Down the Rabbit Hole

Sometimes it’s not in our power to choose just what we keep and what we lose. And those who can’t see beyond the cost should consider this tale and what was lost. It ought to sway even a doubting Thomas: Better to lose your purse and keep your promise!” - Robert Browning, "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" A glockenspiel clock is a mechanical clock that, during certain times of the day, showcases a set of figurines that reenact scenes from a fairy tale while bells (e.g., carillon) play some really nice, soothing music. When I was in Switzerland , I was determined to see one; only to learn that I was in the wrong country.  (The Rathaus-Glockenspiel, which I saw on the telly when I was a kid, is located in Germany.) Seven years after my Swiss adventure, I found myself in a German settlement in Michigan called Frankenmuth. The city's vibe reminded me of  Solvang, CA  because of the touristy feel and the architecture. While checking out the Bavarian Inn, I learned that there'...

Daddy and I decided that it would be much better for us if either of us drove rather than Ninang Trining (we're more experienced with long drives than her... and driving with a baby too). It's supposed to be a four-hour non-stop trip north from Troy to St Ignace but I opted to have a few stops along the way so we could all stretch our legs and allow my son some wiggle time and allow for diaper changes. I estimated that our trip would be about six hours long with these breaks. Naturally, my first order of business was to install my son's Clek Foonf into Ninang Trining's SUV. It was an easy installation because I'm already used to doing seatbelt installations and the lock-off mechanism of the Foonf is very convenient. I didn't expect that each time my son had to go on it, I had to check if the seatbelt was still in place. With three people riding in the same row, detaching the wrong seatbelt is easy. View this post on Instagram A post shar...

During my family's trip to Michigan, we had the opportunity to visit Mackinac Island, one of the USA's "summer colonies" that have what Filipinos call  bahay bakasyunan . Mackinac Island is found where Lake Huron and Lake Michigan meet (at the Straits of Mackinac). These lakes are members of the Laurentian Great Lakes. Ninang Trining really wanted us to see Mackinac Island and after a day of touring the island, I can understand why. It is steeped in history pre-dating the existence of the USA, has beautiful architecture and landscapes, and provides a glimpse at what life must be like when motor vehicles haven't dominated the roads. The first European settlers were fur traders and Catholic missionaries. In this way, the Europeans built strong relationships with the indigenous peoples who arrived on the island before the Europeans did. Back in 18th century, the French and the British colonials empires were vying for territory; thus, both empires built forts. Fort Ma...