Lines i've heard lately

Below is a short list of lines i've heard from guy friends lately. forget context. let me just say that these are all from friends, and hearing this from them just proves my thinking that pinoy guys are sweet. Sweet, and "bolero"! HA HA HA!!! :D

"Yang ganda mong yan, eh may panahon ka pang ma-insecure?!"
"Dapat sa DFA ka! international ang beauty mo." joke...
"Una lang akong pinanganak... "
"Sana di ka nag-asawa agad. Hinintay mo sana ako."

This one takes the cake:This guy friend actually calls my mom, and after pleasantries, comments, "Sana ako na lang naging son-in-law nyo noh?"

HAHAHAHAHA! :D

WYSIWYG

wysiwyg -- wasn't familiar with this acronym until a friend used this to describe me. "what you see is what you get". no pretensions, easy going, and basically just "one of the boys", which makes it easy for others to relate to me.

nice one!

Pack Rat

My being a "pack rat" has finally caught up with me. This weekend, i spent the whole day cleaning out one of our bedrooms which had been converted into a stock room. In it were the kids' old toys, old stock (from my parents' buy and sell business), old furniture and appliances, newspapers, magazines, and all sorts of my, and my brother's stuff! My stuff were mostly photocopied journals which i used for my studies way, way back, as well as newspaper clippings which were even older than my kids! it was a mess!

We had originally planned to use this room as the kids' play/study/recreation room. They'd have their toys, books and what-have-yous all there in one area of the house. But alas, it had become more of a jungle than a play area, what with the old appliances and junk stored there.

I started the clean-up early, keeping the recyclables together. The kids' old toys, as well as brand new and old clothes from the US, i gave away. But most items i just put in an old box and threw away. Enough with sentimentality! They were taking up too much space in the house!

With the windows and screen cleaned, i could finally do away with my dust mask and breathe. When I finally finished cleaning up the whole room, it was already 4 p.m. Took a much-needed bath and rested. It felt good to have accomplished such a big task, that i didn't feel as tired as i had expected. Even had enough energy to cook spaghetti (from scratch, mind you!) for the kids. Now it's time to kick back, relax, watch tv, and enjoy reading my magazines. Ah! It was a weekend well spent. :)

Comfort zone

have been feeling "dreary" about work and was considering looking for another job. this feeling has been with me the past couple of months. and as answer to my prayers, a friend called me the other night to tell me about a career opportunity. and in training (which i've always wanted to do)! A plus would be the opportunity to travel abroad to conduct, as well as attend, trainings and seminars!

I should have been excited, right? well, funny, but i wasn't. i suddenly was having second thoughts and questioning myself if this was really something i COULD do. i knew i wanted to do it, but doubt crept in and i was asking myself how ready i was to take on this challenge, and this change in my life. In other words, I was getting COLD FEET!

I was surprised at myself, and then i realized that the doubt was due to my stepping out of my comfort zone. Though i've always wanted a change, now that the opportunity was present, i was having doubts! KAINES! I could just kick myself!

so i stopped worrying, took a deep breath, and just told my friend that yes, i'd love to explore that career opportunity. i didn't want to be too excited. first things first. i took the first step and submitted my resume'. so am now waiting if and when i'll be interviewed.

And as always, am praying... that if this is truly the right job for me, then things will just fall into place. no expectations. :D

World Vision

The Philippines is experiencing a lot of problems, such as budget deficit, oil price hike, unemployment, the list goes on... This is actually the reason why i've stopped watching the evening news. Too depressing for me! But rather than focus on what's bad, I'd like to practice looking at the glass half-full. i want this to be a "feel good" site. :)

Things may not be looking good for the Philippines now, but I hope (and pray!) that things will get better. One thing that can be done is to help others in worse situations than ours. Being a mother, i have a soft spot in my heart for kids. Which is why i've decided to link the organization "World Vision" to my blog.

Their vision statement says it best:
"Our vision for every child, life in all its fullness;
Our prayer for every heart, the will to make it so."

They work by linking sponsors (Filipino and foreign) to poor children and their families. For only Php 450.00 a month, YOU can send a child to school, give health assistance, and improve his/her quality of life, as well as that of their community. Php 450.00 is such a small amount when compared to the impact it will make in the life of the child.So be a child sponsor now! As our national hero, Jose Rizal once said, "Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan" (The youth are the hope of the nation).

Ala "Cool Runnings"

just want to share some good news! Congratulations to the SM Philippines Ice Skating Team for their impressive performance at the ISIA World Championship! Bravo! we need more good news like this, and those about Nestor Sulpico (the honest Filipino cabbie in NY)! these are the kinds of news/stories that make me proud to be a Filipino.

Tropical RP bags gold, world crown — in ice skating
(The Philippine Star 08/24/2004)

Here’s one Philippine contingent that struck gold.
Two years too early for the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics, skaters from the SM Philippines ice skating team brought home an impressive 90 golds, 62 silvers and 26 bronze medals to top this year’s Ice Skating Institute of America (ISIA) World Championships in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The SM team, which included 43 skaters from the SM Megamall and SM Southmall rinks, scored 776.5 points to beat 88 teams from the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Mexico and the United States, which fielded teams from 24 states.

It was an emotional moment when SM first vice president Ric Camaligan received the trophy for the Philippine team. The audience gave a standing ovation to the team, which defied many odds, including an improbable climate.

The White Bear Lake Sports team from the US placed second with 686.3 points while the Plymouth Ice Center took third place with 647.8 points.

What made the victory of the contingent from a tropical country more remarkable was that it was the first by a non-US team since the ISIA was organized in 1959.

The Filipino skaters’ participation can be compared to the experience of the Jamaican bobsledding team in the 1988 Calgary Olympic Winter Games, which became the subject of the 1993 Disney comedy movie "Cool Runnings."

But unlike the Jamaican team — which finished last — the Philippine skaters stamped their class in the Minnesota competitions.

Among the standouts in the team were Cara Naomi Damian, who brought home three gold, four silver and three bronze medals, and Bien Bergonia who garnered two gold, five silver and five bronze medals.

Other skaters who won multiple medals were Dale Feliciano (four golds and two silver medals), Celine Gabrielle Gabrieta (three golds, two silvers and one bronze), Jazz Ashley Tulda (three golds and two silvers), Marc Camaligan (three golds and one silver), Arlene Cariño (three golds and one silver), Francesca Recasata (three golds and two silvers), Danica Icanranom (four golds) and Roxanne Puno (three gold medals).

The Champion’s trophy brought home by the SM team features a transparent globe mounted on a miniature Phantom Skate Blade, a brand of ice skates said to be favored by Olympic competitors.

This year was the 11th time that SM, which also participates in Asian competitions, sent a delegation to the ISIA World Competition. With one exception, all 43 skaters learned to skate from formal lessons at the SM Megamall and SM Southmall ice skating rinks.

Philippines

Below is an email i received a few months back. Read and saved in my inbox. Something i read and re-read. This is something positive about our country and coming from a foreigner. Unfortunately, i don't know who to credit this article to. So to the author, whoever he/she is, THANK YOU! :)

Subject: FW: Interesting impression coming from a foreign journalist

I NEVER thought I would like Manila, a city I never even imagined I would visit in my lifetime. But now, as the date of my departure approaches, I find that I do not want to leave.

I came to the Philippines on a Ken and Yasuko Myer Fellowship. The program sends graduating Australian journalism students to work in newspapers in Southeast Asia in order to promote better understanding and relations between the media of Australia and its regional neighbors.

Without pausing to draw breath, I found myself at the departure lounge of Sydney Airport just four weeks after winning the fellowship.

As I sat on the plane I browsed through my hastily compiled research on the Philippines. My guidebook recommended that tourists escape Manila at the first opportunity. The internet stories I had gathered described the corruption, the kidnapping and the crime wave. My government's travel advisory encouraged caution and warned of robbery and terrorism. And, an international media watchdog body tallied seven murdered Filipino journalists in 2003.

I really did not think I would like Manila.

I have been in the Philippines for six weeks now. I have not been robbed, kidnapped, blown up, bribed or killed. I have, however, been charmed.

The dangers and controversies of the Philippines are well-publicized, but I will take away from Manila memories of the kindness, not the criminality, of the Filipino people.

Stories of the legendary Filipino hospitality had reached me in Sydney before I left, but I had not bargained on its strength. People who barely knew me took me into their homes. People who struggled to buy each day's groceries fed me. I have been truly humbled by the generosity and the indefatigable good nature of the Filipino people.

I had imagined my life in the Philippines to consist of watching cable in my apartment every night. However, the tireless efforts of the young Filipinos who adopted me ensured that I soon came to know and love Filipino food and the timeless art of "gimmicking."

While humbled by the people, I have been awed by the press. I had not expected a country that has yet to complete its second consecutive decade of a restored democracy to have such a stable and well-developed media.

Coming from Australia with a small population able to support only a handful of broadsheet and tabloid daily newspapers, the Philippine media looked to be an exotic banquet to me. The depth and diversity of the Filipino press are something of which the country is rightfully proud.

During my time working in the Philippine press, I have found its boast about being the freest in the region to be true, and then some. The Philippines is an amazingly dynamic, vibrant, complicated country. While it has its problems, I feel these are often dwelt on to the neglect of its many attributes.

I will watch the lights of Manila fade from my airplane window next week with reluctance. I will miss Manila for, among so many other things, there is no taho (bean curd in syrup) in Sydney.
©2004 http://www.inq7.net/ all rights reserved

Injured!

What a (bad) way to start the week! Had just gotten up from bed and was still kinda bleary-eyed when i stepped into the bathroom. While taking out the water kettle from inside the pail, it slipped from my hand and fell! And the hot water splattered onto my feet! Aaaarrrgh! Really shouted from pain when this happened. Hurt sooo bad. i should consider myself lucky that the kettle didn't fall ON my foot. but gosh, it really hurt. Putting ointment on it and gauze eased some of the pain, but up to now, i still feel "prickly" pain, mostly on my left foot. So am walking now with a limp. :(

“Mommy” mode

21 August 2004, 4:45 p.m.

It’s a Saturday and the day was spent on “mommy” mode as usual. Just finished cleaning the bedroom (windows, ceiling, walls and all)! Luckily, bought enough groceries last week to last us 2 weeks, so am foregoing the usual grocery trip. Took a nice, long shower and going to mass later with the kiddies.

They got me to promise them a trip to the mall tomorrow and they’re so psyched! Already, they have plans on where to eat, and what shops to go to. Maybe they’ve even planned out what they’ll ask their mommy to buy for them? Hmmm…smart kids! But then, it takes so little to make them happy. :)

Acoustic Festival

21 August 2004, 9:30 a.m.

Was planning to go home straight from work last night, when I received a text from my friend Isa, “You wanna watch Acoustic Festival tonight, with Paolo Santos, Jimmy Bondoc, Akafellas, & Thor?” “Is the Pope Catholic?” I almost text back.

After some frenzied minutes, couldn’t find anyone to accompany me. So sadly decided to give up and just go home. But just as I was leaving the office, I chance upon 2 friends looking for something to do this Friday night. So am back to “concert” mode! After making sure we still have tickets, off we went to Casino Filipino in Paranaque for the concert.

The concert started late, almost 10 p.m., but it was well worth the wait. I thoroughly enjoyed the show (lighting effects included, sound problems excluded).

First to perform was Thor, and since this was my first time to even hear about him, I was quite surprised that he had a very nice voice! He sang Stevie Wonder songs (titles which escape me at the moment) and he was pretty good. He sang “Wonderland” (his first single), and “Lately”. Someone who I think is well on his way to becoming a famous balladeer.

Have heard of Akafellas before, but never really got to hear them sing until last night. And they were a treat! They’re 8 young guys, (all kinda cute, may I add), and all with great voices which blended melodiously together. Didn’t catch their names, except for DJ Mike, who wowed the crowd with his talent for imitating drums, synthesizers, anything & everything…really good! Another standout was the smallest guy in the group, who had the highest, and sweetest voice of the group, and who reminded me of a young Michael Jackson (maybe even better!) Their version of “Bongga ka ‘day” was fresh and different! There were a few awkward moments before each song, but once they started singing, it was pure bliss. I also remember them saying that they’re not a boy band, but a “voice” band. And what beautiful voices they have. :)

The highlight of the concert for me? It was a tie between Jimmy Bondoc’s rendition of the classics “The way you look tonight” and “someone to watch over me”, and Paolo Santos’ “Moonlight in Paris”, and “There’s no easy way to break somebody’s heart”. Hearing these guys sing was well worth the effort of braving the traffic going to Paranaque during rush hour on a Friday night!

All the performers did well, but struck me the most was the confidence Paolo Santos exuded on stage. He has really grown to be a better performer. And Jimmy Bondoc? I never knew (until last night) that he had a great sense of humor. Funny guy!

Boy, am I glad I was able to watch the concert. Things just fell into place, considering that it was such short notice. What luck! I love you, Isa! Mwah mwah mwah! :D

What It Means To Love

Below is an email message I received just today. After reading it, felt that it was something worth sharing...

Subject: What It Means To Love
[Love]... believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. - 1Corinthians 13:7
Love..."believes all things." Love believes the best about others ---always! When someone you care about is called into question, love says:"You don't know what you're talking about; that's not the kind of person he is. That's not what she meant." Listen again: "[Love] hopes all things." Love sees people not as they are, but as they will be by God's grace. Wouldn't it be great if God could download that kind of love into all our hearts? Then Paul adds that love "endures all things." Endure is a military term. It means driving a stake into the ground - isn't that great? It's like, "I'll stand my ground in loving you."

In his book Love, Acceptance & Forgiveness, Jerry Cook describes a church in Washington state that grew in 14 years to more than 4,000 people. The book includes a commitment the people at that church made to each other. It says: "You'll never knowingly suffer at my hands. I'll never knowingly say or do anything to hurt you. I'll always, in every circumstance, seek to help and support you. If you're down and I can lift you, I'll do that. If you need something and I have it, I'll share it with you. If I need to, I'll give it to you. No matter what I find out about you, no matter what happens in the future - either good or bad - my commitment to you will never change. And there's nothing you can do about it!" Today pray, "Lord help me to love like that."

by Bob Gass of The Vine

walk-a-thon (ha!)

After work last night, decided to take a walk around our church plaza. It wasn't too hot last night as a breeze was blowing and luckily, there were not too many people in the plaza. No dogs in sight either, which meant no doggie poo! yehey! :D Probably the city's new ordinance has something to do with it. Dog catchers doing their jobs, and catching stray dogs. at last! i can walk in peace.

Walked briskly around the park and after 10 minutes, could already feel the sweat trickling down my back and face. ah! it feels good to walk. it's been a while and i realize now what i've been missing. walking clears my head and i find that i'm able to think through the past day's events more clearly. plus, i get to plan out what i have to do tomorrow. *sigh* will really have to make time to do this nightly. 5 more minutes of brisk walking and i'm headed home.

Back home, it's "strength training" time. Made use of my 'dust-covered' set of dumbbells and after 30 minutes or so, can already feel the strain in my muscles. Either i'm becoming lazy(ier), or i really am so tired. Well at least, all this activity tonight has eased my guilt somehow, about not making time for exercise. hmmm... tomorrow is another day. exercise again? taking it a day at a time... (does this sound like the AA's program for recovering alcoholics? ha ha ha! :D yeah, maybe i'm just being a little too melodramatic...)

Edit posts - part II

Finally! i was able to edit my previous posts. yehey!!! and yes, as i suspected, it was my browser. i normally use Opera and it's worked for me fine until this problem with editing my blog came up. on a chance, i used IE instead, and it worked like a charm. i normally don't use IE though since i've been warned before that it's more prone to viruses. anyway, i'm just so happy that i won't have to live with my "printed mistakes"! ha ha ha! babaw ba? :D

Edit posts?!?

For the life of me, i can't seem to edit my past posts here on blogger. i can add, but not edit. have tried it hundreds of times but clicking on the "edit" button doesn't work. dunno if it has something to do with my browser or what. oh well... i guess I'll have to learn to live with my (printed) mistakes. Which is driving the OC (obsessive-compulsive) in me crazy!

Compliment?

I got my hair cut last Sunday. when i got home, my kids were surprised to see my new 'do. then i asked, "bagay ba? maganda ba haircut ni mommy?"

my eldest son replied, "maganda, mommy! parang di ikaw!"

HA HA HA HA HA HA !!! :D

Mid-year review

you know those mid-year reviews? just had one at the office and had to present our department's accomplishment against our objectives, etc.. and it got me thinking about my own New Year's resolutions. below is my list and how i fared:

- Lose weight!!! (which i think, is one of the most common New Year's resolutions).
Anyway, i planned to do this by playing badminton, eating less, and taking nightly walks around our church park (during the nights when i don't have badminton). badminton? check! have been playing regularly 2x a week for 2 hours per session. :) eating less? hmmm... EEKK! definitely something i have to seriously pay more attention to. but what can i say? i love to eat! as for taking nightly walks, i was able to do this regularly only until last may. just can't seem to find the time (nor the energy) to take nightly walks.

- Read 1 book a month. I was able to accomplish this effortlessly last year, but am having trouble this year. Last year, when i finished my 16th book by September, i stopped reading altogether. no use trying to achieve more than what i planned! he he he... but this year, have only read a handful of books. just can't seem to finish what i start! oh well! i'll have to do better. any good book recommendations, anyone?

- Learn to cook 1 new dish per month. getting there! but maybe this is also the reason that my #1 resolution isn't getting accomplished! when i cook, i have to eat. hmmm... let me re-think if i'm going to push through with this one. or maybe i have to specify that i will learn to cook 1 new healthy, low-fat dish/meal per month. sounds better... :)

will check out my list again tomorrow... :D

You’ve Got Mail

15 August 2004, 9:15 p.m.

Believe it or not, tonight’s the only time I got to finish watching the movie “You’ve got mail”. During that part when Greg Kinnear and Meg Ryan were breaking up, he asked her, “How about you? Is there someone new?”, and she replied, “No, but there’s the dream of someone new” … I LOVED that part! Maybe because at this point in my life, there may be no one 'special', but i can honestly say that i'm looking forward to meeting someone new. who knows?! life is full of surprises. :)

Old friends

14 August 2004

Last night was a blast! Get-togethers with old friends always are. It’s so liberating to touch base with people you have a shared history with. And I consider myself very lucky that I’m still in touch with friends from college, from my past jobs, and even from high school and grade school! How cool is that?

Balikbayan (bring home a friend...)

still here at the office and as expected, got a mountain load of work waiting for me after my 2 days sick leave. :( oh well...

but just couldn't resist not posting! am actually excited coz i'm attending another reunion tonight. yup, another 'balikbayan' friend came home recently. the 4th this year! whew! first one to come home was joy, then fatima, then kites, and now, rolly! each time a friend comes home, you can expect the get-togethers/reunions and non-stop "chikahan"!

Rolly, as well as our friends from advertising, will be meeting later for dinner. knowing my friends, it's gonna be another laughter-filled night. can't wait! :D

p.s. just remembered the slogan as well as the jingle for Department of Tourism's (DOT) "bring home a friend" which WE (our agency) came up with. gosh, so long ago... how time flies... ok, sing ! "bring home, bring home, bring home a friend..." :D

Dream job

I remember when I was a kid I dreamed of being a flight stewardess. Didn’t everyone? :D okay, maybe not everyone. The idea of getting to travel all over the world was what made it so enticing. But of course, that was a dream job I soon outgrew (literally, not figuratively). He he he… ;->

Thinking about it now, my dream job is still something related to travel. I know I would just love to host a travel show! Talk about big dreams, huh? Would LOVE to be a travel show host (ala Asha Gill, Justine Shapiro and Samantha Brown)! A nice show like “Globe Trekker” or “Girl Meets Hawaii” or “Dream Vacations” or "Lonely Planet 6 Degrees", etc. etc. etc... Watching them, i kinda think to myself, "hey, i could do that", and it really seems a very exciting (and quite glamorous) job. I just love the shows on Discovery Travel & Adventure channel kasi. Sort of like living my dreams thru watching those shows.

Why did i suddenly get this idea about my dream job? blame it on watching TV all day! (sheepish smile...) . what else can i do? am home sick...

oh, another thing! i'm a frustrated writer. obvious ba? :D

A robot for the lonely, anyone?

Was watching tv yesterday and there was this program with the latest gadgets from Samsung. They featured this “april” robot, kinda small, and with a face shaped more like an alien than that of a human. According to the inventor, they’re thinking in the year 2010 (a mere 6 years away), a person can go home from work and this april robot, using biofeedback, will be able to ‘sense’ a person’s feelings and will then play whatever music will suit this person's mood. He can also talk to this robot and use it as a sort of outlet to tell the robot how his day was, etc.

Whoa! Won’t we have friends or family in the future that we’ll need a robot to talk to? Or maybe they think that we’ll be so busy with other things and not have time for personal relationships? Wouldn’t it be so sad for us, if we need to buy a robot just to have someone (something) to talk to and listen to us?

That these inventors are willing to invest in this, means that they believe there will be a market for this robot in the first place. We can be certain that the person who buys it is pretty lonely. A single guy (or girl) without family, relatives, or friends! How sad is that?!?

Sick... & tired

I’m at home sick! :(

There’s no right time to get sick. But then, who likes being sick anyway? I hate this, I hate this, I hate this! Runny nose, sore throat, sneezing/wheezing, sore muscles, dizziness... aaarrrrgggghhh! Can’t medicines work any faster? I actually think I o’d on sleep! Getting too much sleep, your back aches, your head aches, everything aches! And when you pull yourself out of bed, you’re so dizzy that you just want to crawl back in bed!

Nothing like getting sick to put everything in perspective. Anything and everything that was absolutely, could not be postponed, inevitably was. That meeting which just had to be squeezed in this day, that report due ‘yesterday’… suddenly everything turns out to have a ‘flexible’ deadline after all! Which makes me think all the more that all this pushing to finish everything was what caused me to be sick in the first place!

But being here at home, “bonding” with my couch, getting to watch all those great new shows on ETC, poring through my back issues of O magazine, and seeing the smile on my sons’ faces when they find out I’m staying home… hmmm, I could seriously learn to enjoy being home. BUT without the runny nose, sore throat, sneezing, sore muscles, & dizziness ha!

Now the trick would be to find work I can do at home which will pay the bills! Hmmm… let me get back to the couch and relax some more. Who knows, maybe that one great idea is gonna be in that dream I’ll be having later. It’s back to dreamland for me. Ta-ta!

Twisted

I remember before i used to love reading "Twisted" by Jessica Zafra. She was funny and sarcastic both at the same time. She really could make me laugh. :D Thinking about it now, maybe i liked reading it coz she wasn't afraid to express her thoughts on a myriad of issues, controversial or not. And she was tough! Someone who wouldn't back down. and sorry you, if you crossed her path on one of her bad days. Funny, smart, and tough... not a bad combination. nope, not bad at all. :)

Which made me think about my earlier blog "Rantings..." come to think of it, i'm a pretty mild-mannered person and not the type to "rant and rave". hmmm... "muse" would be more like it. i just speak my piece and if a person disagrees with me, fine. no need to butt heads about it. BUT i do remember an instance a few months back when i got into an argument with an old classmate from college. we all got together (7 of us) to meet with another friend who had migrated to the US, and who was in town for a vacation. so we were all talking about old times, and updating each other on our lives since college. and 2 of us (my friend from the US and me) had actually almost the same negative experience with our ex-es. and while we were relating the things we went through one of our classmates (i hesitate now to call her a friend), bluntly commented, "how could you have been so stupid, blah blah blah, and how she was so lucky having been so blessed with a husband who loves her, blah blah blah". And i can tell you, i was so pissed off!! I literally felt my whole face becoming hot! Grrrr... how dare she judge us?! How insensitive!

So i spoke up and gave her a piece of my mind! I told her that we didn't feel as if we were victims, but survivors. and both better persons because of it! Until she had been in that same situation, she had no right to judge us or to say what we did was right or wrong. she had no right to judge us for our circumstances, period! and yes, she was lucky, and hopefully, she never would experience the things we went through. because for one, she may not be strong enough, or live long enough to tell her tales. you never know, right?

that time i was so surprised at the anger i felt for her remark, but more so, at how good it felt to stand up for ME. :)

Extreme Makeovers

i caught oprah's show a few days back which featured 'extreme makeovers'. this one guy had a total change in the way he looked and it wasn't all that bad, i admit. but to me, he looked 'fake'. so he got a new chin, changed the shape of his face, but it didn't seem real. he looked like a worn doll. he did have a better outlook in life though, so in that sense, maybe the plastic surgery was a success.

but this other makeover featured a woman whose body was ravaged by breast cancer. she had a mastectomy and she said it herself, that she felt as if she wasn't 100% woman anymore. and so aside from other things, she got breast reconstructive surgery. and the change in her (not just physically, but emotionally as well) was awesome! and to this end the surgery/ies were also a rousing success.

which made me think ... if i had a chance, what would i "make-over"? on the physical side, i would LOVE to get a liposuction and tummy tuck, for obvious reasons! ha ha ha! when that happens, i'll don a 2 pc bathing suit and hit the beach! ha ha ha! :D but then i'd like to make over some other things in my life as well.

a change in job is long overdue, that's for sure. and i'd like to go somewhere i've never been before. some where i can start a new life. could be singapore, malaysia, or possibly even the US! a career overhaul! that's what i would call it. :)

my family life is stable and it's a comfort that i have a good support system in that area, and in my friends, as well. a new relationship would be nice. though i'm not really actively looking. the way i see it, he should come looking for me! ha ha ha! ;)

hmmm...enough wishful thinking. got to get back to reality.

Mixed emotions

Friday night, 06 August 2004

i am not a patient person. Patience is not one of my virtues. i hate waiting, waiting, waiting... i promise myself if he doesn't reply to my email by monday, his email addy will be deleted from my address book. piss me off, why don't u...

hay naku, it's been another one of those days. so many emotions all tied together. tired from work, excited about the weekend, feeling nostalgic about someone leaving... who knows, hopefully next week will be a lot better. keeping my fingers crossed! :)

Things to be grateful for

06 August 2004

- Going home last night, i was seething when i recalled a sarcastic remark a "superior" made that morning. i was turning over that incident over and over in my head, and couldn't get over the feeling that the remark was totally uncalled for. i mean, he didn't have to be so sarcastic. there were so many other ways he could have talked to me. aargh! it was times like this when i seriously re-think my plans of leaving.

But then, listening to the radio, i heard a report about the Filipino conjoined twins and how their operation was a success... and this other news program wherein 2 kids were talking on the phone. one was a 13-year old boy who donated his P300 savings to the other kid who needed to undergo an operation. awwwww... how sweet! suddenly i forgot about my own problems. how blessed i felt that my kids aren't sick, that we have health coverage, etc.

Later that night, i rummaged through my things and found my notebook with the cover "A booklet of my blessings". Sort of like a gratitude journal, something i started late last year (2003). How long has it been since i wrote anything in this? Last entry was May 01, 2004. Gosh, has it really been that long since i had something to be thankful for?! Looking back, the answer was no, but i guess i was too wrapped up in my so-called "busy-ness" that i forgot to acknowledge the blessings i had been receiving. Tsk tsk... mental note to myself... spend more time being thankful!!!

Sifting through the notebook, i came upon a print-out of an email written mid-2000, and sent to a dear friend for his birthday. included was a list of my favorite "goodthings"...

"Dear ___, i know i said before that i wouldn't share my own list of favorite goodthings with you because i felt they were too personal to share. But since you're celebrating your birthday soon, I've decided to share my list with you and hope that it inspires you to attain a "gratitude attitude".

Gratitude comes easily when our lives are in order. But the challenge is to find something to be grateful for even in the midst of personal hardship. So practice gratitude every day of your life! And i encourage you to prepare your own personal list of favorite goodthings...something to refer to when work becomes stressful, or when life, in general, is not going your way. Though i know you to be a happy person naman, there are just some days when things just aren't going right. And that's the time to refer to your own list of favorite goodthings...

My personal list... don't laugh ha!
- watching my sons sleeping so soundly
- when my 4 year-old son says "i love you, mommy"
- my Mom's cooking (yum yum!)
- my Dad's silly jokes and stories
- inspirational books (Og Mandino, Chicken soup series, etc...)
- "feel good" movies
- back rubs/massage
- curling up in bed with a good book
- hugs and kisses from people i love
- knowing i've made someone happy
- memories of swimming/snorkeling in Pangasinan (white sand beaches)
- watching my "bunso" learning how to walk
- reminiscing with old and dear friends
- laughing uninhibitedly (LOL)
- cuddling and snuggling in bed
- love letters
- reading journals/diaries of my past; listening to songs from high school
- baby pictures
- quiet moments lying on the grass (or on the beach) and looking up at the sky and white, puffy clouds
- chocolate cake
- watching the sunset on the beach (with a loved one, a pre-requisite)
- CHILI's mashed potatoes

Happy birthday, my dear friend! GOD BLESS! "

Rantings of an SF

05 August 2004

Was impressed with Pepe's blog that decided to put up my own. hmmm... seems easy enough. that was until i realized i hadn't thought of anything to write. so let's start with the 'title' i chose... Rantings of an SF ... S can stand for either single, separated, shy (my nickname), while F can stand for either female or filipina... ok, ok... not too original but give me a break! just thought of doing this now! sort of like "leaping before looking"... he he he...

Profile? early 30s (ok, 33 to be exact!); separated for the past 3 years; working on getting an annullment and becoming Single again; with 2 wonderful, handsome sons, living in the Philippines...

let's stop there for now... still need to get the hang of this. :)