KEEGAN: The Opposite of Loneliness

This article inspired me. I read it on http://www.yaledailynews.com. This mirrors my present feelings and thoughts. No matter how we feel about ourselves and our lives right now, we're never too young to do anything we want. We're never too young to get back on track. Screw age. RIP Marina Keegan. You're such an inspiration. 

The piece below was written by Marina Keegan '12 for a special edition of the News distributed at the class of 2012's commencement exercises last week. Keegan died in a car accident on Saturday. She was 22.

We don’t have a word for the opposite of loneliness, but if we did, I could say that’s what I want in life. What I’m grateful and thankful to have found at Yale, and what I’m scared of losing when we wake up tomorrow and leave this place.

It’s not quite love and it’s not quite community; it’s just this feeling that there are people, an abundance of people, who are in this together. Who are on your team. When the check is paid and you stay at the table. When it’s four a.m. and no one goes to bed. That night with the guitar. That night we can’t remember. That time we did, we went, we saw, we laughed, we felt. The hats.

Yale is full of tiny circles we pull around ourselves. A cappella groups, sports teams, houses, societies, clubs. These tiny groups that make us feel loved and safe and part of something even on our loneliest nights when we stumble home to our computers — partner-less, tired, awake. We won’t have those next year. We won’t live on the same block as all our friends. We won’t have a bunch of group-texts.

This scares me. More than finding the right job or city or spouse – I’m scared of losing this web we’re in. This elusive, indefinable, opposite of loneliness. This feeling I feel right now.

But let us get one thing straight: the best years of our lives are not behind us. They’re part of us and they are set for repetition as we grow up and move to New York and away from New York and wish we did or didn’t live in New York. I plan on having parties when I’m 30. I plan on having fun when I’m old. Any notion of THE BEST years comes from clichéd “should haves...” “if I’d...” “wish I’d...”

Of course, there are things we wished we did: our readings, that boy across the hall. We’re our own hardest critics and it’s easy to let ourselves down. Sleeping too late. Procrastinating. Cutting corners. More than once I’ve looked back on my High School self and thought: how did I do that? How did I work so hard? Our private insecurities follow us and will always follow us.

But the thing is, we’re all like that. Nobody wakes up when they want to. Nobody did all of their reading (except maybe the crazy people who win the prizes…) We have these impossibly high standards and we’ll probably never live up to our perfect fantasies of our future selves. But I feel like that’s okay.

We’re so young. We’re so young. We’re twenty-two years old. We have so much time. There’s this sentiment I sometimes sense, creeping in our collective conscious as we lay alone after a party, or pack up our books when we give in and go out – that it is somehow too late. That others are somehow ahead. More accomplished, more specialized. More on the path to somehow saving the world, somehow creating or inventing or improving. That it’s too late now to BEGIN a beginning and we must settle for continuance, for commencement.

When we came to Yale, there was this sense of possibility. This immense and indefinable potential energy – and it’s easy to feel like that’s slipped away. We never had to choose and suddenly we’ve had to. Some of us have focused ourselves. Some of us know exactly what we want and are on the path to get it; already going to med school, working at the perfect NGO, doing research. To you I say both congratulations and you suck.

For most of us, however, we’re somewhat lost in this sea of liberal arts. Not quite sure what road we’re on and whether we should have taken it. If only I had majored in biology…if only I’d gotten involved in journalism as a freshman…if only I’d thought to apply for this or for that…

What we have to remember is that we can still do anything. We can change our minds. We can start over. Get a post-bac or try writing for the first time. The notion that it’s too late to do anything is comical. It’s hilarious. We’re graduating college. We’re so young. We can’t, we MUST not lose this sense of possibility because in the end, it’s all we have.

In the heart of a winter Friday night my freshman year, I was dazed and confused when I got a call from my friends to meet them at EST EST EST. Dazedly and confusedly, I began trudging to SSS, probably the point on campus farthest away. Remarkably, it wasn’t until I arrived at the door that I questioned how and why exactly my friends were partying in Yale’s administrative building. Of course, they weren’t. But it was cold and my ID somehow worked so I went inside SSS to pull out my phone. It was quiet, the old wood creaking and the snow barely visible outside the stained glass. And I sat down. And I looked up. At this giant room I was in. At this place where thousands of people had sat before me. And alone, at night, in the middle of a New Haven storm, I felt so remarkably, unbelievably safe.

We don’t have a word for the opposite of loneliness, but if we did, I’d say that’s how I feel at Yale.

How I feel right now. Here. With all of you. In love, impressed, humbled, scared. And we don’t have to lose that.

We’re in this together, 2012. Let’s make something happen to this world.

"When you see what you have overcome, you have the impression that you have followed a plot that had already been written. However, at the moment of action, you seem to be lost in a storm: surprise after surprise, and many times with no time to breathe, having to take decisions all the time. Only later will you understand that each surprise, each decision, made sense."

--- Schopenhauer

The Ticket

One-way, two-way, I don't care
As long as you take me there .
Freedom Avenue, here we go
Let's live like there's no tomorrow.

Fast Car - Tracy Chapman

A Good Life

The definition of a good life is subjective. I base my happiness on my own criteria of a good life, not the standards of other people. ;-)

The 5 Regrets of the Dying

I came across the synopsis of this article in Paulo Coelho's blog. Come to think of it, our ultimate goal in life is to be happy. Let's live our lives the way we've always wanted it to be. Let's not commit the mistake of living someone else's life, as dictated by society or the people who matter to us. It is our life. It is our own happiness. It's never too late to do this.

REGRETS OF THE DYING BY BRONNIE WARE

For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.

People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learnt never to underestimate someone's capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.

When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:


1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.

It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.


2. I wish I didn't work so hard.

This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.

By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.


3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.

Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.

We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.


4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.

It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.


5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.

When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.


Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.

Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol

"Chasing Cars"

We'll do it all
Everything
On our own

We don't need
Anything
Or anyone

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

I don't quite know
How to say
How I feel

Those three words
Are said too much
They're not enough

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

Let's waste time
Chasing cars
Around our heads

I need your grace
To remind me
To find my own

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we’re told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

All that I am
All that I ever was
Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see

I don't know where
Confused about how as well
Just know that these things will never change for us at all

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

The Ride

Whizzing past trees, the world becomes a blur
Felt the cool air on my back, adrenaline rush
My thoughts gently danced with the wind
I smelled the rain that kissed the earth
Nature and I ... are finally one.

Bring it on! ;-)

Source: Quotes and Sayings

Colors

The colors are back
Monotones, brights
Pastels
Red, green, black
You spilled the paint on my path again
Welcome to the real world.

View the world through a child's eyes ...
Love the world through a woman's heart.

"When angry, count ten before you speak; when very angry, count a hundred."

--- Thomas Jefferson

I've often learned the hard way that we shouldn't speak when we're angry. Words hurt. Hurtful words are seldom forgotten. This is a very useful tip. :-)

Numbers

One, two, three ...
Does it really count?
Life's numbers.

American Idol 2012

Watched American Idol. Boy did these guys deliver! :-)

At The Crossroads

Left or right?

Forward or backward?

Calculating my steps

Deep breath

I smile

I do not fear for He's with me

I walk by faith, not by sight.

Where I Got the Title of My Blog From

I REALLY love this movie! The kids are so adorable! :-)

My Favorite Books

1) If your library was burning, name the 3 books you'd save first.

PRESENCE - Prayers for Busy People
Eat, Pray, Love
3,299 mantras, tips, quotes, and koans for peace and serenity


2) Which books influenced you most about who you are and what you do?


same as above


3) What's your favorite book series?


Harry Potter

Don't Quit

Don't Quit

by: Unknown Author

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh.

When care is pressing you down a bit.

Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns

As every one of us sometimes learns.

And many a failure turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out:

Don't give up though the pace seems slow -

You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out -

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.

And you never can tell how close you are.

It may be near when it seems so far:

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Avengers Assemble

If you wanna be immensely entertained and a have a lot of good laughs, watch Avengers Assemble. Chris Evans !!!

Silence and Noise

If silence can speak, it will say ...
I am more deafening than sound ...
More maddening than chaos ...
I want to be heard but I'd rather not ...
I want to say a thousand things but I'd rather not ...
I don't want to disturb your peace ...
I cannot hear my own voice ...
But I have the power of a million words ...
I am silence ...
I am louder than noise ...

I miss writing and receiving this stuff ... Sometimes, it's nice to go old-fashioned. :-)

Words

searching in the spaces
between our words,
speaking words
that have meaning
only in silence

Source: Shekhar Kapur's Blog

True Love

"True love is neither physical nor romantic.
True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be…… "

Source: Shekhar Kapur's blog

Better Than I

I feel like I'm in a rat race, exploring my options and working towards achieving all these. Sometimes, I stop and take deep breaths. Sometimes, I push myself some more. Whenever I start to doubt why I'm doing all of this, I look at my daughter's face. The answer lies right there. We cannot find the solutions to all our problems in one go. We cannot answer all questions in one eureka moment. To wait patiently for the answer, to wait patiently for what is to come ... It can be extremely difficult. I have realized that sometimes, you just have to accept things the way they are. Do not regret anything. Everything has a purpose. I have realized that everything is fleeting. So, enjoy every happy moment. Do not dwell on things that make you sad. It will pass. Everything will pass ... Lord, you know better than I. I trust in you.

Better Than I

I thought I did what’s right
I thought I had the answers
I thought I chose the surest road
But that road brought me here

So I put up a fight
And told you how to help me
Now just when I have given up
The truth is coming clear

You know better than I
You know the way
I’ve let go the need to know why
For you know better than I

If this has been a test
I cannot see the reason
But maybe knowing I don’t know
Is part of getting through

I try to do what’s best
And faith has made it easy
To see the best thing I can do
Is put my trust in you

For You know better than I
You know the way
I’ve let go the need to know why
For you know better than I

I saw one cloud and thought it was a sky
I saw a bird and thought that I could follow
But it was you who taught that bird to fly
If I let you reach me will you teach me

For You know better than I
You know the way
I’ve let go the need to know why
I’ll take what answers you supply
You know better than I

A great number of my tweets is about my daughter, Mishka. She's my earthly angel, my eternal sunshine and my armor of strength. She chases away those cloudy days, breaks the ice when I'm feeling cold and blue and paints brilliant hues on dull moments. Taken from my past tweets ...

May 5, 2012

Busy morning at home. When asked why she mopped an area of the floor with soap and water, Mishka innocently remarked, "I was helping you to slow down." ☺

May 4, 2012

Mishka just called me her best friend. Aint she sweet? ☺

April 20, 2012

Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book works. While reading page 7 aloud, my daughter interrupted me with "How about let's sleep now?" Two thumbs up!

April 17, 2012

Mishka calls everyone "your highness" these days. Cute.

April 7, 2012

Mishka exclaimed, "Octagon!" while looking at the tiles on the road. Thank God for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. ☺

April 6, 2012

I was in the middle of a severe attack of foot cramps when my daughter asked, "Mom, what color is this?" I momentarily forgot the pain. HAHA!

March 30, 2012

Mishka (playing Lego): Lola, this is your house. Please make a castle for me. Make it big. HAHA! Kay Lola, house lang pero sa kanya castle.

March 16, 2012

Told my baby,"I'm not feeling well." She replied,"I'm going to help you feel better. You eat now. I'll go to your office." Haha!

March 10, 2012

Mishka's watching Mister Maker in Arabic and enjoying it. I asked her,"Do you understand a single word?" She said "No." A very patient kid.

March 9, 2012

I was singing in the kitchen. Mishka asked, "Lola, what's that beautiful noise?" Haha!

March 3, 2012

My daughter told me over the phone, "I think I miss you." Haha. Hindi pa sure?!

February 24, 2012

Mishka played "doctor-doctor." She checked my heart's status and told me that it "sounds good." Haha.

 

YUP! FUN!

Well-said Bob Marley. Thanks for sharing this with me Petrocelli (Pet). :-)

“He’s not perfect. You aren’t either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can. He isn’t going to quote poetry, he’s not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. Don’t hurt him, don’t change him, and don’t expect for more than he can give. Don’t analyze. Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he’s not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you.”
― Bob Marley

Whenever confusion sets in ...
Whenever something takes you by surprise ...
For every unaswered question ...
And every unfinished business ...
Accept everything ...
Wait ...
And see what happens ...
Let the circumstances lead you.

It may take days ...
It may take years ...
But no matter what transpires ...
You'll end up in a place ...
Where you are meant to be.

Yellow - Coldplay

OMG! Chris Martin looked SO different back then. Guess this was taken around 13 years ago ...

"The head learns new things, but the heart forevermore practices old experiences."

--- Henry Ward Beecher

Take care of your heart. You only have one life to live and you only have one heart to make it happen.

My master and I – Boredom

by Paulo Coelho on March 3, 2012

(these notes were written in August 1986)

We are sitting in a garden in a French town.

– Deep down, people complain, but they love routines – I said.

– Of course, and the reason is very simple: routines give them the false sensation of being safe. Thus, today will be exactly like yesterday, and tomorrow will bring no surprises. When night falls, part of the soul complains that nothing different was experienced, but another part is content – paradoxically, it is for the same reason.

“Evidently this safety is completely false; no one can control anything, and a change always appears at the moment one least expects it, taking us by surprise and with no chance to react or fight.

– If we are free to decide that we want a uniform life, why does God force us to change it?

– What is reality? It is that which we imagine it to be. If many people “think” that the world is like this or like that, everything around us crystallizes, and nothing changes for some time. However, life is a constant evolution – social, political, spiritual, on whatever level it may be. In order for things to evolve, it is necessary for people to change. As we are all interlinked, sometimes destiny gives those hindering evolution a push.

– Generally in a tragic way…

– Tragedy depends on the way you see it. If you chose to be a victim of the world, anything which happens to you will feed that dark side of your soul, where you consider yourself wronged, suffering, guilty and deserving punishment. If you choose to be an adventurer, the changes – even the inevitable losses, since everything in this world changes – can cause some pain, but will soon thrust you forward, forcing you to react.

“In many oral traditions, wisdom is represented by a temple, with two columns at its entrance: these two columns always have names of opposite things, but in order to illustrate what I mean, we will call one Fear and the other Desire. When a man stands at this entrance, he looks at the column of Fear and thinks: “my God, what will I find further ahead?” Then he looks at the column of Desire and thinks: “my God, I’m so accustomed to that which I have, I wish to continue living as I have always lived.” And he remains still; this is what we call tedium.

– Tedium is…

– Movement which ceases. Instinctively, we know we are wrong, and we revolt. We complain to our husbands, wives, children, neighbors. But, on the other hand, we know that tedium and routine are safe havens.

– Can a person remain his whole life in this situation?

– He can be pushed by life, but resist and remain there, always complaining – and his suffering will be useless, will teach him nothing.

“Yes, a person can stand for the rest of his days facing one of the many doors he should go through, but he must understand that he has only truly lived up to that point. He may continue to breathe, walk, sleep and eat – but with less and less pleasure, because he is already spiritually dead and does not know it.

“Until one day when, as well as his spiritual death, physical death appears; at that moment God will ask: “what did you do with your life?” We must all answer this question, and woe betide those who answer: “I remained standing at the door.”

If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track, which has been there all the while waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living.

--- Joseph Campbell

Banana Song

Laugh trip!

Trying my damn best not to visit my blogsite daily but it's like passing by my home and not entering the door. Sheesh! I have A LOT of important stuff to do. So help me God. Today, a very special book was delivered to me. I've been searching for it for ages and ages. It's always out-of-stock. I just wanna say a BIG THANK YOU to the person who looked all over the world for it. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. Will update you if it works. I'm sure it will. :-)

Have a Laugh

Haha! Sometimes this happens ...

Source: Have a Laugh

The Road Ahead

3 months ... 3 options ... Which to choose? Let Thy will be done. The road ahead ...

"My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone."

- Thomas Merton

Things to Do Today

HAHAHA!



Source: Have a Laugh

I Have a Dream

Last August 28, 1963, Mr. Martin Luther King Jr., a prominent leader in the African-American civil rights,  delivered a very powerful speech entitled "I Have A Dream" at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. Decades after this speech, people are still clamoring for freedom from racial discrimination and social oppression.

ONE WORLD. ONE VOICE. ONE DREAM.


Let's stop the fighting and start the loving ...


"Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.


Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

                Free at last! Free at last!

                Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
And the rain fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again may God hold you in the Palm of His Hand.

An Old Irish Verse

Siesta Time

(singsong voice)
Mishka: How about we play now?
Me: How about we sleep now?
Lola Carmen: Time to sleep!
Mishka: Time to play!

Remember when we were kids and our parents had to force us to go to bed and sleep? Now I want to go to Spain and experience the real siesta. Hehehe.

Don't Stop Believing !!!

The Ruins - Taj Mahal of Negros

I've always been fascinated with the Taj Mahal of India. Great to know that we have our very own Taj Mahal in the Philippines. It's said to be one of the 12 most beautiful ruins in the world. WOW. It's located in the borders of Talisay and Bacolod City. The mansion was built in the early 1900s. It was an ancestral home given by Don Mariano Lacson to his first wife, Maria Braga, a Portuguese from Macau. This Italian-inspired structure survived the Japanese occupation.  

Pic by Kevin Bok (@123potatochips)

Andy Capp

Sometimes I feel that my daughter is a woman trapped in a girl's body ... And I'm the exact opposite. :-)

To Where You Are

April 19, 2012

A year ago, our family lost a great man with a beautiful soul. I know he's watching over us. He's in a better place now. Missing him and praying for him everyday.  See you on the other side someday.



Mishka Bakes At 3

Mishka participated in the Bake-A-Bon Event sponsored by Cinnabon, Abu Dhabi Mall last night. She wore a chef's uniform and baked a batch of mini chocobons. Ain't she a darlin'? :-) :-) :-)

We Are Young - FUN

Remember the times when we were young and reckless and free? When we did not have to please anyone but ourselves? When we could be selfish and downright self-centered? When we could just focus on the moment and forget about tomorrow? Those were the days, my friend ... :-)

From – Twenty Poems of Love

The voice of Pablo Neruda's poems is a voice that haunts your soul ... It's the voice that persists days after the last line was read ... A voice so powerful that you cannot help but go through the same torment, the same love affair ... You fall in love ... You fall out of love ... You get lost in a trance ... Such is the voice of this great Chilean poet ...  

 

From – Twenty Poems of Love

　

I can write the saddest lines tonight.

Write for example: ‘The night is fractured

and they shiver, blue, those stars, in the distance’

　

The night wind turns in the sky and sings.

I can write the saddest lines tonight.

I loved her, sometimes she loved me too.

　

On nights like these I held her in my arms.

I kissed her greatly under the infinite sky.

　

She loved me, sometimes I loved her too.

How could I not have loved her huge, still eyes.

　

I can write the saddest lines tonight.

To think I don’t have her, to feel I have lost her.

　

Hear the vast night, vaster without her.

Lines fall on the soul like dew on the grass.

　

What does it matter that I couldn’t keep her.

The night is fractured and she is not with me.

　

That is all. Someone sings far off. Far off,

my soul is not content to have lost her.

　

As though to reach her, my sight looks for her.

My heart looks for her: she is not with me

　

The same night whitens, in the same branches.

We, from that time, we are not the same.

　

I don’t love her, that’s certain, but how I loved her.

My voice tried to find the breeze to reach her.

　

Another’s kisses on her, like my kisses.

Her voice, her bright body, infinite eyes.

　

I don’t love her, that’s certain, but perhaps I love her.

Love is brief: forgetting lasts so long.

　

Since, on these nights, I held her in my arms,

my soul is not content to have lost her.

　

Though this is the last pain she will make me suffer,

and these are the last lines I will write for her.

　

Pablo Neruda

Post-birthday Thoughts

Life does throw in a a couple of surprises along your way when you least expect it. I thought my birthday would be an ordinary day but it was far from that. I got my birthday wish plus lots more. Thank you to everyone who made this happen. Hugs and kisses !

Passing Time

Your skin like dawn
Mine like musk

One paints the beginning
of a certain end.

The other, the end of a
sure beginning.

--- Maya Angelou

Calvin and Hobbes

I can never predict which way my world will turn. How I view each turn is all that matters ...

Wizard of Id

Haha! Thank God for my henwriting.

Titanic Lives On

When Titanic was shown in movie theaters sometime in 1997, I watched it 7 times! Then I bought a copy of the film so that I can also watch it at home. Can you believe that?! I fell maddeningly in love with this epic romantic disaster film and its lead star Leo DiCaprio. Naturally, I was ecstatic when I found out that the movie would be shown on the big screen in its 3D form. When I saw the tweaked version a couple of days ago, it felt like I time-travelled back to my young hopeless romantic self. I laughed, got teary-eyed, mouthed "awww" and felt shivers down my backbone over the same scenes. This classic will always have the same effect on me. Certainly, Titanic lives on ... 

 

 

The movie focuses on the love story between Jack and Rose. They are from different social classes but this does not hinder them from falling in love aboard the ship during its ill-fated maiden voyage. The first time I watched this film, I was 18 and I was dating my first boyfriend. As succeeding relationships went by, I learned that with every heartache, the heart does go on ... and on. 

Movie of My Life

The idea of making a "movie of my life" started on a whim. It was weeks before my birthday. I just wanted to try out something new so why not make a movie? Any movie. My cousin Nikay suggested that I try Windows Live Movie Maker. Since I'm not very patient when it comes to anything that's related to computers, gadgets and gizmos, I had to find the resources for my movie in a practical and convenient way. I suddenly came up with an idea - a movie for my birthday. I'll just copy most of the pics from my Facebook profile, add a song or two, add a countdown video from YouTube (I've always found the countdown part cute) and voila! My first movie. As days passed by and the idea started to get quite exciting, I realized that this movie has a purpose after all. I need not go into detail but I just wanted you guys to know that this is the turning point of my life. I have just emerged from a storm, an avalanche, a tornado, a tsunami or whatever disaster you want to call it and it was the biggest one I have encountered so far. My clothes are torn, my hair is disheveled, I'm heavily wounded, my limbs are fractured on both sides but guess what? I'm still breathing, I'm still sane (thank God!), I still believe in my Maker, I'm a lot stronger and wiser. My faith saved me. Time will heal me. I have a lot to thank God for. This movie is a reminder of who I was and who I am. No matter how many candles I add to my birthday cake, I'll still be that young-at-heart, bubbly, down-to-earth, caring, simple optimist that my family and friends love. I'll always be ME.

Please click on this link:

http://youtu.be/FCUz8kKLYxE

Note: Unfortunately, not everyone close to me was represented in the movie. I only had less than a day to make the movie so the pics were chosen at random. I apologize for this.  

Are we most happy on turning 33?

Perfect timing ... Read this today in Yahoo! News.  Incidentally, I'm turning 33 a few hours from now. Hehe.

Are we most happy on turning 33?

London, March 27 (IANS) While many of us may cherish remembering the school days as the happiest period of our life, a study has suggested that people are most content at the age of 33.

According to a survey conducted by a website Friends Reunited, seven out of 10 people over the age of 40 picked the year they turned 33 as their happiest period of life, the Daily Mail reported.

Over half of those surveyed -- 53 percent -- said life was more fun and 42 percent said they felt more optimistic about the future.

One in three said their happiness stemmed from having children while one in five said happiness came from success at work.

Life seemed relatively stress-free for 38 percent while 31 percent thought that was the time their family was closest together.

Only six per cent said they felt happiest being at university and just 16 percent in childhood.

Psychologist Donna Dawson said: "The age of 33 is enough time to have shaken off childhood naivety and the wild scheming of teenaged years without losing the energy and enthusiasm of youth.

"By this age innocence has been lost but our sense of reality is mixed with a strong sense of hope, a 'can do' spirit and a healthy belief in our own talents and abilities".

Ireland : The Happiest Country in the World (2005-2011)

The United Nation's first ever World Happiness Report declared Ireland as the happiest nation in the world in the last 6 years. Interesting. Based on the list, Scandivanian countries are the places with the happiest people.  

The Top 10 Happiest Nations in the World

1. Ireland
2. Australia
3. New Zealand
4. Sweden
5. Switzerland
6. Canada
7. Netherlands
8. Norway
9. Finland
10. Denmark

Dilbert

SMOKING KILLS!

My mom handed me a brochure she got from a clinic she recently visited. It has SMOKING KILLS mentioned on the front page in huge bold letters. Come to think of it, it does deserve this much attention especially when a lot of our loved ones are involved.

Of all the ugly facts about smoking, it always boils down to how much it reduces your life span. Every cigarette you smoke shortens your life by 14 minutes. Let's do the the math. That's over 4 hours per pack! If you make it a regular habit, it will decrease your life span by around 15 years if it doesn't actually cause your death.

MORE UGLY FACTS:

Smoking is the leading cause of blindness.  

Tobacco smoke contains at least 4000 chemical compounds and at least 40 cancer-causing agents. 

Smoking causes oral, pancreatic and lung cancer.

Smoking kills your looks. It makes you look wrinkled, pale and gray. It makes you look 20 years older than your actual age.

Smokers have a limited sense of smell.

Both active and passive smokers have a greater risk of developing chest infections.

Smoking worsens asthma.

Smoking causes serious heart and lung problems in both active and passive smokers.

Babies and children in their formative years are the most vulnerable to the effects of passive smoking.

THE BOTTOMLINE: WHEN YOU SMOKE, YOU'RE PAYING TO KILL YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES.

If you are reading this, probably you are trying or have tried to quit smoking. If you are having some difficulty with achieving this goal, it is essential to know that a lot of people who have tried to quit smoking did not succeed in their first attempt. This is because of several factors including the fact that the body must suffer withdrawal symptoms from nicotine use. Most smokers who quit "cold turkey," without any aid of nicotine in the form of gum or patches may feel moody, dizzy, tired and may have an intense craving for tobacco. 

The benefits of enduring this brief period of discomfort are amazing, however, and start within minutes of extinguishing the last cigarette. For instance, within 20 minutes of quitting, the heart rate and blood pressure begin to drop to healthier levels. Within 12 hours, the carbon monoxide level of the blood is back to normal and safer levels. Within 2 weeks, the circulatory system has improved dramatically.

With this in mind and the fact that smoking causes around 4 million worldwide deaths each year, kicking this habit is definitely worth the effort.

SAVE YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES TODAY. 

*** Kudos to the UAE government for starting the anti-smoking campaign in 2010 during Ramadan because "if a person can avoid smoking for 14 to 15 hours during the first, second and third day of fasting, nicotine will start to reduce by default, and this can help encourage a person to quit," as mentioned by a HAAD official.  

Garfield

Your Love Should Never Be Offered by Hafez

Love sometimes wants to do us a great favor: hold us upside down and shake all the nonsense out.

Your love
Should never be offered to the mouth of a stranger,
Only to someone who has the valor and daring
To cut pieces of their soul off with a knife
Then weave them into a blanket
To protect you.

Stay close to any sounds that make you glad you are alive.

Ever since happiness heard your name, it has been running through the streets trying to find you.
I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in the darkness, the astonishing light of your own being.

There are different wells within your heart.
Some fill with each good rain,
Others are far too deep for that

Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I would like to see you living in better conditions.

Even after all this time the sun never says to the Earth, “You owe me”

There is no pleasure without a tincture of bitterness.

Source: Paulo Coelho's Blog

Let's Make This a Better World

Have a blessed Good Friday everyone! Holy Week gives us a chance to reflect on the presence of God in our lives. Sometimes, because of our busy schedule, we tend to forget that we are here in this world for a purpose. It's more than creating a healthy work-life balance. It's a lot more than that. Each one of us has a unique path to take. In each path, there are pebbles and boulders of rocks that inflict wounds and slow us down. We shouldn't view these obstacles as bad luck or forms of punishment. If we welcome them with good faith and acceptance, they will draw us closer to God. These are the tests we have to overcome in order to learn life's valuable lessons. It doesn't matter if we passed or failed. What matters is we learned. A constantly happy and worry-free life is worthless. Life's worth comes from what was experienced and learned, good or bad. Along each path, we will meet different people. They are God's teaching assistants. Some will stay with us and guide us towards the right path. Some will dress our wounds and wipe away our tears. Some will catch us when we fall. Some will carry us when we get tired. Some will lead us astray. Some will make us stronger. Others will make us wiser. All of them will help us grow. We should thank each one of them for fulfilling their tasks. However, we have the option of choosing who to follow and who to keep. Whatever happens, we should walk on and continue our journey. We should not run, but walk. Running will make us learn life's lessons in a haphazard way. It's like cramming for an important exam. The knowledge will fade in time. In order for us to remember well, we should take it one step at a time. We should see, hear, touch, smell and feel the moment. When all our senses are alive at that moment, the lessons will leave a permanent mark, like a signature that's carved on stone. We should stop and smell the flowers, water the plants, feed the animals and help the unfortunate, the lost and the wounded. We are expected to use our God-given possessions, our talents, our skills, our knowledge, the values we uphold and our beliefs for the common good. If every person, regardless of the path he takes, focuses on making this world a better and brighter place, future generations will be encouraged to do the same. Let's make a difference. This is our purpose.

Morning Shift

Morning shift for one week. Woot-woot! The great possibilities ...

Coldplay - Us Against the World

Sometimes, even if you want to stay together, you have to spend some time apart ... In God's perfect time ...

Why We Love Men (Abridged Version)

Haha! Mostly true I guess ...

We love men because they write poems, songs, and books in our honor.

Because they never understand us, but they never give up.

Because they can see beauty in women when women have long ceased to see any beauty in themselves.

Because they come from little boys.

Because they can churn out long, intricate, Machiavellian, or incredibly complex mathematics and physics equations, but they can be comparably clueless when it comes to women.

Because they are incredible lovers and never rest until we’re happy.

Because they elevate sports to religion.

Because they’re never afraid of the dark.

Because they don’t care how they look or if they age.

Because they persevere in making and repairing things beyond their abilities, with the naïve self-assurance of the teenage boy who knew everything.

Because they never wear or dream of wearing high heels.

Because they’re afraid to go bald.

Because you always know what they think and they always mean what they say.

Because they love machines, tools, and implements with the same ferocity women love jewelry.

Because they go to great lengths to hide, unsuccessfully, that they are frail and human.

Because they either speak too much or not at all to that end.

Because they always finish the food on their plate.

Because they are brave in front of insects and mice.

Because a well-spoken four-year old girl can reduce them to silence, and a beautiful 25-year old can reduce them to slobbering idiots.

Because they want to be either omnivorous or ascetic, warriors or lovers, artists or generals, but nothing in-between.

Because for them there’s no such thing as too much adrenaline.

Because when all is said and done, they can’t live without us, no matter how hard they try.

Because they’re truly as simple as they claim to be.

Because they love extremes and when they go to extremes, we’re there to catch them.

Because they are tender when they cry, and how seldom they do it.


Because what they lack in talk, they tend to make up for in action.

Because they make excellent companions when driving through rough neighborhoods or walking past dark alleys.

Because they really love their moms, and they remind us of our dads.

Because they never care what their horoscope, their mother-in-law, nor the neighbors say.

Because they don’t lie about their age, their weight, or their clothing size.

Because they have an uncanny ability to look deeply into our eyes and connect with our heart, even when we don’t want them to.

Because when we say “I love you” they ask for an explanation.

Source: Paulo Coelho's Blog

The Rivals: Innovative Theatre with an Emirati Flavor



My Ticket :-)



Last Friday night, I was in for a visual treat when I watched The Rivals, a play performed by the Resuscitation Theatre. The group is composed of a multinational cast and crew of talents. 2 of them are kabayans. The group gave a brilliant performance which immensely entertained the audience from start to finish. I found myself smiling and laughing the entire time. I especially loved the witty banter between Captain Absolute and his father, Sir Antony.

"Also known as A Comedy of Errors, The Rivals tells the story of Lydia Languish, an heiress and an avid fan of romantic fiction, who lives with her aunt, Mrs. Malaprop. Lydia wishes to marry for love and is frustrated with her aunt's attempts at matchmaking. Knowing this, the wealthy Captain Jack Absolute disguises himself as poor Ensign Beverly in order to win Ms. Languish's affections and they meet secretly with the help of their servants. Unknown to Captain Absolute, his father, Sir Antony, has approached Mrs. Malaprop with a view to a match between Lydia and Jack. Therefore, Jack as himself becomes his own rival as Ensign Beverly. Hence the title of the play.

The Resuscitation Theatre is an innovative group conceived and directed by Maggie Hannan. Its aim is to articulate classic texts through visual forms. Resuscitation theatre adaptations use the whole space to cultivate the relationships between visual art, performance art and theatre. It performs innovative works in intimate settings, drawing the audience into the world of characters through physical expressions and interaction. Resuscitation Theatre productions are fast-paced, highly visual and usually run about an hour and twenty minutes without an interval."

--- http://resuscitationtheatre.com/

Pugad Baboy

If I Had My Life to Live Over

You can live your life the way you choose to live. Always remember that. :-)

Of course, you can’t unfry an egg, but there is no law against thinking about it.

If I had my life to live over, I would try to make more mistakes.

I would relax. I know of very few things that I would take seriously.

I would go more places. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers.

I would eat more ice cream and less bran.

I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary troubles.

You see, I have been one of those fellows who live prudently and sanely, hour after hour, day after day.

Oh, I have had my moments. But if I had it to do over again, I would have more of them – a lot more.

I never go anywhere without a thermometer, a gargle, a raincoat and a parachute.

If I had it to do over, I would travel lighter.

If I had my life to live over, I would pay less attention to people telling us we must learn Latin or History; otherwise we will be disgraced and ruined and flunked and failed.

I would seek out more teachers who inspire relaxation and fun.

If I had my life to live over, I would start barefooted a little earlier in the spring and stay that way a little later in the fall.

I would shoot more paper wads at my teachers.

I would keep later hours.

I’d have more sweethearts.

I would go to more circuses.

I would be carefree as long as I could, or at least until I got some care- instead of having my cares in advance.

I doubt, however, that I’ll do much damage with my creed.

The opposition is too strong.

There are too many serious people trying to get everybody else to be too darned serious.

(There are several versions of this text circulating in Internet. The one above is attributed to Don Harold)

Source: Paulo Coelho's Blog

It's Not All About the Money

Kuya Vien regularly sends inspirational quotes and stories to me via SMS. Sometimes, they are exactly what I need at a given moment. Thanks Kuya. Let me share a story with you. 

One day, a rich dad took his son on a trip, wanting to show him how poor someone can be. They spent time in the farm of a poor family. On the way home, the dad asked, "Did you see how poor they are? What did you learn?" The son said, "We have one dog. They have 4. We have a pool. They have a river. We have lanterns at night. They have stars. We buy food. They grow theirs. We have walls to protect us. They have friends. We have encyclopedias. They have the bible. Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are." So, it's not about the money that makes us rich. It's about the simplicity of having God in our lives.    

Send Me A Song

I thought I'd stay in the Philippines forever. Then I changed my mind. I thought it would be a good idea to migrate to Oz. Due to inevitable circumstances, it's taking some time. 10 years from now, I don't know where I'll be. To everyone I carry inside my heart, wherever I'll be, you'll be with me. To the people I love and care for a thousand miles away from here (you know who you are), all is well ... All is well ... :-)

Take the wave now and know that you're free,
Turn your back on the land face the sea,
Face the wind now so wild and so strong,
When you think of me,
Wave to me and send me a song.

Don't look back when you reach the new shore,
Don't forget what you're leaving me for,
Don't forget when you're missing me so,
Love must never hold,
Never hold tight but let go.

Oh the nights will be long,
When I'm not in your arms,
But I'll be in your song, That you sing to me, across the sea.
Somehow, someday, you will be far away,
So far from me and maybe one day,
I will follow you,
And all you do,
'Til then, send me a song.

When the sun sets the water on fire,
When the wind swells the sails of your hire,
Let the call of the bird on the wind,
Calm your sadness and loneliness,
And then start to sing to me,
I will sing to you,
If you promise to send me a song.

I walk by the shore and I hear,
Hear your song come so faint,
And so clear,
And I catch it, a breath on the wind,
And I smile and I sing you a song,
I will send you a song...
I will sing you a song,
I will sing to you...
If you promise to send me a song.

Susan Boyle - Amazing Voice

Susan Boyle inspires me. Her heartwarming rendition of I Dreamed a Dream and Someone to Watch Over Me still send shivers down my spine. AMAZING voice.

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high and life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving
Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted
But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they turn your hope apart
As they turn your dreams to shame

And still I dream he’d come to me
That we would live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather
I had a dream my life would be
So different from the hell I’m living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed

Hail to Strength!