Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Who said Oracle Lost?

Down initially 3-1, USA's ORACLE needed 10 games to win the 34th AMERICA's CUP
America's Cup while the New Zealand EMIRATES, only 6 to win the title. Then it was 8-1. Just one more victory and New Zealand wins! It got to 8-2 but who cares! One more win for NZ and the race is over.

It was impossible, improbable, unthinkable, unimaginable, unfathomable for USA Oracle to catch up with the NZ Emirates. Period.

BUT...

ORACLE WINS THE 34TH AMERICA'S CUP!!!

Unbelievable!!

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Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Cap-Off After Cap-Off!

Just can't seem to get over our cruise yet. Yesterday, Norman told me he was going to jog to the Presidio and asked me to meet him at Crissy Fields. I didn't want to as I wanted to go the gym instead. After doing workouts in the gym on cruise, I was motivated to go back to the gym after my trip. However, I found myself walking to Crissy Fields instead, and as I was brisk-walking down the hill, I saw the Marina Green by the horizon, the bay, then the America's Cup about to begin. Aaah, the waters, again! Thought I forgot about the seas already. But there I was going towards that direction again. 

And, of course, Norman and I had a great time together. We saw the new Crissy Fields Center and the Beach Hut Cafe which actually had been there for three years now? Has it been that long since we last visited the place?! We got a good view of the day's race. Unfortunately, ORACLE made a costly mistake and lost.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Capping It Off Some More!

SF 49ers, SF Giants, and USA Oracle won their games today! How 'bout that!

Splendid Cap-Off!

In one word - Serendipity! Everything seems to be in sync with Nature today, a day after our return from our cruise. We're having such a deep extended connection with the sea. Norman and I and Joel and Sarah found ourselves by the waters again, passing by Pier 35 where we boarded on our Princess Cruise 11 days ago. Our plans were simply a dimsum lunch at Yank Sing downtown, then dinner at Tenichi before they leave back for home tomorrow. Just taking it easy. In fact, I thought that after lunch, I'd proceed to Nordstrom. They had no specific plans after, either. But where we had lunch at the Rincon Center was at the Atrium, which kinda reminded us of the ship's atrium, so somehow we had that subtle feeling of being on the ship again, or should I say, still. Such a beautiful feeling!


After lunch, we decided to have an easy walk to the Ferry Building. On the way, we saw by chance, the San Francisco Railway Museum. Norman loves trains, and, of course, nothing happens by accident. Simply, things seem to fall in place. And there we were enjoying inside.

We continued on towards the Ferry Building to show them what had transformed inside the building from an old pier to a beautiful market place which has become a new tourist spot. Somehow, unconsciously, perhaps, subconsciously, we seemed to be drawn to the waters again, or more accurately, the waters calling us. What's more, today was the 2nd day of the 2013 America's Cup finals between USA Oracle and New Zealand Emirates and more so, we kept finding ourselves closer and closer to the seas naturally, just effortlessly. And without even trying, we witnessed the yacht race, not once but twice, first at the finish line where we just happened to be when the Emirates won the 3rd race, then later at the beginning of the 4th race after walking further down the pier and we had a closer view of them. Breathtaking! Who would even think that we'd catch them! If we had previously planned to watch the race by going down the Marina, we probably would have missed it. But we just happened to be at the right place at the right time each step of the way. Oracle won the 4th, by the way, a much needed victory!

On our way back home, we took the cable car as Joel wanted so much to have this ride as he hasn't done this for so long. And last night, too, Norman and Joel had a gig together! They always want to do this but distance apart, it doesn't always happen. But the bass player couldn't do the gig last night so Joel took over, just like that! Talk of Nature's support! With no attachment whatsoever, our desires just seem to fulfill themselves so easily, simply, naturally. We bought lotto tickets today. And with the Powers that be, our luck might just extend and expand, who knows. And we'll be cruising again...

It has been a most wonderful experience - Serendipitous, indeed! And as if it were not enough, today Norman finally put up the "mezuzah" at our doorpost. It's a Jewish piece of parchment as a home blessing. And with the presence of his brother and wife, they're all Jewish, it's so very special.

I continue to be relaxed and rejuvenated, unbelievably extending long and beyond, expanding far and wide, high and deep and beyond. It's been a total experience of transcendence for me... in mind, body, heart and soul, flesh and spirit and beyond - Cruising and beyond cruising... beyond beyond!! It is TRANSCENDENCE. So so Soooooo marvelous, it's miraculous!

God Almighty!

Saturday, September 7, 2013

A Complete Escapade!

"ALL ASHORE THAT'S GOING ASHORE!"

Just got back from a 10-day Princess Cruise to Alaska aboard the Grand Princess. What a trip!

What an experience of a lifetime, a most memorable maritime adventure of a lifetime! Utterly beyond my expectations! This has been the most exciting, at the same time, most relaxing and rejuvenating vacation, I've ever had in my life. So far, I'd like to say, and I hope to have this same kind of experience for the rest of my life. If this can happen all the time, what a life that would be!

I didn't know what to expect from a cruise, although I've had sailed when I was a teenager as part of the crew, part of the entertainment program, that sailed twice around Asia, gosh, many years ago...


Forward to this trip, as an adult and passenger this time, I had no expectations at all. Norman and I had been wanting to do an Alaska cruise for many years. But it really was just a wish as our schedules did not always coincide to be able to get away together for a long time. But as Nature is the best organizer, his brother, Joel, and wife, Sarah, saw an ad about April on an AK cruise starting off at San Francisco in August, we had to do it, we just had to do it. I didn't know how I could make this happen as I had just come back from a 2-month vacation from MNL and the Holy Land last February to April, yes, 2 months!, so who knows when I could take another vacation from work! But Norman wanted this trip so badly, and we had to make reservations asap to be able to join his brother. I just had to desire it intently, yet innocently. I timed it in June to talk to my boss about the trip, and as Nature would plan it, I got another time off!

With my busy work schedule, however, the trip was the last thing in my mind even as I was packing the night before. I didn't even know where to put my cosmetics as I was concerned about luggage overweight and liquid limitations, until it hit me that I was taking a cruise and there were no limits to baggage, etc.




And the Grand Princess begins its cruise! From Pier 35 at the Port of San Francisco, it was exciting approaching the Golden Gate Bridge as we were leaving! OMG, we were really at sea, on a cruise! Suddenly, I realized that this wasn't just a floating tour. The cruise liner was actually going to stop at piers in some of Alaska's port cities, and passengers disembark for tours and excursions, experience its history and culture, as well as recreation and relaxation. I knew that, but it didn't hit me till we were actually asea. Not just a cruise but also land tours - a double treat!

And there were the majestic glaciers, waterfalls in Juneau, salmons on creek, (that's another story!), an eagle actually devouring a salmon... train ride in Skagway... shopping at the port of Kechican... a drizzling early morning walk on the boardwalk of Victoria, Canada, (yes, we went to Canada, too!) morning tea at the majestic Empress Hotel, (Norman has been wanting to go to the world-famous Empress in Victoria!), plus a tour of British Columbua's Historic Museum - a triple treat!


And yes, we saw whales and dolphins. Dolphins seem to just come towards the ship, perhaps, drawn to it, I don't know, but, oh, what a sight! Both 
those mammals created excitement on the ship whenever the passengers saw them. You'd hear ooohs and aaaahs, cameras clicking everywhere, and people running towards the decks to get a view, the ship looked like it was going down on one side. Oh, but so magical!

There were lots of activities and entertainment on the ship, you just had to work out your schedule and, yes, never a shortage of food! Abundance or rather, over abundance, is the more appropriate word!

But the most most most unforgettable experience for me was the experience of deep deep rest throughout this entire cruiseIt was like my TM retreats. Usually, I try to do TM regularly and whenever I miss, I can get cranky, agitated, but with this cruising experience, it was deeper than sleep, it was relaxation and rejuvenation to its fullest, I didn't feel a need to pause from activity to meditate. In fact, this whole cruise, I hardly did TM. The whole experience was "meditation in motion". It was transcendence. Unbelievable!

People say,"You need a vacation from your vacation." Not cruising! I say cruising can be one of the most exhilarating ways to travel, if not the most. It is definitely for me.

PRINCESS CRUISE' slogan is "escape completely". It sure lived up to that, and so did I! This has been a totally  transcendental experience for me. I saw a picture frame on the ship that says,"Sleep, Eat, Cruise."

That's the way life should be. That's how I want my life to be. That's what I want to do.

ALL ABOARD!