Bleepin' Blizzard!

Leapin' Lizards! We were slammed this weekend with more than a foot of snow. It didn't stop us from going to Maine on Saturday to do some outlet shopping when it was just the flurries. Today, we opted to stay in even though we still had quite a few errands to run. It was coming down as strong as it did last Friday and it still has not let up.

Since we really did not want to venture out and do errands, we just set up the 4-season porch in preparation for the holiday gatherings. The view from the room actually helped get us into the Christmas spirit. We played Christmas tunes while we worked in the room and did chores around the house. We also finally got around to decorating the tree that we got last Friday right before the start of this blizzard. There's finally a sign of the holidays in our home.

Yup, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! We pray for a joyous Christmas season for everyone.

Eat Turkey Like A Pig

That's what I did during the Thanksgiving holiday. I ate like a p-i-g. For us, the holiday stretched out for the entire long weekend because we prepared too much food, as usual. Ergo, we spent the weekend trying to finish it all off.

I prepared a 21-lb. turkey for Thanksgiving dinner of 12 people. Sounds just about right if everyone had a pound and a half, right? But who was I kidding? How many people really eat a pound and a half of meat in one sitting? That, aside from the other yummy dishes that were served - among them, carrot & clementine soup, roasted ham, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, wild rice & crouton stuffing, arroz con gandules, cranberry salad, flan de queso, etc. with Pinot Noir and Reisling to wash it all down. Just thinking about sampling all that is enough to give anyone a heartburn. But the next day, we rallied on. I asked most everyone back for dinner and we again sat and ate with gusto like the first evening. The celebration stretched through the weekend finishing everything off, as well as eating another turkey that my sister-in-law didn't make on Thursday night just because we already had too much food.

Thanksgiving is a pretty new holiday for me as I've only been in the US for about a decade, but it has grown to be my favorite holiday of all. I love its thoughtful and no-frills quality. It's just good food, great company, enjoyable fellowship with family and friends and a reminder to be thankful for every single thing that we have been blessed with in life - the things that really matter.

Just Thankful

These days, I notice that people are complaining less. The usual whiners at work are now mostly silent...pensive. I guess it's because everyone's sobering up from the material high that we were all on before the economy tanked. The things that we used to whine about now seem trivial in the face of what is going on around the country.

Right now, those who still have it are just thankful to have a paycheck, and those that don't are just thankful to have their loved ones around them. I think it's sad, yet beautiful, to witness people realizing what really matters to them when all the glitters that blinded them before are gone. They become humbler, kinder and gentler in the face of uncertainty - more human. Most instinctively know that when everything else is gone, the only thing left are the relationships that they have built.

Thanksgiving is coming up, and I believe it is going to be a more poignant occasion now than it has ever been in the last several years. This year, more are going to be thankful for the truly valuable things in life - our family, friends, health, life, faith, hope and love. The feast may not be as plentiful but the moment will be more heartfelt.

Tomorrow, the world changes...

I'm excited...hopeful...optimistic, and judging from the mood all around, I'm not alone. Tomorrow is going to be a brand new day with as many possibilities as we are willing to explore. It is a great feeling to be a small part of this whole process and I am grateful for the chance to be here for this historic moment.

I'm also glad that all the election mudslinging and story-spinning will be over - definitely not my favorite part of any election. However, I will definitely miss Tina Fey playing Sarah Palin regularly on SNL, unless of course, she becomes VP-elect. Now some people won't find that too funny. Hahah!

Voice your choice!

Blackout and Baby Boom

Time and again, couples who have a lot of children have been poked and teased about not having a television during their child-bearing years. Well, I stumbled upon an amusing newspiece, among all the tiring political and other grim news here and around the world, that seems to enforce this thought.

We all know through experience that electricity, while a good thing, can be quite a distraction. A blackout forces us to spend time with the people around us because there is nothing else to do. I have fond memories of blackouts during my childhood - like playing with other kids in the neighborhood or swapping ghost stories with friends and family in the dark by candlelight. So whether it is engaging in great and memorable conversations or other more interesting activities, a blackout can be a good thing. :)

Winter blackout results in Dutch baby boom

By Saeed Ahmed,CNN

A small cluster of villages in eastern Netherlands has found itself in the midst of a mini-baby boom -- nine months after a power outage plunged its residents in darkness for two chilly days.

"It was cold in the houses," said Anneleas van Eijkeren, spokeswoman for the municipality of Maasdriel. "They went to bed early to keep warm. And nine months later, we have this -- a little bit more babies."

Forty-four percent more, to be exact. Residents gave birth to 26 babies in September, compared with 18 in September 2007.

Maasdriel is a collection of 11 villages with a population of 24,000. Ten of the 11 villages lost power for 50 hours in December after the blades of a helicopter accidentally sheared the cables providing electricity to the area.

"Some people went to other cities, but a lot of people stayed in their house with low temperature," Van Eijkeren said.

The community is battling a declining birth rate, like the rest of the Netherlands -- which ranks among the lowest in the world.

And while the power cut method worked well, Maasdriel doesn't plan on a deliberate repeat.

"Don't even joke," Van Eijkeren said, laughing. "In Holland, we would like to have more inhabitants -- but not in this way."

Courtesy Is No Longer Common

Why do I think that? Because it actually surprises and delights me now when children and young adults (and some older adults, too) actually know how to show courtesy and appreciation. The three basic phrases of politesse - "Please", "Thank you", "You're welcome" are words that you just do not hear as often as before, never mind its other, deeper manifestations.

Gratitude is a concept that is seemingly alien to this generation who thinks that every thing is owed to them by their relatives, friends and the world. I think all this fight for rights in the last few decades has gone to an extreme and done a number on the minds of many people, especially the young. Therefore, when others give of their time and themselves, they think it is just within their right to receive it with nary a thought of appreciation or worse, giving back. Miss Manners does not seem to have a whole lot of influence these days.

A person who takes for granted the good that is always done to them will miss out on a great deal in life. After all, who wants to hang around with someone who just takes and takes, be it time-wise, emotionally or financially? Yes, it can be a joy to give but it sure gets old when you're being bled dry.

Those three basic phrases are simple enough to utter - but it sure can go a long way if people learn how to use them.

This Old House

Redoing a 69-year old house can be very interesting. It definitely reveals to you a lot of how things were done in early 1900s and gives you a glimpse of the life of the former owners. In our case, there was only one owner before us. She was the builder of the house. According to our septuagenarian neighbors, she used to live in what is now the basement, which is mostly above ground because the house is situated on a hill. She started to build the house on her own, with some help I imagine, and continued until she got remarried not long after. So she and her new husband finished building it, had three kids who grew up and moved out, and stayed until they died. She passed away in her 90s in early 2006, a few years after her husband. That put the house on the market and we bought it in the latter part of the year, all spruced up in move-in condition with a minimal number of things to do.

M and I, are doing our remodeling slowly - one room at a time, as finances permit. This month, with the help of our dearest brother-in-law, we decided to winterize the porch into a four-season one before the cold weather came. We tore the room apart and brought it down to the skeletal structure. We replaced old aluminum crank/awning windows with custom-made, low-e, energy-efficient, slide windows which offer a clearer view of the city. We tore out the wall panels to put electricity in for a baseboard heater and ripped off the carpet to put porcelain tiles in. Under the carpet, we found at least two more linoleum sheets. One had a very distinct floral design - cute, but something you won't catch me putting in my house! It was not unlike the floral wallpaper that we found in the bathroom a year ago. Nice enough, but on other people's walls. Haha! Don't get me wrong, it's nice but I'm just not the floral type.

Under the linoleum, we found the hardwood floor lined with old newspapers. The dates ranged from April to June of 1962, so we assume that was the year they built the porch and they put in new flooring at least thrice since then. It was very interesting to see what the news was of that era, and the ads, especially. One was for a whole bedroom set for $89, offering monthly installments of a little over a dollar. The other was for a top-of-the-line console television for $280, offering monthly installments of $5. It was amazing, and almost unbelievable to see prices like those in this day and age where $89 can only buy you a decent pair of shoes!

Anyway, the work continues on the porch and will continue on probably until next weekend. Through the years we plan to tackle the other rooms. I wonder what other surprises we will find behind the walls and under the floors. Money? Jewelry? I wish. :)

Speak Chinese?

Hearing yet another news story that forced a mother to give up her baby girl under China's one-child policy, Hubby and I had the following conversation.

Me: We should adopt a Chinese baby.
Hubby: No. (Shakes his head.)
Me: Why not?
Hubby: We can't...we don't speak Chinese.
Me: (LOL)

Silly goose.

Everything Counts...

After Black Monday when the DOW dropped 500+ points and then again today for another 400+ points, this song came to mind again after a friend said that Depeche Mode's songs were socially relevent even today. Millions of people lost a huge chunk of their investments this week.

Giants like Lehman Bros. going under, Merrill Lynch being acquired by Bank of America, AIG being bailed out by the US government and the possible merger (MOE) of Morgan and Wachovia, it is a shake-up the financial world will not soon forget. This time, it's not a terrorism or a natural disaster to blame. We are now feeling the effects of the all around greediness that was rampant at the turn of this century.

What goes up must indeed come down.

The problem is, even those who didn't benefit from the inflated mortgage prices and unscrupulous lending practices of a few years back are going to feel the consequences as hard as those who did. We are in this hole because of people who "grabbed all they can" without a thought to long-term consequences.

Everything that we do does count and has a fruit or a consequence somewhere down the line.

Everything Counts by Depeche Mode

Remember these guys?

For no reason at all, this song popped into my head. I couldn't remember who sang it so I had to do an extensive search. It's from a band that was a one-hit wonder in the 80s. It didn't rank high in the US Billboard charts but was HUGE in Manila. There was a remake of this that you can find in Amazon, but nothing beats the original. Considering the days we live in, you'll actually find it quite relevant.

"State of the Nation" by Industry

This next song I saw this under the "related videos". From there, I went on an 80's roll. These are songs that I rarely hear on XM Satellite Radio's 80's decades station.

"Feels Like Heaven" by Fiction Factory


"Wishful Thinking" by China Crisis

I'll cap it off with one of my most favorite songs ever.

"The Ghost In You" by Psychedelic Furs

The little, pleasurable things in my life...

...these are the first 10 things to come to mind.

1. Sinking my teeth into a toasted onion bagel with crunchy onion bits on top, cream cheese and crispy bacon inside.

2. Watching a glorious sunset from my bedroom window and later seeing the moon cut its nocturnal path in the sky as I bid God and the world a good night.

3. Seeing my little pups happily yelp and jump to try and give me kisses as I walk through the door.

4. Driving during the early hours of the morning, not to work, but to a vacation destination and looking forward to days of vegging.

5. Walking into a squeaky clean house without having lifted a finger to do anything.

6. Being on a beach on a warm, breezy but sunny day, listening to the crash of the waves and the wailing of seagulls.

7. Having the pleasure of catching up with an old friend or relative whom I haven't seen in years.

8. Watching people I care about succeed in whatever they are doing and reach a milestone in their lives. Actually, they don't even have to succeed - just watching them try very hard with little fear already makes me proud.

9. Listening to people boldly tell the truth with no disrespect, reproach, or shame.

10. Going straight downhill on skis.

Method In His Madness (MBA for Hire)

His sign does not predict the end of the world or offer work for food. His sign says, "MBA for hire". He was standing across our building in the Boston Financial District with this sign and a backpack full of his portfolios. Some dismissed him as a nut but I approached him and asked for his resume. Instead, he gave me a portfolio with not only his resume, but reference letters from companies he's worked for, a one-pager personal statement and a really witty memo/cover letter. He has a job in a nearby state but wants to move to Boston and has taken every Friday off with the intention of standing in that corner until he gets a job. I showed the very well-prepared portfolio to one of our executives and she actually went in front of our building where he was standing and chatted with him for a few minutes. Once our pending job requisitions open up, she intends to call him in for a serious interview. A couple of hours later, one of our sales people approached me waving his resume, asking me to take a look at it. I informed him that I already did and have happily passed on his portfolio to our department heads that will be having jobs opening up soon. "If I had an opening, I would have hired him on the spot," he declared, and I agreed.

His resume shows a solid background and the rest of his portfolio showed a personality that anyone would love to have around. His standing there with a sign shows a willingness to do almost anything to get a job done. Who would not want that in an employee or a colleague?

I really admire the guy's self-esteem and fearlessness in looking for a job in this unconventional manner. He didn't want his resume to be in a pile somewhere waiting for someone to pick it up. He wanted to be different, to stand out and make an impression. And let me tell you, he did. Judging from the on-the-spot interviews he was getting every single hour he was standing there, he won't be there too many times more. He will be hired soon and whoever gets to hire him will be very fortunate.

Deceive to Achieve?

The media doctoring of the fireworks presentation of the Olympic opening which was actually shot on a another, clearer night in Beijing; a "cuter" little girl lipsynching "Ode to the Motherland" because the original singer, Yang Pei Yi, was deemed not "flawless in image, internal feelings, and expression" by the Chinese politburo; and to cap it off, the pre-pubescent looking female gymnasts that they all claim are the minimum age requirement of 16 when previous records in competitions in and outside China show otherwise. All are under 4'11" and 79 lbs - one of them 4'6" and 68 lbs.! I was a little shrimp at 16 but I was still bigger than that. These are a few incidents that have arisen and marred the 2008 Olympic Games in the eyes of many.

What other surprises await the world in Beijing? How many more will be uncovered and how many will forever remain hidden? Do you believe that the Chinese Olympic committee members are willing to deceive in order to achieve? Coming from a country where most of the world's fake/imitation apparel and accessory goods come from, you can guess where my inclination lies. Er...was that a pun? Never mind...

Oh, and Yang Pei Yi IS cute and adorable. I'm sure a lot will agree.

The Big Oh for Audie

My good friend and brother Audie Gemora is celebrating a milestone birthday today, at least in Philippine time - not quite yet here in the US but I couldn't wait to send his greetings.

I wanted to take the time to thank him for all that he's been to me - mentor, acting coach, director, choreographer, fellow castmember, churchmate, cheerer, sounding board, eating and movie buddy, true friend and big brother. Audie (along with Ninong Freddie Santos) was very instrumental in helping me develop as an artist and as a person by being a big brother from the time I was seventeen. He is one of those I can trust to gently tell the truth no matter how it hurts because he truly cares. Audie and I even shared a house, albeit at different durations. He moved into my place from Greenhills when I decided to move to Makati.

Auds, thank you for being there for me when times were light and, especialy when they were dark. I haven't seen you in years but know that you will always be one of the dearest persons in my life. I hope you have a beautiful and memorable birthday. May your cup runneth over as you mark this golden milestone. Love you, my brother.

I'm a wuss...

A few years back when we were thinking of buying a house, I was wishing for at least 1/4 of an acre of land. Instead, we found a house that we really liked, in an area that we loved, but on a land that's only a tenth of that. It isn't big at all but today and every single day we do yard work, I thank God for knowing better and not granting me my wish. Horticulture is not a talent that God has granted me nor do I have much love for it, so it was extremely convenient that the lawn and backyard were already professionally landscaped and all we have to do is maintenance. Easy, right? Er...not so much.

Last week, after spending time under the sun pruning some plants and trees in the backyard, I started to feel nauseated. Being not the type at all to get dizzy, faint or throw up, I spoke to a friend who was a nurse practitioner. She said that I was having the symptoms of sun-poisoning which could lead to a sunstroke. WHAT?! I'm Asian, I grew up in the sunny island of the Philippines and I have sun-poisoning? I guess I've been living too long in New England. She told me to have an icy bath, and drink lots of water with ice throughout the day. I've turned into a wuss.

Today it was forecasted to be cloudy and rainy, so it was quite safe for me to do some more yardwork. So after the rain, I continued some of the work that was left off from last week. I did some crab grass and weed-pulling for a couple of hours just on the front lawn. I figured it would be easier to pull and uproot because the soil would be soft. Boy, did I underestimate how easy this work would be. My fingers are raw despite the soil and wearing gardening gloves. I can barely type without my fingers aching at the touch of the keyboard. I know, I'm a wimp.

I look at my fingertips and and they're all pink and raw - definitely no hint of green there, whatsoever. Maybe I should leave this to the experts...

No Family Tree

I was emailing with a friend and she was telling me how she was creating her family tree. I told her that I don't have the energy to create mine as it will be a big, sordid mess. If I stick with the official "press release," then sure, I guess it can be a nice, little, neat tree. But, to create a true one is going to be a herculean task. I am quite sure an official one exists but I am not sure if my Mother's line is included in there. Still, it would be nice to see so I can imagine where we fit into all that.

You see, my mother is an only child with half-siblings on both sides - one side of which she is one of the youngest and one where she is the oldest. You do the math on what happened there since it's not rocket-science. She was adopted, raised and spoiled by a wealthy, childless couple who were relatives of her biological father, the sweet couple who were officially my grandparents.

Some of these half siblings accept her warmly and some not so much for reasons that only they and God truly know. Besides, I don't blame them as I don't know what they've been told or experienced. Our versions of the truth stems from what we've been told by our elders, right? I'm not sure how I'd react either if I were in their place. Maybe to some of them, she, and we, are a reminder of an episode in their family life that they'd rather forget or it may just be a simple thing of us just not really belonging in their eyes. That's fine. I'm sure we're all both richer and poorer for not knowing each other.

On the other side, it was her biological mother who did her best to keep away since she did not want her younger children to think ill of her for having a child out of wedlock. So we're pretty sure that my Mother will never appear on that tree.

Wow, writing this all out makes me empathize on the kind of emotions my Mother and everyone else probably had and the situations they contended with as they grew up, and still have now that they are growing old. I digress, though - that should probably be for a book of fiction one day "based on a true story." :)

Ours will probably be a phantom branch, a dotted line so I will eventually have to create one of my own. Do I really want to do that? Maybe - when I have the time and energy, sometime in the distant future.

If you got a voicemail like this, would you call back?

This was entitled "The Douchiest Phone Message in History".  *LOL*

This guy is a real piece of work, to put it nicely.  I was cracking up listening to this as I couldn't believe this was real.  Apparently, the meeting between this Dimitri and Olga took place in the Marina district in San Francisco and it happened in all of about two minutes.

I guess you can't make this stuff up, huh?  What sort of parents and village produce this kind of human being?  

I'm guessing Olga didn't give him a call back.  Yay, Olga!

Hubby's Special Day

When my husband's birthday comes, I'm usually the one who celebrates more than he does. Because on this day many years ago, God created my husband and I just know that He had me in mind. He knew that five years and twenty five days later, He would create a gal that would want a guy just like him. Ain't I special?! Haha!

We've spent many birthdays together and we've done all sorts of things. Today, we decided to forego the fancy dinner, get some subs and have a boxing match. Yup, you read right. We had a boxing match and I first knocked him out. He then came back with a vengeance and knocked me out twice. The second was so hard that my Mii did a back flip and went down for the count. I couldn't get up after that causing the Wii to declare him the winner. He beat me in all the other games too and ruled the roost the most of the night.

I figured I would let him win. After all, it is HIS birthday!

Cape Cod Stay-cation

A couple of weeks ago, we went on "stay-cation". Instead of flying off to some far off destination, we opted to stay around and just drive southeast for a couple of hours to take that much-needed break. With the economy the way it is, we thought it wiser to stay close by.

We decided to get to know Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard a little better and do some island exploring. We were in the mood for slow island living this year rather than a tight city-hopping itinerary. This time, we planned to take it easy and let our fancy take us wherever it wants at that moment. So whether it was gorging on seafood, waiting for a perfect photo opportunity, whale-watching, beach-hopping and riding the moped around Martha's Vineyard, we took our time and did a whole lot of nothing with gusto like two silly little kids.

Of course, as with most vacations, it ended all too soon. Now, we're back at home and work, but with new memories to look back and smile upon. This is one vacation that we actually had time for some rest. It sure makes for a nice change.

(Photo of Grey's Beach in Cape Cod courtesy of Hubby)

Isang Gabi, Walang Magawa Si P

I discovered the site when a friend asked me to listen to her rendition of a few songs. I decided to try it out! So, I put on the best jazz voice I could muster and went for it.

Missed lyrics, timing and pitch problems but what the heck, it was fun! Halata bang na mi miss ko nang kumanta? Mwahahaha!

To the twinkle in my eye

Many have incessantly asked us when we are going to have you, and in so many different ways. The questions range from the polite to just plain rude.

"Are you planning to have kids?"

"So when are you going to have a baby?"

"Why don't you have kids yet?"

"Are you able to have kids?"

"Is there something wrong?"

"Are you barren?"

It's the inevitable question we get because we've been married for years now but haven't had you. And frankly, up to this point, we have not tried. Why? We have so many considerations with one underlying reason. We love you too much that we want to be as ready as we can be. Yes, we've already been told that no one is ever ready for someone as special as you, but we certainly want to be as prepared as two imperfect people can be.

We've been ready physically for a long time. It would be quite easy to have you. Some people do it without even a thought. We want to be ready, though, emotionally, mentally and psychologically. If we are to be your parents, we want to be certain that we are in a stage that we are ready to give you not necessarily the best things in the world, but the best of who we are. We want to be in that state of being when we can practice true, and sometimes tough, love that exhibits patience, wisdom, joy, self-control and understanding.

Having you would be the most wonderful, life-changing thing that can happen to us, and we want you to enjoy having us as much as we will enjoy having you. We not only want to bring you up, but bring you out - the best of you. In the meantime, we're working on ourselves so that if you ever come around, we can show you love and life, and not just tell you about it.

Spring really sprung this year

I didn't understand why some people's favorite season is Spring until this year. You see, I never really experienced Spring in New England because it didn't exist, at least not since I lived here. All these years I've felt like it went straight from winter to summer, from heavy coats to tank tops, shorts and flip flops. Spring was something that happened in other places - something that I just read about.

This year is different. We are actually having a beautiful spring and the weather is comfortably cool. Our lawn and backyard are lush and our flowers are abloom longer. In the morning when it starts to get light around 5 am, the birds chirp merrily and the funny woodpecker pecks incessantly. In the evening, we have what I think is a nightingale serenading us to accompany the owl's very amusing hooting. It is like the world has come alive after New England's sleepy, long winter. It's the kind of spring that I have read so vividly described in books - the burst of life and colors after the grey and silent winter.

It has been quite a thrill for me to see it all unfold.

Scammers, Schemers, Spammers, Phishers

Today, I received a strange email from a friend's old email account. In it, he claims to be in Nigeria for the "Tinapa Opening Ceremony". The email continued that his money was stolen at the hotel by some armed robbers and that he had no money left. He asked the recipients of the email to please send him $2,500 for his mounting hotel bills that he will repay once he's back home from his travel.

Armed robbers supposedly stormed his hotel room and yet the hotel still charges him his daily hotel stay? I just laughed because it sounded ludicrous aside from the fact that in the Philippines, Tinapa is a kind of dried fish. Either he was sending a practical joke email or his email was hijacked by a Nigerian scammer. Hours later, he sends an email from his newer email address warning us that his old email address was hacked.

A few days ago, another friend looking for an apartment via Craigslist.org called me asking for advice. He said that a Pastor and his wife were subletting their apartment for only $600 while they were outside the country. It was such a good deal that my friend actually called the number in West Africa and spoke to this "Pastor". He had a heavy accent and was supposedly in West Africa (read Nigeria) with his wife on a prolonged stay. In the Craigslist posting, he said his wife was in Canada. Anyway, he couldn't show my friend the place because they were both out of the country but would send him the keys after he sends the money for the deposit and rent. This one smelled as bad as the "Tinapa Opening ceremony". I told him to continue looking and stop wasting his time with this "Pastor".

A few months back when Hubby posted something to sell on Ebay, he was contacted by someone who supposedly wanted to buy his item but would send him an international money order for an amount bigger than what he was asking for, but asked that Hubby give himself a big tip and return the balance to the supposed buyer via another international money order. The tone of the email had the same kind of writing that usually came with the original Nigerian email scam promising millions of dollars in a secret European account of a dead relative to a person who can pay for the processing fees to have it released. It has just evolved into many other forms.

These scams are now widely publicized, and have even been exposed by NBC Dateline. They even got a few of these scammers to come and meet them in London and Amsterdam for the "hand-off" of fees in exchange for part of the hidden millions. Everything was filmed via hidden cameras. Amazingly, a lot of people still fall for it - those hoping for a windfall of some sort.

Who doesn't want to get rich? I definitely wouldn't mind it. But if a business transaction sounds too good to be true, chances are, it is!

Who Am I? (Tagged!)

I was tagged by Charl. I think this is the first time I've ever been tagged or responded to a tag. I've added a couple of things, as well.

Here goes...

I AM … thinking of what the heck to write in this post.

I WANT … to pay off my debt.

I HAVE … the most talented friends in the whole wide world!

I WISH … to go to Bermuda.

I ENJOY … humourous banter.

I LIKE … quiet wit.

I HATE … arrogant people.

I FEAR … not fulfilling what God put me on this earth for.

I SEARCH … for my niche in life.

I WONDER … if gas prices are ever going down.

I REGRET … the ungodly choices I've made in life.

I LOVE … buffalo chicken wings.

I ALWAYS … try to look at the bright side of things.

I AM NOT … the same person I was 20 years ago.

I DANCE … to keep my muscles loose.

I SING … to get away from reality.

I CRY … at a drop of a hat.

I WRITE … to help me sort my thoughts out.

I WON … my husband's heart by being a goofball.

I AM CONFUSED … by people who don't think they can learn from others.

I NEED … to be surrounded by people who I can learn from and make me think.

I SHOULD … really moisturize. *scratch scratch*

THE LAST THOUGHT I GO TO SLEEP WITH IS … "Thank you, Lord."

That's it. I now tag Gigi Posadas, Ralph Pena, and Ariel Reonal. You're it, guys!

Becoming Coupon Crazy

I used to only use the coupons for clothing, drug, book and electronic stores. I found that those were the ones that offered worthwhile discounts when we shopped, be it Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Borders, etc. Lately, I've started to pay more close attention to the grocery store coupons that I receive in the mail, especially after I saw a special segment on America's Cheapest Family - the Economides, a family of 7 living on a $35K a year with no consumer debt.

For about a year, I had been receiving coupon books from BJs, a wholesale club here, but due to my impatience to browse and cut coupons, I never paid attention to them and it went to the trash as fast as it came, along with all junk mail. A few weeks ago, inspired by the Economides, I took the time to flip through the booklet and cut coupons of the things I thought I might need. I brought them along on my next visit to the store. At the checkout line, I was amazed to find that I actually shaved $20 off our final bill after scanning in all the coupons I had!

I now use the pocket inside my bag to store all coupons and gift cards I have so I can pull them out at a moment's notice. I also google coupons online when I intend to make purchases. Getting the most out of our money is as thrilling for me as it is practical. With the price of oil inflating all other prices, it is worth the few minutes it takes me to check for coupons to get 5 to 20% off any purchase price! That's a few more dollars in our pockets and why wouldn't I want that? :)

“Third Party” Legislation – Homewreckers may become legally liable

Usually, a messy divorce follows an affair where the husband and wife duke it out in court for children’s custody, possessions, etc. while the person who is the cause of the break-up can walk away without much consequence.

Now, it may actually be possible for the wronged individual to also go after their spouse’s paramour for damages. Apparently, South Carolina is mulling over a law that would enable someone to sue the third party who caused the break-up of their marriage.

I think it’s a brilliant idea. A lot of people will think twice about something if it can hit them right where it will really hurt – their pockets. If a jilted spouse can prove that a person was the cause of the upheaval in their lives, then I think the homewrecker should be made to pay, literally.

In fact, I would bring it a step further. It should not be just the spouses who can sue but the children that come from the broken home, as well. Boy, I could think of a couple of women I would have happily taken to the cleaners. Their money and possessions in place of my stolen childhood. It still would not have been a fair trade but I would have taken it, nevertheless! :)

Our Madonna on Britain's Got Talent

Oh, anong say n'yo, mga kapatid???



Go, Mado! Ang luha ko umagos ha!

We'll be praying for you. :)

Leaving Comfort Zones, Embracing Change

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

I've loved this quote for years and have often chewed on it. But years before I read it, I instinctively knew that change was something I had to welcome and embrace. Somehow, I had drummed it into my brain early in life to use change as a means to explore as many open doors as I can. My circuitry shorts at the thought of “What ifs.” “At least, I tried…” is a more satisfying musing for me, whether I failed at the endeavor or not. Whenever I get too comfortable and life’s humming along, I wonder sometimes what I’m missing out on. That’s when I try to stir the pot and see what comes up – a new hobby, a new place to see, and a new opportunity. I never close a door to a possibility until I feel that I’ve fully explored it.

In my late twenties – I was living in a Makati city condo, had a full-time live-in maid, working in a great-paying job, very comfortably entrenched in my family, social and work circles. I was getting a lot of singing and acting jobs, had another steady job and had an incredible network where I had a good standing.

Then change presented itself – an incident happened at work and I quit the following day for integrity’s sake. No matter, I trusted that God had a handle on everything. Besides, I thought I could better focus on my gigs. A few weeks later, a friend of mine told me that her sister, a huge Disney Exec, was asking for recommendations for representatives from the Philippines for a Millennium project that they were doing. She warned me that I was overqualified for the position and the pay wasn’t big but she thought she’d run it through me because she knew that I wanted a short break from hectic Manila life and live and work somewhere else for a couple years. “What the heck...” I thought. This was an opportunity I would truly wonder about all my life if I didn’t do it. Pondering on that and the other things it would have led to would have been utter torture for me. I figured that if I didn’t like suburban Florida, I could always go back to Manila and re-enter its lively, cosmopolitan scene.

So off I went, leaving everything that was comfortable and went to a place where I had little money, no family support, no social network or standing and a totally different way of living. It was tough adjusting in the beginning and breaking the stereotypical myths people thought about me and where I come from, but I didn’t care much as I still had the adventure I intended to have. I had my few sad moments but they were outweighed by my discovery of who I truly was outside all the influences I had been living under all my life. I saw the kind of person that I was even when no one was watching. This was the point in my life when who I am became solidified. The greatest gain I had was growth, and in a way I never could have had I chosen to stay put.

Change is a short but much feared word. At some point, all of us want and need change and we have different attitudes towards it. There are those that are ready and itching for it, those that are fearful but curious, and those that are using every excuse not to do it - a person that they don’t want to leave, age, weather, etc. - refusing to admit, whether consciously or subconsciously, that it is fear and pride that paralyzes them from going into the unknown.

I believe that there is more to fear in not reaching our fullest potential in every way. It’s been said time and again - no pain, no gain. No risks, no rewards.

One day, we’ll look back at our lives and inevitably think of the opportunities – those that we wasted and those that we seized. Will we shrivel in regret or be bursting with thankfulness? I guess that will depend on the choices we make in the present.

Physician, Heal Thyself

It is funny that just a couple of weeks after I wrote a blog about hate, I came across an article featuring a psychiatrist and his opinions about current events in Manila. He was an object of hatred of mine for sometime. It was almost like God reminding me to test my heart whether I still harbored those ill feelings. And yes, I felt a shadow of my old rage at first but it slowly dissipated as I thought of how God used those years to patiently and lovingly work things out in my heart and make me who I am today.

I still shook my head at the very sad fact that this person ,who crossed professional boundaries and helped destroy my family, is now sought after for his "valued" counsel by the media. I once considered legal action against this man to strip him of his license to prevent him from hurting any more people. I had evidence, too - records I kept of goings-on, witnesses who were ready to corroborate and tell the truth, his own fellow counselors who had sanctioned him, notes he had written encouraging someone to harrass other people through text message and phone calls, etc. A friend of mine still holds it all in safekeeping back home. However, with the legal system being the way it is in the Philippines, I felt it would prevent me from moving on. It would be costly, too and it's not like he had anything then that I could sue him for. He was nobody and had nothing. I had wasted years being manipulated and hurt by this person that to go through a legal process that would take more years would just prolong a very unpleasant episode in my life. I felt that what remained of my life was just too precious to waste. Lucky him. :)

My hope is that all those years between our incident and this present time, he has sought healing for himself and his own deep psychological problems - that he has found his own answers which is what, in fact, drove him to psychiatry according to him. I hope that all that took place before he became visible in the media because if not, then he has a loftier place to fall from when his own problem rears its ugly head again.

In my life, God had turned what someone meant for evil, their own very selfish gain, into good. That's the reason why when the grudge comes unbidden into my heart, I find it hard to hold on to for more than several minutes. I quickly realize that if God has forgiven my own sins and restored me, how dare I begrudge someone else that? I like where I am right now!

God deals with us all in His perfect time so I leave that in His hands. In the meantime, I'll work with my God for all my own issues.

A Time To Hate

It's hard to hate. No, let me rephrase that. It's very easy to hate, but extremely exhausting. It zaps all our energy and turns us into a person we don't like. It takes over our soul until we eventually turn into the very person we hate, or worse.

We may all enjoy a little hating here and there, to an extent. Schadenfreude, I guess. Anyone who says they have never experienced Schadenfreude has to take an honest look at their hearts. At times, we take pleasure in someone's misfortune when we feel they have it coming. But that can turn ugly, and I don't mean just for the object of our hate, but also for us.

Is it worth it? Some will say yes, and for a time it may seem so. Revenge is sweet on the surface but it can turn sour eventually, and even deadly in some cases. I think the reason why God tells us to leave it to Him, is because we don't see the damage it does to our psyche, whereas He does. He encourages us to seek, pray and cry for justice to Him and I guess through the proper earthly channels. He will deal with it with a timing that is perfect - whether it be in a visible manner or not. People have often called it poetic justice, I call it God's justice.

Truth has a funny way of rearing its head even when people do their best to hide it. Maybe it won't be in the swift manner that we want, but it will. Proverbs says fools get trapped in the snare that they themselves have set up. I've witnessed that happen. They don't need our help, they will do it to themselves, one way or another.

One very good reason to try not to focus on the hatred we feel is that we will miss the other opportunities for happiness that are there because of our seething and devising. A classic example is a person I know who turns off men that she meets because she habitually spews out vitriol, through opinions and jokes about men. She thinks it's funny but it scares them off. There are times she exhausts even me, when I have to listen to her rant and rage. It is sad to witness her continually ruin her own chance at future happiness because she refuses to let go of the past.

Yes, there's a time to hate but we should try to keep it as short as we possibly can, for our own sake. We do ourselves a huge favor when we finally choose to let it go. Holding on to hatred is like trying to hold fire. It will eventually burn and consume us and those that we love, if we hold on to it too long.

On Cruise Mode

I sit at my desk tonight pondering - a million thoughts go through my head but nothing sticks. I begin with a thought but cannot process it thoroughly. Such has been the state of my mind the past three months. There are so many things I want to express but I can't seem to have the energy to work them all out in my mind. This morning when Hubby and I were having our usual discussion over brunch, I found it very hard to verbalize a point. I know how I felt about a particular topic we were chewing on, but I just could not put it into words. I struggled and gave up. I just said that maybe I haven't really thought about it hard enough.

Come to think of it, I haven't had the time to really delve into my thoughts lately. That's the reason why my blogs of late have been more about events rather than thoughts and opinions. I've been so busy just trying to get by on my schedule that I haven't had that much time to just sit down and ruminate. And when I try, my body tells me I'm too tired. And believe it or not, that is just what it's doing right now.

I miss being able to just sit and have the words flow out. My quiet times are so much richer when my mind is more eloquent. One day, it will hopefully come back, but for now I'm leaving this as is. I need to go get some rest.

President's Day Broadway Weekend

We celebrated George Washington's birthday in New York City. We took this time to do what we haven't done together in a long time - spend a weekend in Manhattan and see as many Broadway shows as we can.

We booked ourselves right in Times Square and lined up two shows to watch - The Lion King and Legally Blonde the Musical. I had seen the last on its opening week with friends, Lito and Sheila, and I had such a great time that I wanted Hubby to see it and enjoy it with him. And enjoy it, we did!

The Lion King was something we couldn't get tickets to in its first couple of years of showing so we gave up. These days, even if it still doesn't appear on the TKTS show list, it's easier to get tickets as long as you book them a few weeks in advance. Its artistry is really something to see. I've heard it talked about and to finally see it is really quite an experience.

For Wicked, we were hoping to do the lottery since we could never get tickets online for the President's Day weekend, but alas, we didn't get there on time to list our names during the matinee we were free. So, we took a chance and went to Golden Theatre to check out Avenue Q and were fortunate enough to snag a couple of tickets. Hubby loves South Park, and since the brand of humor is quite the same, you can imagine how much he (and I) laughed in this show!

Next on our list was the limited engagement of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof with Terrence Howard, James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad and Anika Noni Rose. However, we found out that our TheatreMania discount doesn't apply for the holiday weekend. Paying full price after already seeing three shows wasn't that appealing so we bagged the idea and just treated ourselves to a nice dinner at the original Benihana in New York.

I'm just hoping that the show's still running when we go back in May to meet up with some friends!

Too Many Hats

For about three and a half months now, I've worn three hats at work. In December, I was doing that, plus a musical. By Christmas, I was so burnt out that I spent the whole Christmas week sick - physically and figuratively. I was sick with a bad cold, as well as sick of thinking, talking and socializing that I went through the holiday season barely talking to anyone to wish them good cheer. I reserved that energy for the few family and friends who lived in close proximity and that I would see during the season. All I could manage for the rest were emails. Writing one was less exhausting than a face-to-face or vocal (over-the-phone) encounter where I would have to exhibit facial expression and vocal inflection to go along with my words. I was tired. I still am.

I thought that staying at home rejuvenating during the weekends would help lift my spirits. I was wrong. Three weekends ago, Hubby and I went to the White Mountains to do some long-overdue skiing. After a couple of tentative runs and we were back in skiing, and falling, form! We managed to get some outlet shopping done, as well, before and after. The weekend was tiring physically, but it really resurrected my spirits. Next weekend, we are planning a trip to New York to watch a few Broadway shows and visit with family. It's given us something to look forward to these very hectic days.

I thought resting and vegging was the only antidote to very stressful workdays, but having fun, even if it's physically tiring, seemed to have done more for me. I guess the key to keeping sanity when you're working very hard, is to "play" equally hard. It did wonders for my spirit, definitely.

Good Knight, Sleep Well

I was having a conversation over the phone with our Business Support Manager and in the middle of our discussion she exclaimed, "Heath Ledger died! They found him in his apartment!" I asked her if she was sure that she wasn't pertaining to Brad Renfro who died last week. She said, "No! I'm reading it in CNN!"

At first, I was sad. Brad Renfro, the former child actor who debuted in "The Client" and Oscar nominee, Heath Ledger, both young, promising actors following the steps of that other tragic figure, River Phoenix. But the more I thought about it later on, the more mad I got rather than sad. All that talent, life, possibility, opportunity and future gone too soon because of poor choices.

Is it another case of having too much too soon? It seems to be with a lot of these young celebrities. These unnecessary deaths should serve as a warning to the others who seem to be headed down that same path. At least, something good would come out of this tragedy.

Who would have thought this Knight's tale would have such a sad ending?

Snowed In

We woke up this morning to a winter wonderland - so we donned our warm clothes and started shoveling. It was coming faster than we could clear the driveway and pathways so we both decided to work from home today. Actually, only I am working from home. Hubby's company declared a snow day so he's scot-free, just hanging out here at home while I am stuck to my computer - working. I have never had a snow day ever since I lived here in New England. I've been very "lucky "to work with companies who have been sticklers for working even when there's a blizzard outside and it's the first time I've stayed at home because of snow.

As I write this, the snow is still falling and it has not let up. Everything's white and beautiful outside. That won't last long, however, especially when the salt and sand start to melt everything. It gets slushy, muddy and very slippery. It can be a nerve-wracking ride going up and down our hill during these times and we don't intend to attempt that today. That's the price we pay for a brief moment of breathtaking beauty.