Freedom Run, 4th Participation

Last Sunday, October 19, I participated in the annual "Freedom Run" sponsored by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) in partnership with other organizations, government offices and private enterprises. It was my 4th, straight participation in Freedom Run. The 1st Freedom Run was held in November 2011 at UP Diliman campus. It was only a 3K and 6K run, many joined it. I did the the 6K and it was my first run after about 12 years. My legs were hellish for 5 days that week and the pain was gone on the 6th day.

The 2nd Freedom Run in 2012 was held in Taytay, Rizal, going to a portion of Laguna Lake, and back. I ran the 10K. That time, the pain in my legs lasted only for about 2-3 days.

When I do 10K, I ran for only about 4-5 kms. the rest is brisk-walking.

The 3rd Freedom Run in 2013 was held at the Quezon Circle, going to Commonwealth Ave. and back. Here with friends from FNF, from left: Julianne S. of the regional office in Bangkok, Thailand, Pimrapat also from Bangkok, Sungeun Lim from FNF Korea, and Wimonpug also from FNF Thailand.

Last Sunday, I met a friend from Congress Mountaineers whom I have not seen for nearly two decades, Doming Gonzaga. He also ran the 10K.

I like joining these runs because there are many water stations. Pocari Sweat's water is nice, a bit sweet. Maynilad Water has plenty of stations, I used some of the water to wash my face and head as I walked or ran.

Thanks to FNF for organizing such a famous annual running for freedom event.

* See also FNF Freedom Run, December 03, 2011

Gummersbach, Germany, Part 2

Almost five years ago, I first went to Gummersbach-Cologne. I attended the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) seminar, "Civil Society and Local Government" held at the Theodor Heuss Akademie (THA) in Gummersbach, Germany, October 26-November 2, 2008.

Another photo on a clear, non-misty day.

The tall building on the right is the dormitory for seminar participants.

Gummersbach is a small city and THA is on a hill. We have to walk down a hill to go to the city proper.

View of the city from my room. I think I was on the 4th floor of the dormitory.

Crowne Plaza East Kowloon, Hong Kong

This is a newly constructed hotel. It was opened only in late September this year, so we are among the newest guests of this cool place, yes. I am here as one of the international participants of the Economic Freedom Network (EFN) Asia conference, sponsored by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) and the Lion Rock Institute (LRI). I checked in last November 5, conference November 6-7, and will check out tomorrow and fly back to Manila.

It’s a tall building, 43 storeys high. I took this from the 1^st floor, outside the main ballroom. Details here,  http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/crowneplaza/hotels/us/en/hong-kong/hkgtk/hoteldetail

A huge driveway with a water fountain in the middle. This is shared by three tall buildings – Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn Express, and Vega Suites. And it is connected to a modern mall leading to Tseung Kwan O MTR station.

View from the 1^st floor, at the main restaurant. Below it is the main lobby. Cool, artsy design.

The marbles look high end. Here is the front of the six fast elevators. Neat and cool. Then inside the elevator, there is a small tv monitor that features some of the hotel’s amenities, with background soft music. I remember my hotel in NYC, the NY Marriott Marquis where I stayed in March 2009. The tv monitor in the elevator gives international news updates, and it hops really fast.

 

Ahh, our room. We are at the 38^th floor, it’s cool. I brought my wife and two young girls. My hotel and plane fare is shouldered by the organizer, so I and my wife just shared for their plane fare. HK-Manila is just 1:45 hour away and there are budget airlines to take. My two girls like their bed, and a huge flat tv to watch the cartoon network.

Nice view from the 38^th floor. Holiday Inn Plaza is equally big and tall. Hong Kong is famous for thousands of tall buildings. It has few flat land, it’s mountainous, so whatever flat land there is can easily be snapped for building high rise structures.

The toilets, neat and nice. Upper photo is the male toilet near the ballroom, lower photos the toilet in our room, the hallway.

I am not an art-loving person, but from time to time my eyes would be fascinated by some art works. Like this wall in the ballroom or conference hall. And those hundreds of hanging glass fishes on the ceiling. Cool.

I like this hotel. Well, I’m not really a frequent traveler, and each hotel should be unique. I have enjoyed my stay here.

Sultan Hotel, Jakarta

My first time to set foot in Jakarta, Indonesia. I went there to participate in the Economic Freedom Network (EFN) Asia Annual Conference, October 7-8, 2010, held at Sultan Hotel. The event was sponsored by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF).

The hotel is a bit old but it's big. It also has a wide parking space, other outdoor facilities. This is the lobby of the hotel.

I went there to be one of the moderators of several panel discussions. The theme of the conference was "Migration and Freedom". I saw many friends there from the Asian free market network.

This is my room, nice comfortable bed. The tv was the old, thick model, not the slick and thin flat tv yet. My working area was fine, we had complimentary internet connection in the room.

One of the many hallways going to various seminar/conference rooms, or to the ballrooms. The hotel is really huge, I got lost in some of the hallways going back to my room :-)

The hotel also has several restaurants, in the basement, on the ground floor, the second floor, I don't know where else.

There was a painting exhibit during our stay. I don't know how often such exhibits are held in that hotel. But the paintings are beautiful, they must be expensive.

Notice the wide hallway, this is going to one of the side entrances of the hotel. The painting exhibits made the hallway more lighted.

Extension of the painting exhibits near the hotel lobby.

I thanked the organizers of the EFN Conference and the FNF, especially Jyoti Sachavirawong, for the travel grant to Jakarta, for the opportunity to participate in the conference, and for moderating a panel discussion with two bright minds as speakers, Aco Patunru from Indonesia and Zubair Malik from Pakistan.