THINGS

As I sat on my bed, still recovering from a short trip, and surveyed the things strewn around me, trying to put away stuff from my recent trip, trying to sort out what to bring to the UK, what to put away and what to give away. I am overwhelmed.

Things. A vague word we use to refer to what we cannot or are too lazy to give specific labels to. Yet, what a meaningful, burdensome word.

Shoes.
Clothes.
CDs.
VCDs.
Photos.
Letters.
Toiletries.
Bags.
Magazines.
Books.
Knick knacks from travels.
A collection of rupiah, ringgit, Singapore Dollars, Thai Baht.
Gifts hardly used: coffee mugs, trinkets, wallets, souvenier items, T-shirts, and more coffee mugs.

Pile them all together and they’d be a Mount Everest of things. Imagine if I were married, the pile could probably fill the whole stretch of China’s Great Wall…shudder.

I would like to think that there are worse ratpackers than me, but just looking at my collection of things—many of which are hardly used but never disposed of—I wonder.

Why is it so much easier to accumulate than to throw away things? Why can’t I throw away my old Kathmandu T-shirt which has been mothballed to one side of the closet for the past 6 years? Why can’t I give up a pair of well-worn (during its heydays) sandals that has not seen the light of day for two years? Why can’t I just give up a lot of these stuff.

Beats me!

There is a saying that goes, “The one who dies with the most toys, wins. Wins what, I wonder? Anyway, what does one do with all these toys if one is six feet under? Somehow, these “toys” or things hardly make me feel like a winner---more like a “drowner.”

Sigh.

Ironically, I just found out that my airline has graciously granted me extra 10kg luggage allowance…to make room for more “things” to bring to the UK. Now my feelings are mixed.

Talking to Myself

On the eve of an overseas trip:

Me: (taking a deep breath) Okey..I’m using Barbie bag tomorrow…

The Other Me (TOM): What’s that deep breath for? It’s just a bag!

Me: ..but it’s pink..*sigh*

TOM: So what? The important thing is for you to use it a few times, sort of like a test drive, before you bring it to the UK.

Me:…but I’m worried what people will say…it’s just sooo not me.

TOM: My goodness! Just because you got free media mileage from Snglguy’s blog post yesterday doesn’t make you famous enough for people to take notice! What an ego you have…

Me: But I’m worried about my colleagues when we meet up tomorrow night at the airport, I am sure they’ll laugh at me!

TOM: You don’t only have an over-active imagination but you’ve also got an overblown sense of self-importance…the thing is, who cares?!

Me: I can already see them snickering away—maybe I should just use the green one.

TOM: No, you are suppose to use this one and see if it works okey, besides you are only away for a week, you don’t need a bigger bag.

Me: Yiiiii-ikes…I can see myself and Barbie bag glowing beside me…

TOM: You know what, there are more important things to think about…like making sure you’ll bring your passport, your ticket, your money…

Me: Oh yeah, I’ve got that covered…sigh…it’s pink…

TOM: (frustrated sigh) Hello, will somebody out there give this girl the “Silliest Blogger Award?”

I Don't Mind...Really!

The fervently prayed-for rain has come and everyone cheers—of course! Since the lack of rain has been a real issue these past months, the rainy days has been a welcomed inconvenience for many of us commuters….yes, really, a welcomed inconvenience!

I don’t mind, really, that I get splashed by muddy water by passing cars, tricycles, buses and motorcycles…

I don’t mind, really, that the rain has made commuters sitting ducks to taxi drivers morphed into opportunistic sharks (hmmm….come to think of it, when aren’t they sharks?).

I don’t mind, really, that this means getting your shoes and pant legs all soaked because of the floods or water that has pooled up in our uneven sidewalks.

I don’t mind, really, that this means double the traffic especially along Cubao where, if you’re a commuter on a bus, you have no right to use the express underpass (only those who can afford cars or taxis have the right not to be late for their work or appointments, it seems).

I don’t mind, really, that you have to think three to a hundred times whether to make/keep appointments that would mean getting out of your house (where you stay warm and dry).

I don’t mind, really, that it means having to share an MRT ride with others who are all sweaty under their rained-soaked jackets.

..really! I don’t mind!

Five Over Three

That is, five goodbyes in over three days. Two of them are to people I am not sure I will ever see again. For the rest, if things go as planned, I will see them again in a year’s time. But then again, who’s to know in this unpredictable planet we live in?

It can be a trying practice, this goodbye business. No amount of farewells, hugs, despedida meals or goodbye gifts can take that pang away.

But, as I always try to tell myself, life goes on—everyone moves on. It would be unnatural to hang on to someone and refuse to move from a certain spot in your life unless that person moves with you. Now, that kind of messy goodbye, I can do without, thank you!

We all have our journeys to walk, and along the way we bump into people, we get helped—or lend a helping hand. And when that patch in life has passed, we go our different ways. Sometimes we meet again somewhere in the future, sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we keep in touch, or try to, other times we can’t--or don’t want to anymore.

Some people will be sorely missed as we go ahead with our journeys, others will become pleasant memories, still others will be forgotten. In some ways, forgetfulness can be a real gift—when the pain of separation, through the help of forgetfulness, will fade into hazy but good remembrances.

We then can go on with life, embracing new friends, not keeping them at arm’s length—knowing that friendship is worth risking the pain that goodbyes, which eventually comes, bring about.

Just as I thought, life is a bed of roses—you have to lay down on both the petals and the thorns.

Crying for Jack

*written a couple of weeks ago.
**WARNING: If you have not seen the last episode of 24’s Season 6, there is a bit of a spoiler here... but only a little bit, I promise you!

I haven’t cried for such a long time. But Jack Bauer had me sobbing away. Since he can do almost anything humanly possible, that shouldn’t surprise me, I guess. Just watching him fight to get his own life back for a change, at the last episode of 24, made me root for him all the more.

“Way to go, Jack!”

“About time, Jack!”

Season 6 ended with everyone in the United States of America getting their lives back after a series of terrorist attacks, with CTU staff, the president, the vice president and the rest of the gang, including the pregnant Chloe getting their much needed sleep after a stress-filled 24 hours.

Everyone but Jack.

Yeah, I know, I sound like a starry-eyed fanatic who can't tell my fact from my fiction. But just thinking of Jack Bauer made me realize how even in fiction, our heroes are all too human.

Whoever our heroes may be, like Jack Bauer, when they say “I promise you” they will not always be able to deliver, even if they promised with all their hearts and tried their very best. They will fail us somehow, sometime. Once you’ve walked with them and witnessed their own angst and struggles, you will root for them, cry with them and pray for them—but you will know for sure that they cannot always be there for you. Because they are just as human as we are.

Whatever the case may be, we hope to see you again soon, Jack!

Rocking Away!

After a scholarship, after a one-year visa, what would be the icing on the cake?

How about an award?

Imagine that, I was given another award from that girl who rocks, Ipanema! Oh wow, to be awarded twice is such a privilege--especially from someone I look up to as a really rockin' blogger herself!

So now, I need to pass the blessing again--and this is one other reason why I am so happy I got this award, I can pass it to those I would have also wanted to award the other time...

So here's the list of rockin' girls I am delighted to pass this award to:

Jenny! She writes well, she takes great photos and she speaks French! Trés cool, don't you think?

Toe! Which should not come as a surprise to many of us who are so much entertained by her posts...and the fact that she is making a difference in Cambodia, that rocks, too!

Chesca! She is a great gal who has a great family and loves to share her diving adventures with us. The fact that we both used to work in this unique place in Bataan makes her special to me, too!

Jojie A! Because not only takes great photos but she is an eagle-eye when it comes to those really funny ones that make my day! Plus she was my classmate in my college days--where we first discovered we have the same warped sense of humor--that keeps us both afloat through the rough times. Right, girl?

ZJ! Another lady who is making a difference in Cambodia! I am sure the Khmer people are know that they are blessed with your contribution there. You rock, girl!

And, Ipanema, you know, I will also have to give this award to you, too! I know I may not be following the rules, but hey, I rock (as you say) so I have the license to break some of 'em rules, don't I?

Happily Tired

Ever been tired and happy at the same time? That is how I feel today. I just got back from an overnight trip out of town and had one meeting after another today—after a couple of hour’s trip back to town. The last meeting just wrapped up a couple of minutes ago.

But even with the tiredness, it’s nice to know that many things got done and that you can go to sleep happy, even though you know that there are still about a week of "meeting marathon" (one more long-distance travel included).

Two factors that make my work meaningful and fun are the fact that I believe that what I do and where I am in what I do is my “place in the sun,” so to speak—my niche—and the other factor is that I am with colleagues (though only here for a short visit) who are so easy to work with and who share the same vision and passion I have with what I do. It does help that we’re able to “click” in such a short time (two days!), so much so that we can swap jokes and laugh at each other’s bloopers and antics without fear of being misunderstood.

If only everyday were like this, then there is nothing else I can ask God for …well, almost nothing!

Okey, better go and get ready for bed—another big day coming up tomorrow! And the next day…and the next…

Have a happy (even if you get tired) weekend!

Living with Our Choices

A pink piece of luggage. Nobody who knows me would ever have imagined me buying such an item. But buy I did. I made the choice to buy it because it was the right size, the right quality, the right price. I chose it for these reasons---never mind that it was not the neon green piece I saw the week before (Alas! out of stock) but Barbie-pink.

So I endured the guffaws from a good friend who picked me up at the airport recently: “Wahahaha!!! Pink!” and my dear brother: “Eeow! What happened?!” I patiently, albeit defensively explained my choice (see above reasons).

But this doesn’t keep me from sighing everytime I look at it, innocently, quietly standing in the corner of my house…a silent reminder of my need to stand by the choices I make.

The worst that could happen is that I’d grow to like it, despite the fact that it is so against the very grain of my personality to go with pink-hued accessories of any sort. (No offense to pink-lovers, “It’s not you …it’s me…”)

The worst that could happen is the persecution I will have to endure from my friends (having already gotten initial, painful feedback, I think I can handle some more).

Whatever the case maybe, I will have to live with it.

Other choices that I may have to live with it in the future might not be as easy this.

In some sense, I thank God for this pink “thing,” at least I am reminded to be careful with my choices in the future, on more serious matters.

….like, maybe, dying my hair pink…!

Don't Know Any Better

“What should I do?”
“What must be done?”
“Why won’t she listen?”

He is frustrated.
She is in pain.
They are confused.

“It’ll be okey.”
“Do this.”
“Do that.”

I suggest.
I counsel.
I comfort.
Or try to.

Inside me, I sigh.

“Don’t ask me!”
“I don’t know.”
“I can’t help you.”

I don’t know any better!
I don’t DO any better.

They ask me this.
They ask me that.

“Counsel me.”
“Hear me.”
“Help me.”

But I don’t know how!
Can’t even follow my own advice.

I'm as weak as you.
As helpless as you.
Make mistakes like you.
Stumble like you.
Whimper like you.

I don’t know any better.

...and sometimes, I don’t want to come alongside.
...and sometimes, I just can’t come alongside.

I can’t.
I wish I can.
Will a hug do?

...and I need to fight my own battles.
...and you need to win your own wars.

Ask Him!
He can.
He wants to.
And He will.

After all, He did say,
"Come to me , all of you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28.

Who Knows?

It’s Sunday and I am enjoying my last few hours in this temporary haven in Baguio. The only sound I hear are the soft whirring of CK’s fan and my fingers dancing on the keyboard—otherwise, it’s pure, unadulterated silence.

My workshop finished at 9 pm yesterday and with the SONA tomorrow blocking my way to the office in QC, what’s the point of rushing down to Manila today? So I decided to just stay here for one more day, chill (literally) and enjoy the fog-enveloped view from my window.

Who knows, I might catch another technicolor sunset like the one I caught on camera the other day! Who knows if I would get to enjoy such a rare awesome treat again?

Then again, who knows if I will ever come back again to this nice haven in Baguio?

Who knows if this nice haven will still be around a year from now when I come home? Who knows if I would ever be able to enjoy this unadulterated peace and quiet again?

Who knows what life will throw at me tomorrow?

For now, I am A-OK and life is good. Cheers!

15 Weird Facts and Feats

Since Wil, as payback, tagged me to list down 15 weird facts about myself, I have been mentally working on the list on and off for the past couple of weeks. I thought myself to be quite normal since I found it difficult to come up with a list of 15 weird facts. Hmm…should I just say I bite my nails 15 times a day? Would that qualify for all 15?

“Oh, wow,” I thought at first, “I must normal!” Until I am reminded of certain facts like…

1. I can only sleep well if I sleep on my stomach, and with my arm around a baby pillow.
2. I graduated 13^th honor after 10 years of Chinese language classes…and am still only semi-literate in Mandarin (I fooled my teachers! BWAHAHAHA!!).
3. I can put on my contact lenses in under 15 seconds--without the aid of a mirror!
4. After a traumatic first-time experience of baby sitting, it took me many years to get over my fear of children…and I have rarely babysat since--even with my own nieces!
5. I am embarrassingly slow at telling time with analog watches…thus all my wristwatches have been (and always will be) digital.
6. I have difficulty figuring out the “open” and “close” symbols in elevators…I am sorry to the many I have victimized because of this…err…lapse.
7. If I do not get to eat McSpaghetti or McDonald’s Longganisa Rice within a couple of weeks, I don’t feel well.
8. I have an earthy, politically incorrect sense of humor that gets me snickering at the oddest, most inappropriate occasions.
9. From childhood until now, I have moved house 24 times—and even then, I am no expert. I still lose something after every move ( a pair of shoes, a belt, a blouse, a pair of earrings, and lately, a pair of sandals, and, soon, quite possibly, my head.)
10. I have seen “While You Were Sleeping” so many times I have memorized the script.
11. I consider “The Simpsons” a serious comedy that accurately portrays/ parodies a certain segment of American society. I feel the same way about “Third Rock from the Sun” which parodies modern society and human behavior.
12. I am proud of the gap between my two front teeth—it gives me “character” and puts me in the same league as Madonna and Lauren Hutton. So I can’t understand why my dentists are obsessing about closing it up or getting me braced!
13. And speaking of dentists, I love to go for prophylaxis so much that she has to shoo me away and tell me to come back after 3 months.
14. And speaking of dentists, I am proud to say I have very high pain threshold. The dentists don’t need to give me anesthesia when I go for major tooth filling projects.
15. And speaking of prophylaxis, I meet regularly with a friend who is a trained counselor, over a cup of coffee. We vent, do small talk, a bit of soul searching and self-examination. She gives me what I would like to call my psychological prophylaxis—just so I know my neurosis is still within socially acceptable levels. (And I guess the fact that I do this would already tell you I am certifiably weird!)

Fear not! I won't be tagging people--but anyone who wants to re-evaluate their WQ (weirdness quotient), feel free!

Like IV Drip to A Patient

Like IV drip to a hospital patient.

Like Diet Coke to a model.

Like face lift to an aging movie star.

Like Starbucks to yuppies.

That is what internet connection is to me, I’m afraid. I came up to Baguio yesterday, two days early for a seminar hoping to catch some R & R before work takes over. I was planning for some peace and quite in a haven tucked somewhere in the hills of Baguio. It’s stillness, I thought, would be such an ideal place for me to rest, reflect and be silent.

Sounds like a great plan!

Until I found out the phone lines were down. *gasp!*

Then I realized that I was only enamoured with the idea of quiet rest and reflection. In the end, this is still pathetically conditional to the presence of internet accessibility.

And so after a moment of reflection this morning, I went off to Session Road, logging my hulk of a boyfriend CK, in search for that IV drip called FREE WI FI ACCESS. The sign on the window outside Zola Café was the sole reason I wandered in.

Not so much the fact that they were playing Pop Goes my Heart when I came in.

Not so much that they actually have tomato catsup which I need to go with my tocilog breakfast.

Not so much for the efficient and friendly service.

If the place were a dump and the service bad, I would still be a happy camper as long as there is free wifi…and as long as they don’t throw me out even if I have hogged this table for the past couple of hours!

Ain’t I easy to please?!

Advices, Advices...

It is great to have so many friends. It’s great to have different people to turn to for different sort of things, like on travel, movies, foodtrips, and pity parties. But one thing all friends seem to have in common is the giving of advice!

Advices on keeping healthy…

Advices on primping yourself…

Advices on the cure for a bad cough….

There are certain peak seasons when advices fly all over the place—like now, when I am preparing to leave.

The most common advices are:

1. Bring warm socks.
2. Buy warm clothes there.
3. Make sure to go to Paris.
4. Make sure to visit Ireland.
5. Make sure to visit the Queen.
6. Try hard to find yourself a husband! *sigh*
   

Guess what.

Nobody adviced me to study hard.

Hmmm….

Perfect Timing

As I’ve said once before…waiting has never been my strength. But once again, God has proven that:

“Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.”(Isaiah 64:4)

Yep, you guessed it. My UK student visa has arrived! Just this morning—after much waiting…and what a wait!

I had resolved not to worry but that didn’t mean that the worry wart in me wouldn't rare its ugly head. In those times, I would keep reminding myself that God is in control and He will see this through for me…no matter what the circumstances may seem to suggest.

It took nearly two months before my visa arrived. Those who've gone for studies in the UK have remarked that it seemed like an unusually long time of processing.

Had I not begged off from a meeting in Singapore that was scheduled last week, I would’ve wasted our organization’s money and cancelled the trip since my passport was still at the embassy.

Had my documents arrive last week, while I was in Davao, I wouldn’t have been able to get my hands on it since they would not have handed it over to simply anyone else.

Had I not get the call early this morning for instructions on how to get to our office (a bit complicated, what with the road widening project of the MMDA), the courier would've gotten lost along the way…and I might have to get my visa myself!

Oh well, all’s well that ends well…but wait! This is just the beginning!

So cheerio, mates, I have to go and look for the cheapest way to fly to London!

When I Was 18...

I was tagged by Niceheart on listing my favorite songs when I was 18. I thought, “Wow, I will have to reach some light years back for that!” Thankfully, I realized that I didn’t exactly have to do that since many of the songs are still on the airwaves, if not revived!

Ahh..the 80’s! How do I love thee?

I love thee for letting Rick Springfield wisely advise us, “Don’t Talk to Strangers.”

I love thee for Michael Jackson (when he wore his true colors and still had a nose).

I love thee for Gary V. who sang and danced his way to our hearts (up to now!)

I love thee for the Bagets gang through whom we vicariously lived out our adolescent follies.

I love thee for Tears for Fears who told us its okey to “Shout” and let it all out.

I love thee for Billy Joel who made Honesty cool.

I love thee for the fantastic duo Eurythmics announcing “Here Comes the Rain Again.”

I love thee for the dazzling Miss Piggy, those two funny cantakerous old critics and her consort in “The Muppet Show.”

I love thee for the swashbuckling adventures with Dr. Indiana Jones.

..and many more.

Though I would not be requesting the comeback of big hair, shoulder pads and baggy trousers…!

Anyway, here’s a list of the hits I loved when I turned 18…I wont be able to give detailed reasons why I like them, I just do—and mostly for the music rather than the lyrics—I seldom analyze lyrics, especially since half the time, I can hardly really figure out what they’re singing! Anyway, here goes:

Take My Breath Away – Berlin

True Colors -Cyndi Lauper

Broken Wings – Mr. Mister

Rock Me Amadeus – Falco

These Dreams –Heart

Walk of Life-Dire Straits

True Blue-Madonna

Meanwhile, let me share with you this MTV of Hugh Grant from Music and Lyrics—it just gets me all giggly about the crazy 80’s and nostalgic at the same time, sorry I have no idea how to upload a video so just click on this!!

Award! Awards! (Bow)

For the first time since grade school (where I won an award at a poster-making contest), I won an award, courtesy of Ipanema, Thinking Blogger par excellence (almost hall-of-famer). She has graciously bestowed me with the

(your obligatory applause please....ahem)

I’ve been told by friends that I think a lot—and they do not mean it in a positive way (read: over-analysis of everything). So its nice for someone to look at my thinking in a positive light. I guess that is what blogging does to people who would otherwise need P500 per hour sessions with shrinks!

So I’m supposed to award 5 bloggers with this same award. Honestly, not an easy task since each one of those in my blogroll are great thinkers and have triggered me to think further about a variety of issues—ranging from the serious (world issues, social issues, etc.) to the not-so-serious but important (shopping tips, standards for mr. right, etc.).

But anyway, here goes!

Beng (When I need to calm down and think happy thoughts, I visit her!)

Verns (Yes, dear, you get me thinking funny and weird thoughts!)

Single Guy (I vicariously “vent” through you!)

AnnaManila (Who couldn’t learn from one who has so much to offer at this point in her life?)

Kathy (Mother/Filipina Scientist in Japan—need I say more?)

I wish it was a list of 10!

Anyway, over to the 4 ladies and one single guy to pass on awards to five of their own choices!!

Insanity

Albert Einstein once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Quite a number of organizations have actually adopted this as a corporate mantra. Some days I feel like I am in one...other days, I think we're only slightly neurotic (whew!). It all depends on the level of insanity thrown at me in meetings and the issues I hear.

There are times when I just want to throw in the towel and join another organization. But I've since realized that each organization has its own level of insanity. So why not stick to insanities that I'm used to and can do something about? Who knows, I might be able to contribute equally insane alternatives that just might help move the cart along? Like maybe triangular wheels?

Now to stop pushing and start fixing those wheels…

Better than Oprah!

Finally! After a week of letting these questions brew in my so-called brain, I have come up with satisfying (I think) answers. All I can say is, the following interviewers are better than Oprah because they let me speak my mind without interruptions of “Yes, that happened to me, too! blah blah blah..” as Oprah would’ve done. Not that you have a choice in this medium!

Annamanila asks:

1.You seemed to have said goodbye a lot. Describe a goodbye scene where you figured, (and doesn’t include moms, and the like) you find most memorable.

Wow, first question and you already pack quite a punch. Saying goodbye so frequently has somehow made it almost a perfunctory exercise for me…maybe unconsciously, this is for the sake of self-preservation. Ironically, the most memorable goodbye for me is when I said goodbye to my dad many years ago when I was leaving for a three year study in Singapore. It was going to be three straight years in Singapore as I didn’t plan to come home for vacations because of financial constraints. I go, “Pa, I’m leaving for the airport!” Pa peers at me over his reading glasses and grunted, “U-huh.” And goes back to his newspaper. Three years later, I come home and what do you know, I go over to my dad and go, “Pa, I’m back!” And he said, you guessed it, “U-huh.”

2. When the gypsy has settled down, stayed put, how does she plan to change her site to square with her more stable status?

I would want to settle somewhere in Davao where many of my friends. Hopefully a wee house just right for one person in a place not too urban (I would need a slower pace of life) and yet not to rural (I still need my internet access!!). I would probably do some writing and lots of reading and some entertaining (brewing coffee and cooking curry for friends!). I would still do some traveling of course, to satisfy my itchy feet. How on earth this becomes a reality, I have no idea..but it’s nice to dream!

3. Are arranged marriages no longer prevalent among lannangs (did i spell that right) in the Philippines? Has there been an attempt to arrange one for you? What is your take about this practice?

I have no idea if arranged marriages are still prevalent here! But I know "Kai Siaw" (where you are introduced to a potential spouse) is still a practice. Nobody has dared to attempt an arranged marriage on me—it would be waste of their time and resource…however, some have attempted introducing potentials to me—which ended up nowhere. This has been a “fruitful” practice for some but not for me, obviously…maybe I am too fixed in my ways and to mixed up to ever find somebody who is a good match!

4. You meet TK (sigh...) out of the blue and he tells you he is free to talk for 10 minutes with only you. What will you tell him? The he asks you for an instant souvenir from you. What will it be?

Oh, wow, may your wish for me come true!! I would probably display my scintillating personality to him (Har-Har Har) and bowl him over in 10 minutes…so much so that he would NOT be asking for an instant souvenir but would rather whisk me away to the altar! How’s that for a delusion!

5. How can you tell if you haven't had (enough) coffee?

Unlike the impression I tend to give to people, I’m not really a coffee addict—I just sometimes feel the need for a caffeine hit first thing in the morning. But if I can’t—it’s no skin off my nose (as some would say.)

Abaniko asks:

1. A month-long luxurious tour in Europe for you---all expenses paid. But right after the tour,you'll be jobless for 5 consecutive years. Deal?

Hmm….does jobless mean no pay? Then if that’s the case, then no deal..I think I would not trade a month-long luxurious tour of Europe if it means being without pay and without a sense of accomplishment—I am not very good and twiddling my fingers. I need something to do! Now if you switched the situation around and say, a 5 year luxurious tour and then jobless for a month—that’s another matter!

2. Which movie character do you strongly identify yourself with? Why?

Eowyn of Rohan. I loved her character as a loyal niece to King Theoden and remaining strong through the difficult times when the king’s mental/spiritual illness. I also loved her courage to go out and fight evil—and through all these she didn’t have to put aside her being a woman.

3. If there's a law in the blogosphere that limits your blogroll to only 3 blogs, which blogs would remain (exclude mine. You don't need to be nice. Hehe)?

Then I thank the Lord to high heavens there is no such law! Imagine if God would put as law that we can only have three friends in this whole wide weary world? Tsk, tsk.

4. Why do you love spicy food?
Because that extra kick livens up the dish! It’s also representative of how I prefer life to be. (Ahem).

5. Choose: a smart and caring husband who is a foot tall or an ugly and dumb husband who is of your height?

Hey, this is a no-brainer!! Of course I would choose the former one—since I am already short, I need someone to help me reach stuff that’s unreachable to me and navigate directions in a crowd. So it is primarily for practical reasons I choose the former one. *wink*

Verns asks:

1. If you are to make a music video of your life, what song will you use and what will be the theme?

I fell in love with Hawaiian singer IZ’s version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow/ What a Wonderful World. I love his use of the ukulele for its background. It’s sweet and melancholic and makes you think of the good things in life. For the theme, I think thatis it—the good things in life. There’s just too much problems that we are forced to dwell on aready so it’s good to insist on seeing life as half-full rather than half-empty.

2. Say you can change a movie's ending, what movie will it be and what will be your new ending?

The first movie that comes to mind is that really old Christopher Reeve-Jane Seymour movie “Somewhere in Time.” Even though I have seen it countless of times in the past, I still get all tragic whenever Chris Reeve reaches into his pocket and accidentally touches a coin from the future that would zap him back to the present and away from his true love’s arms. He tries to find his way back to the past but couldn’t and he eventually dies trying and see his lover in heaven. My ending would be that he does get back to the past and they live happily ever after—how simplistically happy is that!

3. Among the 4 main characters in the famous TV series Sex and the City, who's character is closest to your personality?

Hmm…I’m sorry but I’ve never really even seen a full episode of Sex and the City. But if it’s a movie character..see my answer to Abaniko’s second question! But who do YOU think comes closest to moi? I would like to know what YOU think, Verns. Hehe.

4. If you are a writer of a "what women want" book..what will be your top 10 on the list?

To be pursued.

To be wooed not only at the start but all through the relationship.

To spend quality time with girlfriends.

To be respected for our contribution to society, because of the contribution--not because we're “women.” (none of that affirmative action stuff).

To be allowed to enjoy pretty things without being misunderstood as shallow.

To be actively listened to (versus lending an obligatory ear).

To have solid platonic friendships with men without people speculating about the friendship.

To eat all the stuff we want without worrying about weight or health issues.

To look good without having to spend hours in front of the mirror!

To not have beauty measured according to appearance. (I guess this goes against the previous statement, but it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind, right?)

5. What is the best way to break up with a guy?

Gently but firmly. Hopefully you can still respect each other and keep the friendship without all the hang-ups.

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My House Guest

The first time I saw my tiny house guest was when I was coming out of the bathroom. The guest, probably thinking it was all alone, decided to flagrantly attack my trash can for left overs (too bad for him there is no such thing in my house!). Hearing the creaking sound of my bathroom door, it scuttled out of the trash can with amazing speed and hid behind the fridge. I only caught a glimpse of its small dark body but I could tell (with a chill running down my spine) that this was not of the 6-legged variety but was of the vermin family.

I soooo wish it was a cockroach. Some might think me crazy but I am a bona-fide, expert cockroach killer. Whether they’re flying or crawling, they are sitting ducks to my torpedo-slipper.

Now, a tiny mouse is totally another matter. I hate it with a passion but I'm also deathly afraid of it. The past two days saw us playing an uneasy game of hide-and-seek. Me sneaking around and looking right and left, afraid I might encounter it while crossing my kitchen…and, I’m sure, it is huddled in some dark corner, making sure not to make a sound and nervously chewing on its tail, scared of being caught.

Is there any other situation as stupid as this?!

Or maybe I should ask, “Who has more reason to be afraid?”

1. Me, who has every right to be in this house since I pay rent.
2. Me, who is gazillions times bigger than this vermin.
3. Me, who’s brain (and therefore IQ) is much more superior than this half-witted vermin who, after two days, hasn’t gotten the drift that there is NO FOOD in this house he can get his dirty paws on.
4. Mouse, who knows that house owner is a giant compared to him.
5. Mouse, who has no weapons to protect itself.
6. Mouse, who obviously has not contributed to the payment of rent or utilities.

If only common sense can cast out fear...

Household Remedies (Ahem)

The following is not because I have become domesticated in any way, as you'll see, if you read carefully:

1. If you are choking on an ice cube, simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat. Presto! The blockage will instantly remove itself.

2. Avoid cutting yourself slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold while you chop.

3. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the toilet seat by using the sink.

4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.

5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives-- then you will be afraid to cough.

7. You only need two tools in life: WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

8. Remember: Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

PS. I do not take credit for these clever tips (I wish I could!) Got this from a good friend who knows better than to try these at home!