Thought Bubbles...

Gusto mo ba ng libreng Starbucks Coffee? I-repost lang ito.

2009-09-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

Bakit may pa-kontest? Wala lang, gusto kong magpa-kontest. May nagbigay ng Starbucks Coffee Gift Certificate sa akin. Naubos ko na yung dating pinapakontest ko na ticket sa Comedy Bar kaya ito naman.

Mekaniks:

1. I-repost ang buong blog na ito (yep, copy and paste) sa kahit anong blog site na trip mo.

Halimbawa: Friendster blog, Multiply blog, Facebook Notes, Blogspot, WordPress, MySpace, self-hosted sites.

2. Kailangang ilagay ang subject na:

Gusto mo ba ng libreng Starbucks Coffee? I-repost lang ito.

Kapag hindi ganyan ang subject, hindi valid ang entry. Maliwanag?

3. Pumunta sa:http://salbehe.wordpress.com/kontest/ at ilagay ang inyong link. Isang valid link ay isang koment.

4. I-ra-raffle ang Starbucks Coffee Gift Certificate sa Oct. 3, 2009.

Bushisms

2009-01-28T10:37:00.000-08:00

With the assumption of President Obama of the presidency of the United States of America, former President George “Dubya” Bush is leaving a “legacy” of bumbling speeches and incoherent mumblings, officially known as "Bushisms".

Jay Leno and other comedians had a field day with Bush precisely because of this… He will be missed, hehe…Here are some of the most memorable gaffes of Dubya for our entertainment:

• “I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully.” - September 2000, explaining his energy policies at an event in Michigan.

• “Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning?” - January 2000, during a campaign event in South Carolina.

• ”They misunderestimated the compassion of our country. I think they misunderestimated the will and determination of the commander in chief, too.” - Sept. 26, 2001, in Langley, Virginia. Bush was referring to the terrorists who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks.

• “There’s no doubt in my mind, not one doubt in my mind, that we will fail.” - Oct. 4, 2001, in Washington. Bush was remarking on a back-to-work plan after the terrorist attacks.

• “It would be a mistake for the United States Senate to allow any kind of human cloning to come out of that chamber.” - April 10, 2002, at the White House, as Bush urged Senate passage of a broad ban on cloning.

• “I want to thank the dozens of welfare-to-work stories, the actual examples of people who made the firm and solemn commitment to work hard to embetter themselves.” - April 18, 2002, at the White House.

• “There’s an old saying in Tennessee - I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me - you can’t get fooled again.” - Sept. 17, 2002, in Nashville, Tennessee.

• “Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.” - Aug. 5, 2004, at the signing ceremony for a defense spending bill.

• “Too many good docs are getting out of business. Too many OB/GYNs aren’t able to practice their love with women all across this country.” - Sept. 6, 2004, at a rally in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

• “Our most abundant energy source is coal. We have enough coal to last for 250 years, yet coal also prevents an environmental challenge.” - April 20, 2005, in Washington.

• “We look forward to hearing your vision, so we can more better do our job.” - Sept. 20, 2005, in Gulfport, Mississippi.

• “I can’t wait to join you in the joy of welcoming neighbors back into neighborhoods, and small businesses up and running, and cutting those ribbons that somebody is creating new jobs.” - Sept. 5, 2005, when Bush met with residents of Poplarville, Mississippi, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

• “It was not always a given that the United States and America would have a close relationship. After all, 60 years we were at war 60 years ago we were at war.” - June 29, 2006, at the White House, where Bush met with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

• “Make no mistake about it, I understand how tough it is, sir. I talk to families who die.” - Dec. 7, 2006, in a joint appearance with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

• “These are big achievements for this country, and the people of Bulgaria ought to be proud of the achievements that they have achieved.” - June 11, 2007, in Sofia, Bulgaria.

• “Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your introduction. Thank you for being such a fine host for the OPEC summit.” - September 2007, in Sydney, Australia, where Bush was attending an APEC summit.

• “Thank you, Your Holiness. Awesome speech.” April 16, 2008, at a ceremony welcoming Pope Benedict XVI to the White House.

• “The fact that they purchased the machine meant somebody had to make the machine. And when somebody makes a machine, it means there’s jobs at the machine-making place.” - May 27, 2008, in Mesa, Arizona.

• “And they have no disregard for human life.” - July 15, 2008, at the White House. Bush was referring to enemy fighters in Afghanistan.

• “I remember meeting a mother of a child who was abducted by the North Koreans right here in the Oval Office.” - June 26, 2008, during a Rose Garden news briefing.

• “Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have helped transform 13 small colonies into a great and growing nation of more than 300 people.” - July 4, 2008 in Virginia.

• “The people in Louisiana must know that all across our country there’s a lot of prayer - prayer for those whose lives have been turned upside down. And I’m one of them. It’s good to come down here.” - Sept. 3, 2008, at an emergency operations center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after Hurricane Gustav hit the Gulf Coast.

• “This thaw - took a while to thaw, it’s going to take a while to unthaw.” Oct. 20, 2008, in Alexandria, Louisiana, as he discussed the economy and frozen credit markets.

Missionaries of Charity Home of Joy (08 November 2008)

2008-11-13T18:19:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday (November 8) was a full day for us. Earlier that day, the kids had their judo/jiu-jitsu class at the Kamphuis Makati gym. After class and a hearty lunch at KFC, we drove to Tayuman in Tondo, Manila.

Our destination? An orphanage called the Missionaries of Charity Home of Joy for the Sick Children. Missionaries of Charity is the order of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

The kids and I went there on the invitation of Christine, a fellow BNT member, who instead of spending for her birthday party, opted to use the money to donate grocery items to said orphanage.

The Home of Joy caters to special children, those with Down's syndrome, hydrocephalous, and the like. It was the first time for us to visit an orphanage. Normally, we just donate whatever items, and have it dropped off to charitable institutions or foundations. This was a first for us, and it was truly an eye-opener.

Patrick was a little wary at first, and nervously laughing. When he heard kids from inside the home calling to us, he admitted that he was afraid (though he only showed it through his nervous laugh). But as soon as we went in, and they saw their new playmates, Paolo and Patrick took out bubble blowers and toy harmonicas to give away, and immediately they felt at ease. Just a few minutes in the home, and they were all playing happily together.

Paolo and Patrick were enjoying themselves, and they were acting like very good "kuyas" (older brothers). I was so proud to see the compassion they had for these kids. There were also a lot of babies, and i stayed with them, talking to them, caressing their backs and arms, and they responded. later on, paolo stayed with the babies as well, who he found so cute. Patrick, on the other hand, spent more time playing with the kids who were all a little younger or just about his age. It was really a nice experience, but also heartbreaking. One baby i carried (3 years old or younger) was smiling and laughing but when i tried putting her back down into her crib, she started acting up. Crying, holding on to my arms, and when i finally got her lying down on her bed, she started hitting her head on the crib! i sort of panicked and one of the helpers came to my rescue (so to speak), and admonished the little girl, for acting out. I felt so sorry for these kids. They probably are just longing for human touch, so they don't want to be placed back on their beds. Heartbreaking.

The Sisters of Charity were very accommodating, and they really made us feel welcome. We did promise that we'd come back sometime soon. Just need to save up some more, to donate grocery items as we were told that during low-charity seasons, the kids usually have less to eat. No sweets, as they have very little budget or none at all, for dental care. Almost all of the kids have rotten teeth, and some, no teeth at all.

The wards follow a meal time schedule. Early breakfast, lunch at 10 am, snack at 2, dinner at 4PM, then lights out by 7PM. The reason? To save on electricity. The Missionaries of Charity Home of Joy house 80 abandoned kids, with 12 helpers and nuns. Imagine that! They also take in kids who are sick, but not abandoned. Such as kids who come from poor families, and are suffering from primary complex. The poor families leave their kids with the nuns, who then care for them, and provide them food and medicine. Then weekly, the parents visit them. After 6 months and the kids are cured, that's when the parents take their kids back home with them.

The nuns were so nice to us. They gave us prayer books and 'stampitas' of Blessed Mother Teresa. They invited us to come back to visit them again, and also to visit their other "home" across the street. This one is a home for adults, and abandoned "lolos" and "lolas".

The experience was really an eye-opener for all of us, and i hope it instills in the kids the value of charity, and compassion. Already, they know how to share and to give, but this time, they also learn that gifts don't need to be money or food, as it can also be their time. Like with Kuya Paolo, who just sat with each of the babies, held their hands, played peekaboo with them, and even carried them in his arms. Patrick also played with the kids, and saw how happy they were even when we just gave them the littlest of toys. Kakatuwa yung reaction nung kids. we also taught paolo and patrick to caress the babies, touch their arms, and heads, and whisper to them, "God loves you. God bless you. we love you"... and it just felt so good to be able to spend even just one afternoon with them.

12 simple ways to supercharge your brain

2008-11-02T15:07:00.000-08:00

I saw this post on yahoo, and thought this would be a great article to share. This is for everyone, young and old, but would definitely be helpful for people growing more forgetful. You know who you are. hehehe... ;-> (okay, me included). :)

============================

12 simple ways to supercharge your brain

by Jay @ Dumb Little Man, on Wed Oct 22, 2008 6:00am PDT

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/12-simple-ways-to-supercharge-your-brain-293892/

Have you ever felt exasperated when you bumped into someone at the store but absolutely couldn't remember their name? Sure, it happens to all of us.

Despite being the strongest computer on the planet, our brains do lapse. It's hard to blame them really. As humans, we spend much of or existence stuffing our brains with stuff.

No matter how powerful our brains are, they need recuperation time to be kept in shape. Think of it as a tune up for your brain. Skipping brain maintenance is as silly as the person wandering the parking garage because they forgot where they parked. Is that you? Are you that person? If so, fear not; we are all that person at some point.

Now I am not a brain surgeon and I am not going to suggest you do anything surgical or dangerous. I am however an astute student of human behavior so I always look for simple ways to super charge my brain.

Here are some things you can begin doing as soon as today to begin the great brain tune up:

Eat Almonds
Almond is believed to improve memory. If a combination of almond oil and milk is taken together before going to bed or after getting up at morning, it strengthens our memory power. Almond milk is prepared by crushing the almonds without the outer cover and adding water and sugar to it.

Drink Apple Juice
Research from the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) indicates that apple juice increases the production of the essential neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain, resulting in an increased memory power.

Sleep well
Research indicates that the long-term memory is consolidated during sleep by replaying the images of the experiences of the day. These repeated playbacks program the subconscious mind to store these images and other related information.

Enjoy simple Pleasures
Stress drains our brainpower. A stress-ridden mind consumes much of our memory resources to leave us with a feeble mind. Make a habit to engage yourself in few simple pleasures everyday to dissolve stress from your mind. Some of these simple pleasures are good for your mind, body and soul.

Enjoy music you love
Play with your children
Appreciate others
Run few miles a day, bike or swim
Start a blog
Take a yoga class or Total Wellness routine

Exercise your mind
Just as physical exercise is essential for a strong body, mental exercise is equally essential for a sharp and agile mind. Have you noticed that children have far superior brainpower than an adult does? Children have playful minds. A playful mind exhibits superior memory power. Engage in some of the activities that require your mind to remain active and playful.

Play scrabble or crossword puzzle
Volunteer
Interact with others
Start a new hobby such as blogging, reading, painting, bird watching
Learn new skill or a foreign language

Practice Yoga or Meditation
Yoga or Meditation relives stress. Stress is a known memory buster. With less stress, lower blood pressure, slower respiration, slower metabolism, and released muscle tension follows. All of these factors contribute significantly towards increases in our brainpower.

Reduce Sugar intake
Sugar is a non-food. It’s a form of carbohydrate that offers illusionary energy, only to cause a downhill slump once the initial burst has been worn off. Excess intake of sugar results in neurotic symptoms. Excess sugar is known to cause claustrophobia, memory loss and other neurotic disorders. Eat food without adding sugar. Stay away from sweet drinks or excess consumption of caffeine with sugar.

Eat whole wheat
The whole wheat germs contain lecithin. Lecithin helps ease the problem of the hardening of the arteries, which often impairs brain functioning.

Eat a light meal at night
A heavy meal at night causes tossing and turning and a prolonged emotional stress while at sleep. It’s wise to eat heavy meal during the day when our body is in motion to consume the heavy in-take. Eating a light meal with some fruits allows us to sleep well. A good night sleep strengthens our brainpower.

Develop imagination
Greeks mastered the principle of imagination and association to memorize everything. This technique requires one to develop a vivid and colorful imagination that can be linked to a known object. If you involve all your senses - touching, feeling, smelling, hearing and seeing in the imagination process, you can remember greater details of the event.

Control your temper
Bleached food, excess of starch or excess of white bread can lead to nerve grating effect. This results in a violent and some time depressive behavior. Eat fresh vegetables. Drink lots of water and meditate or practice yoga to relieve these toxic emotions of temper and stressful mood swings.

Take Vitamin B-complex
Vitamin B-complex strengthens memory power. Eat food and vegetables high in Vitamin B-complex. Stay away from the starch food or white bread, which depletes the Vitamin B-complex necessary for a healthy mind.

I don't believe these are that tough. If you find yourself increasing stumped, give a couple of these a try.

Written by Shilpan Patel of Success Soul and cross-posted from Dumb Little Man, a web site that provides tips for life that will save you money, increase your productivity, or simply keep you sane.

Photo albums update

2008-10-01T01:06:00.000-07:00

If you're wondering why there's a sudden surge of posting here at multiply, of not-so-new pics from me, let me explain why.
First off, it's a holiday and the perfect time (the only time i have) to update my blog, multiply account, etc.
Second, i realize that there are a gazillion photos stored in my camera phone and which are eating up my phone's memory. Time to delete!
So there.

Retraction of previous post

2008-08-28T06:11:00.000-07:00

After I posted the "Farewell letter from a Genius" on my multiply blog, a friend informed me that it was a hoax. I promptly googled it, and this is what I found..

http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/marquez.html

Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Final Farewell

During the summer of 1999 Gabriel Garcia Marquez, winner of the 1982 Nobel Prize for Literature and author of such classics as One Hundred Years of Solitude, was treated for lymphatic cancer. In the wake of that, there were persistent rumors about his failing health.

On May 29, 2000 these rumors appeared to be confirmed when a poem that was signed with his name appeared in the Peruvian daily La Republica. The poem was titled "La Marioneta" or "The Puppet," and it was reportedly a farewell poem that Garcia Marquez had written and sent out to his closest friends on account of his worsening condition.

The text of the poem, as well as the news of Garcia Marquez's worsening condition, quickly spread to other newspapers. On May 30 Mexico City dailies reproduced it. La Cronica ran a headline that read "Gabriel Garcia Marquez sings a song to life," and published the poem superimposed on a photo of the novelist on its front page. The poem was also read on many radio stations and spread quickly throughout the world via the internet.

The poem itself was highly sentimental and full of cliches that one would not have normally expected from the great writer. For instance, the poem declared at one point the author's desire to "live in love with love." (the entire text of the poem, translated into English, is reproduced below).

Nevertheless, many who read it were deeply moved by what they took to be the dying author's final message. For instance, one friend of Garcia Marquez, the Indian filmmaker Mrinal Sen, told the Hindustan Times that upon reading the poem he was flooded with memories from his 20 years of acquaintance with the author.

However, it soon became clear that Garcia Marquez's condition had not worsened recently, and he had not written the poem credited to him.

The poem turned out to be the work of an obscure Mexican ventriloquist named Johnny Welch. Welch had written the poem for his puppet sidekick "Mofles," but somehow his name had been replaced by the name of the Nobel Prize winning author.

Welch admitted that he was not a great writer, but told Mexico's InfoRed radio station that he was nevertheless "feeling the disappointment of someone who has written something and is not getting credit."

Garcia Marquez did not comment publicly on the poem. However, the week that the poem was published, a legitimate piece by him did appear in print. It was an essay on the Cuban castaway Elian Gonzales titled "Shipwreck on Dry Land."

References/Further Reading:
 "'Farewell poem' Fools Readers," Los Angeles Times, June 01, 2000.
 Ashis Chakrabarti, "Marquez's latest poem is news of death foretold," Hindustan Times, August 17, 2000.

Text copyright © 2002 Alex Boese

========================================

The Puppet

If for a moment God would forget that I am a rag doll and give me a scrap of life, possibly I would not say everything that I think, but I would definitely think everything that I say.

I would value things not for how much they are worth but rather for what they mean.

I would sleep little, dream more. I know that for each minute that we close our eyes we lose sixty seconds of light.

I would walk when the others loiter; I would awaken when the others sleep.

I would listen when the others speak, and how I would enjoy a good chocolate ice cream.

If God would bestow on me a scrap of life, I would dress simply, I would throw myself flat under the sun, exposing not only my body but also my soul.

My God, if I had a heart, I would write my hatred on ice and wait for the sun to come out. With a dream of Van Gogh I would paint on the stars a poem by Benedetti, and a song by Serrat would be my serenade to the moon.

With my tears I would water the roses, to feel the pain of their thorns and the incarnated kiss of their petals...My God, if I only had a scrap of life...

I wouldn't let a single day go by without saying to people I love, that I love them.

I would convince each woman or man that they are my favourites and I would live in love with love.

I would prove to the men how mistaken they are in thinking that they no longer fall in love when they grow old--not knowing that they grow old when they stop falling in love. To a child I would give wings, but I would let him learn how to fly by himself. To the old I would teach that death comes not with old age but with forgetting. I have learned so much from you men....

I have learned that everybody wants to live at the top of the mountain without realizing that true happiness lies in the way we climb the slope.

I have learned that when a newborn first squeezes his father's finger in his tiny fist, he has caught him forever.

I have learned that a man only has the right to look down on another man when it is to help him to stand up. I have learned so many things from you, but in the end most of it will be no use because when they put me inside that suitcase, unfortunately I will be dying.

translated by Matthew Taylor and Rosa Arelis Taylor

Farewell Letter from a Genius

2008-08-27T14:41:00.000-07:00

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, famous writer from Colombia, and Nobel Peace Prize winner for literature, has retired from public life for reasons of health. He has a form of cancer, which is terminal. He has sent a farewell letter to his friends.

It is recommended reading because it is moving to see how one of the best and most brilliant of writers expresses himself & with sorrow. (Even as I'm SURE this would have sounded TWICE as good in Spanish, let us enjoy the English version nonetheless. ..)

He says:

If God, for a second, forgot what I have become and granted me a little bit more of life, I would use it to the best of my ability.

I wouldn't, possibly, say everything that is in my mind, but I would be more thoughtful of all I say. I would give merit to things not for what they are worth, but for what they mean to express.

I would sleep little, I would dream more, because I know that for every minute that we close our eyes, we waste 60 seconds of light.

I would walk while others stop; I would awake while others sleep.

If God would give me a little bit more of life, I would dress in a simple manner, I would place myself in front of the sun, leaving not only my body, but my soul naked at its mercy.

To all men, I would say how mistaken they are when they think that they stop falling in love when they grow old, without knowing that they grow old when they stop falling in love.

I would give wings to children, but I would leave it to them to learn how to fly by themselves.

To old people I would say that death doesn't arrive when they grow old, but with forgetfulness.

I have learned so much with you all, I have learned that everybody wants to live on top of the mountain, without knowing that true happiness is obtained in the journey taken & the form used to reach the top of the hill.

I have learned that when a newborn baby holds, with its little hand, his father's finger, it has trapped him for the rest of his life.

I have learned that a man has the right and obligation to look down at another man, only when that man needs help to get up from the ground.

Say always what you feel, not what you think. If I knew that today is the last time that that I am going to see you asleep, I would hug you with all my strength and I would pray to the Lord to let me be the guardian angel of your soul.

If I knew that these are the last moments to see you, I would say 'I love you'.

There is always tomorrow, and life gives us another opportunity to do things right, but in case I am wrong, and today is all that is left to me, I would love to tell you how much I love you & that I will never forget you.

Tomorrow is never guaranteed to anyone, young or old.

Today could be the last time to see your loved ones, which is why you mustn't wait; do it today, in case tomorrow never arrives. I am sure you will be sorry you wasted the opportunity today to give a smile, a hug, a kiss, and that you were too busy to grant them their last wish.

Keep your loved ones near you; tell them in their ears and to their faces how much you need them and love them. Love them and treat them well; take your time to tell them 'I am sorry';' forgive me',' please' 'thank you', and all those loving words you know.

Nobody will know you for your secret thought. Ask the Lord for wisdom and strength to express them.

Show your friends and loved ones how important they are to you.

Send this letter to those you love. If you don't do it today...tomorrow will be like yesterday, and if you never do it,

it doesn't matter either,

NOW is the moment to do it.

For you,
With much love,
Your Friend,

Gabriel Garcia Marquez

To learn more about Gabriel Garcia Marquez, read his bio at:

http://www.themodernword.com/gabo/gabo_biography.html

"I don't suffer from Insanity"... Part 3

2008-08-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

Part 3 to help us plod through the rest of the work week. The long weekend was just glorious!

August 22

It's not that I'm against exercise. It's just that when I look at my body I feel it's already been punished enough!

August 23

Put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another... But above all these things put on love.

Colossians 3:12-14 NKJV

August 24

When we start thinking of things we can do, we begin with prayer -- surely one of the most important ways we can help. In addition to praying for those who are wrestling with grief, probably the next most important thing we can do is listen to them!

August 25

The church is supposed to be a hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints.

August 26

We need to put things into eternal perspective and remember the promise of Romans 8:28 that God makes everything -- even calamities -- work for our good. Sometimes it's awfully hard to wait for the "good" to "work."

In all things God works for the good of those who love him.

Romans 8:28

August 27

Veni, vidi, visa

Translation: I came, I saw, I did a little shopping.

August 28

Sometimes we feel like we're smothering under the weight of all our problems, then someone comes along and fluffs us us with a word of encouragement.

August 29

No matter how smart we are, weary mothers need lots of help and encouragement -- the kids that comes from family and friends, and especially the kids that comes from God.

Oprah's Book Club

2008-08-20T14:30:00.000-07:00

Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy
As I Lay Dying William Faulkner
Back Roads Tawni O'Dell
The Best Way to Play Bill Cosby
Black and Blue Anna Quindlen
The Bluest Eyes Toni Morrison
The Book of Ruth Jane Hamilton
Breath, Eyes, Memory Edwidge Danticat
Cane River Lalita Tademy
The Corrections Jonathan Franzen
Cry, The Beloved Country Alan Paton
Daughter of Fortune Isabel Allende
The Deep End of the Ocean Jacquelyn Mitchard
Drowning Ruth Christina Schwartz
East of Eden John Steinbeck
Ellen Foster Kaye Gibbons
Fall on Your Knees Ann-Marie MacDonald
A Fine Balance Rohinton Mistry
Gap Creek Robert Morgan
The Good Earth Pearl S. Buck
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter Carson McCullers
The Heart of a Woman Maya Angelou
Here on Earth Alice Hoffman
House of Sand and Fog Andre Dubus III
I Know This Much Is True Wally Lamb
Icy Sparks Gwyn Hyman Rubio
Jewel Bret Lott
A Lesson Before Dying Ernest J. Gaines
Light in August William Faulkner
Love in the Time of Cholera Gabriel García Márquez
A Map of the World Jane Hamilton
The Meanest Thing To Say Bill Cosby
The Measure of a Man Sidney Poitier
Middlesex Jeffrey Eugenides
Midwives Chris Bohjalian
A Million Little Pieces James Frey
Mother of Pearl Melinda Haynes
A New Earth Eckhart Tolle
Night Elie Wiesel
One Hundred Years of Solitude Gabriel García Márquez
Open House Elizabeth Berg
Paradise Toni Morrison
The Pillars of the Earth Ken Follett
The Pilot's Wife Anita Shreve
The Poisonwood Bible Barbara Kingsolver
The Rapture of Canaan Sheri Reynolds
The Reader Bernhard Schlink
River, Cross My Heart Breena Clarke
The Road Cormac McCarthy
She's Come Undone Wally Lamb
Song of Solomon Toni Morrison
Songs In Ordinary Time Mary McGarry Morris
The Sound and the Fury William Faulkner
Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail Malika Oufkir
Stones from the River Ursula Hegi
Sula Toni Morrison
Tara Road Maeve Binchy
The Treasure Hunt Bill Cosby
Vinegar Hill A. Manette Ansay
A Virtuous Woman Kaye Gibbons
We Were The Mulvaneys Joyce Carol Oates
What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day Pearl Cleage
Where the Heart Is Billie Letts
While I Was Gone Sue Miller
White Oleander Janet Fitch

http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahsbookclub/pastselections/20080701_orig_list

Of the 65 selections, I own 4 of these books but not yet read them. As for those which I've read, I have to shamefully admit that I've only read ONE! "Anna Karenina" which I don't even remember now. I think I read it waaaay, way back in high school. I really have to work on my TBR (to be read) pile! I'm reading "Where the Heart is" now. Just a few more days, and i can cross that book off my my TBR list.

As for "New Earth", I saw one of Oprah's shows and they even have an online class discussing the "New Earth". Hmmm… piqued my interest. Will have to check that out next time I'm at the bookstore.

Article: 'Don't Worry Be Happy'

2008-08-16T23:20:00.000-07:00

'Don't Worry Be Happy': happiness is key to longer life
by Claire Rosemberg

PARIS (AFP) - Keep humming "Don't Worry Be Happy". The 1980s New Age-inspired hit got it right. New research shows being happy can add several years to life.

|”Happiness does not heal, but happiness protects against falling ill," says Ruut Veenhoven of Rotterdam's Erasmus University in a study to be published next month.

After reviewing 30 studies carried out worldwide over periods ranging from one to 60 years, the Dutch professor said the effects of happiness on longevity were "comparable to that of smoking or not".

That special flair for feeling good, he said, could lengthen life by between 7.5 and 10 years.

The finding brings a vital new piece to a puzzle currently being assembled by researchers worldwide on just what makes us happy -- and on the related question of why people blessed with material wealth in developed nations no longer seem satisfied with their lives.

Once the province of poets or philosophers, the notions of happiness and satisfaction have been taken on and dissected, quantified and analysed in the last few years by a growing number of highly serious and respected economists -- some of whom dub the new field "hedonics", or the study of what makes life pleasant, or otherwise.

"The idea that there is a state called happiness, and that we can dependably figure out what it feels like and how to measure it, is extremely subversive," says Bill McKibben in his 2007 book "Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future".

"It allows economists to start thinking about life in richer terms, to stop asking 'What did you buy?' and to start asking 'Is your life good?'."

Growth in material wealth adds little to happiness once buying power hits 10,000 dollars a year per head, according to such research.

But happiness can be bolstered by friendship and human community, as well as larger social factors such as freedom, democracy, effective government institutions and rule of law.

In Veenhoven's findings, published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, a scientific publication founded in 2000, the strongest effect on longevity was found among a group of US nuns followed through their adult life -- perhaps reflecting the feel-good factor from belonging to a close-knit stress-free community with a sense of purpose.

While the lyrics from the Grammy-award 1989 "Be Happy" hit were inspired by popular Indian guru Meher Baba, nowadays, in more than 100 countries, from Bhutan in the Himalayas to the US and Australia, economists are working to put "happiness" indicators (a new kind of quality-of-life index) into the measurement of growth.

Happiness itself, according to the specialists, is generally accepted as "the overall appreciation of one's life as a whole", in other words a state of mind best defined by the person questioned.

In his paper, Veenhoven first looked at statistics to see whether good cheer impacted on the sick, but concluded that while happiness had helped some cancer patients suffering from a relapse, in general "happiness does not appear to prolong the deathbed."

Among healthy populations, on the contrary, happiness appeared to protect against falling ill, thus prolonging life.

Happy people were more inclined to watch their weight, were more perceptive of symptoms of illness, tended to be more moderate with smoking and drinking and generally lived healthier lives.

They were also more active, more open to the world, more self-confident, made better choices and built more social networks.

"For the time being we know that happiness fosters physical health, but not precisely how," he wrote.

"Chronic unhappiness activates the fight-flight response, which is known to involve harmful effects in the long run such as higher blood pressure and a lower immune response."

To improve good cheer, he said, there needed to be more research on the impact of residential conditions or on the long-term effects of school on happiness. And studies on job-satisfaction failed to address the question of life-satisfaction at work.

But these findings, he said, opened new vistas for public health.

Governments needed to educate people in the art of "living well", helping to develop the ability to enjoy life, to make the best choices, to keep developing and to see a meaning in life.

"If we feel unhealthy we go to a medical general practitioner," he said. "If we feel unhappy there is no such generalist. We have to guess."

"Professional guidance for a happier life is unavailable as yet. This is a remarkable market failure, given the large number of people who feel they could be happier."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080814/lf_afp/lifestylephilosophyhealtheconomyhappiness_080814033615

“I don’t suffer from Insanity… 2!”

2008-08-16T05:29:00.000-07:00

Long weekend! Yahoo! Then another long weekend next week! Woohoohoo! :D

Here’s this week’s daily collection of fun-filled insights and therapeutic humor from my desk calendar, “I don’t suffer from Insanity… I enjoy every minute of it!” by Barbara Johnson. Enjoy!
=========================

August 15
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there were a delicious, “all-natural” food that is nutritious, fat-free, has no cholesterol, and promotes good health? There is! You’ll find it described in Galatians 5:22:23 –the “fruit of the Spirit.” This fruit is wholesome and beneficial – and it’s even better when shared! - Larry Potts

August 16
Amazing! If you hang something in a closet for a while, it shrinks two sizes.

August 17
Beauty tip: Beware of tucking your dress into the back of your underwear after using the rest room. You’ll know this personal grooming error has occurred when you hear snickers from the people you pass on the street. Another giveaway will be the draft you feel on the back of your thighs.

August 18
She who laughs last thinks the slowest.

August 19
In good times and bad, music has always been a part of my life flowing through the laughter as well as the trials. To me, it is a gift from God – a bit of heaven He loans to us while we live on earth to help us survive the hard times, to celebrate the good times, and especially to praise Him in a way no other method can match.

August 20
I would rather walk with God in the dark than go alone in the light.
- Mary Gardiner Brainard

August 21
The only good thing about the decline of my memory is that it has brought me closer to my mother, for she and I now forget everything at the same time. - Bill Cosby

I am a Harmony-seeking Idealist

2008-08-11T17:46:00.000-07:00

Harmony-seeking Idealist (HI)

Harmony-seeking Idealists are characterised by a complex personality and an abundance of thoughts and feelings. They are warm-hearted persons by nature. They are sympathetic and understanding. Harmony-seeking Idealists expect a lot of themselves and of others. They have a strong understanding of human nature and are often very good judges of character. But they are mostly reserved and confide their thoughts and feelings to very few people they trust. They are deeply hurt by rejection or criticism. Harmony-seeking Idealists find conflict situations unpleasant and prefer harmonious relationships. However, if reaching a certain target is very important to them they can assert themselves with a doggedness bordering on obstinacy.

Harmony-seeking Idealists have a lively fantasy, often an almost clairvoyant intuition and are often very creative. Once they have tackled a project, they do everything in their power to achieve their goals. In everyday life, they often prove to be excellent problem solvers. They like to get to the root of things and have a natural curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. At the same time, they are practically oriented, well organised and in a position to tackle complex situations in a structured and carefully considered manner. When they concentrate on something, they do so one hundred percent - they often become so immersed in a task that they forget everything else around them. That is the secret of their often very large professional success.

As partners, harmony-seeking idealists are loyal and reliable; a permanent relationship is very important to them. They seldom fall in love head over heels nor do they like quick affairs. They sometimes find it very difficult to clearly show their affection although their feelings are deep and sincere. In as far as their circle of friends is concerned, their motto is: less is more! As far as new contacts are concerned, they are approachable to only a limited extent; they prefer to put their energy into just a few, close friendships. Their demands on friends and partners are very high. As they do not like conflicts, they hesitate for some time before raising unsatisfactory issues and, when they do, they make every effort not to hurt anyone as a result.

Adjectives which describe your type
introverted, theoretical, emotional, planning, idealistic, harmony-seeking, understanding, peace-loving, sensitive, quiet, sympathetic, conscientious, dogged, complicated, inconspicuous, warm-hearted, complex, imaginative, inspiring, helpful, demanding, communicative, reserved, vulnerable

These subjects could interest you
literature, philosophy, psychology, music, meditation, writing, yoga, art, astrology, drawing/painting, spiritual things, handicrafts

http://www.ipersonic.com

“I don’t suffer from Insanity… I enjoy every minute of it!” :D

2008-08-10T00:51:00.000-07:00

Just sharing some “insights” from my desk calendar, “I don’t suffer from Insanity… I enjoy every minute of it!” by Barbara Johnson. I figure we can all use a laugh! Enjoy! :D

August 1
Priceless gifts to give for FREE:
o The gift of favor: Every day, go out of your way to do something kind for someone.

August 2
Church Bulletin Blunders:
“ The ladies of the church have cast off clothing of every kind, and they may be seen in the church basement on Friday. “

August 3
Dear Lord, prop us up in all our leaning ways.

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
- Isaiah 41:10

August 4
A strong sense of humor can help us survive any situation, but laughter doesn’t make our problems disappear. Instead, we hold fast to the grace He gives us to tolerate today, and we trust Him to carry our burdens in His strong, loving hands – then we laugh! God’s grace is a miracle in itself.

August 5
God grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do – and the eyesight to know the difference.

August 6
I’ve been very good about watching my weight. I watch it go up and down and up and down. I heard someone call this “the rhythm method of girth control!”

August 7
Life becomes much easier, once you get through youth, middle age, and old age.
- Ashleigh Brilliant

August 8
Prayer is asking for rain. Faith is carrying an umbrella.

August 9
The second day of a diet is always easier than the first. By the second day you’re off it.

August 10
There are several things that may cause men’s stress levels to rise. One stressful activity is brushing their hair and finding that they’re becoming, shall we say, “follicularly challenged”.

August 11
A little smile can brighten someone’s day. And while you’re smiling you might as well go one step further and share a chuckle or two.

August 12
When we’re thinking of ways we can follow Jesus’ example and show a servant’s heart to those in need, there’s no better gift we can give them than the hope of heaven!

August 13
Then you will call out, and the Lord will answer. You will cry out, and He will say, “Here I am”.
- Isaiah 58:9 NCV

August 14
This bumper sticker was punctuated with a bold cross: No matter which direction I’m heading, I’m homeward bound!

Alicia Keys pics

2008-08-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some Alicia Keys pics from her concert last August 5. I can't take credit for taking these pics though. These were taken by DJ Mo Twister and posted on their multiply site (http://goodtimeswithmo.multiply.com/photos/album). These are really great pics, taken from the first row. Lucky, lucky! (i actually have a lot more pics from the concert but couldn't post it here. They're all posted on my multiply site though. check it out!)

As for asking for DJ Mo's permission to re-post this, believe it or not, I did! I met him at Magic 89.9's event, "Free Gas Fridays" yesterday at Caltex, Malugay, struck a conversation, asked him about the pics, and he said it was okay to re-post. So there. Kinda funny how it worked out. :D

ALICIA KEYS “As I Am - Live in Manila” Concert

2008-08-05T18:26:00.000-07:00

ALICIA KEYS “As I Am - Live in Manila” Concert
SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia
August 5, 2008

We arrived kinda late, and missed Luke Mejares’ act altogether. When we arrived, it was already Duncan Ramos’ last song. Right on time, or so we thought. But unfortunately, there was still a two-hour wait after the opening acts, and the concert started almost 10 PM! Aaargh! Defeats the purpose of having the “opening acts” to begin with, to get the audience all pumped up. We were already getting antsy with the long wait, but once Alicia Keys’ appeared onstage, the audience went wild, and all was forgiven. Hehehe…

I so loved the song “Superwoman”… "Even when I’m a mess, I still put on a vest with an S on my chest. Oh yes, I’m a SUPERWOMAN". Would it be too much to admit I almost cried while she was singing that song?

Highlights of the concert where when she sang “No one”, and everyone singing along, and up on their feet, dancing. That was the longest song ever (with the audience singing instead), coz even when Alicia left the stage and said her goodbyes, the people in the audience just wouldn’t stop singing! So after a few more minutes, out back came Alicia. Woohoo!

As expected, the day after the concert, and already there are videos of the concert on youtube. Although there were clear signs everywhere (as well as on the tickets), that “no cameras or recording devices will be allowed inside the venue”, there were video cams, digicams and of course, cellphone cams everywhere. It simply wasn’t implemented. But then again, I’m not complaining. Or how else would we have gotten these pics of the concert to post?

For pics of the concert, check out my photo album. Thanks to Kraig for sharing. At least I didn’t have to bother with my own camera, and just focus on Alicia Keys’ performing on stage.

The lyrics of my two favorite songs… Three if you include the song “Teenage Love Affair” which is the song playing in my head since I woke up this morning! LSS! Last song syndrome!

Superwoman

Everywhere I'm turning
Nothing seems complete
I stand up and I'm searching
For the better part of me
I hang my head from sorrow
Slave to humanity
I wear it on my shoulders
Gotta find the strength in me

Cause I am a Superwoman
Yes I am
Yes she is
Even when I'm a mess
I still put on a vest
With an S on my chest
Oh yes
I'm a Superwoman

For all the mothers fighting
For better days to come
And all my women, all my women sitting here trying
To come home before the sun
And all my sisters
Coming together
Say yes I will
Yes I can

Cause I am a Superwoman
Yes I am
Yes she is
Even when I'm a mess
I still put on a vest
With an S on my chest
Oh yes
I'm a Superwoman

When I'm breaking down
And I can't be found
And I start to get weak
Cause no one knows
Me underneath these clothes
But I can fly
We can fly, Oooohh

Cause I am a Superwoman
Yes I am
Yes she is
Even when I'm a mess
I still put on a vest
With an S on my chest
Oh yes
I'm a Superwoman

* * * * *

No One

I just want you close
Where you can stay forever
You can be sure
That it will only get better

You and me together
Through the days and nights
I don't worry 'cuz
Everything's going to be alright
People keep talking they can say what they like
But all i know is everything's going to be alright

No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling
No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I feel for you, you, you
Can get in the way of what I feel for you

When the rain is pouring down
And my heart is hurting
You will always be around
This I know for certain

You and me together
Through the days and nights
I don't worry 'cuz
Everything's going to be alright
People keep talking they can say what they like
But all i know is everything's going to be alright

No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling
No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I feel for you, you, you
Can get in the way of what I feel

I know some people search the world
To find something like what we have
I know people will try try to divide something so real
So til the end of time I'm telling you there is no one

No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling
No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I feel for you, you, you
Can get in the way of what I feel for you

* * * * *

Teenage Love Affair

Can't wait to get home
Baby dial your number
Can you pick up the phone
Cause I wanna holla
Daydreamin about you all day in school can't concentrate
Wanna have your voice in my ear till mama come and say it's too late
Cause the lights are on outside
Wish there was somewhere to hide
Cause I just don't want to say goodbye
Cause you are my baby baby
Nothing really matters
I don't really care what nobody tell me
I'm gonna be here
It's a matter of extreme importance
My first teenage love affair

Another secret meeting
On the 5th floor staircase
I'm gonna give you this letter
Of all the things I can't say
Want u to be my first my last my ending and beginning
I write your name in my book your last name my first I'm your mrs
Cause the lights are on outside
Wish there was somewhere to hide
I just don't want to say goodbye
Cause you are my baby baby
Nothing really matters
I don't really care what nobody tell me
I'm gonna be here
It's a matter of extreme importance
My first teenage love affair

Hey boy
You know I really like being with you
Just hanging out is fine
So maybe we can go to first base
Because I feel you
Second base
Want you to feel me too boy
Third base
Betta pump the brakes and baby slow down
I gotta go home now
Cause the lights are on outside
Wish there was somewhere to hide
Cause I just don't want to say goodbye
Cause you are my baby baby
Nothing really matters
I don't really care what nobody tell me
I'm gonna be here
It's a matter of extreme importance
My first teenage love affair
My baby baby
Nothing really matters
I don't really care
What nobody tell me
I'm gonna be here
It's a matter of extreme importance
My first teenage love affair

Grateful Dad

2008-07-26T05:08:00.000-07:00

Good news! Matthew David was found. Like any parent, i breathed a sigh of relief and said a prayer of thanks when I heard the good news. Matthew's dad, Michael Samudio, posted a heartwarming note on his blog. Click on the link to read his post.

http://melquita.multiply.com/photos/album/349

Her Nephew was abducted :(

2008-07-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

I was browsing my cousin EJ's site when I saw his post about a friend's nephew being abducted. Being a mom myself, i feel for the little boy's parents. Please do help in any way you can. Repost this on your sites, and watch out for the kid when you go out. (He was abducted in Festival Mall Alabang last July 22). And let's all pray that the little boy is safe and is returned home soon.

here's the link to her page: http://melquita.multiply.com/photos/album/348/HELP_My_Nephew_Was_Abducted

Text wisdom

2008-07-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

I got this message via text earlier today. Apart from the usual jokes, nuggets of wisdom do sometimes come via text...

"There are two ways to be happy: improve your reality or lower your expectations".

Here's something from my desk calendar:

"The truly happy people are those who have a source of happiness too deep to be seriously disturbed by ordinary troubles". - Marion K. Rich

Paz y bien!

The torture machine

2008-07-13T19:54:00.000-07:00

If you’ve ever had a mammogram, you know what this is.

Yup, it’s a torture machine! What else can you call a machine which squashes your breasts until they’re virtually flat, and all you can do is let out a squeak of a scream? Aargh!

Learning about friends and colleagues being diagnosed with breast cancer is enough to make me run scared to my ob-gyne. So after my annual physical, my ob-gyne prescribed me to undergo a mammogram. And though there’s no family history of breast cancer, the fact that there’s a history of cancer at all (my grandfather died of stomach cancer), is enough justification for me to have it done. Hypochondriac? Maybe. Careful? Yes!

It was my first mammogram ever, and let me tell you, it hurt like hell! The horror stories I heard were true! I consider myself as having a fairly high tolerance for pain, so if I say this hurts, it really does! But it’s a necessary evil for women, more so those who are 25 and older. The National Cancer Institute and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend that women in their forties and older have mammograms every one to two years, but from what I’ve seen, it seems prudent to have regular mammograms earlier.

So even if it does hurt, I’d still say to women everywhere to go for it. Pain or no pain, go for it! It's just 10 minutes of pain anyway. Early detection of cancer increases your chances of survival. And to find out more about breast cancer, check out the link below:

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/

I feel lucky...

2008-05-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

I just got a call from 7-11 and was informed that I won a Samsung E250 from their latest contest. I remember that early Sunday morning when Neil and I went to a nearby bicycle supply store to buy new tires for Paolo’s bike. We’ve been doing some biking in UP almost regularly during the weekends starting this year, and Paolo’s bike tires blew up one time. It was such a big hole that we decided to just buy him new tires. So anyway, after buying new tires, we decided on some hot pandesal. There was no parking in front of the bakery, so we parked instead at the nearby 7-11. To ‘justify’ our parking, I decided to buy a Big Gulp, the slurpee drink. I don’t normally buy that, but since I saw there was a contest anyway, I decided what the heck.

So enjoying my big gulp of Mountain Dew (my favorite-st soda ever!!!), I sent my text registration for the contest. That was April 13. Lo and behold, after almost a month, I get a call that I won a Samsung E250. wait for the letter, go to their Ortigas office, present 2 valid IDs, and I get my spanking-new phone! Yooohooo!!! Yup, I feel lucky!!! :D

May 3 "Night in"

2008-05-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

As with almost all get-togethers of our friends, most are unplanned. After our day out at Mall of Asia, watching the kids compete, I got a call from Dan asking what we were doing later on that night. Since we weren’t planning a night out anyway, Dan decided to come over with Bern in tow. They brought over 2 lechon manoks from Sr. San Pedro (which were yummy, by the way!), while we served them different types of maki. These were brought over by Neil as his pasalubong for me, so I begrudgingly had to share these now with our guests. Fuming! (hehehe, joke!)…

Why nights in? Well, compared to spending hard-earned cash on dinner at a restaurant, then coffee at Starbucks or Seattle’s Best, “nights in” are kinder on the pocket. We have the place all to ourselves. No worries of waiting for tables, joshing for space or anything of that sort. And the good thing, is that we can stay as long as we want. The bad thing, is that guests usually stay as long as they want. Hehehehe…

It was a night-in which we spent playing games on the wii. The kids played to their hearts’ content, and only went to bed after so many reminders. All the delaying tactics exhausted, pleas of “just one more game, please!” falling on my deaf ears, they finally surrendered, and went up to their rooms to sleep. All that being said, when I went back up to check on them, not more than 10 minutes after, they were already snoring! So all those excuses of not being sleepy yet weren’t true after all. Ah, kids!

We then spent the rest of the evening talking, eating, having coffee and dessert, then watching youtube! We watched funny clips of japanese game shows (search “marshmallow eating”, “human tetris”, and “can’t laugh”), and the kid standouts of this season’s “Britain’s Got Talent.”

We wrapped up 3 AM, and who knows when we’ll suddenly have another “night in” like this. Maybe soon? Who knows.

Banapple

2008-04-21T18:44:00.000-07:00

After our Sunday exercise (kuno!) at UP, we had lunch at Banapple at Katipunan, Quezon City. Patrick was salivating when his order of chocolate peanut butter pancake was brought to the table. :) I loved the banofee pie, and the chocolate caramel fudge cake (I forgot what it's really called). The heavenly breakfast (served all day), glazed porkloin and baby back ribs were yummy. The banana-chocolate-peanut butter smoothie instantly became the kids' fave. As for service, it could still be improved. After paying more than 1k for our meal, I set down to check the bill/order slip (which I normally don't do) and promptly found out that we were charged an extra 300 pesos! I pointed it out to the waitress, and it turns out the cashier didn't clear the register before punching in our orders. They returned my money, but I still kinda felt cheated. I mean, what if I hadn't checked the order slip? And to think they don't issue ORs, UNLESS you request for it. What’s up with that?

The place is small, and easily gets crowded (I heard even on weekdays). I love the food there and we will eat there again to try out other items on their menu. Maybe I'll stick to the sandwiches next time. But a friend was raving about their tapa. Hmmm, we'll see... but you can be sure I'll be paying special attention to their order slip the next time.

The weekend gardener

2008-04-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

I don’t know what this is really. It’s either the early sprouts of starapple (kaimito) or melon. Well, whatever it is, isn’t it pretty? 

I’ve been doing some gardening the past few weekends (if you can call a few minutes tinkering with the plants “gardening”), and have been practicing what I’ve been saying and that is to compost. Less trash, as the fruit peels, etc., go straight into a big pot filled with soil and used coffee grounds which is in our front yard. The used coffee grounds are free from Starbucks. :)

Whenever I have some free time on the weekends, I’m in front of those plants, watering them, placing some used coffee grounds, arranging the pots, and generally just digging my hands (gloved hands, that is) into the soil. And after just a few minutes, perspiration rolls down my face. It feels good to see that something has sprouted from that once-barren soil. Yup, I want to nurture my green thumb, to nurture more plants in my garden.

The Race

2008-03-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

Blogorrhea (noun): to write a blog entry for the sake of posting something, since you haven’t done anything interesting lately.
- from Marie Claire, Aug. ‘07

Hahaha! funny! :)
I can relate to only half that statement though. Coz i do have blog-worthy things to write about, BUT I just haven't found the TIME. Time. Isn't that always my issue? Aaargh...

Well anyway, so that this is NOT an utter waste of space, let me share a very nice poem I was lucky to come across recently:

The Race
attributed to Dr. D.H. "Dee" Groberg

"Quit, give up, you're beaten", they shout at you and plead
"There's just too much against you. This time you can't succeed".

Whenever I start to hang my head in front of failure’s face,
my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.
A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well,
excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell.

They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race
or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place.
Their parents watched from off the side, each cheering for their son,
and each boy hoped to show his folks that he would be the one.

The whistle blew and off they flew, like chariots of fire,
to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire.
One boy in particular, whose dad was in the crowd,
was running in the lead and thought “My dad will be so proud.”

But as he speeded down the field and crossed a shallow dip,
the little boy who thought he’d win, lost his step and slipped.
Trying hard to catch himself, his arms flew everyplace,
and midst the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face.

As he fell, his hope fell too; he couldn’t win it now.
Humiliated, he just wished to disappear somehow.
But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face,
which to the boy so clearly said, “Get up and win that race!”

He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that’s all,
and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall.
So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win,
his mind went faster than his legs. He slipped and fell again.

He wished that he had quit before with only one disgrace.
“I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race.”
But through the laughing crowd he searched and found his father’s face with a steady look that said again, “Get up and win that race!”

So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last.
“If I’m to gain those yards,” he thought, “I’ve got to run real fast!”
Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight, then ten...
but trying hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.

Defeat! He lay there silently. A tear dropped from his eye.
“There’s no sense running anymore! Three strikes I’m out! Why try?
I’ve lost, so what’s the use?” he thought. “I’ll live with my disgrace.”
But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face.

“Get up,” an echo sounded low, “you haven’t lost at all,
for all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
Get up!” the echo urged him on, “Get up and take your place!
You were not meant for failure here! Get up and win that race!”

So, up he rose to run once more, refusing to forfeit,
and he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.
So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been,
still he gave it all he had and ran like he could win.

Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.
Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.
They cheered another boy who crossed the line and won first place,
head high and proud and happy -- no falling, no disgrace.

But, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, in last place,
the crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race.
And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud,
you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd.

And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.”
“To me, you won,” his father said. “You rose each time you fell.”

And now when things seem dark and bleak and difficult to face,
the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.

For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.
And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.

And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face,
another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race!”

You're 6:49 a.m.

2008-02-18T22:15:00.001-08:00

The quiz is "What time of day are you?"

And the answer I got was...
"You're 6:49 a.m. You're the time of day right around sunrise, when the sky is still a pale bluish gray. The streets are empty, and the grass and leaves are a little bit sparkly with dew. You are the sound of a few chirpy birds outside the window. You are quiet, peaceful, and contemplative. If you move slowly, it's not because you're lazy – it's because you know there's no reason to rush. You move like a relaxed cat, pausing for deep stretches that make your muscles feel alive. You are long sips of tea or coffee (out of a mug that's held with both hands) that slowly warm your insides just as the sun is brightening the sky."

To take the quiz, click here:
http://www.the-n.com/games/quiz_main.php?id=3321

For those with daughters

2008-02-16T18:43:00.000-08:00

This is hilarious! I don't know who originally wrote this piece, but I "copied" this from Den's blog. Thanks for sharing, Den! :)

============================================
For those with daughters
Application for Permit to Date My Daughter

NOTE: This application will be incomplete and rejected unless accompanied by a complete financial statement, job history, lineage, and current medical report from your doctor.

NAME _____________________________ DATE OF BIRTH ____________

HEIGHT ________ WEIGHT _________ IQ __________ GPA _________

SOCIAL SECURITY #______________ DRIVERS LICENSE #____________

BOY SCOUT RANK AND BADGES________________________________________

HOME ADDRESS_____________________________________________________

CITY/STATE ____________________________ ZIP______

Do you have parents? ___Yes ___No
Is one male and the other female? ___Yes ___No
If No, explain: _______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Number of years they have been married _________________________________

If less than your age, explain:
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

ACCESSORIES SECTION:

A. Do you own or have access to a van? __Yes __No

B. A truck with oversized tires? __Yes __No

C. A waterbed? __Yes __No

D. A pickup with a mattress in the back? __Yes __No

E. A tattoo? __Yes __No

F. Do you have an earring, nose ring, pierced tongue, pierced cheek or a belly button ring? __Yes __No

(IF YOU ANSWERED 'YES' TO ANY OF THE ABOVE, DISCONTINUE APPLICATION AND LEAVE PREMISES IMMEDIATELY. I SUGGEST RUNNING.)

ESSAY SECTION:

In 50 words or less, what does 'LATE' mean to you?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

In 50 words or less, what does 'DON'T TOUCH MY DAUGHTER' mean to you?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

In 50 words or less, what does 'ABSTINENCE' mean to you?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

REFERENCES SECTION:

Church you attend ___________________________________________________

How often you attend ________________________________________________

When would be the best time to interview your:

father? ____________

mother? ___________

pastor? ____________

SHORT-ANSWER SECTION:

Answer by filling in the blank. Please answer freely, all answers are confidential.

A: If I were shot, the last place I would want shot would be:

____________________________________________________________________

B: If I were beaten, the last bone I would want broken is my:

____________________________________________________________________

C: A woman's place is in the:

____________________________________________________________________

D: The one thing I hope this application does not ask me about is:

____________________________________________________________________

E. What do you want to do IF you grow up?

____________________________________________________________________

F. When I meet a girl, the thing I always notice about her first is:

____________________________________________________________________

G. What is the current going rate of a hotel room? __________________________

I SWEAR THAT ALL INFORMATION SUPPLIED ABOVE IS TRUE AND CORRECT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE UNDER PENALTY OF DEATH, DISMEMBERMENT, NATIVE AMERICAN TORTURE, CRUCIFIXION, ELECTROCUTION, CHINESE WATER TORTURE, RED HOT POKERS, AND HILLARY CLINTON KISS TORTURE.

__________________________________________________________________
Applicant's Signature (that means sign your name, moron!)

_________________________ ____________________
Mother's Signature Father's Signature

_________________________ _____________________
Pastor/Priest/ Rabbi State Representative/Congressman

Thank you for your interest, and it had better be genuine and non-sexual. Please allow four to six years for processing.

You will be contacted in writing if you are approved. Please do not try to call or write (since you probably can't, and it would cause you injury). If your application is rejected, you will be notified by two gentlemen wearing white ties carrying violin cases (you might want to watch your back) .

To prepare yourself, start studying Daddy's Rules for Dating.

Daddy's Rules for Dating
Your dad's rules for your boyfriend (or for you if you're a guy):

Rule One:
If you pull into my driveway and honk you'd better be delivering a package, because you're surely not picking anything up.

Rule Two:
You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter's body, I will remove them.

Rule Three:
I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don't take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose this compromise: You may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes too big, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your clothes do not, in fact come off during the course of your date with my daughter, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist.

Rule Four:
I'm sure you've been told that in today's world, sex without utilizing a 'Barrier method' of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate, when it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I will kill you.

Rule Five:
It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is: 'early.'

Rule Six:
I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.

Rule Seven:
As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process than can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why don't you do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?

Rule Eight:
The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool. Places where there is darkness. Places where there is dancing or holding hands. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to induce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka - zipped up to her throat. Movies with a strong romantic or sexual themes are to be avoided; movies that feature chain saws are okay. Hockey games are okay. Old folks homes are better.

Rule Nine:
Do not lie to me. I may appear to be a potbellied, balding, middle-aged, dimwitted has-been. But on issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless god of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind the house. Do not trifle with me.

Rule Ten:
Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a chopper coming in over a rice paddy near Hanoi. When my Agent Orange starts acting up, the voices in my head frequently tell me to clean the guns as I wait for you to bring my daughter home. As soon as you pull into the driveway you should exit the car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car - there is no need for you to come inside. The camouflaged face at the window is mine.

Kenya needs us

2008-01-17T18:17:00.001-08:00

I believe that aside from using blogging as an online journal, and keeping in touch with friends, blogging can also be used as a medium to advance social issues. Used responsibly, this medium can reach and inform as many people as possible, of what's happening in the world today. So let me share with you an email message I received from Avaaz.org regarding the current situation in Kenya.

=========================

Dear friends,

Kenya still teeters on the brink of disaster – today bullets are flying on the streets, with over 600 killed and 250,000 made homeless as government and opposition dispute the presidency. There's hope yet, as Kenyan civil society groups stand up for peace and justice -- but only dialogue and an independent review of the tainted election can end this crisis and prevent escalating violence.

The world can play a crucial role: by reinforcing the efforts of mediators like Kofi Annan, and refusing to recognize any government until it is legitimately established. 50,000 Avaaz members have already sent this message to our foreign ministers, and almost all have listened so far. But inside Kenya, hardline leaders are sowing conflict.

President Kibaki and opposition leader Odinga need to hear that international legitimacy will only come after a mediated resolution. To send this message, we're taking out a full page ad in The East African Standard, an influential Kenyan newspaper. The ad will list the number of messages we've sent to our governments - can we double its strength by sending 100,000 messages this week before the ad runs? Click below to see the ad, send your message and spread the word:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/kenya_free_and_fair/5.php

Kenya depends on international tourism, aid and trade. With both Odinga and Kibaki accepting Kofi Annan's mediation mission, there may be light at the end of the tunnel. It's not too late to help Kenya back from the brink -- send your message, spread the word today.

With hope,
Paul, Pascal, Galit, Ricken, Ben, Esra'a and the whole Avaaz team

PS - Here are some links to the latest news on Kenya -

Marches, violence:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/kenya/story/0,,2242178,00.html

Disputes over mediation:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200801141777.html

Tainted elections:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200801141360.html

_________________________________________

ABOUT AVAAZ
Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.

To contact Avaaz, write to info@avaaz.org. You can also send postal mail to our New York office: 260 Fifth Avenue, 9th floor, New York, NY 10001 U.S.A.

If you have technical problems, please go to http://www.avaaz.org.

Kids' belt test and grading

2008-01-13T12:27:00.000-08:00

The kids had their belt test yesterday (January 12) and earned another orange stripe! I was a bit worried that Patrick wouldnt get another stripe, but the practice and one-on-one with his kuya and Coach Stephen paid off! The kids are so happy they got another stripe! :) And being their mom, I can't help but feel proud of my sons and their achievement. One more stripe to go, and they'll get their orange belt. :)

Check out the link to see the write up on the kids' last grading and belt test:

http://bjjphilippines.com/core/

In the picture with the kids are Asst. Coach Karl Medina, Judoka John Baylon (who earned his eighth judo gold medal during the recent 24th Southeast Asian Games last December 5-16 in Thailand), and Head Coach of Kamphuis-Fabricio Asia, Stephen Kamphuis (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo Black belt, and 9x International Senior World Champion (Brazil/USA).

The kids competed last December 1, 2007 at the 2007 Philippine BJJ & Submission Grappling Open, and Paolo won a silver medal in his division, while Patrick won a bronze medal. :)

They will compete again this March 1, 2008, at the Philippine National Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition, to be held at SM Megamall. Watch them then! I'm pretty sure I'll be a nervous wreck again watching them competing. Aaargghhh!

Green Tea NFB

2008-01-03T12:47:00.000-08:00

For all my friends who (like me!) included "Lose weight" in their New Year's resolutions, I would just like to share this with all of you .. :)

This is about the green tea capsules i'm taking now, Green Tea NFB. I started taking it last December 6, and when i weighed myself last december 26, i lost 3 lbs. already. Of course, I need to lose more. ;-> heheheh...

But imagine, what with all the parties and good food, i was actually aiming low, and that was just to maintain my weight. Imagine my surprise that I did lose weight. :)

I used to take this a couple of months back and even then, without exercise, I lost 1kilo in one month. Of course, it's much more effective with exercise! I remember that even before I tried this out, I checked the ingredients and researched online on the listed ingredient, QUERCETIN. Here are the sites i've found with information on Quercetin:
http://nutrition.about.com/od/phytochemicals/p/quercetinprofil.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercetin
http://www.phytochemicals.info/phytochemicals/quercetin.php

After being adequately convinced on the efficacy and safety of the product, plus the fact that it's sold in Healthy Options (one of my favorite-st stores), I bought my first bottle. :)

What I noticed as its effects, was that I was perspiring more. Unlike before, when I wasn't the sweaty type, this time I found myself a little more sweaty than usual after moderate to heavy activity. So, okay lang. It wasn't as if I was perspiring buckets while just sitting at my desk. At least I was perspiring more but only after some huffing and puffing (walking, working out at the gym, etc.).

Second, I noticed that when I woke up in the morning, I didn't have that sluggish feeling. It was as if I was automatically awake and ready to go-go-go!

And speaking of go, I noticed that I would be more "regular". 'Nuff said! ;->

And for me, the most important effect, is that I feel "lighter". I noticed it when I was walking up the flights of stairs to the MRT. You know how high those steps are, right? Well, usually, I'd have to stop mid-way up the flight of stairs to catch my breath. But after taking green tea, to my surprise, I was already at the top of the stairs when I realized that I didn't have any difficulty going up the stairs, and I got there so fast!

Before people think of this as an infomercial and blatant advertising, let it be said that I'm not going to get anything from this "endorsement". I just want to share this with my friends who want to lose weight. And the way I see it, losing weight is just an upside. The other benefit is the fact that it will do your body good. (Read the info on quercetin!)

The Green Tea NFB is available at Healthy Options. Cost is Php 935.00 for a bottle of 90 caps. Take as directed, 2 caps after each meal. In my case, I usually just take it after lunch and dinner, and still lost 3 lbs. after just 3 weeks.

Check out the link below to find out more about this product.
http://www.healthyoptions.com.ph/green_tea.php

New Year's Day 2008

2008-01-01T22:48:00.000-08:00

I got up at 10 am to prepare for our new year's day celebration with the clan at Paranaque. Still groggy from less than 5 hours sleep, I was thankful that my brother was there to drive all the way to Paranaque.

Food was aplenty, as expected! The kids had fun playing while the adults enjoyed eating. Isn’t that always the case? Hehehe…

Attended mass with the kids at the nearby church in the afternoon, and reflected on the priest's very nice and inspiring message...

Here are some of our pics taken after the party ended.

And here's our telenovela pose again. MarimArboleda. (pero parang di lahat "in character").

Tomorrow is another working day! Boo hoo hoo!!! :(

Media Noche

2008-01-01T12:43:00.000-08:00

New Year’s Eve has always been a big celebration at our house. Whereas for Christmas, our celebration would be on Christmas Day itself with relatives coming over to our house.

Nowadays, with my parents abroad and the clan Christmas party moved over to one of my aunt’s house, Media Noche is the only other celebration that I get to plan and have at our own humble abode.

For the 3rd consecutive year, friends would come over and celebrate New Year’s Eve with us. Going for the 3rd year as “guests” are Ben and Dan. Both very good friends, the “Wills” to my “Grace”. ;->

As planned, I prepared lasagna, roast chicken, and roast pork, then veggie salad (with apples and blue cheese). Ben for his part, prepared tofu shiitake in teriyaki & oyster sauce, and steamed fish fillet. Dan’s contribution was completing the 13 types of round fruits which should be on the table for the New Year. Why 13? Well, the belief is that you should have 13 types of fruits to signify prosperity for each of the 12 months of the year. The 13th fruit is to ensure there’s more than enough. Or so they say. So okay, okay, I admit that I can be a little superstitious, but then again, it wouldn’t hurt, right? And besides, this is my way of ensuring that I have lots of fruits to munch on when I’m back to dieting mode again. Hehehehe…

Aside from the food we prepared, we also had ham, french bread, biko, putong ube and keso (cheese), choco cupcakes, and brazo de mercedes. Most of these were gifts I received from friends, co-workers, etc.

We had a hearty dinner at 9PM, shared our new year's wishes and then just lazed around the sofa, talking, while waiting for 12midnight to strike. Since wine and coffee are also staples for our after-dinner chit-chat, we had that, too.

Before 12MN, we were out of the house, joining in on the noise-making. Fireworks are a no-no in our household so the kids were content using sparklers. While the adults were content posing for pictures amidst the fireworks. Hahahaha!!!

Around 1am, we were just lounging around, talking, sipping coffee, and munching on some more food. It seemed as if we were eating non-stop, and the conversation was the only break we got from all that munching. A friend of Ben’s stopped by, so we had another person to grill, err... talk to.

It was 4AM when Ben, Dan and Benji left the house. I still had the energy to tidy up, then went to bed at 5am! Whew! What a celebration!

pre-Media Noche

2007-12-30T17:44:00.000-08:00

Today I cooked chili garlic prawns for lunch as per the kids' request. It's not often that they make these types of request, and since it was a holiday anyway, I obliged. Of course, as expected, after the meal, I had two very satisfied and happy customers. :)

This early, I’m already starting the pre-work for tomorrow's media noche. I’ve cut up and washed the veggies for the salad, grated cheese for the lasagna, cut up the veggies I'll be using for the pasta sauce, etc. Our maid has been on extended vacation, so the less work for me tomorrow, the better!

Our menu for media noche?
- Lasagna
- Roast chicken and pork
- Salad (veggies, apples and blue cheese)

The rest of our feast, I'm buying ready-made. Or my friends are bringing over. I don't want to over-exert myself and prepare so much. The less stress for me, the better! The focus of our get-together would be the company of friends. And besides, there's so much food in the ref already and I hate the idea of throwing away food! So there!

December 26

2007-12-26T23:12:00.000-08:00

While the rest of the household was still sleeping soundly and dreaming of holidays and toys and gifts, I was trudging off to work. I felt alone going to work, since traffic was very light. Getting to work, I was early as usual and so I didn’t expect many people to come in. But at 9a.m., there were still barely half of the staff in the office. Uh-oh. Hangover season.

It was a slowww day at work, which made it much more bearable for me. No ringing phones and I was able to finish the work that I planned to do. Not so bad going to work after all.

The highlight of my day? Going to the gym and after weighing myself, discovering that I lost 3 lbs! Imagine! What with all the parties and good food I gorged on (burp! Excuse me!) I still managed to lose weight! I was actually aiming low and was just thinking that maintaining my weight this month would be okay. But actually losing weight?! Wow! What a great reward. I felt so motivated that I did an extra set of crunches and additional reps using the weights. Whew.

And i think that green tea is really helping. I'll post about that on a later date. ;->

SUPASTAH!

2007-12-25T23:58:00.000-08:00

The pic says it all. :)

In the pic are me, my brother, Paolo, and the superstar-wannabe, Patrick. :D

More pics (Christmas Day '07)

2007-12-25T23:55:00.000-08:00

As you can see from the pics, we're a family that likes to ham it up for the camera. No one is shy, and we'd happily oblige with wacky poses. But my favorite is the last picture, which we call our "telenovela" pose, MarimARboleda... Get it? heheheh... :D

Christmas Day '07

2007-12-25T23:50:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS DAY!!! The kids already opened their gift from me and seeing their excitement at getting a Nintendo DS (to replace the one that was stolen), was well worth the money spent.

What they’re looking forward to now is the annual Christmas party of our clan at my aunt’s house, and the gifts their getting from their aunts, uncles, and grandaunts and granduncles (as opposed to “grandparents”). The kids’ grandparents (my mom and dad) are in the US, and the monthly care packages they send us have always been filled with goodies for the kids. One time it was baseball mitts and baseballs. Or board games. Or various handheld games (video or otherwise) like 20Q, Deal or No Deal, Magic 8 ball, etc. So really, it’s like it’s always Christmas Day for the kids when a big box from the US arrives.

For our annual Christmas party, the fiesta-like preparations resulted in a beautiful and mouthwatering spread of goodies such as kare kare, sauteed prawns, pork barbecue, imperial chicken, lumpiang shanghai, molo soup, baked macaroni, roast beef, baby back ribs, pancit luglog. Diet? What diet? Thoughts of slimming down flew out the window seeing the fabulous food on the dining table.

And for a dessert lover like me, I was in dessert heaven when I saw the chocolate marjolaine cake (which happens to be Patrick’s favorite), fruit salad, brownies, lychee pandan, and brazo de Mercedes. As I always say, “Dessert is the most important part of the meal. Yum yum. In fact, you could say that my “no-rice” diet for the past few days (4 days and counting!) is specifically so I could eat my share of dessert! Hehehe…

The kids spent most of the day playing wii. It was fun and funny watching them! Paolo and Patrick did well on the games, and that was not a surprise to me knowing how good they are at video games. Patrick did especially well in Wii bowling! hahaha! which reminds me, he really loves going bowling, and he wants to take it up as a sport so I told him we'll see about getting him bowling lessons next summer.

Take note of one of the pictures. Patrick is lying on the floor, near the Christmas tree. Patrick blurted out that he’d pretend that the Christmas tree was falling on him, so he takes the pose of lying on the floor and shouting “Saklolo”! My cousins laughed at loud at his antics and promptly took photos of him in that pose. I honestly don’t know how (or why) Patrick comes up with this stuff. I guess it’s his naturally funny side shining through. Always the life of the party. :)

All in all, it was a great day spent with family, with lots of fun and laughter. I just wish my parents were here to celebrate with us. They would have so enjoyed the celebration plus the fun times with the whole clan, and especially their two “apos”.

The Christmas rush (December 24)

2007-12-24T16:30:00.000-08:00

December 24 – I braved the malls and as my friend is fond of saying, “everyone and their mothers was there”. The malls were packed! Believe me, if not for some urgent errands, I would have preferred to stay at home. I opted to leave the car at home. It afforded me the freedom of walking as fast (or as slow) as I wanted. And I didn’t want the stress of finding a parking space. And if you regularly go to the malls, you know how stressful that is. So hooray for valet parking! No matter that it costs Php 50 more. It’s well worth it considering the stress I save myself from. My sanity is worth more than that! :)

I went to LBC to send out a package, then on to Megamall. Woman with a mission! I knew exactly where I was going, and I didn’t dilly-dally going there. I went straight to Hang Ten to buy the 2 blouses I’d been eyeing. Then the war field which is Toy Kingdom to buy another dance pad. Yes, another dance pad. This way, there will always be two players for each game. Yes, I am an addict of Dance Dance Revolution. They say acceptance is the first step to a cure…
;-> But the way I see it, it’s a great way to bond with the kids PLUS it’s great exercise.

Walking home, I couldn’t believe that I and was in and out of the mall in 15 mins! Oh, wait! My watch stopped pala. heheheh... In reality, I was at the mall all of 1 hour 30 minutes. To go to just three shops ha! It will be a long time coming before I go to the malls again a day before Christmas!

More pics from November 1-3

2007-11-05T22:15:00.000-08:00

Suffice to say, that the view from Mt. Samat was breathtaking. And being the true-blue Manileños we are, we're not used to the fresh, cool air! At the risk of sounding like a commercial, it was wonderful just being there and enjoying the view, and the cool, fresh mountain air. :)

November 1 holiday

2007-11-04T20:53:00.000-08:00

It was another long weekend, and what better way to recharge and relax, but to go out of town! It seems that every we chance we get, we opt to leave Manila for a change in scenery! Ang pamilyang layas, my friends would say. :)

So this weekend saw us trudging out of Manila yet again. November 1 (Thursday) was a holiday, All Saints' Day. So off we went to Ben's house in Orion, Bataan. We arrived in time for lunch, lovingly prepared for us by Ben's mom, a Boots Anson Roa look-alike. :)

After lunch, Ben, Neil, the kids and I went up to Mt. Samat in Pilar, Bataan, and saw the "Dambana ng Kagitingan" (shrine of Valor). Aptly called, as this shrine was built in 1966 in memory of the U.S. and Filipino soldiers of World War II.

Brushing up on history, here are some important facts...
-Bataan Peninsula was the scene of harsh fighting between American-Filipino forces and the invading Japanese forces.
-It was on April 9, 1942, when the Bataan defenders surrendered to the Japanese.
-About 70,000 U.S. and Filipino soldiers were captured, and they were forced to march more than a hundred kilometers from Bataan to Tarlac. The Bataan Death March.

There we saw the huge cross called the Memorial Cross. It's a towering structure which can be seen from miles away. It is 92 meters high and the arms’ length is 15 meter on each side. An elevator goes up to the arms of the cross where the viewing galleries are found. Unfortunately for us, the elevators was out of order when we arrived. And being the "mommy" that I was, i didnt want to risk going up the stairs with the 2 kids since I dreaded the thought of one of them complaining, and worse, asking me to carry him! Que horror!

The "Dambana ng Kagitingan" consists of the Memorial Cross, and a marble building, with an altar and a museum.

After our Mt. Samat trek, we also saw the Philippine-Japanese Friendship Tower. Said tower was built as a symbol of a post-WW II period of reconciliation, peace, and friendship between the once warring nations.

We had a hearty dinner at one of the local Korean restaurants, run by a Korean and his Filipina wife. The name of the resto escapes me at the moment, but let it be known that I fell in love with their yummy kimchi! Yum yum. Next stop was coffee at the local coffeeshop (Beanery). It became a quick favorite of the kids, mainly because part of the coffeeshop was an internet shop. So while the adults were having coffee (and cake!), the kids were enjoying playing video games, and checking out facebook. What can i say, they take after their mom. hehe... ;->

The next day (November 2), we went to Montemar, the premier beach club in Bataan. The beach was clean, the water cool and pristine, and even in chest-deep water, there were already lots of fish. Since Montemar is also a pawikan (turtle) sanctuary, we got a chance to see newly hatched turtles! We touched them, and their shell was still soft. We spent the whole day in Montemar swimming, eating, then lounging on the beach, with book in hand. well, that was me. The kids were content swimming the whole day. :)

Another highlight of our day was getting hooked on Michelle’s Roti. It's delicious coffee bun, much like the coffee buns we love at Delifrance, and the kids kept asking for more!

November 3 (Saturday) was the end of our Bataan trip and we were just so happy that we have one extra day (Sunday) to just lounge around, and "recover" from our vacation. A vacation well-deserved and celebrated.

Wanders show

2007-10-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

My kids and I consider ourselves very lucky to have watched the Wanders show last night at Casino Filipino Pagcor Grand Theater in Parañaque. Special thanks to my dear friend (from way back in high school, mind you) Wilza who gave us tickets to the show. Love you, Isa! :)

The Wanders show was billed (quite aptly, I must add) as "Ang Pinakamagandang show sa Pilipinas" (The Greatest Show in the Philippines)! The show featured Russian dancers and Chinese acrobats, aerial dancers, contortionists, plus a lot of home grown Filipino talents as well, like local stage and singing stars Nonie Buencamino, Calvin Millado and Frenchie Dy, and top Pinoy dance groups Whiplash, Hotleggs and the Manoeuvres. The live band was all-Filipino and the musical director and arranger was Egay Gonzales.

All throughout the show, we were clapping our hands and were in awe! It elicited a lot of "oohs", "aahs", and "wows" from everyone in the audience. Really, our hands hurt from all the clapping we did! Highly recommended, great entertainment for the whole family. Go and watch it!

To see a preview of the show, go to youtube.com and search "Wanders at Pagcor Grand Theater" or to Casino Filipino's website,
http://www.casinofilipino-online.com/wanders-2.php

Building Unshakable Self-Confidence by Brian Tracy

2007-10-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

I just want to share this great article. After reading this article, I hope you'll say to yourself, "I'm going for my dream!"

GO for it!

=============================================
Building Unshakable Self-Confidence
Article by: Brian Tracy

Identify Your Biggest Dream
A young woman wrote to me recently, telling me that her whole life had taken a different turn since she heard me ask the question, “What one great thing would you dare to dream if you knew you could not fail?”

She wrote that, up to that time, this was a question she had never even dared to consider, but now, she thought of nothing else. She had realized, in a great, blinding flash of clarity, that the main thing separating her from her hopes and dreams was the belief in her ability to achieve them.

Most of us are like this for most of our lives. There are many things that we want to be, and have and do, but we hold back. We are unsure because we lack the confidence necessary to step out in faith in the direction of our dreams.

Determine What You Really Want
Just think: What difference would it make in your life if you had an absolutely unshakable confidence in your ability to achieve anything you really put your mind to? What would you want and wish and hope for? What would you dare to dream if you believed in yourself with such deep conviction that you had no fears of failure whatsoever?

Be True to Yourself
The key is to be true to yourself, to be true to the very best that is in you, and to live your life consistent with your highest values and aspirations.

Take some time to think about who you are and what you believe in and what is important to you. Decide that you will never compromise your integrity by trying to be or say or feel something that is not true for you.

Have the courage to accept yourself as you really are-not as you might be, or as someone else thinks you should be-and know that, taking everything into consideration, you are a pretty good person.

Make A Plan to Achieve It
Being true to yourself means knowing exactly what you want and having a plan to achieve it. Lasting self-confidence comes when you absolutely know that you have the capacity to get from where you are to wherever you want to go. You are behind the wheel of your life. You are the architect of your destiny and the master of your fate.

Use the "Act As If" Principle
Act as though it were impossible to fail. Act as though you already had a high level of self-confidence. And continually ask yourself, “What one great thing would I dare to dream if I knew I could not fail?” Whatever your answer, you can have it if you can dream it, and if you have the self-confidence to go out and get it.

Action Exercises
Here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, resolve to step out in faith in the direction of your dreams; just do it!

Second, ask yourself, “What one great thing would I dare to dream if I knew I could not fail?”

Third, be true to yourself, to the very best that is in you. Never compromise!

My weekend in bullet points ;->

2007-10-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

Saturday AM:
- We purposely stayed away from the malls this weekend. Still thinking of the Glorietta blast.
- Paolo still had classes this weekend because of all the holidays the past month.
- Went to the gym with Neil after our mini-tour of Valenzuela. Felt my arms ache. Not surprising since I haven't been able to go to the gym since late August.

Saturday PM:
- Chores! which included having shoes repaired, going to the grocery, then the highlight of the afternoon, drive-thru order for Krispy Kreme! reward for going to the gym. hehehe... ;->
- Church with the kids
- Dinner with family and friends

The dinner with friends was not planned at all. Dan just sent text that afternoon that he was bored, and would drop by the house that night. The one (Dan), became three (add Thad and Ben). Dinner was beef kaldereta, roast chicken, and kalderetang kambing. Dessert was Ben's gift of Go Nuts donuts (yum!) and our supply of krispy kreme (double yum!). Then after dinner, hot choco and coffee. And I wonder why I gained weight! aargh!

Just realized that my house is so often my friends' favorite hangout. Not that i'm complaining! I always enjoy the company, the good conversation, and of course, the food tastes better when shared with friends.

Sunday AM:
- It was our turn to be the guests. Brought the kids to San Mateo to visit friends for some fresh air, and good food! Each time we go there, it's just like a fiesta what with all the food prepared for us. Laswa (vegetable dish ala pinakbet), grilled fish (bangus), grilled pork, dried fish with ensalada, and pandan-infused rice! We went home in the afternoon, refreshed from the activity, the fresh, clean air, and the hearty lunch and merienda.

It was another weekend packed full of activities.

October 19 - Glorietta blast

2007-10-20T18:29:00.000-07:00

I'm still reeling from the news on the Glorietta blast. I still can't believe it happened. A friend emailed to me pictures of Glorietta II after the blast, and I was shocked at the devastation. Even cars parked outside Glorietta II were not spared. I recalled that hours earlier, I had driven by Glorietta on my way to Pasay Road. I was there for just a few minutes, but what if? Gives me goosebumps.

I was originally planning on posting the pictures here, but decided against it. I think it would be better to share what we learned from this incident. I got another email, from the hubby of one of the victims of the blast. What struck me most was what he said, "All I want now is that for each of us here to cherish each moment that we spend with our loved ones. Pretty simple to say, very easy to take for granted."

I have nothing to add to that. Let's just pray for all the victims of the blast.

Morbid?

2007-10-19T06:08:00.000-07:00

Attended the wake of a TM mentor, Mr. Jimmy Pamintuan, at National Shrine of the Sacred Heart. After hearing the eulogies, our group kidded around about our own wishes for the funeral arrangements. A morbid topic, yes. But with our crazy group of friends we came up with some pretty outrageous, and funny ideas for our respective wakes. In fact, we’re planning a eulogy party now. As the name implies, it’s a party when we all deliver eulogies for each other (maybe a toast, or better yet, a roast) while we’re still alive. No use delivering all those sweet, poignant, touching, and funny stories about each other when we won’t be able to hear it! So the eulogy party is coming.

It may be a long time coming, but IT is coming. By “it” I mean death, of course. I hope in my case as well as that of my family and close friends, it's going to be later (much, much, much later!), rather than sooner. But still, it does pay to prepare. In fact, I already have one of those Loyola plans for the burial plot. Plus, of course, the almost million peso insurance benefit my loved ones will get upon my demise.

I’m reminded of the circumstances when I wrote my will summer of last year. I specifically remember that I wrote it before a planned trip to Cebu. It would be my first trip outside of Luzon with my high school friends. In the will, I specifically stated that the kids would go to my parents, or my brother. When I told my best friend about it, she reminded me of past conversations wherein we told each other that we’d get each others’ kids should something happen to us. She questioned why in my will, I wouldn’t leave the kids to her. To which I replied, “Eh if I die while on our trip, I’m pretty sure it will be in an accident of some kind, and you’d be with me! So we’ll both die!” Hahahaha!!! That elicited a lot of laughter among us friends.

Another friend of mine, a big hulk of a guy (but who happens to be gay) becomes sentimental each time his birthday rolls around. He reminds me EVERY YEAR at the time of his birthday, of his wishes for his wake and funeral arrangements. The major requirement is that all visitors during the wake should wear bright colors, no black! And no crying! And the music playing in the background? All of Madonna’s songs! He even specified the song titles. Material Girl. La Isla Bonita. And what-have-yous. Sheesh.

I guess this goes to show that even a sad and morbid topic like death can be talked about, and laughed at. You just need the right set of friends to talk to about it. And it doesn’t hurt if they’re a little crazy. :)

MySpaceBookShelfSter

2007-10-19T01:39:00.000-07:00

MySpaceBookShelfSter! What is it?

It's something my TM friends and I came up with last night during another one of our "coffee-after-dinner" chats. In case you don't know, it's a play of words on those social networking sites that have come up, and which are getting us all addicted! MySpace, FaceBook, Shelfari and Friendster can now be called simply (not!) "MySpaceBookShelfster". Kinda has a nice ring to it. And since I wrote it on my blog first, I've got first dibs on that name! ;->

Puerto Galera -- nearly spoilt

2007-10-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

It was my first time to visit Puerto Galera. Contrary to what I've heard, it's still a beautiful place. But it's become so commercialized. Reminds me a lot of Boracay. Along the beach front are numerous houses turned into resorts, restaurants, and bars, all beside one another. You walk on the beach and just a few steps away are the resorts/bars/restaurants, and they add to the cramped feeling. There are very narrow alleys, presumably because home owners have maximized their owned lands and "developed" (the term developed is used loosely here) these into mini-resorts or rooms for rent. Along White Beach, I think all the houses offer rooms for rent, to fit any budget. What struck me was that there were also a number of new "hotels", two (2) or three (3) floors high, and one begins to wonder, how is this "development" affecting the environment? I wonder how Puerto Galera will look like months, or even years from now? I shudder at the thought.

More than the tourists to Puerto Galera, there are also hundreds of locals there. They are the ones who earn a living off the tourists. Vendors (hawking trinkets, bangles and jewelry) and masseuses offering their services, abound! It seemed as every few steps we took, someone was in front of us offering various items for sale. Masseuses charge 200 pesos an hour, ladies offer to braid your hair, there are henna tattoo shops, etc.

Considering it was off-peak season, there were still a lot of people. But not as many as I expected. It wasn't as if there were crowds every where you went, but it was still pretty crowed. And that is when our knack of discovering perfect, out of the way places, kicked in. Peace, quiet, solitude. Sitting on the beach early in the morning. Way before sunrise. No vendors, just plain fisherfolk out at sea..ahhh, finally some solitude. That's just the way I like it.

Long weekend at Puerto Galera

2007-10-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

The kids and I spent the long weekend at Puerto Galera. It was all our first time to go there so from the very beginning, it was really an adventure! Last October 12, Friday (a holiday because of the end of Ramadan) we woke up and got the kids ready, and left the house at 4AM! Then just took a cab up to the bus station, to take us to Batangas Port. The bus left the station 4:40AM, and we arrived at Batangas Port at 7:05 AM, then we took a ferry ride. Fare was Php 340.00 (round trip), no special fare for the kids. The ferry left batangas port 830AM, and we were in White Beach at Puerto Galera a little after 10AM. We found our resort, left our bags, then headed to the beach for brunch. It's off-peak at Galera so there were not a lot of people when we arrived. Off-peak season is from June to November. By December to May, the place is packed! We were also lucky that we weren't there the weekend before, as we were told that the storm Ineng hit them hard! We actually saw a lot of the restos by the beach, with their floorings ruined since the water went up so high. Lucky for us, it didn't rain a single drop the whole time we were there. Summer weather! :)

Anyway, we so enjoyed the beach. The water was a very nice blue hue, and surprisingly, clean! Even when we were at waist-high deep water, the water was so clear we could see our feet and the stones and sand. The first day we just walked the beach while the kids played in the water. It was so hot but ayaw paawat ng kids. I just did some shopping for pasalubong, and sandos for the kids, then around 1pm, went back to the resort to nap and enjoy the aircon! When we woke up from our nap, we went outside to the beach again, and found this out of the way place/resto run by a Brit and his Filipina wife. West Havana. The wife is kapampangan and the food was delish! If you go, I hope you don't mind the wait, since the wife who runs the resto does all the cooking. Her Brit hubby runs a dive shop. Theirs was a nice resto which was high up and we had to go up some steep concrete stairs just to get to their resto. But the climb is well worth it, if you enjoy quiet. Not too many people go there, which is a surprise, considering the great food, AND the great view of the beach. There we had our first dinner and planned out the rest of our vacation. We went back to the resort after dinner then enjoyed the quiet in our room. Believe it or not, we were asleep by 830 pm! Mainly because we were all so tired from the trip. The resorts and restos by the beach were kinda noisy, with music blaring, and most of the patrons were college-age kids, groups of friends, and lots of hetero couples as well.

The next day, we all woke up before 6, then went to one end of the beach near West Havana, where the kids swam, while I just sat on the beach watching them. It was very early so the sun wasn't that hot and the breeze was nice and cool. I was just sitting by the beach enjoying the solitude, and fish vendors came by. I bought 2 large parrot fish for just 100 pesos, and 1/2 kilo of squid for 50 pesos. Then we had breakfast at West Havana again, where we all had a hearty breakfast of tocino and tapa, fried rice, then pancakes! We asked them to cook the fish and squid for us, for lunch. We knew it was going to be a lot cheaper that way since we only had to pay for the cooking charge, then whatever food orders we had. Gosh, I'm pretty sure we all gained weight from all the food we ate during our vacation! I know i did! :(

Anyway, after breakfast, we walked almost 20 minutes to get to the other end of White Beach, where there was less people! After swimming for almost 2 hours, we decided to try out a different beach and went to Tamaraw Beach, which was on the other side of the island. Instead of walking along the beach, where it was rocky and slippery, we walked up this very steep concrete stairs to the road. The road was virtually deserted, so we were "feeling" adventurers. hahaha. :D

Tamaraw beach had even less people, and we took a dip in the cold water. By the beach was a rustic place named Pizza Margarita. It was a place referred to us by David (the Brit) who said they served the best pizza in Galera. But since we reserved lunch at West Havana, we just promised them we'd be back for dinner. So off we walked back again up the road, and went to have lunch at West Havana. After that long walk, we had an even heartier lunch, what with our 2 large fish, our calamares, and side orders of fries, and what have yous! After lunch, we then walked back to our resort (which was located right smack in the middle of White Beach), then what else, but napped! hahahah! :D it was a well-deserved nap considering all the walking we had to do!

After waking up from that well-deserved nap, for dinner on that 2nd night, we decided to take a tricycle up to Pizza Margarita. A 5-minute ride, and that cost us 100 pesos! Sheesh. People really take advantage of tourists here. Trying to get off the negative feeling of being hoodwinked, we instead focused on the fact that it was a dark road anyway, and tried to convince ourselves that the money was worth it. On to dinner!

There was only another family and 1 couple with us at the resto. It was dark on the beach, and we enjoyed a lightning show. It was raining hard somewhere in Batangas and we watched the lightning. It was a dark but starry night, and there we were on the beach, not a single raindrop ruining our nice dinner of pizza and pasta. We were able to get back to our room a little after 9pm, and enjoyed just watching "the Mummy" on HBO. Simple pleasures. heheheh... We didn't bother to leave the resort anymore 'coz outside it was noisy with all the young people enjoying their "night out". As for us, we were more into nature-tripping and the beach, really family-type and no night out for us since it was not 'wholesome' for the kids. ;-> Anyway, we watched TV until 11PM and got our well-deserved rest in our air conditioned, quiet room.

We were up the next day around 7AM. It was Sunday, and our last day at Puerto Galera. Our ferry back to batangas was scheduled at 11am. We had breakfast at West Havana (again!) and after breakfast, just walked along the beach and did some last- minute shopping while the kids stayed in the room to watch cartoons. They didn't want to go swimming anymore, since they were already sunburned by that time, and complaining of sore back and shoulders. I told them they had no right to complain since that was the consequence of their actions. They didn't want to leave the water even after my soooo many reminders. Oh well, i think they learned their lesson. :)

We were on the ferry before 11 am, and the ferry left 11:10 am. We arrived at Batangas port almost 1pm, so we decided to have lunch at one of the carinderias there. We circled the place before we decided on a clean-looking place run by a little old lady. We were being hounded by vendors all this time and I was irritated at how persistent and noisy the vendors were. But on hindsight, I felt sorry for them as well since they really had to compete to get customers.

So anyway, we had lunch at this little place (carinderia-turo-turo style), the Philippines' local version of fast food! And funny coz the little lady was talking to us and told me that the kids looked like foreigners. She heard them speaking in English earlier on so she really thought they weren't locals. hehehe...

We arrived home 4pm, and after arranging our things, I felt so tired. But not the kids! After resting a little and getting cleaned up and dressed, they still had the energy to play video games. I had to stop them from playing, and we went up to bed around 7pm. Imagine, by 8pm, we were all fast asleep! It was a tiring, but enjoyable weekend. Sunburn and all, but if you ask the kids, it was a very fun vacation. and that's all that matters.

Blog Action Day

2007-10-08T23:02:00.000-07:00

This post on blogger buzz caught my attention. And to think that I recently saw "An Inconvenient Truth" and my (few) past posts on my blog have been on the environment...

So what is Blog Action Day? Check it out!

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What would happen if every blog published posts discussing the same issue, on the same day?
One issue. One day. Thousands of voices.

Blogging for the Environment
October 8, 2007 — permalink
October 15, a week from today, is Blog Action Day, and the theme this year is the environment. If you have a blog and want to join in, all you have to do is use that day to post something related to the environment, in whatever way, shape, or form you prefer. You can pick an environmental issue that has meaning for you and let us know why it's important. Organize a beach or neighborhood cleanup and tell us about it. If you're into fiction writing, give us a story with an environmental theme. Have a podcast, videoblog, or photoblog? Join the fun! The idea here is to have a mass effect on public awareness by sharing as many ideas in as many ways as possible.

If you're game for participating, go register your blog with the 7,000+ other blogs (with 5 million readers!) that are already signed up. Also, see the Blog Action Day blog for more on how bloggers can change the world.
— Graham

Enchanted Kingdom (October 7, 2007)

2007-10-08T00:31:00.000-07:00

The kids and I were at Enchanted Kingdom yesterday. Yup, again! It seems that we're there at least once a year. This time, it was just the three of us... oh, and our whole company pala! It was our company's 1st ever Family Day, so all expenses were paid for by the company.

As usual, the kids thoroughly enjoyed being at EK. We had the whole park almost to ourselves as there were not that many walk-in guests. Probably because the past days, it was really rainy because of Typhoon Ineng (which thankfully, left the country and headed to Taiwan). So it was sunny the whole day! Alleluia! It rained only when we were on our way back home.

The kids and I enjoyed the rides at Rialto, 4-D Theatre, Dodge 'Em (bump cars), Roller Skater (kiddie roller coaster), and Flying Fiesta (swing-type seats that are suspended in air ala-carousel). At the Flying Fiesta, I was only able to ride it once. I had to beg off since I was feeling queasy already after the ride. But not the kids! Since there were no lines, they were able to ride it 4 consecutive times! They so enjoyed that ride! Patrick would even shout, "This is sooo awesome!". :D Patrick is funny like that, always with his comments and antics. In Filipino, he's "bibo" which is another way of saying he's active and a smart aleck. :)

The kids also wanted to ride Anchors Away (big ship that just rocks forward and back) and Jungle Log Jam (water ride ala roller coaster), but I refused. I was looking for someone to ride it with them, but everyone else was either busy, or a scaredy cat just like me. ;-> Oh well. At least, they enjoyed the rides that they did get to go on. :) It was a fun and busy day and we left for home at 6pm.

When we got home, we just had Mcdonald's delivered as I was too tired to cook. Proof? We were all asleep by 830pm. :) It was really a fun day out with the kids. :)

An Inconvenient Truth

2007-10-01T17:58:00.000-07:00

The kids and I saw "An Inconvenient Truth" yesterday. Scary! After watching, even the kids started asking what they could do to help. They've seen that we already segregate our garbage, and throw kitchen waste (such as veggie and fruit peels, and the like) into our plant pots in the garden. Cuts down on garbage plus acts as fertilizer for the plants as well. We also reuse plastic bags, turn off electrical appliances not in use, recycle cans/bottles and newspapers/magazines.

Seeing that documentary made me realize that still, we do so little to save the earth. We can ALL do MORE. So I'm reposting here research I did a few months ago, and compiled into a list, "100 Things You Can Do To Save the Environment".

===================================
Repeat posting from May 4, 2007...

As part of our department's project for the Company, I decided to come up with a list of things we can do to save the environment (and save the Company on costs as well!). So with a little research and help from the internet (and Google), I was able to compile this list of "100 things you can do to save the environment". And I decided to post this on my blog as well. The more people this reaches, the better! :)

Special mention goes to "Justgive.org", “everyday activist”, "earthshare.org",
"HK's environmental protection department (epd.gov.hk) which offered these valuable tips. Read on, and let's do share in saving the environment.

100 Things You Can Do To Save the Environment

By making simple changes in our everyday lives, we can make significant strides to improve the planet we all share. So here are 100 tips we’ve collected from various sites. Whatever little thing we can do to help save the environment will make a big impact in the long run. So let’s all do our share! :)

IN YOUR HOME

1. Recycle everything you can: newspapers, cans, glass bottles and jars, aluminum foil, motor oil, scrap metal, etc.
2. Don't use electrical appliances for things you can easily do by hand, such as opening cans.
3. Use cold water in the washer whenever possible.
4. Save gas by using microwave ovens and slow cookers. Using these can cut your fuel costs by up to 70%. A pressure cooker saves up to 2/3 cooking time, saves energy, and preserves the goodness in your food.
5. Re-use brown paper bags to line your trash can instead of plastic bags. Re-use bread bags and the bags you bring your produce home in.
6. Store food in re-usable containers, instead of plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
7. Save wire coat hangers and return them to the dry cleaners.
8. Take unwanted, re-usable items to a charitable organization or thrift shop. Donate un/used clothing and other items. Rather than throwing away un/used clothing and items that are in good shape, consider donating them to your local church, Goodwill, or other charity. Many charities will even work with you to schedule a pick-up time.
9. Reduce water waste. Turn off the water when brushing your teeth and save 4 gallons a minute - that's 10,000 gallons a year for a family of four.
10. Install low-flow aerators to your faucets and shower heads Aerators are inexpensive, easy to install and reduce the amount of water wasted.
11. Soak pots and pans rather than let them sit under running water while you scrape them clean.
12. Install low-flow toilets. You'll use 1.6 gallons per flush compared to a standard toilet which used 3.5 gallons. You'll see big long-term savings on your water bill.
13. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway and sidewalk. You could save up to 80 gallons of water every time.
14. Turn off the lights, TV, or other electrical appliances when you are out of a room. Cut your vampire power! Vampire Power: Not Dracula, but the home electronics we leave on standby: TV, printer, DC re-chargers and converters… they add up to WASTED electricity.
15. Use sunlight as far as possible.
16. Use energy-saving bulbs which are cooler, like halogen bulbs, fluorescent tubes and energy efficient compact fluorescent (CF) bulbs rather than the conventional incandescent bulbs. The CF bulbs give off a warm, bright light but use 75% less energy and last up to ten times longer than the conventional incandescent bulbs.
17. Smarter air-conditioning. Use fans instead of air-conditioners if possible. (Fans with intake and exhaust fans work best, pulling cool air in and blowing hot air out.) If you must use an air conditioner, be sure to buy an Energy Star rated model, and select the correct size.
18. Install energy efficient A/C. Look for cooling units and systems with a high Energy Star rating. You'll prevent wasted electricity and benefit from big decreases in your monthly energy bills.
19. Clean/replace your air filters. Check your air filters on your ventilation system every month. If you clean them regularly, you won't have to replace them often.
20. Be pro-active in hunting down energy problems. Perform an “energy inventory” on the house. Identify areas where energy is being wasted and work on correcting them. The energy savings will pay off in your monthly bills!
21. Use automatic timers to control appliances to avoid wasting energy.
22. Dry your clothes in the sunshine and fresh air whenever possible. Reduce dry-cleaning.
23. Close drapes or blinds in warmer months. This will keep the sunshine from overheating your house.
24. Add air-cleaning plants in your home to help keep the air clean!
25. Turn your trash into crafts! Use popsicle sticks, newspapers, used office paper, etc. for craft projects.
26. Never litter, even when peers do it. Teach your children never to litter, even if they see their friends littering. Encourage them to be proud of keeping the environment clean!
27. Pick up trash. If you see trash on the street or neighborhood, pick it up! Even if it's not your garbage, its still your planet!
28. Consider cloth diapers over disposable. 18 billion disposable diapers are thrown in landfills each year, taking as many as 500 years to decompose. Disposable diapers make up the third largest source of solid waste in landfills, after newspapers and food and beverage containers.
29. Use eco-friendly laundry detergents. Look for phosphate-, petroleum-, and chlorine-free products, and use only as much as needed for a given load. If you have hard water, you may need to use more detergent than the packaging suggests.
30. Shop green! Buy shade-grown, organic coffee. Shade coffee provides habitat for birds, bats, butterflies and other wildlife in tropical countries.
31. Volunteer instead of watching TV. Instead of watching TV, spend an hour or two a week volunteering for your favorite cause.
32. Ride your bike or walk. When you don't have far to go, try riding your bike or walking instead of getting a ride in a car. You'll help save energy, lessen the amount of air pollution, and you'll keep healthy and fit, too!
33. Plan a community event. Coordinate an event at work, at your school or within your community that helps raise awareness about environmental issues such as recycling, waste reduction and conservation.
34. Use rechargeable batteries. Disposable batteries are expensive and wasteful. Although rechargable battery sets can be slightly more expensive up-front, you'll save a lot of money in the long-term.

IN YOUR YARD

35. Start a compost pile.
36. Put up birdfeeders, birdhouses, and birdbaths.
37. Pull weeds instead of using herbicides.
38. Use only organic fertilizers. (They are still the best.)
39. Compost your leaves and yard debris. (Burning them creates air pollution, and putting them out with the trash wastes landfill space.)
40. Take extra plastic and rubber pots back to the nursery.
41. Instead of a garden hose, use pail and dipper to water your plants.

IN YOUR CAR

42. Keep your car tuned up. When your car is running more efficiently, it will produce less exhaust. It's also better for your car, which can save you money in the long run!
43. Turn your car off. Idling can use a lot of gas. Generally, it’s more efficient to turn the car off and restart when you are ready to go. If you are thinking of hitting the drive-through, consider parking and picking up food inside. For short waits, put your car in neutral to avoid burning gas.
44. Carpool! When heading to work or school, share a car with a friend! You'll both save money on gas, you'll reduce the amount of pollutants you're producing - and maybe even squeeze in a quick nap on days you're not driving!
45. Use public transit whenever possible.
46. On weekends, ride your bike or walk instead.
47. Recycle your engine oil.
48. Keep your tires properly inflated to save gas.
49. Wheel-alignment. Keep your wheels properly aligned to save your tires. (It's safer too.) Tires that wear unevenly don't last as long.
50. Travel light! Don't keep your car weighed down with lots of stuff you don't need. Bring heavy items into the house when you don't need to travel with then. A lighter vehicle means better fuel efficiency!
51. Drive calmly. Speeding and slamming on the brakes wastes fuel and increases pollution - not to mention your blood pressure!
52. Don't litter our roads and highways. Save trash and dispose of it at a rest stop.
53. Buy a more fuel-efficient model (such as a hybrid or electric) when you're ready for a new car.
54. OR if purchasing a vehicle with a gas engine... A smaller engine will result in greater fuel efficiency and less air pollution. Try to avoid add-ons that add weight and/or drag, and avoid using 4-wheel drive unless absolutely necessary. 4-wheel drive reduces fuel efficiency.

AT YOUR BUSINESS

55. Recycle office and computer paper, cardboard, etc. whenever possible.
56. Use scrap paper for informal notes to yourself and others.
57. Print or copy on both sides of the paper.
58. Reduce documents to fit two pages onto one. Use for circulating rough drafts or file copies of documents.
59. Find alternatives to mail. Use email, voice mail and fax modem transmissions whenever possible.
60. Eliminate unnecessary subscriptions. Cancel newspapers, newsletters, and magazines you don't read or can access online. Take your name off mailing lists to reduce junk mail.
61. Make recycling easy. Place recycling bins in high-traffic areas, including the conference room and kitchen as well as by the copier and fax machines.
62. Use a routing slip to circulate copies throughout the office.
63. Use smaller paper for smaller memos.
64. Re-use manila envelopes and file folders.
65. Steer away from disposable cups - and B.Y.O.C./M. Hide the throw-away cups, and train people to use their washable coffee mugs. Use washable mugs for meetings too. Be sure to Bring Your Own Cup/Mug and set a good example!
66. Turn off your monitors. If your computers are on a network or need to be left on for remote access and can't be shut down at night, turn off the monitors.
67. Choose a computer manufacturer with a recycling policy. According to a recent study by the National Safety Council's Environmental Health Center, approximately 20.6 million personal computers became obsolete in the U.S. in 1998. Of that number, only 11 percent, or about 2.3 million units, were recycled.
68. Add air-cleaning plants. Plants not only brighten up a room, they help keep the air clean! Shoot for at least one 4-5 ft plant per 100 square feet.
69. Recycle/refill printer cartridges. If you use inkjet printers, buy replacement ink and refill them when they are empty. There are also several programs that will allow you to send in your empty ink and laserjet printer cartrdiges for recycling.
70. Use a water filter and refillable water bottle. Millions of plastic containers are thrown away every day, which adds to the amount of trash. By purchasing a refillable water bottle and using filtered water (instead of buying bottled water), you can greatly reduce waste and save yourself a bundle!
71. Choose re-usable containers for lunch. Use a lunch box or insulated cooler for lunch in lieu of a paper or plastic sack.
72. Reduce lunchroom waste. Bring home sandwich baggies and other plastic bags to be washed out and re-used
73. Recycle at the office. Recycle office and computer paper, cardboard, etc. whenever possible. Use scrap paper for informal notes to yourself and others.

WHEN YOU'RE SHOPPING

74. Avoid buying food or household products in plastic or styrofoam containers whenever possible. (They cannot be recycled and do not break down in the environment.)
75. Think twice about buying "disposable" products. (They really aren't disposable and are extravagant wastes of the world's resources.) This includes disposable dust cloths, diapers, etc.
76. Buy paper products instead of plastic if you must buy "disposables." They break down better in the environment and don't deplete the ozone layer as much.
77. Check the energy rating of major appliances you purchase. Buy only the most-energy-efficient models.
78. Ask questions. Don't buy products, such as styrofoam, that are hazardous to the environment or manufactured at the expense of important habitats such as rain forests.
79. Buy locally grown food and locally made products when possible.
80. Don't buy products made from endangered animals.
81. Buy refillables. When shopping for cleaning products, etc., always buy refills when available to reduce the amount of packaging. (Refills are usually cheaper, too!)
82. Buy eco-friendly gifts. When it comes time to buy birthday or holiday gifts for others, choose environmentally friendly gifts, shop from companies that make environmental protection a part of their mission, or buy from companies that give a portion of the proceeds to charities.
83. Buy efficient fluorescent light bulbs. New compact fluorescent bulbs use 75% less energy than a standard incandescent - and last about 10 times as long!
84. Buy food in bulk & repack in reusable containers. Less packaging is used when you buy in bulk - and it's usually a lot cheaper too! Once you get the food home, you can repack it in individual, reusable containers, like Tupperware.
85. Buy pump instead of aerosol sprays. Chlorofluorocarbons used in aerosol sprays contribute to ozone depletion. When there is a pump spray available, buy that one. If there isn't a pump spray available, write to the manufacturer and ask them to make one.
86. Shop with re-usable shopping bags. Bring canvas or net bags with you to the store.
87. Buy products made from post-consumer recycled content. When purchasing paper products, choose products with the highest percentage of recycled content —post-consumer recycled content is the best. Choose tree-free paper alternatives if possible.
88. Smarter air-conditioning. Use fans instead of air-conditioners if possible. (Fans with intake and exhaust fans work best, pulling cool air in and blowing hot air out.) If you must use an air conditioner, be sure to buy an Energy Star rated model, and select the correct size.
89. Be green when you clean. Purchase only eco-friendly cleaning supplies, and avoid/limit disposable cleaning products.
90. Purchase eco-friendly (and animal safe) personal hygiene products. Look for products that do not use animal products and are not tested on animals.
91. Get trendy with home décor. Natural fibers and flooring are in fashion! Look for interior design items made from recycled and natural materials.

PERSONAL EFFORTS

92. Plant a tree! Protecting and planting trees will help create natural air filters in our cities and neighborhoods.
93. Join a conservation organization. Find an environmental organization you would like to support.
94. Volunteer your time to conservation projects.
95. Give money to conservation projects.
96. Switch to a vegetarian diet. (Raising animals for food consumes vast quantities of natural resources, including water, land, and oil; destroys habitats; and generates a tremendous amount of water and air pollution.)
97. Convert by example. Encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to save resources too.
98. Learn about conservation issues in your community or state. Write to your legislators about issues that affect the environment and our health, and let them know where you stand on the issues.
99. Teach children to respect nature and the environment. Take them on hikes or camping. Help them plant a tree or build a birdhouse. Teach them by example. Never litter, even when peers do it. Teach your children never to litter, even if they see their friends littering. Encourage them to be proud of keeping the environment clean!
100. Donate to charities that have positive impacts on the environment.

"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." ~Aldo Leopold

Entrepreneur to be?

2007-09-25T12:21:00.000-07:00

For those with the entrepreneurial spirit (and who's not thinking of starting a new business nowadays?), thinking of the new "in" thing, is key. Aside from scrounging up the capital, I know a lot of people are racking their brains trying to decide what business to get into. Well, read on as this site may be the answer.

I found out about this from a friend of mine, and for entrepreneurs-to-be, this may be the answer.

What is it? It's SPRINGWISE! To quote, "Springwise and its global network of 8,000 spotters scan the globe for smart new business ideas, delivering instant inspiration to entrepreneurial minds from San Francisco to Singapore. Time to start the Next Big Thing!"

"Feel free to publish part or all of these trends at your convenience. As long as you properly name, credit and link the source, www.springwise.com, we're happy. If you're a journalist working on a new business idea-related article, check out our extensive Press page or request a quote: we'll do our best to make your deadline-dominated life easier."

So, check it out. Here's the link: http://www.springwise.com

You can even subscribe to their weekly newsletter. :)

How to make laundry soap

2007-09-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

As a mom, I'm always trying to find ways to save on money. Times are hard, or haven't you noticed? So when my brother sent me this link, I was taking down notes of the ingredients.

Aside from the Arm & Hammer Super Washing soda and borax, which I don't think are readily available, the rest of the ingredients are pretty easy to find. Just a bar of soap, and lots of water. According to the lady in the video, it costs less than a dollar to make, takes less than an hour to make, and lasts her and her family (composed of 2 adults and 1 baby)3 months. I'm definitely trying this out when I get the ingredients.

Here's the link: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/821928/video/R/CFD_1002/

Shelfari rocks!

2007-09-14T17:37:00.000-07:00

There's a new networking/"let's see how many friends you have" site. As if Multiply, hi5, Friendster, MySpace, Facebook, Ringo, Tagged, Twitter, and all the other sites weren't enough. But this is different. It's sort of like a Friendster site for bookworms, and i love it! It's called Shelfari. I've only been a member for the past week, but boy, am I hooked! Hooked, hooked, hooked! Can you say hooked? :-> I find myself racking my brains to try to recall my "favorite-st" books, the books i've read since I was a kid (Judy blume! i have got to search that later. my shelfari account is open in the other tab, i've got to remember to find judy blume... uh-oh! see what i mean? I'm babbling already...), basically books that have left an impression and which have in a small (or a BIG) way, changed my outlook in life, or maybe, even changed my LIFE!

Looking through my shelf, I realize that I've had phases in my book-reading as well...
I remember being a high school student and spending my time in National Bookstore or Book Sale, scouring the shelves for books I wanted to buy, keeping my fingers crossed that I could get a discount.
I remember saving up money and once I had enough, almost skipping to the nearest National Bookstore branch to get that book I've been itching to read.
I remember a time in my life when I read all the John Grisham books I could lay my hands on! Looking through Shelfari's list now, I realize there are still LOADS of John Grisham books I haven't read! Horrors!
I remember in high school, when some friends were already into Mills and Boon (which i abhor!), I was reading Sidney Sheldon and Sweet Valley High! :) And when classmates found out I liked hanging out at National Bookstore, they thought it was geeky! Such a nerdy thing to do. DUH. Whatever.
I remember swapping books with friends whenever we finished reading a particularly good book. Our very own Oprah book club.
I remember graduating from grade school, and when my parents asked me what I wanted as a graduation gift, I said "Superbook". It was a book distributed by Readers' Digest, and even then, cost more than one thousand pesos, if i'm not mistaken. Not cheap at all if you think what one thousand could buy those days. But i'm digressing, and pointing out how OLD i really am... so 'nuff said! Suffice to say that the book is still "alive" and now the puzzles and stories there are being enjoyed by my kids. :)
I remember reading Anne Rice's "Interview with a Vampire" (and thinking now what a stupid thing to do, considering I'm horrified of vampires), finishing the book, having nightmares for a month, and vowing to NEVER again read anything even "slightly" leaning towards the horror genre.
I remember starting reading Dan Brown's "Deception Point". (I got hooked once again, after finishing "Angels and Demons" which I think is waaaay better than "Da Vinci Code" but I digress once again... ) I remembering starting reading "Deception Point" and how I couldn't get past the first chapter for reasons beyond me now. And I am reminded that I haven't seen that copy for a while. Hmmmm...
I remember being a new parent and getting all the parenting books I could get my grubby hands on. Baby wise, included. And now, while browsing for one book I finished reading ("Raising boys without men"), instead finding the title, "How to turn boys into Men without a man around the house: A Single Mother's Guide", and thinking that I need to go to National Bookstore to find that book! This is me hooked on books again!
I remember my ritual with the kids, before going to sleep at night. To share some "quiet time", which means all of us lying in bed, each of us with a book in hand, just being together, being quiet, and reading. A simple pleasure...]

And me, what am I doing now? While writing this post, I'm writing down in a sheet of paper all the books I've seen on shelfari while "building my shelf" and listing down my new "book wish list"! GOSH! It's been soooooo long since I last did this. I'm afraid I'll splurge my salary on books this payday!

I need help! I admit it. I'm a bibliophile. But I much prefer the word bookworm. :)

bib·li·o·phile (bĭb'lē-ə-fīl')
n.
A lover of books.
A collector of books.

bib'li·oph'i·lism n., bib'li·oph'i·lis'tic adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

The Breast Cancer site

2007-08-31T18:38:00.000-07:00

A favor to ask, it only takes a minute....

Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'donating a mammogram' for free (pink window in the middle).

This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate funding for a mammogram in exchange for advertising.

Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/

AGAIN, PLEASE TELL 10 FRIENDS TO TELL 10 TODAY

"Looking for your face"

2007-07-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share this beautiful poem "Looking for your face" by Rumi:

From the beginning of my life
I have been looking for your face
but today I have seen it.

Today I have seen
the charm, the beauty,
the unfathomable grace
of the face
that I was looking for.

Today I have found you
and those that laughed
and scorned me yesterday
are sorry that they were not looking
as I did.

I am bewildered by the magnificence
of your beauty
and wish to see you with a hundred eyes.

My heart has burned with passion
and has searched forever
for this wondrous beauty
that I now behold.

I am ashamed
to call this love human
and afraid of God
to call it divine.

Your fragrant breath
like the morning breeze
has come to the stillness of the garden
You have breathed new life into me
I have become your sunshine
and also your shadow.

My soul is screaming in ecstasy
Every fiber of my being
is in love with you

Your effulgence
has lit a fire in my heart
and you have made radiant
for me
the earth and sky.

My arrow of love
has arrived at the target
I am in the house of mercy
and my heart
is a place of prayer.

10 Commandments against Misery

2007-07-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

I was going through my old files and came upon this yellowed newspaper clipping. It’s from Fr. Joseph Galdon’s column, “Mustard Seed”, which was printed out in July 4, 1999. So now you know what kind of a pack rat I am! I decided to post it here, so I’ll have a virtual copy. Something I can refer to in the future, when I’m feeling down. Plus, the paper can be recycled! Hooray! ;->

10 Commandments against misery
Mustard Seed,
Joseph Galdon, S.J.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 4, 1999, p. D2

We life in a world where life is often very miserable. The misery in our human lives began in the Garden of Eden (the garden of peace and contentment and happiness and no misery!), when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s commandment and followed the devil’s advice. They had to go out of the Garden of Eden then, into the world of misery.

The dictionary says that “misery” in our life is a sad state of distress. We have lots of worries about grades in school, about getting a boyfriend or girlfriend, a good job, a new car or house, or a visa to the US.

Psychologists and psychiatrists say that misery in our life is a state of distress and wretchedness. Misery makes us deeply afflicted, very rejected and terribly distressed, woeful and grievous. Our misery and our wretchedness are also because of our evil things in life and our sins. When we sin we are miserable because we are wretches and bitches. Therefore, in misery we are discomforted and not at ease, and physically and mentally distressed.

Misery comes from our suffering in enduring and tolerating evil, injury and sin. Misery is pain of mind and body, and anguish and torture.

A spiritual poet says: “Lord, I don’t feel so good because of ills that fret my soul! These little quirks in misery that come my way obscure the path for me to reach my goal. Now, Lord, You know how weak and miserable I am, so lend me Your hand here and help me rise above these sores of mine in all good faith and cheer. When sorry, grief or irritants conspire to tear my mind, remind me, Lord my God, that You can make me whole and happy and holy. Your strength is all I really need to ease these misery problems. I look to You alone, my God, to tame this wild complexity and this misery of mine!”

10 Commandments against misery

A seminary professor taught us that there are 10 commandments to overcome misery in our lives. If we do not want to be miserable, we should not violate these commandments as Adam and Eve violated God’s commandment of obedience in the Garden of Eden.

The professor said that miserable people should first not feel sorry for themselves. Self-pity makes us miserable.

Don’t feel sorry for yourself. Nothing is more certain to make you miserable than self-pity. Therefore, don’t be sorry for yourself or have pity on yourself.

Use sorrow for others and have pity for them to overcome your own misery.

Second, don’t worry about things that might happen, but probably won’t. Foolish worry is just as miserable as self-pity.

Third, don’t complain or find fault in others and every other thing. Many people cultivate complaints, and that is what makes them miserable.

Fourth, don’t insist on having your own way, but seek God’s will in your life instead.

Fifth, don’t ridicule. What is life if you embarrass and hurt other people?

Sixth, don’t over-react. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. Don’t make things worse than they are.

Seventh, don’t be selfish and self-centered. Give your thoughts and life to God and others. Help the needy. Be sure to support the poor.

Eighth, don’t ignore the moral teachings of your religious tradition or the moral teachings of history and culture. Don’t disregard the ethical principles and the good things in life.

Ninth, be sure to improve your spirituality. In other words, convince yourself that you are trying to be a good person. We need prayer and we need God to help us overcome our misery.

The 10th commandment is “Don’t quit!” When things go wrong as they sometimes will, when the road you are trudging seems all uphill, and care is pressing you down a lot, you may rest a bit, but don’t quit. Keep on trying to be a better person. Keep on smiling, praying and trying to do better in life!

The seminary professor said that if you really don’t want to be miserable, it isn’t very difficult to overcome misery in life. These 10 commandments always work!

If you follow them you will overcome the misery in your life. Holiness will also help overcome our misery. Jesus says: I am the vine and you are the branches. He who lives in Me, and I in him, will not be miserable. Live in my love! You will live in my love if you keep my commandments (which are like all these commandments of the Professor!). I tell you this that my joy may be yours and you will not be miserable.”

We are often miserable, but we should not do all those things that cause the misery in our lives. We must follow the rules of the professor and the rules of Jesus that will help us overcome misery in our lives and make us happy.

The Sunshine Smile

In our misery, we need the sunshine smile of God! “Our day is not complete or happy when you are not around, Oh Lord! Your cheerful face shows how much You love and care for us, even if the dark clouds push away the sun. When we see You smile, Oh Lord, it brings back the sunshine in our lives and overcomes our misery.”

It is true that we must smile with God in our lives to overcome our misery. We must let a song of happiness be our smile when we hear God and the Holy Spirit, as well as the thoughts of the seminary professor, in our misery. Christ says: “Come to me all you who are in misery and I will give you comfort and healing. I will help you smile!”

The smile of God and holiness is really the best cure for the misery in our lives!

So let us pray to God and the Holy Spirit in our misery, and follow all these suggestions for the removal of our misery.

“Come, Holy Spirit, spirit of God and spirit of Christ!
Be with us today and always in our misery!
Be our light and our guide and our comforter, our strength,
Our courage, and our sacrifice.
May you be a deep spiritual growth for us in our misery.
May we welcome your graces and your gifts,
Instead of all our personal worries in our misery.
May we forgive freely and unconditionally every one else and
All our problems, and grow in virtue and goodness instead of misery.
Come Holy Spirit, and be with us today and every day in all our misery.”
We will not be miserable if we are holy. We will be happy if we are holy!

Cute overload

2007-07-22T19:48:00.000-07:00

I read about this blog site which features pictures of cute animals. Check it out, and i'm sure you'll find yourself "awww-ing" at the cute pics. :)
www.cuteoverload.com

Robbed

2007-07-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

We were robbed last June 17. Yup, Father's Day. Over a month ago. And just a few days after my birthday. :( We heard our dog Dustin barking angrily around 3:30 a.m. I didn't mind it and instead "shusshed" him. My brother didn't mind him either, until he realized that Dustin doesn't bark! No, not even when we have guests at home he doesn't know. So when my brother realized that something was terribly wrong, he got up and went downstairs. Too late! Cabinet drawers were open, and our back door was wide open.

I'd rather not list down what was lost. and yes, i purposely didn't blog about it that time as it wasn't something that i wanted to be reminded about. I was just thankful that the robber/s didn't get a chance to go upstairs to our room. For what would have happened then? I shudder at the thought...

Anyway, a friend recently sent me a text message which related to that incident. I resonated with the message and now, I'd like to share it here.

" A man experienced being robbed by thieves. In his diary, he wrote:
"Let me be thankful:
First, because they took my purse and not my life;
second, although they took my all, it was not much compared especially to my faith;
and third, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed." '

True love means...

2007-07-15T17:15:00.001-07:00

Something i just thought of reposting here. Ok ok, it's kinda corny. but you gotta admit, it's sweet as well... :)

=================================
True love means...

Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot...

.....who calls you back when you hang up on him...

.....who will stay awake just to watch you sleep...

.....wait for the guy who kisses your forehead...

.....who wants to show you off to the world when you are in your sweats...

.....who holds your hand in front of his friends...

.....wait for the one who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares
about you and how lucky he is to have you...

.....wait for the one who turns to his friends and says, "...that's her, or
that's him"...

Top 20 Principles of the Wealthy

2007-07-13T18:26:00.000-07:00

BEING BROKE MAKES NO $EN$E!

Why are you still tired, broke and enslaved?

Top 20 Principles of the Wealthy

1. The Broke think everything is too good to be true, while the Wealthy think that getting a job sounds too bad to be true.

2. Broke people give up when things don't go their way; a few disappointments and they are onto something else, saying things like "it wasn't for me." The Wealthy work harder and become more determined when things go bad, and understand that you have to take the bad with the good to make it.

3. Broke people always have an excuse. Wealthy people say "my fault" and refuse to make excuses.

4. Broke people think that not getting what they want is OK. Wealthy people are disgusted at the thought of not getting what they want and will do whatever it takes.

5. Broke people always have to talk it over with their broke friends to make sure no one will make fun of them if they make a decision. Wealthy people think for themselves and could care less what their broke friends think.

6. Broke people are never coachable and teachable. Wealthy people are alway learning, even when the money starts coming in, they never stop learning from those who were there first.

7. Broke people are scared of others. Wealthy people entrust in others and know that other people are crucial for their success.

8. Broke people are always procrastinating; they would rather talk about it, read about it, think about it, but never seem to do anything. Wealthy people hate doing anything but getting it done.

9. Broke people are glad when the day is over. Wealthy people love when the day begins.

10. Broke people think Wealthy people are lucky. Wealthy people put themselves into a position to be "lucky," and then work hard to make the "luck" show up.

11. Broke people work by the hour. Wealthy people work by the month.

12. Broke people want to know that after 1 hour of work they have something to show for it. Wealthy people find broke people who think like that and make them their employees.

13. Broke people get excited they just got hired. Wealthy people think it is funny that someone could be fooled that easily; they are just making the wealthy person wealthier.

14. Broke people complain a lot. Wealthy people are thankful that no one shot at them today, they didn't have to fight in a war, and that they don't have a job.

15. Broke people are too concerned about what other people are doing. Wealthy people are only concerned about what they can be doing to get more done.

16. Broke people think that if no one is doing something, it must suck. Wealthy people think that if no one is doing something, it means more money for them.

17. Broke people think that if everyone (all 200 people at the meeting in a city of 1 million) is doing something, it must be saturated. Wealthy people think that broke people aren't too bright.

18. Broke people think it is OK for other people to live where they want to live, drive what they want to drive, and do what they want to do.

19. Broke people are OK with the fact that they can't do these things. Wealthy people get sick just thinking about being average.

20. Broke people think that other people's opinions are worth more than their dreams. Wealthy people know that their dreams are worth more than other people's opinions.

You have to learn to be wealthy, you must learn from the broke and don't do what they do nor think how they think. The best thing you can do for a broke person ... is not be counted as one.

Contributed by Luther Thompson, Jr.
http://www.nbbta.org/broke1.htm

"Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe, and enthusiastically act upon will inevitably come to pass"

Play 20 Questions and Revitalize Your Love Life

2007-07-12T20:25:00.000-07:00

Play 20 Questions and Revitalize Your Love Life
By Ellyn Bader & Peter Pearson

Do you remember the game "20 Questions"? You could ask 20 questions to elicit and eliminate and finally discover what animal, vegetable, or mineral the other person was thinking about. You can use a variation of this game to enrich your love life and build a stronger bond in your most intimate relationship.

In our work with couples, we like to help them formulate a vision of the kind of life they would like to create together. A powerful vision involves recalling and revising the important dreams you had when you first got together and identifying new hopes as well. Sometimes this means exploring "little buds" that are unconscious, but waiting to blossom. A vision contains something you really want and evokes enough passion that you are willing to invest sustained effort to bring it about. Your vision contains strong desires that are aligned with your values and supported by a plan.

In order to think creatively about the type of relationship you desire, ask each other a few of the following 20 questions on a dinner date, or set up a special time to explore these together. They will help you connect on a deeper level than the usual topics of careers, kids, vacations, politics, and movies. They can illuminate areas of joy, passion, and connection. Most couples ask each other questions like these when they first meet, but as time hurtles by, these meaningful questions get neglected and then abandoned. They'll be the starting point for an interesting and stimulating conversation that will create the foundation for your vision.

Developing Your Partnership Vision

* What things in your life bring you the greatest pleasure?
* What things do you look forward to each day?
* What excites you about the future?
* In what settings are you the happiest and most comfortable?
* On your drive to work, what consumes your mind the majority of the time?
* In a regular day, what do you find yourself thinking about the most in addition to work?
* If you could change one or two things in your life, what would they be, and why?
* What accomplishments do you value most in your life so far?
* If you had three wishes that would come true, what would they be?
* When you reach the rocking chair stage of your life, what do you wish you had done that you didn't do?
* Is there a belief or attitude that seems to interfere with creating or pursuing a big dream?
* What activities do you most like to do by yourself?
* What are a couple things that you appreciate about our relationship, and why do these things seem significant?
* How strong is your desire to do something together?
* Describe a memory of a time when you felt like we collaborated well.
* What kinds of projects or activities would you consider doing together?
* What projects or activities do you think we do well together?
* What talents or strengths do you believe we each bring to a future project?
* What question would you ask that we have not included?
* Bonus Question: What would be the next step you suggest we take from here?

Here are some guidelines to help you get the most out of these conversations. Treat your partner's answers with respect. Please don't argue or negatively judge any of your partner's responses. Be like a compassionate reporter who is exploring an unknown subject. Ask your partner to do the same for you. Approach it like the game of 20 Questions. You will be delicately ferreting out the overlap in all the answers to arrive at what is most meaningful to each of you. Don't simply race through the questions. This process takes time and dedication, yet returning to these questions will pay huge dividends in your life together.

The More Detail Your Vision Has, the More Compelling It Will Be

Sarah and Jim used this exercise repetitively over time. From the beginning, Sarah answered what excites her about the future by saying "leaving a legacy." Jim responded to the question of what kinds of projects or activities he would consider doing together by saying that he'd like to work on something together for the well-being of their children. As they asked each other these questions again and again, their responses evolved. Their answers would incubate and stimulate additional ideas. One session would prove to be a springboard for the next. Sarah and Jim eventually decided they wanted to do something for their children, which also met Sarah's desire to leave a legacy.

Their answers kept returning to doing something that reflected their interest in teaching and also strengthening the family. They both believed the old saying that if you really want to learn something, then you should teach it. They decided to begin with teaching a Sunday school class together. After sitting through some tedious Sunday school classes when they were children, they decided they would make it enjoyable for themselves and the kids. They became increasingly passionate about creating a very different learning experience for kids in Sunday school.

Alert! Alert! In the beginning stage, do not discuss potential obstacles. The best way to kill a budding dream is to ask, "Well, how is that going to happen?" or "Are you really serious about wanting that?" Asking these questions will surely strangle emerging desires before you see the bigger picture.

Rather, Sarah and Jim jumped in and discovered they enjoyed teaching together. Through trial and error they learned a lot about collaborating and how to better negotiate when they had sharp differences of opinion. However, they also discovered they did not like the bureaucracy telling them what to teach. Over time they kept returning to their vision questions. Eventually, they started a small, interfaith Sunday school with other families who had a similar vision. The project was more work than they had anticipated. Much more. But the work they had put into building a collaborative vision and learning to negotiate sustained them through the tougher times.

You will know you have accurately described your vision when...

* the results are hard to achieve; success will require "stretching."
* you are excited when you think about it.
* the results of the vision are meaningful to you.
* the results make a difference in your life and your partner's life.
* the results are visible, can be written down, and, at least to some degree, can be measured.
* the results will reflect your strengths and core values.

Your vision will evolve as you move toward it. You will meet obstacles along the way. Ask yourself an important question: "What will I have to do that I don't want to do to realize this vision?" Every worthwhile vision carries with it some undesirable tasks. Don't let these make you believe your vision is wrong. Accept that your vision will involve some challenges that you won't enjoy.

Realizing your vision as a couple will require new skills in problem solving, negotiation, and decision making. They're not always intuitive. And remember: you can't create a flourishing relationship just by fixing what is wrong. You achieve your vision by building on the best in each of you.

===========================================
About the Authors:
This article was written by Drs. Ellyn Bader and Peter Pearson, contributing authors to "101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life: Volume 2." Peter and Ellyn are founders and directors of The Couples Institute in Menlo Park, California. As therapists, workshop leaders, authors, and speakers, they are dedicated to helping couples fulfill their dreams. Visit http://www.couplesinstitute.com for free articles to help you develop the best possible relationship skills.

"Harry Potter" rules!

2007-07-11T19:20:00.000-07:00

"Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix" opened in Metro Manila theaters today. And I just had to watch it with my sons. After my seminar, rushed with the kids to the mall. And were part of the tens of thousands who watched the movie on it's 1st day of showing!

The book is still better than the movie, but even then, the movie was pretty good. I wasn't going to miss watching it with the kids. Especially since Paolo got hooked on reading the Harry Potter series this past summer vacation. Imagine, he finished reading all 6 Harry Potter books in just two months! Whoa! So with the last of the HP series coming out this month, I'm already expecting that we'll be fighting over who gets to read the book first. :)

Baseball mania

2007-07-02T07:44:00.000-07:00

Baseball mania has hit! No, am not talking about the professional ball game. But my kids, of course! They just got spanking brand-new mitts and baseballs from their grandparents. And so Sunday, they spent the afternoon learning how to throw, and catch the ball. They had great fun, and were so proud of themselves whenever they caught the ball thrown at them. After just a few minutes of playing, they were all sweaty. A time out was called when hot maruya (saba bananas dipped in batter and fried), pandesal from Pan de Pugon, and fresh mango shake was served! Now that's what i call a great weekend. More of this activity and great food and they're bound to keep those pounds that piled on during their summer vacation. :)

Transformers (the movie)

2007-07-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

Saw "Transformers" with the kids last night. After just a few minutes into the movie, all i could say was "Wicked"! LUPET! (Sounds better in Filipino. hehehe...) Great effects! The kids were mesmerized. Told them to look for the old Transformers cartoons so they could compare the old cartoons to the ultra-high tech movie.

End of my term - TOASTMASTERS

2007-06-30T17:50:00.000-07:00

June 30 marks the end of my term as President of our Toastmasters Club. Yehey! It's been a wonderful year. Of my personal goals, I was able to reach two norms, CC (Competent Communicator) and CL (Competent Leader)! That also meant helping our club reach two (2) goals, of the 10 goals set for the President's Distinguished Club program. Overall, our club reached a total of 9 out of 10 goals, earning us the award "President's Distinguished Club"! Yahoo, yahoo!!! President's Distinguished on our 2nd year! Not bad, not bad at all. :)

For non-Toastmasters, here's some info on Toastmasters:

* Toastmasters is an international organization that helps people improve their communication and leadership skills.

* It was started in October 1924 by Dr. Ralph Smedley with a handful of men as members.

* Currently, TI boasts of 200,000+ members, 10,000+ clubs, in approximately 90 countries.

* Worth mentioning is that currently, TI is headed by a Filipino. Our international President is Johnny “Pawe” Uy, who hails from Cebu.

* Through its member clubs, TI helps men and women learn the art of speaking, listening and thinking. WE learn by doing.

* The mission of a Toastmasters club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth.

* The programs are self-paced – work at your own pace. And you as the member, also has the option to fast-track your achievement of TI norms.

* In the Philippines, TM started in 1938. And the first Toastmasters Club in the Philippines was TAMARAW TMC . The Philippines is known as District 75, and was chartered in 1982. District 75 was number ONE in the world 2 years ago, and last year was still in the Top 10.

* BUTTERNTOAST started off as an HR egroup in August 2004, is now an actual Toastmasters club. BnT Toastmasters was officially chartered May 2005, about 9 months after our egroup was born.

Why the name Butterntoast? The name fits us to a T. BnT is really living up to its name as a more “informal”, and should we say, “wacky” group. The unofficial version of the meaning of our club name is that the newbies can be compared to fresh butter, while our club mentors are toasted or "tostado" with experience. hehehehe.. Well, if I say so myself, the combination of the fresh and the seasoned makes for the perfect combination. :)

I love our Butterntoast club! To find out more about our group, you can join our egroup (butterntoast@yahoogroups.com) or check out our blog (http://www.butterntoast.blogspot.com/) which serves as a repository of speech projects delivered by members in our meetings. :)

Birthday, birthday, birthday

2007-06-12T07:24:00.000-07:00

My birthday was yesterday, and what did i do? I woke up bright and early, not that I meant to! I actually wanted to lounge in bed longer, but I couldn't go back to sleep. So though I was still a little sleepy, I got up, went downstairs, and guess what... I cleaned the car! Yup! What a way to start the day, much more a birthday, huh? Hahahaha! Well what i can say? I'm weird that way.

After cleaning the car, watered the plants, then took a shower, went to Pat's school orientation, went back to the house to get the car, went to the grocery, bought 2 rolls of cake (chocolate and brazo de mercedes, yum yum!), bought some more school supplies and food items, went back home, cooked spaghetti, took another shower, got dressed, then left the house with the kids to go to MMC! WHEW! And it wasn't even 2pm yet.

Brings back memories...

2007-06-06T07:02:00.000-07:00

I recently bought my son's required books for the coming school year, and on his list are "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White, and "Door in the Wall" by Marguerite De Angeli.

It brought back memories of my own favorite books which I read when I was in grade school. I distinctly remember loving "Trumpet of the Swan" by E.B. White. And I was also a big Judy Blume fan! I remember getting these books from my US-based relatives, reading and re-reading my copies of "Are you there God? It's me, Margaret" and of course, my all-time favorite ... "Otherwise known as Sheila the Great". Guess why. hahaha! :D

Years later, I would read "Summer Sisters" by Judy Blume. But growing up reading her, I can't shake off the feeling of "aargh"... can't explain it. 'Nuff said.

Paolo on his own, started reading the Harry Potter books this summer. And he got hooked! After reading HP1, he quickly started on HP2, and so on, and now, he's trying to finish HP5. He's taking the book everywhere we go, and reads it every chance he gets, coz he knows that once school starts, he won't be able to finish the book. Addicted? hehehe. Can't say I blame him. He got his "book-loving, bookworm" genes from me. :)

Last night, before bedtime, while lying in bed, I noticed that we all had books in our hands. Paolo was reading Harry Potter, Patrick was reading his "Ask" book series, while I was leafing through a womens' mag. All together. Quietly reading in bed. It's all good. :D

Wish List

2007-06-01T22:54:00.000-07:00

Yes, it’s that time of the year, and just a few more days and I’ll be turning a year older. Unlike one of my friends, a big, hulking mass of a guy who dreads the coming of his birthday, I look forward to it! As I said I don’t have any issue with age. So long as I don’t look it! Hahaha!

Thinking about my birthday and looking forward to the greetings of friends, I came up with a list of my “wanna haves”… Not that I expect to have these as gifts, but then again, I can dream, can’t I? hehehe…

So, here’s a short list, not counting anymore the gifts that money can’t buy – peace of mind, long life, good health, love, financial security, joy and happiness-- but I wish I have nevertheless. Of course, priceless as well is good health for my family and loved ones…

Anyhoo, here’s the list…

* Toshiba Qosmio G30-P650 notebook PC
* State of the art Nokia cellphone
Before you think I’m a techno-geek, not at all! Chose Toshiba coz after all those years working with the distributor, I’m still of the belief that they are the best. Blind loyalty (as opposed to brand loyalty)? May be…
And Nokia because it’s still the most user-friendly phone I’ve used. I didn’t include the model anymore as considering how fast nokia comes up with new models, I’m not even updated anymore!
* BlackBerry®(no, not the fruit!)Curve™ 8300 smartphone
* Samsung sgh-d900
* SE k550i cybershot phone (for those times when I don’t have my digicam but I ALWAYS have my phone)
* Cybershot dsc-t30 digicam
* Ipod nano or creative – just so I don’t have to use my N2310 for listening to music, and thereby draining its battery

As if my night stand isn’t already full of books (unfinished, half-read) of various titles and subject matter, I would still like to have the following to add to my already hefty collection:
* “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” by J.K. Rowling
* “Kitchen Confidential” by Anthony Bourdain
* "For One more day” by Mitch Albom
* “Tropical Living: Contemporary Dream Houses in the Philippines”
by Elizabeth V. Reyes
* “Why We Want You to Be Rich: Two Men - One Message”
by Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki
* “Malinche: A Novel” by Laura Esquivel
* InStyle magazine’s book, “Secrets of Style”
* “Tales from the Bed” by Jenifer Estess
* Shel Silverstein books

And an assortment of “STUFF” (in no particular order… hehehe)
* DKNY stainless steel and rhinestone watch (which I saw in a mag and promptly salivated over)
* A 3-bedroom condo at the Fort
* Subscription to SELF magazine (which I happen to already get ‘delayed’ via my mom from the US)
* A new spanking gas range with oven (for cooking my special lasagna)
* A room airconditioner (1.5 hp window-type will do)
* Flat screen plasma TV
* $$$$$$ for my savings account
* Bouquet of flowers
* Dinner at Nielsen’s or Spirals --- the buffet there is excellent! (yum yum!)
* Margarita & paella at Cena
* 1 month vacation in Boracay
* A lifetime supply of Chapstick (any variant) and Oil of Olay Complete (moisturizer and sunscreen)
* GC to any of the following stores (amount open):
• Body Shop or Lush or both (me like to smell so nice…)
• The Farm at San Benito
• Sari-Sari or Space or Ba-yo (even Bench or Cinderella will do)
• CPK (I miss their ravioli!)
• National Bookstore / Powerbooks
• Red Ribbon (desserts, desserts, desserts!!!)

Looking at the list, it’s in a disarray. In no particular order, no order of preference… Just a wish list! These are the same things I will buy for myself when a windfall comes my way. So I’m keeping this list handy, as I just placed a bet for that Php 50M lotto jackpot. ;->

Pre-nup?

2007-05-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

Delayed posting... from April 27, 2007

A couple-friend of mine recently broke up. And though there was no third party, the fact that they broke up was awkward on their friends. Ok, just friend. Specifically, me! I don’t know if any of our other friends felt it, but I did.

I met Cheese through Red (pseudonyms, as if you didn’t know yet!). So the last few weeks and days before THE break up, I was a witness to the bickering and once, even a shouting match. Amidst the bickering, I felt torn between them. I loved them both, and I felt for them both. I wish, as our other friends did, that I could help them go back to being the same sweet couple we all knew. I didn’t want them to break up, but it was inevitable. The fights were becoming more frequent, but the making-up part, less on the “kiss and make up” and “forgive and forget” but more like a “let’s agree to disagree” and “I’m too tired to fight. Let’s just move on”. The way I saw it, a break up was inevitable. Only a matter of time before one (or both) decided all the drama was just not worth it. But still, when the inevitable did happen, I was torn.

After the breakup, I felt that Cheese was avoiding me. No replies to my text. None of the usual online chats for even a simple “hello”. I was still trying to figure it out. Was he avoiding me because I was Red’s friend first? Or was I just being paranoid about it?

Which got me to thinking… Is there a pre-nup on friends? Unwritten maybe, but still a pre-nup. Hay… At least in my case, all OUR friends, are still MY friends after the breakup with the ex (he-who-must-not-be named). They chose me, of course! If you're my friend, you should know why. :)

Amusing quotes about marriage

2007-05-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

Now, for the funny and amusing quotes about marriage… :)

Strike an average between what a woman thinks of her husband a month before she marries him and what she thinks of him a year afterward, and you will have the truth about him. ~ H.L. Mencken, A Book of Burlesques, 1916

I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life. ~ Rita Rudner

Marriage is an alliance entered into by a man who can't sleep with the window shut, and a woman who can't sleep with the window open.
~ George Bernard Shaw

Never get married in the morning, because you never know who you'll meet that night. ~ Paul Hornung

More marriages might survive if the partners realized that sometimes the better comes after the worse. ~ Doug Larson

Divorce: The past tense of marriage. ~ Author Unknown

Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then.
~ Katherine Hepburn

In every marriage more than a week old, there are grounds for divorce. The trick is to find, and continue to find, grounds for marriage. ~ Robert Anderson, Solitaire & Double Solitaire

There is no such cozy combination as man and wife. ~ Menander

It destroys one's nerves to be amiable every day to the same human being. ~ Benjamin Disraeli

The sum which two married people owe to one another defies calculation. It is an infinite debt, which can only be discharged through eternity. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight. ~ Phyllis Diller, Phyllis Diller's Housekeeping Hints, 1966

An object in possession seldom retains the same charm that it had in pursuit. ~ Pliny the Younger (Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundis), Letters

If you made a list of the reasons why any couple got married, and another list of the reasons for their divorce, you'd have a hell of a lot of overlapping. ~ Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

A man marries to have a home, but also because he doesn't want to be bothered with sex and all that sort of thing. ~ W. Somerset Maugham

There is no substitute for the comfort supplied by the utterly taken-for granted relationship. ~ Iris Murdoch

English Law prohibits a man from marrying his mother-in-law. This is our idea of useless legislation. ~ Author Unknown

A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year. ~ Paul Sweeney

Matrimony is a process by which a grocer acquired an account the florist had. ~ Francis Rodman

Marriage is a book of which the first chapter is written in poetry and the remaining chapters in prose. ~ Beverley Nichols

Valentine's Day is when a lot of married men are reminded what a poor shot Cupid really is. ~ Author Unknown

A dress that zips up the back will bring a husband and wife together. ~ James H. Boren

All marriages are happy. It's the living together afterward that causes all the trouble. ~ Raymond Hull

As to marriage or celibacy, let a man take which course he will, he will be sure to repent. ~ Socrates

Never feel remorse for what you have thought about your wife; she has thought much worse things about you. ~ Jean Rostand, Le Mariage, 1927

Any intelligent woman who reads the marriage contract, and then goes into it, deserves all the consequences. ~ Isadora Duncan

When two people are under the influence of the most violent, most insane, most delusive, and most transient of passions, they are required to swear that they will remain in that excited, abnormal, and exhausting condition continuously until death do them part. ~ G.B. Shaw, Getting Married, 1908

A first-rate marriage is like a first-rate hotel: expensive, but worth it. ~ Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966

Here's to matrimony, the high sea for which no compass has yet been invented! ~ Heinrich Heine

I figure that the degree of difficulty in combining two lives ranks somewhere between rerouting a hurricane and finding a parking place in downtown Manhattan. ~ Claire Cloninger, "When the Glass Slipper Doesn't Fit and the Silver Spoon is in Someone Else's Mouth"

A man's wife has more power over him than the state has. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, Journals

A man in love is incomplete until he has married. Then he's finished. ~ Zsa Zsa Gabor

Bigamy is having one husband or wife too many. Monogamy is the same. ~ Oscar Wilde

Spouse: someone who'll stand by you through all the trouble you wouldn't have had if you'd stayed single. ~ Author Unknown

Marriage means commitment. Of course, so does insanity. ~ Author Unknown

Like good wine, marriage gets better with age - once you learn to keep a cork in it. ~ Gene Perret

Marriage is a great institution, but I'm not ready for an institution.
~ Mae West

I never knew what real happiness was until I got married. And by then it was too late. ~ Max Kauffman

The chief reason why marriage is rarely a success is that it is contracted while the partners are insane. ~ Joseph Collins

Wedding rings: the world's smallest handcuffs. ~ Author Unknown

Many a man in love with a dimple makes the mistake of marrying the whole girl. ~ Stephen Leacock, Literary Lapses, 1910

The most dangerous food is wedding cake. ~ American Proverb

Home cooking: where many a man thinks his wife is. ~ Author Unknown

Love: A temporary insanity curable by marriage. ~ Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

Our marriage has always been a 50-50 proposition - with the possible exception of closet space. ~ Gene Perret

There is so little difference between husbands you might as well keep the first. ~ Adela Rogers St. Johns

When a man steals your wife, there is no better revenge than to let him keep her. ~ Sacha Guitry, Elles et toi, 1948

It isn't tying himself to one woman that a man dreads when he thinks of marrying; it's separating himself from all the others. ~ Helen Rowland, Violets and Vinegar

Once a woman has forgiven her man, she must not reheat his sins for breakfast. ~ Marlene Dietrich

Only choose in marriage a man whom you would choose as a friend if he were a woman. ~ Joseph Joubert

The difficulty with marriage is that we fall in love with a personality, but must live with a character. ~ Peter Devries

The big difference between sex for money and sex for free is that sex for money usually costs a lot less. ~ Brendan Behan

Bride, n. A woman with a fine prospect behind her. ~ Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary, 1911

If your husband and a lawyer were drowning and you had to choose, would you go to lunch or to a movie? ~ Author Unknown

Love-matches are made by people who are content, for a month of honey, to condemn themselves to a life of vinegar. ~ Countess of Blessington

Almost no one is foolish enough to imagine that he automatically deserves great success in any field of activity; yet almost everyone believes that he automatically deserves success in marriage.
~ Sydney J. Harris

Married life teaches one invaluable lesson: to think of things far enough ahead not to say them. ~ Jefferson Machamer

The majority of husbands remind me of an orangutan trying to play the violin. ~ Honore de Balzac, The Physiology of Marriage

Never marry for money. Ye'll borrow it cheaper. ~ Scottish Proverb

Do you know what it means to come home at night to a woman who'll give you a little love, a little affection, a little tenderness? It means you're in the wrong house, that's what it means. ~ Henny Youngman

The problem with marriage is that it ends every night after making love, and it must be rebuilt every morning before breakfast. ~ Gabriel García Márquez

She cried, and the judge wiped her tears with my checkbook.
~ Tommy Manville

By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll be happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher. ~ Socrates

Pity all newlyweds. She cooks something nice for him, and he brings her flowers, and they kiss and think: How easy marriage is. ~ Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

One man's folly is another man's wife. ~ Helen Rowland

Women hope men will change after marriage but they don't; men hope women won't change but they do. ~ Bettina Arndt, Private Lives, 1986

My parent's great marriage

2007-05-07T12:45:00.000-07:00

My parents are celebrating their 38th wedding anniversary in less than a month (June 2, to be exact). Imagine, 38 years! Yehey! Woohoohoo! Clap clap clap!!! And I can see that they truly are happy. They have a great marriage! They’re still sweet to each other, and I see how much they value each other. It’s rare that they spend time away from each other. You’d think that considering the time they spend together, they’d be the type to get on each other’s nerves. But you know, they rarely, if ever, fight. And when they do have misunderstanding (as couples are wont to have), we hardly notice it. Never in my whole life did I ever hear them shouting at each other in anger.

Back then, there was a time when we were growing up, when my Dad lost his job. And my Mom had to be our family’s sole breadwinner. My Dad was the original “house-band”. That time, he did all of the household chores. No complaints. He cooked, he cleaned, he took care of us kids when we got home from school, basically everything a housewife is expected to do! Did you think that was reason for my Dad to feel less of a man? Not at all!

In this day and age, “house-bands” (or husbands who stay at home) is quite common. But years ago when I was growing up, this breed of men was virtually non-existent. My Dad explained it this way, since my Mom was working, he had to do his share, and if that meant taking care of the household chores, then he happily did it. He didn’t feel it was a chore. He did all those things because he loved us! Awww…

I learned from my parents’ great marriage to:
 Never take your partner for granted.
 Support each other whatever happens.
 Communicate and this doesn’t mean just talking, but listening, and sharing …
 Laugh! Laughter is an important component of marriage. In my parents’ case, they truly enjoyed each others’ company, and they made each other laugh.
 Show your love for your partner. And that doesn’t just mean PDA (public displays of affection) ha!

Do all of the above, and maybe being LUCKY in marriage doesn’t take luck at all. A good marriage, heck, a great marriage, is something we all dream of! But make no mistake, it takes a lot of work.

Another thing… Maybe it’s not just about finding the “right” person but being the right person yourself that someone should consider spending the rest of his (or her) life with…

Love at first sight is easy to understand; it's when two people have been looking at each other for a lifetime that it becomes a miracle. ~ Amy Bloom

All married couples should learn the art of battle as they should learn the art of making love. Good battle is objective and honest--never vicious or cruel. Good battle is healthy and constructive, and brings to a marriage the principle of equal partnership. ~ Ann Landers

It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Love seems the swiftest, but it is the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century. ~ Mark Twain

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. ~ Mignon McLaughlin

A good marriage is one which allows for change and growth in the individuals and in the way they express their love. ~ Pearl S. Buck

A good marriage is that in which each appoints the other guardian of his solitude. ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

The goal in marriage is not to think alike, but to think together. ~ Robert C. Dodds

Love is a flower which turns into fruit at marriage. ~ Finnish Proverb

That quiet mutual gaze of a trusting husband and wife is like the first moment of rest or refuge from a great weariness or a great danger. ~ George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans)

The bonds of matrimony are like any other bonds - they mature slowly. ~ Peter De Vries

Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years. ~ Simone Signoret

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. ~ Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966

In a time when nothing is more certain than change, the commitment of two people to one another has become difficult and rare. Yet, by its scarcity, the beauty and value of this exchange have only been enhanced. ~ Robert Sexton

What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility. ~ George Levinger

It's easy to understand love at first sight, but how do we explain love after two people have been looking at each other for years? ~ Author Unknown

A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers. ~ Ruth Bell Graham

100 Things You Can Do To Save the Environment

2007-05-04T07:39:00.000-07:00

As part of our department's project for the Company, I decided to come up with a list of things we can do to save the environment (and save the Company on costs as well!). So with a little research and help from the internet (and Google), I was able to compile this list of "100 things you can do to save the environment". And I decided to post this on my blog as well. The more people this reaches, the better! :)

Special mention goes to "Justgive.org", “everyday activist”, "earthshare.org",
"HK's environmental protection department (epd.gov.hk) which offered these valuable tips. Read on, and let's do share in saving the environment.

100 Things You Can Do To Save the Environment

By making simple changes in our everyday lives, we can make significant strides to improve the planet we all share. So here are 100 tips we’ve collected from various sites. Whatever little thing we can do to help save the environment will make a big impact in the long run. So let’s all do our share! :)

IN YOUR HOME

1. Recycle everything you can: newspapers, cans, glass bottles and jars, aluminum foil, motor oil, scrap metal, etc.
2. Don't use electrical appliances for things you can easily do by hand, such as opening cans.
3. Use cold water in the washer whenever possible.
4. Save gas by using microwave ovens and slow cookers. Using these can cut your fuel costs by up to 70%. A pressure cooker saves up to 2/3 cooking time, saves energy, and preserves the goodness in your food.
5. Re-use brown paper bags to line your trash can instead of plastic bags. Re-use bread bags and the bags you bring your produce home in.
6. Store food in re-usable containers, instead of plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
7. Save wire coat hangers and return them to the dry cleaners.
8. Take unwanted, re-usable items to a charitable organization or thrift shop. Donate un/used clothing and other items. Rather than throwing away un/used clothing and items that are in good shape, consider donating them to your local church, Goodwill, or other charity. Many charities will even work with you to schedule a pick-up time.
9. Reduce water waste. Turn off the water when brushing your teeth and save 4 gallons a minute - that's 10,000 gallons a year for a family of four.
10. Install low-flow aerators to your faucets and shower heads Aerators are inexpensive, easy to install and reduce the amount of water wasted.
11. Soak pots and pans rather than let them sit under running water while you scrape them clean.
12. Install low-flow toilets. You'll use 1.6 gallons per flush compared to a standard toilet which used 3.5 gallons. You'll see big long-term savings on your water bill.
13. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway and sidewalk. You could save up to 80 gallons of water every time.
14. Turn off the lights, TV, or other electrical appliances when you are out of a room. Cut your vampire power! Vampire Power: Not Dracula, but the home electronics we leave on standby: TV, printer, DC re-chargers and converters… they add up to WASTED electricity.
15. Use sunlight as far as possible.
16. Use energy-saving bulbs which are cooler, like halogen bulbs, fluorescent tubes and energy efficient compact fluorescent (CF) bulbs rather than the conventional incandescent bulbs. The CF bulbs give off a warm, bright light but use 75% less energy and last up to ten times longer than the conventional incandescent bulbs.
17. Smarter air-conditioning. Use fans instead of air-conditioners if possible. (Fans with intake and exhaust fans work best, pulling cool air in and blowing hot air out.) If you must use an air conditioner, be sure to buy an Energy Star rated model, and select the correct size.
18. Install energy efficient A/C. Look for cooling units and systems with a high Energy Star rating. You'll prevent wasted electricity and benefit from big decreases in your monthly energy bills.
19. Clean/replace your air filters. Check your air filters on your ventilation system every month. If you clean them regularly, you won't have to replace them often.
20. Be pro-active in hunting down energy problems. Perform an “energy inventory” on the house. Identify areas where energy is being wasted and work on correcting them. The energy savings will pay off in your monthly bills!
21. Use automatic timers to control appliances to avoid wasting energy.
22. Dry your clothes in the sunshine and fresh air whenever possible. Reduce dry-cleaning.
23. Close drapes or blinds in warmer months. This will keep the sunshine from overheating your house.
24. Add air-cleaning plants in your home to help keep the air clean!
25. Turn your trash into crafts! Use popsicle sticks, newspapers, used office paper, etc. for craft projects.
26. Never litter, even when peers do it. Teach your children never to litter, even if they see their friends littering. Encourage them to be proud of keeping the environment clean!
27. Pick up trash. If you see trash on the street or neighborhood, pick it up! Even if it's not your garbage, its still your planet!
28. Consider cloth diapers over disposable. 18 billion disposable diapers are thrown in landfills each year, taking as many as 500 years to decompose. Disposable diapers make up the third largest source of solid waste in landfills, after newspapers and food and beverage containers.
29. Use eco-friendly laundry detergents. Look for phosphate-, petroleum-, and chlorine-free products, and use only as much as needed for a given load. If you have hard water, you may need to use more detergent than the packaging suggests.
30. Shop green! Buy shade-grown, organic coffee. Shade coffee provides habitat for birds, bats, butterflies and other wildlife in tropical countries.
31. Volunteer instead of watching TV. Instead of watching TV, spend an hour or two a week volunteering for your favorite cause.
32. Ride your bike or walk. When you don't have far to go, try riding your bike or walking instead of getting a ride in a car. You'll help save energy, lessen the amount of air pollution, and you'll keep healthy and fit, too!
33. Plan a community event. Coordinate an event at work, at your school or within your community that helps raise awareness about environmental issues such as recycling, waste reduction and conservation.
34. Use rechargeable batteries. Disposable batteries are expensive and wasteful. Although rechargable battery sets can be slightly more expensive up-front, you'll save a lot of money in the long-term.

IN YOUR YARD

35. Start a compost pile.
36. Put up birdfeeders, birdhouses, and birdbaths.
37. Pull weeds instead of using herbicides.
38. Use only organic fertilizers. (They are still the best.)
39. Compost your leaves and yard debris. (Burning them creates air pollution, and putting them out with the trash wastes landfill space.)
40. Take extra plastic and rubber pots back to the nursery.
41. Instead of a garden hose, use pail and dipper to water your plants.

IN YOUR CAR

42. Keep your car tuned up. When your car is running more efficiently, it will produce less exhaust. It's also better for your car, which can save you money in the long run!
43. Turn your car off. Idling can use a lot of gas. Generally, it’s more efficient to turn the car off and restart when you are ready to go. If you are thinking of hitting the drive-through, consider parking and picking up food inside. For short waits, put your car in neutral to avoid burning gas.
44. Carpool! When heading to work or school, share a car with a friend! You'll both save money on gas, you'll reduce the amount of pollutants you're producing - and maybe even squeeze in a quick nap on days you're not driving!
45. Use public transit whenever possible.
46. On weekends, ride your bike or walk instead.
47. Recycle your engine oil.
48. Keep your tires properly inflated to save gas.
49. Wheel-alignment. Keep your wheels properly aligned to save your tires. (It's safer too.) Tires that wear unevenly don't last as long.
50. Travel light! Don't keep your car weighed down with lots of stuff you don't need. Bring heavy items into the house when you don't need to travel with then. A lighter vehicle means better fuel efficiency!
51. Drive calmly. Speeding and slamming on the brakes wastes fuel and increases pollution - not to mention your blood pressure!
52. Don't litter our roads and highways. Save trash and dispose of it at a rest stop.
53. Buy a more fuel-efficient model (such as a hybrid or electric) when you're ready for a new car.
54. OR if purchasing a vehicle with a gas engine... A smaller engine will result in greater fuel efficiency and less air pollution. Try to avoid add-ons that add weight and/or drag, and avoid using 4-wheel drive unless absolutely necessary. 4-wheel drive reduces fuel efficiency.

AT YOUR BUSINESS

55. Recycle office and computer paper, cardboard, etc. whenever possible.
56. Use scrap paper for informal notes to yourself and others.
57. Print or copy on both sides of the paper.
58. Reduce documents to fit two pages onto one. Use for circulating rough drafts or file copies of documents.
59. Find alternatives to mail. Use email, voice mail and fax modem transmissions whenever possible.
60. Eliminate unnecessary subscriptions. Cancel newspapers, newsletters, and magazines you don't read or can access online. Take your name off mailing lists to reduce junk mail.
61. Make recycling easy. Place recycling bins in high-traffic areas, including the conference room and kitchen as well as by the copier and fax machines.
62. Use a routing slip to circulate copies throughout the office.
63. Use smaller paper for smaller memos.
64. Re-use manila envelopes and file folders.
65. Steer away from disposable cups - and B.Y.O.C./M. Hide the throw-away cups, and train people to use their washable coffee mugs. Use washable mugs for meetings too. Be sure to Bring Your Own Cup/Mug and set a good example!
66. Turn off your monitors. If your computers are on a network or need to be left on for remote access and can't be shut down at night, turn off the monitors.
67. Choose a computer manufacturer with a recycling policy. According to a recent study by the National Safety Council's Environmental Health Center, approximately 20.6 million personal computers became obsolete in the U.S. in 1998. Of that number, only 11 percent, or about 2.3 million units, were recycled.
68. Add air-cleaning plants. Plants not only brighten up a room, they help keep the air clean! Shoot for at least one 4-5 ft plant per 100 square feet.
69. Recycle/refill printer cartridges. If you use inkjet printers, buy replacement ink and refill them when they are empty. There are also several programs that will allow you to send in your empty ink and laserjet printer cartrdiges for recycling.
70. Use a water filter and refillable water bottle. Millions of plastic containers are thrown away every day, which adds to the amount of trash. By purchasing a refillable water bottle and using filtered water (instead of buying bottled water), you can greatly reduce waste and save yourself a bundle!
71. Choose re-usable containers for lunch. Use a lunch box or insulated cooler for lunch in lieu of a paper or plastic sack.
72. Reduce lunchroom waste. Bring home sandwich baggies and other plastic bags to be washed out and re-used
73. Recycle at the office. Recycle office and computer paper, cardboard, etc. whenever possible. Use scrap paper for informal notes to yourself and others.

WHEN YOU'RE SHOPPING

74. Avoid buying food or household products in plastic or styrofoam containers whenever possible. (They cannot be recycled and do not break down in the environment.)
75. Think twice about buying "disposable" products. (They really aren't disposable and are extravagant wastes of the world's resources.) This includes disposable dust cloths, diapers, etc.
76. Buy paper products instead of plastic if you must buy "disposables." They break down better in the environment and don't deplete the ozone layer as much.
77. Check the energy rating of major appliances you purchase. Buy only the most-energy-efficient models.
78. Ask questions. Don't buy products, such as styrofoam, that are hazardous to the environment or manufactured at the expense of important habitats such as rain forests.
79. Buy locally grown food and locally made products when possible.
80. Don't buy products made from endangered animals.
81. Buy refillables. When shopping for cleaning products, etc., always buy refills when available to reduce the amount of packaging. (Refills are usually cheaper, too!)
82. Buy eco-friendly gifts. When it comes time to buy birthday or holiday gifts for others, choose environmentally friendly gifts, shop from companies that make environmental protection a part of their mission, or buy from companies that give a portion of the proceeds to charities.
83. Buy efficient fluorescent light bulbs. New compact fluorescent bulbs use 75% less energy than a standard incandescent - and last about 10 times as long!
84. Buy food in bulk & repack in reusable containers. Less packaging is used when you buy in bulk - and it's usually a lot cheaper too! Once you get the food home, you can repack it in individual, reusable containers, like Tupperware.
85. Buy pump instead of aerosol sprays. Chlorofluorocarbons used in aerosol sprays contribute to ozone depletion. When there is a pump spray available, buy that one. If there isn't a pump spray available, write to the manufacturer and ask them to make one.
86. Shop with re-usable shopping bags. Bring canvas or net bags with you to the store.
87. Buy products made from post-consumer recycled content. When purchasing paper products, choose products with the highest percentage of recycled content —post-consumer recycled content is the best. Choose tree-free paper alternatives if possible.
88. Smarter air-conditioning. Use fans instead of air-conditioners if possible. (Fans with intake and exhaust fans work best, pulling cool air in and blowing hot air out.) If you must use an air conditioner, be sure to buy an Energy Star rated model, and select the correct size.
89. Be green when you clean. Purchase only eco-friendly cleaning supplies, and avoid/limit disposable cleaning products.
90. Purchase eco-friendly (and animal safe) personal hygiene products. Look for products that do not use animal products and are not tested on animals.
91. Get trendy with home décor. Natural fibers and flooring are in fashion! Look for interior design items made from recycled and natural materials.

PERSONAL EFFORTS

92. Plant a tree! Protecting and planting trees will help create natural air filters in our cities and neighborhoods.
93. Join a conservation organization. Find an environmental organization you would like to support.
94. Volunteer your time to conservation projects.
95. Give money to conservation projects.
96. Switch to a vegetarian diet. (Raising animals for food consumes vast quantities of natural resources, including water, land, and oil; destroys habitats; and generates a tremendous amount of water and air pollution.)
97. Convert by example. Encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to save resources too.
98. Learn about conservation issues in your community or state. Write to your legislators about issues that affect the environment and our health, and let them know where you stand on the issues.
99. Teach children to respect nature and the environment. Take them on hikes or camping. Help them plant a tree or build a birdhouse. Teach them by example. Never litter, even when peers do it. Teach your children never to litter, even if they see their friends littering. Encourage them to be proud of keeping the environment clean!
100. Donate to charities that have positive impacts on the environment.

"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." ~Aldo Leopold

Happy? Happy!

2007-03-26T23:43:00.000-07:00

Driving to work this morning, with my radio on, but barely listening, I heard a voice in my head say, “I’m happy.” .. I was taken aback a bit, and then I realized that yes, I was. Not deliriously happy, but content. So later on I decided that I would write down what it was in my life that made me happy… So here it is, in no particular order:

- Driving… no, not the actual "road warrior" mode wherein I’m stuck in traffic and maneuvering my way thru the busy streets of Manila, but the skill of driving. I can go where I want, and when I want to, and not be at the mercy of public transportation. Yes, driving IS empowering.

- My kids – and knowing that I can provide for them, and give them what they need, not necessarily what they want, but then again, they’re a lot luckier compared to most other kids we know.

- Which brings me to this… I’m happy that we can afford to give. I’m not just talking about organized charities (Unicef, World Vision, Goodwill, GMA Foundation, to name a few…) but being able to share with our maid and her family, our laundry woman, the “tinapa” lady, my parents’ security guard/janitor/bagger/messenger friends. Yes, it is more blessed to give than to receive.

- My job. My friends reading this would probably say, “Finally!”. One friend even commented that she’s known me only 2 or 3 years, but have seen me go through 4 jobs. Hahaha! What can I say? Loyalty is over-rated, but this applies specifically in the realm of the corporate world. Besides, I’m a single mom, my kids and I can’t live on a measly paycheck. The longest I stayed with a company was 7 years! But after that, all my stints were two years or less. Whenever a better offer came along, go! Ok, enough justifying. Going back, my job makes me happy, period. Added bonus is that it’s the primary reason I can afford to do the items listed above.

Yes, there are many things to be happy about. Thank GOD. :)

"Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one's values". - Ayn Rand

My Favorite Things

2007-02-28T10:29:00.000-08:00

Leafing through Healthy Options' newsdigest for February, i read the publisher's page. Romy Sia came up with his list of "Twenty of my Favorite Things". Subtitle, "Life Really, really sucks without them!) :) So, decided to come up with my own list of favorite things, in no particular order of importance, but excluding the obvious entries, loved ones and good health:
1. travel
2. books
3. email (and the internet)
4. modern conveniences
5. good friends who you share a lot of history with
6. good food and drink (sweets/desserts deserve a special mention!) ;->
7. love
8. power naps
9. feel good movies
10. music
11. laughter
12. hugs and kisses
13. bonding with friends
14. hearing my sons' laughter
15. my sons telling me they love me
16. the beach
17. Miracle perfume
18. weekends/vacation
19. values (compassion, honesty, kindness)
20. spa (foot massage, back rubs, body massage...)

I could go on and on... But in keeping with my title, had to stop at 20. What a great exercise to lift up your spirit. So people, find pen and paper and write down your own 20 favorite things, and I assure you, you'll find yourself smiling after accomplishing this. :)

Speech 10: Heroes in our Midst

2007-02-23T07:24:00.000-08:00

Last night, i delivered my graduation speech at my TM club. Finally! :) It's the final speech project from the Basic Communication & Leadership manual. I got a ribbing from my TM friends as this speech has been long overdue. The last speech I delivered was October '06, four months ago, as my friends have kept reminding me. Hehehe... Anyhoo, i'm just happy that I have now achieved the norm of CC -- Competent Communicator. I'm happy, not only because I've reached my goal for this term, but also because my achievement will help our club in it's efforts to reach its goals, and that is to be awarded the President's Distinguished Club for this term. Still keeping our fingers crossed... :D

Below is the speech, which i've tweaked some more after my delivery, based on the evaluations I received. Hope you find it an inspiring read... :)

===================================

Heroes in our midst

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!

When you think about heroes, what immediately comes to mind? The comic-book heroes we all grew up watching? You know who I’m talking about… popular fictional superheroes like Batman and Superman, or the web-swinging Spiderman or the very pretty Wonder Woman? Or maybe Philippine heroes, like Jose Rizal, or Andres Bonifacio, who fought for our country?

Well, I had a different set of heroes in mind. Aside from those comic-book heroes and Philippine heroes, there are other less-known, but true-to-life heroes in our midst. You may think that heroes are few. Why? Because in this day and age it’s very rare that we hear about heroes. But I think heroes ARE everywhere! Do you agree? Good for you! You don’t?! Well, hopefully after hearing me out, you’ll agree as well.

Let me tell you why I believe heroes are everywhere. One such hero I recently heard about is Wesley Autrey. You probably heard about him as well. Last January 2, 2007, Wesley Autrey was at the NYC subway station with his two young daughters, waiting for the train to arrive. When one of the people at the platform, a student named Cameron Hollopeter, suddenly suffered a seizure, and fell onto the tracks. Imagine this… There was an oncoming train, and Wesley, a mere mortal and not blessed with superhuman strength, jumped onto the subway tracks, threw himself over Cameron’s body in a drainage trench between the tracks, and held him down (as he was still having a seizure). Two train cars passed over them, inches from their bodies, and close enough to leave grease on Wesley’s wool cap. WOW!

For his heroic act, Wesley Autrey has been hailed by the media as the "Subway Superman" and "The Hero of Harlem". And I agree! For what else can you call a person who risks his life to help a stranger?

Reading about Wesley, I was reminded of 2 Filipino youngsters, heroes in their own right, Aris Espinosa and Rona Mahilum.

Aris was a 13-year-old boy from Lanao del Norte. On January 30, 1994, a grenade on the ground was about to explode near some children. Aris quickly jumped and covered the grenade with his own body. The children were saved, thanks to the sacrifice of Aris!

In May 1996, Rona Mahilum, then only 8 years old, suffered third-degree burns when a fire broke out inside their house. Despite the pain, she rescued her five brothers and sisters, then tried to put out the fire with water from the nearby well. Amazing!

Let these people inspire us to be heroes ourselves. There’s a saying from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night – “Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” In the case of these 3 modern-day heroes, greatness was thrust upon them. Tragedies, actually, but which they used as opportunities to do great things. One was a fire, a grenade about to explode, and an oncoming train…

Not all of us, hopefully, will face the same situation. But I believe that all of us are given opportunities, although small, to do great things, and to be heroes ourselves. It was Mother Teresa who said, “Few of us can do great things, but all of us can do small things with great love…”

In the same way, when Wesley was asked to explain his actions, he replied, “it's just being able to be here and help the next person.”

To be here and help the next person… following that line of thinking, we can all be heroes. We, too, can achieve greatness. It’s so simple! In our own small way, by just being able to help another person, we too, can be heroes…

You know, one of the few parts of the nightly news that I eagerly wait for, is the “Good News”. It usually tells of ordinary employees or taxi drivers, finding wallets full of cash, then returning it to the rightful owners. Don’t you find that heroic? Imagine, these people who are in badly in need of money themselves, to go to the trouble of finding the owners and rightfully turning over the money that they found! I think that’s heroic!

A story that hits closer to home… I know of a family based in Negros. A simple family. The mom, a nurse with the local government, the Dad a retired employee. With 7 kids of their own, this couple still managed to adopt five (5) kids to care for and feed as their own. Why? Because they couldn’t accept that these kids would suffer from hunger. They wanted to ensure that these kids would grow up, live happy, normal lives, and hopefully, nurture others as they have been nurtured.

Heroic? I think so. Heroes ARE everywhere. This room, I believe, is already full of heroes… Like my friend who helps pay for the meds of Pauline, a young girl stricken with cancer. My other friend, who supports a local charity which helps send youngsters to school.

My parents, while we were growing up, taught us to be generous. And they practiced what they preached. They supported local charities (which we continue to do now) such as Goodwill, Unicef, Comboni Missionaries, and World Vision. Now that they’re in the US, they support such worthy causes as the Sixty-Five Roses (Cystic Fibrosis Foundation), PVA (Paralyzed Veterans of America), Easter Seals, etc. They also still continue to send money to their friends here in the Philippines, the messengers and janitors who lovingly call them “Daddy Eli and Mommy Vener”. I remember my Mom and Dad always telling us to give to those who cannot afford to pay us back for our gifts. For them, helping others was a personal undertaking for which they were rewarded by a special inner peace and satisfaction.

The world NEEDS more heroes. And all of us here, CAN be heroes! Our purpose should be to enrich the amount of goodness in the world, by doing good deeds, performing acts of kindness, and taking care of others. May we all strive to be heroes. It’s so simple! All it takes is to make a difference in at least one person’s life! And I believe a true hero is not measured by his strength, but by the strength of his heart.

In closing, let me repeat what Mother Teresa said, “Few of us can do great things, but all of us can do small things with great love…”

Good evening.

Single moms and dating: What do men think?

2007-02-13T07:02:00.000-08:00

Did the title catch your eye? Certainly did mine. Yep, it's an article i just read on yahoo personals. hehehe... yeah, since it's Valentine's and all, just thought it would an apt article to share with you. And my comment to the article? I AGREE! Not that i'm looking, ehem... 'nuff said. ;->

==========================
http://personals.yahoo.com/us/static/single-mom_guys

Single moms and dating: What do men think?

Yahoo! Personals polled single men among our Real People, asking why single moms make great dates, better potential mates, and are super sexy!

Here's what Raymond, David, Morgan, Deshae, Will and Ed gave as their top reasons to date a single mom.

1. You already know they're strong because they have to handle the responsibilities of single parenthood.

2. There is nothing like a mother. She is a woman that is responsible and focused on life. She knows what she wants out of life and will not sacrifice the happiness of her child for just any man. So, if she decides to date you, feel lucky.

3. Single moms know what they are looking for and are independent. Any man or woman can appreciate dating someone who has confidence in themselves. Face it, great moms are sexy!

4. A single mom isn't just filling time dating - she's had to make a choice to do something for herself while fulfilling the full-time responsibility of being a mom. For a man seeking a real and lasting relationship, this is ideal.

5. They appreciate quality not quantity of time. It isn't always an option to see someone everyday, so making sure the time together is of value is important.

6. Single moms are more open to long-term relationships. For single dads that are also looking for a romantic relationship, it is ideal to date someone with the same end goals.

7. They're done being a "party girl" and tend to be more selective and thoughtful in their approach to dating. With single moms, we know our romantic relationship is valued and not just part of a series of meaningless dates or something that stems from the fear of being alone.

8. You get to see how they relate to their children and how they relate to people they love. And for single dads looking for their own "play date," this also provides insight on how she might interact with our kids and her attitude about important life issues.

9. Single moms enjoy their time out more and can appreciate a simpler evening of just spending time together. People with a fun, positive attitude and outlook are always more fun to date.

10. They realize what it costs to raise a family - and don't require flashy dates. They are impressed more by substance than a big price tag both in dating and in life.

Extra bonus reason: They make great Mac-n-Cheese!

Never lie...

2006-12-26T21:41:00.000-08:00

Just finished watching "HITCH" (again!). I just love this quote from that movie...

"Never lie, steal, cheat, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love. If you must steal, steal away from bad company. If you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away."

Awwww...

"The Etiquette of Regifting" by Emily Brandon

2006-12-18T09:02:00.000-08:00

From one admitted regifter to another... :)

=======================
U.S.News & World Report

The Etiquette of Regifting
By Emily Brandon

Everyone loves opening a perfectly wrapped package with a shiny bow. But sometimes once you open that gift, it's not exactly what you expected-or even something you want. And after you feign excitement for the obligatory amount of time, what do you do with it? Well, if you're like most Americans, you regift or pass the less-than-stellar present on to someone else who might enjoy it more. A recent Tassimo survey found that a whopping 78 percent of Americans feel that it is acceptable to regift some or most of the time.

So, if you are going to regift this year, here is how to do it right.

Make sure the recipient will like it. Most people who regift do so because the gift is perfect for someone else (77 percent), which is what gift giving is all about. "You don't want the recipient to have any feeling at all that you are giving them the castoff," says Peggy Post, etiquette expert and author of Excuse Me, But I Was Next. "At the bottom of all this, it's all about being respectful and considerate." Post is an admitted regifter. In one instance she received two copies of the same book and gave one unwrapped copy to her mother-in-law after explaining the entire situation. It's also acceptable to regift when you are absolutely certain the recipient would like to have that gift, Post says.

Regift to different social circles. If you're going to regift, you need to do it outside of the social circle where you originally received the gift. Some 29 percent of regift recipients recognized the regift because they were present when the gift was first given. "If you were given something by someone in your church group, give it to someone in your school group," says Marsha Collier, a Los Angles-based eBay expert and admitted regifter. "Always send out a thank you note right away and put a Post-it on it so you don't regive it to the same circle of friends."

Make sure it's new. Leon Foerster, an insurance agent in Ripon, Wis., recalls receiving an 8-track player full of cobwebs as a wedding gift-a sure tip-off something is not new. Post recommends you don't regift anything that does not come with its original packaging and instructions. The least you can do is rewrap the gift and put a fresh card on it. A full 16 percent of regifters were spotted because the gift tag had the wrong name on it, Tassimo found. You never want to give away a gift the original giver took great care to select, Post says, such as a homemade sweater or scarf. You should also hold on to handmade and one-of-a kind items. The most common regifted items, Tassimo found, are decorative household knickknacks like vases, paintings, and picture frames.

You can also resell. "One year my daughter was given a Mickey Mouse lamp by a relative who didn't realize she was too old for a Mickey Mouse lamp," says Collier. Her solution: Sell it on eBay. "When we're opening gifts for the holiday there is the eBay pile," says Collier, who usually lists six to eight unwanted Christmas gifts for sale on Christmas Day. "The whole point of someone giving you a gift is to make you happy," she says. "If the gift doesn't make you happy why not sell it on eBay so you can get something that will really make you happy." Only your user ID is visible when you sell something online and eBay also allows you to donate any percentage of the sale to a charity of your choice.

Gift cards are regifted too. Thirty percent of people have regifted gift cards or gift certificates, Tassimo found. Alternatively, you could sell, albeit at a discount, or swap your gift card for a different store on swapagift.com for a $3.99 listing fee, regardless of the amount on the card. "Sellers can turn their gift cards into cash," says Michael Kelly, the president and chief operating officer of the Langhorne, Pa.-based company. "Swappers can trade them for cards they really want."

Laughter is the greatest gift of all. A new website, www.regiftable.com, created by the Houston-based nonprofit organization Money Management International, provides a forum for sharing regifting experiences, which range from horrifying to hilarious. One poster, Jennifer Aither, an insurance agent in Ripon, Wis., has a family tradition of regifting. For nearly 20 years a peanut butter maker has been passed off as a gift at weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays. Aither has it now, but she plans to pass it along to a cousin at an upcoming baby shower. "It's become a huge joke," Aither says. "It was so obvious to me that it was a regift that I had to laugh. It's so tacky, it's funny."

La Mesa Ecopark

2006-12-14T12:17:00.000-08:00

Another worthy cause...

================

From the website of the La Mesa Ecopark...

Our water, our life ...

12 million people in Metro Manila depend on the La Mesa reservoir for water.

Please help keep it safe and clean.

Add your voice to the campaign to preserve the La Mesa Watershed. Join the signature campaign asking the government TO DECLARE LA MESA WATERSHED A PROTECTED AREA.

By signing the petition, you are opposing the privatization of the 59- hectare portion of the La Mesa Reservoir, wherein a housing project will be built, thus endangering the integrity of Metro Manila’s water supply. Join various organization in the La Mesa Coalition in asking the government to exhaust all means to find a just solution to the rights of the awardees/ claimants of the 59-hectare land, without prejudicing the rights of 12 million Metro Manila residents to clean water.

Sign the petition! Go to http://www.lamesaecopark.com/

World AIDS Day 2006

2006-11-29T06:30:00.000-08:00

2 days away from World AIDS day. So check this out.

Get the Virtual Red Ribbon!

Show your support for World AIDS Day by wearing the Virtual Red Ribbon online. We are aiming for 7,000 websites to wear the Virtual Red Ribbon by 1 December 2006.
Having the Virtual Red Ribbon on your site will link visitors to this site where they too can find ideas to take action in World AIDS Day.

http://www.worldaidsday.org/support_virtual_red_ribbon.asp

Enchanted Kingdom

2006-11-20T15:03:00.000-08:00

The magic is here..
...Enchanted Kingdom!

It’s been 2 days since we’ve been at Enchanted Kingdom but funny how I can still hear that EK jingle playing in my head. LSS. Last song syndrome, but definitely a ‘milder’ case since it hasn’t been playing that often in my head anyway… but still..

Funnier still, but I’m not irritated hearing that song playing in my head. Instead, it brings a smile to my face recalling the fun the kids, friends and I had just last weekend.

It was a great idea cooked up by dear friend Ben, as a surprise for Pink. Who else tagged along? Jon, Neil, the kids of course! and me.

We arrived at EK waaaay after lunch, mainly because we really planned to stay until the fireworks display at 9 pm. EK was packed! As soon as we entered the parking lot, and saw a number of buses, we were pretty sure that there'd be looooong lines at all the rides. And right we were. Inside were loads of high school students! Aaargh. And just a thought. Why is it that these kids get to go to an amusement park for their field trip?!? The field trips we had when we were in high school were always to either a museum or a historical place. But an amusement park?! Halleur... Oh well, forgive the rant. Anyway, another disadvantage of having soooo many students at the park was that they were rowdy! but then again, there were times when our group was rowdier! A case of oldies acting like kids! Hahaha! :D

EK was great! What better way to bond with my kids, than to cover each other’s faces while watching “Escape from Bane Manor” at the 4D Discovery Theatre...Hearing Patrick repeatedly saying, “This is awesome” while watching Hanna Barbera cartoons at the Rialto... Or holding hands while riding “Flying Fiesta” and “Roller Skater”, and screaming while on “Anchors Away” and "Jungle Log Jam" … hahahaha… :D

Those memories are priceless! Really, it was such fun! Fun that we haven’t shared in a long time. And fun, we will definitely do again, hopefully soon! Now if that fee was just a teensy bit lower …

Sunday cook

2006-11-19T14:53:00.000-08:00

Yes, I have now been relegated to “Sunday cook” status. Definitely can’t find the time to slave away at the stove any other day during the week. Cooking is a respite from the week’s blah blahs of work and routine, and this Sunday was no different. Woke up hankering for Mom’s good old cooking, and this time decided on one of my all-time favorites, Arroz Valenciana. Take note, one of my all-time favorites to EAT, not to cook. Because for one, it’s something I haven’t tried cooking before. But then what the heck! That hasn’t stopped me before.

I remember the saying, “If you like flowers, then plant your own garden”. My Dad (who also happens to be a great cook) would always say, “If you love to eat, then you better learn how to cook”. Following that line of thinking, I decided this was the perfect time to try to copy my mom’s arroz valenciana. So with trusty cookbook in hand, I opened the ref, checked our cupboards and arranged the ingredients. I’ve never been the type to follow a recipe strictly, so started pulling out the ingredients, plus some extras. Items not necessarily included in the recipe, but that I KNEW would go well with the dish. Red bell peppers, crushed fresh garlic, chopped onions, mushroom, olive oil, chicken, bacon (instead of ham), chorizo, green peas, broth, grated cheese, rice, tomato sauce, hot sauce, pepper, salt, boiled egg… hmmm… that seems to be everything…

An hour or so slaving away in the kitchen is not really my idea of a good time, but surprisingly, the hour goes by so fast. I feel like a virtuoso creating my masterpiece, a little of this, a little of that, until MUY PERFECTO! Here’s the finished product. (pic to follow)…

It smelled terrific. I can imagine the neighbors’ noses, twitching at the smell wafting in the compound. Torture! Hehe... ;->

Speech : Aftermath of the Storm

2006-10-13T06:14:00.000-07:00

This is my speech project #9, which delivered at my TM club last night (10/12/06).

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Speech : Aftermath of the Storm

Do you remember this?
(Show pics …)

These pictures were taken two weeks ago when typhoon "Milenyo" (international name: “Xangsane”) hit the Philippines.

Milenyo shuts down Metro
Typhoon batters Metro Manila, Bicol
Strongest typhoon in 11 years
3 more weeks before full power

Stories, and more sad stories... :( I’m sure everyone here has heard or read of some sad stories related to the storm, but you know, the stories hit closer to home when it affects people we know.

Two friends of mine are originally from Bicol, and they still have family there. Of one friend, part of their roof covering their living room, was blown off during the height of the storm. The other friend? The only thing left of their home after the storm, was the floor! His mom, is still probably reeling, and crying her eyes out from losing their ancestral home. And understandably so.

Our laundry lady also had a sad story to tell. She tearfully related to me that her family doesn’t have a home anymore, as it was blown away by the typhoon. Right now, she and her 3 kids are living in the garage of another home, and saving up money to buy materials to build a new home.

While all this was playing out in the real world, I was in bed reading a book. My kids were downstairs playing board games, and when electricity went out, and the wind was howling so eerily and loudly, I decided to go downstairs and cuddle (take note, cuddle and NOT huddle) with my kids. It was like a vacation for us! Not having a radio, we knew little of the havoc typhoon "Milenyo" was unleashing that very moment. It was only much later, while watching the nightly news did we see the damage wrought on so many areas, that we truly realized how lucky we were...

We heard stories about people whose homes were damaged, people getting hurt, but what hurt most to hear, were how people died, or LOST their homes or loved ones…

If anything, what did this storm teach us?

First, it taught us that DISASTERS happen… Whether you live in the posh villages of Makati, or in the shanties around Metro Manila, disasters do happen, and CAN affect each one of us.

Second, it taught us that it pays to prepare. The time to fix that leaky roof was not during the storm but before the storm! You don’t go to the grocery to buy candles or flashlights during the blackout, do you?

Then lastly, it taught us that we need to move on after we are hit, no matter what the damage, because as they say, LIFE GOES ON…

And speaking of LIFE, natural disasters are not the only STORMS that we need to weather in life! Because aside from disasters wrought by nature, there are disasters wrought by emotional trials, such as illness, accident, loss.. All of which are results of living in an imperfect, broken world. Sooner or later, illness, accidents OR loss eventually touch our lives. These are the STORMS that we can NEVER really prepare for…

So what do we do when faced with emotional trials or storms? Personally, I feel that it is important to remember 3 things…

FIRST - When disaster knocks at your door, vent your grief. Man, woman, child, we all should let go of the thinking that crying is a sign of weakness. It is no secret that men compared to women, are prone to bottle feelings up and refuse to cry even when faced with the worst of situations. BUT tears wash the bitterness from within. They purge deep feelings of resentment from the walls of our hearts. So, yes, it is okay to cry.

SECOND - Refuse to be bitter. Stand up, brush the negativity off, pick up the pieces, and move on… I know that’s easier said than done. But remember the saying, whatever doesn’t kill us, will only make us stronger.

THIRD - Rely upon the Lord to be your strength. Nahum Chapter 1, Verse 7 states, “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him”. Another one of my favorite quotes is, “If GOD brings us to it, HE will bring us through it”. Truly, FAITH and prayer helps.

There's probably nothing that will prepare us for personal tragedies. But know and accept that these emotional storms caused by failures OR loss, can happen to anyone, at any time. We need to be strong enough to withstand them not just for ourselves, but for the sake of other people who care for us, and who rely on us. Knowing that should give us the necessary foundation to withstand ANY storm – whether brought on my nature, or by personal tragedy.

Remember, how we handle ourselves in the worst of situations will determine if the lives we lead is one of bitterness, or acceptance.

Good evening.

10 ways to become a better Blogger

2006-10-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

I was checking my emails, and found this email from Sonnie Santos, whose blog "Sonnie’s Porch" featured an article on how to become a better blogger, and using blogs to your advantage. The original article is from Tech Republic (http://techrepublic.com.com/), and written by Deb Shinder. I know all bloggers can learn a lot from this article. Thanks for sharing this, Sonnie! :)

Very interesting read. Check it out:

10 WAYS TO BECOME A BETTER BLOGGER
by Deb Shinder

If nobody bothers to read your blog posts, you might as well just scribble your thoughts on a cocktail napkin. But if you truly want to share your ideas and opinions, check out these pointers for crafting an engaging blog and building a loyal following.

The Internet made it possible for anyone to publish content to a worldwide audience. The Web log, or blog format, has made it easier and more convenient. But all blogs are not created equal. Some draw an eager following and others languish in obscurity. Regardless of your reason for blogging, you can make your blog better, more readable and–if it’s what you want–more popular.

1: Define your purpose
The first step in creating a better blog is to ask yourself why you’re blogging. What’s the purpose of your blog? An important element in defining your purpose is to know your audience. That will help you determine the voice and writing style that’s appropriate for those you’re addressing.In keeping with your blog’s purpose, you should have a defined theme.

2: Create visual appeal
Content isn’t the only thing that matters. Your blog site should also be visually appealing, or at least visually neutral. You don’t want to scare away prospective readers or have them leave in frustration because the page is distracting or unreadable.

3: Use the proper tools
You can create a blog using any WYSIWYG HTML editor, such as FrontPage (soon to be replaced by Microsoft Expression Web Designer), Macromedia Dreamweaver, or the Amaya open source editor endorsed by W3C. You can even use a text editor like Notepad to compose the HTML code.However, blogging is made much easier, faster, and more convenient if you use a dedicated blogging program or the features of a blogging Web site that lets you compose posts in the Web browser or via e-mail.

4: Make it easy to navigate
If you’re designing your blog site from scratch, it’s important to make it easy for readers to get around and do what they want to do. For instance, if you’re using comments and RSS feeds, make sure it’s clear to readers how to post a comment or subscribe to the feed. You should also make it easy for readers to find past posts. Make sure archives are organized logically–not just in chronological order but in categories to make it easier to find particular posts.

5: Stay in one place
Many bloggers experiment with different blog hosting sites and/or with hosting their own sites, especially early on in their blogging experience. It may take you awhile to find the best setup, but try to do so as soon as possible and then stay in one place so your readers can find you. Moving around to different URLs too often is sure to lose you some readers. If you have an established blog and it’s necessary to move it to a different address, try to publish a last post on the old blog that points readers to the new blog and leave it up as long as possible.

6: Engage your readers
Perhaps the most important factor in attracting and keep readers is establishing a relationship with them. Even interesting content is rendered less interesting if we don’t know who’s talking (writing) to us. Tell your readers who you are and something about yourself. In some cases you may not even want to reveal your real name; give readers a pseudonym by which to identify you and tell them generalities about yourself that will lend you credibility without blowing your cover.

Engaging readers involves winning their trust and thinking of the reader first. If you make claims, back them up with cites and links. If possible, don’t link to sites that require a subscription or even free registration (or if you must, warn readers).

7: Establish a blogging schedule
Blog readers are a fickle bunch. Once you’ve drawn an audience, they expect to find new content when they visit your blog. You should establish a minimum blogging schedule and stick to it. Let readers know, preferably in a static text box at the top of your blog page, that you will update the blog daily, weekly, on Mondays and Fridays, or whatever. Do it–even if some of your posts aren’t particular profound or long. Readers will abandon your blog if they think you’ve abandoned them.
If you need to deviate from your schedule, let readers know that you won’t be posting at the regular time and give them an idea of when you’ll be back.

8: Keep it concise
Speaking of posts that aren’t particularly profound or long, don’t think you have to wait until you have something brilliant to say before you post. In truth, most readers have short attention spans and/or crowded schedules themselves and would prefer to read a short, pithy post rather than a long, complex one.

9: Proofread before publishing
It’s difficult to catch mistakes in your own writing, because you tend to fill in what you thought you typed, rather than see what’s really there. This is particularly true immediately after writing. If possible, have someone else proofread your post before you publish it. Otherwise, let it “cool off” for an hour or a day so you can approach it with a more objective proofreader’s eye.

10: Go syndicate yourself
You don’t have to wait for readers to come to your blog every day or every week. Instead, you can take your blog to them. Use RSS to feed your new blog posts to readers who sign up. This makes it easier for your readers, who don’t have to remember to visit your blog Web site to check for new posts–and whatever makes it easier for readers is good for authors. You can syndicate just your post titles, short summaries, or entire posts.

Source: TechRepublic
http://techrepublic.com.com/

to check out sonnie's blog, go to: http://tinyurl. com/gldpk
In his own words, these are the “thoughts of a young professional on corporate life and the peripherals that affect work-life balance”

Aftermath of the storm

2006-10-01T00:17:00.000-07:00

Did you see these?

(Pictures from INQ7’s site: http://www.inq7.net/specialfeatures/milenyo/images.php#)

These pictures were taken last September 28, 2006, when typhoon "Milenyo" (international name: “Xangsane”) hit the Philippines. :(

" Billions of pesos in crops destroyed " ...
" Millions still have no power and water " ...
" 'Milenyo’ death toll nears 200 in Philippines " ...
" ‘Milenyo’ causes P300M damage to Eastern Visayas " ...

Stories, and more sad stories... :(
Two friends of mine are originally from Bicol, and they still have family there. Of one friend, part of their roof covering their sala, was blown off during the height of the storm. The other friend? The only thing left of their home after the storm, was the floor! His mom, is still probably reeling, and crying her eyes out from losing their ancestral home. And who could blame her? Our laundry lady who lives in Taytay tearfully related that she doesn’t have a house anymore. They lived near the flood way, and her small home was literally blown away. Right now, they are living in the garage of another home, and saving up money to buy materials to rebuild their home.

We heard stories about people whose homes were damaged, people getting hurt, but what hurt most to hear, were how people lost their homes, and how many others lost their family, their lives…

While all this was playing out in the real world, I was in bed reading a book. My kids were downstairs playing board games, and when electricity went out, and the wind was howling so eerily and loudly, I decided to go downstairs and cuddle (take note, cuddle and NOT huddle) with my kids. It was like a vacation for us! Not having a radio, we knew little of what havoc typhoon "Milenyo" was unleashing that very moment. It was only in that's nights news did we see the damage wrought on so many areas, that we truly realized how lucky we were...

It’s been YEARS since work in private companies were suspended. Imagine, signal #3 in Metro Manila! The whole day, we could hear the wind howling, the rain hitting the windows, the sound of wind hitting the yero of the roof, as if the roof would be blown off, then suddenly at 4pm, it stopped. That suddenly! There was no more howling wind, and in an instant, electricity was restored in our area. Little did I know then that we were part of a very small minority of Metro Manila residents with electricity. Friends who lived in Novaliches, Fairview, Pasay, Makati, San Juan, Parañaque had to suffer a few more days without electricity. In some unluckier areas, full power will be restored in 3 weeks! THREE WEEKS?!?! Tsk tsk tsk…

What did the super typhoon teach us? That we should nowhere be in the vicinity of giant billboards?! Yes, and no… It taught us that we should prepare. Prepare how? The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the US (http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/thunderstorms.shtm) suggests that we take the following protective measures BEFORE a thunderstorm:
• Develop an emergency plan.
• Collect and assemble disaster supplies kit (bottled water, first aid kit, etc.)
• Learn where to seek shelter from all types of hazards.
• Remove dead or rotting trees and branches that could fall and cause injury or damage during a severe thunderstorm.
• Remember the 30/30 lightning safety rule: Go indoors if, after seeing lightning, you cannot count to 30 before hearing thunder. Stay indoors for 30 minutes after hearing the last clap of thunder.

Of course, other tips are more common sense:
• Stay indoors. (This is not the time to go to Megamall to shop, Grace!)
• Prepare by ensuring that our houses are safe (no loose glass/windows, etc.) that could be blown away and hurt someone
• Ensure that we have enough food (canned goods, non-perishables) to tide us until the storm is over
• Keep flashlights, emergency lights, batteries, candles and matches ready in case of a power outage. Keep a battery-operated AM radio handy to keep you updated on the thunderstorm

Hopefully, when we all take steps to prepare for such storms, then we will not be victims of Mother Nature's wrath. That, and maybe legistrators will seriously consider banning giant billboards along our highways...

Another super typhoon is coming!!! Are YOU ready?

Desperate Housewives

2006-09-10T21:02:00.000-07:00

Just finished watching the 2nd season of "Desperate Housewives" on DVD, and was reminded of these nuggets:

- "Good friends offer to help each other. Great friends don't take no for an answer."

-"Good friends avoid each other after they've been humiliated. Great friends pretend nothing happened in the first place."

In case you're wondering... these words were exchanged between Gabrielle and Bree.

Edie, who I find amusing (although deceitful, conniving and somewhat 'evil'), said this, "Never mix pleasure with commitment." Hahahaha!!!! :D

The Perfect Sunday

2006-07-30T15:37:00.000-07:00

The day starts with me waking up late (9:30 a.m. late enough?), ordering McDonalds’ pancakes & hash browns for breakfast (kids’ request!), experimenting by cooking a new dish for lunch (lots of veggies!) then after lunch, with the kids napping on the couch, me alternating between sitting on the couch sipping hot tea and watching TV (my favorite channel being Discovery Travel and Living), and sitting in front of the PC typing away! Gosh, how long has it been since I last posted on my blog?!?! I’ve been saying it so often to friends that I so HATE not being able to blog. And now this rainy, Sunday afternoon, I finally get a chance to update my blog! Hooray!

But finding something worthy to blog about is something else… So let me just think of all the things I haven’t been able to blog about and write excerpts here:

1. Reunions, and more reunions with HS friends and relatives (January and April)
2. CCP sojourns ("Light a Million Mornings" featuring the Loboc Childrens’ Choir & the Pundaquit Virtuosi, guests Cris Villonco, Coke Bolipata, Julian Quirit & Eliza Quirit; PPO's 22nd season with conductor Eugene Castillo; and watching the hysterically FUNNY "Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal" last February 18, 2006. The musical stars Eula Valdes, Tuxs Rustaquio, Ricci Chan, and a mega cast of talented actors). And after watching Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah, just had to pose with some of the cast members for pictures. Luckily, was also able to have my copy of the book signed by Carlo Vergara! The pics are in my friendster. hehehe...
3. Patrick’s 6th birthday (March 18) and graduation (April 3). My baby an honor student, mind you! And yes, i'm a very proud mommy.
4. Diary of my Boracay trip with the kids, and my friend JC (end of March)
5. Spending the weekend in Batangas, and Tagaytay Highlands. Ang pamilyang layas, BOW! (April 29 to May 1).
6. Turning a year older last June (yada-yada-yada... ) ;->
7. Cebu-Bohol trip with HS friends (June 30 – July 2). A FIRST!
8. “Trying” to be vegetarian and succeeded in swearing off meat but only for 5 days! Am so disappointed. Gosh, this is going to be more difficult than I thought. Oh well, at least garden salad for lunch is still a regular thing for me. Gotta try harder.
9. A new job, perhaps? ;->
10. My blog turning 2 years old this August 5! (GOSH! You know, I actually thought my blog was just a year old, but I checked the archives, and yes, I’ve been blogging since August 2004! 2 years gone by. Time flew by so fast. Got a chance to read my very first few posts, and will do some more reading in a few minutes. Nothing like reading, and reminiscing this drab, rainy afternoon...)

So those were just excerpts. Definitely, once I find the time (blah blah blah…) I’ll blog, blog, and blog away! Expect more from me soon!

Island of my dreams

2006-05-11T07:44:00.000-07:00

This is my speech project #7, for "Research your Topic". I delivered this at my TM club last night.

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Imagine this… clear and cool, blue waves gently lapping on powdery white sand. The warm sun peering through near cloudless skies. The perfect picture of calm. And you, standing waist deep in the ocean, and being able to see not just your feet, but fishes of all different colors glistening in the sun!

I used to think this was the stuff of fairy tales and dreams… but for 4 glorious days and nights last March, I actually lived my dream! And I still have the tan to prove it! ;-> The dream island actually exists, and lucky for us Filipinos, it is right here on our shores. What dream island am I talking about? Nothing else, but the world-famous Boracay island.

This is the place which elicited "ooohhhs" and "aaahhhs" from my kids! Imagine, not once did I hear them say, “Mommy, I’m bored”. Instead I heard them say: “This is great!” OR “Mommy! This is awesome” And last but certainly not the least, “Mommy, can we live here in Boracay?” Hahaha! My kids had so much fun in Boracay that they didn’t want to leave. And I can’t say I can blame them coz I wanted to stay there myself!

Tonight I want to share with you some info about this tropical paradise, where it is, how to get there, and what to do once you’re there! Basically, a guide for all first-time visitors to Boracay…

Where IS Boracay? Boracay is a dumbbell-shaped 7-kilometer speck off the northwest corner of Panay Island, in the Visayas island group of Central Philippines. The famous White Beach is its central destination, stretching for 3.5 kilometers on the west side of the “handle” of the dumbbell. A dazzling expanse of “talcum-fine” white sand, it is considered by travel connoisseurs as the world’s best tropical beach.

Central Boracay is informally divided into three sections around the three drop-off points along White Beach. These are known as Boat Stations 1, 2 & 3.

How to get there? For us Manila-based mortals, we actually have 2 options… to go by air and fly direct to Caticlan, or via Kalibo. If you take Kalibo, it’s just an hour and a half trip via bus to Caticlan, then a short ferry ride to the white sand beaches of Boracay. 2nd option is via the land/sea route and get to boracay using the RORO (fyi, RORO means roll-on, roll-off). Of course, if money is not an issue, then I suggest you fly direct to Caticlan, and be in Boracay in less than an hour! From Caticlan, you disembark at the Boat Station nearest your resort.

Boracay is both the tropical dream, and party animal’s paradise…So before you go there, decide if you want to commune with nature, or party! The hippest, "party"-est places are in Boat Stations 1 and 2, while Station 3 is relatively quieter.

Boracay is commercialized, and really a “tourist” spot. Where else can you find children going around the beach offering their service of braiding your hair in corn rows for 300 pesos! Where else can you be snorkelling in the middle of the ocean, and find vendors hawking ice cream and fresh buco juice! :D But as commercialized as it is, Boracay’s natural beauty still shines through.

All throughout the year, there are loads of people at White Beach, so if you’re like me who prefers the quiet, "deserted-island" feel, then head to Puka Beach, where there are NO crowds, the beach is cleaner, the sand just as white, but with corals and tiny, pretty rocks at your feet. You can also go up Mt. Luho, the island’s highest peak, to enjoy the beautiful view.

What else is there to do in Boracay? Go island hopping. Famous tourist spots are Crystal Cove Island where the adventure is to go down into the different crystal caves and splash in the cold, cold waters inside the caves. There’s also Crocodile Island, aptly named such, as the shape of the island from afar is in the shape of the crocodile. This is where a lot of tourists go snorkelling, and try to find nemo. Or as in the case of my kids, to feed different-colored fishes with bread right from their hands, and wherein they saw starfish the color of deep blue.

Try everything Boracay has to offer, whether it be scuba-diving, snorkelling, para-sailing, or riding a glass bottom boat, or a banana boat…

Really, there are so many things to do and see in Boracay. Still so many tips but not much time to say it! So let me leave you with the most important tip. And that is to befriend the locals! You get the best deals, the best service, plus, they’ll tell you the best places to go!

And before I end, remember, what should be every traveler’s credo:
Take Nothing but Pictures.
Leave nothing but footprints.
Kill nothing but time.

Good evening…

The Wedge of Discouragement

2006-05-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

The Wedge of Discouragement
by Tom Venuto
===============================

One day the devil was having a sale, hawking his many diabolical tools of the trade. On display, with their price tags attached, were all the devil's tools and weapons: the arrows of jealousy, the hammer of anger, the dagger of worry, the slingshot of doubt, the axe of hatred and numerous others.

But one tool stood out above them all. Displayed prominently on a pedestal high above the rest of his wares was showcased, "The Wedge of Discouragement."

Intrigued by this little tool, which was dented and worn with use, a curious shopper inquired about the high price, because the wedge cost more than all the other tools
combined.

"Ah yes," said the devil, "THAT is my favorite tool of all. You see, it's so easy to use. It hardly takes any effort. All I have to do is get the very tip of the wedge into my victim and the rest is easy. Once the wedge is in, I just tap it ever so slightly and it slides in deeper and deeper.

"Sometimes I don't have to do anything - my victims push the wedge in deeper all by themselves! A small opening soon becomes a gaping crack, making room for the rest of my tools. Before you know it, my wedge has completely split a person's dreams, hopes and aspirations in two."

"That's why the wedge of discouragement commands such a high price - because it's my most effective tool. It has opened more doors for me than all my other tools combined."

The moral of this story is obvious and so true, isn't it? The smallest bit of discouragement can split your dreams apart - IF you let it.

Negative experience with Sea Air

2006-05-03T17:38:00.000-07:00

I sent out this email to Mr. Mark Hilario and the Sales Department of Sea Air last April 18. This was actually the 2nd time I wrote to them, the first time being April 7, just a few days after we got back from Boracay. But up to now, there has been no reply to any of my email messages. (After waiting almost a month, decided to send this out to my network of friends, and egroups...)

=============================================
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 00:41:45 -0700 (PDT)
From: Sheila
Subject: Re: Experience with Sea Air
To: mhilario@flyseair.com, sales@flyseair.com

07 April 2006

Mr. Mark Hilario
Sales Manager
Sea Air

Dear Mr. Hilario:

I am writing to relate to you my experience flying with your airlines. Last March 29, 2006 (Wednesday), my friend and I, with my 2 young sons, were scheduled to take Sea Air Flight # dg038, from Caticlan to Manila.

We arrived at Caticlan around 2:30 p.m., for the 4:35 p.m. flight. Upon check-in, we were asked by the ground stewardess if we would like to take the earlier flight, scheduled for 3:15 p.m.. She then informed us that for the earlier flight, we would be taking the 19-seater aircraft.

Although we had no prior experience flying in a smaller aircraft, we had no qualms about it, so we agreed.

Upon boarding the plane, we were informed by the steward that the flight would take an hour and 5 minutes. Initially, I didn’t mind the longer flight, but I thought that the ground stewardess should have informed us about this, since she knew that we were scheduled to take the 32-seater plane (which only takes 35 minutes to fly from Caticlan to Manila). Strike 1.

Thirty minutes into the flight, my youngest son (6 years old) needed to use the toilet. So we proceeded to the back of the plane, and found out that there was NO toilet. So we had to make do, and I made him ‘pee’ in the motion sickness bag. Strike 2.

Since this was a longer flight, we expected that snacks would be served, since we knew that on the 35-minute flight, light snacks were served. Wrong! No snacks, not even water, was served during the flight. Strike 3.

It was also so hot inside the plane all throughout the flight, that my kids constantly complained and I had to fan them with the inflight magazine. (Should I even say “strike 4”?)

Upon reaching Manila, I related my experience to the ground stewardess. And though she ‘seemed’ concerned, she did not take note of my complaint. She did not make any effort to take down my name, or write down my complaint. She only said that she will inform her supervisor, which I seriously doubted.

As I mentioned to the ground stewardess in Manila, the ground stewardess in Caticlan should have explained clearly what we should have expected flying in a smaller plane. As adults, my companion and I would not have minded the inconveniences. But since I had two young children with me, these information (no toilet, no snacks, longer flight, etc.) would have been vital. And clearly, had I known these, we probably would have opted to wait for our flight on the 32-seater plane, rather than take the earlier flight. And to think that the same fare is charged whether we take the 32-seater or the 19-seater! What gives?!?!

I was really quite disappointed with this experience with Sea Air and I would think twice before flying with your airlines again. I also would hesitate to recommend Sea Air to any of my friends who are planning to go to Boracay.

In the future, you should consider incorporating Customer Service Skills/Excellence, in your training and orientation for your stewards/stewardesses.

Signed,

Open letter to an AH*

2006-04-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

Oiginally written in 2001. No explanations needed.

=================================
Open letter to an abusive husband

To my husband (former best friend and now-tormentor),

While I’m writing this, I still can’t believe what has happened in my life. When I married you, this is not at all what I thought married life would be. Being together for almost ten years, I felt confident that there wouldn’t be any more surprises. There was a time when we could both say that we were both truly happy and in love. And I felt lucky then that I married the man of my dreams. Being young and so in love, we had lofty dreams and could only expect that our happiness would be for forever. But that seems so long ago now.

Whatever happened to the wonderful, loving man I married? I thought you were the man of my dreams. Turns out now, you’re the man of my nightmares. Being married to you wasn’t always like this. I remember the first time you ever hit me was when we had a major fight 2 years into our marriage. And I thought that was going to be the worst of it. But now, although our fights have been few and far between, I still can’t imagine that you would EVER hit me again. But what hurts more than the physical pain, is the emotional pain of the abuse you inflict. The lies, the betrayal are all just too much. I trusted you, and yet you trampled on that trust and continued to live the life of a bachelor…

I still can’t believe that this is happening to me … to us. I can’t decide which hurts more… the physical pain or the emotional abuse. Are your infidelities your way of getting back at me, to show me that you are still “man of the house”, the “head of the family”? Do you really feel so insecure that you need to hurt me this way? Whenever we fight.. correction, whenever you start and pick a fight, it’s as if you take out on me all your frustrations with your business, and your career. Success has eluded you, and although before I felt that you were genuinely happy for me and for my own small successes, I also saw envy in your eyes. Does it make you feel better about yourself that you’re stronger than me (physically)? That you can make me cry?

Now, you have reached the limit of my patience. The last time you hit me, I guess it surprised you when I hit back. Harder. And with fire in my eyes. Though you’ve always known me to be a fighter, I know that you expected me to back down and let you dominate me. I’m frustrated, sick and tired. Sick and tired of this hoax we call our marriage. I wish I didn’t feel this way about you. For one, I still do love you. And I took to heart the oath “in richer and in poorer, in sickness and in health” when I married you. But now, I feel as if I shouldn’t be bound by this oath when you are the first one to violate it.

Where would you be without me? Did you ever stop to think about that? You probably don’t (or can’t) imagine that I would ever leave you. But believe me, the thought has crossed my mind countless times. And when I daydream of a life without you, it certainly makes me feel better that what I feel now.

I have a message for you… I am NOT afraid of you. I know your purpose is to dominate me. But I will not give you that satisfaction. I can live without you. And I will be happy.

Unless you change your ways, be warned. I want to take ME back. You don’t own me. Nor do you own our children. You can be sure that if and when I do leave, you will never see me or our children again. That’s a promise I plan to keep. We can live without you, and we will be happy.

Ay, ay, ay, Inday!!!

2006-03-23T23:19:00.000-08:00

Last night, for my speech #6 which is on "Vocal Variety", I delivered the following speech. 6 down, 4 more to go! :)

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“Ay, ay, ay, Inday”

How many of you here have household help? Yes, mere mortals such as ourselves, but who we depend on to take care of our children, keep house for us, do the laundry, etc… basically, manage our home!

Growing up, my family wasn’t rich, but I hardly remember a time when we didn’t have any household help since both my parents worked full-time. Here in the Philippines, you don’t have to be rich to have a maid, even two!

So after countless years of having maids, and swapping stories with friends, I’ve actually collected so many stories about MAIDS, or the “Indays” in our lives... Come to think of it, I think an appropriate subtitle for this piece would be, “The Clue-less, the help-less and the dumb and the witless”.

The Clue-less… Maybe because their unschooled or simply were not properly trained, these maids made these mistakes. Please allow me to speak in Filipino in some instances so that you’ll better appreciate the impact of the message.

Incident #1 involves Ben and their maid…
B: Inday, paki-kuha mo nga sa ref yung ponkan
I: Opo, koya… Koya, wala pong ponkan sa rep…
B: Andun sa loob ng ref. sa may crisper…
I: Okay… (later) koya, wala po talagang ponkan sa rep…
B: Andun sabi sa ref, hanapin mo!
After the third failed attempt to locate it, Inday comes back and asks, "Koya, ano po ba ang ponkan?"

Ay, ay, ay, Inday…

Incident #2…
An American calls looking for my friend Ben.
A: Hello. I’d like to speak to Ben please
I: Wala po sha dito
A: I’m sorry, I’m afraid I can’t understand you. Can you please speak in English?
I: Helloh po, Sowri poh, wahlah poh shyah dhitoh (mimicking the American ‘twang’)

The second, the Help-less. These are the maids who would not just budge! They are not what you would call household help, since they’re hardly any help at all! They would be better off to be called as “utusan” or people who would only move when given orders! They don’t have any initiative. Take for instance, this maid we had before. While the family just finished eating dinner, there are other chores to be done around the house.. Inday is happily lounging on the sofa, with her feet on top of the coffee table, watching tv, and smoking! This prompted my younger brother to sarcastically ask, “Inday, gusto mo ng juice? Ipagtimpla kita!” (Inday, would you like some juice? I’ll make some for you!)

The dumb and the wit-less. This may seem pretty harsh, but listen to these stories, and decide for yourself.
Incident #1
After orienting our new maid on the use of the gas oven, washing machine, etc. I’m sitting quietly at home when I smell the distinct odor of gas. I go to the kitchen, and yes, as I assumed, the gas valve for one of the burners was on, but no flame. So I immediately turn it off, open all the windows, etc. And then I talk to Inday.
M: Inday, bakit iniwan mong bukas ang stove? Di ba sinabi ko naman sayo i-off mo yan?!
I: Ate, in-off ko naman po ah…
M: Wag ka nang mag-rason, kitang-kita kong naka-on yan kanina noh!
I: Ate, in-off ko talaga. Hinipan ko pa nga yung apoy eh!

Ay, ay, ay, Inday!!! GRRRRR…

Incident #2
My boss and his wife come home one Sunday from the wet market. They bring home a live chicken, and they ask their new maid, Inday, to “dress” the chicken, meaning pluck out all its feathers, clean it, then put it inside the ref. Hours later, upon opening the ref, there inside is the poor chicken, feathers all gone, but clucking and shaking. Yes, the POOR chicken was still alive, when Inday brutally plucked out its feathers one by one… I can imagine the chicken, thinking to itself, “Kill me now! Why are you torturing me?!”

Tsk, tsk, tsk… ay, ay, ay, Inday…

From these stories, it’s easy to easy how our instructions can be misinterpreted. Or really how narrow their thinking and understanding can sometimes be. So one thing to remember when dealing with our maids, is that we have to be VERY patient. As my dad always reminds me, our household help are unschooled, and thus, you have to know how to talk to them and deal with them at their level. If they were schooled, do you think they’d agree to be maids/yayas in the first place? No! Of course not! So knowing that they have “limitations” it’s up to us to relate to them at their level and make sure that we are understood.

Hay! With my kids’ new yaya, who has been with us all of 7 months and counting, she has had lapses as well. But these are things I can easily overlook especially since I see how attentive she is to my kids. Hopefully, I have finally found “the ONE” and that this ends my collecting stories on the “chronicles of….” Or the “adventures and misadventures of Inday”…

Good evening.

Lenten fast

2006-03-23T12:44:00.000-08:00

Lent can be more than a time of fasting from food; it can be a season of feasting. We can use Lent to fast from certain things and feast on others. It is a season in which we can:

FAST from anger; FEAST on patience.
FAST from pessimism; FEAST on optimism.
FAST from worry; FEAST on God's providence.
FAST from complaining; FEAST on appreciation.
FAST from fault-finding; FEAST on one's goodness.
FAST from laziness; FEAST on enthusiasm.
FAST from idle gossip; FEAST on prayerful silence.
FAST from discontent; FEAST on gratitude.
FAST from bitterness; FEAST on forgiveness.
FAST from judging; FEAST on Christ's dwelling in people.
FAST from emphasis on differences; FEAST on the unity of life.
FAST from thoughts of illness; FEAST on the promises of God.
FAST from unrelenting pressures; FEAST on unceasing prayer.
FAST from hostility; FEAST on returning evil with good.

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And here I was, just thinking of fasting, or refraining from eating meat this Lenten season… Easier said than done, but it WOULD be good to strive to fast and feast on the above suggestions. :)

Gardening 101

2006-03-09T23:38:00.000-08:00

This was the 5th speech I delivered at my Toastmasters Club, last night 08 March 2006. :)

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"Gardening 101"

When was the last time you received flowers? Maybe it was your birthday, or during your anniversary, or when you were sick and you got a ‘get well soon” bouquet, or “just because”! Or maybe you even got a bouquet last Valentine’s Day! Florists sure made a killing last V-day!

The guys probably couldn’t relate since I would think it’s rare for a guy to receive flowers. So as a message to the women here – maybe you should consider giving flowers to the men in your lives- your Dad, spouse, boyfriend… you know, just so they can relate! And maybe this will motivate them to give you flowers more often as well…(wink)

I HAVE always enjoyed receiving flowers. What woman doesn’t? Even if it’s from someone I like “just a little”… I still get kinda flustered, and flattered, and have this warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Admit it! Who here doesn’t want to receive a big bunch of beautiful, long stemmed, fragrant, flowers?! It doesn’t really matter what type of flowers, but between us girls, roses and tulips are the best.

And then I started thinking “WHY”? Why do I enjoy receiving flowers? I realized, it’s not the act of receiving flowers I enjoy, but the feeling I get whenever I receive flowers. Other females canrelate to the giddy, warm, fuzzy feeling you get whenever you receive flowers whether it’s a single stem or a whole bunch.

Since I love feeling this way, I began to think, what can I do so that I can feel this way anytime I want? Come to think of it, why should I wait for someone to give ME flowers, when I can plant my own garden?

So what did I come up with? What are things that I do, that gives me the same feeling, as if I received a big bouquet of wonderful, aromatic, flowers? For me, there are three things …

The first one is to SHARE
Share your blessings, your time, your money… Like in our case, our high school class is celebrating our “eherm” reunion next year so as early as now, we’ve thought of starting a fund-raising project to benefit the indigent students enrolled in our beloved alma mater… PUPLHS. This early, we’re collecting pledges, and have started planning how we want to share our blessings with our school and its current batch of students.

To share doesn’t have to be something so GRAND, as long as you’re sharing or giving from your heart. Let me cite another example. A friend of mine, Arnie, will celebrate her birthday soon. In the past, she lamented that she would spend thousands of pesos to treat her friends to a dance club, and get drunk! But this year, she wanted to do something different, and meaningful. And what did she come up with? Slippers! Yes, something so mundane and simple, BUT she’s giving these away to a depressed community near where she lives. She came up with this idea because each time she passes this area, she sees these little kids 3 or 4 years old, running in the streets, without slippers. And her heart went out to them. So instead of spending her money on a grand party, she bought slippers, all shapes and sizes, and got her friends involved as well by asking for pledges. So instead of giving her gifts, her friends were asked to give new slippers to be given away. Isn’t that so nice? I’m sure the feeling she gets when she gives away those slippers, will be like receiving a whole, big bunch of her favourite flowers! And that will surely make up hundredfold for her not having a party.

The second…is to CARE
To care means to look after, mind, minister, mother, nurse, nurture, protect, provide for… And do this for someone (or some thing) outside of ourselves. Of course we all care about our family and loved ones. And we’re there for them. Like for a friend who’s down in the dumps, why not treat her to coffee and lend her a shoulder to cry on, or an ear to listen. What else can we do? We can adopt a pet, or buy a plant! When you see how your pet dog values you, how your pet is so happy to see you when you get home, doesn’t THAT feel good? Or when a plant blossoms and blooms under your care, that also feels good! RIGHT?

The last and certainly not the least, is to DARE

DARE? Dare what? Dare to do something different! Something that you’ve always thought of doing but never really got a chance to do! I remember back in high school, I didn’t dabble in any kind of sports because I was afraid to get hurt! If there’s something I mastered then, it was the art of running.. running away from the basketball, or the volleyball. So you can imagine, when my friend invited me to join her for kickboxing, I was like, “NO WAY”?!?!? BUT when I finally got around to trying it, doing those jab-straight punches, and roundhouse kicks, I was HOOKED! Who would have thought?! Daring to do something different doesn’t have to be something extra-ordinary! Like you don’t have to go bungee-jumping (unless you really want to! ;-> ) or dabble in extreme sports! It can be doing something simple, like driving to work using a different route. Or maybe instead of ordering your usual green tea frapuccino, order instead that double shot espresso machiatto with raspberry syrup!

So to recap, there are three things that I can do to get this wonderful feeling I so enjoy. And you can do these too! That is, to SHARE, to CARE and to DARE. To do all these is always in season. Think of it, whenever you need a “pick me up” there’s no need to wait for someone to give you flowers, when you can plant and cultivate your own garden. :) Good evening!

Valentine's gift

2006-02-14T10:13:00.000-08:00

I got a dozen red, long-stemmed roses from a good friend. Very nice! And it felt good to receive flowers. 'Nuff said! :D

Then for Valentine's dinner, the kids and I together with my gym-mates had a late Valentine's dinner at an Indian place in Quezon City. As his treat, kuya Paolo paid for our share of dinner. O diba, sweet naman ni kuya paolo. :)

Still single?

2006-02-08T12:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, here's another article I didn't write but was lucky to find in my inbox. A lighter look at single-blessedness. Just sharing...

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Subject: Fwd: Stop giving me a hard time about being single

If you're single, chances are you've been asked the following three questions:
1. Why aren't you married?
2. Why aren't you married?
and the very, very popular:
3. Why aren't you married?

...give or take another 999,999,997 more such questions.

Unfortunately, I can't fix you up with any cute guys or girls to help you avoid these questions in the future. However, I can fix you up with some good snappy comebacks to fling at anyone who dares to question your single status.

So, next time somebody dares to ask you that "Why aren't you married?" question, pause, smile sagaciously (I love that word; it means "wisely"), and offer up one of the following. Or, just review them for your own personal satisfaction.

1. In the beginning, there were no elliptical trainers or low-fat/high-fiber muffins, and so people lived to only about 40-something. Maximum. Meaning, the pressure was on to get married before age 25. However, today, thanks to medical advances, we can all hope to live to 80. Easy.

Meaning? Even if we marry at age 40, that's still 35, 45, even 55 years to be with a mate. Plenty of time to be married. What's the hurry?

2. Married people are not necessarily better catches simply because they were caught. I mean, have you taken a look at some of the married people out there? Seriously. Even Frankenstein got married. Obviously married people are not superior people.

3. Meanwhile, look at some of our cool single role models:
Catwoman: Single.
Buddha: Single.
The Lone Ranger: Single.
Actually, virtually all superhero types are single: Superman, Wonder Woman, Dudley Do-Right. And then there's The Ultimate Superhero: God. also single.

4. Plus, when you think about it, there's no such thing as a Stepford Single Woman.

5. Why limit myself to being dissatisfied by one relationship when I can be dissatisfied by an infinite variety?

6. It's interesting how our culture has the _expression "happily married," but no expression "happily single." And those words are 100% certified by the US Census Bureau. Statistics show that although married men are reported to be happier than single men (surprise, surprise!)?single women are reported to be happier than married women (also a big surprise, surprise!). Meaning? This only furthers the irony that single women are branded as "unhappy" and "lonely" and "loser-esque"? when single women are just boldly holding out for the right situation, rather than getting married just to get married.

7. It's easy to become married. Millions of people do it every year. If you want to pressure me to become something, hey, why not pick something a little more challenging?! Like an astrophysicist. :)

8. True love is rare. That's why it's called "love" and not "really like" or "settling." And why we don't say: "I'm settling for you, honey" over candlelit dinners. True love is worth waiting for? and that's what I'm doing.

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Mine...

He/she forgot something-- you can always say you're GAY! how's that for a comeback?
In my case, I can say "been there, done that"! Honey, unless you're with the RIGHT person, it's no picnic. So there!

Early summer outing…

2006-02-05T21:04:00.000-08:00

Yup, February and the air is still crisp in the mornings, and water bursting from the shower is still a tad cold. And yet, still decided to take the kids swimming. Not my idea, really. More out of the kids’ requests/pleads after they found out that tito Ben’s condo had a pool! So, we went out. No, not out of town. Just out of desperation… hehehe…

Hiked to nearby Makati, to Ben’s condo for a dip in their pool. The kids swam in the pool with their dear titos Ben and Floyd. While I basked in the very cool air (told u the air was still nippy!) just beside the pool. It didn’t help that the sky was cloudy.

So anyway, while the kids played in the pool with their titos, I happily stayed dry and whiled away the time munching on dried sunflower seeds. The slogan on the package said, “Eat. Spit. Be happy”. And that I did …or was. (Hmmm, that doesn’t sound right… oh well, whatever!)

After the swimming 'party', next stop was SM makati. Shopping, shopping. :)

Flicker down :(

2006-01-16T18:44:00.000-08:00

The Flickr program (the one which shows the pictures on the right side of my page) has been down for the loooooongest time. More than a month if i'm not mistaken. And to think i recently updated it with pics! tsk tsk tsk... so anyway, just check out my last few posts, and i'll add the pics there instead. And since i'm still trying to catch up on some posts that i haven't gotten the chance to put up here yet, check down (and down) to see if there's anything new... :)

My new FAVE show…

2006-01-06T21:46:00.000-08:00

Wednesday nights, if I can help it, I’ll be at home watching TV to watch my new favourite show, “Extreme Makeover Home Edition”. Considering I’ve only seen it twice (blame it on my EXTREMELY busy schedule), I’ve been hooked!

The first time I watched it, they featured the Cadigan-Scott Family Season 1, Episode 12). The family lost their Mom as a result of a heart attack, then 2 weeks later, their Dad died a heart attack as well. Their eight kids were left to grieve a double, unbelievable loss. The two oldest siblings had to move back home and assume legal guardianship of the younger siblings, or else they would end up in foster care.

The design team composed of Ty Pennington, Paul DiMeo, Michael Moloney, Preston Sharp, Constance Ramos, and Tracy Hutson got to work. Their challenge was to have a home that would comfortably fit the 8 siblings. One of the design team's priorities was to give the family more space -- since the kids (7 girls and 1 boy) all share a single bathroom. They got to work, and the results were awesome! They gave each sibling her own room, a large bathroom with multiple sinks and showers for the girls, and created a family room, and added a pool in the backyard as well. The only boy got to have his own room with giant speakers (since he played guitar), and his own bathroom as well. The results were awesome! But the best part was that after the kids were shown their new home, they were given their mortgage papers to burn. The home was theirs, no more debts to pay… :D

The second time I watched the show, they featured the Garay family (Season 2, Episode 2). The story was, a mother was shot and killed by a gang member's stray bullet while sleeping, leaving 5 young kids (David, 12, eleven-year-old twins Nidia and Efren, Eric, six, and three-year-old Celina Cleto). The eldest son, Johnny Garay, who works for a non-profit agency and coaches at-risk teens, took in his five younger siblings so that they would not be separated by Child Protective Services. He took in his siblings, though he and his wife Veronica had four young children of their own (Christina, nine, seven-year-old twins Iris and Johnnie, and Freddy, three). They needed space to fit everyone so Johnny moved his now large family into what he could afford, a major fixer-upper in the South Central area of Los Angeles, California. The house was in terrible shape, and they actually already had orders from the city to make some major repairs or else the kids would be taken away to foster care.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and their design team to the rescue! They built a new home for the family, and added a 3rd floor to the new house. There were rooms for all the kids, as well as a big master bedroom for the couple in which to relax. They also added a music room, library/study room especially for the kids.

I so enjoy watching these types of shows, seeing the effort the design team takes to make everything perfect for the chosen family, and seeing the great transformation that the house, AND the family as well, goes through. It’s so heartwarming to watch how generous people (and corporations) can be, and how this impacts on the beneficiaries. This is definitely one reality show which is a cut above the rest! "survivor", "the bachelor", "fear factor", "the swan", and all the other reality shows focus more on the worst of human nature, and thus they look more like freak shows when compared to EM:HE. EM:HE focuses on the good in people, and what generosity and a kind heart can do. Each time i watch this show, i can't help but cry. It truly is a touching, inspiring and heartwarming show. So is it any surprise why my new favourite show is "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"? :)

check out other viewers' comments about the show... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388595/#comment

LPG power

2006-01-04T20:57:00.000-08:00

I took a cab going home tonight. While looking out the window, I happened to glance at the writings inside the cab, and was surprised by the sign saying that it was an LPG-powered cab. So curious as I was, I decided to ask the taxi driver some questions. To make the long story short, here are his answers. You guess the questions ala “Jeopardy”… Come on, use your coconut! Hahaha! :D

- Yes, LPG is available in some gas stations (and in cases when your tank is empty and you can't find LPG in one station, you can opt to use gas instead!)
- Conversion of a vehicle from gas- to LPG-powered, costs roughly Php 26k
- Using an LPG-powered vehicle will come out cheaper since the price difference per liter between gas and LPG now is Php 12.00
- This was started because of the Clean air act, and currently used in many countries since it emits less smoke

Ok, so that’s the long and short of it (literally)! :)