It's Good to be Back

Good August dear friends! It feels good to be back. Today, finally I'm having vacation from work so I've got time for everything :)

If I explain what happened with me, it won't inspire anybody's day for sure. But I'd still want to ask apologies for the very long absence. I haven't been around and haven't visited any of your blogs for more than two months.

There was another whirlwind in my life. How exciting eh? I just cannot stop having them. I'm sarcastic, by the way.

Lemme at least give at least give you a peek on what had happened. I owe you that.

Last time I was here, I was in an unstable state whether to leave or stay. Well, I stayed and staying for sometime. We managed to have all my necessary documents done with such a tremendous stress, magnanimous difficulty and heartbreaking aftershock! I'm not going to go into details but if we meet (who knows) I can narrate ... if that time, it still matters.

Comes next is settling. The "moving out & in", new place, old place stuff and all sorts took all my time and strength while at the same time, it was the busiest time at work.

For a few weeks you got settled, thought that finally you can relax, have sometime for yourself. Then boom! A call of an emergency! I hate receiving very unpleasant surprises. Honestly, it was the very first day I've had coffee in bed because I could afford to spend the whole morning without doing and thinking about any work (at least I thought so). It was the first free day I've got after all those hectic activities. It was an emergency! The need to call an ambulance, the panic, the fear, confusion, anger... altogether. How I hate the smell of "medicine" you know that particular smell which tells you it's coming from a doctor's stuff. It was a family member whom we had to help.

Now things are slowly going stable and calm. Like I said, I am finally having a vacation. :)

The city is busy lately for the World Water Sports Championship. There are many things going on around. I'll be posting some to show you what we're up to here.

For the meantime, let me make up my long absence.

And thanks for not deleting me :)

Alternative Blog

No, I haven't  moved yet. But maybe I  can invite you to check out my other blog which is keeping me busy.

Meanwhile in Russia  

I've created it not long time ago when I decided to have a blog less personal than this one I have now. It's speaks about observations in Russia. I also thought that since I'm  staying here for awhile (quite long "awhile") the title of this blog doesn't suit anymore as I am not as mobile as before. It was "Here and There or Somewhere else" because we (hubs and I) were literally living here (either China, Philippines or Russia) that time. We were working in China and we used to spend summer holidays in Russia and winter holidays in the Philippines (where there is no winter). And on short holidays, we travel Somewhere else (around China). We were living quite a wonderful life full of travels and adventures. And it was going on for 8 long years. But anything that eventually becomes a routine, gets anyone tired and bored. Human as we are, we always want something new, something different. And the fact that even birds build a nest for settling, we too thought that it might be a good idea as we're  not getting younger as a couple.

Now, the thing is, few weeks after I've  created that blog, I  learned that I  might have to leave Russia. It's  a complicated story. Well  not so, it's  rather sad than complicated. But I  just don't  want to heighten the issue before the final result comes on hand. It was another thing on my plate right after the passing away of our dearest grandma and our favorite cat. The theme was "leaving". They "left", now I'll have to leave too (not eternally of course, God forbid).

The title "Meanwhile in Russia" supposed to mean things that are happening here while all other things are happening in the world. But now it looks like it'd mean "Meanwhile I'm in Russia". :)

So if I leave, that doesn't  make any sense continuing the blog with the same title. That is why I'm  keeping this one as my main blog but apparently, I've discovered troubles in it. 

That is not the only thing. I have created this blog when I was in China and when Blogger was still accessible from there. Later that time, it was blocked and I luckily could only get access from time to time. If I  leave Russia and I go back to China, I  will not only be able to continue my blog about Russia but I  will not even be able to access to your blogs nor my own. Together with many other sites, Google products are blocked in the country. 

What to do? Nothing but continue blogging meanwhile I'm in Russia. :)

Blog Flaw

Something wrong is going on with my blog. This isn't the first time by the way. It happened 2 or 3 times long time ago. Some fellow bloggers couldn't  access to my page. I was already suspecting that something was up before the new year. Usually I get comments from bloggers whose blogs I read and comment on. But lately I've noticed that they're  becoming less and less. I'm sure it wasn't because they just lost interest. It won't  happen simultaneously. Plus, I already know many of them as we were following each others blog for many years.

I didn't  want to appear demanding or begging for a comment so I didn't  dare ask. I hoped that someone would tell me.

Finally, I've read from on of them today that she couldn't  get access to my blog everytime she tries to. I was glad I went to see her reply to my comment in her post. She often leaves replies on her blog, glad she does.

I might have to move this entire blog to a new address. I have already made one but it isn't yet polished. I'll  probably start commenting from there so everybody gets a new accessible connection.

I'm  hoping to do it soon. Maybe it's  time for a new blog as the new season arrives :)

Under construction

This blog is under re-construction. I'll be back to visiting your blogs as soon as I'm  ready. Thank you.

Routine...detour

I've been stuck with some books lately. I just finished "The Book Thief" which left my eyes swollen, not from reading but from crying. Alright, I admit that I usually can't hold my tears when what I'm reading and what I'm watching get pretty emotional. Ah, whatever, at least I know I aint numb :)

Now I'm on the first few chapters od "Crime and Punishment" - a very old classic and is the most read in Russian literature. It's a shame not having read it after living here for nearly three years. At first I was discouraged by hubs from reading it for its "heavy" to contain. And also I thought it was better to learn the society from which I'm living in so I could make my own unstained impressions directly from what I experience. It is always indeed better - first hand impressions. Then it's more exciting to track down the history as it gives me more details to compare with. It's more satisfying learning their literature for it's easier to find parallelism.

I am having a bit if "detour" lately. I didn't go anywhere but I mean a change of routine. I go to work, come back home, read, watch movies with hubby, cook together new dishes, dig old pictures and reminisce some good old days. There was no shopping lately, no cafe sitting, no photoshoots, no parks as it has been very cold for that since the mid of October. I haven't visited facebook too I guess for the last two weeks. I don't know, it doesn't seem to amuse me lately. All's the same, so boring. At least before I get to chat with friends from afar. Now, everyone's just busy posting their kind of thing. From pictures of food, selfies, to neighbors' activities etc. Some are fine, others are completely non-sense. I don't even talk with anyone. I mean talk by a healthy conversation, catching up with things or at least "talking" like you know the other person is there. I don't have that feeling anymore. Sometimes I see some people are just "liking" albums without even opening them. When I check on people's albums, I see to it that I only click the like the button to the ones I like. I don't do it through automation. You post a question as your status and what you get is a "like" and not an answer. I start thinking that people don't even read what others have written there. It puts me off when things are dine just for the heck if doing so. It's a complete nonsense. Speaking of friends, I mean real friends, if we really need to talk, we use inbox or email so it has nothing to do with my secondary friends in facebook.

I like reading blogs and I especially like the new blogger friends I have lately, I feel them in their comments, I feel them in their posts. This is something sensible. But eventhough, I don't indulge myself into blogging all days. I don't want to keep only one activity as it might bore me sooner or later. I like the feeling of checking blogs when I miss them. It's more satisfying in the end.

Oh by the way, have you any recommendations of a feel-good book? I think that I might need one after Crime and Punishment. :) It's difficult to choose for there are thousands out there.

Productive Blogging

I'm glad I'm becoming productive with my blog lately. There are many days I feel hopeless about myself. I could have many things to share. But I never could. I don't mean I am not able to, I know I can yet ... I CANNOT. What it means exactly, I also cannot say. I'll lay it to your own judgment. And let's leave it that way ",)

Anyways, what I was saying about being productive. My other blog "Petty Shots" (link on the sidebar if you want to check) was once featured in someone else's blog.( http://www.81things.com/2010/06/23-noticing-beauty-all-around-us.html ) (please follow the link if you may). It's an interesting  family blog which features their activities for making their summer vacation productive. They have chosen to use an objective from my shots as one of  their activities. I was glad that somehow in a way, I inspire others. And I am happy that they paid attention to my simple deeds. Please click the link to see what inspiration they got from my blog.

Today I got an invitation (thanks to Ms.Doreen) from a team blog ( http://mytownshootout.blogspot.com/ )  composed of different blogger-shooters from different parts of the world. The idea is to share everybody's (members and interested party) shot according to their own interpretation of the theme given each week by the moderators. I't pretty good idea. I feel more worth to my shots and activities. I'm joining for sure. It's just a pity that I will not be able to feature shots from my hometown since I am living abroad for  6 years now. And I'll be in another country the whole summer this year  so my posts will be not exactly as what the title says (My Town Shoot Outs) but at any town I will be hehe, I'm kinda mobile.

Starting this week I'm going to be very busy discovering new places, coping up with my blogs. I'll be narrating a documentary of my travels this summer and keeping friends updated with my itinerary, I'll be sharing lots of pictures from the places I will go.