New April Desktop Calendar

Thanks to Shabby Princess for my new deskstop calendar.

Wheeewww...

It is April again...

LO No. 5 - Bugsy

LO No. 4 - Year of the Lord's Favor

Christian Louboutin

I was watching the "Covert Affairs" with Bugsy (nickname for my boyfriend these past few days)when the Pink Louboutin's caught my eye. The main character who is a CIA agent posed as a Call Girl and was wearing these very nice pair of stilettos as part of her get up.

Then the morning after on CNN's program, they are featuring Christian Louboutin! It must be a sign that I definitely have to grab myself a pair!

Christian Louboutin used to sneak out of his classes to see "The Showgirls" when he was young. He did not finish school and had started to make his own name in the shoe business. The Showgirls had been his inspiration - their heels, the long legs and their "character".

His shoes are known for the red-lacquered soles. His designs include the flats and low heeled ones, stilettos - the one he is very well-known for. His shoes had been to several Red Carpet events in Hollywood - Oscars, Golden Globe, etc.; his shoes had walked many runways; his shoes had found their way even in the politicians' wives' closets. His hardwork really paid off and his story is such an inspiration.

They say buying a good pair of shoes, let me say branded ones, is really an investment. The most expensive one I got was from Nine West during their Sale at more than USD 100. It's a black one, heels are at 2 inches and has a strap at the back. I barely wear it nowadays as I prefer to wear the one with kitty heels.

I admit, I am a shoe-addict too.

I remember a good friend who has lots of shoes. We share this passion. We would normally head directly to the shoes section in the mall and spend time trying on different pairs. We follow the 3 Cs on buying shoes: They should be Chic, Comfy and Cheap. Though sometimes, we reward ourselves and get pricey ones but not always.

As Cosmo Magazine puts it, even Carrie Bradshaw and Cinderella are shoe lovers.

Who would not know Cinderella's love story and the glass slippers? (I dreamed of having one too when I was young.)

And who could forget Carrie Bradshaw's room full of shoes? (Oh, how I wish I could have one...)

Wearing heels makes me feel sexy, powerful and confident.

I love wearing them with a pair of jeans for a laid back style or with a skinny pair of slacks for the office.

Here are some of the Louboutin's that I love and wish to have (yeah, please let me dream even for the moment).

This one is perfect for the office. Pair it with a skirt or slacks. :)

This would look great with a pair of skinny jeans.

The "Carrie Bradshaw Stilettos". I've seen it on the SATC 2.

Remember the "Covert Affairs" girl?

Let your eyes feast on more, you may visit www.christianlouboutin.com.

The Royal Wedding

I believe almost everyone is excited for Prince William and Kate Middleton's Royal Wedding.

I can clearly remember when we were asked by our teacher in High School to submit a paper and photo clippings on Princess Diana's death. She was such a beauty and had unfortunately left her two sons behind.

Now, it is one of the biggest day of Prince William's life.

It's my latest addiction and I cannot stop "Google'ing" and checking the updates for their wedding. I've seen the carriage, the Westminster Abbey and oh, how I adore the Engagement Ring! Commemorative Coins are being produced too (see above image). You can check the updates via http://www.officialroyalwedding2011.org.

It's like a fairy tale so don't stop believing in them and nourish the child within us.

See, Prince and Princesses do exist in real life!

LO No. 3 - Think Pink

Credits: Computer Scrapbook's My Heart and Snow Princess Templates

LO No. 1 - Starlink's Year-End Party

Mojo's Project Scrap 2011

I am so excited for a new project.

I got inspired by a website that I had learned from a friend (www.theshabbyshoppe.com/blog).

Photoshop was not my thing and I had never used it before but thanks to You Tube and the free tutorials.

I am still in the process of learning more tricks on how to go about Digiscrapping but I want to see how I progress too!

So, I will try to do at least 2 layouts per month.

Hopefully, I can do better layouts in the future.

LO No. 2 - Great Service

Cookbook

I had recently got myself a copy of a cookbook or recipe magazine rather.

To be honest, I struggled on figuring out which one to get but had decided to take the one for basic recipes.

Yes, I got one.

I know how to cook and want to learn more.

I suddenly remembered the movie "Julie and Julia" - the one with Amy Adams and Meryll Streep.

Wish me luck!

Qatar Marine Festival

It was a little cloudy outside still but we had decided to go out.

We had gone to the Qatar Marine Festival.

They have many activities mostly for kids: they have painting sessions, like a playground and a mini golf course for kids.

They do have the Boats Exhibit, the Seal Show, Musical Plays, Sand Sculptures Competition and the Dancing Fountains.

Boats originated from different parts of the world but unfortunately we were not to take a peek on all as there are many people on that part.

The Seal Show’s tickets were also fully booked during that time but we had a chance to take good photos.

There are also some participants for making sand sculptures. They are meticulously working on their art pieces when we dropped by.

What I liked most are the Dancing Fountains – they reminded of the ones in Dubai that I had seen over at You Tube. They moved graciously against the waltz music.

It was indeed a very pleasant Friday afternoon!

Life is Like Driving…

Where are you heading?

Honestly, I don’t know how to drive.

I’ve been meaning to learn but I am too scared.

Wheeew…I can barely cross the street.

My boyfriend will be going to a Driving School finally (after months when he was telling me he will go) as he has a friend who will go to.

I wish him luck and am hoping that he’ll pass – I told him he has to so that I don’t have to hail a cab every now and then and his reply – a silly smile.

I will get my chance; I need to have all the courage, in the future.

It made me think: Life and Driving has a lot in common.

Let me point them down:

You Have To Learn First

Ideally, one should go to a Driving School – you need to learn the basics, the traffic rules and the best part – the hands on before they handover that gleaming license of yours and let you go off the road.

Just like when we were young. We have to go to school and spend years trying to learn as much as we can – from writing, reading, doing the math’s and finally taking a degree which is more likely what you will pursue after school. I dreamed of being a teacher when I was in Grade School; a Chemist when I was in the Junior High; a Writer when I was in College – I am now working for a TelCo-owned company as a Customer Care Supervisor.

What Car Do You Drive? Or Which One Would You Want To Drive?

I know people who are excited and scared at the same time during their first day on the road. Excited - as finally they have the power behind the wheel and scared - wishing and hoping not to hit something and have violations on his first day.

There are also those who have their car already and decided to learn how to drive later on. There are those who want to learn how to drive before they get one. One maybe driving a Porsche or a Lamborghini or a Toyota one or one prefers to have a simple car; One maybe looking for style while the other wants functionality.

Once I got out of the university, I was excited to work and earn my own money and scared – praying that there will be enough work opportunities. There are those who want to work immediately after school and some had chosen to relax after years of studying. There are those who had chosen another career path – different from what they had studied; and there are those who had extremely excelled in their chosen profession.

Who Will Seat Beside You or Be With You In The Car?

I normally seat in the front seat if I know the driver is a gentle/safe one but if not, and he is a speeding type (the one who thinks he is on a race track), you will see me scrambling to the back seat.

Given the chance, if I will be the one to drive, of course I will let someone close to me to seat beside me.

It could be my family, my boyfriend or dear friends. I am the type of person who is a little aloof and shy at sometimes – I can say.

I do not trust people easily however I can easily read people – yeah I am a Psychic. Seriously speaking, I am a keen observer. I want to thank my college professors for that. Ha! Ha! Kidding aside, I easily have ideas about people if they are for keeps or not.

Some people may prefer to be alone in the front seat and have passengers seated at the back.

One may also be kind enough to let in hitchhikers or one may not be. Some feared that they might be pretending to be one and they are robbers and the like. We cannot blame them for thinking that way as there had been several instances of such on the road.

In life, we are also sometimes afraid to let some people in as they may not be of good influence and worse, may only lead us to danger.

Obey the Rules

As a driver, of course, one is expected to follow the rules and regulations on the road. It is not only for your own good – think about the one sitting beside you, your passengers and the others who happen to be on the same road as you are. In short, be safe.

In life, we need to abide the rules, mores, norms that we had been used to or told, or are perceived to be the right thing to do.

Checkpoints, Humps On The Road and Traffic Jams

There are times cars are asked to stop for sometime – for security check. There are also humps on the road wherein you need to slow down. A driver’s nightmare might be traffic jams – one might be stuck there for minutes or worst, even hours.

There are times in our life when we need to check on ourselves and slow down. We all have destinations or things to achieve however, we may need to take it slow. As they say, it is better to drive slowly than sorry. There are also points wherein we are just stuck in a situation and we cannot get out – no turning back. There might be cases wherein we will be asked to re-route. We just need to be patient and hope that things will go smoothly, or find ways on how to find a shortcut and if God permits, we shall reach our destination/s still.

The Traffic Light and Signs

I am really fond of the traffic light. I am curious how many combinations are there and it’s so smart that it does not give out the same color at the same time (Yeah. See the wonder of computer programming). It will tell you stop, go or hold on: you will take your turn later. This is exactly what happens in our lives – either we get what we want, or changed what we want or just wait for it.

There are traffic signs on the road to guide us or flag us. These can be people in our lives – reminding us and makes sure that we are safe.

A driver should also focus on the road. A driver is required to look on his left, right and back side. In life, we also have to look on our past but we need not dwell too much on it. We need to keep an eye on the road, this present moment, so that we will reach where we wish to be.

Joy Ride

There are most of us who wants to have a joy ride every once in awhile: the silence and emptiness of the streets during dawn; the blood rush that we feel when we don’t know where we will be if we follow a certain track. We might be lost at sometimes but we always find our way back.

Same like driving, some times we need to sit back, relax and just enjoy the ride!

P.S.

I had submitted this as a guest post for Nat's Blog :)

Billiards Anyone?

Our company is holding an 8-Ball Tournament wherein the employees can chill down and relax for awhile.

When my colleague asked me if I want to join, I told him that if the winner will be based on how many balls he/she missed I would definitely join as there’s a high probability that I am going to win.

Anyways, it’s not about winning – it’s about the company and the bonding moment that you’ll have.

Choco Hearts with…Gold!

A colleague gave me chocolates 2 days ago.

I would not want to eat it – it has edible gold sprinkles! Yes. Gold!

See how cute and teasing it is and take note, a box of 24 pieces costs a stunning USD 165!

My New Coaster Says...

Home Centre

Last week, I headed to Home Centre – all you need for your house from rugs, candles, kitchen wares to furnitures – are being sold there.

They do have an ongoing offer, 20% cash back on the purchases that will be made, not bad.

I like going through some stuffs – let me put it as window-shopping.

I was looking for a table for the TV and my boyfriend’s Playstation.

Unfortunately, I did not find one but I was able to find some good ones:

Here are some things that I was able to buy:

One of the scented candles I got

A Candle Holder

A Laundry Basket, Trash Bin and a Bathroom Rug

I Heart Laura Pausini

I was looking for some foreign songs to get for my iPhone.

I am loving the songs of Laura Pausini.

My favorites are La Mia Risposta (My Answer) and Il Mio Sbaglio Piu Grande (My Biggest Mistake).

I want to learn how to speak Italian too.

Ora So...Che La Mia Risposta...

Ciao!

International Women's Day

To all the ladies who wake up early morning to prepare breakfast…

To all the ‘Cosmo chics’ who are achieving much in the business world…

To all the ladies who plays football as hard as the gents…

To all the ladies doing the unexceptional duties of being mothers and career women…

To all the ladies who had chosen to travel the paths conventionally taken by guys…

To all the ladies – fabulous, simple, beautiful in their own ways, tough, kind-hearted, assertive, multi-tasker and many more…

Happy International Women’s Day!

Keep it up! You’re doing a great job, Girl!

The Boy Who Wished...

December 18th, 2008

“I was crying because I have no shoes until I saw a man without feet…”

I was watching the TV last night, what else, it was The Filipino Channel.

Unfortunately, our Showtime subscription is not working (it’s silly because we are the dealer here in Qatar).

My boyfriend would tease me and my flatmates, because the shows on the said channels are mostly games.

I reasoned out that it’s like our “makes me feel at home” treat.

It was Wowowee that am watching that time and the portion called “Willie of Fortune”.

They used to have players’ categories such as beauticians, street vendors, those whose partners are working overseas, etc.

The players last night are the kids of the helpers at home.

There are a total of 6 players but the one that touched me the most is the last player: a little boy aged 12, who’s still at 2nd grade in school.

When asked why it was so, he answered naturally, “Because am always sick…”

His mom is also there. She is also sick (she’s got asthma, the little one has a lung disease and the dad has Polio).

When Willie, the host, asked him what would be his wished this coming Christmas.

The boy said, “I would just like to have a new pair of school shoes...”

Then Willie asked, “Don’t you have one?”

“My shoes are not good now; they’re already worn out because of the rain… any shoes will be ok; the one that is not even for rich people will do…”

There…

A simple wish coming from a shabby little boy who you would have mistaken younger than his age…

It brought me and my friend Mimi to tears…

Here’s a boy, who’s got a simple wish to make up his Christmas.

Not even a PSP as any kid ought to receive this merry season or an iPhone or the super thin Mac book for the “tech-savvy” people…

Only a pair of shoes…

Sigh…

Then people from the audience started coming towards him giving him money so that he can buy one.

The line got longer and longer…

That time, I realized that hey, it’s not true that nowadays people are apathetic or self-centered…

It also made me feel blessed and thankful for everything that I have:

I have my family back home waiting for me to come and take my vacation;

I have friends living with me here;

I have a boyfriend who could bear with my mood swings;

I have a job: a stable I can say and good one;

I was able to send money to my family and have some left for myself;

I have a blanket to keep me warm this cold season;

I am able to eat at least 3 times a day;

I am able to speak and write…

I am healthy…

I wake up each morning…


I just can’t count them all: the one that I had received and still receiving up to this very minute.

It reminded me the true spirit of Christmas: being thankful for everything, be it good or bad; loving each other unconditionally and giving what you can without expecting anything in return.

I will never forget this little boy…

The little, innocent boy who was not ashamed to wish and hope… and got more than what he’d wished and hoped for…

Valentine’s Day

After so many years, this is the first time that I’ll be celebrating V-Day with a “special someone”.

I normally spend V-Day with my close friends watching movies then eating dinner or vice versa.

It’s always, 101% like that.

Before, my friends and I joked about sending flowers and chocolates amongst ourselves (but we did not pursue the plan after we realized how very pathetic it is).

I’ve enjoyed their company but there will really come a time when you’ll ask yourself silly questions (I’ve seen this as part of the mid-20s crisis):

Why don’t I have a boyfriend and how come others have?

Is there anything wrong with me?

Am I too nice? Am I too snobbish or Am I just not a girlfriend material?

Are my standards sooo high (I just want a God-fearing, faithful, patient and understanding guy; one with a good sense of humor, book and street smart as well; tall, not whiter than me, one who does not have a wedding ring – in short single; with perfectly great hands – I so love soft hands) or it fits no one at all?

Sigh…

During this time, I’ve prayed really hard to give me somebody who will love me truly; somebody who could bear with my mood, jealousy and childlike-thoughts and acts; somebody who’ll understand me; someone who could make me smile and make my sadness fade away…

I know am not asking for too much.

Then, my prayer was answered.

I met this guy.

He’s working in the same company.

He’s seems nice.

And the story began…

Am no longer a NBSB (No Boyfriend since Birth).

The KitKat Story

I’ve met him in the office.

He’s a good friend of a friend and her husband as well.

I’ve seen him at several birthday occasions.

He’s a shy guy; he’s not that tall with fair complexion, blonde hair and green eyes (if he’ll read this, he’ll be very happy; Note: Narcissistic tendencies).

There was a time when he spent a whole day in the office (he works in one of our shops) because he’ll be assigned in a new one so he has to prepare the things that he need.

I noticed that he has such deep thoughts and outlook in life.

I found that interesting.

Hmmm…

Plus he looks smart…

Another sigh…

Then, I realized that I have a crush on him.

One day when I was on morning shift, I was able to sit beside him in the van with my “fresh from the shower, super wet hair”, I said to myself “What a turn off… Dyahe…Grrrr”…

He smells good, I was thinking what perfume he’s using.

Then he offered me KitKat, the one with Caramel and Nuts (I have good memories when it comes to things like this).

Though am not hungry, the mere fact that my crush offered me food; am going to accept it with all my heart (Haha! Imagine the “kilig” moments during High School).

I said “Thanks” and then headed to the office with a wide smile even if I was not able to sleep well the night before.

Then that evening, we can hear the music from his room.

My room mate called and asked him if he can lower it down and he said “OK, I’ll put handset na lang…”

He was referring to a headset and all of us were laughing.

I sent him a SMS and he replied back.

Then he asked me one day if we can go out, I agreed.

I learned so much about him.

We had coffee, talked about life and stuffs that we like and dislike.

Then we’ve been a couple a few days after.

Nine Months

It was our “Ninth Monthsary” the other day (whew…).

Honestly, I did not expect it to last that long (like what I mentioned earlier, with my mood and childlike-acts) but here we are, we had spent nine happy months and still counting.

I am hoping to spend more days, months or even years with him (hopefully).

Never did I imagine that I’ll have a boyfriend especially here and somebody from different culture and religion but that’s the irony of love: you’ll get the opposite of what you had wished for and at the end of the day, you’ll realize that what you got/received is better.

We fight about little things: it’s part of the relationship, but at the end of the day we’ll be ok.

God is really good.

Despite my experiences with love, He had given me not only much but more; I can say it’s worth it that I had waited for him.

I may have had not-so good experiences before with all the heartaches and the pain that I had nursed for years; I deeply thank God for “sending him my way”.

He may not be the “Romeo” or the “Prince Charming” that I had dreamed of, but what I had seen in him is more.

This V-day is one of the happiest days of my life: I am with him: no amount of chocolates, flowers or gifts can ever be compared to that.

Yes I’m lucky, but I’d rather say that I am blessed.


P. S.

I had written this one 2 years ago.

The Little Red Book

December 8, 2008


It was late afternoon.

I’m still in the office and thinking what I can do once I get home.

I realized that I’ll be alone again: Ceejh will be working on evening shift while Mims on the other hand, will be staying a little longer in the office to finish some paper works.

Afraid to gain more weight because of getting too much sleep (so bad, it’s become one of my favorite past time since I’ve arrived here in Doha), I wondered if a friend will be going to Villaggio, maybe I can come with him, visit my boyfriend who was working in one of our shop and walk around.

Thanks God, he’ll go.

I called my boyfriend and told him that am on my way.

We just ate dinner, chat a little and I decided to check some shops and look for some stuffs.

I normally go to Virgin Megastore, the shop where you can find books, cds, dvds, appliances, gadgets, etc, whenever I visit there.

I browsed through some books.

I did not really intend to buy one, since am not yet finished reading “Brida” by Paulo Coelho but this little red book intrigue me.

The cover shows the leg of a woman with high heels on, and another pair of what seems to be a man’s leg.

“Eleven Minutes” by Paulo Coelho…

I’ve heard things about the book, some are good and some are bad.

I got a copy and headed to the counter.

It’s out of curiosity why I bought the book: am curious why it was titled Eleven Minutes.

He could have thought of other titles.

It reminded me of the books and movies/shows with titles as such: Gone in 60 Seconds; 24; 40 days and 40 nights…

Anyways, I myself will be able to do so many things in eleven minutes: I can take a shower; I can doze off; I can call; I can walk to and from the grocery; etc.

I remembered the game shows in Philippines; one can also be a millionaire in eleven minutes…

So what’s with the Eleven Minutes?

Many things came into my mind.

Based on the overview, the beautiful Brazilian lady, Maria, is a prostitute.

So I thought maybe she was given only eleven minutes to make the most important decision of her life: whether to be a prostitute or not;

Or she only has the last eleven minutes to live;

Or she had a chance to make a wish within eleven minutes…

Hmmm…

Given that it was written by Paulo Coelho, even if some people said that this book is different, I started reading and finished the book earlier than what I had expected and soon enough learned the significance of the Eleven Minutes.

Maria, a prostitute who spends time in reading books: about almost anything that her mind can comprehend, views life and love through another perspective.

I like the entries in her diary.

It showed the other side of Maria: the Maria who has a passion for writing, living and loving.

Here are some lines from her diary:


Pain and suffering are used to justify the one thing that should bring only joy: LOVE.

Love is a terrible thing that will make you suffer.


Though, at first she had a very pessimistic view about love, at the end she was able to find her “True Love”.

The one who saw the “light” in her…

Sigh….

P.S.

Paulo Coelho is one of my admired writers when it comes to writing style.

He uses simple words but with great meaning;

He’ll make you think;

He’ll make you realize the simplicity and complexity of life and that’s what I like the most about him.

Let me leave you with another passage from Maria’s diary and I hope we can all have the courage shown by Maria…

“Everything tells me that I am about to make a wrong decision, but making mistakes is just part of life. What does the world want of me? Does it want me to take no risks, to go back where I came from because I didn’t have the courage to say “yes” to life?”

Of Mushy Love Songs and “Corny” Love Stories

Yesterday, my friend and I went to see a movie.

Am not dying to see that movie (I did not mark my calendar nor set an alarm/reminder on my phone for this one hehe), but let me just say am curious about the story.

The way the singer cum actress will do: if she’ll be at par with the other actresses; if this movie will be a “good” one – not the one wherein I can predict the ending of the story or the typical teeny-bopper thing that makes the high school girls drool and have the “kilig” moments with their girlfriends…

It’s a Filipino movie titled “A Very Special Love” starring John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo.

This is the first time that I’ll be watching a Tagalog movie here in Doha and it made me feel at home:

There are so many Filipinos who came to watch it (hehe there’s no proof that we, Filipinos, are avid movie-goers)…

The cinema here made me feel like am just in Shangri La or Robinson’s Galleria…

The movie started at 5PM.

We took our reserved seats in the left, front row, started to munch on the almost half-filled popcorn tumbler and wished that the movie will be better than what we had expected…

And it is better indeed…

I’ve seen a lot of movies, the romantic-comedy, tear-jerkers (I like this one), the one with heavy drama on the side, etc.

And I can say that this movie is ok, and if I’m going to rate it from 1 to 5, 5 being the highest, I’ll give it a 4.

The story goes like this:

The guy (played by John Lloyd) is a member of a rich clan, but being the child in the 2nd wife, after his mom died, he felt that nobody in this world loves him; appreciates what he’s doing, etc. so he put most of his time at work which happened to be a publishing company of a men’s magazine which according to him sells “sex”.

The girl (Sarah Geronimo) is a bubbly girl, who has a big crush on the guy.

It just so happened that there’s an available job (Editorial Assistant in the guy’s office).

The girl applied for the job and got it, so the two of them are working hand in hand…

They ended up together…

I’ll not deal with the Ws (what happened between the two, why) just see it for yourselves (it’s a nice one, really hehe)…

This movie is one of those wherein you’ll learn a lot about love and life if you’ll take a look at it aside from having a mushy theme song and corny love story.

Here are some of those:

“I believe in goodness…”

It’s good to be an optimist… to view things positively…

Believe me, you’ll feel happier, lighter and fulfilled…

We will meet too many people in our lives; there are those who would pull you down; there those who would you along and those who would pull you up…
For those who pull, pulled or will pull you down, just bear in mind that there’s goodness deep down their hearts…

May God bless them still.

"Something has changed and the change came out as a surprise…”

As the cliché goes, the only constant thing in this life is change.

Change is inevitable.

Change is good and most of the time; it comes out as a surprise…

We must expect the unexpected and the worst things that could happen, so we won’t be surprised after all.

“Pag nagmahal ka, dapat bukas ang mga mata…(If you fall in love, make sure that your eyes are wide-open)”

According to my former team lead, when you love someone, and he did something that you deem wrong, you should not hesitate to correct him.

You should also accept the fact that he commits mistakes, and do not justify his wrong doings just to make it right and convince yourself as well as others, that he is or whatever that he had done or is doing is right.

"A Very Special Love”

In the movie, there was point wherein the guy confronted the girl…

He said that he never asked the girl to love him…and I think he missed the point of being in-love.

It’s the girl who loves him so much and exerts the most efforts.

I can say that the girl is the “martir na umaasa” type (she’s holding on to her hopes that time will come that the guy will notice and love her) and that is one of the smallest things that love or being in-love can do and it happens in real life.

There’s a perception that the true sense of love is that you love and you are loved in return.

This is maybe what we have in theory, but in reality, not all of those who give their all are loved; not all feelings are given back; and in a relationship, there will be someone who works harder to keep the relationship going.

There will always be someone or some people whom you cannot forget, whom you’ll say you had given or are giving a very special love… (Hmmm…reminds me of “The One That Got Away” by Mark Macapagal)

It’s not only with the opposite sex.

It maybe a mentor, a colleague, a long lost friend, beloved family members, a relative, a stranger or it even a fellow beside you during the lowest point of your life.

Whatever our experiences in life, and in love, be it good, as if like you’re on seventh heaven or bad, as if you’re jinxed, we’ll learn the lesson.

We’ll realize that we had grown up and matured because of these experiences…

We’ll realize that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger…

And to top it all, the biggest lessons in life are learned the hard way…

P.S.

This article was written last August 29, 2008.

Thanks VCF!

I can’t forget that day; it was a bright September morning when my friend and I, rushed in the room full of people: teen-agers, old people, middle-aged.

We chose to sit at the front row, left side of the room.

The band is already playing a song and all the people are singing and rejoicing.

I found an envelope on the seat and wondered what I should do with it.

That was the first time, I “met” the Pastor - he looks young and I learned that he’s a pastor in the Kid’s church.

Another Pastor stepped on the stage, and asked us to bow our heads and pray; he then read some verses from the Bible and explained how it relates to the theme for that week.

I was really moved by the verses that were read that day; all of them seemed to hit me bull’s eye.

That was a tough time for me: am confused with my feelings for a friend; stressed out at work; tired of all the expectations from my family; confused of what I really want in life; I left my job and stopped school because of what I thought, would be the best decision that I can make, to work in a greener pasture but I found out that it’s not that easy; I encountered some problems and that made me think a hundred times;

And I found myself crying…

From that time on, I always attend “The Gathering” even if my friends can’t come and I need to go alone.

I always cry every time I hear the readings from the Bible… every time I hear the Pastor’s teachings and examples… every time I hear the songs of praises; every time an unknown person who sits beside me would pray for me…

Now, I realized that I really missed out a lot…

A lot of time that I did not spend with my family, friends and most of all with God…

But still He has been good to me…

I went to “The Gathering” and the Pastor said, “Just pray to Him and be it known that He’ll only give you 3 answers: Yes, No and Wait”.

I cried a lot that time… I didn’t care if people are looking at me; I didn’t care if my make-up would be a mess; I didn’t care if I’ll lose my contact lenses.

after that, I gathered myself together and looked for another job.

He’s great! He gave me another one in a week's time!

I am very thankful… to my friends who changed my ways and views on going to Church and reading the Bible and helped me know Him a little more and build a closer relationship with Him… those people who helped me to have faith in Him…

Just like that line in a Teleserye, “if you don’t have Faith, what else can you hold on to?’

But most of all, I am very thankful to Him…

I realized that I am very lucky to meet Him this time; I don’t know how to thank Him because He has given me more that what I’d asked for…

Am trying to attend every “Gathering”, every activity that I can.

I now have a different view in Life; I did change a lot; I learned the most valuable lessons in Life and I’m still willing to learn…

Now, (let me change a statement made by an actor) I’m not only a Lady; not only a Leader; not only a Sister; not only a good Friend… also a CHRISTIAN!

P.S.

I had written this articled last December 12, 2007.

"Rage"

Rant. Mad. My Patience was drained all throughout. My Temper was as hot as boiling water. I can feel the fire blowing out of my nostrils (imagine the dragons that we normally see in adventure/horror movies). All my wrinkles had shown up and I had totally forgotten to put on the best make up.

This is what I had felt up until this late afternoon.

I was sooooo mad.

I just cannot understand why some people don’t get what the words “No, we cannot” really meant and would still insist on what they would want to happen.

My colleagues were asking what happened and why I was such in a bad mood.

Waaaaahhhhh…

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day – So Help me God.

When Everything Turned “Yellow”

It was exactly 25 years after the Philippines finally got its democracy back.

A dictator was thrown out and the Filipino people felt what they had missed for quite a long time: Freedom.

I was still 3 years old during that time and as I was growing my Mom would normally tell me their experiences about the EDSA Revolution.

We used to live in Pasig City and would go home to the province at least twice a month to visit and spend time with my grandparents. During the rallies, they had decided to go home in Batangas and my Dad would join the protests. I wasn’t clueless as it had been part of our history – taught in school. My parents would tell me how the people from different walks of life held hands and cheered on the same tune and rhythm; how they had worn the same color to show support and unity; how they had shared the same food on the street; how they had prayed so hard and rejoiced when everything had turned yellow.

I may not have felt the same feeling as they did but I can see the emotions in their eyes every moment they would reminisce. The scenes were also shown in the TV; can be seen on the internet and can be read still on the papers.

During that time, it was not a mere battle of the colors: Red – being the color of the Marcoses versus Yellow – being the color of the late President Cory Aquino. It was a battle of ideology; of what should happen versus what is happening; of what was promised against what is being delivered; what should have been and what should have not.

I have had experienced various rallies and demonstrations being a graduate of the State University (University of the Philippines). I was lucky enough to have witnessed and joined the second revolution, commonly known as EDSA Dos. I could still remember how my flatmates and I would knock the windows of the cars while stuck in traffic, asking for whatever donation they could give. I was so overwhelmed: some gave 500 and 100 Peso bills; we had received donuts from a group of nuns and the like. It became more exhilarating when we had reached EDSA. There were performers on the stage; people would chant and pray; we had survived couple of days as we had received food from fellow Filipinos – some gave sandwiches, I think I’d eaten all the kinds of biscuits there; we had received boxes of bottled water and soda. And all of our sacrifices paid off. The President that time had decided to step down.

I was thinking it may have felt almost the same like the first one – less the Military Forces, armed men, military tanks and the like. The feeling is indescribable.

Today, whenever I watch the news I am saddened by the fact that some countries have to experience what we had felt during the Martial Law. Take the case of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya to name a few. People would rally up, gather and protest begging their leaders to step down. Tunisia and Egypt are lucky enough and we are also hoping the best for the other ones. Hopefully, our country would not go through the same thing again.

EDSA may be known today as a busy place – always jammed with traffic, road accidents or a main street to go to the major shopping malls. Yellow may have been the color of freedom and unity. We have to bear in mind that it goes deeper than that. EDSA Revolution had shown that rallies need not be violent; differences amongst people can be put aside; God really answers the prayers of those who are patient enough to wait. It had inspired not only Filipinos and had caused the “Ripple Effect” across other nations.

We cannot thank those people enough who had sacrificed their lives for us to live freely. We may not be enjoying the things that we are having or loving at this point in time if not for them.

However, we should also bear in mind, that it is not enough to give them thanks. For sure they would be grateful, if we will take care of the freedom that they had entrusted on us and make the most out of it. Our greatest challenge is to keep and use it to improve every Filipino’s life – it need not be drastic one, simple acts of kindness, change and motivation will do.

Smell Good at Less the Price

My friends and I wandered the streets of Souq Waqeef - a place for coffee shops, restaurants and stores by the alley - one Thursday evening.

A colleague said that she got her perfume from a shop there at only QR 40 (USD 10.something).

Being a girl, yeah, we invest a lot on beauty/cosmetic products and perfume, so I was thrilled.

Together with my 2 friends, we made our way down there and looked for the shop.

We did not have a hard time looking for the place but had difficulties in choosing which ones to buy.

They do have a lot – big, small, colorful and plain bottles, for men, for women, Arabic perfumes, fruity scents and a lot more.

Most of them are from France and the good thing is it is not pricey and you can haggle and negotiate still with the storekeeper.

We ended up carrying big plastic bags on our way out.

For sure, we will be back once our bottles are almost empty.

International Wedding Exhibition

I am so excited to attend the International Wedding Exhibition and Fashion Show on Thursday.

Am not really a big fan of weddings but I love it when I see brides wearing one.

Admit it; Brides are really on full bloom on their big day.

I used to watch America’s Next Top Model and Project Runway.

Oh, how I so love Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum - how gorgeous they are even in white shirt and jeans.

Hope to post F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S photos after the event.

Museum of Islamic Art

It was one Friday evening when finally I had set foot on the Museum of Islamic Art.

I’ve been urging Hamude to go with me but he would rather drag me to the mall or somewhere else.

After a few begging he had finally given in – thanks also to his friend’s wife who happened to work there for pushing him a little to go.

I am on the course of finding other things to do here in Doha aside from being a mall rat still and window shop and watch movies and other things that I can do inside a mall’s limits.

We arrived there at almost 30 minutes past 6 in the evening.

The cold breeze is still there but even so, some families, like us, had taken time to go out and check what’s in for us at the museum.

It reminded me of the movie “Night of the Museum”.

It may not have Dinosaur skeletons, fossils or remains but it was still quite a very good experience.

The landscape and architectural design of the museum’s façade is breath-taking.

We had taken the lift going to the 2nd floor.

There is a big fountain where photo ops would really look stunning – unfortunately our camera’s battery was already drained by the time we got there.

What we had seen are mostly antiques.

It ranged from chinas, kitchenwares, soldiers’ masks, even bathrobes, portraits, carpets, different sizes of Qur’an, etc.

You’ll find it amusing that those things exist and were set aside for us to see and admire.

If you have time, drop by the museum and you’ll discover more stuffs.

Believe me, it is indeed a simple way to exercise those brain cells up there.

Some snapshots below...

Ciao!

...a Golden Mask



...the Qur'an



... Qur'an's Cover