Success!

Today is a Success! :)

Details will follow.. hehe

Wake-up call

From Those To Whom Much Is Given, Much Is Expected

While on my way to work this morning, I reflected upon the problems that are besetting me: career, post-grad degree, the continuous search for a house of our own, my father's outrageous temper, my future. I constantly search for answers to those thoughts that linger in my mind from time to time. When I wake up every morning, I pray to God to help me solve those preoccupations. Thinking of them, with no clear solutions at hand, makes me feel that I am trapped inside a four-cornered room where no door is at sight. It seems like everything's blurry.

When I arrived at the office, I saw our cleaning lady and had some chit-chat with her. She confessed to me that she still has problems with her ex-husband who does not give their kids some financial support and how her salary can barely provide for the education of her children and their everyday expenses. She wept and expressed her disappointment over the current state she is in and wished that all of it is only a dream. Unfortunately, I do not know how to help her since I also do not have large amount of money to lend to her and help her cope with life's demands.

When I went into my room, my colleague asked a favor from me. She would like to borrow money because his lolo got sick and she cannot withdraw money from her account because it will suffer 10K worth of penalty. I know how hard it is to borrow money. Our family has been through that before. While she was telling me about her predicament, she sounded like she has a lump in her throat. It is obvious that it is difficult for her to make that favor.

I told myself, why have I been worrying on petty things when there are people whose problems are bigger than mine? Why should I be sad when life is really good to me? Maybe it's just that I have to open my eyes to see the good things and be grateful for what I have than continuously let self-defeating self-talk beat me.

Not that knowing how heavy are the problems of other people will make you feel lighter, but it is makes you wake-up to reality: that everyone in this world have their own set of problems and that you do not have the right to burden other people with your excruciating self-pity.

Life is good. It has been and is always good to me. I should not sulk and just be happy. :)

A year older

Before April ends, I would just like to add another post.

I noticed that I have not been posting for the past few weeks. It is partly due to my busyness and to the lack of anything to write about. I will speak on the reason of my busyness on another post.

I was not even able to write on how I celebrated my birthday. Well, it was very simple, as usual. Celebrated it with my family and some of my relatives. I concocted a very nice new spaghetti recipe. Instead of putting ground pork and hotdog, mama and I put mushrooms and chunks of fried chicken.The all-purpose cream made the recipe even more delicious.

Ugh. A year older. Thank you Lord for another year. But that means that I should act older and accept the fact that I am now an adult. Some may wonder why I seem to detest being an adult. It is because I fear losing my dreams. I fear being integrated so much in the system that I would just stay in an easy corner and forget to strive for what I really desire to be. I fear being a very pragmatic person.  True enough, being an adult is a challenge for me.

However, there are other aspects of being an adult that I am proud of. Being an adult lets you face the reality. Though the reality cannot be so good and most probably unfair, it keeps you grounded and lets you see the current situation that you are in, in a bigger picture.

Last Saturday, I stumbled upon one of my diaries during college. I read it from start to end, and I cringed at the thought of my immaturity back then. I was dismayed that I wasted time blabbing about shallow thoughts. Nevertheless, it made me laugh and let me see how I progressed within five years. I reflected on how would I think differently now if ever I was put in the same situations as those in the journal.

It was a truly joyful experience. Going back to the past and seeing how it shaped me, I felt elated. Maybe I should not hate being an adult after all. 

Progress Report

We are near the end of the first quarter of 2012. From time to time, I look at my wishlist for 2012 and see if I already made some progress. My goal is to achieve at least one of them this year, considering that some of them might take some years to materialize. The wishlist also serves as my guide on how should I move my life or what endeavors should I delve myself into for this year.

I recently acquired the habit of listing my daily expenses in a journal. The aim is to monitor where my money is going and what expenses I can cut short, to be able to save more and eventually invest. It can be taxing at times, but when you think of it, you do not solely gain control of your money, but you also train your memory by recalling how your day went in terms of spending. Listing expenses will also help someone to avoid unmindful spending, which can cause damage to one's wallet.

I hope to read more about managing one's finances in the coming weeks. Likewise, I should learn first some investment lingo before jumping into the investing bandwagon. I want to take the process slowly but surely.

Referring to the 2012 Wishlist, I hope to read at least 30 books within the year. So far, I have finished "Who moved my cheese?" (review - to follow). Currently, I spend my idle moment at the MRT reading "12 Little Things Every Filipino can do to Help our Country" by Alex Lacson. It's a small book though I have not finished it yet. I try not to finish it for the sake of finishing it. I hope to enliven the tasks suggested by Mr. Lacson, and consequently make it a habit.

Looking at it makes me say "what a slow progress?!" hehe Well, I should read some more and manage my time well. Or should I enroll in a speed reading class?

Ache

This morning, I received a bad news: second disappointment of the year. I wonder how many disappointments I will suffer throughout the year.

Ok, enough of the negative vibes. Good thing I already prepared myself for whatever that may come so I am not so much depressed. Yet, another hole was again left in my heart, though not so deep to the point that it will suck all my energies and love for life like a black hole.

For now, I will continue to hold on and chase my dreams. I will continue to believe that once a door closes, two windows open. haha I will continue to be on lookout for more opportunities to improve myself. I will continue to have faith. 

On Valentine's day and being busy

It's already the middle of February and I have yet to come up with my second post for 2012. The past few weeks have been very much busy. I was tasked to organize my first cultural event. The opening of the said event was held last night at the Museum of the Filipino People. I am glad that it did turn out well, although it could have been better. But seeing the Ambassador happy with it is enough for me.

Angel (our intern) and me

Prior to the opening of that event, I dreaded the approach of February 14. Aside from the said date being Valentine's Day, it meant for me the eve of the "Big Day," where everything should be polished and make sure that a lot of people would come to our launching. I even forgot that it was the Day of the Hearts ( a literal translation of Araw ng mga Puso), and only remembered it on the day itself.  Although no one gave me roses nor chocolates, Feb. 14 this year was a happy day for me. We discreetly celebrated it with my family by cooking pasta and having ice cream as a dessert. We seldom eat ice cream and we really try hard not to, as we try to take care of our figures (figures daw! hahaha) and our calories. Thus, having ice cream at dinner is already a celebration for us.
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I hope to be less busy after Sunday. I have a lot of plans and much to do for the rest of the year. But I hope to write one post  at least every month. Maybe, this should not be a big challenge for me.

12 for 2012

As they always say, New Year is the time for new beginnings. For some, New Year is also a perfect excuse to be sentimental (hehe) – to reevaluate the achievements and failures in the past year and set goals for the present year.  For me, 2012 is an auspicious time to have fresh perspectives and to develop myself. It will also be a time for bigger dreams and accomplishments. I have listed below 12 wishes (or dreams) that I hope would not continue to be just wishes. On December 2012 (which I hope would not be the month when the world ends), I’ll check if all of them came true. J

1.       To conquer the 2012 FSO Exams – Well this one is a WISH, haha. I do not even know if I am already prepared for it. A lot of things impede me from progressing in my review, like my own will. But this is my dream. To pass the exam would mean cloud nine for me, and of course, to serve the Filipino people can really be rewarding. But I know that I have to sacrifice a multitude of my leisure time to succeed in this endeavor, which signifies less time in front of the TV and more time reading books and newspapers. I am even thinking of attending a review class in Ateneo, which seems to be very helpful not only for the exam but also for my post-graduate degree plans. I need something that will force me to study. God help me do this. Aja!

2.       To have my Master’s degree abroad – achieving this will be “the moment”, the “this is it” of my academic life, the climax of my biopic. Enough said. haha

3.       To have the house of our own – last new year’s eve, our family promised that 2011 will be the last year we’re living in the place we have now and we’ll be looking for a larger place, enough to keep us dignified and relaxed. Since our present place is very small and located in a not-so-good neighborhood, I plan to really scout for houses that my budget (plus loans) can afford, something that we can call a house of our own. I pray that this is the year that God will grant us this lifelong wish.

4.       To invest – I recently read articles on mutual funds and other types of investment products. Luckily, I found a blog about facts on investing in the Philippines, which is very much comprehensive. I would like to start investing as soon as possible, and I feel that 2012 is the right time.

5.       To learn the piano or the violin – I once did a career exam at UP, which yielded a quite surprising result. It said that I am suited at being a music teacher. How can I be someone like that if I don’t know any musical instrument? I am not that good in singing too. So I decided that this year, I must fulfill the exam’s destined career for me. hehe No, I would just learn an instrument. Of course, little by little, and who knows, maybe it is really my fate to be a music teacher.

6.       To have a photo published in a magazine or a periodical – you are mistaken if you think I am vain enough to submit a photo of myself for massive publishing. Recently, I am into taking photos (I don’t want to call it photography since I am just starting and I just use a simple point-and-shoot camera) I only want to have a photo taken by me be published in some glossy magazine page or in a periodical of national circulation (e.g. “Picture Perfect” section of Manila Bulletin).     

7.       To have my written article be published – may it be Youngblood of PDI or Reader’s Digest. Haha But first, I will have to shed tears and blood to come up with a publication-worthy article.

8.       To travel – enough of being afraid to explore new grounds. I should have some backpack experience this year, be it within the country, asia or Europe, with friends, family or with myself. Naks!

9.       To read at least 30 books – be it fiction/non-fiction novels, self-help books, political and economic books. I must be Ninoy Aquino-ish this year.

10.   To lose at least 5 kilos – maybe I’ll hit the gym this year, or continue to have a weekly jog at UP or just minimize my food intake. I MUST LOSE WEIGHT!

11.   Be more generous, helpful and loving as a person – sometimes, being a goody-goody can get someone into trouble, but I believe in “you sow what you reap” kind of mantra. Being a good person can also make someone beautiful, not only on the inside, but also on the physical looks. I believe that being good to other people can reflect on someone’s physical appearance. But more than that, it is the act of being good that sends feelings of contentment and happiness.

12.   Have a more personal relationship with God – lately, I only talk to Him when I need help or when I thank Him for the blessings I have received. I should share more with him and tell Him my daily thoughts and aspirations.

2012 please bear with me and be considerate enough so that I can accomplish all those mentioned above. J

Happy New Year! Good vibes for 2012!

2011 was a very good year for me, indeed. A year of high hopes, shattered and fulfilled goals, shocking discoveries, and open windows of opportunity. 2012 will be a better, exciting year. It will be a year of major self-development and dreams-come-true. Gotta love 2012!

Cheers to the year ahead! :D

21 keys to a Happy Life

1.Compliment three people everyday.
2.Watch a sunrise.
3.Be the first to say "Hello."
4.Live beneath your means.
5.Treat everyone as you want to be treated.
6.Never give up on anybody; miracles happen.
7.Forget the Jones’s.
8.Remember someone’s name.
9.Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage.
10.Be tough-minded, but tender hearted.
11.Be kinder than you have to be.
12.Don’t forget that a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
13.Keep your promises.
14.Learn to show cheerfulness even when you don’t feel it.
15.Remember that overnight success usually takes 15 years.
16.Leave everything better than you found it.
17.Remember that winners do what losers don’t want to do.
18.When you arrive at your job in the morning, let the first thing you say brighten everyone’s day.
19.Don’t rain on other people’s parades.
20.Don’t waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.
21.Keep some things to yourself and don’t promote havoc by backstabbing people you love.


-repost

Saturday hangout

I have this certain affinity to UP. When I get to own an SLR camera, UP will be my first subject. But for now, I'll settle with my reliable Nokia X2 5MP camera. haha

AS walk in sepia

edited version of the photo above

scary!

The 'JuanMa' experience

The thought of meeting an international celebrity and being able to get near him and have a little chit-chat with him face-to-face, in the WORKPLACE, never occured to my mind. Thus, as soon as we knew that Juan Manuel "El Dinamita" Marquez would be paying a visit to our office in connection to the promotion of his fight with Manny Pacquiao, we (my colleagues and I) were thrilled. To tell the truth, our bosses were so preoccupied with the arrival of their famous fellow Mexican that they let the whole office floor be polished ahead of the scheduled date and went the extra mile ensuring the security and 'peaceful'  stopover of the boxer.

A day before the visit, various tasks were given to us to guarantee that the privacy of the office would never be disturbed by any unwelcomed intruder. I was assigned to man the entrance to the office of the 'big boss' and was told that no other person can enter it aside from Marquez. I was very nervous that someone might get hysterical upon knowing that he could not enter the big boss' office even if he is part of the entourage. I also felt jittery that I might greet Marquez "Magandang umaga" instead of "Buenos dias".

The 'day' has come and we were suprised to find a GMA van parked outside the office building early in the morning. Upstairs, we were bombarded by calls from different radio stations and periodicals asking what time will the boxer arrive, which added to the tension that we were feeling. But the moment 'el dinamita' came inside the office, everyone of us waiting for him was so quiet as if a silencing potion was poured on us. The boxer went straight ahead to the big boss' office but before that he smiled at me and greeted me 'buenos dias'. I greeted him back and felt relieved after doing that. The feisty warrior is a gentle celebrity after all. He seemed to be very nice and welcoming when asked for autograph by his fellow Mexicans or by other people inside the office at that time. What a pity that I was not able to bring a camera. Nevertheless, the function was fine and we got to have a photo with him posted on the ESPN website.

I hope he and Pacquiao will have a great fight on November.