Got this in my email inbox…
If you analyze the following equations, you can see that they were solved by a Math ‘genius’! He he…
1.
3.
4.
Most people I know abhor everything about Mathematics and its buddies - Algebra, Geometry, Differential Equations, Calculus and anything that involves numbers. They'd rather be contemplating on art works from art galleries and exhibits such as the George Lindemann Jr. Miami Art show or get immersed in Pablo Neruda's beloved poems. But if you ask me, it is more an advantage for a person’s brain to understand few mathematical equations and be given some problems to analyze and solve, than to memorize few pages of History or Social Studies. The thing is, I am not that good with remembering words and paragraphs. I am more comfy with numbers and symbols. How about you?
It was almost midnight. I was so sleepy and tired, yet I was all over the house, looking for some supposedly lost money. How come?
Earlier that day, we were at the mall and I bought a pair of sandals while my cutie Sis bought slippers for Mom. Then later in the evening, this was the exchange of conversation between her and me (chatting over the Internet while she’s upstairs in her room):
Sis: yo ang change sa slippers ni Mama naa nimo? (is the change for Mom’s slippers with you?)
Me: wait
Sis: tagpila man tu (how much was it?)
Me: 145
Me: wala diay nimo? (isn’t it with you?)
Me: nalimot man ko if nakakuha ko money (I forgot if I got the money)
Sis: wala man tingali kay kulang man ug P500 ang money (maybe not, coz I lack Php500)
Me: 355 ang change dapat (the change should have been Php355)
Me: mag accounting sa ko uy (I’ll do some accounting first)
Me: waaaaaaaaaaaaaa (my usual expression when in despair)
Me: taysa yo (wait)
Sis: im so sleepy na
Sis: sleep na ko yo
Me: k
Me: acctg pa ko
Me: okies
Sis: gud niteee
Now since I was the self-appointed family treasurer, I immediately did my part and guess what, I found out the cash on hand was just fine except if I was the one who took the change, then it would really lack Php355. Now this got me so worried, did I really get the change from the cashier? Or did my Sis get it? I really can’t remember now. It’s true that you can’t go to sleep if you owe somebody something, right? It was already past midnight. I wanted to wake everybody up and ask them about other expenses we made for that day but unfortunately, they were all asleep. I was already getting mad at my Sis too. So, while the rest of the world was in dreamland, I was there opening my bag and wallet for the nth time to see if the change was there but to no avail.
Finally, I remembered what I wrote in this blog the previous day: “So I’ll just seize each day and live it as if it’s going to be my last.” Such tough words, huh. Then I asked myself, “What if tomorrow would really be my last?” My sis would be leaving for Europe the next day, does it really matter if some cash is missing? I imagined my soul flying a bit far from where I am and saw my pathetic self so helpless and tired. Poor me, wasting my energy on such trivial matters. It was then that I realized I should not worry. I must let go of what I feel. And so off I went to sleep.
The next day, while everybody was busy preparing for our trip to the airport, I told my Sis I didn’t have the change. I also asked Mom of other expenses I could have missed. My Sis did her accounting again, and finally she announced, “I got it now! I forgot to account the mangoes I bought at the stalls.” Toinks. Oh well, that's just my beloved sister, forgetting something coz maybe she was busy browsing the web that evening and read about George Lindemann Jr. playing Polo or some other stuff from social diaries.
Now, the phrase “seize each day and live it as if it’s going to be my last” has been more meaningful to me because of that simple incident. Sigh. I miss my cutie Sis, even if I’m chatting with her over the Internet now.
“Hello and welcome once again, this is the Kuazee podcast… thanks for listening. Today we’re gonna be talking about the top ten Philippine hoaxes…”
You’ve heard of blogs invading the internet, but… what about podcasts? Yep, those multimedia recorded files on the internet… it’s as simple as listening to your favorite topics or articles and subscribing to them instead of reading them.
There aren’t that many podcasters yet (right, Kuazee?), but I am sure this technology would sooner or later be embraced by more people out there… well, who knows I might start my own podcast – there are times when I would get tired of typing it out on the keyboard and isn’t it cool to just use your voice, talk about what’s bugging you lately while recording the whole thing, then….share it to the world.
Well, you don’t have to own a really nice voice for a podcast, for me, content is still the main thing here – you wouldn’t want to bore your listeners with some idle nonsense talk. A dj-sounding voice would actually be a big plus I think, coz that would give your listeners the illusion that they’re listening to somebody who looks like Wentworth Miller. 
And with podcasting comes many tools and techie stuff to better this craft. There’s a lot of buzz about podcasting and some bloggers like Neil Crespi are airing out their comments on an interesting article about what you must not do in podcasting. I guess podcasts are here to stay.
Days pass me by like a blur when I am busy with life, but they seemed like forever when I am waiting for things I hoped for.
Keeping track of time, counting the days and months, made me feel…
(more…)
I will be on blog hiatus for quite sometime… kinda busy these days. I’ll be missing you guys… be back soon! Promise! 
Yesterday I was at National Bookstore to inquire about the availability of a reference book which I badly needed… and guess what, they’re having a sale – it was a bookworm’s dream come true! You wish you could have all that cash to buy the books you’ve wanted to get your hands on. They have discounts ranging from 10% to even 70%.
Anyway, I bought Rick Warren’s bestseller “The Purpose Driven Life”, a book which I have been meaning to buy, sale or no sale. I know you’ve heard about this book or have even read this book already. I did start to read this book a long time ago but only managed to read few pages, and I know I’m not the only one guilty of this (right, Raine?). I know some other friends who started reading this book and haven’t reached the finish line. Why so? I guess it’s because this book requires you to read one chapter each day for forty days. If you’re the type who’s fond of reading a book in just one sitting, then this book would be quite a challenge. You have to restrain yourself from opening the next chapter for the next day. Me? I started reading the first few chapters eagerly but wasn’t able to keep up with the ‘one chapter per day’ rule. And I was reading a borrowed book that time. Okay, these are just alibis.
So now I’m officially putting this here in my blog to remind me about my daily rendezvous with this book. The first chapter starts today! *Gasp*
Been tagged again with another meme! This time it’s from Jun of Rendition. It’s quite simple. Here’s how it works:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.
5. Don’t you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.
6. Tag three people.
Here are the sentences from the book I opened - ‘The Tipping Point’ by Malcolm Gladwell:
But Sesame Street just somehow never took that idea and ran away with it. They knew that kids did this some of the time, but they never tried to build a show around that idea. Nickelodeon did some pilot shows before Blue’s Clues where kids would be explicitly asked to participate, and lo and behold, there was a lot of evidence that they would.
This time I will be tagging people (I know this will be quite easy for you):
1. Karol
2. Raine
3. Ric
Let's see what's inside that book nearest you.
What are the things you know you should do – things that would make you a better person, things that would help build your relationship with others, things that would greatly improve your career, things that would dramatically change your life… and yet you have been putting them off for the longest time?
It’s like you haven’t done anything about them, though deep inside, you believe you should be doing these important things soon. But you let time pass you by…and so much of it has been wasted. You console yourself with a lot of pretty ‘good’ reasons and excuses.
Why… what’s holding you back? Isn’t it this luxury called procrastination? And you know the deeper cause of this… you lack that burning desire you’ve had before. The passion, the excitement, the enthusiasm… they’re simply gone. Isn’t it tragic?
These days, you just go with the flow - you go in some meaningless direction other than that which you should be heading to. And what have you done about this? Nothing.
Are you just content enough to stay this way? Wake up.
These are actually the questions I’ve been asking myself lately.
It seems like there is a widespread meme outbreak plaguing the blogosphere lately. So, I’ve been tagged again with another meme from Snglguy and Ric. This time I’m tasked to list some 6 weird things about myself. OK, here goes…
I remember shedding few tears on 'Mulan', and also the 'Land Before Time' series. Man, I'm getting embarrassed now… One time, my 6-year old nephew and his younger sister, about 3 years old, were watching an animated film for the nth time, my nephew pointed to the screen, “I cried on that part!” to which his sister chirped in, “me too!” OK, so at least I’m not alone in this, right? It’s actually a quick facial mask ‘cause it tightens the pores. Kinda weird huh, but it really works. Just rinse with your facial wash after 30 minutes, and you’ll get a softer and smoother face.
Whew! That’s about it… actually I’ve still some more weird things about me but since I'm asked to list only six, soooo…
I won’t be tagging anybody again… but if you think you’re weird, you’ll have no sweat doing this meme. This one’s for you!
P.S.
This meme got me contemplating on some of my unusual likes or habits and after writing them down, I realize I’m very much a normal and sane person and knowing that I am gives me the freedom to be weird sometimes.
If you will be asked these simple questions, what would you answer?
I'm sharing my own responses in pink:
What are the 3 things that scare me? Earthquakes / Accidents / Cockroaches and other yucky pests
Who are the 3 people who can make me laugh? Bitoy aka Micheal V. (yari ka!!!) / Gollum aka Smeagol (my preciousssssss….) / Shrek (he's really a cool and funny ogre)
Actually ANYBODY can make me laugh… I get a good laugh from a funny show, a witty conversation, or some silly talk with kids. period. )
What are the 3 things I love? Travel / Kids / Music …can I add more to this list?
What are the 3 things I hate? Wars / Discrimination of all sorts - racial, gender, social status, age, looks, whatever! / Pride (chicken, hehe…)
What are 3 things I don't understand? Politics / The missed call dilemma: why I get calls when my cellphone is not with me and I don’t get calls when it’s with me / The big gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’
What are the 3 things on my desk? A pink Mickey Mouse pen stand / A desk tray / A lamp (*looks at desk* yikes…my desk is a mess!)
What are 3 things I'm doing right now? Doing some plans in AutoCAD / Chatting on Yahoo Messenger / Listening to mp3s full blast (aside from doing this meme… multi-tasking huh!)
What are 3 things I want to do before I die? Travel around the world (I want to slide down the pyramids of Egypt, swim in the Niagara Falls, straighten the leaning tower of Pisa, hehehe / Build a school for the less-privileged but talented kids / Experience financial and time freedom (yeahhh, who wouldn’t?…:))
What are 3 things I can do? Bake yummy pandesal (wanna taste?) and other goodies - cakes and breads / Play the guitar / Make beaded accessories
What are 3 ways to describe my personality? Simple / Friendly / Serene
What are 3 things people might not know about me? When I was in HS I wanted to be a boy, I sported a short boyish hair and was so delighted when somebody called me “’to!” (shortcut for Toto which means little boy), hehehe… those were the times of identity crisis I guess, now I’m pretty much sure of my gender / I am nearsighted so I wear contact lenses / I sleep with my two teddies beside me
What are 3 things I can't do? Drive (poor Dad, he's the family driver) / Swim / Use chopsticks like a pro
What are 3 things I think you should listen to? Nature - leaves rustling, rain falling, pounding waves / That endearing voice of a toddler singing a nursery song (so cuteee!) / Positive encouraging words (they’re food for the soul)
What are 3 things I don't think you should listen to ever? Gossip / Negative suggestions (this is bad for you) / Anything from a fortuneteller or card reader
What are 3 of my absolute favorite foods? Seafood / Pasta / Veggies
What are 3 things I'd like to learn? How to play the guitar like Joe Satriani (ambisyosa gyud!) / Speak Thai language fluently (sawasdee ka!) / How to do photorealistic 3D graphics (self study on-going)
What are 3 beverages I drink regularly? H2O (tubig!!!) / Hot Milo w/ milk: 3 tbsps Milo + 2 tbsps powdered milk + hot water = yummy! / Hot chocolate
What are 3 shows I watched when I was a child? I seldom watch TV as a child, so I don’t remember any show, I was always out of the house playing hide and seek with my playmates, or play with dolls, and other girly stuff
This is actually a meme and thanks to Jairam aka Jane, the pretty insomniac, for tagging me.
When I first scanned the questions, they seemed so pretty easy. I was so confident I could answer them within few minutes. But as I went through each of them one by one, I realized the simplest questions are the ones that are actually the most difficult to answer. These are actually powerful questions. What things do I love? How would I describe myself? What are the things that get on my nerves? Wow. These questions are so hard to answer…maybe I don’t know myself that much? This brings to mind a talk by a very successful businessman. He was stressing about the ‘Power of Questions’. Asking a question to another person puts you in the offensive. You can distinguish a person by the questions he asks. I don’t know from which book he got this insight but I liked it when he said that “We grow by our questions” which means we have to challenge and ask ourselves questions that enrich us and awaken us. For example, “When are you going to resume your exercise routine?” or “What’s holding you back from talking to that sales prospect?” Oh well, questions like that are complicated, but the questions in this particular meme are oh-so-simple… and yet, I’ve been scratching my head for some honest-to-goodness answers.
I won’t be tagging anybody in particular, (you can breathe easily now, hehe…) BUT if you want to do this meme… why not? Do let me know, OK? I’m curious to read your ‘three things’ too.
There were lots of ideas I learned from the book but the concept of Dharma is new to me, it caught my fancy. What does it really mean? The word Dharma comes from the ancient language Sanskrit which means “to act in accordance with one’s duty.”
Here are some notable excerpts (in blue) from the book’s two chapters which enlightened more this concept, and my own thoughts (indented) about them.
“Each person, depending on his station in life, will have a different Dharma.”
Our duty as engineers, architects, soldiers, doctors, public servants, lawyers, nurses, salesmen, drivers, fishermen, wives, husbands, daughters, sons, parents, teachers, students and any other role that makes us contribute to society is our Dharma.
“People who practice Dharma accept life as it comes and perform their duty accordingly.”
We are called to excel and give our best to whatever is our work at hand.
“Dharma is a natural law that guides us to recognize at any given moment the role each one of us is playing in life. Being true to the duty of that particular role at any given time and the very act of accepting and performing that action to the highest of our ability – that is following Dharma. That act will become our protector and liberator.”
When we give our best in whatever we do, we will be rewarded for our efforts, in ways we cannot really predict. We could reap our rewards in our present job by getting a raise, or we could be given a better deal by our next employer. For students, giving their best shot in their studies would not only result to higher grades but to bigger investments in self-development.
“The grace of Dharma works in subtle and mysterious ways throughout our lives.”
The author gave an example of a diligent real estate agent who despite all his hard work got numerous rejections. He got so depressed he decided to go on a trip to Hawaii, and guess what… while he was enjoying his vacation, he met a big time investor and struck a good deal with him. He got puzzled why all his hard work produced no results, but he got a good client when he was thinking the least about his work. He thought maybe working so hard is not good for business. He didn’t know that because of his hard work, “the power of Dharma shone its grace upon him as reward for his commitment to duty.”
“The Dharma of an employee is to support the employer wholeheartedly. If you cannot support the company you work for, quit your job. You don’t have the freedom to sabotage the company’s morale and reputation through your constant expression of dissatisfaction.”
Ouch. I once was employed, and I had some officemates complaining against our company. Sometimes I joined them in their ‘ranting sessions’ when they expressed their dissatisfaction. I thought it was OK to do so. Bad me, huh?
“Sometimes people feel that whatever work they are doing, it could not be what God intended for them. They blame the work. The missing piece here is not what is wrong with the work they are doing, but rather understanding the work they are performing right now in the context of the bigger picture of their destiny.”
So true. We may not be presently having the dream job we’ve always wanted. We might feel trapped in the humdrum state of our present career, but unknowingly, it is actually a preparation for something bigger and better in the future. We just have to keep on being true to our duty. Our time will come. As the Law of the Seed states, “You reap what you sow.” Whatever effort and dedication we put into our work today, we will be rewarded accordingly at the right time.
This also got me thinking a lot about my own Dharma in the many roles that I have in my life. It's not just about work, but also about being a true creature of God, of being a good daughter and family member, of being true to my calling in my present career, or of being true to the business I'm presently in. There were really those days when I put so much of myself in what I'm called to do. But, there were also those lazy days when I was just not attentive with my work or being full of complaints and bad attitude. I just realized I may be a little too relaxed with my present career. Sigh. I miss those times when I was just so passionate about what I did and I wasn't even thinking about what I could get from it, but I was simply enjoying what I was doing that time. I learned that I have to give my best in whatever I am and whatever I do. I realized that as a child of God, I have to be true to the unique gifts and talents He has given me. And even if I don't seem to reap the fruits of my labor as soon as I expect it to be, I know it will just be a matter of time.
Well, it's another Sunday spent at home for me today. I'm just sharing with you some of my thoughts on this. Oh well, we do need some inspiring insights to prepare us for another busy week ahead, right?
Be true to your own Dharma, whatever it is.
I still consider myself a newbie to the blogosphere. The first time I encountered this word, I was confused about its meaning. I thought it was a typo error of the word ‘memo’ but it’s more than that. Pronounced as ‘meem’, it is defined by dictionary.com as “a unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.” In the blogging world, it starts as a post by an inspired blogger to challenge the readers to a task, like pinching a stranger beside you or reading a book in German. Nah, seriously now, it’s a fun way of getting to know your blogmates since most memes involve information (by answering questions specified by the meme) and distribution (by tagging other bloggers to do the same)!
Last night, I stumbled upon this cool meme on Snglguy’s blog, but I guess I came in late. So, I tagged myself in Ric’s blog, since he was the first to respond to Snglguy’s meme. Okay, this meme is kinda different though, I won’t be answering questions about myself, instead it goes like this. When you comment on this post, I will have to: 1. Respond with something random about you.
2. Challenge you to try something.
3. Pick a color that I associate with you.
4. Tell you something I like about you.
5. Tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. Tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. Ask you something I’ve always wanted to ask you.
8. Pick a song that reminds me of you.
After I’ve done the 8 tasks above, you will then have to post this same meme and my response on your blog. It’s fun, right?
Here’s what Ric did for me when I commented on his blog. I copy-pasted it here with my response in italics:
Here it is. I will try my best.
1. Random: You’re probably a girl who has a knack for details in everything. I can assume that looking at your blog header.
Really, I didn’t know my blog header would speak about that for me… but yeah, that’s a good observation, I really am concerned with details sometimes, especially with my work.
2. Challenge: Sing Aegis’ “Basang-basa sa Ulan” when you go to a videoke. This came to mind because of your post regarding the leaky ceiling.
Waaaah…! I really don’t sing songs I don’t like. That’s a big challenge indeed.
3. Color: Pretty easy! Fuschia? Err…pink na lang. Hehehe.
Yep, it’s obvious!
4. Like: The design of your header.
Thanks!
5. Memory: I was amazed to find another bisaya blog prior to stumbling on bisaya bloggers.
Really? Well, my posts are mostly in English (para global, hehehe…) so this is not really a bisaya blog, but am a true-blue err true-pink bisdak.
6. Animal: Rabbit? Err…because of the color pink. They have pink noses, right?
OK lang, rabbits are cute. Hehehe…
7. Question: Taga asa kang dapit? Hehehe.
Batang Negros (Occidental).
8. Song: Aerosmith’s “Pink”. Don’t ask why anymore.
Yeah, good choice!
Well, how’s that? Hehehe.
That’s about it folks! C’mon, start commenting now!
p.s. If you have already done this meme, you can still comment here, and I will gladly do the 8 tasks for you.
Yesterday I posted an entry about leaky ceilings, and… guess what? I got this cute illustration on my e-mail inbox today:
LOL, another leaky ceiling reminder!
It’s not a very reasonable piece of art though if you look at it more than once.
Notice the kids all look like they’re of the same age, except that small baby beside the mother. Or maybe they’re quintuplets? And that dog looked so heavy sleeping on top of the kids… they will surely get muscle cramps in the morning with that sleeping arrangement! The kid sleeping beside the father looks like he’s gonna roll down on the floor anytime. And all of them are smiling like they’re posing for a photography session with eyes closed. Well, it’s just an artist’s way of painting his idea of a real happy family, though for me, being happy means being smart too – using our available resources the best way we can. The parents should have improvised a big rug on the floor where some of them can sleep with more space. And why hold an umbrella while sleeping when you can just move the bed a bit, leave a pail to catch the falling raindrops while getting some sleep. That’s speaking from experience! (just read my previous post) he he…
Sorry dear artist, even if your illustration looks cute, I’m just tempted to redraw it a little bit in my imagination:
- the bed moved a few feet away from the leak,
- a pail catching the rain drops under the leaky ceiling,
- mom and dad with two kids sleeping on the bed,
- the four kids sleeping on a rug on the floor with the doggie beside them, not on top of them…
- and I think the cat can sleep with the group in the bed
- and most of all, they’re not smiling but just looked like they’re having a really great time in dreamland.
So, to escape it, I went back to bed
But then the rain started leaking through the ceiling
And pretty soon it was pouring on my head.”
Whoa… the lyrics got me! It made me smile. It’s the first time I heard this song ‘The End’ by Matthew West playing on my Yahoo! Launchcast Radio this morning. What a way to validate my happy thoughts. It’s just that I woke up feeling so glad and thankful about our house, it’s a feeling of gratefulness for this warm and cozy shelter we call home. Maybe it’s because it was raining so hard last night, courtesy of Typhoon Florita, and I felt so safe and warm as I slept soundly through the night.
The lyrics caught my interest ‘cause it brought back some rainy memories of an old apartment where we used to live, situated at the corner of a busy street intersecting an even busier highway. Aside from the noisy traffic we got everyday, which later on became like background music to our ears, how could I ever forget those rainy days spent inside that apartment? Yepp… it had leaky ceilings! And when it rained hard, drops of rain falling from the ceiling wakes you up from your deep slumber, ughhh…you feel it on your face! You have no other choice but to run for cover! Nah, you’d rather run to get a pail to catch the raindrops or else it would be flooding inside the house. He he… Since it was an old house, it needed a lot of maintenance which the owner never bothered about, and my Dad doesn’t want us to spend for it ‘cause he reasoned out it’s not our house anyway, why pay for some labor and materials for a house which isn’t yours? Oh well…
Anyway, the song’s chorus went on in the background…
“It’s not the end,
the end of the world
It’s just another day
depending on grace…”
Right on! I do believe it was only through His grace that we were able to live through the inconveniences and the not-so-comfy circumstances in that apartment for many years. And even if that old house gave us uncomfortable experiences during rainy days, we’re still thankful for the shelter it provided us.
Now, it’s a different scenario since we’re back here in our own house. No more raindrops inside! And guess what, a family friend came later this morning and told us that her house (actually it’s a shanty) fell down because of the said typhoon, and the family members have no other choice but to sleep in their small kitchen. It’s such a sad situation for them. Some friends came to help them rebuild what’s left of their little house. And as Mom and Dad were discussing with her how we could help, I felt more blessed and grateful for our very own house.
Tsk tsk… I was thinking about leaky ceilings, while hers was a badly damaged house!
As the song concludes…
“Sometimes life takes so much more than it gives,
But the One who makes the air I breathe,
Is the One who’ll fix the ceiling when it starts to leak,
It may look like the end but it’s only the beginning.”
Let’s say one creature started blogging on January 2006. How will his blog look like 10 years after?
If he is a blog enthusiast and posts regularly, what will happen to his archives? Can they still be contained in the limited blog space provided by his blog account? I can also imagine all those entries – from January 2006 to January 2016. Hmmm… not that much? And what about the links exchanged with fellow bloggers? Within ten years, it could be multiplied at a faster rate, considering the fact that many blogs are born daily, and blog-hopping has become second-nature to bloggers.
I really don’t know the statistics, but I bet there will be more bloggers from among your real-life friends in the next 10 years… so, that means, the probability of you ending up in another person’s blog would also increase, either as the main character /hero… or the bad guy/culprit (just like in the movies, right?). The possibility of being in a stranger’s blog would increase too! You could be in a mall, or in the streets, in the airport, wherever… or you could be in the office, at a party, or any event… and chances are, somebody will blog about whatever they observed in you.
That just goes to show how powerful a blog can be, and you can’t deny its influence to all ‘netizens’ – the eager chatters, the web savvy techies, the computer geeks, the email freaks, the social networkers, and just about every creature who’s very much captivated by the web.
What makes blogs so appealing? Self-expression and creativity without limits. No grammar restrictions. No rules!
With much freedom of expression though comes the downside in the quality of blogs and some critics are complaining that more and more nonsense blogs are filling up the blogosphere. Uh-oh. But bloggers would return that with a sarcastic reply, “This is my own blog, I can write whatever I want, just click x if you don’t like reading anything here, and get outta here fast!”
Now you have blogs incorporated in social networking sites like Friendster, Multiply, Yahoo 360, etc. Even web-based businesses are keeping up with the trend and incorporating weblogs to keep their clients updated.
According to Stephen Baker of BusinessWeek Online, “The great thing about the blog world is that unlike libraries or book stores, it never fills up. There's room for everyone. And if even 1% of the blogs is worth reading, it's still a gold mine.” He refutes a comment by somebody who says that the blogosphere is losing credibility. Read more …
Blog for life? What do you think?
It’s past twelve noon. It’s almost time to go. I thought impatiently as I looked at the wall clock. Oh well, actually, it is time to go. We’re on our way to attend a burial and the funeral Mass will be starting at one o’clock. How long does it take to go to our destination? You have to consider the travel time which would take more than thirty minutes plus the time needed to pick up some relatives along the way. But why are we not going yet? I was already getting restless while waiting for the others. Finally, after keeping the house in order, securing the locks, and all that stuff we used to do before leaving, we’re set to go. While on our way, I was already complaining that we’re so delayed.
As we drove through the streets, I saw somebody familiar flagging our vehicle, waving at us to stop.
“It’s Auntie!” I told Dad who pulled over to the side of the road. She was with her daughter Bea. It turned out they were also on their way to the burial.
“We were riding in a jeepney from the city,” she told us, “and just as we passed by your subdivision’s gate, Bea saw your vehicle coming out, so we got down immediately.”
(more…)
I have been currently experiencing some downtime lately.
Tuesday, last week, I got a terrible headache. Could it be because I didn’t cover my head with an umbrella or a cap when I was out in the drizzle the previous evening? (By the way, is it really true that you will catch a cold when you are out in the rain?) Then I also had muscle cramps due to a 45-minute strenuous exercise after two months of stopping. It really was a pain to move my arms and legs. Then on Sunday, good ol’ Scarlet came. Why on earth did she choose to come on Father’s day? I wasn’t able to bake something yummy for my Dad. Instead, I spent the whole afternoon just resting. Then last Tuesday, I had a late lunch on an empty stomach which left me with a weird bloating feeling and later that evening I emptied out everything I had eaten on the water closet – rice, pork, veggies, mangoes and all. Ugh. I felt so weak and dizzy afterwards, and spent the whole night so restless and exhausted, and the day after.
Now, I’m glad to be up and about. It is absolutely important to take care of one’s health. I keep reminding myself this truth. Many many times. I even tell my friends to take care of their bodies, blah blah blah… you know, the usual ‘health is wealth’ stuff. Now, I’m getting a dose of my own admonitions. Hehe… oh well, sometimes I just take for granted what really matters most… my health. Ooops, it’s dinner time! Have to take care of myself, right?
By the way, aren’t Thursdays my favorite blogging days? Funny, but I notice I’ve been posting my entries on three consecutive Thursdays already.
It gives me such a strange warm feeling when I’m enjoying this breathtaking view of the sun’s setting down with its unusual mixture of hues. You can never experience the same sunset day after day, it is always a different unique show at dusk. And even though I’d always want to gaze at it for a longer time, it would suddenly fade into the horizon.
It’s just so ironic, why the sky displays its beauty at its utmost just few moments before giving way to darkness. All through the day, the horizon can be clear, bluish or cloudy, but just before the sun disappears and night sets in, it leaves your mind with a scene so amazing.
Isn’t it the same with life sometimes?
There are times when we experience great achievements and inspiring moments just before being beset with misery or pain. Like the sunset, our life’s glorious moments strengthen us to what lies ahead. We know the darkness won’t last long, and we will always have another beautiful sunset to look forward to.
It’s difficult to decide on a life-changing issue, isn’t it? But what made it even worse for me was that it involved a long-time dream and I had to think about it and weigh things over for only a short period of time. I had to make a decision within two days only. Sigh. I was in such a dilemma. I confronted myself with a lot of questions and it left me too tired thinking about all the pros and cons, it was like walking on a thin line between ‘yes’ and ‘no’. One moment, I was afraid to fall and the next moment I was fearless and so sure of myself.
Anyway, last Monday, that fateful day when I had to decide, it seemed as if all the unseen forces of the universe made everything possible for me to follow my dream. Everything just fell into place. Help came from unexpected sources, even from people our family haven’t known before. Circumstances made it possible for me to choose a big ‘yes’. All I had to do was to just let go of my doubts and worries, take another step forward and get out of my comfort zone. And so I took the fall.
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Just want to give you an update about these three candidates on my previous report:
Candidate No. 1 - Mom's watch is doing fine now, no more headaches for her, and no more trips to that watch repair shop for the nth time!
Candidate No. 2 - We already got the refund for the double payment.
Candidate No. 3 - Got the certificate with the correct name on it. I'd like to add that the guard was very accommodating. It was lunch time when we arrived at the DTI office, and he was busy munching away, but still managed to hand me the certificate even if he can just tell me to come back during office hours.
So, my trust is regained. There will always be frustrating situations when we cannot be serviced the way we expect it to be, and when times like these do happen, a little bit of understanding and patience is all it takes.
Ideas are powerful. A train of thought can make or break, build or destroy. The choice is ours. Our ideas become our future. I believe that life’s meaningful lessons are best learned when shared with others.
