transposable element

now i know how it’s like being the rope in a game of tug o’ war. pulled in opposite directions, going one way, only to be pulled towards another. my place is here, to take care of the people who made me into who i am. to give back and reciprocate the decades of nurturing i’ve been given. to be there, to be among them, to be a source of strength in times of weakness.

and yet, the other half of me belongs there, on the other side of the world. to be with the man and son i should be spending the most awaited time of the year with. to bear witness as my son’s eyes fill with wonder at the parcels underneath the tree. and marvel at the goodies revealed as he slowly unwraps them.

two worlds. both mine. but not in full.

this entry is brought to you by hotelreservations.com.

i can’t remember the last time i went to a travel agent. i’ve been booking airfares and hotel rooms online for the last 8 years or so, and i am amazed at how safer and simpler booking over the internet has become over the years. really, what does one need a real, live travel agent for? as long as you have time, booking online gives you so much more control and options than a travel agent could or would be willing to offer. you can browse at your leisure, make your choice when you’ve found something that fits your criteria, and book whenever you’re ready. with a bit of advanced planning, you can even save quite a bit on ongoing promos and discounts.

for example, there’s hotelreservations.com. the site allows you to book hotels not only in the states and europe, but also in asia, australasia, south america, and even in south africa. the interface doesn’t look that impressive, but at least it’s simple and user-friendly. just choose your destination, and indicate your preferred dates. or you can search a hotel based on the amenities you require, or the location where you’re headed to, down to a specific street. you can choose the rates to be displayed in dollars, euro, pounds or swiss francs.

now, for those looking to cut corners, here’s the clincher: the website promises to deliver “guaranteed lower rates“. if, within 24 hours of booking your “special internet rate” reservation, you find a lower rate elsewhere, they will either match the lower rate or cancel the reservation without a cancellation fee. and for those staying for 3 nights or longer, just print out and fill up this coupon, and you can claim up to $100 in rebates!

you can book your rooms online using your credit card, but for those who’d rather speak to someone, you can simply browse the web for possibilities, and when you’re ready to book, just dial the toll-free numbers (1-800-447-4136 for those in US & Canada, 00-800-1276-3549 for those in western Europe and Australia, and (1) 817-333-5105 for everywhere else).

all in all, i think reservations.com is a good, comprehensive one-stop web address for searching hotels. i just wish there was a feature where guests can rate the hotels and give feedback. when we booked our mallorca hotel a few months ago, the customer feedback on holidaycheck was our lifeline. when travelling to a place totally unfamiliar, reading other people’s feedback is immensely helpful. on the main page of reservations.com, i see a link to “write reviews” but it doesn’t seem to be working. perhaps a feature allowing customer feedback is indeed on the way.

although the main reason for my being here in pinas is not a happy one, it feels so good to be back home. everything is the same, and yet everything is different. i am surprised at myself for being surprised with things that should have already been familiar. like instead of being happy that there’s toilet paper in public restrooms at all, i shake my head at the see-through sheets that comes out of the dispenser. or that you never have to get out of the car when tanking up gas, which is great because if you even open your window a notch, you’d be knocked out with the high-octane scented air. which is a bad idea, because you’ll need to be all alert and awake once you hit the road and thread your way through the traffic.

i also started to get irritated with the sales clerks following me around in shops, until i realized that that’s customer service, pinoy style. and my most stupid mistake so far: never go to the bank without a good book. although in theory you only need about 35 seconds to complete your transaction, you could probably read a good half of a paperback while waiting for your number to be called. why they only have one teller to serve 20 people, only heaven knows. but the most aggravating point is, everyone else seemed happy enough to sit it out… and text the time away.

but i’m loving it here. i love the warmth (hallelujiah, it’s pleasantly warm!) and the food and the people. to be honest, i’m not sure if i can or will like living here on the long-term, but when ever i enter NAIA, it’s still feels like coming home.

despite typhoon seniang, i arrived in manila safely. delayed by two hours, all crumpled and dizzy as the last leg of the flight has been quite shaky, but at least, am safely on the ground again. it’s been raining during my first two days here, which probably wasn’t so bad, allowing me to slowly acclimatize. it’s just about a 15 degree shift, but the kind that make a big difference (i don’t think 10 deg would matter much once you reach -15°C or so). oh well, today the sun is shining, the air is fresh and clean, and i’ve had a nice haircut and foot spa. ahh, things are perking up!

the past november marked my 6th year here in germany. half a dozen years. on some days, it feels like the past 6 years went by so fast, but on some days i feel like it has been 6 years too long.

creative weblogging, the network which houses two of my professional blogs, is looking for bloggers for the following existing blogs, among several others:

• video blogging
• PC games
• Nintendo games
• Xbox gaming
• social networking
• parenting (in french)

basically the deal is: monthly compensation of $225 (US), paid via PayPal or Moneybookers, for 7 to 10 posts per week (at least 70 words, which is easy-peasy, considering that this short announcement is already double that).

if you’re interested, or if you know someone who might be, drop me an email: ruthATcreative-weblogging.com

if you want to blog about other topics, let me know and we’ll see what we can do! just make sure you have a blog about your topic of interest that’s at least 3 months old. write about your expertise and passion, and let your blog speak for you!