Brief Stories (Life and Travel Bits) | Joemill.com

Flying to Phuket (from Singapore) [Flickr]

Joemill — Mon, 28 May 2012 05:23:34 PDT

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Dioramas on Yogyakarta History in Fort Vredeburg

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Fri, 11 May 2012 23:01:49 PDT

The Coronation of Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX Bangsal Manguntur Tangkil, Sri Hinggil, Sultanate Palace Yogyakarta March 18, 1940 Congress of Jong Java in Yogyakarta Joyodipuran House, Kintelan Street No. 139 (now Brigjen Katamso Street No. 23), Yogyakarta December 25-31, 1928 The Indonesian Women Congress 1 Joyodipuran House, Brigjen Katamso Street No. 23, Yogyakarta December

Faces and Music of Indonesia (Festival Seni Islami)

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 07:54:40 PDT

Traveling is a great opportunity to see the smiling faces in this world's little dot and hear sweet melodies sung in a different language. I spent my last afternoon in Yogyakarta by strolling along the city's most famous street, Malioboro Street (sounds like that familiar cigarette brand). That day, January 21st, I was lucky enough to witness Festival Seni Islami (Islamic Arts Festival) in

The Passage of Time

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 06:55:25 PDT

I can’t afford to be so naïve as to dismiss the young faces around me. Their energetic flair, gusto for knowledge, thirst for adventure and quest for an endless love remind me that not too long ago was the time when I realized my dream and its quantitative derivatives were becoming more tangible. They teach me a few things that push me harder only to get better. They make me think

Rainy Days Shed Some Light

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 03:50:41 PDT

Today isn’t the first time the skies descend into the earth. Nor is it the first time the soaring birds nestle in their shelter, heavy and shivering cold. It is the millionth time perhaps the lightning strikes the hapless animal left cut of a life in the open farm. It is the millionth time perhaps the traffic on the highway becomes sluggish, attempting to test the patience of jammed brain

Stamps From Around The World [Flickr]

Joemill — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:49:21 PDT

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Railway Tracks

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 07:12:41 PDT

Stop this train now. In a few minutes, armed with nothing but my jaded feet and a load of 5 kilos strapped to my back, I’ll be jumping off the train real quick because the train I realized doesn’t stop. It only slows down. I may sound imposing but they won’t hear it even if I have to scream at the top of my lungs. I can only get off the moving train in the end as fast as I can. That

Second Sunshine and the Prambanan Temple

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 09:10:58 PST

the Shiva (Siwa) temple towers at 47 meters We arrived in Prambanan Temple at 2:06PM, after more than 30 minutes of traveling from Mount Merapi. As usual, we paid for another parking fee of 5,000 rupiahs which to my collection was one of the hidden expenses in going to Yogyakarta’s tourist spots. I could have accounted them better less my ignorance. So to you my dear

Second Sunshine and Mount Merapi

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:05:18 PST

Mount Merapi as seen from Borobodur Lunchtime came calling after leaving Borobudur. One hour afterwards, at 12 noon, we’re already at the Padang eatery where I had fried chicken, cucumber and a local food that had familiar ingredients in it - coconut milk, beans and tofu - it was almost a Filipino dish except that it’s spicy. I’m sorry I forgot what it’s called (hands down I’m not a

Second Sunshine and Mount Merapi [Digg]

Digg — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:54:53 PST

Lunchtime came calling after leaving Borobudur. One hour afterwards, at 12 noon, we’re already at the Padang eatery where I had fried chicken, cucumber and a local food that had familiar ingredients in it - coconut milk, beans and tofu - it was almost a Filipino dish except that it’s spicy. I’m sorry I forgot what it’s called (hands down I’m not a foodie, only eat whatever is palatable on the table) but one thing’s for sure, it tasted real good. Our lunch only cost us 23,000 rupiahs, including drinks.

Second Sunshine and the Borobudur Temple

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:14:07 PST

I had sensed that so many things were yet to be accomplished with too little time and too little rupiahs left in my pocket on my second day in Indonesia. It meant a whole lot even more when the location of Merbabu Hotel was a maze, I thought. The moment I found out where the hotel is, after being lost right away from Tugu station to streets after streets to those small alleys, I

Traveling on a Night Train from Bandung to Yogyakarta

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 02:52:26 PST

If you have plenty of time exploring a certain country, traveling on a train overnight is one smart move. It does cut costs not alone for your transportation but also a big chunk on the accommodation - sleeping on a train saves costs for a hotel. Last January 19, I was heading to Yogyakarta from Bandung through the cheapest mode I knew, via a train. The train service for the 8PM

Short Trip from Jakarta to Bandung

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 02:52:01 PST

Stupas (Borobudur Temple) [Flickr]

Joemill — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 22:50:31 PST

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Second Sunshine and the Borobudur Temple [Digg]

Digg — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 22:45:30 PST

I left the temple 3 hours after, forgetting my driver who told me he could wait for me for 2 hours. Ha ha. I was just awestruck seeing what I thought I could only see on pages of books. Sure, the sight of an 8th century temple is so commanding as if lording over the plains of Central Java.

iChoose Philippines because... [Digg]

Digg — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:23:31 PST

Share with us the reasons why you Choose Philippines! iChoose FUN! iChoose Philippines!

iChoose Philippines because... on Vimeo by Choose Philippines [Flickr]

Joemill — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:22:41 PST

Joemill posted a photo:

Share with us the reasons why you Choose Philippines! iChoose FUN! iChoose Philippines!

Watch this video on Vimeo. Video created by Choose Philippines.

Terracotta Warriors: Acrobats [Flickr]

Joemill — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:08:14 PST

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Traveling on a Night Train from Bandung to Yogyakarta [Digg]

Digg — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:41:30 PST

Short Trip from Jakarta to Bandung [Digg]

Digg — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:40:56 PST

My flight to Jakarta was grounded on the runway at Singapore Changi Airport last January 19. I didn’t expect that. I should’ve known better that Changi is such a busy port which could have heavy air traffic cum ground delays. The plane finally took off thirty minutes after it was supposed to. We arrived in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (in Cengkareng, Jakarta) at around 11AM, (Western Indonesian time - GMT +7, 1 hour late of Singapore time). As I exited the terminal after immigration and baggage check, many booths offered travellers taxi services. A girl from one of the booths wav

Losing Balance [Digg]

Digg — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:55:21 PST

Reflections always prove perfect when put in writing and the now is just it. Right away. I have been in constant search for what to do going forward. I have been away from home for more than half a year now but I question what’s currently running in my life engine and the next step is a blur. It’s quite a young time for me to be feeling this way as the urgency of moving, up or down whichever is lucrative or simply finding my dancing feet is on the rise. Be it my day job, long-term goal whatever that is or just life itself succumbs me into deep thinking. Change please. I want to live with that change or its plurality and it’s getting scarier everyday to just think of giving up on something further established, shaking up to its foundations to make way for a not so unfamiliar path that you have been shrugging off the whole years of your lifetime for a seeming bright.

Balloons Don't Fly Away All by Themselves

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 06:32:19 PST

When you free someone close to you for reasons you have known all along spell of his/her happiness, you free a big part of yourself if not the biggest you realize you could never keep until the very end. But it’s not a bad thing after all. You have simply removed yourself from a sea of uncertainty, false hopes, bitterness and being unfair to yourself. And the grandest of things is that you

Balloons Don't Fly Away All by Themselves [Digg]

Digg — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 03:13:30 PST

Fighting Famine with Creativity: Poster Art Raises Funds for East Africa [Digg]

Digg — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 07:12:18 PST

Famine and drought are laying waste to Eastern African countries like Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Djibouti, and no one's at greater risk than children. In a report published last month, UNICEF warned that although international response to the "child survival crisis" has saved many lives, "much more needs to be done to save hundreds of thousands of children at risk of dying from malnutrition and disease."

Sleepless in Kuala Lumpur [Digg]

Digg — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 03:45:20 PST

Bring it to the table and I would eat it. Come to my mind and I would do or act on it. With another solo exciting trip wafting into my mind that was still pre-occupied with a short, tight-packed, with-a-purpose-for-friends trip back home, all I ever wanted was to take a breather and to think – to give myself a think space, a much-needed one where a long distance from my little reality would make a lot of sense. There I grabbed the thought and placed it into a somewhat scrambled plan.

Petronas Twin Towers [Digg]

Digg — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 03:44:02 PST

Kinetic I & II are to be visualised together, one complementing the other. Just as the PETRONAS Twin Towers joined by the skybridge symbolize strength in unity, the sculptures represent the concept of unity in diversity. The revolving parts of the sculptures relate to the vitality of creative vision and symbolise the dynamic growth of PETRONAS and the Malaysian people.

Petronas Twin Towers

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 03:41:57 PST

Sleepless in Kuala Lumpur

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 05:58:06 PST

Simala Shrine: Miraculous and Majestic (Cebu)

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 05:43:14 PDT

People from all walks of life come out in droves to Simala Shrine in Lindogon, Sibonga, not just to pray for divine intervention, give thanks for their blessings or revisit their faith but to see what is clearly an architectural wonder in Cebu south. It is built on the side of a hill with a design reminiscent of European cathedrals. The shrine, even though evidently under construction when I

Simala Shrine: Miraculous and Majestic (Cebu) [Digg]

Digg — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 05:31:12 PDT

The Funny Turkish Ice Cream Man at Clarke Quay, Singapore [Digg]

Digg — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:53:03 PDT

If you want some Mado Turkish Ice Cream, go to Clarke Quay but expect a little twist. The Turkish man selling ice cream is funny, naughty, very playful. He flips the ice cream using his long scoop, gives it to you, takes it back leaving you with an empty ice cream cone, does it for a couple rounds, fakes a high five and finally you'll have what you pay for. You'll enjoy watching him doing his tricks. :)

The Green Roof at Marina Barrage [Digg]

Digg — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:52:18 PDT

One of the recreational parks in Singapore of high regard is The Green Roof at Marina Barrage. Long before I went there, I only knew that that elevated, curved, green, perfect-for-kite-flying park as nothing but Marina Barrage when in fact it’s just a small part of a bigger area. Many people go there on picnics with the city’s awesome skyline in the background. But more importantly, Marina Barrage serves as one of the reservoirs providing water supply to the city.

Tioman Island in Malaysia: Explored and Conquered (Part II) [Digg]

Digg — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:51:14 PDT

All the exhaustion that was meant to see half of the western part of the island in the day propelled us to a good night sleep afterwards. Indeed it was a “mission accomplished” in our pockets. We dozed off soundly with the cold sea breeze gently piercing into the chalet until the sound of the phone alarm at 6AM prodded us for a brand new day to be seized. It was time for jungle trekking to Juara, a village in the east.

Shades of Grey

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 06:21:35 PDT

According to the wise, only two things in life are real – one is black and white being the other. These two gauge what is exclusively a right and what is a wrong, what is a yes and what is a no. They are perfect instruments to weigh on objects, people and deeds and judging differentiates one from another. They help assess the value of something by tagging it with either of the two extremes and

The Twin Bridges of Cebu

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 08:15:37 PDT

Cebu's twin bridges are a classic reminder of where I came from and where I was headed. I was born and raised in Leyte and found a new home through the wonderful years in Cebu. Oh yeah, reminiscing those epic years! Pictures were taken using a Sony Cybershot W310 during my trip back to Cebu from Ormoc City, Leyte in May 2010. Mactan-Mandaue Bridge Marcelo Fernan Bridge business as usual...

Pulau Ubin: Rustic Side of Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:26:58 PST

Little is known of the old ways and what used to be. But with much curiosity and keen observation, history effortlessly unfolds before your very eyes, taking you deeper into the forgone times. Once you step into the soil of Singapore, its overwhelming modernity somehow makes you forget about its beginnings. Coupled with its clever conveniences, shiny skyscrapers, green environment, Singapore

Somewhere Somehow

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 03:03:19 PDT

Waxing Crescent Moon (August 5, 2011), a photo by Joemill on Flickr. Somewhere far beyond today I will find a way to find you And somehow through the lonely nights I will leave a light in the dark Let it lead you to my heart * Lyrics from "Somewhere Somehow" by Michael W. Smith feat. Amy Grant * Forgive me the cheesiness. :)

The Green Roof at Marina Barrage

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:20:52 PDT

Best of Youtube Musicians 2.0

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:27:28 PDT

Another round of good music from awesome musicians where else but on Youtube, in no specific order! They might make it to your hit-the-replay-button-over-and-over-again list. :) 1. Hoorahjencar (Joseph Vincent) 2. Ilajil (Aj Rafael) 3. Jsanchezfan (Jessica Sanchez) 4. Jessebarrera (Jesse Barrera) 5. Rojuanearagon (Maria Aragon) 6. Jasminevillegas (Jasmine Villegas) 7. GabiWilsonTV

The Funny Turkish Ice Cream Man at Clarke Quay, Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:24:29 PDT

Have These People Ever Read John Maxwell's?

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 09:21:50 PDT

When you expect too much from people whom you thought were to show good leadership, of course, you get disappointed, you carry yourself a heavy burden, you don’t miss to be a mess yourself, you find yourself getting mad unwittingly, you curse. Need I say more? These are the marks of how unhappy you could be in an environment that capitalizes on delivering results while forgetting the right way

Glimpses of Old Cebu: Images of the Colonial Era

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:45:48 PST

old Cebu railway The title is borrowed and so with this post’s images of bygone Cebu, decades of years past. I was at SM City Cebu, May 1st last year, for a photo exhibit and book launching of Lucy Urgello Miller's book, as titled. Pictures showcase a peek into her book, a vast collection of photos and postcards of old Cebu. According to the Philippine Star article, these “photos were taken

Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:22:15 PDT

The Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, one of the oldest and notable churches in the city, is the seat of the Archdiocese of Cebu. It is within close proximity to the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, an important place of worship for Roman Catholics. These pictures were taken in 2010 using a Sony Cyber-shot W310. newly renovated facade belfry lamp post trees draped with lights (

San Fernando Church (Cebu)

noreply@blogger.com (Joemill) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:22:33 PDT

San Fernando's San Isidro Labrador Parish Church (1870) is an example of Gothic architecture the town in festive mood (town fiesta, May 14-15), that's why the church is decorated with banderitas (fiesta banners/flags)

Where Does Pacquiao Go After Mosley? [Digg]

Digg — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 20:11:23 PDT

A few years ago, when Manny Pacquiao joined the welterweight division, the options seemed endless. Welterweight was boxing’s glamor division with a bevy of marketable opponents vying for the top spot.