2009 is but a History.

I am not going to make a list of what I want to accomplish for the next 12 months, because I utterly dissent New year's resolutions, instead, I want to recapitulate what I have attained for the past 12 months of my life...The reason I tagged you is not for you to read this note, but just to wish you a Happy New Year! (but you can read it if you want!) :-)


REGRETS:

Each day of my life, as soon as I open my eyes in the morning, I believe that I can square away for a happy and successful day.(well-- I always tried.) It's the mood and the purpose at the inception of each day that are the important facts in charting my course for the day. I can always decent for a fresh start, no matter what the past has been. It's today that is the paramount problem --always.Yesterday is... but history.

We have to face regrets. Becoming mature means learning to accept what I cannot change, facing unresolved sorrows and learning to love life as it really happens, not as I would have it happen...

I truly believe that there's no better way to waste time in life than to dwell on the past. We should learn from the past with as much objectivity as possible, so that we can modify our future actions -- and then move on.

MISTAKES

I've never been afraid to admit when I've made a mistake. It nearly drives me nuts sometimes, making mistakes. I keep telling myself I should be perfect, but that isn't what we're here for. Perfection isn't an option for us; Nobody's perfect! We're here to learn and change, and that means making mistakes.

Many of us grow up thinking of mistakes as bad, viewing errors as evidence of fundamental incapacity. This negative thinking pattern can create a self-fulfilling prophecy, which undermines the learning process. To maximize our learning it is essential to ask: "How can we get the most from every mistake we make?" Remember--To continue learning is to embrace the process of trial and error at higher and higher levels...One mistake will never kill you, but the same mistake over "and over again"--will hurt you BIG TIME! :-(

THANKFUL

How easily we can forget how precious life is! So long as we can remember, we've just been here, being alive. Unlike other things for which we have a good comparison--black to white, day to night, good to bad, right to wrong--we are so immersed in life that we can see it only in the context of itself. We don't see life as , compared to anything, to not-being, for example, to never having been born.
But life itself is a gift. It's a compliment just being born: to feel, breathe, to express, think, play, dance, sing, work, make love, for this particular lifetime.
Today, let's give thanks for life. For life itself. For simply being born!

We must be thankful for what we have-- As what Confucius says-

"I was complaining that I had no shoes till I met a man who had no feet"

Sometimes we seem to forget to acknowledge the beauty of our surroundings, when we are forgetting those who cannot see at all...Gratitude is the memory of the heart; therefore forget not to say often, I have all I ever enjoyed...Remember- You get appreciation by giving it...

LIFE

For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin--real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be got through first, neverending housework, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. But one thing I have learned is that...

"What doesn't kill me makes me stronger...No life is so hard that you can't make it easier by the way you take it"

2010 This is the precious present, regardless of what yesterday was like, regardless of what tomorrow may bring. When our inner eyes open, we can actually find immense beauty hidden within the inconsequential details of daily life. When our inner ears open, we can hear the subtle, lovely music of the universe everywhere we go. When our heart opens, we can take deep pleasure in the company of the people around us--family, friends, acquaintances, or even strangers--including those whose characters are less than perfect, just as our character is less than perfect. When we are open to the beauty, enigma and grandeur of prevailing existence, you "get it" that it always has been beautiful, mysterious, and grand and always will be...

A NEW LIFE...

Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things even better.

It's not that some people have willpower and some don't. It's that some people are ready to change and others are not...Remember if you can't change the world, change your life, if you can't change your life...change your attitude...

Forget the New year's resolutions. Forget control and discipline...too much work. Instead try experimenting. Go in search of something to fall in love with...something about yourself perhaps, your career, or just life itself!!!

The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.




WISHING YOU ALL A FLOURISHING NEW YEAR!!!

Dried Fish...

Matapos kong maglinis, maglaba at nanood ng MTV at pinagpawisan ako sa kaka gaya kay Rhiana at sinabayan sa mga kantang pinasikat nya gaya ng “please don’t stop the music” at “umbrella”. Nakaramdam ako ng gutom. Kape at toast lang ang aking inalmusal bandang alas dies ng umaga pa yun. 1:20pm na pala, tumingin ako sa labas, maririnig mo ang malakas na hampas ng mga halaman, na para bang nakikisayaw sila sa tugtugin ng musikang aking pinakikingan. Malakas din ang ulan, na tilabagang napadpad si Ondoy dito sa UK.
Nagpunta ako sa kusina, at pinagsaing ko ang bunso kong anak. Wala akong mahalungkat na madaling kainin. Kailangan kong mag defrost ng karne, kung gusto kong magluto ng ulam? Anong uulamin namin?

Dito sa UK, kadalasan ang mag tao, isang beses isang araw lang sila kumakain, sandwich lang halos o minsan chichirya ang kanilang pampalipas gutom sa tanghali. Minsan prutas o kaya naman sabaw na nasa sachet.

Bilang isang tunay na pilipino, malakas paring sumisigaw sa aking puso, ang pagiging natural na pinoy. At sobrang hilig sa kanin. Dahil narin sa sakit namin sa pamilya (diabetis) medyo nagbawas na rin ako sa kanin, kaya ang sampong kilong bigas ay inaabot narin ng mahigit kumulang tatlong buwan, sa aming mag-anak.

Sa tindi ng pagod ko kanina, nakita ko sa ref ang nakabalot na tuyo na dala pa ng kaibigan kong galing Texas. “Hmmmn, pwede nato, sawsaw sa suka at bagoong.” masarap kainin pag ganitong malakas ang ulan. Maalala ko noong kabataan ko pa, madalas naming kainin ang tuyo katerno ng munggo (or balatung sa kapampangan) lalo na pag araw ng Biernes, siguro dala ng pagiging katoliko ni Inay, kaya kada Biernes, hindi kami nagkakarne, tradisyon na dinala naming magkakapatid, pero isang dahilan narin ng pagtitipid. Kaya kadalasan tuyo ulam namin.
Siempre pag bata ka, medyo hindi ganun kalawak ang pang intindi mo sa mga kapaligiran, hindi mo naiintindihan kumbakit, lagi kayong kumakain ng tuyo. Tuyo na matindi ang amoy, at kapag itoy inulam mo, tiyak, maghapon ang hininga mo at kamay ay nangangamoy tuyo. Bagay na kinaiinisan mo, para sa yo, sa murang isip, ang tuyo ay pagkain ng mahihirap, minsan sinisisi mo ang tuyo, kumbakit nag da dry ang balat mo. “dahil siguro madalas kaming kumain ng tuyo”
Kapag tinatanong ka ng mga kaibigan mo kung anong ulam niyo, nahihiya kang mag sabi na tuyo ang ulam niyo, kaya kadalasan gumagawa ka ng sarili mong ilusyon at sinasabi mo na ang ulam niyo ay HAM or “Pride chiken.”
Matapos kong lutuan ng pritong itlog ang mga anak ko, binigyan ko sila ng konting kanin sa kani kanilang plato, at pinakain sa salas, sabay utos na isara ang lahat ng mga pintuan sa silid, binuksan ko ang mga bintana sa kusina, pati narin ang pintuan sa may bandang utility room. Then nilabas ko ang frying pan, at nagprito ako ng tuyo, sinindi ko ang exhaust fan,sabay nagdasal na sana, wag maamoy ng mga kapitbahay ko.
Pagkaluto, gumawa ako ng sawsawan na suka at bagoong, sumandok ng kanin at nakadalawang plato ako, sarap na sarap ako sa tuyo, habang tinitiris ko ang ulo, sabay sawsaw sa suka, siempre pa nagkamay ako, at ang isang paa ko, nakataas pa sa may upuan, alangan namang gagamit kapa ng fork and knife, baka sisigaw ang tuyo ng “Hoy kamayan mo nga ako no?” so ayun, kada subo ko sa kanin, at tuyo, parang naalala ko bigla ang kabataan ko, na kada kumakain ako ng tuyo noon, iniisip ko na ham ang sinusubo ko instead na tuyo, pero ngayon, enjoy na enjoy ako sa tuyo.
Hinugasan ko kagad ang frying pan, at hinugasan din ang mga plato, naghugas ako ng kamay ng ilang beses. Heto hangga ngayon nangangamoy suka at tuyo parin ang aking kanang kamay. Pero isa lang ang masasabi ko…Huwag ikahiya ang tuyo, dahil darating ang araw, tuyo lang pala ang magpapaligaya sa yo.

Collection of very Short Poems.

Lies

"Once Truth revealed"
The trust is broken
My faith destroyed
and confidence shattered

realization confirmed

that life sucks
but healing begun
and heart renewed
one day for sure

I'll be loving again
------------------------------------------------------------
Used

Hoping
you won't
take advantage
so I gave you
another chance
after granting you
one chance
and another, before that
but you took advantage

now my heart is tired

my mind is confused
and my tears
stain the ground
----------------------------------------------------------------
Swindled

longing for
one feeling
veiled under your
evil lies
left with
only sorrow
seeking answers
torn from me
...but I'll find it again
---------------------------------------------------------------

A choice or a chance?

I got this e-mail from my friend this morning, I thought I'll share it here.


When we meet the right person to love when we're at the right place at the right time.
That's chance.
When you meet someone you're attracted to, that's not a choice.
That's chance.
Being caught up in a moment (and there's a lot of couples who get together because of this) is not a choice.
That's also a chance.
The difference is what happens afterward.
When will you take that infatuation, that crush, that mind-blowing attraction to the next level? That's when all sanity goes back, you sit down and contemplate whether you want to make this into a concrete relationship or just a fling.
If you decide to love a person, even with his faults, that's not a chance.
That's choice.
When you choose to be with a person, no matter how bad he/she treats you, that's choice.

Infatuation, crushes, attraction comes to us by chance.
But true love that lasts is truly a choice. A choice that we make.
Regarding soulmates, there's a beautiful movie quote that I believe is so true about this:

"Fate brings you together, but it's still up to you to make it happen."

I do believe that soulmates do exist.
That there is truly someone made for you.
But it's still up to you to make the choice if you're going to do something about it or not.
We may meet our soulmates by chance, but loving and staying with our soulmate is still a choice we have to make.

--------------------------

Then... came my reply:


“The most difficult phase of life is not when no one understands you… it is when you don’t understand yourself…”


I am still learning and trying to understand myself...
I dont want to cry anymore, but I can't help it.
Is that a choice?
I don't want to think of the person who made me cry...but he kept on popping in my mind.
Is that a choice?
I want to move on and start a new life.
But it's easier said than done.

I am hoping that One day, I will put a sign in my room that will help me maintain the right perspective concerning yesterday. It will simply say…

”Yesterday Ended last Night…”

So it will remind me that no matter how badly I might have failed in the past, it’s done and over and that someday I can make things better.

and that would be the best choice I could ever make.



PS:
I know too that God has given us two gifts:
one is a CHOICE and another is CHANCE.

Choice is to select a good one & Chance is to have the "Best One"

Shame I had the crappy one. :-(

Weak....

"The best thing about loving and being hurt is that you get to know what true love really is.
"For as gold is tested in fire, and so will love be perfected in pain."

Sometimes in life we encounter some difficulties, well----some sort of dilemmas, it's a lot easier to say what you want in life, but it's hard to stick with that choice, especially when your emotions is trying to control everything. You are in a situation where you're not sure which path to take.
You want to gamble at the same time you're scared to lose.


You are trying to be strong, pretending we can handle things.
But sometimes the best way to be strong is to admit that we are weak,
"that we can’t do everything on our own.
"When we are experiencing pain, don’t ignore the feelings...
It’s all right to cry and lift our concerns to the people we trust,
" because once the storm has passed, we will naturally emerge as a
"stronger and better person."

Holiday World, Costa Del SoL

We just arrived from a 2 week holiday in Spain, we stayed at the Holiday Village in Costa Del Sol (Benalmedina) I am quite impress with the facilities and the staff were all very friendly.


This is the family Jacuzzi at the Beach Club, I love this one, it's very relaxing and very quiet too. It's nice to go for a wee massage.

The wave pool at the beach club.

Mum and daughter's bonding

Trip to Gibraltar, about an hour and a half drive from Benalmedina, I enjoyed the close encounters with the apes, they were quite vicious, the have no sense of ownership, they love to steal food and they're everywhere, kids were a bit scared when one of the apes stole the American's tourist back pack, he opened the bag and took all the food inside. Things you don't see everyday eh?

The pirate ship, kids favourite, unfortunately it was broken while we were there.

This is the reception at Polynasia, the place is spectacular, the landscape and the rooms are very contemporary. I was also amazed with some of the facilities too, they have bowling alley, cinema and a lot more.





It was the best summer holiday so far, we had a fabulous time, I want to go back there again next year.

If you want to visit Spain, use First Choice, I really have no complain about it...They were very well organised. KUDOS!!!

I took hundreds of photos, but I wont bore you to death. I just wanna share these few pics.

Blogging...which site is the best?

Friendster, Bebo, Facebook, My Space, Multiply.com, Twitter, Classmates.com I don’t have all day to name them all. Aren't you getting fed-up sometimes when you’re getting all these invites from friends, colleagues, relatives etc.

“Hi a friend of yours wants to invite you to join Heritage.com or Friends Reunited"etc, to view her profile please click here and join” (No Thanks!) Sometimes I just delete them straight away and blocked them if I got another invites. Yeah I have to admit, I was excited at first, so everytime friends send me invites, I just join and sign up, I end up having My Space, Bebo, Facebook, Multiply.com, but now I have to unsubscribe to some of them, I’d stick with Friendster, the reason for that is, I got all my friends, family , former classmates and relatives here. I also got Facebook, but I am not really active there. I heard a lot of bad things about Friendster, but I don’t really care about the glittery designs, fancy music and all, I just really want to stay-in-touch with friends and family. I don’t want to join any social networking to find more friends? I already got some. I am not here to find a date, It's a No! No! for me.

Yeah, I blog a lot lately, but that doesn’t mean, I am on the net 24/7 and all I do is write blogs? Naaah-ahhh! I do have a life too… (Don’t I?—ofcourse I do-silly! ) well–for starter–I watch Zack and Cody and Wizard of Waverly Place on Disney Channel and I know all the characters from Animals Mechanicals, and don’t let me sing the song of the Mickey Mouse ClubHouse and Ben10 (because I know them by heart!.) ehrmmm, what do u expect? I work with children. (and yes! I even have a crush on Sportacus of Lazy Town) Lols ohh come’on!!! he’s mega fit! and kinda cute too; with 6 packs. (I call that life eh? ehmmm, its a very rewarding job though.)

Living abroad is tough, it’s not like in the Philippines that first thing in the morning you’ll hear your neighbours gossiping and chatting, that when you go out in your garden, me makakachika kanang kapitbahay mo at uupo na kayo sa hagdan para maghanap ng lisa at kuto! You don’t really see your neighbours here because they work full time. If you don’t find a hobby you’ll end up having a nervous breakdown or some sort of “Hormonal imbalances“ in other words, mababaliw ka. I don’t want to have an “idle time” para ma depress ako. SO I make sure I always up and doing something. (well-after I finished my chores of course) but cross stitch and knitting is not for me.

Why BLOG?
Blogging is my “stress reliever” people probably thought I am dishing out too much about my personal life. (Not really-akala niyo lang yun) but YES!I do share some of my life experience, but my purpose is maybe to help others to learn from my experiences. Life is too short to learn them all by yourself, so might as well learn it from others! (lols)

Earn money while blogging??? $$$
I also learned some interesting facts while I was browsing other people’s blog the other day, that someone could actually earn a lot of dough (like 5 figures!!!) from blogging. (Well-if ever I will earn a single penny for writing blog, I would consider it a bonus!) but NO! I only blog because I am bored, not because I want to be popular and rich? (ohhh, wait—yes! I wanna be rich…) but I don’t think writing these blogs will get me there. :-) I am a complete mediocre-or lower than that!

Hmmnn-so you think I am being too hard on myself?
I am just being honest! First I don’t have suitable knowledge on how to write properly, not to mention my ENGLISH! and some grammatical errors, my punctuation and spelling sucks, and I have a little knowledge about similes and metaphors. I still don’t know how to do those “magnetic headlines” to catch some readers.

Yes, I may receive some good feedbacks, motivating messages from friends and people I know, but I think they’re just being politically correct! There’s this person who send me a message and ask me to write all my blog in english, cos he's struggling to understand my other blog especially the one on Friendster, when I mix it with my mother tounge. E bat naman ako mag papaka nose bleed? for all I know, yung mga readers ko lang naman yung mga kabayan ko at kapamilya, not to mention the kapuso! Pero I find it flattering that there are also westeners reading my blog, but sorry guys! I am not that fluent in English. (Nose bleed) But anyways- kung madidiskubre man ako sa pag ba blog ko? Good! (though-I dont see that happening anytime soon or—not even in a million years!.) but I don’t plan on changing my career just now (What career?) friends even suggested that I should be a chef or a party organiser and even a stand-up comediene” (teka: hirap ata nun, maubusan pako ng english! ang siste mag sa sign language nalang ako?)

But I think- I should be in “Guinness book of World record” for being able to make a novel out of a single comment” (especially when I am defending myself) and that I could talk for an hour without breathing…Hahahahha!!!

I love blogging and I enjoy reading other people's blog too.

My summer check-list.

"Costa Del Sol here I come!"

1st of June...4 weeks more to go and School is finish. 4 weeks to go and I am away to Spain. (yeeehhhaaaa!!) but I only got 4 weeks to learn few phrases from espanyol. Dora the Explorer has been a tremendous help with my "spanish knowledge" but apart from "Hola-Buenos dias" I need to learn enough to get me about and not get lost, know the lingo for shopping, have a meal without indigestion, even meet and greet the locals. I borrowed this DVD from the library, and I think if I listen to it everyday, I will learn a lot, like una botella vino la casa por favor! hehehe, I know serbesa is beer, it's like our filipino language. It would be a lot easier for me, compared with my french. I was completely lost when I was in Paris, all I could say was " oui! non, bonjour-merci " it's pathetic... :-) but majority of the locals speak english, (that's a bonus.)

I went to the shop last week and managed to get myself some summer outfit, I was... uhmmmm having a second thought whether I should wear a bikini, but I don't think I have the guts...I think I'd stick with one piece. :-) I need some serious diet if ever I'll consider it.

I got plenty of sunscreen, ohhh I still need to get some mosquito repellant, as I heared mossies are pretty bad there especially at night time close to "La playa"

I need to get myself into gear, as I got a lot on my plate this June, MUST finished my Tax return and update my spreadsheets, maybe alter a few of my policies for my business, as I am due for my annual visit from the Care Commission this month. I'm dreading that moment.

Oh well...summer is here, I wish I could get a decent sleep this week, my hayfever is killing me, phoned up the doctor today, and managed to get myself an appointment for Thursday.

Howabout you guys? Any plans for the summer holidays?

Summer is here (I hope...)

"Holiday in Jeddah"

It's a lovely day outside, about 24C, this is perfect infact- a blissful weather for majority of the locals here. I am begining to appreciate the sun a lot better lately, compared to when I used to live in the middle east. I moan about the humidity and the hot summer which sometimes goes up to 50C.

Having this lovely weather is no good for me either, due to my terrible hayfever, the pollen count is high and I have no choice but to hibernate inside the house. I do love to sunbathe, but I struggled with my breathing last night after staying outside the back garden all day. "Asthma alert!" I forgot to get my inhaler. I need to book for a doctor's appointment tommorow.

I went to the supermarket yesterday to get some BBQ stuff, we decided to have a barbie, since the weather is lovely, I made some lamb kebabs, pork teriyaki and some chicken curried kebabs. When I was at the supermarket, I was amazed by the amount of people panic buying of food and alcohol, I think 50% of the Brits probably had some BBQ yesterday, the parking lot was mobbed and the queue at the till is horrendous. Asda Supermarket is not capable of this event, there's hardly any meat left on the shelves, and jeezzwhiz, there's no icelollies left and no bread rolls. Ridiculous!!! They should be more prepared next time...

Oh well, It's 1pm, I think I'd better finish my ironing, cos it's back to work tomorrow, I betcha the weather will go back to being miserable and wet again...I am not sure wether to put all my winter coats away and take out all my thongs and summer clothes...

I just hope it's a dry summer this time...

Defining marriage???

When you ask younger people (I meant teenagers) :-) about their definition of marriage. They will probably come up to these definitions...

"2 people inlove joining in a matrimony"
or girls would say- "White wedding??" -"fabulous dress, fantastic food.
and some naive people, would say "meeting your soulmate and spending the rest of your life with them"

I have been married for nearly 13 yrs now- and when someone asked me when I was a teenager-about my definition of "marriage" I remember saying- Oh that would be me in a few years time, when I meet my MR RIGHT! "yeah right!"

Is there such thing as Mr Right? naaahhhh-I dont think so. BUT honestly speaking, when I met my husband to be then, I thought he was my Mr Right! but yes- I am definitely right...He was RIGHT for marrying me, though I was the one who suffered the consequences afterwards. :-)

Now if you ask me what is marriage? I would say - Marriage is the most difficult carreer in the world. It's not all about finding the right person, it's about understanding and coping with this person for the rest of your life, it's all about partnership, learning how to compromise, it's not just a one way system. Sometimes marriage is full of lies and heartaches. I came from a family that is full of betrayals and infidelity. I kept on asking myself when I was young why men lies...why men promised to love one person for the rest of their life but ended up sleeping with somebody else.

Recently- I asked a male friend why they lie????and he answered, "because it was in the bible".

yeah right? are you kidding me?
he said- NO! I am telling the truth there is a reason behind all that...let me explain and this is what he said..
--------------------------

One day, while a woodcutter was cutting a branch of a tree above a river, his axe fell into the river. When he cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, "Why are you crying?" The woodcutter replied that his axe has fallen into water, and he needed the axe to make his living. The Lord went down in the water and reappeared with a golden axe. "Is this your axe?" the Lord asked.

The woodcutter replied, "No."

The Lord again went down and came up with a silver axe. "Is this your axe?" the Lord asked.

Again, the woodcutter replied, "No."

The Lord went down again and came up with an iron axe. "Is this your axe?" the Lord asked.

"Yes", he replied. The Lord was pleased with the man's honesty and gave him all three axes to keep, and the woodcutter went home happy.

Some time later the woodcutter was walking with his wife along the riverbank, and his wife fell into the river. When he cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked him, "Why are you crying?"

"Oh Lord, my wife has fallen into the water!" The Lord went down into the water and came up with Angelina Jolie.

"Is this your wife?" the Lord asked.

"Yes," cried the woodcutter.

The Lord was furious. "You lied! That is an untruth!"

The woodcutter fell to his knees and cried, "Oh, forgive me, Lord. It is misunderstanding. You see, if I had said 'no' to Angelina Jolie, You would have come up with Catherine Zeta-Jones. Then if I also said 'no' to her, you would have come up with my wife. Had I then said 'yes,' you would have given me all three. Lord, I am a poor man, and am not able to take care of all three wives, and I love my wife such that I don't want her to share me with anyone, so THAT'S why I said yes to Angelina Jolie."

The moral of this story is: Whenever a man lies, it is for a good and honourable reason, and for the benefit of others..

-----------------------
hmmnnnn, he made a good point... :-)

Filipino mentality..

One of my nieces is getting married--yeeehhaaaa! but it was just a private wedding and they only want family members and closest friends..

Now she's having some dilemma! When she invited people, some says- can I take my children? bestfriend, parents etc...

This is the thing in the Philippines...we don't know the concept of RSVP- they are not aware of the protocol. When I celebrate my son's 1st bday party in the Philippines, I don't even know half of the people there, there are more adults than the children. Grandparents, neighbours, relatives etc.

Others even go on a huff when they don't get invited, like as if it's the end of the world...(asuss- tampururut kapa jan) I know that I have been living abroad for so many years now, but even then, when I am the only one invited, I never drag the whole clan if I was invited to a party.

On my wedding day, it was written clearly -RSVP- out of 300 people invited, no one had the decency to respond. Did they all turn up ? NO! but the funny thing is, there are babies and children (not my family member) on my wedding...and when i specified and stipulated "FORMAL attire" here in the UK, people always make an effort to shop for clothes when they go to weddings, but in the Philippines, expect some of them to turn up wearing rubber shoes, jeans and shorts...abysmal!!!

Well- I am not saying, forget about the tradition and lets all be westernise, but my point is, it's expensive to have parties nowadays, and if the host is paying an extortionate amount of money for catering, I thought it would be polite to atleast respond and dont invite uninvited guest..if it says YOU are invited plus a guest...just take one guest...cos it didnt say GUESTS with an S...

It's not rocket science really, I hope people realise that...

The BIG C!

When we hear the term “BIG C” majority are probably aware that we are talking about CANCER. Few decades ago, cancer is perhaps not that popular in our society compared this century. We thought Cancer is just one of those Zodiac signs.
We hear about people affected with this disease, the saddest part is, we probably know someone close to us who’s suffering with this BIG C.
Few weeks ago, our filipino actor “Francis KIKO Magalona” died of cancer, age 44, father of 8 children. I wasn’t even aware that he has cancer. Another celebrity lost the battle with cervical cancer recently, was Jade Goody? (not sure if you heard about her) She’s a reality TV star. She’ joined UK BIg Brother in 2002 i think. She became the 25th most influential celebrity.
I am not a big fan of Jade because of her foul mouth and swearing all the time, but I have to give her credit because she’s a courageous woman both in life and death”. She died at the age of 27, mother of 2 boys (5 and 4) My heart sank when I heard the news on mother’s day. It must be the most horrifying news for her children especially to lose your mother on Mother’s Day? I know that she earned a lot of money doing this documentary about her life story, Jade’s illness had featured in the media on a daily basis over recent weeks, but she did it all for the right reasons, to raise funds for her children’s future. I watched her wedding last week, and I was in tears. I know that her children’s future would probably be a lot better than my kids future, but the fact that she wont be there when they start Primary School,on their Graduation etc, that’s what breaks my heart. ;-(
My neighbour lend me her OK magazine yesterday and the cover was a tribute to Jade Goody, and one of my minded kids, Aidan (9) said, "all I hear is Jade Goody “I know she died at a very young age, and I do feel sorry for her, but for heaven’s sake, other people died of cancer too, but dont get the same treatment as she does" and I was like…hmmmm he’s got a point. Yes-2 of my siblings died of cancer, but they didn’t earn millions for their stories.
I just remember today is the death anniversary of my sister (Eileen) and tomorrow is the birthday of my late Ate Tet (Tetchie-as knowned by everyone) who died of cervical cancer in 1996 (age 40) . Then the day after tomorrow it’s my brother, Robin’s death anniversary. (He had prostate cancer) They all died at a very young age. (in their forties.)

I know that we are all aware of the BIG C, but some of us are probably not taking any precautionary measures like going for a smear test (for women) checking your breast regularly and if we find any abnormality signs on our body we must always make an effort to go for a check up…I have my regular check up due to our medical history and I had my smear test 2 months ago, fortunately everything is clear. I hate the procedure and all, but nothing is more priceless than our life…so please please please, rather than buying all your gadgets, handbags, loads etc…go for a general check-up, I am sure it wont cost that much…and even if it is…afterall it’s all worth it…remember-health is better than wealth.
March

No place like HOME.

Someone wrote a blog about HOMESICKNESS, then--it made me think--ohhh I miss home too, but No! I am not gonna whine and moan how much I miss family and friends..instead I will tell you how I miss my country of Origin...Thirld World Country- as they say, but atleast English is our second language...Let me prove it to you...:-)
We are very specific on our rules and regulation at the pool. SO be careful before you go deeping (Lols)

Stiff slope? Does that mean the pilot might have a stiff neck? I think they just mispelt steep slope or cliff.

We filipinoes, are well known for our hospitality- Yes, we are even giving free park to people, so you can keep it...(Lols) Just make sure you keep it clean okay?

yesssss!!! No speeding or you'll go to Jail...hehehehe

They are not selling bed sheets from dead people....They just ran out of ink i think...

Christianity is very popular in the Philippines, I was raised as a Catholic and went to a Catholic School, they taught us how to pray all the time, and yes--finders keepers...so beware when you leave your stuff... They might think it's God's will...heheheheh

Only in the Philippines eh? They cut in seconds...so Hurry while supply last..

Signs at a boarding school- Maybe this note is intended for the foreign students. So please be considerate and don't do your laundry at midnight..and that means do it during the day when the washing machine is a lot quieter. :-)

Order by the Manager (I think the owner here is westerner, His english is so fluent...so when they said it's not OPEN you know the reason- because it's Closed! understand???

Classic- brutally honest...but classic!!! If it's a jaguar or aston martin, maybe you wouldn't mind eh? last but not least.....GOD DAMN SATAN TO HELL!!!

I don't think Satan will be threatened to go to Hell???what do u think??? Lols...Ohhh jeezzzz I miss the Filipino wit...despite all the corruptions and problems, they still find time to make people happy...

Cheers kabayan...

Filipino sense of wit...:-)

I have been reading a lot of Blog post lately- and I managed to find this site about Filipino Humuor...(Sad but True) I thought I will share this to everyone...I was laughing and cringing while reading it...

------------------------

This week, we shall take a “reading tour” of one of the most spirited communities in Asia. The Philippines is full of word play. The local accent among many Filipinos, in which English words with “F” are spelled and pronounced with the sound of “P” and V is pronounced as “B” (because the Philippine alphabet has no letters F or V), is often used very cleverly, such as, the sign in a flower shop in Diliman called Petal Attraction.
Much of the word play in the Philippines is deliberate with retailers and various businesses favoring a play on names of Western establishments and celebrities (Americans, in particular—movie stars and entertainment personalities, especially).
For example, there is a bread shop in Manila called Anita Bakery, a 24-hour restaurant called Doris Day and Night, a garment shop called Elizabeth Tailoring, and a barber shop called Felix The Cut.
Reader Robert Harland also spotted a bakery named Bread Pitt, and a Makati fast-food place selling “maruya” (banana fritters) called Maruya Carey. Then, there are Christopher Plumbing, and a boutique called The Way We Wear ; a video rental shop called Leon King Video Rental; a restaurant in the Cainta district of Rizal called Caintacky Fried Chicken, a local burger restaurant called Mang Donald’s, a doughnut shop called MacDonuts , a shop selling “lumpia” (egg roll) in Makati called Wrap and Roll, and two butcher shops called Meating Place and Meatropolis.
Smart travelers can decipher what may look like baffling signs to unaccustomed foreigners by simply sounding out the “Taglish” (the Philippine version of English words spelled and pronounced with a heavy Filipino accent), such as, at a restaurant menu in Cebu : “We hab sopdrink in can an in batol” [translation: We have soft drinks in can and in bottle]. Then, there is a sewing accessories shop called Bids And Pises (translation: Beads and Pieces –or– Bits and Pieces).
There are also many signs with either badly chosen or misspelled words, but they are usually so entertaining that it would be a mistake to “correct” them. A reader named Antonio “Tonyboy” Ramon T. Ongsiako, (now there’s a truly Filipino name), contributed the following interesting Philippine signs and advertisements:
In a restaurant in Baguio City (the “summer capital” of the Philippines ): “Wanted: Boy Waitress”; on a highway in Pampanga: “We Make Modern Antique Furniture;” on the window of a photography shop in Cabanatuan : “We Shoot You While You Wait;” and on the glass front of a cafe in Panay Avenue in Manila : “Wanted: Waiter, Cashier, Washier.”
Some of the notices can even give a wrong impression, such as, a shoe store in Pangasinan which has a sign saying: “We Sell Imported Robber Shoes” (these could be the “sneakiest” sneakers); and a rental property sign in Jaro, Iloilo reads: “House For Rent, Fully Furnaced” (it must really be hot inside)!
Occasionally, one could come across signs that are truly unique–if not altogether odd. Reader Gunilla Edlund submitted a sign that she saw at the ticket booth in the ferry pier in Davao City in southern Philippines , which said: “Adults: 1 peso; Child: 50 centavos; Cadavers: fare subject to negotiation.”
European tourists may also be intrigued to discover two competing shops selling hopia (a Chinese pastry) called Holland Hopia and Poland Hopia, which are owned and operated by two local Chinese entrepreneurs, Mr. Ho and Mr. Po respectively–(believe it or not)!
According to Manila businessman, Tonyboy Ongsiako, there is so much wit in the Philippines because “. . .we are a country where a good sense of humor is needed to survive. We have a 24-hour comedy show here called the government and a huge reserve of comedians made up mostly of politicians and retiring actors.

Bargain hunter...

I am quite well known for being the biggest bargain hunter alive...hehehe, I dont really care whatever they want to call me, I am just being sensible, so I dont really buy the full price and only shop during SALE and MASSIVE reduction...Here are the best buy I got yesterday...(I think you'll agree with me..) This pompom boots I got for my daughter for £2.00, geez- You cannot complain with that eh?

I love accessories, people always compliment me with my matching accessories and outfit, but I don't really spend a lot of money with my clothes and stuff heheh..this one is down to £1.00

I like this butterfly one- I got it from BAY- some of their accessories are all down to £1.00.. I am loving this credit crunch, I found lots and lots of bargains in town...yey!!!

Howabout you guys? what are your best buys?

one of my favourite movies...

I bought some DVD's during January Sale- and I just watched them this weekend...( I thought I will record American IDol for awhile cos I hate adverts :-) nways- I got this movie directed by Mel Gibson- men! his movies are so barbaric (like the Passion of Christ) but I enjoyed this one...

Plot summary:
the Mayan civilization, a peaceful tribe is brutally attacked by warriors seeking slaves and human beings for sacrifice for their gods. Jaguar Paw hides his pregnant wife and his son in a deep hole nearby their tribe and is captured while fighting with his people. An eclipse spares his life from the sacrifice and later he has to fight to survive and save his beloved family
I didn't really expect to like this one cos I didn't know some of the star cast, but I like Sean Penn (who directed this movie) I thought I will give it a try..

PLOT summary: A young man leaves his middle class existence in pursuit of freedom from relationships and obligation. Giving up his home, family, all possessions but the few he carried on his back and donating all his savings to charity Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) embarks on a journey throughout America. His eventual aim is to travel into Alaska, into the wild, to spend time with nature, with 'real' existence, away from the trappings of the modern world. In the 20 months leading up to his Great Alaskan Adventure his travels lead him on a path of self-discovery, to examine and appreciate the world around him and to reflect on and heal from his troubled childhood and parents' sordid and abusive relationship. When he reaches Alaska he finds he has been insufficiently prepared for the hardships to come. Despite making it through the winter his plan is ill-judged and prepares to return home in spring, only to find the stream he crossed in the snow has become an impassable raging torrent and that he is trapped. With no means of sustaining himself adequately he eventually starves to death in his so sought after isolation. Throughout his epic journey the people he meets both influence and are influenced by the person he is and bring him to the eventual and tragic realisation that "Happiness is only real when shared".

verdict: GREAT for your DVD collection if you love action and adventures. (4 stars)

On a cold and snowy morning...

I woke up around 5am today- and ohhhh soooo gorgeous..I love it when it's snowy--so calm and all white- we dont really get lots of snow here, last year, it was a quite warm winter and so dry. So today, I woke up the kids at 7am, cos they have been complaining that we never had white christmas. I didn't want them to miss it...So I asked them to have breakfast and get change and they can play for awhile before school...

Kids love playing in the snow- I am probably worse- because while I was removing snow on my car I was throwing snow balls with the kids...Im such a big kid. We end up having snow ball fight with the children on the neighbourhood. I love it...Winter is my favourite season, only when it's snowy...:-)

Worse part- I had to drive to drop my minded kids to the Nursery...urrrggghhhh

One of my childhood dreams...

You know, one of my dreams when I was a wee girl is to play the piano in one of the prestigious hotels. I wanted to travel all over the world. I was musically inclined person, but Im not really good at it. I love MUSIC but music doesn't seem to agree with me...:-)

When I was young, I joined a musical band, but I was one of the front line singer. I am not a fantastic singer, (dont get me wrong, I can probably sing better than Britney-well-atleast I dont mime) but I begged our manager to hire me, because I said, i got other talents other than singing.

My first ever trip with the group was in Dubai. (it was a beautiful place) very cosmopolitan. I was in my early 20's then. I was under a lot of pressure because my other co-singers (I would say) they have a fabulous voice, almost like Mariah Carie, Celine Dion and Whitney Houston (those were the popular singers during that time-Kerry Underwood wasn't probably even potty trained then hehe) They never gave me any songs from Mariah, or Whitney-Most of the time, I was asked to sing some Hindi songs- "I remember one song called Bat-ban Jaye" and "Tama tama Loge" (sorry forgot the spelling) and also some arabic songs forgot the title but it goes something like this-"Ya mustafa-Ya mustafa- Anabahaebak Yamustafa- Saba sineen fila al tahreen, wintahabibi Ya mustafa" . Have you ever heard some Hindi Songs? (quite high pitch and tiny voice?) I can make my voice sounds like that and also with the arabic songs, you have to do the vibrato style and I can also copy some of their dance move. Occasionaly I also played the keyboards and once I even played the drums, that's the only way I could stand out with the other singers cos I can play instruments (but only self taught though-unfortunately I never had a proper lesson-we couldn't afford it.) but I love to be able to play different kinds of musical instruments especially the violin and the harp.

When I go to hotels and see people playing the piano at the hotel lobby, I am soooo jealous and trying to imagine myself...That should be me...but I am quite old now, and I can only sing lullabies and play music to my children and I am sure they'll appreciate it more...hehehe

My guilty pleasure

Cappuccino

I love the cinnabon pecan flavour

Sometimes there are food that we can't resist, but after eating them, we feel kind of guilty because of the amount of cholesterol and calories..My favourites are cappuccino and you must have a cinnabon to accompany it...Damn soooo good...and another one is the cheesecake from the Cheesecake factory. I first discovered this in the middle east...(Riyadh) they cost a fortune per slice, but they taste heavenly...(ohh men...)

It's not bad as long as you eat them once in a blue moon...:-)

Gilmore Girls...

My kids always make fun of me everytime I watch Gilmore girls, I just seen the last ever episode few weeks ago- and I have to admit- I was teary eyed. I remember watching this when we used to live in Saudi Arabia- but I missed the rest of the episodes when we have to leave Saudi for good. Luckily they start to show the reruns on E4 everyday, and Yes! I recorded them and after my duty everyday, I snuggle up on the couch with my warm tea and watch it everynight...

Starring Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore) and Alexis Bledel (Rory) The show follows single mother Lorelai Victoria Gilmore (Graham) and her daughter Lorelai "Rory" Leigh Gilmore (Bledel) in the fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, a close-knit small town with many quirky characters, located roughly thirty minutes from Hartford. The series explores family, friendship, generational divides, and social class...

I fancy Rory's biological dad. (Chris) I think he is kinda cute and hot...:-) Luke on the other hand is the type of person you can rely on. (I just dont like his trademark hat worn backwards-it's so uncool) but- I love the camaraderie of the whole Stars Hollow townmates- I was dreaming to be living in a place like that. hehehe.

Though sometimes Lauren Graham annoys me with her squeeky voice and stupid remarks, but I love her relationship with her daughter Rory and these Gilmore Girls are sooo tall...

About this Blog...

I have been reading a lot of blogs lately and gave me more ideas about blogging...As I said, I have only been blogging for about a year now and quite enjoy it...There are few blogs that I follow because some of their post are pretty interesting.

This "blog" is all about my journey in life-I have been through the hottest desert and in to the deepest snow, I've entered the darkest cave and seen the brightest star. I have also been to sorrow and bliss, Where I'll be tomorrow, I can only guess.

For me '' Life is a matter of perspective, either you complain because roses have thorns or you rejoice because thorns have roses. It all depends on how you look at it ''

But if you analyze it...Roses may have thorns, but they’re still beautiful, aren't they? it's like our life here on Earth, full of pains and trials. But remember, the greatest joys and pleasures are often accompanied by little pain.

Consider it joy when you encounter all kinds of trials. It produces perseverance

Hope you'll come along with me, while I tackle all the obstacles and surprises in life.



So drop by for more updates later...