About aspasia

Status:

Expatriate  

Gender:

Female

Currently Lives:

California, United States

Citizen Of:

Italy

Dual Citizen Of:

United States

Past Expat Posts:

United Kingdom

Italy

About aspasia

just.a.thinker

My Website:

http://http://sofiaisonline.blogspot.com

I would love to live in...

in existence

Favorite Websites:

http://http://sfboxing.com

Favorite Assignment:

venezuela

Favorite Cuisine:

all

Favorite Museum:

ahhhh... all

Favorite Movie:

indies, documentaries

Favorite Book:

too many ... rennaissance books

Favorite Sports Team:

myself, pacman, espinosa, boxers

Some Forum Posts:

Philippines: Blackberry Pearl 8130 compatibility:

Hello all, I will be visiting the Philippines next week from the US; I have a Blackberry 8130 pearl; is this a compatible phone to the wireless networks supported in the Philippines? it's specs mention that it works in US and Asiapac: http://www.blackberry.com/ap/products/handhelds/blackberry8100/blackberry8100.shtml# Will I be able to purchase a pre-paid card in the airport and simply slide in and it will work? Please advise, I have not travelled much on biz to Asiapac (mostly Europe) .. I will need my phone ... thanks in advance, - aspasia

Philippines: Suggestions on hip bars in Manila where expats hangout:

Hello all, Would like to get suggestions on hip bars where expats, diplomats and foreigners hangout in Manila... My girlfriend and I will be in Manila to attend a family reunion ... a couple of evenings we will be exploring the night life along with my sister and her husband ... My girlfriend is white (American) and my sister's husband is German ... though my sis and I are Filipinas we are expats living in US and EU respectively ... We'd like to hangout and party where the expats party ... any advise? thanks! - a.

Philippines: Best site for interisland flights?:

Hello, My girls and I will be visiting Boracay and Tacloban when we are in the PI on November. We already have our US-PI flights, I am looking to book our interisland flights .... the PAL website seems to have issues accepting our bookings ... what is the best way to get PAL bookings - online? .... If we book here in the STates, the prices TRIPLE!!!!! Please advise, Aspasia.

Philippines: Inter-island Flight/Travel Agent Recommendation?:

Hello all, My friend and I are going to the Philippines in November; I am of Filipino origin but an expat living in SFO.... I am looking for a competent Travel Agent (preferrably SF based) or a reliable website who can efficiently provide me with the ability to book flights for the following: Manila - Caticlan - Cebu - Tacloban - Manila It's basically a rountrip to Manila with 2 additional hops. I have been pulling teeth with a recommended local travel agent here ... and I am getting nowhere ..... I am sure this is not rocket science, if someone can recommend a travel agent or a website, or provide insight on the do-ability of the above, would be greatly appreciated! Best regards, Aspasia. _

Philippines: Why Filipinos are happy:

Interesting points, but not necessarily; like anything and most everything there are rules of thumbs and generalizations that can be drawn; yet exceptions and standard errors exists. - a strong cohesive society can also have its draw-back - the so-in-your-face-imposing type of culture as well as peer pressure; though it can be a comfort and joy, it can also be a hindrance in creative expression that seem to be fostered in individualistic form of environments... - extreme peer pressure can lead to hypocrisy, where individuals will tend to mask certain predispositions for the sake of conformity. though filipina by origin, and I grew up in Manila in the early formative years, my father was a foreign diplomat for a European country, hence I grew up in an ex-pat Manila setting; My adult career in the US while often in Europe (Italy) - I see the pros and cons of both invidualized and cohesive family-style types of societies (which seems to me like an extended tribal form of grouping) .... individualized societies can be annoying too ... don't get me wrong ... but just wanted to comment, that .. sense experience needs to be taken with a grain of salt ... there are pros and cons .. there's not one best way or mode ... (well I guess it's not best if it's fascist, totalitarian or any form of extremism) .... i see life as a dialectic ... i simply flow.

Philippines: Not under this rock, not under that one...:

i highly recommend this book to keep you busy ... http://www.shantaram.com ... it's a wonderful epic .. hehe ! seriously .. i grew up in manila, but now live in san francisco as an expat ... i visited manila last oct for a day or so then off i went to boracay and then cebu ... i am a free-spirit, very filipino at heart, however, with cosmopolitan outlook ... as i have worked for various multinational in SValley (hi-tech) and travelled the world .. i was TRULY disappointed with manila, still heterogeneous, and ppl stick to themselves - clanish, groupish and very into their socio-economic circles ... when i grew up in manila my father worked for the italian embassy and seems the diplomats and multinational expat had a social group - but usually they host house parties ... I was AMAZED however on how ECLECTIC BORACAY was ... the people both the local masses and the business owners/political folks ... were very cool ... there was no pretentiousness in the air ... i had fun in Cebu too ... my feedback and take ... seems like the country-side and provinces or island areas have a more eclectic population ... the urban city such as Manila ... has stagnated with the same mentality of over the last 50 or more years ... the islands are thriving though ... and i felt vibrant energy ... checkout boracay ...!

Philippines: expat nitelife in Manila:

Hello all, I am filipina, grew up in Manila, however, went to grad and undergrad in the United States; will be going back to the Philippines; and will pass by manila for a couple of days .. I want to explore the fun hip bars or dive bars where expat foreigners hang-out? ... is it Adriatico? are there any suggestions anyone can share? I will be around on a Sunday night ... where is it happening? Also would like to go to where the older mid30s and up crowd hangout .. and not the teeny-bopper areas like Rockwell, or Greenbelt. Any help will be greatly appreciated! thanks, - a.

Bermuda: Message for: UK expat in Bermuda (Mark):

This is a long-shot note; however, in case any expat from Bermuda who knows Mark (works for an insurance company and recently traveled to the States - week of 11.05.2004 - pls pass on the note? ... I don't think you would even get to read this; but just in case, thought I'd try to post. Your name is Mark; you are from somewhere near Cambridge but moved to Bermuda bec of work ... last Thursday evening - May 13 - we talked and met at the Redwood Room amazed at the Digital portraits and the bar itself ... I was the "geek" working in Silicon Valley and you work for an insurance company in Bermuda ... and after closing hours we joined my sister and cousin in North Beach for an espresso (as we pestered the owners into re-opening their coffee spot..) i don't know if you wanted to keep in touch, but i just realized i never asked for your email... when I dropped you in your hotel. I felt awkward, and was cognizant of the fact that it was very late and you had a flight to catch back to bermuda the next day. My sister tried to look for you (you both had a 12 noon NYC flight) - but she did not see you; I asked her to look for you and give you my email. I am not sure but i think you are shy, and in some ways, i am too (though, it does not seem so); wish i got your email ... just in case, we could get together for coffee again if you are around San Francisco again for business meetings; If you (or anyone who knows Mark) read this - can you pls pass on the message from me: want to exchange emails and keep in touch? thanks in advance. _________________ aspasia

Date Joined:

5/18/2004

Total Posts:

11

Posts/Day:

0.00