Twin Peaks

There is a place in San Francisco where one gets a spectacular panoramic view of the city.The Twin Peaks they call it, is a trip up the hill in order to get a view down below.There you see the unique way houses of San Francisco are built.
House are built like they stick to each other.You can see that clearly from the view above.
Ruby's San Francisco-based cousins Norton Bongbong and Daphne Bongbong-Singh took us up the hills.
The reason is that San Francisco is prone to earthquakes, as the entire California is.
So residents say building houses side by side would make it more resistant against destructive quake shakes.

LAX

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is a main gateway to America for most Filipinos and travellers from the Pacific.This is the entry point for visitors, migrants coming from the Pacific.
Thus, LAX is a popular airport for many Filipinos.
Its an old airport, by ordinary standards, since there have been many modern airports around the world that have sprouted.
Some say LAX has seen better days.
But others dispute this.
When you get to the airport, LAX would be fondly compared to the renowned California wine. It gets better with age.
In my last sojourn, construction was undegoing right in the airport, and on the runways.
We had to be transported by a bus from the departure gate to the airplane.
LAX, I guess, is an airport that is polished by time.But it remains one of the busiest and bustling airports in the world.

Albertson's

When we arrived in L.A., we stayed in Ruby's first cousin Maricel and her husband Flix.
The two were very gracious, and perhaps patient, to host our pleseant stay in LAThey stayed in an apartment near Del Amo Plaza, in Torrance, at the junction of Hawthorne and Torrance Boulevard.
We became a little familiar with the area.
The apartment we stayed was quite a convenient and cozy place to stay.
First, it was so breezy, and cool all day.Even when the Valley area reached the hundreds, the heat was bearable in the place we stayed.There was a grocery store nearby, called Albertson.I couldn't forget this store because it was the first time I saw an automated cashier.This means the cash registers were no longer manned by humans.
Not all of the cash registers, though.This signals a revolution in grocery shopping.
Are we going to see the day when no humans will man the cash registers?Joshua was so fascinated, that he kept on swiping the items we purchased.

Providence Little Company of Mary

.In Torrance There is a hsopital along Earl Street, just a few meters from teh apartment where we stayed.The hospital is just near the Hawthorne-Tourrance Boulevard intersection.
Neat hospital, run by Catholic nuns (obviously).I heard it was its newly refurbished, having been teken over by a new owner.
It's got a cozy chapel that is so spiritually invitingBy the way, its nourishing on's sense of spirituality appears to be a bit more challenging for those residing in the U.S.That is what I have observed.
Working in the U.S. makes many live like slaves---to their work.If work happens on a sunday, chances are, its going to be a rain check for the regular Sunday church.There are of course several other hospitals in Torrance.
There are the Harbor-UCLA county hospital and Torance Memorial.

The beef brisket, surrounded by steaming wanton noodles in a bowl, is the face of Hong Kong’s staple meal. It personifies Hongkong’s day-to-day, fast-paced lifestyle. My favorite is that usually cramped little noodle store in Hong Hum. The aroma of slow-fired soup, ready to further mollify the chewy beef and noodles, is just so alluring and irresistible. There’s no need for any verbal interchange as the man on the counter, who doubles as the main ‘chef’ may not speak English. Like my simple digi-cam, it’s a “point-and-shoot” thing when ordering my favorite mouth-watering beef brisket. I point my order in a brochure, and they’ll shoot-it-to-the-bowl. I tweak with my chopstick, tangle with the noodles, pay the bill, and off I go. The beef brisket---its always one of my finest Hong kong experience.

Lutong Macau

First time to visit Macau in February with wife Ruby.
It was meaningfull because it was Chinese New Year and up coming Valentines Day.
It was so cold at that time.
I didn't underestimate, I brought my thick, heavy jacket.
I found Macau pleasant to visit.
Macau pace is not that fast, compared to HK.
Macau is a one hour trip by turbo jet from HK.
Macau is gambling land.
It has large Chinese and Portugese influence.
The sites to visit in Macau are the casinos, of course.
Others are the Senado Square, perhaps the site of political auhtority Macau's past.
There is a rich Roman Catholic history, so you see churches, the most prominent of which is the Ruins of Saint Paul.
I have learned one thing.
When you visit HK, drop by Macau.
You can first enter Macau, spend one day there.
Macau is a small place, easy to go around.
The key to be mobile is always to refer back to the ferry station.
There are a lot of free shuttle buses there that will take you to the sites.

Then travel to HK, and exit back home from HK.
The currency in Macau is Patacas, more or less the same value as the HK dollar.
HK dollar is accepted currency in Macau.

The Merlion

The Merlion stands a sturdy symbol of Singapore's financial ferocity.

The first time we went, we missed the Merlion. This time, we couldn't let it pass.
When you go to the Singapore flyer (another tourist must-experience in Singapore), you proceed next to the Merlion just nearby.