Elephant Ride | Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Ever since I was a kid, I've always wanted to ride an elephant. I think it all stems back to the first time I saw Aladdin. Seeing Abu turn into an elephant and storm into the palace is a scene I always remember. I never thought I would have the opportunity to be honest, but I put it on the wishlist in the hopes that I would one day. Most of the time, I put things on the wishlist because I want to do them, but never think that I would ever do them. I never would have thought that I would ever travel to Cambodia and ride an elephant in Angkor Wat. Seriously, I can't believe that this is my life. I get to do such awesome things with my best friend, what more could I ask for?

We were lucky enough to be able to ride the elephants through Angkor Wat. I know lots of people that have ridden elephants at Busch Gardens, but nothing can compare to this experience. It was quite surreal seeing ancient temples and being on top of a massive creature. It was pretty cool being able to see everything. Usually, when you're in a car or tuk-tuk, the view is limited, but on top of an elephant. You can see it all and it was absolutely beautiful.

Afterward, we had a chance to get a closer look at the elephants and I was a bit freaked out. One of my old students was attacked by an elephant in Thailand. After I remembered that story, I was too scared to get too close to the elephant. As you can see in my picture, I'm not really touching it, I sort of put my hand out in the hopes that it would be close enough. For some reason, he was really keen on Markus and they became best friends. Although, that's usually what happens with Markus, everyone becomes his best friend. Overall, riding an elephant was an amazing experience and one that I will never forget!

Ten Years

As of today, Markus and I have been together for ten years. I'll never forget the first time I saw him. I was 17 years old and I was at PhilFest, an annual festival that celebrates Filipino culture. I was sitting in a friends booth and spent my time people watching. I was looking around and all of a sudden this boy came into view. I don't know if it's my memory or if this really happened, but I swear time slowed. He didn't look like anyone else. All the other Filipino boys tended to look the same and this one, he was special. I could just tell. I remember thinking, "Dang, he's one handsome boy."  Little did I know that moment would change the rest of my life. That moment was only the beginning and the rest of the journey has been the greatest adventure of my life.

So, here's to ten more years of adventure and love. I can't imagine my life without this boy. He's truly the greatest thing that has ever happened to me and I'm so thankful for him!

*Photos taken on our Fifth Wedding Anniversary by my extremely talented best friend, Ashley Sellers. 

Mommyo's Grand Tour of Busan | South Korea

Last week, I posted about mommyo's visit to Korea. She came to visit us in November of 2011 and Markus and I had been in Korea for only three months. Basically, my mother and I toured Busan with the same new eyes. I didn't know where to go or what to do. It was basically an adventure. Now that I look back on the photos, it seems more like Mommyo's Grand Tour Of Busan. I just happened to be along for the ride, which isn't a bad thing. Most of the photos look like snapshots from some movie montage. It was pretty awesome and I had a great time. 

I like to call this portion of photos, "Lady About Town". I love my mom, she's such a ham. The moment the camera is on her, she can turn on the charm. It totally makes sense that she's my mom. We have the same crazy personality.

One of the places I took her was Busan Tower. I went a few weeks earlier with my friends, but I wanted her to see the view. I don't think she was that impressed and we probably spent a total of 20 minutes there.

Fitting in with the locals

After Busan Tower, we headed over to BIFF Square and she tasted some of the treats offered at the different food stalls. I think she liked the chestnuts the best, which I also love. While we were walking around, we saw a random group of people jogging with light torches. My mom asked me what they were doing and I had no idea. Actually, I still have no idea. Maybe it's some kind of team building exercise or maybe they were preparing for the Olympics?

Tea Kettle Island

Lighthouse at Taejongdae

Mommyo and Me

One of the places that we had to go was Taejongdae. I love that place. I think it's my favorite place in Busan. It's a beautiful oasis of nature near the city. Every time I go I always see something new or experience something different.

Fresh to Death

I'm so glad that mommyo was able to come to Korea. Even though we didn't know where or what to do, it was still a lot of fun. It reminded me of the times we were inseparable. When I was a kid, we did everything together and I really miss those times. It makes me a bit sad to know that she lives so far away, but they times that we had together mean the world to me. They only prove to me that my mom is special and there is no one like her. Now that I'm older, I see so much of her in myself. It's crazy that even though we think we're different people, we end up more like each other than we think. I truly am my mother's daughter.

Long Lost Lomo | 2008

Last week, I was going through my computer deleting photos and I came across a random folder from 2008 titled "Lomo". I looked in the folder and was shocked but happy at what I saw. For a random person, these photos don't seem like much but for me, they are really special. In most of the photos, you'll see our dearest friend, Ryan. We've known him since he was 16 and our friendship has continued til this day. Ryan is definitely one of my favorite people and someone that I can always count on. He's always there when you need him and he never fails to show up.

When Ryan was still living in SoFlo he came over to our house every Wednesday night and Saturday afternoon. It was a tradition and he never missed a day. On Wednesday nights, we would grab dinner and watch Lost and Project Runway. On Saturdays, we would always get boba and just hang out. Markus would be working on whatever creative project he had. I would watch TV or cook and Ryan would end up falling asleep on the couch. We even spent some holidays together. We were as thick as thieves.

Even though, we didn't do anything special or outrageous, it was our thing. We always had fun and we formed friendships that would last a lifetime. Now that he's married and much older, I look on those Wednesday nights and Saturday afternoons fondly. Despite being far away from each other, we've still kept a few traditions. Ryan and his wife, Lauren, always call us on Christmas and New Years. It never fails and I'm thankful that Markus and I can call them our friends.

Jagalchi Market | Busan, South Korea

The creepiest bits of the ocean.

In November of 2011, my mom came to visit us in Busan. For the two years that Markus and I have been in Korea, she is the only person that came to visit us. I'm sad that no one else was able to make it out here, but I'm really happy that she still came! I don't know why I've never posted the photos but it's better late than never! In the short five days that she was here, we tried to fit in as much of Busan as possible. It was very important that we showed her the best places! 

The first place that I took her was Jagalchi Market. It's one of the most popular spots in Busan. If you visit, you must go to Jagalchi. It's a huge seafood market that is both indoors and outdoors. There are heaps of booths and stations full of live seafood. Every time I've gone, it's been overflowing with people and it's really busy. It's amazing seeing some of the things that are popular in Korea. There were so many different things that I never saw before.

산낙지 Sannakji or Squirming Octopus

While we walked around Jagalchi, it's very easy to get a craving for seafood. My mom wasn't any different and she insisted on going to the 2nd floor to eat. At this time, my Korean wasn't that good, so I ended up using a lot of hand gestures. It was a bit confusing and when we finally got our food, it ended up being all the scary bits of the ocean. Somehow, we ordered sea squirt, sea cucumber and Sannakji. Sannakji is known as the octopus that moves while you eat it. I have to admit it was a bit strange at first, but after a while it tasted really good. They mix it with sesame oil and it's really delicious. The only difference from other octopus is that it was moving. Personally, all the other seafood wasn't to my liking. It was either really fishy or the texture was strange.
 

I'm really glad that I was able to share this experience with my mom. I don't know how we ended up ordering the strange foods we did, but it was great being able to go on that sort of adventure with her! I love that she's like me and is really up for anything. Now I know where I get my adventurous spirit!