken it means "Allah is great." (Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

Los Baños de Doña María de Padilla - rainwater tanks.

One of the walls at Alcazar.

So if you find yourself in Seville one of these days, I highly recommend visiting the Alcazar.  Spend three to five hours exploring the palace and the gardens.  Maybe you'll be able to take a photo of the Peacock that eluded my camera.

Seville: Plaza de Espana

The air soft as that of Seville in April, and so fragrant that it was delicious to breathe it.
Christopher Columbus

After a five hour train ride from Barcelona, we're finally in Seville.  Seville has the charm and warmth of the old and ancient.  The streets are narrow like the ones in Rome, but the people are a lot more laid back and friendly.  While Barcelona offers the convenience of the city, Seville, although it is starting to be urbanized in some areas, still offers the comforts of the old country.

One of the highlights of Seville for me is the Plaza de Espana.  You can tour the plaza by foot or by horse drawn carriage.  The plaza is in the Parque de María Luisa.  It was built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929.

The plaza itself is a landmark example of the Renaissance Revival style in Spanish architecture.  You'll see a lot of this Moorish designs around the building, as a sign of the Moorish revival in architecture.

You can also ride one of these boats for a fee to go around the plaza.

The halls were quiet that day we visited.

These are the tiled "Province Alcoves" along the walls of the plaza.

The reflections on the water made it a great day for photography. We were so lucky.

If I were a sketch artist or a painter, this is the place I'd be spending my mornings and afternoons.  If I were thinker, this is the place you'd find me all day and all night long. This is one place in Seville, among many, that made me closer to the old Spain.

Bar Celta Pulperia: A Must In Barcelona

Barcelona's food is not to be missed especially their tapas.

One of the places that caught our appetite and heart is Bar Celta Pulperia located at Carrer da la Merce.  The place isn't fancy at all, but it has a lot of character and the bar owner is friendly and welcoming; he will talk to you as if he'd known you for a long time. It was funny because when we were there, he was talking about the Pacquiao fight with a Filipino guest.  And yes, there are Filipinos working there, so I felt at home.

Bar Celta serves Galician style tapas.  You can sit at the bar, point to the tapas you'd want, and in no time, they'd be on their way to the kitchen to be cooked or warmed up.

 We started with these delicious bread with tomato spread.

 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AND OUR FAVORITE: A plate of delicious Pulpo a Feira. The pulpo is tender and the Galician spice hits the right spiciness and flavor.  Every bite of this dish is a delight to any adventurous foodie.

 When the owner saw us taking photos of our plate, he invited us to the kitchen to show us their Octopus catch for the day.

In addition to the pulpo, I ordered another plate of grilled Calamares. The Calamares was also delicious, but I think it cannot surpass the pulpo.

Since we were leaving for Seville the next day, we decided that with our return trip to Barcelona, we'll come back for another plate of Pulpo a Feira. Yes, we did.

Pulpo a Feira was our meal before we flew back to the US.

Slumping On My Office Chair

All the VPs and Directors have left for AZ for our annual meeting.  The smoke of war has finally started to dissipate.  The office is a mess, but I can finally slump on my chair, breathe and relax until the weekend.

I just wanted to update my blog, and my goal for the time being is to update at least once a week.  Hopefully after grad school, blogging would become a regular gig again.

Here we go:

• I did not attend President Obama's inauguration, as I can't stand dealing with the crowd. Thank goodness we didn't have to work that day.
• I have booked my make-up artist for the wedding. I thought I'd need a little sprucing up for the big day.  Next would be the dress...decisions, decisions. Hopefully, that will be decided this weekend. Wedding plans are going well, and the excitement is slowly building up.
• I am three weeks into spring semester. It is funny how I got so used to the international affairs courses that taking an elective such as Biblical interpretation is posing a real threat for me. Perhaps I need to get back into my humanities roots.
• Next month, we will start looking for a new house; I am very excited. I feel sad letting go of Pinky, but I guess it's time to open another chapter in our book.
• This year, we don't plan on traveling much.  We have to allot time for house hunting and the moving. Oh gosh, yes the moving. With a new house, we need to re-assess our financial needs.  We also need to keep our credit scores high and clean. I am still hoping to sneak in a short trip here and there but nothing too expensive or extravagant.
• It seems that with the wintry weather here, I keep dreaming of  the beach and sun. I've been drooling over the idea of going to Costa Rica, Virgin Islands or the Bahamas.

Ok, it's lunch time, so I'd better cease slumping on my chair and go get some food.

A Trip To Montserrat

Montserrat is a spectacularly beautiful Benedictine monk mountain retreat about one hour North West from Barcelona by train. Not only is Montserrat Monastery of significant religious importance but the natural beauty surrounding the monastery is simply breathtaking. (Source)

 These rocks look incredible and quite mysterious.

 It is believed that these mountains were "serrated by Angels" (carved by Angels) thus comes the name Montserrat.  The building on the right, if I'm not mistaken, is where the Benedictine Monks reside.  There are only 30 left today.

 In geological explanation, these area used to be a lake and this is why these rocks are very smooth and strangely situated in the middle of grassy hills.

 Neo-Romanesque statues and design adorning the basilica.

 This is a beautiful church.  While we were there, we heard the performance of the choir boys. They really have angelic voices.

 Inside the basilica, one can find the La Moreneta or Black Virgin. La Moreneta is the Patroness of Catalunya.

 There's also the Cami De l'AveMaria where devotees and pilgrims can light candles.

 It was cold and windy when we visited, but for a few moments the sun gave its warmth.

 This is the Sant Joan Funicular which you can see is pretty steep.  This is another 820 feet above the monastery.

For those who love to hike, you can start at the foot of the mountain and climb your way to the top. A lot of pilgrims and devotees do this.

I think Montserrat is truly worth a visit. It's not just a place for pilgrims, the religious or devotees, but for anyone who can truly appreciate beauty.

Perhaps, these rocks were truly serrated by Angels, and if they're not, I'm still happy I got to experience Montserrat's beauty and grandeur.

A Short Bitter Update

In a few days, spring semester begins once again. My classes are less interesting compared to the fall, but it looks like the requirements aren't demanding as last year. Anyway, I wanted to post a short update before I get lost again in the realm of late night classes, lectures and textbooks. For the next few months, I'll miss the fun of going to bed early or having those lazy nights molding in front of the TV.

In the other aspects of life:

I have been keeping quiet about this, but today was the breaking point. I got a call from my clinical nurse that I need to repeat the bone-marrow biopsy. Imagine how I sunk into sudden depression. The reason for this repeat biopsy is because of an unexplained tumor on my left leg; I noticed the growth about a few months ago. The few weeks before my flight to Spain, I went through several tests including MRIs (twice) and a Cat Scan. The surgeon overlooking my case believes that the tumor is benign and does not like the idea of surgery because of my low platelets. So here I am again, facing another biopsy. Whatever happens, this is no longer in my hands.

Amidst the challenges in my world, the wedding plans are on-going.  Sometimes I feel that I am putting so much burden on Kepi. I am thankful he's on my side but I am also sad that he has to carry a lot of my stressful situation.

116 days to go before my wedding day.

So much that has happened and is happening are out of my control, and these remind me of a quote from the movie Lord of the Rings.

'So do I,' said Gandalf, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.