Alagaesian

(videos below)

After a delayed holiday due to my skiing mishap last Easter, I finally got to Manila for 2 weeks to reconnect with family and friends for the holidays.  Overall impression – I’m no longer used to the hot and humid weather (even though most were complaining it has been a cold December) and I got sick for a couple of days – might have been the stress from the endless luncheons and dinners; traffic sucks running up to christmas but was excellent during the long holidays – thank Gloria (the Prez) for her holiday economics we had holidays from 25 december up to 4 january; Tagaytay’s still fantastic for a quick out of towner.  

The holiday was especially marked by a visit from my good friend Alex from Australia / Taiwan for Christmas for sort of a 5 year reunion from the Taiwan camp last 2003.  That kept me extremely occupied but it is all definitely good fun.  Down side was that the guy left without giving a huge tip to me for being an excellent tour guide!  Gan!  

A lot of time was spent on going to SM Mall of Asia (one of the world’s largest malls) I probably was there 15 out of 18 days. They have a good Imax theater where we watched ‘The Day The Earth Stood Still’.  The Fort (good resto Abe’s and good wine at Cav – highly recommend a white Guewurtzstraminer), Makati’s Glorietta and Greenbelt which made huge developments for the past year and a half that I was absent, an excellent Intramuros tour by Carlos Celdran, the Chinatown Wok Tour by Old Manila Walks.  Also went to Tagaytay and had a fantastic organic dinner at Sonya’s Garden where we met Sonya herself!  

Should’ve frequented the spa more though…  only managed to have one excellent visit for a one-hour body scrub and one-hour body massage which would’ve costed a fortune in Norway!  

Also managed to gatecrash the wedding of my friend, Limarc’s, brother.  Thanks for the last minute invite!

On the bit more spiritual side of things aside from Christmas, also visited the Tzu Chi Chapter in Manila where I used to spend a huge amount of time doing charity.  We got to learn more of the work they have been doing lately and was pleasantly surprised how the chapter has grown with a very beautiful main office.

My holiday was capped by shooting up fireworks on New Year’s Eve before I flew out the next day.  

One thing missing in this holiday was a trip to the beach… will have to do that some other time!  Alex what do you say??

Back in Bergen at -7 degrees C, dark, cold and snowing… took me a bit of time to adjust to being by myself once again.  I think I’m getting a bit homesick…

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