when you believe

It was around June when my mother first had her chemotherapy session. Probably due to her scared mind and weak body, she suffered during that first one. We had to rush her to the hospital some days after that. She was so afraid then; so were we.

This week, my mother will have her 8th and last chemo. The chemos in between were also physically hard for her, the anxiety and fear never really left her, but she faced them with more resolve and courage.

My father was instrumental that she reached this point. He has always, always, been there for her. He would understand her tantrums and cries of desperation and paranoia when most of us would lose patience. He would memorize all her medicines and their dosages and administration. He seemed like an expert in cancer already. He is a natural in taking care of people and perfectly fit for those healthcare industry jobs, at least for my mom's needs. He disregarded, well, postponed, his own health concerns just to take care of her.

Now, my mother's a little more hopeful with her condition. I am very positive she'll live a long life after this ordeal. I guess things happen when you believe.

Up, Down, Twist, and Turn!

And just like that, I had the time of my life!

Seeing the theme park from the outside already sent my heart racing. There were just so many roller coasters, and big ones at that! For someone who dreams of flying, fast and huge roller coasters may be the second best! Nothing beats tempting gravity!

Some of the photos taken from the parking:

Cameras aren't allowed when you're riding because of the high probability that it might fall. So here are few of the pictures I took of the parts of the coasters. It's difficult to take a shot of the each whole ride because of its huge size. And now the twists and turn:

\

The wonderful thing is that every ride presents a different experience, sometimes with feet hanging, or a standing position, or a squat-like position, etc. There's just a wide grin on my face after every ride. Some people just scream from start to end, and you can fill they're thrill! At times though, even if I wanted to, I just couldn't scream. The rides took all the air from my lungs! :)

There are rides other than roller coasters, and they're equally entertaining. I exhausted all my energy and tirelessly went to all the max (they are categorized according to intensity) ride I could take. My feet were tired, the walking and running were natural fat burners, but my energy level and excitement maintained its peak throughout the day!

I tried moving my hands and feet while this was rotating, and I couldn't.
I was pinned to the ride. Nice!

My favorite rides were Tatsu:

3,602 feet of blazing track. 62 miles per hour. 263 feet in plunges. Ready to take on Tatsu? Aboard the wings of Tatsu, you'll fly at speeds in excess of 62 mph through deep plunges, huge spirals and sharp dives that send you flying through the Park's mountainous terrain. This gives you the sensation of flight.

and X2:

Unlike traditional coasters where trains only parallel the track, X2 sends riders screaming around its 3,600-foot maze of steel track aboard massive wing-shaped trains where the seats extend off of the track to the sides of the vehicle, allowing them to independently rotate you head over heels, forward and backward creating a one-of-a-kind "don't know what to expect next" sensation. X2 launches the extreme thrills of X into a new dimension with the addition of a light experience that changes with every ride.

Last two photos from the web

My Magic Mountain

Probably the best time I had in the States is at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. The park perfectly summarized the Six Flags experience in a few words: Massive monster coasters. Awesome adventure rides. Fun family attractions.

I have always loved the thrill of super fast roller coasters, I love it so much, it probably would have qualified as a death wish (kidding!). But this theme park is not just roller coasters (roller coasters on another post), but also a place for the kids and family. The place is huge, with 260 acres of world-class roller coasters and over 100 rides, games and attractions. If you're not the "riding" type, looking and walking around would entertain you, not to mention it being a weight loss formula. This is Warner's answer to Disneyland, and frankly, I love this place more.

Our new friends!



The price for every game is reasonable, though it's a bit addicting.
Note: It looks easy, but it's damn hard to win!



It's a carrot world out there.

Can't resist the kryptonite =)

Our day ended with this funnel cake, with strawberry toppings!

The Famous Stars I've Met

At least the shapes of their hands and feet.

After Beverly Hills, we proceeded to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They said it looks better at night. The street was full of lights, and there were many people. Some were tourists, some were locals, some were offering tours, and some were distributing pamphlets of body building supplement reviews or city tours.

I saw those family in Springfield that I love a lot and that duck friend of Mickey Mouse...

and some great actors...

and I was happy to see that this young actor was already in the same area among those big US stars... did he magically make his way there?

We missed the world premiere of Iron Man 2 earlier that evening (as if I can go!), but I felt somehow excited that Tony Sparks and Pepper Potts were just there, though I only got to see the crew packing up.

Anyway, as it was tiring day, we treated ourselves to a sumptuous Japanese dinner...

itadakimasu!

Strolling in Beverly Hills

Since I was in California, my friend said he'd take me to see Beverly Hills. He said, laughingly, that we'd go there to take pictures. Of course, we couldn't afford to buy things there, unless I want to buy a dress worth my month's salary. :)

There are gadgets stores that sell iPad (first time I saw it!) and tm-t88iv, sports outlet, fabulous bag stores, and expensive restos. And as expected, the high-class boutiques are there. Here are some of the pictures I took in Beverly Hills without me haha:

expensive shops are lined in this street



fancy restaurants along this lane



We entered the huge Nike store and a whole corner dedicated to Pacquiao's merchandise! Nice!





first time I saw brand-new Ferraris (other than my toys!)

And my friend said that this drive is the place for the rich and the famous:

Rodeo Drive

Strawberry Heaven, San Diego

This was exactly howI felt when my uncle took me and my sister-in-law took us to a strawberry farm. My heaven, of course, was full of big, red, sweet strawberries!

My uncle got me a big bucket to fill and a small one for my sister-in-law. He told me, magsawa ka na sa strawberries dito, bihira yan sa Pilipinas. I was so thankful to him. I could have hugged him if only he wasn't the typical strict elder type. haha. I love strawberries. I always get the strawberry flavor in Big Chill, or in anything which has a strawberry flavor! The sourness and sweetness of this red delight is just perfect!

Before I came to this farm, I had no idea how strawberries grow. I thought they grew like grape vines, but they don't. In fact, a strawberry farm looks just like this:

my cousin-in-law geng

I went to the farthest rows so I could get the biggest strawberries (so my uncle could not see me haha). And it took me about 3 hours to fill my buck, which is just about twice as big as my cousin-in-law was holding above. I wanted to make sure I get the biggest, reddest that I could get. Besides, I was eating while strawberry picking. They are just delicious, and, as far as my tongue says, they taste better (and more fresh) than the ones here in our country. Maybe it's because of the weather.

So when picking a strawberry, you really have to bend down. I, on the other hand, was squatting on the soil. I was meticulous in my picks. :) I thought strawberries only grew up as red; I didn't know they start as whitish. And they also have different shapes!

these are small ones; the big ones were already eaten---by me!

While we were there, there were also grade schoolers on a field trip. They were all running around the strawberry field, and it was fun to watch them. They often shout, "Hey, look what I got!" "Boy, that's big!" And when a little boy passed by my row and saw my bucket, he said. "Whoaaah! That's many!" haha. I couldn't help but laugh. He was right, actually. My bucket was overflowing with strawberries! Those were the rare times I could arrange things properly. haha.

But the sight of a baby undisturbed and fascinated about the these red fruits was worthy of postcard printing!

And this little blond girl with rosy red cheeks was the cutest strawberry of 'em all!

SeaWorld, San Diego

Where can you look a shark in the eye and live to tell the tale?

My first stop (except for window shopping in outlet stores) in the US is in SeaWorld, San Diego. The place showcases aquatic shows and park rides, and you get to see our under-the-sea friends up close. Of course, I enjoy this kind of place, especially that I adore the water.

The park is famous for Shamu, the performing killer whale. Well, the original Shamu died in 1971, but the name has been continuously used for the killer whales performing in SeaWorld. My thoughts are, how do you train a killer whale? I thought only dolphins can be trained. Obviously, I was wrong. Shamu is known for "splashing" water to the audience. In fact, the audience is always asking for it. :)

The following are some of Shamu's pictures amazing the audience of his skills and "flying" abilities:

SeaWorld also has Sea Lions LIVE, where, well, sea lions perform, with very good comic with the trainers. I particularly enjoyed the ball relay. Even I, with two hands, could drop that ball!

There are other amazing shows like Pets Rule (starring dogs) and Cirque de la Mer) and spots (like giant aquariums, penguin houses, turtle ponds, flamingo areas) to visit in SeaWorld. Observing the movements, or lack of it, of various aquatic species is a learning experience, especially when you only see them on TV. I especially like the penguins. I hope someday I could touch one, but not the sharks. :)

My cousin and I were there for a whole day. After all the watching and walking, we were dead tired when we got home. No more jetlag and no more natural sleeping pills for me. In my dreams, I took Shamu with me. :)