goals

“The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.” --Denis Waitley

It has been almost a month now, that I have written my annual personal goals. I feel good that I finally took the time to really consider writing this goals. They say, when you dream of things, you are simply thinking wishfully that hopefully these things will come about. But to be truly responsible for order in one's life, one has to take action. One of the first step to action is knowing what you want. You need to decide what you want. Then write it. Writing your goals is one of the most powerful things that you can do. I've heard it from many sages, read from books and listened to speakers. But one thing you need to do is affirm your own goals. May authors recommend that I read and repeat these goals. And of course take action.

May kasabihan po tayo: " Nasa Diyos and awa, nasa tao ang gawa".

This is hard to translate because it seems different in English. It says that God has the mercy but we should take action. We should not expect God to do something that we should do for ourselves.

I guess I just want to share that I am happy that I am learning everyday. I am excited everyday because I am learning something that is not really thought in school. I am discovering things everyday. I can barely keep up and can not even blog about it everyday. But things are moving full speed ahead.

Life is indeed exciting!

Ready

"When the student is ready, the teacher arrives"

This is from one of my favorite authors Robert Fulghum and the context when he wrote it was about dogs. He used to hate dogs until a dog came to teach him how to love dogs. It sounds funny when I try to re-tell the story but that was something that remained etched in my memory.

I've been wanting to share more about how being a mother has totally changed my life. Constantly it reminds and teaches me about life more than any other experience. I've prayed for patience and now I realize that motherhood is one of the greatest teacher!

I thank God for my daughter!

More secrets

Because I am applying to be a member of God’s New Breed Of True Millionaires. I am praying to have this book real soon! 8 Secrets Of The Rich Who Believe That The Ultimate Purpose Of Wealth Is To Love.

Actually it is the long title of his new book according to author Bo Sanchez. To know more about why I am praying for this, please do take time to read this article from Bo's blog: Is it Possible to have the Wealth of a Millionaire And the Heart of a Monk?

Save

One of the things that I learned recently is that if you earn 100K a month and then your expenses are costing you 100K a month, then you are not rich. You are definitely poor. All millionaires are great savers.

I read somewhere that to be able to do this, we must change our way of thinking from "cash in, cash out" to "cash in, force savings, cash out".

I also read this interesting article on the Sunlife website:

How To Become A Millionaire

Almost anyone can be a millionaire. All you need is to have the discipline to regularly set aside a portion of your disposable money and place it a high-yielding instrument.

Now, just how long would it take for you to have P1M? There are three factors to consider: a) how much are you willing to set aside in month or a year, b) how much interest is money earning in the instrument of your choice, and c) how long are you willing to save.

The table below shows the number of years you need to reach P1M.

	Number of Years
Savings/Month	5yrs	10yrs	15yrs	20yrs	25yrs	30yrs	35yrs
P 1,000/mo or P 12,000/annum	90%	35%	19%	13%	9%	6%	5%
P 2,000/mo or P 24,000/annum	71%	25%	13%	7%	4%	3%	1%
P 3,000/mo or P 36,000/annum	59%	19%	8%	4%	1%	0%	0%
P 4,000/mo or P 48,000/annum	50%	15%	5%	0.5%	0%	0%	0%
P 5,000/mo or P 60,000/annum	43%	10%	2%	0%	0%	0%	0%
P 10,000/mo or P 120,000/annum	20%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
P 15,000/mo or P 180,000/annum	5%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
P 20,000/mo or P 240,000/annum	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
RATE TO REACH P1M

At present, the most popular saving instrument is a time deposit account, which generates a gross interest of 8-9% p.a. or net interest of 6.4-7.2%p.a. However, if your timeframe is less than 15 years, you may want to look for an instrument where your money will have greater growth potential, such as stocks, bonds or mutual fund. However, before investing in any of these three instruments, one must first understand the risks involved in investing in equity, bond, and mutual fund, and accept that higher growth potential comes with greater risk.

Malot Oquendo

Source: http://www.sunlife.com.ph/mutualfunds/investmenttips2.asp

recalibrating

It has been a while since I shared my thoughts in this blog. Many things happened this past month and it seems that it is already Feb. and I haven't shared some of the most amazing things I learned.

January usually is the month when most people write resolutions. But as far back as I remember I think I only did that when I was in elementary. Usually, I just think of the possible things I can change for the better. But that was about it.

This month I read a couple of books that inspired me to "recalibrate" my life. I do not know why I am excited to do this because this kind of exercise is what we do annually at work. To have a plan and a goal. This is the very first time in a long while that I am wrote my goals. This is also the first time that I am more driven to be totally committed to action with the goals I've set out to achieve. It is amazing.

When I wrote a friend who is now for the meantime in the US, I told her my goal. And I was happily surprised by her response. I expected positive response but I received an affirmation:

I congratulate you sis for saying it, because "if you can't say it, you can't have it!"

There is so much power in that.

Ask and you shall receive! Matthew 21:22

a new year

small sparks of light are the brightest during the darkest nights!

Remembering Rizal, Dima-salang, Laong-laan

"I die without seeing the sun rise in my country.
You who are to see the dawn, welcome it,
and do not forget those who fell in the night."
-Jose Rizal from his book Noli Me Tangere

isang kasalan

Mabuhay kayo Aison at Ditsi!!!

Salamat sa pagbahagi ninyo sa amin ng inyong buhay! Pagpalain nawa ng Poon ang inyong bagong buhay!

Ditsi's gown!

When I saw Ditsi walk down the aisle on Dec 22 at the UP Chapel, I was enchanted indeed by her gown. Simple and Elegant. It is full of beads! Wonderful bead work indeed not the traditional wedding dress beads! I love it and just had to post it here! Thanks Maye for the photos!

The best thing is that Ditsi with the help of friends conceptualized, designed and made it themselves!

Ditsi Carolino independent documentary film maker and director of "Minsan Lang Sila Mga Bata", "Riles" and "Bunso".

All photos by Maye Padilla

Maligayang Pasko!!!

I bring you good news of great joy...
a Savior has been born!
Luke 2:10, 11 NIV

Christmas is about giving

Are you thinking of ways to make your Christmas more meaningful and selfless? There are many ways you can give to those who really need your help. You can volunteer your time. You can also sponsor a child for $1 a day.

He Cares Foundation is one of the charities that need your help. Below is a letter from Kuya Joe Dean which can be found in their website. If you know of any company or organization looking for a charity to give to please kindly mention He Cares.

Dear Friend,

The He Cares Foundation invites you to be a channel of God’s blessing to the poor. For many years now, the He Cares Foundation has been providing for the physical and spiritual needs of local street children. At present, an average of 40 to 50 children benefit from the once-a-day feeding accompanied by daily prayer and bible sharing. The drop-in center also gives these children a place to go in case of emergencies, such as illness. In addition, the foundation is currently working with the Red Cross to educate these children and their families on health and nutrition and is in negotiations with DECS to allow the center to provide credited non-formal education.

But there is still so much to be done.The ultimate vision of the foundation is, of course, to get children off the streets and enable them to live healthy, safe, normal lives and become happy and productive individuals of our society. Among other things, we would like to increase feeding to three times a day, provide a permanent shelter, and increase educational and livelihood programs. But we can’t do it alone. We need your help.

You can make a difference in the lives of these needy children. In their name, we ask that you share whatever you can with them. There are many ways you can help. Join us in our mission and let us all be channels of God’s blessings.

In Christ,

Bro. Joe Dean Sola
Missionary/Founder
He Cares Foundation, Inc.

To donate visit the website of He Cares Foundation. How to donate click here.

Contact details:
#11 Acuña Drive, Philvirra Homes, Project 8, Quezon City
Tel. No. (632) 928-8910 (call 1:00 - 5:00 pm)
Cel. No. 0927+9755399

Uulan ng mga parol sa langit

Hindi na ako mapalagay sa paghihintay. Dahil uulan ng mga parol sa langit sa mga susunod na gabi sa Dec 14 at 15 ay dadaan ang maraming mga parol na guguhit sa langit.

ito ang tinatawag na Geminids meteor shower. Marami pang impormasyon dito at dito.

Nativity

Upon some pondering the past days, I realized that I want to revisit what Christmas means, how it is celebrated. I guess that is why I am collecting some thoughts about this season. I wanted to explore more about how this seasonal celebration came to be. I know that this season is defined differently by each person. At the very basic of it is a celebration of life, an expectant season, a time to celebrate a birthday. But it is not just any ordinary birthday.

For starters I looked for the basic definition of nativity from the American Heritage Dictionary. Nativity is 1. Birth, especially the place, conditions, or circumstances of being born. 2.Nativity a. The birth of Jesus. b. A representation, such as a painting, of Jesus just after birth. c. Christmas. 3. A horoscope for the time of one's birth.

I was surprised by the 3rd one. I asked Amats why do you think that it was defined like that? I didn't expect that one. Amats said that maybe because during the birth of Christ it was associated with the appearance of a great star in the sky. So maybe that is the why the 3rd definition was associated with nativity. We all know the story that a great star guided that three wise men to Bethlehem. They are called by many names the three kings, the three magi and some say they are actually astrologers from the East. These wise men noted the prophecy that a King will arrive marked by the appearance of this great star. Some believe that that great star might have been a comet.

By the way in a couple of days on Dec 13 and 14 there will be the Geminids meteor shower. Meteor showers are caused by the debris left in the orbits of comets. When the earth passes the debris-laden orbit, the particles are heated to incandescence by the Earth's atmosphere and once a year we have a meteor shower more info here.

Meteor showers is one of my most favorite events to watch ever! Not the quick "oh there it goes and its gone". It is really really different I've watched a meteor shower where the "shooting stars" carve a huge bright line not once or twice but almost every minute for more than 4 hours until my neck and back hurt and they continue to fall all over the sky until dawn. Incredible! This was in the year 2002.

Well a thought passed through my mind that maybe two thousand years ago there was a comet in the sky. And now many many years later we might be looking at the trail of that same "star". Wow! Imagine?

Hmmm.

pangarap

Christmas is

One great symbol of God's promise is a rainbow. It is His promise that the world will never be destroyed by flood again. It is both a symbol of hope and love.

Christmas is God's promise made manifest.

In a world where promises are broken, it is always good to be reminded that His word is something we can always hold on to.

sayaw sa bangko atbp

A week or two ago, we were at the marine protected areas awards and recognition night at the celebrity sports plaza. The event was dubbed Para El Mar. It has been a while since I attended a big gathering. I received several complimentary tickets and distributed these to friends and colleagues. But it was such a rainy day that very few people wanted to go. Anyway, I was really thankful that I was able to attend. Met old friends who flew in from Palawan. Took a lot of pictures. Got to talk to some friends in conservation work that I rarely see because they are almost always in the field. It was a good night. What made it special was that there were this Filipiniana dance group. I adore watching them. The opportunity to watch traditional dance are few and far between.

The prayer was also said in unconventional way. A "tambuli" was played and a meditative chant using indigenous instruments. It was soulful in a very unique way. At that moment I thank God for prodding me to go and experience this.

Advent

It is just 22 days before Christmas. I know that it is near but when the numbers hit me, I did not realize that it was that close. I did not go into panic mode. It just doesnt seem to be that time of the year. Well, all the usual reminders are there but something seems to be missing. My perspective of this season has changed throughout the years. What Christmas means do not change. I guess what changes is the meaning it brings into my life every year. I am always expectant. But I think I am going through a desert experience in my spiritual life.

There were really happy seasons past with the family complete. But there was also a season that my father had a stroke and we had to spend it at the hospital. There was also the time when I lost a loved one. Of course the "Merry Christmases" outnumber the more laid back ones. But there is always a constant. I always have this sense of hope in me. When it pours it is empowering than any other vitamin. I guess this is what I am kind of missing.

Hope is a blessing that I constantly receive throughout the years. An affirmation that whatever happens, I know in the darkest of times, that I have hope in my heart. Hope of good things to come. I am happily reminded that indeed that is what this season is about.

Advent from the Latin word advenio, meaning "to come". (Wikipedia)

Cognitive dissonance

The past weeks I've been chewing on some thoughts and I stumbled upon Lex's blog about a term I recently learned. Cognitive dissonance. Now, I looked it up in Wikipedia which defines it.

Cognitive dissonance is a psychological term describing the uncomfortable tension that may result from having two conflicting thoughts at the same time, or from engaging in behavior that conflicts with one's beliefs.

In simple terms, it can be the filtering of information that conflicts with what one already believes, in an effort to ignore that information and reinforce one's beliefs. In detailed terms, it is the perception of incompatibility between two cognitions, where "cognition" is defined as any element of knowledge, including attitude, emotion, belief, or behavior. The theory of cognitive dissonance states that contradicting cognitions serve as a driving force that compels the mind to acquire or invent new thoughts or beliefs, or to modify existing beliefs, so as to reduce the amount of dissonance (conflict) between cognitions. Experiments have attempted to quantify this hypothetical drive. Some of these have examined how beliefs often change to match behavior when beliefs and behavior are in conflict.--Wikipedia

will post more on this topic soon.

timelessness

Today, I realized that relationships should not be measured in "time". Years, hours, minutes and dates including the concept of time itself are all mental constructs. Part of man's invention. But love, spending time with your loved ones are "timeless" experiences. The best things in life are not measured by time. Some writers would describe a moment to last an eternity and a decade as if only a week has passed. Everything is relative, specially time. I love the idea of timelessness.

The beauty of the moment that we treasure is measured by the meaning we personally attach to them. Timelessness is to be immersed where our faith, hope and love resides. Morphed into various manifestations within our lives.

I thank God for the many blessings that He sends our way. Insights that empower us to live our lives, not as just mere mortals, but enlightened beings.

measure in love

This song was sung during our wedding. Coincidence, I read about it today as uncanny as it may seem of all days. It just presented itself again. The universe seems to unfold as it should. God's fingerprint in everything there is.

Seasons of Love
From Rent the musical
by Jonathan Larsen

Five hundrend twenty five thousand
six hundred minutes
Five hundrend twenty five thousand
moments so dear
Five hundrend twenty five thousand
six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year

In daylight, in sunsets, in midnights,
in cups of coffee, In inches, in miles
in laughter in strife,

In Five hundrend twenty five thousand
six hundred minutes
How do you measure a year in the life

(chorus)
How about Love
how about love
how about love
measure in love
seasons of love
seasons of love

Five hundrend twenty five thousand
six hundred minutes
Five hundrend twenty five thousand
journeys to plan
Five hundrend twenty five thousand
six hundred minutes
how do you measure the life of a woman
or a man

In truth that she learned
or in times that he cried
In the bridges he burned
or the way that she died

Its time now to sing out
though the story never ends
lets celebrate remember a year
in the life of friends


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

Happy Anniversary Tatay!

And it is doesn't seem to be just ___ years. It seems it has been a lifetime of living a full life with you! Praying for more timelessness in our life together!

room with a view

We had a strategic planning and resource mob workshop last week. I just want to share the view with you here. I will revive having a gratitude journal to remind me to be thankful for the many small miracles in life. As they say to be truly present. I am grateful for the time spent in Lake Island. Thank God for the wonderful view that greeted us every morning during our stay there.

create possibilities

A couple of weeks ago I had a great conversation with Honey and I was happy to read about it in her blog. We always have good conversations albeit these are few and far between because both our schedules were full the past months. We talked about creating possibilities for our lives now. She always inspires me to think creatively. I love the way she writes and shares her experience.

the nations

I was doing some cleaning up around the house. I realized dust have gathered on most of my old files that I haven't touch for a while. One of the rule-of-thumb that I go by is that if I did not use it for the past year, I either throw it away or if still something useful, I give it to someone who might need it more than I do.

In the process of cleaning up I found this old paper with these verses:

YOU SAID

You said, "Ask and you will receive
Whatever you need."
You said. "Pray and I'll hear from heaven
And I'll heal your land."

You said Your glory will fill the earth
Like water the sea
You said, "Lift up your eyes
The harvest is here, the kingdom is here"

You said, "Ask and I'll give the nations to you."
O Lord, that's the cry of my heart
Distant shores and the islands will see
Your light, as it rises on us

O Lord, I ask for the nations.

Hiro

Image from Wired Magazine The 2007 Rave Awards.

"We may have the power of gods, but we cannot play God."

From the last conversation of Hiro Nakamura and his father. Heroes (Season 2).

Shades of gray

Not everything is what it seems. Not everything in this world is black and white. There are shades of gray. The optical illusion above shows that it seems that A is in a darker shade of gray and B is in a lighter shade of gray. But the gray lines on the side shows that they actually are of the same shade (true check out the % gray in your monitor if you want:-) ). One would realize and reason that "ah ok dahil sa shadow" it is because of the shadow that made the B of the same shade as A. But our eyes deceive us. Why? I think because of preconceived notions. Our minds tells us things. Our world view defines what we see. Even if the actual logical reason is already there in front of us. The solution to our illusion there but still our stubborn "worldview" and concepts that we hold on to prevent us to see objectively, sometimes.

The past week I've been meaning to write the many insights that has been pouring in. But I guess I was trying to get a grasp of these messages and been waiting for the right moment to write about them. Inspiration to write often comes but I was resistant in many ways.

Black and white. The world is gray. There are many shades of gray. I bet there has been thinkers and sages before me who have written something about the topic at hand. I will refer you to them if you want, look up Kant. But this would just be a sharing of how I received several insights through different mediums saying this gas-gas na linya. I was just amazed that in a span of one week, every day I encountered these messages. But I will only share the ones for public consumption. Of course :-).

In Supernaturals the TV series, they hunt "evil things" and eliminate them like ghost busters as it were. At one point they encountered a "humane" vampire who doesnt feed on human blood and just feed on cows. Shades of gray. The brothers chose not to.

In Grey's Anatomy, Bailey missed her son's first something. She as a doctor had to do a pro bono operation on another child in the hospital. She said in a black and white world in the eyes of her husband she missed a milestone in their child's life.

Not everything is what it seems. Not everything is black and white.

A beautiful like gray.

an orange morning

I am up early this morning. Actually I am always an early riser. I just force myself to stay in bed sometimes just lying there thinking of many passing thoughts. More often than not I try to make it a creative moment of sorts. I try to think of good things always. Conjuring images of a beautiful home. I read somewhere that the moment between sleep and waking up is the best time to tap into that power of creating. Whatever it is. Three things. Thoughts become things. I realized that I need to be careful of the things that I think about. I try to avoid negative thoughts I dont really suppress them I just let them pass by. I just do not dwell on them. But what I keep in mind is to think of positive things always. The "can do" attitude.

The door in the kitchen is open with just the screen door with the small lock. After reading something inspiring, I walked towards the kitchen to have my usual drink of Milo in the morning. And there. There was this orange glow of the morning. After a long time, I saw a sunrise. It made me happy. My heart jump slightly at the sight. Simple, yet it brought much joy. What made it so special is that I know in a couple of minutes this orange glow will be gone. I am thankful that I was able to catch that orange glow that only last for a minute or two. The next one will be in the next 24 hours but will I chance upon it again?

I can actually hear the birds chirping as I write this. A nice sound given that I live in the heart of Quezon City.

Ocean Adventure at Subic

Binibining Pilipinas

Sikyo

Sikyo

Paglaki sa probinsya ay sadyang nakakatuwa. Mabagal ang buhay, hindi mo kailangang magmadali at hindi harassed ang pakiramdam tulad ng sa Maynila. Iba talaga ang buhay ng mga bata sa probinsya. Iba rin ang mga larong alam namin noon sa Laguna.

Naaalala ko noon ng ako ay nagaaral pa lamang sa mababang paaralang central ng Alaminos. Malawak ang playground doon na berdeng berde ang kulay ng “grounds”. Naisip ko habang nasa klase at tumatanaw sa labas “ang sarap maghabulan mamayang hapon” umaga pa lang naisip ko na yayayain ko na mag-sikyo sina Myles, Romeo at Victor. Bigla na lang akong tinawag ni Ma’am dahil naka tunganga ako sa labas. Tapos hindi ko rin nasagot yung tanong dahil hindi ako nakikinig. Kitang kita rin kasi sa labas ng bintana ang bundok na may lumalabas na usok mula sa geothermal sa may Makban.

Dumating din ang hapon at naglaro na nga kami ng sikyo. Sobra sigawan ng mga kalaro ko habang nagpipilian kung sino ang kakampi. Nagpilian din kung kanino base itong puno ng banaba at kung kanino naman yung sa may gumamela. Magagaling sa sikyo ang mga kalaro ko. Ang bibilis tumakbo na halos malagot na ang mga tsinelas. Yung iba nga na ayaw mapudpod ang bago nilang tsinelas hawak sa kamay at braso sinuot ang mga ito habang tumatakbo. Tagaktak ang pawis namin.

Hindi na namin namalayan na halos kami na lang pala naglalaro. Pag-tanong namin ng oras (dahil wala pa akong relo noong ako ay grade 4 pa lang) nalaman namin “Ay naku alas 5 na! Patay tayo kay Lola pag uwi. Tyak palo ang aabutin ko” Kaya ayun dali dali akong nag ayos at pumunta sa abangan ng jeep para maka uwi na. Dahil barrio pa ang uuwian ko medyo madalang pa ang daan ng jeep lalo’t hapon na. Buti na lang at hindi ko naubos sa recess ang piso na binigay sa akin ni Lola noong umaga. Kaya nakasakay pa ako ng jeep. Pag nagkataon aabutin ako ng dilim sa daan paglalakad.

Abangan ang susunod na kabanata.

Sinulat ni:

Daisy
6:55 AM; October 23, 2007

***

Last week we had a storyteller's workshop and I wrote this piece for one of the exercises. Our trainer said that the best sharing and writings come from personal experience.

new airport

This is the new Iloilo airport. The last time that I was in Iloilo was in 2003 back then we still use the old bungalow like airport. When we landed and went out of the plane, it was a bit like "oh my we are back in Manila", the glass panels look almost exactly that of Terminal 2. It was good to see that our domestic terminals are now world class. I remember my boss commenting "terminal 2 looks a lot better than the airport in Washington DC".

Lugar lang

Just got back from Iloilo City. I just love the way people speak in this province. They speak in a sing song tone of voice and the words completely different from Tagalog. Whenever I am there I try to speak Ilonggo. In the jeep, instead of saying "para" to ask the driver to stop the jeep, people would say "lugar lang" or simply "lugar".

Some of my favorite words are "palihog" which means "please" or "can I request". These are some of the words that I practice speaking when I am out there. I also realized that people tend to listen to you more when you use the words in a tone very similar to local tongue. Sometimes it feels that you are in another country. Just traveling outside of Manila brings a whole new experience in relating to the local people. We have hundreds of different local dialects in the country. It's amazing how rich our Philippine culture really is.

At the wildlife

I had a meeting here in this particular building yesterday. It was a great opportunity for me to take photos of this oasis in the heart of Quezon City. It was around 2pm but the air was cool. There were children playing and sleeping. Sigh. I just hope that people who work here realize how blessed they are to be able to work everyday with trees and the lake around them.

lights, camera, action!

Just amazed at the number of cameras. They are always the ones who take the shots. Little did they know that someone is interested in taking shots of them and their gear! Some of the photos were a bit out of focus because they were constantly moving around. And I was listening to the presentation as well. The whole episode i think only lasted for about 30 minutes then they are gone. All the major channels were there GMA, ABS CBN, IBC, RPN. Last night, i was watching the news if anyone picked up the news bit. Well, I didnt watch the government channel. I didnt see any of this broadcasted. Anyway, who can compete with the footage of Josh Groban just off the plane in NAIA?

prayer wheel

This is a gift I received a month or two ago given by a friend who really travels alot. I think this is a Tibetan prayer wheel but not sure. When you open the screw on top, the cover can be removed and inside is a thick scroll with writings I cannot understand.

She said that people go about their chores while spinning this prayer wheel. I love the carvings of this little wheel. It will definitely not fall into my mathoms category.

Celine's Birthday

It was Celine's 1st birthday last week (the baby at the center in the first photo). We had a great time. It has been a while since we got together with the De Pedro Family. The venue of the party was at Arcadia Club house in Ortigas. It has a pool and a playground. Isay had a blast in the slide. It was her first time to slide (assisted by the tatay), first time to swing (with nanay), and endless climbing up and down the blue stairs. We didn't swim because it was a bit cold.

There were no games but all the kids and parents had their hands full with all the children running around playing, swimming, eating. Our friends rented this place at a very reasonable price at a special rate you wouldn't believe if I told you. Then they served these wonderful lasagna and was told it was ordered for only 500 pesos per tray. Such a steal! Now that reminds me to ask C about the contact number of the cook!

By the way "ate" na si Celine as mom C is 5 months na. God bless you sis!

Bayang

" It is hard to be politically correct and not preachy, but she (Bayang Barrios) was able to do that..."--Mike Villegas

I am a fan of Bayang Barrios, and thus, when she was featured in a TV show, I eagerly watched. There was a time in one costume Christmas party that I dressed up as her ahahahahah. I think it was in 2003 when she won the Metro Pop Music Festival.

What I learned was that she also went through a time of denial but then she eventually realized the richness of her heritage and embraced her ethnicity.

halata ba na fan? ahahahaha

moods

I've been wanting to write everyday, and yet all the thoughts brewing in my head seem to stay there and ferment. Evolving into different thoughts. I just sometimes do not have the energy to write my thoughts and ideas. Creating things does have its time. But when the inspiration does come. It seems like flash flood of thoughts and ideas you want to share.

I noticed that indeed when you need to be comforted, affirmed or contested in my inner self discussions, the ideas present themselves.

I want to share a something I read last night that helped me cope with what I am going through at the moment.

From the book of Richard Carlson: "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff and its all small stuff"

This is the title of the chapter: Become Aware of Your Moods and Don't Allow Yourself to be Fooled by the Low Ones. (I edited it and shortened it and wrote here only the lines that really hit me.)

Your moods can be extremely deceptive. They can, and probably do, trick you into believing your life is far worse than it really is...When we are low, rather than blaming our mood as would be appropriate, we instead tend to feel that our whole life is wrong. It's almost as if we actually believe that our lives have fallen apart in the past hour or two. The truth is, life is never as bad as it seems when you're in a low mood. When you are in an ill mood, learn to pass it off as simply that: an unavoidable human condition that will pass with time, if you leave it alone. A low mood is not the time to analyze your life. To do so is emotional suicide. If you have a legitimate problem, it will still be there when your state of mind improves. The trick is to be grateful for our good moods and graceful in our low moods--not taking them seriously. The next time you feel low, for whatever reason, remind yourself, "This too shall pass." It will.

When I read this last night, I laughed a bit inside of me. I was reminded again at the most opportune time. Words that I needed to hear at that moment. I felt it was a small miracle of sort to be at the receiving end of something I really needed to hear at that time. it is amazing that after reading the book, now I am able to share again my thoughts. It just comes and flows. I will be sharing more in the coming post. Sigh!

Sibuyan

I used to work for WWF Philippines. In 1997, even before I joined the organization, I was able to visit a very beautiful bucolic island--Sibuyan Island. We were supposed to climb Mr Guiting Guiting at that time, but due to limited time, we just explored the coastal area and foothills of the island. It was a long holiday at that time. Holy week was a time when all of the people in the Philippines seems to be on the move. Traveling to the provinces, the buses and the boats were full. At that time, we missed our boat ride at Pier 8. Then, we had to take an alternate route from Lucena and take that small wooden boat for the 12 hours boat ride.

Early morning, as the "lantsa" our wooden passenger boat approach the island, you would be greeted by the huge Mt. Guiting guiting. The scissor like summit looks like multiple peaks along the high ridge of the north face of the mountain. Scissors in the vernacular is gunting and the summit looks like a blade of a huge pinking scissor dominating the skyline of the island. It seems from a distance that the whole island is the mountain. But we discovered more of the hidden beauty of Sibuyan.

We camped at "lambingan" falls and stayed there for a few days. Buying our fish in a nearby village when some children go around selling a fish or two caught by their father. Ancient magrove trees grow along the coast. The unpaved road adds to the bucolic scene. We met some friends ( a topic for a future post) along the way. We also visited a huge waterfall on the other side of the island. I will be posting some of these soon.

After a few years, I was able to visit the island again as WWF staff. Also invited friends to come visit and we explored Cantingas river. Where I jumped from a rock that seemed 3 storeys high unto the river with its clean and crystal waters. I didn't close my eyes when I jumped and in an instant during the "fall" the whole scenery seemed to be scratched by a giant until I felt the splash of cold river water! it was a treasured memory.

Years passed and I wasn't able to visit the island again. I have close friends who were the leaders of conservation program in Sibuyan.

Yesterday, I was shocked to read an article on the recent events in Sibuyan, which I posted in my other blog the green journal.

Serenity prayer

"Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference."

Recently, this prayer presented itself. I found myself pondering on these lines. Sometimes it seems that things are overwhelming. Indeed it is hard to be human. Sometimes it helps me to set my perspectives, rethink. It is a blessing to be able to re-orient myself and set my bearings again. My True North remains.

A.R.K.

One of my favorite movies is Bruce almighty which I blogged before. The a few days ago, we watched Evan almighty. It is not exactly a sequel but the common factor there is God.

Change the World. This is the campaign slogan of Evan. But he has no idea really how to do it. Simple said God, start with one Act of Random Kindness at a time.

go travel

This is the plane I took from Nausori Airport from Suva to fly to Nadi (pronounced as nan-di)
in Fiji Islands, June 2007

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page." Saint Augustine

The Book says ask and you shall receive. While others say you need to tell the Universe what you want and then things will conspire to make it happen. Ok! here goes. I want to travel!
Still there are many many places that I want to visit. For the longest time I want to visit Europe. There is Italy, France and Spain are on top of my list. Then I want to visit Andes, roam the town where Pablo Neruda lived. See Patagonia, Argentina and Brazil.

now reading: Travel Doctor

Introduction:

"Travel expands the mind...but loosens the bowels"

The opening lines of this new book we got as a gift was hilarious indeed! we keeled over the lines when we read it. But it is true.

chinese doll

This chinese doll was a gift to my daughter from a friend who just visited the Great Wall. A well traveled friend whom I climbed mountains with before. We both dreamed of traveling to many distant places. And we did albeit along different paths now.

She recently left for Kampala, Uganda to be a VSO volunteer for 2 years.