Enjoy!
Things are getting weird, things are getting tough,
Nothings making sense but you keep on looking up
They tell you to be true, you're trying everyday
To keep it on the real still you got to find a way
To make your mamma happy, to make your papa proud
You'll wanna turn it up and all you hear is tone it down
So gather round I'm here to say
You'll never make everybody's day
But while you're around you might as well, catch the tiger by it's tail
And hang on hang on hang on
Everybody just get on get on get on
Get started and go on go on go on
Everybody just hold on
Sometimes I wanna cry, and throw the towel in
They try to beat me down but i take it on the chin
and everywhere i go the people all the same
and they just wanna know that everything will be ok
when things are getting rough you'll turn it back around
you gotta turn it up when they tell you tone it down.
And hang on hang on hang on
Everybody just get on get on get on
Get started and go on go on go on
Everybody just hold on
Just hang on
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Honesty
Yes, honestly, one of the gazillions of reasons I have not been blogging is because I dont think I have much to say these days. Somedays its easier to just write a one-liner thought in my Facebook status than to post a whole blog. So this "Honesty" post is actually a good way of posting on a blog---by answering questions. So guys, its tag time again!
===
Can you fill this out without lying (it's not hard)? You've been tagged, so now you need to answer all the questions HONESTLY. At the end, choose at least 8 people to be tagged. Don't forget to tag me!
To do this, copy this entire message, then go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, start a new note, paste these instructions in the body of the note, delete my answers, and type yours. Easy!
Next, tag people and list their namesat the bottom. Have fun! :)
1. What was the last thing you put in your mouth?
Home-cooked oatmeal champorado.
2. Where was your profile picture taken?
on a boat in Boracay
3. Can you play the guitar?
Nope
4. Name someone who made you laugh today?
Well, yesterday it was Pastor Peter Tan Chi at church.
5. How late did you stay up last night and why?
11:30pm, ironing clothes.
6. If you could move somewhere else, would you?
Not really...on second thought, that would depend where.
7. Ever been kissed under fireworks?
No(t yet)
8. Which of your friends lives closest to you on Facebook?
Tess, my landlady!
9. Do you believe ex's can be friends?
Yes
10. How do you feel about Dr Pepper?
Not a fan.
11. When was the last time you cried?
a few weeks ago.
12. Who took your profile picture
Myself.
13. Who was the last person you took a picture of?
A group of people in a workshop I conducted.
14. Was yesterday better than today?
About the same
15. Can you live a day without TV?
Yes.
16. Are you upset about anything?
Yes.
17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it?
Some are, some aren't...
18. Are you a bad influence?
Err....depends.
19. Night out or night in?
Either way, depends on the occasion and the weather.
20. What item(s) could you not go without during the day?
Water, Contact Lenses, Toothbrush, Watch, Cellphone.
22. What does the last text message in your inbox say?
Requesting for prayer for the families devastated by landslide in Baguio. :(
23. How do you feel about your life right now?
Thankful despite circumstances.
24. Do you hate anyone?
No
25. If we were to look in your Email inbox, what would we find most?
E-tickets, messages from friends, and spam..!
26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass?
Yep
27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before?
Yes but I think the person was not meaning me as a person, but something I did.
28. What song is stuck in your head?
Vienna by Billy Joel
29. Someone knocks on your window at 2:00 a.m., who do you want it to be?
Jesus
30. Wanna have grandkids before you're 50?
I dont think so...
31. Name something you have to do tomorrow:
Go to work.
32. Do you think too much or too little?
Too much.
33. Do you smile a lot?
I hope so!
Tagged: Beng, Aleks, Abaniko, Single Guy, Carlotta, Major Tom, Wil, Toe.
===
Can you fill this out without lying (it's not hard)? You've been tagged, so now you need to answer all the questions HONESTLY. At the end, choose at least 8 people to be tagged. Don't forget to tag me!
To do this, copy this entire message, then go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, start a new note, paste these instructions in the body of the note, delete my answers, and type yours. Easy!
Next, tag people and list their namesat the bottom. Have fun! :)
1. What was the last thing you put in your mouth?
Home-cooked oatmeal champorado.
2. Where was your profile picture taken?
on a boat in Boracay
3. Can you play the guitar?
Nope
4. Name someone who made you laugh today?
Well, yesterday it was Pastor Peter Tan Chi at church.
5. How late did you stay up last night and why?
11:30pm, ironing clothes.
6. If you could move somewhere else, would you?
Not really...on second thought, that would depend where.
7. Ever been kissed under fireworks?
No(t yet)
8. Which of your friends lives closest to you on Facebook?
Tess, my landlady!
9. Do you believe ex's can be friends?
Yes
10. How do you feel about Dr Pepper?
Not a fan.
11. When was the last time you cried?
a few weeks ago.
12. Who took your profile picture
Myself.
13. Who was the last person you took a picture of?
A group of people in a workshop I conducted.
14. Was yesterday better than today?
About the same
15. Can you live a day without TV?
Yes.
16. Are you upset about anything?
Yes.
17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it?
Some are, some aren't...
18. Are you a bad influence?
Err....depends.
19. Night out or night in?
Either way, depends on the occasion and the weather.
20. What item(s) could you not go without during the day?
Water, Contact Lenses, Toothbrush, Watch, Cellphone.
22. What does the last text message in your inbox say?
Requesting for prayer for the families devastated by landslide in Baguio. :(
23. How do you feel about your life right now?
Thankful despite circumstances.
24. Do you hate anyone?
No
25. If we were to look in your Email inbox, what would we find most?
E-tickets, messages from friends, and spam..!
26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass?
Yep
27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before?
Yes but I think the person was not meaning me as a person, but something I did.
28. What song is stuck in your head?
Vienna by Billy Joel
29. Someone knocks on your window at 2:00 a.m., who do you want it to be?
Jesus
30. Wanna have grandkids before you're 50?
I dont think so...
31. Name something you have to do tomorrow:
Go to work.
32. Do you think too much or too little?
Too much.
33. Do you smile a lot?
I hope so!
Tagged: Beng, Aleks, Abaniko, Single Guy, Carlotta, Major Tom, Wil, Toe.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Beating the Blues
For the first time in a long time, I am home on a Saturday. Schedule-less. Mind you, that is after emailing out reports and other official what-nots just a moment ago. My prayer partner has family duties to fulfill, so here I am at home, in front of the laptop, listening to online radio. Not one bone in my body desires to go out in this wet rainy day. My stomach is grumbling and I have no inclination to forage my cupboard for food to feed myself.
The past two weeks had been unbelievable and the fact that I managed to get through it with mildly flying colors—according to objective evaluations—surprises me quite a bit. I guess this is just another proof that the One who is at work within me continues to do so, quietly and almost unnoticed until I find time to enjoy the luxury of hindsight, which is today.
Those words from that much-used-to-the-point-of-roll-my-eyes-cliché “Footprints in the Sand” find their reality in my life, especially in the past half year, a difficult season to put it mildly.
This is one reason for the infrequent blog posts. No use spreading negativity as there’s already much of that floating around in the real and the web world. I have mentioned to Beng that I am probably better off going on a semi-hiatus with the season I am in.
But will all of my “issues”, I am thankful for lots of stuff that help me cope---oh yeah, and friends, too
—can’t leave them out now, can I? :)
So aside from God and friends, how am I managing the blues?
1. Tennis – it’s a great metaphor for life. The best thing is learning from the fighting spirit of my tennis hero and also from all the mini-sagas that the world of tennis churns out.
2. Music – I usually am not into plugging my ears for the sake of music but the past couple of months, this way of commuting has helped me get into a better mood when I go to
work.
3. Movies – how great is it to forget your own issues even for a while, laugh at all the zany stuff that happens on screen, have your heart moved by characters on screen who have chosen to redeem their lives in creative inspiring ways or even get yourself all horrified at seeing how life could’ve been much worse than your present situation!
3. Sleep – need I say more?
5. Thai Massage - nothing like it!
6. Sense of Humor – I am truly grateful to God for gifting me with a slightly irreverent, off-the-wall humor which has saved many a blue day for me.
…and many more, how about you, how do you beat the blues?
The past two weeks had been unbelievable and the fact that I managed to get through it with mildly flying colors—according to objective evaluations—surprises me quite a bit. I guess this is just another proof that the One who is at work within me continues to do so, quietly and almost unnoticed until I find time to enjoy the luxury of hindsight, which is today.
Those words from that much-used-to-the-point-of-roll-my-eyes-cliché “Footprints in the Sand” find their reality in my life, especially in the past half year, a difficult season to put it mildly.
This is one reason for the infrequent blog posts. No use spreading negativity as there’s already much of that floating around in the real and the web world. I have mentioned to Beng that I am probably better off going on a semi-hiatus with the season I am in.
But will all of my “issues”, I am thankful for lots of stuff that help me cope---oh yeah, and friends, too
—can’t leave them out now, can I? :)So aside from God and friends, how am I managing the blues?
1. Tennis – it’s a great metaphor for life. The best thing is learning from the fighting spirit of my tennis hero and also from all the mini-sagas that the world of tennis churns out.
2. Music – I usually am not into plugging my ears for the sake of music but the past couple of months, this way of commuting has helped me get into a better mood when I go to
work.3. Movies – how great is it to forget your own issues even for a while, laugh at all the zany stuff that happens on screen, have your heart moved by characters on screen who have chosen to redeem their lives in creative inspiring ways or even get yourself all horrified at seeing how life could’ve been much worse than your present situation!
3. Sleep – need I say more?
5. Thai Massage - nothing like it!
6. Sense of Humor – I am truly grateful to God for gifting me with a slightly irreverent, off-the-wall humor which has saved many a blue day for me.
…and many more, how about you, how do you beat the blues?
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Love Without Talking
I've been a bit "under the weather" lately--in more ways than one. So nothing much to blog about, til I stumbled on this video. Cute. Thought you guys would like it, too. :)
12 mins Video, No dialog
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Mourning for Something More
“Ako’y nagpapasalamat sa inyong lahat at lalong-lalo na sa Panginoong Diyos, na ginawa niya akong isang Pilipino. Talagang karangalan ko iyon, na maging katulad niyo…" – Corazon C. Aquino (1933 – 2009)**
Tita Cory gave me a long-stemmed yellow rose way back in 1986 when she was on that historic presidential campaign trail. Those were the heady days of yellow Fridays, and the subversive Mr. & Ms. magazine.
Those early days, I didn’t know much about politics—but I recognized then, in human form, abstract words like hope, faith, justice—and consequently, other abstract words like despair and injustice. Tita Cory embodied the former—until the day she died.
I feel like I am in a strange time warp as I commute the past few days and see yellow ribbons tied in buses, jeepneys and fluttering from many a lamp post and tree branch. The TV images of confetti-filled skies in Makati and the truck carrying the flag-draped coffin and surrounded with yellow blossoms—all brought back the memories of 1983 and the death of Tita Cory’s husband Ninoy.
The memories are bittersweet—gone now are two iconic figures of Philippine democracy. As the nation goes into mourning, I wonder---are we just mourning for Tita Cory’s passing or are we mourning for something more?
Tita Cory was not just an icon of democracy---but an icon of virtues tragically lacking in the Philippine political landscape: decency, simplicity, integrity, humility, and patriotism. Even the staunchest anti-Cory person can never accuse her of corruption. That she made mistakes during her presidency nobody argues against. But who doesn’t make mistakes? At least with Tita Cory, she did it with the interest of the nation at heart.
Her passing means we have lost something very rare but hopefully, in view of God’s compassion for this suffering land, not irreplaceable.
**"I give thanks to all of you, and most especially to the Lord for making me a Filipino. This is truly an honor for me—to be like all of you…"
Tita Cory gave me a long-stemmed yellow rose way back in 1986 when she was on that historic presidential campaign trail. Those were the heady days of yellow Fridays, and the subversive Mr. & Ms. magazine.
Those early days, I didn’t know much about politics—but I recognized then, in human form, abstract words like hope, faith, justice—and consequently, other abstract words like despair and injustice. Tita Cory embodied the former—until the day she died.
I feel like I am in a strange time warp as I commute the past few days and see yellow ribbons tied in buses, jeepneys and fluttering from many a lamp post and tree branch. The TV images of confetti-filled skies in Makati and the truck carrying the flag-draped coffin and surrounded with yellow blossoms—all brought back the memories of 1983 and the death of Tita Cory’s husband Ninoy.
The memories are bittersweet—gone now are two iconic figures of Philippine democracy. As the nation goes into mourning, I wonder---are we just mourning for Tita Cory’s passing or are we mourning for something more?
Tita Cory was not just an icon of democracy---but an icon of virtues tragically lacking in the Philippine political landscape: decency, simplicity, integrity, humility, and patriotism. Even the staunchest anti-Cory person can never accuse her of corruption. That she made mistakes during her presidency nobody argues against. But who doesn’t make mistakes? At least with Tita Cory, she did it with the interest of the nation at heart.
Her passing means we have lost something very rare but hopefully, in view of God’s compassion for this suffering land, not irreplaceable.
**"I give thanks to all of you, and most especially to the Lord for making me a Filipino. This is truly an honor for me—to be like all of you…"
Monday, July 06, 2009
O Life, How Cruel Thou Art
Life can be cruel.
In the wee hours of this morning, I was again reminded of this fact—not that it is something we need to be reminded of.
And so, as Roger Federer lifted his record 15th Grand Slam trophy up for all the 15,000 (and more around the world) Wimbledon crowd to behold—everyone, including the champion was keenly aware of the man with the backwards cap, silent, head bowed, lips grim, loosely holding the runner up plate.
After over 4 hours of tightly-contested, nail-biting, cardiac-arrestable tennis, the victor
was—the usual suspect. From Fed’s point of view—one could say that he only proved to all and sundry that he is a true champion—one who knew how to fight like there was no tomorrow even when it seemed like doom was inevitable. Alas, some storylines give you all the drama of twists and turns, only to end predictably.Alas for Roddick. He fought with courage—it was true grit in action. A lesser man would have just thrown in the towel halfway through the 5th set--and be consoled by the fact that he did try his best. But fought he did, with all his might but still he lost.
The problem with tennis is that it is a lot more like life than Hollywood: The brave David-warrior does not always win his war against Goliath-gladiator.
But just like life—tennis is unpredictable. And unpredictability can bring with it, hope.
Oh the drama! No wonder I am in love with tennis.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Disappointment with a capital R
Oh well, disappointments are supposedly to make us not take life's joys for granted.
Sigh.
"...it's unfortunate. I'm sad for him, because it must have been a very difficult decision to make." - RF on Rafa Nadal's withdrawal from Wimbledon due to injury.
Nice to know Roger feels the same way. :)
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
I *heart* the Jeepney
Arghh…there’s too much negativity going around these days. Let’s talk about something fun! How about...
...the good ol’ iconic jeepney!
Something about this WWII army vehicle-inspired speeding piece of tin makes me feel sentimentally patriotic.
In the jeepney, you get to literally rub elbows (and upper arms, legs, feet, bum—you know what I mean) with pinoys from all walks of life. The nervous young man checking to make sure he has all the papers needed to get that overseas job on the luxury liner. The heavy set, well-coiffed-by-a-gallon-of-hairspray woman furiously fanning herself as her make up melts in the heat. The harried looking mom scolding her sulking daughter who forgot to bring her baon. The driver loudly swapping querida stories with his conductor in Cebuano. The irritated old man trying to avoid being suffocated by an oblivious young lady’s long hair streaming relentlessly towards him (obviously not a scene for shampoo commercials!).
In the jeepney, you get to feel all sorts of emotions. You are touched when a man quickly decides to get off earlier so the old lady with her heavy basket can have his seat. You see your life flash before your eyes as your speeding jeep misses a rampaging bus by an inch. You are on the verge of violence when a lady squeezes herself behind you to take the seat nearest the exit—when there’s nobody else in the jeep—so she can get you to pass her fare to the driver. Grrrr. You keep yourself from laughing out loud when you see your tanned, tough-looking jeepney driver admiring his newly-manicured nails (painted with clear nail polish)—but of course, checking them out the manly way, that is, fingernails curled inwards and not splayed out!
In the jeepney, you experience the ebb and flow of Pinoy life. When election comes, they’re bound to be plastered with election stickers of their favorite candidate (I swear I saw "FPJ in 2010!"). If you don’t have a TV at home (like me), don’t worry, the jeepneys will blast your ears off with the latest dance music that’s hit the popular TV shows. You know that life is really hard when the driver and a passenger are red in the face quarreling over whether he should pay P10 or P11.
Of course, if you are a foreigner new to the Philippines, a jeepney will orient you to Filipino culture by instructing you: that drivers are sweet lovers; barya lang sa umaga (pay with loose change in the morning), that you should “full” the string to stop; that only those named Judas do not pay their fare--and God knows who they are; that jeepneys are owned by people named Jun-jun, Ging-Ging, Au-au and Mak-mak; pangit ang dumidikit (those who tailgate are ugly).
By looking at the jeepneys’s artwork, you discover that Filipinos are spiritual (eg. painting of Virgin Mary, Bible verses spelled out all around the jeepney’s ceiling, the rosary dangling from the rearview mirror); that we love all things foreign (eg. Mickey Mouse, Garfield, Japanese Manga, the American flag and the Mercedes Benz symbol installed in the hood); and of course, that despite the state we are in, we are still proud of our country (eg. white sand beaches, Mt Mayon, Banaue Rice Terraces)
No other portrays life in the Philippines like the jeepney—the scary parts, the beautiful side, the sad moments, and the funny bits.
So, what do you love about the Philippines?
...the good ol’ iconic jeepney!
Something about this WWII army vehicle-inspired speeding piece of tin makes me feel sentimentally patriotic.
In the jeepney, you get to literally rub elbows (and upper arms, legs, feet, bum—you know what I mean) with pinoys from all walks of life. The nervous young man checking to make sure he has all the papers needed to get that overseas job on the luxury liner. The heavy set, well-coiffed-by-a-gallon-of-hairspray woman furiously fanning herself as her make up melts in the heat. The harried looking mom scolding her sulking daughter who forgot to bring her baon. The driver loudly swapping querida stories with his conductor in Cebuano. The irritated old man trying to avoid being suffocated by an oblivious young lady’s long hair streaming relentlessly towards him (obviously not a scene for shampoo commercials!).
In the jeepney, you get to feel all sorts of emotions. You are touched when a man quickly decides to get off earlier so the old lady with her heavy basket can have his seat. You see your life flash before your eyes as your speeding jeep misses a rampaging bus by an inch. You are on the verge of violence when a lady squeezes herself behind you to take the seat nearest the exit—when there’s nobody else in the jeep—so she can get you to pass her fare to the driver. Grrrr. You keep yourself from laughing out loud when you see your tanned, tough-looking jeepney driver admiring his newly-manicured nails (painted with clear nail polish)—but of course, checking them out the manly way, that is, fingernails curled inwards and not splayed out!
In the jeepney, you experience the ebb and flow of Pinoy life. When election comes, they’re bound to be plastered with election stickers of their favorite candidate (I swear I saw "FPJ in 2010!"). If you don’t have a TV at home (like me), don’t worry, the jeepneys will blast your ears off with the latest dance music that’s hit the popular TV shows. You know that life is really hard when the driver and a passenger are red in the face quarreling over whether he should pay P10 or P11.
Of course, if you are a foreigner new to the Philippines, a jeepney will orient you to Filipino culture by instructing you: that drivers are sweet lovers; barya lang sa umaga (pay with loose change in the morning), that you should “full” the string to stop; that only those named Judas do not pay their fare--and God knows who they are; that jeepneys are owned by people named Jun-jun, Ging-Ging, Au-au and Mak-mak; pangit ang dumidikit (those who tailgate are ugly).
By looking at the jeepneys’s artwork, you discover that Filipinos are spiritual (eg. painting of Virgin Mary, Bible verses spelled out all around the jeepney’s ceiling, the rosary dangling from the rearview mirror); that we love all things foreign (eg. Mickey Mouse, Garfield, Japanese Manga, the American flag and the Mercedes Benz symbol installed in the hood); and of course, that despite the state we are in, we are still proud of our country (eg. white sand beaches, Mt Mayon, Banaue Rice Terraces)
No other portrays life in the Philippines like the jeepney—the scary parts, the beautiful side, the sad moments, and the funny bits.
So, what do you love about the Philippines?
Monday, June 08, 2009
Okey, Fine, I am Happy for Roger.
My feelings for Roger Federer have always been a bit ambiguous. Partly because I root for Rafa, and partly because he can sometimes be arrogant and a sore loser. But seeing him crying tears of joy as he held on tightly to that French Open trophy which had eluded him for four long years, you can’t help but feel happy for the guy.
I guess there’s something in each of us that makes us understand in a kindred sort of way, how it would feel like to finally achieve what we have long worked for or to see an almost impossible dream suddenly fulfilled.
Even if you are not a tennis fan, I am sure that you can at least relate to that feeling, right?
Allez, Roger…until Wimbledon.
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Back from AWOL
Some things you just don’t see coming. In my case, I didn’t see blogworld AWOL coming--but it did. The next thing I knew, its been six months since I last posted anything. How did that happen? Well, lots of things happened (and other internet distractions didn't help), like…
-Surviving a long, intense meeting before Christmas.
-Realizing that my nieces have grown a couple of inches taller in my absence.
-Having a few gallons of coffee (in total) with friends over Christmas.
-Crying my eyes out watching Kite Runner and A Mighty Heart back to back.
-Starting a new year’s resolution of keeping track of my spending on Excel (I’ve been good and relatively stingy since!)
-Witnessing The Might Federer sobbing and being comforted by his rival Rafa Nadal.
-Facebo
oking.
-Stepping on Cambodian soil for the first time.
-Looking like a dust ninja while hanging on for dear life in a Siem Reap Tuk Tuk ride.
-Waiting for flights in different airports.
-Meetings and meetings and oh yeah, meetings.
-Finally seeing my cute bald-headed Irish nephew in person.
-Crying my eyes out (again) reading Khaled Husseini's Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.
-Being treated to a Japanese Onsen in Los Banos for my birthday.
-Having to pick up my jaw from the floor after watching “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.”
-Marathoning through facilitating two-week long workshops.
-Having my bones cracked by a chiropractor for a whole month.
-Discovering my ADD tendencies after a psychological testing (a non-surprise).
-Borrowing a stranger’s cellphone to make a call in Tokyo.
-Discovering I missed blogging.
-Scouring 100 Yen stores.
-Ordering food on my own in a Tokyo fastfood joint (point of pride)
-Having to correct my tendency to refer to myself in the third person (no thanks to Facebook!)
-Sleeping in a hut and waking up to a refreshing view of ricefields.
-Suffering from sunburned knees in Boracay (long story).
-Trying to stay sane and steady as the erratic nature of my life caught up with me.
-Finally around to worship at my church in Manila, which I direly missed.
-Wondering how my blogfriends are doing.
-Enjoying good conversations with taxi drivers on my numerous rides to and from the airport.
-Spending a rare FULL day at home and bonding with my house.
-Helping a friend choose a wedding gown design through YM.
-Finally finishing Season 7 of 24.
-Found out that almost all my recently read books have Boarding Passes for bookmarks.
-Amazed at having teenagers pour their hearts out to me—at first meeting!
-Bumping into so many long lost friends on Facebook.
-Being shocked speechless at Rafa Nadal’s French Open loss. (yup, that was the sound of my heart breaking...)
-Missing Davao.
-Surrendering to a pint of Selecta Gold Chocolate Truffle.
-Having Lectio Divina with a good friend through Skype.
-Deciding to get back to blogging. :)
Peppered on these are good conversations, new friends made and the usual highs and lows of life and work. I was often “seized” with eye-opening insights that I should have taken time to blog about. If the past 6 months is anything to go by—there is much to blog about and look forward to in the latter half.
What were the highlights of the past 6 months for you?
-Surviving a long, intense meeting before Christmas.
-Realizing that my nieces have grown a couple of inches taller in my absence.
-Having a few gallons of coffee (in total) with friends over Christmas.
-Crying my eyes out watching Kite Runner and A Mighty Heart back to back.
-Starting a new year’s resolution of keeping track of my spending on Excel (I’ve been good and relatively stingy since!)
-Witnessing The Might Federer sobbing and being comforted by his rival Rafa Nadal.
-Facebo
oking.-Stepping on Cambodian soil for the first time.
-Looking like a dust ninja while hanging on for dear life in a Siem Reap Tuk Tuk ride.
-Waiting for flights in different airports.
-Meetings and meetings and oh yeah, meetings.
-Finally seeing my cute bald-headed Irish nephew in person.
-Crying my eyes out (again) reading Khaled Husseini's Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.
-Being treated to a Japanese Onsen in Los Banos for my birthday.
-Having to pick up my jaw from the floor after watching “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.”
-Marathoning through facilitating two-week long workshops.
-Having my bones cracked by a chiropractor for a whole month.
-Discovering my ADD tendencies after a psychological testing (a non-surprise).
-Borrowing a stranger’s cellphone to make a call in Tokyo.
-Discovering I missed blogging.
-Scouring 100 Yen stores.
-Ordering food on my own in a Tokyo fastfood joint (point of pride)
-Having to correct my tendency to refer to myself in the third person (no thanks to Facebook!)
-Sleeping in a hut and waking up to a refreshing view of ricefields.
-Suffering from sunburned knees in Boracay (long story).
-Trying to stay sane and steady as the erratic nature of my life caught up with me.
-Finally around to worship at my church in Manila, which I direly missed.
-Wondering how my blogfriends are doing.
-Enjoying good conversations with taxi drivers on my numerous rides to and from the airport.
-Spending a rare FULL day at home and bonding with my house.
-Helping a friend choose a wedding gown design through YM.
-Finally finishing Season 7 of 24.
-Found out that almost all my recently read books have Boarding Passes for bookmarks.
-Amazed at having teenagers pour their hearts out to me—at first meeting!
-Bumping into so many long lost friends on Facebook.
-Being shocked speechless at Rafa Nadal’s French Open loss. (yup, that was the sound of my heart breaking...)
-Missing Davao.
-Surrendering to a pint of Selecta Gold Chocolate Truffle.
-Having Lectio Divina with a good friend through Skype.
-Deciding to get back to blogging. :)
Peppered on these are good conversations, new friends made and the usual highs and lows of life and work. I was often “seized” with eye-opening insights that I should have taken time to blog about. If the past 6 months is anything to go by—there is much to blog about and look forward to in the latter half.
What were the highlights of the past 6 months for you?
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