Queen of Pearls

Margherita of Savoy, Queen of Italy

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Gilded Cupolas

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They are the most striking architectural features I have ever seen. Their ethereal beauty is enough to steal one’s weary soul away. Their towering magnificence in the backdrop of a cloudless blue sky is treasure in one’s eyes. They look even more enchanting in the first crack of dawn – when the first rays of the sun cast on the golden domes. Or during wintertime, when they are snow-covered - it creates a wonderful contrast of gold and silver. They evoke a feeling of strange calmness and otherworldliness that seems to lighten one’s senses. Perhaps it is because of their colouring or the way they were exceptionally designed or maybe because they are associated with the divine. But there is more. They are monuments - reminders of a bygone age that the people nowadays feel very nostalgic about. They are also the symbol of their faith and that of their forebearers. Their religion suffered so much throughout the ages, but it still remains true, unchanged and forever mystical. Through these ...
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Chinese New Year 2012

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January 23, 2012: This is my first time to spend Chinese New Year in Chinatown. This is actually my bf's idea. Since the 27th (today) is his birthday, we decided to have an advance celebration. Good thing the 23rd is also our monthsary, so it's a pretty good timing to celebrate two events in one day. I can say that the weather was on our side that day. Yes, it was sunny, but not humid, so I was quite surprised. In this tropical country, weather is changeable, so it is a good thing that this January is a pretty good-weathered month. Anyway, my bf and I met at the bus station at around 9:30am. Took the jeepney for a 5-minute ride going to Binondo. As expected, I can already see throng of people, many of them wearing red shirts as a sign of good fortune, going through the arch which serves as the 'gate' to Chinatown. There were so many vendors, selling different kinds of lucky charms (bracelets, dragon statues, fortune plants, etc.) Amateur and professional photog...
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Winter in Moskva

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This poem is originally posted to my defunct Friendster blog last December 4, 2006. I'm reposting it now here, perfect for the winter season. Now the River Moskva is frozen, It mirrors the faint light of the sun Such beauty I have never seen in a long time. The Kremlin stood eloquently at the other side Within its red walls soldiers are passing by While peasants sing with their balalaikas. I feel the cold wind gushing against me And when I look again at the other side of the river A narrow street opens before me. So when I walk between the avenue of leafless trees A sense of nostalgia engulfs me I want to see the remnants of a heaven in earth. Now the onion-shaped domes are visible from here The faint chanting resounded from that one place That I have been longing to see. Before her divine likeness I fell on my knees Kissed the snow-white ground and whispered a prayer That I hope to reach the heavens. Lovely Moskva, a beauty that never fades ‘Til the end of life I shall never ...
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