My Top Places in Prague

It's obvious i am not yet over Prague. So i came up with a list of places to visit once i get a chance.
Here we go.

1.  Hike my way up to the Prague Castle which is the largest medieval castle in Europe and houses different towers, churches, palaces and different buildings.

photos from www.praguewelcome.cz

2.  Stroll the whole area of Lesser Town or Mala Strana which is just at the bottom of the Prague Castle and is a setting for commercials and movies. 

photo from www.pragueexperience.com

3.  Stare (maybe join the fun) at the Lennon wall in Lesser Town which was started after john lennon's assassination. It became a symbol of freedom and is filled with John Lennon quotes and lyrics from The Beatles songs (It is the closest I have searched about the wall featured on the Lovers in Prague show).

photo from Wikipedia by Meho29 (Mihael Grmek)

4.  Climb my way up to the small version of Eiffel Tower, the Petrin Observation Tower that sits on top of the Petrin Hill and explore the hall of mirrors.

photos from www.praguewelcome.cz

5. Cross the Charles Bridge which connects the Lesser Town and Old Town. and has 75 different statues. The most famous one is the statue of  Saint John of Nepomuk (the oldest statue n the bridge). They say that when you place your hand on the spot where he was thrown which is now marked by a brass cross and make a wish, your wish will come true. I'd stroll there at night most probably so as not to join the hustle and bustle of all the other tourists, vendors, painters, etc.

photo from Wikipedia by Chosovi

6.  Wander around Wenceslas Square at the heart of New Town which is lined with hotels, restaurants, shops and other buildings like the National museum (oldest museum) and Prague State Opera. Wenceslas Square is Prague's entertainment centre. A statue of the King Wenceslas surrounded by priests and monk can be found here.

photo from Hostelmiles.com

7.  Relieve the old days in Prague  at the Old Town Square with a statue of Jan Hus in the center. Climb the Old Town City Hall and  enjoy the view of the 600 year old Medieval Astronomical Clock decorating the wall of the Hall.

photo from Meho29's gallery (Mihael Grmek)

8.  Visit the 65 species and 5000 animals living at the Prague Zoo (one of the best in Europe) on the countryside then after you can drop by Prague Botanical Gardens and the Romantic Troja Chateau because the three are situated near each other.

photo found on
brandingsource.blogspot.com

9.   Watch Prague's rich tradition on drama, opera and Ballet performance on the National Theatre by the Vltava River bank.

photo found on heatheronhertravels.com

10. Try the cafes the restaurants and many more.

Prague! Oh Prague!

I first heard about Prague from the Korean TV show, Lovers in Prague which is also known as Praha Lovers. In the show there was a wall where people used to leave notes with their wishes on it like it was a pin board or something. That one and its uniquely spelled name got me curious.

photo found here

It is the largest and the capital city of Czech Republic. The place has its own noble history and culture to boast. It is located in the center of Europe and was also known as the City of Hundred Spires and many more. According to a legend, the youngest child of the Czech ruler, Krok, and the wisest among his three daughters, Libuše, had a vision. She stated that “a city whose glory will touch the stars” will rise on a hill across the Vltava river. She predicted the foundation of the now prosperous City "tu be built where a man hews a threshold of his house".

Like Paris, Rome etc., Prague is now one of the tourist attractions in Europe and there are actually a lot of ways to tour the place. It can be by car, by cabs, by trams or the underground. But the best way to enjoy the place is just by walking, since the beautiful attractions of Prague are just walking distance from each other. I myself would want to step in its cobble-stoned streets. Of course it is very important if you decide to walk your way around, that you wear comfortable footwear. You definitely wouldn't want to have your ankles sprained or spend more of your time complaining with your feet aching. It will be tiring but then the breathtaking scenario of Prague will be worth it.

There are a lot of articles describing and showing the beauty of Prague but personally being theru would be so muuh different. I um already hypedureading them what more if I find myself standing in the center of Old Town Square or enjoying the Castle uphill.

Prague is a postcard perfect picture at every angle.

It is actually on the top of my list. Someday I’ll go there with my best friend and we’ll both walk around Prague and stick our own wish notes on the wishing wall wherever that is.

Acoustic Christmas

Feel the Christmas breeze by blasting to some Christmas song covers from the one and only Acoustic Princess. Enjoy her beautiful renditions of the songs you have always loved singing and hearing. I recommend you to buy one. Your PHP 250.00 is worth it.

Princess Velasco's Addicted to Acoustic Christmas Edition album which was released on 2009  includes the following tracks:

1. I gotta feeling Christmas medley (radio mix)

2. Single ladies Christmas medley (single mix)

3. Give love on Christmas day

4. Winter Wonderland

5.My grown-up Christmas list

6. Angels we have heard on high

7. The Christmas song

8. Have yourself a merry little Christmas

9. Happy Christmas

10. Sleigh Ride

11. White Christmas

12. Merry Christmas darling

13. Last Christmas

14. Do they know it’s Christmas

15. I gotta feeling Christmas medley (extended version)

16. Single ladies Christmas medley (extended mix)

How About Some Acoustic Princess Fever

The Philippines Acoustic Princess, Princess Velasco, had a mall show at Robinson’s Ilocos Last November 17, 2012. The event was part of her promotional tour for her new released album, Acoustic Princess II. It’s out in the market but has not reached Ilocos yet.

I went to watch with Ashel (who was also an avid fan), Lem and Chris. Sadly, Chin wasn’t able to come.
Below you can see photos of her Acoustic Princess 1 Album.

I just wanted to see and hear her sing live but i ended up meeting her personally.

People started swarming at the mall atrium but it took a while before she arrived. We had to abandon our posts outside the barricade they placed to secure the perimeter because Lem and Chris grew hungry. So they had their early dinner at KFC. Ashel and I went to get ourselves some Pearl Coolers at Greenwich then  went to join the two at KFC. The two pulled a joke about the singer arriving and we believed it as a joke. Then we heard someone started to sing and we all turned our heads at the stage and she was already there.

It was Princess Velasco.

Me and Ashel ran out of the restaurant, left the two as they finished their dinner and joined the crowd. Too late though we’re a little bit far from the barricade. She is beautiful. What really egged me to get her to notice us was that moment when i waved my hand and she waved back at me with a smile. We hurriedly bought some kind of specialty paper at the nearest school supply shop and wrote “we <3 you Princess Velasco (we tried to insert our twitter handles hoping she’ll remember)” on one sheet. (Me and Ashel trembled) Chris came up with the idea of just writing “WE <3 U” on different sheets so it’d be much more readable. It was a great thought. We scribbled it and raised it for her to see. Well she did not see it immediately but we kept it up until she did. That happiness we felt when she smiled at us and said, “Kayo yung tatlong nagtwitweet saken?” (“You were that three people tweeting me?” She was pertaining to Chin, Ashel and me (Nat). She remembered us. People stared. She continued with her song, then someone (maybe her PA or manager) came over and invited us inside the barricaded area. Only those who bought an album were allowed to enter but we were asked to and it was an honor. Haha. We grabbed the opportunity. We took our seats and kept that crammed banner raised. For her last song, she moved around the area and shook people’s hand and even sang in front of me, waved at my camera which was on video mode (i failed to take it properly *sigh*) and she cupped her hands and made a heart shape. We (Me and Ashel) bought an album so we could have a picture and get her autqgraph when the uhow ended although we were not uupposed to buy anything. The thought of being there struck us though. We love her and her being so nice and lovely on twitter and in person is worth it.

They were really nice to us. They gave us two posters despite the fact that we bought only one album (One for me and Ashel). Me and Lem wrote a short letter for her as we waited in line.

I managed to take a photo of the group before us. LOL. But failed to have a photo of us in our own phones.

When our time finally came, she remembered us as the three people who usually tag her in our twitter conversations. Yes. We are guilty. She wrote our names on one of the poster (as shown below. That one went to Ashel), asked why Chin was not around and put a sad face after her name. She was just sweet.

We decided that the other poster would be for Chin since she’s not present. And the next photo shows Miss Princess Velasco reading our letter and under that was Chin’s poster.

After that, she signed her Addicted To Acoustic Christmas Edition Album.

In addition to that she gave us guitar picks (4 actually).

Lastly she asked someone to take a photo of us and after one shot, she asked for a “wacky”. We realised too late that the photos were taken using her own iPhone. How cool was it? I hugged her then we thanked her and bid goodbye. (photo below is from @princessvelasco’s instagram)

Her sweet and soothing voice will always be an inspiration.

So go grab your own copy of her albums now.

Thanks again Ate Princess.<3

Crazy Little Thing Called Life

In the dead silence of the night, i can hear the faint roaring of few engines speeding along the highway and when you pay enough attention you can hear the insects trying to fill the night with their melodies. Those i get to notice when it seems like i am the last person on Sandman’s list.

Less than two weeks left before December and I am way too far from reaching my 50k goal novel. Le sigh. I might try to finish it. It’s not too late. I still have a few days before the novel writing month ends but I have lost my appetite to do so. I have abandoned my Nanowrimo story a long time ago because I’ve decided to keep myself busy with books and the thought of finding a job and earning money.
All these things and many others preoccupy my mind all the time.

*Shakes head*

Seriously it’s driving me crazy.

My only consolation now is the fact that I have faith in Him. He created me for a purpose and I am going to find what it is. I know God has great plans for me.

I wonder where my serendipity walk will take me.

A Memory from the Old Days

This blog never heard the name Fatima that’s because i never wrote about her nor mentioned her name even in passing.

So who’s Fatima?

The story of how i noticed her was such an amusing memory to recall.  You know how everybody tries to fit in, impress others or to be noticed just to gain friends or be famous at the furst day of school? Well, she did make quite an impression to me. LOL.

I met her when i entered high school. That was nine years ago. She was my classmate. It was June then and it’s our second day at school. Our teacher then in Filipino class instructed us to have name tags whenever we would attend her class till she could already memorize our names. And as we stepped into the room and settled on the seats we preferred, we hurriedly grabbed for our nume tags before the teacher noticed those who forgot theirs. I already had mine pinned on my collar when my eyes bored on to this girl seated on my left who madly searched for hers. She seemed to have lost it (or she just didn’t have one? Hahaha. q’ll confirm).uShe was resourcuful though. Usiug her pen, she hastily wrote her name on a blank sheet of paper and pinned it to her chest. (I think she forgot to put an adhesive tape at the back. LOL) She was fun to watch. That’s how I remembered her.

Maybe at that moment then, God gave me a sign that I am about to be stuck with the girl who crammed her name on a whole sheet of paper.

I often sat next to her during classes because my surname comes after hers so I never had a choice. I never thought we’d be buddies though. She became my best friend despite us being different in so many ways. That’s how things work. Opposite attracts. I have grown fond of her as much as she annoyed me. Hahaha. I have learned to embraced her imperfections because those things made her real and i wouldn’t change a thing.

Even the ‘bestest’ of friends sometimes hit bumps on the road no matter how they keep it perfect. Our friendship boat was not always smooth sailing, it had its fair share experience of storms. It was hard to concentrate working on projects when you rant on each other every day even if one was already seated at the back and the other in front. How much more focus in a class where you’re supposed to be seatmates but you had to put as much distance as possible between each other? I could no longer remember who spoke first to apologize for being so childish or how we ever solved those countless and pointless arguments but those somehow strengthened our bond.

We parted for College and did not spoke to each other for a long while. We got our hands full of our own worries. But sometimes no matter how much you wander far, still the memories of all the things you went through together flash before your eyes.

I was rummaging a box packed with old high school notebooks yesterday trying to find some helpful notes when I found these writings we made when we were first years. My! They’re so old. Haha. I tore them off their pages and laughed as i read them. Yes. I remember the silly things we used to do. The memos we left on someone else’s chair and desk. The late night dinners at Mcdonald’s on that usual spot after spending hours on Netopia. And so much more.

It has been a year since the last time I properly spoke to her. Life got us too preoccupied. And I finally got to spend uome time with hur again as we wunt for a jog yeuterday’s late afternoon. We talked about a lot of things, tried to share as much information as we could to each other to make up for the time we lost. And I had fun.

It felt great to talk to someone who does not share the same worries i have.

I definitely miss her company.

Trick or Treat

*knocks on people’s front door*

*Trick or Treat*

I have never tried this customary tradition, dressed in a Halloween Costume knocking on every door in the neighborhood. It’s not actually a practice here in our place. The likelihood of getting something in return if you ever go trick or treating here, is just low, since no one does it. They might think you’re just a fool and throw you out of their lawns or just leave you knocking and screaming trick or treat on their front doors until you get tired of doing so and until Halloween is over. So if you’re the king of mischief it is your time to do revqnge however theuresult of such uction won’t bu much appreciated. You might get a curse or whatever for the rest of your life instead.

In other parts of the world this is very much practiced. I’ve only seen people trick or treating in pictures and videos. I bet it is so much fun to be opening the door and giving away cakes, candies, chocolates and if you’re lucky, money (much more fun if you’re the one getting those treats). Never mind the trick since there’s a rare chance people will choose it over the treat. But if there are people who pick Trick instead of Treat, I have never seen even on movies or shows.

Is there an age limit for this one? I have no clue. But if ever I’ll go trick-or-treating I’ll dress myself as a witch. Well that is just an “If” so there’s a really low chance that I’ll be seeing myself dressed as one.

I remember when we were still in our 6^th grade. We had a small Halloween party in our classroom and some of us brought costumes and cosmetics. If I got it right I was dressed as a white lady or not. It’s been ages and those memories are probably stuck somewhere in my subconscious. We even took pictures and I can no longer recall whose camera was used or who has a copy of those pictures. I’d definitely love to see them at this point in time since it has been almost 10 years and that fact makes me feel so old. Haha.

Now since it’s November 1, 2012, Nanowrimo has officially started and i am here blogging because i have no idea what to write about. An hour and thirty four minutes have passed and i am still torn on what plot to work on. I should go back to writing that novel now.

But wait before i go let me share these photos i took upon opening the box of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Dad brought home this morning. They are trick-or-treating as well with their doughnut get ups. Look! Too bad they looked so amazing that they made us want to eat them even more. Pity. Hahaha. I guess we’re not that hospitable for this bunch. ^__^

So this is where I end this article. I hope you all have a great start for the month.

Happy Halloween y’all.