Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
the one from the prophet
And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy;
And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields.
And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief.
-from The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran
And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields.
And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief.
-from The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran
60th
It was a Sunday.
Food and balloons were ordered. Parlor games were prepared. Gifts for each of the guests were wrapped. Clowns and friends were invited. The cake was chocolate and the month was May.
If it were up to me, I would have preferred an overnight stay at the beach with the entire family and closest friends. But my mom and dad wanted something more special to happen for their 60th birthday. It seems to me they had wanted something like this to happen for quite some time.
My dad rented out a karaoke machine. Two of my mom's bestfriends arrived earlier to help us prepare the venue. We arranged the chairs and the tables. We scattered the balloons to make sure the atmosphere would be conducive for a party. We thought about what parlor games we could play, what prizes to give.
My Kuya invited his youth pastor friend who lead the kids to sing some action songs and read Joseph the Dreamer's story to the kids.
We played. We ate. We sang and we danced. We had fun with the kids.
We sang the happy birthday song for my parents.
They blew their candles and made a birthday wish.
It was a privilege and a great opportunity to throw a party not only for my parents but for the kids of the Tahanang Mapagpala in Bagumbong, Caloocan City as well. Some of the children were found wandering the streets, some have been left by their own relatives at the shelters. And some, have become orphans.
Some of them smiled genuinely. Some, reluctantly. And some, would not smile at all. Most of them were hardly ten years of age, but their eyes seem to know so much more.
One of the kids, after hearing the youth pastor share about how God demonstrated His love for us through the life of Joseph cried inconsolably and asked me this: "If God loves me, why would He let my relatives abandon me and not come back for me?" I did not have an answer. But I silently said a prayer for her.
At the end of the party, we handed out gifts for the kids. The goodie bags had a toy, a toothbrush, a comb, a face towel, and some other personal hygiene items which we thought the kids needed. We knew they needed much more than that, but our resources were limited as well. What our goodie bags lacked, we tried to make up for by offering our prayers. A prayer of comfort and most especially of hope. A prayer that one day, the kids will be reunited again with their own families or become a part of a family that could provide them the love and care they need.
Two months later, also a Sunday, I saw a familiar face in the television. The show was Jessica Soho's Reunions. I watched in disbelief and amazement as I realized that the kid, who has been reunited with with his family through the help of the show, was among those who attended my parent's 60th birthday celebration.
Food and balloons were ordered. Parlor games were prepared. Gifts for each of the guests were wrapped. Clowns and friends were invited. The cake was chocolate and the month was May.
If it were up to me, I would have preferred an overnight stay at the beach with the entire family and closest friends. But my mom and dad wanted something more special to happen for their 60th birthday. It seems to me they had wanted something like this to happen for quite some time.
My dad rented out a karaoke machine. Two of my mom's bestfriends arrived earlier to help us prepare the venue. We arranged the chairs and the tables. We scattered the balloons to make sure the atmosphere would be conducive for a party. We thought about what parlor games we could play, what prizes to give.
My Kuya invited his youth pastor friend who lead the kids to sing some action songs and read Joseph the Dreamer's story to the kids.
We played. We ate. We sang and we danced. We had fun with the kids.
We sang the happy birthday song for my parents.
They blew their candles and made a birthday wish.
-ooo-
It was a privilege and a great opportunity to throw a party not only for my parents but for the kids of the Tahanang Mapagpala in Bagumbong, Caloocan City as well. Some of the children were found wandering the streets, some have been left by their own relatives at the shelters. And some, have become orphans.
Some of them smiled genuinely. Some, reluctantly. And some, would not smile at all. Most of them were hardly ten years of age, but their eyes seem to know so much more.
One of the kids, after hearing the youth pastor share about how God demonstrated His love for us through the life of Joseph cried inconsolably and asked me this: "If God loves me, why would He let my relatives abandon me and not come back for me?" I did not have an answer. But I silently said a prayer for her.
At the end of the party, we handed out gifts for the kids. The goodie bags had a toy, a toothbrush, a comb, a face towel, and some other personal hygiene items which we thought the kids needed. We knew they needed much more than that, but our resources were limited as well. What our goodie bags lacked, we tried to make up for by offering our prayers. A prayer of comfort and most especially of hope. A prayer that one day, the kids will be reunited again with their own families or become a part of a family that could provide them the love and care they need.
-ooo-
Two months later, also a Sunday, I saw a familiar face in the television. The show was Jessica Soho's Reunions. I watched in disbelief and amazement as I realized that the kid, who has been reunited with with his family through the help of the show, was among those who attended my parent's 60th birthday celebration.
At 31...
- I am still learning how to trust completely, to wait patiently (it really isn't easy)
- I am still paying for outstanding debt (I am very bad at this)
- I am still learning how to love unconditionally, selflessly, completely
- I still have not been to Europe, not even Singapore, still do not drive, still unmarried, and I barely have enough savings in the bank for purchasing anything that you can declare under the asset column (I think I am being taught how to be content)
- I have been able to witness a miracle
- I am still inlove with photography and daily falling more inlove with cooking (basil leaves, oyster sauce and those pork cubes are my new friends)
- I still dream vivid dreams, watch a movie at least once a week (whether in my laptop or at the cinema)
- I still suffer from TMJ
- I still struggle in being on-time for appointments (but I keep trying)
- I have been able to ride a horse (at least long enough to have my photo taken), wear an Igorot costume, try a new sport (no, not really)
- I have learned to appreciate SharePoint
- I still don't wear two-piece bikini (I have no idea what my waistline is anymore)
- I feel grown-up (I'm pretty sure I look it, too)
- I have learned to distinguish between the good, the acceptable and the perfect. I have learned to measure my life against these.
- I am thankful that both my parents are still around to see me try, falter, strive, wait, fall, cry, laugh, cook, love, fly, run, come home, fail, hope and try some more.
- I still expect a lot out of life, but I am content, grateful and happy just the way things are.
home (and at the hospital) for Christmas
unforgettable Christmas, this is.
JP goes home from Singapore and spent the eve of Christmas with me and my family at my lola's house. the fact that my parents are together is a miracle alone. being together at my lola's house is unprecedented as we have been spending Christmas at my parents ever since i can recall. really happy that JP was able to join us and was able to experience a family tradition: tablea. without sugar, he thought it was awful, hehe.
kuya couldn't be with us the night before Christmas as he had to be in the hospital with my uncle who was confined due to pneumonia, among other things. on Christmas day, i had to relieve my brother and had to spend Christmas attending to our patient. it was difficult to accept at first, but there was no other option, as everyone else had already spent their time at the hospital.
i decided to bring with me some cake, ham, grapes and some left-over food, thinking that my uncle and i will somehow be able to celebrate Christmas this way. i ended up eating most of what i brought, except maybe the grapes, hehe. so instead of feasting at the dinner table, i was eating some of my uncle's left-over from the food tray along with what i brought at the hospital bed.
after being in the hospital for two days, my uncle was regaining strength but it was still evident that he had difficulty breathing on his own. from time to time, a nurse would come in and wake him up to check-up on his blood pressure, hand him his medication, nebulize him or inject some steroids into the dextrose. it was a routine i had easily gotten accustomed to.
what was new to me was the fact that we had to record my uncle's water intake and output. we recorded when he drank water and how much as well as how much he took out. my uncle much preferred this over the catheter.
by the evening, JP would bring some coffee and some entertainment in the form of high-definition movies. he stayed overnight, sleeping in one of the hospital beds and would drive me home in the morning. he saw me fulfill some of my duties as nurse to my uncle and gladly helped when he could, such as when we had to change the cover for the hospital bed and the pillowcases. it was good to have him around.
it was such a blessing simply to be together with the people you care about and those who care for you.
these are photos from Kabisera at BHS, the 24th when JP came home. as expected, JP misses Filipino food a lot and bringing him here i thought would be a good idea. i think, and they agreed with me on this afterwards, that Kabisera has the best pinakbet in the country. their sinigang and lechon kawali we thought were really good also.
JP, his mom and sister and me at Kabisera in Boni High Street
this was definitely a different Christmas, but a good Christmas nonetheless.
JP goes home from Singapore and spent the eve of Christmas with me and my family at my lola's house. the fact that my parents are together is a miracle alone. being together at my lola's house is unprecedented as we have been spending Christmas at my parents ever since i can recall. really happy that JP was able to join us and was able to experience a family tradition: tablea. without sugar, he thought it was awful, hehe.
kuya couldn't be with us the night before Christmas as he had to be in the hospital with my uncle who was confined due to pneumonia, among other things. on Christmas day, i had to relieve my brother and had to spend Christmas attending to our patient. it was difficult to accept at first, but there was no other option, as everyone else had already spent their time at the hospital.
i decided to bring with me some cake, ham, grapes and some left-over food, thinking that my uncle and i will somehow be able to celebrate Christmas this way. i ended up eating most of what i brought, except maybe the grapes, hehe. so instead of feasting at the dinner table, i was eating some of my uncle's left-over from the food tray along with what i brought at the hospital bed.
after being in the hospital for two days, my uncle was regaining strength but it was still evident that he had difficulty breathing on his own. from time to time, a nurse would come in and wake him up to check-up on his blood pressure, hand him his medication, nebulize him or inject some steroids into the dextrose. it was a routine i had easily gotten accustomed to.
what was new to me was the fact that we had to record my uncle's water intake and output. we recorded when he drank water and how much as well as how much he took out. my uncle much preferred this over the catheter.
by the evening, JP would bring some coffee and some entertainment in the form of high-definition movies. he stayed overnight, sleeping in one of the hospital beds and would drive me home in the morning. he saw me fulfill some of my duties as nurse to my uncle and gladly helped when he could, such as when we had to change the cover for the hospital bed and the pillowcases. it was good to have him around.
it was such a blessing simply to be together with the people you care about and those who care for you.
these are photos from Kabisera at BHS, the 24th when JP came home. as expected, JP misses Filipino food a lot and bringing him here i thought would be a good idea. i think, and they agreed with me on this afterwards, that Kabisera has the best pinakbet in the country. their sinigang and lechon kawali we thought were really good also.
JP, his mom and sister and me at Kabisera in Boni High Street
this was definitely a different Christmas, but a good Christmas nonetheless.
the one with the dearly departed
so i just want to say... today, im no longer gloomy. not quite the same as i was in my last post. to those who replied with their own thoughts about being gloomy, thank you very much. appreciated it with all my heart. but im not about to write anything cheerful either. not today.
today, nothing terrible happened... nothing humiliating or disappointing or discouraging took place. not at home nor at work nor in my private thoughts.
today, i am neither lost nor delirious, but i am obviously not bright nor shiny nor bubbly nor smiling either.
today, i am tired. from work and thinking and also from lack of sleep.
today, i am also sad. not the troublesome and blurry kind of sad. but a better kind of sad. last night i learned about someone's death. so i am sad for the loss of the family. they were close to me and i would spend days and nights at their home when i was younger, sharing family dinners with them and watching movies with them... sad because it's really hard to imagine their life without their loving father and dear husband and friend... my prayers go with them and also to the departed, my Tito Tony, who was genuinely kind to me and cheerful and warm from the moment i met him until the last day i saw him almost two years ago -- may his soul, through God's mercy and loving grace, rest in eternal peace.
today, i am also amazed. to witness what real friendships can turn into even after so many years of silence. to see what genuine love can do or undo and to see what it can become.
today, i am assured. that i was and always will, as do the dearly departed, remain beloved. and today, that is more than enough to bring tears of joy in my heart.
today, nothing terrible happened... nothing humiliating or disappointing or discouraging took place. not at home nor at work nor in my private thoughts.
today, i am neither lost nor delirious, but i am obviously not bright nor shiny nor bubbly nor smiling either.
today, i am tired. from work and thinking and also from lack of sleep.
today, i am also sad. not the troublesome and blurry kind of sad. but a better kind of sad. last night i learned about someone's death. so i am sad for the loss of the family. they were close to me and i would spend days and nights at their home when i was younger, sharing family dinners with them and watching movies with them... sad because it's really hard to imagine their life without their loving father and dear husband and friend... my prayers go with them and also to the departed, my Tito Tony, who was genuinely kind to me and cheerful and warm from the moment i met him until the last day i saw him almost two years ago -- may his soul, through God's mercy and loving grace, rest in eternal peace.
today, i am also amazed. to witness what real friendships can turn into even after so many years of silence. to see what genuine love can do or undo and to see what it can become.
today, i am assured. that i was and always will, as do the dearly departed, remain beloved. and today, that is more than enough to bring tears of joy in my heart.
promises worth keeping
this was shared to me by a friend from college who became a wife, a mother and a widower before she would reach age 25. she encourages me by her life, her friendship and her many inspirational emails such as this one :) these are promises worth keeping not just this new year but in each year and each day that we are, and each day that we have.
PROMISE YOURSELF:
To dream more and not to hesitate.
To believe in yourself more.
To appreciate your family and friends for all the wonderful ways they make your life better.
To make each day special.
To become more independent and more willing to change.
To fill your life with special times and never lose sight of your dreams.
And when life seems overwhelming and you can't seem to get everything done... when there isn't enough time to relax and enjoy... when there are little rewards and you wonder if it's all worth it...
Never forget that there are... people who love you and care about you, people who want to help and support you, people who think you're very special and care a lot about you.
Remember HOPE is not closing your eyes to the difficulty, the risk, or the failure.
It is trusting that if you fail, you shall not fail forever.
And if you're hurt, you shall heal.
It is realizing that life is good, love is powerful and the future is full of promise.
Source: http://www.olamadsen.com
PROMISE YOURSELF:
To dream more and not to hesitate.
To believe in yourself more.
To appreciate your family and friends for all the wonderful ways they make your life better.
To make each day special.
To become more independent and more willing to change.
To fill your life with special times and never lose sight of your dreams.
And when life seems overwhelming and you can't seem to get everything done... when there isn't enough time to relax and enjoy... when there are little rewards and you wonder if it's all worth it...
Never forget that there are... people who love you and care about you, people who want to help and support you, people who think you're very special and care a lot about you.
Remember HOPE is not closing your eyes to the difficulty, the risk, or the failure.
It is trusting that if you fail, you shall not fail forever.
And if you're hurt, you shall heal.
It is realizing that life is good, love is powerful and the future is full of promise.
Source: http://www.olamadsen.com
first day at sunday school
just a break from all the posts related to money matters and ways to become rich. i would like to share with you a photo taken from the first day i helped around at sunday school. that day, i was assigned to teach basic good manners and right conduct to the kids. there were around 8 kids present that day and their ages would range from 4 to 8, i think.
after a brief prayer lead by the main teacher, it was my turn to teach the kids basic rules within our sunday school such as to be respectful to the teachers, to not shout or run during the class, to not fight with one another, to be helpful to others, to cleanup after eating or after playtime, to raise their hands when they have something to say, to listen when someone else is speaking, to be friendly to their classmates and even friendlier or extra patient to the little ones. through each lesson, i would translate the rules in filipino and ask them to give examples of what they had done in the past to demonstrate good behavior related to what is being discussed.
when i asked them to give examples of how they were helpful in the past, there was this one kid who kept on raising his hand and reciting almost the same thing over and over again, but replacing the name of the person he had helped. first time he recited, he told me that he helped his dad. next time, it was this teacher. and the following one, this other person. haha! it was a little annoying but funny at the same time.
i realized as i was making my powerpoint slide and during the class that many of the basic but most important stuff we would need in adult life were already taught to us early by our kindergarden/prep/sunday school teachers. darn. i should have paid more attention rather than suck my thumbs under the table.
there was even a book about this: all i really needed to know i learned in kindergarden by robert fulghum. i should get a copy of that one of these days. he may have been right after all.
the essence of being single
found this article in my archive. the date creation stamp was march 2003. i wasn't single then... maybe that's why i didn't post this in my blog... it's a worthwhile read, whether you're with someone or single like me... could be helpful... just in case... who knows, maybe one day in the future, you could find yourself single yet again. unfortunate, and maybe unlikely which is good, but possible. im not sure who the author is. whoever wrote it deserves a lot of thanks from me.
All your life, you had specific dreams about what your family life would be like when you finally married. You were so intent on what you wanted, you even made a list of qualities and characteristics you were looking for in a spouse, in a home, in your job, in your children.
But time passed, and that person you were so intent on didn't come along.All of your friends married, had children, had beautiful homes. And still you were single. You prayed and prayed and prayed for that person to come along, but nothing happened. You had a good job. You served in your church. You spent daily time with the Lord in prayer and studying the Word. Youdedicated your life to serving God in every way possible, but still nothing.
So you decided to take matters into your own hands, and you began an active search for a mate. And within a short period, you met someone who almost fit the bill. Almost.
Sure, there were a few things missing, a few rusty spots in that person's character. But, after all, no one is perfect. Maybe your goals were toohigh. Maybe you'd been asking for the impossible. Maybe this was the person God wanted for you so your character could grow through dealing with his or her failings. Even though it often seems that God is slow to answerprayers, no matter whether it's about a mate, or a job, or our children, or our finances, or anything else, we have to remember that God doesn't wear a watch. Nor does he look at our human calendars. He sees with eternal eyes. He operates on an eternal timetable, according to His plan and Hisschedule. If God seems to be running late, don't get impatient and run ahead of him. Wait for the Lord's timing in everything.
To the single folks out there (like me), this is for you.
Single means you have the time to grow and be the person you want to be.
Single gives you space to grow. Sometimes, it is harder to grow when you are too close to someone. Trees are planted far apart so they can spread their branches and become strong as they mature.
Single means learning to live by yourself. However, that is no more difficult than learning to live with somebody else.
Single means freedom. You are free to spend a week's vacation on the beach, to take computer courses, to work late on an interesting project, to spend the day in bed with a good book or simply with a person who has read one.
Single means learning not to need a man/woman to make your life meaningful but learning to live with a man/woman because you want to be with him/her.
Single means that sometimes you will wonder why you will bite your lip and feel wistful and wonder if marriage is better. Ironically, yet quite happily, single is feeling good about being in control of your life. It is liking and respecting who you are and why you are.
Single is realizing that being married is not necessarily better, it is merely different.
Single means that there could be something wonderful around the corner and you can take advantage of it.
Being single means you are free to love again.
God Bless!
All your life, you had specific dreams about what your family life would be like when you finally married. You were so intent on what you wanted, you even made a list of qualities and characteristics you were looking for in a spouse, in a home, in your job, in your children.
But time passed, and that person you were so intent on didn't come along.All of your friends married, had children, had beautiful homes. And still you were single. You prayed and prayed and prayed for that person to come along, but nothing happened. You had a good job. You served in your church. You spent daily time with the Lord in prayer and studying the Word. Youdedicated your life to serving God in every way possible, but still nothing.
So you decided to take matters into your own hands, and you began an active search for a mate. And within a short period, you met someone who almost fit the bill. Almost.
Sure, there were a few things missing, a few rusty spots in that person's character. But, after all, no one is perfect. Maybe your goals were toohigh. Maybe you'd been asking for the impossible. Maybe this was the person God wanted for you so your character could grow through dealing with his or her failings. Even though it often seems that God is slow to answerprayers, no matter whether it's about a mate, or a job, or our children, or our finances, or anything else, we have to remember that God doesn't wear a watch. Nor does he look at our human calendars. He sees with eternal eyes. He operates on an eternal timetable, according to His plan and Hisschedule. If God seems to be running late, don't get impatient and run ahead of him. Wait for the Lord's timing in everything.
To the single folks out there (like me), this is for you.
Single means you have the time to grow and be the person you want to be.
Single gives you space to grow. Sometimes, it is harder to grow when you are too close to someone. Trees are planted far apart so they can spread their branches and become strong as they mature.
Single means learning to live by yourself. However, that is no more difficult than learning to live with somebody else.
Single means freedom. You are free to spend a week's vacation on the beach, to take computer courses, to work late on an interesting project, to spend the day in bed with a good book or simply with a person who has read one.
Single means learning not to need a man/woman to make your life meaningful but learning to live with a man/woman because you want to be with him/her.
Single means that sometimes you will wonder why you will bite your lip and feel wistful and wonder if marriage is better. Ironically, yet quite happily, single is feeling good about being in control of your life. It is liking and respecting who you are and why you are.
Single is realizing that being married is not necessarily better, it is merely different.
Single means that there could be something wonderful around the corner and you can take advantage of it.
Being single means you are free to love again.
God Bless!
the one with the long weekend
last night i met up with friends who just got back from their two-week long vacation. while most of us had to deal with deadlines and work issues or the manila peninsula mutiny, my friends went back-packing around visayas and had the chance to visit and take roughly 900+ photos of exotic places and pristine beaches in cebu, boracay, bohol to name a few. ive missed my friends while they were gone and im glad to see them back in manila, safe and just a little bit harmed :) they brought not just stories and photos with them back from their trip -- they also have pasalubong for me :) from "yaya lorie" i got a pair of earrings and from "manang mavic", a cellphone charm made from sand art. both from boracay, a place i've never been to by the way.
upon seeing me both of them asked how i have been and at first, i can only say that ive been okay... i was trying to think of something more exquisite than that but nothing came to mind... i guess i was hesitant to say anything because surely, none of what i have accomplished or done lately can compare to their amazing trip. eventually, i finally came up with a few. so lately, these were the highlights of my life most of which happened during the 3-day weekend:
1. with my friend kitkat, i was able to take a two-hour tour around the marikina shoe expo and found interesting thrift and antique shops, quaint accessories and clothing boutiques selling mostly hand-made accessories and retro outfits, bookstores and art/coffee galleries show-casing local works such as lomo photos. there was even a bazaar going on that day and several artists from the group "ang ilustrador ng mga kabataan" were there selling their artworks drawn or painted or printed in practical items such as shirts, wall clocks, notepads, bookmars, pins at a somewhat fair enough artsy price. my friend bought me bookmark :)
2. i was able to visit trinoma for the first time (yay) and had so much fun. the mall has really well thought of landscapes (complete with fountains and wooden bridges and ponds and cooling mists) and very spacious interior... the activity center is much like the glorietta mall and at some point you can't help but feel a bit of dejavu. there's a huge landmark store at one side of the mall that makes shopping even more convenient. lots of restaurants to dine in and dessert/coffee places to try afterwards. my friend and i loved the "bananalicious" dessert from conti's. parking can be a little difficult, but that's something you have to deal with sometimes almost anywhere else right? in summary, trinoma is definitely a cool place to hangout with friends or family especially this christmas. im hoping to bring my parents here sometime soon especially at the fourth level where they held free shows every saturday night. not to mention fireworks too :)
3. had a little bit of gastronomic adventure too. at marina, i tried steamed oysters with hot sauce. at dr. pepper steak, well i tried beef pepper steak with lots of pepper on the rice. pepper steak i like. steamed oysters, not so much. in any case, im glad to have friends who are adventuruous with food. i realize im not much like them and the only time i am able to try new things is when im with them (or during team-buildings). i usually just order what i already know i like. you know, like sinigang :)
4. i was able to watch a disney movie wherein the lead character had a name the same as mine. "enchanted" was really fun. watch it if you haven't.
5. was able to help my dad with removing virus from our PC. there were 33 viruses and one trojan. tsk tsk. no wonder the browser would hang after opening just around two sites returned by search engines.
6. i was able to teach my dad how to use Yahoo! Messenger, Chikka Messenger (PC to Mobile Phone), compose an email as well as reply to an email. this is supposed to be something big for my parents who had spent years being afraid of the computer and moreso the internet. really huge step.
7. i had a guest who watched 'under the tuscan sun' with me and who volunteered to wash dishes for me later on. sweet :)
8. maybe last but not the least, we had a reflexologist (a really good one) come over our house for a massage. my mom was having sinus and throat problems lately and did not want to take medication until she's tried other organic, natural way of healing such as reflexology. the massage was very relaxing and helpful. ate gildred has been doing reflexology massages since the '70s and have doctors as her patients as well. i was diagnosed as having UTI and high sugar level in the blood (must be all those iced tea and the bananalicious thing), then was advised to eat at the right time and not skip meals, to drink two glasses of warm water each morning and to wait for 15 minutes before drinking liquid after each meal. that last item should help me digest food properly. of course, lessen intake of sweets.
so that's it. story of my life while my friends were gone. not bad, huh? i had planned to do a few things more during my long weekend but that did not push through... i guess we can all agree if i say that, truly, long weekends are never long enough :) but still worth looking forward to each time :)
upon seeing me both of them asked how i have been and at first, i can only say that ive been okay... i was trying to think of something more exquisite than that but nothing came to mind... i guess i was hesitant to say anything because surely, none of what i have accomplished or done lately can compare to their amazing trip. eventually, i finally came up with a few. so lately, these were the highlights of my life most of which happened during the 3-day weekend:
1. with my friend kitkat, i was able to take a two-hour tour around the marikina shoe expo and found interesting thrift and antique shops, quaint accessories and clothing boutiques selling mostly hand-made accessories and retro outfits, bookstores and art/coffee galleries show-casing local works such as lomo photos. there was even a bazaar going on that day and several artists from the group "ang ilustrador ng mga kabataan" were there selling their artworks drawn or painted or printed in practical items such as shirts, wall clocks, notepads, bookmars, pins at a somewhat fair enough artsy price. my friend bought me bookmark :)
2. i was able to visit trinoma for the first time (yay) and had so much fun. the mall has really well thought of landscapes (complete with fountains and wooden bridges and ponds and cooling mists) and very spacious interior... the activity center is much like the glorietta mall and at some point you can't help but feel a bit of dejavu. there's a huge landmark store at one side of the mall that makes shopping even more convenient. lots of restaurants to dine in and dessert/coffee places to try afterwards. my friend and i loved the "bananalicious" dessert from conti's. parking can be a little difficult, but that's something you have to deal with sometimes almost anywhere else right? in summary, trinoma is definitely a cool place to hangout with friends or family especially this christmas. im hoping to bring my parents here sometime soon especially at the fourth level where they held free shows every saturday night. not to mention fireworks too :)
3. had a little bit of gastronomic adventure too. at marina, i tried steamed oysters with hot sauce. at dr. pepper steak, well i tried beef pepper steak with lots of pepper on the rice. pepper steak i like. steamed oysters, not so much. in any case, im glad to have friends who are adventuruous with food. i realize im not much like them and the only time i am able to try new things is when im with them (or during team-buildings). i usually just order what i already know i like. you know, like sinigang :)
4. i was able to watch a disney movie wherein the lead character had a name the same as mine. "enchanted" was really fun. watch it if you haven't.
5. was able to help my dad with removing virus from our PC. there were 33 viruses and one trojan. tsk tsk. no wonder the browser would hang after opening just around two sites returned by search engines.
6. i was able to teach my dad how to use Yahoo! Messenger, Chikka Messenger (PC to Mobile Phone), compose an email as well as reply to an email. this is supposed to be something big for my parents who had spent years being afraid of the computer and moreso the internet. really huge step.
7. i had a guest who watched 'under the tuscan sun' with me and who volunteered to wash dishes for me later on. sweet :)
8. maybe last but not the least, we had a reflexologist (a really good one) come over our house for a massage. my mom was having sinus and throat problems lately and did not want to take medication until she's tried other organic, natural way of healing such as reflexology. the massage was very relaxing and helpful. ate gildred has been doing reflexology massages since the '70s and have doctors as her patients as well. i was diagnosed as having UTI and high sugar level in the blood (must be all those iced tea and the bananalicious thing), then was advised to eat at the right time and not skip meals, to drink two glasses of warm water each morning and to wait for 15 minutes before drinking liquid after each meal. that last item should help me digest food properly. of course, lessen intake of sweets.
so that's it. story of my life while my friends were gone. not bad, huh? i had planned to do a few things more during my long weekend but that did not push through... i guess we can all agree if i say that, truly, long weekends are never long enough :) but still worth looking forward to each time :)
why penguins & turtles are no longer best of friends
For a long time Turtle and Penguin were really good friends. They played different sorts of games, went to different places together and ate and shared food with each other. In these games, Penguin would normally always win being the more intelligent of the two. Turtle was the silly one but loved Penguin very much. At some point Turtle thought they were the best of friends.
One seemingly normal early morning, Turtle and Penguin decided to take a walk along the shoreline. Turtle while looking down, noticed Penguin’s two feet. As you probably already know, a penguin's feet are very different from that of a turtle.
Turtle blurted out to his friend, quite happily, “I love your feet.” This is something he had known long ago and something he had already told Penguin even before that morning.
Penguin didn’t say anything and continued to walk. He seemed to smile a bit.
Turtle repeated himself. Did you hear what I said? I said I love your feet. The turtle was happy to say that to his friend.
Penguin said thank you and continued walking as turtle follows closely behind.
Then, without really thinking all that much, Turtle asked his friend, “Is there anything about me that you love?” He was a little surprised himself to be asking that question…
“Is that a trick question?”, inquired the Penguin. He is usually very careful in answering questions.
Turtle simply replied, thinking that he had irritated his friend and hoping to avoid doing anything to ruin the morning, “It was not a trick question. It was just a question….You can say ‘None’ you know…” He tried to smile while saying this.
After a brief pause, Penguin said, “There is no answer…”
Turtle could only say “Oh…” at that point he walked a little slower… and didn't know what to say anymore. He fell a little bit further behind and then started to put his arms and legs back inside his shell. He wondered what will happen next that morning…
Penguin kept going and we’re not sure if he even looked back...
Later that day, Turtle found himself swimming on the ocean to go on about his day… he found comfort in knowing that in the ocean no one would notice the tears in his face.
One seemingly normal early morning, Turtle and Penguin decided to take a walk along the shoreline. Turtle while looking down, noticed Penguin’s two feet. As you probably already know, a penguin's feet are very different from that of a turtle.
Turtle blurted out to his friend, quite happily, “I love your feet.” This is something he had known long ago and something he had already told Penguin even before that morning.
Penguin didn’t say anything and continued to walk. He seemed to smile a bit.
Turtle repeated himself. Did you hear what I said? I said I love your feet. The turtle was happy to say that to his friend.
Penguin said thank you and continued walking as turtle follows closely behind.
Then, without really thinking all that much, Turtle asked his friend, “Is there anything about me that you love?” He was a little surprised himself to be asking that question…
“Is that a trick question?”, inquired the Penguin. He is usually very careful in answering questions.
Turtle simply replied, thinking that he had irritated his friend and hoping to avoid doing anything to ruin the morning, “It was not a trick question. It was just a question….You can say ‘None’ you know…” He tried to smile while saying this.
After a brief pause, Penguin said, “There is no answer…”
Turtle could only say “Oh…” at that point he walked a little slower… and didn't know what to say anymore. He fell a little bit further behind and then started to put his arms and legs back inside his shell. He wondered what will happen next that morning…
Penguin kept going and we’re not sure if he even looked back...
Later that day, Turtle found himself swimming on the ocean to go on about his day… he found comfort in knowing that in the ocean no one would notice the tears in his face.
the one with the dentist's chair
i read somewhere that the most successful people in life are those that regularly (if not gladly) visit their dentists. this doesn't mean that if you have shiny, white teeth you are guaranteed to have a life that is equally shiny and splendid :) what that simply means is that, people who visit their dentist are those that know how to recognize and acknowledge their problems and seek help when necessary, which in the adult world is usually the case by the way, whether the problem is as simple as a toothache or tooth cavity :)
i avoid going to the dentist as much as i can... i don't hate the experience all that much but i dont really enjoy sitting on the dentist's chair and have someone pull my cheeks up and down in order to exercise or examine my mouth. i do not like the taste of clinic water or the smell of surgical gloves and im pretty sure im not alone in feeling this way.
however, in my case going to the dentist as soon as possible is necessary and can no longer be delayed because unfortunately, i am one of those people that have this thing called TMJ Syndrome, the symptoms of which are not really deadly but also far from pretty. basically, what TMJ does is prevent blood from flowing in my brain because the largest artery from the heart passes through that portion below our ears connecting the jaw and skull. when blood can't get into your brain you know that you will have all sorts of problems. to me, these are the symptoms: nausea, back and shoulder and neck pains, blurriness of eyesight, massive headache if i lack sleep, insomnia and difficulty speaking, chewing, yawning.
for the past few days, i have been seeing the effects of TMJ on me and so i avoid opening my mouth for long periods of time (to talk or sing and do all sorts of things)... you cannot really cure TMJ, there is no surgical treatment for it... but you can cure the symptoms by trying to develop muscle tissues between the skull and the jaw. this is why i have my splint, to prevent the jaw and the skull from rubbing against each other and to allow my body to build those muscle tissues. but im sure by now whatever muscle tissues i have been able to "grow" in the past have been ripped apart and torn down by all the chewing and talking and yawning i have been doing for the past months. by now, my splint has been worn out so much and is no longer functioning as it should. i badly need to have my splint adjusted... i need to think and feel and clearly again. never mind the smell of clinic water and of surgical gloves and the pain of dentists pulling my face up and down for oral therapy... i would gladly sit on a dentist's chair right now than on any other chair in the world.
i avoid going to the dentist as much as i can... i don't hate the experience all that much but i dont really enjoy sitting on the dentist's chair and have someone pull my cheeks up and down in order to exercise or examine my mouth. i do not like the taste of clinic water or the smell of surgical gloves and im pretty sure im not alone in feeling this way.
however, in my case going to the dentist as soon as possible is necessary and can no longer be delayed because unfortunately, i am one of those people that have this thing called TMJ Syndrome, the symptoms of which are not really deadly but also far from pretty. basically, what TMJ does is prevent blood from flowing in my brain because the largest artery from the heart passes through that portion below our ears connecting the jaw and skull. when blood can't get into your brain you know that you will have all sorts of problems. to me, these are the symptoms: nausea, back and shoulder and neck pains, blurriness of eyesight, massive headache if i lack sleep, insomnia and difficulty speaking, chewing, yawning.
for the past few days, i have been seeing the effects of TMJ on me and so i avoid opening my mouth for long periods of time (to talk or sing and do all sorts of things)... you cannot really cure TMJ, there is no surgical treatment for it... but you can cure the symptoms by trying to develop muscle tissues between the skull and the jaw. this is why i have my splint, to prevent the jaw and the skull from rubbing against each other and to allow my body to build those muscle tissues. but im sure by now whatever muscle tissues i have been able to "grow" in the past have been ripped apart and torn down by all the chewing and talking and yawning i have been doing for the past months. by now, my splint has been worn out so much and is no longer functioning as it should. i badly need to have my splint adjusted... i need to think and feel and clearly again. never mind the smell of clinic water and of surgical gloves and the pain of dentists pulling my face up and down for oral therapy... i would gladly sit on a dentist's chair right now than on any other chair in the world.
the one without a song
i hate waking up on mornings and find out there's no more coffee in my supplies. what i have each morning is far from the coffee that i would really prefer (ill talk about this in another post soon) but i would like a cup each morning just the same. but anyway, what i hate even more is waking up on mornings to find out there's nothing in my iPod playlist i would want to listen to. not a song i can relate to or a song i want to sing to. i have no idea why or how or when i became like this, but i have to have a theme song everyday. i know how corny this may sound, but when i can't find that particular song, i feel very dull and gray and i just know my day will be so much less than great and far less than fantastic.
it was like that this morning. i was shuffling my songs in my iPod and went through each one by one, but didn't find my song. i hate to sound dramatic and corny at the same time, but yes i went through my day, songless. and so today, nothing particularly bad or disappointing or discouraging happened, but nothing extraordinarily fantastic or happy or encouraging came along either.
im not saying i am not thankful for today... i still am, for so many things. but i just want to be able to say, that i hate songless days and i wish i have less than more of it in the coming days.
it was like that this morning. i was shuffling my songs in my iPod and went through each one by one, but didn't find my song. i hate to sound dramatic and corny at the same time, but yes i went through my day, songless. and so today, nothing particularly bad or disappointing or discouraging happened, but nothing extraordinarily fantastic or happy or encouraging came along either.
im not saying i am not thankful for today... i still am, for so many things. but i just want to be able to say, that i hate songless days and i wish i have less than more of it in the coming days.
teriyaki girl
last night, i was supposed to meet a friend who said he wanted to meet me before he leaves for a 3-month assignment to malaysia. minutes before our scheduled meeting time, he called me up and told me he needs to stay overtime and finish some work due the following day. so, upon learning about our canceled date, i immediately IM-ed one of my APC friends and invited her to go malling with me instead. she had a better idea and immediately called up a mutual friend and asked her if she could join us. what turned out to be a dinner date for two became an instant barkada gimik on a thursday night! im not sure who suggested it, pero we decided to have dinner at teriyaki boy in glorietta. i excitedly said yes sure because i not only love japanese food but i have very fond memories about my dining experiences at the said restaurant -- sarap kasi talaga ng food nila and not too pricey. definitely much better than tokyo, tokyo (although i love tokyo tokyo's pork tonkatsu and tonkatsu sauce). at teriyaki boy, kanin pa lang masarap na talaga! i particularly like their gyoza and syempre, their various teriyaki dishes. the best talaga! and what's even better, i get to have dinner with two of my good friends at APC that night :)
-ooo-
weeks before that thursday, i attended a Japanese cooking class offered free by the company. in that class, i learned how to cook and prepare tempura and tempura sauce as well as kani salad. they're really easy to make, once you have all the ingredients you need. i can't wait to try them out on my own.
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