Quickie in London

note: texts in bold are clickable

Get your mind out of the gutter! That's not what I meant :P.

I have mentioned here   that we went to London to watch Miss Saigon. Miss Saigon had been gone for a while but now they're back but they're only shown in London and I really want to see that show.

I have always wanted to try taking the Eurostar (or any European train) to see the countryside and just to experience it. It doesn't matter where it would take me, I just want to try it (i love trains). The hubby, on the other hand, had always wanted to try the French trains (they make good and fast trains) and he wants to experience taking a train into the English Channel Tunnel, so there you go, a perfect excuse.

the eurostar

The hubby booked the Standard Premier. it's between Economy and Business Class. I'm OK with just Standard (Economy) because it will just be a short ride anyway, but the hubby wants the comfy seat and better  food and better service.

not the eurostar but the inside of one of paris' metro trains

So on our 3rd day in Paris we took the Metro to Gare Du Nord  and took the 11:43 AM Eurostar train from Paris Nord to London St-Pancras.

Gare Du Nord International Train Station

The hubby was reading about it and based on what he have read so far, the Eurostar runs 186 miles per hour, but slows down to 100 miles per hour when going through the English Channel Tunnel. It's almost 300 miles from Paris to London which is almost the same distance from Philadelphia to Boston (or almost the same distance from Manila to Ilocos Norte). Which means, if you drive, it would take you at least 5 hours but in the case of Eurostar, it only took 2 hours and 15 minutes! Isn't that impressive?!

a video while inside the eurostar

When we got to the Gare Du Nord station, the first thing we did is look for our train, then we checked-in and went through immigration. Yes, it's pretty much like at the airport. When we got inside the train the first thing I noticed is racks of magazine, I did grab a couple to take to my seat.

inside the eurostar & ignoring my nook because the sceneries outside is better

The hubby chose the seat. Like on planes, you can also choose your seats on Eurostar. The hubby chose the 2 seats facing each other so there won't be anyone else sitting right next to us.

i got the cheese platter and a small bottle of rosé and the hubby had
some sort of couscous and small bottle of red wine...

It was a very enjoyable trip coming to London and back in Paris. I want to do this European train thing again, maybe  somewhere farther, and maybe book a bunk bed, mmm, dream, dream...

Anyway, back to the London trip story. This was our second time in London, the first one was back in December 2010. We stayed there for 3 days prior our 16 days first European tour. It was raining in London when we got there but our hotel is just walking distance from the train station (Picadilly)  so it wasn't that bad. We stayed at the theatre district, very close to where Miss Saigon is showing (Prince Edward Theatre, about 3-5 minutes walk). When we got to our hotel, it was almost 2 PM already and we got lucky and got upgraded. They gave us their most deluxe room. Too bad we're only staying for a night so we only got to enjoy the room for 2 days and 1 night but we're still thankful.

After we checked in we hopped on a tube to go to the London Tower. We weren't able to see it the first time we were there plus I really want to have a picture of me at the London Tower bridge.

The rain was still on and off but we were indoors anyway so it really didn't bother us a lot. We went to different rooms/buildings inside the Tower of London but the highlight for me is the "Crown Jewels". If you are in a hurry and you're in Tower of London. I suggest you at least see the Crown Jewels, it's very mesmerizing specially if you're a girly girl like me. Be warned though that the line could get very long but it moves fast.

getting in line for the "Crown Jewels" at the Tower of London

i laughed at these signs on street crossings...but
it's very helpful though... i remember  how I almost always
got run over at Macau because I was looking
at the wrong side when crossing, lol

We also went to see the Big Ben again because I don't remember having my photo taken next to it (or infront of it) during our first trip in London. It was still raining though, so the pictures I have aren't worth sharing.

The Miss Saigon starts at 7:30 PM so we made sure we get back to our hotel in time to change and to find the place. It was  pouring when we got out of our hotel and we got lost but thanks to the Waze app we found the Prince Edward Theatre but we got there a mere 5 minutes before it starts.

The show is fantastic! I cried a few times while watching it. It was a sad story but it was very good and I am so proud of the Filipino actors on stage (ie: The Engineer, Kim, Gigi). If they show this in New York, I will watch this again.

the casts

my travel gnome and the playbill

The next day we checked-out early because I wanted to go to Harrods to find the luggage that is only sold in the UK. Unfortunately, I didn't find the luggage but we did have enough time to go to King's Cross so I could line up for my Platform 9 3/4 photo. Yes, Harry Potter fans, it's true, they have it at King's Cross. Being the Harry Potter fan that I am, of course I won't skip that opportunity.

It's nice that they actually embraced this Harry Potter scene in London and made a tourist (and harry potter fans) spot out of it. I would love to see 221B Baker Street  (fictional detective Sherlock Holmes address) next when we get the chance to visit London again .

i'm late for my hogwarts train!
(they make you choose the scarf  for the photo...
i chose gryffindor's, the hubby has slytherin's)

After the photo opp, we went to see the Harry Potter store right next to it. It was nothing spectacular. If you've been to "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" in Orlando, Florida, you wouldn't appreciate this store. So after that very quick tour of the very tiny Harry Potter store (appropriately named, platform 9 3/4), we back tracked our steps to the St. Pancras station (it's under the same roof) to catch our 13:31 PM London to Paris train. We got back in Paris around 17:00 PM. Please note that London time is 1 hour behind Paris time.

We hope to visit London again soon and watch the Wimbledon (crosses fingers, toes, eyes!).

Read More

Does the moonlight shine on Paris?

Does the moonlight shine on Paris

After the sun goes down

If the London Bridge is falling

Will anybody hear a sound

If you follow the sunset will it ever end

Does the moonlight shine on Paris

*note: texts in bold are clickable.

That song kept repeating on my head whenever I look at the majestic Eiffel Tower.

I may sound like a broken record but if something wonderful happened in your life you just want to talk about it again and again. Paris has a special place in my heart because my life turned 180 degrees in this place. It redirected my life to a different path. It's amazing how a  "yes" could just change your life in an instant. Yes, I got proposed at in Paris, and the Eiffel Tower was our witness (and maybe a few other people celebrating New Years Eve). If you're curious about the proposal story, click me.

Anyway, enough melodrama. We went back to Paris for 7 days to celebrate our 2nd year wedding anniversary. It was a late celebration as our wedding anniversary was 2 weeks ago prior our departure to Paris but we wanted to take advantage of the holiday long weekend (US Memorial Day) that's why we pushed the trip 2 weeks later.




Day 1.

We booked a Premium Economy flight from British Airways. There's nothing special about it. It's still coach class with wider chairs, more leg room, more amenities/features and better food than regular Economy class. The hubby's tall and he hates flying so he always insists that we do at least Premium Economy when flying. We left Philadelphia on a Saturday at 6:45 PM. We arrive in Paris Orly airport on Sunday at 8:40 AM (or 3:40 AM EST) but by the time we're done getting off the plane, going through immigration and getting our luggage it was already almost 10 AM. The good thing is the super shuttle we booked was already waiting for us holding a tablet with the hubby's name on it. Unfortunately, we had to wait for four other passengers coming from Spain and won't be arriving until around 10:45am so we waited a little bit more. I didn't mind that though, I just took a nap. We paid 78 euros for 2 pax round trip (airport - hotel / hotel - airport) for the  super shuttle.

orly west

The super shuttle dropped us off first since we had to wait for the other passengers and by the time we got to our hotel it's almost noon. Our room was almost ready as the couple who previously occupied it had already checked-out but they still need to clean it. So we deposited our bags, had lunch and came back after an hour.

our favorite hotel in Paris....this is the 2nd time
we stayed here, 2010 and now....
Stn: Bir-Hakeim Metro Station (6-light green)

We were hoping to get some touristy stuff done on our first day but jet lag got the best of us and if it weren't for our dinner reservation we could have slept thru the whole afternoon and into the night. At 6 PM we dragged our butts off the bed, changed clothes and started heading out to the river Seine for our cruise dinner reservation from Bateaux-Mouches - Point de l'Alma. It was a lovely way to start our Paris trip. We did this Seine river cruise before (year 2010) but there wasn't any dinner and it was just part of the Eiffel Tower dinner package. This one from  Bateaux-Mouches - Point de l'Alma ,on the other hand is just fantastic. The live music, good food, and the ambience, ah the ambiance! Cruising on the River Seine, while passing by famous Paris landmarks (Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, etc) is just hard to beat! I did some crappy video to somehow capture the moment (see below).





Day 2.

Day 2 was our post nup/trash-the-wedding-dress photoshoot with a local photographer. I brought my church wedding gown with me and the hubby brought his wedding coat barong and his regular barong for this. We booked  2 and 2. Which means 2 hours early morning (so there won't be much people) and another 2 hours in the evening (ofcourse! Paris lits up nicely at night).

Our call time was 7:45 AM but I had to wake up 3 hours earlier to do my hair and make-up. J, our photographer was right on time. He picked us up at our hotel and our first location was at the Trocadero and the rest of the locations were just around the Eiffel Tower and some cafes and streets.

our early morning photoshoot at Trocadero

We got done around 10:30 AM and we agreed to meet again at 9:15 PM. We had an early lunch and hunted for my Ille Flottante (my favorite French dessert) and decided to take a nap before we head out to do some tourist stuff. Once again that didn't happen. We were still so jet lagged and tired from waking up too early that we slept the whole afternoon. We got up around 7pm to prepare for the second photoshoot and at 9:15 PM on the dot J came to pick us up at the hotel.

Our first location for that second half of the photoshoot was the Louvre, then we went back to Trocadero for night time Eiffel Tower shot and lastly by the River Seine.

Night time at the Louvre

Day 3.

Day 3 would be a separate post because it's a whole different story worthy of posting on a separate blog but to give you a short gist, we left for London in the morning on Eurostar to watch Miss Saigon, stayed in London for the night and took the Eurostar again the next day to go back to Paris.

Here's a short video of the train ride:

Day 4.

Day 4 was half London half Paris. We got back in Paris at almost 5 PM, went back to our hotel to change and went to Moulin Rouge for our dinner/show reservation. We met two amazing Australian couple while having dinner and watching the show. It's always nice to hear travel stories from fellow travelers. They even gave us their names and email and told us to email them if we need tickets for the Australian Open, weee! The Moulin Rouge show was one of the best shows I've ever seen. I have seen Christmas Show at Radio City in New York and that just blows the door away but this Moulin Rouge show can be placed in the same category as the Christmas show. The costume, the acts, it's just fabulous. When you go to Paris, do not watch those cheap Can-Can shows, book the real deal, it's just so worth it (the hubby booked the Belle Époque which has better menu and better seats - we were 2 tables from the stage). Oh, and did I mention the food is fantastic? Oh yeah! It's a gastronomical delight!

after the hearty dinner and great show

we're not allowed to take photos inside so this is the only photo i have during the dinner/show...stage is to your left

Day 5.

We went to pick up our Museum Pass at the Paris Tourism office near the Louvre,  had a quick breakfast (at Mc Donalds) and went to the Lourve. I've been to the Louvre already but we were in a hurry the first time we were there that I only caught a glimpse of my favorite sculpture. This time I wanted to make sure I'll have my photo taken right next to it. Problem is, it was out for restoration! Agh, the frustration. I was ready to just leave but we decided to see the Roman, Greek, Egyptian collections, which by the way are amazing! I love sculptures more than paintings. I've seen Mona Lisa already during my first visit so we didn't bother to go see her.

just too happy to be back here, lol

The sun finally came out  that day (it was drizzling and cloudy since we left for London) and we've been wanting to have a picnic by the Champs de Mars and so right after we got out from the Louvre we went back to our hotel to get the picnic blanket and picnic bag that we packed with us. Our picnic bag is just a small bag that carries: napkin, wine glass and a bottle of wine. I used the space for bottle of wine to store the utensils and some plates (which is really just a couple of sushi mats wrapped on cling-wrap and rolled). There's a supermarket a few steps from our hotel and that's where we bought our picnic items: red wine, coke, different cheeses, french bread, a couple of different meats and some dessert. It was around past 3 PM and it was a lovely day just to sit, eat, people-watch and watch the French Open (they have a big TV up ahead).

the one on your right is not sushi..it's cheese with different toppings..

just chilling after finishing the wine

pa-kyut lang ang peg, lol

i took a quick snapshot of the approx spot
where the hubby proposed on january 1, 2011
(new year's eve)

We could have stayed a little bit more but we have a dinner reservation at Les Ombres at 7 PM and it's still a good 20-minute walk back to our hotel and we still need to change to dinner clothes.

view at Les Ombres

The food is OK. I still like the food from Moulin Rouge better or the food from the river Seine cruise. We didn't stay there long enough to see the Eiffel Tower lit up because we still have places to go, so it was a good quick dinner.

I have been reading about this famous bookstore in Paris that have been frequented by famous writers called Shakespeare and Company and being a bookworm that I am, I just have to go see it. Problem is it was closed. I didn't know it was a holiday  that  day and they close early (8 PM), otherwise they're open until 10 PM. I did manage to take some photos of the store front and promised to go back  the next day (which I did, scroll below).

they close early on holidays

We went to the Love Lock bridge next because we brought a lock with us. I know, I know, so "jologs" (or corny, or cheesy, or juvenile, whatever) but we thought it would be fun and so we did it. It was hard getting a space to put our lock in but the hubby was able to find one. The lock we brought didn't have a key with it so we had nothing to throw on the River Seine, but it's alright, it's the gesture that counts, lol. We then went to a souvenir shop to browse around when we saw a sign: "engraved locks". It's 10 euros for the lock that we want (it looks like an overlapping double heart) and additional 5 euros to engrave. I wasn't happy about the price so I walked away and said no to the sales guy who has the engraver tool turned on already and anxious to start our lock. But he chased me and offered to give us the lock with engraving for 10 euros. The hubby wants to do it so I said yes, which means, we now we have 2 locks on the Love Lock bridge, lol.

first lock:  pink, second lock: engraved

We're aware that they cut off those locks every 5 years or something, and that's fine. We're in it for the experience. I do remember not seeing these much locks on the bridge the first time we were in Paris in 2010 so I guess they do clean up the Love Lock bridge from time to time.

i took this photo of the Love Lock bridge on December of 2010... 

and this is what it looks like now, May 2014

We then hailed a cab to take us back to our hotel so I could get my tripod and camera remote. I wanted to take night shots of the Eiffel Tower from Trocadero. When we got to Trocadero it was already past 10 pm but there were still a lot of people there. I tried to get some shots but gave up after a few long exposure shots and decided to go for a drink/bite at the Cafe Trocadero to pass time.

The food there is OK. The view, well, we can see the base of the Eiffel Tower from where we're sitting but trees are blocking our view. I wasn't really hungry so I just ordered French Onion soup and a soda. The hubby ordered some beef dish and red wine. I like my onion soup but the hubby claims his beef is so-so.
After a couple of hours we went back to the spot where I was taking photos and although the number of people at that plaza had significantly diminished there were still some people hanging around but I might not have a chance again so I took that opportunity. Below are some of my shots taken that night.

Day 6.

We wanted to start early but we didn't get to sleep the other night until around 3 in the morning so we ended up waking late and start touring late.

We started Day 6 at Sacré-Cœur. I figured we should go to the farthest first lest will get lazy once we got too tired. We got lost looking for the funicular which wasted a good 20 minutes of our time but we found it, and that's what's important. The view from up there at the Sacré-Cœur is gorgeous and the gentleman playing the harp added more to the already pretty ambiance.

steps at Sacré-Cœur

Our next stop was the Musée des Arts et Métiers. This is like our Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. It consists of some geeky collections such as scientific instruments, mechanics, communication equipments, transportation collections, different old computing devices, etc. This is also where you will see the original model of the Statue of Liberty by Auguste Bartholdi. I personally like seeing Blaise Pascal's Pascaline, the first mechanical calculator.

Pascaline : the first mechanical calculator

After geeking out at Musée des Arts et Métiers we went to Rodin Museum. I got very frustrated the first time I was in Paris because I got lost looking for the Rodin Museum that this time I made sure we actually will get there. We actually have a Rodin Museum in Philadelphia, but you know how it is, "proximity complex". You don't get to see stuff closer to home because of the mentality that it would be really easy to get to so there's no hurry and so you forever procrastinate. Anyway, it was almost closing time when we got there. We only have 45 minutes to tour the museum. I was able to tour the museum and the garden but when I got to the fountain the guards started gesturing us that it's time to leave. That's alright, seeing Rodin's sculptures is more than enough for me. Did I mention I love his works of art?! Very detailed, very meticulously made. Just awesome! Now I have to make sure I go see the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia. I read somewhere that the first bronze cast of the Gates of Hell was there and the second one was the one in the Rodin Museum in Paris.

My 3rd "The Thinker" statue I have posed pictures with. It was still drizzling on Day 6, ergo the jacket.

We went back to Shakespeare and Company after the Rodin Museum and this time it's open, yey! It was just a small bookstore but it's refreshing to see a bookstore like that. It's cozy and unique and kinda old world. I was browsing thru the books inside when I saw stacks of Hemingway's Moveable Feast on a table at a corner. It's the one where the cover is Hemingway standing in front of Shakespeare and Company which I thought would be a pretty cool souvenir and so I  bought it and  I also have it stamped!

Shakespeare and Company

don't forget to have your book stamped!

how to find shakespeare and co.

Next stop was Berthillon. I have read lots of great reviews about Berthillon and I wasn't able to try their stuff on our first visit to Paris so this time around, even if we're already tired from all the walking, we made sure we get to try it. I ordered one scoop of mango and one scoop of peach sorbet (all in a single cone) and the hubby ordered one scoop of almond pralines and one scoop of chocolates cream. Both are very heavenly delicious. Next time we come back,  I want to sit at one of their tables and order there. We were supposed to order a slice of cake and something to drink while there but we were asked to leave because cones are not allowed inside. Hmpf!

berthillon

It's already past 7 PM but we still have one stop before we head to yet another dinner reservation. That stop was Starbucks. Why? I collect Starbucks mug, ofcourse, I want my Paris Starbucks mug.

starbucks' paris mugs

Then finally after taking a quick rest and changing to a more decent dinner attire we walked to the Eiffel Tower (our hotel is just walking distance to the Eiffel Tower), located our elevator and had dinner at 58 Tour Eiffel Restaurant. It's the hubby's idea to end our last day in Paris with a dinner at the Eiffel Tower and who am I to complain, it's a brilliant idea. This was the second time we had dinner here. The first time was back  in 2010 when he was planning to propose here (he didn't like where we're seated that time so he didn't propose there). We met another amazing Australian couple while having dinner there. Australians are just the most friendliest people, my husband always tell me he never met a snotty Australian and so far in my experience that is true. We exchange travel stories and tips and jokes. That's another thing that is fun with travelling, meeting new people, swapping stories with fellow travelers. It was an absolutely another amazing night.

58 tour eiffel menu

I wanted to take night shots of Arc de Triomphe so after dinner we went back to our hotel to grab my tripod and we went to Champs-Élysées. The problem is, like my favorite sculpture, Arc de Triomphe is also under restoration, as you can see from the photo below. So I just took a set of long exposure shots and gave up on that idea and we just went to get some drinks on one of the cafes along Champs-Élysées. After all, no Paris trip is complete without visiting Champs-Élysées, atleast for us that's the case.

Arc de Triomphe under restoration

at some random cafe at  Champs-Élysées

Day 7.

Last day was spent packing and waiting at the airport.


We love Paris and we'll never get tired of coming back.
We'll see you again in 2 years (because we have other plans for next year).

Read More

Chloe

Bad Wednesday
===============

I found our 10-year-old greyhound at the bottom of the stairs on Wednesday after I came home from Pilates. I let her out at 5:30pm for potty that same day before I left and she was still OK but when I came back a little past 7pm she's on the floor panting.

She doesn't usually lay on that spot where I found her and thought that was odd. The other odd thing was the way she was panting. It was very loud and continuous. I thought she was having a heart attack or that she's having a stroke so I called the hubby right away and asked him to come home. 

While waiting for the hubby I was trying to call her  to stand up. She responds to "c'mon, let's go" so I kept saying that. At first she wouldn't do anything but eventually she tried to stand up and that's when I saw her limping on her left leg.  Good, she's not paralyzed. Although the thought of her falling down the stairs that caused her to limp really  horrifies me.

She was still panting and she looked so disoriented. So I fixed her smaller bed and asked her to come and lie down. She did and she winced when she accidentally bumped her left leg on the floor when she plunked her butt on the bed. It was so breaking my heart to see her in pain.

Finally, the hubby arrived. By then I have already found out that the break is way up on the shoulder part. The hubby called our dog's vet but they're already closed so he called the emergency number for a Pet Hospital. We were able to get hold of a nurse there and we immediately drove our dog to the vet.




At the hospital.
===============

They did an x-ray on her and she has a very bad break. The husband and I are trying to rack our brain trying to figure out how she broke her leg and why it's that bad. The doctor said she would need a surgery and we would need to take her to  an Ortho. We know our bills would be high because there's now a specialist involved but it is what it is. Our immediate goal is to have them fix her broken bone right away so she wouldn't be in pain anymore (the husband says that kind of panting means she's in too much pain).

We confined her there because we don't want to transport her back in the car and to the house and do more damage to the leg. Plus we figured, they would know how to transport a dog with broken bone to the Ortho better than we do. We did make sure they give her a pain killer, which they did.




Things went down hill.
==================
The next day, the day time vet called us and told us our dog has a pathological fracture caused by bone cancer and the reason she had such a bad broken leg is due to her  bone getting too brittle because of the Osteosarcoma. With that they prefer not to fix the broken bone, lest they'll just do more damage.  We have an option to amputate her but after 6 months or less we'll be back to where we are right now and had to do the same thing again. We will just be prolonging our dog's agony. The other thing that we found out is that her cancer came back. She had a surgery last year to remove a lump on her leg that turned out to be a malignant tumor. Her vet was able to remove it but she warned us it would come back and it did. So now she has another cancer on top of the other. It just breaks our heart.


We were reading about osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and all the articles we read are just saying the same thing. I'll share one of the excerpts:


"When there is no light at the end of the tunnel, there is no reason to have your dog go through hell, which is what will slowly happen. Each day your greyhound will get a little worse and be in more pain ...."
"No one should have a guilty conscience putting their dog to sleep before it is in excruciating pain. You have given your greyhound a great gift! No one should feel badly because they did not amputate their dogs leg or treat their dog with chemo. Ultimately, you should probe your vet for the hard answers. Veterinarians are programmed to make the process longer and more expensive. Come to a compassionate decision swiftly putting your greyhound first and your feelings second."

source - http://www.ngap.org/greyhound-health-limping-osteo-y448.html

and here's another:

"The ultimate goal in the case of osteosarcoma (and all diseases) should be to relieve discomfort and promote a good quality of life. The dog’s age and response to pain should be of utmost concern when determining which approach to take. Some adopters choose pain management over surgical intervention until the dog’s quality of life is visibly diminished. Your veterinarian can prescribe narcotic pain relievers for maximum effect should you decide to take this route. Depending on how advanced the cancer is and the degree of discomfort exhibited, euthanasia may be the best approach and certainly the least traumatic for the dog. It is we humans who fear the loss and have difficulty letting go, but the kindest and most humane treatment may be to give them eternal freedom from pain rather than prolong the inevitable."

source - http://www.gcnm.org/concernsnews.html





The dreaded day.
===============
It was very difficult to come home on Thursday knowing that it would be the last day we would be seeing our Chloe.

Seeing her bed and her toys and all the places around the house where she would just lie down is just too much for me to handle. When the husband came home, I was still crying and looking at his red nose and blood shot eyes, I know he is too. If I'm very upset and very affected, it would be times ten for him. He rescued Chloe from the National Greyhound  Center when Chloe was just 4 years old and Chloe had helped him go thru a death in his family.

We drove to the vet that afternoon. We both are still a mess, crying, maintaining our composure and then cry again the whole time when we were driving.  The husband is more composed. He would cry for a bit to say something he remembered about Chloe but it would just last for seconds. I, on the hand was just crying non-stop during the whole drive.

We're trying to see if there's any other way we could save Chloe but whatever angle we looked putting her to sleep is still the best option for her. When we were less than a mile away from the Vet Hospital, we parked our car to a shopping complex to try and calm ourselves. We discussed about whether we want keep the ashes or opt for mass burial. I wanted to keep the ashes and bury her at her favorite spot at our backyard and bury her with her favorite toy and treats.

We know we only have borrowed time with Chloe since we found out she has a cancer (the other cancer, the bone cancer, was new to us)  but no one or nothing can really prepare you when death is knocking at your door.



Another dog lost.
==============

I lost a pet in the Philippines a year or so ago, months before our wedding in the Philippines and I was very devastated. His name is Cholito. He is an askal (mutt, native dog) and I love that dog to bits. I was even thinking of taking him with me. I just decided against it because I don't want to make him go through  quarantine and the trauma of traveling on a plane. I mean where would they put the dogs? Right next to the luggage? Without me? Who's gonna feed him or pet him when there's turbulence and he got scared? I'm sure they won't let me have him sit on my lap because my dog might start barking and disturb guests. I hate crying kids on plane, I'm sure a yelping dog would be equally annoying. Anyway, I lost him and I was devastated even if I'm used to not seeing him anymore and haven't really seen him for a very long time. Of course I'll be more devastated with Chloe because I see her everyday since I moved to my husband's home.




April 17 between 6:45 to 7:00 PM
==========================

I dont want my last memory of Chloe to be an image of her lifeless body so I told the husband I don't want to be there when they put her to sleep. The husband understands but he said, he on the other hand, had to be there because he doesn't want her to die alone. When he said that it suddenly struck me,  yes, I shouldn't let her die alone and my husband needs me, so I stayed.

We wanted a few moments with her before they put her to sleep so we were talking to her and was telling her we will miss her and we were just petting her the whole time. We kept telling her we love her and that her pain would go away soon. That she don't need to suffer anymore. She's always scared when she's in a place she doesn't recognize so she was shaking. We tried to comfort her and asked her to sit so she could relax. Finally she did sat down, the same time the doctor came in to tell us it's time. The doctor has 2 syringes in her hand. A sedative and some other medicine. The doctor explained to us what the procedure would be and what to expect.

We were just petting her the whole time and my husband keeps whispering to her that we love her. I can't talk anymore. I'm all choked up.  When the doctor injected the sedative she started closing her eyes slowly and fell asleep. Moments later the doctor injected the second syringe and started monitoring her heart beat. The doctor was very sympathetic and kept telling us how sorry she was that Chloe and us had to go thru that. I was trying so hard not to cry in front of the doctor but when she injected the second syringe it's like someone opened the flood gates. I was crying a river. When the doctor said "she have passed" I just couldn't stay there anymore. I suddenly stood up and went to a corner while the doctor was still talking to my husband. The husband was also crying and that didn't help because it breaks my heart to see any man cry.

I don't want to go thru that again.

I was feeling weak already and I have my back on Chloe because I just can't look at her like that. The doctor left us to have some final moments with Chloe. The husband asked me if I wanted to stay a bit more but I can't talk anymore because I was sobbing  but I tried to communicate by shaking my head.   He knows it took a lot of courage for me to stay there until the end but he understands too that me staying there with our lifeless Chloe would be too much for me to handle so he just nodded and  helped me walked through the door.

He walked me outside the room and the Vet followed us. When we're out the room the Vet was still being very nice and sympathetic and comforting us. She said it's for the dog's best interest.

I really don't want to go thru that again.





The after math.
===============
I remember trying to go through a very bad break-up. I was in such pain I thought I would die of sadness. Losing a pet, is yet another different form of pain. I cannot describe it. I woke up with very swollen eyes that you can blind fold them with a floss.

The husband was very composed while in the room with Chloe, he did cry but it was a quiet crying but as soon as we exited the doors of the Vet hospital he just bawled. It just broke my heart. I've never seen him like that.

We both find it very difficult to come home. I tried to be strong for both of us but the husband is doing a better job than I am. So it was him who tried to hide all of Chloe's stuff from me. Earlier that day I was already having a hard time looking at all of Chloe's stuff and now that she's really gone it would be twice more difficult.




So many things to get unused to.
=========================

She was such a sweet and funny dog. So many things to get unused to. So many things to miss.


It's still hard for us to come home from work. There would be no excited tail and butt wiggling by the door  to greet us when we come home anymore.

I miss how she would smell my face and lick my nose real quick (when she's in the mood) when I come home and I'm poking my head thru the door (before I get inside the house)  and say "kiss, kiss".

There wouldn't be any Chloe sitting in my home office while I work anymore.

I would miss her standing by my home office door giving me her "doggie-look" as if asking permission if she can come in. I  would then wave my hand "come in" and she would slowly walk inside and head straight to me so I could pet her.

empty door

I miss how she would jump up and down and twirl around and around when she sees the hubby carrying her leash (it means it's walking time).

I let her out every morning before I go to work and in the afternoon when I came home from work (the hubby does the lunch times) and it's weird that I don't get to do that anymore and that I don't have to rush coming home from work to make sure I make it home in time for her afternoon wiwi/poop break.

I miss how she comes to me when I open my arms and say "hug" (she doesn't like the hug part but she likes the massage that comes with my hug)

I miss how she learned  to sit when we're eating because she knew begging won't get her anything, sitting does.

I miss that puppy look. or how he would use her nose to nudge our hands to pet her.

I miss how she would smell my face and then lick my face while we watch tv.

chloe forcing to stick her head under the hubby's arm pit

I miss how persuasive she can be with the hubby and how she would  force to stick her head under the husband's arm pit when she wants something right away.




Memorial Walk.
===============

chloe's leash

I walk her when the weather is convenient but it is the hubby who walks her everyday and last Friday, we got her leash out and walked her leash, the husband wants to do a memorial walk for Chloe. I'm still very worried about the husband. Like I mentioned, he's been with Chloe longer than I do so he is the most devastated between us.




The End.
============

We are not planning to get another pet, we are still raw from Chloe's demise. But one day, if and when we are ready, it might be another greyhound. There are just so many greyhounds who needs to be rescued.


It's going to be tough for both me and the husband. Please include us in your thoughts and give your pets extra kisses/petting for us.


We  miss you so much Chloe.

chloe trying to fit inside the small bed	our 40mile/hr couch potato at her dogvacay  host's bed

Read More

How to Apply for UK Visa in the US

Starting point: https://www.gov.uk/general-visit-visa. If you already know that you need a UK Visa skip 1a and jump to 1b.

1a. Go to the website : https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa

or if you reside in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Fairfield County in Connecticut. try: https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-consulate-general-new-york

The website above will ask you some question so it could tell you if you need a UK Visa or not. Then it will walk you thru the process.

Below are the steps:
click Visas for UK  -> click Start Now -> choose your country from the dropdown box -> click Next Step - next screen will ask you what you are coming to UK for, choose from the dropdown box (ie: Tourism) - click Next Step - click the link applicable to you (ie: general visit visa if you are touring the UK or visiting friends) - read through everything by clicking Next until you reached #4 item (4. Apply) - then click "apply online" - before you click the Start now, make sure you read the information below the "Start now" button because it tells you what documents to prepare and how to book your appointment:

(https://www.visainfoservices.com/Pages/dest_org.aspx)

Once  you're done reading all those you can click "Start now" - It would then re-direct you to:

https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/

1b. If you already know you have to apply a UK Visa and just want to go straight to the Online Application page below is the link:

https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/

2. Once in the Online Application page it would ask you to register, so just click Register an Account.

3. Fill up all the boxes and remember you password.

4. I forgot what I did next but I'm guessing I logged in and started filling up the application form.To learn how to fill up the application go to:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-applying-for-any-uk-visit-visa-using-vaf1-forms

and click: Form VAF1 A to K: guidance notes


5. I forgot too if the confirmation page appears after you filled up everything or it gets sent on your email but just read all the pages on that application form carefully.

6. Make sure to print the appointment confirmation page (or email) because you need to bring that with you at the finger-printing site (in my case at a USCIS office, same office I went to when I was processing my permanent residency).

7.  Go to your application site for finger printing. Bring the appointment confirmation page and your passport.

8. At the application site they will take your photo and finger prints.

9. All your documents, including passport stays with you after the finger printing.

10. After finger printing you need to mail the documents (passport, proof of income, itinerary, etc) on the UK embassy where your state is under jurisdiction. To know what else you need to submit go to:

https://www.gov.uk/general-visit-visa/documents-you-must-provide (you might want to read all the other links on that page)

then go to: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visitor-visa-guide-to-supporting-documents

and click: Guide to supporting documents - visiting the UK which would open a Word document.



11.  You need to send a prepaid return shipping label from a recognized carrier (UPS, Fedex, USPS, DHL) with your document and an envelope to put your passport when they return it to you. This I didn't know because I didn't see this on their website and last time I applied for UK visa (year 2010) they didn't ask for this but they were still able to ship my passport with the UK visa stamp to my home address. I just thought the shipping is part of the visa application fee that's why they didn't list that on the list of requirements.

11a. If  you did forget to send them a prepaid return shipping label you have to purchase one, I used Fedex.com. Fed-ex sent me the printable prepaid return shipping label   in PDF format and I just forwarded that email to UKVINewYork.Shipping@fco.gov.uk. But do not quote me on this. I don't know what their process is going to be a week or months or years from now but as of this time (Mar 19, 2014) I received an email from them telling me they can't start processing my application until I send them via email the printable prepaid return shipping label and then they gave instructed me to send it to: UKVINewYork.Shipping@fco.gov.uk.

12. Make sure you mail it at the correct embassy. Like in my case, I'm from PA so my UK embassy is the one in New York. 

13. Then you cross your finger and wait.

Good luck!

Read More