The Handyman's Life

Dream Job

2011-08-11T03:23:00.000-07:00

It’s been a year and 7 months since my last entry; 2010 for me was a very busy year, heaving with lots projects. Then came 2011, even more demanding year and has totally sucked the life out of me.

Prior to moving to HQ, I have less social life, because my work schedule was a little less different compared to other offices. So, when I was invited to apply for a position in the HQ, I was thrilled. I thought, finally I will have a fix 8-5 shift and a Sat-Sun off. All I hoped for came true; an 8-5 shift, a Sat-Sun off, a cool office and very nice co-workers. Though work is a bit more challenging now because I have to work and deal with plenty of people, but at least there are all internal and not our clients.

I was so ecstatic; I was leaving the office on daylight, ate dinner with friends, watched movie on a weeknight and still have enough time to relax on the couch and watch late night shows on TV. But not for long, it was just honeymoon stage after all. If there’s any less than none, it’s where I am now. I work beyond 5, the earliest I get out of the office is 8 and I work on weekends, not to mention the never-ending deliverables and roll-outs. And from what I’ve heard from our last meeting, my schedule is as it is until 2013. Though I get to travel and see other places, nothing can pay for the lost time. The only quality time I spend for myself is sleep, which by the way I also lack.

Things that I do before when I was still with Stores, I can only wish doing now. I missed going to the gym. I missed running on a marathon on Sundays. I missed reading books. I missed blogging. And most importantly, I missed having two days off from work. But as they say, you can’t have everything. This was supposed to be my dream job, but now it feels like I’m having a nightmare.

I hope I wake up soon. I have already spent, let’s say, almost half of life doing things that I don’t like. Some things I can’t help but just keep doing, but there are some still that I can change. A lot of opportunities already have passed and just let them be, because I was afraid that I might not have a job with a position and pay this good. Well, none of it matters now, because if it did, I would have not written this article about this ranting.

Oh, well, this is a start. As I progress writing new articles here in my blog, I hope my profession also makes a step forward.

Resolutions

2010-01-24T23:03:00.000-08:00

Are you thinking about making the New Year a fresh start? Not so fast! Some say New Year’s resolutions are a waste of time as they are nothing more that a long list of “should dos” that we don’t take to heart. Make this year different. Take time to plan your resolutions carefully and avoid the post New Year let-down. Plan them carefully this year and choose realistic goals that you can keep.

A long list of resolutions will set you up for failure. Think carefully about what you’d like to change. Choose only one or two goals as your resolutions. Be honest with yourself. Your goals should be achievable and realistic.

You can write them down to help you identify and decide upon your goals. Initially, you go over the year; what were the high points and low points? What were your successes? What made you proud? Think about where you can improve.

As you consider possible changes, think carefully about each one. Is it realistic? Is it achievable? How do you get there? You can break it into small steps and think about how to make each small step. Rather than emphasize the long term goal, consider daily goals.

Keep track of your progress and reward your achievements. We tend to assume that success is its own reward, but change is difficult and often uncomfortable. Rewarding yourself will help you to make the change effective and last over the long haul. It can be a massage, facial or afternoon at the movies. Or just about anything like simply taking time to yourself to do whatever pleases you.

Once you have achieved your goal, maintain your success by continuing the small daily changes that helped you achieve your goal. For long term success, make those small changes part of your lifestyle, and make it a habit.

Nothing About

2009-11-04T19:55:00.000-08:00

These past few weeks were very hard for me; I’ve been pushing myself harder than ever to meet our targets that were so ever unattainable; because others, instead of giving their support not that I expect them to help draw us near the mark, but at least do their job, but to hold us down, that’s a different story. I am sick and tired of those lazy bees and back-stabbing snakes with friendly grins.

I am dead beat with work; often sleep deprived and stressed out. I am killing myself with work. I have no problem really with work; I can work under pressure with full loads but I can never get used to working around people who are insensitive and indolent.

Excuse my ranting, I only update my blog once in awhile due to my not so normal schedule at work, and the last thing I would want to write about is loathing and anger; I am not usually furious about these things. Most of the time, I just ignore them and be contented with a thought of my own serenity and that what they do tells more about themselves than it does to me. But lately the road for me was a bit rough, and cluttered around me were pieces of my emotions from my long-busted affair, which now has come to life because some ex appeared out of nowhere and expresses desire to date me again. There, I guess this is the real reason behind all these.

Rule of thumb, never date exes; I have been tagging along with this rule for years. I don’t believe in second chances. We all had our chance (to love and prove our worth) the first time. But anyway, I agreed to meet the ex and you do the math what happened next. Yes, I swallowed my own words, to hell with the rule; but no, I am not going to sow the seeds of love. At least I managed to convince the ex to a non-commitment relationship; just to enjoy each other’s company and be merry.

Love is not The Opposite of Hate

2009-09-07T02:48:00.000-07:00

Love and hate are distinct rather than opposed experiences: they are similar in certain aspects and dissimilar in others. In light of the complex nature of love and hate, it is plausible that when people describe their relationship as a love-hate relationship, they may be referring to different features of each experience.

Like what happen to someone I know; he loathed another, so his daily life in the office was full of revulsion. Then I said to him, ‘the more you hate the more you love,’ and then he said ‘No,’ disgusted. Maybe he really hates this person; not the love-hate, but the hate-hate, like he doesn’t care if the other gets killed. And so he added, ‘what I feel is the total opposite of love.’ I couldn’t agree.

Love and hate are separated by a super thin line; some of us depict love as different from hate, but if we look at it, the only difference is being held in expression. Love is a feeling that makes a cold-muddy-morning a day in paradise, the cold and beating rain notwithstanding. Hate is the other thing that makes us want to feel the cold and the mud pulling us down; it’s what we would like to do to the others we hate. We can not feel love and lack a place where hate has to stay. Hate is a human feeling that is a result and a consequence of love.

When we think of love, we have a feeling of a lot of things that transpire at the bottom of our heart that we really want to feel. It is the reason we love – to feel each other in everything we do, from being there for each other to holding one another in high esteem. It is such that we can not say no to feelings since it is as that time where they are called upon to be what they are. Feelings are the things that make us realize and conjure signs of love and want. What ameliorates love is hate; we realize how much we love through the kind of hate we feel toward another.

So, when the madness of endearment makes us feel love, it is also the innate folly that brings out hate. It makes love and hate to be the feelings of the same thing – adoration. We hate what we don’t love, so the measure of love is hate. If you want to know how much you love someone, know how much you hate them. It is the simple facts that make all the difference.

Thus, the opposite of love is not hate. It’s when you are insensitive towards another and feel nothing at all; it’s indifference.

Friends

2009-07-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

People today have lost sight of what a true friendship is. Friends don't have to be exactly the same. Friends have similarities but they also have their differences. The key to opening up the world of friendship is not only to expand on similarities but also to accept each other's faults, because you can't ever judge your friend. Friends love unconditionally. They have little angry moments but what's done is done and all is forgiven and forgotten. Why let something that happened in the past ruin what happiness you could have in the future? Friends add a little something to our lives to make our days brighter and our hearts bigger. Some people think that you have to know someone really well to become good friends. There is nothing like having someone to run to when your partner breaks up with you or your family is driving you crazy. You will always and forever have a shoulder to cry on when you are hurt. You can let your friends know the real you instead of the front you put on for everyone else. Let them know your fears and anxieties of life. Friends do not let you down. They love you for being you. Being loved by another person besides your family is the greatest feeling in the world. They do not have to love you like your family does. They love you because of the person you are and the person they see that you are about to become. These are only a few of the basics. Just remember, friends are forever, only if you keep it that way. Don't hurt your friends, love them instead. And when they drive you nuts, love them that much more for being just a little bit different.

The Mayonnaise Jar

2009-07-25T03:22:00.000-07:00

Someone just sent this to me via e-mail; what a nice way to measure our lives. Hope you like it.

The Mayonnaise Jar

When things in your life seem, almost too much to handle,When 24 Hours in a day is not enough,Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class And had some items in front of him.When the class began, wordlessly,He picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jarand proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students, if the jar was full.They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and pouredthem into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.The pebbles rolled into the open Areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectivelyfilling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed..

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided,'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.The golf balls are the important things - family,children, health, Friends, and Favorite passions – Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, Your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else --The small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' He continued,'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,You will never have room for the things that are important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.Play With your children.Take time to get medical checkups.Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.'Take care of the golf balls first --The things that really matter.

Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

'One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled.'I'm glad you asked'.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

Change

2009-07-19T03:11:00.000-07:00

My whole life, I have been presented to a single element called change. Change occurs in many different forms and is carried out in many different ways. However, just recently, I have come to the realization that change can be the deepest of all subjects. I always assumed that change occurred when you moved to a new town or when you lost someone close to you. Those are elements to change, yes, but change doesn't have to occur over a single dramatic event. It can just happen overnight when your brain determines it's time to do something different.

For obvious reasons, people reject change. Especially people who are close to each other because they feel that this change is going to separate them and make them not as close as they used to be. They fight the change until they force the person to change. It's sad how this works, but in reality, it's probably the single most reason why people change. The people special to us love us so much that they want us to remain the way we are forever. Forever is a long time and not one person can always stay the same. Sometimes if the people we love would just accept the change and go with it, they would understand where the change was originally coming from.

It's dangerous to try to stop change and argue against it, especially if the person wants to change so much. Usually, the reason of change is not a matter of choice, but some sort of need to change people feel inside their heads and hearts. It's almost like a celestial force is making them change and they have no say on the matter; but they know they have to because their mental and physical attributes are commanding them to. Maybe the change isn't the best change, but if we really look and dig deeper, they are not really changing, but just trying to explore and find themselves and the one thing they need the most is the support of the people who they care about the most. When the people close to them dismiss their change as something unimportant and try to guard down everything by rules and regulations, they begin to change out of sadness that the one group of people they thought would understand, really has no clue. Maybe change isn't always good or bad but it could be looked at as something to help you grow. So just remember, if someone is changing, be there for them, offer your opinion but help them go through whatever they need to go through because they will do what they need to do regardless of the situation.

The Meaning of Life

2009-07-08T04:41:00.000-07:00

For days now, I’ve been listening to an audio CD of speeches about life’s meaning and its complexities. The vagueness of its meaning has little by little thinning, and I started to look at life on a different perspective.

Life’s meaning is quite simple. It is to find the meaning of your life. Unbelievable? Believe it or not, this is how I believe it to be. You may think that I am insane but let me justify myself in saying this simple answer in such a complex question. It is simple. It is simple because the words are not that perplex as most people would expect it to be like a holy grail or some phrase that starts with “thou” or “shall”, but what really makes this six words so difficult? It is because you have not found the meaning of yours and I admit I haven’t found the meaning of my life. The only thing that makes this task so unbelievable is because it isn’t universal as we thought it to be. It is an individual’s own. It is yours but it is not mine. It is not mine but it is not yours. Like the famous phrase go, “It’s my life”! The only link is that it is universally different from one individual to another and it is still the same because it is still the meaning but the contents are different. One is not given the holy burden to solve the world’s entire problem unless he chooses to make it his own. One individual is given a set of things like talents, limitations, fortunes and misfortunes, this could be obtained by outside factors or by cause and effect but the question is, “What are you going to do about it?” or the more appropriate question is, “What are you going to do about your life”? To find meaning of your life is a never ending task; the meaning of life is life itself and our existence.

The Perfect Age

2009-07-06T00:03:00.000-07:00

I was at the gym this morning, running on a treadmill while watching TV; and then suddenly it hit me. In a few months I’d be turning 30 and I have been in a constant denial and I dreaded for the transition to come. I was watching MYX Backtraxx and they featured Boy Bands as the artists of the yesteryears. Backstreet Boys, N’Sync, A1, Code Red, Westlife – these are among the popular bands in my time and now they’re calling them classic artists. Am I really that old? I have no problem really with age. It’s just that ever since I finished college, I am in the lookout for my perfect age. Now I remember, when a fellow blogger, Kiel was freaking out about getting older, I told him not to be so concerned with age because it was just all about numbers. And here I am worried sick about turning 30; I have to fight this back.

What really is a perfect age? Is it the age when will finally find the right one and get married, or is it when we are settled with families of our own later in life? For every individual, it is a different age and a different dream waiting to be fulfilled. However, once this age finally arrives, it quickly disappears and we revert back to being unhappy.

Have you ever noticed how when we were young, we can not wait to be old, and now that we are old (aray ko) we yearn to be young again? We are never fully content with the “now” in our lives; I remember when I was younger playing with my cousins. It was in the early 80s, which meant the Madonna craze was in full force. She would dress up in our mother’s clothes and pretend to be twenty-something-year-old Madonna. Similarly, I used to dress in my dad’s suits and pretend to be a businessman going to an important meeting. At such young ages we could not wait to be older, like our parents.

Skipping a few years ahead, we may reach the ever so dreaded midlife crisis. A midlife crisis is defined as a period of emotional turmoil in middle age characterized especially by a strong desire for change. We may have a job, a spouse, some kids, and a house with white picket fence. What is there to look forward to now? Getting older? All our fun years seem to be diminishing faster and faster and nothing changes – we yearn to be young again. We miss the freedom of just hanging out with friends and doing nothing in particular. People deal with this crisis in a variety of different ways.

Age will always be a touchy subject to many people. When we were still young, we were proud to say we’re eighteen or twenty-four. But older people are hesitant to say they are forty-six or fifty-two. In this day and age, fifty-two is not even that old (I hope it would still be when I get to this age). People are living to be so much older now than ever before. Every day and every year of our lives should be a great experience to make our whole lives fulfilled. It is true that some years may be more exciting than others, but that doesn’t mean we can not try new things to rejuvenate ourselves. Midlife crisis should not exist. If we are starting to feel old, then we should find a new hobby, sign up for a dance class, or go to the gym and lose a few pounds, if it will make us feel better.

I have my own personal goals that encompass this issue with age, and I guess I will never know if I am able to fulfill these goals until I reach that age. Until then, I am living my life and loving every minute of it. Remember, we only live once.

Good Friends, Good Life

2009-07-02T00:11:00.000-07:00

Friends are like the buttons on an elevator; they will either take you up or take down. This is something that people need to realize yet we sometimes don’t realize. It is not as though we have no choice in the matter either. We have to make decisions about the kind of people we want to be around. Choosing the wrong people can lead to terrible consequences. Growing up as a kid I was faced with the task of making good friends that I can rely on in numerous ways. I was lucky enough to learn from other people’s mistakes – got in with the wrong group of people or fell on the trap of peer pressure. The friends we choose have a dramatic effect on our lives; that we can trust and rely on to help and support us in times of need. Although making the right decisions is not always easy, we all want to make them. Being mature and thinking about the consequences will enable us to choose worthy friends and to hopefully lead to a good life.

Happy Birthday, Ma!

2009-06-28T04:33:00.000-07:00

My mother is the closest person to me. We share a deep bond that makes me feel unique. Despite all the troubles that she’s been through, she still manages to keep her feet on the ground and her head held up high. She’s always there for me when I need help, and I never hesitate to ask her for advice. She’s a strong person, always patient and forgiving me, even when sometimes I feel that I don’t deserve her. My mother never thinks twice about offering concern, comfort and care to anyone she meets. She’s a truly wonderful person. My mother gives me a sense of security by showing me that she’s always there. Even though we’re miles and miles apart, she’s still with me in spirit, guiding me when I’m lost, helping me find the solution to the toughest problems you can imagine. She doesn’t need to tell me that she cares, I can understand her by the tone of her voice. She’s there to appreciate my laughter, she’s there to dry my tears, and most of all, she’s there to help me understand and accept life’s ups and downs. A lot has happened between us over the years, we spent time together, and time apart. There were times when I thought we couldn’t get any closer, and there were times when we seemed so far apart. But somehow, ever since I left home, we seem closer now than ever, maybe not by distance, but by our hearts. Happy Birthday Ma, I love you so much.

What Dreams May Come

2009-06-07T03:51:00.000-07:00

I borrowed this entry (below, italicized) from a friend; you can check out his site @ http://vicksinhalingman.blogspot.com/

The result of the ingenuity of a person who uses different types of wooden materials to make his own home. He even made his own veranda using wooden sticks. If a person could make a multifaceted creation like this out of a pile of wood, what hinders him from applying his ability to other endeavors? All of us have creative ideas hidden inside. But sometimes, we don’t let these ideas out for fear of ridicule and failure. Let’s nurture the creative ideas in our heads. Start small and nurture it. Maybe our small ideas could lead to bigger breakthroughs.

This entry (above) has brought me into thinking that we can achieve whatever things we hope for, so long as we use our minds and will to its full capacity. With a positive outlook, we can do wonders. When we change our thinking, we change our beliefs; when we change our beliefs, we change our expectations, performance, and finally our lives.

I believe that we can make what we want out of our lives. Positive thinking can change a person’s life by understanding the mind – setting goals and using creative imagination. But of course, there will always be negative circumstances; and we need to learn to overcome them, if not to eliminate (especially stress). Despite the negative conditions that we all face, there are many positive aspects of all our lives. We can focus more of our attention on the positive than on the negative. That’s when creative thinking and imagination takes place.

As the saying goes by William Ward, “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.” Dreams are nothing but the thoughts and ideas of one’s mind. They predict the character of the person. If one’s thoughts are good, then one will see good dreams; and if someone’s thoughts are bad, he/she will see bad dreams. Thus, dreams are good or bad intentions of people.

Dreams can actually come true if we can make them come true. Dreams provide us the actual picture of our thoughts. It tells us about any physical event which took place with us or which is going to happen. Basically, we can dream about just about anything, logical or illogical, fictitious or non-fictitious, and reasonable and unreasonable. Often it gives us good ideas, which we could never imagine. Dreams can give us hope, courage and determination to some creative work, especially in our darkest and boring hours.

All successful people are big dreamers. They imagined what their future could be, ideal or bad. Generally, everybody in this world dreams, but not as aggressive to work out on their creative minds. We can learn from dreams what we lack, so hold fast to dreams for without them we are like birds with broken wings.

But then again, a dream is just a dream unless we make it come true. So, let us be bold with our ideas and fear not failure or the mockery of other people. Failures and disappointments will pass, but if we give up, the feeling of not achieving our dreams will last a lifetime.

Regardless of Outcome, There Are No Wrong Decisions

2009-06-03T06:56:00.000-07:00

Many of us have a hard time making decisions. We fear that if we choose the wrong partner, then we’ll be stuck in an unhappy relationship. Or, if we make the wrong financial decision, we’ll make a bad investment. Yet, there are no wrong decisions. Perhaps we could, at times, make different choices regarding our relationships, personal pursuits, careers, or the right color of paint we should buy for our bedroom. Yet, regardless of the outcome, we always gain valuable experience or insights from any choice we make. Making a decision is always better than making no decision at all. At least we had the courage to decide, take a chance, and make a move in a particular direction. We can’t take action unless we make a decision first. And, a decision is never wrong because we always gain something from it – whether we get what we thought we intended or learn a valuable lesson. Sometimes, we need to follow through on a decision to realize that we don’t really want what we thought we did. For instance, maybe you always wanted to live in a big city, so you leave family, friends, and a secure job in a small town to move across the country. However, once you get there, you find out that you don’t really like city life. You never could have known that unless you tried it. So, you move back home, all the more appreciative of small town living. Rather than constantly wondering what else is out there, you are now able to fully embrace your surroundings and the direction your life there is taking. Your decision to move to the city did work out - just not in the way that you envisioned. While our decisions may not always lead us to what we thought we wanted, we always end up with what will ultimately make us happiest. Being able to make decisions is one of life’s privileges. Exercise your right to fearlessly decide.

Social Network War

2009-06-03T03:55:00.000-07:00

It’s been almost 2 months since my last entry. I’ve been a slave of my job for the last few weeks; been working in extended hours, day and night just to beat up our quotas. Our numbers were great so far, but we still have to beat them up for the rest of the year.

Anyway, someone has recently invited me to join Facebook. I already have a Friendster account (and Multiply) and I really don’t want to participate in so many social on-line network for one solid reason – I can not update them regulary. And I don’t quite get the idea of maintaining lots of it when in fact I am connected with the same friends all across these networks. Well, I still joined, just for the fun of it.

What’s with these on-line social networks, anyway? There’s actually been an on-going social network war in our office; which is better – Friendster or Facebook?

In the Philippines Friendster is still the no. 1 social network but the way Friendster is engaging in so many spam comments, security problems & malwares, lots of people now are using Facebook.

Now let us look at how the networks compare to each other…

The Feel – Similiarities and Differences

Similar Features

• Friend Updates• Upload Photos and Videos• Comments (Friendster)/ the Wall (Facebook)• Send a Smile (Friendster)/ Poke (Facebook)• Connect with School/ College Friends• Fans Profiles• Shout Out (Friendster)/ What am I doing right now (Facebook)• Classifieds• Bulletin Boards (Friendster)/ Events and Feed (Facebook)• Send a Smile (Friendster)/ Poke (Facebook)• Groups and Discussion Forums

Differences

Level of Privacy. Both Friendster and Facebook have customizable privacy settings, and allow their users to choose what profile visitors can and cannot see. However, Facebook is stricter when it comes to privacy, as full viewing of profiles is restricted to 1st-degree friends only; whereas Friendster allows anyone, including non-registered Friendster browsers, to explore and view all “open” profiles.

Blogs. Friendster has its own blog-builder open to its users which works like and just as customizable as any other weblog publishing site. The Friendster blog is linked to the user profile page and opens up into a separate window when accessed. Facebook on the other hand, only allows users to post links to their external weblogs on their Facebook profiles.

Applications. Facebook’s Applications is what sets it apart from Friendster. Due to its restricted layout and small fonts, adding applications to the Facebook profile is easy as a breeze. Due to Facebook Platform which allows developers to create applications to be shared and used within the Facebook community, Facebook has a well of fun applications that users can add to their own and their friends’ profiles ranging from games, quizzes, polls, virtual gestures, etc.

Easter Celebration

2009-04-12T01:59:00.000-07:00

Easter is a large celebration in the Christian community; therefore as our country is nominally of Christian background, a national holiday is observed.

Some people feel that this holiday has lost its religious significance in today’s society. They feel that as society has developed moving from theocracy, the focus on religion in our lives has become less of an issue whilst we live in such a multi-cultural society. Therefore the development of society has managed to overlook the religious significance of this holiday in our lives. They feel that as Easter is not as widely spread as Christmas, it does not get across the message of Jesus’ victory over death and so consequently people misunderstand the reason for their holiday. They also argue that Easter has become a highly commercial event, by which, people exploit the season and mislead people as to the real meaning of the event, replacing the joy of Christ’s resurrection with chocolate eggs and bunnies. They also feel that as our world today become a multi-cultural society supporting many different religions, the message of God’s love for us may only be confined to those who have a belief in Christ so that certain beliefs and opinions are not forced on other sectors of the community to which the festival has no significance. Why then should these other people share in a Christian holiday to which they bear no loyalty, gaining no knowledge of Christian principles and values?

Others feel that the message of Jesus’ resurrection is brought across to the most people during the Easter season. For practicing Christians there are no qualms as the celebrations is at the pivotal point of their faith. For these people they can take comfort in the fact that Jesus has secured a place for [us] in heaven through his triumph in resurrection. There are number of non-practicing Christians, many of whom make an extra effort to go to church at crucial times in the churches year such as Easter and Christmas. To these people, Easter and Christmas represent something to believe in, a real event, which they can celebrate, rather than any other ordinary mass, which is why they make a special effort on these particular occasions. By attending church and celebrating Easter of the right reasons, Christians are setting an example to others by the way they act and live. The season of spring is actually representative of the season of Easter. We can see in our physical environment many signs of new life, which is an important aspect of the Christian festival of Easter. It is true that Easter is a very profitable for many people, but all these commercialisms such as eggs, bunnies of chicks have their origins lying in true religious meaning of Easter. The hollow egg represents an empty tomb from which Christ has risen after his victory over evil. The bunnies or chicks are both symbols of new life, which Christ has made possible for us. So with all these physical and commercial factors, how can the real meaning of the festival in Easter be lost?

I feel that there are many ways in which today’s society has developed and declined, therefore making the message of a religious festival in which only a certain amount of people are involved increasingly hard to spread. The message cannot though, be oblivious to all as at this time there are many different factors holding that message. I feel that to a faithful Christian, this message is at the heart of their spiritual life and so can not be lost, and as they act as they do when they have received the message of humanity’s salvation, they are a constant reminder to others of Jesus’ love for us.

High School: The Best Four Years of My Life

2009-04-06T02:09:00.000-07:00

The happiest part of life is high school life. This is the phase of life when one would enjoy life to the fullest without anything to worry about and with all your friends around enjoying with you. High school life is a happy go lucky life. There is no need to study very hard. Things were just easy and fun in high school.

During my high school days, we have a group we named The PGs (not The Patay-Gutom, but the The Pang-Gabi, because we usually hanged-out after class in the Night School Building canteen veranda. We were nine in the group and we all went along fine. Every afternoon before we go home we wait for each other in our usual hang-out place to chat and then finally go home together; it was as if things weren't complete if someone was missing. We did things together, went to places together and made our projects together. Even during study time we were together, under the narra tree in PEHM, inside a friend's house or in a vacant room in school studying and at the same time pitching in some conversations. We always made sure no one was left out from work and fun.

Sometimes if one member in our group was involved in a fight, all of us would get involved. And if one of us hates someone for making a pass on him or her, we would all hate him. In those early days, we were branded as the tough guys. But we were very happy and we enjoyed every bit of our companionship. Up to the last day of our high school we were all together.

We all went to different schools in college and our contacts dwindled until we lost contact with each other. What were left were the memories of yesterday that comes to mind from time to time. They were stored in my mind up to these days and it makes me smile as I think of how naughty we really were during our younger days.

High school life is fun and without hassles. In high school one has a few responsibilities and there is nothing to worry about grades if from time to time you try to look into your notes. High school life is also the time when young people are often involved in fights with each other. They are still trying to adapt to the early adult life and with their aggressive behavior often turn out in fights. This is usually true to boys who want to show how tough they are to others. Trivial things make them get heated easily which is part of their growing up years. Once boys and girls finish high school and go to college, their behaviors will change to that of adults. They are more mature and would know how to behave properly and be serious in their studies.

There's no doubt that life in high school is the best part of life where one could enjoy life to the fullest before having responsibilities to face. Enjoy your life while you are young and feel the difference as you grow older.

Books

2009-03-18T00:27:00.000-07:00

After a stressful week, my body finally succumbs to illness; I vomited-up everything I eat, so my body grew weaker and weaker everyday for the last 3 days of last week. But I am ok now; and with nothing else to do during rest days and time offs (because I am not allowed to do strenuous activities for a few days, so no workout for me), I went book hunting and swept all book bazaars in nearby malls. The following are the addition to my book list:

The Lost Gospel. This book by Herbert Krosney is about the quest for the lost gospel of Judas Iscariot; this is about how remarkable the gospel was written, condemned, buried, found, stolen, locked away, nearly destroyed, disassembled and finally resurrected and re-published for a modern audience – a total circus. The Gospel of Judas was never meant to be seen by anyone of the Christian faith. It almost never was.

Two Little Girls in Blue. Another classic by the queen of suspense, Mary Higgins Clark; I am currently reading another Clark's novel, so I have not really read the summary of this one; with this recent addition, I am so close to Clark’s complete book collection.

The Secret Life of Bees. This best-selling novel by Sue Monk Kidd was recently adapted in the big screen; starred by Queen Latifa, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson and Alicia Keys. I loved the movie. I want to re-live the mesmerizing world of the bee-keeping characters; so my sister and I took time to look for the novel in book sales.

Lambs of God. This book by Marele Day is about the 3 nuns living in a secluded monastery in Australian Coast. The 3 nuns were the only remaining in the ruined retreat, ignoring the outside world while concentrating the religiosity inherent in their repetition of daily life. Their only company is their faith in Jesus and the flock of sheep they tend. The nuns have taken to naming the sheep after their departed sister. While they don’t seem to honestly believe that the sheep were reincarnations of the women who used to live in the monastery, the lines were occasionally blurred. Into this structured world, a man comes, a priest, whom the sisters insist on naming after the ram who services the flock. The book really is about the different views of religion without fully advocating one view or the other. Instead, it prods each version of Christianity to show where it can be unraveled while demonstrating the firmness of faith which is held by the followers of the different ideologies.

My two recent additions to my book collection are two children classics – The Lord Flauntleroy by Frances Hodgsen Burnett and The Hound of the Baskervilles by Conan Doyle. As a child, I used to watch animated series on television; one of them was Cedie. Cedie was known as Cedric of Dorrin Court in the cartoons, but to Burnett he’s the Lord of Flauntleroy. I want to relive my childhood; this book would definitely help me to remember.

Stressed

2009-03-10T22:12:00.000-07:00

It’s been almost a month since my last entry; my karma has gone down because I have not run thru my chores. I was awfy busy for the last few weeks – with work, business, family and some personal stuff. The pressure’s way up over my head, felt like I was going to explode! Finally, the other night, I laid down all pretenses of me being fine or happy and gave in to the heaviness I felt inside; I cried until I dozed off. I have amulets, pendants and beaded bracelets that were suppose to obstruct bad luck and other bad elements; and also said to attract good karma. I wish there were such I could wear to block off miseries

Faith

2009-02-16T19:11:00.000-08:00

The common definition of faith is the belief in the value or trustworthiness of someone or something; but to me is much more. It is the knowledge that things in life, good or bad may come to pass, but the world and all of its wonders will keep existing.

This insight is not new to us, whether our belief is in God or as in my case in life itself, but it is often ignored. Faith can be something as simple as knowing that we are never truly alone even if we are far away from the ones we love; knowing our family or friends will be there to happily greet us, when after a long day, we finally do get home.

Faith is the knowing that the sun will smile down upon the earth in shimmering brightness during the day and will hide its face from us when the glowing moon chases it from the sky. Likewise in the morning, the sun will awaken us from our dreaming as will the moon return later to come and say goodnight.

The Human Life

2009-02-12T01:08:00.000-08:00

Human life is a truly beautiful and amazing gift, and along with the opportunity to inhabit these bodies and this planet comes a great responsibility. Human kind was given the capacity for unlimited mental processes, and as a result, we are custodians of this planet and responsible for the advancement and evolution of our species. In order for humanity to evolve to the next level necessary to create a more peaceful and unified society, each individual must tap into their core of potential and achieve a level of self-realization and improvement, which is the ultimate key to creating a better world.

The evolution of our race will be a gradual process, which will only occur once each individual takes responsibility for their own self-realization and improvement. The world will begin to be a better place once each of us learns to connect to our true selves. This can help us down the path to self-discovery, and there are also an enormous number of practical and simple things that people can do daily with minimal effort that will have ripple effects throughout the globe.

This would be my last entry for my "it's just an amazing world" series; I hope everyone will take part on making our world a better place to live in. We may not get what we planned for that instant; we may seldom receive any guarantee that our endeavors will materialize, but once we begin something, great forces come to our aid. And finally, smile, for there is much beauty and greatness in the world.

Amused

2009-02-09T20:26:00.000-08:00

People of all ages, shapes, sizes, financial statuses, and interests pour in vast numbers each year into such amusement parks as Disney Land (or Enchanted Kingdom or Star City – here in the Philippines). Why the fascination with these places, even to the point of repetitive visits? Each individual has his own reason, but there are a few common to all. Here in a make-believe world can be found something for everyone.

On stepping from a sometimes harsh, ugly world through the gates of a “magic kingdom,” one can do (for a short while) anything he desires. Vicarious living, with all the thrills and dangers of adventure in faraway places or daring escapades unavailable in everyday life, is here for the price of a ticket. There are wild rides – twisting, dipping, now fast then slow, breath-taking, almost dangerous. For a few minutes one can live on the edge of danger but always with the knowledge that safety is only inches and seconds away. Tamer rides are available for the children of all ages who prefer their thrills in more sedate doses. There are beautiful, clean, and true-to-life (or better than life) amusements here; everything is pretty, always works, and ends before boredom sets in. there are rides that take one through countries, fantasy worlds, even into a mildly threatening outer space, and always with the security of a safe return. Threatening animals become friends and are totally predictable, clean and nicer than the real thing. One can even return to the past, seeing of course only nostalgic beauty in the good old days, and handily passing over any unpleasant memories. The future can be attained in seconds, showing the wonders in store for one as a result of the marvelous technological advances of mankind.

The Handyman with Buzz

The Handyman @ The Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong

So are seen reasons for the tremendous popularity of the amusement parks. All in one package, for one price, instant gratification is there, everyday, year-round. All need and desire escape from ordinary lives. The amusement parks provide this escape.

Better World

2009-02-09T01:47:00.000-08:00

There is an abundance of beauty and good in the world, but it still has plenty of problems. The world could be made better. Many of us would like to help build a better world, but taking on the whole world as a project can certainly seem overwhelming. Where does one begin? What can one person with simple resources do? Anybody can help build a better world; the actual work may not be easy but it will be chalenging and rewarding. And it will also likely be a lot of fun.

Own Ourselves. Recognize that we are a free and unique individuals and make decisions to own ourselves in spirit, mind and body. Become the owner of our lives and destiny and take personal responsibilityfor them.

Empowerment. Creating a better world requires the efforts of powerful individuals. We can contribute to the new population of powerful individuals by starting with ourselves. Empower physically by getting optimum nutrition and exercising for strength, flexibility and endurance. Empower mentally by learning critical and creative thinking skills. Learn how to learn and seek more knowledge. Empower emotionally by learning to appreciate and adopting an attitude of optimism. Empower financially by learning money skills and how we can create and manage multiple streams of income. Learn to make the most of what we have. Use our skills and resources to seek, obtain and create new skills and resources. Cultivate beneficial personal and professional relationships. As we become powerful, we will have more opportunities to make a better world and greater capability to effectively act on those opportunities.

Create Value. We can immediately begin to improve those parts of the world that we can have immediate influence over; let's say by improving our own attitudes and interactions with others. We could look for ways to create new value in our personal and work relationships. As an optimists, we can look for the good in each situation and expand it or look for the good that we can put into the situation.

Be a Mentor. Consider what we have achieved by owning ourselves, becoming powerful and creating value and how we can help that steps to replicate itself in the lives of others by acting as mentors. We can act as counselors for others and draw out the potential in others and help them develop it. We can always be on the lookout for opportunities to share what we know about self-ownership, becoming powerful and creating value. Those we mentored will often teach us new things about these steps through their insights.

By doing all of these, we will greatly improve our own lives as well as making significant contributions to a better world on our own scale and from our own unique position.

Our Roles in Community Development

2009-02-07T20:32:00.000-08:00

As part of my “It’s Just an Amazing World” series, I’d like to share with you this essay I wrote way back in 1995 when I was still a Junior in High School; this was part of our public speaking class. Though this does not really talk much about our “amazing world” I’d like to share it still.

Youth, the condition of being young, immature and inexperienced, just like you and me. But there’s more than being young. We are idealistic. We are full of hopes and dreams. We struggle and fight for our rights and freedom. We aim to have our own identity, and always try to have the sense of security, confidence, courage to reach goals, and grow with faith, knowledge and wisdom. We are the embodiment of hope, peace, unity and progress. That’s what we are - for we are the youth.

But time changes it all. Our innocence slowly disappears, leading us in understanding and awareness about facts of life, preparing us to face the challenges the world has to offer. Pains, sacrifices and problems, all expecting to be solved.

We are not oblivious, disregardful of what is happening around us. We are aware, and so are very much affected by the crimes that are taking place minute after minute. There you have massacres, robberies, rape cases, kidnappings and others. And what about the politicians - the respected officials of our community. They, too, have committed crimes, graft and corruption is common among them. But the problems did not stop there. Our environment has also been destructed due to pollution and forest denudation that causes floods, global warming and other catastrophes. And there you also have the menace of drug addiction and prostitution that become rampant among younger generation. Through all these our economy has become fully distorted, ruined, and gravely afflicted with interlocking diseases that send many people to extreme poverty, which we are now beginning to suffer. What else are about to come? Where are we going? Absolutely nowhere!

It is comforting to know that there are still some good leaders who are doing their best to cure the ills of our society. However, things will not work if we are not to cooperate with others. We have to work and fight together. Let principle overcome pleasure, physical strength by mind, and safety over fun.

We, the new generation play an important role in the community development because we are the future leaders of the nation. By sharing our ideas and setting our goals we will ease the burden of our country, making it for Filipinos a better place to live in.

We, as the bridge of success must fear nothing because we have voices and freewill. We are free to do anything beneficial to other people. But this does not necessarily mean doing something beyond our abilities, capabilities, and beyond our strength. Finding solutions to the problem apparently needs lots of hands, and heads working together. We can join organizations or clubs who aim to develop youth to fight against drug abuse and prostitution. We can participate in conventions which encourage youth about environmental protection. Or just begin with simple act just like planting trees in our own backyard and manage proper waste disposal. These simple acts will lead us into greater deeds, since a long walk begins with a single step.

All we need is discipline and absolute determination to bring back prosperity and progress to our nation. We are running out of time, tomorrow may be too late, that is why we have to start now.

It's Just an Amazing World

2009-02-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

I watched the Discovery Channel & NGC while atop on the treadmill yesterday at the gym; I stared on the boob-tube with amazement. I have seen similar features in the past (on a different angle) but watching them still inspires me. It’s just an amazing world and for the coming days I will be posting here articles about our wonderful world and how can we help to make it a better place.

Distressed

2009-02-07T02:34:00.000-08:00

I was out in the office for 2 days for my personal time off and during those days I missed a lot of happenings in the office. Bad things, mostly; well, I guess I just have to let it pass, it doesn’t concern me anyway. I have my own going-ons and muddling up with them will just jumble up my already distressed mind.

I have mentioned previously in my entries about patching up my career track; and as I was planning my vocation out of the telco, an unanticipated offer was made (I can’t discuss it here, it’s too risky; but I have discussed this in my other blog). And for the last two weeks I have received two job offers from other companies; G—‘s offer is quite enticing, and M—‘s was ok, but I really need to sit and reflect on this; the 3 offers are quite equally attractive, as far as compensation is concern, not to mention the "freestyle" working schedule G's offering. I hate to leave my current job. I am comfortable working with the telco; feels like I’m a fish in an ocean – so big, yet I’m acquainted with my surroundings head on. But even a little fish has to swim away from its habitat if necessities call for it.

Love, Love, Love...

2009-02-02T19:02:00.000-08:00

Everybody has felt it at one time or another, be it for a person, pet or even a non-living object; that feeling is love. Love is felt in different intensities. It may consume your whole being or perhaps just a little crush. Some people search for what seem their entire lifetimes for love, while others may seem to fall in and out of love on a regular basis. We can love many things but the love between couple is unique and special.

Love is rarely defined because everyone experiences it differently. What one person thinks is love, another may think is infatuation or vice versa. How does one know he or she is in love? There are many ways or symptoms; one ordinary thing becomes romantic or special when a person is in love. But love is often confused with infatuation because it is so all-consuming. Lovers are usually on each other’s mind. A person may make decisions based on the other, say whether or not to move to a different location for a job or just simply to follow when the other move to a different location (I can so relate to this). People make large life decisions based on their partners because they can’t imagine life without those people. So consumed by it that can sometimes cloud their minds as to what the right decision may be. After all, love can be extremely selfless.

Romantic love can be compared as being like in drunkenness; like too much alcohol or happy drugs. Love takes over all senses in a person and somewhat changes his or her outlook. A person in love is often said to be all-smiles and is difficult to make unhappy. It is no wonder most people seek out love (sigh). It is so overpowering; it has the emotional intensity that forever changes the simplicity of feelings we have for others; that’s why friends who became lovers rarely can go back to being “just friends”.

We can not really understand love better. We experience it in different ways and may not agree with the definitions. In the end, it doesn’t matter whether or not your kind of love fits into any category. Love is personal, and the most important thing is that it makes people feel good. When people love each other, there is no room for hate.

February Sickness

2009-01-31T02:19:00.000-08:00

I had my personal time-off yesterday but I still feel restless due to lack of sleep. I worked in the morning and gripped to my books soon as I got home and held them. I have read 3 enormous (literally) books this week and spent most of my slumber time turning the pages. Amazing! I was never been this absorbed to books in my entire life.

Anyway, the week is almost over and so is the first month of the year. It would be February in a few hours, the much awaited time for lovers to, more than usually express their love to their better halves. But really, we don’t need to wait for Valentine’s Day to pass on our affection to others; we can actually do this every day.

In any case, I dread for this day to come; not that I don’t have a date or have someone to go out with, which is really my case at the moment, and not that I don’t mind, but really not a big deal. Do I sound bitter? Well, I guess I am. My last serious relationship was almost 2 years ago and will turn 2 on February. See how dim-witted I am? Nobody actually celebrate break-ups, it’s just me. I have dated much ever since but no matter how hard I try to not think about the day my heart was wrecked I just couldn’t press it on the back of my mind; because I was too involved in the relationship that everything around me still reminds me of the connection that I thought was perfect. Though it was ages ago, when I unintentionally reflect on the past, I could still feel the pain like the first time. I have written a lot about this in the past believing that the soreness and anger would drain altogether with the words, but all the same it stings.

Even so, I never gave up on love. The bond maybe broken, but it doesn’t stop there; it simply means that another love is about to begin, a much greater love. The thought of this brings a little hope just like clinging from a cliff, refusing to fall. It’s true, I’m in love with love and that's how I get my strength to keep on living.

Resolutions

2009-01-23T02:53:00.000-08:00

Just turned 29, and I can’t help but think about how far I’ve come at this point in my life, and if I have to evaluate myself, I have accomplished nothing great so far. This 2009, I’ve come up with a few resolutions that I hope could help me heave up to the pedestal.

Career Plans. When I was still very young, I dreamed of working with an advertising agency; so I majored Marketing when I was in college hoping to learn more about advertising. When I was still in school my imagination gone wild and got fancy with TV ads and authored lots of story boards. Some actually made it to our final presentation in Advertising class. But when I graduated from college, I landed on a job in a bank and worked as a bookkeeper for 2 years. Desperate still to make some stints in advertising, I resigned from work and with high hopes look for another job. Ad jobs were not available in Davao back then; so again I took a job from a telco and worked as a CSR ever since. My job in the telco was very dynamic; I have handled different functions that were not in my job description and been assigned to different locations (my current location is my 5th BC assignment). Nevertheless, I was happy and contented with my job, or thought I was. Looking back, I felt disheartened for not running after my goals.

This year, I will definitely have a run for them; I’d like to venture in a lot of things, like fabrics and photos. For clothing, I like matching palette of colors; I love them, it fascinates me. But my passion for colors is not only limited to fabric but also other mediums or just about everything – houses, interiors, furniture, even print ads. Currently I am on a look-out for schools offering vocations courses such as this.

Apart from colors, my other passion is teaching. I took up masters hoping to join the academe; unfortunately, I was not able to finish the program. I was lured to climbing the corporate ladder and relocated (I will have a different post for this one), so I never got the chance to finish the program. This year, I will definitely finish my thesis; I have a few start-up topics, went very well in the beginning but faced dead-end wall in the middle. Hopefully, I get to wrap it up this year.

Savings. This year, I and my sister Wei vowed to raise a certain amount of money for the renovation of our family home in Davao. I am here in Manila with my sister and my other brothers are in Cebu and Bohol getting on with their lives. But we still visit Davao like once a year and ours is a growing family. Though our home can still put up with us siblings, what about my nephews and in-laws? I’d like to think that whenever we’re home, we’re really home and that means under one roof and not in some hotels.

Just recently I opened a save-up account; that should start it. Videoke night-outs with friends, fancy dinners, movies, expensive shoes and shirts will all be slash-out. My social life will face near extinction, but no worries, I’ll hold my attention to fitness, reading and studies. Now, that’s better. I just hope I can keep up with it.

Hypertension

2009-01-20T03:14:00.000-08:00

I thought I was healthy; I eat more veggies and less meat, my alcohol intake is limited to special occasions and I run at least 5kms a day. I am not fat. I was in good shape, but not until yesterday. I woke up in the morning of Jan 19 and found myself soaked in my own sweat; the room was cool but I could feel the fret all over my body. I was trembling and I panicked; heat-attack knocked me out and I was beginning to feel dizzy, and breathing suddenly became a difficult task.

I ran to Makati Med and proceeded to E.R; there I found out that my BP swelled to 190/170. Not really my highest; I had 220 about 5 years ago, but haven’t have an attack for the longest time. Anyway, to cut the story short, I was caught in the E.R. for a couple of hours or so for the observation because I refused to be admitted. The nurse gave me two pills and almost instantly I dozed-off.

Lessons learned? A lot. Do not substitute coffee for water (I’m addicted to caffeine, what can I do, I’m just human – I’ll probably drink tea na lang). Do not eat gazillion of pasta and spare ribs at night or if you must, there should be at least 3-5 hours allowance before going to bed (January is my birthday month, so expect lots of dinner outs). Do not drink too much alcohol especially if your doctor already has restricted you to it (ang tigas kasi ng ulo diba?). And finally, do not exercise when you fell short of sleep.

Davao City in Pictures

2009-01-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

The City Hall of Davao, San Pedro Street Davao City, located in the heart of the city.

The City Hall by night.

The Emergency Response Center, Pichon Road, responses to all kind of emergencies.
Just dial 911; they will trace your location.

The departure lobby of the Davao International Airport.

Davao International Airport.

Famous for Vietnamese delicacies in Davao City is the Hanoi Restaurant, along Camus Extension. Just across Apo View Hotel and People's Park, so you can never miss it. Under the same roof is the Tsuru Japanese Restaurant - another best.

The Kopi Roti just opened in Davao City, along Torres Street - the avenue for KTV and resto-bars and health clubs in Davao City.

The BluGre Coffee is the pride of Davao, the first coffee shop in Davao City; offers a wide variety of coffee concoctions including the Durian Coffee. Located in SM City Davao, LandCo and Matina Town Square.

The Bell Tower in San Pedro Cathedral, San Pedro Street.

The San Pedro Cathedral.

The House of Representatives - The Sangguniang Panglungsod, along Magallanes Street.

The well-lit christmas tree of Victoria Plaza Mall, along J. P. Laurel Avenue. The riser on the right is the Pryce Tower and on the left is the LandCo Pacific Tower. My dad did the FS for the Pryce Towers.

It's the same well-lit christmas tree of Victoria Plaza Mall.

J.P. Laurel Avenue during the day.

Quirino Avenue, my favorite street in Davao City.

Tower Inn along Quirino Avenue.

Ateneo de Davao University, along Roxas Avenue and C. M. Recto Street.
My Alma Mater.

The charming little condo-tel, the C5 along Roxas Avenue.

Roxas Avenue. The rise on the left is the Marco Polo Hotel and on the right is the Ateneo de Davao.

The Amphitheatre in Jack's Ridge, Matina.

The Jack's Ridge by night. Atop the resort is the panoramic view of the entire Davao.

The SM City Davao, Quimpo Boulevard Ecoland Matina.

The Gaisano Mall of Davao, J. P. Laurel Avenue.

Back of Victoria Plaza Mall.

Beside Victoria Plaza Mall.

Front of Victoria Plaza Mall.

People's Eco Park.

The Pearl Farm Beach Resort in Samal Davao.

Liguid Island, Samal Davao.

Isla Reta, Samal Davao.

Street Dancing during the Festivities.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-23T22:05:00.000-08:00

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.

May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through!

Born to Shop

2008-12-23T01:15:00.000-08:00

It's happening again. Your attention's diverted; you glance over, then glance back. You close your eyes heavily, quickly shaking your head. "Stop it!" you say to yourself. And you do, but only for a moment. Looking down at your palms, they become glazed with trickles of perspiration. You can also feel the sweat bead through your toes in your sandals, and your knees buckle but for a moment. Tension levels are rising, the heart beats faster, the air becomes heavier, you're gasping for air. "There's only so much I can take," you tell yourself. Indeed, there is. You take a seat, reach down to your pocket, and take out your . . . wallet. What were you expecting, a puffer? Well, while asthma is still a common and serious problem, another grim problem has been around for just as long: compulsive shopping. Compulsive shopping, if you think about it, is sort of a hilarious term. We probably have two different types of shoppers. You may be one of those clever type who shudders at the mere thought of Christmas and birthdays, let alone going out to shop for fun. Or, you may be a Paris Hilton, whose lust for platinum limitless American Expresses and Louis Vuitton bags gave rise to the notion of a black hole. Well, there are some who are loaded enough to streak their friends and family on birthday or Christmas; other are princes enough to puff big bucks on a bag that could conceivably be purchased on streets in Recto or Divisoria for a few hundreds of pesos. Most of us probably fall into that happy medium of shoppers whose credit card actually has a limit and lust for materialism actually has a ceiling.

But you know impulse shopping can hit anyone at anytime. It's a topic that, in our society, is frequently overlooked as a problem and can often be at the butt end of a joke. In reality, it can be an issue that can not only hamper people financially, but if pursued far enough, mentally and emotionally as well.There is such thing as a compulsive shopping disorder, and the disorder is characterized by an intense drive to shop and buy unnecessary items. The women tend to indulge on makeup and clothing, while men tend to splurge on tools and electronics (metro-sexuals mostly spend for clothing, too). The results can have real effects, and has often been at the vanguard of busted lives. And the effects can be really surprising: ended marriages and some business have even been forced to closure due to this disorder. Influences from our society and culture have quite a bit something to do about this. For instance, the credit card is incredibly easy to get. Not only do credit card companies have websites designed to specifically cater to average people’s needs, you've all probably seen them set up booths on campus, malls or just about everywhere giving freebies just for signing those application forms. Let's not forget those media-created demands. It seems like that emphasis on external appearance and the need to spend money to achieve happiness has made shopping an extremely high demand institution. You turn on the TV and there you see flashy commercials featuring handsome men and beautiful women showing-off the latest in trends. Also, there are many more mediums recently created to satiate that sweet wallet. Now, you can even gratify your shopping needs online or through those 24-hour shopping networks. I admit I was once hooked to eBay. Darn!

Shop-a-holics often, unknowingly, find themselves in a continuous cycle. Maybe you're depressed, bored or emotionally distressed. Consequently, these feelings may set-off those impulses to shop, because more often than not, shopping provides a sort-of euphoric state of being “high”. In your bored-down state you may all of a sudden see a wicked ad for a product and think that by buying it your feelings of power, attractiveness and security will heighten. But then after you bought it you feel a bit of a let-down, followed by guilt of unnecessarily spending money. So, you feel depressed again and the cycle repeats itself.

There are so many ways to lose yourself in compulsive shopping. Yet, with any addiction, there are ways out. One way is to keep on hand a strict shopping list that is easy to adhere to. For instance, the next time you go grocery shopping, do yourself a favor and write yourself a set list of items you want to buy. However, make sure to mark down a couple of goodies that you particularly love; this will help ensure that indulgence gap is filled.

Another way is to alleviate that boredom with something other than shopping. Again, quite often we feel the impulse to shop when we are going through spell of boredom and dreariness. So, it's important to find something that will successfully take that time off your hands. Go read, hang out with friends. I'm sure you can all think of even more.

Another way is to have a budget on extravagant expenses. Keep the length short and manageable - perhaps make your budget just for the month. Also, again leave yourself an arm-length for purchases you may want to make.

Finally, understand that again, psychologically, compulsive shopping will in actuality not make you happier. Having boxes of untouched shoes in your closet really doesn't do anyone much good.

Compulsive shopping is an attractive and underestimated lure whose consequences can be anything from an unusually large monthly credit card bill, to a marriage breakup. It's important to understand that anyone can fall into this pit. But hopefully with these tips of budgeting, keeping lists when you do go shopping, and being happy with whatever you have, you will be able to avoid the temptations of going on that spur-of-the-moment spending spree.

All I Want for Christmas

2008-12-19T05:45:00.000-08:00

It’s Christmas and I can’t help but to write something about it. This is the time when most people dread about upcoming. I can see that the importance of celebrating this season is bit by bit fading; at least for some people I know. Perhaps they have misunderstood the true meaning of Christmas.

Christmas is a time of renewal. A time when the best in humanity is called forth amid the safety of traditions. A time when it feels good to give, when grievances are put an end to, when Heaven comes to Earth for a moment. Most of us ceased to believe in Christmas because we tend to think of it as a time only for the children. True. Christmas is for the children and it gives each one of us the opportunity to be a child again. To wake up early in the morning with presents under the tree; to be held by an adoring mother and father and assure us that everything will be okay forever.

Christmas is a perfect time to start over, to make big changes, to do a turnaround. If we could see ourselves as the adored child, we might remember our innocence. Instead of offering the New Year resolutions, we could give it our brand new selves; leave behind the mistakes, the regrets, the hurtful words, all of them.

This Christmas, let us be the child and cradle ourselves. Let us be the gift. Start our lives out the way we always wanted by acknowledging the bountiful gift of spirit with angels singing that each of us is a very special being; is reborn. Take this new self into the New Year, resolving to express joy to all we meet.

I am not a particularly religious person; nonetheless, Christmas holds a special place in my heart. To me, it is the most magical time of the year. Something about the cold air in the night, the soft light, the Christmas trees, Christmas parties, the carols, the shopping, the fruitcakes, the smell of something roasting in the oven, the drunk friends, the kris-kringle… the presents! But honestly, I stopped wanting or asking for gifts ages ago. What matters most is having a happy life and healthy friends and family.

Kiel in the Middle

2008-12-10T21:59:00.000-08:00

A remark to Kiel’s write up. Though the big four-O is a year away, I’d still like to say something.

They say, life begins at 40. Something about turning this particular age makes it different from all previous birthdays, and it’s often strongly resisted.

Nothing is wrong with that except wrinkles begin to appear, youthful glow and appeal forever lost. Energy is at a premium when physically tough activities and late night partying and working seem so long past. Memory begins to fade except for routinary functions and deep-seated social habits.

Things that one has vigorously done in youth have become, one by one, un-achievable. Illnesses begin to sprout, sexual prowess begin to wane. Moods swing, move to and fro, dip and rise. There is a sense that some phase is being completed, but this often gives rise to anxiety – the well-known mid-life crisis. Feelings of emptiness often accompany the completion of any major project or phase of life. One wonders what to do next, how to fill the gap. For forty-somethings, youth and its seemingly limitless possibilities are felt to be ending, ambitions remain unfulfilled, physical energy is often diminished, and death becomes more of a reality.

The loss of physical energy, youthful beauty, and the onset of incapability to enjoy life sensually and creatively cause some to seek pleasure in witnessing the incapability of others to do what they want to do, so the saying goes, misery loves company, has partial truth in here. And for the mid-lifers, the only way to do such actions with impunity is to enforce their will within the traditional positional relations structures present in modern society. This is not to say that all who undergo mid-life crisis are scrooges, irritable, and heavy-handed. They are the aged who relate with the young not in terms of inter-humanity but rather in solipsistic complacency, subconsciously using advantageous situations to hold power within interpersonal relations, denying the inter-human aspect of social interaction.

Turning 40 is not something you can change and it certainly beats the alternative. At 39 you may not have the firm thighs or the youthful vitality of your teens, but you have the confidence you lacked then, some of the best life experiences and a little bit of wisdom; and in no doubt dresses better than ever, than anybody. You must have lots of regrets in your life, but regrets are really more about what you have not done than what you have. You may have missed your chance to be a super-model (or was it kawadjan who missed it), an actor, a writer, a celebrity or a Fab. But you have a great life now - a life of success and magnificence. You have a comfortable home, food on the table, your health and family, and most importantly you are with someone you love. Not a lot really is it and I bet you would still want a few things changed if you had your time over, but we really can not go back in time. Growing up, you did some resolutions for yourself – finish college, get high-flying, high-paying jobs, travel the world and meet fabulously handsome men. You were happy, and I know you’re happy still. But reaching the mid-life caught you up with emptiness and was force to accept that not all nights were good nights and not all good parties last. Now what would your resolution be when you finally turn 40? I guess you have not decided on that, but I have a suggestion. Be thankful, be fun, be happy, be nice, but most of all, be you and look forward to it. You may be over the hill, but your friends and family will love you still.

Mournful Grace

2008-12-08T22:12:00.000-08:00

I have received a text message from a long time friend; in his message, he poured all his emotions, and seemed to be blaming the world for everything bad that happened to his life – for all the failed relationships he had, for the pain. I was disturbed with his text messages and decided to call him to check if he was ok; he answered and he was obviously drunk, but our conversation fell short as he dropped off. But in that short period, I came to realize that it was not just me who was feeling awful all this time. While I was concerned with all the hardships I have to endure, I did not imagine that other people have problems, too, perhaps worst.

I have met this friend roughly 3 years ago over a night-out with a common friend. I could still remember there was this one night after bar hopping with friends we gathered up in a coffee shop. He was sitting on the opposite side; barely knew him then and I was surprised how profound our conversation turned out. We had coffee but it seemed to be the least of things we need aside from the so many things in our minds that time. So we agreed to have beer again. We had several beers and so several emotional discussions. We shared thoughts on love and hate, love lost again, meeting former lovers again, and on issues that only a few can understand. Just like me, he was entangled in his own maze of personal vision, cynicism, hopes, dreams, frustrations, realizations that made him a colorful and a mysterious person. I can see him perfectly as I am, like looking at a mirror, and it was just on my thoughts that he was trying to hide something from me. He seemed happy to me but he smiled intriguingly.

Now looking back at these thoughts I felt disheartened and kept me thinking the whole afternoon until evening how fate could have turned against him. After he dropped the call, I tried to call him again, but he did not answer the calls. He did not turn off his mobile, so I decided to send him a text message instead. I flew off from my chair when I got his reply message – God forgive me. Thanks and Goodbye.

Who Do You Say I am?

2008-11-29T19:52:00.000-08:00

You might want to ask what has brought me to write about this. I don’t want to put into details what have transpired. But I was a victim. I was hurt. And I want people to know and understand who I really am before they make conclusions about me. If only people cared more to learn and understand about other people, I believe, this will greatly reduce tensions among them.

Who am I? What am I? I am a 28 year-old single male, a student, a worker, a brother, a son, a lover, a friend, a tiny dot in a very big universe. I am 5 feet 6 inches tall, fair skin, dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, and average weight; overall I am just an ordinary person.

These things are noticeable, but I am not necessarily what I become visible. Like me, there are a lot of “ordinaries” in this universe, but how does one become extra-ordinary? Is it if one stands out among others? Maybe. But I believe a person steps above ordinary when he learns to relate and communicate with the others.

I seem shy and very quiet at first glance, until you get to know me. I have been told numerous times that on the first look most people would think that I am “suplado” and not very nice. I do not generally waste my time on trying to change other people’s opinions of me; if they only spend more time with me they will find that I am not what they think I am. What other people took for rudeness is actually just me being shy or aloof, and not trying to offend them. I do not have all the time in world to make whims and take on with other people when in fact I am busy dealing with my own troubles. It also seems to irritate people that I do not talk more. I am more of a listener and go by the rule that if you do not have anything to say and the person does not seem interested in what you do have to say, then do not say anything nice or otherwise. I do not really like to bore people with constant ramblings about things they do not want to hear about.

Now as for my career, I have not done anything great so far. I guess I can’t live up other people’s expectations of me. But this is my life to live. I do not think of myself as a character other people want me to play in their world. I have no way to explain how I view myself. This is me. I do not see a point in playing the roles other people expect me to play. I have my own dreams and those are not one of them. That might seem a bit odd because people would normally do what the society tells them to do. But I believe the society will not suffer because I did not play those roles.

There are predetermined notions about everything, but how I interact and confront with them has wrought my way of thinking, my way of perceiving others around me. And I make every effort to not be the typecast, as long as it is within reason. But no matter how I strive hard not to be one, there are times I commit such unknowingly and realized about it after the crime.

For years now, I have worked with a lot of people, different races and religions. And this experience has totally changed my perspective on them. I learned more about their culture, most especially, and found that what seem to be visible to the eyes could not be held as totally true.

I am handyman. My environment has shaped who I am, for good and for bad. I battle some stereotypes and try to be different. I try not to judge others before I know them. I am neither perfect, nor do I try to be. Although I do not fight, I still learn and I listen to what is going on around me. I am ignorant, but the fact that I know I am, has set me on the path to reveal my eyes.

And to those people who are judgmental, you might want to step-up and be extra-ordinary.

The Best of Everything

2008-11-13T22:10:00.000-08:00

I was so inspired by this story. This was sent to my email this morning, and as I was reading it, I was again fascinated by love; so unconditional!

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80s arrived to have his stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00am.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies and removed his sutures and re-dressed his wound.
While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor’s appointment this morning, as he was such in a hurry.

The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer’s disease.

As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.

I was surprised, and asked him, “And you still go every morning, even thought she doesn’t know who you are?”

He smiled as he patted my hand and said, “She doesn’t know me, but I still know who she is.”

I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, “That is the kind of love I want in my life.”

True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be and will not be. The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

Bless the Child

2008-11-12T21:34:00.000-08:00

I have pulled this story out from my e-mail yesterday; this is yet another inspiring story about life, to keep your optimism burning and see the light amidst the darkness. Here it goes…

Somewhere in Biliran, Tacloban, there lived a fourth grader, a boy who followed this route to school everyday: He has to cross the rugged plains and cross the dangerous highway where vehicles are recklessly driving endlessly.

Once past this highway, the boy would take a short-cut, passing by the church every morning just to say “hi” to God and faithfully say his “good morning” in Waray dialect. He was faithfully being watched by a priest who was very happy to find innocence so uplifting in the morning.

“How are you, Andoy? Are you on your way to school?”, the priest asked.

“Yes, Father”, the boy replied.

He would then flash his innocent grin, and the priest would be touched. He was so concerned that one day he talked to Andoy.

“From school…”, he advised, “do not cross the highway, you can pass through the church and I can accompany you to the other side of the road, that way I can see that you are home safe”.

“Thank you, Father”, he replied.

“Why don’t you go home… do you stay in this church right after school?”, the priest asked.

“I just want to say hi to my friend, God”, the boy said.

And the priest would leave the boy to spend time beside the altar, talking to himself, but the priest would stay behind the altar, hiding to listen to what this boy has to say to his friend.

“You know, my math exam was pretty bad today, but I did not cheat although my seatmate was bullying me for notes… I ate one cracker and drank my water, itay had a bad season and all I can eat is this cracker. Thank you for this! I saw a poor kitten that was hungry and I know how he feels so I gave my last cracker to him… funny but I am not that hungry anymore. Look, this is my last pair of slippers… I may have to walk barefoot next week, you see this is about to be broken, but it is okay, at least I am still going to school. Some say we will have a hard season this month, some of my classmates have already stopped going to school. Please help them get to school again. Please God? Oh, you know inay hit me again, it was painful, but I know the pain will pass away; at least I still have a mother… God, you want to see my bruises? I know you can heal them… Here, here… and oh, blood… I guess you knew about this one, huh? Please don’t be mad at inay, she was just tired and she worries a lot for the food on our table and my studies that’s why she hits us. Oh, I think I’m in love… there’s this pretty girl in my class, her name is Anita… do you think she will like me? Anyway, at least I know you will always like me, I don’t have to be anybody just to please you, and you are my very best friend! Hey, your birthday is two months from now! Aren’t you excited? I am! Wait until you see, I have a gift for you… but it is a surprise! I hope you will like it! Ooops, I have to go…”, then he stood up and called out for the priest.

This routine happens every day; Andoy never fails. Father Agaton shares this story every Sunday to the people in his church because he has not seen a very pure faith and trust in God, a very positive look at negative situations.

Two days before Christmas day, Father Agaton was sick so he could not make it to the church; he was then sent to the hospital. The church was left to four manangs who would chant the rosary in 1000 miles per hour; would not smile and would always find fault in what you do. They were also very versed in cursing and swearing if you irritate them.

They were kneeling, saying their kilometric rosary when Andoy, who just came from his school’s Christmas party, playfully dashed in.

“Hello God! I…”, the boy said.

“Putragis kang bata ka!!! We are busy here praying. Go away!”… said the manangs.

Poor Andoy was so terrified, “Where is Father Agaton? He is supposed to help me cross the street, and to be able to cross the street I will have to pass by the back door of this church… not only that, I have to greet Jesus, it’s his birthday today, I have a gift for him, right here..”

Just as he was about to get the gift, the manang pulled his shirt and dragged him out of the church.

“Susmaryosep! (Does the sign of the cross fervently).. Go away, or I will hit you!”… the manang said.

So the boy had no choice but to cross the dangerous side of the road in front of the church. He crossed. A fast moving bus came in. There was a blind curve. The boy was protecting his gift inside his shirt, so he was not looking. There was so little time. Andoy died on the spot. A lot of people crowded the poor boy, the body of a lifeless young boy.

Suddenly, out of nowhere a tall man in a pure white shirt and pants, a face so mild and gentle, but with eyes full of tears. He came and carried the boy in his arms. He was crying. Curious bystanders nudged the man in white and asked…

“Excused me sir, are you related to this child? Do you know this child?”, the man in crowd asked.

The man in white, his face mourning and in agony, looked up and answered, “He was my best friend…”, was all he said.

He took the badly wrapped gift in the bloody chest of the lifeless boy and placed it near his heart. He stood up and carried the boy away and they both disappeared in sight. The crowd was curious.

On Christmas Eve, Father Agaton heard of the shocking news. He visited the house of the boy’s family, wanted to know about the man in white. He consulted the parents of Andoy.

“How did you know that your son died?”, the priest asked the boy’s mother.

“A man in white brought him here”, sobbed the mother.

“What did he say?”, the priest asked again.

The boy’s father answered, “He didn’t say anything. He was mourning. We don’t know him and yet he was very lonely about our son’s death as if he knew our son very well. But there was something peaceful and unexplainable about him. He gave me my son and then smiled peacefully. He brushed my son’s hair away from his face and kissed him on his forehead, then he whispered something…”

“What did he say?”, Father Agaton asked.

“He said to my boy…”, the father began…”Thank you for the gift.. I will see you soon. You will be with me, he said. And for a while, it felt so wonderful. I cried but I do not know why. All I know was I cried tears of joy. I could not explain it, Father, but when the man left, something peaceful came over me. I felt a deep sense of love inside… I could not explain the in my heart. I knew my boy is n heaven now, but tell me Father, who is this man that my son talks to everyday in your church? You should know because you were always there except at the time of his death.”

Father Agaton suddenly felt the tears welling his eyes with trembling knees, he murmured, “he was talking to no one… but… God”.

Reminiscence

2008-11-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

To all folks who were born in the 1950s, 60s, 70s and early 80s; first some of us survived being born to mothers who did not have an OB Gyne and drank San Miguel Beer while they carried us. While pregnant, they took cold or cough medicine, ate linunod, balikutsa, bucayo, and didn’t have to worry about diabetes.

After all that trauma, our baby cribs were made of hard wood covered with lead-based paints while others slept on duyan out of blankets tied from the corners of the wall.

We had no soft cushy cribs that play music, no disposable diapers; all we had then was the so-called lampin from General Milling, the one with a faded picture of a young man trying to make a salute sign.

When we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, no kneepads, and some didn’t even have breaks. And as children, we would ride in hot non-air buses with wooded seats or cars with no air-con units and no seat belts.

Riding on the back on a carabao on a breezy summer day was considered a treat.

We drank water from the garden hose or directly from the faucet or poso, and not bottled mineral water of Nature Spring, Viva or Absolute.

We shared one soft drink bottle with four of our friends and no one actually died from this or contacted hepatitis.

We ate rice with star margarine, bahaw with salt or patis with cooking oil; drank raw eggs straight from the shell and drank soft drinks with real sugar in it, and not Diet Coke or Pepsi Max, but we were not sick or overweight that time because we were always outside playing!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day and get back when the street lights came on. The usual games we play were syatong, tumba-lata, bagol, patintero, luksong-tinik, taguan, ngita’g kaka and tabanog. No one was able to reach us all day because cellphones didn’t exist that time. And yes, we were ok.

We would spend hours building our wooden trolleys made of kawayan and the wheels were formed from old tsinelas, and then rode down the streets with our trolley; but then, no one was hurt or run by vehicles. After hitting the sidewalk or falling into a kanal or sewage channel a few times, we learned to solve the problem ourselves with our bare and dirty hands.

We did not have Playstation, Nintendo, Xbox, video games; no 100 channels on the cable, no DVD, no surround stereo, no iPod, no cellphones, no computers, no Internet, no chat rooms and no Friendster. But we had real friends and went outside to actually talk and play with them.

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth, and there were no stupid lawsuits from these accidents. The only rubbing we get was from our friends with the words… are you hurt?... but if you didn’t like your playmate you would then give him a loud shout waahh… gaba!

We played marbles in the dirt, washed our hands just a little and ate bagumbayan. We were not afraid of getting germs in our stomachs.

We had to live with homemade guns – wooden guns tied with garter or rubber bands; saplong, tirador or pintik. Those so-called weapons could really hurt, but then we had so much fun.

We made up games with sticks – syatong, and cans – tumba lata; and although we were told they were dangerous, no one was actually hit or blinded by the stick in the eye; only big lumps on the forehead.

We walked, rode bikes or took tricycle to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or throw pebbles on the walls or yelled at them to jump out of the window because their parents didn’t allow them to go out of the house during siesta.

Mini basket ball teams had try-outs and not everyone made the team. Those who didn’t pass had to learn to deal with the disappointment. Childhood depression or damaged self-esteem didn’t exist; char lang yon! Asar, talo!

Parents just watched the game and didn’t have to quarrel with the other parents; stage moms or dads weren’t around yet.

That generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers, creative thinkers and successful professionals ever! They are the CEOs, Engineers, Doctors and Military Generals of today. The past golden years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had some failures; we also had numerous success. But what really mattered to us was responsibility. We learned from our mistakes the hard way and we were lucky to have born and grown as real kids.

One Love, One Lifetime

2008-11-07T23:06:00.000-08:00

I’d like to relive this entry; I wrote this few months back in my other blog. I was lured by my friend to look back on my previous entries when she decided to repost in her site a heart-breaking note about her past; then I found myself recollecting my own doomed love affairs. I am so dumb when it comes to relationships; I thought I have done my best but it always turns shitty in the end. I admit that I fall in love easily and be with somebody without difficulty, but it does not necessarily mean that I fall out as fast. Been to hell and back with those damn affairs, but there’s a part of me that would still want to keep holding on. No matter what you say about love, that it hurts, that it blinds and disloyal; love is still love. Love is not always as it is cut out to be, and because it breaks out of the mould, it doesn’t make it less of a love.

I have been awfy busy these past few weeks, and I didn’t realize that it’s already almost 30 days past 2008. In a few days time, lovers from all over the world will be celebrating the blissful day of hearts, and I can’t help think of my past relationships. Not that I am still feeling bitter, but I realized how dim-witted I am ever to keep myself empty for the longest time hoping for them to fill-in me again. It is so ironic; I always tell my friends not to dwell much on love lost because in reality, love never stops. It has a continuous effect, that when one love has ended, it does not simply end there; it means another love is about to begin, a greater love. But I did.

I have across this one article from young blood forwarded to me thru e-mail from a friend. And it said…

… it is never easy to lay open the door to our heart, because love and rejection get in the same way. Love is not for the fainthearted. I loved once, and years later I am still reeling from it… I envy people who can meet strangers and shortly afterward declare that they were meant for each other.

… once you’ve tasted manna from heaven, why bother with bread from the baker? Nothing compares with it.

… until God sends me my angel on earth to love and to cherish forever, I will be content to be alone. I have learned to swallow my loneliness like a bitter pill, hoping that my good behavior will make fate smile at me and say, “Here is the one for you. Live happily ever after… your name is written on her heart.”

—

It always tastes like manna when we are in love, but after the love has gone you will realize it was just another bread on the platter. But soon as you have found another love you will then again taste manna. Though being in different relationships felt one and the same, I still believe that there is one love for us in our lifetime

Healthy Living

2008-11-07T05:30:00.000-08:00

I have mentioned in my previous entry about the diet modification program; I have been using this program ever since I was in college. I’ve been working out in the gym on and off for the past 9 years, not to build stuff but just to tone muscles; and for some health reason. I have very weak knees. Since I was a little child, about 6 or 7, I inherited rheumatism, juvenile in my case; my knees get squirmy when it’s a little too cold. I used to run in athletics back in grade school and high school, but I had a knee injury during one of our heat. So, I needed to discontinue running and gobble up tons of milk and bananas; but now I’m back on track. I have to haul up my knees and prepare them again for running. The doctor said it’s ok for me to run 5 to 10kms a day, but I still need to follow dietary precautions so as not to trigger rheumatism.

Diet Modification

It’s not good to skip meals. Everyone knows this. If you think you're fat and needed to lose weight, all the more you need to eat. Starving yourself will do more harm than good. Change your diet. Modify your pattern of eating. There are a lot diet modification programs available in the internet; or if you are currently in a fitness program, you can ask your personal trainer or the fitness consultant of your gym about this. Different individuals require different diet plan, and this also depends on your goals. Here is the list of high protein foods essential in your diet plan; well if you are mucho-dinero you can buy your wellness through pricey whey protein and luxurious creatine.

Food = Protein Content (grams)

Eggs = 6
Milk (1 glass) = 19
Soya Milk (200ml) = 6.3
Tofu (100g) = 6
Yoghurt = 8
Fish = 8
Cheese = 25
Roast Beef= 28
Roast Chicken =25

Try also almonds. Just a cup of it in the morning will give you all the necessary protein and fatty acids you need for the day. And try to eat less dark meat and treat yourself to a fruit basket.

Total Body Workout

If you have a very tight schedule (as tight as Gie’s new skinny jeans), try to at least squeeze-in a 20-minute total body workout. If the fitness gym is within the vicinity or close by your office building, you do this workout during lunch breaks or even before you go to work.

Equipment needed. Treadmill, 2 dumbbells (8 to 10lbs)
How it works. On the treadmill, set your speed to 6kph to 7kph, increase gradient equivalent to your speed; but you can gradually increase it as you do your workout. But I normally set my gradient always 2 numbers higher the number of the speed. You don’t need to reckon on this, whatever is your speed, just add 2, that’s your gradient. Then set time to 20 or 30 minutes. Walk on the treadmill for 2 to 3 minutes to warm up; that’s enough time for your sweat to begin to form on your forehead, and then hold a dumbbell in each hand. This workout is good for muscle toning; this targets your biceps, triceps, chest, abdomen and your legs. This workout will shoot your metabolism sky high, so you really don’t need to race on the treadmill just to burn the fats around your belly. It will just wear off in a couple of weeks if you do this workout everyday. Remember, your body’s metabolic rate adjusts to the consistency of your workout, so if you do this everyday, your body will take on to this. So, even if you eat a little more than what you eat, it remembers to burn the calories.

Power Abs

Sit-up is one effective way to tone muscles in the abdomen, but can be very tiresome. It utilizes all your fuel that you won’t have enough energy to do other workout routines. Not to mention other injuries you will acquire if your exercise is off-beam. There is another way to tone up muscles in the abdomen area. It is already known to us that jogging or hiking can help shed unwanted plumps around our bellies, but will take 10 to 15kms before you lose teeny-weeny quarter-inch or less in your waistline; or double if used with a waist-trimmer. The other way to achieve power abs is by lifting weights. Lifting weights helps you increase your metabolic rate. For this, consultation from fitness professional is required, because there are different lifting exercises and each workout targets different muscle groups. One example is the arm curl; it targets the chests, biceps and the abdomen muscles. Incorrect use of weights and improper execution of the exercises can lead to muscle strain. But if you’re in a hurry and really need to get that six-pack abs fast, then you really have to settle for the sit-ups. It’s the only way. For a less strenuous exercise, when you perform sit-ups, try not to do the complete curl up; just raise your head a little higher enough for you to see you knees if you do with your knees up, or toes if you do it with your legs laid down. Perform this exercise every after workout on the treadmill; 4 sets, 12 repetitions in each set or you can have variations, like you can put on a 4-set push-up in between sit-up sets. This could tighten up your muscles in the arms and chest and at the same time contributes to sculpting your muscles in the abs.

The One That Got Away

2008-11-06T02:57:00.000-08:00

In your life, you’ll make note of a lot of people. Ones with whom you shared something special, ones who will always mean something. There’s the one you first kissed, the one you first loved, the one you lost your virginity to, the one you put on a pedestal, the one you’re with, and the one that got away.

The one that got away is the person with whom everything was great, everything was perfect, but the timing was just wrong. There was no fault in the person, there was no flaw in the chemistry, but the cards just didn’t fall the right way, I suppose.

I believe in the fact that ending up with someone, finding a longtime partner that is, does not lie merely in the other person. I can actually argue that an equal part, or maybe even the greater part, has to do with the matter of timing. It has to do with you being ready to settle down and commit to someone in a way that goes beyond the little niceties of giddy romance.

How often have you gone through it without even realizing it? When you’re not ready to commit in that mature manner, it doesn’t matter who you’re with, it just doesn’t work. Small problems become big; inconsequentials become deal-breakers simply because you’re not ready and it shows. It’s not that you and the person you’re with are no good; it’s just that it’s not yet right, and little things become the flashpoint of that fact. Then one day you’re ready. You really are. And when this happens you’ll be ready to settle down with someone. The person may not be the most perfect; the person might not be the brightest star of romance to ever have burned in your life, but it’ll work because you’re ready. It’ll work because it’s the right time and you’ll make it work. And it’ll make sense, it really will.

So that day comes when you’re finally making sense of things, and you find yourself to be a different person. Things are different, your approach is different, you finally understand who you are and what you want and you’ve become ready because the time has truly arrived. And mind you, there’s no telling when this day will come. Hopefully you’re single but you could be in a long-term relationship, you could be married with three kids, it doesn’t matter. All you know is that you’ve changed, and for some reason, the one that got away, is the first person you think about.

You’ll think about them because you’ll wonder, "What if they were here today?" You’ll wonder, "What if we were together now, with me as I am and not as I was?" That’s what the one that got away is.

The biggest "What if?" you’ll have in your life. If you’re married, you’ll just have to accept the fact that the one that got away, got away. Believe me, no matter how fairy tale you think your marriage is, this can happen to the best of us. But hopefully you’re mature enough to realize that you’re already with the one you’re with and this is just another test of your commitment, one which will just strengthen your marriage when you get past it.

Sure, you’ll think about him/her every so often, but it’s alright. It’s never nice to live with a "might have been," but it happens. Maybe the one that got away is the one who’s already married; in which case it’s the same thing. You just have to accept and know that your memories of that person will probably bring a nice little smile to your lips in the future when you’re old and gray and reminiscing. But if neither of that is the case, then it’s different. What do you do if it’s not yet too late? Simple…find him, find her. Because the very existence of a "one that got away" means that you’ll always wonder, what if you got that one? Ask him out to coffee, ask her out to a movie, it doesn’t matter if you’ve dropped in from out of nowhere. You’d be surprised, you just might be "the one that got away" as well for the person who is your "the one that got away." You might drop in from out of nowhere and it won’t make a difference. If the timing is finally right, it’ll all just fall into place somehow and you know, I’m thinking, it would be a great feeling, in the end, to be able to say to someone, "Hey you, you’re the one that almost got away."

Once in Every Lifetime

2008-11-05T23:20:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading this morning, Clark’s mystery classic Weep No More, My Lady; and almost immediately I start to nose around through the pages of Tawni O’dells’ first novel, the Back Roads. I still have to pry over stacks of Clark’s and Gerritsen’s; I bought lots of them during my last jaunt to Book Sale. My sister calls it hoarding, but I don’t like the idea of these books filing-up in other people’s shelves. Anyway, I’ve been reading a great deal of books for the past two days. But I think I am going to let-off reading mystery novels and give it a break for awhile. I needed a light reading to set a mood; for days now I am flustered and flooded with worries, so I could do with some encouragement, thus I moved O’dells on top of my list. According to the reviews, the book really does not give you a pat on the back effect, but rather an evocative feeling. Was even said the poorest of all books in the Oprah Book Club collection, because they said, the book was self-consciously overwrought and wordy. Nevertheless, in my own judgment, the novel gives you a good dose of harsh reality, touching and sad, and somewhat reminds you to keep your optimism up.

Obsessed as I am to really set the vibes, I came up with a theme song for myself, at least for the time being, hehehe. Here it is!

Once in Every Lifetime
Jem

It’s time to move out of the darkness
Use what you feel inside
Your faith alone will guide you
Feel the turning tide

It’s in your heart
It’s in your soul
Don’t be scared, keep believin’
I know you know deep inside
That you time has come

Once in every lifetime
If you do believe
Man can move a mountain
Change the course of history
How far we’ve come, so far…
From home

Trust in your path, you’ve been chosen
Become your destiny
Lead and they will follow you
Your truth will set you free

It’s in your heart
It’s in your soul
Don’t be scared, keep believin’
I know you know deep inside
That your time has come

Once in every lifetime
If you do believe
Man can move a mountain
Change the course of history
How far we’ve come, so far…
From home

The Basureros (Repost)

2008-11-01T04:28:00.000-07:00

My dad sent me an email last Saturday; he regularly does, like everyday. Anyway, it was about a man who used to hate basureros for a certain reason. From a source, I was able to verify that this was a true story. The story was very heart-trending, so moving that I almost cried while reading.

I would like to share this with you and hope this would change your not-so-good impression on greasy street children, the man-lilimos, the basureros; they might have a real touching story to tell. To sum it up, let us not lose hope and let us not pity ourselves because we think we are less fortunate than the others; in material things - yes maybe, but in the end the good will always prevail and everybody will have his place because God will always take care one of his own. Read on!

–

A touching and a worth living story.

THE BASUREROS

Ever since it was diagnosed that I am having a possible heart enlargement in the last APE, I have exerted more effort to do physical exercises. I do jogging during week days and do long-ride mountain biking every Sunday. But this Sunday is a special Sunday to me.

While I was on my way to the mountains of Busay (Cebu) hoping to strengthened my heart by this exercise, instead, I personally encountered a heart-breaking scene that changed me. I already passed by the Marco Polo Plaza (formerly Cebu Plaza Hotel) when I decided to stop to buy bananas at a small carenderia located along the road. I have not taken any solid food that morning so I need to have the needed energy to get to my destination - the mountain top.

I am almost done eating with the second banana when I noticed two children across the street busily searching the garbage area. Basureros, I said to myself and quickly turn my attnetion away from them to sip a small amount of water. I cared less for these kind of children actually; to make it straight, I do not like them, and I do not trust them even more. You see, several times I have been a victim to these kind of children who are pretending to be basureros looking for empty bottles and cans when in fact the plangganas, kalderos, and hinayhays are their favorites. I remember one afternoon while I was watching a Mike Tyson fight when I noticed that the TV screen suddenly became blurred. I checked outside and saw two young basureros running away wit my newly installed antenna. Hatred maybe be a little stronger word to describe my feeling towards these basureros, but I do not like them honestly, not until I met these three children.

I was about to embark on my bike again when I heard one of the two children, a girl of about 7 or 8 of age saying aloud to the other, a 12-year old boy, "kuya si dodong kunin mo kasi tumitingin sa mga kumakain, nakakahiya; only then that I noticed a samll boy standing near to me biting slightly his finger. He is a few inches shorter if compared to my 5-year old son (but I knew later that he is also 5 years old). Though he did not ask for food to anyone in the carenderia, the way he looked at the customers who were eating, enough to convinced me that he was intensely craving for it. The older boy then quickly crossed the street and gently pulled the little one who then politely obeyed.

As I watched the two crossing back the street to the garbage area, I heard the tindera saying "kawawa naman yung mga batang yun, mababait pa naman." I learned further from the tindera that the children are from a good family, both parents were working before, and that their father got a stroke 3 years ago and became partially paralized, and their mother died of heart attack while their father was still confided in the hospital. The parents were still in their early forties when the catastrophe happened, and the children became basureros since then to meet their daily needs and for their father’s medication.

Deeply moved by what I heard, I went to a nearby bakery and bought 20 pesos worth of bread and gave it to the children who initially refused including the little boy. "Sige lang po, salamat na lang, bibili na lang po kami mamaya kung makabenta na kami," the young girl said to me. I explained that they need to go home home because it started to rain. "Nasanay na po kami," the girl answered again.

Again, I explained to tha the rain can make them sick and if they will become sick there is no one to take care of their sick father. Upon mentioning their father, they nodded and accept the bread but I noticed that the older boy did not eat. When I asked him if he does not like the kind of bread I bought for them he smiled but as he was about to explain, the little girl, who’s the more talker of them interrupted. "Linggo po kasi ngayon, pag Sabado at Linggo sa hapon lang po sya kumakain, pagdating ng hapon si kuya na lang po. Pero pag Lunes hanggag Biyernes, kasi may pasok, si kuya lang po ang nag-aagahan, kami hapunan lang. Pero pag maraming benta, kaming lahat kumakain," she continued. Bakit hindi nyo hati-hatiin na lang, kahit konti lang lahat naman kayo makaka-kain," I countered. The young girl reasoned out that their father wanted that her older brother to come to school with full stomachs so he can easily catch up the teacher’s lessons. "Pag nagka-trabaho na si kuya, hihinto na kami sa pamamasura, first honor kasi sya," the little boy added proudly.

Maybe I was caught by surprise or I am just overly emotional that my tears started to fall. I then quickly turned my back from them to hide my tears and pretended to pick up my bike from the carenderia where I left it. I do not know how many seconds or minutes I spent just to compose myself; pretending again this time that I was mending my bike.

Finally, I got on my bike and approached the three children to bid goodbye to them who in turn cast their grateful smiles at me. I then took a good look at all of them specially to the small boy and pat his head with a pinch in my heart. Though I believe that their positive look at life can easily change their present situation, there is one thing that they can never change; that is, their being motherless. That little boy can no longer taste the sweet embrace, care, and most of all, the love of his mother forever. Nobody can refill the empty gap created by sudden and untimely death of their mother. Every big events that will happen to their lives will only remind them and make them wish of their mother’s presence.

I reached to my pocket and handed to them my last 100 peso bill which I reserved for our department’s bowling tournament. This time they refused strongly but I jokingly said to the girl, "suntukin kita pag hindi mo tinanggap yan." She smiled as she extended her hand to take the money. "Salamat po, makakabili na kami ng gamot ni papa," she uttered. I then turned to the small boy and though he’s a few away from me, I still noticed that while his right hand was holding the half-filled sack, his left hand was holding a toy, a worn-out toy car.

I waved my hand and said goodbye to him as I drove towards the mountain again. Did he just found the toy in the garbage area or the toy was originally his when the misfortune did not take place yet? I did not bother ask. But one thing is crystal mind to me, that inspite of the boy’s abnormal life, he has not given up his childhood completely. I can sense it by the way he held and stared at his toy.

My meeting with the young basureros made me poorer by a 100 peso. But they changed me and made me richer as to lesson of life. In them, I learned that life can change suddenly and may caught me flat footed. In them, I learned that even the darkest side of life can not change the beauty of one’s heart. Those three children, who sometimes can not eat three times a day were still able to hold on to what they believe was right. And what a contrast to most of us who are quick to point out to our misfortunes. In them, I have learned to hope for things when things seem to the other way. Lastly, I know that God cares for them far more than I do; that though He allowed them to experience such a terrible life which our finite minds can not understand, His unquestionable love will surely follow them through. And in God’s own time they will win.

About Love and Food

2008-10-24T03:29:00.000-07:00

A friend na uber sa kulet just sent me a PM and asked about love advices. Ano ba ako, love shrink? Joe d’ Mango? Mr. Fix-It relationship? Maybe I’m good with a lot of stuff about love, but I am no brainer when it comes to my own. I have at least five failed relationships; even so, I am not letting myself be carried away by the whims of those fiascos. Anyway, I might have something in mind to write about love (again), but I need to know first what made you decide to ask me about advices. PM me or text me, now na!

--

It’s my off from work tomorrow (Sat-Sun) and I could never be happier; my parents just got here in Manila yesterday afternoon. Actually, lagi naman silang andito eh, regularly, every quarter. Another reason to be happy is that High School Musical 3 is already up in cinemas; I’ll tell you, I’d be very busy over the weekend escorting my parents and watching my movies. Di ba, sabi ko nga, they are already playing Nights in Rodanthe in cinemas na rin.

--

Buendia was unusually busy this morning; the road is always busy especially on weekdays but traffic was rather abnormal this morning. Kaya yun, I was a bit late for workout kanina. I woke up early hoping to catch-up at least 2 hours workout in the gym before I go to work because I need to hoist up my metabolism due to excessive food in-take last night. My parents brought with them a lot of food from Davao, eh it’s been ages since I’ve nibbled over “lutong-bahay” food, no choice ako at nabulag and it was too late before I realized that I’ve bloated myself up with beef caldereta, tuna kinilaw, fried tilapia, and three servings of rice. I actually forgot about my diet modification program (I’ll post another entry about the diet modification program); I felt ever so guilty na naman, kaya Gie, it’s ok if you have devoured over Lay’s chips for the past days, ok lang yun; it’s actually no match compared to what I have eaten noh!

Disturbia

2008-10-23T04:07:00.000-07:00

I was reading my friends’ blogs last night and found their entries quite startling. The topics were equivocally wrought and conferred some sensitive issues that may not be of other people’s liking. Though I don’t really mind reading (or discussing) about them, I have to admit that I am bit disturbed and almost toppled right there. Why, don’t you dare roll your eyes on me, not yet anyway, until you hear my side of the story, or do I really want to babble? Not sure, but I’ll try to have a profound rationalization of my views; I know you guys are better-off than I am when it comes to this, as far as experience is concern. I’m not trying to be evasive or pretentious being part of this; in fact I am guilty as sin, but part of me still want to pass-over it. I guess I am not ready to defy the dictates of our social standards. But I’d be more willing to discuss this in more detail, but I needed a more secure medium.

The Bees

2008-10-22T06:45:00.001-07:00

I have mentioned in my previous entry that I’ve been very excited about the upcoming romantic film Nights in Rodanthe, stars Richard Gere opposite Diane Lane (showing na in Ayala cinemas!); there’s another film that I am looking forward watching in the big screen – The Secret Life of Bees. This is a historical fiction, bestselling novel by Sue Monk Kidd and has received much attention from critics. Starring Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, et al, the film will set off anytime last quarter this year. It tells the story of a girl named Lily Owens, whose life is wrought by her vague memory of her mother’s accidental death. But Lily is forced to leave town when Rosaleen, Lily’s black stand-in mother, insult three racists in town; they escape to Tiburon, South Carolina, a town that holds the secret to Lily’s mother’s past. Adopted by an eccentric trio of black bee-keeping sisters, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, is forced to confront her own dark past and learns what it means to be a family.

On Life's Lessons

2008-10-17T05:34:00.000-07:00

I was off from work yesterday and zero-plan for the day; I was just lying on my stomach reading a book but could hardly absorb it because the afternoon’s just too hot. So, with nothing else to do, coz’ I have already done all my regular weekly chores a day ahead, I decided to pack-up and departed for wonderland – the gym!

While in the gym, I watched “The Pursuit of Happyness”, a very touching tale inspired by the true story of Chris Gardner, a salesman struggling to build a future for himself and for his son. I was deeply moved by the story; for a long time, I’ve been complaining about how fate could have turned against me. I realized that it wasn’t only me who was feeling awful all this time. I knew already about hardship, my life had long been difficult; I knew how it was to be alive without being alive. Even so, no matter how complicated life turns out to be, we should not let the trouble sweep us away because I always believe that for every loss there is something to be found. It is alright to cry, but not for long because tears will block your sight and you won’t be able to see the stars. Like what Chris did, he didn’t let the mess carry him around. He carried the mess around somewhere else and dumped it. I am not saying that we should deny or ignore our problems; all the more we pretend not having them the more we feel pain or even hatred because of all the injustice we experience. The trick is to live without hate (easy said than done, huh) because all around is hatred, so don’t let it eat you. Refuse to allow pain to prevent from living with happiness; we should learn not to complain or be distracted by suffering. To persevere is always a reflection of the state of our inner life, our values, and our perspective. I have repeatedly said this in my previous blog entries that we are responsible for our own happiness; that pain is inevitable but suffering is optional.

--

Few days back or last week, I also watched a movie (this time in the big screen), IGOR (eegor). It’s an animated cartoon film, one of the best I’ve seen after Lion King and Mulan. The story is all about hope and how the most unlikely people can change the world. Guys, you should watch it… very entertaining, sobra!

The Past Does Not Define Who You Are

2008-10-14T06:02:00.000-07:00

It’s been awhile since my last entry; I’ve been awfully busy these past few days, bombarded with a lot of things in the office and with some personal stuff. All the same, I managed to sneak out once in a while from my frenzied life at work; most of the time, I’m with my “Davao-bred” friends singing our heart out in sing-along bars in Manila or Las Pinas until daybreak. We’re tireless! Bwahaha!

--

This blog really needs some updating; not that there’s nothing going on in my life at the moment, di’ba sabi ko nga, I am barraged with masses of kuning-kunigs. Eh, kasi naman, my life is not really an open book, unlike Girard or LJ or nanay ni Jahid; these guys can really chat about their lives in blog with no restrictions. Chill out guys, I’m following your blogs, and ey, Girard, I enjoyed reading your entries; they’re so animated!

--

‘Tis the season to be jolly; it’s the holiday season, but everybody’s getting married and it’s all over Friendster! Uso ba ngayon to? I have nothing against marriage; in fact, I have high regards to those who choose to live the matrimonial life. Not that I am afraid of the responsibility that goes along with it, or maybe I am; even so, I am not emotionally prepared to finally settle down and rear my own family. I am not from a broken family, though mine is not really “picture-perfect”, but I grew up nurtured with so much love and care. But I’d like to have kids, or kahit isa lang, I don’t mind, hehehe.

--

I am currently reading Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson; a novel that has been widely acclaimed for its powerful portrayal of themes of love, justice, racism, community, and conscience. And these arise in nature from the suspenseful story of a murder trial, its evocation of a lost love and its brooding, fine distinction of character and place. I am almost done reading the book, and every night, I just can’t help turning the pages, chapter by chapter, even if it means cutting short my forty winks at night.

Some characters in the book were Japanese, which reminded me of a blog entry from a friend, LJ, about his students… read on…

"The past does not define who you are".

I could not forget this very statement that my Korean student once delivered in my Conversation Class. It all started with me asking them to choose a country they fantasize being the leader of. One of my students from Japan was quick to mention The United States. I was thrilled to hear this for I am from Florida but the next words I heard were more heart breaking than I could ever expect.

He continues by saying, "I want to be the leader of the United States because I want to get rid of all the Jews.” I was curious why he would say that so I continued to ask why. He then proceeds by telling me that the Jews are to be blamed for all the war that is happening in this world. That the Jews are the origin of everything evil.

I almost fell off my seat. How could somebody say something like that?

My student got all stirred up that he begun to defend Mel Gibson anti-sematic comments. He claims Gibson spoke of reality.

I was angry to hear this but I kept my composure and acted as if everything was cool. I then gave my other Japanese student to a chance to express his opinion. Thinking that he will disagree, this very soft spoken student from Tokyo actually supports what the first student claimed and even added that he has actually read somewhere that the Jewish are indeed to be blamed for everything evil happening in this world. The third Japanese student, whom I always liked for being open-minded and inteligent, raises his hand. I sighed with relief for I knew this nonsense was going to stop. Aisachan will be the third one to speak and I am sure he will give a logical explanation.

I was wrong. Even my favorite student agreed with both students who spoke of this BS.

I was ready to give up but I did not so I asked them to help me understand why the Jews are to blamed of everything.

All three students were getting more and more ecstatic to defend and present their points of view. They added that the Jews were bad in the past and will always remain like that.

As I stood up and took a deep breath, another hand was raised. But it was raised in a shy and calm manner. I failed to recognize that Eun Kyang, my other Korean student was in that same class all along. She was always quiet in class. Never wanted to participate so I never pushed it.

"Hello Eun Kyang, would you like to share your opinion as well?”, I asked.

"Yes, I do, teacher. I was born and raised in Korea. In my country, we are educated at an early age about our country's history. How poor our country was, how it became rich, and of course how we survived the painful treatment the Japanese has done to my ancestors. My ancestors died from the cruel hands of the Japanese but I do not hate the Japanese. I do not nurse ill feelings against all of you because I should not. I see the three of you as my classmates not as the same people who killed my people. Besides, your past does not define who you are. So, I request, that before the three of bark at the Jews for their past, be reminded of your country's history as well".

She sat down and the whole classroom was quiet. It was too quiet I could hear everybody's breathing.

The most quiet student in my class suddenly spoke. And boy was she heard!

All About Soul

2008-10-02T03:11:00.000-07:00

I have a new blog, it’s called “It’s All About Soul”; in this new blog, I will feature captured soulful images. Ever since I was a child, I’m gripped with photography; though I do not have formal training in taking photos, I lived up to this hobby long before the digital era. My father taught me how to use a camera; I could still remember, I was 8 then when I took my first photo in my brother’s Recognition Day in the elementary school. Learning how to take pictures was just as easy as learning ABCs, especially in the place where I grew up (Davao City), where there are festivities celebrated throughout the year. I had my share with these festivities. From the time my father allowed me to bring his camera with me, I was out almost every Kadayawan or Araw ng Dabaw to take photos of the street dancing competition. My last was in 2005; I left the film roll and the photos in Davao City. I’ll post some in Friendster soon as I get hold of them.

--

My favorite song as of the moment is Billy Joel’s All About Soul. I first heard of this song way back in high school in MTV. The song sounds dark but very soulful. It shows amazing insight to the life of hundreds of women everywhere. They wait and understand men like no one else ever do, and they do all of these in silence.

All About Soul
by Billy Joel

She waits for me at night, she waits for me in silence

She gives me all her tenderness and takes away my pain

And so far she hasn't run, though I swear she's had her moments

She still believes in miracles while others cry in vain

It's all about soul

It's all about faith and a deeper devotion

It's all about soul

'Cause under the love is a stronger emotion

She's got to be strong

'Cause so many things gettin' out of control

Should drive her away

So why does she stay?

It's all about soul

She turns to me sometimes and she asks me what I'm dreaming

And I realize I must have gone a million miles away

And I ask her how she knew to reach out for me at that moment

And she smiles because it's understood there are no words to say

It's all about soul

It's all about knowin' what someone is feelin'

The woman's got soul

The power of love and the power of healin'

This life isn't fair

It's gonna get dark, it's gonna get cold

You gotta get tough, but that ain't enough

It's all about soul

Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na, It's all about soul

Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na, Yes it is

Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na, It's all about soul

Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na, Yes it is

There are people who have lost every trace of human kindness

There are many who have fallen, there are some who still survive

As she comes to me at night and she tells me her desires

And she gives me all the love I need to keep my faith alive

It's all about soul

It's all about joy that comes out of sorrowIt's all about soul

Who's standing now, who's standing tomorrow

You've got to be hard

As hard as the rock in that old rock 'n' roll

But that's only part, you know in your heart

It's all about soul

Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na, It's all about soul

Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na, Yes it is

Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na, It's all about soul

Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na, Yes it is

Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na, It's all about soul

Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-Na, Yes it is

Denial is Not a River in Egypt

2008-09-28T01:38:00.000-07:00

For the nth time now, my sister has been telling me to heave up blogging to the next level. She has friends who actually make a living and earn lots of bucks just by revealing themselves on-line. The “telling” usually ends up in an argument and tires me as much as the conflict tires Jess who admitted to me just last night that he’s always pissed off every time me and my sister argue. Well, anyway, going back to the blogging, I was thinking about what she said, but I would need to have a posh blogsite and webtools, which, after an inquiry with a friend, meant that I have to pay for an annual service fee. But I also learned that there are actually blogsites who do not require bloggers to pay for anything. I have checked some of the sites, they are for free, but would really need to haul up your patience to fix your site. Though there are some that already have built-in page builders, but then the templates are unsightly.

I thought I was over with “muse-over-and-compare-one-with-the-ex-lover” syndrome or the “never-again-I-will-do-the-same-mistake-again” disorder, but I never learn; Jess has repeatedly pointed this out to me for the past few days now. I am beginning to see this familiar path and deep within I know I have been through this game many times – First Base: Friendship begins to flourish, which is the very foundation of a lasting relationship; Second Base: Let’s just skip this part, everyone knows what happens next; Third Base: Rough road and one begins to experience the scorching reaction and at the same time feel frozen as the relationship turns cold. Ironic! Some friends would say I should overcome and get this over with; they have suggested some channels to pour on my emotions, outlined some standards and propped me up for a high market value. I admit I have my standards, too. I don’t deny the fact that I also dream to meet someone who possess the qualities that I am looking for, and yet, I end up with someone off my list. Well, I guess this is just how it works; as I have said in my previous entries (in Friendster), the heart recognizes no reason for loving other people. It’s really the mind that sets the standards and if these are not met, it’s also the mind that rejects the feeling. We deny how badly we want the other person and what’s worse is that we deny the defiance. We lie to ourselves too much that after a while the lie starts to seem like the truth. Some friends I know are still on a look-out for a perfect partner and have not realized that what they have been looking for was just right in front of their faces, unrecognized because they have denied too much that they can no longer define what’s real and not.

The Worm, The Spa and the Nights in Rodanthe

2008-09-27T04:27:00.000-07:00

I have been dragging myself lately to book shops; ever since my sister brought and showed me the complete collection of books from Oprah Book Club, I became completely loco looking for the titles. On my rest days and during my lunch breaks, I spent a lot of time going to NBS or BS or just about any book shop trying my luck to get hold some of the books from the list. And I am usually pissed off over these side trips because I have seen not a single Agatha Christie book ever since the bookworm invasion.

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Richard Gere and Diane Lane have a new movie, titled Nights in Rodanthe. It’s about a middle-aged couple gradually getting a life after denying themselves one for many years. Both of them are lost in the midst of their own troubles, but after a bit of coping, in a process that is not always pretty, found each emotionally saved by the other. This is Diane Lane’s third film with Richard Gere; their first film together was The Cotton Club in 1984, which was a flop. In 2002, they were featured again in the movie Unfaithful which did not receive particularly good notices from the critics but earned Lane a well-deserved best actress nomination in the Oscars for her dramatic portrayal of a wife in emotional mayhem. I am very excited with their new movie, though love stories on-screen come alike, their tandem and charms are notable. They look very good and comfortable together. What can I say; I guess they’re lovers again!

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Scanning and flipping through the Inquirer I came across an article in the Health and Beauty section of the daily. It was about new trends in the spa treatment industry from all over the world. I am not a spa-lover, but I treat myself to a decent spa and massage once in awhile, so I got curious and a little intrigued just by reading the title. In Japan, one spa salon offers a bathtub with ramen noodles and pork broth-cubes. It said that the noodles together with the broth-cubes improve the condition of the skin. So, I guess the noodle is healthy for us inside and out! Also in New York, another spa salon offers extreme spa treatment where they give facial make-over with a bird poop. Like ramen, the poop is known to moisturize and improve the condition of the skin.

What Might Have Been

2007-08-27T22:19:00.000-07:00

I love to work on Saturdays and Sundays because we have less to do in the office; subscribers visiting the BC are minimal. During these days I indulge myself into a blissful on-line voyage; Friendster, JobStreet, Blogs, E-Mails, books – these are my usual routes. I was suppose to finish writing this entry yesterday, unfortunately, one of our officemates called-in sick and I was asked to relieve and fill-in his job, and it was nearly closing time when I have completed the turnover and assignment of stocks. Good thing I am familiar with the inventory, otherwise I would have stayed longer beyond office hours just to complete the reports.

Anyway, I despise the long ride from Makati to Las Piñas since it was aired in the news on TV that the skyway construction from Bicutan to Alabang will soon begin. I don’t mind the long journey home, (I am used to commuting far-off distances) it’s the awful traffic condition that worries me. During my ride home, my friend Mike sent me an SMS and invited me to drop by at Town Center in Alabang, where he, Jess, and Cris were wandering around. Since it was already 9:00 PM when I passed by, I went straight home to Las Piñas instead. Soon after I got home, the three were at the doorstep chatting excitingly how their strolling turned out (it’s Jess first time to visit ATC). I’m not exaggerating things, but just before Jess stepped inside, Cris thought of going out until late evening since all four of us have no appointments (or work) the following day. He suggested a road trip to Tagaytay, but Mike disagreed (well, he has the right to; after all, it’s his ride). We went for a joyride around Cyber Gate to look for a perfect place to dine and chat; and finally we end up atop 31st floor of Vivere Hotel; very classy and you can actually see the whole of Muntinlupa City and Laguna from the top, and quite expensive, too. Next stop, Town Center (again), at the Coffee Beanery; there, Jess had coffee, but Cris and I (budget conscious, as usual) went to McDonalds and ordered burgers and coffee to-go (it’s the same coffee, and much cheaper). I’ve been here in Town Center many times, but every time I visit the mall I am still awed with the place. It has the classic elegant image of a mall comparable to street shops in the movie Pretty Woman.

While at the Coffee Beanery, we were talking about love life and how life has been after love (how did we end up talking about this? No idea). They don’t know exactly what happened to my doomed love affair because I have an aversion to the idea of telling the story over and over again. And for the past few days now, they’ve been trying (actually, not only them, even friends from Davao also had their fair share of it) to look for a perfect date for me. Well, I had the love of my life and no one can come close. Never again; it won’t work, believe me.

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It was only yesterday afternoon I saw the full-length new TV ad of Globe; I can’t help but feel proud that I am part of the company who make great things possible for the subscribers. I am not being biased, but I agree with the ad, the services are simplified in terms of price and usability.

I enjoy watching sad movies. Jess hates them, or he even refuses to talk about them; and most of the time tries to talk me out of it. He said movies are supposed to entertain us, make us happy; why spend for movies who make us feel bad? He has a point. But I can’t help watching them; they’re like food to me – sweet, sour, but most of the time bitter. I can see my life in these movies, or is it really my life? Jess told me it wasn’t, at least before I was consumed by them; he said it became my life because I consented it. Maybe he’s right, but it doesn’t matter anyway, because our life is not measured on how accurately we choose our paths; it is rather gauged on how we choose to live it. This is the life I picked, so I have to make the most out of it.