The Blue Men and Minah

Saw The Blue Man Group yesterday at Astor Theatre with Tito Manny, Tita Fe and Minah, another friend from way back. I've been wanting to see this show for the longest time so I bought the tickets a day after I got here.

We had a late lunch/early dinner at Red Lobster and then it was Times Square with Minah. We had our caricature made by this Chinese guy but when we saw it, uh, that's so not us. $10 for a drawing of some girl holding a mic in the middle of Times Square. I actually left mine "accidentally" at Union Turnpike station.

A kiss from a blue man

Niagara

We got back from Niagara Falls last night. Seventeen hours on the bus both ways was so worth it. These pictures doesn't do justice to its majesty.

Travel in the Time of Influenza

Signs of the times. I am ashamed to tell people that my parents just got back from their vacation in the US. I haven't told anybody in the office. What if people suddenly don't want to be near me? What if they suddenly look at me as if I've developed an acute case of the incurable?

My youngest sister has already been asked by the school nurse not to go to class for at least a week. They found out my parents and another sister vacationed stateside for a few weeks and they've been given the dark mark, the scarlet letter, the Star of David in Nazi Germany until they're cleared of any symptoms.

This flu has got to stop spreading. It's bad enough for the travel industry that people aren't giving in to their wanderlust in exchange for a little savings in this recession. The flu gives traveling a bad name.

Top 10 Things That Can Go Wrong When Hiking With Me

I use top 10 now instead of the usual 5 because there are more ways to mess up when I am involved with hiking, trekking, or mountain climbing of any sort.

Number 10: Packing food enough to feed a platoon.

Number 9 : Packing everything in separate zip-lock bags, which is a good thing, except when I have to get something and have to open everything up.

Number 8 : Packing two bottles of facial and body sunscreen when we actually didn't need any of it.

Number 7 : Wearing my Nike sneakers when I know it'll get wet.

Number 6 : Not having mojos, those ugly-looking rubber contraptions you put on your feet with equally ugly-looking straps. It is quite handy when all I've got is a pair of gold flip-flops.

Number 5 : Not wearing my swimsuit underneath the tank so I don't have to go looking for a changing room in the middle of nowhere.

Number 4 : Bringing a huge bottle of distilled water when I know I can't finish it and I end up bitching about it for having to carry it all the way to the top and back.

Number 3 : Bringing two different pairs of sunglasses. What was I thinking?

Number 2 : Bringing my eyeliner, lip and cheek tint and MAC face powder, which all ended up it a little stream just when we started the climb. One guy picked it up for me to my embarrassment and to the sheer delight of Kai, who was laughing at my distress and enjoying the look of humiliation on my face.

Number 1 : In my desire to travel light, I brought "only" tank tops and short shorts in a very foul weather.

Top Five Things To Bring to Pinatubo

Whenever I ask people who I know have been to Pinatubo if it's worth the trip, they look me up then say, "It's not for you, hihihi... **smirk** " That happened at least thrice, same comment. WTF? Am I that frail-looking? Or do I come off as some bubblehead who walks around the mall all day? Or both?

So of course I'm going. That was reason enough to go. Pinatubo crater lake, almost there. I just hope it won't pour.

Now I've always been a light packer but I'm being challenged here. What to bring to this trek that people seem to think would be a mountain I can't climb?


Number 5: Vats and vats of sunblock. Spf 500 at least. By vats, I mean vatsa.

Number 4: Five pairs of very wet jeans.

Number 3: 2-inch stilettos.

Number 2: Several bath towels, preferably white.

Number 1: Umbrella-hat. You know what I'm talking about. The coolest thing ever invented.