Jeningning

HIV and the Workplace: Handle with Care

2012-01-21T10:19:00.001+08:00

In 2011, Renaud Meyer of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) described the HIV/AIDS situation in the country as “hidden and alarming” and that “all the main ingredients of an epidemic are now present" in the Philippines. Each day, 7 out of 10 Filipinos are tested positive with the virus. And that's only for reported cases.

What if the person we have meetings with or even those closest to us are HIV positive? What do we do?

In a recent focus group discussion that I attended with a select group of participating companies, they admitted that they "do not exactly know how to handle HIV cases." Most HR practitioners said they "rely on their HMO providers" to help them handle HIV/AIDS related incidents.

In this video, the International Labour Organization (ILO) outlines the existing policies and programs that will promote HIV/AIDS related education, prevention, treatment and care in the workplace.

Please do share this as many will benefit from knowing the basic steps in handling HIV/AIDS cases in the workplace and preventing stigma and discrimination among those who are tested positive.

Changing New Year's Resolutions to New Year's Projects

2011-12-29T21:30:00.000+08:00

A day after New Year's day, we will start renovation on our new home - though I am not sure if I can call it "renovation" since we haven't moved in yet. In three months, we will finally leave our sweet and small abode, the apartment which served us for six years. What a fitting way to start 2012.

Perhaps even if not at the start, wouldn't it be nice for each year to be marked by a milestone, a big or small step from one point to another, towards something our hearts always desire?

And then there are new year's resolutions. I will be honest, I started listing down my resolutions every 31st of December since I was 12. On an estimate, only 2% of my total goals were achieved - thus my last list was in 2002.

MY 2012 IN PROJECT NAMES

A 2007 research by Quirkology.Com found that in a random population of 3000 people who listed their new year's resolutions, only 52% of them were confident that they will achieve their goals. As it turns out, only 12% were fulfilled their resolutions.

I guess I belong to the majority. It can be the term itself, New Year's Resolution is now a familiar but dubious expression -- fleeting promises that last only a month or even shorter. It has become like Christmas, an occasion that has lost its wonderful significance in the frantic barrage of gift-buying, shopping, parties, and holiday vacations.

So instead of chronic resolutions, I'm aiming at projects. Projects that will define my 2012. After all, the word project sounds more measurable and attainable doesn't it?

According to the book The Definitive Guide to Project Management, "Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. The primary challenge of project management is to achieve all of the project goals and objectives while honoring the preconceived constraints."

The key word is discipline - it all starts there. Project Management, if applied on a personal level, will involve five critical processes:

Design and Plan - Write the goals and objectives and put the required tasks on a timeline.
Execute - Start, initiate, commence. Tomorrow? Why not today?
Monitor - Ensure that goals are not flashes in the pan by checking their status and making the necessary interventions to avoid delays.
Measure Success - It's not all about the money. If the goal is to overcome impatience, check yourself if you'll pass the next boiling-point test and those that are to come.
Be Creative in Project Names! This is my personal addition. Let go of self-imposed criticisms and let your mind go on a journey of creative discovery. Name your project with a name that resonates with you, that is totally your own. :)

This 2012, I (will fervently, fervently strive) to let go of glimpses of promises, flashes of wishful hopes, and a plethora of pledges. Defined target, structure and objectives are the rules of the game.

And so here are my 2012 Projects, details of some will be kept confidential :)

1. Project Victory

Description: Big word! At 31 I think it's about time for me to get over some immature and callow attitudes that I still have. Plus I need to focus on my favorite 3Ps - patience, productivity and persistence. I also have spiritual goals that need to be revisited and practiced. My primary house, my soul and spirit, needs renovation too!
Timeline: January - December 2012

2. Project Spark!

Description: A project en route to my objects of imagination - to write a book manuscript, to illustrate for a book author, and to join two art contests.
Timeline: Book Illustration; January 2012, Manuscript - March 2012; Art Contest - TBA

3. Project Elmo

Description: Make a second baby - a boy, an Elmer Junior. :D Need I say more? This project is especially focused on me becoming a better mother to hopefully, two kids soon!
Timeline: 2nd Quarter of 2012

4. Project Overflow

Description: Not necessarily spilling, but why not? As a full-time mom with home-based work, I aim to increase my earnings so I can help augment the household cash flow and still enjoy the liberty and perks of managing my own time.
Timeline: January - December 2012

5. Project Go!

Description: Time to get on a bike! I must admit full-time motherhood has confined my physical activities to the kitchen, living room, and grocery store. Now I must work out and start eating healthier. In 4th quarter of 2011, I stopped drinking coffee and has since then enjoyed drinking tea. Good start for 2012!
Timeline: January - December 2012

Richard Wisemen from the University of Bristol, in his study on New Year's Resolutions, found that 78% of people who set resolutions fail. "Men achieved their goal 22% more often when they engaged in goal setting and make measurable goals, while women succeeded 10% more when they made their goals public and got support from their friends.^"

Which is exactly why I am sharing this with you.

May gratitude fill our hearts not just every end of year but every day.
May 2012 see the best ever in all of us.
May we all be blessed and fruitful.
May we all see and seek God in all things, because all things work together for the good.
May we all prosper and have the best year ever!

P.S.
They say the world will end on December 21, 2012. I am pretty sure that 10 days after, I will go online to check this article again. I need to know if I do belong in the 10% women success rate category. :) Hope you'll check this too. Until next December 31 then!

The Anatomy of a Broken Heart

2011-09-28T18:34:00.008+08:00

Whenever I hear stories of female married friends, family, or relatives who go through separation or divorce, a part of my heart is pinched. I may not fully understand the turmoil and the pounding hurt they feel deep inside but somehow I can relate to their feelings and emotions -- perhaps because I am a woman who experienced this wonderful feeling called "love."

One of my friends is going through an ordeal - her husband of more than a decade is leaving her for the "adventure of his lifetime" and of course, another woman he barely even knew. And since I'm constantly updated of what is happening to her, I can't help but cry. As actors would put it, they embody the character they are playing. In a similar manner, my friend's despair rubs on me.

"Love" comes and sweeps us off our feet. Then for some unfathomable but all too familiar reasons like the "Tao lang ako" (I am only human) or the classic "It's not you, it's me", the person who gave 200% devotion finds him or herself confused, with a gaping hole in the chest.

Life's lessons are indeed best taught by experience. These realities only become visible and real when a person gets inside a contract called marriage. To the one in love, he or she overlooks the partner's faults and capabilities to become a worthy spouse - maturity, fidelity, trustworthiness. The one in love is fearless to face "forever." And then at the height of marital challenges, the one in love wallows in an epiphany of regret, of the "I should have knowns". But it is too late.

The Beginning - A Fairy Tale Come True

Boy and girl experience the "spark."
Boy and girl fall in love.
Boy and girl feel forever is not enough.
Boy and girl think the world is theirs to conquer.
Boy and girl become husband and wife.
Boy and girl starts a family.

The Castle Begins to Crumble

Reality then sets in - moving in together, seeing each other's faults and each other at their worst, raising the kids, raising enough money, feeling the romance die, feeling the differences give birth to conflicts, getting irritated for what the other spouse does and what the other does not do. Reality sets in and slowly overshadows the very reasons of the two of them being together.

Such realities open the doors for one partner to seek refuge or temporary satisfaction in another form - a person, a vice, an addiction or worst all three of them. The vice and addiction however are forgivable things and do little to damage the heart. The other person, call it a "third party", is the reason that can make all things go into a black hole.

The Heartbreak

In all heartbreaks, someone does the hammering. The one whose heart is broken into pieces falls at the mercy of the one who errs. As my favorite author Neil Gaiman says, " [Love]... makes you so vulnerable. It opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up."

True - the heartbroken is not only in pieces but all messed up. Literally, the pain can be compared to pressing an anvil to the heart while knives are inserted on all open sides. Science puts it as stress-induced cardiomyopathy or broken heart syndrome, a condition that follows when the heart is weakened due to extreme emotional stress such as break-up, divorce or the death of a loved one.

Everyday, the broken-hearted struggles to find a ray of light to live. She diverts attention to other things like work. She lives like a jaded zombie until the wonderful healer called time comes to pick up and paste the shattered pieces of her broken heart.

Every now and then the memory of yesteryears floods her, like arrows piercing her inner flesh. The warmth of her lover's hug, the kiss, and the horrible image of him with another woman is too much of a pain to handle - like a dagger jammed and jammed again, breaking into the core of her soul.

The Hope of Healing

A physical heart transplant is always easier than healing the broken heart. It is the soul of the heartbroken that needs healing, the memories that need a daily check up of tucking away, the spontaneous hemorrhagic vengeful conviction that needs to be controlled.

Yes, there is hope. There always is. One can choose to forgive, accept and move on. Some married couples, in the condition where the one at fault finds remorse and is willing to change, swim like champions to the finish line, getting over the hurt, working to achieve healing and restoration and inspiring other couples to do the same. The pain of forgiving is traded for the promise of a better future, a stronger love, a love that has weathered the storms. As always, "mercy is greater than revenge, compassion greater than anger."

Some just stay above the water for convenience' sake - for the children's sake. In worst cases, they live in a facade of togetherness, but internally they are in two separate worlds called "Open Relationship" or "It's Complicated."

Some drown in anger and revenge, caught in a vicious cycle of emotional battles up against each other. As a way to forget the pain and dilute the hate, they seek solace in another partner.

In the case where an erring spouse leaves voluntarily, the one who is left alone has no choice but to move on and heal solitarily. On this solo journey he or she finds what was once the wonderful self --- again, albeit the enormous pain.

To All Married Couples And Those Who Will Be

Occasionally jaded and idealistic as I am, I still believe that love is not a feeling, but a decision. Love is love when one strives to overlook an offense rather than be engulfed in it. Love is love when one remains true to a vow that once was made - through thick and thin, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer. Easier said than done, but true.

Love is love when one overcomes the temporary pleasures and trade it for what is real, what is true, what is right, what is for the long term. When marriage becomes a place of friendship, of loyalty, of cherishing each other, accepting each other's faults, and supporting each other through, love can flourish without being forced.

Here's a precious piece of advice from the best selling book "Have a Little Faith" by New York Times Bestselling author Mitch Albom. This advice came from the words of his minister, Rabbi Albert Lewis, a few months before his death.

"I think people expect too much from marriage today,'' he said.

"They expect perfection. Every moment should be bliss. That's TV or movies. But that is not the human experience. . . Twenty good minutes here, forty good minutes there, it adds up to something beautiful. The trick is when things aren't so great, you don't junk the whole thing."

"It's okay to have an argument. It's okay that the other one nudges you a little, bothers you a little. It's part of being close to someone."

"But the joy you get from that same closeness--when you watch your children, when you wake up and smile at each other--that . . . is a blessing. People forget that."

What Have We Forgotten?

Society has given lesser value to the sanctity of a covenant, of a vow, of a marriage. Our culture has created normalcy out of men or women practicing infidelity as a sign of authority, power, and influence. "Sex adventures" has been promoted as norms, hailing James Bond's spectacular charisma over women as a behaviour worth emulating.

Our media have lowered the image of women, treating them as objects of lust rather than human beings that need to be respected. Worst, women have accepted their value based on beauty, sex, and men's degree of affection towards them. As a result, some women who are desperate to feel loved by a man gives in to the trap of being the second girlfriend, one of the girls, a mistress, or a wife who should be satisfied because "siya ang inuuwian ng asawa niya" (she is the one her husband goes home to.) She has forgotten how precious she truly is. Society has warped what we value, and the sad thing is we conform to its decrees.

Blame it to how society defines love, blame the nagging wife or the complacent husband, but at the end of the day, the choice is still made by the person involved. "Junk the current thing for the new? Walk away? Or choose what is right and work at it?"

Marriage and Its Maker
In so many real testimonies that I heard and learned of, hope and comfort are found in the Great Designer of Marriage - God. By holding on to His promise of peace, restoration, and strength, the one whose heart was broken can find him or herself whole again. And in His perfect will and time, He makes all things new - and even turn broken marriages into renewed vows.

But while at the process of healing, forgiving, praying, but not tolerating, seem to work best for the one at fault. More importantly, it releases the hurting party from pain, anger, and un-forgiveness.

My hope is for all couples to agree to retreat, to go into the state of pondering the very reason they exist, the very reason they are together, the very reason they fell in love. By doing this, marriage returns to its original design - a sacred vow, a precious promise, a decision of love.

My hope is for all couples to humble themselves and pray to the God they promised "forever", to pray for healing, restoration and revival of love that will see them each day and will withstand all storms.
He is the bind that holds them together.

"Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." - Ecclesiastes 4:12

May God heal the hearts of so many yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

In the Land that Chases the Sun: My Canadian Chronicles

2011-07-14T05:56:00.002+08:00

I should have written an entry since my arrival here. But then again, I just indulged my senses with and savoured the sights, sounds, and all the sensations of the land that loves and chases the sun, Canada.

With four seasons in one year, three of which are spent mostly indoors, who wouldn't go crazy when the sun comes out and put on a welcome sign that says:

"No jackets just wear flipflops, shorts, skirts, short skirt, spaghetti straps, and no layers please!"

I didn't get crazy. I spent my entire life in the Philippines using umbrellas, sun block, and anything that will cover me from the heat of le soleil. But because I am a tourist, I spread my arms wide open and let the sun burn my skin and leave age spots in exchange for great views, sightseeing trips, and spontaneous tours.

So instead of writing my whole experience which will take me a week to finish, I wrote this poem

which says it all:

In the Land that Chases the Sun

In the land that chases the sun

I am a child again

and I play with my daughter

my happy star, Nicole

No schedules, no office to go

Just basking in the sun

Smelling the flowers

Smiling at strangers

In the land that chases the sun

I spend hours looking at the sky

No sticky feeling, no sweat

I just always bring food and jacket

My cellphone hibernates

Because the library, the parks

The gardens, the lakes

They all wait for me like a long lost friend

In the land that chases the sun

I wonder and wander

Maps guide me to places

My feet is restless

Snow slopes, age-old tall trees

Butterflies, bears, squirrels

Lavender, roses, poppies and magnolias

We all exchange Hi's and How are yah?

In the land that chases the sun

I am a child living a mother's dream

Touring, trekking, trip-bound, thanking

Telling my Father, "Thanks for taking me here."

A Spark Plug for the Soul

2011-06-16T02:04:00.002+08:00

Children were born like fireworks - full of energy and sheer idealism, with smiles and excitement beaming wide like the afternoon sun. But as they grow up into adulthood, life's harshness cause many to end up like burned out candles. Oh yes, and I've had my fair share too.

May this poem ignite the inner fire in all of us.

Our Deepest Fear
by Marianne Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

***

IGNITE, FIRE UP and SHINE ON!
Special thanks to Jerome Castaneda for sharing this on Facebook.

From being an atheist to a believer

2011-04-21T19:33:00.002+08:00

My faith is like a roller-coaster trip that travelled to the moon and back.

I was baptized as a baby, spent my childhood summer in vacation bible schools, became an atheist during college. My philosophy professor was so convincing that I spent six months of believing nothing and questioning everything. I persecuted my college Christian friends, tried astrology, backed out, until one day I got tired of finding answers to the simplest of all questions, "If there is no God, who created the bright blue sky?"

I then became an un-orthodoxed believer, became a born-again Christian in 2001 and from then on went through highs and lows on my beliefs.

Faith, they say, is a personal walk with God, not defined by religion or denomination, but by knowing the truth.

What is the truth? I searched for it and asked so many questions in my heart, wandered confused, along the way and deep inside, I believe I knew all along. It was in the book, the Bible, that I left dusted for years, that I read occasionally as a child and then tucked away again.

Salvation and truth, all heavy words right? They were definitely for me. It was like a pill that is hard to swallow. The truth was in Jesus Christ, a name I heard like an old broken record. Growing up in a country that puts Him on wood and a litany of prayers made him an all too familiar but strange person to me.

My heart was closed, opened, closed, and opened again.

What worked in my case, was when I opened my heart and "questioning-rational-all-knowing" mind to a search for real answers, and ultimately, humble acceptance. It's time to let go of the old self-righteous, subjective, and know-it-all reasoning. I refreshed my relationship with Jesus Christ, the God in person who walked on this earth, and made an impact 2000 years after his death and resurrection - a lasting impact to change the lives of others.

Even though I have been a Christian for a decade, I decided to attend a spiritual retreat called "Victory Weekend" a two-day seminar that outlines spiritual foundations as written in the bible. I admitted to myself that in those 10 years, my faith was all head knowledge and little application.

A retreat is not a magical journey, nor a supersize "zap!-zap!-zing!-zing!" encounter.

It signals the start of a renewed walk grounded in the message that Christ left us. My goal now is to embark on an everyday learning, acceptance, and of renewal of my mind - consistently turning away from poor choices and negative thoughts, and seeking wisdom from God. In practical terms, always asking the question "Is this the right and pleasing choice to God, or is not?" It is growing in a real relationship with Christ by reading His word, seeking Him daily, and allowing Him in every area of my life.

To grow each day and develop a character like His, that is what my renewed faith journey is about.

Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed?

Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." John 20:29

Sharing with you my favorite passage:

Jesus said, "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 "The thief (devil) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have LIFE, and live it to the full." John 10:9

Dying like a Supernova

2011-04-01T12:02:00.002+08:00

Stars die, and when they do, they instantly transform into an exploding supernova, sending flashing lights visible to galaxies hundreds of light years away. The glorious explosion then creates a gaping black hole powerful enough to suck and zap the galaxies around it.

4,000 light years away from Earth, this sun-like star died on Valentines Day of 2007.

Have you ever felt like dying, emotionally? It hurts so bad you can touch the hollow created inside of you? A part of me dies when conflicts arise, when I get hurt or be the one who caused the hurt, when I let go of relationships, when I choose to understand rather than get even, when I cannot understand my circumstances, when I clench my fist and drain my tear ducts. God knows my flesh wants to shout, my mind wants rebellion, my pride goes on an all out war.

Yet, despite my tumultuous emotions, a part of my spirit yearns for peace. It is God whispering in my heart. When I go through the pain of suffering, a piece of myself is taken away, like dough pushed onto a mold. My edges are trimmed off to fit the design. Cutting is the most painful and how I love to fight against it. But what I do understand is that in the process, we come closer to the image God wants us to be, if we allow Him to. He makes us whole again, and this time a better version of ourselves.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds … Great is our Lord, and mighty in power …” (Psalm 147:3)

In the universe, astronomers estimate that about 275 million stars die and are born each day. They explode, cause a terrible chaos in the galaxies around it, and then give birth to something far more majestic.

At the center of this peaceful looking galaxy is a black hole.

Life does know how to take away the sparkle in our eyes. Still, we ought to withstand what it throws on us, good or bad. I will shine like a star, die like a supernova, feel hollow like a black hole, and then rise up again like the majestic universe.

A Parcel of Surprise

2011-03-31T18:03:00.002+08:00

There are those monotonous days where you just go about your daily business. You expect the usual and get what you expect. But somewhere along life's familiar tune, there will be a knock on the door, and you'll receive a parcel, an unexpected gift from a loving friend.

Who doesn't love sweet surprise? I thank God for this wonderful capacity of man to think out of the box and send out a good cheer.

Thanks Wenduy, my former creative-super-efficient-think-tank in SMART. I am feeding on the book like a horse!

About Home Work

Home Work is a collection of essential tips for parents seeking answers on how they can better prepare and support their child for school. Published by WorkingMom Magazine Philippines, the book is authored by Queena N. Lee-Chua, a summa cum laude on Mathematics, a sought after speaker, writer, Palanca winner, child pyschologist, and oh well... she is a super woman indeed!

The book is available at bookstores nationwide.

My Heart is Never Old

2011-03-28T07:40:00.003+08:00

When the years of this life weigh me down, I take a step back and peel off the scales of age wrapping my young heart. My share of frown, tears, and thumbs down all hold me from jumping, reaching and touching the stars, and yet I still find stardust in my eyes.

My yesterdays are like cliffs, summits and waterfalls, but today feels like I am on a plateau, halfway between the peak and the pit. Still, I look up at the mountains and continue on my quest to conquer it.

Life they say is like a thief that steals away dreams and hopes and promises and futures. But I will not, I have a Shield, a Sword, and a Refuge with me. With hands fold and knees down, I pray with my soul to become a Knight that fights, never settles for less or wallows in defeat.

The stars are up there, and my feet below. Still my arms can stretch and my heels can push me upward.

I have wings unseen and the sky awaits me.

The years may drag me, the time crush or mend me. But I'll live with arms wide open, my palms up, my fingers all apart. My heart is never old.

*Photo Courtesy of http://kaotickell.deviantart.com/

The RH Bill: This Too Shall PASS

2011-03-19T16:10:00.019+08:00

For 16 years, it has sat in the shadows of presidents and legislators, in the pews of old and new churches, in the cabinet files wiped clean and then covered again with dust. Outside, its recipients wait like birds desperate for a solution.

To us the general public, it is an old record waiting to be played. For the longest time, we waited to hear it on air, like a song that heals a miserable heart.

Image Courtesy of http://fineartamerica.com

The Reproductive Health Bill (RH Bill), a mirror on how real and sustainable progress seems to elude this country of potential, has lingered around far too long. Our hot-and-cold government has shoved it here and there, under a rug of thick dirt, hoping the hand that summons a wave of votes will not disapprove of it.

The world watches as Filipinos struggle to put the Bill to pass in the hope of curbing the country's already exploding population. Two million babies are born each year, majority to poor families. Beyond the utter condemnation of the Catholic Church, momentum is building up, close to becoming unstoppable, a feat of a country frantically struggling to ensure that in the years to come, it will have enough resources to support its numbers.

My RH Bill Experience - One Way or Another

I have a cousin who is a priest, I used to attend mass every day when I was in college, I respect all forms of faith including Catholicism and its religious views. I love listening to a priest' message on weddings, baptisms, or funeral rites.

There are five sibling in my family, with one to three years of age spacing. Nevertheless, we lacked in resources, we lived in hand-me-downs, went to school penniless most of the time, lived through insecurities, I was the most malnourished of all five.

Hoping to end having more babies because my father cannot support all of us, my mother summoned her courage and got a government-sponsored tubal ligation ALONE, without informing my father.

I was meant to go through all these and I have no regrets. With supportive parents, a good scholarship, career breaks, hard work and intense prayers, life is better now. But what about those who do not have access to these?

Sharing my experience may still serve me a judgment, but I do not mind.

My 99% vote is for the RH Bill.

1% of disapproval goes to the free provision of contraceptives to single young men and women, since I totally agree with the Catholic Church that this may encourage experimental, casual, premarital sexual intercourse which puts them at risk for sexually transmitted diseases, guilt, low self-esteem, and heart-breaks.

Let me be clear, I am 100% against abortion too - the actual killing of a child already formed inside the womb.

Child bearing is wonderful and painful.

I gave birth through normal delivery. After nine months of carrying my child, there were eight full hours of enormous pain - my spine felt like splitting, my pelvis cracking in two. Even with two doctors and three nurses at my side, it is clear to me that at that indescribable moment, I have 50% chance of losing my life to bleeding, infections, or complications.

What about women or families who don't even have the means to get a pre-natal ultrasound and check-up, buy a pregnancy vitamin, or purchase a new baby blanket?

To all mothers who are at risk of losing their life,
To parents who would like to give their children the best care within their means,
To families who have the right to determine the number of children they can support,
they all have a choice, and that is to provide for a better life for their children.

To sum up the long battle for this bill, check out Al Jazeera's extensive coverage with a debate from a panel of speakers from the Aquino Administration, The Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines, and Women Rights Activist Group. http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/101east/2011/03/20113161430684220.html

What is your stand on the RH Bill?

Take me back to the 1950's

2011-03-10T12:54:00.001+08:00

This photo took me by storm.

Audrey Hepburn is not wearing her famous little black dress, but isn't she lovely in this shot, especially that she is posing like an artist?

Post war, balloon skirts, neatly curled hair, nice up-do's, hats, laid-back culture, simple approaches to life. I was not even alive in the 1950's but how I want to have lived during those times.

Of course, God meant me to be born in this generation and I love it still.

Neither would I want to experience the tragedies of war.

But somehow, the fancy, fashion, simple lifestyle, and the freshness of the Earth during the 40s, 50s, 60s have always captivated me.

I think there is one solution to this: a photo of me wearing a similar dress, hat, and style. :)

Now back to reality.

Notes on International Women's Day

2011-03-08T15:08:00.001+08:00

For being strong despite society's limitations,
For smiling despite the sadness,
For giving birth beyond the glorious pain,
For walking on to change and sometimes to carry the world - with or without a man on your side;

Woman, you are a true wonder.

Whatever the world will say,
Do not forget your are beautiful.
Whatever your husband, boyfriend or partner will do to take away your zest for life,
Do not forget that you have sufficiently live the greater part of your life without them.

Woman, you are unique and original.

Look at the mirror not with how magazines tell you.
Look at the mirror not comparing yourself with others.
Look at the mirror not wishing you have somebody else's hair, eyes, nose, lips, breasts, tummy, butt, legs, or skin color.
Look at your gifts, talents, the love you can give, the change you can make.

Woman, you are God's perfect child.

Capturing everyday moments in film

2011-03-02T05:48:00.001+08:00

I'm a frustrated film student who also wanted to enroll in Fine Arts and ended up as a Mass Communications major in UP. Well, the latter helped a lot to break me out of my shell.

10 years later, I am now a mom who resigned from corporate work to enjoy raising my family. Apart from domestic chores, I pursue my craft, my love for the still, moving, and the fine arts. With my teeny-weeny Canon Digital iXus 200 IS, I capture everyday moments in film, take joy in great music backgrounds, and wonderful shots, and the cute effects of iMovie.

So instead of me writing what interestingly happened when we went to the 16th Hot Air Balloon Festival last month, allow me to share you this video.

Yes, we didn't make it to the event site, just like the hundred others who were stuck in traffic along Macapagal highway, but hey the kids still enjoyed tripping around AirForce City.

And while I may not be an expert in film-making, I'd like to share some practical tips:

1. Shoot from different angels, unique ones like from the ground, overhead, or while walking. Let your imagination direct your hand.

2. The rule of thirds also apply: shoot your subjects with he or she or it positioned on the third part of the frame.

3. Have you seen the Silence of the Lambs? Get close ups and make your subjects look at the camera occasionally, that would create the emotion of them communicating to the viewer.

4. Lights, lights, lights. Always capture videos with lots of lights. You'll be amazed at how light can create stunning visuals.

Share me your tips too!

PS Comment, like it, or drop me a note :)

Hahaha-Hundred Islands!

2011-02-01T22:25:00.002+08:00

23 years ago I packed my suitcase for a trip tp Hundred Islands in Pangasinan. To my sheer disappointment the trip was cancelled. Now at 30, with a week's notice, and thanks to the office friends of my spouse, I fulfilled one of the biggest frustrations of my life as a beach-hungry kid. To top it off, I landed the shores of Pangasinan on the 9th year anniversary of my first meet up with my husband. Serious, sheer fun!

Located in Alaminos, a town at the tip of Pangasinan, the largest province of the Philippines, Hundred Islands is 250 kilometers from Metro Manila. We drove for about six hours via North Luzon Expressway and Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX). We stayed in Islandia Resort Hotel which served us tremendously well, and for only P2485 per head including 1 night stay, dinner, breakfast, lunch, two snacks and a day tour!

You can check out the photos at my Facebook account, but I suggest you check out this video and soak up the sun! :)

And oh, I used a Canon Digital iXus 200 IS for the shots and edited using iMovie. Awesome fun!

I am 30 years old!

2010-12-06T06:09:00.002+08:00

I love the 80s and 90s - it was my growing up years. Macgyver was my earliest idol, and then I fell in love with NeverEnding Story II's star Jonathan Brandis who eventually killed himself at 26 when movie and TV projects eluded him. "Name game" was my favorite dance and I was a die-hard Japanese anime fan.

And then I turned 30 last November. (This I write screaming hahaha!) It's like that "Armageddon" movie scene when in a second the actress Liv Tyler was a baby, a pre-teen kid, and then a woman. Whoa time does fly!

As a child, we felt like the world is ours to conquer. But when we graduate after college, start working, get heartaches and disappointments, succeed, fail, and then succeed again, have a family, our sphere begins to have corners. And so I always touch-base with the child in me, because it reminds me that the world, that life, is not square after all.

Rice paddies and vegetable fields surround my earliest memories - I can always remember me and my sisters running behind our house and greeting the sunrise so we can get that wonderful supply of sun-kissed natural vitamin D. As the second of five siblings (all girls!) I was a quasi-loner-sociable kid - play with me and I am the greatest ally you can get but leave me time alone to mold a mound of clay into a pot and stick an ant or leaves in it for decoration.

In Bulacan, my parents sent me to a public school. Since kindergarten was not so popular then, I was forced to join the grade 1 class as a sit-in or "salingkit". With my small physique, I found it funny that I was a bully - forcing my older classmates to do the seat-work for me.

The next year, perhaps because I grew 365 days older, I was the most obedient girl in class and ranked first. I even did a portrait of my teacher during class and gave it to her. (A Teacher's Pet yup!) But what my teacher didn't know was when I teach other kids to read, I tend to slap them for reading too slow. Well, people change.

Hide and seek, drawing on walls, rolling candle tears at the cemetery during All Saints Day, waking up on Christmas mornings, getting scared by stories of aswangs, race climbing trees with friends, travelling from one barangay to another through rice fields, catching frogs and so on.

As I look back and realized that even though my mother cannot even afford me a new shoe every year and had to wear my sister's old one, I did have a great loving family and one amazing childhood! Thank God, thank you nanay and tatay, for that! :)

And now I am 30 - still counting lessons and stars along the way. Here are some:

On Time:

Time is now moving on the left, overtaking lane. The joke "When you were a kid you want to be a grown-up. But now that you are a grown up, you want to be a kid again" now seems to make sense.
Every five minute counts if you are a full time mom with on-the-side jobs.
An afternoon nap is now a gift to be enjoyed.

On Emotions:

My drama-queen's spotlight is fading. Now the lights are on "Mother Teresa." (Though I occasionally put back the spotlight on the first)
The ego has landed - but it will attempt to make a run-away flight so I always have to check on it regularly, especially on the "Wives, submit to your husband" situations.
I found myself wiser and more in control of my emotions, but I know there will be times that I will still make boo-boos.

On Dreams:

So much of my childhood and post-college dreams and ideals have gone - some you shed along the way, especially when you start working and deal with office politics (*wink).
As a woman, it is but natural to fear for the future. Now there is a need for a more conscious effort to push myself each day to be hopeful and positive, expecting that the best is yet to come.
As a mother, I just have to accept the fact that some of my dreams are bound to be traded for the good of my family. Oh this one is hard :)
Related to the above, I reserved a list for me achieve!

On Coming to Terms with Your Body and Aging:

Wrinkles are natural, it is a friend to welcome each day although I always postpone the invitation using creams and vitamins. :D
Reduction in looking at glamour magazine does wonders. And perhaps knowing Photoshop convinced me that not everything is real.
It is human nature to compare myself with other woman. (I just can't help it!) But I found that a conscious effort to stop the endless measurement raises my self-esteem.
Accept, accept, accept. This is the magic word.

On Family and Marriage

The romantic days are gone. Now it is friendship and "for better or for worst" love that is setting in - but it doesn't come naturally, it is a process that married couples work on.
Passion is a flame that requires constant effort. (Need I say more?) :D
When dealing with routine tasks at home (cleaning, cooking, washing etc), a little music and an inspiring podcast can help me find joy in what I do.
It is natural to feel tired. I feel tired at the end of the day! What do I do when I feel tired? I reserve the cleaning for the next day and I hug my pillow and snooze!

On Tuning to Myself Despite So Many Music/Noise

The negativity will always knock on my door - I guess all moms/wives go through this. That is why it is important to find a reason to smile each day, to feel secure with myself, even though all things seem to be upside down.
The world does not end when people does not treat me the way I want them to. The heck! I am responsible for my own happiness. (This one is a lesson that requires a memory-enhancer.)
Praying and writing help me release all my emotions, my negative thoughts. I just let go and get back up again.

And so at 30, I find myself thankful for having a career for the past nine years, leaving it to focus on my family, and being blessed to having a responsible spouse which I do admit I still fight with at times :D I've been through the highs and lows, the valley and the mountain top, the good and the bad. But at the end of the day, perhaps it is living life with arms wide open that matters, like a child welcoming the flight of the butterflies in the middle of a green field.

I thank God for taking me this far, and who knows where else He will take me? That excites me most. :) As I write this blog I am reminded that there is more to life than what we see, that each day is a gift, each morning brings with it His mercy, each morning is a fresh start, that our dreams to not die, that though life is imperfect, that I am imperfect, He still makes all things new.

At 30, I feel like a child again! :)

Which do you think won? (Updated)

2010-10-11T08:51:00.003+08:00

I recently joined Pond's The Look Contest - an online competition for styling and matching accessories for dresses made by Pond's partner clothing line Plains and Prints. Two weeks ago, I was informed that I won in one of its weekly selection. Thing is, my entry has not been posted in Pond's Facebook Page yet - until today.

Entry number 2 won. Thanks to Pond's! :) To see the image on Facebook, click here.

Entry 1: The Art Muse

Entry 2: The Look of Feminine Leadership

Entry brief: Her hands create, her mind is sharp, she is always on the go. Each day, she grabs the opportunity to show the world what she is capable of. She is the empowered woman of today - hardworking, beautiful, wise, and is blessed with opportunities. This look best describes her taste - a balanced fusion showing both her feminine and powerful character. Inspired by the global movement of women called Imagine the Good (www.imaginethegood.com) Feminine leadership is corporate pretty, inspiring and influential, charming and

confident - a look that says, "Yes, she can!"

Both entries reflect my style - artsy-bohemian and corporate dressing. The latter I am parking for a while since I left the corporate world to enjoy my time as a mom :)

When the Visually Impaired Makes a Powerpoint Presentation

2010-09-17T03:07:00.006+08:00

It was indeed a "rare" invitation. Out of sheer curiosity I agreed to become a judge in a class of visually impaired students who will present their Powerpoint creations.

At the center for Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired (ATRIEV) based in E.Rodriguez Avenue in Cubao, Quezon City, Tony Llanes and his team are doing a fantastic job in teaching seven wonderfully energetic individuals in creating Powerpoint presentations guided by a text-to-speech and screen reader software.

The presentations were well-organized and are much like those we see at work - I just can't believe I am looking at the work of these people! These students rely on the help of a screen reader software which reads and announces the presentation title, the command, the slide number and the beginning sentences of each slide. Now what excuse do we have for not making prezos with animation and the whole shebang?

A guitarist in her home church, Maricar presented the top reasons why tourists should visit Puerto Galera in Mindoro.

Projecting herself like a TV cook show host, Theresa is a wife and mom who presented her very own Coffee Crumble Tiramisu recipe.

Her presentation is enough to convince me to visit Mt. Pinatubo and have a mud facial. Emerita is a former educator in Saint Louis University in Baguio City. She began to suffer from low vision four years ago. Notwithstanding the setback, Emerita hopes to make comeback in the academe through the help of ATRIEV.

Though shy and jittery, young Flordeliza overcame her stage fright and still managed to inspire her audience with her presentation on "Life Without Limbs" which feature the sought-after inspirational Australian coach Nick Vujicic.

He just loves basketball. This big, energetic young man Patrick shared the history of basketball and how to play the game. Love the costume too! :)

My co-judge Sam Jacoba - a business consultant, songwriter/producer and former Business Development Manager at Microsoft Philippines - giving his insightful critique to the students.

Too bad I didn't get the picture of the other two, so I am posting the class picture we took before we wrapped up.

Me receiving my own certificate and gift from ATRIEV founder Tony Llanes and ATRIEV chief of operations Carol Catacutan. Tony was the sole blind awardee of the “Go Negosyo Most Inspiring PWDs for 2007” given by the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship, while Carol is a UP Mass Communications cum laude, a screenplay writer, and resource person for conferences here and abroad. Both of them are visually impaired too.

Founded in 1997, ATRIEV's main thrust is to provide computer literacy training for visually impaired persons and professionals dealing with visual impairment. Its training programs include PC operations with access technology which means the hardware and software are all blind-friendly, trainors’ training on the use of screen reader in open source platforms, transcription training, one-on-one tutorial, English language communication, software and hardware support and troubleshooting related to the use of screen reader software, disability awareness briefings and sensitivity workshops, computer skills demonstrations and transcription services.

Thanks to my good colleague Richard Burgos, I have had the pleasure of meeting the wonderful team and students of ATRIEV. I am grateful and inspired.

HOW YOU CAN HELP?

Help support ATRIEV and help the blind take advantage of the wonders of information communications technology and use it to get employed and become productive individuals.

ATRIEV Computer School for the Blind

2nd Floor, 1680 E. Rodriguez Boulevard, Barangay Immaculate Concepcion, Cubao, Quezon City

E-mail address: atriev.inc@gmail.com

Telephone number: +63.2.431.9257

Telefax number: +63.2.725.4191

http://www.atriev.org.ph

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"The Hobbit" 2011 Movie - a Sneak Preview

2010-08-17T06:37:00.002+08:00

I have always been a Lord of the Rings fan. In the last four days, I have watched a couple of times the extended version of the trilogy and have researched online some of the characters.

J.R.R Tolkien is a master story teller, no wonder he was called the father of modern-day high fantasy. Did you know that he didn't live to see his manuscripts published? It was only his son who had all his drawings and writings collected, organized and printed. By the way, Tolkien was also a close friend of famous author C.S. Lewis who wrote The Chronicles of Narnia.

I am glad that Peter Jackson poured in again his creative genius on the prequel to the three books which is "The Hobbit".

Though the official trailer and even the exact show date are still in the hiding to make millions of fans drool, thank God for Youtube, there are great previews available. Enjoy!

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A Conversation with an ALZ patient

2010-07-25T18:58:00.001+08:00

She taught me how to mold purple yum pudding to the shape of pineapples, lions, and fish; how to decorate and cut wrapping paper for pastillas, a local pastry; and coached me on theater plays I joined as a kid. She was the ultimate stage grandmother if I may call it - perhaps my love for the creative and artsy stuff can be traced from her.

Lina, my 80-year old grandmother has Alzheimer's disease. The symptoms started to appear when she was 72 years old. Her memories weakens as her body ages. It progressed each year. Today, she barely remembers the people around her, including me, and her sense of time and recent activities are no longer present.

Talking to an ALZ patient can be a test of patience. But for the family, it is an opportunity to show love and respect. Yesterday, over coffee and puto, I chat with her for over an hour. I can hear my sister cheering from the room "Go, Jenny!"

"Where is your mother?" she asked.

"She's with Lorie, your other grandchild. She's helping prepare for your great grandchild's 7th birthday celebration. We will go there later to eat."

"Ah, who is Lorie?"

"You're other grandchild lola, she is my sister."

"Who are you?"

"I'm your grandchild, Jenny."

"Where is your mother?"

Yes, it can be funny many times. The question and answer go round and round. You can run out of stories and questions to ask, but they won't. Behind that, to talk and listen to an ALZ patient lovingly are perhaps the greatest medicines for them.

To know more about Alzheimer's Disease, its early detection, medications, and how to handle an ALZ patient, visit http://www.alz.org.

Children Find Hope Inside Manila's Most Exclusive Village

2010-07-22T20:25:00.005+08:00

"A Loving Home for Every Child"

At first I cannot understand why an orphanage will be located inside one of the country's richest residences. Maybe Dr. Hermann Gmeiner, founder of SOS, has his reasons why he picked this site 22 years ago. Whatever it is, it was good.

Yesterday, I found myself in SOS Children's Village nestled inside the posh residential subdivision of Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa City.

Home to 78 children - abandoned and some forced to leave their families - this compound has eight well maintained children's houses, recreational facilities, and professional offices. It has 22 full-time "professional mothers" - women who committed their lives to taking care of the children and loving them as their own. I was impressed at how this place was run like a well-oiled machine, really. Thanks to the sponsors and to its efficient management team.

We went inside the SOS Fund Development office. A young well-groomed man at his teens entered, took the hand of two SOS officers and made the "mano po" - a Filipino gesture where the young takes the hand of another person and places it on his or her forehead to show respect.

I learned he grew up in SOS, was sent to La Salle Zobel de Ayala Highschool, and is now an exchange student in a top university in HongKong. Indeed, he found hope inside the SOS village.

As a mother, I know the value of having a happy, sufficient home for children to grow up in. It is their right, and it gives them room for success. Sadly, for the Philippines, 60% of children are either growing up in the streets, in an abusive home, gangs, or left by their parents to strangers or relatives.

Homes such as SOS Children's Village indeed stand for its acronym.To save and give children hope for their future. It reminded me to be more grateful, and through this blog, help in my own way in sending out an SOS message to the online world.

To know more about SOS Children's Village and how you can help, visit http://www.sosphilippines.org.

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Time Management Tips for Mothers

2010-07-09T08:34:00.003+08:00

One cannot manage too many affairs: like pumpkins in the water,

one pops up while you try to hold down the other.
- Chinese Proverb

As a mother of one pre-schooler, acting as a single parent while my husband is away, with no househelp, and doing some freelance work, time management is my biggest challenge.

It's my second month as all of the above, and am still learning the ropes - occasionally slipping and piling tasks here and there. Using faint snippets of what I remember from the Law of Attraction, Time Management Quadrant, Five S, and the Quality Framework (hehehe), and most importantly what my mother taught me :D, I have found that these things work:

Regularly wake up at 5:00AM to start doing the house chores.
Do a five to minute stretch to energize yourself, run or dance if you will.
Play music while making a cup of coffee. :) This helps to relax you while doing routinary tasks.
Eat breakfast so that your body burns calories while you are cleaning the house. :)
Plan ahead, list your menu and To-Do list two days early.
Reduce or skip the TV or DVD movie watching time - it only robs you off your hours.
Multi-task - clean the dishes while breakfast, lunch or dinner is cooking on the stove.
Do your work, business sideline, or other personal tasks while your child is asleep. When she is awake, she will need your attention.
Update your Facebook, blog, and Twitter - it helps connect you to the outside world.
At night, do not forget to pamper yourself - rest your body, drink your vitamins, put on your anti-aging cream. Great way to save on aging time for your body. :D

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Preparing for the Storm

2010-07-05T12:08:00.002+08:00

We live near the coast of Laguna de Bay. From our house in Muntinlupa City, traverse 6-7 kilometers and you will find the third largest lake in Southeast Asia. In a location like ours, we are blessed to have winds blowing away the heat of the sun. But when rainy day comes, we get the most rains, winds, and thunderstorms because of our proximity to the lake which also happens to be connected to the Philippine Sea.

(Photo by Shenbrood)

Last year Typhoon Ondoy ravaged homes near the bay, from the provinces of Rizal, Metro Manila to Southern parts of Laguna. Our place is elevated compared to the affected areas - thank God we didn't experience the floods. Nevertheless, I make it a point to be prepared every typhoon season. For mothers like me, safety is top priority.

Stocking on inflatable toys - might just save a child's life.

According to a study by the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), being prepared can reduce fear, anxiety and losses that accompany disasters or calamities of any nature. Families, especially those with young children and elderly, will especially benefit from creating an emergency preparedness plan. To prepare ourselves and our families for the unforeseen calamities, there are four basic questions to answer:

1. What type of disaster will most likely hit your home or workplace?

2. Who and what organization can you contact in case of an emergency?

3. Do you have enough supply of food, water and emergency items at home?

4. What is the nearest shelter that you can evacuate to in case needed?

If you have answered all these questions, it’s time to put your plan on paper and take action. Follow these steps:

Create a list of the things you need to stock up on such as flashlight, bottledwater, candles, canned goods, inflatable vests, medicines, batteries. Purchase and place them on accessible storage areas. Have a suitcase or bag on standby.
Print a list of emergency numbers starting with your neighbors, relatives and government agencies and post this on your home bulletin board – the refrigerator door. A fully charged extra cellphone battery will also come in handy.
It is crucial for your whole family to know the emergency plan – communicate to them what to do, where to get essential items, who they should contact, what they need to bring, and where to go if evacuation is required.
As much as you prepare your loved ones with the information and things they need, it will also help if you can prepare them emotionally. Tell your spouse and children that they must demonstrate patience and presence of mind amid the disorder. Explain to them that such inconvenience are only temporary and will be over soon.

EMERGENCY NUMBERS:

National Disaster Coordinating Committee 02911-1873, 02912-5296, 02912-2665
Philippine Coast Guard 527-6136
Red Cross 143, 527-0000
Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) 136
Emergency Services - 112
Emergency Police - 117

My daughter wearing her vest while playing on the laptop.

I hope and pray that the Philippines will be storm-free this year. It may or may not happen, but the best thing to do is prepare anyway.

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The Piano Cashier Counter

2010-06-29T16:48:00.001+08:00

I played Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, the only piece I know apart from Happy Birthday, on this beautiful white piano, while waiting for my change to be given by the cashier on the back.

Creative, yes!

This cashier counter fronts a real Yamaha Piano - a perfect eye candy and boredom killer for shoppers. Where to find this? The new Candies Store in Festival Mall is all about music and fashion, and fashion and music. It has mallers hooked to its fresh, pretty pink ambiance, rock and pop star inspired clothes and accessories, and a unique store scent to add up to the whole shopping experience.

Candies is an international brand for teenage girls and young women. For the Philippine market, they offer clothes, accessories, shoes and bags at reasonable prices. Blouses as low as P600-1600 and shoes from P1,000 to P3,000. As a local shopper, their prices are much lower compared to local top brands Kamiseta and Bayo.

To think they got Britney Spears to endorse it!

For All the Married and Those Who Will

2010-06-29T15:49:00.000+08:00

"I think people expect too much from marriage today,'' he said.

'They expect perfection. Every moment should be bliss. That's TV or movies. But that is not the human experience. . . Twenty good minutes here, forty good minutes there, it adds up to something beautiful. The trick is when things aren't so great, you don't junk the whole thing.

It's okay to have an argument. It's okay that the other one nudges you a little, bothers you a little. It's part of being close to someone.

But the joy you get from that same closeness--when you watch your children, when you wake up and smile at each other--that . . . is a blessing. People forget that."

— Mitch Albom (Have a Little Faith)

Filipina Bravo!

2010-06-24T12:32:00.003+08:00

After meeting the daughter of my client, I head out to Bonifacio High Street to board the bus going to Alabang. The sun has already bid goodbye. On my way, a brightly lit path with white installations caught my eye. My feet turned to its directions. I took out my camera phone and started taking photos.

Filipina Bravo! is a series of exhibits and shows organized by the Ayala Group to pay homage to iconic Filipinas who have made history since the Spanish colonial times to modern day. It began last April 23, 2010 and will run until August of this year.

The welcome signage says "Filipina Bravo! Self assured, heroic, original. Over the centuries, the Filipino woman hurdled the challenges of history, she has led us to wealth of possibilities, enriched our national heritage and expanded our consciousness. Filipina Bravo! is an account of the brave and enterprising women, who through their lives has proved themselves exemplary in running a household, a business empire, a nation."

The exhibit features short anecdotes and stories of women who made significant contributions to the development and uplifting of women's rights in the country. From Spanish colonial times such as Segunda Katigbak, Felipa Culala, Paz Marquez to modern day leaders like the former President Corazon Aquino.

Alongside exhibits of Filipino haute couture dress and accessories, Filipina Bravo! celebrated female feminism with the glamour of local fashion.

Finding Strength and Inspiration

Though I didn't get clear shots, my sense of disappointment was replaced with the inspiration this exhibit gave its visitors. It made me appreciate my value as a woman and how blessed I am to live in a country that recognize the female talent, ambition, and contributions.

Let me leave you with the message of hope and inspiration that this exhibit would like to convey:

There is no disputing the achievements of the Filipina.
Because of her triumphs, she has made our present more progressive,
our lives richer, if not extraordinary.
And she is ready to show all of us how much brighter our collective future can be.

Let the Filipina of today and the future continue to blaze trails.
To these exceptional women, who through the quiet compass of their lives
have led us all to a dazzling and wiser future, bravo!

Bravo indeed!

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