Of Ninongs and Manongs

Being assigned to Thailand account gave me a lot of privileges but one
thing I won't trade is having worked with lots of those Filipino
consultants who were years my senior in terms of age and tenure.

During those after-meeting dinners, I enjoyed being guessed how old (or
young) I was. What made those dinners more memorable was having the
chance to talk to them about how and when they started in SMC, where they were
assigned previously but most of all how they miss their families. When
they talk about their kids, I am always amazed seeing at how their eyes
glow.

Among these consultants, at least four of them have volunteered to
become my ninongs (hehe). Also, I came to meet two manongs - one with Ilocano roots
and one who has been assigned in the Ilocos area. Upon learning that I was
an Ilocana, the three of us instantly spoke the language. It was funny
having to speak Ilocano in Bangkok. Those ninongs and manongs would give me
pieces of advice on relationships, rearing a family and etc.

One good news is that I become to be a "ninang" to one of the
consultant's upcoming baby.

When I visit Thailand, they always get to ask me the one question I
still couldn't answer until now. Well, I always say, time will come and they
will get their invitations.

Orange Sky

How could have I been so blind the past years? I just realized that
orange (color) brings out the best shiny smile in me. Thanks to my new
roommate Jepot, who's the great orange fan!


These days I like everything orange?.

?.I enjoy THE OC (The Orange Country)

?.I enjoy those oranges for desert

?.I love that Orange Esprit bag which I use to go to the gym

?.I love wearing that Orange sweater during rainy days

?.I love those Orange clothes (that blouse I wear to office, that
Terranova shirt, that F&H sleeveless)


Now I know why I love orange, the color reflects on you, my face, my
day!

3 Things I Learned Lately

1. There is a difference between having fun and enjoying life

Few weeks ago, I emailed my Cebu-based best friend and got this
answer "maybe you're not having fun but you may be enjoying your
life". He reminded me how he felt the first time he arrived at Iligan, no
friends, no gimik places (the usual things which gave him a lot of fun).
Knowing he will be there for a long time or maybe for good, he decided to enjoy
the simple things that the small city had to offer.

Years back (prior to my deep personal relationship with God), I would
fill my days with lots of activities. I would fill my weekends with case meetings. I would work, study, gimmick till I tire myself to death so I
would not come to realize that I was alone in Manila.

For the past weeks, I've gone over my previous thing which is to
fill my schedule with so many activities (e.g. ministry work,
business/sideline, gym classes, go to movies, gimmick) knowing if I did this I would have a lot of fun. Yes, sometimes I did but amidst all these, I still wondered
"Am I having fun?". I guess I forgot that having fun, having that
laughter do not mean I am enjoying life.


2. Dwelling on what we don't have will spoil the joys of the present

I've come across this line twice for the past month "let not your
longing slay the appetite of living". This applies to everything career, finances, relationships and even eating. Imagine yourself having a limited budget for Friday lunch. When you keep on thinking and craving for
"sugpo and crabs" rather than thanking God you still have that juicy 2-pc
KFC chicken, you might not finish even a piece of it.

Being involved in Kids Church and being around friends with cute
kids overwhelmed me weeks ago. Why? Because I really love kids, I love to
teach them, I love to hug them, I love to play with them and I even take
pictures of kid strangers. The thing is I don't have them yet since God is
still preparing my GG (or my Daniel ? that's the new term/name for a
future husband read Daniel 1:4) to be ready for such a responsibility
and commitment.

But then do I stop teaching and loving those kids? Never. What I can do
for now is to enjoy being their teacher, leader and tita.


3. When its settled, its settled

My two longtime roommates had the shock of their lives when they
finally heard me say about an ex-boyfriend to my new roomie "I was only in love
with the idea of him". I guess when you have finally settled in your
heart what you deserve and what you want, you will not settle for anything
less.

To Have and To Hold

**This poem came from a book I'm currently reading. To my male friends, this may be a useful guide in defining what/who you want to pursue. To my women friends, let us work towards being this kind of a woman. :-)**

Her love was like an island
In life’s ocean, vast and wide,
A peaceful, quiet shelter
From the wind, and rain, and tide.

‘Twas bound on the north by hope
By patience on the west,
By tender counsel on the south
And on the east, by rest

Above it, like a beacon light,
Shone faith and truth and prayer;
And through the changing scenes of life
I found a haven there

Quiet Birthday

Contrary to last year's "funfare" birthday party, I decided to celebrate my birthday with some of my special friends (from UP) at Subic. I wanted to celebrate it quietly but realizing we were with their cute kids (Jared, Sasha, Rorie), it was not quiet after all.

Sasha has grown up faster than I thought and she was playing "ghost" with Rorie (the "roaring lion"). We were shocked to hear Rorie's "lion" roar the first time Sasha was doing that scary "zombie attack". Jared is now more of a kuya to them, leading them to run around the house. We missed Andrea, Andrew and Luis this time.

The rainy Saturday prevented us from hitting the beach so we just bought food supplies and nestled in that cozy staff house which we rented.

Evening came and the "adults" decided to check out Subic's nightlife, ending up in Pier One. The music was good, the conversation was fine (unraveling our guest's lovelife) and the night was cold. What else would be the best closing act than sing with the band. I thought of just singing "Love Moves in Mysterious Ways" (already my 2nd time) to kind of redeem myself from a "slight embarrassment" during one of those "Private Conversations" c/o Boy Abunda hehehe.

Finally the sun came shining that Sunday morning and we were able to ride those “GO KARTS”. All of us adults rented one kart, even Jared, Sasha and Rorie were with us (naka-kalong lang naman sa mga parents nila). Funny thing is Rorie even fell asleep during those 10 laps hehe. Twas a very good experience for me, there were na gusto ko na lang humarurot, nonetheless, my “safe side” always told me to step on the brakes. Safe driver ba?

There were a few special people I missed during that day, my parents, my brother and sister-in-law, my pamangkins, Carol, Natz, Jas, and other close friends. However, I knew their love and prayers are with me.

Videoke Birthday Party

Last July 7, the 3009 "sorority" condo girls gathered to help me blow that "oh so so delicious" strawberry chocolate mouse cake. Out of the 16 members(residents and used-to-be residents) of 3009 unit, around 9 or 10 at any point in time, were singing and dancing our hearts away. We almost welcomed those two security guards (who were making those regular rounds) who knocked at our door to request us to tone down our singing and voices a bit.

Unforgettable songs were rendered by CheQ (Britney's I’m a Salve for You), Jaja (the famous Aegis song "Basang-Basa sa Ulan"), and Olive (the demure version of the famous Aegis song "Basang-Basa sa Ulan").

I realized the condo houses women who are beautiful, smart, talented and fun (naks, nagbuhat ng bangko!!) Recently, Isang described the atmosphere at home, as "everyday like Christmas". And yes it is.

Although I have not had the chance to be develop a very deep relationship with all of them, I know that these women care about me and care for every woman in the house. These women are special to me in various degrees.
But one thing I know is for sure, I will always remember those videoke parties!!

Kids Theraphy

When you have lived almost half of your life being independent, away from your family, sometimes our tendencies is to become self-absorbed, its “I, me, myself” mentality. The worst thing that happens is to live each day having those “I feel, I think, I doubt and etc.” mode.

Just two weekends ago, I went into this mode of self-absorption again. But thank God for His grace, I was able to pull myself out of it. I had my Kids Small Group at 3PM and at about 3:20 PM we were done with the lesson. One of the kids, Celine, blurted out, “ang igsi ng small group natin ngayon ah”. Then I suddenly snapped out of it. Gosh, I was so ashamed of my kids. They excitedly attended the small group and there I was, having my thoughts lingering at space.

Before entering the 7PM Kids Church where we were scheduled to teach, I asked God to give me a refreshed spirit. Of course, I did not want to be in front of the kids looking pale. Then a fresh spirit came by, I felt energetic and more joyful.

Also, thanks to the newly renovated KC room. We were surprised with a pastel-striped colored room and my spirits (along with other volunteer teachers) were lifted high. During our usual after KC wrap-up session, the other teachers shared some awesome answered prayers or victory reports. As for me, I just told my group, the new KC room gave me a nice breather.

The Giver

Last year, I have written about “The GIFT”, most friends call it “God’s Will” and others “GG – standing for God’s Gift”.

When I was 16 years old, I had great plans for my life. I would go to the best university (UP), finish college on time, start working at 21 years old, get married to my first boyfriend on my 26th birthday ( to celebrate our 10th year anniversary), raise beautiful and bright kids and live happily throughout my entire lifetime.
Years after my 16th birthday, I assessed my life and discovered that plans have not gone as I have mapped them out. This is not to say though that I am not happy and contented with it because I am still amazed how my life turned out. The bumpy but exciting walk with God, career adventure and relationships. I finished undergrad and post graduate studies before I hit my 28th birthday, I’ve also undergone several heartbreaks, stayed and transferred from one dorm/apartment (13 in all since freshman days), parted ways with my two bestfriends and some of my closest friends as they seek greener pastures, go through a shutdown of my old company and collected several colors of gowns from weddings.

However, for the past two months, I have cried my heart out to God “What am I gonna do next?”. For women, it seemed natural for us to think that our ultimate destination is family life and to date, this stage has not come for me. Suddenly, I did not know what to do next..

Then, I was reminded of the scripture passage …. “As for God, His way is perfect”. Need I say, rant or ask some more? The Giver knows when to give the perfect surprise..

A Trip to Kota Kinabalo

Thanks to the economy and no-frill AirAsia, I and my MBA friends and my roommate Olive were able to spend a relaxing and blissful short vacation to Kota Kinabalo.


The City of Kota Kinabalo is located at Sabah, Borneo (Malaysia) and home of the highest mountain in Southeast Asia.

Day 1

Our day started with a one-hour road trip to Clark. We were surprised to see a lot of passengers, mostly OFWs going to Malaysia, Brunei, etc. Since the flight is free sitting, there was some kind of an “amazing race”. As some passengers wanted to grab the best seats (front seats for that matter), they were running from the gate to the plane. Kaya kami takbo rin!

Heavy rains welcomed us at KK. We had to stay at the plane for about 20 minutes to wait for the rains to fade a bit. Big red umbrellas from the airport came in handy, though, our shoes and sandals still soaked wet.

The Executive Suite at Kota Kinabalo Daya Hotel was neat and was big enough for the seven of us. After settling for an hour, the rains have stopped, the clouds have cleared and the afternoon sun came out.


We marveled at the simplicity of the city. As I stood on a block, I turned to my right and had the bay (with Swordfish) view and on the left mountainous area with thick trees. We happily took our pictures, walked further to check out their “handycraft market” and finally reached Centerpoint Mall. For us girls, the mall was in our itinerary for us to be able to buy VNC shoes (costing half of Philippine price).

SEDCO (likened to our Dampa here in Manila) was our final stop. The barbecued stingray was great, buttered and chili prawns, clams and the famous chili crabs. One of our friends, Davey, unbelievably stormed the crabs (meaning, parang dinaanan ng bagyo).

Day 2

The sunny day was perfect for our island hopping. The 15-minute walk to the port was able to jumpstart us for the day.

Roy (armed with his research) and his wife Lara was able to get a good bargain for a boat trip to the 3 Islands. We were with Daniel (a German guy), Daniel (Malaysian Guy), Miranda (Malaysian) and two Koreans. Nuel, was our boat guide, incidentally a Filipino.

1st stop – SAPI ISLAND

Clear blue waters greeted us at SAPI Island. As we headed off to the beach for snorkling, we were amazed that even at ankle deep, we can already see those fishes.

I was so happy that I was able to overcome my fear of water (two years back I couldn’t relax at the waters even with a life vest), thanks to my 1st session of swimming lessons. We happily swam with the fishes, big and small, and we were able to see three cousins of NEMO.

2nd stop – MAMUTIK ISLAND

Lunch was great under the trees at this island. It had a short shoreline but had fine sand (but not as white) like that of Boracay. As the available water sports were costly (banana boat cost RM25/person – around P450), we opted to stay at the waters and relax (this meant eating my M&Ms).

3rd stop – MANUKAN ISLAND

Approaching Manukan Island was exhilarating. The cream sand contrasted the dark green trees which lined up at the shore. However, Manukan did not have as much variety of fish underwater and no corals to display.

We all took a freshening bath up at the hotel and headed to the famous Ocean View Seafood Village. Roy and Davey were salivating, seeing those live but pricey lobsters. We ended up having prawns, asparagus and maya-maya.

After dinner, I had this “laughing trip”, an unstoppable laugh c/o Mayette, our comic relief (sorry for the lack of term). Every word she blurts out was funny to me and I was laughing (sumakit na tiyan ko) for almost 15 minutes.

Day 3

Our 3rd day was spent in the up-country, more so like our Baguio.

The two hour trip to Poring Hot Spring gave us the chance to recharge. We were welcomed with a sweet harmony of chirping birds, sound of crickets and splash of stream waters to those big rocks underneath the bridge walk entrance.

We passed by the pools of hot springs to assuage our curiosity. We also saw Japanese-type clusters where a group of four can actually dip their legs to enjoy the soothing effect of hot spring.

Next stop is the Canopy Walk, which required a 20 minute hike up the mountains. Each person cost MR15/person (roughly P240/person) and each digicam or videocam one brings up/uses has the same entrance fee. Sa pagtitipid namin, we decided to just use the artistry and digicam of Olive.

Hiking up was so much fun (thanks to my regular 30-minute cardio workout prior to the trip) dahil sa alaskahan! Arriving uphill, there was a line for the 3 canopy walks (hanging bridge). One can get scared at first but all of us got the hang of it, plus, Olive was able to take our pics. Mayette even displayed her “look Ma no hands” to us. Lara, who was excited for the canopy walk, apparently enjoyed it differently. Roy, her husband, had to let her rush during the last leg as two big Caucasians were behind them.

After the hike, we were able to meet Tina Kalaw-Medina (of Philippine’s Tourism TV Segment, TRAVEL TIME) and some of her friends. Roy was looking out for camera’s (dahil baka nga naman may shooting sya at ma-extra pa kami). Sad to say, she was just on a vacation. We made some chit chat with her upon learning that we were a bunch of Filipino friends traveling together. She encouraged us to try Cagayan de Oro’s canopy walk as well as climb Mt. Pulag. (We told ourselves to explore the Philippines next time).

We had lunch at Kinabalo Park (similar to Baguio Country Club) and just lazed around until the afternoon.

A good recap to our tiring day was a good and cheap meal at Ang’s Kedai Kopi (beside our hotel). We had the cheapest but good-tasting Chinese meal, though it was the most stressful for Mayette. The Chinese owner berated our friend when she was trying to request a “not so spicy” flavor for our spicy prawn order.

Day 4

The Gaya weekend market was our last stop. The market strip was enlivened with a lot of tourists and interesting things, from food, pets and decoratives.

************************************************************************
At the airport, I discovered that I did not have my Departure Card. My friends were kinda nervous for me (and I too!). The airport employee, though seriously asked why I did not have it, was kind enough to let me fly back home to Manila. Akala ko, maiiwan na ako sa KK!


************************************************************************
The trip was a very nice breather for me. I was able to marvel at God’s creation as the plane danced with the clouds, as I swam with the fishes in the sea, as I marveled at the ferns and trees that lined up Kota Kinabalo City.

A Boy

At our condo lobby last Easter Sunday, I overheard a mom, a young boy and a lolo talking about the death of an uncle due to lung cancer. The boy kept asking questions about what led to such and his lolo mentioned that smoking was the culprit. I can’t help but smile upon hearing the boy, at his young age, saying “When I am grown up, I won’t smoke”.

Upon entering the elevator, the boy also popped this question to his mom, “Will daddy die?”. His dad apparently is a smoker. The mom, a bit embarrassed with the boy’s question, told him that daddy will not die if their family persuades him to stop smoking. The boy further inquired why his dad smokes, his mom plainly answered “It is a habit that is hard to break”.

Looking back, I am happy that my dad decided to quit smoking when I was 5 years old. According to him, some relatives and friends, it really is hard to break such habit. Nonetheless, with determination and willpower my dad was able overcome it.

Incidentally, one of my roommate’s dad passed away during the Easter break due to anneurism. She sent us this email, which I feel is worth putting on this blog.

I would just like to impart lessons learned in this "journey":

1. Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't, and believe that everything happened for a reason.

2. Know a good thing when you see it and don’t let it slip away. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it would be easy, they just said it would be worth it.

3. STOP SMOKING - promise all illnesses are linked to smoking (heart,liver,lungs, etc). yun mga doctors ng dad ko lagi factor yan smoking kasi may dad was not sick. apparently, smoking thickens the blood and makes our blood vessels thinner. kahit na 2nd hand smoke lang.

Holy Week with Kyle

During this year's Holy Week, I decided to take a trip with Kuya Ralph and Donna to their future abode in Los Banos. We were welcomed with fresh air, cold breeze (even at 2pm in the afternoon)and warm smiles of Kuya's best friend (since UPLB days)and family.

It was my 2nd time to meet Kyle, Kuya and Donna's ring bearer. They always told me how this cute 4-year old boy acts and talks like an adult.

It took the whole afternoon for him to warm up to me, just nodding and answering my questions with one or two words the whole time.I never thought the trip to the grocery would loosen him up with my presence. It took a bag of marshmallow for us to finally talk, take a picture together and even watch the TV by my side last Maundy Thursday night.

I could never forget one story his lola shared about him. One day after school, he came home asking, "Lola, ano po 'yung madamot?". He was apparently called "madamot" when Kyle did not oblige to his classmate's violent prodding to take his toy car.

Being an adult, I have somehow forgotten that years ago, we were just like this little boy, naive and innocent about so many things. It made me more careful of the things we say, do, teach and show to these kids.

Happy Birthday JC!

After texting some friends, reminding them to drop a word of greeting and encouragement for my dear friend, I had my biggest laugh for the day. I even got the attention of those around me, while laughing and looking at my cellphone.

Brix, a co-Kids Church Teacher from VCF, texted back, “Sino si JC? Bonin?”. JC is short for name for a girl, a very close friend of mine and spiritual partner. I instantly called JC and told her about it and were laughing our hearts out. A good way to start your birthday JC, right?

My Time in Between

I read a very nice article from one of my daily dose of egroups mail, short articles by Ron Hutchcraft’s (I think he is a Pastor). He happily recalled, how (as a kid who would travel with his dad on business trips) actually found those two to five-hour flights exciting.

“ For me, that time in between my two important places isn't just headphones, movies, plastic lunches, or reading about life jackets. In fact, there's no phone calls, no interruptions. It's some of my best time to write, create, prepare.” - Ron Hutchcraft

During my first few business trips, I dreaded the time I spent at the airport and also at the plane. Since it was a “business trip”, I always saw to it whatever I did at the airport was work-related (i.e., browsing over my notes, looking at my spreadsheets). Its like penalizing and overwhelming myself over the day’s and week’s load of work and meetings at Bangkok.

Now, I have taken a fresher way to spend my time, not just doing work stuff, but also writing my thoughts, reading a good book, looking at soft copies of pictures and taking time to text my love ones.

Lastly, I'd like to share how Ron Hutchcraft related this time in between to life itself.

“ "Maybe you're in one of life's "in between" times right now, sort of
cruising until the next main event. You're between jobs, waiting to get into college or back into college, maybe you're in retirement and waiting for something to happen. You're single, sort of killing time until Mr. or Miss Right comes along, waiting for God's will to clarify or for some door to open. Maybe your health or your finances have you "in between" right now. It could be that you feel like you're in between two important things so you're just meeting the minimums."

“ "God is trying to say, "Where you are right now is important!" He wants you to give 100% to this assignment from Him. And in the course of capturing where you are, God will show you where He wants you to be in the future."

In Like

Just browsed through my files and I thought of borrowing this article from my good friend Marco (who I haven't seen lately hehe). This was posted in his friendster blog and I thought of sharing these to my office girlfriends.

in-like:definition,example and usage
[just heard this lately, you might wanna use it]

in-like
(1) definition:
ur state of being when you like somebody
(2) nearest example:
u r in love, when you love somebody
(3) usage:
u say "im in-like with you" pag malapit ka nang ma-inlove o kaya hindi mo pa masabi na "im in-love with you" o kaya ayaw mong bumigay o kaya ayaw mo pang bumigay o kaya ayaw mo lang talagang aminin
(4) manifestations:
langing nag-bubuntong hininga, day dreaming, nauutal pag kasama cya, gumagamit ka ng code name para sa kanya pag kinekwento mo sya sa frends mo, favorite mo na ulit ang true faith, nabawasan ang pagkabolero mo, nahirapan ka nang magsinungaling sa kanya, gusto mo lang tumitig sa mata nya, nawiwindang ka sa perfume+body odor nya, yung iba - bigla na lang bumubigay ang tuhod, wala ka nang maisip kundi magkape kasama cya hehehehe

ayan! dagdagan nyo pa!!!!

My friend aptly described that "giddy, teenagy feeling" we have when we like someone else. But pardon me, most women and men,"not girls and boys" would enjoy to be in that state only for a while. Because after a while, realities would set it and the question whether to bring it to a higher level would be unevitable.

Meanwhile, a new acronym was coined --"BR"-- describing that stage of getting to know the person you like. BR- stands for building relationship. This one is not the typical one-on-one dating.

Love Song for God

"I Bless Your Name"

Somewhere in between my going on and giving up
My voice comes to You
Somewhere in between my pressing in and pulling out
My eyes look to You

Coz I know
Times of refreshing come from Your presence
I taste the bread that brings me life

I bless Your name
I press into Your presence
My soul’s first desire is to know who You are
I say Your name
My life’s very essence
My soul’s first desire is to know You
To know You

Somewhere in between my stepping up and stepping down
My arms lean to You
Somewhere in between my turning back or my turning around
My heart turns to You

3009 Wonderland Updates – The Wonder Room

ANYONE WANTS TO GO ABROAD?

This is a good “come on” as we post another vacancy for the small room we have at our condo. From the time, the 3009 original “diwatas” rented the condo way back 2001, at least five girls have left the small room and gone/going abroad and pursued better opportunities. Joyce left for Singapore, Agot for the US, Chey for her MBA, Ketchup for Australia, Jess for Guam (although she’s from the big room) and now the diwata – Tere is going to Dubai.

Now, the small room is now up for grabs to those who want to explore opportunities abroad. Ako kaya lumipat dun?

Comfort Room Talks – Learning from Biking and Love

At the office, women normally have their “kamustahans”, hi’s and hello’s at the comfort room. Last Friday afternoon, I had a chat with one of my officemates, also my badmintonmate, about her kids and summer. We all know kids nowadays attend to a lot of summer classes such as ballet, taekwondo, music, theater workshop, speech power (I think that was during my time) and camps. We recalled how simple life was when we were kids and somehow got very excited talking about our time as kids…how we played “siatong”, “patintero”, “tumbang preso”, “bahay-bahayan” and the like.

One thing I recalled was that I learned how to bike on a summer vacation when I was 10. My previous boss, who was listening to our conversation, joined and told us she also learned how to bike around that age. I quickly asked if the old adage is true about learning how to bike that “pag natumba at nasugatan ka na, siguradong matututo ka na at marunong ka ng mag-bisikleta”. My boss quickly answered, “totoo ‘yan, gaya sa pag-ibig!”. What a very good analogy ;)

Kids Church Tales - March

Our team was excited to teach at Kids'Church last Sunday knowing that our backdrop, theme, skit and costumes are related to "The Chronicles of Narnia". With the lack of guys for the that week, we had to replace Peter as the character and instead use Susan...so there was another challenging acting (again) for me.

One American girl entered the room. We had some welcome hugs and learned that she can not understand a bit of Filipino word...so there goes our team adlib's (that means no tagalog adlibs to enliven the skit). "Krystal", the little girl, however, told me, that aside from English she could speak and understand a little "Spanish",we were then smiling at her, since we also don't know much of Spanish words.

Our "pass the message game" did not turn out a hit. Although the message were Bible verses, the kids still have a hard time memorizing the message to pass to their teammates. We even had to replace Krystal from the game as she shyly came to me, whispering that she can't memorize long messages.

Our skit was still a hit, with Aslan wearing the lion costume. It had no eye holes(for the guy who will wear the costume) and no nose holes (for him to breath). Good thing, my teammate Cris was smart enough to just put it over his head and just kneeling in one place. Our Admin told us, in one team, a guy wore the Aslan costume. Since he could not see what was going on or at least see where the characters were, Aslan kept on talking to nothing but air because the other casts already exited.

Nonetheless, all is well in the Kingdom of Narnia, the kids were amazed with the set, with the skit (lumabas lahat ang English accent namin ;).

How our Ligpo Snorkling Taught me What True Friendship Means

****This article was written May 2005***********************************************

This year's Ligpo snorkling adventure with the beautiful 3009 girls taught me what true friendship means.

We excitedly wrapped those orange vests and jumped our way to the waters. Realizing the depth of the water, the usual "panicky me" found myself not moving along with the girls. I went back to the bamboo shaft telling myself " It's okay, you've seen those fishes and Corals at Galera"...but one part of me couldn't agree..."It's a different underwater world there...you could see Nemo"...
Shortly, one of my girl friends was treading towards me...She instructed me to get another orange vest...tie the vest on my waist which I could hold on to when I get off-balanced...After two trials, she led me to the deep waters, instructed me how to use my hands and move my feet so I could move forward...
I had the best time in the waters and stayed there for two hours... saw Nemo.... saw the Corals and had my underwater picture taken..
God brings us friends...
1) who encourage us to see and appreciate the beauty that they see
2) who give guidance when we walk through unsteady path
3) who rejoice with our victories and triumphs

The Secret of My Joy

****This article was written June 2005, Just had to nmake another blog, which is outside of Friendster system**************************************************

A book I'm currently reading quoted "Confidence brings joy when we focus our attention to things which we are thankful for. Confidence brings joy when we let God be God".
Now I realize the source of my joy...why I can flash wide smiles to people despite the stresses of work, why I have the strength with only a max of 5-hour sleep, why I can crack those jokes in the midst of projects, why I burst into songs and why I could go on and on.....
We can become joyful with what we presently have...when what we can afford is just a sundae Mcdo when we are craving for a Haagen Dazs...when what we use is just a Nokia 5510 when we are wanting a Sony Ericsson P901i...when we have to jump to our feet to fit into our 3-year old jeans when we are wanting a new pair of Guess jeans with a waistline of 24....when we have to take the FX, the bus or jeepney when we are wanting to have our own Honda CRV..when we have to live our single lives when we are dreaming of picnicking with "God's best" in Tagaytay...
We become joyful when we start smelling the flowers around us, when we start admiring how the clouds form different animal shapes, when we start marvelling at the stars. Life is less complicated and more joyful when we face our current music...Life is more joyful when we let God be God...because He has made everything beautiful in its own time...

KIDS' TALES

I have been teaching kids at Sunday school at our church for the past three years. Although it sometimes eats up my weekends, which is supposedly rest days for a hard week’s work, I wouldn’t trade the experience. I love hugging them, I love dancing with them, I love playing games with the, I love how they relate with God’s love, and I love seeing so much joy in their eyes. I have learned so much from them and below are my favorite experiences:
TITLE: KIDS GROW
1st Year of Teaching: Pre-school, ages 3 to 4 years old
I saw 3-year old Brix with her mom on my 1st few occasions of teaching. He would not let go of her mom’s skirt during the entire class. He would just sit down and see the kids play games, run, sing and dance.
After a few months, his mom was already outside the room, just peeping through the small glass portion of the classroom door. There would be occasions when Brix would cry, realizing that his mom is not in the room.
A few months more, his mom was already attending the church service. And Brix…he could no longer be stopped jumping, singing, dancing, playing games with his kids church classmates.

TITLE: KIDS TELL THE TRUTH
2nd Year of Teaching: Junior Kids , ages 5 to 6 years old
One Sunday morning, we were serving the usual choco chip delights to the kids for their snack break. Realizing that I myself was hungry, I told my co-teachers to get their own choco chip so we can fill our half-empty stomachs.
Upon hearing me, one boy said ” Teacher, don’t eat na lang”. I answered, “Why do you say so, mataba ba kaming teachers?”
One of the girls named Care, sweetly and smilingly said “Teacher, medyo, pero maganda naman kayo…”

TITLE: KIDS INSPIRE
3nd Year of Teaching: Junior Kids , ages7 to 12 years old
Celine, daughter of a friend in church, was one of our students. She always flashed a big smile while in the class. One Sunday, while waiting for her mom, she showed me her homemade notebook. It was a 5-page folded bond paper. She drew a spiral at the edge and wrote
Sterling
Notebook. At the back, there was a drawing of a pretty girl, wearing address, holding a bag and had braces on her teeth.
She asked me “teacher, gusto mo sa ‘yo na tong notebook”. Nag oo ako agad…Before she gave it to me, she opened the second page and there she wrote at the notebook’s blanks:
This Notebook Belongs To: TEACHER ELLINE
From: CELINE

THE GIFT

3 days before Christmas
…a big gift sat below the Christmas tree
…I couldn’t wait to open it
…Mom would persuade me to wait for Christmas eve
…I find myself asking her, is this the one I like?,
....the one you promised to buy for me?
…may I open it? Just a peek? Please?
…I guess most of us have experienced this as a child
Few weeks before my nth birthday, I found myself in the same stage. During my daily talk with God, He has promised me “a Gift”. For all women, we know what it is…yes! I’m talking about God’s best (man) for our lives.
God has promised that he will come and He will not delay. God has promised that He will do what is pleasing in His eyes. I got so excited. I presented him my list (just like our list and description of what we requested from Mom and Dad for our Christmas gifts).
With this promise, I kept on asking God, “Kelan Lord?..Does he look like this? Does he laugh like that? Is he good at this sport? Will he make me laugh? “ And on and on I asked Him.
I was anxious like the child I was.
It was only few weeks ago that I realized how I have not fully trusted God about “the gift”. Remembering my mom and dad, when I would describe to them what I want for Christmas, they would always get something more than whatever I imagined. For that matter, the more that I have to trust God. He knows me completely and He knows what’s best for me..so He knows who to pick and when to unravel the gift right in front of my eyes. I trust that He will give me more that I ever imagined if I just wait on Him.

Friends & Lovers for Life

Last June 29 was the 36th wedding anniversary of my parents. As I was talking to my dad over the phone regarding what surprise she gave my mom, I could hear my mom laughing and teasing him about the flowers he just gathered from the garden. Then I asked my mom a funny question, "Do you always laugh together?". My mom said they have rekindled fun now that they are alone without us...their kids (who are all grown up).
I've seen an old couple holding hands at Bangkok airport who seem to have just gone from their nth honeymoon due to their sparkling eyes and smiles. On a Friday night at Galleria, I saw another old couple who sat beside me. One thing I noticed is that they are just happy sitting, talking while waiting for their children and grandchildren. Sobra akong naaliw sa kanila that I even took a picture of them.
What am I trying to drive at here...well, its high time we put premium to our families or future families. When we settle for the sake of settling and not waiting for the best that God has prepared for us, we might not age gracefully like my mom and like the two lolas I saw.

Time for Silence

At this day and age, everything goes by fast.

I always look forward to the time I wake up and look at the mirror. It's the only time, I am silent, I am quiet before God.

When everything is in a rush, when the noise around you is deafening, when the echoes of the past continue to hound you, I just need time for silence. Five, three or even one minute, just listening to Him..no rush..just a simple sigh to my Father..just a time for silence and time to listen....

..then I can go on with the hustles and bustles of the world.

Pasaway

Just recently, my officemate had to rush her 3-year old daughter to Medical City's ER to take out a bracelet bead from her nose. My officemate relayed she was shocked to see how big the bead was (about 1/2 inch in diameter) for cute daughter to force it to her nose.
Other mommies in the office had their own tale to tell regarding those experiences their kids went through during their pre-school years. Kids normally stick their fingers on sockets, electric fans, swallow toys, jump from beds and etc...Mommies would go watch their kids every minute, saying "Don't touch this, don't swallow that" but kids would just go on simply because they are just kids..
But who would agree with me that even us adults act like these pre-school kids, only to a different degree of "kapasawayan".
• At times we already know we are going to burn badly, e sige pa rin tayo
• Sometimes we don't know just where to land and might have a bad fall, hala sige sugod pa rin
• Oftentimes we already know the consequences as advised by our parents, mentors, friends and even God, sige subok pa rin
Well, we were born that way, most of us learn from past hurts, mistakes and experiences (saying to ourselves we won't do it again!).
I was "pasaway" before...a good friend loved to call me that. Nonetheless, I am glad that I don't have to be a "pasaway" anymore in order to learn, to mature and live a life I have been wanting. I just have to look up to HIM, my greatest teacher and adviser, warning and gearing me up to overcome those traps and bumps of life.

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"What shall we do for our sister for the day she is spoken for?"
If she is a wall, we will build towers of silver on her.
If she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar"
- ( Song of Songs 8:8-9)
Interesting verse from the Bible...I ponder on it and it deals with me. No tower and door could protect me...just my God who truly knows my heart.

THAILAND MEMOIRS: 1,000 WINEGLASS CHANDELIER

In a restaurant/bar, I saw the most magnificent and most artistic chandelier (for the lack of any better term)hanging on the ceiling...a light made of branch-like steel holding 1,000 WineGlasses with various shapes.
What fascinated me was the light focusing on the chandelier. Each time, I would look up and enjoy the different colors reflecting through the glasses...blue...violet...yellow...pink...orange...each color, different emotions wrapped through me.
I am like that wineglass chandelier...I was made magnificently by God. Yet He allows me to go through different hues...different seasons of my life...Without these different lights, my life would not be this amazing!

Thailand Memoirs: BILLBOARDS

I am so fascinated by the M&M billboard which I see at the back of Megamall every morning on my way to work. “Yellow M&M” with a tough _expression and wearing a black costume stands beside Darth Vader. My enthrallment of billboards started during my 1st few visits to Thailand. I travel 30-45 minutes every morning to work. With the magnificent sky highways of Thailand that stretches about 20 to 30 kms, huge billboards hang left and right. Having such simple joy (in short, mababaw ang kaligayahan), I have taken a picture of my favorite billboard with my cellphone.
Three of My Favorite billboards are:
1) A 3-dimension Snorkling Scene, with a woman and a blue cartoon character with
snorkeling gear (very cute billboard!)
2) A series of True Together miniboards(a Telecom Services Company like our PLDT) billboards featuring the ff:
a. Mommy pig with 8 piglets
b. A close up of a new born baby with the faces of Mom & Dad
c. Backview of a thin small boy with a big healthy boy sited beside each other, facing a pool
d. A woman walking her dog

3) A simple billboard – showcasing FAMILY brand of VCD and DVD (what caught my attention is it spelled out FAMILY as Father And Mother, I Love You! Though I found it so corny at first, it hasn’t left my list of must-see billboards every morning!
Be it simple or grand, a billboard though just a marketing tool, appeals to people in different ways. Those billboards appeal to me and they make me smile.