Something to share...

Instagrammer

2012-04-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

I'm not really a fan of self-portraits until instagram...

Give Me All the Calories in the World

2012-04-13T04:33:00.000-07:00

It is really this big @ 50's Diner
in Baguio City

Calories Needed for Goal Weight

Results (from calorie count)

You should consume about 2,021 calories a day to reach your goal weight of 110 lbs . This is at a reasonable weight gain average of 1 lbs per week, which should be reached by July 06, 2012.

Experts recommend weight gain of about 1 lb per week. Remember that this estimate is based on your body weight, height, age, gender, and activity level. It may vary slightly depending on other factors.

Generally, women should not consume any less than 1,200 calories per day, and men should not consume less than 1,500 calories per day.

So, let's start the ball rolling! Wish me luck!

And by July, I will see you in the best and satisfying eat-all-you-can feasts in Manila (Yakimix or Red Kimono or Sakae Sushi or Spiral (!) or Bono Yaki).

The Wedding

2012-02-18T22:21:00.000-08:00

I was re-arranging my clutter at home when I saw some of my old stuffs in high school and college. I had this old notebook of poems I made. This one caught my eye and I just wanted to share it. It has been structured the way we were taught in school. And I can't seem to remember why I created something like this.

THE WEDDING

Down the bridge

A maiden stood

In a long white gown

In church it should

Weeping endlessly

Her eyes blurry

That made the flowing river

Whisper sorry

Her crimson lips

Now been washed with tears

Unable to say

She seized the day

Her groom indeed

Was gone without a word

Leaving her behind the dark world

A heart that as sweet as she

She wondered why it couldn't be

But never again

The maiden vowed

Will she ever walk

In the aisle of doubt

Just for this Heart's Season

2012-02-13T17:30:00.000-08:00

The intimacy experiment....

I just watched Rachel Ray's episode today and found myself locked and fascinated by their topic. She was joined by the TV's strongest reality couple, Trista and Ryan Sutter. It was all about the 10-day Intimacy Experiment and how it helped them maintain that 'spark' in their marriage.

I downloaded the e-book version, and mind you, as I was scanning the pages, it's not about what the picture presumes. It's all about re-connection and building relationships.

My open-air design photobooth is rockin!

2011-12-24T09:29:00.000-08:00

Found an interesting site on the web. It kinda gave me that push to continue with my hobby. I do love taking pictures. One day, I just thought why not make a small living out of it. So, I started this simple photobooth. I really don't know what my photobooth style is. All I know is that it looks like you're in a modeling studio where there is an SLR camera on a tripod, studio lights, reflector rise umbrella, laptop, a portable backdrop, and a hidden portable printer. I also get to use photoshop in creating designs for the frames (and I thank that one person who taught me this). Anyway, the printed output is just the same as other photobooth owners. By the way, I started my photobooth business last August 30, 2010. I will blog soon the story behind my photobooth. :)

I thought the traditional box-type photobooth design is better until I found this article.

3 Advantages of Open Air Photobooths

By: Neilsen Yu on ezinearticles.com

If you're planning an event and have been doing research on renting a photobooth, chances are high that you've come across two different types of photobooth styles: (1) the traditional (or classic) photobooth and (2) the open-air design, also known as the "CrazyBooth". The two are similar in concept, but in execution, they take completely different approaches.

On the one hand you have the classic, "box" photobooth which we're all familiar with. It is constructed (or assembled) into an all-in-one-box that holds the guests, fires the flash, takes the picture, and prints out the strips instantly. No outside inputs are needed (other than the guests themselves!). On the other hand, you have the open-air photobooth. This setup is like a portable, mini photography studio, consisting of a portable studio backdrop system, studio lighting strobes & modifiers, camera on tripod with remote control, LCD TV for viewing shots immediately, and laptop & printer for printing out photo strips. This setup requires an attendant or two.

Now, obviously both designs each have their respective strengths and weaknesses, and at the end of the day, BOTH will be for your guests a great source of entertainment and leave you with tons of fun captures of the people who came to your event. The goal of this article is not to knock the tried-and-true classic photobooth that we all grew up loving to play with at the mall, but to offer 3 simple reasons how the new, modern open-air design takes a great, classic idea and adds TONS of potential! So without further ado:

REASON #1: MORE SPACE = MORE PEOPLE!

The BIGGEST advantage of the open-air design is that there is more space available! Where the traditional photobooth has a footprint of roughly 40″ x 60″, open-air photobooths can take up as much space as you'd like, with a typical setup being about 8′ x 10′ (96″ x 120″)! Now we're going to be focusing on all the positives of having extra strength, but it needs to be said that the obvious downside to more space is that not all venues can accommodate the space requirements and so for this reason, the open-air design is not for every event!

But for those that CAN handle the extra space requirements, the first positive is that the greater space allows for larger groups of people! No more having to decide who gets to be in the big group picture and who has to be left out. No more worrying about faces being blocked as you cram the box as full as you possibly can (and then some!). Because the open-air photobooth is basically a mini-photo studio, you can fit as many people as you like that are able to stand in front of the backdrop! Seeing 14 people (and even more!) fit comfortably into a picture is a very common thing! And of course, when you've got that many people together in front of a camera, you just know some crazy things are going to happen!

REASON #2: MORE SPACE = MORE CREATIVE POTENTIAL!

Not only does the extra space allow you to include more people, the other huge advantage of having so much space is that you now have creative possibilities that you simply don't have when stuck in a traditional box booth. The extra space allows you to "think outside the box"...literally! Action scenes! groups of people jumping! throwing people in the air! telling a story through your shot! All these are now possible because of the wide-open space that you have available to you in the open-air style photobooth.

See the links below for more suggestions with sample images on how to maximize the potential of your photobooth through creative poses, with ideas for different sized groups.

REASON #3: MORE SPACE = MORE QUALITY!

Finally, one often overlooked or unnoticed advantage that is afforded by the open-air design is the extra quality that comes from having more space, specifically the ability to get the light source a little bit off to the side to create a 3D look & feel to your images.

One of the basic techniques for getting high quality images in a photography studio is placing your main flash a little off axis (away from the camera). This causes all the faces in the image to be illuminated with a gradual shadowing from one side of the face to the other, giving a three-dimensional feel. The physical constraints of a traditional, box photobooth pretty much requires the light source to be a small rectangle, fired straight-on, right in your face.

With the extra space of an open-air design, however, your "mini-studio" photobooth can be set up with as many lights as you like to perfectly model your guests with just the right amount of highlights and shadows for not only FUN shots, but HIGH QUALITY shots! After all, if you're going to hire a photography service, you might as well get fun AND quality, right?

So there you have it, 3 simple ways that the open-air photobooth style brings the potential for BETTER images from the photobooth at your event! If your venue is limited by space, definitely go for a classic photobooth, but if you've got space and are looking for an awesome experience PLUS awesome quality images, contact us to reserve your date today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5213675

What a British Idea!

2011-12-04T06:50:00.000-08:00

I met a friend and she came all the way from UK. She decided to stay here for a while (and maybe for good). Anyway, she shared some stories and facts about her experiences in UK. She had lived there for 8 years. And what an amazing accent! She speaks well and communicates well. On one of her sharing moments, she mentioned about this advent calendar that her child really enjoys every Christmas season. It was a December calendar where there are windows for each day of december. And you only get to open one window each day and inside those windows are... chocolates!

So out of that shared idea I thought why can't I do that too? It is really interesting and creative. It is something new for Lara, and she would be thrilled definitely! I just have to remind her that only one window can be opened each day. You know what? She was really excited when she saw it. She can't wait to open the other windows!

Here's what I did: I inserted cardboard inside the advent calendar so that I can tuck in place the gifts I decided to give her everyday. It won't be expensive gifts because the windows are small. I listed down the things she would love and bought them one by one. These are button artistic earrings, flat tops chocolates, pretty little hair clips, potchi, hearty messages from me, fortune teller notes (what to expect that day. it could be a call from her loved ones or friends), beaded bracelets, treasure hunt notes, trinkets for keeps, more chocolates, hair bands.. etc. And some windows don't have things inside yet. I am running out of small things to give her. Help! :)

And here's what it looks like:

Trash or no trash

2011-11-21T22:01:00.000-08:00

I'm a real sentimental type of person. I like keeping old things, let's just say, with sentimental values. Before throwing things out, I look at them first and my mind would automatically think of ways I can possibly reuse them. I even keep old papers just as long as they don't have writings on the back.

I'm also a bit of a neat freak (okay, some might react badly. YES, I'm one big hell of a clean and neat freak!) I like cleaning my home everyday, even if I'm tired from work. My mop is my closest friend. I don't like clutter. I hate dust. If my daughter has coughs and colds, I blame it on dirt first (no kidding). I like keeping things organized. If you want to piss me off, just go ahead and don't put my things on their proper places.

Is this an OC disorder? Perhaps I have the genetic tendency of having one. I think my mom has a mild case of it. It can help you sometimes but it can be extremely distressing.

Anyway, what am I talking about? I only want to share some ways we can reuse those things we usually consider trash.

Hmm.. that Strabucks on the go..

I now use it as a medicine holder/organizer.

And that toilet paper roll..

How about some of these things?

- an empty tissue box for your plastic grocery bags/brown paper bags

- shoe boxes to organize your bills or letters

- old mouse pads for kitchen countertops

- old contact lens case for your meds

- old-fashioned mugs as spoon/fork holder

- chocolate or wafer canisters for your child's colors and pens

There are lots of ways we can make use of our old stuffs. So better think twice before saying 'sayonara'.

An old text, but this is what I'm going through now..

2011-10-27T07:09:00.000-07:00

Did you happen to experience these kind of moments when you feel like time is too short for you? Or you wanted to do this thing but something is holding you back? Or you're in the middle of letting go of something but you just don't know how to end it or where to start?

I was in front of my computer and then out of the blue I just googled 'Steve Jobs'. I know I wasn't one of those people who mourned when he passed away, but I did sympathized. He was one of the greatest geniuses of all time..

Going back, I saw Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address. My eyes skimmed over the words on the transcript of his address. I have read this before. I remember my ex-hubby's dad giving us a copy to read and reflect on (it was not that too much of a big deal to me back then- it wasn't just applicable then).

It's quite different now. I was having goosebumps as I read the lines again. Everything on it was so true to me at this time. It was touching. It was a wake-up call for me.

How come we see things differently after some time? The same with love/hate letters. When you first read it, it seemed like a no-nonsense kind of letter. The kind that you wished to throw away because you know that you are always right. After so-so years, you pulled it out from your deepest, darkest corner, and... the light just seemed to appear from nowhere. You finally understood. There was suddenly a different angle to it. Go ahead and try reading your old letters. It could be letters from you or letters you received..

Here's what he said by the way...(I know it is quite long, but whenever you feel strange, powerless, uninspired.. reading this will help you get back on track)

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?

It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:

Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did.

You've got to find what you love.

And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.

This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.

Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

Satisfying Juan's Appetite: Koolstix Barquillos en Sorbetes (Ice Cream filled ...

2011-10-24T00:18:00.000-07:00

I love barquillos! I remember when I was a child I used to just stare at people eating those crunchy snacks. It was really expensive for us to buy a pack during those times. And when my older sister would buy some for her kids, I was so excited to get a share from them. I remember eating it real slow and just enjoying the moment..

But now, of course, I can always try and satisfy my cravings for barquillos!

Reblogging from: http://satisfyingjuansappetite.blogspot.com

Satisfying Juan's Appetite: Koolstix Barquillos en Sorbetes (Ice Cream filled ...: Long, Crunchy and Messy. Barquillos, its one of those snacks that we Filipinos love. I'm not really a fan of eating Barquillos, but hey, who...

My pad's new look!

2011-10-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

Just one of my other frustrations - be an interior designer. I like browsing to some home magazines and can't help admiring all the designs and ideas, be it for small or big houses.

BEFORE

I took this shot to remind me of how I felt then when I moved to this small space. I was thinking then, 'how the hell will I fit all my stuffs here?'

So, I went through some sites on the internet for inspirations...

AFTER

And voilà! It's the perfect look for me. I just had to squeeze in on some time and a lot of effort (and a little money, literally).I got the curtains from hypermarket only for a cheap price. I fell in love with the swirly designs right away.I also found those cute wall stickers in daiso (the store with really amazingly low prices). From afar, it looks like somebody painted it. My dad almost got fooled. :)And that black little round stool? That's probably the most and only expensive thing I bought for this pad. Kris Aquino has one of those. And that's the main reason the price of that stool went up! If I have seen it earlier, it could have been a lot cheaper.I bought the throw pillows at SM department store when it was a weekend sale.And that striped sofa bed? I saw it in also in hypermarket for a very reasonable price. I had many options then, but I was really looking for a cheaper one (and a lighter one, so I can basically move it around the house).The wall picture frame was one of my old stuffs from Thailand.Some of the hand-me-downs stuffs here are the wooden two-seater chair, the round center table, and the steel chair.

These were my inspirations....

Shaped and Fashioned by what we LOVE

2011-09-23T21:47:00.001-07:00

Beauty essentials that I can't live without:

Olay total effects night cream

(it surely can even out skin tone!)

Olay day cream

Pond's pore tightening toner

Clinique happy body cream (from chel)

And...

What's in my purse?

The FaceShop volumizing mascara

Avon's mini eyeliner in black

Ellana's baby buki brush

(two thumbs-up for this brush! really soft!)

Stila Flushed

PurMinerals Red Ruby

(Stila and PurMinerals are both long-wearing)

Godiva lip gloss

(yes, this one can make your lips soft and supple)

Maybelline blush

Ellana's white chocolate primer

Ellana's peach coffee shake foundation

Ellana's raspberry cappucino finishing powder

Ellana's posh eyeshadow

(All of my Ellana's are in small (1g) packaging. It's a lot

cheaper and can really last for months! And guess what? No

more hassle of re-touching when you have this on!)

Shaped and Fashioned by what we LOVE

2011-09-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

I'm in my 30's and yet...

2011-08-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

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I woke up one insignificant day and just started to wonder, 'what am I doing with my life?'

I have done everything I think I want. I've gone to jobs that long before I've been so curious about. I have worked at a call center, I've been to sales and became a supervisor, I have put up my own part-time business connected with events, I recently became a ghost writer and also a researcher... And now I'm a temporarily a WOHM. Temporarily, yes, because 2 weeks from now, I will be entering another BPO company and will be doing something I haven't done before. I guess I'm the type of person who wants to learn new things every now and then. But am I becoming a better person from all of these experiences? Am I gaining success?

Something is definitely missing. A physical exercise perhaps? I haven't been doing any exercise in years. Sometimes I'm thinking of doing a little workout. If not in a gym, I could probably run a few rounds, or swim with my super active daughter once a week. As they always say, 'any exercise is better than no exercise at all'. What's the best exercise for a person with a small body frame?

What I Love about Manila

2010-10-22T00:16:00.001-07:00

Food. Food.. Food!
I am not fat. I even want to get fat. Let's just say i'm slim. But i love to eat. I love to go out and visit new resto. I like trying out new food specially recommended ones. I am not into big serving. I just want to enjoy the taste no matter how small it is. But it has to be worth the price. Have you tried eating in such an expensive resto but it did not really satisfy your hunger? It is not as flavorful as you expected it to be that your stomach aches a little not because of the food you just ate but because of the amount you just paid. Well, let's just say now we know. No more next time visit.  
Metro Manila is still the best place to be if you want to try out different cuisines - Korean, Japanese, Italian, Mexican.. it will satisfy even the most indulgent of appetites. So on my next visit to Manila, i will list down those i would love to try again.. and definitely spend on.

Pre-Valentine eve

2010-02-13T09:05:00.001-08:00

What's so special about this day? This is my good friend, or shall i say my soulmate's death anniversary. It took me three years to admit to the whole world that he was someone special, not in a romantic way. He was more than my bestfriend but less than a lover. Quite confusing, i know. I met him when i was in first year highschool. And that whole four years, my life became more interesting...

Starting Over

2009-03-29T05:37:00.000-07:00

Life can get even better..
I strongly believe so.. Despite all the low points in my life, I still managed to be happy and thankful for everything God has laid upon me.
I guess something inside me,maybe the same flicker of hope that had guided my daughter, made me think that life could be better.

Lara's having her sunday swim right now. This is in exchange for her being the patient and understanding daughter during my busiest of times. And here I am, taking my time off from work.

I have come to realize that time is so short for meaningless musings.. (been doing that a year ago). So, what i promised myself this year? to live life in the simple pursuit of happiness in all its infinite varieties: plan family activities like swimming or a simple badminton game once a week, finish a good book in two hours (coz i haven't been doing that lately. It's taking me a week just to finish one because I was always tired at the end of the day), start on my long forgotten journal (it can actually help on strengthening one's perspective about life, it can also relieve stress once you jot down everything.. a quick release), relive my forgotten passion -photography (years ago i was so into it. This summer's the best time to reignite what once used to make me feel so free, happy and a little creative. What else? Stop putting barriers on myself? Connect with friends? It's the simplest way to learn and grow.

Moving on..

Still the overprotective freak that i am. i can't seem to finish this Midnight Sun draft (the other side of Twilight- from Edward's perspective). I keep on checking on lara if she's still having fun, she's not hurt or anything.
Anyway, about the book, there's so much more to this story, to Edwards' than there is to Bella's. It's page-turning. Sad thing though, there's no hard copy yet, as i've heard. Read through the net.. (thanks to Chel by the way, for recommending)

Now lara's making friends.. she's the opposite of me. I'm the timid, shy type during my younger years. She's the active, friendly, and talented one. She'd rather excel in co-curricular than her academics. I just hope it won't stay that way. Can't wait to find out on her next journey to grade school..

Simple ways to be Happy!

2008-12-29T05:40:00.000-08:00

1 LaUgH Actually.

Have you ever laughed so hard till you cried? Next time you find something to laugh about, keep going till your belly hurts. Besides, this doesn't happen all the time.

2 Eat ChocoLate.

Studies show that eating chocolate is known to boost the levels of happy hormones in your brain. You don't have to eat the whole bar or slice of cake, though. Just satisfy that craving.. then let it melt in your mouth.

3 Me, Myself and I.

Spending time alone is your chance to do all the things you truly enjoy, from watching a movie you're dying to see, reading your much awaited sequel of a book, ordering a dish you're actually craving for, picking a dress in your favorite color, or capturing extraordinary images using your cam. Enjoy.. Appreciate and embrace life.

4 Get diRty.

Plant a tree. Wash your car..
Eat out using your hands (no utensils man!), plus the fact that you are in a farm with pigs, chicken, etc. all around the place watching those feel-good dishes. Who says this isn't fun? Dig in and get dirty!

5 Stay Fit.

You don't really have to go to the gym just to stay fit. You can walk your dog, breathe fresh air, or even window shop at your fave mall. Also while working at home, grab an apple or any fruit that can make you feel good (and sexy!) about yourself.

Lessons Learned

2008-09-14T06:49:00.000-07:00

I still believe in happy endings..

Millions of men and women fall in love, get married, then get separated. We all wanted to find love, and we try the best we can. It's not that we don't learn our lessons in love. We always learn. We always get hurt. But still love keeps us going. Love keeps us strong. Come to think of it, we are still creatures of habit and patterns. We are only unpredictable in some ways but love. In one way or another, we always end up loving someone unconditionally.
Some people thought that when a person went through a separation, that person become lifeless. Hateful. When marriage hits the rocks, it's like the lights have gone out of your life. Anger and resentment sets in. Revenge came after. These are but initial reactions, same as every drama on tv.
Six months later, you have realized that life is still wonderful. You have learned to love the change that you took. You wanted to do good if not best in everything you do. You have accepted the new challenge in life. You can't wait to share all the things you have learned in a relationship with your old friends and new found ones.
Months later, you find yourself falling in love again.. and what a perfect ending that is.

"We have a picture of the perfect partner, but we marry an imperfect person. Then we have two options. Tear up the picture and accept the person, or tear up the person and accept the picture". J. Grant Howard, Jr.

Lessons learned: We need to be totally honest about a relationship (past or present) in order to let go. Acceptance is important. Don't hold on to anger, hurt or pain. They tend to steal your energy and keep you from love. Don't be afraid to express tour love with open and honest affection and without restrictions. True forgiveness will become easier when we learn to empathize and apologize. Lastly, John 8:12...

Laws of Power

2008-07-01T23:53:00.000-07:00

The 48 Laws of Power

by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers

Law 1

Never Outshine the Master

Always make those above you feel comfortably superior. In your desire to please or impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite – inspire fear and insecurity. Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power.

Law 2

Never put too Much Trust in Friends, Learn how to use Enemies

Be wary of friends-they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy. They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove. In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies. If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.

Law 3

Conceal your Intentions

Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions. If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense. Guide them far enough down the wrong path, envelope them in enough smoke, and by the time they realize your intentions, it will be too late.

Law 4

Always Say Less than Necessary

When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike. Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.

Law 5

So Much Depends on Reputation – Guard it with your Life

Reputation is the cornerstone of power. Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win; once you slip, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on all sides. Make your reputation unassailable. Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen. Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations. Then stand aside and let public opinion hang them.

Law 6

Court Attention at all Cost

Everything is judged by its appearance; what is unseen counts for nothing. Never let yourself get lost in the crowd, then, or buried in oblivion. Stand out. Be conspicuous, at all cost. Make yourself a magnet of attention by appearing larger, more colorful, more mysterious, than the bland and timid masses.

Law 7

Get others to do the Work for you, but Always Take the Credit

Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your own cause. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a godlike aura of efficiency and speed. In the end your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered. Never do yourself what others can do for you.

Law 8

Make other People come to you – use Bait if Necessary

When you force the other person to act, you are the one in control. It is always better to make your opponent come to you, abandoning his own plans in the process. Lure him with fabulous gains – then attack. You hold the cards.

Law 9

Win through your Actions, Never through Argument

Any momentary triumph you think gained through argument is really a Pyrrhic victory: The resentment and ill will you stir up is stronger and lasts longer than any momentary change of opinion. It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word. Demonstrate, do not explicate.

Law 10

Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky

You can die from someone else’s misery – emotional states are as infectious as disease. You may feel you are helping the drowning man but you are only precipitating your own disaster. The unfortunate sometimes draw misfortune on themselves; they will also draw it on you. Associate with the happy and fortunate instead.

Law 11

Learn to Keep People Dependent on You

To maintain your independence you must always be needed and wanted. The more you are relied on, the more freedom you have. Make people depend on you for their happiness and prosperity and you have nothing to fear. Never teach them enough so that they can do without you.

Law 12

Use Selective Honesty and Generosity to Disarm your Victim

One sincere and honest move will cover over dozens of dishonest ones. Open-hearted gestures of honesty and generosity bring down the guard of even the most suspicious people. Once your selective honesty opens a hole in their armor, you can deceive and manipulate them at will. A timely gift – a Trojan horse – will serve the same purpose.

Law 13

When Asking for Help, Appeal to People’s Self-Interest,

Never to their Mercy or Gratitude

If you need to turn to an ally for help, do not bother to remind him of your past assistance and good deeds. He will find a way to ignore you. Instead, uncover something in your request, or in your alliance with him, that will benefit him, and emphasize it out of all proportion. He will respond enthusiastically when he sees something to be gained for himself.

Law 14

Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy

Knowing about your rival is critical. Use spies to gather valuable information that will keep you a step ahead. Better still: Play the spy yourself. In polite social encounters, learn to probe. Ask indirect questions to get people to reveal their weaknesses and intentions. There is no occasion that is not an opportunity for artful spying.

Law 15

Crush your Enemy Totally

All great leaders since Moses have known that a feared enemy must be crushed completely. (Sometimes they have learned this the hard way.) If one ember is left alight, no matter how dimly it smolders, a fire will eventually break out. More is lost through stopping halfway than through total annihilation: The enemy will recover, and will seek revenge. Crush him, not only in body but in spirit.

Law 16

Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honor

Too much circulation makes the price go down: The more you are seen and heard from, the more common you appear. If you are already established in a group, temporary withdrawal from it will make you more talked about, even more admired. You must learn when to leave. Create value through scarcity.

Law 17

Keep Others in Suspended Terror: Cultivate an Air of Unpredictability

Humans are creatures of habit with an insatiable need to see familiarity in other people’s actions. Your predictability gives them a sense of control. Turn the tables: Be deliberately unpredictable. Behavior that seems to have no consistency or purpose will keep them off-balance, and they will wear themselves out trying to explain your moves. Taken to an extreme, this strategy can intimidate and terrorize.

Law 18

Do Not Build Fortresses to Protect Yourself – Isolation is Dangerous

The world is dangerous and enemies are everywhere – everyone has to protect themselves. A fortress seems the safest. But isolation exposes you to more dangers than it protects you from – it cuts you off from valuable information, it makes you conspicuous and an easy target. Better to circulate among people find allies, mingle. You are shielded from your enemies by the crowd.

Law 19

Know Who You’re Dealing with – Do Not Offend the Wrong Person

There are many different kinds of people in the world, and you can never assume that everyone will react to your strategies in the same way. Deceive or outmaneuver some people and they will spend the rest of their lives seeking revenge. They are wolves in lambs’ clothing. Choose your victims and opponents carefully, then – never offend or deceive the wrong person.

Law 20

Do Not Commit to Anyone

It is the fool who always rushes to take sides. Do not commit to any side or cause but yourself. By maintaining your independence, you become the master of others – playing people against one another, making them pursue you.

Law 21

Play a Sucker to Catch a Sucker – Seem Dumber than your Mark

No one likes feeling stupider than the next persons. The trick, is to make your victims feel smart – and not just smart, but smarter than you are. Once convinced of this, they will never suspect that you may have ulterior motives.

Law 22

Use the Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness into Power

When you are weaker, never fight for honor’s sake; choose surrender instead. Surrender gives you time to recover, time to torment and irritate your conqueror, time to wait for his power to wane. Do not give him the satisfaction of fighting and defeating you – surrender first. By turning the other check you infuriate and unsettle him. Make surrender a tool of power.

Law 23

Concentrate Your Forces

Conserve your forces and energies by keeping them concentrated at their strongest point. You gain more by finding a rich mine and mining it deeper, than by flitting from one shallow mine to another – intensity defeats extensity every time. When looking for sources of power to elevate you, find the one key patron, the fat cow who will give you milk for a long time to come.

Law 24

Play the Perfect Courtier

The perfect courtier thrives in a world where everything revolves around power and political dexterity. He has mastered the art of indirection; he flatters, yields to superiors, and asserts power over others in the mot oblique and graceful manner. Learn and apply the laws of courtiership and there will be no limit to how far you can rise in the court.

Law 25

Re-Create Yourself

Do not accept the roles that society foists on you. Re-create yourself by forging a new identity, one that commands attention and never bores the audience. Be the master of your own image rather than letting others define if for you. Incorporate dramatic devices into your public gestures and actions – your power will be enhanced and your character will seem larger than life.

Law 26

Keep Your Hands Clean

You must seem a paragon of civility and efficiency: Your hands are never soiled by mistakes and nasty deeds. Maintain such a spotless appearance by using others as scapegoats and cat’s-paws to disguise your involvement.

Law 27

Play on People’s Need to Believe to Create a Cultlike Following

People have an overwhelming desire to believe in something. Become the focal point of such desire by offering them a cause, a new faith to follow. Keep your words vague but full of promise; emphasize enthusiasm over rationality and clear thinking. Give your new disciples rituals to perform, ask them to make sacrifices on your behalf. In the absence of organized religion and grand causes, your new belief system will bring you untold power.

Law 28

Enter Action with Boldness

If you are unsure of a course of action, do not attempt it. Your doubts and hesitations will infect your execution. Timidity is dangerous: Better to enter with boldness. Any mistakes you commit through audacity are easily corrected with more audacity. Everyone admires the bold; no one honors the timid.

Law 29

Plan All the Way to the End

The ending is everything. Plan all the way to it, taking into account all the possible consequences, obstacles, and twists of fortune that might reverse your hard work and give the glory to others. By planning to the end you will not be overwhelmed by circumstances and you will know when to stop. Gently guide fortune and help determine the future by thinking far ahead.

Law 30

Make your Accomplishments Seem Effortless

Your actions must seem natural and executed with ease. All the toil and practice that go into them, and also all the clever tricks, must be concealed. When you act, act effortlessly, as if you could do much more. Avoid the temptation of revealing how hard you work – it only raises questions. Teach no one your tricks or they will be used against you.

Law 31

Control the Options: Get Others to Play with the Cards you Deal

The best deceptions are the ones that seem to give the other person a choice: Your victims feel they are in control, but are actually your puppets. Give people options that come out in your favor whichever one they choose. Force them to make choices between the lesser of two evils, both of which serve your purpose. Put them on the horns of a dilemma: They are gored wherever they turn.

Law 32

Play to People’s Fantasies

The truth is often avoided because it is ugly and unpleasant. Never appeal to truth and reality unless you are prepared for the anger that comes for disenchantment. Life is so harsh and distressing that people who can manufacture romance or conjure up fantasy are like oases in the desert: Everyone flocks to them. There is great power in tapping into the fantasies of the masses.

Law 33

Discover Each Man’s Thumbscrew

Everyone has a weakness, a gap in the castle wall. That weakness is usual y an insecurity, an uncontrollable emotion or need; it can also be a small secret pleasure. Either way, once found, it is a thumbscrew you can turn to your advantage.

Law 34

Be Royal in your Own Fashion: Act like a King to be treated like one

The way you carry yourself will often determine how you are treated; In the long run, appearing vulgar or common will make people disrespect you. For a king respects himself and inspires the same sentiment in others. By acting regally and confident of your powers, you make yourself seem destined to wear a crown.

Law 35

Master the Art of Timing

Never seem to be in a hurry – hurrying betrays a lack of control over yourself, and over time. Always seem patient, as if you know that everything will come to you eventually. Become a detective of the right moment; sniff out the spirit of the times, the trends that will carry you to power. Learn to stand back when the time is not yet ripe, and to strike fiercely when it has reached fruition.

Law 36

Disdain Things you cannot have: Ignoring them is the best Revenge

By acknowledging a petty problem you give it existence and credibility. The more attention you pay an enemy, the stronger you make him; and a small mistake is often made worse and more visible when you try to fix it. It is sometimes best to leave things alone. If there is something you want but cannot have, show contempt for it. The less interest you reveal, the more superior you seem.

Law 37

Create Compelling Spectacles

Striking imagery and grand symbolic gestures create the aura of power – everyone responds to them. Stage spectacles for those around you, then full of arresting visuals and radiant symbols that heighten your presence. Dazzled by appearances, no one will notice what you are really doing.

Law 38

Think as you like but Behave like others

If you make a show of going against the times, flaunting your unconventional ideas and unorthodox ways, people will think that you only want attention and that you look down upon them. They will find a way to punish you for making them feel inferior. It is far safer to blend in and nurture the common touch. Share your originality only with tolerant friends and those who are sure to appreciate your uniqueness.

Law 39

Stir up Waters to Catch Fish

Anger and emotion are strategically counterproductive. You must always stay calm and objective. But if you can make your enemies angry while staying calm yourself, you gain a decided advantage. Put your enemies off-balance: Find the chink in their vanity through which you can rattle them and you hold the strings.

Law 40

Despise the Free Lunch

What is offered for free is dangerous – it usually involves either a trick or a hidden obligation. What has worth is worth paying for. By paying your own way you stay clear of gratitude, guilt, and deceit. It is also often wise to pay the full price – there is no cutting corners with excellence. Be lavish with your money and keep it circulating, for generosity is a sign and a magnet for power.

Law 41

Avoid Stepping into a Great Man’s Shoes

What happens first always appears better and more original than what comes after. If you succeed a great man or have a famous parent, you will have to accomplish double their achievements to outshine them. Do not get lost in their shadow, or stuck in a past not of your own making: Establish your own name and identity by changing course. Slay the overbearing father, disparage his legacy, and gain power by shining in your own way.

Law 42

Strike the Shepherd and the Sheep will Scatter

Trouble can often be traced to a single strong individual – the stirrer, the arrogant underling, the poisoned of goodwill. If you allow such people room to operate, others will succumb to their influence. Do not wait for the troubles they cause to multiply, do not try to negotiate with them – they are irredeemable. Neutralize their influence by isolating or banishing them. Strike at the source of the trouble and the sheep will scatter.

Law 43

Work on the Hearts and Minds of Others

Coercion creates a reaction that will eventually work against you. You must seduce others into wanting to move in your direction. A person you have seduced becomes your loyal pawn. And the way to seduce others is to operate on their individual psychologies and weaknesses. Soften up the resistant by working on their emotions, playing on what they hold dear and what they fear. Ignore the hearts and minds of others and they will grow to hate you.

Law 44

Disarm and Infuriate with the Mirror Effect

The mirror reflects reality, but it is also the perfect tool for deception: When you mirror your enemies, doing exactly as they do, they cannot figure out your strategy. The Mirror Effect mocks and humiliates them, making them overreact. By holding up a mirror to their psyches, you seduce them with the illusion that you share their values; by holding up a mirror to their actions, you teach them a lesson. Few can resist the power of Mirror Effect.

Law 45

Preach the Need for Change, but Never Reform too much at Once

Everyone understands the need for change in the abstract, but on the day-to-day level people are creatures of habit. Too much innovation is traumatic, and will lead to revolt. If you are new to a position of power, or an outsider trying to build a power base, make a show of respecting the old way of doing things. If change is necessary, make it feel like a gentle improvement on the past.

Law 46

Never appear too Perfect

Appearing better than others is always dangerous, but most dangerous of all is to appear to have no faults or weaknesses. Envy creates silent enemies. It is smart to occasionally display defects, and admit to harmless vices, in order to deflect envy and appear more human and approachable. Only gods and the dead can seem perfect with impunity.

Law 47

Do not go Past the Mark you Aimed for; In Victory, Learn when to Stop

The moment of victory is often the moment of greatest peril. In the heat of victory, arrogance and overconfidence can push you past the goal you had aimed for, and by going too far, you make more enemies than you defeat. Do not allow success to go to your head. There is no substitute for strategy and careful planning. Set a goal, and when you reach it, stop.

Law 48

Assume Formlessness

By taking a shape, by having a visible plan, you open yourself to attack. Instead of taking a form for your enemy to grasp, keep yourself adaptable and on the move. Accept the fact that nothing is certain and no law is fixed. The best way to protect yourself is to be as fluid and formless as water; never bet on stability or lasting order. Everything changes.

Bon Voyage

2008-05-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

I was staring one day at all these stuffs.. These are just half of my things. Quite a clutter huh?
I also have all these questions on my mind. At the same, I felt this fear.. unfamiliar fear.
It all crowded in on me then: the stress, the worry about bills, this new level of responsibility, the endless details of running a house, and the everyday routine of teaching a child her lessons in school. Only a short time before, I'd been with someone and had shared these chores, these worries.
Still in motionless state, tears started to flow from my eyes. That's when I saw her. My little angel. She hugged me tight.
My loneliness was then replaced by extreme happiness. I can't express how happy she made me. This little girl in front of me, who in the wisdom of innocence, was silently giving me comfort.
I have regained my strength then. My focus changed in that instant. I was looking forward to this change.