I was Able to Sleep Well in Seattle

The film "Sleepless in Seattle" is a misconception to me. Yes, I was able to sleep well in the city. What with that rainy weather which is conducive for resting and sleeping. But, of course, the film is not all about sleeping as we know.

Seattle is a city located at the northwestern-most side of the US state of Washington. It is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. It is where some big companies started their businesses. It is the trade gateway of the country to Asia.

The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) is very important in the trade and tourism of the United States. Major Asian airlines fly to the city and Alaska Airlines has Seattle as one of its major hubs.

Until 2001, Boeing had its headquarters in Seattle. Though it has transferred it main office to Chicago, Boeing still maintains its Seattle factory in the manufacture of several narrow-bodied as well as wide-bodied airplanes. It has its own runway exclusively for Boeing.

Amazon.com and Washington Mutual have their main offices in Seattle making it a software and financial center in the northwestern region of the country. Their modern edifices are striking enough not to be noticed in the city business district.

Naturally, Seattle's Best Coffee is based in the city. Starbucks is also headquartered in Seattle where it has a huge building and is the company's support center. Almost in every corner of Seattle, there are Seattle's Best Coffee or Starbucks side by side or just opposite each other. Then, there is this drive through coffee store called Espresso for people on the go.

Moving around the city is easy. With the many roads in Seattle and the abundance of buses from the residential areas to the city center, commuting is pleasurable. They also have an efficient train system to several points of the city. Then, they also have water taxis since Seattle has many waterways and going around by land transport will take you longer to travel.

The public market is one place where you can find the fresh catch of the day. Many people go there to experience what Seattle can offer in terms of seafood. For amusement, there is the Seattle Great Wheel where you can see an overview of the city.

Despite the modernity of the times, Seattle has a lot of nature for everyone to enjoy. It is called the "log state" for the many timber surrounding the city. Centuries-old trees can be found in in-city forests. Water also abound since Seattle has lots of waterways and the sea.

Restaurants, mostly seafood, can be found in almost nook and cranny of the city. What Seattle residents enjoy most are the ones found in the suburbs for they serve freshly-cooked food straight from the sea. And they are abounty.

Modern infrastructures such as the Seattle Central Library and the Seattle Center prove that the city is a conducive place for learning and for the arts. The city government gives emphasis and support to places such as the two.

Despite Seattle's seeming modernity, it has maintained it own charm and has remained to be one of the most livable cities in America. Its residential district has the peace and quiet that one can experience only in Seattle.

Special THANK YOU to Jun Vicencio and Jun Pilapil for letting me stay in their Renton house for 7 days. They even toured me around Western Washington and went as far down as Portland, Oregon. Also, another special THANK YOU to Ernie Rios for letting me stay in his house in Seattle. Despite his busy schedule, he was able to take care of me for 3 days. Thank you also to Ms. Zarina Roque for always being there. Given another chance, I will sleep again in Seattle.

Credits to the owners of some of the photos.

A Petal of Rose Called Lipa City

Lipa City is a component city of Batangas and is one of the four cities of the province. Since its founding in 1702, Lipa has undergone a lot of transformation through the years...keeping up with development, of course.

Lipa City has always been busy since the olden days. People doing their own business as well as vehicles plying its streets have been usual sights since way back then. The Casa de Segunda, which was a favorite hang-out place of our national hero Jose Rizal, is still up and standing.

Local government leaders, from the past to the present, made and make sure that Lipa City maintains its good image and excellent peace and order situation. True to their  motto of Virtud and Trabajo, Lipenos value work with virtue.

Being a center for commerce and education, Lipa City is a host to many educational institutions. It has its own city college and other public colleges and universities. It is also home to high standard schools such as De La Salle-Lipa.

A big and busy city such as Lipa will not be complete without the modern-day amenities of malls. SM City Lipa and Robinsons Place Lipa have large malls that cater to the needs of its populace as well of those from neighboring towns.

The city has a booming economy. Aside from malls, business establishments are scattered in the city. In fact, the traffic problem is one thing that the local officials are trying to solve. New roads and highways have been constructed for the ease of the riding public.

Despite the busy-ness of the modern atmosphere, Lipa City exudes a homey feeling. My parents once owned a farm there and they spent their weekends in our property. Believe it or not, I was not able to visit the place before they gave it up. Unlucky me...

Lipa City is known for its lomi and the kapeng barako. It is a must to eat lomi when in the city. Liam's Lomi House is a favorite among Lipenos. They usually bring their visitors to try this delicacy. Whether night or day, savor their delicious concoction of a Filipino comfort food.

Twice, I was invited by Lipa City tourism office and museum president Minnie Atienza and fashion designer Rey Lazaro of the Designers Circle Philippines to judge in their annual Miss Lipa Tourism held at the Lima Park 0/0utlets. It is a sprawling area of outlet stores and it also has a hotel called Lima Park Hotel which, for me, is the best this side of Batangas.

Other hotels will not be left behind in terms of accommodations. Lipa City is always ready to welcome local and foreign visitors with open arms. After this pandemic, I hope that visitors will put Lipa City in their itinerary.

Filipinos being a religious lot, Lipa City is home to a cultural heritage church which is the San Sebastian Cathedral. In this city, you will also find the Mt. Carmel Church which is said to be the venue where a rose petal shower miracle happened in 1948 after an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

 But despite the skepticism of some people, Lipa City can be aptly called a petal of rose.

 Credit to the owners of the photos.

World Expo 2010 Shanghai China

The World Expo 2010, also known as Expo 2010 Shanghai China, was held for six months from May 1 to October 31, 2010. It was participated in by a total of 246 countries and international organizations. Its site was at a property on both banks of the Huangpu River which covers 5.28 square kilometers of land. 192 countries had pavilions or exhibition areas which showcased their respective cultures.

Of course, host China had the biggest pavilion complete with performers, exhibits, visual presentations and other activities which made it the most interesting pavilion and the most visited at that.

The Philippine Pavilion was right at the entrance to the Expo grounds and it was strategically located. Visitors cannot miss our country's area because it was all white and had hands imprinted around the building. Along the Nanpu Bridge-Lupu Bridge, from the airport going to our hotel, the Philippine Pavilion can be seen right away. It was shining with clapping hands around it signifying the festive culture of Filipinos.

Personally, the pavilion that I liked best was that of Saudi Arabia. I felt that it was the most expensively-done pavilion. 360 degrees of LED presentation about Saudi Arabian history and culture was highlighted. It was technically superior and they even had bedouin performers while we were queuing to go inside their much-anticipated pavilion. It took us more than 5 hours just to fall in line and have the Saudi Arabia pavilion experience. It was worth the wait.

Great Britain's "Seed Cathedral" was also a favorite. It had no big exhibits inside but you have to look into the seeds inside the spikes of the pavilion to understand British culture through the centuries. For me, it was intelligently done.

Another one of my favorites was the Italian Pavilion. It showcased the works of renowned Italian fashion designers who have made their marks in the global fashion scene. Why not? They have made Italy more popular with their works.

When I entered the Spanish Pavilion, I thought I was in a labyrinth. But each corner that I went to, there were surprises. I felt I had to visit their pavilion because I wanted to know more of the country that colonized the Philippines for 333 years. It was one way of touching base with the heritage that is a big part of my country.

Not to be outdone were the pavilions of other Asian nations which were also eye-catching. Those that I noticed were the pavilions of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, India and Japan. Each pavilion in the expo were really well thought of and each country really spent to have nice looking pavilions because the expo was one of the best ways for promotion and marketing.

Other pavilions worth visiting were those of Brazil, U.S.A., Denmark, France and Russia. With the many pavilions in a sprawling property, we were not able to visit all. In the 10 days that we stayed in Shanghai, all the above pavilions were the only ones we were able to visit. Just like I said about the Saudi Arabia pavilion, it takes hours for people to go inside each pavilion. Queuing took most of our time.

Shanghai really prepared for its hosting of the World Expo. They had efficient transport services to and from the site. They had shuttle buses from points in the city and trains that were meant to bring visitors to the expo venue. There was the usual Shanghai traffic but they had an efficient road traffic system that made travel easier.

China made sure that their hosting as flawless. Hotels and condominiums were built near the expo site for the convenience of international visitors. A zoo and park were refurbished to the enjoyment of the expo-goers.

Commemorative coins and medals were sold for souvenir purposes. But they were hot items that were purchased by visitors before noon of each day. I was able to buy the souvenir book of the expo which only cost RMB100 (or around P900).

My experience at the World Expo 2010 were both memorable and enriching. I was able to learn more about the culture of other countries. It made me realize that although we are different in race, we can come as one to appreciate each other nation's culture. I enjoyed that travel 10 years ago. I hope I can go and experience the World Expo 2020 (now 2021) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Credits to the owners of some of the photos.