Done waiting

Woke up at 3 a.m., and for the life of me, couldn't go back to sleep. So got up and turned on the pc.

Well, the good news is that my waiting for a job offer is almost over. Alleluia! Had a meeting with this company (the one who was supposed to call me weeks ago) yesterday, and yes, they've finally confirmed that they're interested in hiring me. Just a matter of finalizing their offer, so they assured me that they'll get back to me within the week. So that ditty which keeps playing in my head, "waiting, waiting, waiting" is dying down and hopefully soon, will be replaced with "working, working, working"... :)

Wala lang...

Almost hit the 1,100 mark on site meter. Wala lang, just saw it... nothing new to post... :)

still trying to review and revise these thoughts in my head. and 2 songs keep playing in my head -- Mandy Moore & Jonathan Foreman's "Someday We'll Know" and Jann Arden's "Insensitive". I wonder why kaya? ;->

Easter happenings

Last Maundy Thursday the kids and I went to Baliwag, Bulacan to visit relatives, basically my Dad’s cousins. We have relatives there with their own “carosa” and it is there that the “pabasa” is done. Actually, it was our Dad who started going to Baliwag way back when he was still in high school. Then every year thereafter, he has been going there every Maundy Thursday to join in on the “pabasa”. It’s been 3 years since my parents have been in the US and since that time, they have asked us to go to in their place.

Friday afternoon is when they have the procession of the “carosas”. People flock from all over to watch over 60 “carosas” join in on the procession. Last time we were able to watch the procession was over 3 years ago, and the kids were in awe. Some “carosas” were so big that they would take up the whole street, and men with long poles would need to lift up the power lines so that the “carosas” would not snag on the power lines.

This past Good Friday the kids and I decided to drive over to my best friends’ house to stay over. While the kids played in the pool, my best friend, her hubby, and I went on a ‘bisita iglesia’. Was able to attend the 7 last words presentation in church (St. Peter’s Parish in Commonwealth). But gotta admit, with the heat, crowd, and my lack of sleep the night before, got a terrible headache and only got through 3 of the 7 last words. Had to get out of the church to avoid fainting. Went to a different church (Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in QC) again, and instead did the Stations of the Cross. After which, it was time for a mass, then the Veneration of the cross.

Have grown up so used to participating in church Lenten activities, that Holy Week just wouldn't feel the same without it. Relaxing and vacationing is fine, but let's not forget that Holy Week is supposed to be a time for reflection, and at the same time, appreciation for what our Creator has done for us. Truly, Holy Week is the "Thanksgiving" for Christians. Hope everyone had a truly solemn and peaceful week.

======================
Easter egg hunt

After Sunday mass, brought the kids to Shang mall for the Easter Egg Hunt. It was a wild scramble for easter eggs. Paolo partnered with his tito Dan, while I was partnered with Patrick. As expected, we were beaten in the mad hunt for easter eggs by the bigger kids. But that didn’t matter. What mattered was that the kids enjoyed the game, and got to enjoy all the goodies and candies which they brought home. The kids slept late that night, which is a surprise to me knowing how tired they were after the easter egg hunt, but I guess it was the adrenaline which kept them awake. But when they finally got to bed, they started snoring the minute their heads hit their pillows. :)

Living a Life that Matters

Living a Life that Matters

Ready or not, someday it will all come to an end.

There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.

All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.

It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.

So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire.

The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won't matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived, at the end.

It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.

Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success, but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence, but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone.

What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.

What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident. It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters.


(Author Unknown)

Coffee, anyone?

Went out with friends on a whim last night for coffee. Never mind that it was a weekday and a Monday night at that. We just HAD to meet to discuss the latest ‘controversy’ involving a friend of ours (which turned out to be an early April Fool’s Day prank, for heaven’s sake!) Oh well… it was a good excuse to get together nonetheless. :)

Talked about life in general, love in particular. Love, relationships, sex, vanity…it was a 'no-holds barred' gabfest. It was refreshing to hear opinions from the male point of view, dissecting relationships and what went wrong. Ok, I admit, at one point during the night, my love/social life was the topic. Honestly, have been feeling pretty sad the past 2 weeks about a perceived ‘loss’, or to put it more accurately, the “ending of a relationship”. (Mind you, the word ‘relationship’ is used very loosely here.) ;->

I’ve learned that the ending of a relationship should not necessarily be considered a loss or a failure. And no, I’m not bitter. In fact, whenever I think of him, I recall mostly the happy memories we had, and cherish the time we spent together, no matter how short the time was. And honestly, being friends with him is an option since there are no ill feelings between us, and though this may sound so contrite, it is true that I really wish and pray for his happiness in life. He deserves to be happy, we both do! :)

I needed this. Being with friends lifted my spirit and reinforced my decision to end this particular relationship, which I felt was not going to go anywhere anyway. So just like the coffee we shared, (tea for me, actually!), you can say our get-together worked wonders! Pep talk/rally that it was! We all enjoyed the talk, sharing of opinions, experiences, and generally, just enjoying each other’s company. Definitely, we will be doing this again, and soon! Coffee, anyone? :)

That Attitude Called Gratitude

Quite a late posting, but still very relevant… read on…

(This article was published in the "View from Taft" Column of the
BusinessWorld last November 25, 2004).

That Attitude called Gratitude
By Erly de Guzman

Of the many Western traditions that Filipinos have adopted and
now observe – Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day,
Grandparents Day, to name a few – one of the most noteworthy of all,
Thanksgiving Day, is something that we (ironically) do not
commemorate. Americans make a big to-do about the last Thursday of
November as a pilgrim remembrance that brings togethers siblings,
parents and other extended family members. Others observe this day
to "give thanks for the bounty of the harvest ", for the "fruits of
the earth" and for the "blessings of the year past".

Even if just from a purely business or marketing standpoint, we
would do well to emulate this celebration. More importantly,
Thanksgiving is good for the soul and fodder for the spirit,
especially as we usher Christmas in. It's the bleak forecast and
gloom-doom talk that make both Christmas and this Thanksgiving
proposition hard to put forth. Marketing savvy isn't wanting. We
have seen the newspapers crowded with Christmas theme ads. We ride
or drive or walk through festooned streets and malls. We hear the
sounds of holiday tunes in the air. But our hearts do not seem to
have caught on. The reality of inflation, higher energy bills and
tight business conditions have dampened all plans and prospects.
And this will continue to be so… unless we celebrate Thanksgiving. I
reckon.

As some of you know, I've put my life at stake for the Galing
Pilipino Movement, a private non-profit initiative that aims to
counter negativism and hopelessness, not by parodying a gospel or
message, but by bringing to public consciousness the reality that
there is good and galing in our midst. There are Galing Pilipino
achievements that began as "only-in-the-Philippines" or "made-in-the-
Philippines" and ended up doing a world of good. There are Galing
Pilipino solutions that have defied odds and created or invented a
new way of configuring or doing things. And for that, I am grateful
I was born Pilipino.

There are a lot of things about our country we should be
thankful for. Our 1896 revolution inspired Mahatma Gandhi to obtain
full independence from Britain for India and for Ho Chi Minh to free
Vietnam from French rule. The Eighth Wonder of the World, our very
own Banaue Rice Terraces, is unique among the rest of the world's
wonders in that it is the only one built by freemen, not slaves or
conscripted army men or coerced citizens. That was kusang-loob that
is kusang galing!

Philippine flora and fauna boast of the richest biodiversity in
the world. Throw a seed on Philippine soil and (almost) tomorrow,
you have a tree. Try this: There's a tuna highway in the world.
That's the spawning ground for tuna which is 5 degrees North and
South of the Equator. We are blessed to be in that geo map. The
Philippines is the no. 2 tuna catching nation in the world and no. 5
in canning. GenSan businessman Rodrigo Rivera leads the business not
just here in the Philippines but also in Papua New Guinea. And he
started as a low-level rank and file employee. That's sipag and
tiyaga – galing na magiting!

How true is it that we have one of the richest gold deposits in
the world? How true is it that NASA satellite maps show our gold
ore deposits all over the archipelago? Mindoro (a.k.a. Mina de Oro)
and Cagayan de Oro are not named as such for no good reason. How
true is it that every day that the world turns, three meters of
heavy hydrogen (deuterium) moves and drops into ocean trenches, the
deepest of which is the Philippine Deep? If Russia is utilizing this
energy resource from the Russian Trench to energize provinces and
propel their space program, if Mercedez Benz has been selling
hydrogen-powered cars, couldn't it just be possible we tap on this
jewel in darkness as well? All of these are an emphatic statement of
potential sources of wealth for our nation. That prospect alone
gives us reason to be thankful and hopeful. That's right on galing
with the Thanksgiving Day spirit.

So what is keeping us from enjoying the fullness of these
gifts? As my good friend Bobby Lagman would say, our land is indeed
the "Lupang Hinirang" – a chosen land, and our people, Pili-
pino. `Pili' denotes chosen and `pino' means refined. No small
wonder therefore why, as a people and as a nation, we are being
tried and tested, sifted and shoveled, chiseled and pounded. "To
whom much is given, much is required". It's going to take a lot to
handle what's coming our way. Perhaps we are not being given the
green light from above because we are not yet ready to handle the
blessing – to steward the wealth and be God's channel of blessing.
To appreciate blessings and pass them on – that's Galing
Thanksgiving!

How can we do this? Maybe all it takes is an attitude of
gratefulness, both for the big things and the little things. Or
maybe it takes faith. Faith that with our giving, more will be
coming, to keep us giving. That's the virtue cycle we can put in
force today. It depends on what you and I do after you're through
with this article.

If you think we're just blabbering, think again. We know
of `Galing Pilipinos', individuals doing ordinary things in an
extraordinary way, because we meet them everyday – and because we
purposively search for them.

Just recently, we encountered some of them when we held our 2nd
Galing Pilipino Young Leaders Camp at Hotel La Corona de Pagsanjan.
We gathered fifty (50) of the best students from participating
Manila schools for three days of leadership and teambuilding
workshops that will equip them with the vision and skills to
organize community development programs. Adamson University, Asia
Pacific College, College of the Holy Spirit, De La Salle University,
Far Eastern University, Manila Waldorf School; New Era University,
Polytechnic University of the Philippines, San Beda College,
Technological Institute of the Philippines, University of Asia and
the Pacific, and the University of the Philippines sent their
delegates. We also reached beyond Manila, and invited students from
our partner schools such as Baliuag University in Bulacan; Christian
Values School in Cavite; Joseph & Mary Academy in Laguna; Sunrise
Christian College in Butuan City and University of San Carlos in
Cebu. In the camp, we met young leaders who not only have the best
of minds, but also and more importantly, the sincerest hearts to do
something for their country and for their fellow Filipinos.

We also saw firsthand that "bayanihan" is still very much alive
in the country. Many of the resources and facilities we needed were
provided by GPM partner organizations. The SOS Children's Village in
Lipa City served as our home for day 1 of the camp. Victoria Court
Group's Hotel La Corona de Pagsanjan provided the accommodations,
workshop venue and rope courses pro bono. Chowking provided free
meals for the entire duration of camp activities. The city
governments of Marikina and Makati and Jasper Jean Transport Service
provided vehicles to bus the campers from Manila to Lipa City to
Pagsanjan and back to Manila. Acts of benevolence by these
organizations are truly admirable and noteworthy as they have not
required reciprocal business and mandatory PR values from GPM.

Against the backdrop of frustration, cynicism and hopelessness,
GPM challenges all of us – every Filipino – to be proactive and be
the best he or she can be, knowing that he or she has the power to
make the needed changes.

For the sake of Thanksgiving Day, why not give complaining
tendencies, cynical predilections and sarcastic snides the cold
turkey treatment? Let's focus on the good and galing in those around
us. And say it. Express it. Live it.

Let's celebrate Thanksgiving Day the Galing Pilipino Way. Let's
be givers and bless-ers. It gets easier with practice and constant
application. It begins in the heart – with that attitude called
gratitude.

From my heart to yours, thanks for taking time to read this
column. I've been blessed. Mabuhay!

---------------------------------

The author is Marketing Professor at the De La Salle Professional
Schools, Inc. Graduate School of Business, and President of the
Galing Pilipino Movement (GPM). For comments, e-mail
erly.deguzman@galingpilipino.com. For further information about GPM,
call 631.3932, fax. 633 1089 or visit
http://www.galingpilipino.com.

Queer eye for the straight girl

Watched the premiere episode of “Queer Eye for the Straight Girl”, and I was not disappointed. One of my favorite shows now is “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” and this show is just as great! Plus, I can relate to the advice and tips they gave. So anyway…just like the “Fab 5” (Thom, Carson, Kyan, Jai, and Ted), these “galpals” (hosts Honey, Damon, Danny, Robbie) are all fabulous and sexy! Really! They’re witty, neat, fashion-conscious and just absolutely gorgeous! And I hate them! I mean, why are they gay?!?! GOD knows that in this world, there are so few single, straight, nice, witty, smart, good-looking guys as it is! Aaargh! ( Hey, if you fit the description, do let me know that you exist! Am doing a count of how many guys like you still exist in this world! Surprise me! Ha ha ha… :D )

Patrick's antics

Patrick has been acting up the whole week before his birthday. As in! Each time we ask him how old he is, he keeps saying he’s only 4 years old, that he doesn’t want to be 5! Kinda funny, actually! Imagine, having age issues at 5 years old! :) Talked to him about it, to find out what what’s really bothering him about turning 5 years old. Turns out, it’s the ‘pressures’ of becoming a big boy – going to school, giving up his bottle, and other things about turning 5. So that’s why he wants to stay 4 years old! Ha ha ha!

My brother then started kidding him (Patrick) that he wanted Patrick to be just 3 years old! Why stop at 4?! So the next time we asked Patrick how old he was, he replied, “sabi daw, 3 lang ako!” ;->

Another funny thing that Patrick did… I asked him to get my stuff, and after he brought it to me, I said, “thank you, sweetheart”. To which he replied, “sabi na di ako sweetheart, Patrick lang!” Hilarious! :D

New day

Even though i slept late last night, still woke up pretty early. Remembered some chores I had to do. Decided to take a long walk. Alone! I’m a pretty brisk walker and I know friends sometimes find it difficult to keep up with me. The walk alone felt pretty good. Gave me a chance to think.

I remember a few months ago when I decided to walk around the church plaza/park every night. I went on that walking ‘regimen’ to lose weight. But I stopped because I didn’t like being watched! And that’s exactly what people did. It felt pretty unnerving, very uncomfortable. Oh well…

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday. Can't believe next week is already Holy Week. Still haven't made any plans except for the usual trip to Bulacan on Maundy Thursday. Aside from that, no other plans yet.

Patrick’s birthday celebration

Just got home from our trip to the amusement center. Brought the kids to Star City. Got there quite early, thinking they were open since morning. Anyway, we arrived 3 p.m. and they were still closed! So had to 'click our heels' and waited for the place to open at 4 p.m.

The kids enjoyed the rides, from the Kiddie Bumper Cars, mini roller coasters, giant slides, The Lion King, Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, etc. After 3 hours, we were tired! Or to be accurate, I was tired. I think 3 hours is my absolute limit in staying in noisy, amusement centers! I had a headache already!

Anyway, we were on our way out when we heard an announcement for a show at Star Theater, featuring Circus de Ballet. So decided to line up and stay for the show, and we’re glad we stayed! The show was great! The kids enjoyed watching the fire eaters, contortionists, trapeze artists, jugglers and the ballet dancers as well. The show started with 2 dancers emerging from a giant bamboo, and I explained to the kids that it was Filipino folklore’s “Malakas and Maganda”. There were so many things happening during the show that it was sometimes difficult to just focus on one thing! On stage were the ballet dancers, on the right side of the theatre were dancers in colorful costumes, then above were a high-wire balancing act of a pair of girls on a bicycle. The kids were in awe. Great entertainment!

On the cab on the way home, Paolo fell asleep but Patrick was wide-awake the whole time. Too excited to sleep. When I asked Patrick if he enjoyed his birthday celebration, he nodded to me and smiled. :) The kids were happy, so I'm happy :)

Patrick's birthday

My baby boy is celebrating his 5th birthday today. Gosh, i know! He's no longer a baby... But as I keep telling him and his kuya Paolo, they will always be my babies no matter how old they get. I know they won't be with me forever but a mom can dream, can't she? :) Oh well...

Planning a day at the amusement park, but not before going to the doctor for a check-up. Patrick has been coughing again, and just want to be sure that everything is okay. After his bout with bronchopneumonia last October, can't take chances.

To my baby patrick, Happy Birthday! You give me much joy and happiness. I love you very, very much, and pray that you'll grow up to be not just a good person, but a WONDERFUL person (loving, honest, responsible, generous, and happy). Both your kuya Pao and myself cherish and love you very much. GOD BLESS you, our dear Patrick. -- Love, Mommy and Kuya Paolo

Paolo and Patrick, you are my treasures, and I value you both very much. - Love, Mommy

Badminton mania

I've been bitten by the badminton “bug” yet again! Actually, since I left my last job, have been bugging my friends (who are “stay-at-home moms”) to play with me. Last week they relented, and we’ve been going to this really nice badminton court. Airy, well lighted, and with 16 courts to choose from, there’s always a place for us. Plus, during off-peak hours, they have a “play all you can” promo and we pay only Php 50 each. Not bad! So last week, we played 2 days, 2 hours each day. Whew! That was a feat. After not playing for 4 months, suddenly playing again for 2 hours really got the sweat going. And the muscle pains after, oh my gosh! This week, we played Monday and Wednesday, and now, I’m actually waiting for them to drop by so we can go play again. So this will be the 3rd time this week that we’ve played. We’re all hoping to lose a few inches and pounds, so hopefully, badminton will do it for us. That, and actually lessening our eating binges! Ha ha ha… :)

1,000 mark

Just realized my site meter has reached the 1,000 mark. Actually, noticed it before but didn't really sink in, until now. :) can't believe it's been that long since i posted. imagine, I started blogging August 2004! 7 months ago... so many things have happened since then. I actually enjoy going through my past blogs and seeing what things i've gone through, how I coped, how things look now after sooo many months... Good chance to recollect and reflect on past events.

and I can't believe there have been that # of visitors checking out this site. well, i'm sure that the bulk of "visitors" are my friends since I haven't told anyone else outside of my circle, about this blog of mine. still kinda "shy". :)

on to blogging!!!

Waiting?

I’ve said it before… I hate waiting. Patience is not one of my virtues! So what am I waiting for now? The company that called last week hasn’t called yet. Well, actually, they have. But not with the news I was expecting. It seems their COO is still out of the country and so they can’t give me the job offer just yet. Am getting antsy. I don’t want to wait for nothing, so still am continuing with my applications.

Keeping myself busy so I won't have to deal with thinking about this stuff. Am reminded of Dory in "Finding Nemo", saying "swimming, swimming, swimming" in that cute, sing-song manner. In my case, it's "busy, busy, busy..." or worse, "waiting, waiting, waiting..." I wonder how long I'll be able to stand this. Oh well...

Kiddie scare

A few nights ago, while the kids were already sleeping, and we were all in bed, I felt Paolo’s arm thrashing about, as if trying to find something. I reached out, and held his hand. His hand relaxed, as if it found what it was looking for. He was looking to see if I was there. He just needed reassurance that his Mommy was there. :)

One night, Patrick suddenly sat up and started crying. And not just the usual cry as if he was hungry, but actual scared sobbing! He seemed to have had a nightmare, so I tried to soothe him with my calm whispering to him, “Patrick, Mommy’s here. Don’t cry.” But he still kept crying, sobbing, while his eyes were still closed. I carried him in my arms and soothed him, patted his back and continued talking to him. After a few minutes, he relaxed.

Holding hands, a hug, a kiss, soothing words… these are all it takes to comfort the kids. How easily they’re comforted when they’re scared.

I wish it was as simple as this, but then time will come that they won’t be needing Mommy anymore. And I’m okay with that. :)

Unsolicited Advice

Unsolicited advice is the worst! It’s not wanted, asked for, and yet, it seems what most people feel more inclined to give! And since I hate so much being on the receiving end, I find myself in a quandary now as I feel the urge (more so, the need) to shoot from my hip and give a very dear and good friend a piece of unsolicited advice. What to do, what to do ?!

My friend is pretty, smart, and a very good person. Which makes it difficult for me to just sit by and watch while I see her go through such heartbreak. “People who are lucky in their career, are often unlucky in their love life”. Friends have often said that this (saying? belief?) applies to her. And I agree! While her career is going great guns, her love life is in a shambles.

She falls for the worst type of men. Wouldn’t go through the trouble of describing the men she’s fallen for before. This time, she’s fallen for a younger, albeit handsome guy. Seems nice enough, smart and very loving to her. In fact, he possesses all the qualities she wants in a man, so it was no surprise she fell for him in the first place. So what’s the hitch? He has another girlfriend.

She knew what she was getting into, knew the guy’s status even before, and she kept saying then that she was just enjoying herself, enjoying his company, and that she wasn’t going to fall for him. But that’s exactly what happened. Am sooo tempted now to shoot my mouth off and tell her exactly what I think and feel she should be doing. But being the good friend that she is, I’m afraid that if I did say these things, it would hurt her SO much. And that, I can’t risk since I know she’s going through so much heartbreak as it is now.

So what do I do? Decided to just write it here. For my own sanity! Just to get this off my chest. This is exactly what I would say to her IF I was not afraid of hurting her feelings…

“
Girl, you knew what you were getting into. And despite all the warnings, you went ahead into a relationship with this guy who you knew was in love with someone else.

You are NOT his girlfriend. So what if you go out and he says “I love you” to you? Yes, he makes you swoon, obviously. Yes, he makes you feel loved. BUT he has another GIRLFRIEND and he’s just playing with you! Get this into that thick skull of yours! You are just another conquest to him. And though you keep saying to yourself that you’re not in love with him, you can’t fool me. You ARE in love with him. And it’s hurting you so much to know that you are just playing second fiddle. I hate to see you crying when he disappoints you; by not introducing you to his friends for fear they might tell his GF; for not being available when you need him, whether it’s because of his job or he has a date with his real GF… there are still so many things he does that hurts you, and being your friend, I hate to see you going through this…

The way I see it, you have 2 options:
1) Best thing to do, forget him altogether. Easier said than done, I know. But this is the best for you. Don’t bother saying goodbye. Believe me, he won’t miss you! You were just another notch under his belt. Just a statistic, and not the love of his life! Once you stop calling him, he will NOT call you. He will not fall all over himself trying to find out why you’re not there anymore. He’ll just stop. But life will go one for him. He doesn’t need you, so stop kidding yourself that you’re important to him. Wake up and smell the coffee, girl!

2) Continue with this, but don’t fool yourself into believing that you are in a relationship. See him, if you feel you must, but give yourself some pride! Don’t fall all over yourself showering him with attention. Don’t trick yourself into believing that he loves you more than his girlfriend and that soon, he’ll leave her for you. He won’t! He loves her or else he wouldn’t have stayed 2 years with her! If he really loves you, he would have the decency to split off with her first, before pursuing you (which he didn’t, might I add!) He’s playing you for a fool. Prove to him you’re not! Split up with him! (going back to number 1… just have to try to put some sense into that thick skull of yours! You’re not using your gray matter, my friend.)

I hate to see you get hurt. There are so many other fish in the ocean. Don’t waste your time and energy on a “relationship” that’s not going anywhere. The earlier you extricate yourself from this, the earlier that you can move on with your life. He’s not the guy for you. Never was.
“

Whirlwind week

This week has been a whirlwind of events. No, no “whirlwind romance”. How I wish! ;->

So, anyway… was supposed to be interviewed for a job last Monday (the 7th), but got a call early morning re-scheduling it to Wednesday instead. So decided to accompany my best friend to the mall for some window-shopping and “girl talk”. Aaahhh, like any other girl these are what I consider good times. Shallow? Maybe. But still, fun. And it’s rare to find fun things to do which don’t cost money at all. Well, maybe it doesn’t cost money now, but you can bet I was already carefully choosing and making mental notes of things to buy once I get my first paycheck. :) Ha ha ha!

Back to the mall story! So my best friend and I were just walking around when I remembered another friend mentioning that he had a meeting at a coffee shop in that same mall. And since I haven’t seen this friend of mine in 2 years or so (yup, that long!) decided to drop by on his meeting. Turns out this was a business meeting with some Filipino colleagues who were setting up a company with American partners. Start-up company, planned for set-up within 6 months. Great timing, coz the time I arrived, they were discussing the HR component, and surprise, surprise, not one of them was an HR person. So suddenly, I was a ‘resource person’ for their planned project. Serendipity! I was at the right place at the right time, and now, I’m part of their 'team', gathering info, sharing knowledge and ideas, and basically helping them consolidate it into their framework for their initial presentation. I really hope this project pushes through, coz I already have a 'foot in the door', so to speak, and who knows, I might become part of the management team. Nice to think about, don’t you think? It also felt really good to do the report and feel my creative juices flowing again. Felt a great deal of accomplishment when I finally finished the report, and to think that I just had 2 days to research and find out everything I can about this industry they’re eyeing.

What else happened this week? I got a call mid-week from one of the companies I applied to last February, and was kind of surprised they called. For one, it’s been a month since my last interview with them, and they didn’t give me any feedback regarding my application. I thought they hired someone else already. Well, it turns out they’ve chosen me over the other candidates, and in fact, called to let me know that they’re preparing their offer to me. So I was told the COO (who’s currently out of the country) would meet with me next week for the job offer. :)

Then last night, did my 3rd speech project for Toastmasters. Was really a LOT more nervous this time coz I didn’t feel all that prepared to do my speech. I was actually considering backing out that morning, but Ed wouldn’t let me! Kaines! Oh well… :) Which reminds me, will have to send him a copy of my speech to post on our club’s blog. (add to my list of things to do tomorrow).

This whole day, have been in one meeting after another. Business, social, then business meeting again. Good thing about it though, is that the 2 earlier meetings were just at the mall (my favorite, Shangri-la) and which also happen to be just a stone’s throw away from my house. Ah, the comforts of an airconditioned mall. He he he… Mall rat that I am, I know these mall trips will be rare events once I work full-time again. And yes, my “in between jobs” phase is almost over. Just a few days away… hopefully! Why ‘hopefully’? Well, until I actually get the offer, don’t want to count this as a sure thing just yet. No expectations, no heartbreak. (Now if I can only apply that way of thinking to some other area where it will really count…oops! Nothing more from me…)

I am soooo sleepy. So drained from the whole week events, but looking back now all in all, it was a pretty good week. A VERY good week, in fact! THANK GOD! :)

Keeping Kids Safe

Had a chance to do a lot of reading lately, and decided to tackle a stack of women’s magazines. Leafed through each of them, cutting out articles for future reference, as well as pictures for use in my scrapbook. (I figure that since I haven’t been able to blog that much lately, will instead post articles here on my blog, and hope it can be of use to others.)

One such article I found and cut out has something to do with keeping your kids safe. In the US, so many children are reported missing, either abducted by strangers or even their estranged family members. A number also are runaways. Being a mother, reading about the abductions gave me chills, and so I decided to cut out the accompanying tips on how to keep kids safe. Read on:

8 Ways to Keep your Child Safe
Over 2000 children are reported missing every day. How can you help protect your child from those who intend him harm? Safety expert Tom Patire, founder of CDT Family Protection Training Centers, offer these tips:

Ø Talk to your child about safety. Gently explain that some people do bad things and want to hurt children. Make sure your child understands that “bad guys” can seem friendly.
Ø Don’t give your child personalized clothing or school gear. An abductor can gain her trust simply by using her name.
Ø Create a family code word. Instruct your youngster never to go with anyone who doesn’t know the secret code word.
Ø Have your child team up. There is increased safety in numbers, so whether your child is heading to school, the park, the movies, anywhere, he should always go with friends.
Ø Explain the difference between a “good touch” and a “bad touch”. Tell your child that no one should touch her in her private areas (those parts covered by a bathing suit). If anyone does, she should shout, “No, don’t touch me there!” and be sure to tell you about it.
Ø Describe dangerous situations. Kids like to be helpful. An abductor will often exploit that by asking for help finding a lost pet. Teach your child never to aid an adult who’s looking for a lost puppy or kitten.
Ø Show your child whom to trust. Tell him that if he gets lost or separated from you, he should go to a trustworthy adult, such as a police officer, security guard, store personnel, a mom with children or a pregnant woman and ask for help.
Ø Make an identification kit. It should contain recent photos of your child (no more than a month old), his fingerprints, photos of birthmarks and scars, his medical information, and a DNA sample stored in a sealed plastic bag (strands of hair with the root attached, a tooth, or a foam swab that has been rubbed on the inside of your child’s cheek).

-Natasha Persaud, Family Circle 11/25/03, p. 54.

New feature

Just had a late (and heavy!) lunch when i decided to plop myself in front of the pc and again check out my blog. Decided to tinker with my blog a bit, and added a new feature and walah... here it is! check out the tag board feature, lower right hand of this page.

The last time I put in a new feature was January (which was the Daily Scripture), but I hope you also noticed the new pics I included in flickr. so far, those were the easiest things to add and update to my blog. hmmm... will try to see what else I can add to enhance my blog. keep posted! :)

Tomorrow is the start of another week... Got some errands and interviews lined up so might be a busy week for me.

Mommy’s Birthday

March 4 is my Mom’s birthday. She turns 64 today. Wish we could spend the day together but she’s in the US now and it seems it will be at least 2 more years before we get to see each other again. :( Anyway, though we’re miles and miles apart, I know my Mom knows how sorely she’s missed. We all miss her TLC…her delicious cooking… her warmth and generosity… How w wish we could be with her on this special day. Her ‘apos’ could always count on her ‘protection’ even now. Funny how just a phone call to their ‘Lola’ and they know they’re scot-free. Well, not always. He he he… :)

To Mommy, a very happy Birthday to you! WE continually pray for your good health, happiness, peace of mind, security, and everlasting joy… we miss you, and love you very much! Hugs and kisses from your handsome ‘apos’… X O X O X O X O

Random thoughts

Doing nothing... just sitting up in bed reading, when I remembered three (3) text messages I got from friends recently:

"Love isn't blind, it just only sees what matters".

"Heartbreaks last as long as you want, and cut as deep as you allow them to go. The challenge is not how to survive heartbreaks but how to learn from them".

"Not all people who pass by your life are meant for you, some are for fun, others are for tears, and most of them are just passing by..."

Maybe because people still have a hangover from Valentine's Day so these messages still had romance or love as a theme. Not happy love, but more on heartbreaks. Makes me wonder how many people are actually "IN LOVE" these days. Looks like there are more heartbroken people than those who are actually happy. Too bad...

One thing I've learned in this life, if you don't mean it, or don't feel it, then don't say "I love you". It cheapens those 3 beautiful words and breaks someone's heart... and you can quote me! :)

Day 45

Today is day 45 of my being jobless… can’t believe it’s been that long! Which made me think of “Survivor”, the TV show. How many days do the contestants have to survive the Amazon, Pearl Islands, etc? Am thinking they only need 30 or so days before they declare a winner. (Or should I say, before a winner is chosen by the jury…) So if I was to compare Survivor to my life now, I would have already won the “Survivor: On the Homefront”… or “Survivor: Jobless”… :)

Am getting antsy, got to admit. Feeling the ‘angst’… I’ve always said I enjoy the ‘vacation’ and staying with the kids, and not missing the work-related stresses (deadlines, headaches brought on by uncooperative co-workers, demanding superiors, heavy traffic and commuting, etc.) but being jobless has its own share of stresses, too! Wondering how to pay off my insurance premiums which are becoming due, preparing for tuition and other expenses this coming school year, etc. (Take note, all these are money-related stresses, so am thinking even if I don’t work full-time but find another way to earn money, then these stresses will not give me as much headaches…) So I guess that’s my primary concern now. Thinking of going into business with a friend of mine, selling imported items. Just need to wait for money to come in and we’re ready to start. :)

And am proud to say I’ve finally finished my scrapbook of my baby pictures. Organized the pics, cut out a lot of colorful pics from magazines, and used them to decorate my scrapbook. Looks pretty good! Need to work on the kids’ scrapbooks next.

As for Toastmasters, finished writing speech #3, and just waiting for my chance to deliver it next meeting… At least, one less item to worry about… :)