My So-CaLLeD LiFe

AT A CROSSROAD

2011-02-16T17:06:00.004+08:00

Right now, I'm at a crossroad in my life. I'm discerning which path to choose. I want to do a lot of things but I'm not sure which among my options will I really excel at. A certain event in my life made me realize that I need to move out and do something else. This has been my comfort zone for almost 10 years but I know that in order to grow and expand my horizon, I need to move somewhere else. I'm just not sure which path will it be. I'm discerning at this point. I'm praying hard to God to lead me to the right direction.

Silent Musings

2010-09-19T08:11:00.003+08:00

I've been doing some soul-searching the past few months. My life has been a roller-coaster ride lately, something new and unexpected is always happening. I almost lost my focus. Good thing, I have family & friends who continue to pray for me. Life is never easy, that's one thing I learned in my 33 years of existence here on earth. I also know that God will always be by your side no matter what but my faith still falters every now and then. I'm really a worrier and it has gotten me through a lot of unnecessary stress. Now, I decided to really just let go & let God lead my life. There's really nothing I can do but wait & see what His real plan for me is. I may be experiencing a quarter-life crisis in my life, let it be. I know that my Big God will see me through this.

blessings

2010-06-29T07:44:00.002+08:00

On my birthday last March, somebody told me that good things will come my way and my Boracay trip with my hubby is just the start of it. I think that started to give me hope and I actually looked forward to the good things that will come way. I truly feel that I have been really blessed...my strong bond with God (who I know will never leave nor forsake me)my good relationship with my husband, my awfully cute, smart & funny daughter, my siblings who have been so supportive,my improving relationship with my mother, etc. True enough, God has blessed me more, I was given a nice profit sharing from our company (I was able to treat my family, which I was not able to do for the longest time) and I was given a promotion! I actually thanked our President for the nice profit sharing & promotion and he replied to me saying, "Thank you for the good work." I was really touched. Thank you Lord for all Your graces, my words are not enough to express the gratitude that I feel right now:)

fear

2010-06-24T07:45:00.002+08:00

last night, it was raining hard...while walking on my way home...i saw that the streets were flooded...i wondered, will the rain stop asap or will it last overnight?...hope it won't be another ondoy...i realized that the fear is still there...i don't want rainy days anymore...

God said...

2010-06-06T14:02:00.001+08:00

God spoke to me today and told me to count MY blessings and not other people's blessings...

motherhood

2010-06-04T07:40:00.006+08:00

I may be tired all the time, I may complain with not having some "me" time, I may complain to our extremely high electricity bill because there's a child who requests for "aircon" every now & then, I may lose my patience at times because of my child's constant bugging BUT I AM HAPPY! I am happy because whenever I get home from work my daughter will excitedly greet & kiss me, I am happy because whenever I'm home she wants me to do things for her & tells her yaya or anybody for that matter "mommy only", I am happy because my daughter is really funny & street-smart...heck I am happy that God gave me a chance at MOTHERHOOD...I never thought that I could experience this much contentment in my life...Thank you Lord!

hey!

2010-06-03T07:54:00.003+08:00

it's been such a long time since i wrote something in this blog! a lot of things happened since my last post...i promise to be a good blogger again and write as often as i can. but for now, gotta start my day here at work. happy birthday by the way to my little big bro third!

what ondoy did to us

2009-09-29T07:14:00.001+08:00

I'm back at work after a horrifying experience.you know we were badly hit as well, our car & the cars of my in-laws were all submerged in water. we were at my in-laws house then to celebrate the bday of my father- in- law when the flood came by so fast. the water went up to the ceiling of the 1st floor. we stayed in their 2nd/f until monday morning together with a lot of neighbors who knocked at our door because the flood in their houses almost reached their roof/s. good thing we have enoough food to feed them and we also tried to get relief goods to the helicopters who came. mishka only had 1 milk a day. i never thought that these things happen in real life. i'm still deciphering God's plan in letting this thing to happen...

Star Rice

2009-04-27T08:15:00.003+08:00

We were having difficulty letting Mishka eat rice lately. All she wants to eat were the viands and skips eating rice. Yesterday, while having lunch at SM Hypermarket, I let her eat Java Rice and surprisingly, she ate it. I realized that Mishka wants some spice and color in her rice so I bought Star Margarine. Yes, I made Star Rice (the same rice that my father used to feed us with when we were kids so we would have more appetite in eating food) and it worked! Mishka finished her food and asked me to add some more rice on her plate:) I am just so elated:)

On Track

2009-02-16T12:24:00.012+08:00

Koy and I did something different last Valentine's Day, we attended a conference for members of young CFC. The conference was entitled, "On Track", it was such an enlightening and fun-filled experience. This is the first conference we attended in CFC as a married couple (the last conference we attended together was when we were still in SFC, Reloaded Conference). We saw several faces from SFC who are also now part of the young CFC population. The conference had 3 sessions: 1.) Let's Not Bring The Past Back 2.) Never Gonna Give You Up 3.) More Today Than Yesterday. There were also workshops which caters to the needs of young couples. In general, the conference tackled the concerns of young couples and how we are being prepared as the future of the CFC community. We were also given a time to show our appreciation to our spouses by thanking them, giving them a big hug and yes, kissing them:) We all renewed our Marriage Vows after the praisefest. There was a "Prom Night" which we failed to attend (because our group was so hungry, we decided to eat first but when we returned...the event already ended). Anyway, we had a great time during our dinner. We ate at San Villa Bar & Resto (also in Intramuros) and we were the only customers (there were 8 of us, 4 couples). While waiting for our food, Koy played the piano and Syke and I sang:)We had a blast singing the night away and the waiters enjoyed our mini-gig, hehe (dapat binayaran kme dun eh).

It was a day not just of love but a day of spirituality and friendship as well.

"How wonderful life is...now you're in the world:)"

See more pictures here

Hope for the New Year

2009-02-04T07:49:00.002+08:00

Last year was a very trying year for my hubby & I (as you've seen in my previous entries). Good thing was, with God's grace we were able to overcome the little bump on the road He gave us. It helped us appreciate all the blessings that come our way and it helped us grow us a couple.

We were very optimistic in welcoming lucky '09. New Year came, we were so happy in welcoming it. Not knowing that in few hours time we would receive a sad news, I was woken up by my sister's call that Lolo Emong (my paternal grandfather) already passed away a few hours after New Year's eve. I really felt sad when I heard the news but I was also relieved knowing the fact that he won't be suffering anymore from the pain of cancer he was enduring for almost two years. He served the people of Bautista,Pangasinan when he was elected as a public official a few years back but I know he served them more by bringing them closer to God. Yes, he served God during most of his adult life and even he was amidst cancer's pain, he was still glorifying God. During his last days, he was able to scribble a poem to inspire people to serve God (I will post it here once my uncle forwards it me, ang tagal tito ha).

Lolo's last message before he died affirmed my conviction to revive my service to God this year. Yes, we must admit that because of so many factors, my husband & I were not able to serve God that way we used to when we were still single. Our hope of having a Christ-centered family life will be realized by us serving Him more...and I must say that we are having a good start...Mishka is starting to clap and raise her hand during worship when we attended the young CFC gathering last week:)

happy birthday to all:)

2008-11-05T07:40:00.001+08:00

there are so many people from my family who are celebrating their birthdays today (nov. 5)

1. my ninang...lola willie

2. my cousin paula

3. my brother jm...thanks for the gifts:) may God continue to shower you with His blessings:)

4. and last but not the least my Papa Romy...we always pray that you have already found your peace with our Creator. I really miss you papa, you are the funniest, coolest, most understanding, supportive, and loving father. I know that even if you're not physically present in my life now, you are always there...seeing me through in every obstacle & triumph that I face in my life. We love you!

"me" time

2008-08-28T07:33:00.005+08:00

When I attended an FGD a few months ago, we were asked to enumerate our activities from morning to sun-down. I realized then that since I became a mom I never really had time for myself. Most of my activities include attending to my baby's needs, work, household chores, etc. I never had the time to do the things I love to do like post an entry to this blog, read a book while sipping a cup of coffee, shopping for myself (I always shop for my baby), etc.

Last Saturday in our CFC household, this topic was once again discussed. Now that I'm a mother, I feel guilty when I leave my baby to watch a movie with my hubby (and have some quality time together), I shop expensive things and clothes for her (Mishka) but I feel guilty if I buy even a cheap blouse for myself and when I get home it's okay not to rest at once even if I'm dead tired from work just so I could cook, play with her, read her a book and finally sing a song for her before she goes to sleep. I'm not complaining because I love doing things for my family. However, that topic made me realize that hey, I also need some soul nourishment, I also need to pamper myself once in awhile, I should also reward myself every now & then and I need some "me" time to get in touch with who I am every so often.

In reality, once we have a family of our own, our top priority is our family and work. I even feel guilty because our service to God through CFC lessened when we started a family (but I'm sure He understands because we also serve Him through our family and work). However, we also need to prioritize ourselves because we cannot fully give our love and service to others if we do not love ourselves first. Remember, we cannot give what we do not have. We must also not feel guilty when we say that "learning to love ourselves is the greatest love of all" because if we do so, we are loving God (since we are made in His own image and likeness) and we could give more love to others.

So, learn to love yourself, give in to some of your guilty pleasures... have some "me" time to recharge your restless soul. I'm trying...

Mishka's 1st Birthday:)

2008-08-11T07:55:00.012+08:00

I can't believe it but Mishka already turned 1 last August 2, 2008! Kokoy did not report to work last August 1 and so we were able to have some quality time together before our little girl turns 1. We were remiscing the events that took place same day of last year when I was so nervous and having pre-eclampsia before delivery and the events that followed after that. My hubby mentioned that the fear and anciety we experienced last year was changed by joy & excitement this year for our baby's 1st birthday. Come August 2, we woke Mishka up by singing happy birthday to her, she smiled at us:) We then headed to hear mass and had breakfast. All morning I was so busy preparing everything that we will bring for her party, prizes for games, loot bags,balloons, her things, etc.

It was a very simple but a happy celebration which was held at Dads Megamall and attended by family and close friends. We had a "pirates and fairies" theme. All our guests were treated for a merienda buffet (which Dads offers everyday) and I'm sure their hungry stomachs were all satisfied:)

The birthday girl in her Tinkerbell costume:)

loot bags

give-aways: bandana for boys and headbands for girls

cake and cupcakes: courtesy of tita jeng and tito jm

games

a kiddie party will not be complete without the traditional pabitin

mishka surprised everyone with her dance number, haha!

blowing of the candle

Happy birthday Mishka, we love you!

this article made me feel good

2008-07-18T07:46:00.003+08:00

i've been singing for as long as i can remember, not professionally though. as a child i used to sing to family gatherings, i've been a glee club member from grade school to high school. however, i know the limitation of my vocal range. i could sing mellow songs & theatrical songs (more like the walt disney type) but i get frustrated when i couldn't sing pop, dance and those "birit" type of songs. this article which was written by one of my favorite singers, lea salonga, actually made me feel good. after reading this, i realized that i should be happy with the gift God has given me. i may not be able to sing those "birit" songs but still, God blessed me with a voice to somehow soothe other people's soul, which i now frequently use to lull my baby to sleep:) read on folks....

The birit is here to stay, for better or worse
By Lea Salonga
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:46:00 07/09/2008

MANILA, Philippines—There have been enough columns and write-ups lamenting the seeming preeminence of the singing style commonly known as “birit.”
For those who don’t know exactly what the word means, it’s the style that requires far more physical strength than a lot of others due to the stratospheric heights that a singer’s voice must reach.
Local singers known for performing in this style are Regine Velasquez (although I have to give her props for exploring the quieter, more soothing aspects of her range), Sarah Geronimo, and Rachelle Ann Go.
I don’t really see the “birit” going anywhere to the point that it’ll no longer exist. Really, there is room for any style, for as long as there is an audience that demands it.
Maybe that’s where the problem lies… the demand for this type of vocal calisthenics is such that it drowns out those for other styles of singing. Back in the 1970s and ’80s, the top-tier talents included the likes of Celeste Legaspi, Kuh Ledesma, Leah Navarro, Sharon Cuneta, Joey Albert, and others whose brand of singing was very straightforward and serviced the lyrics as much as the melody. I distinctly remember listening to their songs on my way to school, and feeling soothed.
However, things seem to have changed… and they’ve changed enough for people to cry out, “Enough!”
Truth be told, I sometimes envy the (for lack of more appropriate nomenclature) “biriters’” pipes of steel, the heights that their voices can reach, and the physical stamina that their efforts require. In the shower I have made attempts (all futile, allow me to say) to reach those heights but, at the end of the day, I tell myself that I should stick to what my vocal chords can do.
That’s not a bad thing to remember for all singers: Each instrument has been created uniquely, and to force oneself into what may be an ill-fitting mold cannot possibly benefit the vocalist. A burgeoning Astrud Gilberto should not try to be a Celine Dion, unless she has a death wish (for her vocal chords, that is).
One can’t vocally muscle one’s way to success. Singing as an art form isn’t just about the high notes; it is also about intonation, emotional commitment, and informed and appropriate interpretation. It’s about respecting the melody and lyrics as they were written, and servicing them in performance. It’s about telling a story and connecting with the audience, moving them with what you’re trying to say, not just with how it’s being said.
So yes, there is a place for high notes, and for those who are experts at delivering the goods. That said, there is also plenty of room for the rest, whose own unique styles, voices and messages will hopefully be appreciated and cheered on as well.
At least, I’d like to think so, maybe for my own selfish sake.

it's been awhile

2008-06-19T07:23:00.002+08:00

i've neglected this blog for quite sometime. i guess i've been busy not just with work but being a mom & wife. i also went through something that i do not really want to dwell on but i must say that God has proven His love for us once again. we're slowly picking up the pieces of our lives. i've been adjusting with my hubby's new sched, he's now working on a night shift and during weekdays we only see each every morning and have breakfast together. good thing though is that one of us is always with mishka, me at night and koy during the day. our baby is really growing up so fast... she can already say mama or nani (because she cannot say mommy yet) and dada...she can now stand and take a step or two (minsan nga lang tamad)...she can clap her hands, wave (bye bye) and dance using her hands (she's serious when dancing, haha)...the joy of being a parent...hey she's turning one on august 2!

sigh!

2008-05-07T12:12:00.003+08:00

there comes a time in your life when you really feel scared on what the future will bring you...i'm currently in that state...i want to surrender everything to God but I must admit that i still have doubts...i know, i badly need a soul nourishment...

2008-05-06T08:07:00.002+08:00

amidst all the chaos that life brings, God always provides a breath of fresh air...

another storm

2008-03-07T07:36:00.002+08:00

after a big storm that i went through 9 years ago, here i am again facing yet another one. it might not be as big as the first one but still, it bothers me so much. i know worrying is an insult to God so i try my best to find comfort in His promise...everything happens for a reason and He has a greater plan that He is yet to unfold.

my idea of heaven

2008-01-31T12:17:00.001+08:00

just wondering

2008-01-30T08:04:00.000+08:00

behind the fx taxi i was riding in last night, an old lady was driving her red toyota corolla car. the sight just made me wonder, if i'll be as old as her, will i still be able to drive a car? hmmm, i hope so...people around that age wants to prove that they can still take care of themselves and being able to drive is one way of proving that. yup, it gives one a sense of independence & control over something.

Reminiscing 2007

2008-01-24T12:51:00.000+08:00

1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
-gave birth & have a baby

2. Where did you study/ work?
-Nexus, nothing new

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
- my cousin Ate Joan, my friends Gigi & Weng

4. Did anyone close to you die?
-Thank God no one did.

5. What countries did you visit?
-None this year.

6. Did you move anywhere?
-Yes. We moved to a new unit in the same building.

7. What sporting events did you go to?
- obviously none, hindi pa pwede

8. What concerts did you go to?
-Gary V's free concert in Eastwood, haha

9. Who was your Valentine in 2007?
-Who else but my hubby:)

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
-Yup, pls. read my blog entry after I gave birth, that's about it.

11. What was your best month?
-August, God gave me my Mishka:)

12. Where did most of your money go?
-Hospital bills, Mishka's baptism, SM Dept store & Baby Company (Mishka's clothes & toys)...whew!

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
- cradling my baby for the first time

14. What song will always remind you of 2007?
- Someone's Waiting For You & Mozart's concerto (hay, it's for the baby)

15. What did you do on the 4th of July?
- I was on bed rest then!

16. What were the best...

* books you read?
- What To Expect When You're Expecting

* movies you saw?
- The Game Plan

* CDs you listened to?
- Mozart (hehe)

17. What do you wish you'd done more of?
- Write, travel, work (I had an early maternity leave)

18. What do you wish you'd done less of?
- whine & cry

19. How will you be spending Christmas?
- so late na pala 'tong entry na 'to, well, we spent it with my family in Punta De Fabian in Baras, Rizal

20. Did you fall in love in 2007?
- of course! my hubby really showed how dedicated he is to me & Mishka

21. How many one-night stands?
-NONE!!!

22. What was your favorite TV program?
- Well, my early Maternity Leave gave me a chance to watch a bunch of shows...The OC (love it!), The Ellen Degeneres show, all the cooking shows in Lifestyle Network, Moms, The Sweet Life, Eat Bulaga, Game Ka Na Ba...these shows kept me company during those good ol bed rest days

23. Compared to this time last year, are you:
* happier or sadder?
- much much happier!!!

* thinner or fatter?
-obviously fatter!

* richer or poorer?
- i dunno, ang dami kseng gastos!

24. What was your favorite summer memory of 2007?
- Punta Fuego & Greenfields

25. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
- went to Church, invited some family & friends for a little dinner

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
- children's praise songs

27. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
- none

28. Who was the best new person you met?
- Mishka!

29. Where were you when 2007 began and who were you with?
-at home with my family:)

30. What are your plans for 2008?
- be a better Mom & wife
- be a better employee
- save, save, save!
- serve Him more!

Happy 2008!

2008-01-10T08:05:00.000+08:00

I know, I haven't updated this blog in ages. I'll be writing a longer & more substantial entry soon but for now, I want to wish everyone a HAPPY 2008! (better late than never:)'

on being a mom

2007-11-19T12:46:00.000+08:00

Nothing compares to the happiness & contentment a child brings to one's life.

mommyhood

2007-10-10T11:31:00.000+08:00

I'm now officially a mom:) I must say that going to this new state of my life was not easy. Like what I wrote in my previous entries, I had internal bleeding on my first trimester & had to go on bed rest for 2 weeks, I experienced nausea & vomitted a lot until my 4th month, on the 7th month I was diagnosed to have placenta previa & was again put on bed rest this time until I give birth! I am such an active person & to be on bed rest for sooo long is really a big deal for me but whew, I was able to survive it.

Anyway, I was admitted in the hospital last July 31, 2007. I was supposed to give birth last Aug. 1 but my doctor got sick & instead my operation was rescheduled on the 2nd day of August.Kokoy, my mom & I prayed the rosary at around 5 am on the day I will be giving birth, I took a bath afterwards & waited for the nurses to fetch me. I was so nervous when I was brought to the delivery room (you have to understand this is my first time), I don't want to let go of my husband's hand but sad to say he cannot go inside the delivery room. I gave birth via c-section at exactly 8:11 a.m. I did not sleep during the whole process.I was so relieved when I saw my baby for the first time because she is complete ( I guess this is the 1st feeling that every mom feels when they give birth). She was smiling when she was brought to me.I just feel so elated & contented at that time. Little did I know that I was losing a lot of blood already which was really bad because I am already anemic & to lose so many blood will actually threaten my life. According to my doctor, I lost half my blood and I had pre-eclampsia plus I had so many water in my body which reached my lungs. My life was at risk ( I went on 50/50). I had 4 blood transfusions, I was given medications to get rid of the excess water in my body & I was given treatment for seizure (which was really painful). I stayed in the hospital for 8 gruelling days.

Good thing my baby was healthy, she had an apgar score of 9! But after 2 weeks, she was diagnosed to have jaundice ( but this is no big deal since she just needs to be exposed to billi lights). She was hospitalized for 3 days because of this.

From birth until her late 1st month, she was such a cry baby and we spent the wee hours awake! I thought I would never get used to it but I did and now on her 2nd month, her body clock is slowly changing. I'm going back to work soon & I would really miss being with my lil girl. My world evolved on her for the past 2 months & going back to the stressful world of corporate life would really be such a drag but at least now, going home will always be delightful since I know that my precious one is waiting for me:)

Here's a glimpse of my little princess,all the pains I went through for her birth are nothing compared to the joy she brings to my life:)

Mishka @ Birth

Mishka @ 1 Month

My baby is now 2 months old:)

happy father's day!

2007-06-17T19:53:00.000+08:00

first & foremost, let me greet all the fathers in the world a happy father's day:)

i was browsing through my previous entries & i could not believe that i have not written anything about father's day. father's day was a funny day for us when my father was still alive. on this day, he would usually come home from his basketball game (he used to play basketball every sunday at ateneo with his buddies) with a cake on hand which has a "happy father's day" message to it:) yes, he buys his own cake thinking that we would not buy one for him. we usually go out to eat as well on these days. now that he's gone, what was left were those memories that always makes me smile. happy father's day papa, i know that you are still watching over us. always remember that i love you and even though it's been almost 8 years since you've been gone, never a day pass that i haven't thought of you. i have long accepted that you're not with us anymore but i still wish that you're here to see how we have become because of what you've taught us. and now... i wish that you're still alive to see your first granddaughter. i love you papa:)

i would also like to greet a groovy dad to be a happy father's day...my hubby, kokoy! i know that you will be a good dad to mishka. ngayon palang pinapakita mo na, with the way you're working hard and taking care of me. this latest happening in my pregnancy has truly brought us closer to each other. i saw how dedicated you are as a husband & as a father. i know you are fearing for my life & mishka's now, but as i promised you this afternoon i won't leave you & i will fight for my life & our baby's...that's why i am very careful & i follow my every doctor's advise. i know God will see us through. i love you dates!

totally immobile!

2007-06-10T04:26:00.000+08:00

i had my ultrasound yesterday and the doctor saw that i have posterior placenta (meaning my placenta is blocking what supposed to be was my baby's passage to come out). she advised me to be on total bed rest as in totally immobile. i could not report for work anymore until i give birth and i am confined to the 4 corners of this room. i could not stand, people need to bring me food if i need to eat, the only time that i could walk is when i have to use the bathroom:( we also have no choice but to have the baby delivered via ceasarian section (i informed my doctor that i want a bikini cut, hehe). i have to be very careful that when i feel contractions, i need to be brought to the hospital right away. please help me storm the heavens with prayers that this won't happen until the 34th week of my pregnancy (i'm only on my 29th week). the baby has to be at least 34 weeks for her (yes, we're having a baby girl:)) to survive on her own. otherwise, she would be placed inside an incubator. please , please pray for me & my baby that everything will turn out fine.

on a lighter note, we will name her MIAH FRANCESCA J. ANGUSTIA, her nickname will be MISHKA! named after me (jeremiah) and her father (francis). my baby is still restless, i'm up now because she keeps on moving:) her movement is so priceless since it is an assurance that she is alive inside me.

once again, need your prayer folks, may God bless all of you:)

Someone's Waiting For You

2007-06-06T08:00:00.000+08:00

I just want to share this song which I usually sing to my baby whenever I feel that he/she is restless. It doesn't only calm him/her but this song actually depicts what i feel for my baby:)

Someone's Waiting For You
From "The Rescuers"
Music: Sammy
FainLyrics: Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins
______________________________________________
Be brave, little one
Make a wish for each sad little tear
Hold your head up, though no one is near
Someone's waiting for you

Don't cry, little one
There'll be a smile where a frown used to be
You'll be part of the love that you see
Someone's waiting for you

Always keep a little prayer in your pocket
And you're sure to see the light
Soon there'll be joy and happiness
And your little world will be bright

Have faith, little one
Till your hopes and your wishes come true
You must try to be brave, little one
Someone's waiting to love you

discomforts

2007-05-31T07:40:00.000+08:00

i just feel soooo tired these past few days...i guess my growing baby takes up all my energy...our baby gets heavier each day which usually leaves me uncomfortable in whatever position in sleeping, sitting, etc i do...our baby also moves very often now, i usually talk to this little angel and tell him/her to sleep already so mommy can sleep too... oh well, i know all these discomforts will soon be replaced with joy once we see him/her...come june 9, i will know which color of clothes & things to buy, is it blue or pink? can't wait:)

p.s.

i may feel tired but i'm not complaining.... i'm just really airing out my discomforts...and i know my baby just wants to assure me that he/she is alive:)

mah hidden talent

2007-05-11T23:31:00.000+08:00

Your Hidden Talent

You have the power to persuade and influence others.You're the type of person who can turn a whole room around.The potential for great leadership is there, as long as you don't abuse it.Always remember, you have a lot more power over people than you might think!

What's" Your Hidden Talent?

this is how we overcome!

2007-04-23T07:21:00.000+08:00

for many months now, i've been so consumed by fear. fear of how my baby will turn out to be, fear of giving birth, fear on how we are going to make all ends meet with the baby's arrival, etc. with those fears that i mentioned, i think God finally woke me up and put a stop to all these fears. the gospel reading for the past days are about trusting Him, if that was not enough, He showed up in my dream last Friday night & told me to read the bible. still He gave me a pleasant surprise, kokoy & i unexpectedly saw koots & ichel & their baby, migo, in Christ the King church attending anticipated mass. they told us that they were supposed to drop by our house to lend me a book, which is Chicken Soup for the Expectant Mother's Soul. i got it from them and started reading it yesterday. boy, was it really reassuring! although there is still fear in me, the book somehow opened up my mind & heart and slowly that fear is being transformed into excitement:) i know most, if not all, expectant mothers have fears not only for their baby but also on how to cope up with pregnancy. difficult i tell you... but that is our calling. now i know the true meaning of sacrifice and being solely responsible for another person. as i'm writing this now, i can feel my baby's comforting kicks & turns:)

punta fuego 2007

2007-04-17T07:19:00.000+08:00

the whole admin-acctg group went for a much needed rest last weekend. we went to punta fuego in batangas! my hubby joined me and i was really glad that he enjoyed the trip too. we stayed at a 3-storey house which has a good view of the beach. we enjoyed lazying in the sand on a hot sunny afternoon. too bad, ican't run around like the others so i contented myself with watching everyone and enjoying the site. i am too lazy to make a long entry and to download pictures again. so just click this site http://jhettsky.multiply.com/photos/album/21 to view the pictures. gotta go!

long vacation

2007-04-06T06:35:00.000+08:00

hi everyone:) as every person in pinas know, starting yesterday was a long vacation for us. i could not plan a long trip whatsoever because of my condition. yesterday, instead of going to our visita iglesia in rizal we want to tagaytay with kokoy's family. we did our stations of the cross in chapel on the hill in don bosco batulao. we went home around 6pm & just watched dvds after. for the rest of the days, we don't know yet what we're going to do, hehe. basta i still want to commemorate the holy week as much as possible.

baby update

at 19 weeks, i can now feel my baby moving inside of me:) last night, i was not able to sleep early as the baby seem really restless, moving everywhere:)

Turning 30

2007-03-14T07:13:00.000+08:00

I can't believe it, I am turning 30 years old tomorrow! The said fact led me into thinking, what have I done so far in my life? I am just starting a family, I have a career that sustains me (& my family) on a physiological aspect, hmmm. Have I really achieved something significant for the last 3 decades?

I was an okay student in high school, an above average student in college, a happy-go-lucky girl in my early twenties but learned the harsh realities of life during mid-twenties, got back on track in my late twenties...so what??? I must admit that I haven't gone that far, but God rode with me all throughout and that's the most important thing of all.

I knew God because I studied in Catholic schools from grade school to college, I knew God because my father brought me to different churches to attend novenas...but that was it then. However, I accepted God as my savior when things were dim & confusing ( this happened in my early & mid-twenties). I must consider myself lucky for when things were tough, God revealed Himself to me.

My life has been a testimony of childlike faith, of total dependence on God. True, I may not have achieved much but I still consider myself blessed for I've learned the truth before it is too late. Accepting Him as my savior is the greatest achievement I've done so far & probably in my entire life.

_______________________________

For the past 3 decades, I've helped & cheered some people but I've also hurt some. I may sound like a religious guru to you in my entry above but I really am not, I know one way or the other I have been a source of distress to some people. Whoever you are, I am sorry. And for those who hurt me (from past to present), I just want to let you know that I don't hold grudges on people. Once I've poured my heart out, that's it. I can easily forgive & put the past behind.

For those who truly love me...my friends & most esp. my family... I want all of you to know that even though I am not that demonstrative of my feelings... I truly love all of you:) Dates, once again thank you for your honesty, dedication & love. You know that I love you:) To my little angel (who is still in my womb), mommy loves you so much & I promise to take care of you for as long as I can . My 30 years of existence will not be meanigful if not for all of you. Thank you!

life is a contradiction

2007-02-27T07:09:00.000+08:00

PREGNANCY BLUES

sometimes you are at your lowest when you are supposed to be in the highest point of your life. my pregnancy was suuposed to be one of the highest points in my life. i am actually excited with the fact that i'm going to carry my own bundle of joy in a few months time but i tend to worry about my situation & about my baby. for one, i am experiencing severe stomach pains which my doctor said was normal... whenever i go to my doctor for check-up, i am losing weight & the most terrible situation i was in was when i went for check-up 2 saturdays ago, the doctor cannot hear my baby's heartbeat. i was asked to wait for her at her other clinic for ultrasound after lunch to better check my baby's condition. i rushed to medical city's chapel & cried my heart out to God, how come we cannot hear my baby's heartbeat when it was beating so fast the last time we checked, was it because of the lack of nutrients due to my constant vomitting & not having the appetite to eat? naturally, i blamed myself. after going to the chapel, i went to my ate joan's clinic (in med city also). good thing she was busy with her patients so she did not see that i was crying. i waited there until kokoy arrived to fetch me up. we went to my doctor's other clinic at arount 1:00 p.m., my doctor arrived at around 2:30 p.m., that waiting period must have been the longest one & a half hour of my life. i went for another ultrasound & there the doctor saw my baby's heartbeat, i was so relieved!

DUH

rudeness, rudeness, rudeness...some people are just not considerate enough, lacks the understanding, has "come on you have to take care of my business" attitude or just plain hypocrites who roam around telling people how you suck (from their point of view). well, what can i say... take a look at why it happened & don't blame other people for your carelessness & irresponsibility...i want to breathe!

Belated Happy Valentines Day to All!

2007-02-15T07:32:00.000+08:00

Valentine's Day has already passed. What did I do yesterday for that so-called V-day? I did not report for work due to lower abdominal pain which I felt starting Monday evening then went on until Tuesday. I was up as early as 4:00 am yesterday (yup, v-day) due to the pain i felt so i just decided to stay at home because it might get worse. It is safer for my condition to rest when faced with these things. So I just watched t.v & read the whole day. The only time I got out from bed was when i need to eat & use the c.r. I was just lying in bed the whole day which really helped 'coz late in the afternoon, the pain subsided. When Kokoy went home, he asked if I can go out just to eat for awhile. Since I'm in not in the mood to cook, I said yes. We just had dinner in Chillis Greenhills then went home immediately since I want to rest early to get better. So that's how we celebrated V-day, he gave me a rose by the way:)

When I was watching Sis, one of the things they featured was that of a woman who was hospitalized in V-day and since his husband is abroad, he just sent her flowers & a card. I was just reminded when I spent V-day in the hospital when I was seven years old (I was there fofr 2 months!). My father sent me roses & a card (saying it came from my secret admire, duh), that was the first time I received roses on a V-day. I just want to share it for I was really lonely at that time (for a child to spend 2 months in the hospital was traumatic) and it some how cheered me up.

2 weeks rest

2007-01-31T10:54:00.000+08:00

i just finished 1 week of my 2 weeks rest. i really am not doing anything significant, waking up early morning so kokoy can drop me here (his parents house because i will be all alone in our place), then sleep some more once i arrive, read books, watch tv, surf the net, eat, etc. for some this may sound good but trust me, it's booorrriing! good thing, ate cooky (my former household head in sfc) visited me last monday and we chatted for i think 2 hours. last night kokoy & i went to the grocery (but we really need to walk slowly for my sake) & we met up with my sis jeng, anna & ate dothy for a cup of coffee afterwards. tonight, we're going to attend a thanksgiving mass for kc (one of our co-household member in cfc) for cheating death in a terrible accident last saturday.

honestly, i alse feared going back to work not because of the tons of work waiting for me but the stress it will give me. i honestly think that what caused my internal bleeding was due to the stress in my work. i would not want this to happen again as i don't want to risk losing my baby. kokoy & my boss kept on telling me to take it easy, how can i when employees & bosses from other departments want this & that asap! as much as i want to "take it easy" at work i just can't. this stuff got me thinking the past week. i just hope that when i get back, i have an assistant already because i told my boss that i would not want this to happen again & that when i'm not feeling well, i won't force myself to work like i used to when i was not yet pregnant.

our baby is coming on august:)

2007-01-21T11:04:00.000+08:00

it was the best christmas gift i got. last december 24, i took the pregnancy test because my period was already delayed for a week & the test showed 2 lines which means i'm pregnant! why did i write about this just now? simply because i was praning, although i have all the signs of being pregnant (nausea, vomitting, tiredness,etc) i wanted to see my baby first before finally writing about this. when i had my first pre-natal check-up last jan. 2, the doctor just conducted a pap smear & gave me medicines, folart for the baby's brain development and duphaston, she just wanna make sure that the baby will hold on and she told us to meet her yesterday for the first ultrasound to check for possible problems & to see if the baby is alive. i want to make sure that our baby is alive & indeed he/she is. his/her (cannot say the gender yet) heart beats so fast & there was already a movement. it was so nice to see our baby for the first time (nahihiya lang si koy sa doctor pero muntik na daw sya maiyak). we saw in the computer that the baby is already nine weeks & three days old and is coming on august 23. there's a slight problem though, i have an internal bleeding & i need to rest for 2 weeks. the doctor said it's normal, there just might be a membrane that was damaged, i just need to rest & continue using duphaston. i hope after this, everything will turn out fine. please pray for me.

1st Year Anniversary

2006-12-24T08:16:00.000+08:00

My husband & I celebrated our 1st year wedding anniversary last December 18, 2006. We didn't have a grand celebration 'coz we just got back from HK that day & we were too tired to go to a far place. Well I must say that our one year together was indeed a feat. Yes, we did have fights every now & then (normal for most couples) but we were & still are very happy together. Our love for each other grows more each day and God is always in our center.

Hong Kong Trip

2006-12-24T08:08:00.000+08:00

The whole Angustia family went to Hong Kong last December 14-18, 2006. It was winter season there so it was so damn cold! We walked endlessly even lost our way on one of our trips back to the hotel & we ate non-stop siomai, sweet & sour pork, suckling pig, roasted duck & wanton noodles. We also went to a lot of malls, markets, Ocean Park & Disneyland. We saw Cesar Montano & Sunshine Cruz with their whole family in Disneyland & Francis M. in our hotel. We saw lots of Pinoys there & more than 50% of performers in Disneyland are Pinoys.Nonetheless it was a fun-filled trip. Please check out http://jhettsky.multiply.com/photos/album/19 to see our pictures.

rudeness

2006-12-21T07:37:00.000+08:00

i just wonder why people can be so rude when they're not even sure if you really were the one who did something wrong to them. when they need something from you, they act like kids asking for candies but when things didn't turn out fine, they speak & act like they will nail you to death. i always believe in the saying that there is something good in every person, i may be dubious from that saying at this point but i will still try to see people in that light. i hope others will do too.

busy as a bee

2006-12-04T20:53:00.000+08:00

it's december once again & it's that time of the year when hr is so damn busy...year end reports, buying gifts for the year's awardees, christmas party,etc. see i haven't even updated this blog in ages. anyway, i'll just give an update on what i've been up to the past few weeks...

- had a girls night out with the first wives club, hehe

- joined a badminton tournament(generali pilipinas tourney) and ended up bagging the 1st runner up prize for division 2. honestly, i don't know how it happened...bwahaha, top secret nmen yan ng team mates ko!

- went out with officemates on a videoke session for chris' despedida

- went to divisoria with my co-members in cfc to shop for presents...hay super ok tlaga punta sa divi. if i'm not saving up for a trip, i would buy more!

- dropped by the christmas party of sfc, i miss sfc! the praisefest is so alive, people are game to do weird & unbelievable stuff, but most of all, i miss all my friends there.

battle of the brainless night

2006-11-15T07:34:00.000+08:00

last saturday night, i had an impromptu gimmick with my long-time friends. i just asked billie to come with kokoy & i at starbucks temple drive since kokoy will be finishing a report there & i will be left sipping a cup of coffee alone. we fetched billie in their condo & i had a glimpse of my very cute inaanak, her daughter, andie. pero honestly billie, may angle talaga na kamukha mo si andie although very prominent sa kanya yung features ni din. anyway, i didn't know that billie invited our other friends to come. while waiting for her, gigi gave me a call asking us where we are na & asked us to just come to their place to have a choco fundue night. well, it didn't push through. we still went to temple drive & goodness gracious aj & alen were already there waiting for us (bihirang mangyari yun ha, they are always late!!!). anyway, aj wants to eat a heavy meal so we left temple drive & headed towards tapa king in libis. this tapa king is different since they serve ice cream, tacos, nachos, beer, etc. so all that we're looking for is there. when alen & aj are around, you can bet that we'll have another battle of the brainless night as we talked non-sense the whole night! i wouldn't go into details but we laughed so hard that night that our stomachs hurt, haha. i could really count on these guys, we've been through thick & thin already esp. billie. those laugh trip & battle of the brainless nights just proves to show how comfortable we are with each other. we do not care if we talked non-sense as long as we have each other's company, it is enough (yuck drama but it's true though). hopefully gigi & liezel can join us next time:)

2006-11-08T07:39:00.000+08:00

b-day greetings...
it seems that a lot of people are celebrating their bdays this november:

nov. 1 - kuya fed (our household head)...i had a blast singing the night away at your home...tnx:)
nov. 5 - papa...even though you are not around anymore, rest assured that a lot of people
remembered you on this day...we miss you:(
jm ...happy bday bro! i was so full when we went out of tiananmen...more success in life!
lola willie...my godmother, even though we seldom see each other...i always consider you
as the coolest & funniest (& of course youngest) lola in the paningbatan clan
paula... my cuz , who's becoming a good girl now, hehe

nov. 6 tita susan... paula's look-alike:)
tito kiko...the wackiest tito in town,bwahaha!

nov. 8 yemen...happy birthday mare!

dreams

In psychology, dreams (i'm talking about dreams at night here) are often linked to one's subconscious. Your aspirations, frustrations, fears, etc. are usually the theme of one's night dream/s. Way back in college, I got really interested with dream analysis primarily because i often have weird or unusual dreams. Yes, dreams have been a source of stress & anxiety for me then. There was even a time in my life that I dreaded going to sleep for fear that I might have another one of those weird & bad dreams. People I know who have passed away usually appear in my dreams, they usually have a message they want me to convey. Can you imagine a high school friend of mine who passed away appeared in my dream & told me she's looking for "M", she said she badly needs to talk to her & asked me about her whereabouts. I asked her who "M" was but she did not answer me. Late that year, I found out that one of our batchmates committed suicide & her name starts with a letter "M", who was also close to her. My father appears in my dream every now & then to tell me something, that's ok for me though. I welcome it since it is my only way to connect to him, I still am such a Papa's girl. Mama Mary appears in my dreams too, the latest was early this year when she told me that there would be a big earthquake in the middle of the year. I asked everyone to pray that this thing would not happen because apparently it was not only me who had this dream. A sister of one of our chaptermate's in SFC had the same dream. I guess, Mama Mary just called our attention to pray, as you can see, prayer can indeed move mountains. Dreams like these are bearable but the ones I could not bear are those that depict that someone close to me will soon suffer or worst is about to die. I had this dream very recently & I cried when I woke up. I prayed so hard that this will not happen as I could not really take it.

I thought that the period of my stressful dreams are over but I was wrong. They are haunting me again. During our very recent household, I shared this and they told me that probably God really gave me this responsibility to convey messages & to pray for those people. I would be a hypocrite if I would say it's an honor because these dreams usually leave me restless. But who am I to question God's will, I am His servant and if that's one of my missions here on earth, so be it.

I guess, I really need to pray fervently for the coming days.

night out

2006-10-30T07:19:00.000+08:00

Very recently, I had dinner with one of my long time friends, Billie. We had dinner in Greenhills' Promenade (Mexicali) & we had a cup of delcious chocolate drink from Xocolat. Life has been so stressful lately & it's actually a breath of fresh air to talk about stuff that happened in the past & have a good laugh about it. It's still nice to have a little girl bonding every now & then. My hubby & another friend, Alen joined us a little later.

Billie is also my partner in kajologsan, kme yung nakakakilala pa sa mga members ng That's Entertainment... and guess who we saw drinking a cup of coffee behind us...he used to be Billie Joe's best friend in Tuesday group, Fatima Alvir's loveteam....

Brylle Mondejar! (hahaha, stolen shot ni Alen 'to).

Marriage Enrichment Retreat 1

2006-10-09T17:24:00.000+08:00

This past weekend, my husband & I attended our very 1st retreat as a married couple in our community (CFC), the MER 1. Actually, most of the talks were like the talks in Singles Engagement Retreat which we attended before we got married. The only difference is that the talks in MER1 are given in present tense while the ones in SER were in the future tense. But it's ok, it is still a very enlightening moment to each couple who attended. There were just actually 5 couples who attended (because the others who were supposed to attend went to GK Expo), our whole household (except for our heads) & KC's older brother (our co-household) and his wife. All of us are part of the young CFC (tlagang kailangan pang i-mention yung young CFC). The retreat also became a bonding moment for our household. While waiting for our fellowship activity, we went to the overlooking part of the retreat house, listened to music, ate some chips & shared stories (mostly ghost stories which freaked Sharon out, hehe). We just played a fun game for our fellowship which was filled with so much laughter (thank you sir, maam hahaha) :)

As I mentioned, most of the talks are not new to Kokoy & I but I am so glad when I saw how it affected the other members of our household. There is really no other way to run a relationship better than letting God run it. By the end of the retreat, a mass was given to us by the resident priest of Maryhill and we renewed our marriage vows:)

random musings

2006-10-04T21:21:00.000+08:00

- i'm still here in the office, waiting for my husband (who will be coming from his mba class in lsgh). i need to work overtime to finish the hr report (for mancom due tomorrow). i'm just so tired, sleepy, bored & hungry at this time!

- my tito bot sent me an instant message this afternoon to inform me that the place of my tito tec had a flash flood... most of their belongings & appliances were damaged (even their car). they had to go to the roof of their house to save themselves from drowning:( last tuesday morning i heard in the news that there was a flash flood in cainta, since i know my siblings won't be affected (they live in the 3/f of a certain bldg at the heart of cainta) i never bothered to listen to the whole story. i forgot that i have plenty of relatives & friends living in the area, it's just so sad that we were not able to help them...oh well, maybe it's not too late yet.

- i was able to find a gown to wear for mel's wedding. i found it in the box where jeng & i put our gowns, it was given by ate lydia to jeng. surprisingly, it fit me really well...at least i don't need to buy a new one:)

- i miss third & trian..sigh

- i was able to cook our family recipe sago custard for the first time & i was able to cook it the way it should be cooked , i served it as dessert (iba na talaga sa cfc, full course meal ang hinahanda ng tao, hindi katulad sa sfc, kahit bread & juice lang ok na) in our household last sunday & they loved it,hehe

- i know it's weird but the day after milenyo hit our country, i felt the first thump of christmas spirit (maybe it's because of the cool weather). shorter days and longer nights are here once again.

***those are my random musings for the day, i think my hubby will fetch me any minute now. at last, i will be able to eat my dinner na (it's almost 10:00 p.m.)!

being there

2006-10-02T07:17:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, I spent almost the whole day watching this Koreanovela called "Fireworks", it's funny & touching at the same time. I finished it after my hubby & I attended our CLP at Brookside. The said series somehow relaxed me & lightened my mood. You see the past weeks have been draining for me, physically & emotionally. My husband is going through a difficult stage in his career. He felt so down & the usual makulit & smiley husband I have is recently frowning & has no energy for everything. I know I had to be there for him, it is my commitment to him and to God on our marriage day. It's hard but I tried my best to make him smile & to be just there for him. Of course, there were arguments in between, but in the end through constant discussions & fervent prayers, everything turned out fine. Up until now, things are still uncertain but I am just so elated when yesterday in one of our discussions, he said something that made me smile. I know, God heard my prayers because even if the light is still not visible, my husband's view on things already changed. I am aware of the fact that he is still scared but at least now he can smile & can already crack a joke.

We are both looking forward to the 1st retreat we will be attending as a married couple (MER1) this coming weekend. We need a rest from all the pressures around us and when our household head announced this retreat to us, we know that this is one thing we needed most at this time, an occassional rest with Him.

oh monday!

2006-09-25T07:35:00.000+08:00

it's a monday again! i am not in the mood to work! i was so dead tired from all the deadlines & demands i had to meet last week. to make matters worst, i am not feeling well today (i can feel that i'm starting to have a flu, oh please not now). although i had a relaxing day yesterday, i feel that my weekend is not yet complete. i still want to go to bed, have a little more sleep and be with my hubby. sana next weekend, i will be able to rest more. like what my husband ranted in our household meeting last friday, sana daw nagpahinga din si God on the 6th day para pahinga din tayo ng saturday (some people are not that lucky to have a saturday off...like us). i just hope that God will help get through this week.

Let go & let God

2006-09-20T07:26:00.000+08:00

Life may sometimes surprise you with a BIG BANG! All of a sudden, you need to deal with complex things, you have to change your ways in order to adapt or to please others and you may have to re-think & re-evaluate the matters at hand for things to have a better outcome.

As they say, life is like a merry-go-round, sometimes you're up, at other times you're down. But through it all, we must remember that there's ONE constant BEING we can always count on. Yes, God has proven to be THE constant BEING in our lives. Sometimes, you do not know why certain events happen... is He mad at you? Is He punishing you? I guess not, when appalling things happen to us, He merely wants us to learn.

Take each problem constructively and trust that God will support you every step of the way. And hey, maybe He's just patting you to call on Him and entrust to Him every bits & pieces of that brokenness you feel.

P.S.

I am writing this for someone, you know who you are. Let go and let God!

tgif & and the weekend

2006-09-17T19:39:00.000+08:00

friday, sept. 15

after work, my husband & i went to meet our household in cfc for our very first fellowship. we had dinner at tianamen bar in julia vargas (all the food were yummy, thanks kuya fed for the treat!) afterwards, we went to aruba in metrowalk. the performers were paolo santos, pido & company. i was expecting to watch a great show but i was disappointed! although my hubby & i knew the songs, most of the audience could not relate to it. hey it's a friday, people want to have fun, dance a little, hear music that they can somehow sing along (even a little) with but the performers sang songs that pleased them which unfortunately the audience did not enjoy. you can see that they are enjoying the house music more than the performers' music . as i've mentioned, i knew the songs but of course you get affected when you see that the people you're with are not enjoying. we decided to proceed to starbucks to have a little chit chat before calling it a night. i honestly enjoy the company of our household, we are all in the same age range & of course, we can relate to each other's experiences. honestly when i was still in sfc, i could not talk about my relationship with my GG (God's Gift) that much because my "sisters" could not really relate since they are not in a relationship. now that we are in cfc, we can openly talk about these things.

saturday, sept. 16

it's the b-day of my not-so-younger sis jeng, hehe! i woke up at around 7am, read a little then went back to sleep. i woke up again at around 9am & decided to go to my siblings' new place. we just had a simple lunch together (jeng, jm & i) to celebrate jeng's bday. while having lunch, i was reminded of my father's words to me, he said that we (siblings & i) should not be fighting against each other because whatever happens we will have to depend on each other and that's what exactly is happening for several years now. when i came home (my husband is still not around, he fixed his car in their home), i watched tv for awhile then decided to jog around the block at around 5:00 pm. kokoy & i went to eastwood afterwards to watch a film. unfortunately, we were late for the last full show & so we decided to just eat dinner. we ate at heaven 'n eggs, we went out of the resto with full stomachs!

sunday, sept. 17

we heard mass in sanctuario de san jose in greenhills then proceeded to eternal gardens to visit the grave of my mother-in-law (since her bday was last sept. 13). everytime my husband & i visit my dad or his mom, we always have this talk on how our lives would be if my father & his mom were still alive. of course, we always tell each other that life would be easier for both of us and we always conclude that God wouldn't want it any other way because through that experience, we were molded into who we are now. we almost always conclude as well that those people whose parents are still around until they are settled are very lucky. my dad & his mom would never get to see our children but we know they will still be watching over them:) oh well, that's life. after the nostalgic eternal gardens episode, we had lunch & went to rockwell to watch "john tucker must die". it's a funny film and it somehow made our mood lighter. we're here right now in my in-laws place to have dinner and kokoy's sister asked me to make a ref cake for them awhile ago.

tomorrow, another week is about to unfold, sigh... i just love weekends that i could not wait for it to come again!

happy b-day dates:)

2006-09-09T08:05:00.000+08:00

Last September 5, my hubby celebrated his 29th birthday. We had a very simple & quiet celebration. I thank God for giving my husband another year of life & for the bountiful blessings He has provided for him.

Baby, thanks for everything:) For being so driven to provide for me & for our future family...for your kakulitan which makes our life really enjoyable...for the love you've constantly been demonstrating to me.... but most of all for being with me in creating a life together centered on God.

I could never thank God enough for giving you to me. Belated happy birthday, dates:)

I'll love you longer than forever....mwah!!!

lin dan!

2006-08-25T07:52:00.000+08:00

remember my entry about mvp cup??? oh well, it turned out that my friend , jonjon , watched as well and he was able to ask lin dan for an autograph & have his picture taken.

oh well, he's one of the reasons why i am still interested in badminton, hehe:)

conferences

2006-08-25T07:49:00.000+08:00

I've been reading the blogs of my siblings & friends from SFC. I can't help but be envious of their SFC activities esp. the conferences they went to. Some conferences I've attended during my six years of stay in the community made a major impact in my life and the others, although the effect was not that intense, still empowered me. I must say that the most relevant conference (for 20 something people) I attended was the Lifestyle Conference back in '99. Mind you, after the conference I vowed not to buy Cosmopolitan Magazine (which I was collecting back then) anymore and I became less conscious of my looks but gave me an insight to focus more on developing my inner beauty. The best conference was the Family Conference. I do not want to elaborate on the details but I got total healing from this conference, enough said.

I haven't attended any conferences yet now that I'm in CFC. I do not know what type of conferences they have but I hope that they are as empowering as the ones I attended in SFC. I hope that we could attend soon because I am experiencing spiritual drought at the moment.

3-day weekend

2006-08-21T06:46:00.000+08:00

Today is the last day of our 3-day weekend. I must say that I was able to relax fo the past 2 days. My husband & I went to Tagaytay last Saturday & Sunday, it was so relaxing! I was able to get a full sleep which has become rare to me these days! There are so many people in Tagaytay, guess lots of people want to unwind like us, we even saw my husband's friend, Dondi, hearing mass in Chapel on the Hill. Now, what will I do today? Hmmm. I'm going to attend a dance class w/my sister & some friends while my husband fixes his car. Hope we could still do something afterwards like watch movie, eat out or have some coffee. Whatever, basta gusto kong masulit pa ang araw na 'to:)

infidelity...hmmm

2006-08-09T20:02:00.000+08:00

oh no, i'm not talking about myself here...i have a very happy lovelife:) it's just that a lot of the people around me (family & friends) were victims of this so-called infidelity lately. i saw the sadness in their eyes, how they were hurt & how hard it is for them to move on.

i have experienced this as well but i was not the recipient (i just don't want to dwell on it, those who knew me really well knew what happened to my family). that experience also had an effect on me, i thought i would never learn to trust men (i even told myself that i would never get married) but God has other plans. you see, in every experience, God is saying something to us. in my case, God told me to be careful in choosing my life partner which i did.

lately, with the things that happened to these people, i've learned that women are as capable as men in committing this. yes folks, so my previous assumption about men was totally wrong. but honestly, can you blame them (if they are not married that is, otherwise it will be a mortal sin)? if they are very technically single & they felt very drawn to this other person...can you really blame them? one of my friends said, it all boils down to values...that may also be true but all i can say is ...maybe that person is just really not meant for you. God will search a way for you to find "the one". maybe you met this person for you to know what you're really looking for in a partner, or maybe that person will lead you to someone who's really meant for you...you can never really tell. as I've said God will lead you in finding the right person for you even if it means you'll get hurt in the process. ouch!!! i know infidelity can do that, but that's part of life. you will never know the true meaning of joy if you were never hurt, much more the true meaning of love if you never knew how it felt to lose it.

so cheer up people (you know who you are), no need to mope around...be grateful that as early as now, you have discovered that he/she is not "the one" for you. as the saying goes, you may have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince:')

exactly 7 years ago

2006-07-27T12:51:00.000+08:00

exactly 7 years ago
...i was wearing my denim blouse over a spaghetti-strapped long blue dress and high-heeled sandals
...my father told me not to bring my car & just ride with him as we won't go straight to the office
...i was excited knowing that we will go somewhere else, it means that the day would be different
...we went to our house which was being remodeled at that time and planned what furnitures to buy to make it look exquisite
...we also went to see an aunt (who is a lawyer) over lunch & papa told her about the plans for my siblings' adoption (referring to my half sibblings)
... after which we went to Landmark & papa bought 4 long-sleeves polo and some neckties

exactly 7 years ago
...life was easier & less complicated
...i spent a carefree day with my father

i just never knew that exactly 7 years ago at exactly this date...was the last day i'm going to spend with papa

______________________________________________________

oh well, forgive me for this nostalgia...for those who went through the same experience...i know you understand how it feels...for those who have not experience this yet, be grateful that your parents are still with you

remembering papa....please click http://sassysite.blogspot.com/2005_07_01_sassysite_archive.html

happenings

2006-07-20T07:29:00.000+08:00

weddings...

my friends & i coordinated a wedding in manila hotel last july 9, 2006. i must say that it was a successful event although i was harrassed the whole day.it was, i must say the type of wedding that any bride would like to have. the venue itself , manila hotel's maynila ballroom, was a sight to behold. i fell in love with "maynila" the first time i stepped there for a friend's wedding many years ago, it has a dreamy atmosphere...it has fountain, grand staircase & little lights on the side which look like stars from afar... i wouldn't dwell on the nitty gritty details of the event but trust me it was a wonderful one. the couple are already in their late 40s or early 50s, they are from the u.s. & came back here just to have a church wedding (they were already married in the u.s.) it was the husband's promise to the wife that whatever happens, they will have a church wedding. it was such a dreamy event that when my husband & i were on the way home, i told him that i wanted us to have a wedding again in one of our future anniversaries:)

and hey the pay is good,thanks for the bonus gigi;)

trian's bday

my youngest sister, trian celebrated her 10th bday last july 12 but the celebration actually happened last july 15. i took an offset leave last saturday from work to go to pangasinan. we invited some of her friends and we had a very simple celebration. she's such a big girl now:(

mvp cup

my husband & i met at gateway when i came back from pangasinan last sunday. we watched the mvp cup in araneta (a badminton tourney). it was asia vs europe. asia had a really bad day. 1st game was a mixed doubles match featuring 2 players from i'm not sure whether denmark or sweden & the assuncion siblings of the phils. the 2 europeans won (they're such a pain in the..talk about attitude with an A) but the phils.' pride fought a good fight. the 2nd game was fought by a chinese immigrant from netherlands (so she represented netherlands) and china's pride (ranked # 1 in the world) zhang ming, the whole stadium was speechless after the game because zhang ming lost (imagine that). oh well, the last game was the best game of all, it was competed by sweden's kenneth jonassen (ranked # 5 in the world) and china's lin dan (ranked # 2 in the world). there's just no way to describe the way lin dan play...his play is so unpredicatble and yet very effective (galing talaga, crush ko na sya!). the europeans won the the title this year (last year it was the asians), one thing i noticed though, the asians were such humble players...they just...play... unlike the europeans, who had so many "concerns"..duh. i want to watch again next year & see how the asians will redeem their title which they lost this year:)

love wrecked

last tuesday was our 7th monthsary as a married couple. we decided to celebrate it since we never celebrated it after our wedding. we went to rockwell, had dinner & watched a film. we watched amanda bynes' love wrecked...it was a funny film, i fell in love with jonathan bennett's character on the film. he was just so into jenny (amanda) and his eyes says it all.in reality, his character in the film is rare these days. as some women put it, good men are just hard to find these days. true... but rare means rare, simply put, there are still good fishes in the ocean. you just have to wait for the tide to bring them in or they may be just under your nose & you're simply not aware of them. but please make sure that when you found them, keep them & treasure them (they are already an endangered species, hehe) and you may never ever find anyone anymore like them in your lifetime. right dates;)

Wave

2006-07-13T07:13:00.002+08:00

Last June 17-18, our company had a Teambuilding better known as WAVE or Work Attitude & Values Enhancement Seminar. Here are some pics on the said event:

nexus family

with my team mates

while waiting for my turn to play badminton

in action

mga talunan sa 1-2-3 pass kaya ayan puno ng powder ang mga mukha

...and here's the article i wrote for our internal e-newsletter. just want to put it here:

CORPORATE EXCELLENCE thru TEAM ADVENTURES (TM)

TEAM Building, Work Attitudes and Values Enchancement Workshop

Given by: Dominion Millenia Ventures, Inc.

Date: Saturday and Sunday / 17 and 18 June

Venue: Phinma Training Center, Tagaytay

Coming up with a team activity is not a piece of cake. We have to find the right venue, choose the right food, look for appropriate trainors. But most importantly, our fervent wish is that after this activity, all employees will rediscover, live and breathe the values that will make them, their families, their departments and Nexus more successful. On paper, people may think that the activity we went through was a dreary and serious one. The scope of topics of the said workshop was indeed thought-provoking but it was presented in an enjoyable manner and the trainors made sure that everybody had fun while experiencing the different exercises. There were eight (8) game stations: Volcano Lake, Volcanic Rim, Paper Tower, Traffic Jam, Moon Ball, Flip-Over, Count-Off and Perfect Shape. There were eight (8) teams as well, Celebrities (of course, I mention my team first), The Young Ones, PS Group, Teambuilding, Chuva, The Avengers, PPS (short for Pinoy Porn Stars) and Scorpio Nights (I guess people from this group are stuck on the 80's and were big Lino Brocka fans). We racked our collective brains to finish the Traffic Jam. We relied on gut- feel and sensitivity to be able to get through the Count-Off activity. We dragged tired legs running the course of the tricky Moon Ball activity. We came up with engineering masterpieces to pass the quality control test of the Paper Tower exercise. We depended on our able teammates while we were blindfolded in other pursuits. I'm sure most of us thought that some activities were impossible to finish but surprise! . . . surprise! . . . with a little ingenuity and a lot of hard work, some teams even made it before the allowed time limit. Each team got different awards depending on the activity they excelled in which were represented by various attributes such as work ethics, sensitivity, listening, etc.

After a very strenuous day, some of us even had the energy to have a "little night life" The recreation hall of Phinma was opened for videoke, billiards, darts and table tennis. The "Young Ones" lived up to their name; they were in the hall 'til the wee hours of the morning . . . playing billiards! :,) The badminton courts were also full; I had to stand in line to wait for my turn to play because the baddicts were there early. Poor me! There were also various activities going on in the hallways (card games, kuwentuhan) and I'm sure even in everyone's bedroom. We're really a bunch of energetic people.

Everyone was up and kicking the following day and made it to the 8.30am call time. John Austria, our head trainor, started Sunday by paying tribute to all fathers in the group (since it was Father's Day) before proceeding to the final activity. The final activity was a tough one. Each member of the group was given different assignments. You can be a worker, supervisor or CEO. The workers were blindfolded and were tasked to do all the work while the supervisors and CEO strategize, plan and guide. With a rope, heavy-duty rubber bands and hooks as tools, the goal was to transfer the pail, placed at the middle of a large square, to a designated spot in front of the function room. Pretty simple except that tools and people were not allowed inside the large square. To make matters complicated, the facilitators instructed the supervisors to switch to another team. All teams were finished after an hour and five (5) minutes, a record-time for a large group of 130 people. Everyone was euphoric after the last pail was transferred successfully. Nexus President, Mr Juan Chua, gave the closing remarks to cap the exhilarating weekend activity. He put things into a larger perspective by telling us that we are all part of a much bigger team and that each individual, each micro team, Nexus must all contribute to make this world-- the bigger team--a little better.

A lot of people say that the activity was a hit and that it was weekend of fun and learning. The HR team received a lot of congratulations for the success of the event. We do not want to take all the credit for this because everyone who gave his or her whole-hearted involvement made the weekend activity a success. The choice is now ours to apply what we have learned in this workshop. We must bear in mind though, that Plato's concept of "utopia" or perfect society is seldom or maybe not achievable at all. Everyone and every organization have imperfections. On a personal note, I am reminded of the words of one of my wedding ninongs, "There is no perfect relationship, only perfect moments." When the going gets tough for each one of us, when we are irritated at our co-workers, when our deadlines are fast approaching . . . we can always look back at this weekend, remember the different perfect moments when our teams achieved our goals and what contributed to this success. We can then replicate these scenarios, apply them in our workplace and find answers and inspiration to whatever problems face us.

' Til next time, folks. In the meantime, let's do our roles in this organization called Nexus and in the wise words of Mang Vincent, do our best!

- Jhett Junio-Angustia

Nice Tag

2006-07-04T12:44:00.000+08:00

Ok, I was tagged by TA. Here it goes:

The rules are, “once you’ve been tagged, you have to write a blog with (8) weird things/habits about yourself”. At the end, you need to choose the 8 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says Tag You’re It.” in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

Here’s mine:

1. I'm super OC before going out of the house...meaning, I check if all appliances are unplugged not just once but 2x and sometimes 3x!

2. My falling hair is uncontrollable but I still have very thick hair which does not dry until after 3 hours.

3. No matter how late I sleep at night, I always wake up early...kainis!

4. Nakakatulog ako ng naka-dekwatro!

5. When I'm too tired & sleepy, I could fall asleep even when I'm eating, my friends were a witness to it.

6. Back in high school, I used to be a die-hard Side A fan. I was a regular at Music Hall (every week and sometimes 2x), I knew all their upcoming concerts and went to most of it, I knew the names of their wives & kids & I knew all their songs as well as compositions for other artists.

7. Lots of people are allergic to seafoods or anything malansa but me, I used to be allergic to veggies such as asparagus, carrots, etc. Good thing it was cured now, I was desensitized for 3 years!

And last but definitely not the least....

8. I could name almost everyone who became a That's Entertainment member (from Monday to Friday group) and I could also answer most trivia/s pertaining to the said show. Sample: Sino ang member ng Tuesday Group na dating bestfriend ni Billy Joe na ka-loveteam ni Fatima Alvir? hahaha

OK so let’s try these guys. From TA's tag, I tag…. everyone reading this blog! (Obvious bang tamad,hehe)

last blast for summer

2006-06-30T07:40:00.000+08:00

Tetet, my sister in-law, celebrated her birthday last June 11, 2006 at 8 Waves in Bulacan. We stayed overnight in their hotel & it was fun! I really enjoyed the man-made waves there for it was close to the real thing. Sad thing though, I had an asthma attack & I was not able to bring my maintenance medicine with me. I woke my husband up at around 5:30 am to have coffee (since it is anti-oxidant & somehow it eases my attack). Unfortunately, there was no coffee shop in the hotel and there's only Pancake House inside it which does not open until 7:00 a.m. So we went out hoping to find even a7-11 or any convenience store , but we were unsuccessful. We ended up in a carinderia cum beerhouse at night (yes, I was that desperate for a coffee). Funny thing was, there was a man sleeping near the counter with a Red Horse beer in his hand, the carinderia personnel were trying to wake him up but to no avail. One more thing, according to the lady who served us, the sleeping man even had a companion who was sleeping in their bathroom! One of their staff wants to pee but couldn't since somebody was in there, sleeping. Hahaha! Oh well, it was a relaxing weekend for all us. Here are some pics;)

my hubby & i

with the bday girl

before going out for dinner

with the kids...all lined up

sun bathing kuno...yes, i'm the goddess in green & blue at the end of the row (hahaha)

waiting for the waves

tired

2006-06-20T12:24:00.000+08:00

Current state: Tired

I was sooo busy with work lately that I could hardly breathe! Even when I sleep at night, I usually dream of it...my husband even heard me sleep talking as if I was talking to somebody at work...pathetic! I could not even update this blog of mine with all the things that happened in the past 2 weeks. I am just so tired and today is one of those days that I wish I am somewhere else... relaxing. Sigh:(

blah...blah...blah

2006-06-02T12:16:00.000+08:00

- I got sick last week...I was not able to go to work last Monday & slept the whole day. Trian was with me & she was my official "utusan" since I was too weak to move (yun nga lang muntik nya ng maubos ang stock of food nmen,hehe). Tuesday, I had to go to work even if I was still not feeling well 'coz I had to finish the payroll (baka mag-aklas ang mga empleyado). Wednesday I took a leave again to rest, I was still weak. And when I came back last Thursday, my work piled up & until now I am oh sooo busy!

- We were finally called to make our membership in Couples for Christ official. We met at Tito Mel & Tita Daday's place (their house is so nice). We were introduced to our future household heads and fellow members. We knew most of them since we were together in SFC (different chapters nga lang) and most of us got married last December. We are having our official first household meeting this coming Saturday, June 3. I must say that I'm psyched up 'coz I really miss attending households and it's almost six months since I last attended in SFC.

- My younger siblings Third & Trian, spent the weekend with us since Jeng & JM attended the Tobits weekend in Tagaytay. It was a blast! We talked & ate non-stop (I made sure that I have plenty of food in the fridge since I know they eat so much) and we also made some crinkles (palpak nga lang yung shape but it was yummy!). We also watched X-men in Eastwood which we all enjoyed.

- Speaking of Eastwood, Kokoy & I chanced upon Passage Band there last Sunday. As you know, TM has a booth there and the said band was their guest in their live broadcast. We just heard them sing 2 songs... an old one, "You Won't See Me Crying" which was a hit back in the 90s and one of their new songs which was actually a revival, "Perfect Combination". Seeing them perform brings back memories of high school when we used to watch them in Music Hall back to back with Side A. I must say that despite of the new bands coming in, they can still be considered as one of the best. Good thing Lucci (their female lead singer) came back after enjoying motherhood. She can still capture you with her sweet but powerful voice and Mark (male lead singer) can still belt out any tune. I did enjoy listening to them, hope I could watch them soon in a real gig.

- Lastly, I would just like to greet some friends & family members who are celebrating their birthdays, my high school friend Farrah & my cousin Ryan ( both May 31), Chang Che (June 1), my cousin Ate Joan (June 2) and last but not the least, my little big bro Third (June 3)! Happy Birthday to all of you & may you enjoy God's blessings as you go through this journey called life!

my kinda soul

2006-05-25T12:55:00.000+08:00

You Are a Peacemaker Soul

You strive to please others and compromise anyway you can.War or conflict bothers you, and you would do anything to keep the peace.You are a good mediator and a true negotiator.Sometimes you do too much, trying so hard to make people happy.
While you keep the peace, you tend to be secretly judgmental.You lose respect for people who don't like to both give and take.On the flip side, you've got a graet sense of humor and wit.You're always dimplomatic and able to give good advice.
Souls you are most compatible with: Warrior Soul, Hunter Soul and Visionary Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

_______________________________________________________

Two Sundays ago (talk about an overdue entry), my husband & I went out with 2 of our friends from SFC then out of the blue, one of them asked my hubby on how does he feel whenever he sees his ex-girlfriends (because she has not seen her ex since they broke up).

Good question, after a few minutes we saw my husband's ex. Well, I saw her first and told my husband that his ex is there. I know he does not really want to greet her but just to satisfy my curiosity he greeted her. You see, this ex of his was his 2nd longest relationship after me (they were together for 3 years) and is or rather was his neighbor. We always see her in their village chapel when we hear mass there but they totally ignore each other. I've seen his other ex's but he is not aloof with them as he is with this one (well, I understand why). Then we heard that her family moved to Canada, I told him "Sayang, I thought that there will come a time when they can talk again & that I'll be introduced to her". I know...I know... I sound pathetic but try to understand that I was never in a relationship until Kokoy came along so that means I never had an ex. I don't understand all those after-relationship things. Siguro just to satisfy me, he greeted her. We were surprised to see her (since we thought she's already in Canada), she explained that she had to come back to take the bar exam this September and when she passes she'll have an option to stay here. I felt relieved afterwards and I was able to give her a genuine smile which she returned. I even told my husband that I think she's nice which he somewhat disagrees to, hehe.

I took the above test awhile ago and found out that I have a soul of a peacemaker. It dawned to me that I may not really be curious about my husband's ex or all those after-relationship things. I may really have a peacemaker soul which has been bugging me for the longest time since my husband has a drift with his ex. Back in college, my once very happy barkada suddenly had a faction. I did not side with anybody (three of us actually were in the middle) not because I want to be on the safe side but because I wanted all of them to stop the nonsense childish fight they're into. We (the 3 of us) tried to restore the peace in our barkada but I guess we were not that successful since the once happy friendship we once had did not go back on how it was before. I must admit that I was really disappointed. Oh yes, we were able to let them shake hands and all that but as I said, things were not how it used to be. Oh well, that's life... you gotta accept that change is the only constant thing in this world. And to add to that, I hate the feeling of having an enemy or even just a friction with someone. In my current job, it's hard to do that. Since I am in charge of implementing the rules of the company, you can't really help it if people will take it against you whenever you try to discipline them. God knows how I try to reach out to them in a way that won't hurt their feelings but you really can't please everyone. At the end of the day, I just say to myself that it's all part of the job so I won't really get affected. I took Psychology to understand people's behavior better, it may be a way of that soul to complement what it really ought to do, be at peace with everyone by knowing their psyche or their well-being. Well, it's a good way to promote world peace, don't you think? Hahaha!

...the reason behind my YM status

2006-05-10T12:40:00.000+08:00

Some of you may be wondering why I always put inspirational messages in my YM status (for those in my friends' list). Well, let me give you my reason for that. I don't put those status to give an impression that I am a spiritual or a goody-two shoes type of person, heck that would be the last thing I would do! I put those messages because I know that somewhere...somehow... somebody needs those messages. I, for one, am a living proof of that. There were times that I really feel down, burnt out and there were even instances that I feel that the whole world is against me and simple words of encouragement from a friend, from a forwarded e-mail, etc... lifts my spirit up. I've known people who are really at the pit of depression and some even attempted to commit suicide, it is for these people that I've put those messages for. I want them to know that life is good no matter how many obstacles they encounter, they are not alone and that God is just a prayer away. All they need is a reminder and that is what I'm trying to do. I hope that somehow those messages touched some fellas heart.

going back to an old hobby

2006-05-03T12:58:00.000+08:00

I started to develop reading as a hobby at the age of 10. I remember the first paperback that I read was Sweet Dreams' "Kiss Me Creep" which I borrowed from my cousin, Ate Joan. From then on I was hooked into it. I've collected Sweet Dreams & Love Stories paperbacks from that time until I reached my teens (my collection is still intact & I'm sure my little sis Trian will read it in a year or two). During my late teens & early 20s I started reading the novels of Erich Segal, Sydney Sheldon, Nicholas Sparks & Judith Mc Naught. When I entered the CFC Singles for Christ community, I got interested with inspirational books & readings and so I started reading the books of Bo Sanchez,Joshua Harris and CFC's Tito Frank Padilla,etc.

Now, I read about everything & anything under the sun. I really like the feeling of being lost in a book and the adrenaline rush it brings me once my curiosity & interest have been ignited. However, for some reason this hobby of mine was set aside for a time but I never totally stopped it. I really missed it! Now, I'm beginning to read on a regular basis again, yipee! Thanks to my husband who bought me books. Although, he's already complaining that I read too fast and he has to buy another one once I finish a certain book.

Last Holy Week I finished Cathy Love's "Wanting Something More". Then I finished reading "The Rescue" by Nicholas Sparks last week which by the way, brought me to tears. Currently, I'm engrossed with Sophie Kinsella's "The Undomestic Goddess" (she's also the author of the very enjoyable Shopaholic Series).

Before, my husband does not enjoy reading that much, but ever since I influenced him, you cannot disturb him while he's reading. Reading is a very worthy hobby. It does not just relaxes, it also brings you somewhere else, it allows you to take a peek of the different cultures, it allows you to think with infinite possiblities, it widens your vocabulary and enhances your grammar. With that, I encourage everyone to develop this hobby as well, you're on for a big surprise, you'll see:)

Chillin'

2006-04-26T22:19:00.000+08:00

After all the religious activities during Holy Thursday (Visita Iglesia) & Good Friday (Procession), my hubby, Ria & I went to the nearby Club Manila East last Black Saturday. Ria & I went kayaking, sun bathing( i finally got myself a tan after years of unsuccessful sun bathing!) & told endless stories to each other while my husband contented himself in people watching and of course swimming (his all-time fave sport). It was so nice to finally be able to relax...we were unmindful of the time and all we thought of was how nice to be out under the sun and how good the water felt (sigh!). After our CME escapade we went to Eastwood. We had late lunch & just hang-out at Seattle's Best (endless kwentuhan again). Ria kept telling us how enjoyable this day was (no problem friend,we'll always be here to listen)...we were able to really relax & chill. Ahhh, how I wish we could have plenty of days like this!

Visita Iglesia

2006-04-22T10:46:00.000+08:00

Last Holy Thursday, my husband, siblings & sfc peers went on our yearly Visita Iglesia tradition. We visited the classy and beautiful churches of Rizal province. We've been visiting these churches for the last two years and until now they never fail to leave me in awe!

We did not bring a car but instead, rented a jeep to take us to our destinations. It is actually more advisable to ride a jeep in touring the Rizal province so you could enjoy the fresh air that you never experience in the busy streets of the Metropolis.

I am too lazy to write a long entry, so here are some pics to give you glimpses of how it went...

our jeepney ride

with my former members in sfc...ana & ria

we saw our former chapter head, ninang ollie, on our 2nd station

with my siblings

always smile for the cam no matter how tired you are...pays to have a nice pic

Song Of My Soul

2006-04-12T12:01:00.000+08:00

As a Lenten entry, I would like to share with you a song that is truly memorable to me. I usually listen to this song or sing it (if necessary..ha you know what I mean...if of course I am in the middle of confusion and the resources are not available) when I'm in doubt, troubled and scared of the things happening around me but still want to seek refuge from our Creator. I'm sure my friends from the CFC Family Ministries are familiar with this song. This was composed by a YFC member and won a place in one of the Glory Songfests. Enough of the intro...here it is:

SONG OF MY SOUL

Here I am, an empty soul
Walking all alone through my life
And here I am, a lost soul
Looking for a place where I can hide
And find refuge, my long lost peace
And all else that would put my restless soul at ease

So come my Lord, calm my heart
Pacify the sea that has been tearing me apart
Oh come my Lord, calm my soul
Take me in your arms
And make me whole, my Lord

Here I am, still searching for
A place that every person calls home
And hear my prayer, hear my song
For only unto You do I belong
I've searched so hard, all my life through
For love that I know I can only find in You

So come my Lord, calm my heart
Pacify the sea that has been tearing me apart
Oh come my Lord, calm my soul
Take me in your arms
And make me whole, my Lord

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
For those who do not know this song, let me know if you want to hear it:,)

hmmm...hope i could get to see this city

2006-04-06T12:40:00.000+08:00

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city girl with a small town heartWhich is why you're attracted to the romance of RomeStrolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in handAnd gorgeous Italian men - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?

???

2006-04-04T12:32:00.000+08:00

i am so emotional at the moment...many circumstances happened that easily made an impact on me. i have so many questions, doubts and fears all kept inside me. i'm still thankful though that there are people who understands...ms. libeth tried to comfort me and my husband has a ready hug for me when i went home. probably God is just waking me up from my deep slumber. i must admit that my prayer time with Him lessened and i don't wanna make excuses for it, it's really my shortcoming. i thought that with all the things that happened in my life before...i'm invincible & can tackle whatever challenges that soon will come my way. i was wrong. i realized that i can still get emotional & be affected if things are not working out... but there's one thing i know though...there's a reason for everything...and that God will reveal it to me in His perfect time. as what Graciel's e-mail this morning said,
"... SO DON'T BE TOO WORRIED ABOUT EVERYTHING,
TREASURE EVERY MOMENT, DO WHAT YOU WISH TO DO.....
BROADEN YOUR VIEW, BROADEN YOUR MIND,
ALWAYS REMEMBER, YOU'RE AN IMPORTANT PIECE IN A BIGGER PICTURE AND GOD'S IN CONTROL"

yUmMy!!!

2006-03-30T12:37:00.000+08:00

Food or eating is one of the things I enjoy most in this life. Here are some food that I truly love...you'll find out that my food preference is as diverse as my personality:) This is not in order, I just listed down whatever comes to my mind:

1. Pasta Contadina and all the other pastas in Bellinis
2. Carrot cake and all the other cakes & pastries from Becky's Kitchen
3. Starbucks' Chocolate Cake
4. Sushi, California Maki and all other jap food
5. Max's Fried Chicken
6. Beef Stew from Phoa
7. Isaw sa may Brookside, hehe
8. Mc Do's French Fries
9. Brother's Burger
10. Vigan Empanada
11. Good Shepherd's Buko Pie and Ube/Halaya
12. Strawberry ice cream
13. My father's pinakbet
14. Inihaw na Hito
15. All bangus dishes:)
16. Crispy Chicken Fingers w/honey mustard sauce & California Chicken from Chillis
17. Baby Back Ribs from Racks or Kenny Rogers
18. Mangga't Bagoong
19. Binagoongang Baboy
20. Halabos na Hipon
21. Chicken Go-Go Sandwich with ceasar sauce & Hot & Crispy Chix from KFC
22. Breakfast Burger Meal from Tropical Hut
23. chocolates!
24. Teriyaki Chicken from Teriyaki Boy
25. Meldrid's buko pandan & mango float
26. Nanay Mary's Sago Custard
27. Tita Au's Chiffon cake
28. Davao's suha
29. tiramisu
30. Steak from Alfredo's (is this still open?)
31. Tortang Talangka
32. talaba from Pangasinan (my cousins & i can eat 1 sack of talaba in one sitting!)
33. Mango Cake & Chocolate Mousse from Red Ribbon
34. choco fondue:)
35. crispy tilapia from Recipe
36. General's chicken (from Recipe too)
37. Turtle cake from Coffee Bean
38. Adobo flakes (Alfred loves this as well, hehe)
39. Bento Meal from Miro (super sulit!)
40. i know there are lots more but i would want to include my very own homemade blueberry cheesecake (hahaha...yabang!)

Whenever, I eat these food I can truly say...THIS IS LIFE! (right Ate Doths?:))

D-day:)

2006-03-22T12:27:00.000+08:00

I celebrated my 29th birthday last week (March 15). I took a leave starting March 14 until March 16. Well, I really do take a leave everytime my birthday comes. Why? I don't wanna stress myself out even on that day alone. Being in HR is really stressful so I always make it a point to reward myself with a vacation and to offer the said day to God. You might be wondering what I did during those days...

March 14
I renewed my driver's license, LTO was so packed and it took me 2.5 hours to finish everything. Well, not everything since I was just issued a temporary license due to the change in my name and status. They said only LTO main has the right to change data so I will get my license on August (hopefully). Nothing much has changed with the LTO's system, I hate to say it but "palakasan" is still there. There was this one woman I saw who was being assisted by an LTO employee to everywhere she goes and bingo... she finsihed getting her license in 20 minutes! I can also do that since the husband of Kokoy's officemate works there and told us that if we need help we just have to approach him. I realized however, that it would be unfair to those who woke up and lined up really early just to get ahead.Call me stupid or super straight gal but I don't care, change has to start from us and this system proves that sadly, a lot of people has not changed their ways (so don't blame the government people for being so "trapo" if you don't want to change yourself). To make things worse, there were some people smoking inside the said compound, I almost had an asthma attack! After the said LTO charade, Kokoy & I went to Cainta Municipal Hall to get our residence certificates (this just took 15 minutes) then we proceeded to PRC to get Kokoy's Mechanical Engineer's license. We parked our car at Robinson's Metro East then took a jeepney ride to bring us to LRT Santolan Station. We rode the LRT then went down to Recto Station and we just walked going to PRC. I think my husband enjoyed the LRT ride (it's his first time, hehehe)...not only was he able to rest from driving but the usual 2-3 hours ride to PRC only took us 30 minutes (LRT is indeed very convenient)! Towards the end of the day, we had dinner with my clan because my Tito Danny & Tita Au were about to go back to New York the following day.

March 15
Well, it was my D-day! We woke up early to catch the first mass in one of the churches in Tagaytay. I got worried on the way there because at 5:30 am, SLEX was traffic! Good thing it was not that long, there was an accident which caused it and the traffic was only up until the accident site. We reached Tagaytay at 6:15 am and attended a mass in a monastery. It was my first time to hear mass there. Hmmm, I was thinking of hearing mass to a church or chapel I haven't been to whenever my birthday comes, lets' just wait and see if I really can do that. After the mass, Kokoy & I had breakfast and went to Good Sheperd to buy pastries. At around 9:00 am, we decided to go back to Manila. We went to Galleria and had lunch. We also watched a movie (She's The Man), I really liked the film. I'm still a sucker for teeny bopper and feel-good movies plus the fact that Amanda Bynes (I like her, she acts really well and she's sane, compared to her contemporaries) was the lead star. Family and friends went to our place in the evening to celebrate with me. I just had a simple celebration but I'm still grateful to all who came despite the fact that I told them I won't have much to offer.

March 16
It's our laundry day so after breakfast I did the laundry. At around 10:00 am, I went to the nearest PNB branch to deposit my siblings' (Third & Trian) allowance. We met Kokoy's mom and sisters at Tiendesitas for lunch and we basically just roam around the area after that. We went back home to take a nap and we texted Ria late afternoon to meet us up. We fetched her at Megamall then we proceeded to Eastwood to have dinner.
So there, I enjoyed those 3 days of leave, I was just not able to relax but I was able to spend quality time with family, friends & even to our Almighty Father.

how do ya live your life?

2006-02-21T08:01:00.000+08:00

How You Life Your Life

You seem to be straight forward, but you keep a lot inside.You are always tactful and diplomatic. You let people down gently.You're open to new people and friends, which makes you a pretty popular person.You tend to always dream of things within reach - and you usually get them.

How Do You Live Your Life?

My Dancing Partner

2006-02-16T17:22:00.000+08:00

Last Sunday, when Kokoy & I were cooking dinner, we were listening to a certain CD he loooves to hear. Most of the content of that CD were his songs for me (according to him, hmmm). When one song played and he was looking intently at me (his smile was up to his ears), I could not help but ask him to dance while the song was being played . We danced and I felt really different while were at it. I felt the connection...there was so much love and I felt so secure in his arms. I know it sounds corny but at that certain moment, the "kilig" factor was there:)

I admit that I miss dancing so much. When Papa "the ultimate dancer" was still around I get a doze of dance lessons every now & then. Honestly, I really miss dancing with Papa. I miss the fun that it brings to me and that dance with Kokoy did not just brought fun but oneness as well. I know somehow that Papa is happy that somebody took over to be my dancing partner since he is no longer around. Kokoy may not be a good dancer like my father but God sent him to me to be my dancing partner in life...the one who will be a witness to all the twists & turns I have to make while the song of life continues to play:)

lovers' anniversary - january 28

2006-01-28T11:54:00.000+08:00

today, kokoy & i celebrate our anniversary as lovers. i remember that we usually plan something special for this day... we'll go out of town and chill, eat in an expensive resto, do something fun together, etc... this went on for five years. if we are still in that boyfriend-girlfriend stage (i'm very thankful we already moved on to a new level) today is supposed to be our 6th year together. now that we're married, today is just one of those ordinary saturdays in our lives. honestly, i still want to do something special today because this day marks the start of a special relationship that love, time & trials have nurtured through the years. i want a special name for this day (but i'm not feeling well right now and my mind is in a maze that's why i could not think of any) hmmm... a couple friends of ours call their lovers' anniversary as "friendship day... ahhh i'll come up with one soon to mark this special day. call me a hopeless-senseless romantic but it really makes me smile to remember how everything started between us... for those who knew our story...you know that this day is not an ordinary day and ours was not an ordinary love... here are some pics from our 2004 anniversary (it's the only anniversary pics available in my pc)

... these were taken in tagaytay & caleruega...

mah wedding:)

2006-01-09T17:57:00.000+08:00

I know I haven't been writing here for quite sometime...i was busy with my wedding and with my new life...

the wedding...

i woke up at around 6:00 am to find a text message from my groom...all the members of my family was fast asleep when my designer and make-up artist arrived. i woke them up to have some breakfast...after the breakfast, the make-up artist started doing my hair and make-up...i was really pleased with the outcome (compared with the trial make-up)... the photographer arrived at around 8:30 am... the florist arrived at around 9:30 am (the flowers are really pretty!)... we headed for the church at around 12:00 p.m....

the ceremony started at 1:00 p.m...i was so nervous while i was walking down the aisle for fear that i might trip (which is a regular occurence to me) on my way to the altar...good thing i was able to make it without any hassle & embarrassment (whew!)...the church ceremony was indeed beautiful (our priest was really good in officiating the whole ceremony)...people laughed when kokoy said his "i do"...because according to them he said it rather loudly (kokoy & i were unmindful of it)...we just realized it when our guests started laughing...the background music was awesome, thanks to the singing voices of jimmy, kat & alfred...it was a beautiful and light-hearted ceremony...no drama, hahaha!

when we arrived at the reception venue...we did not go straight to the hall where yhe reception proper will be held but we had a little photo shoot first in most parts of makati park & garden...when we entered the venue...we saw that the caterer did not do their job well (grrrr!)...they were still unprepared...i was so disappointed that i almost cried (kokoy consoled me by telling me that the reception part of our wedding was not as important as the church ceremony,which as i mentioned was beautiful)...the program went on...the last part of the program was an audio-visual presentation we prepared as gratitude to our family and friends...it ended by showing some pics of our departed parents (kokoy's mom and my father) and our message of thanksgiving to them... a lot of people esp. our relatives were so touched and cried while it was being shown...of course kokoy & i also cried (he was really close to his mom and so was me to papa)...my tito gani (papa's youngest brother) hugged me before he left and cried so hard while hugging me (we both miss papa...and i guess the avp brought back the loss we both feel)...

if not for the caterer, our wedding might have been perfect but sh*t happens and we just have to deal with it....our wedding might have some imperfections but what's important is that kokoy & i finally made our commitment to love & support each other before GOD.

here are bits & pieces of the said event:

my bridal shower

2005-12-05T09:57:00.000+08:00

my friends held a bridal shower for me last saturday night. it was organized by my sis jeng and long-time friend billie. it was simple and intimate yet i really am so happy to see all my girlfriends coming together wishing me best wishes for my upcoming wedding. they even made a tarp plus souvenirs in the form of cd (with my picture on it & contains my favorite songs). they really exerted so much effort on it. i got plenty of gifts which of course i wouldn't tell what (i guess you all have an idea), hahaha. oh well, i really am so grateful to all of them...i wouldn't mind doing the same thing for them when it's their turn to have one...sana mauna si ate lydia,hahaha.

2005-11-29T16:03:00.000+08:00

'twas indeed a long and tiring weekend...

Saturday
- two of my friends in sfc (ate dothy & alfred) came to our house to chat and have lunch (thanks Afiong...este Alfred)
- my sis jeng & i went to galleria, megamall & st. francis square to buy some accesories and stuffs we will need for my wedding...we had a sumptuous snack in sbarro... i never thought i miss the white cheese pizza so much!
- we had our Lord's day celebration in the evening and we headed to eastwood (with some bros & sis in sfc) to hang out

Sunday
- Kokoy & I submitted our wedding banns in Sts. Peter & Paul Parish. We heard mass and met my high school friend Farrah (with her mom, Tita Ellen) there as well.
- We decided to have lunch and have a little chit-chat in Rockwell...on second thought it wasn't a little chit-chat, we talked for almost 3 hours straight while munching food in between (you can't blame us...Farrah & I were not in contact for more than six years!)
- Kokoy & I had a Thai massage for an hour (this was not planned, we just saw the promo and decided to avail of it)
- At around 2 pm, we met my sis Jeng in Ate Joan's Dental clinic to refresh our teeth, hehehe
- Kokoy & I then proceeded to their house, we had dinner there and his family decided to go out...so we went to Tiendesitas and Greenhills and had midnight snack in Mc Do...they brought me home at around 1:00 am...I never felt so tired.

Monday (declared as holiday)
- we met with Kokoy's friend (for the choir in our wedding) together with Kat & Alfred who will sing with them
- we then procedeed to have lunch in Tiendesitas...we were supposed to visit a new bro in SFC in Medical City (who committed suicide, tsk tsk) but Alfred asked us to bring him home since he came from a 10:00 pm to 6:00 am duty.
- we went to Kokoy's house & waited for our designer there for the gown-fitting of our female entourage
- after the fitting, we headed to our place and kokoy & ate dothy joined us for dinner

... we still need to do so many things...i can't wait to take a leave so i can accomplish it!

pre-wedding jitters?

2005-11-23T23:20:00.000+08:00

i'm in such a roller-coaster ride of emotions these past few days...last monday, i was really depressed knowing that there are still lots of things to accomplish for my wedding (kokoy & i were in a panic mode). yesterday, i felt okay and today i feel excited...confusing isn't it? my married friends were telling me that it's normal to feel this way... they've been telling me to be cool and cherish every moment of it...one of my friends even told me that kokoy& i should go out on a date and not talk about our upcoming wedding even for that period, she said it will keep both of us sane (they did this when they were in our stage)...i feel like i'm in limbo...waiting what's gonna happen next...i need a breather!

thank you SFC!

2005-11-23T15:28:00.000+08:00

Getting married means letting go of SFC (Singles for Christ). It really saddens me to know that I'm not gonna be with my usual peer group for household (prayer meeting) and fellowship after the wedding. Kokoy & I owe a lot to this community...we met and nurtured our relationship here, we met true friends who stayed with us through thick and thin...we learned to help, appreciate and love people from all walks of life (thanks to Gawad Kalinga)...we learned to let go of living in extravagance and value the finer and nobler things in life...but most importantly this community made evident God's presence in our lives.

With my six years of stay in this community, I saw how it evolved from being a "prayer group" to being a dynamic one (the introduction of Gawad Kalinga really helped us to put into practice or to apply the teachings that were given to us). True, it is not a perfect community...there were those who will talk behind your back, some were even aiming for fame & power, there were boring activities, etc. but all these people are seeking God and all those boring activities are meant to teach us something. It is indeed a community of sinners searching for light, an imperfect community aiming for perfection through God's guidance.

Kokoy & I had our last chapter gathering last week. We thanked everyone in our chapter esp. those who became our heads and members. I really am grateful to all of them...for all the laughter and tears...for all the conferences we shared...for inspiring us...and for being good examples in living out their faith. I truly feel blessed for finding my second home for the past six years, as Kokoy & I enters a new home (Couples for Christ) rest assured that all the learnings we had from SFC will forever be embedded in our system. Thank you, SFC!

A little peek of my life in SFC:

our last conference...reloaded

with my fellow paulinians in sfc

jeng, ria & i with maureen of sfc canada

holloween party with co-sfcs from diff. chapters of east a

i wanna go to a beach!

2005-11-16T14:22:00.000+08:00

I was browsing through Friendster and took a peek on some people's profiles. I actually checked my relatives and friends' profiles and saw their pictures on the beach. I couldn't help but envy them...why?....because the last time I went to a beach was I think four (4) years ago! It was the time I went to Palawi Island with my Tito Gani's family, my 'lil sis Trian, Lola Willie and my friend Yasmin. I had many invitations to go beach hopping but I turned them all down because I was saving for my siblings' tuition fees and expenses (sigh!). After my father's sudden demise, my life really took a 180 degrees turn. So those things that I used to enjoy like going out-of-town during weekends with friends, shopping, frequenting the salon and yes, going to the beach now took a backseat for the simple reason that, there are more significant things that I need to spend my money with.

I'm not indulging in self-pity here because I know I did the right thing. I have also recognized the fact that I will regret it more if my siblings' wouldn't be able to enroll. I really just miss the simple pleasures that being on the beach creates...hearing the waves, feeling the sun & sand on your body, late night walks and star-gazing, (sigh again)! I can still remember Yasmin's expression while seeing all those shooting stars in Palawi Island ( I think all the stars decided to fall there,hahaha)...that sight was truly priceless!

But hey, I might spend my honeymoon on the beach! Kokoy & I already made reservations to one of the private resorts in the North (it used to be exclusive for members and they just opened it for the public's pleasure very recently)...that is if we could still squeeze it in our budget, well, I'm keeping my hopes up. I couldn't wait! At least, I'm not having any guilt trips in going for this one...and hey, it's my honeymoon anyway:)

the man i'm going to marry...

2005-11-08T13:34:00.000+08:00

I was touched with Kokoy's latest blog entry so I decided to write something about him as well:) I think it's about time to tell the world why I chose him to be the man I'll spend the rest of my life with.

I didn't like him at first (everybody knows about this, hahaha), in fact, I was really avoiding him whenever we have gatherings in Singles for Christ. But our bros and sis in the community were very persistent in pairing us up . He was also persistent and very consistent. His faith was also very strong, he never gave up on praying for me. He even had a novena dedicated to me, you could just imagine my surprise when he read it beside me when we were in Edsa Shrine! There really was a Divine Intervention for I find myself opening up and accepting him in my life.

We've been together for 5 years, 9 months and 11 days to be exact. He saw how I struggled during what I can call the most difficult stage in my life. I was clinically depressed, I had nightmares I could not even fathom and I was literally scared of sleeping. He would talk to me over the phone until the wee hours of the morning or until I will be so sleepy and tired or until the time he knew that I am not scared anymore. Whenever something came up which concerns my family, he would rush to see or comfort me. Next to God, he was my stronghold when I was weak & hopeless. I could not even utter a smile during those times and he was very patient in making me realize that the world is still a wonderful place to live in. He helped me re-invent myself for I was already at the end of the rope. He takes care of me when I'm sick and he never fails to remind me to be conscious about my health. He also saw me at my worst physically...when I had chicken pox, allergies all over my body and when I gained weight...but I never saw in his eyes that he was disgusted with my looks.He knows how to put up with my mood swings. Whenever we have a fight, he always asks for forgiveness when he knows he's wrong and he readily accepts my apology when I'm in amiss. He accepted me for who I am...my imperfections included.

What is he really like?...he's sensitive even if he doesn't show it ( and there were times that I hurt him through my jokes)... he's very helpful to other people...he's frank but sometimes tactless... he's very childlike and he always has a smile to offer to everyone...he has his way of making people laugh (kahit minsan corny) :)As you can see, he's not perfect but hey, we are all a work in progress, right? He may not be extra-special, he may not be the "tall, dark yes (hahaha) and handsome" type of guy but he showed me the true meaning of love and commitment. I know you'll read this Dates. I just want to let you know that I love you so much and like you, I am excited to start the journey of our life together :)

pre-nuptial pics

2005-11-06T13:35:00.000+08:00

As I've mentioned in my previous post, my weekends are literally booked! Life has been really tiring lately...but Kokoy & I took some time off to finally sched our pre-nuptial pictorial. We had so much fun during the shoot! Here are some pics from our 304 shots!

mah celebrity style twin

2005-11-03T11:50:00.000+08:00

Your Celebrity Style Twin is

Mischa Barton

Funky, bohemian, and girly.

Who's" Your Celebrity Style Twin?

back on the court

2005-10-26T22:20:00.000+08:00

after 5 loooong months, i was able to play badminton again last night. i didn't play much though for fear that it might strain me out because of the long absence from the sport. i just love the feeling of being back on the court, of being in action and the excitement it brings once you are competing. i really miss our tuesday badminton club. this club consists of my bros and sis in sfc. this is our form of recreation and you could say relaxation as well from work and from service. through this sport, i got to see a different side of my peers in sfc. i also miss those times that we made chika while not on the court, our late night dinners after the game...oh well, i simply just miss everything about playing badminton and being with the tuesday club. most of us are just too busy with a lot of things esp. service which is usually done after work. i really do hope that i could see them all again and play during the long vacation. after all these wedding preps...hopefully kokoy & i will be in action again:)

the original badminton team of sfc east...fando, jeng, kuya jerry,kokoy, ate rosa & meeh

my dominant trait...

2005-10-25T22:52:00.000+08:00

Dominant Personality: Calm
Good Traits: You prefer to be exclusive,
limiting yourself to only a few good friends
that you've probably known for a long time. You
don't date around either; you settle down with
one guy, and you never get used to heartbreak.
Bad Traits: You're someone who doesn't want
to be bothered with everyone else's problems.
You'd rather kick back and enjoy life at a slow
pace. You tend to fall behind and procrastinate
from being too laid back.
People see you as: Shy, slow to catch on,
and a daydreamer. People think you're in your
own little world and are tenative to approach
you.
You're Most Like: Fear. You distance
yourself from the people who aren't in your
circle. The difference is that you aren't
paranoid about this.
You Need More: Understanding. There are
other people out there worth knowing. It's okay
to broaden your variety.

What's your dominant trait? (10 unique results)
brought to you by

my wedding is fast approaching...

2005-10-24T08:06:00.000+08:00

I have not been writing for quite some time now. Well, the reason is, I'm beginning to be really busy with all the wedding preparations. October is nearly ending and we only have a month to accomplish the nitty-gritty details for our wedding and once these details have been accomplished we will already start renovating our soon-to-be home. Our weekends are literally booked! The thought that I will be Mrs. Angustia soon is starting to sink in. All my thoughts and even dreams (whenever I'm asleep) seem to have the same theme...my wedding. They keep on popping up...ahhh! As they say, wedding can really stress you out since this will be a once-in-a lifetime event...you want to do everything right...you want it to be perfect...you want it to be memorable. Please pray for Kokoy and I that this wedding of ours will be just that...perfect, memorable and a happy one:)

alphabet

2005-10-14T18:22:00.000+08:00

A is for AGE: twenty eight (i'm really getting old)
B is for BOYFRIEND: Yes
C is for CAREER: currently an hr practioner who wants to explore other fields
D is for DAD'S NAME: Romy
E is for ESSENTIAL ITEM TO BRING/WEAR TO A PARTY: my kikay kit
F is for FAVORITE SONG AT THE MOMENT: Love Is Here To Stay by Side A (my soon-to-be wedding march song)
G is for GIRLFRIEND: girl friends...plenty
H is for HOMETOWN: I grew up in the East part of Metro Manila (Cainta) but I go home every once in a while in Pangasinan
INSTRUMENT(S) YOU PLAY: GONG! hahaha
JAM OR JELLY YOU LIKE: Strawberry Jam
K is for KIDS: Maximum of 3
L is for LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: I live with my siblings at the moment but I'm gonna live with my future husband in 2 months time
M is for MOM'S NAME: Sally
N is for NAME OF BOYFRIEND: Francis Cortes Angustia
O is for OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAYS: the last one was with my dad, when he had an operation
P is for PHOBIAS: dolls which look like kids esp. those with moving eyes! (trian inherited this from me)
Q is QUOTE YOU LIKE: God is enough!
RELATIONSHIP THAT LASTED THE LONGEST: I only had one...and it's gonna last a lifetime:)
S is for SECRET NEVER TOLD: secret nga eh...why spill it out?
T is for TIME YOU WAKE UP: 5:30 a.m.
U is for UNIQUE TRAIT: I can sleep while driving (very bad)
V is for VEGETABLE YOU LIKE: I love veggies so I like most of them:)
W is for WHAT BOTHERS YOU MOST: hopelessness
X is for X-RAYS YOU'VE HAD: I already forgot the last time I had one.
Y is for YUMMY FOOD YOU MAKE: Blueberry Cheesecake, carbonara & other pastas!
Z is for ZODIAC: Pisces

I really am ready for this

2005-10-10T07:58:00.000+08:00

Your Ideal Relationship is Marriage

You've dated enough to know what you want.And that's marriage - with the right person.You're serious about settling down some time soon.Even if you haven't met the person you want to get hitched to!

What's" Your Ideal Relationship?

pursuing one's passion

2005-09-26T11:38:00.000+08:00

I envy those people who can pursue their passion without any fear. I used to be like that but after my father's death, I've learned to be more cautious with my decisions in life. After his death, our financial stability as a family wavered as well. I cannot just do anything I want to do now, there will be people affected if I make the wrong decision/s.

At this point in time, I really don't know what I want to do with my career. But one thing's for sure, I don't want to be eaten up by the corporate world and spend my lifetime here. On our way home last Friday, my sis and I had a little talk about our careers. We actually have the same view on this thing. We just do what is expected of us as employees but we do not really want to aim for prestige or higher positions in the company we're both working for at present. We both don't want the pressure that a higher position entails. For those people who knew what we went through, they would understand that our personal life has been so complicated and we already dealt with a much bigger pressure. If our careers will be embedded with more pressure, our system might not be able to take it anymore. We also have other extra-crricular activities (my siblings and I are all active members of CFC-Singles for Christ). I really envy those people who knew what they want out of their career. Those who can easily get out and pursue what they really want...volunteer work, being artists, starting a small business, etc. If I only have the means, I would do the same thing.

Pls. don't think that I'm really a "lost" person because I'm not. I know exactly what I want to happen with my life. I know I would want to have a family (which I will be starting soon) and be the best mother to my soon-to-be-kids and best wife to my future husband. I also know that I still want to continue serving God through the CFC community for as long as I live. It's really just in the career aspect that I'm at a loss. On second thought, I probably know what I want to happen with my career... I just do not want to admit it and I might be too scared to change the course of my life. I hope I will have the courage soon... I really wanna be free... free from the melancholy of enduring something that I am not passionate about.

Of Life's Blessings

2005-09-14T20:33:00.001+08:00

I read TA & my brother JM's article in the GK News Bureau awhile ago. Their article was well-written but it has touched my inner core more than anything else. They wrote a story about Lola Uding of GK Selecta Village in Barangay San Andres, Cainta. Lola Uding's family lives in that shanty for quite a long time already and their house is yet to be renovated by Gawad Kalinga. She has taught me through this article the value of selflessness by constantly sharing what she has even if it may not be enough for her. I felt so guilty after reading the article. If you will notice in my previous posts, I've been so absorbed with ranting about almost everything. I've been so worried about so many things, my upcoming wedding and the life I will have after that, my job, finances, etc. when there are other people whose concerns are much much bigger than mine.

I guess not being able to go to the GK Site (San Andres) for quite a long time already has made me a superficial person at present. I used to go there to help out in the SAGIP program of GK for the beneficiaries' children. When I'm so pressured with a lot of things, going to GK has been one of my alternatives to go to during weekends because I truly enjoy the company of SAGIP kids. They might be young but they taught me things that are truly priceless, they usually keep my feet on the ground. Some of them may smell stingy or look dirty but I don't really mind, their smiles are enough to make my day. I actually know Lola Uding's grandson, Enrique, I must admit that he's one difficult kid but he's very smart. As the article said, there are actually 18 family members living in their little shanty and so the Psychologist in me thinks that Enrique behaves this way because he's actually seeking for affection & attention (imagine having to hurdle with 17 other people for even the most basic necessity/ies).

Lola Uding, Enrique and I'm sure there are more people whose life conditions are much worse than mine and yet they can offer a smile, help or be an inspiration to others. Inspite of their condition, they still do not dwell on self-absorption but find ways on how to offer even their simlplest blessings to others. Heck, I have so many things to be thankful for but I chose to complain over insignificant or trivial matters.

Being with family & friends, a smile from a stranger, getting an inspirational message or simply just being able to wake up each day are already forms of blessings. We merely need to recognize their worth in our existence and we'll know that they are all heaven sent. We may feel so broken inside but if we will just focus our hearts and minds on all of God's blessings then we won't feel the brokenness and emptiness that haunts us at present.

happenings during the weekend

2005-09-12T15:08:00.000+08:00

I'm actually not in the mood to write a long entry about a certain topic. So, I just decided to enumerate what happended during the weekend.

Here it goes:

Saturday...
- I went to work in the morning.
- Had lunch at Kokoy's house and talked to his parents about our wedding plans and the life we plan to take afterwards. ( I think through this talk I got to know his parents better, it's actually a breather. I'm also very thankful for the "gifts" they gave us).
- Kokoy & I went to the kiddie party of Gabbie & Gianna Mathay. Gigi (their mom) was really so busy that afternoon and even hosted a certain segment of the party:) I really had fun hanging out with the gang (AJ, Sonji, Alen, Diane, Billie, Dindin) during the party. We liked the emcee's ever-changing clothes, bwahaha! I plan to buy Alen those clothes as his costume for my wedding (he will host the event), hahaha!
- The gang (except Billie & Din) decided to head to Eastwood after the kiddie party. We watched The Brothers Grimm and had midnight snack at Firefighters. Tsk, tsk, the waitresses in Firefighters were looking at AJ, they thought he was that dancer turned actor who was paired to Judy Ann a few years back, hahaha!

Sunday...
- I woke up around 7:30 am...cooked breakfast, ironed my office uniforms and took a bath.
- Went to hear mass with my sis and Kokoy's family in their village.
- Ate Dothy & Alfred followed us at Kokoy's house during lunch (ang galing ng timing):0
- We (or rather Jeng) did our wedding invitation and we watched a film and basically just fooled around at Kokoy's house:)

(see what i mean!)

- We went to Our Lady of Light Parish to do the flyering for our Christian Life Program then we headed to Meldrid's house to have a taste of her delicious sopas.
- We had dinner at Yahoo in Metrowalk.
- As always, Kokoy & I ended our weekend with a prayer.

Pamamanhikan

2005-09-06T17:50:00.000+08:00

Kokoy's family went to our house last Sunday (Sept. 4) to actually do the Filipino tradition of pamamanhikan or formally asking the girl's hand in marriage from her family. In our part, this was really just a formality. Way before the pamamanhikan, everybody knew that Kokoy & I are getting married and that we have already prepared most of the details of our wedding. It turned out fine, most of our family members just gave us pieces of advice regarding marriage. Of course, one of the biggest question that popped up was, who's going to bring me to the altar? I was kinda hesitant to say it and I think it was my brother who told them my reason. As I wrote in my previous entry, I don't want anybody to bring me to the altar because I was saving it for my father, for his spiritual presence actually. My paternal grandma cried when she heard my reason and told me I was doing the right thing (my lola was really close to my dad).

The conversations went on smoothly, everyone has a word to say and I could honestly say that everybody was happy for us (except for my tito who got drunk and was claiming that he saw my father in our bathroom and that he doesn't approve of my fiance... i was like duh, you're already drunk...i know my fiance better than anyone and he's such a responsible and God fearing man...as i mentioned again in my previous post...my dad even actually helped me when i was discerning whether to accept Kokoy in my life or not). My paternal grandfather even mentioned that Kokoy was truly a gift from God. Well, Kokoy really exerted an effort to get to know my family during the five years that we've been together and I must say that it paid off. My grandparents and titos and titas all approved of him.

Honestly, I was trying to hold back my tears all throughout that event. Those were supposedly tears of joy, I was really happy and I feel so blessed that my family is truly supportive. Kokoy told me how happy he was as well that both our families were jovial towards our upcoming union. I hope I can still hold back those tears when I finally walk down the aisle;)

My Japanese Name ...(got this one from Peaches)

2005-08-31T22:33:00.000+08:00

Your Japanese name should be

'Moriko'

which means "forest child".

You
love being in nature and see beauty in almost
everything; the trees, the flowers, the sky,
the sun. You're at your best surrounded by
nature. You love animals and they love you!

Which Japanese name fits you best? [females, 9 results + absolutely stunning ANIME pictures!]

just bear with me on this one

2005-08-25T20:25:00.000+08:00

I'm feeling really emotionally drained lately. There are moments when I want to shout and just disappear for awhile. I feel so helpless, confused, sick of everything, etc. It's really a mixture of emotions. I know I'm not making any sense here and I don't even want to sound sensible. For once, I don't want to rationalize what I feel. There are actually events which transpired to make me feel this way but I don't want to write about it. I wish I am in a different situation...if I could just be somewhere else and have a moment of peace even just for awhile...

My SaSsY gIrL

2005-08-19T16:12:00.000+08:00

10 remarkable lines from my favorite Korean film, My Sassy Girl:

1.Don't ask her to be feminine.
2.Don't let her drink over 3 glasses,she'll beat someone.
3. At a cafe, drink coffee instead of coke or juice.
4. If she hits you, act like it hurts. If it hurts,act like it doesn't.
5. On your 100th day together, give her a rose during class. She'll like it a lot.
6. Make sure you learn fencing and squash.
7. Also, be prepared to go to prison sometimes.
8. If she says she'll kill you, don't take it lightly, you'll feel better.
9. If her feet hurts, exchange shoes with her.
10. And finally, if she likes to write, encourage her.

Rainy Days & Mondays

2005-08-16T13:37:00.000+08:00

" Talking to myself and feeling old...sometimes I'd like to quit...nothin' ever seems to fit...hangin' around...nothin' to do but frown...rainy days and mondays always get me down"

Ahh! That Carpenters' song really expresses what I feel today. It's a Monday and of course another work week is about to unfold. I really feel tired, depressed and lazy today as I always do every Monday. Probably this feeling really comes with age. I remember when I was younger, I really don't care what day it is, if I have to go to work, no fuss, I will...but now things have really changed. Yes, I still do my obligations as an employee, I believe my days of being absent are less as compared to some of my colleagues and hey, I never exceeded the allowed number of days for leaves. At the end of the year, I still get a cash conversion for some of my unused leaves. This might also be because I feel so stressed out with my current job, ahhh!

Well, believe it or not I really am doing something about this Monday syndrome of mine. Every Sunday night and Monday morning, I always pray and ask God to allow me to enjoy my work and help me accomplish a lot of things. It works most of the time but it's really hard.

The day is almost over and surprisingly I have endured another Monday at work. I was kinda worried though 'coz my sister Jeng left for Malaysia today (she has to attend a training & conference there) and it was reported in the news that there was a haze there which came from Indonesia, a really bad smell as they put it. Like me, she has asthma (hers is more severe actually) which made me all the more worried. Kokoy was kind enough to treat me to dinner tonight for he knows I'm depressed on Mondays. At least we were able to talk and I was able to release some of the tension I feel, you bet he has become my outlet, hehehe. Anyway, when I reached home, I got a text message from Jeng saying that she landed safely and that she's already in the hotel.

I'm kinda okay now, still recovering from my Monday syndrome. I don't wanna think about how I'm gonna feel or how the day will turn out next Monday....let me endure this week and enjoy the coming weekend first.

"If Only"

2005-08-09T11:48:00.000+08:00

I've watched the movie "If Only" starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Paul Nicholls on DVD last Sunday. Man, it was quite a movie. It was about a guy who thought he lost his girlfriend over an accident. Before his girlfriend died, the day didn't turn out right for him and he actually blamed her for the series of unfortunate events that happened to him. They broke up before his girlfriend met an accident. He felt so guilty about everything so you could just imagine his surprise when he woke up beside her the next morning. I wouldn't want to tell you what happened in the end, better watch it.

Since he was given a chance to be with her again, he cherished those moments he spent with her. His dillema before she died was that he knows he loves her but he actually doesn't know how to love her. So on that day that they were together, he professed his love for her in more ways than one.

The movie basically revolved on the question, "What would you want to do if it's your last day here on earth?" I know this may sound morbid to some but death is inevitable, we should not be scared to discuss it every now & then. A lot of people may not agree with me but I do find those people who knew when they will die (like those people who are terribly ill and were advised by their doctors that they could live until a certain period of time) lucky. Why? Because at least they would know what they would do during their remaining time. Some of us may just die in a snap of a finger without any warning. True, we should always live as if it is always our last but I also believe in living for the moment. There are just some things that couldn't be accomplished at once, some things really takes time to do.

So, if you really knew that today will be your last what would you do? I would give my answer on this one, definitely I will not go to work (that would be tragic!). Let's see, I would want to have confession and hear mass. Then, I would contact those people I hurt and those who hurt me as well to patch things up. I would spend the rest of the day with my loved ones. I know most of us will do the latter, all of us should actually. This was what they did in the movie, they spent the whole day together, not minding anything but their love for each other. They talked of things that they usually do not discuss, they made love, they went to a place that the girl is dying to go to but most importantly they professed their appreciation and love for each other. If there's anything that we can actually do everyday and not wait before our "last day", it would be to show our appreciation and love to people who are important to us. I, myself, is a sucker for appreciation. It's not about boosting your ego, it's more on feeling that you are loved. A pat on the back, a smile, a hug and if you can always say how much you a love a person that would really spell the difference. We tend to take people esp. those whom we love for granted, let us learn to appreciate them on a daily basis.

I would just like to end this with Paul Nicholls' last statement to Jennifer Love Hewitt,

"I wanna tell you why I love you
I have to tell you this and you need to hear it.

I loved you since I met you
But I wouldn’t allow myself to truly feel it
until today.
I was always thinking ahead.
Making decisions out of fear.
Today, because of you , what I learned from you.
Every choice I made was different
and my life has completely changed.
And I’ve learned that if you do that,
You’re living your life, FULLY!
It doesn’t matter if you have five minutes
Or 50 years.
If not for today, if not for you.
I would never have known love at all.

So thank you for being the person
Who taught me to love and to be loved.

I just wanted to tell you this and you don’t
have to say anything ."

If we will all say these things to our loved ones everyday then we are really living our lives to the fullest and there won't be any room for regrets.

One Is Enough

2005-08-03T11:31:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, my fiance & I went to a birthday & house warming of one of our friends. We were there from 5:00 pm to 12:30 am! And it was because one of my friends asked me to wait for him, he arrived around 10:30 pm. Well, I could say that it was worth the wait. Alen (my friend who asked me to wait for him) is really one guy you wouldn't mind waiting for because his mere presence always livens up any conversations or parties. We spent the whole night talking and laughing. We seldom see each other but whenever we do, it was like we were never really became apart (well I feel this way to all our other barkadas as well).

Time flies really fast... we reminisced our late teens and early 20s life...how we survived a lot of car troubles together (the floodway incident was the most difficult but the the funniest one)...how we travelled from south to east for a night....the time we went home when our neighbors were already cooking breakfast...thin red line (hahaha)...bananarama (i'm your venus, i'm your fire, you're desire...bwahahaha)...we even reminsced the time we went to anitpolo together (we had different partners then), it's nice to know that we can have a good laugh about it now ('coz those 2 people have hurt us before)....I know he's contented with his girlfriend now (they look so good and happy together) the way I am with my fiance.

The point is, we (our other friends included), stood the test of time. We've been through so many things together, good and bad (I'm sounding melodramatic here, but it's true). A lot of people and different sets of friends have entered our lives but our friendship stayed. As I mentioned, we seldom see each other nor talk on the phone often but the connection is always there. Friendship does not mean that you always hang-out together...it is knowing that you always have someone to go to whenever you needed a friend. True friends will always be there and they will always accept you no matter what. True friends are hard to find these days...so when you find them, keep them and take care of them. You're missing a lot if you haven't found true friends by your side in this lifetime.

I consider myself really blessed to have found true friends. It doesn't really matter if you have plenty of them...it is enough to have one true friend to consider yourself blessed.