Hockey Tradition

Yesterday Anne and I went to a hockey game. San Jose Sharks versus the LA Kings. It was a good game but the Sharks lost in overtime during the shoot-out. They don't have the best record of winning during a shoot-out but that is okay because the Sharks still got one point out of the game. Going to a hockey game after Thanksgiving is becoming a tradition with us.

We had to leave Modesto early so that we could take our time on the road. First we stopped at the Barnes & Noble in Livermoore and peruse the shelves. Then we ate an early dinner at Boda (this great Chinese food place that my family used to eat all the time when we lived in San Jose). Dinner was deep fried oysters, salt and pepper squid, house special fried rice and prawns with snow peas. Delicious! Then we stopped by the mall near the HP Pavilion since Anne wanted to do some Christmas shopping. The last thing we had to do before going to the game is Christmas in the Park. It is a San Jose tradition right in the middle of downtown at Ceasar Chavez Park. Various schools and organization have Christmas trees they decorate on display at Christmas in the Park alongside some Christmas dioramas and displays. It is pretty cool to walk around and look at the various displays.

I'm Alive

Sorry if I caused anyone to worry. I was unable to get internet access from my laptop during my last 3 days in Thiland and the whole week in Cambodia. But I updated my www.offexploring.com/travelingchamelon blog now that I am in Hong Kong and have internet access again.

Waiting

Seems like when you travel you tend to do plenty of waiting. You wait in line to check in the bags, you wait to go through security, you wait to get on the plane, then you wait to get off the plane, you wait in the immigration line and you wait in the baggage claim. I spend about 3 hours just inside Bangkok International’s Baggage claim waiting for my cousin. Do you know what three hours of doing absolutely nothing to someone like me does? It drives me bonkers! By the time my cousin showed up I was jumping up and down trying to not look like a crazy person. Of course when you start talking to a stuffed bear, people do give you the LOOK. LOL

Once my cousin collected her bag we went out to find our ride. Pastor Acosta was nice and very patiently waiting near the information desk. Stepping outside in the warm weather of Thailand was a surprise, of course wearing a dark black jacket didn’t help reduce the heat. But I found it was surprisingly not humid like in the Philippines. The traffic can be compared though the fact that over here they drive on the ‘wrong’ side of the street was enough to make me grab the seat and hold on tight. I found that the cars tended to obey the lanes and was nothing like the traffic in Manila. The place where we are staying is the Bangkok Christian Guest House, which is located near one of the main roads in the business section of Bangkok.

There are plenty of shops around and we found several malls connected together via overhead walk ways. Plenty of street vendors provided many opportunities to see things you don’t normally see i.e. uncooked meat out in the open, sticks of fish balls and little noodle shops on the side walk. Speaking of which there much of a side walk isn’t to begin with so walking is very much a people touching sport.

We ate dinner at a nice restaurant that the guy at the front desk recommended. Looking at the pictures you can only imagine the delicious taste of the food. Yummy!! It wasn’t too spicy since it is our first night here and we do want to enjoy being able to tastes the food for the next few days. Overall after a day spent waiting it was nice to finally settle in our new home away from home.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Off Exploring

I'm going to have to put this blog on hold while I travel. My brother is unable to read this blog and so I am going with a different website. You can check up on what I'm doing during my vacation by going to http://www.offexploring.com/travelingchamelon/

Please feel free to leave messages or comments! It would be wonderful to hear from y'all. So I will post updates when I get back at the end of this month!

Earthquake

Tonight there was an earthquake here in the Bay area. Fortunately growing up in Earthquake land AKA California, I'm used to it that I really didn't notice it. After a day of classes and doing "group activities", my co-workers decided not to join me for a small field trip across the Bay. I wanted to check out Fremont Police Department's Comm. Center and one of the guys in my group at class was a Sergeant for that department. His wife was a Supervisor at the Comm. Center and I got to visit. Their facility is very nice, looked like a mall inside. But the Comm. Center was much nicer than ours, my co-workers were right in warning me that I would be jealous. And I was! They have new equipment, a really nice room but I also realized and appreciated the things we have in our Comm. Center. I decided to go back to my hotel by 8pm and talked one of my coworker to joining me for dinner. He decided to just drink and I needed food so we went to the Japanese Restaurant on sight. Just as he ordered the SAKE it was when the quake hit. I thought it was just the movement of the water affecting your senses but the waiter told us it was an earthquake. Boy I didn't even think twice about it! I was so hungry and focusing on the food. LOL But I am okay and Lord willing it will not happen again tonight.

Business Trip

I'm on a short business trip for the next three days. Our Captain invited two co-workers and myself to attend a training class in San Mateo. So today we left Sacramento and checked into our hotel at Foster City. The class is held at San Mateo Community College which is like 10-15 min. away from the hotel. So far I am liking this way of travel, using the company money. =) The hotel is very nice and I'll take more pictures tomorrow. We got into San Mateo around dinner time and after unpacking, we went to look for where our class is going to be held tomorrow. Here are some pictures of our first day.