Weekend of Fun and Adventure

I always love outdoor activities. I love the wind though it's making my hair messy, I love the sun though too much of it gives me headache... I just love the feeling of being outside the four corners of the room, away from the city's busy life. I would trade a few hours of sleep and rest just to experience the fun of being outdoor. And I did! Instead of waking up at around 12 noon (I'm free to sleep even until the setting of the sun because it's Saturday), I woke up at five in the morning to get myself ready and be on time. Destination? Guimaras Adventure Park in Jordan, Guimaras.

After days of planning and organizing, we finally made this happen. We played paintball and even tried rappelling and, ok, trekking. The experience is amazing! I wouldn't be left behind if my friends will go back and play again. This time, I won't be afraid to attack my opponent's territory. lol!

Snapshots of last Saturday's adventure...


trekking

rappelling

the boys

the girls

Team Bu-ok versus

Team Buktu


See more pics here...

Restless Thursday!

I feel so restless right now and this restlessness made me want to strangle the guy in the workstation next to mine. I can't concentrate on what I'm doing because I really don't know what to do. Should I work on with the failed video submission or should I create titles and descriptions for other videos to be submitted on video sites? I'm thinking of writing an article, oh in fact I am half way with the article I'm currently writing but I don't have the urge to finish it. I have been staring at my monitor for more than a couple of minutes and yet I still can't figure out what to do, instead, I enumerated the culprits of this dilemma.

  • It's Thursday and we all know that tomorrow is Friday and a few people know that I am always looking forward to Fridays because Friday is the last day of working days and the two days after Friday are the best days of the week, or rather, the best days of my week. Weekends have this effect on me...

  • The Christmas songs played in the office during lunchtime. Christmas is my favorite season and the thought of it made me dream of colorful lights and decorations, midnight and dawn masses, gifts, visits to and from friends and relatives, foods, parties, drinks and a lot more.

  • Lack of sleep due to my extra activities. I have been sleeping around 1:00 am and wake up 7:00 am or earlier almost everyday for three months now. Being a sleepy-head, six hours of sleep daily is not enough for me. I rarely compensate my sleep during weekends because of a messy room to clean and tidy, a mom to accompany somewhere, lots of books to read, birthday parties and other catching up activities. That's what I get for trying to be a supergirl. lol

  • Too much rice and pork adobo I ate at lunchtime. A great mom who loves to cook and prepare foods for her children will definitely cause stomach upsets because she doesn't just prepare good foods. The amount of food she packed is more than the amount of what I naturally eat. As a reward for her effort, I always consume all the foods she prepared. Now think about the energy I'll possess if I won't throw up what I ate...

The time is ticking. Few hours to go and this day is over. My restlessness is starting to wear off too. As usual... I can't sleep early tonight but I hope tomorrow would be a fine day because it's... Friday!

In His Memory

It was more than 22 years ago when my father moved out from our house. Neither he nor my mom wanted it but that's the way things are. People come, people go. Nobody stays alive in this world forever, though some live longer than the others. Unfortunately, my dad was one of those people destined to enjoy his life here on earth for less than four decades only. He died when he was 38 years old. That was 22 years ago - five months before I was even born.

I wasn't given the opportunity to spend even just a sec with my dad. I often wonder what it's like with a father around and even up to now, I still envy girls who are with their dads. People, especially my mom would often compare me to him. Though I don't resemble his face, they say I'm more like my dad when it comes to personality. I inherit his strong personality, impatience to slow learners and narrow-minded people and his wit, that's what they say. Pity I didn't inherit his singing prowess.

Many people in our town speaks highly of him, being a law enforcer, a Secretary to the Sangguniang, how he would make a good lawyer if he lived long enough to finish law school and how he would make a good father for me and my brother. But all these are part of yesterday. It is just sad to think that I will be able to know him through others, not through bonding and interacting with him. But it's okay. At least I have something to ponder on about the man I didn't personally know yet I have come to love just like the way any little girls would love their dads.



Flowers,


candles


and prayer
are just some ways to show him that he is always remembered.

All I Want for Christmas

Christmas is my most favorite holiday. And hurrah! It's just around the corner. I'm now thinking of bright lights filling the darkness of the night with beauty. The cold air, Christmas carols, the foods, parties and dinner invitations here and there... these things are what I'm looking forward to every time Yuletide season is approaching. The festive mood the season brings made me happy even if I received no special present from anybody.

And speaking of Christmas presents, wanna know what I want for Christmas? All I want for Christmas (singing)...is YOU, Chuck! I'd love chucks for Christmas! If any of you decided to give me what I want but doesn't know which one, below are your choices (lol):










Gratefully Yours

Considering the misfortunes, problems or issues a lot of people are facing right now, one might think that the world is no longer a better place to live in. The recurrence of natural calamities, the fall of the economy, issues between warring countries and dirty politics are just few things that can affect the lives of most people. It is just sad to think that, because of these pressing situations, people are becoming greedy just to survive.

Yes, I have encountered lots of greedy as well as envious persons. But I won't dwell on them right now because I realized that despite the hustles of the real world, there will always be someone (or maybe more than one) who's willing to give up something for others. I discovered some of them recently...

  • A close friend, a great lover of books. He lent me his copy of Brisingr though he's not done with it yet (he has read the first six chapters only). Knowing him, he will never let go of his precious books not until he has finished reading it and the book has lingered in his shelf for like weeks. It's unbelievably amazing how he changed his mind and let me read the book first.
  • A childhood friend. He convinced me to enjoy gambling using his very own money. Being such a lousy gambler (that was my first time); I know that I'll just waste his money. But he told me that he doesn't care whether I win or lose (and nothing is left of his money), as long as I enjoy playing, he'll be fine.
  • My office buddy and friend. There is always a sandwich or any food waiting for me at the office. Calling himself my nanny, his foolishness and silliness added to mine often made us laugh like crazy.
  • Another office buddy and friend (and a fan). A few days ago, he helped me edit this blog (without me forcing him to do it, of course!). It is just amazing how other people chose to spend time doing things for others when they could have spent it doing things for themselves. Added to that, he is giving me constant compliments that are heart warming. :)
  • My little nephew. Oh, he's not little anymore he said (he's only three years old). He is big enough to do things for me such as waking me up in the morning so that I won't be late for work or fixing my mess especially my scattered foot wears. His childish ways always give me reason to smile after a day of stressful work. He is such a sweet kid and I've come to love him as if he's my own child.

Those simple acts of kindness are often unnoticed and may seem insignificant to others but for me, those are the things I should be thankful for. And I would like to thank them with all of my heart...

So Little Time, So Many Things To Do

Idling around like a rich kid is something I do best (but I'm not a rich kid). That's one of my favorite pastimes actually. I usually let the time pass with my back on my bed and staring at the ceiling, or sitting under the mango tree in front of our house or doodling on a piece of paper or doing other ways of wasting time. It feels so good to live life such as this. No deadlines, no time frames! Your time is yours!

But, I'm afraid life isn't the same anymore. Lucky if I have time to sit under the mango tree and notice the big yellow hibiscus flower a few meters away from the tree. Lucky if I can ride my bike and get myself a helping of sunshine vitamin. Lucky if I can do the things I used to do when I was still young and carefree.

Work keeps me busy, so busy right now. I can barely spare one to two hours of my time to eat out with my friends or read my favorite books. If I have to do so, then I have to sacrifice my sleep even if it'll make me groggy and dizzy.

If only one hour of sleep is enough to refuel a person's energy. If only I can divide myself into two, or maybe three so that I can do the things I needed and wanted to do. If only I can stretch time. If only...

But what can I do? That's the way things are. Just have to live with it.

Bet I'll stay awake until dawn again. The two books I have been itching to read are just infront of my very eyes, waiting for me to flip the hard and glossy cover, waiting for me to explore their pages and join the characters in their adventures. Then in the morning I have to clean my room, make up for my unworked hours then visit my cousins and at night visit the wake of my friend's father. And the next morning I have to... and the day after... Whew!

Rants of a Sleep-Deprived


I realized that, for more than a month now, everyday is always a long day for me. From one work to another work... whew! Before I get myself into this mess, I used to be a sleepyhead, the reason why my friends sometimes call me sleeping beauty. And besides, I often get sick due to lack of sleep so I always make sure to get as much sleep as I can. But now, instead of the usual eight to ten hours of sleep, I only get six hours maximum because of my extra work (six hours of sleep is almost impossible now).

At first, it's alright. Four to five hours of sleep won't kill me. Later, I'm starting to realize that this is not good anymore. It is not just the lack of sleep I'm dealing with, but also pressure. Imagine yourself glued in front of the computer when you're supposed to be snoring and dreaming. Imagine yourself, sleep-deprived yet you have to exert every little effort and skill left in you to live up to the expectations and demands of others - your boss particularly.

But it's just funny to think that I'm complaining and yet I still chose to do it. Extra income. Money. Through this, I got to buy the things that I want without asking from others. I got to help with the household expenses - electricity, foods, internet and other bills.

Working animals do get tired, much more a not-so-workaholic girl how tries to be a workaholic. I'm hoping for the time to come when I will have more than enough money and properties in my name and I will only work every time I want to (minus the pressure).

Keepin my fingers crossed.

Check out
A-Ha Design


and

Broker Agent Speakers Bureau


These two are the culprits of my staying late and get little sleep.

Beautiful

Though I keep on telling myself that love songs make me sick, I recently found myself listening to Jim Brickman's "Beautiful" over and over again.

Listening to this song makes me feel like special, so beautiful. What more if someone will personally sing this song to you. Isn't it nice?

Just try to listen to the song. You'll definitely understand why I'm feeling like this.


BEAUTIFUL

Jim Brickman

From the Moment I saw you,
from the moment I looked into your eyes
there was something about you
I knew I knew
that you were once in a life time
a treasure near impossible to find
and I know how lucky I am to have you

Chorus:
Cause I've seen the rainbows that can take your breath away
the beauty of the setting sun that ends a perfect day
and when it comes to shooting stars, I've seen a few
but I've never seen anything...as beautiful as you

Holding you in my arms
no one else has fit so perfectly
I could dance forever with you, with you
and at the stroke of midnight
please forgive me if I can't let go
cause I never dreamed I'd find a Cinderella of my own

Chorus:
Cause I've seen the rainbows that can take your breath away
the beauty of the setting sun that ends a perfect day
and when it comes to shooting stars, I've seen a few
but I've never seen anything...as beautiful as you

Chorus repeat:
Cause I've seen the rainbows that can take your breath away
the beauty of the setting sun that ends a perfect day
and when it comes to shooting stars, I've seen a few
but I've never seen anything...
Oh Oh, Oh no, I've never seen anything...as beautiful as you

from the moment I saw you,
from the moment I looked into your eyes...




Funerals

Since I stayed home whole Sunday, I was given the opportunity to do one of my past-times - tallying the number of people sent to their graves in one day. OK I get it! Making other people's moment of loneliness as my entertainment is not a very good idea but I can't help it. Living near the church leave me no option but to attend mass every Sunday and other days required by Catholic church, guess who is the priest giving the sermon based on his voice, listen to over used love songs during wedding ceremonies and my most favorite - tallying the number of mass held for people who are about to be sent to their final destination, their graves.

At the end of the day, the result I got is:

3 anticipated mass (twice in the morning and once in the afternoon)
2 funerals
1 wedding

I know I sound cruel and insensitive but I really do not intend to be one. It's just one of my ways to entertain myself while I'm doing nothing at home.

Furry Bestfriend

I am not an avid fan of dogs neither do I detest the animal but I once had an experience that made me scared of dogs. About five years ago, I was riding my bike on my home from a friend’s house. It was past 7pm and nobody’s out in the street. Being a no stranger in the place, I didn’t dare ask my friends to take me home thinking that I can manage well without them.

As I was riding my bike and enjoying the beauty of the night, an unexpected twist occurred. A medium-sized dog appeared running and barking after me. I tried to stop the animal from barking and running after me but when I glanced back, I realized that I really have to pedal faster if I do not want dog bites. I was so helpless that time and I know I have no one to rely but myself. Gladly, the dog back off after running a distance of about a hundred meters. Thanks for my long legs!

I was terribly nervous that it took me for about an hour to recover from increased heart beat and shivering. I cannot speak neither can I hold still any object. From then on, I never dared pass that street alone again if I see that same dog in front of its owner’s house. I am traumatized with the experience that every time I’m with dogs around, I tried my best to stay away from the animal.

But I don’t know if its coincidence or what because my work now revolves around dogs. Fortunately, I am not asked to personally attend to the dogs - just promote websites featuring them. I even asked myself how I can promote sites about them when I’m actually scared of them.

Having been working on that subject for more than ten months now, I discovered the true value of dogs and come to understand why a lot of people love their dogs dearly. Here are some of stories that made me know (and perhaps admire) dogs even better.

Maui and Wharf patrons saved Leonard Fogg's life
by: Nelson Sigelman
As Leonard Fogg struggled in the freezing waters of Edgartown Harbor Sunday night, a Bouvier des Flandres named Maui lived up to his breed's noble reputation as a guardian and protector and saved his owner's life.

There were no cars in the town parking lot and no other people about when Leonard Fogg took his dog Maui for a walk along the harbor about 5 pm Sunday evening. He stopped to look at a solitary boat tied up to the wharf between the Edgartown Yacht Club and Navigator Restaurant.

Mr. Fogg, who is diabetic, leaned forward with his hands on the boat to look at a "For sale" sign in a window. But medical problems followed by a long convalescence had left his arm muscles weak.

"I went to push myself back but I didn't have the strength and all of a sudden I got dizzy," Mr. Fogg told The Times on Monday from his Edgartown home. "And down I went. I hit my head on the dock; hit my back and went under. Oh my God, you can't believe how cold it was. And once I fell in, terror just came over me. I said, I'm going to die, I'm going to die."

Experts in cold-water survival say the first hazards from sudden immersion in cold water are panic and shock. Immersion quickly numbs the extremities, making it difficult or impossible to grasp a ladder or rescue line. In water below 40 degrees, as it was Sunday night, exhaustion or unconsciousness can occur in as little as 15 minutes and death in 30 minutes.

Mr. Fogg struggled to stay afloat and screamed for help. His heavy winter clothes became a wet weight. He sank to the bottom.

"I don't know, something inside me just said you've got to try, you can't quit," said Mr. Fogg, describing the instinct for survival that fueled his struggle. He found a foothold on a wooden beam beneath the dock and managed to pull himself up and raise his head above water as the cold water sapped his remaining strength.

According to the American Kennel Club, the Bouvier, also known as the Flanders cattle dog, "is agile, spirited and bold, yet his serene, well-behaved disposition denotes his steady, resolute and fearless character ... He has been used as an ambulance and messenger dog. Modern times find him as a watch and guard dog as well as a family friend, guardian and protector."

As his owner struggled to survive, Maui stood on the dock fixed on his owner and barked steadily and frantically.

About 100 yards up Main Street, Wharf Pub regular Peter Robb of Edgartown, also known as Rico to his many friends, was standing outside the pub entrance enjoying a cigarette and reading the sports section of a daily newspaper.

While a barking dog is not unusual, Mr. Robb told The Times that for that time of the year and that time of the day, there was something about the sound that caught his attention. When he thought he heard a cry for help, he decided to walk down to the water.

"I looked down at the dock, and all I saw was the dog looking down at the water and where the dog was looking there was a hand on the dock," said Mr. Robb, a carpenter for Vineyard Construction Services.

His arrival came just in time for Mr. Fogg. "It seemed like forever I was in the water, and I just knew I didn't have it in me. Then this guy came around the corner because he had heard my dog barking," said Mr. Fogg. "I gave out one last yell and just as I was going down he grabbed my jacket."

The ladders along the dock had been removed for the season so that they would not be damaged by ice if the harbor froze.

According to an Edgartown Police report, Mr. Robb removed his coat and used it to pull Mr. Fogg along the dock to a shallow section in front of the Navigator. Mr. Fogg was so weak he could barely stand. With a surge of strength, Mr. Robb lifted him out of the water, covered him with his coat and ran back to the Wharf to call 911 and get more help.

He returned with Dave Garvin, Mike Poirier and Tom O'Hanlon. Together, the four carried Mr. Fogg back to the warmth of the Wharf, where they quickly removed his clothes and began treating him for hypothermia as Maui anxiously looked on.

When police, EMTs, and an ambulance arrived, Mr. Fogg was sitting in a chair covered in dry clothes and linens. He was transported to the Martha's Vineyard Hospital for treatment and released later that night.

Not sure what to do with the dog while his owner was in the hospital, assistant animal control officer Jennifer Morgan took Maui to the pound for the night. When Mr. Fogg arrived the next day, there was a tearful reunion.

Speaking a day after he helped rescue Mr. Fogg from the harbor, Mr. Robb downplayed his own actions. He said he did what anybody would have done and that the men who carried Mr. Fogg back, bartender Amy Padalino and the responding personnel all played a role. "The dog's the real hero," he said.

Sitting in his living room Monday morning, Mr. Fogg, 63, reflected on an ordeal he said was an emotionally wrenching event and on the dog that helped fill a void left after the death of his wife. "I'm looking at him on the couch now, and I look at him in a totally different light because I wouldn't be talking to you if it wasn't for him," said Mr. Fogg. "But my big boy sitting over there on the couch just looking over here at me saved me. I'm in tears now.

"He is a Bouvier and he is a beauty.


Loyal Sheep Dog

December 12th, 1953, Tip and her master, Joseph Tagg, an eighty-one year-old retired gamekeeper from Bamford, England, had been out on one of their long walks on the Howden (high Derbyshire) moors when the old man passed away.
For fifteen weeks search parties failed, and were set back due to severe frost and snow storms. The man and dog were presumed dead, when, a couple of men rounding up stray sheep in early spring came across the body of Tip’s master, with a starving and sickly Tip on guard beside it. She had waited for over three months, through the worst of winter, for help to come for the one she loved.
Tip spent her last year with a niece of Joseph Tagg, were she was awarded the highest order of canine chivalry. A year after her death, a memorial shrine was unveiled along the banks of Derwent Dam, in Derbyshire.


Sources:
http://rulingcatsanddogs.com/pet-stories-dog-englands-loyal-sheepdog.htm
http://bouviers.net/dogblog/files/barksummonsaid.html

As a Young Mom

My mother and brother often describe me as suplada and maldita - a moody and brat girl who gets everybody's attention by just rolling my eyeballs, raising an eyebrow or stamping my feet. I'm often caught having row with my bro on just about anything - from unequal number of pillows to unequal amount of money given.

But that was when we're still young... When our baby arrived, I realized that I learned a lot. I learned that:


  • you can't always get what you wanted. Sometimes you have to step down your level and do the things you don't usually do (wash his behind after potty, give him a bath, etc.).
  • you will know that Shaun the Sheep is shown right after Mr. Bean and the episodes shown in the morning will be shown again in the aftertoons (afternoon). You will soon realize that you no longer need channel guide because you already mastered the show times and find out that you too is already hooked watching cartoons.
  • there is mama egg (chicken egg) and baby egg (quail egg) as well as mama spoon (tablespoon) and baby spoon (teaspoon). Any larger stuff is called mama stuff and its smaller size is called baby.
  • sleeping with only one pillow can be as comfortable as sleeping with four pillows (I love to sleep surrounded by pillows) if you're sleeping beside the kid.
  • you cannot get everything you want by just rolling your eyeball or locking yourself inside the room. Sometimes you have to do something silly and make a fool out of yourself to get the kid's attention.

The most important is...
  • you may not always get what you want but you can still be content and happy with what you've got - the love of a child.

ooppppss!

one more thing... you never have to carry the child in your womb for nine months for you to become a perfect mom. Your good heart and willingness to do the job will suffice. Right? ;)

A Single Candy Wrapper

On my way home riding a public utility jeepney, I happen to sat beside a young man eating a sandwich and drinking orange juice in tetra pack. Eating in public vehicles isn't a big issue for me until... swosh! food wrapper and empty tetra pack came flying out of the window. I looked him with piercing eyes along with a hmp! sound to let him show my disgust. People throwing garbage anywhere really pisses me off! How the hell can a person manage to contribute in the destruction of the only place most suitable for humans to live in.

The earth is now very different from what it was thousands of years ago. As medicine, technology, infrastructure and lifestyle advances, the earth in turn is gradually deteriorating - loosing its beauty and grandeur. No one is to blame for this but the irresponsible people whose thoughts are filled with their own selfish motives.

All through the rest of the journey on my way home, I think about the present condition of the earth and the consequences that could possibly occur. I can't help but wander, "Can we survive living in another planet when the earth finally gave up?"



A single candy wrapper may seem harmless enough...




what if a million people think that way?




imagine what this world will be...

Dust...all over!

I love my hometown, my dearest San Miguel. This is one of the places in the universe in which I consider safe to wander even at night. Only few things give me the creeps here - person with psychological problem and some street dogs that tend to bark at passersby and night walkers. But knowing the place, I know where these creepy creatures are more likely to appear - thus won't go in there so as to avoid them.

What made me love this place deeply are the people and the memories I shared with these people. Almost everybody is a friend to everybody and somebody is a relative to somebody. My moments here are unforgettable. The laughters and smiles are everywhere and the sadness and tears can be shared to a friend. If opportunity permits, I would rather stay in this place than somewhere else. Though it is not as progressive and luxurious compared to other places in the universe, I'll still choose to build a home in this place.

There is so much I want to say about the place but it seems that I cannot put everything into words for everybody to grasp what I feel. But if there is one thing I complain about the place, that is the bumpy and dusty road. I hate to think that there is one thing I hate about the place but I cannot help it. The dusty road with various holes in all sizes is not the best thing to start your day. But I have no other choice but to endure the bumpy road and dust that tends to stick to my hair (Passenger jeepney with open windows is the most common mode of transportation of people here. Good for those who are fortunate enough to afford private and luxurious cars.).

But now, my dust problem is not in San Miguel alone. It's been days since the great flood hit Iloilo. And guess what? The once dust-free areas are now covered in thick dust that turned into a pool of mud when wet. How unfortunate! It pisses me off every time I think about it. But lately, as I pass by the disaster areas, I realized that my problem is not as great compared to those people whose homes, properties and hopes are washed away by the great flood. I realized that there is more to life than just shiny and dust-free hair. Other people are worrying about water and food shortage not to mention their damaged homes and properties. But me... what am I worried about? Petty things such as the grime in my hair or the planned movie-thon with friends but was canceled because of the great flood. Nonsense!

Starting now, I will set aside my dust and bumpy road worry. When my patience starts to wear off every time I pass the dusty and bumpy road, I will just think of those pitiful children who are not as fortunate as I am. They are the ones who needed much attention.