Visit to Den Haag

It was my third trip to The Netherlands, third also to Den Haag. And each time I visit the place, it offers me wonderful things to marvel at not the least we dont have them here in Geneva but because it provides one with the motivation to think about what still needs to be done so as to harness one's environment for one's own needs.

Wonderful world ...somewhere over the rainbow

It was while at the middle of writing an essay for the course I took back in October to December 2007 at the Institute of Education in London, when a memory was triggered by the weather in Geneva. It was raining two days ago, and how I wish for the blue sky around this time of the year in Legazpi City. And yes, rainbow, too. Well yes that word triggered my memory of Amit and Karine's wedding last September 2007 in a beautiful kibbutz on a cliff overlooking the Mediterrean Sea and the very modern city of Tel-Aviv. The wedding, which was not really a weeding in the truest sense of the word, was their second-the first being a civil wedding in Ireland around July, 2007. You see Amit is the middle son of Hanna and Menachem, Allan's Israeli side of the family. Hanna is Allan's surviving directy connection to Israel being his first cousin. Anyway the second wedding in Israel was a kind of a reception party for the Israeli side of Amit and Karine's growing family. They've decided to choose for the wedding song Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole's rendition of that beautiful songs Somewhere over the rainbow and A Wonderful world...It was an exquisite voice you hear singing these songs with his own ukelele giving that pure melody. And it was a beautiful night to remember and I am sure Amit and Karine would be remembering this night till the end of their sojour in this lifetime.

Spring 2007

Spring na naman...inio seguro an ma mi miss ko in case magbalik na ako sa Pilipinas. Kumpara duman na halos bilog na taon pirming berde an palibot, mainit asin pirming nagsasaldang an aldaw, digdio sa parteng ini kan mundo may mga panahon na daing mga dahon an mga tanom, malipot asin kun magsaldang an aldaw bago magkakaparehon oras sa bilog na taon.

Visiting Paris

The Louvre Museum was originally called the Palais du Louvre. It was built as a fortress by Philippe-Auguste in the early 13th century and rebuilt in the mid-16th century for use as a royal residence. In 1793 it was turned into the Louvre Museum. In its bigness it is claimed that it will take nine months just to glance at every piece of art here, but most visitors come here to take a glimpse at Leonardo de Vinci's famous painting - La Joconde, better known to the English speaking world as Mona Lisa. It is located at the Denon Wing, 1st floor, Room 13. The main entrace is also very popular because of the famous 21 meter high Grande Pyramide, a glass pyramid designed by a Chinese-American architect IM Pei. The whole museum is divided into four sections: the Sully, Denon, Richelieu, and the Hall Napoleon.

The Notre Dame Cathedral or Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris is located within the 4eme arrondissment. If in the Philippines we use the Rizal Park to measure kilometer post distances, in the metropolitan France distance from Paris to any point in France is measured from the point sero des routes de France which is located in the square in front of the cathedral.

Notre Dame is not only a masterpiece of French Gothic architecture but has also been the seat of Catholic Paris for seven centuries. Its construction begun in 1163 and largely completed by the mid 14th century. The interior is 130 meter long, 48 meter wide and 35 m high and can accomodate 6000 people.

ambrosia

it was while checking allan's email when i came across the word ambrosia courtesy of a cyber group which goes with the name wordsmith (wordsmith.org). the word is both an adjective and a noun and what caught my attention was it is a fruit dessert that is also a salad. and what makes it interesting is to complete the salad or the dessert you need to add shreds of coconut meat...which gets me thinking back of the coconut groves within the compound of banquerohan national high school. anyway cheers for the coconut...

if you care to do your own ambrosia i suggest you can add some mint leaves. it brings out the flavor of the whole mixture...

first snow of the winter season

the jura and the saleve are two of the mountains seen from our balcony in geneva. yesterday when i glanced in the direction of the jura i saw the mountain and got the impression that it was nearer than usual. a simple explanation became obvious: the peak of the mountain was covered with the first snow of the season...looking at the mountain i felt a fang of sadness...for me snow and winter is a sad affair...but i am not complaining for the simple reason that winter also gives us a breather from the daily grind of living...it is the season when earth itself needs to re new and re invent itself...trees need to shed leaves...and the turning of colors of the leaves itself is a beautiful experience...

Paul Klee

When visiting Bern dont forget to include a visit to the Paul Klee Zentrum. Taking the train to Bern from anywhere in Switzerland, the moment you come out of the main train station to the Bahnhof square take bus 12 in the direction Zentrum Paul Klee. Along the way from the main train station bus 12 passes through several of Bern's historical places including the Käfigturm (prison tower), Zytglogge (astronomical clock), untere Altstadt (lower old town), Nydeggbrücke (Nydegg bridge), Bärengraben (bear pits with the Bern Tourist Information Center) and a climb up Aargauer Stalden street which offers excellent view of the old town of Bern. Travel time is approximately 10 minutes. Bus 12 goes to the Paul Klee Zentrum until 11 pm. Another option is to take Tram number 5 in the direction of Ostring. Take it to the end station; then there is a walk by foot going slightly upwards through a shopping center and then, after turning left, along the Giacometti street to the south entrance and also to the main entrance to the Paul Klee Center. Along the way from the main train station to the Paul Klee Center the no.5 tram passes by: Käfigturm (prison tower), Zytglogge (astronomical clock), Casino, Kirchenfeld bridge, Helvetiaplatz (Helvetia place) and the museum quarter (Kunsthalle, Historical Museum, Alpine Museum; nearby: military museum, Museum for Communication, Natural History Museum).
Travel time from the main train station: ca. 26 minutes. Another bus line, bus 10 in the direction of Ostermundigen is another option. Take it to the Schosshalden cemetery stop; then go by foot along the Schosshalden cemetery to the Schöngrün Restaurant and the north entrance to the Paul Klee Center. Along the way from the main train station to the Paul Klee Center the no.10 bus passes by: Bundeshaus (Capitol building) and Bundesplatz, Zytglogge (astronomical clock), city theater, Kornhausbrücke (Corn house bridge), Kursaal and Grand Casino, rose garden (with a wonderful view of the entire old town of Bern), Schosshalden cemetery with the grave of Paul Klee. Travel time from the main train station ca. 21 minutes.

Reproduced with permission of City of Berne Cadastral Service (15.04.2005).

Access plan region of Bern

klik, klik, klik

bear
church stained glass windows
tram line
gabos inio nasa bern

pamasyar sa bern, switzerland

november 7 martes. nag train sana kami one day train ticket special offer 39 swiss francs sana kairiba na sa train ticket pati an tickets para sa tram, bus asin boat. bern is the federal capital city kan switzerland. nasa german speaking region inio kaya kun foreigner ka mas madali na english an gamiton mo. kumpara sa geneva an mga bernois mas foreign friendly pag abot sa paggamit kan english... kumpara a geneva mas european an ambiance kan bern...mas dakula...mas dakul na tawo...saro sa binisita mi iyo an einstein house kun saen daa sinurat ni eintein an saiyang theory of relativity... energy equals the product of the square of the speed of light and mass....