Jerick travels to...

Belgium: The second country I call home

2010-05-03T22:56:00.002+02:00

Living in Belgium for more than a year & a half, I have grown to love & enjoy this small yet wonderful country. And I can't summarize how thankful I am that I got lucky that I managed to get matched in Belgium. It may not be as touristic as France, as lively as Spain nor as charming as Italy - but Belgium for me is one of the countries I can truly and won't regret to call as home. :)

Longer version:

Budapest, Hungary

2010-04-21T22:08:00.002+02:00

ohhhhh Budapest!

it's been months since the trip and I kept on postponing on writing a blog entry for it. Practically because I don't know how to start this entry.

I always write on this blog something about the sights you can see on that city, the landmarks, the parks and all those tourist-y stuff. But probably because of the sheer & very complicated Magyar language (the names of places I can't seem to remember) plus the fact that I lost my 3-day old camera a few days into the trip - everytime I ask myself what to write, I can't seem to start.

Though don't take me in the wrong way - I enjoyed my visit to Hungary so much and the city is amazing- but the memories that stayed with me were not of the grand tourist places but the people that I was with and that I have met.

I went to Hungary with three of my closest friends in Brussels, which means that it was a no-holds bar travelling. There were no clashes with where we should go nor what should we do, it seemed that we were all in-sync that we were there not only for the city but for each other. And with close friends, you spent more time talking, chatting, joking, bullshitting than actually doing the sightseeing.

And apart form having my friends over for the trip, I also met some AIESEC Philippine EPs when I was handling OGX. A nice afternoon - with an unexpected yet very typical end to a Filipino day - going to McDonalds for some fries.

Then of course, I have to mention that the Hungarians are one of the friendliests people in Europe that I have met - with my deep thanks going of course to my friend, Csenge's family for their sheer hospitality, for her dad picking us up all the way from Vienna then arriving to their place with dinner that was ready to serve. We were treated like royalty and with care as if they were our own family. Köszönöm, és soha nem fogom elfelejteni ezt a pillanatot.

Here are a few photos from the trip, mostly taken from my friends. I'll try to come back there, and the next time I write a Hungarian related blogpost I should have captured the names.

Rome, Italy

2010-01-24T23:14:00.001+01:00

Coming back from our trip to Morocco on June 18, I embarked the next day to fly to sunny Rome, Italy. I was living the life of a jetsetter – particularly the exhaustion. Though, I’m still excited to see Rome (and no, it’s before the Lizzie McGuire movie).

I flew in from Brussels – Charleroi Friday afternoon and landed at Rome early evening. I landed at Rome Ciampino, the low-budget airport, so I needed to take a bus to Rome’s Termini station (Central Station), which luckily were a few footsteps away from my hostel.

It was my first time travelling in Europe alone. I got used to being with friends and their never-ending discussion as to where to go next. And now, I was alone – free to decide where to spend my time in the city.

My first impression of Rome was it was very busy and crowded with tourists. Termini station, for example, was bustling with tourists with their big bags on their left hand, maps on their right. The hostel I stayed, Pop Inn hostel, was quite decent, though I find it overpriced – 35€ per night. Though coincidentally, there were Filipinos working at that hostel which really helped me a lot. Having Filipinos around always give an edge –which for my case, it was through free breakfasts and first choice for rooms.

Rome is heavily populated with Filipinos and usually hangout inside the Termini station. So for any Filipinos traveling, do hangout in Termini and if you need some help.

I shared room with 3 American girl and were friendly enough to invite me to come sightsee with them tomorrow. That’s the good part of travelling alone – you have plenty of opportunities to meet newpeople. And what’s funnier is that when you’re alone and no one knows you, so you can fake out many things. I told them my name is JP and I’m Belgian (btw, this doesn’t mean that I’m not proud of being Filipino, I am very proud). They asked me if I speak French, but I said no because I’m Flemish And of course, hardly anyone knows Dutch, so my new identity was safe.

The next morning, the three girls and 1 other American guy (we met him in the hostel the next morning) went to walk around Rome, starting in the colosseum. The place was packed, which is a common sight in Rome and somewhat removes the feeling that you are in Italy. We didn’t go inside but just walked around the area.

We then stopped at the Basilica de San Clemente, known as the Lasagna Church, known as such because the current church was built on top of a few other churches.

We then went on to visit the Vatican’s Musei Vaticani after a quick lunch. The museums hosts to thousand of artifacts collected by the Vatican itself, which includes paintings, sculptures, interesting ancient maps & scriptures. Of course, the highlight of the museum tour was the Sistine Chapel – and though you’re not technically allowed to take photos – it was disappointing to see that roughly 50% of the crowd did actually take photos. (Did I take a photo? What do you think?)

The next place we visited was St. Peter’s Basilica, with high hopes to see the pope, but nope, he wasn’t there. You can also access just adjacent to the basilica the Tombs of the Pope – where Pope John Paul II & of St.Peter’s buried.

After, the girls asked me if I wanted to go out that night and join the Pub Crawl. It was difficult to decide as to one hand, I haven’t partied in Rome though on the other, I was still exhausted.

But my party spirit kicked in so I said yes.The pub crawl was with a crowd of 90% Americans and hardly anyone from Europe and as expected from Asia. We went home at around 4 in the morning, after exhaustion finally kicked in.

The morning after, I left the girls and went around Rome by myself – which was helpful since I have control of my time. I went around the Vaticani Area again (and saw the pope…. From the big screen), walked through the main street and passed by sites like Castle Sant Angelo, the Pantheon, a few plazas here & there, the Spanish Steps, Fontana de Trevi (WARNING: crowded) and culminating at the Colosseum. With my Belgian residence card, I manage to visit inside the colosseum as an EU student (offering 50% discount).

After, I had a plane to catch in a few hours, so I went to my hostel, took my stuff and went to the bus station. Just a tip, at Sunday night, the lines get busy and the bus service are delayed (I was queuing for more than hour – for nothing). I didn’t want to miss my flight, so I bunked in with an Irish guy for a cab to the airport. It cost us 40euros but it could have been more if I missed my flight.Luckily, I manage to catch my flight amazing race style and spent the whole flight ‘Survivor style’ (ie.dozing off).

Rome was lovely though I find it too crowded and touristy. There are lots of sights to se and if you are interested of traveling to Rome but with not so much budget like me, I suggest you check this blog post by 20 Something Travel – where she shares stunning places in Rome you can visit for free.

Tangier

2009-12-28T01:02:00.000+01:00

Finally, the last of the series - 6 months after our trip.

From Fes, it was a 7 hour train ride to Tangier. We originally planned to take the train at night, but since our Fes trip was cut short, we took the one in the afternoon.

From my previous blog entry, I advised to get a seat on first class. But for the trip, we only got second-class tickets since it was unplanned. It was hot and sticky thought it was not as bad as I expected. Yes, it was a grueling 7 hours, but with the comforts of coke, plus a little bit of crazy antics like running on the side of the train made the trip more pleasant.

Tangier is in the coast of Morocco and situated near the Strait of Gibraltar to the Mediterranean Sea. It doesn’t have the “old city” feel of Morocco and Fes because of the towering buildings, coastal roads decorated with palm trees, fancy restaurants, bars & fast food chains.Tangier was “European Morocco” to put it more blatantly. Yet,Tangier still charms, for me, through its white buildings that blends well with the blue coastal waters.

We were lucky to get a room at Hotel Tarik even though we didn’t book. The hotel is old but well-situated along the seacoast. And we had the comforts that we didn’t have in the past hostels, like our own airconditioned room, with television and clean showers. My only complaint though was that the beds have bedbugs, which made our sleep uncomfortable.

We dropped our bags and headed off to the city to eat (guess where? McDonalds). We didn’t wander the city, since we were tired still from Fez. So we headed off to the hotel, sat near the coast with beers and just relaxed.

The next day, we went to the Kasbah on top of the Tangier medina, the place had a nice view of the Gibraltar strait but the Kasbah itself was not that spectacular. After, we went to the market to get some last-minute souvenirs then head back to our hotel. We decided to swim at the coast, but the water was cold (even at June) and dirty, so not really the tropical beach we were expecting. After a quick dip, we packed our stuff and went to the airport.

To cap off, our Morocco trip was 7 days of action-filled traveling, from navigating the medinas of Marrakesh and Fes, trekking the Sahara desert and the Atlas Mountains, and swimming the coasts of Essaouira and Tangier. We met a lot of people, from our fellow travelers, taxi drivers, guides and those random strangers who are eager to give us a hand. My excellent perception of Morocco still stands, even 6 months after our trip, and perhaps will remain for years to come. That’s why I decided to keep these entries, no matter how naïve or shallow my entries can be, it will help keep these memories alive.

I also discovered a lot from myself, from how I act and I adjust to fit certain kinds of environment with little difficulty.

Fez

2009-12-22T19:58:00.000+01:00

The train to Fez took almost 6 hours. If you plan to go, I suggest that if there’s a chance; get a sit on the first class as it will be more comfortable. With 35C outside, an extra 10 euros for first class was not that bad.

In Moroccan trains, you are expected to talk to your seatmates, not like in Belgium, where you just sit, keep quiet and wait. But when travelling for 6 hours, you can’t miss out talking to people. On our train to Fez, we met this man who worked for the Moroccan government and opted to talk to us to improve his English. He was nice to help us around and give us some tips, at the same time, we hoped that we helped him on his English.

Six hours came fast as we switched from talking, eating then sleeping. We got into Fez around 8 in the evening, we planned to go around the city, but as it was raining, we decided to head-off to our hostel.

We stayed in a hostel called Fes Youth Hostel, it was cheap – only 6 euros per person. But you get what you pay for, the beds are plain, the toilet is clean but looked like it was built in the 50s and the worst part was that the rooms smelled like paint. Since it was raining the entire night, we decided to get some rest to prepare for the next day.

We woke up early in the morning, and we got breakfast from our hostel which was hefty amount of freshly cooked bread. We decided to take a tour of the Fez medina and we considered getting a tour guide which our hostel manager suggested. We paid 15 euros each (we were two people)

The Fez medina, a UNESCO world heritage site, is the oldest and the most unspoiled medina in Marrakesh. Walking there felt like walking back in time, you can just feel that the place stand for ages. In Fez, we saw the famous tanneries, the first thing that comes to my mind when you speak about Morocco before. It was more exotic than Marrakesh, with everything looking authentic.

The tanneries for me were the highlight of Fes, so it was of course the place that I enjoyed seeing the most.

But even though we saw some good sites, we felt that we were tricked. Our guide, who brought us to some sites, but most of the time, he brought us to shopping places – to people selling carpets, porcelain, woodwork, metal and leather. As we didn’t have extra money – it never came to our mind that we will be buying 200 euros leather jacket. Our guide looked disappointed as we didn’t buy anything, cause I bet he will get a commission.

Our tour guide, after a few more stops, called it a day and brought us to his car to give our stuff. It was only 12 noon and as we haven’t explored Fes much, we would have opted to go around. But since we weren’t able to leave our luggage in our hostel, we have to carry it, so we decided to head on the station to catch the train to Tangier.

To summarise, Fes is an amazing city and I believe that our trip would have been eventful if we wouldn’t have chosen the wrong path to explore it.

Marrakesh again

2009-11-09T22:11:00.000+01:00

We got back into Essaouira that night, so we decided to walk at the square and see Djaama El Fna at night for the final time. It’s really a spectacle at night and this is what I will remember from Marrakesh the most.

We got “drunk” from our usual orange juice stalls in the square. We also went for some short souvenir shopping. Marrakesh is famous for its woodwork and ceramics. I bought some of course, and I’m proud on what I bought (a wooden chest set and a shisha)

We woke up next morning to pack and prepare for our train to Fez. Since we had half of a day in Marrakesh left, we decided to still visit a few museums.

Our first stop was the Ben Yousseft Medersa, a medieval Islamic School, the oldest Islamic school in the world. It was a school that was almost like a maze. I also find it weird that it has rooms that are 10 square meters big, which makes me wonder was it really a school or a prison cell?

We then headed to the Marrakesh museum with a quick stop Almoravid Koubba, the oldest building in the whole of Marrakesh.

We had to quickly run to our hostel after to pick-up our bags. We were so close in missing out our train but luckily we manage to catch it.

Looking back, all I can say was Marrakesh was simply amazing.

Essaouira

2009-11-07T18:06:00.000+01:00

After a day in the hot and steaming desert, what better way to cool off than to go to the beach. So, of course, we thought and did something about it.

Essaouira is four hours away from Marrakesh by bus. It was jampacked, half-filled with tourist ride, nevertheless it was comfortable. We got there around lunchtime, so we headed first to get some grub. We enjoyed an excellent seafood feast, though it was very expensive (I think a little less than what we would have paid in Brussels). Still, seafood is seafood and having it fresh is always the key.

We head on after to walk around the city centre, it was filled with shops selling mostly tourist items like in Marrakesh, though generally cheaper. The city is vibrant though as it was surrounded with colour, as well as some paintings and other art designs.

Of course, the most part of the day was spent in the beach. There were not much tourists there, and the beach was not as clean, still it was nice to swim on the slightly cold Atlantic coast.

There was also no babe watching, as Morocco is an Islamic country, most of the girls swam with their dresses. No bikini watching, unfortunately.

Still though, we made the best of the day, just sitting on the sandy beaches and waited until the afternoon when we have to go back to Marrakesh.

the Sahara desert

2009-11-03T11:39:00.005+01:00

Man is a complex being; he makes the deserts bloom and lakes die.~ Gil Stern

After a day and a half of travelling, we reached the Sahara. From afar, the Erg Chebbi sand dunes towers the skyline like a mountain without the brown and green color. It was glimmering in light orange. And the road to it was “ deserted” apart from the camel herds. :)

We stopped in the town of Merzouga, on the foot of the dunes. Before we move on to the desert we dipped into a pool, the best part of the tour for us then I think. Danco and I afforded to sunbathe as well, though I didn’t actually need one, still I made myself darkER. After showering, we went out and saw that our camels were waiting outside. This was not the first time I saw a camel, though it would be the first time I would ride one.

We joined in a 6 camel caravan and I was on the farthest back. Though it’s not a big deal, it’s just not an amusing sight seeing 5 other camels defecating. And as expected, riding the camel hurts, especially in the crotch area.

The slight pain was forgotten though as we see the terrain that we were passing into. It was only after 20 on trek that we saw no hint of civilization apart from us and towers of bright orange sand (plus some black camel shit :P)

I can say that we really enjoyed the tour, perhaps making sure that everything is well-documented. After an hour and a half trek, we reached our camp where we will spent our night.

The minute when we got there, we already went around – like kids in a never-ending sandbox. The dunes are high enough that it takes a while to climb it. The sand is very pure, and as it was sunset, the dunes are seen to be dark orange. After taking photos and videos, we head back to the camp.

As the night drew in, we ate tangine for dinner then chilled out alongside some Moroccan entertainment. Danco was starting to get quite sick when we got there and was sick for the rest of the night. Luckily I wasn't so I was able to sleep outside for some stargazing. I was so tired that only after a few minutes I fell asleep. Though, I still manage to see some shooting stars.

We woke early next day to catch sunrise, though we were disappointed that it was cloudy so we didn’t see it on its fullest, though the feeling of being detached from the pains of everyday life was spectacular. Though, disappointed from the lack of sunrise, we humored ourselves with a strange Japanese tourist who was collecting sand then after 10 minutes just putting it back. What’s his point? We rode a camel back to the town after a few hours. We were all tired when we got into the van so we slept the entire day as we drove back to Marrakesh. Though stopping at few sites, we were down sleeping all the way.

I can say that the trek was one of the highlights of the trip, it was a tingling sensation to be there amidst the sand, sun and camels. I don't know when I can go back, but for sure, I will make it a point.

South-East Morocco

2009-08-18T15:45:00.008+02:00

WANNA RIDE?. This is what I call public transportation

They say that what we should value more is not the destination itself but the road tackled to get into it.

Our 40-hour journey to Sahara was filled with breathtaking places, friendly people, and many unforgettable experiences. Though we had to suffer sitting in a van for the entire day in blistering heat.

We left Marrakesh early morning to join the tour to Sahara. I and Danco joined 5 other people - 2 British ladies in their 30s-40s, a Brazilian guy and a girl who are the same age as we are and our tour guide, Hammid.

Our first trek was through the Atlas Mountains. As we stopped to take photos and our guide was telling us about the mountains, Danco asked Hammid "Why are the Atlas Mountains famous?", and he replied "Because they are HIGH.". ah. yes. of course. :-)

HIGH UP THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS. Danco and I behind a stunning view of the Atlas. Below is a sample of the Berber village

We also passed by some interesting Berber communities. The indigenous people of North Africa, they are primarily farmers living on the edges of the mountain slopes. Typically, you can identify them by wearing a pointed hood.

We arrived around lunchtime at Kasbah Ait Benhaddou, a UNESCO heritage site made famous for being movie locations of Ben Hur, Gladiator and the upcoming Prince of Persia. The kasbah is a huge sand castle, glimmering in bright yellow. While at the site, we also had a taste of Moroccan cuisine - couscous and tangine with beef.

ALLADIN's CASTLE. The famous Kasbah of Ourzazate in Morocco.

DELICIOUS MOROCCO. Some tangine with beef.

After lunch, we drove through again through a bit of the Atlas mountains and through some towns. Sitting in a car for more than 5 hours, as you know, can be boring. Back in the Philippines, we used to just crank up the radio with some CDs. Our trip, on the other hand, we only have 2 CDs - Bob Marley hits and a CD with Arabic music. Bob Marley music is no doubt a driving music, but listening to it more than 8 times, it gets tiring. It was just too much "Three Little Birds".

By afternoon, we reached our end destination for that day, Dades Gorges. A gorge is a deep valley between cliffs usually carved by a river. You have to pass through winding roads to go the viewpoint. Upon reaching the top, both Danco and I had the "The world is amazingly beautiful" talk, well truly it is and it's only the beginning of our journey. We finished our day with some Moroccan music (with amateur drumming by yours truly) and a nice sleep in a hotel along the gorge.

ROAD TO HEAVEN. Perhaps one of the most stunning views ever, Dades Gorge. BELOW: LITTLE DRUMMER BOY. Enjoying the night with my drumming skills

We woke up the next day to continue our drive to Sahara. We stopped by Tondra Gorge, where instead of viewing the gorge from the top we walked from below. Again, it was breathtakingly amazing.

TONDRA GORGE. A nice view with one of your good friends. What couldn't be better than that.

A piece of advice though, be careful with your camera. I learned it the hard way. While I was crossing the river, I slipped with my camera on my hand. So, yeah, my 6 month camera went down into the water, never to work again. :(

Though I got pissed about my camera dropping into water, I didn't let it spoil my vacation cause after a few hours drive, we finally reached the Sahara..

Marrakesh, Morocco

2009-07-14T17:19:00.012+02:00

Our Morocco adventure begins in the city of Marrakesh.

DJAAMA EL FNA. Marrakesh's main market square, where snakecharmers flock in the day.

Coming from 10 months of living and travelling across Europe, though I enjoyed most of it, it was nice to be out of the continent and taste yet again the feeling that I had when I first got into Belgium – the feeling of being lost.

TRAVEL BROTHER TO MOROCCO. My flatmate and friend Danco and I on our way to Paris Orly Airport

With hardly any plans and booked trains and hostels, Danco and I, took our flight from Paris Orly to Marrakesh. It took us 2 hours before we landed in Morocco. Dirtier than Paris (and less French), sunnier than Brussels, less smokey than Amsterdam, and far less Christian than Rome – Marrakesh is clearly not Europe.

We stayed in an amazing hostel – Riad Massine II, and I must say that I never received such accommodating response compare to what I received here.

PALAIS BADII. One of the ancient sites in Morocco.

Marrakesh screams with color, from the colors of the ceramics to the colors (and smells) of the spices. At the same time, we had fun looking at the arabic lettering and drinking Coca-cola with the label in Arabic.

ARABIC? I'LL STICK TO ENGLISH. I don't know what this sign says.

After lunch which was for 20 dirhams (€2), we met a fellow Canadian-Asian backpacker, Lawrence, to go around with. The sightseeing parts were tough because of the heat that's why we always kept a bottle of water handy.

SHOPPING, SHOPPING, MORE SHOPPING. (Top to Bottom) Colorful ceramic plates; Some local sweets made from different sundried berries, fruits etc; While in another ceramics shop, we promised him that we will recommend his shop and now I'm doing him free publicity.

After visiting the tourist sites, we decided to go to the souks or the marketplace, to do some shopping. They say that shopping on your first day is not advised because it's better to get a feel of the real price first, but we managed to buy a lot. I think it was only because we enjoyed haggling and bargaining (or bullshiting) and we always bargain the cheapest (starting at 5-10% of the original price). That's why they always ask - "how much would you pay for it?" so that we won't be able to bargain bad. Anyway, in the end, we bought a lot, which I think was fine since in the next days we didn't had much time to go around.

LIGHTS AT NIGHT. Djaama El Fna at night.

Marrakesh at night was also fantastic. Djaama El Fna, the main square, lits up at night. Food stalls, magicians, herbologists keeps the square busy. And for us, we decided to get "drunk" from the fresh orange juice (3 dirhams). After an exotic meal for dinner, we chilled out the rest of the night in a terrace where you get an overview of the square.

FIRST NIGHT. Danco, Lawrence and I chilled out in a terrace over looking the square; Brains for dinner? Yummy.

Knokke, Belgium

2009-06-05T11:22:00.005+02:00

June 1, 2009 – Another holiday here in Belgium.

With the sun high and out, we decided to visit the seaside town of Knokke, an hour and half by train from Brussels. We got there as usual, early afternoon, walked across the city centre (which is by the way, filled with shops, it gave me the image of Orange County in CA) then you see the beach.

FLIP-FLOPS MEET SAND. I finally wore my havaianas in a Belgian beach

A beach person myself, I was delighted to see the sea, sand and the sun. Though I only made a quick dip due to the cold water and my lack of swimming gear. Still, the combination of these plus a good group of friends made it a chill-out afternoon.

JERICK AND IMOLA. Fun in the sun in Knokke.

Also, this was my first beach experience in Europe so I was quite surprised to see topless girls sunbathing in the sea. This also made the trip a whole lot “pleasing to the eyes”. Haha.

Luxembourg

2009-06-05T11:21:00.004+02:00

May 21, 2009 - Though a small country only being 2,586 square kilometers, Luxembourg should not be taken for granted. Landlocked between France, Germany, and Belgium, it has been an important European power for the last centuries.

MA, I'M IN LUXEMBOURG. Jerick proving that he was really there.

It’s only 3 hours by train from Brussels, so we decided to visit the city during the long May 21st holiday. We arrived in Luxembourg early afternoon, though it was a little cold, we decided to walk across to the city centre, a rough 2-3 kms. from the train station. A good stroll along its streets allows you to see the mixture of green forest parks and brick gray castles.

ADOLPHE BRIDGE. Luxembourg City's famous landmark

As one intern said, Luxembourg is the Magic Kingdom of Western Europe. It’s true in a sense that I have never seen such a busy city yet having the look of a medieval village. I particularly like the park in the middle city where you can see the Adolphe bridge.

MASTER JUMP SHOTS. AIESEC interns from Belgium doing the famous jump shots. :)

Anyway, what trip wouldn’t be complete without jumping shots, tasting some homegrown food and drinks (Luxembourgish beer), and funny photos. We went home a little around 7PM and continued to enjoy our day in the train (where we played 1-2-3 pass and made crazy punishments).

Nice way to spend a one-day holiday.

Antwerp for Beyonce's concert

2009-05-13T10:18:00.004+02:00

SINGLE LADIES. Bootylicious Beyonce performing at the centre of the audience.

May 7, 2009. I and a bunch of interns from Brussels came to Antwerp to see Beyonce's concert. The concert was sold-out so the place was tight pack. We weren't able to come close to the stage as we arrived late. Yet, it came to a surprisewhen she flew to the centre of the audience and started performing there. You can't believed how surprised we are. We were roughly 5 rows of people from her. :) Nice concert, she's really talented and she really put up a great show! And yes, the Single Ladies song was amazing!

Still the Jason Mraz concert, for me, is still the best I've seen so far. :)

Krakow, Warsaw and Radom, Poland

2009-05-11T15:34:00.017+02:00

AMAZING POLAND; The view of Vistula river from the Wawel Castle. That's us with the Polish flag.

APRIL 30, 2009 - MAY 3, 2009. I visited Kristine a friend from 8 years ago and currently doing an AIESEC internship in Poland.

It was also my first time to travel in Europe alone and without my friends from Belgium. For once, it's nice to be guided by your own set of priorities and also get more opportunities to meet people. And Poland was the perfect venue.

Kristine and her friend picked me up in Warsaw airport Thursday night then drove me to their place in Radom, a town 100 kms away from Warsaw. Seeing Kristine was like having my Filipino switch turned on. Kaboom!!!!!

ANGELICANS IN POLAND. Jerick and Kristine in Krakow. :)

Kristine and I met 8 years ago in Angelicum. Then after 7 years, I was able to convince her to join the AIESEC exchange program. Meeting her in Poland was like a warp to 8 years past then back. A testament to this was the 1 hour and a half drive to Radom filled with conversations in Tagalog, high school reminscing, and endless stories about the Philippines.

On Friday, all AIESEC interns in Radom and I took the train to Krakow to join other interns from Poland for the Krakow reception weekend. We arrived in Krakow four hours after. Since the official program is not yet starting, Kristine and I decided to visit Oswiechim for the Auschwitz Concentration Camp memorial, a 2 hour bus ride from Krakow.

Experience in Auschwitz

Auschwitz was the largest World War II concentration camp in Europe and the place where they persecuted more than 3 million victims. It was a site preserved for people of this generation to remember and honour the victims of the past and learn from that time's terror.

FLOWER AT THE AUSCHWITZ MEMORIAL. Hopefully, the memories won't wither.

Anyway, the site features most of the remnants from 70 years ago. There are many things around but the thing that bothered me the most was the collection of hairs from all the victims. Back then, they used to collect all the hairs to make as cloth. Also, one chilling moment was when we visited the gas chambers.

LEARNING FROM HISTORY. and no photos please.

As George Santayana said (and it is widely posted in the memorial) - "The one that does not remember history is bound to live through it again". And I agree. A site that you should definitely see in your life.

Krakow Reception Weekend

We got back from Auschwitz just in time for the start of the reception weekend. As I said earlier, it's nice to come with mostly by yourself as you get more chances of meeting new people. And that I did. I met so many interns in Poland. What surprised me though was the fact that the interns there were generally quite young (same age as me) compared to Belgium where I am considered one of the youngest.

(TOP) INTERNS IN POLAND. Haller! A photo taken Friday night as we are just to go out for a walk.
(BELOW) GOLDEN BUILDING Cloth Hall in the main market square.

Krakow captured its pristine on its main market square where you can find the St. Mary's Basilica, Cloth Hall, City Hall Tower and other beautiful buildings. Also, sites that you should visit are the Wawel Castle and the Barbican. After touring, I recommend that you sit along the Riverbanks of Vistula.

I really enjoyed my Krakow Weekend. The people, the AIESECers especially, are fantastic. I hope to see them again soon!

Radom and Warsaw

Saturday night we went back to Radom where we had a crazy vodka night. These Polish people can't get enough vodka. I also brought some Belgian beers but of course, they prefer their vodka. If they only knew what they are missing. :P

Next day, we went to meet Kristine's TN manager and Polish family. It was nice hearing how happy they are about Kristine and her internship in Poland especially since I'm her VP-OGX as well.

Then after Radom, we took the train to Warsaw to catch my plane. I was only in Warsaw for 1 hour, quite short. I wish I had more time to go around.

GOING BACK IS HARD. On my train to Warsaw from Radom on Sunday morning.

My trip to Poland was a nice escape. First, it was nice to meet Kristine here in Europe and just talk and listen to stories. Also, Poland is a country that I never expected I would love, but I did because of the people.

Dziekuje Polska!

POLISH JUMP. On the Krakow Main Market Square.

For more pictures, visit my Multiply website.

Antwerp, Belgium with Ruthie

2009-04-27T23:00:00.009+02:00

Last weekend, Ruthie, one of my EPs when I was VP OGX (Vice President for Outgoing Exchange) of AIESEC UPd visited me here in Belgium. She did her internship in Finland then now went to an interrail trip across Europe.
She’s the first guest from the Philippines in my place.

I took her around Brussels, which I found later as challenging as I am just as clueless as her about the city. We ended up instead having frites in La Bourse (the only thing I know "Brussels-ish").

We also went to Antwerp last Saturday. I've been there thrice already but it was my first time in Antwerp with the sun still up.

Antwerp Castle

Antwerp is very appealing. I noticed immediately the difference between Brussels to Antwerp – the architecture, the people and the vibe. What I particularly like about Antwerp are its lively streets, interesting statues, classy architecture and shops. I also liked the part that I can practice my dutch in Antwerp. Ik ben spreek in Nederlands. But do I prefer Antwerp over Brussels? Well, that’s tough to answer but I think I’ll stick to where I live for now.

Anyway, what was fun about our trip to Antwerp were the RANDOM moments. Just to list a few:

1. Random Brides-to-be asking to write a wedding message in your own language - I wrote in Tagalog!
2. Random Grooms-to-be tied in a bowling ball selling green scissors.
3. Random Flemish people asking if we need tourist help (because we looked exotic, but it was nice)
4. Random people getting arrested in the train back for possession of Marijuana
5. Random AIESEC Belgium friends that you see. :-)
6. Random FREE HUGS people in Meir Straat. It's nice to get a hug really.:)

Ruthie in Antwerp. UPD unite!

Also, it was a nice opportunity to recconect and to hear that she enjoyed her internship. I saw that she had a wonderful experience during her AIESEC internship. And it's rewarding to hear that as her VP-OGX you played a part in making this opportunity happen. :-)

Keukenhof, Netherlands

2009-04-23T00:28:00.010+02:00

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Keukenhof Flowers

I never felt the real essence of spring before I came here to Belgium. I had a vacation in the US in spring 2002 yet it was cold. My relatives said it was quite warm but coming from 30C summer in the Philippines, 15-20C isn't actually what we call "warm".

Yet after braving a cold winter here in Europe and seeing as time passes the changes that springtime brought, you can't help but thank that spring is here. :)

So, what better way to feel spring but to just lay in the sun and enjoy the colors. And that we did.
We made a weekend roadtrip see Keukenhof, a flower park an hour drive away from Amsterdam. And we went the right time when the sun was out and the flowers were in bloom.

Me playing with the digital macro feature of my camera

Aside from touring Keukenhof, we also went to Amsterdam the previous days. We went again to a free tour, the Sandeman's New Amsterdam Free Tour (two free tours in a week, the other one the Saturday before in London, call me "addicted") Again, it's very amusing. Our guide, Steve, was as crazy as Amsterdam is (honestly, he is like a cuckoo bird in turbo mode but he's very fun and informative).

Steve, the tourguide, explaining those things in the wall

It was nice to realize that if you really pay attention, you will see Amsterdam beyond the marijuana and the redlight district and marvel on its beauty and history then understand the reasons and moments in history it went through to reach what it is perceived today. And that tour opened my eyes to a new Amsterdam, an Amsterdam that I never saw in my past two visits here.

AMSTERDAM HUISEN. Do you ever wonder what those hooks on the top floors are for? Actually, they are for lifting things up to the roof since houses have no big stairs. impressive trivia!

I also learned why there are hooks on top of the houses in Amsterdam!

the United Kingdom

2009-04-17T11:28:00.003+02:00

For the past 20 years, I spent Easter with family with activities of going to church and eating lunch. And though I don't have that opportunity now, I'm happy to spend Easter with one of my families, AIESEC. Adding to that is a very good consolation, spending it in Britain.

Started our journey on Black Saturday in London. We were hosted by Csenge's friend, Albin, an AIESECer from Hungary. Then, we went to the centre after for a tour. It's not my first time in London. I was there last December and I only stayed for one night, that's why I went back again.

Our NewLondon tour guide: The "drama" of London. Shakespearean!

After joining the free tour by Sandemans' New London Tours (Try it, very well recommended). Carla, Csenge and I walked along River Thames where we saw everything that we feel is London - Big Ben, London Eye, Trafalgar Square, double decker bus, the tube and the London telephone booth.

Yo!yo! Trafalgar Square!

After walking the entire afternoon, we gathered in Oxford Circus for some shopping then dinner at Garfunkel's. We went directly to Brixton (where Albin lives) after to get ready for the next day. :)

STONEHENGE, THEY ARE NOT JUST ROCKS!

Next day, we took the tour of Hampton Court, Stonehenge and Oxford. We were supposed to go to Windsor Castle but it was closed, so we went to Hampton Court instead. I went out with Csenge and Carla, along with Tina - FilAm and Microsoft Intern in Paris and also Dan, Tina's friend who was also an AIESECer in the UK.

Hampton Court Palace - Green green grass

First stopped at Hampton Court Palace, a royal palace south of London. It used to be the resident of King Henry VIII. The place was rich in history and we were lucky that when we were there, it was costume day so people around were dressed in their Tudor-time costumes. Particularly like Henry's kitchen, the fountain court, the labyrinth maze (seriously, you can get lost) and of course, the gardens. The weather was cloudy, but still manage to "play" in the garden. I also saw a swan, which was nice. :) CLICK HERE TO KNOW MORE - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampton_Court_Palace

After leaving Hampton Court, the bus went for a 1,5 hour drive to Stonehenge in the Wiltshire country. Everyone knows Stonehenge, but for those who don't know, it is these rocks, arranged in a circular shape, and believed to have been there for more 4,000 years ago. It was believed to be either a monument, a burial ground, a temple, or an alien landing pad (?). It's a UNESCO world heritage site.

4021 = Stonehenge (4,000 years old) + Jerick (21 years old)

Seeing stonehenge for me is a dream come true. I felt really blessed to see this place. There are some that say that these are just piles of rocks, but for me, it's more than that.

Two hours past, we went to see the city of Oxford - famous for its university. We were there for only short while though. It's just strange for me that a university can also be a tourist attraction, possibly thanks to its fame and its history. :)

One of the campuses in Oxford

Highlight of the tour was when we visited the outsides of ChristChurch, famous for our generation as one of the settings for Harry Potter movies. We didn't go inside though. Also in Oxford, I manage to taste a Cornish Pasty, or as I names it - English empanadas. :)

AIESEC DANCES TIL 4AM!

After the tour, we went back to London for Albin's Easter barbeque. Nice hefty food and chats with Hungarians and Polish. After the barbeque, we went out to the centre for a drink, but went back to Brixton as the bar that we were supposed to go to was closed. So, we went back to Brixton for some cocktails in this place called Mango Landin. not your typical english pub, but is very English still (at some point).

After drinks and mild drunkenness, we headed over to Albin's house for some drinks again. We were just chillin' in the house, talking about AIESEC, our experiences etc., and then we decided to do some AIESEC dances. From Tunak-Tunak, LeLe, Cotton-Eyed Joe, and even Life in a new Millenium (danced it last on NLDS 2006) and we were dancing til 4AM.

Next day, we continued our tour around London. We went to Tower of London, Tower Bridge, London Bridge, St. Paul's, Camden Town then back to Oxford Circus. We also went back to Embankment to see the city at night (House of Parliament was nice!).

Unfortunately, we have to cut our trip short as we need to go back to work. :-( So early Tuesday morning, we went back to surprisingly sunny Brussels.

5 BEST MEMORIES OF MY BRITISH EASTER:

1. Topman - Shopping Galore!
2. AIESEC Dances til 4AM - It's nice to reminisce on AIESEC dances! Life in a New Millenium
3. Stonehenge, of course - a fantastic place
4. The Maze over at Hampton Court. I got lost actually, seriously. :)
5. London Buses - 2 to Marylebone. :)

I promised myself that I will be back in London or somewhere in the UK.

jump! jump for Britain!

Brussels, Belgium in 5 days!

2008-09-01T17:57:00.001+02:00

... and I still can't believe that this is really happening.

It's just that so many bad things happened this year that even until today I am surprised that something good turned out from it.

FYI, a few months ago, I learned that I won't be graduating on time. All my plans were destroyed and my dreams and goals shattered. I can't deny that 'til now, I still feel bad from what had happened.

I became traumatized from what happened earlier this year so honestly, I can't still feel the level of happiness that I am expected to be feeling right now.

So okay, for those who have no idea what I'm talking about, I will be working in Microsoft EMEA - LCA as Communications Coordinator for Publications. I'll be in Belgium for 10 months (or more) and I'll leave this Friday, September 5.

First, I would to apologize to everyone for not telling about this earlier, it's just that after being accepted to Microsoft, I still had to undergo medical exams and the visa process which can still jeopardize everything. I only learned that I got accepted three weeks ago, so I had to finish all the requirements really quickly. And just last Friday, I got my visa and my flight confirmation. Lightning fast, really!

There's no doubt that everyone is right about saying that I'll have the best time of my life.I can't seem to imagine that I'll be working in one of the biggest companies in the world and I'll be doing this in Europe. Of course, there are the perks like being able to travel to different places in Europe, meeting new friends, learning new languages and cultures, and saving some decent amount of money. Of course, I am excited and happy?! Who wouldn't?!

But, I'm also nervous about everything. The idea that I'll be doing my first real job there is scary. Proving that they made the right decision on selecting me is pressure enough, but the fact that I'll be far from the physical support of my family and friends makes me feel worse.

--

Anyway, I just want to say that I'll definitely miss everyone! And as much as possible, I would like to talk to all of you before I leave. So, hopefully, we can plan something/anything!

And of course, I hope we can keep contact while I'm in Belgium. I'll be keeping my mobile number on roaming mode. Plus, I will still have YM and Multiply so I can still share photos and blog entries. hehe, power of telecommunications.

the nomadlife community

2008-08-10T10:31:00.002+02:00

My name is Jerick and I'm from the Philippines. This is my third blog and will be my blog for my future travels. For now, I won't be able to post "nomadlife" entries. But if you want to get some good reading about me and my musings, you can check out these two blogs:

http://jerick.blogspot.com
http://jeryk.multiply.com

Thanks!