Leuven, Belgium

I pass by this forest on my way to the lab.

Hey there!

The charming castle without a charming prince.

I always go out with an umbrella.

Last week, I wanted to write something about my new abode, but I was feeling a bit sad after the great gust of wind slapped the Philippines and left a huge typhoon scar that will probably never heal. Rest assured though that my family is safe and sound. However, my countrymen who were badly hit are still desperately needing food and water. While my country has received millions of donations from all over the world, the victims still remain in such an abominable and infernal-like situation due to poor mobility. I already stopped watching video clips because they really make me cry. :-(

Moving on to a lighter topic... I would like to tell you a bit about Leuven, my new home. The pictures speak for themselves. Despite the perpetually gloomy weather, the campus surrounded with trees and ancient architectures have made the ambiance conducive for living and studying. A walk through the forest (the shortest method to reach my lab from my residence) is like a journey through a mystical garden full of  enchanted creatures whose main ability is to make  you experience serenity at its purest. However, like any mystical garden, traversing the path at night is the worst (ever) experience you can possibly fathom as you will see nothing but disfigured shadows of monstrous trees! Because  I am no more than a damsel in distress when I journey through the forest in pitch-black darkness, I often find myself running for my life. haha! But daytime is perfect. A picturesque campus indeed!

I'm so happy to be here!

Good night now. Kisses to you.

My default food

When I was still in the Philippines, I have always wondered how some people drew enough energy for the entire afternoon just by merely eating a sandwich for lunch. How could they possibly sustain themselves with such a meager amount of calories? As an Asian, I was extremely baffled! But when I moved here, I discovered the answers.

A typical sandwich in Europe is  nothing like the ones we have in my country. One big difference is the type of bread they use. The breads here are typically larger and more compact than the ones we have in Philippines. In my country, I can squeeze a 10 cm x 10 cm bread with my bare hands and turn it into a tiny ball. Needless to say, the bread in my country is nothing but air.

In Europe, they load the sandwich with fruits, vege and meat. In my country, we frequently just put either peanut butter or mayonnaise. It's still delicious but not as heavy. 

So, here's how I frequently make my sandwich. First, I spread a layer of cream cheese over 2 slices of brown bread. Then I create the following layers: ham, lots of tomatoes and then ham. I press the sandwich in the sandwich maker for 3 minutes. Then I insert the lettuce/spinach on top of the tomatoes (but underneath the ham).  

It's a fast, easy and lazy way of filling my stomach! But as a rice bunny, I'd rather eat rice than this yummy European sandwich.  

New flat!

Hey there!

I haven't written anything lately because I've been extremely busy. On top of that, I have moved to a new environment which seems to be a bit unfavorable for the production of my feel-good hormones. So instead of ranting and enumerating a thousand reasons why I am not as happy as before, I decided to keep quiet. So now, I will jot down the summary of what I've been going through without making my readers feel a bit sad and/or irritated.

It's been a month since I moved here. The moment I moved in and realized my friends in Brussels are so far away, I started to feel a bit homesick. Then I started thinking about moving out and moving in to a cozier flat. The hallway of my current flat looks like that of a hospital's-- and it's so hard to live with it. And because I cannot do anything about the hallway and I cannot move out and find a cozier environment, just some days ago, I have squeezed my interior decoration IQ to pull out a very habitable room with a not-so-coherent theme where I just threw in a mixture of purple and pink objects! Plus, I started putting plants all over! 

So now I am happier. What I have learned in the past 4 weeks in my new flat is this: "If you cannot change something, then just live with it!"

OK. I'm off to bed. More of my stories when I return. 

P.S. That's my pet cactus. Isn't it pretty?

Colosseum

It's so ironic how I effortlessly got out of bed so early today when I have nothing important to do. Yesterday, I was so desperate to wake up, I wished someone would push me off my bed. But no one came to rescue my sleepy soul and bring it back to the real world. Exams are done and I must say, I am pleased with the results. Something to tell mom when we see each other...

Because I have nothing to do today, let me briefly tell you about some sites I have visited in Rome. We spent the entire day just roaming around the city through the aid of a single map which I could hardly figure out. Eventually, the map led us to sites and ruins where ancient Rome was built. The places were well-preserved. In fact, some repairs were taking place while we were there. 

We also went to one of the most popular sites: The Colosseum. It's a gigantic piece of art designed to hold 50,000 to 80,000 people. It's obviously designed for entertainment and I can just imagine how loud this used to be like way back when gladiator battles took place. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to scrutinize the interior of this Colosseum because it was near closing time. I also wasn't able to see how this magnificent structure looks like when lit at night. We wanted to come back and see after dinner. Unfortunately, we got drunk.

You see, in Rome, water is more expensive than wine. During dinner, we ordered wine thinking it was "just like water."  But no! Our world started swirling and we never managed to get back to see the Colosseum again! Thou shall not underestimate the "power" of Roman wine. 

Louis Widmer sunscreen- my skin's savior

Today, my friend and I passed by the pharmacy supposedly because she had to buy something for her face (which I have honestly forgotten, what). As she was selecting her facial product, my eyes started wandering around the shelves until I saw Louis Widmer sunscreen! I was reminded about the fact that I love this sunscreen. That same shop gave me a free sample several months ago. It was only just this afternoon that I went to that same shop again. 

This product slashed 25 euros off my wallet. But I don't think I will regret it. This sunscreen is so light, I won't hesitate to apply it on my face everyday. The past 12 months, I haven't been too keen on applying sunscreen. I have reached the point where I don't want to sacrifice comfort anymore for the sake of having a beautiful skin. I consider putting "sunscreen" on as a sacrifice because I really hate dabbing anything on my face other than a thin layer of powder. It just feels "heavy." I hate BB cream  and foundation so much!

As a traveller, I deem it's necessary for me to have the best "shield" against the harmful UV rays to avoid premature aging and development of sunspots. I want to look beautiful both in the pictures and in real life!

Have a beautiful day!

European pastries

The pastries I buy "disappear" before I have the chance to take a photo.
I grabbed this photo here. 

Lately I've been sparing some time in the afternoon just languidly pondering about random thoughts as I slowly sip my coffee and carefully spoon a mouthful of any random European pastry I can get hold of.  Europe is home of the world's best pastries. Most of the so-called best "cakes" in my country can never compete with ordinary pastries sold in popular shops.  What draws a demarcation between the pastries here and there is that, here in Europe, they use the best and finest ingredients, it doesn't matter if it will cost an extra cent.  In the end, it will be so delicious, you won't even bother accounting how much you've spent. Pastries in my country are too sweet, ants will die just to have it. And you will also die of diabetes if you feast on it every single day!

Blue Mountains, New Southwales, Australia

Adoring the mountain.

After a month-long reunion with my family and boyfriend, I'm finally back in my flat in Brussels. The cars' noises in the nearby highway somehow find their way inside my slightly opened window. Maybe my testosterone level is too low to adore the sounds cars make. Or maybe I just enjoy the calm and soothing rattling of leaves in the mountains. 

The Three Sisters (land formation behind me).

Fortunately, I was able to visit one of Australia's most famous mountains: The Blue Mountains. It's a huge stretch of virgin forest erected over one thousand meters above sea level. Unlike the usual mountains where you don't see the bottom when you reach the peak, in here, you will actually see that you're really at the summit. While my knees trembled as I looked down, I smiled upon realizing that  I was literally  "on top of the world." I never once thought I can reach this far.

Blugre- where heavenly coffee is brewed

One of the many habits I have acquired since I started doing graduate studies is drinking coffee. However, unlike many people who are dependent on a cup of coffee to jump-start their beautiful day, I often drink in the afternoon for extra energy to keep myself awake for another six hours. I'm neither dependent nor addicted. I'm simply in love with the bitter and sweet aromas that twirl and grapple in my olfactory nerves.   

A lazy afternoon in Brussels

Fountain in Patrie

 Hi Everyone!

Good news! I didn't flunk nor skip any exam this semester. Unfortunately, I got stripped off from my Straight A sash because I got 2 Bs this semester. I mourned for several days and got over it. I will concentrate all my energy in acquiring straight As next semester. This hyperactive nerd who loves travelling and buying shoes and clothes, does not want to settle for anything less than she deserves.

Mobile waffles

I'm back in my hometown by the way.

Because I might be going to Leuven next year, some time this month, my friend and I decided to spend an afternoon aimlessly walking around Brussels. Our first stop was the tiny park at Patrie. It's so amazing how small communes can have such beautiful parks open to everyone. In my country, beautiful places have entrance fees.

Mediterranean pastry shop

We tried buying waffles from a mobile store. Some months ago, I bought waffles from such a store and it was really delicious despite the fact that it was just plain. No cream. No strawberries. No confectioner's sugar. Just a plain, soft and hot waffle which goes perfectly with ice cream. 

Street performer

We also entered a Mediterranean pastry shop and randomly picked yummy-looking tiny pastries. They were all delicious. Although some may be too sweet, a cup of green tea can quickly neutralize the taste. I like the pistachio pastry the most--but I don't really know what it's called. We also entered a candy store with lots of the popular Belgian candy: the cuberdon (picture not shown). As always, I love the aroma of green apple.

There are numerous unique street performances in Brussels. For instance, that day, I saw an odd-looking guy playing with puppets on strings. I found the performance a bit boring; it's maybe because I wanted a funny puppet show. Nevertheless, it was good way to pass time. When you're walking aimlessly on a lazy Sunday, time is impertinent.

Chocolate and gift shop

I also entered chocolate shops and bought presents for my loving family and beautiful friends. Belgian chocolates are a bit expensive but I should say, they are the best in the world! Regardless of the brand, I think my favorite is the dark chocolate praline. Milk chocolate bar/praline are too sweet. White chocolate bar/praline don't look like chocolates. Plain dark chocolate is too bitter. Dark/white/milk chocolates with nuts are too tedious to eat. Dark chocolate praline is the best! Bitter outside but a bit sweet in the inside. I will soon start doing "reviews" on chocolates when I return. Maybe once a month or once in 2 months is OK. Eating chocolate daily is one of the best and fastest way to die. 

Lace shop

Lace shops are also quite popular in Belgium. I never cared to buy one because I'm not fond of laces. I always end up accidentally "hooking" my clothes up somewhere on uneven surfaces. Wearing lace dresses will only increase the frequency of tearing my clothes apart. I do know of quite a number of women who love laces though. And I really understand why they do. Laces are fragile and intricately-designed. Most women who adore laces are like laces themselves. Beautiful. Fragile. Complex. 

Me walking.

The last four pictures are self-explanatory:  me walking, chocolates, chocolates again, pastries... I will badly miss all these when I move to Leuven next semester. Nevertheless, I know I will be able to unearth new things such that I will never regret moving to a new place. 

This post is long overdue by the way. More about Brussels in the next few posts. 

Chocolate castle

Pastry at Panos

Leaning tower

 Bonjour!

I'm glad to report that I have succeeded taking 8 exams this week. I only have four exams left before I can finally go home, kiss my parents, hug my grandma and run around the house with my dog. Although I'm a bit worried my dog might not recognize me anymore. 

Even though I haven't felt homesick since I got here last year, part of me still wishes I can be with my family again. However, I think being reunited with my siblings and parents is quite challenging. As you know, my siblings and I are very blessed to have received good graces such that we are now on our solo flight in conquering the world. My big brother is in the Philippines. My older sister is in Thailand. My younger is in Japan. I'm here in Belgium. The thought of having a reunion anytime soon isn't achievable. My parents and grandma are at home, preoccupying themselves probably so they wouldn't miss us too much. The other week, I have learned that, since we left, they have started making a "zoo" at home. They have collected numerous animals I really don't know if they are planning to have our zoo open to the public. Almost a year ago, when I  left home, they only had 4 dogs, 1 cat and 1 tarantula. Now, they have 4 dogs, 4 cats, 1 tarantula, 2 chickens, 2 turkeys, 2 fishes and 2 rabbits. My siblings and I are probably so difficult to handle such that, after we have all left, my parents suddenly had the luxury of time to take care of so  many animals. But I'm sure none of the animals are as hyperactive as me. haha

I travel here and there whenever I have time. Last April, I also went to Pisa to see the infamous leaning tower which probably would never have gotten famous if Galileo didn't drop a feather and a stone to demonstrate the effect of gravity. The tower isn't as tall as it looks like in pictures. It's one of those edifice which has gotten "beautiful" because of some historical events. An ordinary Belgian mansion is probably way more beautiful. But then again, the mansion is nothing but a structure. If the mansion crumbles due to an earthquake, after a few years, it will soon be forgotten--unless of course E. L. James was there and she was buried alive. 

Keukenhof, Holland- The Largest Flower Garden in the World

Hi everyone!

Our series of exams commenced this morning. I spent two weeks studying. I think I read my entire immunology book! I never thought I could possibly read an entire non-fiction book. My travelling escapades have temporarily ceased and will resume next month. Definitely! Meanwhile, I need to get through 12 exams so I can move on with my first year of master's degree.

Several weeks ago, my friends and I went to Keukenhof to visit the largest spring garden where 7 million tulips are planted. I think it's the most beautiful place I have seen on earth! 

When I was still in the Philippines, I have always wondered how a tulip looked like. I've heard from quite a number of women that tulips are so majestic. I thought, can any flower be more beautiful than a pink rose (pink roses were my favorites)? 

Roses are so soft and fragile, I can't help but feel weak when I see one. Tulips, on the other hand, are so hard and resilient, it felt like feeling weak when I see one was never an option. 

I think I love tulips more than roses now. Unfortunately, they only bloom in Spring. :-(

Commercialization of Florence

Il Duomo

Replica of Da Vinci's paintings.

Last time I briefly narrated what happened in the romantic city called Venice. The following day we hopped on a first class train to Florence. We booked really late that's why we got the first class seats. It was a bit expensive. But as they say, you can never buy experience. True enough, when we sat down, what greeted us was a gorgeous Italian model with skyscraper shoes! She happened to be our seatmate! Although I really love shoes and dresses, I have never (not once in my whole life) attended a fashion show! Just looking at her made me imagine how lavish fashion shows can be like. She looked so "fancy" with her Louis Vuitton luggage and Louis Vuitton tote bag. Anyway, we spent 3 hours sitting beside her. The whole time I was reading my lectures while she was making bracelets! She must have thought reading was boring. Well, that's ok because I also thought that making bracelets was boring either.

A big tulip pot in the middle of the street.

We got off the train with the desire to have a normal day. We were hoping we'd immediately find our hotel. We were quite positive because the map said it's only about a hundred meters away. We just walked straight for 15 minutes and made a left turn afterwards. We found the hotel! We found the hotel! I wanted to jump so high with my arms stretched in the horizon! I was the happiest traveler!

But here's the twist. After we checked-in, the front desk staff told us, "you have to go to this apartment one block away..." I interrupted, "I thought this is the hotel?" "Yes, it is. But we have an apartment one block away which is bigger..." 

We felt robbed again. We booked the hotel but the hotel booked us in their apartment. Isn't that weird? Only in Italy!

Carousel!

Nevertheless, it was ok because indeed, the apartment was bigger. The only thing was that, the apartment didn't have wi-fi. To access the internet, we still had to go to the hotel which was one block away.

After dropping our backpacks in the apartment, we immediately  wandered around Florence and tried to feel the Renaissance vibe. Unfortunately, all that we could feel was the typical energy exuded by avaricious fashion capitalists. Most areas were lined with boutiques!

Someone's buying vino!

Nevertheless, there were still some areas where I could somehow feel "peace." For instance, we went to a square with lots of people selling various homemade goods. I tried tasting almost all of the food I found appetizing. There was this store selling honey from different kinds of flowers. I tasted all of them and I have thus, proven that different  flowers produce different tastes! I was so happy, I nearly grew bee wings! haha.

We also visited the Da Vinci museum. In that museum, they displayed the different machines Da Vinci conceptualized. I liked the museum in general but it definitely isn't the best...

Arc.

If I have give Florence a grade, it would be a  B!  But it's a relatively a safe place to go to. 

B for...Byebye! XD Tomorrow will be a beautiful day! Why?

I'm going to Keukenhof to see the biggest Spring Garden in the world!

Remembering Venice

My favorite focaccia!

 Hi Everyone! 

We saw this when we got lost.

We are currently having practicals in different laboratories and I barely have time to sit down and write about my thoughts. The past two weeks was extremely exhausting for me because everyday, I had to travel from Brussels to Leuven (and back) just to do lab practicals there. I did learn a lot about different techniques concerning protein-protein interactions, chromatin immunoprecipitation and RT PCR. This week, I will be studying molecular techniques concerning protein-DNA interactions. Now, I'm really beginning to feel I'm being honed to become a competent "molecular biologist." I am definitely pursuing PhD! 

Took my breath away.

Meanwhile, let me talk about my other activities outside the classroom and the laboratory. Last Saturday, I was scheduled to go to Netherlands to visit the Red Light District. But I was so exhausted, I cancelled and forced myself to forget about the money I spent on booking my ticket. I wanted to just stay at home to recuperate physically and mentally. I have no new trips to talk about, so let me just narrate what happened during our second day in Italy. 

Strolling in the preserved area near the Grand Canal.

Recall that in my previous post, I talked about our misadventures in Milan during the first day. The next day, we hopped on a train going to Venice! We arrived around two in the afternoon filled with the hopes of not encountering another bad spirit. With a map in hand, we started walking towards our Hotel. My friends and I are so bad with directions, we spent an hour perpetually looking for the hotel. Somehow, we managed to read the map. What we did not realize earlier was the fact that there was no way for us to reach the Hotel without riding a taxi! We thought taking the taxi would be more expensive than booking another hotel! To cut the long story short, we booked another hotel! Our wallets cried.

Just some random photo.

Around four in the afternoon, we started worrying about the sunset. We had to reach the Grand Canal before the sun would vanish otherwise, we'd never be able to appreciate the true beauty of Venice! So then we rode the bus the Hotel Manager instructed us to take. Luckily, we didn't get lost! We found the most enchanting and romantic part of Italy: the Grand Canal in Venice! I imagined myself reading a book beside the Canal or having candlelight dinner with my bf in one of the restaurants nearby! Fancy thoughts XD

My friends and I explored the narrow streets in the preserved area near the Grand Canal. Everything looked so old yet so stunning. For the first time, we got lost in the beauty of Venice--and not due to our shamefully poor path-finding skills!

Milan, Italy

 Hi everyone!

I've been unimaginably busy after our 5-day adventure, which, by the way, was more of a misadventure. Nevertheless, I enjoyed every bit of memory I have imprinted in brain. From our escapade, I have gleaned numerous lessons in life which I can never learn inside the four classroom walls. I learned how to read maps! I also learned how to act tough and look cool even though I felt so lost (literally) and betrayed by the whole world. 

Our misadventure started in the dirty and noisy Milan Central station. My friends and I were looking for the Hotel which, according to the website, was located a hundred meters away from the central station. True enough, after walking a hundred meters, we spotted the lovely hotel. Before checking in, we decided to eat at the nearest cheap restaurant. The nearest cheap restaurant happened to be serving Chinese food. My friends and I love Chinese food, so we all decided to sit down for a bowl of noodles and platter of spicy pork with tofu. The taste wasn't what we really expected! And I can cook better! So you can just imagine how bad it was. We ate hastily because our taste buds could no longer stand the weird Italian-Chinese food. And I was also dying to leave because I broke the toilet flush. The flush wasn't working, I hit it hard and accidentally broke it! HAHA! I hurried out and urged my friends to move faster so we can leave the exotic restaurant.

Bringing our luggage, we slipped inside the hotel and presented ourselves in the information desk. Then our friend, with all pride and honor, told the staff, "Good afternoon. We made a reservation in this hotel." The staff glared at the reservation document. Then after a minute of scrutiny, he blurted out, "I'm sorry but this is not the hotel you booked." It turned out there was another hotel with exactly the same name but built in a different location! It was miles and miles away and we had no idea how to get there. We took the metro and got lost, then got lost and lost again. We were also fined for not using the correct metro ticket! We had a ticket but we bought the wrong one because we had no idea we had to use different metro tickets for different metro lines. We got used to the organized metro system in Belgium where we only have to use a single ticket for all metro lines. There were also no English translations in the Italian metro ticket machine (unlike Belgium). We tried to explain our situation but they never listened. It felt like they only wanted to get our money. And they did. Unfortunately.

In general, Milan isn't tourist-friendly. Very few people are willing to help. They don't speak good English and there are no English translations for many  significant instructions. There are also lots of pick-pockets and swindlers especially in tourist sites. 

I don't think I will go back to Milan again! I think it's the ugliest city in Italy. But I can't conclusively say that though because I've only been to 5 Italian cities. But yes, among the five, it's the ugliest and the nastiest. And I'm never going back. 

 Nevertheless, the best pizza I have ever tasted in my whole life was in the expensive restaurant somewhere in Milan. So when you go to Milan, try their pizza. Preferably eat at an expensive restaurant. They often serve high-quality pizza and pasta. 

So that's one story of the the many stories I can share regarding our Milan misadventures. I did learn a lot of things which, at that time, nearly broke my heart. But now, every thought makes me smile. It was one hell of an adventure! haha

Good night Everyone!

The Eiffel Tower

 I'm sitting here, basking on the torrent of memories which has not left my mind since I went to bed. 

I remember the day I decided to become a researcher. 

It's an occupation which isn't highly-esteemed in my country that's why I did my best to fly here so I could conveniently unravel the mysteries of molecular biology. However, I need to work harder again so I can obtain a doctorate degree. Hopefully my brain capacity will enable me to obtain another scholarship because I am financially incapable of sustaining myself in this unimaginably expensive western world. That's my plan; but let's leave it for now and concentrate on the present.

Before I start cleaning my room and breezing through my books, I want to tell you about my encounter with the stunning golden Eiffel Tower. I have always dreamed of seeing the Statue of Liberty. But I honestly haven't imagined climbing the "piece of metal" everyone wants to see.

I never cared until I saw the tower and I was swept on my feet. I trembled in excitement and fear when I saw "the piece of metal" erected before my eyes. A burning edifice of brilliance and ingenuity! 

The lattice of iron carefully welded together stands 320 meters tall. When I saw it, I couldn't imagine what it be like to reach the peak. I have fear of heights that's why I couldn't imagine what it would be like. The line was rather short when my friends and I arrived because it was nearly midnight. They close at 11:30 pm, by the way. People swarm the area the entire day; but the busiest hours are probably around dinner time. Like the Louvre, you also have to patiently wait in line to be admitted. If I remember correctly, we only paid 8 euros each--that's probably because we look young. They give discounts to young adults. I remember the inspector at the entrance baby-talked me when he was asking me to open my bag. My friends said he probably thought I was a little girl. I am tiny so I can't blame him. Plus we got the discount for looking young, so that's ok.

To get to the top, we had to ride the elevator. I  had a funny feeling in my stomach as we were ascending. I could see the view outside and that made me feel really sick, I wanted to cry. There were two stops: the middle and the peak. It was nearly closing time that's why we didn't reach the peak. My friends wanted to go there and ride that scary elevator again. Time did not permit it so we just spent the last few minutes taking pictures and looking at souvenirs. The view of Paris at night was breathtaking. Despite my acrophobia, I drew all my courage to turn my gaze on the sparkling city. I thought the shiny buildings looked like stars and that, I was on top of the world!