Halloween Thoughts

Whenever Halloween (or All Saints’/Souls’ Day) rolls around, I dread the deluge of horror movies and Halloween specials on tv. They have it even for cartoons now, would u believe?! If I were living alone, I would forego TV-watching altogether during Halloween. So what does that say about me? Ok, I admit it. I’m a scareddy cat! No way can you make me watch movies like “The Ring”, “Blair Witch project”, “Sixth Sense”or even the new Chinese (or is it Japanese?) horror movies which are so popular nowadays. I think the scariest movies I ever saw were “Devil’s Advocate” and “What lies beneath” and they sure gave me a lot of sleepless nights!

Another movie which made me lie awake after watching it, was “Amistad”. Definitely not a “horror” movie in the strictest sense of the word, but knowing that this was based on a true story made it difficult for me to sleep. What horrifies and scares me, goes beyond the scary movie effects, on-screen monsters, computer graphics, and such. It’s what real people can, and sadly, often do, in pursuit of money, power and riches.

People I miss

In church, envelopes were given out to everyone for All Souls’ Day. “Pamisa para sa mga Kaluluwa” or “Mass for all Souls”. Of course they meant the “dearly departed”, but don’t you think the living need these prayers more? Anyway, I digress…

I was writing down a list of names of our relatives who have passed away. My grandparents, my older sister, a dear friend. And I couldn’t help recalling some things about these special people. Let me start off with my lolos and lolas…

My Lolo Telo (Dad’s dad) was the first to die among my grandparents. He was a lot older than my Lola Viring since she was already his second wife. He had eight children with my lola, and I remember that even in his 70’s he still would go daily to watch the races. He called my younger brother “Rock Hudson” since my brother was so fair and had brown hair. And whenever we’d visit, my Lola Viring would prepare our favorite, fried chicken. We would always have more than enough…one piece of chicken would be for eating with rice, and the other would be for “pang-papak” or snacking. It was often said we might grow wings and feathers considering how much we loved to eat chicken. :)

My Lolo Ninoy (Mom’s Dad) was always said to be strict. We’d heard stories about how he’d punish my uncles when they wouldn’t eat veggies when they were younger. But with me being the oldest “apo” (grandchild), I was special. I remember I spent my first school years with my grandparents. Reason? I was a Nursery school dropout. I had a bad first day in Nursery and vowed never to go back to school. So the next school year, they convinced me to start school in the same school where my aunt taught. So I skipped Nursery, Kindergarten and Prep altogether, and started Grade One (at age 5 or 6). Anyway, since I was staying with my grandparents, it was my Lolo Ninoy who would bring me to school and fetch me in the afternoon. And not once do I remember that I was scolded or spanked by my lolo. Spoiled that I was… he he he… So it was an especially sad day for me when my Lolo Ninoy died. I was in the hospital with my aunts and parents when he succumbed to liver cancer, a day before an uncle was supposed to get married. His last words to my uncle were, “Sorry I can’t be here for your wedding…” :(

My Lola Nieves died in the U.S. One thing I remember about my lola Nieves is how she used to watch tv late at night. She’d invariably fall asleep on the sofa while watching tv, and when we’d turn off the tv, she’d wake up and say, “I was watching that.” :) Her favorite pet was a dog (a Pekinese, if memory serves) named Tanya, and she was spoiled rotten by my lola. Lola Nieves died in the U.S. so we never got a chance to see her for the funeral. But I distinctly remember an incident which occurred the day after she died. Coming home from school, I went to the back and saw a HUGE butterfly perched on our kitchen wall! The butterfly was beautiful, with brown wings and circles decorating its wings. I silently pointed it to my mom, and she just nodded. The butterfly had seemingly come out of nowhere. We just knew then that it was my lola visiting us for the last time. Brown had always been one of her favorite colors. And besides, it was so rare to see a butterfly in this concrete jungle, what more, a huge butterfly which was almost a foot long. The butterfly stayed there on our wall for 3 days, seemingly just resting. When we woke up on the 4th day, it was gone.

My Lola Viring died just a few years back. She went to the US, too, and would save money from her babysitting jobs and would invariably send this back to relatives all over in the Philippines. She would travel all over the US, and surprised us all when she suddenly decided to come home to the Philippines. Turns out during one of her high school reunions here in the Philippines, she met an old friend. And a few months later, when she heard that his wife had died, she had sent him a sympathy card. They started communicating, and a few months later, the man came to the US to ask for her hand in marriage. She was already 76 then, I think, and we were all so surprised. But of course, who were we to get in the way of her happiness? So she remarried Don Pepe, and they lived happily ever after. I remember that whenever I told their love story to friends, my friends would smile and laugh, and couldn’t believe it. I would add in jest to my unmarried friends, “So don’t lose hope. Even my lola at 76 got married again!” :) When Don Pepe died, the family decided to take her back and take care of her. She died just a few months after Don Pepe. Makes us all think that they were really meant to be with each other.

Now for my Ate. My Ate Joanne was born March 1970 at UST Hospital. She was born with a number of ailments, aside from having a hole in her heart. Doctors had said her case was one in a million. Sadly, my parents never got a chance to bring her home. She died just a month after she was born. The doctors were asking my parents to donate her body to the school so that they could use her body for study but understandably, my parents refused. Growing up, I remember being told that aside from our guardian angels, we have an extra angel watching over us, and that was our Ate Joanne.

Lastly, there’s my dear college friend Ramil. There were three of us in our team, Ramil, Lisa, and myself. We became close during our junior year in college as we were all officers of our Psychological Society. We were the troika, 3 Musketeers, and it was as if we were joined at the hip. Ramil was a few years older than us, and we called him “Mommy Ramil”, everyone did! Though we all had different sets of friends, the 3 of us would also spend special time together. He was such a blast to be with. There wasn’t a dull moment with him. He’d embarrass our suitors, and would also be protective of us. There was a time that a couple of guys harassed me and a couple of female friends, and he was suddenly the “macho” guy who challenged those guys to a fist fight! Those guys didn’t stand a chance! I remember him telling me before, how lucky I was. He believed that I was lucky not just in love, but in my career as well. He was our adviser, beauty consultant, bodyguard, cheerleader, all rolled into one!

So when Ramil figured in a car accident a few years after college, Lisa and I were heartbroken. He was on his way home from Bulacan with some co-workers when the car they were riding was hit by a 10-wheeler truck. Their car exploded, no survivors.

Up to now, I still have fond memories of all these special people. They all had a hand in shaping me into what I am now. I do miss all of them. And I pray that when they look down from heaven, they smile, and are happy at what they see.

Fun questionnaire

A friend sent this by email yesterday with his replies and the instructions for me to write down my own replies. Reading through the questions, I recalled those inane questions we used to ask in slumbooks when we were in high school (what is love, define crush, favorite color… ha ha ha!). :D

"Who the hell thought of these questions?", i wanted to ask my friend. Anyway, since it was already late in the office last night (almost 7 p.m.) and I needed to get my mind off work before heading home, I took a few minutes to reply to the questions (some silly and inane). Read on, and when you get a chance, answer these fun questions yourself and email your replies to me. And remember, i didn't think up these questions. :)

NICKNAMES: --- Shy
AGE: ---33
LOCATION: --- Manila, Philippines
HEIGHT: --- petite – 5’3”
EYE COLOR: ---brown
FAVORITE RELATIVES: - sons, parents, brother, cousins... everyone! :)
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF OUIJA BOARDS? – just a game. haven’t used it before, no intention of ever using one
GUYS, WITH OR WITHOUT HATS? –
GIRLS, WITH OR WITHOUT NAIL POLISH?-- nails are much nicer even with clear polish
FAVORITE TV SHOWS: --- sitcoms generally (Friends, Sex & the City, etc.), most shows on Food Network & Lifestyle Channel, Fab5, 6 feet under, CSI, The Practice, A cook's tour, Amazing Race
WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD: -- a colorful picture of different animals in the jungle
FAVORITE CONCERT YOU'VE BEEN TO:-- not one in particular
IN THE CAR, AC OR OPEN WINDOWS: -- AC, manila too polluted :(
DO YOU BELIEVE IN YOURSELF: -- I’m only human, so I sometimes have bouts of insecurity, but generally, am pretty confident. so the answer is YES!
FAVORITE BOARD GAME: -- Pictionary, Cranium, etc.
FAVORITE MAGAZINE: -- women’s magazines (Oprah magazine, GH, Cosmo, etc.), Reader’s Digest, Natl Geographic
FAVORITE DRINK: -- Chili’s margarita (El Niño)
FAVORITE CIGARETTES: -- it’s a yucky habit; don’t smoke
FAVORITE SOUNDS: -- kids’ laughter in general, my sons’ laughter in particular :) , rain, ocean waves
FAVORITE SMELL: -- perfume. Miracle, Green Tea, Tresor’, Carolina Herrera 212
DRINKS, WITH OR WITHOUT ICE: --- with ice
WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD: --- feeling discriminated, or looked down on; embarrased
BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD: --- loving and feeling loved
FAVORITE THING TO DO ON THE WEEKEND: --- curl up in bed with a good book; malling with the kids
FAVORITE SOUNDTRACK: --- not one in particular
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? – US or New Zealand, who knows!
WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU THOUGHT OF WHEN YOU WOKE UP THIS MORNING? – Things to do in the office
DO YOU GET MOTION SICKNESS? --- sometimes
ROLLER COASTERS- DEADLY OR EXCITING? --- exciting, but I have my limits
PEN OR PENCIL? --- pen
FAVORITE AUTHOR(S): --- Favorite authors include John Grisham, Shel Silverstein, Amy Tan, Isabel Allende, Dan Brown, Olivia Goldsmith...
FAVORITE BOOK(S): -- The 4 agreements, the little prince, harry potter, the house of spirits, the joy luck club, to kill a mockingbird, flowers for algernon, the 1st wives club, divine secrets of the ya-ya sisterhood, The Da Vinci Code, etc., etc....
HOW MANY RINGS BEFORE YOU ANSWER THE PHONE? – 1 or 2
FUTURE SONS' NAMES: --- hmmm… haven’t thought of that
FUTURE DAUGHTERS' NAMES: --- Patricia Marian
ARE YOU A GOOD FRIEND? --- definitely!
CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA CAKE? --- chocolate, of course!
DO YOU LIKE TO DRIVE? --- haven’t gotten my license :(
DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL? --- nope
THUNDERSTORMS- COOL OR SCARY? --- cool
IF YOU COULD MEET ONE PERSON IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD IT BE? Can’t think of anyone in particular...
WHAT IS YOUR ZODIAC SIGN? --- Gemini
WHAT DO YOU WEAR TO BED? --- shorts and a shirt; pajamas & socks if it’s cold
DO YOU EAT STEMS OF BROCCOLI? --- yup
IF YOU COULD STREAK IN FRONT OF ONE PERSON'S HOUSE, WHO WOULD IT BE? --- no way!
GUYS, IF A GIRL ASKED YOU FOR THE SHIRT ON YOUR BACK, WOULD YOU GIVE IT TO HER? ---
GIRLS, WOULD YOU EVER ASK A GUY FOR HIS SHIRT? --- maybe, but hasn’t happened yet
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY OCCUPATION WHEN YOU GET OLDER, WHAT WOULD IT BE? --- Writer, travel show host :)
IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ONE COLOR, WHAT WOULD IT BE? --- brown
IF YOU COULD HAVE A TATTOO, WHAT AND WHERE WOULD IT BE? --- thought about it, no thanks!
IF YOU COULD TURN INTO ANY ANIMAL, REAL OR IMAGINARY, WHAT WOULD IT BE? --- unicorn or dolphin
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE BRAND OF GUM? --- none
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE? --- "When GOD closes a door, HE opens a window";
"If GOD brings you to it, HE will bring you through it"
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN LOVE? –yup
WHAT'S ON THE WALLS OF YOUR ROOM? --- my sons’ drawings, framed paintings
IS THE GLASS HALF-FULL OR HALF-EMPTY? --- half-full (most of the time!)
PICK A SONG THAT DESCRIBES YOURSELF OR THAT YOU CAN RELATE TO: too many to mention…
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE FLAVOR OF SNAPPLE? – Strawberry/kiwi
FAVORITE MOVIE(S): --- Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant movies, Notting Hill, Fried Green Tomatoes, My Best Friend's Wedding, 4 weddings & a funeral, Shawshank Redemption, Dead Poet’s Society, The Replacements, Dream for an Insomniac, Audrey Hepburn movies (Roman Holiday, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Sabrina, etc.), romance/comedies...
WHICH ONE, COKE OR PEPSI? Neither, I like Mountain Dew
WHICH KIND OF MILK IS YOUR FAVORITE? --- if I really HAVE to drink milk, it would be the low-fat, high-calcium kind
IF YOU WERE TO KILL SOMEONE, WHAT METHOD WOULD YOU CHOOSE? --- something slow and torturous… bwahahahah!
ARE YOU A RIGHTY OR A LEFTY, OR AMBIDEXTROUS? Right-handed
DO YOU TYPE WITH YOUR FINGERS ON THE RIGHT KEYS? Yup! I type fast.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ADAM SANDLER MOVIE? -- wedding singer, 50 first dates
WHEN YOU MEET A PERSON OF THE OPPOSITE SEX, YOU FIRST NOTICE THEIR: -- eyes, then the whole face
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ATTACKED BY A BIG DOG? ---nope
DO YOU EAT CHICKEN FINGERS WITH A FORK? chickens have fingers? Ha ha ha! :D
DO YOU WASH YOUR FEET AT NIGHT BEFORE YOU GO TO BED? yup
IF YOU COULD BE ONE GARDENING TOOL, WHAT ONE WOULD YOU BE? --- dunno
WHAT KIND OF SHOE WOULD YOU BE IF YOU HAD THE OPTION TO BE A SHOE? – sandals, or medium-heeled shoes, or boots
WHAT KIND OF CORN WOULD YOU WANT TO BE (EAR OF CORN, CANNED CORN)? Does pop corn count? :)
IF YOU COULD DO ANYTHING TO THE PERSON YOU HATE THE MOST, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? – wish them off the face of the Earth!
WHICH DO YOU PREFER, MUD WRESTLING OR JELLO WRESTLING? Neither
WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED? – hopefully not monsters… ;->
WHAT'S THE BEST NUMBER IN THE WORLD? --- 8 because it's supposed to be a lucky number according to the Chinese

Misplaced Priorities can Mislead a Nation

From the Philippine Star... an article every Filipino should read and reflect on...

Misplaced Priorities can Mislead a Nation
www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200410252604.htmL

"He who can take no interest in what is small will take false interest in what is great." John Ruskin

Jasmine Trias visited the Philippines very recently. Everyone was agog waiting to welcome her. The excitement was remarkable as the media and many of our "kababayans" flocked to the airport to see her. This scenario is typical of Filipinos. Sadly, it reflects our country's misplaced priorities.

Contest of the Mind. Another young girl came back to the country just a couple of weeks ago. Her name is Faye (not her real name for very sensitive reasons). Unknown to her countrymen, this eleven-year-old girl brought honor to the Philippines. She represented the country in the Intercontinental Science Quiz Net in Australia. Out of 57 countries represented, Faye garnered First Place for the Philippines. Germany came in second while the United States came in third.

In stark contrast to the hooplah extended to Jasmine Trias, Faye's arrival did not make any noise. Not a peep.

In an earlier competition, "Mathematics for the Young Asians" in Indonesia, Faye also came out in the Top Five. But just like the Australian event, this feat did not receive any recognition in our country at all. Our interests seem to be set on other "priorities." We are more interested in promoting celebrity guests instead of educational and intellectual pursuits. Indirectly and quite obviously we are teaching our children that development of the external image takes priority over educational achievement.

Faye's story is inspiring. She comes from a broken family. Her father falsely claimed that he was unmarried when he married her mom. When her mom found out, she decided to raise up her daughter alone.

Despite the difficulty, Faye in no way used it as an excuse for complacency in her studies. In grade school, she was a consistent honor student. She took every academic requirement as a challenge. And she delivered. At one time, she submitted a project thesis in Australia that won "The Best Physics and Science Award". The award qualified the Philippinesto be one of the top 10 countries that would compete in Australia, among the 57 countries that joined.

Considering her family's financial constraints, she and her mom asked help from our government for their trip to Australiato claim the "Best Physics" award and to join the Science competition. They saw this challenge as a rare opportunity offered to Faye and her country, considering that only two Asian countries qualified - Japan and the Philippines. Unfortunately, our government had other priorities.

Mother and daughter then tried to ask help from individual senators and congressmen. All turned them down except for one who was willing to help, on condition that Faye should give public credit to the senator for supporting her even int the earlier competitions she joined. Out of integrity, the mother could not accede to this arrangement. Thus no outside help was found.

Faced with this situation, Faye and her mom took out all their savings and went out of their way to secure by themselves the additional finances needed. The only driving force behind them was their desire to give honor to God and to the Philippines.

With the little resources they had, they went to Australia on September 17, 2004 for the competition. They claimed the trophy and cash award for the "Best Physics" thesis Faye submitted in Sidneyand then flew to Brisbane for the quiz competition.

No kababayan welcomed them in Australia except for a kind Filipina they met in the plane who assisted them. As they were checking in at a hotel, the "kind" Filipina who volunteered to help them disappeared taking with her Faye's and her mother's bags, passports, and plane tickets. At that point, they literally had nothing left except for the few pieces of clothes and their faith in God. They had to sell the extra clothes left to be able to buy food.

In need once again, they sought help from some of the Filipino officials in Australia but to no avail. Oddly, the Filipino officials there were too busy with other priorities, not minding to help a young girl and a mother who had no other desire but to bring honor to our country.

Given a budget for only a one night stay at the hotel, mother and daughter had to check out the following day. Leaving their luggage on deposit and without money for transportation fare, they decided to walk two kilometers to the competition venue on their native Filipino costumes.

If walking a two kilometer distance was bad enough, how much more would be walking the distance on their native costume along the highways of Australia!

Upon arrival at the competition site, Faye and her mom were very surprised when they discovered that the delegates from each of the other countries were well supported by a band, a cheering squad, and a flag, while Faye only had her mother and the anxiety of lost passports and plane tickets. Worse, representatives of each country were required to decorate their booths.

With only the three-piece costume they had on, Faye and her mom were even more surprised when the organizing committee awarded their booth as "The Most Creative" booth.

In the early part of the competition, Japan, Brazil and Spain were eliminated. As the only Asian country left to compete against six Western nations, the Philippines was cheered on by Japan. Faye was encouraged by her Japanese cheering squad, but in her heart, how she wished that she had her own countrymen to cheer her on.

When Faye finally won first place and Philippine national anthem was being played, she prayed silently thanking God for making her a Filipina. Despite all the painful experiences she had with her country, her priorities did not waver. A Japanese diplomat was the one who helped Faye and her mom to secure tempor ary pass so they could return to the Philippines. The money they won was just enough for their fare back home and their temporary passport. When Faye was relating this story before a crowd, she said, "Let us love our nation, for nobody else will."

Faye did not allow her painful experiences to tear down her loyalty to her country. She is not a celebrity but a servant out to serve her fellow Filipino.

A Small Way to Greatness. Our concept of leadership in this country is pitifully skewed. We mistakenly think that leadership is about "lording" it over other people. Christ corrected this distorted thinking when he said, You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you, instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all - Mark 10:42-44

Sadly, we are far from the precept of this truth. It is no su rprise then that we have a dearth of real leaders in this country-leaders who would set the nation's interests above their own. In the same way, our concept of citizenship is damaged. Those seeking for social good for themselves are never willing to grant the same good to others. Hence it is common for us hear stories of Filipinos who take advantage of their fellow citizens. We want to be served, but we are unwilling to serve.

We dream of becoming like Jasmine Trias. We want our children to be like her. We would rather spend on things that would make us look good instead of things that would make us grow in character. We prefer stardom glitter over service-oriented endeavors.

Quite the contrary, Faye spend sleepless nights studying to win the competition because she knows her priorities. Unlike Jasmine Trias, Faye did not receive a hero's welcome when she came back, but, young as she is, she keeps calling on Filipinos to love the Philippines because every Filipino is a valuable gift of God.

Life, really is not a matter of intelligence but a matter of setting our priorities right. The question is, what's our focues on "grand" things that make us superficial or on simple things that lead us to greatness?

Faye's story reminds us all to look within ourselves. This eleven year old girl could have complained to the media, but she did not. She went out of her own small way to bring greatness to this land.

Right priorities grant us wisdom. When properly set, priorities point us to the right people we need to invest in, the right use of our energy, the right resources to draw from, and the right endeavors support.

From the words of Faye's mother, " We all wanted to win, but success is not measured through by merely winning. It is measured through our hearts, if it is truly attuned with God all the time. It is all that really matters for we have only an Audience of One. Whatever we have achieved, big or small, remember on e thing: it is for God and God alone. The King of the Kingdom of a higher world.

News item

I’ve been complaining of sleepless nights for the past weeks, and decided to take the day off to rest my weary eyes. Besides, I finished all my work for the past week so am pretty sure things will go well at the office without me. Nothing pending, so I can rest here at home without feeling guilty about taking the day off.

Got up at 8:30 a.m., still quite early since I really wanted to sleep in. But the little boy (Patrick) kept trying to wake me up. He was so excited to see me home. Even Paolo was hesitant to go to school since he knew I’d be staying home. I think he was thinking that Patrick and I would be going to the mall or something. He he he...

Anyway, read this news item from PDI about TABA cops being required to read Pastor Rick Warren’s book, “The Purpose Driven Life”. TABA, by the way, stands for tamad, abusado, bastos, ayaw pa-disiplina (lazy, abusive, discourteous, incorrigible). These TABA policemen are sent to a reformatory facility for a month-long retraining which includes strenuous physical activities, and now, values training. PNP Director General Aglipay plans to institutionalize this program so as to keep policemen in “good physical and moral shape”. Considering the various scandals involving the military nowadays, maybe the government should seriously consider implementing this program across all branches of the police and military. And maybe they should involve the top brass as well. But on the other hand, I just wonder if it will still be effective. As the saying goes, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks".

AR Partner

Caught replays of the past Amazing Races. Saw Amazing Race 3 and just now, Amazing Race 4, which was won by a gay couple, Chip and Reichen. I've always enjoyed watching Amazing Race, and i often wonder what it would be like to be an actual participant? Which got me thinking, who would I choose as a partner if I were joining the Amazing Race?

Well, since I’m not the athletic type, I would choose someone strong, fit, and athletic that he would have to do all the physically demanding tasks. He he he! :) It also wouldn’t hurt if he’s well-traveled so we’re sure not to get lost. Has to be a nice guy with a great sense of humor, too, or else I might just kill him if he gets on my nerves during the race! HA ha ha! Anyway, I already have a number of good friends in mind. Now, when is AR coming to the Philippines? Auditions, anyone? :)

Ah, weekend...

It was a quiet Sunday. Woke up early and attended the morning mass with Pao. Did a little shopping at the church plaza where there were fruit and food stalls, then headed home. Later on in the afternoon took a nap. Sarrap! Nothing like a weekend at home to recharge from the past week’s stresses. :)

Right now, the kids are watching Tom & Jerry cartoons. Hearing their loud laughs every few minutes makes me look up, and makes me laugh, too. A few minutes ago, the kids were both reading books I recently purchased for them. Books about courage, determination, and responsibility. And even if Patrick can’t read yet, just seeing him picking up a book and ‘pretending’ to read makes me smile. He just loves to mimic whatever his kuya pao is doing… :)

Countdown

20 days to go till my last day at the office. Being a Saturday, this was the perfect day to organize my files, and finally do the filing which I have put off for sooo many months. I couldn’t believe the mountain of files which accumulated in my “for filing” folder. And though I hadn’t originally planned on staying at the office the whole day, that’s exactly what happened! Gosh, I didn’t realize it would take me that long to clear out all my files… But when I finally finished, it felt really good! Finally, one task less on my “to do” list.

Sleepless in Mandaluyong

Aargh! These past weeks, sleep has been elusive. Dunno if it's because of everything that's going on in my life (starting with the kids getting sick, etc.)... Anyway, this morning was no different. I woke up suddenly at 2 a.m., and couldn't go back to sleep! Probably because of so many thoughts running around in my head... things to do, people to talk to, plans/projects, etc. I tinkered around with some stuff and even wrote down everything that came to mind, hoping to empty my thoughts out onto the paper. Usually that works. But sleep was still elusive. I was still wide awake!

Reading calms me down. So i picked up "The Celestine Prophecy" and started reading where i left off. After a few chapters, i felt my eyelids getting heavy. As i reached to turn off my bedside lamp... time check... 5 a.m.! Adjusted my alarm to wake me up at 7 a.m. instead of my usual 6 a.m. wake-up call. Oh well, maybe i'll be able to catch up on sleep this weekend.

Career changes

Yup, I’ve finally done it! Have tendered my resignation from my company for the past 7 years. The decision didn’t come easy and there’s a mixture of sadness and excitement about leaving and treading new ground. It’s been a good 7 years, but it’s really time for a change. So yes, I admit it, I’m more excited than sad. :)

Don't want to give out the details about my new company yet though. Maybe after November 15 I would, since i'll be starting with the new company by then. wish me luck! :)

Friendster

Was checking out friendster (after such a long time of not even accessing it), and found 4 old friends from my past jobs! These are people I haven’t seen or talked to for at least 5 years, so I immediately sent them all email messages. Am hoping we’ll get a chance to talk again soon, and catch up on each other’s lives. It really is such a cool thing to get a chance to touch base again with old friends. Hey, am planning to check out friendster more often and who knows, maybe get to find a lot of my other "old" friends. Wouldn't that be great? :)

"I love you"

this is cute. "I love you" in different languages. Who knows, this may prove useful in the future... he he he... :)

English - I love you
Afrikaans - Ek het jou lief
Albanian - Te dua
Arabic - Ana behibak (to male)
Arabic - Ana behibek (to female)
Armenian - Yes kez sirumen
Bambara - M'bi fe
Bangla - Aamee tuma ke bhalo aashi
Belarusian - Ya tabe kahayu
Bisaya - Nahigugma ako kanimo
Bulgarian - Obicham te
Cambodian - Soro lahn nhee ah
Cantonese Chinese - Ngo oiy ney a
Catalan - T'estimo
Cheyenne - Ne mohotatse
Chichewa - Ndimakukonda
Corsican - Ti tengu caru (to male)
Creol - Mi aime jou
Croatian - Volim te
Czech - Miluji te
Danish - Jeg Elsker Dig
Dutch - Ik hou van jou
Elf (from The Lord of The Rings, by J.R.R.
Tolkien)- "le melin" (thanks Markus)
Esperanto - Mi amas vin
Estonian - Ma armastan sind
Ethiopian - Afgreki'
Faroese - Eg elski teg
Farsi - Doset daram
Filipino - Mahal kita/Iniibig kita
Finnish - Mina rakastan sinua
French - Je t'aime, Je t'adore
Frisian - Ik hâld fan dy
Gaelic - Ta gra agam ort
Georgian - Mikvarhar
German - Ich liebe dich
Greek - S'agapo
Gujarati - Hoo thunay prem karoo choo
Hiligaynon - Palangga ko ikaw
Hawaiian - Aloha Au Ia`oe (Thanks Craig)
Hebrew - Ani ohev otah (to female)
Hebrew - Ani ohev et otha (to male)
Hiligaynon - Guina higugma ko ikaw
Hindi - Hum Tumhe Pyar Karte hae
Hmong - Kuv hlub koj
Hopi - Nu' umi unangwa'ta
Hungarian - Szeretlek
Icelandic - Eg elska tig
Ilonggo - Palangga ko ikaw
Indonesian - Saya cinta padamu
Inuit - Negligevapse
Irish - Taim i' ngra leat
Italian - Ti amo
Japanese - Aishiteru
Kannada - Naanu ninna preetisuttene
Kapampangan - Kaluguran daka
Kiswahili - Nakupenda
Konkani - Tu magel moga cho
Korean - Sarang Heyo
Latin - Te amo
Latvian - Es tevi miilu
Lebanese - Bahibak
Lithuanian - Tave myliu
Malay - Saya cintakan mu / Aku cinta padamu
Malayalam - Njan Ninne Premikunnu
Mandarin Chinese - Wo ai ni
Marathi - Me tula prem karto
Mohawk - Kanbhik
Moroccan - Ana moajaba bik
Nahuatl - Ni mits neki
Navaho - Ayor anosh'ni
Norwegian - Jeg Elsker Deg
Pandacan - Syota na kita!!
Pangasinan - Inaru Taka
Papiamento - Mi ta stimabo
Persian - Doo-set daaram
Pig Latin - Iay ovlay ouyay
Polish - Kocham Ciebie
Portuguese - Eu te amo
Romanian - Te iubesc
Russian - Ya tebya liubliu
Scot Gaelic - Tha gra\dh agam ort
Serbian - Volim te
Setswana - Ke a go rata
Sign Language - ,\,,/ (represents position of
fingers when signing'I Love You')
Sindhi - Maa tokhe pyar kendo ahyan
Sioux - Techihhila
Slovak - Lu`bim ta
Slovenian - Ljubim te
Spanish - Te quiero / Te amo
Swahili - Ninapenda wewe
Swedish - Jag alskar dig
Swiss-German - Ich lieb Di
Surinam - Mi lobi joe
Tagalog - Mahal kita
Taiwanese - Wa ga ei li
Tahitian - Ua Here Vau Ia Oe
Tamil - Nan unnai kathalikaraen
Telugu - Nenu ninnu premistunnanu
Thai - Chan rak khun (to male)
Thai - Phom rak khun (to female)
Turkish - Seni Seviyorum
Ukrainian - Ya tebe kahayu
Urdu - mai aap say pyaar karta hoo
Vietnamese - Anh ye^u em (to female)
Vietnamese - Em ye^u anh (to male)
Welsh - 'Rwy'n dy garu di
Yiddish - Ikh hob dikh
Yoruba - Mo ni fe

Busy, busy...

Work piled up on me the 2 weeks that i was on leave (taking care of my sons), so haven't had the time to post lately... busy, busy, busy...

The Christmas season is fast approaching and this is a very busy time for my department, preparing for the Christmas party, ordering giveaways for the employees, ordering trophies and watches for the service awardees, etc. And this is on top of the usual responsibilities for the department. *sigh* I'll be glad when all this is over.

Earthquake

There was an earthquake last Friday night. And it's been a while since i experienced an earthquake, so i have to admit it, it was quite frightening! We were on the 8th floor of the hospital, and luckily, Patrick was already asleep by then. When I felt the shaking, i didn't know what to do...whether to take patrick in my arms and take cover under the bed or what! But he was sleeping so soundly that i didn't want to move him and frighten him. So i covered him, shielding him with my body lest something fall on him. The first instinct of a mother is to protect her children...

Been thinking about it and it's a good thing that the hospital withstood the earthquake (which was reportedly at 5.5 on the Richter scale). But what if ?!?! So many negative thoughts come to mind, so it was a good thing that i got this email on what to do in case of an earthquake. Very timely reading. Read on...

================================
Not that we are anticipating anything...
In an earthquake, don't get under a desk or bed, curl up next to it : the "Triangle of Life" (see below).

EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE "TRIANGLE OF LIFE" Edited by Larry Linn for MAA Safety Committee brief on 4/13/04.

My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an earthquake.

I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a member of many rescue teams from many countries. I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation (UNX051 -UNIENET) for two years. I have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for simultaneous disasters.

In 1996 we made a film which proved my survival methodology to be correct. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul, University of Istanbul, Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside.

Ten mannequins did "duck and cover," and ten mannequins I used in my "triangle of life" survival method. After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and entered the building to film and document the results.

The film, in which I practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific conditions, relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero percent survival for those doing duck and cover. There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my method of the "Triangle of Life." This film has been seen by millions of viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe, and it was seen in the USA, Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV.

The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under their desk. Every child was crushed to the thickness of their bones. They could have survived by lying down next to their desks in the aisles. It was obscene and unnecessary, and I wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the time know that the children were told to hide under something.

Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a space or void next to them. This space is what I call the "triangle of life." The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the "triangles" you see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see, in a collapsed building. They are everywhere.

I trained the Fire Department of Trujillo (population 750,000) in how to survive, take care of their families, and to rescue others in earthquakes.

The chief of rescue in the Trujillo Fire Department is a professor at Trujillo University. He accompanied me everywhere. He gave personal testimony: "My name is Roberto Rosales. I am Chief of Rescue in Trujillo. When I was 11 years old, I was trapped inside of a collapsed building. My entrapment occurred during the earthquake of 1972 that killed 70,000 people. I survived in the "triangle of life" that existed next to my brother's motorcycle. My friends who got under the bed and under desks were crushed to death [he gives more details, names, addresses etc.]. I am the living example of the "triangle of life." My dead friends are the example of "duck and cover"."

TIPS FROM DOUG COPP:
1) Everyone who simply "ducks and covers" WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE is crushed to death - every time, without exception. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are always crushed.

2) Cats, dogs and babies all naturally often curl up in the fetal position. You should, too, in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct.

You can survive in a smaller void. Get next to an object, next to a sofa, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it.

3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an earthquake. The reason is simple: the wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake. If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created. Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries but less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.

4) If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed. Hotels can achieve a much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on the back of the door of every room, telling occupants to lie down on the floor, next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.

5) If an earthquake happens while you are watching television and you cannot easily escape by getting out the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a sofa, or large chair.

6) Everybody who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed. Why? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be killed.

7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different "moment of frequency," (they swing separately from the main part of the building). The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads. They are horribly mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs. The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when overloaded by screaming, fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even when the rest of the building is not damaged.

8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible - It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.

9) People inside their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or lying next to their vehicles, says the author. Everyone killed would have survived if they had been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that had columns fall directly across them.

10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.

Home at last!

Spending Sunday night here at home with the kids. Patrick was discharged from the hospital this afternoon. He was hospitalized last Wednesday night for broncho pneumonia, just like paolo was 2 weeks ago. Both kids are much better now, thank GOD! And thank you also for the prayers.

Anyway, hope this is the last time that the kids get sick. it's just sooo much stress on my part when they get sick. Am so thankful that they've both recovered. again, thank you for the prayers and for your concern.

Good news & bad news...

as expected, am here at home now. Yesterday morning Paolo was discharged from the hospital. So was planning to just relax at home. But so many chores to do. When I finally plopped into bed last night, I was already running a fever. Not a big deal actually since I still have acute bronchitis which I’m taking meds for.

But then, Patrick also got sick! After Paolo, si Patrick naman! :( Cough, colds and high fever. So didn’t get much sleep last night, giving him sponge bath and using the nebulizer on him. Got worried since his fever was pretty high and wouldn’t go down. Luckily, this morning, he’s feeling much better and no more fever. We’re bringing him to his pedia later for a check-up. Hopefully, there would be no need to have him confined. Am so worried. We all pray that Patrick doesn’t need to be hospitalized and that he’ll recover from his sickness.

Kiddie sick day 2

You know how i've been saying that Paolo had a fever since Saturday night? Well, when his pedia saw him Monday afternoon, she advised that Paolo be confined already.
Uso nga kasi dengue and she remembers how Paolo had trouble before fighting off the disease. So that same night, confined na sya and I’ve been on leave since Tuesday.

Anyway, they ruled out dengue coz the CBC results showed bacteria at 16, when the normal is 10 or below. For dengue cases, it's the white blood cells count that decreases. Whew, that was such a relief to hear. They were treating now Paolo, since he developed cough & colds and had sore throat. But since fever was still present although he was already being given antibiotics, he underwent an x-ray and that was when he was found to have broncho pneumonia. He had fever every 5 hours, anywhere from 39 to 40. so the doctor changed his meds to penicillin. Now paolo is doing much better, THANK GOD!

Now i'm sick (again!). Actually, since a week before Paolo was hospitalized i've had cough and colds already. And since i was already at the hospital anyway, i took the chance and went for a checkup. And guess what? I have acute bronchitis. Anyway, the doctor advised me to take 3-5 days rest. Yeah, right! Since paolo will be discharged tomorrow (Sunday), have decided to take my SL on Monday and Tuesday. I need to recharge.

I consider it a blessing, though, that when Paolo was sick, i was much better and could handle the sleepless nights. Like they say, hindi pwede magkasakit ang mommy, coz then who would take care of the kids? :)

All throughout the past week, Paolo and I have been bonding and enjoying our time together. Patrick has also been such a darling, behaving himself and being such a sweet kid. Not just to me, but to his Kuya Paolo, too. :)