St. Louis Cardinals, 2011 World Series Champions

 

A big shoutout to St. Louis Cardinals for winning the 2011 World Series, beating Texas Rangers 6-2 in Game 7. 

I was able to watch a couple of games while I was in St. Louis in 2010, and the Cards are the closest I have for my favorite baseball team (since I don't follow baseball that much).

pics, clockwise from top: the diamond at Bausch Stadium, a baseball player honored with his own statue outside, my company's box where we watched the game, scoreboard

Kayangan Lake

Reputed to be the cleanest inland body of water in the Philippines, Kayangan Lake is nested in Coron Island in Palawan. The lake is considered sacred by the indigenous Tagbanwas who live in the island. 

Coron is accessible via Busuanga, which has direct flights from Manila.

Winter is Coming

Flying over Siberia from JFK to NRT, last March aboard a Delta 747-400. The terrain reminds me of the Frostfang Mountains of the mythical Westeros* 


*You'd know this if you're reading the Game of Thrones series

Pure Idiocy

Some politicians have this idiotic idea of ruining the view of Taal volcano by putting a giant "Hollywood"-style sign in front of the volcano. That your taxes at work folks.


Please tweet your opposition to one of the proponents, the vice governor of the province. 

[source] 

Buddhas

Buddhas of different sizes line up one of the rooms in Grand Palace, Bangkok

Farewell, Steve Jobs

I am saddened to hear the passing of Steve Jobs today. 

Jobs has always been an inspiration to me, and the devices from his company has been great travel companions - to pass the time between long bus rides, to communicate to loved ones back home, for checking the map to the next destination, even to update this blog while hanging back in the hostel. The motto Think Different, is a guiding principle for me too.

Tribute to Steve Jobs

pics, the tribute to Steve Jobs at apple.com; the Apple Store in Fifth Avenue, NY, May 2010

Holidaying with the Lads, it’s not just for youngsters!

When you hear of a man going on holiday “with the lads” the same old image will be conjured up in most people’s heads – drinking, clubbing and a lot of rowdy behaviour. This is the stereotypical view of the typical lads’ holiday and as such they have been given a bad reputation. The thing is though lads’ holidays don’t always have to be like this and there is a huge variety of getaways for men that don’t have to involve beer and rolling back to the hotel at dawn! If you and your group of friends would like to plan a (sensible) break away that won’t have your wives and girlfriends raising their eyebrows, then why not consider one of the following for your getaway? 


Golfing breaks – If you and your friends like to play golf (or you would all like to learn) then a golfing break is the perfect way to relax and unwind with friends whilst doing something you enjoy and keeping active. Many people find this a real treat as during the year work and family commitments might make it challenging to get a few consecutive days where you can do pretty much as you please and with this type of break you get just that. Many of the golf clubs around Europe offer accommodation and getaway packages so you can return home feeling refreshed after your time away. 


City breaks – If you are not into the idea of spending your holiday drinking and lying in the sun then a city break is the perfect choice for those groups who want to experience the culture of the place they are visiting. City breaks in Europe are really easy to get to and mean that you can be on your way to your destination and ready to start having fun without having to take a long haul flight. This is therefore a great choice if you are in a group of friends who have jobs and do not have much spare time. 


Spa breaks (don’t laugh!) – Before you dismiss these out of hand, spa breaks are not just for the girls. Many spas now tailor packages that are just for men and can help to treat things like sporting injuries with sports massages and treatments that will help you feel invigorated and relaxed (it’s not all manicures and waxing!). A spa break on a quiet Mediterranean island will completely melt away any stress from your daily life and could be just the ticket for a group of stressed out guys! Budget airlines means that getting to places is now easier than ever and you will be able to get abroad relatively inexpensively. At the end of the day you can make your holiday with your friends as relaxing or as adrenaline filled as you like. If you need to work out how you are all going to get to the airport then you might like to consider looking into airport parking. This will cut the cost of your holiday even further as you will be able to split the parking bill which will work out cheaper than if you were all to buy train tickets (leaving you extra money for your beers, sorry spa treatments!) 

Airport Parking is available at all of the major UK airports there is Heathrow Parking, Gatwick Parking and Liverpool Airport Parking.