Observer's Eyes

Nakabilanggong Kagandahan!

2011-03-02T22:42:00.003Z

Nasa recreation room ako ng hapon na iyon, day off at walang magawa, nang bigla na lang nag ALARM ng emergency itong aming bahay, at wala pang sampung segundo, ang aming telepono ay panay ang ring. Nakakabulahaw talaga, grabe! Siyempre, ang beauty ng inyong lingkod, nataranta. Di malaman kung ano ang uunahin, ang patigilin ang alarm thru entering our pin code which would take some confirmation and reconfirmation kapag sa mga ganitong klaseng alarm... o sagutin ang telepono. Siyempre, for some reason naisip ko kaagad, tumakbo sa telepono kahit napakaingay at nakakabingi itong wang wang sa loob at labas ng bahay. Buti na lang, kung nasaan ang telepono, nandun din pala ang fob key ng alarm ( o soyal di ba? ang aming bahay ay katulad na lang din ng kotse kapag iniiwanan, at a touch of a button, armed na siya. High tetsh, ay mali, high tech pala)

Kaya ang beauty nyo, answered the phone while turning the alarm off. Hay, relief! Di na maingay...... Hello, sabi ko. This is the monitoring department from ARPEL Security. Can you tell me your passcode, please. Aba, ang bruhang 'to, inuutusan ako, sino ba siya, lokaret na yun a. Nagkarambula ang mga numero sa aking ulo, di ko maalala kung ano ang kanyang tinatanong, meron ba 'nun?, Bigla akong nanlamig, kapag di ko nasabi ang tamang passcode, magpapadala sila ng mga pulis sa aming tahanan, nakakahiya, ay naku, worst, magbabayad ako ng fee kapag naabala pa sila sa isang false alarm lang, patay! Anyway, mabuti na lang nakapag - isip agad ako, sa totoo lang, di ko talaga maalala ang passcode namin with ARPEL kaya naisip ko kaagad kung ano ang ginagawa ko sa telephone banking kapag di ko masabi ang tamang passcode with them, ibinibigay ko na lang ang aking buong identity, sino ako, anong birthday ko, anong mga posibleng question and answer words ko kapag kinakailangan kong mag reset ng password, na sa tingin ko ay yun din ang mga posibleng password/passcode ko with them. It worked, pero di nya kinonfirm kung alin dun, sabi magpapadala na lang daw sila ng another passcode by mail. Medyo nakumbinsi ko naman yung babae sa kabilang linya, na ako talaga ang may-ari o nakatira sa bahay na minu-monitor nila, kaya habang nasa phone, sabi nya sa akin na tseken ang area ng bahay na nag trigger ng alarm. Ako naman, while on the phone, pumunta sa basement rec room katulad ng sinabi niya, dahil dun daw nagmula ang trigger. Eh sabi ko, ako lang naman ang nandun kanikanina lang, nag lalaro ng tennis with WII. Sarado ang dalawang bintana, well sealed at di siya nagagalaw. At this time, my kids who were in their rooms went down stairs with me at ang mga mata'y nagtatanong kung ano ang nangyayari, kaya inginuso ko na lang sa kanila na everything is okey.

Anyway, ito na. Kinakailangan kong i reset ang alarm para makasigurong secured na ulit kami, aba, ang letcheng aparato, ayaw gawin ang pinagagawa ko sa kanya. Laging ibinabandera ang CHECK 18....NOT READY!, makailang beses kong ginawa ang pag enter ng pincode, ganun at ganun ang sinasabi. Siyempre, tawag ang beauty nyo sa customer service na ipinasa naman sa monitorig department, at pagkatapos ng mahabang paliwanag, sinubukan din nilang i reset from their end, pero walang nangyari, dedma ang system, at matigas pa kaysa bato ang puso ng alarm system namin. Gusto ng personal na attention and touch, kaya sabi ng security company, kinakailangan nilang pumunta ng personal dito ulit sa bahay namin para sila mismong mag check ng kung anong kababalaghan ang ginagawa ng aming malditang alarm. Sabi pa, ang nakadownload daw na info sa kanila ay tampering daw ng seal sa 18, which is our rec room. Tingnan mo nga naman, di nga nagagalaw yun, eh. Tinanong pa ako kung pinalitan ba namin ng baterya, pero di naman, in fact, wala nga sa amin marunong makialam nun kaya di namin ginagalaw, at kung baterya man, sana nung binuksan ko yung bintana, tapos isinara, hindi magtsa-chime ang bahay, which just tells us that an access to the house has been opened, etc.

Kaya today, 48 hours pagkatapos nung mapan intrigang alarm, darating yung technician para tseken ang aming system. Yet for me, that's a two-day imprisonment, dalawang araw at gabi akong hindi mapakali, nagigising ako sa dis oras ng gabi and get up to check on the two kids in their rooms, tapos saka hihiga at mabubwisit kay Alfredo kasi sarap ng tulog niya, habang ako disturbed na naman. Mahirap ang kalagayan ng ganito. And if I have to diagnose myself, it's easy to say I have PTSS (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome) which of course sakit sa utak... Mental o Psych, kumbaga! Aray, nababaliw na ba ako??????.Well, nanakawan na kasi kami minsan dun sa isa sa mga naunang bahay na aming naupahan. Catastrophy ang dating sa akin nun. Tinangay ng mga robbers halos lahat ang aming mga kayamanan, ahehehe, kung meron man at ang mga importanteng papeles. Sabi ko sana, tinangay na lang nilang lahat yung mga bagay na sa tingin nila eh may value, wag lang yung mga documents namin such as passports, visas, birth certificates, etc. Pero talagang mga halang ang bituka ng mga magnanakaw na iyon, mga bastos at walang konsiderasyon. It took us nearly a year to get our new passports and the rest of the documents. At kahit na meron na kaming mga new documents, identity threat is still there. The British Consulate dito sa Canada could not guarantee (yes, we're British citizens) us that those stolen passports could not be used by the robbers. What they assured us is that, those passports could not be used for traveling outside of the country because once they have presented the said documents to any immigration officer, it will be taken from them, and necessary investigation will be done, but should those culprits use those papers in opening accounts and what have you, they may still be likely to succeed. And in the western world, identity and credit history is critical. Kaya ever since, I don't take chances.I've done what's needed to minimize their chances such as informing the credit bureau, police, etc. at kahit nasa loob kami ng bahay, we set our alarms on to keep the perimeters of our property secured, at kahit malaya kaming nakakakilos sa loob ng teritoryo namin, kapag may nagbukas ng bintana o pinto o kahit anumang access na hindi namin alam, our warning alarm goes, meron din kaming panic button sa aming fob key, which we could press at any point necessary, whether the system is on or off. Paranoia, you may call it, but for me, it is the least I could do to stay safe'r. I know that the area we're in is safe and secure. We are in a Cul De Sac with less than a dozen houses. Our neighbours are great and professional people, and in fact two of them are doctors in the hospital where I work and we are in a neighborhood watch program. Pero para sa akin, iba pa rin ang may extra precaution.

On to careers and plans, I Digress.

2011-02-25T12:49:00.010Z

As a nurse, you've got to work shifts, and as I am full time nurse in intensive care unit, I have to have a fair share of days and night hours.

Working nights is not that bad, if you are used to it. Aside from feeling like a zombie, you work like without brains. Everything is autopilot. Due to years of experience, working with the multidisciplinary team comes as second nature to me.

But lately, I have to think deep and hard about my practice. I have been audited by the CRNBC (College of Registered Nurses in British Columbia) before I was able to renew my license, and in there I have to satisfy the requirements of updating my professional practice and development, and pair it with their practice standards. It wasn't a hard audit, but really, in reality, we do more than the practice is asking, and we sacrifice a lot, our health, our brains, time, and effort, and even our personal beliefs and relationships. Nursing is not like any other jobs monday to friday 9 to 5 pm where you have a set of days off and time automatically without having so much of a fuss with your planner. Nursing is indeed complex, not only to the practice but to the one that practices it. Guess what, I love it, but if I have a choice, I prefer becoming a part time only, the other part time would be farming. Would it not be great?

When I finally made the decision to become a nurse (wish I had other choices) I am aware that night shifts are there to come. That was in 1992, I qualified in 1996, and I was only 20 years old then. I pledged to myself that I would be good and break my time in five years intervals. I have rounded around specialty wards such as maternity, neurology, respiratory, medical, and surgical by 25. Then I got my specialty in intensive care by 30, teaching/mentoring at now when I am 35, aiming to become an educator by forty, and hopefully a consultant at 45. Currently, I am at my goal, and perhaps I could easily switch to some kind of managerial jobs of sort, but I am not that kind of person. I am passionate about my bedside care and the patients that I treat therefore I knew that being in skills and practice level is what will give me job satisfaction. Another thing I have learned in this work life is that, establishing a network is necessary to let your goals achievable. Talking to your manager from the very start and outline to him/her your career goals is a very clear indication that he/she could not hold you should you want to leave or move when the time comes when you feel like it's time. Personally, I am a very loyal employee and love to become part of the group at most times. But a few occasion I have broken from my comfort zones to try new levels and tastes, and so far, I have not once a regret yet, any kind of major career decisions I have made. Hopefully, I am trained and continue to be trained in each obstacle I have yet to face.

I would like to share my spoon with you

2010-11-11T07:12:00.002Z

A Holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, 'Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.

The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.

In the middle of the room was a large round table.. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, 'You have seen Hell.

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.

The holy man said, 'I don't understand. 'It is simple,' said the Lord. It requires but one skill...

You see, they have learned to feed each other. The greedy think only of themselves.'

When Jesus died on the cross, He was thinking of you.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

2010-10-11T00:59:00.000+01:00

I came across this little story or parable in a book and I would
like to share it with you today.

One afternoon a shopper at the local mall felt the need
for a coffee break. She bought herself a little bag of
cookies and put them in her shopping bag. She then got in
line for coffee, found a place to sit at one of the
crowded tables, and then taking the lid off her coffee and
taking out a magazine she began to sip her coffee and
read. Across the table from her a man sat reading a
newspaper.

After a minute or two she reached out and took a cookie.
As she did, the man seated across the table reached out
and took one too. This put her off, but she did not say
anything.

A few moments later she took another cookie. Once again
the man did so too. Now she was getting a bit upset, but
still she did not say anything.

After having a couple of sips of coffee she once again
took another cookie. So did the man. She was really
upset by this - especially since now only one cookie was
left. Apparently the man also realized that only one
cookie was left. Before she could say anything he took
it, broke it in half, offered half to her, and proceeded
to eat the other half himself. Then he smiled at her and,
putting the paper under his arm, rose and walked off.

Was she steamed. Her coffee break ruined, already
thinking ahead of how she would tell this offense to her
family, she folded her magazine, opened her shopping bag,
and there discovered her own unopened bag of cookies.

I like that story - it makes me think about how well God treats
me even when I am not treating him well or thinking all that
kindly about him.

It also makes me think about how, sometimes, I do not really
appreciate what I have or act like I know where it has come from.
It serves as a kind of reminder to me - like that reminder in
today's old testament reading.

There, Moses, after telling the people of Israel how they will
prosper in the promised land that they are about to enter, how,
after so many years of slavery and then of wandering in the
wilderness, they will eat their fill, and have fine houses and
large herds, and that their silver and gold will multiply, says:

Do not say to yourself, "my power and the might of my own
hand have gotten me this wealth." But remember the Lord
you God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth,
so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your
ancestors, and as he swearing to you today."

Chapter eight of Deuteronomy is really one of my favourite
chapters of the Old Testament.
It speaks so well of what we all know somewhere in our hearts,
but often seem to forget in our actions and our attitudes.

It speaks of how everything we have is a gift from God,
a git worked upon by our hands, most certainly;
a gift perhaps even enhanced by our own strength,
but a gift none-the -less,
for God gives us the hands we need,
and God gives us the strength we have.

Would that I would remember this at all times - it would make my
life so much easier, and it would bless everyone around me, and
it would bless God..

Not so long ago famous people all over the world were polled by a
magazine which asked them the question - "if you could be granted
one wish that will come true right now - what would that be?"

There were some very interesting responses - but one response
impressed the magazine's editors so much that they commented on.
That response was this -

I wish that I could be given an even
greater ability to appreciate all
that I already have."

It is an interesting answer
an interesting thing to wish for.

What do you think would happen if each one of us suddenly became
a more thankful person? If all of us suddenly became a more
appreciative people?

I don't know what comes to your minds -
but I know for sure that when I was younger my mother would
have been really pleased;
and now that I am older - well I know that my wife would
be very happy
if I expressed my appreciation a little bit more than I already
do - I know that because she tells me so whenever I am apparently
forgetting who she is and what she does.

No one likes to be taken for granted - or to see someone that
they love taking things for granted.

All of us like to be appreciated,
all of us like to be thanked,
and all of us, I believe, like to see those we love
live thankful lives, appreciative lives,
so much so that we teach our children this virtue
- at our supper tables,
- during birthday parties,
- in the middle of visits from their grandparents,
- and just about anytime that they are receiving something
from someone or asking someone for something.

It is a great thing to teach our kids to say please and thank
you, it helps them out in this world,
and it is a great thing to be appreciated, to be thanked;
but as we think with holy and prayerful minds today -
as we thank God in our worship service for the harvest
we are all enjoying,
I ask you - as I ask myself - where is your sense of thankfulness
at? How complete is it? How deep does it run in your life?

I Thessalonians, chapter five, verse eighteen says

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

and in Ephesians, chapter five, where Paul is telling
new Christians how they should live, it says:

"Give thanks to God the Father at all times and for
everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The norm and the standard of the early church of the disciples
and the apostles was really incredible and it had incredible
results in the lives of those disciples and apostles, and in the
lives of all those around them.

They lived happy and triumphant lives,
they rejoiced even when they were being afflicted and persecuted,
and their fellowship continually grew until it reached the ends
of the earth.

Give thanks in all circumstances.
Give thanks for everything.
Give thanks at all times.

This is a step beyond remembering God and thanking God for all
the wealth that we enjoy in this our promised land.

This is a step beyond remembering God and obeying his commands
because he has given us fine houses and filled our bellies.

This is even a step beyond thanking God,
as the leper thanked God,
for healing him through Jesus of his disease.

This is what Charlene called at recent workshop - "thanks -
living" - and it is demanding - and it is rewarding.

I say it is demanding - because quite frankly when I am feeling
pressed to wall I find it difficult to fulfil the word that says:

"Do not worry about anything, but in everything by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known to God."

And when I am feeling struck down by some affliction
or angry at my children for doing something that seems to me to
be thoughtless;
or upset at my dog for his having escaped out the door in the
morning and run off to the school;
I have difficulty feeling grateful to God for the circumstances I
am in.

Instead of wanting to praise God - or to pray to him about the
situation with thanksgiving,
- I want to feel sorry for myself and the trouble I am in -
- I want to yell at the kids for being whatever kids are when
they are thoughtless
- and I want to throttle the dog, because I know darn well
that when Laddie escapes and runs off to school he is not
going to come back home any smarter than he was before.

How about you?
Do you have a faith that is thankful in everything?

It's something to think about
especially it is something to think about when you consider the
power of thanksgiving
and of how not only are we blessed or rewarded for it,
but so is God and all those around us.

Raising foster kids has provided some interesting experiences in
this regard -
many of the kids that have come to us are desperate for some kind
of affirmation and love -
they feel lost and alone and attempt to please us as a way of
securing their place in our midst.

It is beautiful to watch the transformation that comes over their
faces when we thank them for something as simple as clearing the
dishes or when we praise them for something as normal as being
kind to the neighbours' children.

They beam, they radiate, they light up the room - and we
- who may have simply praised them because it is the smart
thing to do, or thanked them because it is the right thing to
do
suddenly feel one hundred percent better than we did before,
better about them,
better about ourselves,
and better about the world in general.

Giving thanks blesses the person who is thanked and it transforms
the person who gives thanks.

It works the same way everywhere, with everyone, even with God --
when we remember..

When we forget - hard things get harder.

When we allow the situation we are in to swallow us up and to
swallow all thought of God's power and goodness up;
When we begin to think we have earned and deserve all the
good things we have,
and when we forget that God is able to help us in the
midst of all the bad things that occur,
well - life becomes bleaker,
and true virtue becomes harder to find.

God wants us to celebrate his love. God wants us to give thanks
in everything.

God doesn't want this because he is greedy for praise,
the Lord doesn't want it so that he will feel better about
himself,
he wants it because it will bless us
and because it will bless the world he has made.

He wants us to remember what He has done
- so that we will not be afraid when we are in need of help,
and so that we will not grow arrogant or rude when we are
prospering
He wants us to remember and give thanks to him, and to those
around us
- so that our lives will be full of light and hope
and so our actions full of tenderness and love.
.
As the psalmist declares - "It is good to give thanks to the
LORD, to sing praises to his name"

Praise be unto God and thanksgiving for his many blessings -
Amen.

copyright - Rev. Richard J. Fairchild 1996 - 2005
please acknowledge the appropriate author if citing these sermons.

What will you do if your'e bored at work?

2010-10-06T11:43:00.003+01:00

I am on nights tonight, este, it's now the morning, about 3:45AM pacific time, and I am at work. It's reasonably quiet, and I am getting bored. I could not resist looking at the clock and wish the hands would go faster. I have surfed the net for a while now, and started to daydream..... Nothing really on the web that interests me aside from tips on gardening and farming. Would you believe that I always wanted to be a farmer. I love tilling the soil and growing things. The place we have right now has a little garden and I have, because it's autum time, taken away the plants that are wilting and now starting to put on vegetables that will take the harshness of winter. It won't be long and we will be freezing here again, and that depresses me. My activity in the garden would be limited. Being in the garden rejuvenates me and I could just relax and let out the stress whenever. I seldom watch TV. So don't ask me about anything of news or latest gossip and soaps, I know nothing.

See..... I could tell you so much about what's goin' on my mind right now.... it's gardening, gardening, and gardening.... because I am bored stiff here at work, and wish it's daylight now so I could run home and put out my asparagus which I bought the other day. They're still in pots but I will be building a raised bed for them today so I could transplant them.... yipppeeee. I am looking forward to my day off now. I am pretty sure it would be worthwhile. I hope my Cocoa (my chocolate labrador) would not be so helpful and stop being nosey of what I am doing, otherwise, I probably mostly spend half the time scolding her to stop digging, too... huh, simple life.... simple joys, and simple dreams..... very much achievable and very rewarding.

Some Annoying Things In Life

2010-10-06T08:49:00.005+01:00

I ain't gonna rant, and I am not going to make it ponder to me today, but I am a little annoyed with something I just learned today. Someone, whom I am not very pleased with afterall the good things I have done to him, have the heart to slander me. I could not understand why some people are just so thick and proud, that after you have helped them, they would forget about you, and not only that, talked behind you of your flaws. Of course I am no perfect or never even became close to become one, but trust me, I am trying my very best and really hard to be kind and conscientious (that's a long word, I am not even sure of the spelling). So now, that person is trying to come back to me because they (him and his family) need a favor from me???!!!!! Thank you very much!!!!! I am a very kindhearted person, but only to those who know how to be grateful and keep the friendship between us, I maybe far or near. I don't expect people who I have helped to pay me back the same. I understand it if you can not reciprocate, but please if you have seen flaws and mistakes on myself, let me know about it directly if it really bother you, and don't talk to others about it and expect I would not know.

James' 10

2010-10-05T00:45:00.000+01:00

It was my son's 10th birthday last Sunday 3rd October 2010, and I am working all day, so to make it up with the whole family, my husband and I planned to dine out after my work. So there we are, had a feast in one of my son's favorite resto. We are all filled to the brim. To be honest, I have been feeling guilty about a few of these things.

1. I am working on my son's birthday... how terrible is that? Well, he didn't mind at all. I am glad! He had his wish to have a new celphone, and there he have it.

2. We meant to have a little pancit and homecooked meals and celebrate at home, but we went out. Filipino tradition is that you have to have something like pancit (kind of chowmein - with long strings of noodles) to have longevity for the celebrant....that's just a belief passed by word of mouth.

3. I have pigged out again. I was trying to eat less due to health reasons. I am not getting any younger, and my metabolism is slowing down, I should really watch out what I am eating at what time of the day it is. Well, we finished eating at about nine p.m. and that time was supposed to be bedtime for me as I would need to wake up early the following day for another 12 hours day shift at the hospital. Can you imagine me going to bed with a really heavy stomach? Well, must tell you, it is not comfortable.

So now, I have a twelve year old teengirl, and a 10 year old boy. When we go out altogether, we're like hmmmmm.... still a young family, but closer to becoming just buddies, soon.... maybe in a couple of years, that's what we will be.

We moved Again!

2010-08-21T10:08:00.002+01:00

Since coming to Canada in November 2008, we have moved, not once, not twice, but five times in a span of barely 20 months!!!!! That's a lot of moving, packing, unpacking, changing of address and kid's schools. It's frustrating, but hopefully this time our stay would be a lot longer than the previous ones. With this though, a positive point is we get to add people to our friendslist.

Anyway, our neighborhood this time is great. We had a warm welcome from the neighbors. We received cards and specially baked cakes to make us comfortable. I have never experienced that kind of welcome before, until we move to our current place. It was such a comforting gesture. I am so overwhelmed.

H.U.R.T.

2010-01-26T12:00:00.003Z

Why does the pain is so much when your loveone hurt you? Is it because they know how to access your heart?
Why do people think they can just tell you hurtful words even if they know it will cause you misery? Don't they think before they say anything?
Why someone could just easily pass on the blame on to anyone, without looking first at what they could do or haven't done?

I've been hurt, I've been miserable, I've been blamed, I've been told off
For what? I do not know. I can only do what I can. If anyone is not satisfied, I could not do more.

Do not compare me to anyone as I am not the same as they are
Do not expect me to become like them for I will never be

I use to tell myself I will someday be one
And I would do whatever it takes,

Only to realize right now,
I have no one but myself

And today, I promised me.... I will let no one HURT me no more!

What I have lost last Year, I gained all back this Year

2010-01-17T08:46:00.002Z

What a shame. Last year I tried my very best to loose some weight for which I was successful. I trimmed down a bit and was proud of myself. But December time came. We went through some stress and I have to help myself to get over it. And of course, I indulged with food. Today, I weighed myself on the scales, and presto, there it was, bang right to my eye. I am back to my previous weight! Oh well, it's only the start of the year, I have plenty of time to loose again.

Gathering the Pieces Part 2

2010-01-16T07:10:00.002Z

Finally, I have gathered the strenght to face it all.... the forms filling, passports' applications sent, and spoke to the case personnel about our permanent residency status. Told them that we lost our documents that we used to enter Canada. Well, they are able so helpful, I could not fault them. There will be a bit of delay in processing our status here in Canada, but for me it doesn't matter. Our work permits and study permits of the kids will cover us for another 2 years, and for sure that is plenty of time for us to recover what we have lost. By God's grace, we have never felt this relieved for the last four weeks, thinking of what will happen to us now, what if?????, etc.....

And my job? it's even better. There's a lot of opportunities, financial, educational, morale, and more, but of course, that isn't my top priority right now. My family and I have decided to listen more to ourselves, spend more time to bond, and just enjoy while we live.

Our very first picture of 2010

2010-01-09T08:36:00.003Z

Here we are, on New Year's day, by the fire of our new place. When I saw this photo (of course, courtesy to my friend who took it) I suddenly felt, "huh, my kids are growing quick!" Jessica is only eleven (di pa siya dalaga) but look at her compared to me or her dad behind her, malapit na kaming abutan, ah. At di rin naman kami kaliitan, myself is just a little bit over 5'4" while Freddie is 5'5" pero sa lagay namin ngayon, mukhang lalagpasan pa kami nitong aming mga chikiting. Hindi ako nagrereklamo. In fact, natutuwa nga ako.

Gathering the Pieces Part 1

2010-01-08T10:45:00.006Z

Today is nothing special, but I have decided to make it a start. As you may have known already, after the robbery and theft from our house on the second week of December 2009, we have moved to a new place. Together with that, we have to call our utility suppliers for change of address. Next is Christmas and New Year Celebration.

Fourth of January is the kids first 2010 schoolday, but because they have to change school too, I have to enroll them first to this new school, and guess what? because we have no passport, visa, or birth certificates (as all of our documents were also taken by the thieves), it became a little bit tricky. Well, we can do nothing but to tell them as much as we can truthfully and show them the police report. I am just glad we were understood, so the two kids were eventually enrolled and attended school the next day.

We also had an appointment with our bank yesterday to close all our existing accounts and create a whole new profile with our history carried over to a new account. Credit history in Europe and North America is very, very important..... so you probably know what I am talking about. This process will take few days as we need to set up our actual ATM cards, order new set of cheques, forward copies of our new bank information to our payroll system and to companies where we have automatic debit/credit, etc.

So today, as it has been nearly over three weeks of frustration from hoping to get our documents back, or at least get a few, from the police ..... I made a decision to start wiping everything off and start afresh. Today, I am going to send our passport notice of cancellation to the nearest UK consular office, and guess what where it is? Well, it is in Washington state of the US which is just about 5 minutes drive from where we are living, but because we do not have passports at present, we can not cross the border. How inconvenient, isn't it? There is a British High Commission office in Vancouver, but they do not deal with passport, so we're here, stuck!

Anyway, I am hoping the passport issue should be quick, so we could get a new set of work and study visas here in Canada.

To be honest, without our documents right now, we can be anybody, really.... but most likely, Nobody!

It's the 2nd Day of the Year

2010-01-03T09:49:00.002Z

Yes, it's January 2, 2010..... and of course, although it is a day late, I still want to greet everyone a Blessed Happy & Prosperous New Year.

2009 for us here in Canada is slightly tragic, but I always look at them at the bright side. To start last year, our brand new car had a crash. Luckily, we were all safe. Though we felt that the VW Routan is a good addition to our family upon coming to this new country, it has unfortunately been crashed into by another big car around third week of January 2009. It went under a thorough repair and now it does not show any sign of what it has been through last year.

Then came December 9, 2009. We were broken into while we were all away, myself at work, kids at school, and my husband volunteered to drive my daughter and her friends to their skating trip. The burglars have taken absolutely everything, aside from our clothes, at broad daylight. We were all devastated. Imagine all our identifications, cards, passports, birth/marriage certificates, licences, etc. are all included in what they have taken on top of the gadgets and gizmos they could think of. I suppose some people are just so selfish. Merry Christmas to them. But that didn't put us off. If you remember I have booked a ticket for us all to go to the Grouse Mountain. Well, we did. And although we don't have cameras with us, we enjoyed the day and at least treated ourselves to a much deserved break.

Well, to start this year.... it's nice to announce that we have moved on.... yes, literally! We found a new house, of course with a garage to house the car..... and slowly gathering pieces we've lost. So glad to welcome this year with so much enthusiasm and hope. I believe it will be great for us, and praying it will be to others, too. Have a great year everyone!

Jessica Singing Edelweiss!

2009-11-29T04:13:00.007Z

Today, Jessica, my daughter, my very own firstborn is singing. She's sung a short song Edelweiss from The Sound of Music. The video quality is poor and you could hear the clicking sound of the SLR camera clicking from the background which is a bit disappointing, but hey, it's done and she's made it. Another one to come this Spring. Will keep you posted.

Malapit na Pasko!

2009-11-28T02:17:00.004Z

Naku, ako'y nag alala bigla, looking at my countdown to Christmas, 28 days na lang pala, yet eto ako, wala pang napupundar kahit na ano para sa aking mga chikiting para balutin at ilagay sa ilalim ng Christmas Tree. Nakupo, mahirap itong aking kalagayan, full time worker, tapos winter pa dito sa Canada, nakakatamad maglakwatsa o mag shopping. O baka naman kaya ako ang may diperensya. Pasensya na kuripot talaga ako, at di masyado sa mga materyal na bagay.

Actually, personally, I do not grew my kids up to expect gifts from us or from others. I believe that it's not about the things you get, but it's about what you can give. Just like the true sense of Chritmas.... God gave so much, the poor world would have some.

So now I just have this cutest idea, why don't I just treat them a day to the Winter Wonderland Grouse Mountain. Really, I am pretty sure they would have fun, their experience there will be remembered forever. Better than unwrapping a material present, this is actually a memory to keep. I am excited myself about this and has just now booked a ticket for four of us.... yeheyyyy. Then the rest of the holiday seasons we can just do what we can do for others. Isn't that nice?

May Sumpong Na Naman Ako!

2009-11-27T04:00:00.002Z

Bakit nga ba at masama ang araw ko ngayon. Kagagaling ko lang ng night shift, and I am just about to have five days off. Kagabi, ang ganda ganda ng aking mga binabalak. Sabi ko, matutulog lang ako hanggang tanghali, and then pagigising ako sa aking other half at kami ay magsa-shopping, kumain sa labas kasama ng mga bata pagdating sa hapon.

Well, ginising nya nga ako in a nicest way, pero ang sama ng gising ko. Galit ako sa kanya, at nagkakakaskas ang aking sumpunging mga paa against sa bed sheets, sabay bangon at dabog papuntang banyo. I went to the kitchen and looked for food, may nakalutong beef caldereta at bagong saing na kanin,... but... but I don't fancy any of it. Masama na ang timpla ko, ayuko ko nang lumabas.

Ngayong gabi tuloy, panay ang sisi ko. Nasayang ang araw ko kasama ang mapagpasensyang bed na kinahihigaan ko ngayon.

Tumatanda na ako.

2009-11-10T08:49:00.009Z

myself and my friends busy tidying up in the kitchen

Nag birthday nga pala ako nung isang araw. Nadagdagan na naman ng isang taon ang aking edad, pero I feel that I care less now. Di na ako masyadong apektado sa mga sinasabi ng mga tao. Who cares, di naman nila ako pinalalamon eh.

Dati, I want to make sure that I bring in something to impress people. I wanted to create an image.... pero ngayon wala akong pakialam kung ako ay tanggap o hindi. Di naman ako isnabera, pero I take lesser effort now to get attention. Feeling ko, I would rather just as I am, no pressure.

Dati, kapag naghahanda ako, gusto ko sinusupervise lahat ng detalye ng handaan, pero ngayon, it's not my priority anymore. Ewan ko, basta ngayon.... I am more confident that I have made my mark. I do not have to please anyone. I just don't! It's not like that I am already somewhere, but I guess TUMATANDA lang talaga ako, kaya anong paki ko, di ba? Ngayon iniisip ko: saan kaya ako pupulutin in ten years time?

Nag-uulyanin na kaya ako?

2009-11-10T08:21:00.006Z

Hindi nakakatuwa ang pagiging makakalimutin. Katulad today, akala ko ay may pasok ako ng Tuesday night, kaya ngayon Monday, I thought I would treat myself to some shopping, going around the the city centre, while the kids are at school. All the while I thought I am off, and not working at all. Hala, sige, pinagod ko ang aking mga paa, at binusog ang aking mga mata sa kung anu-ano lang na makita at maibigan. Di bale, sabi ko sa aking sarili, paminsan-minsan lang ito.

So pagdating nga hapon, kinailangan ko nang umuwi kasi labasan na ng mga tsikiting ko, at marami pa silang aktibidades after. Si Jessica may voice lessons at five PM followed by piano, while James, meron ding Violin lessons. Si Mister, as usual driving us all around, pero kahit papano, kailangan nya rin ng day off 'no, or so I thought nga kasi alam ko day off ko.

Four o'clock pm strike, bigla ko na lang binuklat ang aking diary a.k.a journal a.k.a planner, and wahhhhla! Work pala ako tonight - twelve hour shift from seven pm to seven am. Hindi ako pwede absent, pero talagang pagod ako. Kaya sabi ko kay Mister, pwede bang pahinga lang ako sandali, kahit kaunting idlip lang hanggang alas singko y medya. Pero na, wala rin efek. Di rin ako nakatulog kasi, hyperactive pa ang brain ko, kaya eto ako ngayon, nasa trabaho, physically exhausted. Sa susunod, talagang uugaliin ko nang tingnan muna ang aking pulang organizer first thing in the morning. (How many times did I tell myself that already,..... not only a hundred times. Nag-uulyanin na kaya ako?)

Mga Taong Magaling sa Pulitika..... Mga walang Kwenta

2009-11-08T09:10:00.004Z

Malayo ako sa Pilipinas, pero dahil sa technology, nalalalaman ko ang mga pangyayari dyan sa mahal kong bayan. Recently, naintriga ako sa pinalabas na katotohanan ng aking mahal at hinahangaang blogger na si Ella tungkol sa hoarding ng goods ng DSWD. Napamura ako sa galit pero alam ko wala akong magagawa. Magagaling ang mga pulitiko natin.... madali nilang magagawan ng paraan upang mapagtakpan ang kanilang mga baho. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, ilang araw lang silyado na ang butas na yan, 'Pinas pa!

Dati rin akong dugong 'aktibista' (pero never akong naging isa). Kumukulo ang dugo ko kapag may nakikita akong kabulastugan na nangyayari sa ating gobyerno to the extent na nagsa-suffer ang ating mga kababayan. Mabuti na lang masunurin akong anak at nakinig ako sa payo ng aking mga magulang. Huwag daw akong makisawsaw sa dumi ng Philippine government, kasi babaliktarin ka lang nyan, bandang huli ikaw pa ang masama. Totoo nga.

At this time, nasusuka ako sa pamamalakad ng ating gobyerno. Napakamakakapal ang mga mukha ng mga taong nakaupo, mga walang kwentang linta! If I could only do such a thing, wala akong nanaisin kundi balatan silang lahat, budburan ng asin at isawsaw sa suka ang mga yan.

It's Fall here, and it's Bloomin' cold, & Shivery

2009-10-30T07:57:00.005Z

Well, autumn na naman dito sa BC Canada, and yes, it's darn bloomin' cold. Nagkasakit na nga ako, eh. and guess what? siyempre, trangkaso! Di ko alam kung H1N1 o hindi, and I would not really want to know. All I could confirm is, I am better now, and thank God, di naman ako naging malala. After hearing and watching the news about itong latest trend ng H1N1, mataas ang tension sa healthcare industry, lalo pa't ngayong malamig at makulimlim ang panahon....Sa nature ng trabaho ko, sa ICU, meron na akong nakitang swine flu case sa isang katulad ko and age group at nanay din siya, and it doesn't look good. Naiisip ko lang ang kanyang pamilya and ang uncertainty of everday..... I would not like to subject my family to that kind of turmoil. Kaya, honestly.... I will do my best to keep myself and my family healthy and safe. Mahirap magkasakit, lalo na kung maraming umaasa sa iyo, di ba?

Tuliro,.... Ang utak ko ay nandito, ang Puso naman ay Naiwan!

2009-07-30T10:55:00.004+01:00

Hanggang ngayon, apektado pa rin ako ng previous post ko. Pasensiya na talaga at nagalit ako ng husto. Di ako humihingi ng pasensiya kay Mang Mike pero dun sa mga bumabasa ng aking blog. Nakita nyo kung paano ako magalit. In fact, until now, I am still in rage with the thought that someone out there, kapwa ko Pilipino, ang siyang magku-question ng ating integrity bilang mga OFW. How dare he.

Anyway, today, as I was from a night shift, I came home thinking why we remained away from the Philippines after finishing my first contract of two years? Why did I not come home and settled back after? Bakit nga ba? At nagbalik ang aking diwa sa nakaraan. May matching pang paiyak-iyak, tulo luha ko sa aking unan hanggang sa di ko namalayan, nakatulog na pala ako, nalaman ko na lang nang ako ay nagising sa sobrang init dito ngayong summer, umabot ang temperatura sa almost 37 degrees centigrade..... In short, natusta ako, kaya pagdating ng tanghali, gising na ulit ako at di na makabalik sa pagtulog. Ngayong gabi ( ay madaling araw na pala) nasa trabaho na naman ako.

So, bakit nga ba nanatili kami abrud? Well, at first, I have a contract for two years. In those years, ang kinikita ko, sapat lang na bayaran ang aming nautang para ako makaalis, kaunting treat para sa mga anak ko, at kapamilya, then mga ilang pampaospital blues ng mga kamag-anak. Really, yung unang dalawang taon, tama lang. Di namin natupad ang aming pangarap na magkaroon ng apartmen para paupahan kumbaga upang kapag ako ay umuwi, dagdag sanang kita, di ba? So nag re-new ako ng contract over and over and over again, as in hanggang ngayon, nandirito pa rin kami. Okey naman at after a year ko noon, nakuha ko kaagad ang aking asawa't dalawang anak, kaya sama-sama na kami dito, nabawas-bawasan ang aking pangungulila at homesickness.

Sa ngayon, tanging mga magulang at mga kapatid na lang namin ng aking asawa ang aming sinusuportahan sa Pilipinas. Walang sawa kaming nagpapadala ng sustento upang makatulong sa kanila, makapag-aral ang ilan sa kanila, magkaroon ng kahit kaunting kabuhayan ang iba. Walang katapusang listahan ng hingi ng tulong dito, kunyari pautang (nang walang bayaran!) ng puhunan, etc... etc. Alam naming sa aming kinikita, mas malaki pa ang napupunta sa kanila kaysa sa ginagastos namin para sa aming mga sarili.

Kung minsan, naiisip ko.... ganito ba talaga dapat kabigat ang aking responsibilidad? Ganito ang buhay OFW. Takbuhan ka, sumbungan, at inaasahang tagapaglutas ng gusot sa mga mahal mo. Paano kaya kung di kami nakapag-abrud? Paano kaya kung walang naging OFW? Ano kaya ang kalagayan ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino (na sa ngayon ay may OFW) kung hindi nagkaroon ng opurtunidad na ganito?

Ang masaklap, bakit ba sa ganda ng ibang bansa na kinaroroonan namin ngayon, sampu ng mga bagay na pwede nitong ibigay sa amin.... Pilipinas pa rin ang pinakaasam-asam naming uwian. Kung pwede nga lang i-fast forward ang mga sandali, e.... gagawin na namin upang mapabilis ang aming inaasahang pag-uwi paminsan-minsan.

Aking narinig ang awiting "Bayan ko", at lalong nag-umigting ang aking pagkasabik upang umuwi. Naturingang kami ay mas asenso at kinabukasa'y sigurado dito sa abrud, pero ang aming puso ay naiwan diyan sa Pinas. Ang aming isip ay nandirito, praktikal na nakikipagbaka sa araw-araw na trabaho, ngunit ang aming pag-ibig ay naiwan diyan sa Perlas ng Silangan, kaya ang resulta nito..... kami ay tuliro.

Bakit, anong gayuma meron ang Pilipinas at di ka kayang limutin? Anong meron ka na wala rito sa ibang bansa? Nasasaktan ako kapag napapabalitang nahihirapan ka. Nagpupuyos ako sa galit kapag nalaman kong kinurakot ka na naman. Apektado akong husto kapag nagugulo ka. Nanlulumo ako kapag ikaw ay napapahiya.

Galit ako sa "Tsokolate" ni Mike Avenue!!!!!!

2009-07-26T10:21:00.009+01:00

Minsan, sa aking paglalakbay sa space ng mga kapwa blogger, may nabasa akong karumaldumal na artikulong "Tsokolate" ni Mike Avenue. Kumulo ang aking dugo, nagpagting ang aking tenga, at nag-ala darna ako sa aking reaksyon. Di pa ako nakuntento, eto at meron din akong sariling sagot sa kumag na Mike na ito. Basahin nyo mga tagasubaybay hanggang the end, and you shall know me when I get angry.
(Nandirito sa link na ito ang Full Article niya: Tsokolate)
Mike Avenue: "Itinatanong ko kung bakit naging bayani ang isang OFW. Hindi agad siya makasagot. Ngumiti siya at iniabot ang mga tsokolateng may tatak na “Made in China” sa likod ng pakete. Ang mga tsokolateng ito sa kamay ko ang isa sa mga sagisag na siya’y kagagaling lamang sa ibang bansa – sa Canada."

Malejandria: Ano ba problema mo Mamang Mike Avenue sa mga OFW, at sagaran ang pagdaramdam mo sa amin, ha? Di ko kayang tatasin ang iyong mga prinsipyo nang isinulat mo ang artkulong ito. Sa totoo lang, matagal na rin akong OFW, pero kahit kaylan, sa sarili ko man at sa mga nakakasalamuha kong kapwa OFW, wala kaming inisip kundi ang kapakanan ng mga naiwan namin diyan sa Pilipinas. Ano ang masama kung magpasalubong kami ng Made in China?
Nasa Canada ako ngayon, pero tinatangkilik naming ang mga produktong Pinoy. Noong ako ay nasa Englatera, ang aking asawa ay nagtitinda ng mga Produktong Pinoy. Kaming mga Pilipino doon ay natutuwa kapag kami ay nakakakain ng pagkaing Pinoy. Taglay nito ang ebidensiya na di na magbabago ang pagkaPilipino namin, saan sulok man ng mundo. Ngayon, napakatanga naman namin kung kami ay umuuwi, ang pasalubong pa rin naming ay Made in the Philippines. Ngayon, kung sinasabi mo na made in Canada rin ang dapat ang tatanggapin mo kung galing sa Canada ang nagpapasalubong sa iyo, well, perhaps it just shows how valued you are by that person. Para sa akin, siguro di sing importante ikaw para sa kanya kaya yan lang ang feel nyang ibigay sa iyo. Di mo ba naisip yun? Buti nga nabigyan ka pa. Sana nagpasalamat ka na lang. Well kung ikaw sana ang nagpakahirap para sa taong iyon para marating nya ang kanyang kinaroroonan ngayon, may dahilan ka para magputok ng butse, pero dapat dun lang sa specific na tao na iyon. Huwag mong lahatin kami.

Mike Avenue: "Naubos ang mga propesyonal dito. Halos lahat. Ang mga doctor na nagsunog ng kilay ng mahigit sampung taon, mas pinili ang maging nurse na assistant lamang ang ranggo sa abroad. Ang mga nurse naman na dapat ay dito magsisilbi sa bansa, mas ginusto pang mangibang bayan. Ang epekto nito? Bumaba ang antas ng industriya. Nagkasya kasi tayo sa mga second choice dahil ang mga de-kalibre, naroon at kasalukuyang minumura ng amo kapalit ng dolyar. Bayani ka bang tatawagin kung humahalik ka naman sa paa ng mga dayuhan? Labag yata iyan sa prinsipyo ni Rizal. Baka bumangon si Rizal."

Malejandria: Punyeta ka Mike Avenue! Hindi mo alam ang pinagsasabi mo!!!!! Ayan, naranasan mo ring murahin. Dapat lang, kasi, ang mga taong minumura ay yung mga tange na katulad mo. Ako ay isang nurse, at kahit kaylan, hindi ako namura sa England man o sa Canada. Dito kasi, we are valued as part of the multidisciplinary team, we are not just mere assistants, di katulad sa kapiranggot mong pag-unawa. At kung may problema man, dinadaan sa maayos na paraan. Sa tingin mo ba yun ang nangyayari? Baka haka-haka mo lang yan. Di ako kumakampi sa mga dayuhan, pero Mamang Mike, sa mundo naming nasa healthcare industry, pantay ang tingin nila sa amin katulad ng sarili nila. Inuutusan din namin ang aming mga subordinates, puti man o ibang kulay.
Kung ang ikinasasama mo ay ang bigla naming paglisan ng bansa. May magagawa ka ba o ang gobyerno natin sa sistema ng poverty diyan, ha? Bago kami nag-abroad, dumaan kami sa butas ng karayom para makapag-aral. Ang perang pinangtwisyon ay iginapang ng aming mga magulang, may nakuha ba kaming kahit kaunting support sa gobyerno, wala, unless super talino ka at scholar ka, pwede pa, paano naman ang katulad kong average lang? Pagkatapos namin,.... may trabaho bang mapapasukan? Wala, absolutely none! Unless mag volunteer ka na, magbabayad ka pa. Inutil ang sistemang iyan, pang-aabuso, kahit saang anggulo kong tingnan, kagaguhan ang nakikita ko, pero dahil desperado na at nagbabakasakali na ma-absorb, sige pa rin kami. Dito sa ibang bansa, ang mga nursing students, may bursary na habang nag-aaral, kapag nadu-duty naman, may sahod na sila. Ngayon, kahit na sino sigurong tanga, di magdadalawang isip na lumagay sa mas maayos na sistema di ba? Unless, you and the ones like you are the most stupid of all stupids, then that is all your problem.
At yung mga sinasabi mo second choice na nagpaiwan dyan, hwag mo silang matatawag na second choice, dahil ang mga iyan ay naghihintay lang din ng pagkakataon. Mas nanaisin nilang magpakahirap at tiisin ang sinasabi mong mura kapalit ng dolyar, kaysa alagaan ang isang katulad mong utak talangka. Yung mga nagdisisyon na diyan na talaga manilbihan ay hindi dahilan na nagpapakahunghang sila, may mga malalalim na rason ang mga iyan kung bakit nanatili sila diyan.

Mike Avenue: "Minumura ng mga amo kapalit ng dolyar?"

Malejandria: At least dolyar ang kapalit. Kaysa naman diyan ako magpapamura sa Pilipinas! Do the maths. Diyan sa atin, ang turing sa mga nurse na katulad ko, assistant lang ng Doktor, katulad lang din ng pagkakasabi mo, pero ang sahod ko, kulang pa pambayad sa kuryente lang, paano naman ang kinabukasan ng mga anak ko? Ikaw, wala ka bang pangarap umangat ang estado? In fact, ang mga pinagsasabi mong dapat e nandyan kami sa Pinas para manilbihan bilang mamamayan, underweights our personal need. Di kami gahaman, nais lang naming magkaroon ng maayos na kinabukasan. Kapag diyan sa Pinas, either celebrity ka o politician lang ang may karapatan ng siguradong kinabukasan. Paano naman ako na average lang ang mukha, di marunong pomostora, at wala gaanong kakilala sa sosyodad?

Mike Avenue: Sayang ang mga talento na dapat sana’y sariling lupa ang nakikinabanag. Sayang ang mga pawis na sana’y didilig sa uhaw na mga kapatagan ng mamamayan. Sayang ang mga ugat na magdudugtong sana sa yaman at kaban ng bansa.

Malejandria: Alin sayang ang pinagsasabi mo? Well, kung katulad ng pag-iisip mo ang sinasabi mong talento, I wouldn’t care at all. The likes of you are dumb, you don’t matter so much. Unless you could prove to me or any of the OFW how much you have helped our economy compared to how much we generate towards Philippine economy, then I shall change my argument, until then, your discourse is not valid and wholly selfish. Masama siguro ang loob mo at napag-iwanan ka riyan.
Hindi mo ba napapansin, kung sino pa yung inaalispusta mong OFW, siya pa yung karamihang nag-iinvest dyan sa Pinas? Ano ang tawag mo doon, kahunghangan? Masama ba na maging global at worldwide ang Filipino talent? Bakit yung mayayamang bansa, kapag may talent sila, kailangan nila itong suportahan para maipaalam sa ibang bansa? Hindi ba ganun din dapat ang konsepto nating mga Pilipino. Sa totoo lang Mamang Mike, wala ka lang kasing bilib sa kapwa mo, o baka naman insecure ka lang!

Mike Avenue: Ikakatwiran na walang pag-asa dito. Mahirap ang buhay dito. O talagang mahilig lang ang iba sa “piso tamang barko”. Meron din naman dito. Kaya lang, ang mga bagay na narito, ayaw naman natin. Para lang din sinabing “walang akong magawa”. Marami ka naman pwedeng gawin. Kaya lang, itong mga bagay na available na gagawin mo, ayaw mong gawin, tinatamad kang gawin o may iba kang gustong gawin.

Malejandria: O c’mon, be realistic Mamang Mike. Huwag mong ipagpilitan ang pinagsasabi mo. Ilang nurse ang qualified dyan sa atin? May trabaho ba sila o gumagawa ba ang gobyerno ng paraan para makapagtrabaho sila? O kahit yung private companies, gumagawa ba ng mga hakbang for retention, di ba wala?! Wala Mamang KALYE! Ano sa tingin mo ang dapat gawin ng mga qualified but not employed Filipino people, tumambay, maging pabigat, at tuluyan ng mawalan ng self esteem.

Mike Avenue: Isa lang dahilan kung bakit nagpapaalipin sa ibang lahi ang mga Pinoy. PERA. Masasabi kong iyan ang nag-iisang dahilan. Kaya nga mas gusto pang gawing panginoon ang mga dayuhan para sa salapi. Hindi dahil sa kung ano pa man at sino pa man. Ang ibang dahilang maiisip mo, bagamat nasa estado ng pagsasakripisyo at pagpapakahirap, babagsak at babagsak din sa kategoryang pera ang dahilan.

Malejandria: Kanina, chocolate Made in China ang kinasasama mo, ngayon Pera naman. Ano ba talaga? Again, what is wrong, I shall say with money? It’s a money well spent naman. Napapakinabangan at nagagamit ng husto. Kesa tumambay at magutom ako diyan sa Pinas, mainam nga itong naisip kong solusyon. Ikaw, may naisip ka bang magic para mawala ang poverty sa Pinas, o para maibsan ang kahit kaunti ang utang ng mahal nating bansa?

Mike Avenue: "Hindi sila magpapaalipin sa ibang lahi dahil sa Pilipinas. Tinanggihan nga nila ang Pilipinas. Nawalan sila ng pag-asa sa Pilipinas."

Malejandria: Kung kami tumanggi sa Pilipinas, sa tingin mo ba, babalik pa kami riyan? O kaya ay magpapadala pa kami riyan ng aming mga pinaghirapang dolyares? WTF are you talking about?! Naiinggit ka lang! Bakit ang tingin mo sa amin ay alipin. O siya sige, pagbibigyan kita diyan sa anggulo na yan. At least, ibang lahi. Eh kung ako kaya ang naiwan diyan sa Pinas, sino aalipin sa akin? Pilipino din diba? Di ba’t mas masakit yun? Kulang na nga ang sahod, di pa sigurado ang kinabukasan ko.

Mike Avenue: "Ang dahilan ng pagtatrabaho ng isang OFW ay upang maiangat ang kabuhayan ng pamilya at sarili. "

Malejandria: Now we’re in the same page.

Mike Avenue: Hindi dahil gustong maiambag ang sakripisyo sa bansa. Hindi upang magpakabayani. Walang ganoon. Dahil kung ganoon, pwede namang makatulong nang hindi umaalis. Ang totoo, lahat ay sa sariling motibo lamang nabubuhay. Gustong-gusto kasing maging Victoria’s Secret ang ginagamit na pabango ng asawa na dati’y White Flower lamang?

Malejandria: Personally, di ako gumagamit ng Victoria’s Secret. That is my choice. I use whatever is in the regular supermarkets. Pero, kahit na siguro ako gumamit ng may mga kalidad na produkto, anong sama nun? Ikaw, if given the choice, would you not opt for a better quality products? Hindi ko sinasabi na walang kalidad ang Philippine products, but living abroad, for goodness sake, getting a Philippine product often cost more than the locally made ones. Ngayon kung sa mga pasalubong o padala naman ang sinasabi mo, I have answered it before. It is so stupid to send things that my loveones could easily get there locally. Ikaw kapag nagreregalo ka ba, yung mga bagay lang din na meron na sila? Hunghang ka! Hirit pa.,,, Meron tayong kasabihan, tulungan mo muna ang iyong sarili, bago ang kapwa mo. Ngayon, kung ang pag-asa ko ay ang pag- aabrud, meron bang masama dun. Ang isyu mo lang naman Mamang Mike e mukhang inggit lang sa katawan yan. Noong ako ay bata, napakarami nyan sa paligid namin, mga tsismosa't tsismoso, inggitera't inggitero. Mga baluktot ang pag-iisip at masyadong mayabang kung magsalita, akala mo hawak na nila ang kanilang distinasyon, parang ikaw! Nasan na sila ngayon? Hayon, at nanduroon pa rin, tumanda na't lahat-lahat, they never experience or just even see a new perspective and a much broader horizon. If I were you, have another thought. Travelling can definitely expound your being. Ako, mahilig akong mamasyal, e, kaya lang kailangan ko munang kumita para magawa ito. Noong ako nandyan sa Pinas, sa pinagsamang sahod namin ng aking asawa, ni hindi namin kayang mag holiday, kahit anong budget namin.

Mike Avenue: At, marupok din ang lubid sa kabila. Ipinapanalangin kasi ng isang OFW na tumaas nang tumaas nang tumaas ang halaga ng dolyar laban sa piso. Para nga naman mas maraming salapi ang katumbas ng kanilang pagpapaalipin. Gustong-gusto nila na mataas ang palitan ng dolyar. Kapag mataas ang palitan ng dolyar sa piso, ibig sabihin mas maraming pera ang maibibigay kay Misis. Mas maraming pera, mas maraming pambili ng Victoria’s Secret. Ang problema, kapag mataas ang halaga ng dolyar, mababa ang halaga ng piso. At kapag mababa ang halaga ng piso, ang ibig sabihin, mababa rin ang ekonomiya ng bansa. At kapag mababa ang ekonomiya ng bansa, mataas ang mga pangunahing bilihin at siyempre pang apektado ang mga karaniwang manggagawa na sumusuweldo ng mababa dito sa Pilipinas.

Malejandria: Diretsahang sasagutin kita Mamang Kalye, wala sa aming mga OFW ang dahilan ng pagtaas o pagbaba ng piso. Swerte at pasalamat kami kapag mataas ang palitan, pero ke mababa o mataas ang exchange rate, papadala pa rin kami para sa mga pangangailangan ng aming mahal sa buhay, which also has got an impact on helping the Philippine economy, because for every cent we send, that’s an added cent for the Philippines to buy its commodities and/or pay off its debt. Are you with me?

Mike Avenue: Di bale, marami naman tayong bayani.

Malejandria: Isa na ako dun, inggit ka? Baka gusto mo na ring makiisa, hali ka na.

Mike Avenue: Kapag umalis ang isang Pinoy papunta sa abroad, maiiwan nila ang kanilang pamilya. Sakripisyo ito sa OFW. Pero mas sakripisyo ito sa pamilya. Kung babae at may asawa’t anak, siguradong ibang tao ang titingin sa mga anak. Lumalaki tuloy sa pangangalaga ng iba na ang itinuturo ay ang matatas na pagsasabi ng salitang pakyu imbes na patsshu. Kung lalaki naman, ibang tao pa ang magpapalit ng pundidong ilaw sa kusina imbes na siya. Nasasakripisyo ang “minsan-lang-sa-buhay-na-maging-bata” ng maraming kabataan. Maraming anak ang nawalan ng pagkakataong maramdaman ang kalinga ng isang ama o ina sa kanilang kamusmusan. At karaniwang hindi nasusubaybayan ang paglaki ng bata. Ipababantay na lamang ang paglaki sa malalaking Barbie Dolls o Robot na ipinapadala ng OFW. Okay lang. Pag-uwi mo at paglaki ng anak mo, saka mo siya samahan para magpatuli kay Dok. Nakakalungkot din ang katotohanan na ang mga OFW ang dahilan kung bakit nabansagan ni Tsip Tsao ang Pilipinas na “nation of servants”.

Malejandria: Iba ako sa bagay na iyan. Kasama ko ang aking pamilya dito. Pero sabihin nating naiwan ko ang aking mga mahal sa buhay sa Pinas. Karamihan sa aming mga OFW, kundi man lahat, sa araw at gabi na pagtatrabaho namin dito sa abroad, lagi naming iniisip na para ito sa kanilang mga naiwan namin. Kung may mga bagay kaming nakikita na sa tingin namin ay bagay sa kanila, pagsisikapan naming makuha at maipadala iyon. Wala kaming ninais kundi maranasan din nila kahit sa papaanong paraan ang mga bagay na nandirito. Wala kasi nyan sa Pinas, pero tiyak ko magugustuhan iyan ni ganito, ni ganyan. Ano at alin ang masama dun sa ugaling iyon?
Oo, napalayo nga kami sa kanila, pero ang aming hangad ay mapaganda ang buhay nila. Kung napasama ang kanilang kinahantungan, di namin ninais iyon. Dala iyon ng kanilang baluktot na pag-uugali, katulad mo, Mamang Kalye. Huwag niyong isisi sa aming mga OFW yung mga ilang mahal sa buhay na napariwara, dahil daw sa sobrang spoiled mula sa amin. Karamihan naman na mga mahal sa buhay na naiwanan, lalo na yung mga marunong magbigay ng importansya sa mga pagsasakripisyo naming mga OFW, ay siya ring mga taong nagiging asenso sa buhay nila, for which we are proud of. Nasa sa family mechanism lang yan. Especially at our age of technology right now, communication has always a way to keep in touch. Now, if you're worried about the "nation of servants" ni Tsip Tsao, WTH is he????? Why be affected? Para sa akin, kung alin ang nakakaluwag at nakakaangat ng estado ko, there I am, I don't care who says what. As long as I don't steal, I don't rob, and I am feeding my family from a decent source, I shall be forever happy. E, ano ngayon kung tsimay ako, bakit, nakakahiya ba? Mas lalo yatang nakakahiya na sa laki ng katawan mo, dahil sa ayaw mong magpaalipin sa dayuhan, e pinili mong maging pabigat pa sa bansa mo.

Mike Avenue: Kung walang apoy, siguradong walang usok. At tanggap ko. Kung walang magpapaalipin, tiyak na walang tatawaging alipin. Hindi mo BA matanggap na tawaging ganoon? Kung domestic helper ka at gusto mong tawagin kang manager, pumunta ka sa Philippine Embassy at maghuramentado ka doon. Kung mas gusto mo naman na tawagin kang bayani alang-alang sa sakripisyo mo sa sarili mo at sa pamilya mo, pumunta ka sa monumento sa Caloocan at tabihan mo si Bonifacio. Pasulubungan mo na rin siya ng tsokolate. Yung galing sa Canada at kagaya nitong may tatak na Made in China!

Malejandria: You’re such an ungrateful soul Mr. Avenue. You have the most crook ideas in life. You talk so much, but you don’t make sense. Your thoughts are of idiots and foolish. In fact, it all started with a chocolate. Whether it is local or imported, you should just say thanks, and even if you didn’t like it, out of good manners, take it and be polite, hindi yung kung saan-saan na naglakbay ang maitim mong diwa, utak talangka!

Ohhh, my shoulders and legs hurt.... They're killing me!

2009-07-22T22:46:00.004+01:00

Parusa talaga itong aking mission, ang sasakit ng aking mga braso, balikat, likod, paa at binti. Two days into my "healthy lifestyle" routine, huh, gusto ko nang sumuko. Eh ano nga ba itong aking mga pinaggagawa? Well, nung nakita ko ang aking mga pictures whilst swimming at Cultus Lake, hiyang-hiya ako sa aking sarili. Feeling ko pa naman okey lang ako, not that I thought I have a body to display, but at least the regular woman who could wear swimwear and be comfortable with my body. I thought I was. I enjoyed that day, not being conscious until I saw the pics that my husband took. Napahiya ako, and kind'of parang ayaw ko nang humarap sa salamin. Ang lalaki ng aking mga bilbil, three tier pa na parang salbabida around my waste. My upper arms are humungos (more than huge, take note). Ang aking hips, very much out of proportion, and guess what, I really felt bad, depressed, at gusto ko nang mag hibernate, magmukmuk until the winter is over just like the bears do..... Pero paano????? it is summertime here, and the sunshine is just so inviting. Meron akong mga anak na very active, may asawang mahilig mag-basketball, at trabahong full time. Di ako pwedeng sumurender na lang ng ganun-ganon kadali, I have to DO SOMETHING!

So, first things first. Identify the problem: I am overweight according to my BMI (Body Mass Index). According to my height and weight, my BMI is 29. Normal is 18.5 to 24.9, so I am way way away from the maximum allowed. Mabigat na katotohanan di ba? Well, hindi ako beauty conscious or obsessed, but this just tell me that I am certainly not healthy, paano naman ang aking kinabukasan. Ayaw kong matigok ng maaga 'no, or grow old naman pero full of suffering katulad na lang ng stroke, heart attack, diabetes, etc. Naiimagine ko lang na mag-aasawang muli ang aking Mister, mas bata, mas seksi at mas magaling kaysa sa akin nang pinag-papasasaan ang aking life and critical illness insurance money, aba, di ako mag-aatubiling bumangon sa aking kinahihimlayan at bulabugin sila. Feel ko pa talagang mambwisit kapag ka ganun ang sitwasyon, ahehehehe! (Aba, san na napunta itong aking pinagsasabi?.......Natatawa ako ngayon sa aking imahinasyon. Just imagine, kalagitna-an ng intimate moments nila, bigla akong lilitaw with the scent typical of the..... dead, you know, ano kayang maging reaksiyon ng malditang sumalo (kung di umagaw) ng aking kabiyak, hahahahahaha!!!!) Ansama ng ugali ko ano? Samantala, sa totoo lang sabi ko sa aking Mister, kapag kami tumanda na at kapag siya ay naging baldado, di ako magdadalawang isip na alagaan siya, no question. Pero kapag ako naman ang naging pabigat, I told him that he could just ditch me anywhere, di sasama ang aking loob. Afterall, I could not imagine myself living useless and become a liability to my family or loveones. Ang sabi nya, hwag daw ako mag-isip ng ganun, timang! Well, you can carry on with the story, with feeling drama pa. Yun eh, habang matino pa ang pag-iisip namin, e paano naman kung pareho kaming may dementia? Naku, nabulilyaso na!

Teka, ang layo na ng hilakbay ng diwa ko, a? So na-identify ko na ang aking problem. Ang taba-taba-taba ko na. So Grasya, mag-isip isip ng solution. Easy! loose weight. Yeah you wish. I hope things are as easy to do as when you say them. Paano? Well, dahil kuripot ako at ayaw kong magbayad ng monthly fee sa gym ( kasi naman before, I paid for my membership to Fitness World, went once or twice, then that's it, di na ako bumalik dahil sa katamaran ko) kasi alam kong magsasayang lang ako ng pera. Pagdating naman sa mga diet, diet such as food delivery specific to your needs, nah, di ko type. Gusto ko pa ring kumain sabay ang aking pamilya, meaning, gusto ko pa rin kumain ng usual Filipino/asian type of food, no doubt about it. So the clever me (or so I thought) went online, and looked at options to loose weight for free and under my control. I have come across Calorie Count. I have to log on the food I take each time, and it will count all my calorie intake, as well as the activities that I have done, and it will count my burnt calorie. Great, I think I could do that easily. No coach to tell me off, no pressure from others but myself. So I log on my weight, and set my goal. At first I set it to my ideal weight, but with my set time, the program declined me straight away because I am doing it too fast, and I may become unhealthy. It recommends to loose weight half to two pounds each week. So I eased up a little bit and thought to just get rid of twenty pounds total until my birthday. Accepted! Then it recommended me my set calories that I can take each day, and how much calorie should I burn. Easy! The eating part is easy. I am that desperate so I take it religiously. Tinatasahan ko na ang aking sarili ngayon. Ngayon ko lang nalaman na ang isang tasang kanin (white rice) pala ay over 200 kcal. I am allowed up to 1400kcal and should loose 1900 kcals per day. So thinking about it, three tasas in total for three meals is already 600 kcals, almost half ng allowance ko, ouch! no room for enjoyment. But the good thing is everytime I log in my activity, such as walking for 2-3 minutes, the program gives me more allowance, which is great! Kasi, the idea behind is, apparently with my kind of lifestyle, ako daw ay nagbu-burn ng 960kcals per day without doing extra exercises, but obviously of my recommended intake, I still store more, kaya ako tumataba. The trick is loose more than you take. Hala, siya, sige, simple activities such as cycling, walking, doing home chores, climbing up the stairs, at kahit na yung ordinaryong gawain ng mag-asawa, have their specific calorie burn meter (or I call it score). So everyday, I am excited to check how I was doing. Para akong nakikipag contest, which is very good for me. Ako kasi ang taong mahilig sa challenge. Kaya eto, nagda-jumping rope na ako everyday, instead na magdrive, I decided to take the bus, at huwag ka, di ako naghihintay sa bus stop if I have time, naglalakad ako to the next two to three bus stops to get to my bus. Nag hahagdanan na lang din ako instead of the elevator. Ang baon ko several but small portions, etc. So far, I am enjoying it. I have more energy and my mood is always positive. The bad thing is, my body ached so much. But so far, I am only into my first week and as I read on the site, this aching will eventually disappear.... I hope, as really, this is agony. My legs are killing me, my shoulders hurt badly!

Dahil Summer Na, Magdusa Ka Grasya!

2009-07-19T23:51:00.002+01:00

Excited ang inyong blogger na lumabas-labas ngayong summer. Maganda kasi ang panahon at inaakit akong maglakwatsa, maglamyerda, and makiusyuso sa iba't ibang bahagi nitong British Columbia. But to make things clear, I am a kind of person na medyo walang pakialam at mahilig sa mga lugar na tahimik, natural, and scenic. Bihira nyo akong makitang nagsa-shopping. I do not like crowds to start with, but I do shop big time, such as cars, houses, farms, etc.... but little things such as clothes, bags, shoes, nah!....not my cup of tea.

Anyway, before I get lost from my topic, eto na ako. Well, nung nakaraang linggo, day off ako mula Lunes hanggang Biyernes. Off school ang dalawang chikiting, at free din si Mister. Wala naman kaming planong maglakbay ng malayo, kaya dito lang kami sa City of Surrey, BC. Sa dinami-dami ng mapapasyalan dito, kulang ang limang araw mo. Anyway, for the first couple of days, sleep ako hanggang 10 AM, as in beauty sleep ang trip ko...., pagdating ng tanghali, nakaligo na ako't nakapag-isip ng kung anong uulamin sa lunch at planned na rin kung ano para sa dinner. Medyo magarbo ang mga luto ko, walang short cut, at di kailangan ang mga mixes and sacheted (meron bang term na ganito? past tense ng sachet) sauces. Everything from scratch talaga. Bongga ang result, pwede na akong magtayo ng restawran.

Mga sumunod na araw, di na pagluluto ang trip ko, gusto ko ng lumabas. Una sa park lang, pagdating ng Miyerkules at Hwebes, Beach ang sugod naming magpamilya. Feeling ko turista ako, may folding chair by the beach, basket of sandwiches and drinks beside, and of course flip-flops (ordinaryong tsinelas i.e. Spartan or any kind of rubber slippers) para i-show off ang aking sexy feet (after years of just wearing shoes all the time, and not getting enough sun, namutla ang aking mga binti at paa.... di ba, sa ating mga Pinay, kapag medyo maputi ka, maari na ring sabihin na maganda ka, o sexy ka... whichever!)

Ansarap ng pakiramdam itapak ang aking "sexy" feet sa malapulbos na buhangin (yun nga lang gray, di white sand). Sabi ko pa nga kay Mister, parang nagpo-foot scrub na rin ako, feeling ko natatanggal ang lahat ng kalyo, dead skin, at kaliskis ko kapag ginagawa ko yun, di pa ako nakuntento, niyaya ko pa siya na gayahin ako..... ang saya-saya. Di lang yun, nagswimming pa kaming mag-anak sa napakalinaw na tubig ng Pacific Ocean by the Whiterock Beach, at kahit illegal, nanguha na rin kami ng ilang pirasong talaba. Dito lang ako nakaranas manalaba, at sa tuwing may makakapa akong talaba, wish ko sana naging coins na lang ito, kahit 25 cents lang, babaliwalain ko ang mapudpod ang aking mga kuko sa kakakalkal sa mga buhangin na iyon.

Pagdating ng Friday night, eto na ang parusa. Na sun-burn ang inyong senyora. Kahit sa pagtulog sa kama, di na halos magawa, paano po, ang hapdi-hapdi talaga, any kind of cloth rubbing against my skin is like rubbing salt and vinegar (pigaan nyo na rin ng siling labuyo) against a raw wound. Iyak ang beauty ko, panay ang bangon para pumunta ng banyo at magwisik ng malamig na tubig sa aking buong katawan.

And guess what, the reason why I would not post any pictures here despite the nice memories of our trips, I just realized that I have put on more weight, more than I have imagined. Sabi ng asar kong Mister, feeling nya parang baboy lang siya sa taba, pero ako mukha nang elepante..... waaaaaaaah!

Kaya ngayon summer, ang aking motto," Grasya, magdusa ka". Paggaling ng sunburn ko, istart ako sa diet the healthy way. I am aiming to loose 20lbs by my birthday. That's several months from now, but I think, it is more than achievable, yes, but of course, I wanted to make sure that I remain healthy, and it shouldn't just be result oriented, but also should become my lifestyle. When I get there folks, I shall show you my pics befor and after. Bye now.

Dahil Summer Na, Halina't Maglakwatsa!

2009-07-02T06:48:00.016+01:00

Well guys and girls, summer na dito sa British Columbia, at tama lang ang sunshine. Di masakit sa balat ang sikat ng araw, and often, it rains every one to two weeks for a day or two, kaya, di gaanong natutuyo ang mga halaman sa paligid.

At siyempre, kapag ganito ang klima, well anufangaba ang trip ng barkada, e di..... lamyerda, di ba? Although bago pa nga lang kami dito sa Canada, marami na rin kaming mga bagong friends, and take note,...so far wala pa naman kaming nagiging frenemies.... so most of the time laging masaya. At dahil itong BC ay nature province, I mean, the sun, the sea, the mountains and parks are just nearby around you anywhere you go, lalo na dito sa napuntahan naming lugar, ay naku, mabusog na lahat ng senses mo. Ang iyong mga mata, refreshed na refreshed, each time you visit a theme park, at kung malakas ang loob mo, mamitas ka na rin ng mga blueberries, raspberries, etc na nariyan lang sa paligid. Kaya lang ako di ko kinakain, ang isip ko kasi, naku baka kung sino at ano pa umihi dyan, di ko alam noh? I mean, malay ko, baka may squirrel o skunk na type diligan ang mga yun...... alam nyo na.

Anyway, andirito ang mga pictures na kuha namin sa adventures namin sa Chilliwack Lake. Doon naman ay may fresh water lake by the mountains. Masarap at malinis ang tubig. Sarap mag picnic, at mag unwind.

una, ako lang.

aba, may sumunod na Jessica

hanggang sa gaya na rin ang James

At manguna sa pagtampisaw

At akitin ang mga bata

Hamunin sila kung sino malakas ang loob

Ayan, umubra na ang technique ni Gracia
Pagkatapos ng saya, kahit giniginaw na, pose muna sa puno.

At hayaang matapos ang maghapon at maubos ang lakas nila.

Pasensiya Na.

2009-06-16T12:59:00.003+01:00

Mga kaibigan, pasensiya na talaga at pinabayaan ko na itong aking blog (feeling may mga readers, no?). Ilang buwan pa lang kasi kami rito sa Canada, at siyempre, kahit feeling settled na kami, di pa rin maiwasang may mga bagay na dapat i-prioritize more than blogging. Pero, kahit ganito ang kalagayan ko sa ngayon, madalas pa rin akong dumalaw sa mga paborito kong bloggers. Mas gusto ko pa nga magbasa ng blogs kaysa magazines, eh. Pakiramdam ko kasi, ang blog, totoo, no holds bar. Eka nga, ang mga writers, basta isinusulat ang nasasaloob nila, kesehodang makasakit sila, di ba. Why not? E kung totoo naman ang sinasabi, di ba?

Anyway, I have decided to make this blog more personal. Dati, kumikita ako sa blog na ito sa pamamagitan ng pag-blog ng mga sponsored reviews, but from this time on, napagtanto ko na di ko na kailangan muna yun, instead, I will just blog on whatever my heart should content. Kasi naman, mas feeling ko may intriga kapag idea ko lang ang isusulat ko di ba? may laman kumbaga! Unlike kapag paid reviews, pilit lang ang paggawa mo ng contents ng entry na yun, at the same time you have to meet the requirements para pumasa ka sa advertizers quality control. Feeling ko, nadidiktahan lang ako, and I am one person that doesn't like to be dictated. Meron pa naman natitirang disisyon dito sa aking kukute, kaya sabi ko sa aking sarili, samantalahin ko na muna, bago pa ako magkaroon ng dementia.

Kaya folks, I promise, madadalas na naman ang aking pagpo-post simula ngayon. In fact, napakarami kong topics na gusto i blog lately kaso nga lang talagang busy ako sa trabaho, kaya napapabayaan ko na itong blog ko ng husto. Di bale, from now on, dadalasan ko na ang pagdalaw.

O siya, sige.... mamaya ulit.

See ya!

Tumpak!

2009-06-05T06:58:00.002+01:00

I have read this essay from the Inquirer.net, and lo, I would not add anymore. Just as it is, nothing more, nothing less. Tumpak!

Flag day seeks to promote love of country. These days, everywhere, we see big flags emblazoned with the words, “Pilipinas Kong Mahal.”
But do we really love our country? Maybe so, but we certainly have a funny way of showing it.
The Philippines is blessed with an abundance of natural resources—forests, seas, rivers, lakes, and marine and wildlife. But what do we do?
We pollute the air we breathe, ravage our forests, defile our lakes and rivers, ruin our corals and poison our fish and aquatic life. We litter our streets and dump garbage on our waterways. We treat our natural resources as if they do not belong to us.
Many behave as if they have no pride in being Filipinos. Four out of 10 Filipinos want to leave the country and reside elsewhere. Many are even ashamed of being identified as Filipinos when they go abroad. Our so-called educated avoid speaking their native tongue. To speak with a pronounced native accent is considered “un-cool.” Many struggle to speak English, no matter how broken, because not to be able to is looked down upon.
We are unmindful of our responsibilities as citizens. We close our eyes to the corruption around us. We blatantly break the law, traffic rules most especially, every chance we get. We love to stress our individual rights, but we ignore other people’s. We clean our own backyards, but dump the trash on our neighbor’s side of the street.
We sell our votes and elect plunderers and nincompoops to the highest offices. We give known cheaters seats of honor. Our public officials behave like masters, forgetting that they are public servants. They abuse authority, take bribes, get involved in scandalous contracts, take liberties with public funds, and treat our institutions with utter disrespect.
James Fallows once said that we remain underdeveloped because of our “damaged culture,” having been under Spanish, American and Japanese rule for the last 500 years or so. Randy David puts it this way: “This trait goes by other names. It is the barbarism of mindless profit-seeking, of getting something for almost nothing, of doing brisk business on the despair of others. It is the culture of shabbiness, of mediocrity, of neglect, and of perpetual improvisation. It is the absolute contempt for the public.”
Why do we have no pride in being Filipino? We are so unlike our South Korean neighbors who, when their country was in dire straits, donated their jewels and precious possessions to help fund their government. We are so unlike our Japanese neighbors who care and hold sacred their hills and mountains. To them, the faintest suspicion of wrongdoing can make top officials jump off a cliff. To them, one’s honor comes first, and failing to do right by their country is unforgivable.
The flags we are displaying these days should remind us that we are no longer under foreign control. It is time for all of us to wake up and behave like true Filipinos who could truly say with pride and dignity, “Pilipinas Kong Mahal.”
—OSCAR F. SANTOS,Coconut Industry Reform Movement (COIR),84 Masikap St., Teachers’ Village, Quezon City

A long lost friend......found at last!

2009-04-28T18:16:00.000+01:00

Because you're my Best Friend..

When you are sad, I will dry your tears.

When you are scared, I will comfort your fears.

When you are worried, I will give you hope.

When you are confused, I will help you cope.

And when you are lost, And can't see the light.

I shall be your beacon Shining ever so bright

This is my oath. I pledge till the end.

Why you may ask? Because your my friend.

author Monica Mai -Chua Lo

nag sisentimyento na naman ako sa mga oras na ito, paano po kasi, nahanap ko na rin ang nawawala kong kaibigan. Matagal na ring panahon ko siyang hinanap, in fact, to be exact I left her without paalam in February 1992, few weeks before kaming gumradweyt sa high school. Oo na, talagang masama ang aking ginawa, bad girl kasi ako, walang modo, at di marunong sa mga madramang goodbyes'. Actually, when I left our place, nobody knows that I am leaving that day. I went to my class who were just practicing graduation songs that day, it is very hard for me to say the truth that I am leaving in the afternoon for Manila. The decision was made on a Wednesday that I am going to Manila for College, my dad got me a fare ticket on a Thursday afternoon for a Friday voyage. Kaya, talagang mabigat sa aking puso ang sabihin kahit kaninuman na ako'y lilisan, at di alam kung kailan ako babalik. At totoo nga, hanggang ngayon, di pa rin ako nakakabalik doon.

Malinaw pa sa aking isipan ang aking high school life. Sa ngayon, lagi-lagi kong kinukwento sa aking nagdadalagitang anak ang tungkol sa aking matalik na kaibigan, kung paano namin hina-handle ang aming mga kalukuhan, at kung paano namin asarin ang aming mga titser, at kung paano kami tumatakas sa school sa oras ng lectures, at kung an-ano pa. So at least she's been warned, I have been through it before, therefore I would know if ever she would do it, and yeah, that's a kinda warning her! and I guess, she knows.

Anyway, back to the topic: So I left our province, punung-puno ng pangarap at pagmamahal. Sa totoo lang, lungkut na lungkot ako ng mga oras na iyun. Di ko mapigil ang aking mga luha sa pagpatak, kasi di ko alam ang aking magiging buhay sa aking patutunguhan, ngunit ang aking nalalaman ay, yun lang ang aking pag-asa upang ako ay makatungtong ng kolehiyo, kaya lakas loob akong dumayo sa masikip, masalimuot na buhay siyudad.

So nag-college nga ako, aking tinapos ang pagka-nars, kumuha agad ng lisensya, nag-asawa, nag-anak, nagtrabaho, and here I am right now. Pero sa loob ng mahabang panahon na iyon, lagi-lagi kong ninanasa, na sana, minsan matagpuan ko ulit ang dati kong kaibigan. Ang sarap gunitain ang matatamis naming tawanan, asaran, at siyempre may tampuhan. Di rin maiwasan ang selosan. Yes, selosa ako, gusto ko ako lang ang kaibigan nya, at kapag nag-ha-hang-out siya sa iba, masama loob ko. Pero di ko inaamin yun sa kanya, baka kasi isipin nya tomboy ako, o kaya naman baka masakal siya sa akin, kaya sige na nga, and of course, may pride din ako, na kadalasan di naman umuobra, I kept telling myselft then, well, if she is happy with her/him, I'll find another friend..... huh! Kita nyo na kung gaano ako kamaldita! Wag ka, madalas, di naman epektib, because at the end of the day, my heart says, she is still the friend I need.

Noong isang linggo, I found her on the net. I am so excited kaya kahit oras ng trabaho, sige internet ang beauty ko just to catch up with her. Palitan kami ng email. Katulad ko, may pamilya na rin sya, at masaya. Kung di lang malayo ang kinaroroonan ko ngayon, malamang, nandoon na ako sa bahay nila para maki-tsismis. Parang biglang nabuhay ang aking highschool life and memories. Ang sarap-sarap balikan.

Nasa Trabaho Ako Ngayon!

2009-03-26T11:42:00.002Z

Yes!, nasa trabaho ako ngayon at alas tres ng madaling araw, pero eto, dilat ang mata at gising na gising ang diwa. Umpisa pa lang kasi ng shift ko, etong ICU ay super busy, para bang lahat ng pasyente e gustong pumanaw na, at kami namang mga manggagawa, e ayaw silang payagan, ngeeeek! Porke moderno ang siyensya, eto ngayon, push button na lang lahat ang ginagawa para magbigay ng mga gamot, pero di ibig sabihin e, magaan ang trabaho namin. Kulang na nga lang aking hilingin na ako sana ay mayroong sampung pares ng mga kamay para mag control ng lahat ng mga gadgets na ito. Para ma gets nyo, isa-isahin ko: walong volumetric pumps, isang epidural pumps, isang ventilator, tatlong drain, isang feed pump, isang overhead monitor, isang central monitor, at dalawang suction, may catheter, at flexiseal or fecal collector. Lahat ng yan minomonitor ko at ino-operate kada ora, at lahat ng yan e nakakabit sa aking nag-iisang pasyente na ilang araw ng ayaw gumising. But of course, all those things does not come first but the patient. Imagine na lang ninyo kung ilang beses akong paikut-ikot sa bedside ng pasyente ko, palagay ko di bumaba sa isandaan bawat shift. Pasensiya na, di ko binibilang e. Dagdag numero lang yan para sa lumalabo ko nang utak. Minsan na curious ako, nag-ipit ako ng stepcounter sa aking bulsa, out of 12 hour shift, I have done more or less seven thousand steps! Wow, kaya palang ang lalaki na ng mga binti ko at may nakikita na rin akong mga maliliit na varicose veins.
Sa loob-loob ko, pwede ko kayang i-sue ang aking employer for work-related overfatigue? Nya....if I started one, perhaps everyone will either laugh at me or follow me. Sakit sa ulo siguro nun.
Pero kahit ganun pa man, mahal ko ang aking profesyon. Di naman sa pagmamayabang, sa labin-tatlong taon kong pagiging nars, bilang lang sa numero ng mga daliri ng aking mga kamay ang namatay na pasyente na aking ni-luk after sa aking shift, at yun e talagang doon na talaga ang punta, kaya di na ako nagre-ak pa ng sobra, baka kasi ako'y balikan e, takot kaya ako sa multo no?!
Anyway, tonight, buti na lang at at this hour medyo nag-calm down itong unit, pero too late na para ako'y mag-break. Gawa ng adrenalin rush, higly energized ako this time, kaya ito, nagba-blog pagkatapos kong i-organize lahat for the next shift. Hay, buhay nars.

Jessica on the Catwalk

2009-03-20T06:58:00.000Z

Just A Little Thought!

2009-02-18T10:40:00.004Z

Last October 2008, my family and I went home to the Philippines for a vacation just before we came to Canada. For six solid years out of seven, I only seen my home country in the news online, The Filipino Channel, and the occassional newspaper or magazine available in asian stores once we have the time to check on them. On those years, I was thinking, the Philippines has improved economically. I am so glad that it is developing and supporting infrastrature projects, the people are more up front when it comes to changes being made. I thought, that is good; Filipinos are becoming involved. Hence, there is this excitement in my little heart to come home.

Anyway, soon after we landed, here comes our pick up. Two cars, and a truck. Just enough for the truck to carry our luggage, the other car to accommodate the people who came to pick us up and the last car for us. I felt really VIP, and to make matters worst, our convoy has got hazard lights on. I thought to myself, can people here in the Philippines really do this practice? If it is in England, police will be behind you soon if your hazards are on. I ask our relative, is it alright? He answered with an assurance, "yes, just to let others know that we are convoy".

Then, here comes the discipline. I have warned my two kids to always say "po and opo" to everyone older than them, which they did religiously. I am glad, I wasn't shamed. But then, few days later I have observed, my kids are polite and are so nice, yet I can hear other kids yelling back to their elders, yes they use "po and opo" but are not really making sense of it. In fact, my daughter commented, "Mom, I thought you said kids in the Philippines are nice, how come they have no respect?"

And she meant a big picture of everything. She grew up in England, and is used to respecting everything, in fact well versed of the 'Do's and Don't's" that leads up to caring. She cried when she saw her cousin kick a poorly chick in the backyard, she was so upset when neighbor hurt their dogs, was shocked to see that seven people ride in a five-seater car, young and old alike throw their garbage just anywhere, when her brother and herself has to keep their litter in their pockets until they see a bin, if not, it comes home with them.

Those are just few things I thought have changed, but I guess, it got worst. Our politics and government would never ever improved despite big efforts, if these minute little attitudes don't get addressed. If our young generations now are these "non respecting little rascals and brats" then I don't feel that Philippines has got a chance for change. It would be nice, if parents would make sense of respect in all its meaning, rather than just imposing it by words. Sure it is easy to memorize words, but doing it what it meant is another story, which I hope should be addressed soon.

My Drive....

2009-02-13T04:49:00.018Z

Even before I learned to drive, I already have this fascination on great powerful
cars in different sizes. My heart starts to pound when I see some king of the road offroader 4x4 big trucks. I can not stop thinking, if I am the driver of that huge vehicle, it's like having power, and control.

Not only on big trucks, I also love the power of being fast and safe. I am a responsible driver, but it does not mean I am not having fun. Take a look at what Driving a Ferrari 360 could offer you. I am just so glad that there is a racing school that we can turn on to. Admit it, not all of us can own a Ferrari 360, but sure we could drive one. With the help of this company, you could have a very unique and "to tell about/brag about" experience. C'mon, it's to a priviledge few, and sure you can be one of them, just like myself.

And to think I am a woman?, well, it does not make any difference for me. The thing is, I have this passion, and I like to live it well. Sometimes, we just have to have great real life experience for us to be able to tell the tale. Right now, I am driving a powerful V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4 Laredo, and guess what, I am loving it.

Nursing dito sa Canada.....Masaya!

2009-01-20T23:12:00.008Z

O mga kapatid, salamat at nadalaw kayo, este, ako pala ang absent for a while. Pasensiya na, mahirap kasi ang mapadpad sa ibang bansa at sinlapad ng walang hanggan ang area, e mangangawit ka talaga sa kapaplano ng mga araw-araw mong lakad para lang malaman mo kung nasaan ka. Anyway, never mind that nonsense comment. Wala lang kasi akong maisip na sabihin to start this document.
So far, we are slowly settling in British Columbia Canada. Well, sa bahay, medyo okey na kalagayan namin. Nangungupahan lang kami sa ngayon for several reasons. Unang dahilan, siyempre pera. Kailangang pang mag-impok ng limpak limpak na salapi ang byuti ko para makapagdown sa magiging susunod kong mansyon, pangalawang rason, natural lang sigurong alamin kong mabuti ang lugar no? hindi ba kayo? Of course importante sa akin na malaman ang mga crime statistics, aba, magaganda yata ang lahi ko, baka kako mapagdiskitahan, e sayang naman di ba? At pangatlo, aba, dapat lang na masigurado ko na dito na talaga ako tatagal, baka mamaya eh, pagkatapos ng lima, pitong taon e, lipat na naman....nakupo! kahirap kayang lumipat at mag-umpisa from scratch.
Sa trabaho naman, di hamak na mas magaan ang trabaho ko ngayon. Maluwag dito sa hospital na pinapasukan ko at di regimentado, minsan nga naguguluhan ako e. Sa pinanggalingan ko, talagang masasabi kong may kalidad ang treatment at care namin sa mga pasyente, pero dito, iba namang anggulo ang tinututukan, halos lahat ng kilos ng pasyente namin ay kailangan ng doctor's order i.e.when they can eat and/or start mobilizing... naalala ko na ang clear diet, soft diet, diet as tolerated, activities as tolerated, bed rest with/without toilet priviledges, etc. Wala nyan sa England, pero sa totoo lang meron kaming long term na patient dito sa ngayon, as in he is already here in the unit since I started in November last year, mind you, ni wala siyang pressure sore. Tagal nya ng nakaventilator ha.
Other than comparing our way of treatment here to where I come from, one of the best is our way of shifting. As of now, I already know what shifts I am working until Feb 2010. Believe it or not, yes, and I have a print out of my schedule, and even if I haven't I still would be able to know because it is so predictable. I am only working two days 12 hour shifts followed by two nights twelve hour then the most exciting part is the five days off! Bwala...and back to two 12 hour days two 12 hour nights then five days off, ulit, ulit, ulit. What can you ask for? Isn't it great. Kahit na kakaunti lang ang number of vacation leave dito sa BC, if you think it over and over again, I still feel having more. Just think if I book a week's holiday, with the days off included, I can actually have at least three weeks off work in total. He he he he more days also allowed for overtime. There you go, chance for more money, kaya huwag kayong magtataka kung bakit ang sasakyan namin dito kahit bagong salta pa lang kami ay brand new from the showroom 2009 Volkswagen Routan. Hindi ako nagyayabang ha, proud lang. Di naman namin binili ng cash yun, utang din yun for three years, but comparing the amount I should be paying: here, I am only paying 1.9% interest rate to the capital amount whilst if we were in the UK, I probably will be paying at least 14-28% interest rate on a car loan, now can you spot the difference? Do the maths. And to think that this is in Canadian Dollars, its not bad feeling at all compared to Sterling pounds, diba?
O siya sige. I shall then conclude that I feel better off dito kaysa sa Englatera. Maganda din sana doon, kaya lang may mga anak pa akong palalakihin at pag-aaralin e, kaya saka na lang muna ang Europian tour and memories, kapag ka silang dalawa ay okey at secured na. Afterall, di naman ako nagmamadali. Di pa naman ako ganun katanda sa ngayon. Actually, ngayon naiisip ko, mainam na lang pala at maaga akong nagpamilya, e di ngayon, career ko na lang ang aking inaatupag ng walang break, break. I do not know about your priorities, but according to my experience, I can say that having a family at an early age is not as bad as you think, though there are some disadvantages, meron din advantages, nasasapagpaplano at diskarte lang yan e.

Life in the Snow, and the White Christmas

2008-12-24T16:00:00.001Z

It is Christmas time again, and guess what? We have it white here in British Columbia. Very unusual, I was told, but here it is. Apparently, this is only once in 5-6 years, often, winter here is mild, just less than a centimeter deep of snow and will be gone by midday, but look at us on the video, really digging in and having fun right in front of our house. Actually, these photos were taken last week, and until now it is still snowing, it is knee deep!!!!! Jessica and James were having fun everyday, and because it is school break, they get to do things in the yard. I just wish we could share this moments to everyone, and we'll have fun and celebration each time, just like this season has to offer us. Merry, Merry Christmas to you all.

My First Forerotogo!

2008-11-29T01:22:00.006Z

View of the sunrise at White Rock BC

Well folks, we finally made it to British Columbia, Canada. Beautiful place, with lots to fill your eyes, soul, and of course stomach. Pero,hindi kami nagbabago. First few days we're with new friends who showed us around, got us to nice and fancy restaurants. Kain, chibog, lafang, salu-salo, name it, we have it. Sarap ng buhay 'no? After four days, we are on our own, like our own place, lumipat na kami sa aming lungga. Aba, mas maluwag at talagang di hamak na mas malalaki ang mga gamit. Impression ko nga, eh, ang oven ko dun sa England kaysa mag lechon ng baboy, dito, ask mo? Kaysa ang baka!

Anyway, one day, kaming mag-anak nabagot sa aming lungga. Eh ano pa nga ba ang gagawin. We don't drink, we don't smoke, but we eat a lot, he he he he. So larga kami sa isang mall malapit sa pinapasukan ko, umikut ng umikot hanggang sa nagutom. Siyempre, kakain! Dahil nagtitipid muna para siguradong may allowance kami (just in case hindi ako sasahod at ang lahat ng ito ay panaginip lang pala), we found ourselves at the food court. Magkakatabi ang A&W, Japanese Restaurant, Chinese Restaurant, etc. The kids opted to have noodle type food so we let them queue at the Chinese' whilst ako, dahil malaki mata at natakam sa magandang presentasyon ng sushi, pila ang beauty ko sa may Hapon. When it was my turn, I asked for a seafood combo. Easy! then he asked me, "forerotogo?", "Wa'?" I answered, mukha yata akong hinahapon ng kumag na ito, bulong ko sa sarili ko. Napanganga siya, di rin yata ako naintindihan ng sakang, naalala ko ang "Wa'?" pala dito sa Canada ay "WHAT?" with a T. Sa Englatera kasi, lalo na sa pinanggalingan namin sa old Suffolk, they do not pronounce the T! So sabi ko nalang, "Pardon?" So he slowly spoke "For here or to go?" Naalala ko tuloy ang magaling na blogger "Ellababe". Ay sus, yun lang pala yun, aba eh siyempre "For here please" ika ko na lang. Hay naku, ang pagkakaalam ko sa England, "Dine in or take Away" yun. We enjoyed the food pero maraming tira. Lesson number two, ang lalaki ng mga portions dito compared to the UK kaya next time sabi ko tear and share na lang kaming mag-anak, lalong nakatipid di ba?

Kawawang Alejandria, Na-istak sa Englatera!

2008-10-02T18:27:00.008+01:00

Ako, at ang aking pamilya, nandirito at na-istak sa Englatera. Hindi makakilos at wala ng pera. Ang sakit sa ulo, ang passport namin ay nakabinbin sa Canadian Embassy. Ang sabi, normally ang visa application will only take six weeks, kaya I have decided to submit my notice of resignation from my job on the second week following my application for the Canadian entry permit. Hay! dumaan at lumipas na ang over eight weeks, nada pa rin ang anino ng aming mga pasaporte. Also meant na I have been unemployed for just over three weeks, huhuhuhu, tulo na sipon ko, stiff bored pa ako. Pwede na nga siguro mag-aplay ng unemployment benefit, eh!?!?!Nakupo, di ko yata magagawa yun, eh kung yung benefit nga na pwede sa mga anak ko, di ko kini-claim, eto pa kayang komplikadong benepisyo ang iisipin ko. Baka naman pwede na akong mag-diclare na homeless na rin ako, pati na rin kaya si Mister, unemployed na rin siya eh. Asusus! Hala sige, mag-isip grasya!

Anyway, eto kasing Familia Alejandria, makakati ang mga paa. Settled na sana sa Englatera, eto at nag-apply pa Canada. Nakakaloka talaga. Eh kung kayo kaya ang nasa kalagayan namin, baka nauna pa kayo sa eroplano kaysa sa amin. Noong isang araw lang nais naming mamili ng kaunting pagkain sa ASDA, aba, kalahating laman ng maliit na shopping trolley tagpas ang 70 sterling pounds sa card ko samantala kung ikkukumpara ko noong kami'y bagong salta dito, ang aking mga anak ay nag-gagatas pa at nagda-diaper, ang biweekly allowance namin including these ay 60 to 70 pounds lang, ngayon, di na namin kailangan ang mga ito, mahigit pa doble ang gastos namin sa lingguhan. Nakakatuyo ng utak talaga, samantala, sa Canada raw, ayun sa aking magaling na source of information, ang mga bagong Filipino-British na bagong salta doon eh nagrereklamo with all big smiles kapag darating na ang sahuran, namumrublema at di pa raw nila nauubos yung huli nilang sahod. O ano? Masaya di ba?..... Dito, itanong mo? On the day ng sahod mo, simut na sa direct debit ng bills mo katulad na lang ng renta or mortgage, council tax, life insurance, critical illness insurance, mortgage repayment insurance, road tax(Oo, ang mga kalye dito, naniningil ng tax kapag may sasakyan ka), building and contents insurance, TV license ( korek! dito sa UK, kailangan mo ng lisensya para manood ng TV, at monthly or yearly ang bayad nun!), telephone, internet, mobile phone, car insurance, at kung anu-ano pa. Bago pa nga lang sa sahod mo, halos quarter of your gross ang ibinawas para sa national insurance, at tax eh.

Hala Grasya, huwag ng mag-atubili pa, larga na sa Canada, sa US kasi may retrogression, recession at kung anu-ano pang mga sion-sion ang meron kaya sige, run as fast as you can, get out of England!
Well, nag follow-up naman ako sa Canadian embassy and it resulted to an apology kunyari from the automated email na reply sa enquiry ko. Apparently, they have so much applicants at this time of the year because it's the start of the school term, and you know it, when it comes to education, Canada is world class, kaya if you have the dosh doon ka na.

Anyway, kaya kaming pamilya, interested na makita si Mr. Postman everyday, baka kasi dala na nya ang aming pinakahihintay na visa. So far, lagi naman kaming may natatanggap sa aming postbox, kaya lang usually mga unwanted stuffs. Kaya eto, lagin na lang dismayado. Baka one day, I will just scream like this: "I am a celebrity, get me out of here!"

The Doomed Chain Letters!

2008-09-16T12:16:00.002+01:00

Punyemas namang mga tao at walang magawa sa buhay, panay ang browse sa internet at check ng email nila, and most of the rubbish they got sya pang pinu-forward! Katulad na lang ng mga natanggap kong forwarded messages today, puro mga walang kwenta, at meron pang mga threats katulad na lang ng bad lucks, death in the family, sickness in the family, etc. etc. etc.

I have received so many emails like this, so they called chain letters. Even before the internet world nuong ako ay nasa elementary pa lang, nakakatanggap na ako ng mga ganito, and I am proud to say, that anything like this, has got to stop on me. I have never forwarded it to anyone. Ano ako, messenger? Tanga? at tagahawak ng tadhana? I refuse to take the responsibility. PERIOD! FULL STOP! Once it reaches me, it will never be passed again. I am so sorry for those of you, stupid people, who got my email address, and uses it for something like this, you can not tell me nor dictate me what to send or who to email.

Ako'y nababanas kapag ako ay nakakatanggap ng mga ganitong uri ng kalokohan. Para bang sinasabi ng mga walang kwentang messages na ito, na ang kapalaran ko ay nasusulat sa isang email lang. For all I believe, from the moment I was created, no one BUT GOD ALONE holds my future. So why would I forward so many copies to my friends and contacts, and bother them, or perhaps even send them a threat? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Of course nungka! I am a responsible keeper of my contacts and addresses, kaya I do not send them such garbage and nonsense stuff.

And should I say, wala pa namang nangyayaring masama sa akin at sa aking mga loveones, afterall those years na nakakatanggap ako ng mga ganito. And I am more than 100% sure na wala talagang effect ang mga ganitong kalokohan. Katulad ng sinabi ko kanina, ang Maykapal lang ang may hawak ng ating kinabukasan, kaya Siya lang din ang nakakaalam ng tadhana ng bawat isa. Kung nagkataon at may nangyaring di kanais-nais sa akin o sa aking mga mahal, hinding-hindi ko iisipin na dahil ito sa walang kwentang mensahe ng isang walang kwentang email na ipinorward ng isang walang kwentang tao sa akin! Ang aking pananampalataya sa Panginoon ang siyang magbabantay sa akin at sa aking kasambahay sa araw at gabi.

Eto ang aking diskorso sa mga ganitong bagay; kung ikaw ay nakatanggap ng ganitong chain mails, ipo-forward mo ba? Bakit? Para matanggap mo ang biyaya at makaiwas sa sakuna at malas na kakambal ng sulat na iyon? Hindi mo ba naisip na kapag ipinorward mo ang mail na yun, ikaw na ang pinanggalingan ng "CURSE" of that email? Why, because you send it because of your selfish thoughts. Hindi mo ba alam na kapag nagsalita ka ng curse to anyone, it brings curse to that someone, and if you say blessings to anyone, that someone would be blessed. So why all these emails have curse at the end of it? Hindi ba pwedeng blessing lang or kaya kung talagang meron kang mensahe na warning, warning lang at wala ng etseboretse at kalokohang ganito, in fact all these nonsense emails that I got, I just trash it and forget about it, because I just viewed it as a curse in total, kaya di ko na siya pino-forward, bakit pa ako mandadamay ng mga nananahimik ng mga tao sa contacts ko, di ba? If I am doomed, let it just be me, no one else. But as I said, I have a great faith in GOD, and I always rebuke this kind of mails.

Kung minsan tuloy, naiisip ko, sana magakaroon naman ng kaunting talino ang mga taong nagpapadala ng mga ganitong klaseng emails, wala na ba kayong magawang mas may kabuluhan pa kaysa magforward at magforward ng mga ganito. Kung ako sa inyo at eto lang pinagkakaabalahan nyo sa internet at email services nyo, better shut your computer off and do something more worthwhile, nakatipid ka pa ng kuryente at oras mo.

Ang Tagal Na

2008-09-10T16:09:00.004+01:00

Ang tagal tagal ko na ring di nakapagpost dito. Sa hirap ng buhay, araw-araw kailangang kumayod, hindi lang according to my schedule, kundi maniobrahin ang sariling rota, at baka pwede pang isingit ang nicely paid overtimes such as night shifts, weekend shifts, and some shifts with unsocial hours. Huh, buhay ng nurse dito sa abroad. Kayod dito, at doon, trabaho ng early shift 7-3 pahinga hanggang alas otso ng gabi tapos pasok sa overtime night shift 10pm to 8 AM, at kung medyo malakas pa tuhod at sinuwerte, uuwi lang para matulog, at babalik ulit for the late shift, 3pm to 10 pm. Otherwise, pag di kaya, phone in sick.

Well, di ko sinasabi na madalas akong mag off sick. Honest akong tao no? Kapag ako nagkasakit, talagang may sakit. Hindi katulad ng kakilala ko, dati ko siyang friend, ngayon hindi na....eh aba, binibilang sa sarili nya ang kanyang sick times, at masama ang loob nya kapag sa isang buwan ay di siya nakakapag off sick....sayang naman daw at entitled naman daw tayo to paid sick leave. Oo nga naman, bakit ka magpapakahirap magtrabaho, kung pwede ka naman magshopping somewhere far para di ka makita... Nag enjoy ka na, bayad ka pa... Ano yun????? Prosti!

Pero hanga din ako sa ibang kababayan na todo kayod, para lang may maipadala sa Pinas sa mga mahal sa buhay, pero kung minsan parang umaabuso din mga loveones diyan sa Pinas. Porke may nag-aabrud sa pamilya, feeling e may gripo na sila ng pera... na kapag may gusto e bukas lang ng bukas, kung minsan pa nga pinababayaan pang tumatagas lang. Aba eh, sa totoo lang, kung mayroon lang opurtunidad dyan sa PI na katulad dito sa abrud, hinding-hindi ako mag-iisip na dumayo dito, no? OO nga't malaki ang palitan ng pera dito kapag naipadala diyan, pero naman, di ibig sabihin e lahat ng sinasahod namin e kailangan i-convert nyo at saka nyo iisipin na wow,.... almost quarter of a million pesos pala ang kinikita namin in a month. Kung ako ang titingin sa figure, talagang mapapalaway ako... pero di ba namin kailangan magbayad ng bahay, tax, kumain, at magdamit dito? Nakausap ko nga ang aking magulang minsan, at ikinukumpara ang padala ko sa kanila (peace tayo pang, example lang ito. alam ko mababasa mo rin ito) kaysa sa kapitbahay na nag-aabrud din. Bakit daw nakapagpatayo na sila ng mansyon, at bongga ang buhay ng mga loveones doon, samantalang ako, bihira ang padala, at ni isang improvement sa amin ay wala akong ginawang project, well, liban sa pagpapaaral sa kapatid. Ako ay nag-isip, ang aking sahod at gastos dito, pag may natira, tama lang pambili ng saplot. Imagine, sa isang taon dito, ilang beses mag-bago ng weather, at siyempre, ibagay mo ang gamit sa kumportable ka.... alangan naman magjacket ka ng pang winter, eh spring na o kaya autum palang, o kaya mag summer clothes ka sa pagkaginawginaw na paligid, aba eh, di lang katawan mo ang magkakasakit, pati utak mo na rin ay mababaliw, lalung lalo na sa kalungkutan.... natural gagawa ka ng paraan para makausap mo sila hala sige, kuha ka ng cellphone, telephone, at internet para lang may means of communication ka.... dagdag gastos, at kahit anong pag-iisip ang gawin ko at pag dagdag bawas sa maths ang kalkulahin ko, wala pa rin.... Unless I will do something else, katulad ng ginagawa ng iba riyan, nagpuputa! Pasensiya na di ko masikmura ang bagay na iyan. Conservative ako ano? Kaya kahit hirap ang buhay, angat ang noo ko. Wala akong itinatagong baho.
Maiba ako, kapag ang mga pinoy ang nag-aabrud, meron kaming tinatawag na PDOS o pre departure orientation seminar kung saan, ino-orient kami kung ano ang aming mga aasahang kalagayan, rights, at kung anu-ano pa. Sana, meron din seminar ang mga pamilyang naiwan para ipaalam sa kanila ang dapat gawin kapag meron silang taga-abrud. Nang sa gayon, e di winawaldas ang pinadadala sa kanila. Masuwerte ako at ang aking mga mahal ay may malawak na pag-unawa. Di katulad ng kaibigan ko, ayun nangutang ng nangutang ang magulang niya, at eto siyang naging tagapagbayad at guarantor. Para bang isinanla siya porke nasa abrud ang mokong. Hayun, kayud sa araw, luha sa gabi. tsk. tsk. tsk!

2008-09-10T15:47:00.001+01:00

"Work like you don't need money; Love like you've never been hurt and Dance like no one's watching..." ?

A good reminder of God's Love.Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at the church, the Pastor and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand out Gospel Tracts. This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside, as well as pouring down rain. Theboy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said, "OK, dad, I'm ready." His Pastor dad asked, "Ready for what?""Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out." Dad responds, "Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring down rain." The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, "But Dad, aren't people still goingto Hell, even though it's raining?"Dad answers, "Son, I am not going out in this weather." Despondently, the boy asks, "Dad, can I go? Please?" His father hesitated for a moment then said, "Son, you can go. Here are the tracts, be careful son.""ThanksDad!"And with that, he was off and out into the rain. his eleven year old boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing everybody he met in the street a Gospel Tract. After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet and down to his VERY LAST TRACT. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a tract to, but the streets were totally deserted. Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell, but nobody answered. He rang it again and again, but still no one answered. He waited but still no answer. Finally, this eleven year old trooper turned to leave, but something stopped him. Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch! He rang again and this time the door slowly opened. Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady. She softly asked, "What can I do for you, son?" With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said, "Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that *JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU* and I came to give you my very last Gospel Tract which will tell you all about JESUS and His great LOVE." With that, he handed her his last tract and turned to leave. She called to him as he departed. "Thank you, son! And God Bless You!"Well, the following Sunday morning in church Pastor Dad was in the pulpit. As the service began, he asked, "Does anybody have any testimony or want to say anything?" Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet. As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face, "No one in this church knows me. I've never been here before. You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world. Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart that I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live. So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck. Standing on that chair, so lonely and brokenhearted I was about to leap off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, "I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away." I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly. I thought to myself again, "Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me." I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder. When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life. His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to you! The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long been dead, TO LEAP TO LIFE as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, "Ma'am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU." Then he gave me this Gospel Tract that I now hold in my hand. As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract. Then I went up tomy attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them any more. You see---I am now a Happy Child of the KING. Since the address of your church was on the back of this Gospel Tract, I have come here to personally say THANK YOU to God's little angel who came just in the nick of time and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in hell." There was not a dry eye in the church. And as shouts of praise and honor to THE KING resounded off the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was seated. He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably. Probably no church has had a more glorious moment, and probably this universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love & honor for his son... Except for One. Our Father also allowed His Son to go out into a cold and dark world. He received His Son back with joy unspeakable, and as all of heaven shouted praises and honor to The King, the Father sat His beloved Son on a throne far above all principality and power and every name that is named. Blessed are your eyes for reading this message.Don't let this message die, read it again and pass it to others. Heaven is for His people! Remember,God's message CAN make the difference in the life of someone close to you. Please share this wonderful message... "Faith is the affirmation and the act that bids eternal truth be present fact." ColeridgeJust 3 Words Three things in life that, once gone, never come back - 1. Time2. Words3. OpportunityThree things in life that can destroy a person -1. Anger2. Pride3. UnforgivenessThree things in life that you should never lose-1. Hope2. Peace3. HonestyThree things in life that are most valuable -1. Love2. Family & Friends3. KindnessThree things in life that are never certain -1. Fortune 2. Success 3. DreamsThree things that make a person -1. Commitment2. Sincerity3. Hard workThree things that are truly constant -Father - Son - Holy SpiritI ask the Lord to bless you, as I pray for you today; to guide you and protect you, as you go along your way. God's love is always with you, God's promises are true. And when you give God all your cares, you know God will see you through.

Ang Aking Munting Pangarap!

2008-09-03T23:01:00.007+01:00

Simula pa noong ako'y bata

simpleng buhay ang siyang aking hangad

Di ako mahilig sa luho,

at di rin nais magpagarbo!

Ngayong ako ay edad trenta,

Naghahanap buhay na at may pamilya

Buhay na aking nais sana

Ay di pa rin natatamasa

Simpleng bahay ang aking gusto,
Malamig, at sa paligid ay puro puno

May kaunting gulayan

At makulay na hardin

Ngunit nasaan ako ngayon

Nandito sa ibang bansa

Walang ginawa kundi kumayod

Bilang ang oras ng tulog

Gayundin ang panahon sa pamilya

Kaya sa tuwing ako ay nakakakita

Ng larawan ng isang bahay kubo

Di ko mapigilan ang mahalina

Sana naman ako ay makauwi sa Pinas

At itayo at tuparin

Ang aking mumunting Pangarap.

2008-08-06T11:17:00.007+01:00

We went to watch WALL-E on Cineworld last Monday. It was good fun, but when it was about to end, when WALL-E seemed to have lost its charge and mind, and EVE is trying to get him back by solar- recharging him, my son kept quiet, and a few more seconds, he started to cry.... huhuhuhuhuhuhuh. Well, it's normal for him. He get easily attached to his toys and wholeheartedly care for them.... I would not wonder when he grows up that his attitude would be exactly like his Dad.

After that we went to Nando's and enjoyed a meal. Well three of us did, while my husband just forced himself to join us. It's always like that... he wants to try somewhere else, while I would say Nando's is nearer and he disagreed at first because we have been there several times and want to go somewhere else, so as usual I rallied my kids and said; "Kids, where do you want to eat, I think, Nando's fine." and that usually do the trick. Three versus one is so uneven and easy decision , ain't it? LORRRL! (laughing out really, really, really loud!).

Gathering the Memoirs

2008-07-30T12:49:00.014+01:00

Sorry guys, I have not added anything to this blog for a long long long long time. I have been concentrating on my review for my exams on October. I am very grateful for your visits, and although I have not updated this for sometime I knew who comes and goes.
So today, I have uploaded some photos to add some colours and memoirs.

The old church in front of Buttermarket Shopping centre

Dad and James in front of the Old Town Hall, Ipswich, Suffolk, UK

Same old spot as above

Quisha Bustamante, on Sidegate Primary Summer Sports Fest '08.

James, Perfect handstand on Sidegate Primary Sports Fest '08

Jessica, Black Groupleader Sidegate's Summer Sports Fest '08

Picnic time at the School's grounds with the Bustamante Family. One family is missing, we used to have them with us last year, and years before that. Missing you, Mariano Family. Hope to join you soon in Canada.

Quisha, also showing off her perfect handstand! Who says only boys can

What about like this?

Joke Ulit

2008-07-12T18:06:00.002+01:00

Praying for 10 Pesos
Sa loob ng simbahan ng Quiapo, isang batang pulubi ang mataimtim na nanalangin sa Diyos.

Pulubi: "Panginoon kung maaari po sana ay bigyan ninyo ako ng sampung piso dahil gutom na gutom na lang po ako."

Narinig sya ng isang pulis na kasalukuyan ding nagsisimba at bumilib sya sa katatagan ng bata sa pananampalataya sa Diyos. Sa kanyang habag ay dumukot sya ng limang piso at iniabot sa bata na ang sabi: "Amang, narinig ng Diyos ang panalangin mo at heto tanggapin mo ang perang ito at ibili mo ng pagkain".

Tumingala ang bata sa pulis, kinuha nya ang limang pisong iniabot at muling yumuko para manalangin: "Panginoon, salamat po sa pagdinig ninyo sa aking panalangin, pero sana naman po sa uli-uli wag na ninyong pararaanin pa sa pulis, kasi malaki na ang bawas".

__boy balakubak
London, UK

Last Day of my Week's Annual Leave

2008-07-12T13:34:00.002+01:00

It's Saturday, and it's my last day of my week's annual leave. I could not believe how the week has gone so quick. Nothing special happened. I am just at home most of the time because we can not go somewhere far because the children are still at school, and besides, I am not perfectly well for the first few days of the week. As usual, not feeling 100% after three days of Tonsillitis, having tremors and jittery and not on my usual strenght. I feel that I am not getting any younger, and everytime I am not well, it takes longer time to get back to my usual self. Getting and going old, for short.
Last Thursday's crabbing, we thought of riding the ferry today, but this morning the wind is strong and the sky is grey, so I thought of our safety immediately, and although the children are disappointed, they understood after I explained to them my concerns.
Anyway, we will just stay indoors, rent a film, stroke the rabbits, play nintendo DS, oh, and saying that, I am hooked to Brain Training. I would not tell you how old my brain is but I am working towards it.

Fashionable Eyewear

2008-07-11T20:35:00.008+01:00

Are you needing prescription glasses, or perhaps thinking of getting a new pair? Well search no more because the answer is here at Zenni Optical. They offer prescription glasses with excellent quality frames at excellent prices. In fact their services have been featured in FOX News .

ZenniOptical.com is a website that offer and sells stylish prescription glasses from as low as $8.00. They have a huge array of frames, with single vision lens, sunsensor (photochromic) lens, tinted sunglasses lens, bifocal lens and progressive lens; all with affordable prices, and would not hurt your budget. They could provide you with huge savings because they only sell their own manufactured frames direct to you with no middlemen, therefore you are getting the best for your money with no hidden charges.

Another Good Time

2008-07-10T23:40:00.013+01:00

Today, I am so bored, so when the children came home from school, we decided to have some fun and do what Novie did last Tuesday.... Gaya-gaya ba.

Is that how you live your life..... Crabbing?

Just being nosey

Dad, Jessica, James: all busy getting crabs, making sure only the big ones goes to the bucket.
Watch out for that cunning seagull up there, it's after your catch.

Bored, because he's got no luck with crabs, and felt that monkeying about is gonna make it!

This seagull is patiently waiting to get hold of our bait leftovers

Fresh and live, kasarap gataan! Huwag maingay, ang mga puti kasi, kapag nanghuhuli nito, binabalik din sa tubig pagkatapos, di ba naman mga aning! Basta kami, sarap ng hapunan!

BRAVE?

2008-07-10T15:52:00.004+01:00

I have always been adventurous since being a young girl, and now that I have my own family, I'd like my kids to experience the same, and become confident and overcome their fears. But in our modern world now, I could not help but get paranoid about what they are getting themselves into. I do not know how to explain this, but I feel that danger is just lurking around all the time, and so I check, plan, risk assess, and a lot more before I could let the children run free or join activities. And as I do this, I feel I am limiting the fun. When I was young, I am brave to try almost anything such as mountain climbing, swimming not in the pool but rivers and ponds, and lots more without supervision, but now that I'm grown up and became a mum, I am fearful all the time, not for myself, but for my family. It's very hard to let go.

Look Cool with your Shades

2008-07-09T16:24:00.015+01:00

Years back, when I was still in grade school, everytime I see someone wearing spectacles, I would immediately think that the person is either a genius ( read a lot, think a lot), or the person has got something wrong in his/her eyes or vision. But now, I think otherwise. Having an eyeware is now becoming a trend and part of overall outfit, specially if your glasses have got its designer's tag on it. Just like clothes and bags, and shoes, glasses are becoming part of today's fashion, so it is very important to get the right frame and suited to the person wearing it. You do not need to have something wrong with your eyes so you could wear one, in fact sunglasses is a must this summer season. Tell me of big names in the fashion industry, and for sure they have got something to shade their eyes, and most of the time, it is to match their outfit. Don't they look cool?

Male or Female?

2008-07-09T12:11:00.001+01:00

As you are aware, ships have long been characterized as being female (e.g., "Steady as she goes" or "She's listing to starboard, Captain!")
Recently, a group of computer scientists (all males) announced that computers should also be referred to as being female.
Their reasons for drawing this conclusion follow: Five reasons to believe computers are female:
1. No one but the Creator understands their internal logic.
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else.
3. The message "Bad command or file name" is about as informative as, "If you don't know why I'm mad at you, then I'm certainly not going to tell you."
4. Even your smallest mistakes are stored in long-term memory for later retrieval.
5. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.

However, another group of computer scientists, (all female) think that computers should be referred to as if they were male.
Their reasons follow:Five reasons to believe computers are male:
1. They have a lot of data, but are still clueless.
2. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem.
3. As soon as you commit to one you realize that, if you had waited a little longer, you could have obtained a better model.
4. In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on.
5. Big power surges knock them out for the rest of the night.

They're in season and thery're red hot!

2008-07-08T20:32:00.007+01:00

It's finally summertime, and although British weather is so unpredictable, the temperature is still confirming summer season, and with this, I am so excited in getting different fruits into my fruit basket and prepare them each meal we have.
Tonight, I have the pleasure to open up and slice a huge seedless watermelon for which we have tucked into after our dinner. It's such a sweet red darling that I can not help but take a photo of it.

Just having a bit of this lush in the table make our dinner special. To be honest, we're all bored and tired with apples, pears, oranges, and all those plums, and nectarines, berries and the like. They looked nice and beautiful from the supermarkets, but once they arrive into our fruit bowls, nobody touches them, so I feel I am just wasting money. But being a mum, I feel obliged to feed the family at least five kinds of fruit and vegetable a day. So this summer is just great for different tastes in the table, hmmmmmm.

The Good Ole' Days

2008-07-07T20:47:00.011+01:00

These photos are over three years old, but still keep their colours, so before they fade, I might as well store them online for better keeping. The one above was taken at the basement of Harrods' in London.... Tribute to the Princess Diana and Dodi.

Above, with friends after having tear and share food because the picnic was unannounced so most haven't prepared anything. Frankly, I quite like that kind, no stress, and just be carefree.

Taken at one of the London underground tunnels. Trying to find our way out perhaps, or figuring which way to our next tube.

Another unannounced picnic by the carboot sales. Lots of Filipino friends came and joined us with no preparations whatsoever, yet we had a good time together.

Winter snowballing, and just being carefree.

Becoming tired from roaming around and nowhere to sit but the stairs.
The original basketball team players. Some have gone to other places, but the spirit is still here.

Another photo taken at Harrods' - London's elite.

Interview update

2008-07-07T16:51:00.003+01:00

Few friends learned and asked about my interview the other day. Well, as usual, I have the butterflies and bees buzzing in my stomach the whole day, the tension is just too much for me. I tried my best to get prepared, but none have helped my nervousness, until the time has come five o' clock dead on, the phone rang, and presto, my interviewer on the other end. Obviously she verified my identification, spelt my name correctly, asked my d.o.b., etc, and we had a nice chat, basically. All the frequently asked questions from google did not come at all. You probably can imagine me, sitting on the floor (buti na lang carpeted) in our lounge with all the papers laid around, with all my possible answers written down! hayyyyyyy.... none of it came. Anyway, the whole interview appeared positive, so I am just waiting for another one this time. Hopefully this week. I sure will update you guys.

Siya Si Alfredo. Subukan nyo lang ang kwento nya.

2008-07-03T10:51:00.005+01:00

Ang kanyang tunay na pangalan ay Alfredo dela Cruz Alejandria, ngunit sya ay bantog sa palayaw na Freddie, ang aking kabiyak sa buhay. Kami'y nagkakilala sa pamamagitan ng telepono, at sa mga panahong iyon ay kasalukuyan siyang tagu ng tago dahil me babaing nagtangkang pumikot sa kanya, at duon na nakatira sa mga magulang niya simula nung araw na siya ay nilasing nitong babae, at pagkat talagang ayaw niya sa babaeng iyon, napilitan siyang umalis at lisanin ang tahanan na kanyang kinalakihan. Sabi nya sa kanyang sarili, di bali ng walang masilungan, wag lang mapasubo sa isang bagay na sa simula pa lang ay alam nyang di nya gusto. Ilang buwan din siyang palipat-lipat ng tirahan, nauuwi lang pag may pagkakataon halimbawa e kung ang babaing iyun ay lumuwas papuntang probinsiya, o kaya eh umalis sandali, at siya naman ay sikretong tumatawag sa kanilang telepono upang alamin kung siya ay pwedeng makasaglit ng bahay. Kahit anong pangaral sa kanya ng kanyang mga magulang at mga kamag-anak, kanyang pinangatawanan na hinding-hindi siya pakakasal sa babaeng iyon. At sa gitna ng krisis na ito, kami ay nagkakilala sa pamamagitan ng kanyang tiyahin na aking naging kaibigan sa telepono at siyang nagpasa sa kanya. Simula noon, di na naghiwalay ang landas namin. Naalala ko, nuong siya ay nanliligaw pa lang, aking narinig, o kaya kanyang sadyang ipinarinig sa akin, na kanyang tinapat ang babaeng iyon sa telepono at sinabing hinding-hindi siya pakakasal dito sapagkat alam niya sa kanyang kalooban na hinding-hindi niya mapipilit ang kanyang sarili na ito ay mahalin. Mga ilang araw ang lumipas, may balitang buntis daw itong babae, ngunit buo ang loob ni Alfredo, paninindigan at susuportahan nya ang bata, pero hinding-hindi pa rin ito pakakasal. Lumipas ang dagdag na apat na buwan, napatunayang di rin pala buntis itong babae at gawa-gawa lamang nito ang kwentong iyun. Hanggang kusa na lang lumisan itong babae sa kanilang tahanan at umuwi sa probinsiya. Kusa rin nitong binura ang kasong kanyang isinampa sa barangay noong panahon na unang umiwas si Alfredo.

Sa mga panahong ito, di man niya sinasadya, aking nakilala ang kanyang pagkatao. Siya ay may matigas na paninindigan, at kahit na ito ay mali kung minsan, basta't kanyang dinisisyunan, di na ito mababali pa. Ni hindi rin siya marunong magbalat-kayo. Sa simula pa lang ay alam ko na kung ano ang kalagayan nya sa buhay, walang pagtatakip o tangkang itago ang kanyang estatus. Ngunit ganun pa man, marami pa rin ang nabibihag sa kanyang kapilyuhan. Siya ay natural na "flirt" at daig pa ang malanding itik kapag nakikipagkatuwaan. Bagay na kung minsan ay bumibighani sa mga puso ng ibang mga babae at umaakalang siya ay may gusto din sa kanila. Me ilang beses na rin na akin siyang inaway dahil dito, pero alam ko ang katotohanan. Hanggang sa aking napagtanto na walang silbi kahit siya'y aking awayin, alam kong dahil lamang sa aking pagseselos e aking sisirain ang aming pamilya. Ganuon talaga siya. Ilang beses na ring me babaing nagtangka kaming paghiwalayin, meron ako mismo ang tinitext upang sabihin lang na kaya niyang bilhin si Freddie, hindi kagaya ko, ni isang kusing e wala. Sa loob-loob ko, ako'y may tiwala sa aking asawa, hindi siya isang bagay lamang na may presyo at nabibili. Meron siyang pag-iisip at sariling disisyon. Minsan din, ako naman ang ginagalit at halatang gusto kami pag-awayin, kaya upang matigil ang kanyang pagti-text, sumagot ako ng ganito, sandali lang ha, aawayin ko muna siya (ngunit ang totoo, ako ay natatawa). Aba, isang buong araw yatang natuwa at di na nagtext ulit, hayyyy salamat. Talaga naman, kung minsan itong mga babae, parang mauubusan ng lalaki sa mundo, at kung sino pa yung may asawa na ang siya nilang gusto. Minsan sa aking inis may sinagot ako ng ganito. "Hoy miss, ganyan ka na ba kadesperada, at walang nagkakagusto sa iyo, at pati ang asawa ko ay gusto mong subukin? Kung ganyan ang sitwasyon mo, eh lalong wala kang pag-asa sa kanya, pagkat ang mga tipo nya ay yung mga pinag-aagawan, at di katulad mo, napag-iiwanan!" Ang taray no? Pero walang biro, nasabi ko talaga iyon. Ako kasi ang klase ng babae na bukas ang pag-iisip. Palibhasa, kaya kong maghanap-buhay at buhayin ang aking mga anak, kung sakali na nagbago ang pagmamahal ni Alfredo at hindi na siya masaya sa akin, aba eh, walang pilitan. Ayaw na ayaw ko na maririnig sa kaninuman balang araw, na ng dahil sa akin ay naging miserable ang buhay nya. Ganun pa man, di ko naman ibig sabihin na madali nyo lang maagaw siya sa akin, patunayan niyo munang kayo talaga ang kanyang gusto, at di na ako. Madali ang usapan. Pero kung sakali at pinatulan nga nya kayo pero kanya naman kayong inililihim at ikinahihiya at pinagsisihan at bakit nya napasok ang ganong gusot, aba eh mag-usap tayo. Di ako iskandalusa at mapagkatha ng kwento. Di katulad ng iba diyan, nakalabit at nakatawanan lang sandali, aba e inakala ng head over heels daw sa kanya si Alfredo, tsk tsk tsk. Ang lakas ng loob na ikalat sa buong bayan, parang celebrity gossip baga. At siyempre, eto namang mga mister at misis na mahilig makinig ng drama, mahilig magbasa ng magazine, mahilig magtsismisan, either nadagdagan o nababawasan ang kwento, kumporme sa kung sinong nagkwento...... hmmmmm ako ay natatawa at naiiling na lang sa inyo. Sa tanda kong ito, malakas na ang pakiramdam ko, alam ko ang kwentong may halong personal na interes. Di sa pagmamalaki, naging editor ako minsan ng school publication namin kaya nararamdaman ko ang tono ng bawat report sa akin.
O sige, patuloy tayo kay Alfredo. Sa amin namang pagsasama, di kami perfect couple. Mabibilang sa daliri ng isang kamay ko na kami ay nagsagutan, sapagkat kapag kami pag nag-aaway, tahimik. Di nagkikibuan at dedmahan. Pareho yata kami ng strategy kapag galit. Siya, wala lang, tahimik, at may selective hearing. Kahit sigawan mo yan sa tenga kapag ayaw ka nya kausap, wa effect ang sigaw mo..... (Ngunit kapag iyan ay nag-uumapaw na sa galit, nanginginig ang boses nyan). Katulad ng nabanggit ko kanina, malandi siya. Mahilig maglambing, at kung minsan kahit naiirita na ako, di pa rin makahalata. Tipo bang gusto kong nananahimik pero ayan siya at pabiro-biro, pa sweet sweet, at kung anu-ano pa animo'y bubuyog na kumakampupot. Madalas nagpapatawa yan, at dahil sa mahigit isang dekada na rin kaming nagsasama, alam na alam ko na ang style nya sa mga jokes, kaya kung minsan, di na rin ito mabili sa akin, bagamat aking napapansin sa mga pagtitipon, kapag siya nag-joke, nakukuha nya pa rin silang mapatawa.

Pagdating sa pamumuhay, si Alfredo ay masinop. Sa mga gamit, lagi siyang maalaga, di katulad ko, di naman burara, pero kapag ang isang bagay ay nasira, di ako apektado masyado kasi prinsipyo ko, gamit lang yan may sell by date yan o kaya hanggang dun na lang siguro ang silbi nun, samantala siya, gusto nyang optimized palagi ang gamit ng isang bagay, kaya napakaingat nya. Katulad lang ng cellphone nya, di basta-basta silid lang sa bag nya, baka raw magasgas kaya kailangan ilagay sa tamang lalagyan doon sa loob ng bag nya.

At sa usaping bag naman, si Alfredo ang taong di makalakad nang walang dalang bag. Sa simula pa lang ng kami'y magkakilala palagi na lang siyang may sukbit na bag. Ang laman naman ay di naiiba, wallet, ballpen, maliit na notebook, tarheta, kunting barya, at kung anu-anong mga resibo. Kung nawawala sa paningin ko si Alfredo at hawak ko ang kanyang bag, alam kong nandiriyan lang siya sa malapit, o kaya babalik at babalik din siya ilang saglit lang. Kung baga, parang may magic spell, kambal tuko sya dun sa bag nya. Kakalimutan na ako wag lang ang bag niya. Pero di sya mahilig mangulekta nito. Bibili siya ng isa lang at gagamitin ito ng ilang taon hanggang sa ito ay masira, saka lang siya bibili ulit. Kaya imagine, kung ang kanyang bag ay lumang luma na pero di pa sira, at kami at aatend ng pormal na party, ke gwapo nya sa kanyang terno, pero ayun at sukbit pa rin si bag nya!

Ang kanyang tanging luho ay pagkain. Mahilig yan sumubok ng pagkain sa iba't -ibang restaurant, kaya kami nananaba pareho. Hindi sya mahilig pumorma. Basta siya ay kumportable, wala siyang pakialam sa sasabihin ng mga tao, ke gusot at di naplantsa ang suot nya. Di rin siya gumagamit ng pabango o kahit cologne lang. Meron syang natatanggap paminsan-minsang regalong pabango, ayun ginagamit kong air freshener sa bathroom namin. Mahilig siyang magbutingting kaya meron siyang koleksyon ng mga tools, pero di siguro naiiba iyon sa ibang mga boys. Ang nakakatuwa, siya itong may nakalalamang ng bilang ng pares ng sapatos kaysa sa akin. Siya itong Imelda sa aming bahay.

2008-07-02T13:59:00.007+01:00

I went to see my GP (family doctor, General Practice) today because I have had sore throat for the last three days and feeling under the weather. All I thought is it's just an ordinary viral tonsillitis which will be gone in a day or two, but last night aside from fever, chills, and aching all over, I felt I have to breathe through my mouth, and my nose is blocked, so if I need to talk, I have to speak in half sentences, and I've been drooling (like asong ulol) and my neck glands are getting bigger by the day which made me panic..... Just the thought of our patients being intubated due to laryngitis...... Scary!
So here I am, off sick again from work, on antibiotics and anti inflammatories, and been banned by my husband to drink soda (well, only if he's around).

I've been Dished Away!!!!

2008-06-28T21:48:00.005+01:00

For the past few days at work, I felt being dished away. Last Thursday, I was working on a 12-hour day shift, but half of that day was spent in Accident and Emergency (A&E, ER). I was asked to help the department because they got so busy and although they have enough staff for the day, there were about seven ambulances which arrived at once due to a road traffic accident. Well, I'm not moaning, (nurse tayo eh) I am more than happy to help out of duty and passion. And today, again I was working the same twelve hour day shift, and by two o'clock in the afternoon, apparently, our shift coordinator have drawn our names in the hat, and she pick mine up, so I was sent down to help in one of the wards. Well, what shall I say? Okey! fine, no problem, I don't want to argue, I don't wanna moan, get on with it. Thank you very much. Saying that, the afternoon went well. I actually enjoyed working in the ward. It's been a while now that I've not work in other departments. The staff thought, because I work in the Intensive Care, I knew lots of stuff! Hmmmmmm, lols, you just don't know....... I dunno nothing, too. hehehehehehe.

Siyanga Pala

2008-06-27T11:47:00.005+01:00

Siyanga pala, I am officially announcing na I will be writing in Filipino na rin, at di lang english language. That include tagalog, ilonggo, cebuano at ilocano dialects. I will try my best to post articles in different dialects, kasi, baka makalimutan ko ang mga ito, sayang. Dito kasi sa bahay, either tagalog between me and my husband and english or tagalog between our children, eh paano naman ang salita kong bisaya at ilocano? Ako ra na sya magamit kung ako nagtawag sa akong mga ginikanan o sa akong mga igsuon. Ang akong asawa, palipit ang dila, di gyud na sya makasabot, pwede gani nako na sya ibaligya. Pero, kung ako nagluto ug sud-an nga lutong bisaya, sus, lami gyud na iyang kaon, pati mga bata,....lagi.

Nati - Tense Ako!

2008-06-27T10:16:00.003+01:00

Walang dyo, kanina pa ako paikut-ikot dito sa lounge namin, dahil ako lang mag-isa dito sa bahay, di ko naman magawa ang gusto kong gawin. Nung pagkahatid ko sa mga bata sa school, naibangga ko sa poste yung front bumper ng kotse, kaya nagalusan sya. Buti na lang at madahan lang naman, pero sigurado ako, magdadakdak na naman si Panget (my husband) mamaya pag-uwi nya, pero palagay ko di nya naman mapapansin, kasi parang kaskas lang, anung paki nya, akin naman ito, buti sana kung yung kanya ang nasira..... Arrrrggghhhhh, ano ba, kanina pa ako ganito, in fact, kagabi pa. Di ako mapakali, I think, dahil may interview ako mamaya, alas singko ng hapon, over the phone from Canada. Di nown load ko nga yung most asked questions during interview from google, pero di ko naman binabasa. I tried to do some relaxation techniques, pero di effective. Ngayon lang yata ako naduwag ng ganito. Pinakain ko na ang mga rabbits namin, pati na rin ang isda sa aquarium sabay kausap sa kanila. Ano kaya, hugasan ko kaya lahat ng mga plato ulit, paborito kong gawin yun, eh.... pero malinis na sila. Siguro, kung di lang carpeted ang bahay ko, naglampaso na rin siguro ako, kanina pa.....May nakuha akong opportunity sa PPP pero wa ako sa mood magsulat. I don't care, and I don't give a damn. Kasi naman, okey na sana at settled na kami rito sa UK pero itong Alfredo (asawa kong Panget) aba eh, narinig lang sa mga kaibigan na mas maluwag daw ang buhay sa Canada, ayun at katakut-takot na persuasion ang ginawa para lang ako mapapayag mag-apply, kesehodang mas maganda daw ang magiging business nya roon, ke mura daw ang bilihin, etc, etc, etc...... ayan tuloy, eto ngayon ako, di malaman ang tension na nararamdaman sa isip (meron kaya ako nun?) at dibdib ko. Pero in fairness, excited lahat kami lumipat, etong hanep lang na interview na 'to ang sumisira ng araw ko ngayon.

Fancy some Olives?

2008-06-25T23:33:00.002+01:00

Just posting this so succulent, mouth watering olives. They're my favorite starters or say appetizers, well, unless someone would kindly offer me some seafood gourmet. I've never like this kind of stuff before. I only used olive oil in the kitchen, but other than that, I didn't like its fruit, until we tried the greek salad with olives, only then I fancied the taste of these beauties. Add to it some pickled garlic and succhini, yum, yum....Just by looking at these, I feel like I'm craving for some now.

"Buko"

2008-06-25T15:55:00.006+01:00

My husband and I went to an Indian shop this morning to get some fresh asian vegetables such as ampalaya, okra, opo, saluyot at sitaw. And to add into, we saw a few young coconuts (buko). To our delight, we got one although the size is no bigger than my son's head. It cost £3.00. So expensive! When we got home, I told my husband to cut it, but he said, not until the kids are back from school because he'd want them to see it..... it just dawned on me, my poor kids, didn't experience what I had when I was young. Coconuts, climbing trees, swimming in the backyard's fishpond, digging shallow wells, cooking grass in tin cans, fetching ducks and chickens eggs etc. etc. I can only tell them stories.

To make matters worst, my colleague at work, he's into plenty of holidays, but only realized lately that coconuts grew tall, all his life 'til then thought they were like pineapples! How sad is that? I have invited him to come to the Philippines, especially in the fruit basket Davao, so he'd see and taste fruits he probably haven't imagine.

Tag Time

2008-06-24T16:34:00.009+01:00

Shiela Tagged me this So chained myself along. Come and connect with us, too.

:::Start here:::1. Sojourn 2. Pinay Mom in Czech Republic 3. See Me for what You Will 4. LAINY’S MUSINGS 5. OUR JOURNEY TO FOREVER6. My Paperless Writings 7. As The World Turns 8. My Daily Discourse 9.From This Side 10. Our Family Adventure! 11. Shopaholic Ties the Knot 12. FunFierceFabulous 13. My Precious 14. My World in My Own Word 15. Observer's Eyes
Are you deeply in love with your spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend? If you do, let’s try how well you remember the moment of your life with him. But before you put yourself in the hot seat please read the rules of this tag first.
RULES:

1. This tag should be pass on to your friends.

2. Visit the blog of the person you’ve got this tag.

3. Leave a comment on her/his tag post. Be sure to thank her/him for this tag.

4. Highlight and link all the list of people who accepted this tag by visiting their blog site.

5. There are 10 questions that you need to answer but you will be the one to write the 10th question for the next person you want to pass this tag. Here are the questions. Be honest with your answers.
Lets Start:

1. How did you meet your husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend?

On 1996 new year's eve, going to 1997 I dialled a number on the phone not knowing what it was, and someone on the other end sound so handsome so asked him to be my phonepal and since then, I am still connected, online, offline, by text, email, post, at home, at heart, at soul etc. etc. etc.

2. Where did you go on your first date?

We went to church.

3. When was your first intimate kiss?

April Fools 1997. Did not realize it then, it just happened spontaneously but after that I was so scared knowing the date.... but I am just so lucky, he does not know anything about April fools, so I just kept quiet.

4. How many girlfriends/boyfriends he/she had in the past?

I am his sevententh!!!

5. What is his/her ethnicity?

Pure Filipino, Tagalog from Gapan Nueva Ecija.

6. What is his/her favorite food?

He loves Filipino Delicacies, specially if it requires kamayan.

7. What is he/she like if he/she is mad?

Quiet, with selective hearing, so better be careful with my words. He is a man of very few words when angry.

8. What are the things he/she did you thought is the most romantic thing he’d/she’d ever done?

Well, he is pretty flirt and does small sweet nothings most of the time, and he makes me laugh regularly.

9. Describe how he/you proposed to you.

He proposed to me few weeks after that April Fool's, but I was so young then, just graduated and qualified as RN so didn't know how to handle his proposal so I turned it down, but he has persevered, like asking me he can wed me anywhere, and if I'm in doubt, I can cut open his heart, and even bended on his knees. No effect to me until one day, inuwi ba naman ako sa kanila, di ko alam, tanan na pala yun.......Alam nyo, for two weeks, di talaga ako lumalabas ng kwarto, just imagine, ano na lang sasabihin ng mga tao sa akin, all those sort of thoughts. So ashamed of myself, so confused, Being a Bisaya, di ba, our dignity is so precious, di ba?

When did you know he was the ONE?

I always knew he is the one from that April Fool's day because I have seen him how sticks to his routine, principles, and words. I saw him in his real colour without any masks or make up to impress me, he just came as he is.
:::End here:::
I am now going to tag PinayMama, Mira's A Moment to Exhale, Asawa's Heaven, Joy Burlinson

I have to Do It.

2008-06-24T16:14:00.002+01:00

Following days of turmoil fixing my blog with no success, I have to extract some of its functionalities such as my guestbook, news archives, adsense, and change the whole template. Finally, it is back with the basic functions and perhaps, I just need to get used to its new look, though, not very great for me, I should say. I am just as happy to see my cbox so accessible instead of going to through the bottom to find my messages as well as my friends and neighbors. In the next few days, I will try and find a better template which would look like my persona. So for now, my apologies to friends. You haven't come to a new blog, it is still the same me, just with a new design. Hope you'd come back again.

PACQUIAO This Sunday!!!!

2008-06-24T09:47:00.007+01:00

Yes, it's gonna be this Sunday 28th June 2008, Manny Pacquiao will again be in the Boxing ring to fight another ultimate winner David Diaz. Of course, it's a much awaited fight and my husband is trying to secure a pay per view from TFC, but they would not confirm they can give us it, so he said, if you can not assure me until Wednesday, don't bother, I'll get one from HBO. Tough! I can not blame him. It is PACQUIAO we are talking about!

Something is Wrong

2008-06-22T12:42:00.003+01:00

I have been trying to sort this out since yesterday, but I find my blog has got something wrong in it. I lost all my friends and neighbors list as well as the archives of my post on the left hand side. Tried my best to check on the layouts, and looked at settings, too, but nothing helped. I do not know what else to do, helpppppppp! I do need help. This blog is my only leisure in life at present. I love what I am doing with it, but now it's into pieces.
Please, I am desperate to get it back to its usual self.

Trouble with the Police

2008-06-20T21:08:00.011+01:00

This is a photo of my husband and kids with the police, and boy, don't these people looked so cool when they are on their winter outfit . I think every man should have a gear like theirs. It speaks of authority, power, service, adventure, loyalty, law, and personal grooming.

Every time I see a Policeman, I always look at how he walk, talk, and carry his stunt. His gadgets add a good impression. Even the tiniest detail such as his watch, his head gear, the badges.... all add up to create such a respectable image.

But mind you, though he look gorgeous and so manly, make sure do no mess on him. He's up to no mischief, you know.

Just posing, nothing special.

2008-06-19T17:12:00.007+01:00

Just Me
The next high street models
Up close and personal
With a little friend to pose with

Why I Blog?

2008-06-19T15:04:00.029+01:00

I would like to address this post to my fellow bloggers...

When you created your blogs, what was your goal? Can you tell me of the great reasons why you are blogging?

Well, for me, I have plenty of ideas and thoughts that I needed to bring out. Perhaps, it's just honest fact to say that I am a frustrated writer. I used to join essay writing contests at school, and I am more expressive if I write things down, than saying it. If I can turn back time, and my personal circumstances then is different, and money is not a problem, I probably have taken a course and pursued a career in writing. My parents kept telling me when I was younger, a writing career is difficult, you can't even earn a living from it, unless you are super bright and famous, and be able to sell lots of your articles, otherwise, you'll just one of those lonely ones. I suppose, they are just concerned of my future.

Anyway, I grew up, had a family, and didn't regret what direction I followed, but the love of writing is still here, deep in my heart. That's where Blogging became very very alive in front of me. I can express my thoughts, I can scream, I can cry, I can emote, I can be sentimental, I can laugh, I can be angry, I can be nobody, I can be somebody, I can be anyone, a person, a thing, a poem, a song.... in fact anything! And yet I can make sure that I exist through the posts, articles, and prints.... that's the power of publishing. And what do I get here????? like a computer, sometimes you get filled up with information therefore you wanted to store these information in your memory, but as a human being, our brains do deteriorate as we grow old, and eventually we will lose our memory. Such a shame that it happens, unlike computers, when its memory fills up, it can have added storage. So what was I exactly pointing out in here????? Have you ever thought of what your next generation will learn about you? This is the very reason why I am Blogging. I want to write about real things and happenings in my life and family, my work, my affairs, in fact anything that I feel worth writing about. So when my descendants will ask about me, they can just log on the Internet and find out for themselves, first hand information, and not being relayed by anybody else where things added on or taken away.

Another reason why I am blogging is, the beauty of being in a social network. I have expanded my "personal universe" a lot since joining SocialSpark , I made several friends and actually socialize with them virtually by sending and receiving messages. Not only being nosy by reading and hopping by their blogs, I have learned plenty of tips on how they live their lives, ran their families, spend their money, enjoy their time, express their humour, and so much more. The list is endless.

And with all these reasons, I can get paid if I want to. Now tell me, who says that being a writer is a sad, penniless, loner? In SocialSpark , I get to write on things around our lives (they call this opportunities). Advertisers put up opportunities with price on them, and if you take that opportunity, you just need to write about it and publish it in your blog, and boil'ah! you get paid!!!! And because it is a social network, articles written are 100% real opinions where blogger talk about how they feel about it, 100% Transparent which means no hidden agenda, 100% auditable In Post disclosure which blogger disclose their interests such as if are they talking about a paid or sponsored post, and the best thing is it is 100% search engine friendly.

Family's Pamper day, My Labour Day.

2008-06-18T22:43:00.005+01:00

Well, I had a lovely day off yesterday, and to make it extra special, I brought the whole family to dine out. Just being together as a family is worth celebrating. All of us enjoyed being served at a local restaurant, but unfortunately I forgot the camera so wasn't able to take photos of the place and the food, but it's superb. Then we went to Asda to buy some groceries to start with, but ended up looking at the charts and DVD's. Kids also got a new game for their Nintendo DS's. We went home exhausted but thrilled.
Just before bedtime, I got my foot spa kit out and gave my two kids and husband a good treat each, plus a much needed soothing massage. Ahhhh, joy! I ended up with worn out hands and arms, but seeing them relax and enjoy is a perfect sight.
And guess what? Today, I was on a late shift at work, from 13:30 to 20:00 PM, and soon as I got home, my boy asked me......Mum, are you gonna give us a massage? (Me): What??? Yeah I will, for fifty quit, have you? He just laughed.

Social Spark, New Internet Experience.

2008-06-18T01:55:00.003+01:00

I have just joined this community and got a very good response straightaway. I am amazed how Social Spark has given me confidence in becoming more proactive in blogging, after all, I love what I was doing, and to actually know that there are people out there who are reading and knowing your thoughts is worthwhile. Isn't it nice to have an online community, reaching out for those people you don't normally socialize physically into? This social network has just brought another level of Internet experience. In fact, I am just so excited to get things moving, and as I must say, being a member of Social Spark, I am taking this opportunity to invite my viewers/readers to join, and you surely would enjoy your online presence. Being in Social Spark Network, you get to see what other bloggers are up to, have new friends, and more.
One of Social Sparks' features is creating a relationship between advertisers and bloggers, for which both benefits evenly. For example, I, for one, a blogger, can take on opportunities and blog about it, and I get paid for it... isn't it great? And for the advertisers' part, they are able to reach readers and let them know what they can offer. Either way, there's great chance of creating a very good media.

This is a sponsored review.

Loose Weight?

2008-06-16T00:46:00.003+01:00

I have been blog hopping for the last few days before I go to sleep, and most women bloggers are talking about their weight, excess fats, unwanted shapes and corners. Well I can relate to them, because I am also seeing it in reality to myself. I thought, I should really loose a bit here and there, but how could I. Exercise? yes I've been there, diet, nahhh.... irrelevant. I've just come back from a party! In fact yesterday as well, and another one coming this Wednesday. Invitations coming from left and right, and although I do not attend to all of them, I still get to go to some and the food are always irresistible. I eat more and more each time. Everyone has got something to offer, how could I loose weight. Someone said, just discipline! I don't think so.

My Family and Children's Health

2008-06-15T19:25:00.010+01:00

Being a mother, and a nurse, I am aware of the importance of my children's health. I am always making sure that my family eat healthy and balanced diet, have adequate physical activities daily, and secured emotional and mental environment. I believe in the saying that goes "every ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure". When my kids were borne, I brought them to every appointment with their pediatrician, let them have every vaccine necessary, and took their Doctor's advice diligently. I could not take any risk when it comes to my children's health. They say that mothers know best, but I say, I agree but, with someones professional guidance, it couldn't be better.
I became a mom at a young age of twenty two, but it didn't hinder me to become a better, responsible, cautious, and meticulous mother. And over ten years now, I still am learning. I read books about children's and family health, be vigilant about any problems, such as infections and diseases. We do not have to be ill to see our doctors. Regular health check ups and screenings are as important as anything else. I was just watching this video Dr. Paul Offit from Youtube and I could not fault any of his words.
I am aware, being a nurse working in the Intensive Care, that research and developments on health practices are done and published frequently, therefore, the information we need are so accessible nowadays. Yet, I am also aware, that there are still health myths existing around. We need to educate ourselves and be open to change, especially if it is scientifically proven.

This is what I really, really wanted to do.

2008-06-14T17:23:00.008+01:00

When I finish my night shift tomorrow morning, I would like to do this. And I don't care what you say, but for me, it's hahahahahahaha!

2008-06-14T10:35:00.000+01:00

Got tagged by Heap UP. Thanks!
Here are the Rules for this tag:
Remove one (1) question from below and add in your personal question, make it a total of 20 questions, then tag people on your list. List them out at the end of this post.
1. What is your favorite food?
Plenty and depending on my mood. Something cooked and served for me specially.
2. What was your happiest moment when you were a child?
Able to build my own playhouse made of sack and have authority over it.
3. Where is the place that you want to go the most?
Anywhere. I believe, every place has got to offer something.
4. Do you think you are worthy to be saved by God?
Yes, He loves me, there's no doubt about it, and even if I am a sinner, He still sees my worth, therefore He gave the best chance, and I am having that chance with no second thoughts.
5. When you encounter a sad moment, what do you do?
Pray and Sing.
6. What are you afraid to lose the most?
My family!
7. If you win $1 million, what would you do?
I don't know. In the first place I do not bet on anything, therefore theres no chances I am going to win anything. But if I am given $1M, I will give part of it to the Mission of our church, part of it to secure my childrens education and homes, and a little token for me and my husband to remind me I have been blessed, and that I am sharing that blessing with him, probably a platinum ring for each of us.…
8. What is the saddest moment for you last year (2007)?
I can not remember.
9. Which actor/actress would you like to play you in a movie?
Harrison Ford
10. How do you cope with boredom?
going to places near or far, taking photos of anything at their spontaneous moments. I don't like planning or posed pictures.
11. Till now, what is the moment that you regret the most?
I can't think of any.
12. What type of person do you hate the most?
A liar!
13. What is your ambition?
to become a nurse consultant in five years time.
14. If you had one wish, what would you wish for?
I wish that every people should have genuine love in their hearts and are able to share it.
15. How did you celebrate New Year?
I roasted a huge turkey and trim it with usual veges and gravy and plenty of fruits, got all of us, my husband, two kids, and myself dressed casually special, and have a nice dinner and conversation in our home, lights dimmed to bring on the beauty of the candle lights.
16. What has been the craziest thing you’ve ever done in your whole life?
Driving on a motorway at nigh time in the UK with my friend to a Christmas dinner, knowing that I am not allowed to drive yet as I have no license or insurance, and upon going home at midnight, drove home without my lights on. It's crazy and stupid!
17. What do you look forward to in 2008?
Sell our house from the UK and move to Canada.
18. If your life is a song, what title best fits it?
Friend
19. What is your inspiration in life?
God's creation....Real, live, beautiful, Perfect!
20. If you were to change one event in your life, what would it be?
Nothing, every event I had served its own purpose, some sad, some happy, but I believe each has brought every colour I have in me now.

I am now tagging, Shiela, Ella, Novie, Letlet, Malou

Just venting, otherwise it's going the other way!

2008-06-13T09:32:00.010+01:00

I have one of the crappiest night shift last night....not because we are busy (take note, I thrive under pressure and challenge) but because we have a crap coordinator who thinks she is good, but I think, it's only in her thoughts. Did you get me????? I could not believe how she manage her staff, it feels like come what may, no plan.... C'mon, let me do your job and I'll show you how to do it well! Grrrrrrrrrrrr..... The only consolation I had is that I know that she would not be back tonight. So much better. Don't ask me who is it, because I will never ever mention names of people not even worth writing about. Huh! Anyway, let me make my statement clear and straight. "Some people are born leaders, and when they lead, they lead well. While some are just made leaders, and when they lead, they lead according to their theory qualifications. Their character remain of an ordinary."

On nights again

2008-06-12T17:45:00.003+01:00

It's gonna be tough. Yeah, I am on night shifts again from tonight until Saturday. You all know how I hate working nights, but I have to do it as my fairshare. If only my physical body agrees to it, it shouldn't be a problem. Also, I am a kind of person that doesn't want to do unnecessary fuss. Hope my nights just go by smoothly. See you soon. The rose, my daughter's subject from our garden. Taken at dusk.

I am hired!!!!!Roll down the red carpet, get ready for my BIG Entrance

2008-06-12T13:54:00.063+01:00

When I started blogging, I thought it was such a nice idea for using my spare time. Blogging is like publishing your own magazine, or newspaper... you need to have readers, viewers, commentators, etc..... and for few weeks I have posted personal views, campaigned for something, and have influenced people who came and read my articles. I am happy everytime I received comments, and notes from people whom I don't know personally, yet have become my friends online. They are my customers.
Then someone encouraged me to join Pay Per Post to monetize my blog. At first, I was skeptical. Who on earth would waste their money because I was doing what I enjoy? Who would care about it? Then she explained to me how it works, etc. etc. etc. I thought, uhmmm, if I give it a try, I will lose nothing... so I did, and today, I got an email saying my very own Observer's Eyes is now approved, and I can start looking at paid oppurtunities and can write about them,.... that easy! And guess what, just by writing this alone, I got $20.00!!!! Honestly, I can't stop thinking what this blogworld can take me to, and the extra money, just imagine, I AM GETTING PAID just because I am doing what I love to do. What could be better than that????? Join Now!
'>'>'>get paid to blog

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

2008-06-12T13:09:00.004+01:00

We watched Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull last Monday, and I am impressed for its creation. I am a great fan of films directed by Steven Spielberg, and knowing that he did this one, I know, when we (my husband and two kids) agreed to watch it in Cineworld, we are up to great adventure, awesome actions, and spectacular backdrops.... and indeed, it is. I don't look at who's doing what. I am not into celebrities, you know...... but I am more of who wrote the story, who chose the casts, and who is the man in the chair.
Every detail of the film is well thought, colours, and lighting well balanced. I could not find any fault and although rated 12A, I have no qualms in recommending it to kids over seven years old, whose age are into adventure. Well, it's not up to me to say this, but truly, films like these are worth checking out. In fact, though we've watched it in the big screen, I will get a DVD copy of it for my collections' sake. Happy viewing.

There is no other Time but NOW!

2008-06-10T11:55:00.009+01:00

I was just watching the daily news from TV Patrol in TFC, and it is saddening to know that teachers in the Philippines are underpaid, degraded, and never has been rewarded for their efforts, following years of service to the country in educating the next generation. I feel so sorry for these people who are giving their "all" to provide information, develop skills, boost confidence, and shape the future of the Philippines.

I am a nurse, and have left the country to find a better life abroad. I have not asked for a luxurious life, but at least be secured enough to think that my kids will get the best chance to be able to stand strong in their time. If I have stayed in the Philippines, I probably would not get this security. I am aware that there have been thousands who have gone the same path as mine, leaving a gigantic shortage of nurses in the Philippines.

I will not be surprised if someday, these teachers will decide to leave Philippines, too. There have been promising jobs lurking around the world, with better pay, working lives, and benefits. If this will come to pass, I am so scared of the aftermath. What will happen to the next generation? What is the country's future? What ? What?..... You probably know Why!

As a country, I have nothing against the Philippines. Indeed, I still stand firm and proud being a Filipino. I am a great campaigner of its beauty, and exotic destinations. But it angers me to the max that it is being exploited, corrupted, and governed by people who have no other intention but to get their personal gain. Each leader have their own agenda, blaming each other, and just like crabs in a bucket, wanting anyone who goes up gets clipped down.

Well, what else can I say? Can I do better than this? I am an ordinary person, probably non-existent to the eyes of the Philippine Government. But I do believe in Tesco's "Every little helps". I am here to influence your thoughts, ask you to think, and get involved. Our beloved country needs people who have the pure heart to serve - not politics, not people's power that leads to misunderstanding and division, people who sometimes just join because they are paid to participate, but not realizing what they are into. Our beloved country needs people who are clear of their service, transparent of their intentions, etc. My fellow countrymen, there is no other time, BUT NOW.

Just the Closer of us

2008-06-10T00:47:00.005+01:00

Jessica
James
Jessica & Me
James & Me

Daddy

My tribute to Daboy

2008-06-08T09:00:00.000+01:00

I would like to pay tribute to the late Philippine actor Rudy Fernandez. He was one of the best in the industry, and truly had a great talent. I could remember when I was still a little girl, my Dad would take us for a family day out regularly, but that day out can be extra special if he takes us to see a film, and being a solid Daboy fan, we get to watch pictures if Rudy Fernandez is on it. I grew up and Daboy's name remained great. He was a great actor, father, husband to Lorna, personality, celebrity, model, and in fact just as he is. Learning that he has passed away yesterday, had brought sorrow to my heart.
Although not in anyway related to him or personally knew him, I can say that he is in fact part of "myself" being a Filipino. I would like to send my sincerest sympathy to all whom he left behind.

Weekend Diary

2008-06-07T10:38:00.008+01:00

This Sunday, we are going to Church in London at the Jesus Miracle's Ministries, and we will be joined by Steve Kuban in the Praise & Worship. I am excited to meet and speak to him personally. As we are gearing to move to Canada this year, I might as well talk to him as he's borne and bred from that beautiful country. I will be posting more about this meeting next week. For now, it's time to go back to Cambridge to cheer for the Ipswich Tigers. Should we win this one, we will just be waiting to the Finals, otherwise, four more games - which obviously is a least desired option. If we win, I will surely get Evening Star and BBC LookEast to cover it. Hep hep hooorraaayyyy.

Stick your thorns out

2008-06-06T13:49:00.000+01:00

BBQ, Waiting for the sun

2008-06-06T13:29:00.006+01:00

It's June and middle of the year, yet it's wet, wet,wet and WET.... almost everyday. Last year, it was the same. I could not believe it's summer here in Great Britain. Should be the time to enjoy some sunshine (moan, mon, moan !!!*&$3£). In fact, in anticipation for the sunshine, I am ever ready to bring out the BBQ, I have patiently skewed last night, so that any of my friends pop to ours, I have got something ready, or perhaps they might call me just to see their garden in blooms and ended up having a sit down, I could just bring it on. Poor skewed pork, has to live in the freezer until the sun is up.I hope the rosemary's would not decide to root up or bloom in there.

Test Mic test...

2008-06-06T11:25:00.004+01:00

When there was me and you. How romantic melody. Just telling me right now, yes, we get to age, and more mature, but once you hear that music of your heart, you stop and just rewind your youth.

I could not believe this! My kids' mischief.....

2008-06-06T10:20:00.011+01:00

Well, I am on my own today. Kids at school, husband in London, sooooo...... I sat in the sofa, and logged in to my blog, investigated who came and had tea at my post, and then I've realized, yeah, I did help the kids set up their own blog, few days back, linked to me rather than them creating their own. So I went to check them out. I am impressed with Jessica's despite some of her spellings are wrong, she proved able to speak her mind. To be fair to her, she has been so proactive with school's activities such as swimming, tug rugby, being a carer, music shows, etc...., so I said to myself, I'm not going to be hard on this, afterall she's only ten. Huh, she's just pimped our search page.
Then to James' site, hmmm, not much. He's a boy and typical seven, into his nintendo DS and some weird toys such as the monster egg which he kept in an eggshaped container filled with water. It looked like an ordinary egg inside for the first three days, then I saw it cracked a little, and finally, it turned into a monster.
Well, at least it is still contained in that eggshape home. Mind you, he's never told anyone about this aside from his partner in crime, sister Jessica, and they both hid this in our wardrobe, so that just before they go to bed, I could hear them fussing about something in our bedroom, so I went to check out, and they just told me they're looking after their pet and it should be in the dark. Okey.....
And triops, and little stuff toys, which at first, I thought are a bit softee and costs more than what you'd get, then I realized there's more to them. Lately, he told me that those toys have got access codes to online games.
And the worst bit of it all is..... shame on me, he got a link of the High School Musical 2 from youtube. I could not believe this. I started blogging around a month ago, and I do not know how to copy and post tags, let alone a video from youtube.....and he could???? What on earth is going on? I am supposed to tell them or teach them "how to" these things, but I guess, I have to ask my son to teach me it this time. I am sure, I could still catch up on how this techie bit work..... Well, hopefully.

We are moving In...

2008-06-04T17:53:00.007+01:00

We are finally moving in. Yes, we have waited this long, and finally, the new build is through, and we can finally move to the new state of the art, very modern, and sophisticated Garrett Anderson Center, and yes, I am one of the staff who will move. The intensive care unit is just so "WOW", high technology, and most of the nearby hospitals of the county are eager to see it as well. Oh, I just can't wait.... It will be this Tuesday, 10th June 2008... See you there.

A Day to Bond

2008-06-01T20:11:00.013+01:00

Freddie, Jessica, and James.... Shame, I can't join because I am holding the camera

We had a very relaxing day out today as a family. Again, it is our priority to bond, despite our busy lives. The kids are going back to school after a week's half term, Freddie is as busy in his business, while me, well, full time intensive care nurse.

Dad and son, walking as bestmates.

This is the only photo taken of me, and yes, a stolen one also by my hubby, caught me unaware whilst keeping an eye on the two kids running around. Well, not moaning, kind of good one anyway.

Indeed, it was a fantastic day. We started swimming with friends, then decided to have fish and chips, and ended with spending few pennies at the Pier Casino. Though we didn't win anything, we had a great time.

Again, being the camera holder, unable to join them part two. It's not fair at all!!!

Youd do not have to spend huge bucks to be happy, it's how you share time and joy to each other.

The fish and chips. Pure British.

After a wholesome but leg aching day, we only have a couple of these special chocs to bring home....Stupid, ain'it????

Hmmmpppp. Nakakainis!

2008-05-30T22:01:00.005+01:00

Well, it has been a very busy week for me. Monday to Tuesday, I am at work, nursing. Wednesday and Thursday, my days off, we originally planned to go to the Annual Suffolk Show but then my friend Lotis invited us to go to Cadbury World in Birmingham, but as soon as the morning came, it was pouring out rain, and paddles everywhere, and indeed it is on both days. GGGGGrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!(Banas, Yamot, galit, and too many dabog) all over the house I did. Even the vacuum cleaner, napagdiskitahan. And today, Biyernes, and Tomorrow, I am at work. What a week. Nakakainisssssss.

jessica blog

2008-05-30T19:30:00.003+01:00

hi you know me Jessica ........................ i told you i was going to make my own blog and this one is linked to my mums blog clever isn't it you will come on my blog wont you hua hua hua!!!! and also write a letter please..........................

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GO TO DASHBOARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-05-28T23:32:00.004+01:00

Mobile Phone.... More Dangerous than Smoking????
(click on the Title to read more)

uPdate, UpDate on Voting for 7Wonders

2008-05-28T20:27:00.012+01:00

Hello folks, as I have mentioned before, I am urging everyone to cast your vote for the World's New7Wonder. Today, I have checked the ranking and you'll be pleased that Tubattaha Reef is now rank fourth, likely, Chocolate Hills, Puerto Princesa Subterranian River National Park, and Mayon Volcano are on going up and possibly securing more places. Indeed, a great honour to our country and Paradise.

Basketball Game 25 May 2008 Tigers vs ADS

2008-05-27T23:48:00.005+01:00

2008-05-27T23:30:00.000+01:00

Introducing me, me and oh me

2008-05-27T07:57:00.005+01:00

Hi i'm jessica my mum let me go on this blog and soon i will be able to make my own blog when my mum finds out how to do this, in school i'm in a company called holiday haven and as you can see i've got a certificate for being employee of the month!!!, in history i like the ancient Egyptians and that links in with being an employee because we're selling holidays to egypt.

here are some examples or what i wrote....................

for example ............
do you want to get away from the stress of city life then go to sharm el shaikh
have a relaxing, luxurious and amazing time as well.

i guess you think i'm really boring

but i love music from
kelly clarkson
don moen
leona lewis
and so on

and i also love animals too especially dogs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

now what do you think of me ..............

Visit to Cambridge City, United Kingdom... Wet! wet! wet!

2008-05-26T21:44:00.020+01:00

Jessica and James under the rain. Yeah, it's such a wet day, but it didn't stop us just enjoying beautiful sights.

This big tree is just a very nice background for a girl trying to show her "growing up" pose for the photoshoots.

This is Jessica, James, and friend Kyle in front of St. Catharine's College.

King's College, one of the most beautiful buildings in the city of Cambridge.

The troops in front of Anglia Ruskin University - one of modern Universities in Cambridge .

Just a pose whilst waiting for the rest of the gang.

The kids, by the entrance lawn of Corpus Christi.

Visit to City of Cambridge part 2

2008-05-26T21:30:00.000+01:00

The Reception Board in front of King's College, Cambridge
This is also a very nice overhead sculpture by the gate of one of the historic building in Cambridge. So breathtaking, and amazing, you could actually see the effort done in creating such a nice piece of art.

Jessica and James braving the rain. Lakwatsera at Lakwatsero na rin.

Ellen De Generes Wedding

2008-05-24T22:54:00.007+01:00

US President Bush' newly married daughter has offered her ranch for the wedding venue of Ellen De Generes and long time girlfriend Portia de Rossi. Know her? Yeah, the famous TV host where Charice Pempengco showed an impressive entry to the International Singing World.

Friends around the world

2008-05-24T20:51:00.000+01:00

This TAG was sent to me by Jenn and would like to share it to friends.

::Start Copy Here::

Rule:
1. Copy from ::Start Copy Here:: through ::End Copy Here::.

2. Add your blog to the list. Feel free to add all your other blogs. Just make sure to post this to each of the blog you added in the list.

3. Tag other online friends you know.You don’t need to be tag in order to join. If you want to join just post this one in your blog.

4. Let me know your blog’s name and url by leaving me a comment HERE. I will add you to the master list.That way, everyone is happy and can meet new friends too!

5. Come back once in a while to get the master list! Let’s see how this makes our Technorati and PR goes up!

6. DO NOT REMOVE THIS: scrap page made by Yen. Using alphas and tapes from Kate H., flowers from Ida,paper by Catrine.

1. Me and Mine 2.Creative In Me 3.Little Peanut 4. Pea in a Pod 5. Sugar Magnolias 6. Chez Francine 7. Le bric à brac de Cherie 8. La Place de Cherie 9. My Sweet Haven 10. Malejandria 11. ADD YOUR BLOG HERE.

::End Copy Here::

I also would like to tag Shiela, Noveline, Phoebe, PinayMama, Pinay American Journey

Employee of the Month

2008-05-23T22:48:00.009+01:00

This certificate was given to my daughter today on her achievements on working hard in selling holiday packages. Imagine, she sold several packages to her mates and teachers. I just wish, it's all real business. At school, children are taught how to engage themselves in a sensible conversation, and be able to show creativity in expressing their views. On the above activity, my Jessica's class were asked to group themselves and do a presentation on different products. Jessica did a holiday shop and was able to convince her "customers" that her "tailored holiday packages" are just right for them. Hhmmmm, impessive. I wonder if she could make a sale on me? Probably not, probably.... well.

At the end of it, only Jessica got the certificate. Wow. I have to give her a good pat on the shoulder, and a hug.

Mind Bogglers.

2008-05-22T21:55:00.005+01:00

This was a post from Proud Mommy and is quite interesting. Try it.

I’m One of the 55. Are You?

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too. Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno’t mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mni d deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it.