Bubbly Babbles

Secrets

2011-09-23T20:05:00.001+04:00

Remembering "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" with this song. But even before the movie I already like this song and several other songs from One Republic.

Audio Books

2011-09-23T19:49:00.001+04:00

I've been listening to audio books for several years now. They take my mind off stress at working and they just keep me going. I don't notice the time ticking by that I don't glance at the time to check whether it's already lunchtime or the most awaited time to go home. Recently, I got hold of copies with different genres, from romance to suspense to supernatural.Listening to audio books is really great but I don't recommend it to people who are not so multi-tasking or people who needs every bit of concentration to work other than listen to audio books.

Waking Up

2011-03-29T02:41:00.001+04:00

I just woke up from a terrying nightmare. Not so frightening maybe but is so for me. I always feel that a presence of a snake in my dream always signifies something bad. I just hope it won't.

Can't go back to sleep and might just stay awake and get ready for another day. I'm having this anxiety attack again just when everything seems perfect. And maybe there is really nothing perfect that's why when everything runs smoothly something jumps in your way.

I hope and I know I'll get over it somehow. And it will all come to pass once again. It happens all the time. Especially now that everything seems to come to light I am more determined. And yes, I will wake up from a nightmare and into a glorious morning.

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Incomplete

2011-02-10T15:23:00.001+04:00

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One Thing

2010-12-21T20:33:00.000+04:00

Restless tonight
Cause I wasted the light
Between both these times
I drew a really thin line
It’s nothing I planned
And not that I can
But you should be mine
Across that line

[Chorus:]
If I traded it all
If I gave it all away for one thing
Just for one thing
If I sorted it out
If I knew all about this one thing
Wouldn’t that be something

I promise I might
Not walk on by
Maybe next time
But not this time

Even though I know
I don’t want to know
Yeah I guess I know
I just hate how it sounds

[Chorus x2]

Even though I know
I don’t want to know
Yeah I guess I know
I just hate how it sounds

Even though I know
I don’t want to know
Yeah I guess I know
I just hate how it sounds

[Chorus x3]

Flat Tire

2010-12-12T10:24:00.002+04:00

A newbie on the road, I carefully drove. All tires were new, and there were a lot of roads ahead to choose where to try them on. Everything was a learning experience, everything was new. Then a new and shiny road appeared out of nowhere, it was too inviting and there were no second thoughts, I just veered off toward it.

The road was too wide, too smooth, a highway? Maybe. So I didn't notice that I was speeding off at a rate that I would have thought of at first. I didn't notice that I wasn't thinking anymore, that I didn't care anymore. I was enjoying the satisfaction that adrenaline rush gave me. I was enjoying the speed more than ever. I never thought to stop, or to look left or right. The wheels were spinning so fast that I hardly noticed anything at all. I just simply enjoyed the speed.

With the wheels running at wild speed, I never noticed the sharp object that I hit. I was still running at such speed when I noticed that I was suddenly slowing down because the wheels were deflating. The sharp object that I didn't see has punctured my tire and now it has completely put me to a halt. I got a flat tire.

I was stranded in the middle of nowhere. But deep in my thoughts, I know that somewhere, sometime, I would be able to find a spare tire. I would learn how to use the tools and change the flat tire. And when that time comes, I will try to drive more slowly and carefully. I will try to see signs and stops and bumps on the road. And I will be careful to notice sharp objects.

When my tire gets repaired or changed, I will be smart enough to think so I will never have flat tires again.

Rapunzel: Tangled

2010-11-30T20:00:00.000+04:00

The Chair

2010-11-25T20:53:00.007+04:00

There he sat again. At the same time everyday, he slowly makes his way towards that seat. He just sits there for what seemed like hours. He doesn't seem like he was waiting for something or someone. He doesn't seem like he was watching the stream or the people passing by or the trees and birds and other animals. He seems to be just sitting there without a care in the world. It seems like he is transported into another world. And maybe he is.

As he sit there, he looks so peaceful. In his solitude, it's as if he is another man. And maybe in his thoughts he is. Maybe he thinks he is somebody else, a billionaire, a powerful man, a famous celebrity. Perhaps he thinks he is with his family in a better place, with all the people he loves. Maybe he dreams that he has traveled the world, seen places and met people. Maybe he thinks he has no illness or that his wife and children are all safe and healthy and happy. Maybe he imagines that he is in a world with no war or hunger or poverty and sickness. Perhaps he dreams he is a better man.

In that chair he becomes everything he has ever wanted. In that seat he has everything he longs for. And if that chair gives him peace and happiness and contentment, then perhaps everyone should have a seat of their own.

Mini-Shopaholic

2010-11-21T15:56:00.004+04:00

Nothing comes between Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) and her bargains. Neither act of God nor budget crunch can shatter her dreams of wall-to-wall Prada. Every milestone in her well-shopped life (travel, long-lost sister, marriage, pregnancy) inspires new vistas to explore in the name of retail therapy. But now she faces her greatest little challenge yet: Becky’s two-year-old daughter, Minnie.

While motherhood has been everything Becky dreamed it would be—Baby Dior, Little Marc Jacobs, and Dolce & Gabbana for toddlers—adorable Minnie is wreaking havoc everywhere she goes, from Harrods to her own christening. Her favorite word is “MINE!” and her penchant for Balenciaga bags, Chanel sunglasses, and online purchases has no rival under age five.

Becky is at her wits end. On top of this, she and her husband Luke are still living with her parents. Thankfully it appears house buying attempt number four is a go! Until a huge financial crisis causes panic everywhere, and nobody wants to shop—not Becky’s personal shopping clientele, not her friends, nobody. And with Luke in the doldrums, it’s time for Becky to step in—with a party: A surprise birthday party for Luke (on a budget) is the perfect antidote to everyone’s woes. At first.

Will Becky manage to keep the party of the year a surprise? Can she hire jugglers, fire-eaters, and acrobats at a discount? Will enlisting the help of Luke’s unflappable assistant to convince him to have another baby realize her dream of matching pom-poms? Will Minnie find a new outlet for her energetic and spirited nature (perhaps one with sixty percent markdowns)? She is, after all, a chip off the old shopping block. And everyone knows a committed shopper always finds a way.

Source: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7415016-mini-shopaholic

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1)

2010-11-20T06:48:00.005+04:00

I still can't quite get to grips that it's already the last installment of the Harry Potter series. I'm excited and I don't want to accept the fact that it's the beginning of the end. Yet, I was so looking forward to it.

And finally it's here. I would say that it's the film in the series that I liked best. I liked the way that the entire movie was in no hurry. Every Harry Potter book has so much in it that when made into movies a lot details are cut off. But since The Deathly Hallows is a two-part film, most of the essential parts in the book are all in the movie.

I wish that every Harry Potter movie was made into two parts. But if it did, perhaps I would die in anticipation every time I would have to wait for the next part. I can say that I am completely satisfied with this latest Harry Potter film and I can hardly wait that for the second part next year. Next year? Ugh! The waiting is a torture!

Is Forgiveness Always Divine?

2010-09-03T20:48:00.004+04:00

A child takes birth and brings joy in the life of everyone with his smile. He is always happy himself and at the same time he makes everyone happy. As he grows older he experiences sweet and bitter incidents that encircle his life. The sweet experiences of life remain cherished. But when someone looks back upon the bitter ones, he is frustrated. And he is keen to punish the people responsible for adding bitter experiences in his life. He wants to make their life bitter too. But such grievances do not help others in rectifying themselves. Rather they become more aggressive.

We may possess grievances against many persons, and that too, may be for a number of reasons. You may be angry on someone for insulting you. Again you may want to put someone in prison for stealing your jewelry. May be these are valid reasons to be angry. But how far are we benefited from possessing grievances against others? Anger not only destroys others, it destroys us. Anger is fatal, forgiveness is rejuvenating.

However, forgiveness is an emotion that evolves from within a person. It can not be imposed. We can only forgive a particular person for his wrongdoing if we sincerely love him/her. Perhaps that is the reason why we can forgive our adolescent son when he is a little arrogant but can never do the same for our servant.

Lovers forgive infidelity of their partners. Why do they do so? They do it out of love. Some may say that "If we forgive our unfaithful partners, we would be taken for granted. Besides, our self respect is important." May be that is quite true. But if we never forgive our partners, we may deprive ourselves of affection and care that can be ours. When you forgive him/her even after he/she is unfaithful, you give him/her an opportunity to be happy. Simultaneously, you give yourself a chance to be happy too.

Surprisingly, forgiveness is something quite unpredictable. Perhaps most of the human emotions are. I personally know of a woman who was orphaned in her childhood and used to stay with her Uncle. He despised her for being a burden on the family. After she grew up, she complained that she had always been a neglected child. In some way she wished to punish him. But after some time her Uncle met with a heart attack and passes away. Sometime later she forgave him.

We may wonder why did that woman forgive her Uncle after his death? Did she feel sympathetic about him? Or did she forgive him because there was nothing she could do? I feel that would remain an unsolved mystery. But from the above incident we can infer that forgiveness is an emotion which is influenced by circumstances. Quite often we possess grievances against a person when he is alive but eventually forgive him after his death.

However some argue that forgiveness is a sign of weakness. A person forgives a wrongdoer when he fears the latter. I feel forgiving someone out of fear may be better termed as compromise. This is because when you forgive someone out fear you look for something in return. If we forgive a person fearing that he/she may be cause us more harm otherwise, that would be for own benefit. But forgiveness is selfless. It never looks for consideration.

Perhaps the greatest instance of forgiveness is depicted in Bible. Lord Jesus forgave the people who crucified him. He suffered the pain in silence. Did Jesus get any benefit out of it? No. Jesus did not get any benefit from the pains, because he never wanted anything. As I said, forgiveness is selfless.

Jesus died. But he became immoral in the minds of his followers. Forgiveness has always been regarded as a virtue on the part of the forgiver.

In the play "The Merchant Of Venice" William Shakespeare describes forgiveness. A few lines are quoted below.

"The quality of mercy is not strain'd,

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes."

The above words describe forgiveness. It is a virtue that blesses everyone. It purifies our heart, it purifies our soul. It makes our lives sublime.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-Forgiveness-Always-Divine?&id=297908

The Last Airbender

2010-08-01T20:51:00.002+04:00

The film begins with a fourteen-year-old Waterbender girl named Katara, and her older fifteen-year-old warrior brother, Sokka from the Southern Water Tribe, unfreeze an Iceberg with a 12-year-old boy Aang, and a flying bison named Appa, inside of it. This attracts the attention of Zuko, the Prince of the Fire Nation who was exiled by his father: The current Fire Lord Ozai. Arriving to Southern Water Tribe, Zuko demands the elderly under the impression that Avatar is an old person until Aang is found. Aang surrenders himself to Zuko as long as he agrees to leave the village alone. Aboard Zuko's ship, Aang is at Zuko's mercy, but he dares the two escorts that he could take them both in a fight with both of his hands tied behind his back. Eventually he manages to maneuver away from the guards before Katara and Sokka arrive on Appa, making their escape. Aang and friends visit the Southern Air Temple where the Avatar learns that he was in the ice for a century and the Fire Nation wiped out everyone he knew there, entering the Avatar State and revealing to the world that the Avatar has returned via spiritually significant statues begin to glow, just like Aang's eyes and tattoos. It was there Aang meets up with the only known remaining "flying lemur", naming it "Momo" as it joins Aang's group. Meanwhile, Commander Zhao invites Prince Zuko and Iroh for lunch, only to humiliate Zuko in front of his men.

Arriving in a small Earth Kingdom town that is controlled by the Fire Nation, Aang's group are arrested while helping a boy named Haru there. They then incite a rebellion with reminding the disgruntled Earthbenders that earth was given to them through the air ducts. Soon after, Katara finds a waterbending scroll that she uses to perfect her skills while helping Aang master waterbending as they make their way to the Northern Water Tribe and liberate more Earth Kingdom villages in the process. During a side track to the Northern Air Temple on his own, Aang is betrayed by a peasant and captured by a group of Fire Nation Yuu Yan archers, commanded by Zhao. However, a masked marauder, the "Blue Spirit", helps Aang escape from his imprisonment. Aware that Zuko is the "Blue Spirit," Zhao arranges the prince's demise. But Zuko survives the attempt on his life and, with Iroh's help, sneaks aboard Zhao's lead ship as his fleet departs for the Northern Water Tribe to execute the plan he and Ozai set up with the scrolls from the Library detailing the spirits there.

Upon arriving, Aang's group is welcomed warmly by the citizens of the Northern Water Tribe. Sokka falls in love with Princess Yue, while Aang and Katara master their waterbending skills under Pakku. Once the Fire Nation armada arrives, Zhao begins his attack while Zuko infiltrates the tribe on his own, capturing Aang while he entered the spirit world to find the dragon spirit to give him the wisdom to defeat the Fire Nation. Coming to his senses, Aang battles Zuko before Katara freezes him. As the battles escalates, Iroh watches Zhao slay the moon spirit Tui, causing the waterbenders to lose their power. However, Yue, who was imbued with some of the energy of the Moon spirit when she was a newborn, sacrifices her life to revive the Moon spirit. As Zhao is drowned by Waterbenders after Zuko and Iroh leave him to his fate, Aang uses the ocean to drive the armada back. Aang now fully embraces his destiny as the Avatar and prepares to continue their struggle against Ozai. When news of Zhao's death and Iroh's betrayal reaches him, Ozai appoints his daughter Azula to capture both her Uncle and Brother.

Keeping the Faith

2010-04-11T17:38:00.003+04:00

I was never much of a religious but I was always a believer. Sadly, my beliefs were always tainted by my pessimistic nature. But I have always tried on some improvement and the recent events make me happy to know that somehow I have really changed and am gearing towards positivity.

There are always hardships and pains but there is no point in moping about. You can't do anything about it because those pains are part of life. You can choose to wallow yourself in pity or give up altogether but you can always choose to be brave and go on with life clinging to your own faith to survive. And the latter is always the best option.

Even at times when you feel that you are already on the edge of a cliff, stand still. You will always be pulled away. You will always be saved. You just have to have faith.

I Love My Blog!

2010-04-06T13:01:00.003+04:00

There are probably others out there who share the same thoughts as mine. I think blogging is one of the greatest inventions ever created. For quite a long time now, I was able to share my thoughts and feelings and express them in writing. I've kept diaries before but they have become cliche when blogging was made.

At times, you might feel like there's nothing to write about and it sometimes go on for days, even weeks. But there are times when you could write innumerable articles in one sitting. Sometimes it feels like all thoughts don't have enough space in my head and that they should not just swim there and I have to let them out. And here, alas, was my blog.

I should have taken up Creative Writing or Journalism as what I have envisioned myself taking up years before I had to make a decision. And though I did not, I don't have regrets. It's such a great relief to be able to sail away from everyday routine and breathe through writing. It's such a nice therapy, a break from the monotony.

Maybe if I had taken up a writing course and ended up in job in line with it, it would all feel boring. It wouldn't feel special like what I feel now whenever I write because writing feels like breaking the ice. And I feel free.

Between Cowardice and Hope

2010-04-05T13:02:00.006+04:00

I never imagined myself to be such a coward. But maybe I actually am. I have never been eloquent about my emotions and I tend to run away from confrontations. Yes, I'm tough. Yes, I'm fierce. Some even feel scared of my brave facade. But maybe it was just that, a facade. When reality hits, I cower in a corner. As stubborn as I am, hate to be told of. I was always afraid of the truth that slaps me in the face.

Yet, we really have to face reality in one way or another. It may be harsh and difficult, and painful but it's the reality. I may be afraid and hide for a long time but reality remains there. And the only way to conquer it is to face it.

We may all have our strengths but we also have our fears and weaknesses. In this journey that I am currently taking, I have definitely learned one thing. I may have been one of the most pessimistic persons in the world, but I learned not to lose hope. And with that hope lies my faith and belief that one day, I will get over all these. Someday, I will just laugh at today.

And holding that hope within my heart, I will stand tall and brave. Then there's nothing to be afraid of, after all.

The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination by JK Rowling

2010-04-05T07:23:00.003+04:00

I heard a news last night regarding a Filipino businessman who was being accused of plagiarism after copying excerpts from JK Rowling's graduation speech in Harvard in 2008 which he also used in his speech he delivered in Ateneo de Manila University just recently.

I got curious and searched for the piece which JK delivered and I felt compelled to share it after watching and hearing it. It might be comedic and funny but in reality doesn't necessarily mean so. It's full of wit and brilliance that no other than JK Rowling can come up with.

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.

Source: http://harvardmagazine.com/commencement/the-fringe-benefits-failure-the-importance-imagination

Hush Hush

2010-03-31T11:44:00.001+04:00

Oooooh ooooh
I never needed you to be strong
I never needed you for pointin' out my wrongs
i never needed pain,i never needed strenght
My love for you was strong enough you should've known.
I never needed you for judgement
I never needed you to question what i spent
I never ask for help, I take care of myself, I don't know why you think you got a hold on me.
And it's a little late for conversations
There isn't anything that you can do.
And my eyes hurt, hands shiver, so look at me , listen to me because,

I don't want to
Stay another minute
I don't want you
To say a single word
Hush Hush, Hush Hush
There is no other way
I get the final say
Because
I don't want to
Do this any longer
I don't want you
There's nothing left to say
Hush Hush, Hush Hush
I've already spoken
Our love is broken
Baby Hush Hush

I never needed your corrections
On everything from how i act to what i say
i never needed words, i never needed hurt, i never needed you to be there everyday
I'm sorry for the way i let go
Of everything i wanted when you came along
But i am never beaten, broken, not defeated
I know next to you is not where i belong
And it's a little late for explanations
There isn't anything that you can do
And my eyes hurt, hands shiver, so you will listen when i say baby

I don't want to
Stay another minute
I don't want you
To say a single word
Hush Hush, Hush Hush
There is no other way
I get the final say
Because
I don't want to
Do this any longer
I don't want you
There's nothing left to say
Hush Hush, Hush Hush
I've already spoken
Our love is broken
Baby Hush Hush

No more words
No more lies
No more crying ooh ooh
No more pain
No more hurt
No more tryin' Oh Oh Yeah
Because

I don't want to
Stay another minute
I don't want you
To say a single word
Hush Hush, Hush Hush
There is no other way
I get the final say
Because
I don't want to
Do this any longer
I don't want you
There's nothing left to say
Hush Hush, Hush Hush
I've already spoken
Our love is broken
Baby Hush Hush

Yeah Oh
Hush Hush, Hush Hush
I've already spoken
Our love is broken
Baby

The Last Song

2010-03-29T14:37:00.002+04:00

The Last Song written by Nicholas Sparks is a story of a teenager named Ronnie whose life completely changed one summer that she spent with her estranged father. Ronnie was consumed by anger and rebellion when her parents divorced three years ago. She blamed her father for leaving them and so she has not spoken to him in three years.

But as Ronnie and her brother Jonah stays with their dad that summer, everything in her life has changed. During her first days she shouted a lot at her father. But she started to stay calmer after meeting Will, a nice and handsome guy whom she had a row with at first.

Ronnie and Will seemed to click on immediately but their relationship was tarnished by a gang of unruly kids led by Marcus who seemed to be interested in her but who was Blaze's boyfriend, a girl she met and considered a friend.

As she spent more time with Will, she had also learned a lot of things about her father. She learned that he was a very good person and that he never wanted to leave them. As the summer drew to an end, Will will be going to college in Vanderbilt while she and Jonah will return to New York to their mom, she discovered that her dad has a terminal illness, a stomach cancer.

Ronnie's world turned upside down. Just when she was starting to know her father again, he was dying. While their father stayed in the hospital, Jonah wanted to finish the church's stained glass window his father and him were doing all summer and Ronnie and Will tried to help.

Eventually, Will told Ronnie his big secret. A secret which made her so angry the day before his departure for college and they haven't talked since then. She stayed with her father to care for him during his sufferings. As her father steadily grew weaker, she felt a nagging feeling that she must do something special for him just as Pastor Harris felt that he must install the stained glass window for his father to see. The day she thought she was losing him, she finished the song her father had been composing. She played the piano again to play their last song in front of him.

When her father died, there was a small funeral and her brother and mother were there. She saw the sunlight streaked through the stained glass window and she and Jonah remembered their father. As she was about to leave the church, she noticed Will's parents, Tom and Susan, and thanked them for the donation that enabled rebuilding the church. She didn't expect it but Susan who did not like her seemed okay already and offered her condolences.

Then Will was there and they talked briefly, just a promise that he'll call her when he gets back from his trip abroad.

Ronnie tried to move on with her life without her father. She auditioned in Julliard and practice there everyday all the while spending more quality time with Jonah. She has also become in better terms with her mother. She no longer was a rebellious teenager. She has matured in a lot of ways during the past months.

Then Will called her one day while she was practicing at Julliard. She was surprised to know that he was there, just behind her. He told her that he'll be studying in New York and she felt happy that they will be together again.
***

Though I felt the story is quite predictable, I liked it. I liked the drama and the ordinary way the story goes. When I searched for the book, I found out that Nicholas Sparks wrote it after he co-wrote the screenplay of the movie. It was usually the other way around. Though I don't like Miley Cyrus much, I would like to watch this movie.

The Longing

2010-02-23T11:56:00.004+04:00

It has been a very long time since I last had a true and relaxing vacation. And I am dying to have another one! Though I am not really in a capacity for a luxurious vacation, I am longing for some kind of relaxation in the next weeks that I'm going home for the delivery of my baby.

I am dreaming of relaxing in tranquil blue waters, with white sandy beaches, in a hammock tied under coconut trees. There I will lay wearing comfy swimsuit that will suit my bulging tummy with sunglasses and a big beach hat. A server will bring me a nice cold coconut juice which I will drink with a straw directly from the fruit. Then I will prop open a nice book to read while enjoying the rushing of the waves to the shore in the background.

At dinner, I will succumb to a delectable and sumptuous feast. With large buttered and grilled prawns, squid and lobster. I will douse the barbecued pork belly in a nice spicy sauce and eat it with a pot of steaming hot rice. Then I will drink a refreshing green mango smoothie and have some sweet ripe mangoes as dessert.

Before going to bed, I'll pamper myself with a hot bath in my cottage with the bathroom and tub overlooking the silent waters now with purplish glow in the night air. Then a masseuse will come in to give me a relaxing massage that will soothe me to a long and restful sleep.

Ah, how I long that all these be true!

How To Use Your Words To Create Your Reality

2010-01-27T10:04:00.001+04:00

Do you want to know your future?

So many people are awed by Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, Jean Dixon, and even Madame Auring (yes, her!) because they claim to predict the future.

Friend, I have a big announcement to make: You can predict the future.

You don’t have to look for a prophet, a seer, or a fortune-teller to know your future. You don’t have to consult the horoscope, the crystal ball, your palm, tea leaves, or fortune cookies to know your future.

You can predict your future.

How? All you have to do is listen to your words.

By examining the words that come out of your mouth, you’ll know your future. Guaranteed.

Let me share with you three people…

Where Do You Want To Go?

Nineteen years ago, I had a friend who was always miserable.

Constantly, I heard “Glenda” say, “Life sucks,” and “Life is terrible,” and “I’m doomed,” and “I’m a looser.” I heard her always sigh with heaviness, “Hay buhay, parang life…”

We lost touch for 11 years.

But I met Glenda recently

Guess what. Her life is still miserable.

Her words created her reality.

My other friend, “Marcel”, liked talking negatively about his health. Ever since I can remember, he kept saying, “I’ll die when I reach fifty.”

I would tell him, “Fifty? My gosh. Don’t say that!”

He’d say, “My father died in his fifties. My grandfather died in his fifties too. So I’m sure I’ll die when I reach fifty.”

True enough, at the exact age of fifty years old, Marcel was walking in the sidewalk. All of a sudden, he fell like a log. Wham. He died of a heart attack.

His words created his reality.

The Bible says that your tongue is like a rudder of a big ship. Like a rudder, your tongue directs your life.

So let me ask you: What kind of future do you want to have?

Don’t use your words to describe your reality. Use your words to create your desired reality.

Another way of putting it: Don’t just talk about where you are. Talk about where you want to go.

Use Your Words To Direct Your Future

My third example is my 84-year old mother.

Last Sunday, Mom was limping.

By Monday, she couldn’t get out of bed. She said her leg was so painful, she couldn’t move it. She couldn’t even walk to the bathroom by herself.

By Tuesday, she was so depressed because we had to put her on a wheelchair. She hated the idea. “I don’t want to be paralyzed!” she said. The entire time, she was moaning and groaning, complaining about the pain and her condition.

That day, I visited her and spoke words of faith. I said, “Mom, this is temporary. You’ll get better.” I prayed for her and taught her a simple healing exercise. I also told her, “Mom, you’ve got to change your words. I know you’re discouraged, but you’ve got to say, “I’m getting better and better everyday.”

She laughed. She asked, “How could I say those words when she had so much pain and could barely move her leg?”

“You’ve got to try!” I said.

But I called her Wednesday and she was better.

I called her Thursday and she began walking.

I called her Friday and she went down the stairs already.

And Sunday? She was at the Feast, walking around like nothing happened.

Perhaps you’re sick like my mother today.

Say, “I feel better and better everyday.”

Echo Joel 3:10, where it says, “Let the weak say I am strong…” So even if you feel weak, believe that God will heal you.

Let me tell you how this works…

Why Faith Words Work

I can explain it in many ways:

· Faith Words affect your emotions in a positive way.

· Faith Words—repeated again and again—create new neural pathways in your brain.

· Faith Words also train your Reticular Activating System (RAS) to be attentive to see the blessings you desire.

All that is true.

But here’s my favorite explanation: Faith Words aren’t just mere positive affirmations; They open your life up to the supernatural power of God.

In Biblical thinking, words aren’t just sounds or noise.

Words are imbued with God’s creative power.

In Genesis, God created the world by His words. He didn’t create light by mixing up stuff with His hands. He simply said, “Let there be light” and there was light.

The Bible also says that death and life are in the power of our tongue. Pretty awesome, right?

God Will Provide

In 2009, my friend Rey Ortega felt God was calling him to rescue babies from abortion. He discussed this with me and passed this dream to my heart. I told him, “Let’s start a ministry.”

Rey then told me, “But I have a problem. How can we raise money for this new work? I’ve exhausted all my friends already for our other work. They all now donate to our Tahanan orphanage and Pagasa scholarship for poor children.”

That’s when I told Rey my Faith Words. Just three words. I said, “God will provide.”

He said, “Wow, I’m impressed by your faith!”

Actually, I was hiding my fear. I was actually scared! In my mind, I said, “Oh no, here I go again, getting myself into another ministry…”

When I said, “God will provide,” we had nothing. Zero. But soon, blessings began to flow like a waterfall.

That month, out of the blue, My Ninang (godmother) called up my office because she needed a speaker for her little prayer group. Specifically, she wanted a speaker to share about the topic, “The Sanctity of Life”.

Obviously, the best speaker on the topic was Rey Ortega. He was the one who had this dream of rescuing babies from abortion in his heart. So I told Rey, “Give the talk. And share our dream to my Ninang. She’s rich!”

And that night, he did.

My Ninang heard Rey’s story and invited him for lunch the next day. When they met, my Ninang said, “You can use my building for your ministry. You have 300 square meters for your halfway house.” Not only that, she spent two million pesos of her own money to remodel it for our use.

We didn’t even call her. She called us.

Was that coincidence?

No. That’s synchronicity of grace. That’s the universe conspiring to bless us. We were no longer chasing after blessings. The blessings were chasing after us. Resources were rolling at our feet, begging that we take them.

“God will provide,” is a powerful Faith Word.

In May 2009, we began Grace To Be Born, a halfway house for pregnant womenin crisis and an orphanage for babies. In 6 months, we’ve rescued 15 babies from abortion.

Friend, are you praying for God to provide for you?

Here’s my belief: Sooner or later, your outside world will match your inside world. What’s does your inside world say?

Remember, your faith is more powerful than your sight.

Your sight can only describe your situation, your faith can direct your situation.

Let me tell you the story of Elijah…

I Hear The Sound Of Heavy Rain

Even When There Is No Rain

I love this incredible story.

For 3 years, there was a drought in Israel. Absolutely no rain in the whole land. In our language, a very bad El Nino.

But one day, the prophet Elijah told King Ahab, “Your problems are over. Go, eat and drink, for I hear the sound of heavy rain.” King Ahab was relieved and followed Elijah’s orders.

But was there actually rain?

None. Not a drop.

In fact, there was not a single cloud in the sky.

That was when Elijah prayed very hard. The Bible says he went up to Mount Carmel, bent over, and placed his head between his knees. If you pray in that posture, that means Elijah was desperate. I should know. That was how I prayed when I was courting my wife. (It worked!)

Elijah then told his servant, “Look towards the sea and check for clouds.”

The servant looked and said, “No clouds.”

You can imagine how worried Elijah must have felt.

So Elijah prayed one more time and told his servant, “Check again.” The servant looked and shook his head, “Nope, no clouds.”

The Bible says this scene was repeated 7 times.

By the seventh time, I can imagine what the poor servant was thinking. I bet he wanted to say, “Elijah, I told you 6 times already, the sky is empty. Nothing. Nada. Zero. Zilcho. When are you going to quit? When are you going to tell King Ahab that you made a big booboo?”

But Elijah didn’t quit. He asked him, “Check again.”

Big Clouds Come From Little Clouds

When the servant looked a seventh time, he said, “I saw a little cloud no bigger than a man’s hand, coming up from the sea.”

In other words, he was saying, “Uh, there’s a tiny cloud. But don’t get your hopes up too much. It’s so itsy bitsy tiny, I can cover it with my hand. See? I don’t see it no more.”

But that little cloud was enough for Elijah. He said, “Tell King Ahab to hurry home as he might be caught by the downpour.”

Wow. That’s faith.

And the Bible says the wind began to blow and the heavy rain began to fall.

Friend, it’s your turn to create your miracles.

Do you see an empty sky or a little cloud?

When you focus on emptiness, more emptiness will come. But when you focus on the blessings—no matter how small—more blessings will come.

Speak Blessing Into Your Future

Here’s my message: There’s a connection between what you say and what will happen.

You have a choice: You can say, “There’s not a cloud in the sky” or you can say, “I hear the sound of heavy rain.”

Perhaps today, you don’t see the healing happening yet in your body. But you can confess, “I’m being healed by God right now. Health and healing are flowing into my body. I’m getting better and better everyday.”

Perhaps today, you don’t see your child changing yet. He’s still making bad choices. He’s still hanging out with bad company. He’s still taking drugs. But you can confess, “My child is coming closer to God. As I speak, God is working in his life.”

Perhaps today, you don’t see your financial situation getting better. But you can confess, “I’m getting rich and richer everyday. God is prospering the work of my hands.”

Perhaps today, you don’t see yourself free from addictions yet. But you can confess, “I may have had addictions in the past, but God is starting a new chapter in my life. I may feel weak right now but I declare that God is making me strong.”

Like Elijah, you need to hear the sound of heavy rain even when there’s not a cloud in the sky. You need to hear the heavy rain of blessings into your life even when you don’t see anything yet.

Start speaking words of faith into your future.

Because your words create your reality.

Let me tell you my last story.

Use Your Words To Direct Your Future

Last year, one of my small businesses collapsed.

In a snap, it simply sunk.

Circumstances beyond my control pulled the rug beneath it and it came crashing down.

My small business was almost one year old. All of a sudden, in one day, I lost all my customers.

I wish I could tell you that because I’m a preacher, I smiled and sang, “Give thanks with a grateful heart…”

That’s not true. At least, not right away.

Believe me, I was so discouraged. I was so frustrated, I wanted to say, “This business is dead,” and “I’m a failure,” and “Why did I let this happen? I’m so foolish.”

But I didn’t say those words.

Because I knew words have power.

Instead of using my words to describe my reality, I decided to use my words to create my desired reality.

Every time I wanted to say those negative words, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and proclaimed with faith, “My business will rise up stronger than ever. This failure is temporary. This failure will make my business even better.”

For three months, I tried to resurrect my business. And I couldn’t do it. I felt like I was hitting my head on a brick wall. But no matter how discouraged I felt, I kept saying these faith statements, “My business will rise up stronger than ever.” And I didn’t stop trying to fix it.

And soon, I discovered the blessing within the problem. Because I had to start from scratch, I was able to change my business model.

Today, that small business is doing so much better. Today, I have more customers, more sales, and more profits!

You know what? Today, I thank God my business collapsed. Because it gave me the chance to transform it and make it better.

What happened?

My words—my Faith Words—created my desired reality.

Proclaim Those Faith Words

Look, I’m not saying that speaking Faith Words is all that you need to do to succeed in life. This isn’t magic.

To succeed in life, you need love, wisdom, mentors, action…

But speaking words of faith is incredibly important too!

May I suggest something?

I want you to take five minutes everyday declaring Faith Words. I guarantee that it can change your life. Five minutes in the morning, declare God’s word, including your positive beliefs about your life.

Here’s why. In Mark 11:23, Jesus said something incredible. He said, I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.

Friend, what is your mountain?

It may be sickness. It may be a troublesome relationship. It may be a lack of money.

Don’t just pray about the mountain. Don’t just talk about the mountain. Instead, speak to the mountain.

That’s what I did to my failed business. I told it to resurrect.

My message again: Don’t use your words to describe your reality. Use your words to create your reality.

Below, you’ll find God’s Word combined with my own positive words. I wrote these Faith Words so that you can speak them everyday. In fact, depending on your particular “mountain”, I want you to say these Faith Words not just once, but many times during the day.

Talk to the mountain of sickness:

“With long life, He satisfies me and shows me His salvation. I’m getting better and better everyday. I am getting stronger and stronger everyday. The power of healing is flowing through my body, mind, and spirit. New health, new joy, new peace, new hope is increasing within me.”

Talk to the mountain of a loved one going astray:

“My child (husband, brother, etc.) is growing closer to God. Deep inside his heart, the Holy Spirit is busy working, changing, and transforming him. He is set free from all his addictions. He will fulfill God’s purpose for his life. I declare that as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Talk to the mountain of addictions:

“I may have had addictions in the past, but God is starting a new chapter in my life. I may feel weak now but I declare that God is making me strong. God is setting me free.”

Talk to the mountain of relationship conflicts:

“God is blessing my relationships. Love is increasing. Service for one another is growing. Forgiveness, humility, and understanding flow like a river in my relationships. Old wounds are being healed. Bonds between us are getting stronger and deeper.”

Talk to the mountain of confusion in decision-making:

“The steps of the good person are ordered by the Lord. God directs my steps. God helps me to distinguish what is right from wrong. God shows me the paths to abundance.”

Talk to the mountain of financial difficulty:

“I’m rich and getting richer. I’m generous and getting more generous. God’s abundance is supplying my every need. Everything I touch prospers and succeeds. New doors will open before me. The right people will walk into my life. God will prosper the work of my hands. As I use my core gifts to serve others, I will be richly rewarded.”

Friend, there’s a miracle in your mouth waiting to be released.

Release it today.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Source: http://bosanchez.ph/how-to-use-your-words-to-create-your-reality/

Movie Saturday

2010-01-17T09:13:00.003+04:00

As there was nothing else to do on a Saturday, after waking up at 12 noon and eating brunch afterwards, the whole day was spent on the couch watching DVDs of various films.

SPREAD

SPREAD is a fresh, funny, and racy look at the trials and tribulations of sleeping your way to a life of privilege in Los Angeles. Comic and karmic, the film is an “immorality tale” about a gorgeous guy who gives women what they want in order to live exactly as he likes. In SPREAD, Nikki (Ashton Kutcher) isn’t a gigolo. He’s a sexual grifter, a fun-loving, freeloading hipster who understands his greatest assets are his looks and sexual prowess, which he uses to charm his way into the hearts of the city’s richest women and enjoy their lifestyle. Nikki gets a free place to live, fantastic gifts, A- list access, and plenty of sex. The women get to feel young, beautiful… and utterly fulfilled in the bedroom. It’s a mutually beneficial set-up. Nikki’s latest conquest is Samantha (Anne Heche), a stunning middle- aged lawyer who gives him more than he’s ever had before. But then he meets a gorgeous waitress his own age named Heather (Margarita Levieva). She comes to visit Nikki at Samantha’s house while Samantha is out of town, sees what an incredible place it is… and comes to the mistaken conclusion it’s his. Unbeknownst to Nikki, Heather lives by playing the same game. When Samantha comes home, she discovers Nikki’s infidelity and he’s put out on the street. With nowhere else to turn, Nikki pulls out all the stops to win Heather over and they begin to form their own kind of bond. Sexually charged by a game of one-upsmanship, each shows the other their best grifts, and they unexpectedly begin falling in love – the one thing they can’t do in the life they lead. Soon, the truth of their unfolding relationship forces a choice between love and money, and Nikki has to decide whether he can live on his own once and for all in the hopes of finding something real.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

Celebrity photographer Connor Mead loves freedom, fun and women…in that order. A committed bachelor who thinks nothing of breaking up with multiple women on a conference call, Connor’s mockery of romance proves a real buzz-kill for his kid brother, Paul, and a houseful of well wishers on the eve of Paul’s wedding. Just when it looks like Connor may single-handedly ruin the wedding, he is visited by the ghosts of his former jilted girlfriends, who take him on a revealing and hilarious odyssey through his failed relationships-past, present and future. Together they attempt to find out what turned Connor into such an insensitive jerk and whether there is still hope for him to find true love…or if he really is the lost cause everyone thinks he is.

Up in the Air

George Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham, a corporate hatchet man who loves his life on the road but is forced to fight for his job when his company downsizes its travel budget. He is required to spend more time at home just as he is on the cusp of a goal he's worked toward for years: reaching five million frequent flyer miles and just after he's met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams.

Drowning in a Big Pool of Sh*t

2010-01-14T10:50:00.007+04:00

When it rains, it pours. This has been a cliche for God knows how long but still it rings truer every time. How come when one problem arrives, a series is usually in tow?

You get buried underneath until there's no room to breathe. Then you drown slowly, painfully, gasping for breath, trying to reach to anyone who could rescue you. But sometimes, there just isn't anyone. You're on your own.

Then you get to choose. You'll have an option to struggle with all your strength, with all your courage, to paddle hardly just to resurface upwards, to be able to fill your lungs with air.

Or you choose to stop struggling, to just simply lay still, to let the numbness take away your soul. To be able not to feel pain anymore. To calmly welcome the coming oblivion, the promise of nothingness.

When you're in the middle of that pool, the only thing that matters is your choice.

Deadly

2010-01-06T09:32:00.003+04:00

I was thinking if I'm running late. I'm meeting Mara at Deli John's for a brunch and I left my phone at home and didn't wear a watch. I wonder what time is it already. I woke up just in time but got held up a bit at the train station. Maybe I'm still on time.

Mara and I are friends since first grade. We were both wearing braces then and looked almost identical. Many people has mistaken us for twins. We went to school together until high school and was only forced to separate during college. She decided to take a course in Mass Communications while I pursue a teaching course. However, I wasn't able to finish my studies because I got pregnant at eighteen and the father of my child did not want any responsibilities so I was forced to work to raise my child.

I worked shifts at three different jobs just to support my child and to pay the bills. I never opted to ask for my parents though they are willing to support their grandchild. The only thing they insisted on was the apartment for us because they wanted their grandchild to have a decent place to live in. I feel tired most of the time but I never compromise my time with my daughter. Katie is such a sweet child and she's all I have in the world. All my problems all go away whenever we were together.

But I still feel something in my life is missing. Not a lover because I have a number of suitors but I just feel like I'm not yet ready for any of them. What I really wanted was to continue my studies and put up my own kindergarten school. Then I won't have to work three jobs and I'll have more time with Katie. Whenever I thought of this, I thought of Mara. She's what I have dreamed to be. Successful in her career, being the producer of a lot of shows in the biggest television network in the country.

She travels to any place she wanted. I remember that it was both our dreams to travel together and explore different places. But I could not do that now. Mara, however, lived her dreams, our dreams. She's smart and beautiful and very successful. She lives in a large manor in the most exclusive subdivision in the city. She owns several cars and countless properties all over the country and even in some other parts of the world. Everybody loves her and she was once married but the marriage didn't work out well and so they divorced. But still, she exudes an aura of extreme happiness with her success.

I was already in front of the deli and I saw Mara already seated inside from the large glass walls of the restaurant. I smiled at her and she smiled back. She was as immaculate as ever now with a bob cut which made me think of Victoria Beckham. I already knew that whatever hairstyle or outfit she sported, Mara will still be able to carry it with style and grace. I started towards the entrance of the restaurant but stopped when I heard someone call my name. I instantly caught sight of someone familiar. Ellie waved and ran towards me. I glanced back at Mara with a plea on my face and with sign language asked her to spare me some minutes while I talked to Ellie.

***

Carrie looks exactly the same as I had remembered her. We haven't seen each other for almost a year but she still wears the same shoulder-length wavy hair in auburn. I saw some stress lines on her face when she smiled at me but she still looks gorgeous yet simple. No one would think that she already has a six-year old daughter. At that thought, I can't help but feel pain.

When Carrie got pregnant, she was so scared that she wanted an abortion especially when Brad left her on her own. But I advised her not to and that she would be able to make it. Though she was not able to finish school because she had to work for her child, I felt that she became stronger after giving birth to Katie. She became the source of her strength and even if she worked several jobs, I knew she feels satisfied whenever she sees her daughter growing up lovely and smart.

I offered her financial help several times but as strong as she was, she always refuses and I admire her for exceptional strength and bravery. It was that strength that I fear I do not possess. Everyone thinks I am strong as successful as I am, little did they know that I was never whole.

I grew up in a broken home, my mom left us for a younger man and my dad started drinking until he suffered from liver cancer. He died after a few months of being diagnosed and so I was left alone since I was fifteen. Though I was left with enough money to finish school, I persevere in my chosen career to mask the emptiness I felt inside. With this I became indeed successful.

Then I met Willard in one of my leisurely travels. We dated for a few months and got married in the same year. For a while I thought I was the happiest woman on earth, with all my career success and a wonderful husband. But only a few months after we got married, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and so I had a major hysterectomy. This could only mean one thing, that I will not be able to bear a child. Before we got married, Willard and I agreed to have several children since we were both the only child. The operation has changed everything. Though he supported me during the operation and throughout my recovery, after a while, I was seeing less and less of him.

Willard has various businesses in and out of the country and he was out of the country more often. I tried to understand this at first until he came home with apparently grave news. He wanted divorce. He said he cannot have a wife who cannot bear his children. I plead and told him we can find alternative solutions. But I felt that a bomb was dropped in my head when he told me he got someone pregnant.

All of these I have hidden from Carrie. Though she is my bestfriend, I could not bear the look of sympathy from her eyes. I told her that Willard had an affair so I decided to end it and it was what we both agreed to tell the world. He gave me that piece of self-pride so as not to completely humiliate me.

Whenever I look at Carrie and Katie, I could not help but feel the life I would have had. It was that one thing that made me empty once again, that took everything away from me. And now I see Carrie entering the deli, tired but contented having a child whom she loved and who loves her back.

***

The road was quite slippery this morning because the snow has slowly melted and it was drizzling the whole morning. I know I have to be more careful but I drove with speed because I was running late for a date. I know it was weird to have a lunch date but I should grab this opportunity. Allen and I met at a common friend's party two months ago. Since I met him, I had always looked forward to attending gatherings prepared by Bill just to see Allen again. I was unfortunate for a couple of parties but during the last one, I directly told Bill that I liked Allen and wanted to see him again.

But he was out of the country often, having relocated in Milan to attend to his several furniture shop businesses. However, he promised me that he would set Allen a date with me when he comes back. And this has been my lucky morning.

I dressed up and carefully prepared for our meeting. He will only be here for a few hours and I had to grab my chance. It took me longer than usual to dress up careful not to be overdressed yet I still wanted an impression. Before I knew it, I was running late so the option to take the train was out as the stations are always full at around lunch time.

Seeing the Deli John's from a block away, I breathed a sigh of relief. I was just in time, checking my watch. I chanced a glance at my reflection in the rear view mirror to check if I hadn't smudged my lipstick and if my hair is still in place from under my carefully matched beret.

But everything else happened in a flash as I stole a second to view the mirror.

***

I decided to grab a sandwich from Burger Joe's in front of Deli John's. It was already eleven o'clock but I knew I won't be able to have a decent lunch with all the workload that I just received with everything marked as "rush". I knew from the moment I saw the pile stacked on my table that it will be a working lunch. Again.

Working as Dana's personal assistant feels like sitting in hell next to Satan. When I started at Derby's Unlimited, I thought that I was the luckiest person to have been chosen by Dana Derby. Only after a few days that I realized I was gravely mistaken. I have to answer phone calls that seems to come in every minute. I had to type reports, prepare presentations, audit the sheets and bring Dana coffee every thirty minutes. To top it all off, Dana is the kind of boss that never compliments and tries to scrutinize your work for every little mistake that you might have committed.

I felt like quitting after a month but decided I needed the job anyway. The pay was good and more than enough for me though I just have to endure Dana's scowls and insults and yells every single day. Well, I thought that the pay compliments that little self-respect that was taken away from me.

I thought of ordering a nice take away from Deli John's but I didn't have much time to spare so I settled for a double cheeseburger and a coke at Burger Joe's instead. I took my food and had just opened the fastfood's glass door when I saw a speeding Nissan X-terra from the next block which swerved wildly to avoid a passing couple. The driver violently turned the wheel to the right where Deli John's stood from the corner of the street.

The driver probably already lost control of the vehicle as the car hit a lampost and skidded straight to the restaurant's glass walls. I just caught a glance of two women sitting opposite each other who both turned their heads towards the crashing car with utmost terror on their faces.

The Holidays

2010-01-03T09:37:00.006+04:00

The Christmas and New Year celebrations didn't come out sad after all. On the morning of the 24th, we were all very busy preparing for the evening's Noche Buena. We had lots of food because we designated each and everyone to cook or prepare a little something and so we had 10 different dishes on the table. It was a simple Christmas dinner and some videoke afterwards.
On Christmas day itself, the rest of our friends arrived in the house at around 7pm for a simple Christmas party hosted by Toni and Don. We had several parlor games and it was a fun party complete with exchanging gifts. We planned to watch Avatar after the party but the theaters were all fully booked already. So they just all headed home happy and contented with our simple Christmas celebration.
On New Year's Eve, we had the same setup as Christmas, everyone prepared his or her own food. As usual, we prepared from morning til almost midnight. This time though, some friends joined us in the celebration. We also had fun as we tried to play "charades". We stayed awake until 4am because we had to go to Bapa Edie's place to celebrate there too.
At around 11am on New Year's day, I got a call from Haidee telling us that they are coming. As we have invited them, we got up to prepare the "leftovers". Later, Toni and the rest of the others arrived too and had lunch. After eating, We played another charades game and it was really a lot of fun. It was girls vs. boys and a mobile load was given as a prize. Luckily, we won.
They stayed until twilight after coaxing Karl to cook Arozcaldo and they surprisingly cleaned up the entire cauldron.
I also had my haircut. It was the first time in years to have my hair cut this short and to top it all, I have bangs! But I am not too happy about it. It just feels better to have a "new look" on New Year.

2009: A Look Back on the All-time Low

2009-12-22T18:28:00.003+04:00

Yes, it's the end. While we are all hoping and praying for a better and brighter 2010, let's take a look back on 2009. I felt like I was on top of the world, not in its true sense and feeling, but like a god watching over everyone, replaying the past year in my mind.

Overall, I considered 2009 an all-time low. The start of the year was marred by the global financial crisis, with world-wide unemployment, bankruptcy, and instability everywhere that we have lived the year continuously tightening our belts. Then came a sort of "epidemic", the H1N1 virus that has affected hundreds of thousands worldwide. We have also lost several well-known names of the day, the King of Pop Michael Jackson, on top of the list.

And as if we weren't struggling enough just to be able to continue to survive, the Philippines was struck by several calamities, killer typhoons which killed numerous people and left thousand others homeless. There were massive barbaric killings that placed the country in the global headlines. 2009 was about to end and still, a volcano was threatening to explode and several thousands more were to spend Christmas in evacuation centers.

We now welcome 2010, filled with fervent hopes that it will promise a better and brighter days for everyone. Though the past year has been an absolute turmoil, we have to face the coming year with smiles in our hearts and pray that all our lucks will turn and finally favor us.

Great Expectations

2009-12-22T08:51:00.003+04:00

When you've had great expectations, you start to think of a lot of possibilities. You imagine things you would want to happen, what you want to be. You dream about things and continuously think about it, how you would feel. But what happens when those expectations were not met? What happens when all those dreams burst out like bubbles?

Denial
It was the first thing I ever felt. Could there be some mistake? Was there some erroneous event that occurred? Were my eyes blinding me? For a moment, I paused and thought that it could not be true. Yet, eventually the truth sinks in and you start to feel other emotions.

Disappointment
When I have finally convinced myself that I am staring truth in the face, I felt disappointment. I felt disappointed that all my efforts have not been fruitful. I felt disappointed that a lot of people have counted on me and I felt that I have let them down. I felt disappointed feeling it was not worth it.

Regrets
Luckily, I didn't feel any regrets. I did not regret that I have not exerted more effort to achieve my desired outcome. I didn't have regrets for not spending more of my attention and time. I didn't feel any regrets that I have not given my best.

Acceptance
After some time and thoughts vent out on the negatives, I finally decided it was time to let go. There was no point in crying over spilled milk. The worst is over and done.

Moving On
I have to move on. There is no turning back. I have to face what lies ahead. There are many lessons learned here. And one thing that keeps a smile on my face is the fact that I bravely did it. Without anything on my sleeves but guts and faith, I have ran through the battle. I may have lost, but I was alive and ready to face more battles in the future.

The Blind Side

2009-12-19T11:20:00.004+04:00

Teenager Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) is surviving on his own, virtually homeless, when he is spotted on the street by Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock). Learning that the young man is one of her daughter's classmates, Leigh Anne insists that Michael—wearing shorts and a t-shirt in the dead of winter—come out of the cold. Without a moment's hesitation, she invites him to stay at the Tuohy home for the night. What starts out as a gesture of kindness turns into something more as Michael becomes part of the Tuohy family despite the differences in their backgrounds.

Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. And as the family helps Michael fulfill his potential, both on and off the football field, Michael's presence in the Tuohys' lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own.

Based on the best-selling novel by Michael Lewis, "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game."

I really loved this movie, it has deeply touched my heart. It is one of those stories which gives inspiration and hope to everyone who sees it. No wonder the movie grabbed the top spot on the box office from Twilight Saga: New Moon. Though I don't particularly criticize New Moon, as I'm also a fanatic of Twilight Saga, I don't doubt that The Blind Side has more meat and value and truly inspiring family movie. It's a movie you would never tire of repeating over and over.

http://www.theblindsidemovie.com/

This Sh*t Called Life

2009-12-17T08:17:00.004+04:00

Life is so hard. Sometimes you just feel you've had enough. Sometimes you feel like not wanting to wake up. Everything hurts. Everywhere are problems. Sometimes you feel like all the weight of the world is upon your shoulders. And you have no strength to carry on. Sometimes you just wish it would all end. There is no escape. How to go on?

Sometimes it feels like you are awake but feel dead on the inside. Sometimes you feel that your body is nothing but an empty shell. You laugh, you go along with your everyday life, but deep inside you are torn apart. How to will you heal?

Sometimes you feel like the world is playing a painful joke on you. Sometimes you wonder why everyone around you seems fine and you are not. Sometimes you just wish it would all stop. So you will stop hurting. How will it stop?

Sometimes you think that you will not have to think at all...

Catching Up

2009-12-08T13:50:00.003+04:00

There are a lot of things that I wanted to blog about these past few weeks but I haven't got time to do so and so here I am to do a little catching up. Firstly, I was finally able to announce to the whole world that I am becoming a mom and I was overwhelmed by the raining congratulations and greetings.

Then I was busy during the last weeks of November since my exams are fast approaching. Though I didn't force myself to study too hard, even if I had, I won't be able to. I went to Abu Dhabi on December 1 and before that, we had some holidays. On November 27, we went to Oman to go fishing. It was a long and tiring day eventhough I didn't fish myself. The next couple of days were devoted to cd burning. I took the side job from Karl and finished the day before my scheduled departure for Abu Dhabi.

On December 1, I drove all the way to Abu Dhabi. I was so amazed with myself that I was able to do it without any hassles. The registration for the exam was mostly waiting and walking and by the time we went to the hotel I was too exhausted. I took a quick nap and ate dinner afterwards. Then we tried to peruse our notes.

I didn't know if it was nerves or what but I didn't sleep well that night. The day of the exam arrived. I woke up at five in the morning and prepared. We just walked our way to the school and waited for the examiners. I was astonished and relieved that the day just went by like that. I was finally halfway through the entire exams.

The second and final day of the exam went smoothly as the first. I was one of the firsts to finish at three in the afternoon. At around four, I was driving back home. It was not quite a long drive but exhaustion finally overtook me when I reached home.

I stayed at home for the rest of the weekend until I finally went back to work on the 7th of December.

Weekenders

2009-11-01T09:29:00.002+04:00

http://www.timeoutdubai.com/gallery/11386-360-weekend-pics?image=6

After office on Thursday, we went to Abu Dhabi hoping to catch Beyonce's live performance in Abu Dhabi's F1 Grand Prix. Unfortunately, we were already late and only arrived for the last couple of songs. We went home so late and had to get up early on Saturday to bring the Lara couple to the airport.

At quarter before twelve on Friday, I went to the airport to pick up Niko who just came back from the Philippines. I had to be the one to pick him up since Karl was busy on the setup of his event at 360 later that night.

Karl was able to come home at around 2pm, we had lunch and prepared to leave at 4pm. The car was full with all of us ready to go to 360. The view was exhilarating. You can't get any closer to the Burj Al Arab and teaming up with a nice weather, it was perfect.

The only hitch though, all of us are not into partying that much and no one was drinking. We had to leave at around 8pm to go to Madinat Jumeirah and had dinner. When we came back to 360, it was only Val and I. The others decided to roam around Jumeirah Beach Hotel.

Then I had no choice but to meet and join Karl's boss, Steve with his wife with adidas executives Ellen, Eddy and his wife. We were all so tired and left the place at 1am already. It was a great weekend overall.

Listen

2009-10-24T10:31:00.001+04:00

Listen to the song here in my heart
A melody I start but can't complete
Listen to the sound from deep within
It's only beginning to find release

Oh, the time has come for my dreams to be heard
They will not be pushed aside and turned
Into your own all 'cause you won't
Listen

Listen, I am alone at a crossroads
I'm not at home in my own home
And I've tried and tried to say what's on mind
You should have known

Oh, now I'm done believing you
You don't know what I'm feeling
I'm more than what you made of me
I followed the voice you gave to me
But now I've gotta find my own

You should have listened, there is someone here inside
Someone I thought had died so long ago
Oh, I'm screaming out and my dreams'll be heard
They will not be pushed aside on words
Into your own all 'cause you won't
Listen

Listen, I am alone at a crossroads
I'm not at home in my own home
And I've tried and tried to say what's on mind
You should have known

Oh, now I'm done believing you
You don't know what I'm feeling
I'm more than what you made of me
I followed the voice you gave to me
But now I've gotta find my own

I don't know where I belong
But I'll be moving on
If you don't, if you won't

Listen to the song here in my heart
A melody I start but I will complete

Oh, now I'm done believing you
You don't know what I'm feeling
I'm more than what you made of me
I followed the voice you think you gave to me
But now I've gotta find my own, my own

Uninvited

2009-10-22T18:40:00.002+04:00

Alanis Morissette - Uninvited from Alanis Morissette on Vimeo.

Just happen to tumble upon this one again. Really love Alanis and I always will!

Like anyone would be
I am flattered by your fascination with me
Like any hot-blooded woman
I have simply wanted an object to crave
But you, you're not allowed
You're uninvited
An unfortunate slight

Must be strangely exciting
To watch the stoic squirm
Must be somewhat heartening
To watch shepherd need shepherd
But you you're not allowed
You're uninvited
An unfortunate slight

Like any uncharted territory
I must seem greatly intriguing
You speak of my love like
You have experienced love like mine before
But this is not allowed
You're uninvited
An unfortunate slight

I don't think you unworthy
I need a moment to deliberate

Stop Trying to Fix People

2009-10-22T12:29:00.002+04:00

You know what our monstrous mistake is?
We try to fix the people in our life.
Oh, I see it everywhere.
Everywhere I go, I see people complain about the people in their life.
Wives complain about their husbands.
“Bo, please talk to my husband. He eats too much.”
“Bo, can you help me? My husband watches too much TV.”
One frustrated wife told me, “Bo, please advice my husband. He doesn’t have a one romantic bone in his body. Last year, he gave me a bar of soap for Valentines Day. The brand? Mr. Clean.”
But husbands complain about their wives too.
“Bo, please talk to my wife. She’s gastadora.”
“Bo, help me with my wife. My wife is always hysterical and historical. She remembers all my past mistakes, including date, time, and place.”
One husband told me, “My wife is so talkative. If the universe paid 1 centavo for every word she said, I’ll be the richest man in the world today.”
Another man said, “My wife is always angry. When she’s angry, she causes global warming and the melting of the ice caps in the North Pole.”
Parents complain about their kids too.
“My kids are too messy.”
“My kids can’t focus on their studies.”
One mother said, “My kids are so lazy. If given a chance, they’ll ask someone to breathe for them.”
And everywhere I go, I also hear many kids ask me to fix their parents.
“My parents are too strict.”
“My parents are too corny.”
“My parents are too kuripot.”
One girl told me, “They allow me to swim only if I wear a long gown.”
All over the world, people want to fix people.
Let me tell you why…
Are You Sick Of Comparasonities?
First of all, you want to fix people because you love them.
But sometimes, our motives aren’t pure. Sometimes, we want to fix our loved ones because of shame. We’re ashamed of what other people will say about our kids, our siblings, our spouses, and our parents.
Another reason of our “fixing other people” tendencies is we’re afflicted with the disease called comparisonities.
Humans like to look to the other side of the fence to see if it’s greener.
Someone told me that marriage is like going to a restaurant. After you ordered your dish, you learn what the other table ordered, and suddenly regret what you ordered.
Believe me, this urge to compare causes so much misery in marriages.
If you always compare your wife’s body with Beyonce or Angel Locsin, she can’t compete. Or if you compare your husband’s salary with Manny Paquiao’s earnings, he can’t compete.
Many times, we compare our spouse to someone who doesn’t exist. For example, we fantasize about Hollywood stars who aren’t real. Because all their blemishes were removed by photoshop and a huge PR company.
Even the pretty officemate who seems so gorgeous on the outside may actually be your worst nightmare the moment you live with her. You really don’t fall in love with her. You fall in love with a projection of how you imagine her to be.
Even parents are guilty of this.
Motivate Your Kids In Other Ways
We have a tendency to compare our kids with other kids.
We even verbally share our comparisons in the hopes of motivating him.
I overheard one mother tell her little boy, “Junior, why can’t you get good grades like your sister? She gets straight A’s in all subjects. But you’re highest grades are Recess and Lunch.”
Parents compare their kids to their classmates, their cousins, and even to themselves when they were young. Their sermons begin with this famous line: “When I was young, I wasn’t like you…”
Kids cannot flourish in an environment where they are being judged. Kids flourish in an environment of appreciation. They need to know that their parents accept them for their uniqueness.
Parents, stop comparing!
And there’s also another disease that causes us to fix people.
The Virus of Criticalities
I’ve met people who have a strong critical spirit in them.
I pity them so much. Once afflicted, they become very miserable people.
These people think God created them to criticize others. All day long, they look for the faults of the people around them.
But behind this critical spirit towards others is really a critical spirit toward oneself. In fact, the critic pulls down others so that he can hide his own failures.
Let me now tell you what you should do.
Question: Do You Want Less Stress and More Joy?
Do you want less stress in your relationships?
Do you want less fights?
Do you want less wrinkles?
Do you want more joy?
My solution is really simple: Stop trying to fix others.
Big clarification: In my message today, I’m not talking about the big sins. Like marital abuse, alcoholism, adultery, and all the other major violations against the Ten Commandments. I’m also not talking about tolerating the sins of your kids. I’m not teaching you to say, “Wow son, you’re very good in stealing. Perhaps you can be a Congressman one day.” (I’ll talk on “tough love” on the sixth instalment of this series, Relationship Reborn.)
Today, I’m talking about idiosyncrasies, eccentricities, personalities, and persuasions that make your loved one very unique.
If you’re not going to fix people, what should you do?
Appreciate them. I’ll now explain a mystery.
What You Like And What You Don’t Like
Maybe One And The Same Thing
I have mixed feelings about my cellphone. My relationship with my phone is ambivalent. I like it and I don’t like it. There are days when I think it’s the greatest invention since peanut butter. And there are days when I want to fling it into the mouth of a volcano.Here’s what I noticed: The very features that I like are the very same features that I don’t like. Absurd but true.
Why do I like my phone? I like the fact that I can call up the 954 people in my phone directory anytime. Useful when I have a flat tire, when I need a prayer, or when I’m on the rooftop because of Typhoon Ondoy.
Why do I not like my phone? I don’t like the fact that these 954 people can call me up at anytime—even when I’m lying on a hammock in a tiny island far out in the Pacific Ocean.
Why do I like my phone? Because I can bring it everywhere I go.
Why do I not like my phone? Because I can bring it everywhere I go!
Question: Have you ever had the absurd experience of leaving your cellphone at home and having to make a U-turn to come back for it? Nuts, right? Cellphones are now like one of our kidneys. You can still survive if it gets lost, but it’ll be risky.
I repeat: The very things that I like are the very same things that I don’t like.
Funny, but this is also true with our relationships…
Why Did You Fall In Love?
Don’t be shocked, but the very thing that made you crazy for a person will be the very same thing that will drive you crazy in the years to come.
I’m not kidding.If you fell in love with your wife because she was bubbly and the life of the party, today, you want to zip her mouth so that there would be world peace.If you fell in love with your husband because he was quiet, strong, and steady as a rock, today, you want to curse him for being so cold and unresponsive—like you’re talking to a rock.If you fell in love with your wife because of her stunning beauty, today, you find yourself pulling your hair in the car, waiting for her because she takes 3 hours just to dress up and put on her make-up.
Remember: Every strength has a weakness.
My friend Jon Escoto says that “a weakness is really a strength applied inappropriately.” (As another friend loves to say, “You’re right in the wrong way!”) You can’t have only one side of the coin. You have to have both.
Why My Wife Married Me
One day, I had a very serious talk with my wife.
“Sweetheart, I want you to be completely honest with me,” I said to her. “Aside from the fact that I look like John Loyd and Piolo Pascual put together, what else made you marry me?”
After laughing out loud and rolling on the floor, she finally said, “Sorry Bo, your looks weren’t the reason why I married you. I married you because you have such a big heart for God.”
But I bet if you ask her today, “Marowe, what are the difficulties of being married to Bo?” she’ll tell you, “Because Bo has such a big heart for God!”
She will explain to you, “Our schedule isn’t normal. Our entire married life isn’t normal. Bo runs 9 non-profit organizations. He’s constantly stretched. He travels a lot.” She’s accepted that as her lot in life.
Here’s something she’s also accepted: When we have our weekly dates, she already expects it to be interrupted. Many times, a total stranger would approach me, cry on my shoulder, and ask for prayer. In the middle of the busy mall, I hold an instant mini-healing rally—because the moment people see me praying for one person, people fall in line.
She’s come to accept this reality as part of the set package called Bo Sanchez.
She’s accepted the fact that when she married me, she also married the people I love—the flock I care for.
Why am I telling you all these?
Stop Trying To Fix People
To repeat my million-dollar point: If you want to have happy relationships, you’ll have to stop trying to fix people and start appreciating them.
Jesus said, “Love your neighbor”; He didn’t say, “Fix your neighbor.”
Two reasons why you need to stop fixing people.
First, you can’t.
Second, I’ve realized that people are like old houses. If one thing gets fixed, another thing gets broken.
Let me tell you what I mean by appreciate.
Two Levels Of Acceptance
The first level of acceptance is tolerance. The second level is appreciation.
Let me tell you a story.
Jean came up to me one day and said, “Bo, can I share something with you? My story might help women you talk to.”
Jean said that her husband is addicted to watching basketball. She told me that it drove her insane. “Brother Bo, there was a time when his passion for watching basketball made me so angry. I would nag him, I would throw pots and pans in his direction, I would hide the TV remote control—just so he can’t watch.”
She told him, “I think basketball has become your god. And the churches you attend are NBA, PBA, PBL, NCAA, and UAAP. All you talk about is basketball.” And her husband would answer back, “Foul yan.”
“But after a couple of years,” Jean said, “I just gave up. I realized that nothing was going to happen. That he will never change.”
That was the day when Jean began to tolerate her husband’s passion for basketball. Whenever she saw him sitting in front of the TV watching a game, she felt less irritation in her heart. But one day, Jean had a bigger epiphany.
That fateful morning, Jean’s best friend called her up crying hysterically on the phone. Through many tears, she said that she discovered her husband was having an affair. After an hour of trying to comfort her, Jean’s friend said, “I wish my husband was like your husband, Jean—so faithful to you.”
That one sentence was like a slap on her face.She woke up.
Jean realized she was blind to the great blessing that her husband was to her.
Because she was so focused on his basketball addiction, she never appreciated how faithful her husband was to her.
She also began to count the many ways he was a wonderful husband: He was hard-working, he loved the kids, he went with her to her prayer meetings, and he was sweet in his own manly, clumsy way. Today, she sometimes joins him watching basketball. She still doesn’t appreciate the game. She told her husband once, “Why don’t they just give one ball to each team?” But she enjoys being with her wonderful husband now. That day, Jean moved from tolerance to appreciation.
And that was the day her marriage became very happy.
Are You A Judge Or A Painter?
What I’m sharing with you is so earth-shaking, I should be charging you a million for divulging this secret to you.
Believe me, if you apply this secret into your life, you will change your entire life—radically. You’ll have less stress. You’ll have less fights. You’ll have more peace. You’ll be more joyful. You’ll feel and look younger by ten years.
It was Dr. James Dobson who said that before you get married, you should have both eyes wide open. But after the marriage ceremony, close one eye.
What does he mean? Before you get married, you should be very careful in evaluating your future spouse. Check everything. Values. Background. Preferences. Reactions. Beliefs. Examine everything!
But when you get married, stop evaluating. Stop critiquing.
It’s now time to stop fixing the other person and start appreciating the entire person in his totality.
Remove the robes of the courtroom judge. Instead, put on the robes of a painter capturing the beauty of a scene. An artist simply accepts what is and nurtures a gratitude for what is there.
When you accept the other person and become grateful for him, a great miracle happens: The person learns to accept himself too and thus bring healing of his Heart Wound. Changes begin to take place spontaneously.
You can never fix anyone. Because fixing is an inside job. Never forced from the outside. Yes, you should inspire. You should guide. You should teach. But you cannot force. At the end of the day, the only thing you can do is to love the person by creating space for the other person to fix himself.
Your Assignment
One of the ways to show gratitude is to simply to say it.
Here’s your assignment for this session: Go to 1, 2, or 3 people in your life and thank them for the blessing that they are to you.
Be specific. Write them a letter of gratitude.
Thank your wife for the small things she does for you.
Thank your husband for going to work everyday.
Thank your mother for the way she serves you.
Thank your child for being a wonderful child.
The next time a loved one presses your clothes, or takes out the trash, or fixes the car, or takes care of the baby, appreciate them in your heart and in your words.
I promise: Gratitude will be like oil in the engine of your relationship.
Your relationship will function in a whole new level.
Final Story:
“I Love The Perfection Of Your Imperfections.”
Let me end with one of my favorite stories.
One day, a wife came to her husband with a magazine in her hand, “Darling, this article is wonderful. It describes a little activity that we can both do to improve our marriage. Can we do it together?”
“Sure,” her husband said.
“It says here that for one day, each of us will separately write a list of what areas we want the other to change. Little annoyances, little irritations, etc. And then tomorrow, we share this list to each other. Deal?”
“Deal!” the husband smiled.
That day, the man sat on the living room with paper and hand. The wife went to the bedroom and did the same thing.
The next day, over breakfast, the wife said, “Game? Can I start first?”
“Yes,” the husband said.
The wife pulled out three pages. Single spaced. Font 8. It was a long list. She began to read her list. “Darling, I don’t like it when you do this…” On and on, she read the little ways her husbands annoyed her. The man felt a sting in his heart. The wife noticed this and asked, “Do you want me to continue?”
“I can handle it. Go on,” the man said.
So the wife continued to read.
Finally, the woman said, “Okay, it’s your turn.”
The husband pulled out his piece of paper and said, “Yesterday, I asked the question what are the changes I want in you. But hard as I tried to think, I couldn’t think of one thing.” He then showed to her the empty piece of paper in his hand. “Because to me, you’re perfect in your imperfections. I’ve accepted who you are—strengths and weaknesses. And I love the whole package. I love the mix. You are a wonderful person and I love you so much.”
The wife began to sob, rolled up her three pages in her hand, and beat her husband on the head, “Bwiset ka!” And hugged him tight for a very long time.

May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez

Source: http://bosanchez.ph/stop-trying-to-fix-people/

Energy Zappers

2009-10-20T13:16:00.002+04:00

See nine things that zap your vitality and how to get it back

It's 3 p.m.--do you know where your energy's gone? You probably expect to feel that late-afternoon drag, but you don't always have to. Turns out, some of your regular habits may be sneakily zapping your zip. Fix some or all of these energy stealers, and you just may be feeling brighter this afternoon.

Energy Zapper #1: Being Addicted to E-mail
Isn't being wired to the hilt--e-mail, voice mail, IM, BlackBerry--supposed to boost productivity, freeing up your energy? More often, the opposite is true. If you continually halt what you're doing to answer e-mail, check voice mail, and attend to a thousand other beeps and blips, your attention becomes diluted, which leaves you feeling depleted.

There are two things going on here, says John Salerno, MD, a New York City family physician and director of the Salerno Center for Complementary Medicine. "The brain needs a lot of physical and mental energy to multitask, which gets drained," he says. And continually redirecting your attention from the BlackBerry to other stimuli siphons more energy and distracts your brain further.

Energy Fix
Switch off electronic gadgets during your most productive work hours, which for most people tend to be in the morning, says Laura Stack, author of The Exhaustion Cure. As for e-mail, try to limit yourself to checking it once every hour, instead of hopping to whenever it beeps. (Hint: Turn off the beep sound.) If something pops into your mind that you need to remember--call back your mom, e-mail the soccer coach about the snack schedule--write it down and take care of it later.

Energy Zapper #2: Visual Clutter
We may be used to living in enclosed spaces with lots of stuff--a refrigerator door packed with artwork, a countertop laden with mail, a desk that's little more than a shifting pile of folders and paper--but it's not how we're meant to live, says Dr. Salerno. "Clutter signals disorder, which makes us anxious. Our brains sense that anxiety."

Energy Fix
Do your best to clear visual clutter, so when you look around, your eyes can "rest" rather than dart from mess to mess, says Janice Ash, organization expert and owner of I Declutter!. Instead of layering papers on a bulletin board, leave a small border of space around them. Clear the front of the fridge of all but the most current kids' artwork, and make a habit of leaving the kitchen counter stuff-free before bed each night.

Energy Zapper #3: Being Bored
Ever sat around for an hour or more not tackling a chore or work because it's just so darned monotonous? Mental foot-dragging, boredom and lack of motivation are draining, says Dr. Salerno. "Put simply, we like to see results, and getting things done gives us a mental energy boost." So avoiding tasks deprives you of that high.

Energy Fix
Find a partner for encouragement--a friend, a coworker--and call or e-mail to enlist her in a time challenge. "Say, ‘I'll check back in with you in an hour, and we'll see if we've gotten these reports/ organizing chores done.'" Or promise yourself motivational rewards for completing the task at hand, suggests Dr. Salerno.

Energy Zapper #4: Poor Posture
You already know that not sitting or standing straight is bad for your body. But all that hunching over a computer screen or cradling a phone on your shoulder wreaks havoc on your energy level, too, says Pia Martin, a San Diego health and wellness chiropractor. "When you sit for long periods, you tend to slump forward, leading to rounded shoulders and a tilted lower spine. Your muscles contract, and blood flow is impaired," which limits the amount of oxygen to your brain.

Energy Fix
Sit up straight! Your legs should be at right angles to the floor, your arms at right angles to your keyboard. Be conscious of keeping your shoulders down, not up near your ears. Adjust your computer screen so your eyes gaze at the middle of it. And don't just sit there--if you have to, set a timer to go off hourly to remind you to get up, stretch and get a drink of water. When you get back to your desk, do a quick posture check: Shoulders down! (Reboot your posture with these tips.)

Energy Zapper #5: Toxic Indoor Air
Humming copy machines. Cleaning products. Dry-cleaning chemicals. Synthetic carpeting. Even the desks in your office may be contributing to the load of toxins you breathe each day, because all of them release chemicals into the air. "No one knows for sure how much harm these cause to our bodies, but they do build up over time, and can drain your energy by potentially interfering with thyroid function and overloading the body's detox system," says Frank Lipman, MD, a New York City physician and author of Spent: End Exhaustion and Feel Great Again. (Reduce your exposure to chemical toxins.)

Energy Fix
Get outside. If you're feeling tired, go out for 10 minutes to breathe fresh air. Indoors, cultivate houseplants, which are remarkably good at absorbing toxins. And don't wear shoes inside the house--you're dragging not just dirt indoors on your soles, but pesticides and other harmful chemicals too.

Energy Zapper #6: Eating Too Much at Once
Consuming a big meal is always something that will cause a dip in energy later, but that effect is most noticeable in the afternoon because the slump happens at that reach-for-coffee-or-sugar hour: 3 p.m. Here's what happens: You fill up on a carb- and calorie-rich lunch and, as nutrients are absorbed by your body, excess glucose is dumped into your bloodstream, and your body releases insulin to process all that sugar. "A better idea is to spread out what and how you eat throughout the day to keep energy levels steady," says Gloria Tsang, RD, founder of the nutrition website HealthCastle.com.

Energy Fix
Eat every four hours, instead of the usual six. To reform lunch, "try to brownbag more often than eating out," says Tsang. It's a fact that if you buy takeout or dine in a restaurant, you're likely to eat more. Four hours after lunch, have a snack. If you're going to eat dinner a couple of hours later, keep the snack small, such as half a turkey sandwich, or a yogurt and some crackers. Other ideas: Drink liquids (water, tea) all day. "Dehydration makes you tired, too," says Tsang. If you usually have coffee right after lunch, try it a little later in the afternoon and make it a latte. The caffeine's an obvious pick-me-up, but the little bit of fat and protein in the milk gives you a snack-like boost. (Increase your energy with a smarter lunch.)

Energy Zapper #7: Living in Artificial Light
Our natural body rhythms are keyed to the rising and setting of the sun, says Carol Ash, DO, medical director of Sleep for Life, a sleep-disorder clinic in Somerset, New Jersey. When you open your eyes in the morning and get your first glimpse of sunlight, your brain receives a signal that helps it set its sleep-wake clock for the day. Similarly, seeing sunlight during the day gives your brain a boost. So if you are awake before the sun, and/or don't see much sun all day, your body is experiencing something a lot like jet lag.

Energy Fix
Instead of hitting the coffee cart when you're flagging, hit the sidewalk--the combination of physical exercise and a shot of sunlight will energize you. You don't need much: "A 10- to 20-minute walk in the sunshine will give you a boost," says Dr. Ash.

Energy Zapper #8: Listening to Negative Nellies
You may be upbeat, but it can be exhausting to listen to complainers all day long, whether it's the fellow mom who calls to trash-talk the neighbors or the coworker who never has a positive word to say. It's not your imagination: A 2006 study at Chicago's Northwestern University found that people forced to listen to "high-maintenance" colleagues became frustrated and unfocused, and suffered a decline in the quality of their work.

Energy Fix
Insulate yourself as best you can. If a coworker loves to enumerate her complaints, cut her off with a firm but polite "I really have to get this finished," then smile and get to work. She'll get the message. If it's your own negative thoughts that drag you down, train yourself to banish them by listing, daily, the things you're grateful for, so you can pull out that list when the negative stuff intrudes.

Energy Zapper #9: Holding a Grudge
It takes a surprising amount of energy to remember whom you have a grudge against, and to continually update the faults, missteps and things you're mad about. "Resentment is a huge drain physically as well as mentally," says Dr. Lipman. "Anger, resentment, grudges--all of these emotions are toxic, and we hang on to them in our bodies especially in tense, tired muscles."

Energy Fix
It takes practice, but try to forgive old mistakes. An easy way to start is to simply be aware of the times negative thoughts about others creep into your mind, says Dr. Lipman. "Think of others as flawed humans, which we all are," which makes it easier to forgive-and free up energy.

Source: http://health.yahoo.com/featured/50/out-of-energy/

Not Too Perfect

2009-10-18T09:23:00.002+04:00

Yes, I am pregnant. It might still be too early but as I already had my tests and checkup, it was already confirmed. Of course, we are all so happy including the whole family and friends. I feel so blessed and ecstatic with happiness.
But as I am always praying for another miracle to happen, I knew it won't. I suddenly understood that had it been given to me, everything will be perfect. And there is no such thing as perfect. I feel enlightened about my new understanding that everything happens for a reason. I am blessed, as always. I have my family and friends and my loving husband, and we are having a baby. What more can I ask for?
There are those tiny hitches, tiny, compared to all the blessings that continue to come my way. And I am happy that everything is not too perfect.

The Time Traveler's Wife

2009-10-11T09:40:00.003+04:00

My long-awaited movie. I have read the novel by Audrey Niffeneger and the story really touched my heart. When it finally hit the theaters here in Dubai, I queued on the first day.
The movie was very closely adapted from the book. There might have been a lot of missing parts but it really happens when books are made into movies. All I can say is, it was worth the wait. The Time Traveler's Wife is a story which will really touch your heart that you would want to believe that time travel really exists.

Bookaholic

2009-09-17T15:15:00.008+04:00

'You know you're a bookaholic when...you can't leave a bookstore without buying something, even when you have a "to-be-read" pile a mile high.' You won't find the term "bookaholic" in the dictionary but the word exists as it rings true to a lot of people who are addicted to books. Yeah, you can be a bookworm, but personally, I feel the term denotes something else. I can call myself a big fan of books but not until yesterday that I admitted that I was a "bookaholic". I spotted several books at Virgin the other day but I was able to stop myself from buying anything. Honestly, I shouldn't be reading any novels at the moment since I have to cram to study for my exams but I can't help myself.
Yesterday while at Burjuman, I dropped by a Virgin store again and found the same books I was eyeing the other day. They also had a great sale, buy three for two, which sounded perfect. But since I knew that there's a Magrudy's store in the mall, I went there to peruse some titles.
I've been waiting for Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol but I was planning to wait and buy the paperback version. Addicted as I was, I was completely enticed by the hardbound book and so I bought one.
Then I went back to the Virgin store and grabbed a handful of different titles: The Atlantis Code by Charles Brokaw, The Beach House by Jane Green, Julie & Julia by Julie Powell, Things I Want My Daughters to Know by Elizabeth Noble, This Charming Man by Marian Keyes and Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea.
I was so delighted by my great haul, different books with different themes and genre. But I also felt sad that I have to keep myself from reading the books I just bought since a mile-high pile of reviewers are awaiting my attention. Sigh! I have to get myself away from temptation. I really do hope that I can!

Bits and Pieces

2009-09-16T19:03:00.029+04:00

Alright. So I've been out for a while and here I am again. I managed to collect some photos of some things which could summarize the happenings around me during the past few weeks. And so here they are:
Yogurberry! Yum! Yum! I really can't get enough of this sweet and sour strawberry-flavored frozen yogurt topped with my choice of fresh blueberries, strawberries and chocolate chips. It's really mouth watering! The bad thing though, is that they only have one store right now in Dubai. Hope they'll put up more stores in different malls.

This is Niko trying to let his creativeness get the better of him. I baked the cake during the weekend and as I was trying to perfect the icing, they all got excited about decorating the cake themselves. Unfortunately, my piping bag burst and icing was everywhere. And so Niko took the liberty of "fixing" the cake which surprisingly turned out okay. The cake only lasted for a couple of days, thanks to my housemates' sweet teeth!

It's Val, me and Alex, trying to squeeze in for a photo. We went to Dubai Mall on this day without real plans on what to do. We just roamed the mall until we were so hungry and there was no way to eat at the time because it was still Ramadan. We bought Patchi and sneaked into the rest rooms to shove the chocolates into our craving mouths!

This is the ultimate masterpiece of all time. It was chocolate cake with chocolate filling and covered with chocolate ganache. Surprisingly sumptuous! It was thickly covered by liberal amounts of chocolate which was not so sweet. The only downside was the ultra-sweet decorator's icing I placed on top. As this was the greatest cake I have baked so far, it only lasted for a couple of hours and everyone was trying to find where it had gone. I will definitely bake more of these and get it perfect the next time.

This is Karl posing beside the giant billboard of the Dubai Metro 3d theater and Niko inside the theater at the Mall of the Emirates. We just had a whim to see the 9-minute 3d presentation and we were happy that we had. It was a brilliant presentation about the Dubai Metro and although I already knew all these facts, it was still worth watching. The coolest part was during the second half of the film when we were asked to wear the 3d glasses. It was beyond cool! Though it was a bit disorienting, the 3d experience was so fantastic that you would want to reach out and touch the things in front of you which were really not there. Thumbs up!

And finally, it's me again wearing my new Skullcandy headphones for the first time. I already bought one for Jho a few weeks ago and I thought that it was a great buy and so I have to have one. What I liked best about it though is the attached mp3 player that you won't have to worry about having those annoying cords tangling all round you.

Today is Really my Kind of Day!

2009-08-27T08:29:00.002+04:00

Hell, yeah! I woke up at 3am... again! I can't figure out why do I suddenly jerk awake at 3 in the morning when I am tired when I go to bed and I fall asleep at the same time as usual. What is it at 3am that suddenly shakes my mind into consciousness? It's really a mystery. Sometimes I just wake up thinking of nothing then I will force myself to fall asleep again.

But today was different. I woke up because of a bad dream. Trying to remember what it was all about, I'm not really sure if it was really bad or not. I'm not going into details but some part of it was gory, scary, funny and incredible all at the same time. But all the same, I knew that I wasn't going to fall asleep again no matter how I force myself into it.

And so I picked up my laptop and browse some sites. Predictably, I opened my FB. Then I watched some videos on Youtube. And the time just went by like that. At 5am, my laptop seemed to be complaining of the unusual time I used it and so it picked that moment to register some error and it suddenly shut down.

So I had no choice but to get out of bed and take a shower and get dressed. And so I was all dressed up for work when my alarm clock hasn't even gone off. I took my time to eat breakfast, brush my teeth and get ready to leave. I went down early and drove Marshall out of the sands and parked from where I took out Sydney.

And now I'm already here in the office with my eyes wanting to close at the moment. Exactly the right moment to sleep? Sigh... and now I have to endure the day with my brain half asleep. And this is the day we are relocating to the other office. And the day where there is supposedly a massive retrenchment.

Hell, yeah! It's Thursday! And it's really my kind of day.

Between Work and Fun

2009-08-24T07:45:00.002+04:00

By Francis Kong (Philippine Star Nov 15)

I train, I speak, I give keynotes and this is why I meet people all the time.
I see different kinds of people all the time. I see people who are so happy and productive in their jobs and then I see people who look like they have entered their career as the cruise director for the Titanic.
After my talks, participants would come to me for advice. Our conversation would go like this. As I share this with you I want you to think it through as it may carry the answer to your questions about your own work and fun issues.

Participant: "I am not happy with my job Francis, I am thinking of resigning, should I or shouldn't I?"

Francis : "Well show me a job where you can be happy all the time and I will resign and join you!"

Participant: "But there is no fun with my work, Francis!"

Francis : "Sure, That's why they call it work, and that's what they pay you to do it! Had work been fun, it would have been called "FUN."

Participant: "So what should I do? I heard a lot of speakers tell me that I need to love what I do but I simply don't."

Do you get the point? Now let's be real.
You want fun? Go to a circus. But if you want to be paid, go to work, Duh!!
Work in itself is never fun. That's why it is called labor.
Fun is the feeling part in you and work is the doing part you have to deal with.
Let me ask you a couple of questions:
Do you like to be promoted?
Do you want to stay employed?
Do you use your pay check to pay for luxuries such as paying off your loans and buying food for your family? Then it's got nothing to do with your job. It's got everything to do with you. Get this, it's not what you feel. It's what you do with what you feel.

Maybe there's something lacking in you/in what you do and this is why you are not happy. There are people doing the same jobs and they are happy aren't they? Maybe age has caught up with you. You're bored and you are tired. And you want to try something else. It is not a bad thing. But you have to be practical.

Times are tough. Jobs will be hard to find. If you carry the baggage of not being happy with your current job, you will bring it with you where ever you go and you will become more unhappy wherever you are.

Why not try something else with what you are and what you currently do?
Here are a few ideas.

1. You can pretend to be happy with your work. And you're probably saying, "But that's not me." And you are right. It's you that your officemates and co-workers do not like to associate with. If you whimper and whine and moan and groan all the time, not only do you make other people unhappy, they in turn will reinforce your not being happy. If you pretend to be happy, you might just get to the point of really being happy.

2. Be grateful. Do not look at things you do not have. look at things you have and be thankful. Be satisfied with what you have but never be satisfied with what you are and you are becoming which brings me to another point.

3, Grow and learn-Learn and grow. You need to work harder on yourself than you do on your job. Develop a positive attitude. Get out of your comfort zones. Read more books, listen to more tapes, attend more seminars and improve your skills. Accept more challenges and make yourself a lot more useful that you currently are today.

THE INTENSITY OF YOUR HAPPINESS, those moments when you are given a promotion, when somebody swept you off your feet, when you won the jackpot in a game show are nice but they are not important. Frequency is. What matters are those moments of quiet happiness that comes to you as being content in whatever situation you are in your life.

There is a Swedish proverb that says: "Those who wish to sing always find a song." Same thing : "Happiness comes to those who will to find it."

Death

2009-08-09T16:47:00.001+04:00

I never thought that dying can be as simple and as quick as switching a light on. Or as smooth as trying to swallow a big bite of banana. Or as horrific as anything you could see in a movie. But whichever way the end was met, all of them is true.

No one could really fathom the mystery behind death. It just feels a total loss and despair thinking that one's life can easily end in a second. Sometimes without a warning, sometimes a complete shock. And as the saying goes, death comes like a thief in the night. Accidents happen everywhere. Even in a sickbed, no matter how the family thinks they are prepared, it still comes as a terrible shock.

Even if you don't know the person so well, his or her death may strike you as a big blow. But some things are always true no matter how close you are to somebody who died. It is always sad. There is always pain. Grief may be unbearable. Denial may be inescapable. Life may be full of surprises. But death is the one who always surprises people.

Another End

2009-07-30T17:49:00.005+04:00

The days seem to move with surprising speed. But they have moved in a whirlwind of ominous monotony. I'm not sure if I should be happy or not. It seems that the days are not enough to do what needs to be done or simply to do what I wanted to do. But sometimes the days feel so long and dragging.

I feel so trapped in the routine of everyday living that I feel like cracking up a bit just to break the tedium. How I wish that I could just snuggle under my bed covers and wake up when I already feel up to it. How I wish that I could fly to a distant place where all I could hear is the cracking of the waves on the shore. How I wish that I could simply make an escape.

Sigh. But I can't. This is another end that looks forward to a new beginning of same old boring routine. And I have no idea when I could finally escape, when I could finally be set free.

The Joy of the Unexpected

2009-07-09T13:09:00.002+04:00

Amidst all the sad and unstoppable going ons here in the office because of the financial crisis, a truly unexpected thing happened yesterday. The knowledge that it is July, the month for bonuses, has been completely driven out of my mind. Who would have guessed that such thing still exists when just last week more than a dozen people got their notices that they will have to cease work after the end of the month? Then there is the abominable decrease in salary which took effect last month.

But it was a truly wonderful surprise to have received the white envelope. I received an email from a colleague that our boss was wandering and handing out envelopes. I didn't know why but I immediately thought that it was good news. I somehow wished I hadn't known beforehand though, then I will be truly surprised. Nevertheless, it was still quite a shock. I waited for my boss to hand me over the mysterious envelope. And when I finally got it, I can't help but put a big grin on my face.

My boss told me not to get overexcited because it was not that much. It was really not that much, not even half of what I previously received. But it's not the amount that has sent me over the moon. It was the fact that there is something, even so tiny, and it is definitely better than nothing.

Before all the euphoria has worn out, I got into a deep thought. Everybody seemed so happy about the little surprise though it was such a tiny thing when the previous year, I have heard a lot of rants as to why their bonuses were not enough though it was triple of the amount we just received. Then there's the realization that the fact that it was truly unexpected made the big difference. Everyone has expected nothing but when they got a tiny thing, they were overly grateful.

Perhaps people should always be like this. We should not expect for too much things because when we receive something less than what we expected, we will get a heavy disappointment. On the other hand, when we don't expect for anything and get small things unexpectedly, we will truly be grateful. Then this is the key to our happiness and contentment.

Living in a World of Men

2009-07-01T10:38:00.000+04:00

I sometimes caught myself thinking if I am in the right place. Sometimes I feel awkward finding myself in a group of men, the only female among them. I don't really find it disturbing, but I am just amazed to realize that I blend well with them.

Looking back, I thought growing up with men made me understand them more. As I am the eldest, I usually mingle with a lot of guy cousins while I was growing up. Though I started in an exclusive school for girls, I never had any aversions with dealing with the opposite sex. I have learned to adjust with them, frequently on the same page with them. One thing I have realized though, is that men and women are equal. I know this has been an ancient battle of the sexes but as we acknowledge that there are things men can do and women can't or men can't and women can, we may say that we are equal. No need to pride ourselves to pinpoint who's the superior one.

There are pros and cons, as there are always two sides of a coin. But I'd rather not dwell on the disadvantages. I find it amazing to be living in a world of men in the sense that I really belong there. Male dominates the workplace but I never find it hard dealing with them. I even smile when I read emails addressed as "Lady and Gents", making me feel distinct and special. I find them easier to persuade and eager to listen to whatever you say.

There are occupational hazards but as I said, it is simply amazing. As a realization though, there is no such thing as a world of men. We all belong in the same world.

Anticipation

2009-06-22T10:42:00.002+04:00

Another idea of Jojo's:

I can hear the roaring thunder. I can see the flash of lightning. As I stand still in the middle of the vast and empty meadow, my anticipation started growing. The sky is turning from blue to gray, making the meadow an immense shadow in the growing darkness. I close my eyes. I can hear the gentle rustling of the trees surrounding me. But there are no birds that can be heard. All the animals have long before scurried away to shelter. The wind is starting to blow harder and colder. I can feel its breeze already damp with coldness. It makes me feel like being pricked with a thousand tiny needles. Yet I remained still. Here I stand alone. I am not betrayed by fear. I close my eyes tighter and face the now dark sky. I stretch out my arms wide to welcome the coming downpour. I wait with baited breath as my anticipation reaches its peak. It is as if I can already feel its cold drops on my skin, taste its sweetness on my lips. This is my bittersweet moment, so sad and so beautiful at the same time. I know something will happen and some part of me wanted to prevent it but I don’t have any power to stop it from happening. And as the rain finally falls, I decide to accept that it is really happening. As the first drops hit my face, I felt my own drops of tears, and the rain and tears blended together. I drop onto my knees and gently and slowly open up my eyes. Though everything is a blur and darkness and coldness, I felt no fear. I suddenly feel the calm and peace the rain brings, knowing that after this rain, a beautiful sun will shine toward a new morning.

Harry & Charlie

2009-06-20T22:23:00.001+04:00

Got this very funny vid from youtube.

Warning: YM Hacker on the Loose!

2009-06-18T12:57:00.000+04:00

This is not a chain or spam email, just a warning to all Yahoo Messenger and Yahoo Mail users out there. As I am totally relying on my YM account as most of you also are, I feel it’s just right to give you this warning.

Just this morning, I received an instant message (YM) from one of my contacts, asking me for a favor. Since I know the person, I said yes and asked what favor. She said she wanted to show me pictures of a girl who she thinks I know and sent me a link. She asked me to click the link and sign in. It was this link - http://surney15.t35.com/image.html

When I clicked the link, it was a yahoo flickr site asking to sign in my email and password. As I don’t have any doubt that I am talking to someone I know, I was about to sign in when I received a text message on my phone coming from the same person. The message said her YM account had virus and if someone sends instant messages asking for favors, ignore it. I got confused and called her. I then understood that her YM account has been hacked. Somebody else was using it. She cannot login anymore but at that moment while I was talking to her, her YM account continuously sends me messages asking me to sign in. She said it all started when she clicked a link similar to this and signed in. She got disconnected immediately and wasn’t able to sign in anymore until this moment. I also found out that the person using her account sent the same message to one of our common friends who was also on her contact list asking for a SMARTLOAD! Our common friend can’t believe that she was asking for a prepaid load so she asked around until we came to this conclusion.

It’s obvious that another hacker is on the loose. Just be careful and send this warning to everyone you know.

The Saddest Birthday of My Life

2009-06-17T08:01:00.003+04:00

Oh, yes, it's my birthday. I'm 28. And I'm supposed to be happy, coz it's my special day. But I don't feel any happiness. I don't feel that today is something special. Worse is, I even cried early in the morning. I don't know why but I wasn't able to help it. I just feel a tad frustrated about everything that's happening around me. Everything feels so wrong, so tiring, so sad. Everything is the same, or getting worse. I just feel bad and nothing is worth celebrating. Maybe just the fact that I'm still alive, and healthy enough to have another birthday. Sigh. It really feels like the saddest birthday of my life.

A Poem for my Mother

2009-06-10T15:56:00.001+04:00

Through the years, I sit and look back,
A good mother, you really have a knack;
You have raised me strong and wise,
To live a life without rolling the dice.

At first it was just me you have to endure,
Two more siblings seem to be the cure;
To make our family happy and complete,
With daddy and us, no need to compete.

Our life may have been hard and tough,
Staying together, in hardships we laugh;
Now I am here to help with the struggle,
You are never alone, in this lifelong battle.

Fifty-four years have quickly passed by,
Priceless memories in your heart surely lie;
Even before until forever we are beside you,
Our dearest mother, we’re born to love you.

Happy Birthday, Mommy!

Bulilit!

2009-06-07T13:15:00.002+04:00

This is a very nice tv commercial from Camella Homes. It seems that the cute little girl has grown so popular in a very short period of time. Her name is Trisha Louise Canete, Chacha Canete for short. Watch the video and for sure you're gonna love her too!

Twilight Saga: New Moon

2009-06-07T07:42:00.000+04:00

See the official teaser trailer:

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON trailer in HD

Halo

2009-06-03T07:44:00.002+04:00

Remember those walls I built
Well, baby they're tumbling down
And they didn't even put up a fight
They didn't even make up a sound

I found a way to let you in
But I never really had a doubt
Standing in the light of your halo
I got my angel now

It's like I've been awakened
Every rule I had you breakin'
It's the risk that I'm takin'
I ain't never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace

You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo

Hit me like a ray of sun
Burning through my darkest night
You're the only one that I want
Think I'm addicted to your light

I swore I'd never fall again
But this don't even feel like falling
Gravity can't forget
To pull me back to the ground again

Feels like I've been awakened
Every rule I had you breakin'
The risk that I'm takin'
I'm never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace

You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
Halo, halo

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace

You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo

How to Have a Breakthrough in Your Life

2009-06-02T08:10:00.003+04:00

Have you ever been denied a visa?
If not, believe me, you don’t want to experience it.
I’ve been denied a visa. Twice. From the US Embassy no less.
Look into my heart and you’ll find two ugly scars.
I remember my first attempt.
I was still in my teens.

When I woke up, I was already wet with nervous sweat. It didn’t help that when I arrived in the US Embassy, I saw a humongous crowd of hopeful Pinoys outside the gates of American Heaven. They were standing in long lines, all of them begging for a visa. I felt their collective fear. It was nerve-wracking. Each step closer to the interviewer made my stomach churn. I could actually hear the loud beating of my chest and wondered if everyone else heard it. Dub-dub. Dub-dub. Dub-dub.

Finally, it was my turn.

I walked up to the glass window and said with a trembling voice, “Good morning…”

Am I Human?

The consul, a thirtyish guy with square spectacles, was all business. He looked at my passport. I bet he already made up his mind right there, but the interview had to go on. He asked, “So why do you want to go to the US?”
I said, “I’m a preacher and a Catholic convention is inviting me to give a talk.”
That was when I realized—My gosh, who in the world would believe me? A pimple-faced, scarecrow-looking teen-ager being invited to speak in a religious convention?
The man abruptly left his cubicle. I imagined he was laughing out loud and rolling on the floor. When he came back, he said matter-of-factly, “I’m sorry Mr. Sanchez, I can’t possibly give you a Visa.”
Again, I imagined him say instead, “I’m sorry Mr. Sanchez, you’re so totally unworthy of stepping on the beautiful shores of America because we only accept human beings.”

Another Rejection

The second time I applied, the interviewer was an American lady. She was very kind to me. Instead of saying, “I’m sorry, I can’t possibly give you a Visa,” she said, “I’m so very sorry, I can’t possibly give you a Visa.” But it still broke my heart. By the third time I applied, I thought I was already an expert in the body language of foreign diplomats. I got ready for another denial.

Here were the signs I was looking for:
If the consul has an emotionless zombie look on his face, I’d get denied.

If he shakes his head… Denied.
If he raises an eyebrow… Denied.
If he yawns… Denied.
If he looks at his watch… Denied.
If he inhales oxygen… Denied.
If he exists in front of me… Denied.

I’m A Human Being After All

So I was so shocked when he approved my visa. Just like that.
Without asking me a question, the guy said, “Have a nice trip.”
“Excuse me?” I asked.
He smiled and repeated himself, “Have a nice trip.”
“Where am I going?” I asked. But I finally got it. I almost ran out of the embassy jumping up and down. Hey, I’m a human being after all!

Life With A Visa

When I still didn’t have a visa, I remember visiting my neighbor who had a potted plant from the US. I put my foot in it and announced, “Hey guys, I’ve finally stepped on US soil!” When I didn’t have a visa, I couldn’t step on an inch of US territory. But because I got the visa, I’ve now preached in 34 cities in North America.

Friends, there’s something better than a US visa.
There’s a visa to the land of abundance and love and victory that God wants you to have.
I should know.
I’m experiencing it right now.
It’s Harvest Time For Me
People ask me, “Bo, how can you be so blessed?”
They point to my loving family.
They point to my fantastic job that blesses the world.
They point to my financial blessings from my small businesses.
They point to my incredible circle of friends.
They point to my irresistible good looks. (Note: “They” consist of my mother and my wife.)
Yes, I’m living a dream life.
Sometimes, I have to pinch myself. Is this really happening?
Let me tell you a curious thing that started happening when I hit 40.
In 2006, I was named Ten Outstanding Young Men, awarded by the President in Malacañang Palace no less.
In 2007, I was given the Serviam Award, the highest award of the Catholic Mass Media Awards by none other than Cardinal Rosales himself.
And just last week, another fantastic recognition: The Golden Gavel Award from Toastmasters International—the highest award given to non-Toastmasters for public speaking.
Do you know why I’m so blessed?
Here’s my theory:
There are two seasons in this universe:
• The Planting Season
• The Harvest Season

For 40 years, I was in the Planting Season. Today, I’m in the Harvest Season of my life.
It’s that simple. For years, I’ve planted and planted…and planted! Crossing the line between planting and harvesting was like receiving a visa to a land of abundance and ease. In other words, I’ve experienced a breakthrough. Let me describe these two seasons as simply as I can. I cannot think of a clearer explanation as this:
In the Planting Season, I chased after blessings. In the Harvest Season, blessings are chasing after me.

How to get to Harvest?
There really are only 2 Powerful Steps…

Step #1:

Even If You See No Results,
Keep Planting Many of you are getting tired of doing good, of doing the right thing.
Why? Because you don’t see the results. So you want to give up. Don’t! Or there will be no Harvest.
Perhaps you’ve been applying for a job, but the right job has not been coming. Never mind. Keep applying anyway.
Perhaps you’ve been reaching out to your son, but he’s still distant as ever. Never mind. Keep reaching out to your son anyway.
Perhaps you’ve been working on your finances, but you’re still buried in debt. Never mind. Keep working on your finances anyway.
Perhaps you’ve been working on your marriage but the relationship is still strained. Never mind. Keep working on your marriage anyway.
A wife said to her husband, “I’m so tired of our fighting. I can’t take it anymore. I’m leaving the house!” And the husband said, “Me too! I can’t take it anymore as well. I don’t want to stay in this house too! I’m coming with you.” That husband wasn’t about to give up! (Note: I’m not talking about abuse in marriage. These are the exceptions where it may be better for a husband and wife to live apart. In this article, I’m talking about the regular problems that slowly destroy marriages if we don’t work at our relationship.)
Some of us think if we plant, we’ll harvest. That’s not how this universe works.
You’ll need to plant and plant and plant…and then you’ll harvest. My friend, don’t give up. Believe that harvest is coming!

Keep Showing Up!

Friend, if you want to succeed in life, you need to show up. In the US embassy, I needed to show up for my interview. And when I got denied, I just applied again.
When life denies you of what you dream for, here’s the key: Show up again. What if I got so depressed and I never tried again? I would never have been able to preach in 34 cities in North America. Remember that in the Planting Season, not all your seeds will grow. Many of your seeds won’t reach the Harvest Season. Some of your seeds will die. I remember one area of my life where I had to plant again and again, almost giving up because it seemed as though nothing was happening…

Planting Seeds Of Love
In My Emotions
For almost 30 years, I was run by my fears.Each morning, I would wake up with a profound sense of sadness. For many years, I didn’t know why I felt so sickeningly sad. Many years later, I was able to define it: it was shame. I had a shame-based personality, rooted in my molestation as a child and teen years. (I talk about this painful part of my life in my 2 books, Your Past Does Not Define Your Future and 7 Secrets To Real Freedom.) I was totally ashamed for who I was. I was ashamed that I existed in the world.
For years, I tried to please everyone. Because if someone didn’t like me, I would panic. I would die within. I was desperate for people to love me.
But daily, I planted seeds of love in my heart.
I received God’s love. I loved myself aggressively. I allowed others to love me. There were days when I was okay. But there were more days when my old fears would grip me again.
There were days when I wanted to give up.
I felt it was all a waste—that I would never get healed.
And then one day—I just noticed it—my fears were lessening. Its intensity weakening. My shame reared its ugly head less frequently.
I knew a miracle was happening.
I knew love was conquering my soul, edging fear out of my life.
Today, as I write this piece, my life has totally changed.
Harvest has come!
I now profoundly love myself. I’m no longer ashamed of myself. I cannot begin to describe to you the change in my inner life. It’s like night changed to day—and I’m a brand new person inside.
But there’s a second step to Harvest Season…

Step #2:

Plant In The Right Environment

The Law of the Harvest says, what you plant, you harvest.
But hidden in this Law is the need to plant your seeds in the right environmental conditions: Good sunlight and abundant water.
If I plant the right seeds in the wrong environment, there’ll still be no harvest.
What is the right environment? Faith.

You need to plant your seeds with blessing mindset. Faith is the water and sunlight of your seeds.

What is a blessing mindset? That no matter what happens, you expect to be blessed. That you expect good things to happen to you.
I know people who work on their finances—but don’t expect to be truly rich.
I know people who work on their family relationships—but don’t expect that they’ll ever get better.
I know people who work on their health—but don’t expect healing.
If you want to be blessed you have to expect to be blessed.
You have to expect the harvest.
Let me give you an example…

Develop Your Wealth Mindset
In my last Blog, I said that if you want to harvest more money, you have to plant value. Why? Because money is simply a symbol of value.
But why was it that for the first 30 years of my life, I was poor, even when I was planting the right seeds?
When I started serving God at age 13, preaching almost daily and leading non-profit organizations, I was already planting value into my life and enormous value in others—by helping countless of people. I planted what I believe are the 3 seeds of wealth—character (integrity), competence (gifting), and connections (relationships).

So why no harvest?

I didn’t have the right blessing mindset to make the seeds grow. In this case, I lacked a wealth mindset to make the seeds of money grow.
In other words, I didn’t want to become rich. I didn’t expect to be blessed.
It took years to get rid of my scarcity mentality. It came from…

•Wrong beliefs about myself: I identified myself with poverty.
•Wrong beliefs about God: I thought He wanted me to be poor.
•Wrong beliefs about money: I believed it was the tool of the devil.
I remained poor because I didn’t want the harvest.

I was already giving so much value to people, all I had to do was ask and I’d get paid handsomely. But I didn’t want to be paid.
So I remained poor.
When I hit 30 years old, I began to open myself to harvest.
I began to grow a wealth mindset.
And I began to grow my wealth too.

I remember reading all the books I could get on money and searching for all the mentors I could find. Sometimes, it seemed like the more I knew, the more confused I became. But I didn’t stop. I kept learning. Until everything made sense.

I also got into 8 small businesses—and failed in every single one of them. I lost tons of money. (I didn’t have much money then, so “tons” is a relative term.) It was devastating. Depressing! But I never gave up.

And then breakthrough came.

Today, money flows to me like a river. (Compared to my multimillionaire mentors, my river is more like a trickle from a leaking faucet. But it sure looks good to me!) I don’t look for business opportunities; Business opportunities come to me. And the right people, the right resources, and the right wisdom just come to me.
Yes, harvest has come.
And greater harvests are coming because I keep planting.

Even At Harvest, Keep Planting
Some of you are enjoying your Harvest Season in various areas of your life.
Don’t stop planting.
Don’t forget to take some of the seeds that you harvest and plant them.
If you do this, greater Harvest Seasons will come.

May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez

Nuts - The Healthy Snack

2009-06-01T14:00:00.004+04:00

Since I am on a diet (again!), I have nuts for snacks. I dug out the information on nuts below which may help us to fully appreciate these healthy seeds.

Nuts are very likely nature's perfect, bite-sized, convenient, power snack. They have many unique and health benefits and taste o-so-good. High in protein, fiber, antioxidants and monosaturated fat (in case you haven't heard the good for you fat!) Monosaturated fats protect from chronic heart disease and help to keep your belly flat.

The protein in nuts helps you feel full longer which results in you eating less. Recent studies have shown that consuming one ounce of nuts daily reduce the risk of developing diabetes.

The FDA recommends a daily serving of one ounce of nuts (approximately two tablespoons). Let's take a look at a few of our favorite nuts and all the healthy benefits they have to offer.

ALMONDS: A one ounce serving is about 24 nuts with 6 g. protein, 160 calories, and 9 g. monosaturated fat. Almonds are loaded with Vitamin E (an antioxidant that helps prevent heart disease and cancer) and magnesium (strengthens bones).

BRAZIL NUTS: A one ounce serving is about 8 nuts with 4 g. protein, 190 calories and 7 g. monosaturated fat. Brazil nuts are packed with selenium (an antioxidant) and phosphorus (strengthens bones and teeth & assists with energy metabolism.

CASHEWS: A one ounce serving is about 18 nuts with 4 g. protein, 160 calories and 8 g. monosaturated fat. Cashews are rich in selenium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron.

HAZELNUTS: A one ounce serving is about 20 nuts with 4 g. protein, 180 calories and 3 g. monosaturated fat. Hazelnuts contain large amounts of
Vitamin E.

MACADAMIAS: A one ounce serving is about 12 nuts with 2 g. protein, 200 calories and 17 g. monosaturated fat. Macadamias have the highest level of unsaturated fat (cholesterol lowering).

PEANUTS: (not actually a nut, but a legume, though often thought of as a nut so here it is) A one ounce serving is about 28 nuts with 7 g. protein, 170 calories and 7 g. monosaturated fat. Peanuts are a good source of Vitamin B3 (promoting healthy skin), Vitamin E and zinc (renewing tissue), potassium (muscles) and Vitamin B6 (immunity).

PECANS: A one ounce serving is about 20 halves with 3 g. protein, 200 calories and 12 g. monosaturated fat. Pecans are packed with Vitamin B1 (thiamine energy) and zinc.

PISTACHIOS: A one ounce serving is about 45 nuts with 6 g. protein, 160 calories and 7 g. monosaturated fat. Pistachios are full of phosphorus.

WALNUTS: A one ounce serving is about 14 halves with 4 g. protein, 190 calories and 2.5 g. monosaturated fat. Walnuts are rich in Omega-3s (reducing fat and cholesterol).

Keep in mind that all these wonderful choices need to be consumed in moderation (1 ounce of your choice daily) and in the roasted or unsalted variety. Now you know how healthy nuts are so how can you get more in your diet besides just as a snack. Here are a few ideas. Nut butters make great spreads on crackers, bagels, pancakes and fruit. Chopped nuts make a great, crunchy topping for salads or in your morning cereal. Use nut butters in soups and sauces for a unique seasoning. You can coat fish or chicken with crushed nuts instead of breading for great added flavor. Get your heart-healthy serving of antioxidant packed nuts everyday nature's perfectly wonderful, bite-sized convenience food.

Source: http://www.helium.com/items/824263-the-different-kinds-of-nuts-and-their-nutritional-value

Halfway Through the Tough Year

2009-06-01T08:20:00.002+04:00

It's the 1st of June. We're already halfway through the tough year 2009. The year started of with a big bang- the global economic crisis that has gripped every nation and every individual. It felt like a sudden downhill crash and now that we're on the bottom, we still continue to go down.

It is really tough but all we can do is endure all the hardships because there is really nothing we can do about it. Innumerable people lost jobs, plunged down in the sea of debts, sunk into deeper poverty.

Despite all these hardships we are experiencing, we are all looking forward to rise up again. Some may have lost hope, but there are more who are wishing, praying and hoping to have better life in the near future. And this includes me.

Turning Three

2009-05-26T09:55:00.002+04:00

It's the 26th of May. I couldn't bring myself to think that I have turned on my third year of staying away from home, here on this foreign land. These three years seemed long and short at the same time. Too long were the times I missed my family, my country, my home. Too short were the times I had yet to stay here to become who I want to be. There had been ups and downs and many more to look forward to, yet I have to live through it all. The good times and the bad times, all part of life I cannot avoid.
As I turn three, I sit back and think of where I had begun. But most important of all, I focus on what lays ahead for me. I believe that life is a matter of choice and you end up where you are because of your decisions and so I always decide to plan ahead. There are a lot of things I want to achieve at once and I have to remind myself that everything will not always happen the way I wanted it too.
There is still too much to gain, too much to achieve, too many to learn. And now as I turn three, I am looking forward to turning four.

Feelings

2009-05-17T07:59:00.000+04:00

Have you ever felt like giving up but know you can't? Have you ever felt so numb that you are able to drive your car at 80mph yet didn't feel a thing? Have you ever felt so envious to others who don't have to think about life because they can live the most of their lives? Have you ever felt so tired that you just want to lay still for hours or days or weeks? Have you ever felt so helpless that all you can do sit down and cry? Have you ever felt sleepless for days that when you are truly awake you think you are just dreaming? Have you ever felt angry knowing that you have no one to blame for everything that is happening all around you? Have you ever felt so empty that you just stare into nothingness for what seems like infinity? Have you ever felt like doing nothing at all but you know you can't so you do everything like a robot? Have you ever asked why all these are happening to you knowing that you are a good person and have done nothing bad to deserve this? Have you ever asked why do you have to suffer when others don't have to? Have you ever had thousands of questions in your head but not even one gets answered?

I do...

Rockstar

2009-05-17T07:52:00.000+04:00

"Rockstar"

I'm through with standing in line
To clubs we'll never get in
It's like the bottom of the ninth
And I'm never gonna win
This life hasn't turned out
Quite the way I want it to be

(Tell me what you want)

I want a brand new house
On an episode of Cribs
And a bathroom I can play baseball in
And a king size tub big enough
For ten plus me

(So what you need?)

I'll need a credit card that's got no limit
And a big black jet with a bedroom in it
Gonna join the mile high club
At thirty-seven thousand feet

(Been there, done that)

I want a new tour bus full of old guitars
My own star on Hollywood Boulevard
Somewhere between Cher and
James Dean is fine for me

(So how you gonna do it?)

I'm gonna trade this life for fortune and fame
I'd even cut my hair and change my name

[Chorus:]
'Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars
And live in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars
The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap
We'll all stay skinny 'cause we just won't eat
And we'll hang out in the coolest bars
In the VIP with the movie stars
Every good gold digger's
Gonna wind up there
Every Playboy bunny
With her bleach blond hair

Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar

I wanna be great like Elvis without the tassels
Hire eight body guards that love to beat up assholes
Sign a couple autographs
So I can eat my meals for free
(I'll have the quesadilla on the house)
I'm gonna dress my ass
With the latest fashion
Get a front door key to the Playboy mansion
Gonna date a centerfold that loves to
Blow my money for me
(So how you gonna do it?)
I'm gonna trade this life for fortune and fame
I'd even cut my hair and change my name

[Chorus]

And we'll hide out in the private rooms
With the latest dictionary and today's who's who
They'll get you anything with that evil smile
Everybody's got a drug dealer on speed dial, well

Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar

I'm gonna sing those songs
That offend the censors
Gonna pop my pills from a pez dispenser

I'll get washed-up singers writing all my songs
lip sync 'em every night so I don't get 'em wrong

[Chorus]

And we'll hide out in the private rooms
With the latest dictionary and today's who's who
They'll get you anything with that evil smile
Everybody's got a drug dealer on speed dial

Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar

Manny Pacquiao vs Ricky Hatton

2009-05-03T13:05:00.003+04:00

Source: http://pacquiaovshattonfight.blogspot.com/2009/05/pacquiao-hatton-fight-replay-video.html

Someday

2009-04-21T10:22:00.001+04:00

Lyrics of Someday by Nickelback...

How the hell did we wind up like this?
Why weren't we able, to see the signs that we missed
And try turn the tables

I wish you'd unclench your fists, and unpack your suitcase
Lately there's been too much of this
But don't think it's too late

Nothing's wrong, just as long as
You know that someday I will

Someday, somehow
I'm gonna make it all right but not right now
I know you're wondering when
(You're the only one who knows that)
Someday, somehow
I'm gonna make it all right but not right now
I know you're wondering when

Well I'd hope that since we're here anyway
That we could end up saying
Things we've always needed to say
So we could end up staying
Now the story's played out like this
Just like a paperback novel
Let's rewrite an ending that fits
Instead of a Hollywood horror

Nothing's wrong, just as long as
You know that someday I will

Someday, somehow
I'm gonna make it all right but not right now
I know you're wondering when
(You're the only one who knows that)
Someday, somehow
I'm gonna make it all right but not right now
I know you're wondering when
(You're the only one who knows that)

[Solo]

How the hell did we wind up like this?
Why weren't we able, to see the signs that we missed
And try to turn the tables
Now the story's played out like this
Just like a paperback novel
Let's rewrite an ending that fits
Instead of a Hollywood horror

Nothing's wrong, just as long as
You know that someday I will

Someday, somehow
I'm gonna make it all right but not right now
I know you're wondering when
(You're the only one who knows that)
Someday, somehow
I'm gonna make it all right but not right now
I know you're wondering when
(You're the only one who knows that)
I know you're wondering when
(You're the only one who knows that)
I know you're wondering when

I've Learned That...

2009-04-20T20:20:00.003+04:00

This is one of those old words of wisdom. But I remember some of the parts well from my high school years.

I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved. The rest is up to them.

I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people just don't care back

I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.

I've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts.

I've learned that you can get by on charm for about 15 minutes. After that, you'd better know something.

I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best others can do, but to the best you can do.

I've learned that it's not what happens to people that's important. It's what they do about it.

I've learned that no matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides.

I've learned that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I've learned that it's a lot easier to react than it is to think.

I've learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I've learned that you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I've learned that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I've learned that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place. (Amen to that!)

I've learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I've learned that learning to forgive takes practice.

I've learned that there are people who love you dearly, but just don't know how to show it.

I've learned that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I've learned that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I've learned that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I've learned that I'm getting more and more like my grandma, and I'm kinda happy about it.

I've learned that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I've learned that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I've learned that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I've learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I've learned that you should never tell a child her dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if she believed it

I've learned that your family won't always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren't related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren't biological.

I've learned that no matter how good a friend someone is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I've learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I've learned that sometimes when my friends fight, I'm forced to choose sides even when I don't want to.

I've learned that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I've learned that sometimes you have to put the individual ahead of their actions.

I've learned that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I've learned that if you don't want to forget something, stick it in your underwear drawer.

I've learned that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I've learned that the clothes I like best are the ones with the most holes in them.

I've learned that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I've learned that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.

I've learned that there are many ways of falling and staying in love.

I've learned that no matter the consequences, those who are honest with themselves, get farther in life.

I've learned that many things can be powered by the mind, the trick is self-control.

I've learned that no matter how many friends you have, if you are their pillar, you will feel lonely and lost at the times you need them most.

I've learned that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I've learned that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I've learned that writing, as well as talking, can ease emotional pains.

I've learned that the paradigm we live in is not all that is offered to us.

I've learned that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I've learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon.

I've learned that although the word "love" can have many different meaning, it loses value when overly used.

I've learned that it's hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people's feelings and standing up for what you believe.

Love Letter to a Mother

2009-04-15T12:11:00.000+04:00

She jumped up as soon as she saw the surgeon come out of the operating room. She said: 'How is my little boy? Is he going to be all right? When can I see him?'

The surgeon said, 'I'm sorry. We did all we could, but your boy didn't make it.'

Sally said, 'Why do little children get cancer? Doesn't God care any more? Where were you, God, when my son needed you?'

The surgeon asked, 'Would you like some time alone with your son? One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes, before he's transported to the university.'

Sally asked the nurse to stay with her while she said good bye to son. She ran her fingers lovingly through his thick red curly hair. 'Would you like a lock of his hair?' the nurse asked. Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of the boy's hair, put it in a plastic bag and handed it to Sally.

The mother said, 'It was Jimmy's idea to donate his body to the University for Study.. He said it might help somebody else. 'I said no at first, but Jimmy said, ' Mom , I won't be using it after I die. Maybe it will help some other little boy spend one more day with his Mom .' She went on, 'My Jimmy had a heart of gold. Always thinking of someone else. Always wanting to help others if he could.'

Sally walked out of Children's Mercy Hospital for the last time, after spending most of the last six months there. She put the bag with Jimmy's belongings on the seat beside her in the car.

The drive home was difficult. It was even harder to enter the empty house. She carried Jimmy's belongings, and the plastic bag with the lock of his hair to her son's room.

She started placing the model cars and other personal things back in his room exactly where he had always kept them. She lay down across his bed and, hugging his pillow, cried herself to sleep.

It was around midnight when Sally awoke. Lying beside her on the bed was a folded letter. The letter said:

'Dear Mom ,

I know you're going to miss me; but don't think that I will ever forget you, or stop loving you, just 'cause I'm not around to say 'I Love You'. I will always love you, Mom , even more with each day. Someday we will see each other again. Until then, if you want to adopt a little boy so you won't be so lonely, that's okay with me. He can have my room and old stuff to play with. But, if you decide to get a girl instead, she probably wouldn't like the same things us boys do. You'll have to buy her dolls and stuff girls like, you know.

Don't be sad thinking about me. This really is a neat place. Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I got here and showed me around some, but it will take a long time to see everything. The angels are so cool. I love to watch them fly. And, you know what? Jesus doesn't look like any of his pictures. Yet, when I saw Him, I knew it was Him. Jesus himself took me to see GOD! And guess what, Mom ? I got to sit on God's knee and talk to Him, like I was somebody important. That's when I told Him that I wanted to write you a letter, to tell you good bye and everything. But I already knew that wasn't allowed. Well, you know what Mom ? God handed me some paper and His own personal pen to write you this letter I think Gabriel is the name of the angel who is going to drop this letter off to you. God said for me to give you the answer to one of the questions you asked Him 'where was He when I needed him?' 'God said He was in the same place with me, as when His son Jesus was on the cross. He was right there, as He always is with all His children.

Oh, by the way, Mom , no one else can see what I've written except you. To everyone else this is just a blank piece of paper. Isn't that cool? I have to give God His pen back now He needs it to write some more names in the Book of Life. Tonight I get to sit at the table with Jesus for supper. I'm sure the food will be great..

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I don't hurt anymore the cancer is all gone.. I'm glad because I couldn't stand that pain anymore and God couldn't stand to see me hurt so much, either.. That's when He sent The Angel of Mercy to come get me. The Angel said I was a Special Delivery! How about that?

Signed with Love from God, Jesus & Me.

Immer Wieder

2009-04-12T13:27:00.003+04:00

It is one of these times again, these moments, when I feel depressed, anxious, and self-pitying. Maybe it's just normal to feel so inadequate and I really can't help it. I feel envious when I see what others have, what others can do. And I don't have it, I can't. I can't help but ask, are they really more blessed than me? I simply stare and question, why do I have nothing?

But then again, I just have to open my eyes wider to see clearly. There are those people with terminal illnesses. Some can't even eat. Some don't go to school. There are still those caught in the middle of wars, who have lost their loved ones. And there are those who are torn apart.

Then I would understand that I am still blessed. I am healthy. I have food on my plate. I have a job. I have a family. And thinking of all of these, I should smile and be thankful because I have more than enough. But I can't help but feel sad. It's just one of those times again. Immer wieder.

The Time Traveler's Wife

2009-04-12T07:46:00.003+04:00

The novel tells the story of Henry DeTamble (born 1963), a librarian at the Newberry Library in Chicago, and his wife, Clare Abshire (born 1971), an artist from a wealthy family who makes paper sculptures. Henry has a rare genetic disorder, which comes to be known as Chrono-Displacement during his lifetime, that causes him to involuntarily travel through time. When 20-year-old Clare meets 28-year-old Henry at the Newberry Library in 1991, he has never seen her before, although she has known him most of her life. Clare's past is still in Henry's future. Henry begins to experience the events in Clare's childhood at the same time that he experiences life with the adult Clare in the present. In the novel, the future cannot be changed, and many tragic events are foreshadowed in the past.

Henry is unable to control his time traveling: when he leaves, where he goes, or how long his trip will last. His destinations are tied to his subconscious, as Henry most often travels to places he has visited or will eventually visit. Very often, Henry is taken back to the moment his mother died in a car accident that he survived, and is forced to observe the car crash again and again. Certain things like stress or flickering images (like those of television) can trigger time travel for Henry. It is described as being similar to epilepsy or a panic attack, though on brain imagery, his brain shows patterns similar to those who are schizophrenic. He uses running as a way of keeping calm and remaining in the present. But more importantly, he needs to be able to run fast to escape any unknown situations he could travel back (or forward) to at any given time.

Henry cannot take anything with him into the future or the past. Even fillings in his teeth are left behind. He always "arrives" naked and must work hard while "away" to find clothing, shelter, and food without getting beaten up or arrested. He amasses a number of survival skills including pickpocketing, lock-picking, and expert fighting skills. He learns many of these skills from older versions of himself, either when the older self is time-traveling into his own past, or when his older and younger selves' time-traveling coincides.

Henry frequently time travels into Clare's childhood and adolescence in South Haven, Michigan, starting in 1977 when she is six years old. On one of his early visits, Henry dictates to her a list of the visits he will make to her; she writes these dates into a diary so she can expect his visits. As an adult, when all of the visits are through, she gives the list to him to memorize so that he will know them when he returns to her in her past. This is an example of a predestination paradox, since the knowledge of the dates forms a causal loop, with Henry having got the list of dates from Clare when she was an adult, and Henry having memorized the list and dictated it to Clare on one of his first visits in 1977. During one of Henry's visits, he inadvertently reveals that he and Clare will be married in the future, confirming what a Ouija board spelled out to Clare and her friends at a sleepover. His last visit takes place on her eighteenth birthday in 1989 where he and Clare make love for the first time, and then they are separated for two years until they finally meet in real time for both of them.

Clare and Henry get married but have trouble bringing a pregnancy to term because of his genetic disorder. After six miscarriages, Henry wishes to save Clare further pain and has a vasectomy. However, a past version of Henry, pre-vasectomy, travels to the future and makes love to Clare. She becomes pregnant and carries the child to term. They have a daughter named Alba who is also diagnosed with the same disorder. Unlike Henry however, Alba has more control over her destination when she time travels. Before she is born, Henry travels to the future and meets Alba, who is ten years old and on a school field trip. During this visit, Henry is confronted by Alba's teacher, who is suspicious of his identity; Henry then learns that he has already died in real-time by the time Alba has turned ten. Alone with her dad, ten-year-old Alba confirms that he died when she was five years old.

During what is to be his last year of life, Henry time-travels to a Chicago parking garage on a frigid winter night where he is unable to find shelter. He experiences hypothermia and develops frostbite. When Henry returns to his 'present', his feet must be amputated. Henry and Clare both know that without the ability to escape by running, Henry will certainly die within the next few jumps back in time. On New Year's Eve, the DeTambles throw a party, ostensibly to celebrate the new year, but the real reason is known only to Henry: he knows that the journey that will take his life will happen that night, and he doesn't want Clare to be alone when that happens. Just before midnight, Henry time-travels into the middle of the Michigan woods during deer season and is fatally shot by Clare's brother. This scene is foreshadowed earlier in the novel. Henry returns to the present and dies in Clare’s arms.

Clare is devastated by Henry's passing, and feels unable to live her life without him. She finds a letter from Henry describing an experience he had with her in her future when she is an old woman, though he refuses to tell her what occurs. The last thing we see is Claire as an old woman, still waiting to see Henry for the last time.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Time_Traveler%27s_Wife#Plot

Nothing

2009-04-06T18:38:00.003+04:00

I haven't been able to write anything these past few days because I've been too busy at work, too tired when I get home, and I can't think of anything to write about because I'm busy reading another book. But somehow, I find myself opening my private blog again just to let out some pent up emotions. It feels good to know that I have this outlet whenever I need some breathing room. I have just written what I'm feeling right now that I can't think of anything else to write. I'm just empty at the moment. There is only nothing.

Praying for Patience

2009-03-31T13:37:00.004+04:00

I can't remember when was the last time I had a bad day but I'm certainly having one today. I reached my peak this afternoon with this stupid Indian guy. And as usual, I lost the very little patience I have in my soul. After a lot of deep breaths my anger had somehow abated and I asked myself the same questions. Is it really just that I wasn't gifted with a very long patience? Or are there just a lot of stupid people out there? Or do I just have too much expectations that I am easily angered when things are not done my way? These questions keep popping in my head when I self-reflect after losing my patience over and over again. And I never had resolute answers. Somehow, I just always end up praying for a little more patience.

The Singapore Galore!

2009-03-23T19:56:00.017+04:00

Everything was planned months ago and the moment I was waiting for so long finally came. Aboard the plane, I felt so excited as to what awaits us there- meeting the family we haven't seen for almost a year, visiting places I haven't been to, and simply escaping the tedious routine of everyday expat life.
We were quite anxious if we are going to see our family there already waiting for us, as planned because some things might have gone wrong while we were already traveling and there was no way they could contact us. But thankfully, at around 11am, we met our family in the airport.
It was nice seeing Mommy and Daddy, my sister Jho and Karl's mom, Mama Sarah. It has been a long while since we've last seen one another and this is a great opportunity to get together and enjoy a vacation altogether.
We hailed a large taxi that carried us to our hotel which was not really that good to be honest. The rooms were too small considering it was already a family room. But anyway, it was just nice to have a place to stay. The first thing we did was unpack and gave the "pasalubong" to everyone. We then went out to have lunch and we ate in a small eatery near the hotel, each meal costing only 3sgd apiece.
We searched the nearest train station and was surprised to know that it was quite a good few minutes' walk from the hotel. We bought tickets and went aboard, planning to go to the city to have a city tour. We reached Suntec City Mall and were not able to find the supposed city tour and just went to the Esplanade instead. We took pictures at the amazing durian-shaped theater. But we were all so exhausted from the plane travel that we just went back to the hotel shortly and took a nap.
Jojo arrived at the hotel early in the evening and we all head out to dinner. Our parents head back to the hotel after dinner while Karl, Jho and I went with Jojo to Clarke Quay.
It was a very nice night clubbing area, everywhere was full of party crowds. Clubs were lined on both banks of the water and people were strewn everywhere. We roamed the place, took pictures and caught a bus back to the hotel.
We woke up late in the morning, get dressed and head out again. We had lunch at Suntec City and stayed there while waiting for our time in the Duck Tours. At 4pm, we went aboard the amphibian-style vehicle and toured a portion of the city and went into the Singapore reservoir. While on the water, we managed to get a good view on Singapore's significant landmarks such as The Singapore Flyer, The Esplanade, The Floating Stadium, the ongoing construction of the very first casino in Singapore and the Merlion which was unfortunately under construction at the time because it was struck by lightning a couple of weeks back.
After the tour, we went on foot through the city and reached the Fountain of Wealth. It is believed that if you walk around the fountain three times clockwise while touching the water, good fortune will await you. And so we tried.
We reached Makansutra, a place that offers different Asian cuisines. Though we were not that hungry yet, there were no leftovers from our hearty meal which consisted of Singapore's stir-fried noodles, grilled prawns and crabs, squid and stingray, chicken barbeque and a whole lot of other delicious stuff.
Again, our parents went back to the hotel while we went at Jojo's place, awaiting the time to pick up Ron from the airport. At 11pm, we went to the airport to pick Ron up. It was nice to see my youngest brother who was now obviously taller than me. We had a few snacks at the airport and went back to the hotel.
On our third day, we prepared for our Sentosa trip early in the morning. We took a couple of MRT rides until we reached Vivo City, where we had various transportation options to get to Sentosa. There was the bus, the monorail or the cable car. We opted for the cable car which was $14 each, a round-trip ride from Vivo City going around Mount Faber and The Jewel Box then heading to Sentosa.
The cable car ride was definitely an exhilarating experience. It was dubbed as the longest cable car in the world and its height was definitely out of the ordinary. I had height fright at first but it became very exciting.
We reached the Imbiah Lookout, an area in Sentosa where Tiger Sky Tower, Images of Singapore, Luge & Skyride, and a whole lot of other attractions can be found. It is also where the famous Daddy Merlion, the biggest of the Merlions is situated.
We had our lunch first at The Arches restaurant in Imbiah where we met Marx with his girlfriend Leah, Karl's childhood friend. After lunch, we took a lot of pictures in the entire area, with its breathtaking views and landscapes.
We rode a bus going to the Underwater World, the oceanarium holding exotic sea creatures. After exploring the deep seas, we headed to the dolphin lagoon, where pink dolphin shows are being held. The pink dolphins displayed their amazing talents in playing balls, waving their flippers and jumping high into the air.
Sentosa was really a good place but unfortunately, the weather did not permit us to explore the whole of Sentosa and because our flights were during that evening, we headed back to the hotel to pick up our luggage and went straight to the airport.
We went first to Terminal 2 where our flight to Dubai should be but when we were about to check in, we were surprised to know that our flight was scheduled at 1240pm the following day, and not 1240am. And so we went to the Budget terminal where our family's flight will be leaving. We stayed there while waiting for their boarding time and when their time to depart finally arrived, it was another sad goodbye. I knew that we won't be seeing each other again soon but our last three days together were good enough to cherish during the next months apart.

The Girl on TV

2009-03-09T13:35:00.002+04:00

Another idea of Jojo's...

I sat on the couch eagerly, a bowl of popcorn in my hands. I turned the switch on and the TV whirred to life. There she was, the girl I was so anxious to see. I may have seen the film playing a dozen times but it was worth repeating over and over again.

The little girl was playing her part well. She was so pretty and nice and she meant the world to her parents. She had everything she wanted. But the part came were she was no longer the only child. Her parents' attention averted from her. She was no longer pretty. It was the new baby who was so cute and cuddly. And she felt sad and alone. Fast forward.

As she grew up, she started to understand things. She learned to love her baby brother and understood her parents. She did well in school and everybody noticed her. She had friends. She was adored by guys her age. She was happy again. Repeat that scene three times.

She started working in a big organization. She held a nice position and earn more than enough for herself. But everyone was jealous of her. They framed her up for a big mistake she was blamed for. She lost her job. And she felt betrayed. Fast forward.

It was her wedding day. She was so beautiful in her long white gown. She was going to marry the ma of her dreams. Everyone wished her well. She was so happy and contented. Repeat the scene five times.

A bouncing baby boy. It was the fullest moment of her life. She felt so lively. She felt so complete. Repeat the scene three times.

She stayed at home to take care of her child. Her husband started drinking. She started to lay hands on her. She was often beaten by her husband. She became unhappy again. Fast forward. Let's pause for a break.

She has found a new love of her life. He took care of her.He loved her baby like his own son. She had another baby. They were so happy. Repeat, repeat, repeat...

I hope life is a recorded TV show where you can skip the part that is excruciating, awkward or painful. Where you can have a break during its commercials, and repeat the scene where you find contentment, pleasure and happiness & you can pause the scene to stop it coming to an end. But in real life you have to experience pain & sadness, you cannot have a break in life. You cannot repeat the joyful moments you had. And life always comes to an end and you just got to accept it.

Your Officemates

2009-03-09T07:25:00.006+04:00

Some things are really unavoidable in all companies, big and small. At first, everything is okay. Your workmates are fine,your boss is nice, everyone plays fair. Then suddenly the antagonists enter the scene and you are left on your own. Either these are your old workmates who show their true colors or are some new people arriving to wreck your peaceful office life. I've been in several organizations and this is quite noticeable. There are people of all these kinds you will find in every workplace.

1. The Gossip. Every workplace comes with this person. She befriends you. You confide in her. You tell her office secrets you know. You tell her how you feel about your stupid boss. She eagerly listens. She gives you advice. The next thing you know, she's spilling the beans on everyone and you are left feeling betrayed. And you can't do anything about it because you trusted the wrong person.

2. The Geek. She is often on her own. She works hard and initiates to do work not even her own. She is often noticed to propose great ideas which usually are rejected because they're too complicated or just simply weird. You find yourself at times enduring what she has to say although the only thing you would really want to do is for her to shut up.

3. The Whiner. She has found every single thing thing she sees worth complaining. She complains about the working hours. She complains about the work load. She complains about the salary. She complains about the boss. She complains about everything but never has had the guts to submit a resignation paper to simply end her unendurable complaining.

4. The Fake Authority. She simply exudes power. She is not your boss but she feels she is. She dictates what you should do. She orders you to follow her. She feels she has the proper authority to tell off people. She is worse than the real boss.

5. The Pretender. She knows timing. She is seen to be very busy when the boss is around. When she feels no one can see her, she talks on the phone for hours. She surfs the internet and chats. But when the boss is around she immediately transforms into a model employee.

6. The Sucker. She tails the boss frequently. She follows only the boss's orders. She listens to every single thing the boss says and heeds whatever she is told. She is the boss's extended eyes and ears. She tells the boss what she feels will make her remain in the boss's good books.

7. The No-Care-At-All. She does not mind every single thing happening all around her. She does not care what others say about her. She does not care about rules and news and gossips. She doesn't care about anything at all. She arrives in the morning and does her own thing, the whole day sitting alone not minding her surroundings, leaves the office in the afternoon and repeats the same routine everyday.

These are kinds of people you will find in every work place. We may even relate to some of them but some are the persons you actually see in the office everyday. They are the people that makes up the thriving working community we live in everyday.

Marley & Me

2009-03-03T07:33:00.002+04:00

Marley & Me - Trailer

Marley & Me is a wonderful story about how the worst dog in the world changed the lives of the Grogan family. John and Jenny Grogan are newly weds from Southern Michigan but as Jenny plans their new life, it included transferring to a warmer city, finding a job and a house and starting their new family. Everything seemed to fall into place except that John was not ready to have kids yet. And so following his bestfriend Sebastian's suggestion, he got a dog, a labrador they named Marley.

Jenny and John dubbed Marley as the world's worst dog, chewing on anything he sees, jumping hard on anyone, kicked right out from obedience school, pooping anywhere he likes, drinking from the toilet bowl and howling mad during thunderstorms.

But after sometime, the couple were ready to take everything into another step, including having a baby. Jenny was disappointed at first but they finally had little Patrick. They were having a lovely family time together until Jenny announces she was pregnant again. When little Conner was born, Jenny left her job to be a fulltime housewife to take care of the kids as they left for a safer neighborhood. But as time goes by, Jenny becomes frustrated with having to stay home alone with the children and battle with Marley's everyday mess. She got to the point of wanting to send Marley out and so John brought Marley to Sebastian to stay for a couple of days. John found out that Sebastian was moving to New York to take on a new job and he somehow wished he would make a career move too. But Jenny apologized later, telling John she was just overwhelmed with everything and having to give up her career. They made up and Marley comes back to them.

Another baby was born in the Grogan family, a little baby girl named Colleen. And as the family becomes bigger, Marley stays with them until the time they moved to Philadelphia into a new countryside home with big lawns and with snow that all of them enjoyed including Marley.

Everything was going fine until Marley got sick and there was no way he could be healed and it seemed that he was just biding his time. When Marley finally died, the entire Grogan family mourned deeply, the kids writing him letters and Jenny giving him the necklace he once swallowed. He died and was buried outside their house but his memories lived with the Grogans forever.

Marley & Me is a very moving story of family, relationships and love. Eventhough Marley did not seem to be a model and adorable pet everyone loves, Marley is one of the best things that happen to the Grogans.

Graduation

2009-03-01T07:38:00.002+04:00

grad⋅u⋅a⋅tion [graj-oo-ey-shuhn] - n. Conferral or receipt of an academic degree or diploma marking completion of studies; the successful completion of a program of study; commencement

I always thought graduation to be a very happy day. Afterall, all the hard work of studying comes to an end. But this time, I think I am dreading the coming graduation. This is mainly because graduation this time does not mean the commencement of a completed studies but the end of my work. The global financial crisis had hit the company so hard that almost all the projects stopped and mass layoffs are going on all around. Last month, 200 employees of the company from different offices were laid off and several offices have closed. Just last week, 100 more employees from the Abu Dhabi office alone were made redundant. And now, rumors are too blatant to the ears that redundancies will happen today in our own office.

Sigh! When will this end? Nobody really knows, but I just hope it will really end, soon.

Disppointed

2009-02-24T12:20:00.002+04:00

I tried to look for some freelance writing jobs on the internet yesterday. I figured I could do some use with my writing skills, writing and earning at the same time. I registered in a website which I found so interesting. An email was sent to me for verification and I was led to a test.

Taking the test was quite fun. I remembered my high school English tests. The first part was grammar which was kinda elementary and the second part was essay. I was tasked to write a movie review of 100-150 words with the specified format and given keywords, all under a 15-minute time pressure.

But I was able to accomplish the test and waited in great anticipation for the results. I then received an email that I should expect the results, either accepted or not, within two weeks. I felt quite positive and to my surprise, just this morning, I received my acceptance letter.

I started reading about their system, writing guides and principles, requirements, etc. I felt I was quite ready to take on my first order. And so when I checked on the available orders, I found myself heavily disappointed that not even a single order out of more than 150 orders caught my interest.

The job orders were to write research papers, term papers, course outlines, modules, etc. based on the topics the clients provided. OMG! They are assignments! I can't quite get a grip on the fact that these clients are students from all over the world, looking for writers to do their assignments for them!

Believing for a Supernatural Year

2009-02-23T07:39:00.000+04:00

You might have planned on having an average year but God has already lined up an extraordinary year. You might have planned on just getting by but God is planning on abundance. He's planning on overflow.

Often times we look at situations that are happening in the natural. We might look at the economy, or our pocket book and are tempted to look at this year with a limited perspective, not really expecting much. But we have to realize God is a supernatural God. Just because we don't see a way doesn't mean God doesn't have a way. You may not see how things will work out, but all you need to respond with is, "Lord, I believe." God is directing your steps and will put the right people in your path and put you at the right place at the right time.

You may be in debt, but God says, "You're coming out. You're coming into overflow." The economy may be down but God says, "You're going to see supernatural increase, supernatural promotion" Get it in your spirit that it's going to be a supernatural year.

Decide to increase your expectancy and get into agreement with God. You're going to have some, "Who would have ever thought this could happen to me" blessings, explosive blessings that you will blast you into a whole new level. It's going to be a year where you see dreams come to pass, a year where you get stronger and healthier. It's going to be a year where you look back and say, "Wow! God outdid Himself this year!"

Source: http://www.joelosteen.com/_layouts/Champion.aspx?date=2009-2-19

Email Nonsense Part II

2009-02-22T14:57:00.003+04:00

As I have posted in my previous blog entry, forwarded emails flood our mailboxes everyday. However, we must learn to distinguish which are good ones and which speak of the truth, and therefore good and helpful to pass on. I opted to itemize here the truths in each forwarded mails I receive and I will be continuing to update this list regularly.

1. Red Bull Can Increase Heart Attacks or Strokes - FICTION
2. Hair Bands From China Made From Recycled Condoms - TRUTH
3. Popping Popcorn With Cell Phones - FICTION
4. Safety Tips For Women Regarding Abduction - FICTION
5. Help Find Ashley Flores - FICTION
6. Ericsson is Giving Away Free Laptops - FICTION
7. Pictures From Raid of Drug Dealer's House in Mexico - TRUTH
8. Storm Pictures of Hurricane Katrina - FICTION
9. A Whale of a Killing in Denmark - TRUTH & FICTION
10. Man Who Befriended a Great White Shark - FICTION
11. Giant 22-lb Rabbit - TRUTH
12. Chimpanzee Takes Over Mothering Duties for Two Tiger Cubs - TRUTH
13. Ligers, a Cross Between a Lion and a Tiger - TRUTH
14. Deaths From Soda Cans Contaminated With Rat Urine - FICTION
15. KFC Using Genetically Engineered Chickens With No Feathers or Beaks - FICTION

Whenever I receive forwarded emails of this sort these days, I can't help but roll my eyes and tell myself, really now?! Most of these emails were really impossible and yet, people keep on forwarding them, most probably believing them and not even thinking if it is true or not. However, some of these emails may seem unbelievable but they convey the truth!

Source: http://www.truthorfiction.com

Confessions of a Shopaholic The Movie

2009-02-22T14:11:00.002+04:00

I have actually waited for Shopaholic The Movie for a few months already. The showing was delayed by a couple of months. Though I waited for it, I didn't quite expect to like it that much because of the press releases I read about the film. And personally, the pictures I've seen weren't what I was expecting of Becky Bloomwood, not because of Isla Fisher, but because of what she looked like.

Watching the movie however, I've thought of some points that made me like the movie despite all the qualms I had. The movie was very unlike the story in the books but they did get the gist. The movie was a mixture of three Shopaholic books, Confessions, Abroad and Ties the Knot. Although in the original story, Becky was British, and in the movie she was American, I thought it was fine. It was her being addicted to shopping that was important, afterall.

The part I didn't like the most was about Luke. First of all, Luke Brandon should've already established his own company, and although Hugh Dancy is good looking enough, he doesn't fit the description of the "original" Luke Brandon. Well, I must just understand the thought behind this was to make a nice twist to the story.

Overall, the movie was great, not comparing it with the stories in the book, however. It was funny and witty and romantic, all the same.

Adam Khoo

2009-02-19T13:42:00.001+04:00

A Blog Post by Singapore's Youngest Millionaire Adam Khoo

Some of you may already know that I travel around the region pretty frequently, having to visit and conduct seminars at my offices in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Su Zhou(China).

I am in the airport almost every other week, so I get to bump into many people who have attended my seminars or have read my books.

Recently, someone came upto me on a plane to KL and looked rather shocked. He asked, 'How come a millionaire like you is travelling economy?' My reply was, 'That's why I am a millionaire.' He still looked pretty confused. This, again confirms that greatest lie ever told about wealth(which I wrote about in my latest book 'Secrets of Self Made Millionaires'). Many people have been brainwashed to think that millionaires have to wear Gucci, Hugo Boss, Rolex etc. (I shop at G2000 by the way) and sit on first class in air travel. This is why so many people never become rich because the moment they earn more money, they think that it is only natural that they spend more, putting them back to square one.

The truth is that most self-made millionaires(not those lucky who inherited money) are frugal and only spend on what is necessaryand of value. That is why they are able to accumulate and multiply their wealth so much faster. Over the last 7 years, I have saved about 80% of my income while today I save only about 60% (because I have my wife, motherin law, 2 maids, 2 kids, etc. to support). Still, it is way above most people who save 10% of their income (if they are lucky). I refuse to buy a first class ticket or to buy a $300 shirt because I think that it is a complete waste of money. However, I happily pay $1,300 to send my 2-year old daughter to Julia Gabriel Speech and Drama without thinking twice.

When I joined the YEO(Young Entrepreneur's Organization) a few years back (YEO is an exclusive club open to those who are under 40 and make over $1m a year in their own business) I discovered that those who were self-made, thought like me. Many of them with net worths well over $5m, travelled ecomony class and some even drove Toyota 's and Nissans. I noticed that it was only those who never had to work hard to build their own wealth (there were also a few ministers' and tycoons' sons in the club) who spent like there was no tomorrow. Somehow, when you did not have to build everything from scratch, you do not really value money. This is precisely the reason why a family's wealth (no matter how much) rarely lasts past the third generation. Thank god, my rich dad(oh no, I sound like Kiyosaki) foresaw this terrible possibility and refused to give me a cent to start my business.

Then some people ask me, 'What is the point in making so much money if you don't enjoy it?' The thing is that I don't really find happiness in buying branded clothes, jewelry or sitting first class. Even if buying something makes me happy, it is only for a while. It does not last. Material happiness never lasts, it just give you a quick fix. After a while you feel lousy again and have to buy the next thing which you think will make you happy. I always think that if you need material things to make you happy, then you live a pretty sad and unfulfilled life.
Instead, what makes ME happy is when I see my children laughing and playing and learning so fast. What makes me happy is when I see my companies and trainers reaching more and more people every year in so many more countries. What makes me really happy is when I read all the emails about how my books and seminars have touched and inspired someone's life. What makes me really happy is reading all your wonderful posts about how this BLOG is inspiring you. This happiness makes me feel really good for a long time, much much more than what a Rolex would do for me.

I think the point I want to put across is that happiness must come from doing your life's work(be in teaching, building homes, designing, trading, winning tournaments, etc.) and the money that comes is only a by-product.If you hate what you are doing and rely on the money you earn to make you happy by buying stuff, then I think that you are living a life no better than a prostitute.

The V-Day

2009-02-15T12:42:00.002+04:00

Time for a break from the short story. I'm actually thinking of finishing the story to be a complete book coz when I was writing it and even after I've written that first part, I've sort of gotten a lot of ideas for it. So maybe I'll finish it as a short story or make enough twists for a book.

Now enough of the book. I'd like to write a bit about my day yesterday. It was Valentine's Day and I haven't planned on doing anything special. But Karl and I woke up early to go to the bank. Then we headed to the supermarket but we were not thinking of really buying anything. Thinking about it, it was fun going to the supermarket when you're not in a hurry and when it seems you could browse and check a lot of stuff or simply window shop. We managed to buy some things and waited for the salon to open. Karl had his hair cut and I urged him to have some highlights as well. It was one thing that he seemed to be thinking of doing for a very long time but haven't got the guts to really do it but yesterday, he finally did. I waited for him to finish in a shop and when I saw him with his new look, I thought he looked funny. But not because of his new look but because he looked like he was feeling weird and awkward. But I told him it looked nice and just sort of casual so he doesn't need to bother.

When we got home and had lunch, he was teased by our housemates but I told him not to mind them. His new look made him look much younger especially after he have shaved. We prepared to leave because Karl had some appointments. We went to Wellington School and watched football practice by some youngsters where they promoted the Adidas products. I returned back in the car and had a nap. Then we went to Al Safa Park to bring the promoters there.

As we haven't planned anything, we went to Dubai Mall, roamed a bit, visited the Adidas shop and had dinner. The we dropped by at Festival City to visit the Originals shop there. While Karl was talking to the shop assistants, I managed to find a nice pair of high-cut shoes.

Overall, Valentines Day is alright. It wasn't the usual fine dining date with flowers or anything, but spending the day with Karl was a nice enough celebration.

Love Amidst Depression

2009-02-12T13:38:00.004+04:00

The following story was inspired by Jojo. It was like a prompt that he gave me and I suddenly had the idea. His version was actually "Love in the Time of Retrenchment". But I thought it sounded like the novel and movie "Love in the Time of Cholera" so I tweaked it a bit.

Ethan Brown sat motionless in his seat for what seemed like an hour. He couldn't believe it. He actually didn't notice that he was still for so long because of the shock he had just received in a letter. He was fired. He lost his job. He was terminated. And he could not do anything about it.

At last, Ethan stood up. He did not bother to pack and tidy his desk. He grabbed his thick skin overcoat and set out for a long walk outside. The wintry February breeze was hard on his face. No sun shone in the sky, thick clouds loomed heavily above. The cobbled London streets were white with snow with only a few passers-by at this time of the day. But none of these took Ethan's notice. He was numbed with shock. He just lost his job as a Design Architect in one of the biggest firms in the country.

Mulling things over, he realized he should have expected it somehow. The economy was at its worst in the last quarter and all companies big and small were obviously affected. Redundancies were already heard in various offices in the past couple of weeks and having a senior position in the company, he knew that his office was in trouble too. For the past weeks, he was too occupied with design presentations for a couple of projects for bidding. But all his hard work did not pay off. He was not able to win any bidding and the company had no new project. Even the current projects they were working on will be finished soon and others were put on hold or worse, cancelled. The company was surely in great turmoil and as one of the measures to cut on company losses, they made certain positions redundant. And so he was one of the fifty employees who received the letters of termination this morning.

He didn't notice that he reached the train station at Charring Cross. The woman behind the counter asked him where he was going and as he caught sight of the train map nearby, he blurted the first station his eyes came upon, Paddington Station. He paid the woman and took his ticket and change and proceeded to the platform where his train will be arriving in five minutes. Still deep in his own reverie, he did not notice the woman wearing dark glasses and long frock coat who stood beside him.

As he stepped into the train, he sat across the window and gazed in the gloomy scenery outside. A woman sat beside him and he did not even bother to look. Five minutes after the train took off, he was pulled out of his deep thoughts when the woman beside him dozed off and her head was falling towards him.

Ethan felt irritated and wanted to wake the woman up but he didn't want to be rude. The woman looked completely exhausted. He simply ignored this and continued gazing out of the window. After a few more minutes, the woman's head fell completely on his shoulder and she still seemed oblivious as her head stayed on his shoulder.

He can hear the woman's even breathing, with her head so close to his face. He shifted his body awkwardly but the woman continued to sleep. After a few more movements, the woman didn't even stir so he ignored his attempts altogether and let her head stay on his shoulder. He shifted for the last time to make himself comfortable in his position.

While the woman's head rested on his shoulder, her face was tilted a little upward so that her face was somewhat facing him. He glanced sideways and took notice of the woman's smooth white skin. Her dark glasses was still on but he caught a glimpse of dark and long lashes on her closed eyes. He wondered what color her eyes were. Her nose stood up nicely and her cheekbones looked in harmony with her entire unmasked face. Her lips were very little ways apart but it may seem unnoticeable as they are a bit moist and pouty and no lipstick blocked their natural beauty. He wondered what those luscious lips taste like.

He took a deep breath as he shook himself away from those thoughts. He had more matters in his head he should be dealing with rather than succumbing to lusting thoughts this stranger beside him had brought on. But his deep breath had finally awoken the woman. She jerked off in a sudden movement that she bumped her head on Ethan's chin.

"Ow!" Ethan blurted out, rubbing his chin.

"Oh, sorry!" the woman said simultaneously. She raised her head up and looked at him realizing that she she had her head on the man's shoulder. Embarrassed by this realization, she felt the heat rise up on her cheeks as she blushed scarlet.

Ethan was about to retort when he noticed her blushing cheeks. The color made her face look so dashing that he forgot what he was about to say. "Er,it's okay," he said instead. The woman awkwardly moved a little way away from him.

Her single statement left ringing in Ethan's ear. She had a soft and sweet, melodic voice. He gazed out of the window again but the face of the woman seemed to loom in front of him. As if he was not dumbstruck enough, she spoke again. "Sorry, I dozed off and fell on your shoulders. You must've felt uncomfortable. I don't normally sleep on travels but I was just so exhausted."

He caught her blushing again as he faced her. "It doesn't matter. It happens," he said simply.

Madeleine thought he looked so serious and felt even more embarrassed when she disturbed him. She felt completely awake now. She did not usually talk to strangers, let alone initiate conversation and she surprised herself when she continued talking.

"So, where are you headed?" she asked.

Ethan was amazed with himself when he didn't feel irritated by the woman's questioning. She seemed like she wanted to hold a conversation. He thought of discouraging her but found himself answering her attentively.

"I bought a ticket to Paddington Station but I have no particular place to go to. Any ideas where can I go? he said, longing for her answer to hear her singsong voice again.

"I don't have any ideas, but what do you have in mind?" Madeleine answered.

"Why don't you have a cup of coffee with me?" Ethan blurted out before he can stop himself. "But of course, you needed rest obviously," he amended.

"I think, what I really need is a cup of strong coffee. I'm Madeleine," she said smiling at him while offering her gloved hand altogether.

"Ethan," he answered and smiled and accepted her hand. The electronic female voice suddenly announced Paddington Station. Madeleine stood up and scooped up her tote. She tightened the belt around her coat, preparing for the cold outside the train doors. She stepped out of the train and so did Ethan, stepping aside so he walked beside her.

They didn't talk much while walking as the cold breeze required them to pull their coats and neck warmers up, nearly covering their mouths and making conversation impossible. It seemed that a snowstorm was coming soon. Madeleine stopped in front of a cafe named Fresco and turned to speak to Ethan.

"Does this look okay with you?" she said nearly shouting above the already howling winds.

"Looks good to me," Ethan replied and grabbed to push open the door of the cafe and ushered Madeleine in.

She sat on a couch in a corner table beside the glass window and Ethan sat opposite her. The cafe felt warm and comfortable and as the place was not too crowded at the moment and with only a few lights on and a gloomy scene outside, the place looked cozy and ambient.

A waitress arrived at their table and gave them a menu. Madeleine ordered a large cappuccino while Ethan wanted a large latte. Madeleine finally removed her glasses and set them on the table. Ethan noticed that she had deep brown eyes and he was right about the long lashes. But her eyes seemed to have dark purple circles underneath them. (to be continued)

The Looming Terror in the Midst of the Global Economic Crisis

2009-02-12T07:41:00.003+04:00

The current situation was truly unexpected. We were all very stable at first and suddenly, instability and chaos is spreading like wildfire. Maybe it should be expected afterall, what with the constant downturn of every economy and poverty worsening in every nation.

The Middle East countries were the ones most affected. Particularly here in the UAE, where the infrastructure business has immediately soared up high in the recent years. With the current situation, the country is also the one to immediately fall down.

Living in the UAE for almost three years, I have seen its gradual downturn. With my 100 dirhams, my trolley is already full. The rent and electricity bills were not that high. You can live for a week with only very minimal amount in your pockets. This is three years ago.

When I arrived here with a visit visa, I was able to find a job for three days. In my first year, I was able to switch jobs, looking for the best one until I found Atkins. Now I am with the company for nearly two years.

In almost three years, I have soared up high like Dubai. I got married, got my own apartment, bought a lot, a car and a business in the Philippines, and got two cars here, for me and my husband. But maybe like Dubai, I'll be having an immediate downfall too.

There is no other news nowadays than the massive redundancies in various consulting, design and construction companies. Several people I know have already been made redundant. And as the crisis continues, everyone is just awaiting their own time. In Atkins alone, news spread that 1000 job cuts will be made by the end of March.

The crisis will surely end, but as it is just reaching it's peak, it is really frightening because nobody knows what will happen next. Everyone is gripped by terror of what this global economic crisis will do to them.

Email Nonsense

2009-02-09T07:04:00.011+04:00

Everyone gets a lot of emails everyday and I know everyone hates spam mails. Usually spams enter your spam or bulk folder and they stick there unless you open or move them so they have become less annoying. But most of emails sent everyday are from people you know, your friends and families, which are either chain emails or invalidated warnings most often than not. I'd like to specify those types of emails I really, really hate to receive, and I know most of you do too, unless you find them very interesting, which I think only mindless people do.

1. Send Or You'll Die !

This really tops my list. I hate emails being forwarded to everyone with precautions that something really bad will happen to you or your family if you're not going to forward them. You'll die, you're going to have years of bad luck, or you're going to be haunted by some freaky old lady or something. Hey, guys! It's the 21st century, do you think this will really happen? And if this really is true, I would have died a very long time ago eversince emails were created!

2. Religious Chain Mails
I don't mind being sent with prayers and wishes, as long as you don't take the name of the Lord in vain. It's one of the greatest sins, and do you think the Lord will not bless you unless you forward the email? What kind of god do you believe in? The Lord I know blesses everyone who simply believe and have faith in Him, without having the obligation to forward any emails.

3. Truth or Nonsense?

I get this very often. These emails usually give dire warnings about some food or drinks or anything leading to cancer, heart attacks or other fatal illnesses. Some of these emails are about other interesting controversies like whales or dolphins being morbidly slaughtered, possible hijackers, new ways to rob you, or the likes. Most of these emails are even supported by pictures or diagrams. While most of these emails are really interesting and attention-catching, I urge everyone to validate the authenticity of such mails before forwarding them to everyone you know. A lot of these emails are NOT TRUE and forwarding them only causes confusion and widespread rumors. There are websites that validate the truths of such emails.

Whale Killing in Denmark, Truth or Fiction? Cold water during meals is bad?

The creation of email is really such a phenomenon that has helped a lot in our everyday communication. However, this has also become the source of confusion, rumors and even terror. You can always ignore mails or better yet, validate if it's the truth or fiction before believing in them because you may end up curled up in your room, afraid do anything because of something you read from your email.

The Only One Left Standing

2009-02-04T15:19:00.002+04:00

He gazed up into the sky. The sun was too hot on his skin, but he knew he has strength enough for this. Yet, as his eyes level on the ground, he can't help feeling a spasm of fear. He still can't quite believe the scene before him. The ground was cracked with excessive dryness. Not a single green shrub or even a small green grass could be seen. No animals mill around the area. No birds, not even insects. Everything stood still in silence.

As he stood in utter loneliness, he remembered the time a few months back. A stream was gloriously running on his right side. Thick greeneries surround the area. Wild animals are running all round. The forest was bursting with life.

But now, all he could see is a barren land. The place was a victim of human's cruelty. And now drought has descended upon the land and the forest suffered a severe blow. Nature was history. As he stood in the midst of this sad scene, he knew that his time will soon be up too. Like the others who were unpityingly slaughtered by the greedy humans. Like the animals who were hunt to extinction and the others who fled for survival. There was no more future.

He wished he could cry. He wished he could shed tears to alleviate the emptiness and fear he was feeling. He was hopeless. He closed his eyes and awaited for what was to befall on him. He did not win to have survived this long. He was the only one left standing. The single last tree in the middle of the empty forest.

This is prompt #256. The instruction was actually to write in the view of the single tree in the forest but I opted to write it in the third person.

Put the Glass Down

2009-02-04T08:50:00.002+04:00

A professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see; asked the students,' How much do you think this glass weighs?'

'50gms!' .... '100gms!' ......'125gms' ......the students answered.

'I really don't know unless I weigh it,' said the professor,'but, my question is: What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?'

'Nothing' the students said.

'Ok what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?' the professor asked.

'Your arm would begin to ache' said one of the students.

'You're right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?'

'Your arm could go numb, you might have severe muscle stress; paralysis;

Have to go to hospital for sure!'ventured another student; all the students laughed.

'Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?' asked the professor.

'No' the students said.

'Then what caused the arm ache & the muscle stress?'

The students were puzzled.

'Put the glass down!' said one of the students.

'Exactly!' said the professor.' Life's problems are something like this.

Hold it for a few minutes in your head; they seem OK.

Think of them for a long time & they begin to ache. Hold it even longer & they begin to paralyze you. You will not be able to do anything.

It's important to think of the challenges (problems) in your life, but

EVEN MORE IMPORTANT to 'put them down' at the end of every day before you go to sleep.

That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh & strong & can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way!'

Remember to 'PUT THE GLASS DOWN TODAY!

Another forwarded email to share...

The Dream Place

2009-02-01T12:51:00.009+04:00

I woke up in alarm. I just had a very vivid dream. I rolled onto my back and opened my eyes. It was still very dark but a hint of light is seeping through the curtained windows. It must have been dawn. I know it's a weekend so I should probably get back to sleep. I slowly closed my eyes and fell into sleep where my dream continued where it had left off.

I opened my eyes again. Large chunks of sunlight are bursting from the window. It was a nice warm day. After a couple of minutes' stretching and yawning, I pushed myself up, still not entirely sure if I was fully awake. I was still in deep concentration trying to remember my dream. I pulled my robe on and headed to the window to push the curtains aside and let the early morning sunshine fill my room. I was yawning as I was trying to hook the curtain string onto place. My eyes lingered for a very short moment outside the window. I was halfway through another yawn when I gasped.

Trying to shake myself to full alertness, I blinked, not once, not twice, but thrice. But still, the images in front of my eyes did not fade. Carefully, I head out for the door and reached for its handle. It was only then that I realized that everything was different. I turned my back to the door and faced the bed. The four-poster bed was so huge, the white chiffon hangings perfectly brushed and tied aside and the sheets were immaculate, even though I just slept in it. On either side of the bed are wooden side tables, surely antique, with handsome handcrafted carvings and elegantly classic lamps sat on top of them. My gaze slowly moved up toward the ceiling. I held my breath as I saw a gigantic chandelier with intricate crystals that will surely be mesmerizing when lighted. Then I noticed that the entire room was circular. And it was a very huge room. Almost all the walls were made of floor to ceiling glass which were draped with heavy curtains and light material hangings in between, breaking the monotony of wooden panels. On the far side of the wall, a glass door was ajar and cool breeze was seeping through. Adjacent to the glass door was an ornate wooden door which probably leads to the bathroom.

My head started to spin as I asked myself, where the hell was I? I turned the knob on the door as my heart pounded hard on my chest. I was momentarily blinded by the blazing sun but my nose was suddenly filled by a different kind of fragrance, something breezy and salty. I inhaled more deeply as I opened my eyes to the most magnificent sight I have ever seen. Several feet ahead of me was the brilliant blue sea, shimmering and dancing under the sun. The waves rushing to the shore were like music dancing with the breeze. The sands were lined with thick coconut trees bending towards the sea.

As I was taking all the sights in, I noticed that I was standing on wooden floor on a wide veranda. A matching round wooden table that sits four was laden with a wide assortment of food. Tropical fruits served as centerpieces. A large coconut with a straw protruding from its hole was waiting to be sipped at. There were eggs on the plate and a lot more variety from different plates that I did not bother to pay too much attention.

Pushing my thoughts away from the delectable scenery on the table, I walked down the steps of the veranda and stepped onto the sand with my bare feet. The sand was warm and cold at the same time. The water felt so inviting stretching far out. I suddenly noticed a large white boat anchored on the farther side of the beach. I shielded my eyes against the sun to have a better look as I was walking slowly toward it.

When I reached the boat, I noticed that it was not simply a boat. It was luxurious. There were no scratches on its white surface. In bright red paint, "belle fille rêveuse" was written on its side. I wasn't done taking all these in when the boat swayed in motion. A man stepped out from the cabin doors. As if the entire scenery was not enough, the man made everything entirely perfect. He had deep blue eyes. And he smiled at me.

I created this article out of a prompt I found on a website. This is prompt#17, askking to write a story about your dream place. I was planning to create single articles for my blog out of these story prompts. I thought it would be fun as much as a nice exercise to enhance my writing skills. I just wish I could really do it! ;)

Unfaithful

2008-12-02T07:29:00.000+04:00

Story of my life
Searching for the right
But it keeps avoiding me
Sorrow in my soul
Cause it seems that wrong
Really loves my company

He's more than a man
And this is more than love
The reason that the sky is blue
The clouds are rolling in
Because I'm gone again
And to him I just can't be true

And I know that he knows I'm unfaithful
And it kills him inside
To know that I am happy with some other guy
I can see him dying

I don't wanna do this anymore
I don't wanna be the reason why
Everytime I walk out the door
I see him die a little more inside
I don't wanna hurt him anymore
I don't wanna take away his life
I don't wanna be...
A murderer

I feel it in the air
As I'm doing my hair
Preparing for another date
A kiss upon my cheek
As he reluctantly
Asks if I'm gonna be out late
I say I won't be long
Just hanging with the girls
A lie I didn't have to tell
Because we both know
Where I'm about to go
And we know it very well

Cause I know that he knows I'm unfaithful
And it kills him inside
To know that I am happy with some other guy
I can see him dying

I don't wanna do this anymore
I don't wanna be the reason why
Everytime I walk out the door
I see him die a little more inside
I don't wanna hurt him anymore
I don't wanna take away his life
I don't wanna be...
A murderer

Our love, his trust
I might as well take a gun and put it to his head
Get it over with
I don't wanna do this
Anymore
Uh
Anymore (anymore)

I don't wanna do this anymore
I don't wanna be the reason why
And everytime I walk out the door
I see him die a little more inside
And I don't wanna hurt him anymore
I don't wanna take away his life
I don't wanna be...
A murderer (a murderer)

No no no no

Yeah yeah yeah

Unfaithful may have been on air for quite some time now, but it just caught my attention recently. I only just hear it in passing, but just the other night, I searched for a lyrics and I was quite amazed. It was full of meaning. I don't actually relate to it, I am not experiencing anything of the sort, but the story behind it really seems emotional and passionate.

The First Lap

2008-10-29T13:48:00.003+04:00

It's my turn. I grab the tiled edge of the pool with my two hands, back to it, facing the entire length of the shimmering waters. I felt rather shivery. I've tried to do it a couple of times before but I simply didn't make it. I poised to get ready. I shifted my body to face the other end, my goal. Placing my right foot ready to kick from the wall, I sucked in a deep breath and plunged forward.

The water is of right temperature. My hands and arms are outstretched way in front of my body, as I feel the splash take me in. I moved slowly forward. Then I suddenly felt the need to move. I carefully pulled into the water with my right hand, then the left, while flapping my feet altogether. I moved swiftly across the water until I reach my coach. It was then that I realized I have reached the middle of the pool. But instead of calling me to stop, he moved a foot away to give me a wide berth, urging me to move on, way past him, to the final goal, the other end. It was then that I started to hear the shouts of encouragement, the motivations, the yells to continue forward, to swim on. And I finally saw the light of the pool ahead. It was as if I was struggling for so long when I finally saw hope. And so I continued to saunter forward.

I heard myself thinking, more, more, nearer and nearer, just a few feet more. And I finally grabbed the edge of the pool, pushing my head out of the water, and caught air to fill my lungs. There was an explosion. Shouts and cheers erupted from both ends of the pool. Still out of breath, I smiled. I did it. I finally did it. It was my first lap ever.

A Different High

2008-09-16T13:39:00.003+04:00

It has been an open secret that my passion for writing has never burned out, to my close friends at least. I didn't know how it all started but I realized even as a young child that I am able to speak my thoughts better in writing. I planned to be a journalist having all my backgrounds and experiences since elementary and high school yet I somehow found myself sidetracked and took up Architecture instead.

I don't have any regrets, I came to like my new path, with friends and new things I have discovered and learned. I might be a little smug as to say that I am always a versatile person. I have been writing before but I somewhat stopped. Just recently, it occurred to me that something in me is missing. The burning passion for writing has come back. I found myself afraid that I won't be able to write anymore and my talent was taken away from me. But I was amazed to find all the open doors waiting for me. It was like a switch waiting to be turned on.

I took the opportunity that presented itself. I was given this chance and I held a tight grip on it. I wrote and the article was published with my name. It might not be that grand, and I'd all but experienced all these before, but I felt a different high seeing my name and article once again. It was as if I was sleeping all along and this is is awakening.

My first (hopefully not the last) article - http://arabeastern.com/pages/Arabic_Coffee_a_true_Arabian_legacy__7567.asp

The Twilight Series

2008-09-04T07:38:00.000+04:00

Been a fan of the Twilight series for the past couple of months. Actually, the way the books were written were not that perfect, but the plot is simply amazing. When I first read the brief summary at the back of Twilight, I never thought I'd like it. But I really did! It is a very passionate love story. Being the latest bestseller worldwide, it shouldn't be compared to the Harry Potter series because it is completely different.
I kept returning to Twilight because i love the story of the first stage of the relationhip. It is where it all begins and the spark is always there.

Moved

2008-08-13T13:35:00.003+04:00

It was 12:30pm, the usual lunch time. As I sat on my table silently nibbling through my packed lunch and chatting away with K, I had the urge to go out and stroll a little in Al Gurair Mall near my office. I told K that I was going out to look for a pair of gloves and neck warmers for his brother-in-law who is going to Canada soon. I don't go out for lunch that often now because the blazing sun was really scorching my skin, it is still summer here in the city built within the desert, Dubai.

Slowly, I walked under the shelter of my umbrella. Slowly, because my feet started to sweat and I was slipping on my slip-ons. As I passed the nearby shops along the narrow street leading to the main road across the mall, I overheard a conversation between three men, one man actually, since the other two who were listening to the man speaking were obviously gays who work in the salon where they stood. I barely heard what was it all about but I had the gist that the guy talking was begging. It was already a cliche and so I just walked on until I reached the comfort of the mall, cold enough to dry my sweating body.

I was not able to find what I was looking for but I got myself a cheap shirt instead. Wee! Very typical of me! As I traveled down the same narrow street, I recognized the same guy who was begging with the gays earlier, but I just passed him. But I was surprised when I realized that he turned and caught up with me.

He was barely thirty based on my assumptions, quite short and thin and he was wet with sweat all over. As I stopped to look at him, he babbled on what I took was his practiced piece. He said that he was looking for compatriots to ask for help. He was here for six months already on a visit visa and was just saving enough money to go back to the Philippines. It was not the first time I heard this kind of story but I was astonished with myself at how easily I seemed to believe him and even pity him so much. He seemed to have problems with normal speaking, I guessed he had a harelip before, but his speech was still not that normal. But he was looking at me straight in the eyes while he was speaking. Sure there are a lot of people who might have grown comfortable with lying, able to look at you straight in the eyes, but I could feel he was different. I asked him why he didn't go to the consulate to ask for help, but he said he tried and just got shunted, he said somebody there told him that they were just helping people who get abused by their employers. He seemed to have silent tears behind his eyes while telling me his story. I asked him who invited him to come here in the first place. He said, it was his friend who already went home to the Philippines after he arrived here, and the same friend who promised him he already has a job waiting for him here. I took out two ten dirham notes and shoved them to him, telling him to still go to the consulate for help. I wanted to leave him immediately. I didn't know if it was because of his sad story or because of his deformity, but just the same, it has moved me.

While I resumed walking along the street, it made me think of a lot of things. The story of this man might have been a well-rehearsed lie, but still, there is the unyielding truth that a lot of people are out there suffering from their painfully twisted fates. Of the housemaids sexually and physically abused by their employers. Of the Filipinos continuously coming here everyday hoping that good luck will come their way. Of the people being deceived by their own compatriots. Of the many people stuck in various nearby countries waiting for help to get them visas to return to Dubai. Of the many women who had to sell their bodies for money. Of the many people too sick to come home. Of the people who were left by their own families. Of the many families in the Philippines waiting for their loved ones who might not return to them.

I was very blessed that I was not among them. I was very blessed that none of my friends do not suffer like those many. I was very blessed that I had enough, sometimes, maybe more than enough. But still, I was moved. I was nowhere near to be of help to them. I was as helpless as them to be able to help them. I was moved in this stillness to simply wish, hope and pray that they be blessed with a turn around of fate.

Before My Head Bursts...

2008-07-30T08:08:00.001+04:00

my head is quite full of all the ideas, experiences and thoughts it has gathered recently. and if i don't blab about it a little, i might explode! though i really don't have the exact picture of what i really want, i know it always comes down to one point- my ultimate dream, that i thought has become my ultimate frustration for the past few years when i had decided to step into the realities of life and get head on with my priorities. but somehow, as i knew it would, the feeling never ceased to come out. i don't know what to call it, but i know, i honestly know, though it has always seemed impossible, that i'll reach it in the end... i may get sidetracked along the way, but still, i know, i can make it... just a single little hope, burning passionately deep in my heart, that i know would never ceased burning, until i finally reached my goal...

-marby :)

Catching Up

2008-06-29T11:50:00.001+04:00

It really is catching up. Been busy as always, with everything and everyone around me. But when I stop to look back, I can definitely say that the past couple of months of my life have been the most worthwhile and worth cherishing. What with the wedding preparations, my family coming to Dubai, the wedding itself, to our most awaited vacation back in the Philippines, those few months can be counted up as one hell of a lifetime of memories!

Catch and Release

2007-09-20T12:13:00.002+04:00

"Catch and Release" is a movie about love lost and love found, friendship, companionship, responsibility - it's a story about life. It stars Jennifer Garner as Gray, a young widow (to be) who losses his fiance when he goes on fishing on his Bachelor's Party. Their supposedly wedding day becomes his funeral- her greatest tragedy and loss for their 6-year relationship. Gray was accompanied by her fiance's bestfriends during the funeral, but she can't handle the crowd and runs upstairs to the bathroom and pours her heart out while sitting in the empty bathtub. She was appalled when one of her fiance's bestfriends rushes in with a flirty maid, and they were making out! The newcomers didn't know she was there, and not until the girl left did Gray show herself. Fritz was astonished when he sees her and as she was leaving, she told him that she wonders why Grady (her fiance) was ever friends with him.

Gray goes on with her life without him, but with Sam and Dennis, whom she loves as her own bestfriends too. But she was not pleased to see Fritz still hanging around the house even after the funeral. When Gray sees a lawyer, she finds out that Grady has some great fortune from his investments, but she also learns that he was sending money to somebody regularly and she wonders who was it. She receives a call one night and realizes it was a woman who was making some demands to her late fiance. She discovers from Fritz that the money he's been sending regularly was for her- because they have a son. He tells her that what happened between the girl and Grady was just once, and when he knew that they had a son, he felt obliged to support the kid, and that was their only relationship. He also tells her that this happened some eight years ago and way before they had been together. But the truth comes out when one morning, Maureen and her son stumbled down at Gray's place looking for Grady. Gray pretends she was a cleaning woman and promises to send Grady her message. She rushes over to Fritz and finds out that Maureen and Grady had an affair during their relationship, not before. They argue over this but, end up kissing.

Maureen and her son Mattie visited them again and offered to prepare a dinner. At the dinner table, she confesses to them a lot of things that Grady never knew about her, just letting them know that she's not really "perfect" as what they all see of her. During the night, Gray slips out of her room and lies beside Fritz. They were disturbed by Sam who walks to the refrigerator in the middle of the night. Gray returns to her bedroom unnoticed by Sam.

The whole lot goes on a fishing trip, Sam teaches Mattie how to fish and gives him Grady's hat, Maureen on her body balancing exercises, Fritz takes photos, Gray reads a book, and Dennis approaches her, confessing to her that he loves her for the past six years.

Sam accompanies Maureen and Mattie to the hospital for DNA test, if he's really the son of Grady, he inherits his entire fortune. He later brings them back to the motel where they stay. Maureen gives Sam a massage to show her gratefulness, but later became intimate, only Sam suddenly gets back to his senses. Dennis brings a date into their house, who later ditches him because of some annoying message she sees on a paper. Dennis drinks alone, smashing bottles and things within his reach. But being the responsible guy that he is, he starts picking up the mess , as Fritz and Gray enters the room, holding hands together. This brings Dennis to more depression and frustration. He releases his angst to their front door, scraping it with a planer and when Sam arrives and realizes what he was doing, they scrambled on the floor to get the planer away from each other. Fritz suddenly comes out from Gray's bedroom, and walked away from the two, who immediately halted when they saw him. Gray wakes up finding Fritz gone, but with a note on the pillow, "coffee". She gets up and sees Dennis looking up some pictures of Grady. He immediately talks about her being inlove with somebody else, but Gray just shrugs it off, saying it was nothing, less than nothing. This was overheard by Fritz from the patio, who was about to bring their cups of coffee and Gray doesn't notice him. She offers to find some better pictures for Dennis.

Gray went to their storage room and rummaged though the piles for pictures and she notices what was hanging from the corner, her wedding dress. She puts it on and slouches on the sofa, where Fritz sees her, and bids her goodbye. He tells her what he overhears, but nothing she says stops him from leaving.

The DNA test result comes out, Ellen, Grady's mother and Gray, hears from Eve, the lawyer, that Mattie is not the son of Grady. Ellen leaves feeling somehow disappointed. When Maureen learns of this, she insisted there must be a mistake, but realizes that the true father of Mattie may be the French man she once met. She says sorry for all the mess she had caused, and that she'll move on with life.

At the peace garden created by Grady's friends in his memory, Ellen hands out some money for Maureen and Mattie. This was because Gray tells her that whatever help Grady gave them when he was still alive must be continued, even if they already knew that Mattie was not his real son. She talks of all the things he knew about Grady to the people who attended, and later thanks Ellen for the help she gave Maureen. She hands out her engagement ring back to her but Ellen insisted for her to keep it.

Dennis moves out of the house, even if Sam doesn't want to, but later finds another roommate, Maureen and Mattie. Gray bids them farewell too, tells them that she has to go to someplace. She drives all the way to Los Angeles, to a house near the beach, where he finds Fritz, playing catch with his dog. He stops whatever Gray has to say, and just tells her what took her so long.

...and they lived happily ever after. It would be the fitting end, wouldn't it? I really liked the romance incurred in the movie, and overall, I think it was really good, in all it's simplicity and reality. After all, friendship and love are the best things in the world!

Give Him All Of You

2007-08-12T07:22:00.002+04:00

Just something to share with you...

One day a man decided to invite the Lord to come home and stay with him. When the Lord arrived, this young man offered him the very best room in the house. The room was upstairs and at the end of the hall. "This room is yours, Jesus! Stay as long as you like and you can do whatever you want to in this room, remember Jesus, its all yours."

That evening after he had retired for the night there came a loud knocking at the front door. The young man pulled on his robe and made his way downstairs. When he opened the door he found that the devil had sent three of his demons to attack the man. He quickly tried to close the door but one of the demons kept sticking his foot in.

Sometime later, after a great struggle, he managed to slam the door shut and returned to his room totally exhausted.

Can you believe that," the man thought. Jesus is upstairs in my very best room sleeping while I am down here battling demons. Oh, well, maybe he just didn't hear. He slept fitfully that night. The next day thing went along as normal and, being tired as he was, the young man retired early that evening. Along about midnight, there came such a terrible ruckus at the front door that the young man was sure that whatever it was would tear the door down. He stumbled down the stairs once again and opened the door to find that were dozens of demons now trying to get into his beautiful home.

For more than three hours he fought and struggled against the demons from hell, and finally overtook them enough to shut the door against their attack. All energy seemed to fail him. He really didn't understand this at all. Why won't the Lord come to my rescue? Why does he allow me to fight all by myself? I feel so alone. Troubled, he found his way to the sofa and fell into a restless sleep.

The next morning he decided to inquire of the Lord about the happenings of the last two evenings. Quietly he made his way to the elegant bedroom where he had left Jesus. "Jesus," he called as he tapped at the door. "Lord, I don't understand what is happening. For the last two nights I have had to fight the demons away from my door while you laid up here sleeping. Don't you care about me? Did I not give you the very best room in the house?"

He could see the tears building in Jesus' eyes but continued on, "I just don't understand, I really thought that once I invited you in to live with me that you would take care of me and I gave you the best room in my house and everything. What more can I do?"

"My precious child," Jesus spoke so softly. "I do love and care for you. I protect all that you have released into my care. But, when you invited me to come here and stay, you brought me to this lovely room and you shut the door to the rest of your house. I am Lord of this room but I am not Master of this house.

I have protected this room and no demon may enter here."

"Oh, Lord, please forgive me. Take all of my house -- it is yours. I am so sorry that I never offered you all to begin with. I want you to have control of everything." With this he flung open the bedroom door and knelt at Jesus' feet. "Please forgive me Lord for being so selfish."

Jesus smiled and told him that He had already forgiven him and that He would take care of things from now on. That night as the young man prepared for bed he thought, I wonder if those demons will return, I am so tired of fighting them each and every night. But, he knew that Jesus said that he would take care of things from now on.

Along about midnight the banging on the door was frightening. The young man slipped out of his room in time to see Jesus going down the stairs. He watched in awe as Jesus swung open the door, no need to be afraid.

Satan stood at the door, this time demanding to be let in. "What do you want, Satan?" the Lord asked. The devil bowed low in the presence of the Lord, "So sorry, I seem to have gotten the wrong address." And with that, he and the demons all ran away.

There is a moral to this tale. Jesus wants all of you, not just a part. He will take all that you give Him, but nothing more. How much of your heart have you given to the Lord? Are you keeping a portion of it away from Him?

Perhaps the attacks are coming more and more each day. Why not let the Lord fight the battles for you? He is always victorious. I have found that God made man simple, all of man's complexities are of his own devising.

Photograph

2007-08-06T15:02:00.001+04:00

This is from the song "Photograph" by Nickelback. I just thought of posting this coz of its message. It's just nice to remember your old school days...

Look at this photograph
Everytime I do it makes me laugh
How did our eyes get so red
And what the hell is on Joey's head

And this is where I grew up
I think the present owner fixed it up
I never knew we'd ever went without
The second floor is hard for sneaking out

And this is where I went to school
Most of the time had better things to do
Criminal record says I broke in twice
I must have done it half a dozen times

I wonder if it's too late
Should i go back and try to graduate
Life's better now then it was back then
If I was them I wouldn't let me in

Oh, oh, oh
Oh, god, I

Every memory of looking out the back door
I had the photo album spread out on my bedroom floor
It's hard to say it, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye.
Every memory of walking out the front door
I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for
It's hard to say it, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye.

Remember the old arcade
Blew every dollar that we ever made
The cops hated us hangin' out
They say somebody went and burned it down

We used to listen to the radio
And sing along with every song we know
We said someday we'd find out how it feels
To sing to more than just the steering wheel

Kim's the first girl I kissed
I was so nervous that I nearly missed
She's had a couple of kids since then
I haven't seen her since god knows when

Oh, oh, oh
Oh, god, I

Every memory of looking out the back door
I had the photo album spread out on my bedroom floor
It's hard to say it, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye.
Every memory of walking out the front door
I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for
It's hard to say it, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye.

I miss that town
I miss the faces
You can't erase
You can't replace it
I miss it now
I can't believe it
So hard to stay
Too hard to leave it

If I could I relive those days
I know the one thing that would never change

Every memory of looking out the back door
I had the photo album spread out on my bedroom floor
It's hard to say it, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye.
Every memory of walking out the front door
I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for
It's hard to say it, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye.

Look at this photograph
Everytime I do it makes me laugh
Everytime I do it makes me...

Potty About Potter

2007-07-21T16:09:00.001+04:00

I think I'm gonna go totally insane with my one and only addiction- Harry Potter! I can't contain my excitement during the past few days of the actual Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows launching. The Order of the Phoenix movie was shown a week earlier but it was shown here in the UAE just last thursday, 19th of July. We rushed in after office just to see the movie on its first day. The movie was good enough for me, but not actually satisfying enough. As I've read the books from the beginning, I found a lot of missing pieces in the movie. But it was actually fair enough and well-justified as per the book itself. The movie jsut left me hanging and intensified my excitement, curiosity and anticipation towards the last book, the end of Harry Potter.

Though I am obviously quite vocal with my addiction, I didn't go to the bookstore at exactly 3am (UAE time) just to have the book. Patiently, I waited to avoid the rush (actually, because I still have to go to work, and I wouldn't want my boss to catch me sleeping!). So off I went to Magrudy's Bookshop at 6am and handed my reservation card, I made a reservation as early as three months ago (not really a true fanatic, am I?). Just before I entered the shop, HP7 was conspicous enough, as it seemed that there were no other books that were on sale except HP7! I bought my copy, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, UK Children's edition. I managed to sneak peak at its brief back cover summary.

I was able to read a few pages on my way to the office and before my office hours started. I carefully peeked at the internet, checking the featured headline, if it wasn't about the ending of the book, not just yet. Yahoo featured the audio of JK's storytelling of the first few pages of the first chapter, with photos of the simultaneous book launch around the world, as slideshow background. However, in the afternoon, I saw yet another feature, this time, the one I've been dreading, a review of the final book. I didn't allow myself to satisfy my own curiosity, I just printed the news feature and hid it behind my desk.

I am still hoping I won't hear any news about the fate of Harry, until I finished the book to the last, final pages. I still am hoping...

Anxiety Attack

2007-05-15T13:32:00.004+04:00

When my daughters were single-digit ages—two, five, and seven—I wowed them with a miracle. I told them the story of Moses and the manna and invited them to follow me on a wilderness trek through the house.

"Who knows," I suggested, "manna may fall from the sky again."

We dressed in sheets and sandals and did our best Bedouin hike through the bedrooms. The girls, on my instruction, complained to me, Moses, of hunger and demanded I take them back to Egypt, or at least to the kitchen. When we entered the den, I urged them to play up their parts: groan, moan, and beg for food.

"Look up," I urged. "Manna might fall any minute."

Two-year-old Sara obliged with no questions, but Jenna and Andrea had their doubts. How can manna fall from a ceiling?

Just like the Hebrews. "How can God feed us in the wilderness?"

Just like you? You look at tomorrow's demands, next week's bills, next month's silent calendar. Your future looks as barren as the Sinai Desert. "How can I face my future?" God tells you what I told my daughters: "Look up."

When my daughters did, manna fell! Well, not manna, but vanilla wafers dropped from the ceiling and landed on the carpet. Sara squealed with delight and started munching. Jenna and Andrea were old enough to request an explanation.

My answer was simple. I knew the itinerary. I knew we would enter this room. Vanilla wafers fit safely on the topside of the ceiling-fan blades. I had placed them there in advance. When they groaned and moaned, I turned on the switch.

God's answer to the Hebrews was similar. Did he know their itinerary? Did he know they would grow hungry? Yes and yes. And at the right time, he tilted the manna basket toward earth.

And what about you? God knows what you need and where you'll be. Any chance he has some vanilla wafers on tomorrow's ceiling fans? Trust him. "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes" (Matthew 6:33-34).

I don't have kids yet, this is an email from my friend, "Peace for Anxious Days by Max Lucado." It is truly a wonderful miracle how we can get through each day of our lives, struggling, yet still surviving. Everyone has to admit we may have our own anxiety attacks, yet learning how to give it all up to God, is one thing we should always have in mind. I've had my own struggles. Before, I used to worry a lot. I worried about bills to pay, stressful work, pressure, stability, and everything for tomorrow. It was then that all my worries really turn into problems. But then somehow, I learned one thing- Faith. I simply trust everything to my Faith that all my problems will be solved, all my worries be gone. And they all simply go away. Here I am now, still struggling for everyday living, but with my Faith, I know I can go through everything. And there's nothing more I can say than "Thank you, Lord..."

My Own Knight

2007-01-24T07:29:00.001+04:00

I just opened my email and read an article sent by my friend. He is the same friend who never wears out sending inspirational emails everyday, probably to everyone he knows. I don't know why, but I admit that I've been quite lazy when it comes to my own religiosity, yet, I make it a point that I read and digest such emails every morning. I just feel that it would help me make it through my long and tiring day.

I've been too pre-occupied these past few days, I've been really problematic. There was a point that I just wanted to give up, not until yesterday, that I saw the light. Well, I didn't totally lose hope, coz deep inside, I know that everything will just pass, that pain will eventually leave me. And it did. Though my problems were not totally solved yet, I know that I am now okay.

The article was about the girl's "Knight", where she had been searching for so long for him and the world around her just mocked and told her that there was no knight at all. All she found were impostors and she just grew tired and eventually thought of giving up, until her knight finally came, accepted her, and gave her everything she had ever wished.

I actually feel that I was the girl at some point. There were tough times, yet, there was always a moment when I'll just stop and realize that I was never alone, that even if I was in the midst of darkness, there will always be some light. There were a million times that I neglected him, but he never left me, I know, because there would always be a time that I'd simply realize he's just there. It's as if he'll lightly touch me on my shoulder just for me to remember that he's just there, always there, my own "knight".

Not the Way as Planned

2007-01-21T07:29:00.001+04:00

"Some things are really not meant to be."

This may really be true, as this is what I just kept on thinking right now. I have planned great things a couple of weeks ago. Everything has been falling into places, not until the other day, that I think that the whole plan was completely ruined. Probably because I didn't trust my instincts, or I allowed myself to trust another person that obviously cannot be trusted. I am blaming myself for allowing all these things to happen, when in the first place, I know that this could most likely happen. And I feel that I let others down, coz when I trusted, they trusted me too.

I may be so vague, and others might think that it was really nothing when they knew what this was all about. But as for me, I feel so frustrated, exasperated, betrayed... When I completely trusted someone whom I knew cannot be trusted, and I knew this was coming. And it all happened.

Now, here I am, trying to pick up things which can still be saved. I just hate myself although I know that it was not my fault. I just trusted. Though I am not the most trusting person in the world, yet...

I still am hoping... wishing... praying... that I can still sort things out, that things can still be alright. But if there's one thing I've learned, it's that, my instincts never let me down. Still, everything does not always happen as how we want it to be, some things are not really meant to be...

Starting Over Again

2007-01-17T12:25:00.001+04:00

Well, well, well... seems like I finally got hold of my time for blogging, well, hopefully. I've had a lot of weblogs before but I just couldn't find the time to update them all the time, and I seriously hate it, simply because putting my thoughts into writing is the thing that I definitely can't live without. But why the hell I couldn't have time? That I don't know. I usually write when I'm feeling down, just to pour my heart out, if you know what I mean. But now, I kinda like to put a different perspective on this first love of mine. I don't actually care if anybody reads my posts, I just wanted to share some part of me through all these. I have outlined what my blog should contain, and everything, and I certainly hope, wish and pray that I could do it. Not only for the people who reads blogs, but for me, because this is me, my thoughts, my works, just thinking aloud, just trying to share something from deep inside of me...