la vida es un ratico

La Vida Es Un Ratico

La Vida Es Un Ratico

de Juanes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Upuf7sLiBLU

Estamos pasando el tiempo mas dificil en nuestra vida. No hay palabra nada puedo describer lo que me siento en este momento.

Que cambie todo pero no el amor. Es la mision mas grande que tenemos tu y yo. En esta vida que aprender enteder y saber, porque estos tiempos son dificiles y es mas escasa la verdad.

Que cambie todo pero no el amor. Nuestra familia es mas importante ya lo se, y la debemos proteger y volver a tejer porque estos tiempos son dificiles y mas escasa la verdad. Porque estos tiempos son dificiles y estamos sentando tan lejos el uno del otro. Porque estos tiempos son dificiles y estamos atados de manos y corazon.

No dejemos que ese no se acabe bien. Todavia hay muchas cosas por hacer. No dejemos que ese no se acabe bien. La vida es un ratico, un ratico, nada mas. No dejemos que ese no se acabe bien. Vienen tiempos buenos y los malos, ya se van, se van, se van. Quedate tu.

Que cambie todo pero no el amor es todo lo que yo te pido no te pido mas. Dame la mano por favor no me dejes caer,porque estos tiempos son mas dificiles y es mas escasa la verdad. Porque estos tiempos son mas dificiles y estamos sentados tan lejos el uno del otro. Porque estos tiempos estamos atados de manos y corazon.

No dejemos que ese no se acabe bien. Todavia hay muchas cosas por hacer. No dejemos que ese no se acabe bien la vida es un ratico un ratico nada mas no dejemos que ese no se acabe bien, Vienen tiempos buenos y los malos. Ya se van, se van, se van

No dejemos que ese no se acabe bien. Todavia hay muchas cosas por hacer no dejemos que ese no se acabe bien. La vida es un ratico un ratico nada mas. No dejemos que ese no se acabe bien, vienen tiempo buenos y los malos ya se van se van se van. QUEDATE TU

Que Boludo!

Que Boludo!

I was denied entry in Buenos Aires, sent back to Colombia for an immigration official's lack of knowledge in interpreting my visa.

April 3, 2010, Buenos Aires, Argentina, this day will never be forgotten. I was a victim of someone’s ignorance, of someone’s greatest exercise and display of arrogance. He is a moron.

Arriving from Bogota, Colombia via flight LA 4641. I was refused entry by an immigration chief in Buenos Aires for his erroneous interpretation of my visa, which he declared expired. The truth of the matter is, it is not. The Argentine Consulate in Manila later confirmed this to me through an e-mail.

I was holding a multiple-entry business visa for 15 days with three-month validity issued in Manila on February 3, 2010 by the Argentine Embassy. I entered Buenos Aires using this visa on February 16, 2010 spending ten good days of business and leisure leaving me 5 more allowable days on my next entry within three months. Hence, my supposed three day-visit this April.

I am collecting the frame of a leather chair I bought in my first visit from The Sweater, Inc. in Buenos Aires, a company that sells fine leather goods mostly from cow.

Apparently, when the first immigration officer examined my documents, he didn’t know how to interpret the type of visa I was holding. He referred my case to his superior who declared it expired. He explained that it has expired after 15 days from my first entry. (Mute button on…) Duh! Then what’s the three-month validity clause for? Please explain Mr. Officer!

The not so dumb junior officer seemed unconvinced of his superior’s interpretation, approached the lady officer in the next cubicle and referred my case with her. They discussed and were later interrupted by the smart officer who called him to come to his office. I took the opportunity to approach the lady who was in a rush to take her break and asked her if something was wrong with my visa because I was the last man standing from flight LA 4641. She quickly said, in my opinion there is NONE. Then the rest of the officers were greeting each other Feliz Pascua and exchanged besos and rushed home. I realized then it was already Easter Sunday.

I politely told the immigration officer that he might have just been mistaken. I told him I had been issued same type of visas from several Schengen States and the immigration officials didn’t interpret it that way. Further, I explained to him that I had been issued Argentine visas for the last five years, give or take. If I may recall, I clarified this matter with their consulate in Manila two years ago but he is the type of officer who doesn’t listen to reasons. With such a commanding voice he said, “You were badly informed by our Embassy in Manila!”

(Mute push button on por favor!) Really sir? Then you are the smart guy and the people from your Manila office are the stupid ones? Vale?

He ordered for my immediate return to my port of origin via LAN, which is Bogota, which left Buenos Aires in the next hour.

I appealed that he would give me a chance to call the Embassy of the Philippines in Buenos Aires for a possible assistance regarding my case but he said, “NO! What we do in Argentina is independent from what the Philippine Embassy does.”

“What’s the point of allowing Embassies and Consulates in Argentina Sir? I don’t understand. You are so contagious!” (Mute button on again!)

I was immediately escorted to the plane. They sequestered my old and new passports and made me take the LA 2428 flight to Lima. Then at Lima Airport, I also had an escort and I was not allowed to get hold of my passports up to Medellin, Colombia, my next destination entering Colombia as a tourist this time. (Mute button please...) “Please explain to me, why am I being treated like a criminal. I am not going anywhere! I'm taking the flight to Colombia. Give me back my passports. I am holding a 10-year multiple visa to the United States, most of the stamps there are B2 with 6 months allowable stay. I will not over stay in your country! Besides you already refused me entry. Give them back to me baby, now, Ahora mismo! Pronto tonto!”

A LAN crew handed over my passports to the immigration officials in Colombia. The Colombian officer asked me to explain why I was denied entry in Buenos Aires and what’s with the visa problem Buenos Aires had declared in my papers. I explained and showed him my visa and he smiled and said after inspecting it that to his understanding it is valid. He then welcomed me and granted me entry to Colombia. (Mute button for the real smart guy….) “Thank you sir, you are the one! A person like you should be the one’s to be commissioned in all immigration offices in the whole civilized and modern world! Viva Colombia!”

In Lima, airport and LAN officers opined that there is nothing wrong with my visa, it is valid and it has not yet expired and that Buenos Aires should have granted me three-day stay.

(Intermission please) _-A perfect 10 - a los peruanos y colombianos, y el otro 10 para el senor en Buenos Aires por ser ganador de Moron Olympics y no nos olvidemos un plaque para el senor Filipino por ser un victima! Vale? Muchas Gracias! A sus orden senor, con mucho gusto!!!

I believe I was not accorded with my proper rights as a stranger in Argentina. Understand that when Argentines come and visit the Philippines, they can stay in the country for 20 days without visa. I didn’t see any show of reciprocity in its smallest form or some kind of consideration just for three days in Buenos Aires from this immigration officer.

He made a costly mistake. I paid dearly for someone's incapacity to deliver his job . Que Boludo!

My Travel Woes (part 1)

My Travel Woes…(Part 1 of two parts)


Travelling is not always that fun. Troubles may come unexpectedly. And when they do happen in one of your trips, my advice is, just maintain an open mind and consider them as part of the whole travel experience. Never let these travel woes ruin your holiday mood. Just enjoy the rest of the trip.

Hear me out and think how these hassles added thrill to my travels making them more exciting.


I lost my wallet containing banknotes, credit and ATM cards at Munich Airport

I felt my whole world collapsed when I found out that I lost my wallet with my cash, credit and ATM cards at Munich Airport. I was terrified at the thought of losing them halfway on my vacation. It’s no joke being left with almost nothing in a foreign land.

My suspect was the guy who bumped me at the airport. He distracted my attention and swiftly pick-pocketed me.

I was totally helpless. I never felt so poor my whole life. I wasted more than three hours at the Airport Police Station just to have my cards blocked, request for replacements and ask for a police report. Citibank would charge me an emergency replacement fee of USD350 per card or that would be USD700 for both Visa and MasterCard. I had to decline. It’s a highway robbery!

Instead, I asked my office to transfer money through a Western Union branch in Zurich because I would be going to Zurich in the next 5 days. I incurred USD350 conversion loss from PhP to USD to CHF because Western Union could only pay me CHF in Zurich. In Manila, Western Union wanted my office to remit in USD. My office had to buy USD using peso funds. The conversion process from PhP to USD and ultimately to CHF by Western Union was another robbery in a broad daylight. Everybody was in it for the money!


I travelled sin documentos in Argentina

This incident almost brought me to jail in Argentina. Please read my April post entitled “A Brave Yet Foolish Decision” in two parts.


I missed my Hong Kong flight

I missed my Hong Kong flight in 2004 with my business partners, Leo and Lloyds. We underestimated the highway traffic to the airport. We did not make it on time. We were rebooked on the first available flight the following day. My colleagues had to stay overnight in my flat because they don’t want that their families would know that they missed their flights. Never mind about the rebooking fee. We decided to just keep it among ourselves. Meanwhile, from the airport, an unexpected black-out in the whole Luzon occurred. When we reached my flat, the elevators were out of order. We had to use the stairs all the way from the ground floor up to my unit on the 22nd floor with our luggage. Too bad for Lloyds for using the stairways up to my unit in high-heeled shoes carrying an oversized bag.


I missed my train ride in Singapore

In 2000, Leo and I missed the night train from Singapore to Malaysia. Since the train had just left, the officer suggested that we take a taxi and catch the train at Johor Baru Station. It’s the station dividing Singapore and Malaysia. That taxi ride was equivalent to one half of our train fare to Malaysia.


My luggage was misrouted in Bologna

On my Holy Week vacation in Bologna last March 2008, I was terribly mad at the airport after I discovered that my luggage was missing. I only learned the following night that Austrian Air misrouted my luggage to Vienna.

I only had my Paul Smith messenger bag containing my travel documents, wallet and some personal stuff when I arrived in Bologna. I spent the rest of the night sleeping naked at my hotel room, anxious about the whereabouts of my personal belongings. The morning after, instead of taking a day tour, I spent half of the day shopping for clothes, underwear and toiletries.

My luggage was only delivered after 24 hours. Good enough I had a travel insurance. Philam reimbursed me PhP10,000 out of the Euro237 that I spent for clothes and toiletries. But still, the reimbursement was not enough to cover such unnecessary purchases.


My flight was delayed in Buenos Aires

A delayed flight could ruin your whole itinerary especially if you don’t have enough time for your connecting flights. Last year in Buenos Aires, my flight was delayed for three hours. As a consequence, I missed my connecting flight in Houston on my way to New York City. I got rebooked on the next available flight departing only after three hours. That was a six-hour delay combined.

My sister had to drive twice from Long Island to JFK Airport to pick me up. I didn’t get the chance of informing her about the delay because my mobile phone ran out of battery. Its charger was inside my checked-in luggage. The delays took one day of my holiday in New York.

Also, in 2004, I missed my connecting flight in Zurich with my colleague because of a two-hour delay of our plane’s take-off at London Heathrow Airport due to heavy runway traffic.

Upon our arrival at Zurich Airport, Swiss Air had to book us in one of its flights to Paris so we can catch a Cathay Pacific flight to Manila. The whole thing made it a 24-hour travel back home. It should only be 14 hours. That was ten-hour deprivation of the comfort of my home after more than a month of being away.

(With part 2)

My Travel Vocabulary (English-Spanish)

My Travel Vocabulary

To those who are travelling to Spain and Latin Countries, I share with you my travel vocabulary and its Spanish translation.


My Travel Mates
English - Spanish
airline company - compaña aérea (Mexico- linea aérea
air stewardess, flight attendant, cabin crew - azafata
bell boy - botones
captain - capitán
commander,commandant - comandante
crew - tripulación
driver - chofer, conductor
front desk clerk - recepcionista
guide - guía
house maid - mucama
interpreter - interprete
passenger - pasajero
pilot - piloto
purser - contador
taxi driver - taxista
travel agency - agencia de viajes
waiter - camarero

The Place To Be
airport - aeropuerto
bath room - cuarto de baño
boarding gate - puerta de embarque
border - frontera
cabin - camarote
corridor,passage,pedestrian walkway - pasillo
counter - mostrador
customs - aduana
entrance - entrada
exit - salida
front desk,reception - recepcion
guest house, boarding house - pensión
hotel alojamiento - hotel
passport control - control de pasaportes
platform ( train) - anden
port - muelle
rail road - paso a nivel (Mexico- paso a desnivel)
station - estación
ticket office - taquilla
track, trail tarmac - pista
waiting room - sala de espera


Things That I Should Have and Things That I Need to Know
baggage cart - carrito
bed - litera
camera - maquina de fotos, cámara
camping tent - tienda de campana
car window, small window - ventanilla
caravan - caravana
change - cambio
control tower - torre de control
cruise - crucero
delay - retraso, demorado
excess baggage - sobrepeso
flight - vuelo
foreign currency - divisas
halt, stop - parada
information - información
itinerary, route/ (timetable- México) - itinerario
lane, route - vía
life jacket, life preserver chaleco - salvavidas
life raft - bote salvavidas
life vest, life preserver - salvavidas
line - línea
luggage,baggage - equipaje
magazine - revista
map - mapa
newspaper - periódico (Argentina – diario)
operating instructions for a flight, operational orders for a flight - consigna de vuelo
overnight bag, travelling bag - bolsa de mano
periódico - prensa
postage, post - postal
reservation - reserva
route, way - trayecto
seat - asiento
sleeping bag - saco de dormir
tax - impuesto
ticket - billete
timetable - horario
trunk, suitcase - maleta
turbulence - turbulencia
velocity - velocidad
visa - visado
visibility - visibilidad
window - ventana

How To Get There/Mode of Transport
airplane - avión
bicycle - bicicleta
bus - autobús
coach, railway, carriage - vagón
ferry - trasbordador
motorcycle - moto
ship - barco
train - tren
train coach - coche cama, ferro carril

How I Describe It…
jerky, hilly, bumpy - accidentado
aereal - aéreo
airconditioned - climatizado
comfortable - cómodo
complete - completo
spacious - espacioso
narrow - estrecho
uncomfortable -incomodo
slow - lento
luxurious - lujoso
modest, unpretentious - modesto
dangerous -peligroso
fast - rápido
normal - regular
reserved - reservado
certain - seguro
silent - silencio

To Do's
annoy - marear(se)
arrive - llegar
board - desembarcar
cancel - cancelar
change place - desplazarse
charge - cargar
check-in - facturar (Mexico- documentar)
complain - reclamar
confirm - confirmar
connect - enlazar
declare - declarar
derrail (train)- descarrillar
descend - bajar
discharge - descargar
embark, go on board - embarcar
exchange - hacer trasbordo
exit, leave - salir
fly - volar
go up, climb - subir
land - aterrizar
lodge - alojarse
navigate - navegar
reserve - reservar
ride, take - coger (Argentina, Mexico –tomar)
sail - zarpar
send-off - despedir(se)
take-off - despegar
top-over - hacer escala
travel - viajar
visit - visitar

A Brave Yet Foolish Decision(part2)

A Brave Yet A Foolish Decision
Our Road Trip to Misiones


We reached Misiones unchecked. Bravo! We dozed off for an hour and headed to the falls. We had to start that same day to see this giant falls. I realized how limited my movements would be when an Italian Argentine driver we hired asked me if I had my travel documents with me. I said no. He said it’s a pity because we can never get close to the borders of Paraguay and Brazil. A major downer!

The whole stay at Iguazu was worth the 36 hour ride ida y vuelta. I had a lot of memories to cherish in that Natural Park located at the middle of South American continent. I need another blog post for that Iguazu experience.

The trip was over. Such a sad thing to leave a paradise like that. Almost half-way to Buenos Aires, the bus stopped. I woke up. Then our fear became a reality. Three armed gendarmes dressed in military uniform climbed the bus and started demanding, “Sus documentos por favor.” I can see the sun burnt face of mi amor turned white. Panic attack.

Then one of the officers was in front of us and said….¿”Senorita….?” La Karina is always prepared like a girl scout. She handed her Argentine ID and she was ok. Then the officer asked for mine. I said, “Lo siento, no tengo documentos. He olvidado los en Buenos Aires.” I was still explaining in a limited Castellano when La Karina interrupted us explaining that I left my documents in her house. She further said that I am her future husband and that she will take charge of me. She said’ “I am a businesswoman. I am the president of a company and my company will take the responsibility for my boyfriend. I have copies of his documents in my office."

And then she turned to me and translated everything in English what she just had said to the officer. I can see that the officer had a hard time discerning English and I have to cut her off and told her, “Hablame en espanol.” Then, I started asking for a consideration from the officer not to take me to the precinct. I told him that I am a Filipino. I showed him my credit card with a Philippine Flag courtesy of my HSBC PAL Visa. He said, "I need your Argentine visa and not your Visa Credit Card." I would like to laugh, I felt stupid in front of him, and then I said., “ I showed it to you to let you know that I am telling the truth about my nationality." And then I showed him my foreign exchange receipt for the USD I converted at the airport. I showed him my passport number in that receipt and explained that I can not enter Argentina without a visa and that the Forex company was located at the Ezeiza Airport where I converted my USD to ARP upon my arrival. I tried to be calm and smiled after each statement I uttered.

He agreed and said, "Don’t travel without documents. We are near the borders of Brazil and Paraguay and lots of illegals are entering Argentina from here." “Muchas gracias senor.” I told him.

I can’t believe it. Gracias Instituto por ensenarme el idioma. This language saved the day. When the gendarmes got off, the conductor told me, you’re a lucky man. An Italian passenger who speaks only Italian and English, also left his documents in Buenos Aires. He was taken to the station and would be released only after the gendarmes could get a confirmation from the Italian and Argentine Embassies whether his entry to Argentina was legal or not. And he added, shortest day you could stay at the jail is three days. ¡Mi madre!

A Brave Yet Foolish Decision(part1)

A Brave Yet Foolish Decision
Our Road Trip to Misiones, Argentina

I decided to celebrate 2008 Valentine’s Day in Argentina. A week before that, I was in Rio de Janiero for the Carnival. La Karina and I agreed to spend 4 days together in Cataratas Del Iguazu in Misiones. She arranged everything from bus ride to hotel booking. She is good at it, especially when it comes to haggling for discounts. She would always say,” It’s a pity to pay a lot mi amor.”

Before leaving our hotel in Buenos Aires, I told her not to bring things she won’t need. This was my third visit. The first two, I ended up carrying a heavy suitcase stuffed with things, some of which she never used. I am a light traveller. I hate carrying a heavy bag. It makes me immobile.

We checked out and left our luggage at their residence as agreed. We still had an hour to drop-off our bags and proceed to the bus station for our 18 hour ride to Misiones. This task would only require us 30 minutes. I asked for a five-minute extra time before leaving our hotel room to fix my things. Before agreeing, she reminded me to hurry because we might miss the bus. I said ok. She checked the living room, dining room, and bathroom for things we might have left. Each room check equals one reminder. That made three plus one before that so she aready reminded me four. times. I did not reply. When she was about to utter another reminder while watching me locking my suitcase, I have to cut her. I lost it and said, “Will you just shut up?” In my anger, I put all my travel documents inside my suitcase and locked it. That suitcase was not going with us. It would stay at their residence.

I left all my travel documents in Buenos Aires. I only had my credit cards and wallet with me in a travelling bag I was carrying. I only realized it when the bus was about to leave. Damn it! And so there was another Latina exploding in panic. We have to make a decision, postpone it or take the risk of being held by the gendarmes at the military checkpoint or get lucky and never get checked at all. I made a firm decision. We should proceed. “¡Mujer, calmate!”

And we took the bus.

Argentina Te Quiero (part2)
Buenos Aires

It was springtime in 2006 when I first visited Buenos Aires. Coming from a tropical country, an almost zero degree temperature is intolerable. In Manila, I am not accustomed to knowing the exact degree. For me it’s only hot or not. No big deal on what the figure says because generally it’s hot when the sun is up. Besides, the weather is pretty much predictable.

But all that changed in Buenos Aires. I had been globe trotting since 1996 but I would always prefer travelling in summer or fall to a particular destination. Before leaving my hotel, I have to check the temperature first with the concierge in my well re-hearsed line, “¿Cual es la temperatura afuera?” Then dress planning would follow: inner shirts, sweater, jacket, bonnet, scarf, gloves, boots, and knee high socks. I was like wearing a full-battle gear and oh!, T’was heavy.

Unlike my other foreign trips, I don’t need to take a hop-on hop-off tour bus to see the city. Neither would I join a city tour group with an English speaking tour guide for lo and behold beside me was a native who lovingly explained with pride and passion the interesting places and history of her country, in Spanglish. Cute.

And so with her, I discovered Avenida 9 de Julio, claimed to be the widest avenue in the world by the Argentines. The name coincides with Argentina’s July 9 Independence Day Celebration. We took a stroll on the avenida. It was the most logical thing to do to burn the fats I just consumed courtesy of Parilla Mariposa. I never imagined how in the world can I finish a big plate full of greasy, mouth watering and yummy beef. Then I started thinking about my late night work-outs at the Makati Shangri-la Health Club. Guilt stricken.

At the intersection of this avenue and Corrientes, we stopped to take photos at the modern monument called the El Obelisco constructed in 1936 in commemoration of the city’s 400th Foundation Day. With its height of 220 feet, it took us a while to take a good photo with its entirety. It was in this incident when I first learned the level of patience of my Latina girlfriend. She is short of it. She has also a bad temperament. She is sweet for a while and suddenly could explode like a bomb. It left me thinking, how can this woman got easily impatient and suddenly erupt like a volcano when the springtime weather is too good to cool her head off.

At the Obelisk there is a Plaza with a congregation of pigeons. I was busy taking pictures and she was constantly advising me to open my eyes, watch my camera, wallet, etc. At one point I got irritated because I felt like I was being treated like a child. I’d been to more dangerous places in Manila and in Brazil, especially in Sao Paulo. I don’t like her over-protecting me so I have to cut her the next time she uttered the same reminder for the nth time. Then, there goes another argument. Cultural differences?

We passed by Teatro Colón. This beautiful opera house is turning 100 years in 2008. It’s one of the world’s major opera houses. I was told not to miss it because of its horse-shoe shaped auditorium and special interiors. When we checked the schedule of shows, it was then we realized that it had been closed for renovation. A year later, I came back, the renovation job was still unfinished. It reminded me of what she told me that the theater was constructed for twenty years. I was wondering if the renovation would be another “history repeats itself” phenomenon in Argentina.

We reached Avenida de Mayo. This avenue connects Plaza de Mayo with Plaza de los Dos Congresos. We were heading towards the eastern end of Avenida de Mayo where La Casa Rosada (Spanish for "the Pink House"), officially known as the Casa de Gobierno ("Government House") or Palacio Presidencial ("The Presidential Palace"), is located. A pink house! Cool! And when we were in the square en frente de la Casa Rosada, la Karina, my girlfriend guide, started lecturing me as if I was one of her law students in a University in Buenos Aires where she is a faculty member. She commanded, “Look at that half open window, and the house’s balcony, that’s the podium of Evita, the same podium the Papa del Roma used during his visit in 1998. It was exactly the same place where Madonna rendered her “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” anthem. Oh brilliant! With that, I can give her a 9.

We took a stroll on the plaza then went inside the Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires. La Karina took time to pray, I took pictures. She’s a catholic. I am not. We headed to the Cabildo or their Council during colonial times then took some quick snaps and proceeded to the May Pyramid.

Tired and exhausted, we took time to recharge in one of the benches in the plaza. We chose a strategic place fronting a monument and a fountain. It was a lovely day with a clear blue sky and nimbus clouds, pigeons feeding on grains, lovers kissing, children cavorting at the plaza grounds. Oh Buenos Aires! You are my Paris in South America.