i had an awesome trip over all. people i've met were all beautiful inside and out. i praise the Lord for giving me the opportunity to travel for work even when it sometimes cause for me to miss my loved ones.
the Lord continues to amaze me. i really thought that the trip will just be plain work just like old times, but this was surreal!
1) i had a chance to connect and laugh with my boss - which i totally did not expect.
2) there was this director i talk to 3x a week for the past 2yrs and i just found out during my trip that he's a Christian all is life! we shared our testimonies for 30mins and we were both filled with awe and praises to the Lord. it really brightens my day when i meet fellow believers =)
3) we ate, chat and laugh like old time friends - even my boss had an awesome time in this trip -he usually doesn't hehehe
4) after 5yrs... our family friends picked me up on a friday and gave me a 1day tour of almost everything i would be interested in seeing. well, they sure are right! i had a great time! our jaws started hurting from all the laughing =) although i hoped to have had my fam with me, i sure needed this time.
5) i missed my flight from utah to chicago - i had to wait 7hrs for the next flight otherwise that will be the last for the day. but sure enough the Lord had an awesome plan. i took a 45min. tour of utah since i had a lot of time to spare... but i will have to save the rest of the story for the odb... so make sure to read my next blog!
sunday: although my legs were sore from walking back and forth at the airport, there was a promise i had to keep. we took the kids to the zoo! we thought it would be better to take them to lincoln park instead of brookfield zoo since i wanted them to experience paddle boating. so we did! yanna certainly knows her animals! she was ecstatic seeing "mufasa", "simba", "nala" "pumbaa", "rafiki" & "ed" - if you don't know them, they're the characters in the lion king - too bad we didn't see timon & zazu hehehe
however, she was fascinated to see kerchak, terk & kala... who are they now? um, the gorilla family in tarzan hehehe
okay enough! the kids absolutely enjoyed riding the paddle boat. but goodness graciousness! it was HOT!
well, another weekend outing in store with the fam this weekend! beach, here we come!
y'all have a blessed night!
Showing posts with label trip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trip. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 22
Sunday, July 6
i'm tired, but all smiles =)
so how was your july 4th celebration? for me, i think i'm all fireworks up. 2 firework shows for 2 days and having to find a good spot for the sake of my kids is enough for me. i'm tired! before we went to st. charles to see the fireworks, i brought the kids to the new brunswick by my sis' place. i love it! so many things to do, very inviting and comfy. after hours of playing, we went to pick up noel to see the fireworks... walked around st. charles and found a good spot after 3 tries. we were suppose to meet with friends, but the crowd was too much to bear that we gave up looking for each other, lolz!
when we got home, i couldn't think of anything else, but bed. however, hubby was thinking of other things to do for our date so i ended up staying up with him and surf the net.
well, i tell yah... we've done so much today for a monthly date. it's 2 thumbs up though! can't wait for next month's... this time, for our 11th anni.
we strolled around lake shore for almost 3hrs. with our awesome quadcycle... had our elotes & mango/cantaloupe ice cream (not a good combo? um, but it was gooood!) oh gosh! cruising with this quadcycle was way too fun! we will definitely bring the kids there in the next few weeks (Lord willing). the view was breathtaking - we laughed our ride away - noel was saying hi to all the filipinos picnicking. we were so close to lake michigan, but had to go back coz we had the day planned.
we were gonna try the new texas de brazil in downtown, but our massage appointment was conflicting, so we decided to go to schaumburg instead. noel's mouth wanted some more, but his stomach failed him... we were stuffed! had to walk it out a lil' bit and off we went for our massage. just the right place to be after a long bike ride. but was it the right place to be after eating? hahaha believe me our stomach was hurting from laughing just thinking of the idea. thank God everything went well...
for our last stop, we went to see hancock. it was different... not bad at all!
well, from the excitement of planning, to every rides and moments together... we certainly had an awesome time. he didn't want to go home! but thinking of the kids made it all worth coming home after all.
we give all the glory to God for again making this weekend as awesome as it can be. we're off to great america next week!!!
till my next blog! God bless us all!
when we got home, i couldn't think of anything else, but bed. however, hubby was thinking of other things to do for our date so i ended up staying up with him and surf the net.
well, i tell yah... we've done so much today for a monthly date. it's 2 thumbs up though! can't wait for next month's... this time, for our 11th anni.
we strolled around lake shore for almost 3hrs. with our awesome quadcycle... had our elotes & mango/cantaloupe ice cream (not a good combo? um, but it was gooood!) oh gosh! cruising with this quadcycle was way too fun! we will definitely bring the kids there in the next few weeks (Lord willing). the view was breathtaking - we laughed our ride away - noel was saying hi to all the filipinos picnicking. we were so close to lake michigan, but had to go back coz we had the day planned.
we were gonna try the new texas de brazil in downtown, but our massage appointment was conflicting, so we decided to go to schaumburg instead. noel's mouth wanted some more, but his stomach failed him... we were stuffed! had to walk it out a lil' bit and off we went for our massage. just the right place to be after a long bike ride. but was it the right place to be after eating? hahaha believe me our stomach was hurting from laughing just thinking of the idea. thank God everything went well...
for our last stop, we went to see hancock. it was different... not bad at all!
well, from the excitement of planning, to every rides and moments together... we certainly had an awesome time. he didn't want to go home! but thinking of the kids made it all worth coming home after all.
we give all the glory to God for again making this weekend as awesome as it can be. we're off to great america next week!!!
till my next blog! God bless us all!
Wednesday, June 4
important info: travel advisory
just received this from my cousin and i thought i'd post it since this is very informative. pls, take time to read this esp if you like traveling from country to country - let others know about it too!
U.S. Immigration , US Dept. of Homeland Security & TRAVEL ADVISORY
This information is very alarming and I think it's worth sharing to save you from trouble and embarrassment.
A Filipino friend shared this email. His friend who works for Homeland Security as Immigration Inspector at LAX ( Los Angeles International Airport ) called him yesterday to share the information that happened last weekend.
A FIL-AM citizen who was flying to the Philippines for vacation was apprehended by an Airport Immigration agent while she was checking in her baggage and going through the X-ray machine. For some reason, she was randomly checked and was told to open all the envelopes inside her carry-on Coach bag. They found 10 envelops addressed to different people in the Philippines. When all the envelops were opened, a total of $11,000cash was discovered.They asked the traveller if she knew the contents of the envelope. She said no, because all the envelopes are just 'padala' and the senders didn't tell her whether or not there was money inside.
Immigration agents showed her a Policy and guidance stating that it is illegal to import and export over $10,000 in any Asian countries to prevent the possibility of supporting terrorism. She was fined $500, her name was 'red labeled' by Immigration (means every time she enters and exits the airport, she will be searched 100%), and she also missed her scheduled flight to the Philippines for being held almost 5 hours.
Hard to believe that departing passengers from the U.S. are also subject to the policy but looks like it is being strictly enforced now. The lessons learned is before you accept any 'padala', make sure the envelopes are open and you physically see the contents of it or just plainly say 'sorry but I can't accept any padala' for your own safety.
This email came from a former U.S. Embassy employee and this could be useful to all balikbayans
Subject: TRAVEL ADVISORY FROM AMERICAN EMBASSY MANILA
Please share this with your friends and relatives.
Please be informed of the recent travel advisory to the United States. However, not only pirated VCDs/DVDs are on the hot list. Customs officials are also looking into fake bags like Louis Vuitton, Coach, etc. Please be informed that the American Association of Publishers(AAP) has also alerted the American customs officers to check out for pirated books. This information was given to me by Patricia Judd of the AAP. Please warn all nursing graduates who plan to take the NCLEX and CGF exams in the States not to bring in these pirated books because there will be a penalty of automatic deportation as violation of intellectual property rights. If you know anyone going from the Philippines and coming back to the USA , with 'pasalubongs' and 'padalas,' please read this important enclosed advisory from the American Embassy in Manila.
Please share with your friends. Just a friendly reminder: if you have plans of going to the U.S., please take precautionary measures on all 'padalas,' especially those containing fake/pirated compact discs/DVDs. US Embassy employees have been given an advisory that as US Gov't employees, we should abide by the U.S. laws, including Intellectual Property Rights (anti-piracy) laws.
As an additional incentive, the Consular Section recently received a report that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) searched the bag of a Filipino entering the U.S. on NW 72 in Detroit. During the search, 70-80 compact discs, 30-40 empty DVD jackets and 10-20 DVDs were found. Since the travellers were not American citizens, their visas were cancelled and they returned to the Philippines. If they had been Americans, they could have been subject to arrest and criminal prosecution in addition to civil fines and penalties.
Please remember even ONE pirated item can jeopardize your trip. Also, the finger printing system has successfully been instituted in all port of entries. I suggest you bring extra identification cards in addition to your passport to facilitate your entry in the US Immigration.
I hope this is helpful to you all. Thanks and regards.
U.S. Immigration , US Dept. of Homeland Security & TRAVEL ADVISORY
This information is very alarming and I think it's worth sharing to save you from trouble and embarrassment.
A Filipino friend shared this email. His friend who works for Homeland Security as Immigration Inspector at LAX ( Los Angeles International Airport ) called him yesterday to share the information that happened last weekend.
A FIL-AM citizen who was flying to the Philippines for vacation was apprehended by an Airport Immigration agent while she was checking in her baggage and going through the X-ray machine. For some reason, she was randomly checked and was told to open all the envelopes inside her carry-on Coach bag. They found 10 envelops addressed to different people in the Philippines. When all the envelops were opened, a total of $11,000cash was discovered.They asked the traveller if she knew the contents of the envelope. She said no, because all the envelopes are just 'padala' and the senders didn't tell her whether or not there was money inside.
Immigration agents showed her a Policy and guidance stating that it is illegal to import and export over $10,000 in any Asian countries to prevent the possibility of supporting terrorism. She was fined $500, her name was 'red labeled' by Immigration (means every time she enters and exits the airport, she will be searched 100%), and she also missed her scheduled flight to the Philippines for being held almost 5 hours.
Hard to believe that departing passengers from the U.S. are also subject to the policy but looks like it is being strictly enforced now. The lessons learned is before you accept any 'padala', make sure the envelopes are open and you physically see the contents of it or just plainly say 'sorry but I can't accept any padala' for your own safety.
This email came from a former U.S. Embassy employee and this could be useful to all balikbayans
Subject: TRAVEL ADVISORY FROM AMERICAN EMBASSY MANILA
Please share this with your friends and relatives.
Please be informed of the recent travel advisory to the United States. However, not only pirated VCDs/DVDs are on the hot list. Customs officials are also looking into fake bags like Louis Vuitton, Coach, etc. Please be informed that the American Association of Publishers(AAP) has also alerted the American customs officers to check out for pirated books. This information was given to me by Patricia Judd of the AAP. Please warn all nursing graduates who plan to take the NCLEX and CGF exams in the States not to bring in these pirated books because there will be a penalty of automatic deportation as violation of intellectual property rights. If you know anyone going from the Philippines and coming back to the USA , with 'pasalubongs' and 'padalas,' please read this important enclosed advisory from the American Embassy in Manila.
Please share with your friends. Just a friendly reminder: if you have plans of going to the U.S., please take precautionary measures on all 'padalas,' especially those containing fake/pirated compact discs/DVDs. US Embassy employees have been given an advisory that as US Gov't employees, we should abide by the U.S. laws, including Intellectual Property Rights (anti-piracy) laws.
As an additional incentive, the Consular Section recently received a report that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) searched the bag of a Filipino entering the U.S. on NW 72 in Detroit. During the search, 70-80 compact discs, 30-40 empty DVD jackets and 10-20 DVDs were found. Since the travellers were not American citizens, their visas were cancelled and they returned to the Philippines. If they had been Americans, they could have been subject to arrest and criminal prosecution in addition to civil fines and penalties.
Please remember even ONE pirated item can jeopardize your trip. Also, the finger printing system has successfully been instituted in all port of entries. I suggest you bring extra identification cards in addition to your passport to facilitate your entry in the US Immigration.
I hope this is helpful to you all. Thanks and regards.
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