tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290Thu, 07 Aug 2025 14:16:18 +0000new zealandaustralianom nom nomDomesticity momentsclevelandannouncementsantiquesmanilaoutdoor artsnarkticityteahistoryhonoluluawesome signsgardenslandscapesnostalgiaold churchespampangaresortsBourdainicitycebucelebritiesshoppingthe beachSmug Canadian Bastardicityairportsanimalsduty freegentrificationit's more fun in the Philippinesmoviessunsetsthat's just wrongtransportationtravel advisorieszooCovering the world at large, one picture at a time.http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)Blogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-2948227965936164360Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +00002012-01-18T01:00:06.788+08:00announcementsaustraliahistorymanilatea I've run out of pictures from the Manila Pen, so here are some teacups from Bygone Beautys. So: How did that one cup of chamomile tea at the Manila Peninsula change my life? The answer to this question - and more - can be found in my new blog, The Great Big Jump. More to come in the following days.http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2012/01/heads-up-again.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-8958928172450374894Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +00002012-01-17T12:12:36.276+08:00celebritiesmanilanostalgiatea Here it is: Blog Entry #50 for Domestic Travel, according to the official counters on my Blogger dashboard. Enjoy!  ***** This is the lobby of The Manila Peninsula Hotel.  Photo credit: wendyspearson.com 18 years ago, I made the mistake of going stag to my high school homecoming dance at The Peninsula. To ease the humiliation, I sat down at the Lobby Bar and ordered a http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2012/01/manila-peninsula-love-story.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-2801420152599796572Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +00002012-01-16T20:38:06.433+08:00announcementshonolulusunsetsthe beach The fact that I'm posting this picture of a sunset at Waikiki Beach - which I took with my own camera, by the way - means that we've got something special planned for this blog. That's right: Tomorrow's post is Blog Entry #50 for Domestic Travel! (50... 50th state.. geddit? Geddit?) See you tomorrow!http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2012/01/looking-out-for-number-50.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-4920066336640429766Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:20:00 +00002012-01-12T16:20:01.595+08:00clevelandmoviesnew zealand WETA Cave, Wellington, NZ. (At the time this picture was taken, WETA was still working on Tintin, along with The Hobbit and - surprise! - Avatar 2.) The house from A Christmas Story, in the West side of Cleveland. Squint hard enough and you'll see the "fra-gee-lay" leg lamp in the window.  (No embedded video for this one, but check out this link instead.) http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2012/01/lets-go-to-movies.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-6090998228835599541Wed, 11 Jan 2012 07:59:00 +00002012-01-11T15:59:00.107+08:00honolulunostalgia There was no way I was going to take this picture without the sun fading out into the night.  Punahou Carnival, Honolulu, HI. Rides courtesy of EK Fernandez.   (To be honest, I don't know if this song is about a real carnival, but it did help me get out of that dark place I was in when I was a freshman in high school.)http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2012/01/give-it-whirl.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-2677286755267726026Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +00002012-01-10T01:00:03.349+08:00new zealandthe beachAnd a cold, windy day, at that.  But still, undeniably lovely.  Tauranga and Mount Manganui Beach Park, North Island, NZ. http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2012/01/just-another-day-at-beach.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-6259268171029619555Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:00:00 +00002012-01-09T01:00:06.808+08:00announcementsawesome signsit's more fun in the PhilippinessnarkticityBecause we can't flog our new tourism slogan enough. (Photos from the official It's More Fun in the Philippines website.) Then there's this:  Source: Christian Iglesias on Facebook. Source: TheFrank Aldana on Facebook. He sourced the original photo from Google Images, but is unsure if Sophia Loren has visited our country.  And since it just goes without http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2012/01/its-more-fun-in-philippines.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-5660367136918843797Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:30:00 +00002012-01-07T01:30:04.388+08:00australianom nom nomtea All I wanted to do, on the single non-chaotic day I had in Sydney, was to have tea in the Queen Victoria Building.   Forgot what the cookies were behind the counter, but this picture has peppermint tea and two scones with jam and cream. Perfect.http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2012/01/tea-in-sydney.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-6548937842034939420Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:30:00 +00002012-01-08T16:31:30.384+08:00antiquesnew zealandnostalgiasnarkticity Photograph taken at the Museum of Technology and Transport, Auckland, NZ.  You see, kids, when we were your age, our video game consoles were heavy and big, and all of the games came in  these hard plastic containers and we have to plug them in if we want to play. None of those things were connected to the Internet, and all the controllers were connected to the unit, so we didn't http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2012/01/go-play-your-video-games.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-8377150372694393403Thu, 05 Jan 2012 02:14:00 +00002012-01-05T10:14:01.976+08:00honolulunom nom nomPlease pardon the lag in posting; we're currently fixing our photo-album situation and lining up fresh new posts for your enjoyment. In the meantime... how about some ice cream? Magnolia Ube Ice Cream, from Star Market (now Times) at Kamehameha Shopping Center in Honolulu.  http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2012/01/housekeeping.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-11539459834890705Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:54:00 +00002012-01-04T11:31:43.829+08:00australiaDomesticity momentsmanilanew zealand Picture taken at the Museum of Transport and Technology, Auckland, NZ.  When I started this blog back in May, I had a stack full of JPEGs from Australia and New Zealand that I sincerely promised to post on a near-daily basis. As good as my intentions were, however, most of those plans came to nought when I got swamped with other things - in particular, work, fiction-writing, and http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-reflection.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-5656704474278120041Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:08:00 +00002012-01-04T10:59:48.694+08:00australianom nom nomWhile we're mourning the demise of Domesticity - and, um, investigating questionable sightings of Meimei enjoying cocktails in Puerto Galera with a certain Hollywood actor scheduled to shoot a movie in Manila this month - we bring you this long-unpublished entry from the Domestic Travel archives.  Special thanks to Picasa Web Albums for helping to bring this blog back to life.  My http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2011/06/we-have-pie.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-4455756160322599695Tue, 28 Jun 2011 08:26:00 +00002011-06-28T18:20:37.380+08:00landscapesnew zealandThis is an example of what I would call an existentialist approach to nature.  It's not just the environment itself, but the ponderance of the self in relation to nature and vice versa. Here you are, in the middle of a vast ocean, surrounded by mountains that are half-glacier and half-rainforest... and even though you are not exactly a child anymore, you are still looking at something http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2011/06/once-again-milford-sound.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-7065754765331557592Mon, 27 Jun 2011 14:40:00 +00002011-06-27T22:40:03.019+08:00new zealandFrom Wikipedia: Milford Sound runs 15 kilometres inland from the Tasman Sea at Dale Point - the mouth of the fiord - and is surrounded by sheer rock faces that rise 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) or more on either side. Lush rain forests cling precariously to these cliffs, while seals, penguins, and dolphins frequent the waters and whales can be seen sometimes. The rainfall creates dozens of http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2011/06/milford-sound-facts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-8070743831117989078Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:02:00 +00002011-06-24T02:02:00.050+08:00landscapesnew zealand Fiordland National Park, en route to Milford Sound.http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2011/06/also-not-postcard.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-1657003985426922421Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:26:00 +00002012-01-16T20:38:50.268+08:00antiquesnew zealandteaQueenstown looks at Leura and says, "So you think you have a monopoly on cute tea rooms with antiques and awesome snacky things? Well, well... look at what we've got here." "Yeah, we don't have a teapot collection to show off here in Walnut Cottage... but we have PIE! And SLEEPING AREAS! And an HERB GARDEN!" So we have one question for you..."  "...Well, not really, but... you know."http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2011/06/and-not-to-be-outdone.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-5369460972656028074Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:18:00 +00002011-06-22T01:18:00.884+08:00landscapesnew zealandAnd yet, it totally looks like one. A view of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, South Island, NZ. Taken with my usual Sony Cybershot camera from the common-area lanai of our hotel.http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2011/06/this-is-not-postcard.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-7896021631456937904Mon, 20 Jun 2011 17:37:00 +00002012-01-16T20:38:50.275+08:00antiquesaustraliateaA few priceless moments from Bygone Beautys in Leura... and by "priceless moments" I actually mean "a total freaky-deaky experience for those of you who have a phobia against dolls, because: seriously." We r in ur tea party Laffin at ur guests HA HA HA By the by, Maurice Cooper of Bygone Beautys does have quite an impressive collection of tea pots, which you can see in person when you stop by http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2011/06/tea-party-crashers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-8450155196584706720Sun, 19 Jun 2011 17:39:00 +00002011-06-20T01:39:00.159+08:00Domesticity momentsnew zealandtransportationFor the young ladies in the Victorian era: Don't ride without gloves. Don't wear a skirt that's more than eight inches shorter than your boot. Don't walk your bicycle more than absolutely necessary. It attracts unwanted attention.Don't start till you are certain that not only your wheel but your costume is in perfect condition.  For everyone else:  Yep, we've come a long http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2011/06/proper-way-to-ride-bicycle-through.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-3132427084534462719Fri, 17 Jun 2011 17:31:00 +00002011-06-18T01:31:00.404+08:00antiquesDomesticity momentsnew zealandAnother collection of fine vintage clothes, this time at the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) in Auckland. Spotted this at an exhibit on Victorian-era Auckland. I love the embroidered details in the back. Another exhibit from vintage Auckland, this time at a dress store. Note the tailoring details, and the vintage sewing machine in the back. A dress from the 1950s, marking the http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2011/06/prim-and-proper-fashion.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-7747002279663728265Fri, 17 Jun 2011 06:31:00 +00002011-06-17T14:31:00.484+08:00antiquesaustraliaDomesticity momentsI saw this at a really sweet little antique shop in Leura called Bygone Beautys.  Should I take this as a sign?  Just curious, Meimeihttp://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2011/06/dear-universe.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-8642958635390576848Sun, 12 Jun 2011 17:47:00 +00002011-06-13T01:47:00.926+08:00australiagardens A sequel to our  previous rose post.http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2011/06/more-unconventional-roses.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-6222285667122353148Sun, 12 Jun 2011 05:38:00 +00002011-06-12T13:50:15.761+08:00animalsaustraliaPhotos taken at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney. Im on ur dining tabl Nomming on ur leftovershttp://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2011/06/not-angry-bird-we-swear.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-7417028698406111339Sun, 05 Jun 2011 14:28:00 +00002011-06-05T22:31:44.489+08:00australiagentrificationhistoryWhen my parents found out that my hotel was located in the notorious Sydney neighborhood of Kings Cross, they were practically horrified. They've heard all of the stories before about Kings Cross being the red-light district of Sydney. The last thing they wanted was to see their daughter wandering alone in a neighborhood notorious for drugs, drunkenness, and all sorts of indecent behavior. They http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2011/06/view-from-kings-cross.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3271725416607971290.post-435965201658405851Tue, 31 May 2011 09:22:00 +00002011-05-31T17:25:41.355+08:00australiagardensoutdoor artWinter may have been inching closely towards the Southern Hemisphere during my visit, but that did not stop these roses from remaining in full bloom. These are but four of them. Photos taken at The Rose Garden at the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney. Not shown: the scads of office workers crashing at the Rose Garden (and the rest of the place, actually) for lunch and a little lie-down under http://thejourneyofmei.blogspot.com/2011/05/roses-arent-just-red.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0