Searching Nirvana

The Butterfly Effect: How Your Life Matters by Andy Andrews

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:02:00 +0000

"Every single thing you do matters. You have been created as one of a kind. You have been created in order to make a difference. You have within you the power to change the world." - Andy Andrews

Has there been a time when you thought about the meaning of your life, or an instance when you think whether or not a little act you're about to take would matter to anyone at all? I have. The Butterfly Effect: How Your Life Matters by Andy Andrews reminded me of those times. In the Author's Note, Andrews told about his own crossroads and how he managed to find a better, if not the best, perspective in life.

The main story started with a descriptive but concise retelling of the battle at Gettysburg. A thirty-four year old school teacher commanding a small and under-armed troop claimed victory against a battalion of rebel reinforcements. Andrews recounted how the decision and determination of the school teacher has led to a unified America against a world war. Andrews then continued to use other facts as proof to how anyone's action, even that of a farmer's wife, can cause a dramatic and magnifying effect in the course of time.

The Butterfly Effect by Andy Andrews is a coffee table book you can gift to family and friends, both young and young at heart. As an Asian, I was scratching my head on the onset because it is based on American history. But then, the idea conveyed in this book has no borders. It left me inspired and on a contemplative mood. More so, I think it's also a good book for older children. It's short and good enough as an interactive read-aloud, and also a little history book in disguise.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I Won! I Won! I'm One of the Winners of the Roaming Roños 1st Blog Contest!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:52:00 +0000

Weeeee!!!!! Happiness! It's my first time to join an online contest, and I WON in The Roaming Roños 1st Blog Contest!

I never, not an ounce, expected to win. I just thought what-the-heck I really do like their traveling and biking escapades. It's not so much for me to make a comment on their blog. I'm dreaming of becoming a traveler on two-wheels (check my #35) and be a full-pledged mountain climber (based on purist standards) by conquering an alpine slope. I'm keeping tab of their Himalayan adventure and possibly other off-the-beaten-track adventures for reference. I'm thank them for sharing all that. If you share the same interests, hop on to their site!

And back to the contest, being one of the winners give me more reasons to show my gratitude. Thanks a lot Mr. and Mrs. Roño! I'm looking forward to a day of pampering.

Prayer for the Family

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:50:00 +0000

Sharing with everyone a Prayer for the Family from the Pontifical Council on the Family's plans for prayer and reflection of families before the 4th World Conference on the Family, Manila, 2003.

Lord God, from You every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. Father, You are love and life. Through Your Son, Jesus Christ, born of a woman, and through the Holy Spirit, fountain of divine charity, grant that every family on earth may become for each successive generation a true shrine of life and love.

Grant that your grace may guide the thoughts of husbands and wives for the good of their families and of all the families in the world. Grant that the young may find in the family solid support for their human dignity and for their growth in truth and in love. Grant that love, strengthened by the grace of the sacrament of marriage, may prove mightier than all the weaknesses and trials through which our families sometimes pass.

Through the intercession of the Holy Family of Nazareth, grant that the Church may fruitfully carry out Her worldwide mission in the family and through the family. Through christ, our Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, forever and ever.

Amen.

Photo credit: http://www.firstcolonybible.org/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/applogic+ftcontentserver?GXHC_gx_session_id_FutureTenseContentServer=9d68f6ff7e13f7a2&pagename=faithhighway/10000/7000/229FI/services

Manila International Book Fair 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 01:50:00 +0000

Still fresh from the experience last Monday at Scholastic Books' warehouse book sale, I stumbled upon another related event. This time its the biggest and grandest of them all in this part of the world.

The Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) will be holding their 31st great event on September 15-19, 2010 at SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City, Metro Manila.

It will be our first time to go there. Judging from the huge number of exhibitors and scheduled special events from the first until the fifth day, it will really be one helluva BIG fair. I'm afraid Hubby, baby and I will surely be engulfed by a sea of this magnitude. (Oh, I can't leave Coco at home and for some other reasons, in case you're wondering.) Great thing Sumthinblue was generous enough to share her rough guide to MIBF and some more tips. After reading those posts, now I'm afraid if Hubby would let me spend as much as I want for the fair...

We've already blocked a day to visit the event. Will you be there too? Adarna House, one of my fave local children's book publishers, is giving away tickets for free. Hope to bump into you at the fair ;)

It Takes a Village to Breastfeed a Child

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:10:00 +0000

I am a breastfeeding mother. My and my husband's commitment to breastfeed our son has blessed us with a multitude of benefits. It did not come without sacrifices though. I'd love to share our breastfeeding journey, but I'll save it for another post. It takes me so much time writing down my usually garbled-up thoughts that I don't think I can beat the end of August. Because August is breastfeeding month. And the first days of August is actually the world-wide celebration of breastfeeding week. Moving on...

I know all mothers and parents would do and would want the best for their child. Breastfeeding is one. But unfortunately, not all mothers and parents have been well-informed about breastfeeding that the very act was not even given a thought of, was not initiated from child birth or the mother has succumbed to the very tricky travails of breastfeeding.

The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), in line with the breastfeeding week goals this year 2010, is campaigning for greater support from the whole community who will nurture the growth of a child. Here are their Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, which is primarily aimed at getting support from the medical and healthcare providers of pregnant mothers and infants:

Every facility providing maternity services and care for newborn infants should:

Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy.
Inform all pregnant woment about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within a half-hour of birth.
Show mothers how to breastfeed, and how to maintain lactation even if they should be separated from their infants.
Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breast milk unless medically indicated.
Practice rooming in - allow mothers and infants to remain together - 24 hours a day.
Encourage breastfeeding on demand.
Give no artificial teats or pacifiers (also called dummies or soothers) to breastfeeding infants.
Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic.

"It takes a village to raise a child," as the old saying goes. Getting greater support from the medical and health field will encourage and enable more mothers to successfully breastfeed their babies. Should ob-gynes, pediatricians, midwives, nurses and the likes take a more active and supportive role and should this be implemented in all hospitals, lying-in clinics and all maternity and neonatal health care units, it won't be long before every mother will be able to breastfeed her children and that every child be able to receive the unparalleled benefits of breastfeeding.

Rummaging Scholastic's Warehouse Book Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 06:17:00 +0000

We were able to check out Scholastic Books's on-going book sale at their warehouse this morning. According to our friend, the sale was not as great as the previous ones. But for someone like me who has not been to a Scholastic book sale before, who has just started building a child's library, and who has not rummaged a book thrift shop yet, it was good enough.

The books on sale were old stocks. It was an assortment of paperbacks, hardbounds, boardbooks, activity books, kids fiction book series, fact books and books for all ages. They were priced Php30, Php50 and Php80. Some were yellowish, have pages falling out, and really old. But there were also books which were in great condition. Some were still in their plastic vacuum packaging.

Since we're just starting our kid's book stash, it wasn't hard to find books for and would interest a little boy. With a little over Php1000, here's what we brought home:

from the Php30 category - (yet another) cookbook for me (but of course I couldn't resist buying some for myself! *wink*) and a hardbound about signing and signs for Coco;

from the Php50 category - a Mother Goose boardbook still in plastic, a science book which will wait for Coco to get older, a parenting tweens book for me and hubby, and a small coffeetable book which I can use to describe emotions and ideas;

and from the Php80 category - 3 I Spy boardbooks, another Mother Goose boardbook but this time with pop-ups, 2 hardcovers, 4 thin books about animals and a paperback about obesity in kids.

If you want to check out the sale, it's still up for a couple of days. Here are the details:
Scholastic Books and Grolier's 1st Clearance Sale
Aug 27-30 and Sep 1-2, 2010
8:00 am-8:00 pm
Scholastic Warehouse, 70C Raymundo Avenue, Rosario, Pasig, Philippines

By the way, regular-priced books are discounted at 10% off.

Marriage and Family - Keeping it all together

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:20:00 +0000

Two blog posts ago, I mentioned that I did some bookshelf cleaning. Among a ton of reading materials I re-acquainted with are the workbook and presentation printouts of a seminar about families. I was in college then and my perspective in attending it was that of a daughter. Eight years after and already with a family of my own, I skim through the materials in a different light and more eagerness.

There were discussions about marriage, children and parenting. It was all about family and keeping it all together. It is what I prioritize now - my family and making it a happy and healthy one.

The information I gained from the seminar are all very important to me now and I know a lot of parents and families would benefit from it too, so I will share these information here in my blog. There were also books and other related reading materials I rediscovered in my shelves, and I know I will obtain more in the future. I'll also blog about them.

For now, here are some of the topics I'll be sharing in my future posts:

Dysfunction in the Family: Characteristics and breaking the pattern of dysfunction
Coping with Stress in Marriage and Family
What Children Need from Parents
Healing of the Family Tree

I hear you saying: "What is a dysfunctional family? Is my family one? Does my family need healing?" I find myself asking the same questions.

Let's both rediscover and reassess our families in my future posts!

12 Little Acts to Bring Our Country Around

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:36:00 +0000

In view of the recent hostage crisis in Manila, I believe it wasn't only the police who mishandled the situation. The media, both local and international, did poorly too.

A blow-by-blow account of how the police and hostage negotiators (mis)handled the situation and everything else was broadcasted live to the hostaged bus tv and to the whole world. An international news network reporter was also quick to announce that the country is the worst country to visit.

Whatever happened to responsible journalism? Were they just too keen on bringing in the freshest and biggest scoop? But nothing can be undone now. Our country is under a bad light and we are indignant of shame.

Moving forward, it's an opportune time to be reminded of Alex Lacson's The 12 Little Things We Can Do For Our Country. The Philippines definitely needs a lot of loving from its children. She needed a lot of it before. She need tons of it more now.

Doing #4 is on top of my list. Next of course is #12, and then the other rules. How about you?

The 12 Little Things is applicable to anyone and to any country. Feel free to share your little acts of patriotism. We can all benefit from it.

My Blog is Carbon Neutral

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 15:56:00 +0000

I came across the term 'carbon footprint' for the very first time when I attended a seminar on wastewater treatment technologies and design. It was one of the seminars I attended inline with my first ever job - a researcher in an environmental research and consulting company.

One of the speakers half jokingly said that the only way we can stop polluting the earth is by being non-existent. To illustrate, he mentioned about carbon footprint and that every activity we do has an impact to the environment.

After the seminar, I read about carbon footprint in the internet and learned that jet-setting is one of the activities with the highest greenhouse gas emissions. That made me think twice about traveling and riding airplanes.

Carbon footprint as defined by the WWF-Philippines is

"...the representation of the effect of an entity or organization on the Earth's climate in terms of the total amount of greenhouse gases produced (expressed in units of carbon dioxide, CO2)."

You can read more about carbon footprint here, and here, and a whole lot of other resources in the world wide web which will lead to bigger words such as ecological footprint, climate change, and global warming. The last url link to Pinoy Green Academy lists some sites with a calculator that computes one's carbon emissions.

But what exactly brought me to writing about carbon footprint now is an interesting button I saw in a fellow Nawie's blogpost. The button lead me to a German website campaigning for an active participation in saving the environment by reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The "My blog is carbon neutral" button signifies that the group has planted a tree for ~~that~~ this blog to offset the carbon emissions generated from and by it.

Our environment is already in an alarming state. Saving, protecting, conserving and preserving it should be done in every extent possible. Having a carbon-neutral blog thus makes me feel a better blogger and a little more comfortable about my own carbon footprint.

If you're a blogger, you care about the environment and you don't have a carbon neutral blog yet, go and get that button!

A Good Home for Children

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 08:29:00 +0000

I always tell Hubby, I'm okay with a quaint house with a koi pond, a large backyard to grow our mini-farm, solar panels to boot, a carpentry workshop to our fancy, and some other things. And just to clarify, I don't dream of a castle or a great mansion for a home. That will be too much of a chore and operational expenses would be high. Besides, with a house so big, we might not bump into each other or see our children anymore.

Material and physical specifications of our future home is relatively easy to manage. But to make it into a real home is totally a different thing.

I did some bookshelf cleaning the other day and I found an old issue of Voices for Life, a bi-monthly publication of Human Life International Asia. In the pages of its Volume IV, Number 2 issue in 2000, I found this article about a good home as defined by the Committee on Home Responsibility of the National Conference of Juvenile Delinquency (USA). I'm posting here their definition for everyone to read.

A Good Home for Children - A good home for children may be a one-room apartment, a trailer, or a twelve-room house, but it is a good home for a child if:

He is loved and wanted - and knows it.
He is helped to grow up by not having too much or too little done for him.
He has some time and some space of his own.
He is part of the family, has fun with the family and belongs.
His early mistakes and "badness" are understood as a normal part of growing up; he is corrected without being hurt, shamed or confused.
His growing skills - walking, talking, reading, making things - are enjoyed and respected.
He plans with the family and is given real ways to help and feel needed throughout childhood.
He has freedom that fits his age and his needs; he has responsibilities that fit his age, abilities and freedom.
He can say what he feels and talks things out without being afraid or ashamed; he can learn through mistakes as well as successes. And his parents appreciate his successes rather than dwell upon his failures.
As he grows older, he knows his parents are doing the best they can; they know the same about him.
He feels his parents care as much about him as they do about his brothers and sisters.
The family prays and sticks together and the members help one another.
He is moderately and consistently disciplined from infancy, has limits set for his behavior , and is helped to take increasing responsibility for his own action.
He has something to believe in and work for because his parents have lived their ideals and religious faith.

Photo credit: http://www.j-morrison.com/index.php?/paper-towels/

How to Really Love A Child

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 06:55:00 +0000

When Hubby and I decided to have children of our own, we knew the responsibility - and the liability to some extent - that goes with our decision is beyond measure. Conceiving was easy ;) But raising them up is the real score.

Someone from an e-group I am a member of shared a wonderful find in the internet on how to be a parent. I love it. It's so beautiful. I'm sharing it and posting it here to remind me every now and then on how to really love a child.

How To Really Love A Child

Be there
Say yes as often as possible.
Let them bang on pots and pans.
If they’re crabby, put them in water.
If they’re unlovable, love yourself.
Realize how important it is to be a child.
Go to a movie theater in your pajamas.
Read books out loud with joy.
Invent pleasures together.
Remember how really small they are.
Giggle a lot.
Surprise them.
Say no when necessary.
Teach feelings.
Heal your own inner child.
Learn about parenting.
Hug trees together.
Make loving safe.
Bake a cake and eat it with no hands.
Go find elephants and kiss them.
Plan to build a rocket ship.
Imagine yourself magic.
Make lots of forts with blankets.
Let your angel fly.
Reveal your own dreams.
Search out the positive.
Keep the gleam in your eye.
Encourage silly.
Plant licorice in your garden.
Open up.
Stop yelling.
Express your love.
A lot.
Speak kindly.
Paint their tennis shoes.
Handle with caring

Children are Miraculous
by Sark

Photo credit: http://home-biba.blogspot.com/2010/01/happy-101-or-10-things-that-make-me.html

50 by 50 version 2

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 17:50:00 +0000

Five birthdays ago, when I was single and care-free, I wrote a bucket list by age 50. Five years have gone and I must say I made some big leaps of faith and some progress. These changes, in status and priorities in life, have made me reconsider a few items in the list. Life as a wife and a mother is so much different!

Now here's my updated list. In bold black are the new items:

pat and ride an elephant
read the Bible cover to cover
be an MS degree holder- of what and if should be, I'm still deciding. Being a wife, a mother, and a parent made me re-assess my priorities.
sponsor the education or help educate as many children as possible. possibly more than 25 - i joined KaEskwela with the belief that it's one way of getting around this dream. I'm also thinking of being a volunteer teacher in a school...
be a UN volunteer - I'm not very keen on this one anymore or doing it by 50, but I'll still leave it here.

~~be an environmental specialist with expertise on cleaner technology and hazardous waste management~~ my perspective of living a sustainable life is still the same. But, I'm thinking of taking a different career path. As to what it is, I still have to figure out. Motherhood is already a career though..
visit and take pictures of ~~ALL~~ notable old and historic churches in the country
have my own library holding about 500 literary classics and personal favorites
read each and every book in my library
explore Philippines and climb ~~ALL~~ most of its mountains.
give my dad a ~~brand new cefiro~~ a good second-hand pick-up truck
~~give my parents a small rest house somewhere green and quiet~~ It'll really be great gifting my parents with that but I realized they already have two houses which is more than what they can keep up. So I'll change this item to... Help hubby in purchasing our very own home-sweet-home complete with solar panels, a koi pond, an herb garden, a mini farm with fruits and vegetable and "fully-loaded and armed" wood workshop
go bungee jumping
~~finish a 5K run~~ - DONE! I did my first 5k with the Aqua Fortis Dragonboat Rowing women's crew back in 2005. With the regular rowing training, it wasn't much of a sweat. That run was followed with more 5Ks and 10Ks with The boyfriend-now hubby. I'm updating this item to: Finish a full 42K marathon in 4 hours.
walk the whole stretch of EDSA
join a tri-athlete competition - Maybe one of kids will just do it for me??? but I'm not closing my doors on this one yet.

~~join a regatta and win~~ - DONE! See the picture of a broadsheet clipping for proof! ;P
~~be able to play a decent tennis game: good serves, proper volleys and nice backhand returns.~~ - nah! I'm done with tennis. I believe running is my game. To this list I'll then add: Make a podium finish in any running category.
own a business that is income generating for the less privilege
stroll in Paris with Mr. The One - Hubby - wearing stylish terno and barong
~~drive an eighteen wheeler trailer~~ - cool. but no, nevermind. I have to drive and brave EDSA instead.
be an MMDA road sweeper for a day
~~be a "bus girl" in galleria food court for a day~~
- ah! my working days near Galleria. Not so interesting for me now. Housechores are enough to keep me. I'm replacing this item with: Publish my own (coffeetable) book
~~rappel from an airborne helicopter~~ - I was thinking of accomplishing this by doing the Red Cross Water Safety or the 505 Search and Rescue Training. But no.. I will let go of this rather do: Learn a foreign language.
~~get married before 30~~ - DONE! married at age 27
have children of my own - baby #1 up and about!
~~make beso, get an autograph of and a picture with juday~~ - I'm still a Juday fan, but this is too trivial for me now. This item would then be: Be a successful stock broker
~~make beso, chikka and get a picture with kris aquino.~~- I'm deleting this for the same reason as the previous one. Replacing it with: Successfully homeschool our children during their preschool years.
SCUBA dive in the Great Barrier Reef - I still have to learn how to swim and/or dive...
go on a 2 1 week cruise with Mr. The One - The Hubby - and our little ones
go sky diving
~~go BASE jumping~~ - one sky diving is enough. To this list I'll then add: Go to Batanes with the family!
stay overnight in the world's only 7-star hotel - this will be fine but we'd rather: Visit Mama, Tissa, Mommy and Ethel in their respective US States, and Maan & Marlon in Australia.
travel around Asia. being at least 1 2 whole weeks in China and at least 3days in other countries.
bike all the way to Cabusao to visit Lolo Ago
~~sleep on the sands of a scenic beach and wake up from a beautiful sunrise~~ - DONE with Hubby!
see my Dad receive Holy Communion
hear God call my name again
kiss the Pope's ring
get a feel what it's like sleeping on the pavements of Luneta, Quiapo, Roxas Blvd, or in an overpass
hug Bayo and Jeremee
be an extra/bit player in a film
see a giant panda up close
make my own ice cream
~~see what's inside Iglesia ni Cristo's sambahan~~ - too trivial. I'm replacing this with: Travel around the Philippines with the family. Visiting the off the beaten tracks every now and then.
get a great white husky or a very big black neopolitan mastiff for a pet
watch a number of shows in Broadway
~~drive the MRT train~~ - kid stuff yet again. Updating this item to: Love, nurture, guide and see our children grow up to be great children of God
~~climb mountains with my nieces and my own kids~~ - kind of redundant with #10.. replacing it then with: Grow and diversify our financial and investment portfolio. And be financially free!
seat in the courtside while watching Ginebra play in the finals and then get a picture with the whole team

backtracking

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 02:36:00 +0000

3 years... i've been a dormant blogger for that long.

i read some of my age-old entries. updates are definitely warranted. i'd love to share what i've done with my dreams so far, but i'll save that for a separate post ;P

for now, here are some of the updates in my life and in the world around me in reference to my 2007 chinese new year predictions:

i predicted gloria will remain as the country's president. well in spite of numerous impeachment cases filed against her, she did held on to her post. 2010 national elections came about and she'll be turning over the seat to president-elect noynoy. she will not be leaving politics though, because she just won herself a seat in the congress. yeah, from president to congresswoman... that's what i call addiction to power.
i also predicted manny pacquiao won't run in the 2007 elections. wrong! he did, but he lost. he pursued again in the 2010 may elections as a representative of another province. unfortunately, imho, he won. that leaves me and the whole boxing community in wonder to what his sporting career will turn out to be.
indeed, no climb in halcon or apo pushed through. but i'm very proud to say a climb in pulag, complete with side trips to some places of interest, materialized. thanks to me! ;) however for the past couple of years, OCMI, the mountaineering group i belong in, has slipped into hibernation. it still is now. hopefully things will turn around. when that time comes, i'm sure outdoor adventures will be a hundred more loaded with fun. there's a baby boom in the group so let's expect the mommies and daddies in the group (that include me and ten!) to bring along the ocmilets in the climbs ;)
running and running events became a norm in our health-conscious-developing society. ten and i joined a number of running events which i lost tracked of... although, one thing i do remember every time we sign up for one is how the registration fees has gone up from a measly 100-250 to an exorbitant 250-700 pesos!?! the price we pay for a champion chip and photovendo...
an out of town vacation every month? not. almost every month, yes! and where riding a plane to get to our destination turned out to be a thing every quarter. ten and i visited and toured nine different provinces in luzon, visayas and mindanao in 2007 alone. in 2008, we had our first out of the country trip. and in 2009, we plunged in to our greatest adventure ;)
i did lose ten pounds. actually 18 pounds during the second half of 2008. not exactly a good thing because i did not really mean and worked on to lose all 18 pounds of them... i had eczema. the itchiness and discomfort was so unbearable. it spread from my lower limbs to my whole body. rashes, blisters, wounds were all over my body. it was so unsightly and depressing. i lost a lot because of depression, and even more when i decided to forego the steroid treatment which only gave temporary relief. instead, i went on a cleansing, raw and paleolithic diet for almost 2 months to rid my system of allergens and toxins, and to let my body heal itself. it worked! =) two years has already gone by and the eczema scars are still visible though. now, i'm praying and seeking ways to treat my scars.
i had a job after a month of posting the entry. stuck with it for almost two years before realizing i'm happier with my career, learning and development in my previous job. with much gratitude to PSEnvi, i was back to where i started. but only after a year. it turned out God had better plans for me soon enough. so here i am now, having one of the most noble and rewarding professions in the world: a fulltime housewife to a wonderful husband and mother to our first bundle of joy. =)

that's it for now. more things to tell, really. but as i've said, i'll save it for a separate post/s ;P

Timespace warp to the present

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 07:05:00 +0000

WHOA! i have a blog???!?? ;P

it's been AGES since i last posted anything here. my last entry dates back to more than three years ago. A LOT has happened. A LOT has definitely changed.

from a single, worry-free and adventure-seeking me, i have become a full-time housewife to a wonderful husband and mother to our first bundle of joy. truth be told, i tried to put up a new blog. i initially wanted to have a separate and new site to chronicle my thoughts, adventures and misadventures in marriage, family and motherhood. life has become sooo much different now than before. my concerns now are different. the ones i used to worry about have become nonsensical and petty.

after debating with myself over the thought of having a new blog, i decided to carry on with my old and established (???!?) blog. my baseline or theme, if i can call it that, for this site is my search for happiness. over the years i was gone, a lot in and around me may have changed that may warrant a separate blog. but then my search for happiness, holding on and sharing it remains the same.

so cheers to searching nirvana!

WELCOME BACK ME!!! =)

Piggy Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 08:17:00 +0000

Meron nga pala akong blog. Ilang buwan ko na namang nalimutan. Sa wakas ay sinipag ako magsulat. Ang daming nangyari sa halos limang buwan ng buhay ko, san ba ako ano bang ikukuwento ko? Katamad…

Mag-2006 reflections kaya ako? Apat na buwan nga nakakapagod na ikwento, isang taon pa kaya. 2007 new year’s resolution? Hmmm… hmm… Predictions na lang. ;)

For this year of the pig, kinikinita kong..

si gloria pa rin ang ating pangulo.
mayroong magkakabalikan at magbre-break na mga showbiz couple. Sinu-sino sila, malay ko. Lagi namang meron e =P
hindi tatakbo sa eleksyon si manny pacquaio.
mamamatay si harry potter sa book 7. Feeling ko lang…
hindi matutuloy ang plinaplanong akyat ng ocmi sa halcon. Malamang dahil sarado ang bundok. Siguro apo din. Pero pulag sana matuloy…
ako ay matututo magbike. Dahil sa ayaw at sa gusto ko nakipagsumpaan ako sa dalawang tao na kinukulit ako magbike. Hay. Napasubo ako.
I will join at least 5 running events. Joined 3 last year: 5K Pinay in Action, 10K Adidas King of the Road, at 3 rounds sa UP oval sa Takbo para kay Nessa. Mukang madali gawing 5 or more this year. =)
I will have an out of town vacation for at least once a month. Hay. Sarap mangarap…
I will lose 10 pounds. Prediction ba ito o wishful thinking?
Magkakatrabaho ako. Oh Lord! parang awa na… hay...

20 questions

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 13:30:00 +0000

Ten and I were back at the La Mesa Eco-Park today. For the past three weekends, we have been spending a day at the park. Jologs? Nah! We don't see it that way. We see it as a relaxing but very cheap get away from the usual hustle and bustle.

And so we were back, but with something else in our minds other than holding hands while walking at may pa-sway-sway pa. ;) The night before we decided to spend some of our leisure time at the park by playing 20 questions. But unlike the spontaneity in the play that won a Palanca Award, we agreed to strain our minds a bit and prepare beforehand. We agreed that our "game" will be bounded by the following conditions: (1) questions should encourage intellectul discussion; (2) questions must not concern issues regarding our relationship; and (3) questions should not be too politically or religiously inclined.

I had a hard time coming up with my set of questions. Thinking brains work best under pressure, I prepared my list just hours before I was to leave home. I realized it was harder because I also need to prepare what I'll wear and what we'll eat for lunch and snacks at the park. So when Ten came to pick me up, I was still one question short. Fortunately though, numbers were not really an issue.

Through the course of our game, we had varying discussions from when should the academic year begin to the banning or regularization of billboards, from which is the lesser evil between sex and violence to at what age a child can cope best when a parent leaves for work abroad, and from the significance or lack thereof of beauty pageants to the best way to reduce traffic woes in Metro Manila.

I learned a lot from our mentally engaging activity. From all the insights and information brought about by the activity, I was - again - affirmed that Ten and I can talk about anything, bring the conversation to a depth and end it with out being pikon. But best among all I've learned today, I'm very happy knowing that Ten and I more or less uphold the same values in life. =)

Word Play

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 13:22:00 +0000

It's all black and quiet in our area. We are engulfed by the blackness of the night save for lit candles and battery powered lights. I don't have any news except the bits Ten is giving me. They have powered their TV with their car's battery, and thus are abreast with what's happening in other parts of the metro.

The wrath of the super typhoon is finally over, but it has left Manila in a state of calamity. A lot of people died. A lot of electric posts and billboards fell. A lot of properties were lost. It was said it will take days to turn things back to normal.

The power sector, MMDA, local government units, and other people are now hell bent on turning things back to normal. It's quite relieving knowing I'm just one of those who are waiting for things to normalize. But it does puzzle me. I wonder how literal and limiting "turning things back to normal" could imply.

How can the normal before be the same normal now when what has come to past will remain in the past and a thing of the past? when what has come to past will always leave a mark? How can the normal before be the same normal now when through and underneath all, what will be normal will be seen differently and treated differently...

words are not just words at all.

The Storms Then & Now

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 06:17:00 +0000

The howls of the wind and the hard pounding of the rain on my windows woke me up. It was four in the morning. I found it hard going back to sleep.

*************

It's now past noon. The sky is still bleak and gray. Heavy rain continued to pour, but it is the wailing wind that worries me. The trees has been swaying wildly from side to side. I fear tree branches will come hurtling through my bedroom window. I fear the santol and mango trees in the backyard will fall and damage our house. I watch my would be horror on my dry bed.

...I am dry and comfortable, less the troubled feeling. Dry...

Years ago, back in the apartment we used to live in, my drama with torrential rains and shrieking winds were real.

Our tattered roof gave us all the feeling it would finally give way. Water would be dripping from almost everywhere. Our cramped apartment would then be littered with catch basins here and there. The bathroom door would always be kept shut because the "shower" was at full blast and can not be turned off. And, the water closet was gurgling with something from everybody knows where.

When rain continued to pour hard, we are treated to free big pools. We would be waddling through ankle deep water in our bungalow apartment, and through almost knee-deep water in the garage. We would then be bustling ourselves moving things to higher places. At syempre, and pinakamasaya, maglimas ng baha. (No sarcasm intended.)

But it wasn't fun forever. It became tiresome as i grew up. No matter how we moved our things, something important gets drenched. Waddling though flood wasn't as exciting as the years gnaw on me. The catch basins became an irritating sight. And the bathroom... Nobody uses the bathroom during those times.

*************

That was how we were years ago. Now I lie here on my dry bed, in our own house with good roofing and good sewage line, in a subdivision with good drainage system. I have almost nothing to worry about. Nothing except petty things my mind can only imagine. Nothing except wishing everyone else is dry and comfortable as I am.

back from hiatus

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 04:30:00 +0000

I was not blogging because of lack of something to write. In fact, there are a lot of stuff to write about. The mind has never run out of thoughts that I’d like to believe I can write ten sensible blog entries in a day. ...but that is an exaggeration and time for writing blogs is a rare luxury. There will always be things to do, things to plan, things to prepare for, and things to re-evaluate. I’d rather spend my idle times for sleep, sudoku, and watching telly and my flowerhorns. Blogging is… is… uhm… done during office hours. *wink* *wink*

But hey! If you’re my boss and you’re reading this now, easy ka lang pre. Easy! Thank our clients for keeping my hands full in the office. And thank the super typhoon milenyo, work is suspended and he got me in the writing mood.

I imagine hearing a sigh of relief.

Thankful eh? I also have a lot to thank for. I’d like to thank my boss for finally hooking up to DSL. Thanks boss! Indeed, faster is better. Multi-tasking is at its best. *wink* *wink*

Esem

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 06:12:00 +0000

si ten ay nagtapos ng kursong statistics. S-T-A-T-I-S-T-I-C-S. stat.

ang tanong na "in a deck of cards, what is the probability of drawing a king or a queen? a king and a queen?" hindi mo pa tapos basahin may sagot na sila.
at ang anova na never ko naintindihan noong physical chemistry ay basic lang sa kanila.

may mga tao pala talagang ganon... weird.

kaya minsan napapaisip ako kung ano kayang thesis ko sakaling nag-stat din ako.

*************

thesis proposal: what is the probability that by year 2020 ay may sm na sa bawat kanto?

prof: adik ka ba? ano yan ministop?

thesis proposal: what is the probability that by year 2020 ay may sm na sa bawat baranggay o subdivision? tipong sm baranggay batasan hills, sm forbes park. kelan kaya itatayo ang sm mall of the world? malamang kulang ang isang araw para libutin ito. at dahil nakakapagod maglibot, meron na ditong sleeping center bukod sa breast feeding center tulad ng sa sm megamall. ang sleeping center ay parang bed spacer. parang ward sa hospital tapos may picture ng occupant sa taas ng kama para malaman kung sino yung natutulog. pero morbid yun kaya boarding house na lang sa loob ng sm. pinakamura ay yung mga boarding house sa tabi ng food court dahil maingay at mausok. pero maspinakamura yung mga nasa tabi ng airport. aba syempre may airport ang mall of the world. pang world kasi ang market. maspinakamura dun dahil maingay at napakadelikado manirahan sa tabi ng runway. pero isipin mo na lang ang perks of living there: libre ang air fare anywhere within metromanila. oo kasi by that time may domestic flight na from sucat to malabon, zapote to novaliches, at mga sm to sm transfers. at dahil madami na ang nakatira sa loob ng sm, magkakaroon na ng sm north baranggay captain escobar, sm west baranggay captain napoleon, sm annex.. sakit sa ulo noh?

prof: iha, adik ka nga. hindi yan thesis proposal. a thesis proposal is a statement. dapat ay blah blah blah.

*************

buti na lang graduate na ako.

knowledge is power

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 06:04:00 +0000

tissa: ano ba yan hindi ka nagflAAAsh!!!!!

ako: alam mo bang 40% ng populasyon ng mundo ay walang access sa malinis na tubig???

hindi na umimik kapatid ko.

ang galing ko magpalusot noh!?

pero nakakalungkot, totoo na samantalang balde-balde ng malinis na tubig ang pinangbubuhos namin sa inodoro ay madaming tao sa mundo ang ni pangwisik sa mukha ay wala. nakakakonsensya kung iisipin. nakakalumo kung mahina ang puso.

buti na lang mali ang stat na naibigay ko. 20% lang at hindi 40%. oo, 20% lang sa populasyon ng mundo o 1.1 bilyong tao ang walang magamit o mainom na malinis na tubig.[1]

pero nakakalungkot, nakalimutan ko talaga magflush.

buti na lang ihi lang yun at hindi jerbs...

alam mo bang 30-50 kg ang tinatae ng normal na tao sa isang taon?[2]

*************
[1]check www.worldwaterday2006.org for info.
[2]based on a lecture on Wastewater Treatment Technology Principles and Application Seminar.

first half

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 26 May 2006 09:02:00 +0000

the first half of the year is almost through. and reflecting on the resolutions i made before the year started, i think i'm still far to fulfilling any of them or doing any of them regularly.

learn to swim and bike. i attended OCMI's 2-day water safety and also some of rhowie's swimming lessons. i learned the principles of crawl and breast stroke. principles, yes. application and practice? ho-hum... as for biking, worse.

ayusin ang hagod. i was included in the line-up for the Manila Dragons' 2.5K Marathon and also in the 250 meters and 500 meters events in the Boracay International Dragon Run. coach and rhowie said my form is already okay so, i guess i just have to focus on load and endurance.

take 505. still awaiting schedule for the training of new applicants. hope it won't be too much in conflict of other stuffs.

go places. this year so far, i've been to mt. batulao in batangas, kairukan falls in bataan, baguio, boracay, tagaytay, capones island in zambales, twice in puerto galera, mt. pulag, sulfur springs, opdas burial cave, and tinongchol cave all in benguet. not much or too grand but i'm satisfied. looking forward to more trips.

read a lot of books. have read only one...yet. i'm almost done with book #2.

jog regularly. i've been jogging regularly the first few months. i even joined a 5K marathon. but that's until i was too hooked up with organizing the pulag climb and with training for rowing.

write letters to mama and my sponsored kids. haven't written a single one. not even a postcard to anyone. or even a mushy note to ten.

at mag-ipon. no monetary savings until now. can i just talk about total assets? nah!

well i still have the second half to make up, right?

and do alot of other wonderful and happy stuffs, yes.

*************

marathon? boracay? ten? details?

what details???

hehehehehe ;)

Negative Chi

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 25 May 2006 02:00:00 +0000

"my dagat sa taas?"

"meron. bakit?"

i heard some wise idiot mocking me so i gave a quick reply while looking straight at his eyes. i stared at him until the elevator doors opened. he clearly avoided eye contact.

and as i was approaching my office desk,

"dala mo na naman ang pamalo mo..."

the first time i heard someone referred the dragonboat oar i was holding as "pamalo" was when i bought a drink at 7-11. i found it so much irritating then.

obviously, pikon ako.

when tolerance is at minimum, i pray i will always just smile and keep in my thoughts the devil who wanted to say

"kala mo nakakatawa? hampasin kaya kita?"

o kaya

"isa pa, sasaksakin na kita."

o

"gusto mong durugin ko bayag mo?"

2005

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 03:56:00 +0000

***got this from abet***

1) Was 2005 a good year for you? yes

2) What was your favorite moment of the year? mama's homecoming

3) What was your least favorite moment of the year? mama's departure

4) Where were you when 2005 began? home

5) Who were you with? family

6) Where will you be when 2005 ends? same

7) Who will you be with when 2005 ends? with family

8) Did you keep your new years resolution of 2005? i cant remember if i made any

9) Do you have a new years resolution for 2006? yes.. to read & finish a book every month.

10) Did you fall in love in 2005? crushes only

11) If yes, with whom? hmm..madami-dami yun..

12) If yes, do they know? yung iba.

13) Are you still in love with them? crush lang!!! not applicable.

14) You regret it? not applicable.

15) Did you breakup with anyone in 2005? no

16) Did you make any new friends in 2005? friends at the office, online, vietnamese and cambodian friends, OCMI, and aqua fortis.

17) Who are your favorite new friends? irene, ava, abet

18) What was your favorite month of 2005? november

19) Did you travel outside of the country in 2005? No. sana, balang araw oo.

20) How many different provinces did you travel to in 2005?
puerto galera 3x. calapan. batangas: balayan, nasugbu, anilao, san juan. bataan: mariveles, orion. nueva vizcaya. benguet. baguio. zambales. corregidor. cavite. pampanga: san fernando, mabalacat.

21) Did you lose anybody close to you in 2005? yes, lola merced and lola paz.

22) Did you miss anybody in the past year? i'm missing someone always.. my mom, bayo, jeremee, ahnney, billy & huck, papa & yuri na nasa bahay din lang, ust ChE-B 2003, the whole nova gang, the autistics, mama..

23) What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2005? million dollar baby. 2005 nga ba yun?

24) What was your favorite song from 2005? PBB? hahahaha! =)

25) What was your favorite record from 2005? none in particular

26) How many concerts did you see in 2005? didn't see any

27) Did you have a favorite concert in 2005? not applicable

28) Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2005? nope. it wasn't that "a lot" compared to years ago.

29) Did you do a lot of drugs in 2005? i don't do drugs and i'm not used to taking medicines.

30) How many people did you sleep with in 2005? sleep, madami. kulang pa nga e.

31) Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year? wala ata

33) What was the worst lie someone told you in 2005? cant think of any... uhm.. pangit ako? shet. worst lie talaga yun.

34) Did you treat somebody badly in 2005? meron ata. pero hindi naman siguro badly yun..in my perspective. i hurt her feelings without meaning to. i guess it's because she doesnt know me that well to understand me. i don't know. i already said sorry. bahala na si Lord.

35) Did somebody treat you badly in 2005?
mama: pinag-walis ako. linis ng ref. linis ng banyo. pina-ayos ang kwarto...
abet: for coming up with the sweep climb.
glenn: tinago nya yung strap ng deuter ko.
aqua fortis: pinalublob ako sa manila bay.
OCMI: ang mahal ng mga ticket a!
richard: just because masungit, suplado at pangit sya. hahaha!! =p
seriously, wala. this year has been good to me. =)

36) How much money did you spend in 2005? para ngang wala akong nahahawakan e...

37) What was your proudest moment of 2005? when i got a job. ...proudest ko yun?

38) What was your most embarrassing moment of 2005? hmmm..

39) If you could go back in time to any moment of 2005 and change something, what would it be? spent more time with mama. should have taken a leave the whole time she was here.

40) What are your plans for 2006? learn to swim and bike. ayusin ang hagod. take 505. go places. read a lot of books. jog regularly. write letters to mama and my sponsored kids. at mag-ipon???

Unforgotten Past

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 15:17:00 +0000

who wants to be rejected? nobody. but it's something everyone has to get through at least at one point of their lives. but still there are people who have to endure it every so often. so often it makes one insecure, low esteemed, fearful.

i've been rejected and ridiculed a number of times. a number too many i have learned to get used to. i've been rejected and ridiculed at varying intensity and for varying reasons. among reasons, the most painful is because of my past.

rejection and ridicule. stuff that made my heart weak and strong. weak and traumatized. strong and defiant. only a loon will feel all at the same time. and yes, i'm a loon to get through this bitter life. but no, i ain't going to remain as one.

it is sad that i've made a lot of mistakes in the past. but things can not be undone. one can only accept, forgive, hope.

mending the broken pieces of my ego, picking up my pride where i've forgotten it, i can only pray for strength to endure the consequences, and be resilient to go on.

*************

most recent rejection came this mournful monday. f*ck all people who couldn't look pass what has been. hell yeah, i regret having a bloody transcript. but fyi, i did not go to school to study in the classrooms. i went to school to learn about life. and that, i'll never regret doing.