A New World

Everything is so surreal, never thought I'd step on this new land. A different air, different races, various languages... A new world ahead of me, a new journey to tract... may this be a wonderful adventure. It's been a tough ride along the way and now....Uncle Sam, here I come.

“The beautiful journey of today can only begin when we learn to let go of yesterday.” 

― Steve Maraboli

Revive that positive energy and don't let your health be taken for granted

Sometimes life gets so busy or down right soooo uneventful that we tend to forget little but very important things in life, and one of which is our health. Every time I wake up, I used to plan my activities for the day making sure I have time for this and that. But now that nothing exciting seems to be happening in my life, I have this dragging feeling. A lot of times it consumes me that little did I notice I was forgetting about my health... like having regular exercise and enough sleep. I now miss my regular yoga sessions. Sometimes we think that because we are young and don't feel any pain or discomfort in our bodies right now, we can continue with our sluggish behavior but this shouldn't go on. When your having some low points in your life, one must really try hard to fight back and revive that positive energy. And what a better way to start my day by thinking about my health and going for a 30 minute Yoga. ;). Have a good day everyone.

Christmas Breeze

I woke up early and went out to have some stretching and I can already feel the cool breeze and smell Christmas is in the air... It makes me really excited and at the same time, lonely. Of course holidays are great times to be merry but I can't help but wish my special someone is with me. This is just one of the challenges with having a long distance relationship...But no matter what situation we are in, let us always remember what matters most in this very special time....and He is the Child born - Jesus Christ, Our Savior. Let us take this time to show our love and appreciation to all our love ones and make them more special in our own little way.

Happy Birthday Kuya Dirk!

Time flies so fast. I can still recall one of my first blog posts here was my nephew's first birthday, and now after three years... he is celebrating his 4th birthday.  

 He is so crazy about the phenomenal angry birds, and so he requested to have an angry bird cake.

You've grown so much Dirk. Happy Birthday Kuya! I hope you grow up to be a good and obedient son in the future.

Birthday Gift

I'm about to celebrate another year of my life next month, and a very special someone asked me once what I want for a birthday gift. I could ask for a lot of material things, but that time nothing really came into my mind.... As the days went by a song just suddenly came to my mind which best describes what I want for my coming birthday, and here how it goes...

Your Love by: Jim Brickman

It's not the flowers, wrapped in fancy paper
it's not the ring, i wear around my finger
There's nothing in all the world i need
when i have you here beside me,
here beside me

Chorus
so you could give me wings to fly
and catch me if i fall
or pull the stars down from the sky
so i could wish on them all
but i couldn't ask for more
cause your love is the greatest gift of all

Repeat Chorus 

in your arms, i found a strength inside me
and in your eyes there's a light to guide me
i would be lost with out you
and all that my heart could ever want
has come true

Repeat Chorus

you could offer me the sun, the moon
and i would still believe
you gave me everything
when you gave your heart to me

Repeat Chorus

From LYRICSMODE.COM lyrics archive

Lyrics | Jim Brickman lyrics - Your Love lyrics

This song just says it all... and I will be the happiest woman celebrating my birthday having the greatest gift. I love you Hon. :)

Dark Night

You have to pass through a dark night of the soul. Everyone does, including you. A time comes when what you have always believed is true melts away underneath you. When you cast in doubt even the most obvious, the most simple. When it seems that dark night is all around, and you are all alone. Take heart, this journey through abyss is the final barrier before your emergence into the heavenly light of a new synthesis of your being. God is waiting for you on the other side.

I got this message, and somehow it is comforting to know that after this road to uncertainty, I know I'll come out strong and a better person.

Make her happy and beautiful

Do you know what would make a woman truly beautiful?
It's not the facial, salon treatment, going to gym nor rigorously applying facial creams each day, instead, just make her HAPPY. It's the most effective and guaranteed treatment that cures almost all ailment. If she is happy you will see that happiness glowing within her.

Know what would make her happy and give it to her keeping in mind that it's not all about material things. Most of the time, the simplest things and those that cannot be bought by money are the things that would give you utmost joy in life.

My Yoga Experience

We can't deny that in this present world, life has become so toxic and each day we are faced with new challenges that could get us stressed and leave us burn out. Therefore, one must find balance in this ever challenging world to help us get by and battle stress. And my choice is Yoga. I am just a beginner but I can already feel the benefits of it. 

Increasing flexibility and strength, muscle toning, detoxification, promotes better posture and breathing technique, enhances circulation in all your body organs, are just some of the benefits of practicing yoga. It does not only improve your physiological aspect but more importantly your psychological area. And this is what I am really craving for, the after effect of my yoga session is CALMNESS. I really feel more relaxed and feel better after my yoga class. Can't wait to attend my class. :)

He is able who thinks he is able

Such a true statement! I got this message from my Daily Buddha Wisdom. If you think you can do it, it's full proof that you can really do it. The more you think about of what you will become, the more it will happen. So just think of the power of one's mind and the vast possibilities it can achieve. Let's all think positive each day and let us also not forget that our thoughts should also be coupled with right actions. Happy Tuesday everyone.

Celebrating Father's Day

Growing up, I never really had the chance to get to know my father. I don't have memories of celebrating Father's Day with him and had the opportunity to say "I love you Pa".  He left for abroad to work there when I was 3. Then time came when we lost communication with him and got estranged with him. But before  he passed away he made efforts to get in touch with us, which I am truly thankful for. He made peace with us and somehow we were able to accept him again. But still we didn't have enough time to bond and really be together and he just passed away too soon.

I wished the situation then would have been different. How I longed to feel how it is to have your father beside you. When you have problems, you can talk with him and ask for guidance. But certain things just happen for a reason. I still feel lucky that I got to know my father. I know he is in a better place now.

For those who have their fathers together with them, make sure you treasure each moment and savor the happy times you have. I thank my father for helping me become a better person and to my wonderful mother who has become both a mother and a father to us, I love you ma. Happy father's day to all the fathers out there and to all the single moms for also playing the role of being a father to their children.

Rub your magic 8 gently

It's been ages since I last updated my blog. And my! How i miss blogging where I can freely express my thoughts and share my opinions across the globe. I have been given this statement -- Rub your magic 8 gently, and the first thing that came to my mind was, I'm going to be lucky because number 8 is lucky for me. I hope I get to rub it the right way and soon luck will be at my hands. :) Happy blogging everyone.

It's not What you know, but It's WHOM you know

I don't know if this statement applies to other countries but here in my country, this statement sure does. It is basically having and using connections with the right people who are in the Position for personal gains like getting a job, promotions, business deals, etc. But do we really have to resort to this means? What about working your butt out and getting all the skills to become better qualified for a job?

Whenever I hear someone getting hired in the company without even considering his or her qualifications...and to think that there are a lot more better suited and highly qualified for such position...I really get mad. Just because he or she is the niece or son-in-law of this and that! It is so unjust and as much as possible, I don't want to be part of this kind of system.

But what can we do??? This is reality and has long been part of our tradition. Although, it cannot be denied that having connections with the right people is really an advantage. And I must admit that there are times I am guilty of using such means out of frustration.I think the best way to handle this is to continually improve ourselves. And if ever we do find ourselves in this kind of situation, we just have to show that "I got hired because I am qualified" and perform damn well so no one would dare question us.

Can't wait to have a relaxing weekend

I don't know what got into me but whenever Fridays come near, the lazy syndrome takes over and I can't help but wish badly for the long week at work to be over. I don't have an exact plan for the coming weekend but I will certainly have a relaxing one.

I am also looking forward to wish my friend, Sharon who's leaving soon for Beijing, a wonderful journey ahead. I'll definitely visit her on Saturday. Happy weekend guys. :)

Sweet Victory for Noy, and could be a Heartbreaking Defeat for Mar

I never denied that I am supporting Ninoy Aquino for President, and basing from the results which by the way came out impressively faster than we expected, I am happy that Noy is not far from finally taking the seat of the next President of the Philippines.

On the other hand, Mar Roxas' stand for vice-presidency is still uncertain for he is neck to neck with his rival Jejomar Binay. Although Binay is confident that he will come out the winner of this race, he should not be too sure of his place (he leads by 800,000 votes over Roxas) because until the last votes are counted, only then shall we be certain who the next vice-president is.

If Mar doesn't win, it will surely be a heartbreaking defeat for him because he has already given up the race for presidency for Noy and he has been consistently on top in every surveys conducted prior to the election. Maybe if he had given more effort and tried harder with his campaign during the final leg, he might have a bigger chance of winning over Binay. But for now let's just wait for the last 4-5 Million votes not yet counted which could either make or break his dreams.

Worth the Wait

Today marked a very important event in the history of Philippines, it's the first automated national election - Halalan 2010. We headed early to our voting precincts so eager and excited to cast our votes hoping to make a difference in our government system. We came prepared with our lists of candidates but we did not anticipate the long hours of waiting on the line. We arrived 9:30 am and excruciatingly waited for 5 hours and 30 minutes before we were finally able to cast our votes using the PCOS machines.

indelible ink placed over the point finger after voting
photo c/o my friend, Marie

It took me just about 10 minutes to finish filling up the ballot form, and when it was time to feed the ballot form in the machine (PCOS) to validate my vote, I never thought that waiting for the word "congratulations" would be so nerve wracking. Thankfully, the word came out and I felt so relieved that my vote was officially read by the machine. Whew! We came home tired and hungry but I'd say, the long hours of waiting was worth it. Now, all we have to do is wait and be vigilant for the counting and canvassing of our votes.

Weekend Escape at Kaputian Island

It was a nice treat for all of us last weekend where we went to Kaputian Island (courtesy from Candy's private resort) to have a nice break after all the hassle and bustle at work.

a spectacular view overlooking a nice island resort on our way home


night swimming with series of photo shoots

Meet My Colleagues

Here are some of my colleagues at work at the family medicine clinic. There are no more patients left for check up and so we were just waiting for the clock to strike at 5pm so that we can finally log out of work.

With few minutes left, we decided to take some pictures at the area. Smile! ^_^

bone weary at 8-5

Sorry guys for failing to update my blog. I have been so busy with my work at the hospital. I never thought that having a regular schedule from Mondays to Fridays starting at 8am to 5pm can be wearisome... I used to have a rotating schedule but since I am assigned in the out patient department, I work on a regular schedule. Maybe I just need to adjust and in time I'll get used to this kind of routine. I just wish that I don't have to travel longer going to my workplace, this thing really makes me totally exhausted at the end of the day. I am just thankful that I don't have to go into graveyard shift anymore. Thanks a lot!!!

Waterproofing Your Walls

These past few days, we have been experiencing a sudden shift of weather conditions. From a very hot and humid atmosphere, a cloudy weather accompanied by heavy rains would come in the following day. I could not complain with having rain, in fact it is always a nice welcome to cool down our body temps with the summer season we are having. However, there is one thing that's becoming a bothersome brought about by heavy rains and they are leaking windows and pipes where water could easily enter inside your house and irritatingly accumulates on the floor which dampens and even damages your furniture if left unattended.

With poor construction and installation of drainage system, just like ours, water can easily leak inside your house. The situation worsens especially in lower parts of the house like the basement or underground areas. Have you ever experience such problem at your own homes? This is the reason why waterproofing is very important in building houses. Basement waterproofing should really be considered since the basement is more prone to being affected during wet conditions. And now you can easily remedy this problem with ready to use, do-it-yourself waterproofing products which are readily available at the market, easy and safe to apply. So check it out guys before leading your basement areas to total destruction and making them entirely unusable.

Seizure Attacks of Manike

It was in the afternoon of Easter Sunday, when we had the most frightening experience with our dog, Manike, our 8 months old pit bull. She went into several seizure attacks which started at around 2pm till 8pm. We were deeply worried when we noticed that she was excessively salivating and suspected that she was poisoned. We continue to observe her when we were caught by surprise when she suddenly stiffen, begun lip smacking, followed by facial spasm then finally, she went down while her whole body convulsed. The seizure lasted for about 10-15 seconds with about 30 minutes interval. After the seizure attack she seemed so disoriented and would stand up then pace around, running in place, until another attack would come in. Our dog is unable to control her movements so as she continues to run around inside her cage she would bang her head painfully and hurt herself.

It was was both horrifying at the same time utterly agonizing to watch her go through such painful episode. And the worst thing is that we can't do anything about it at that time because it was Sunday, no clinic and vet whom we can sought for consult and help. We felt so helpless that time. You can only imagine the pain she is going through and all we can do is watch and pray the attack would stop. Thinking that she was poisoned, I cursed the person or thing which brought her to such situation. We thought the bouts of seizure attack would never end and that anytime she would stop breathing ...until later that night, she fell down, totally exhausted catching her breath and almost crying for pain and difficulty of breathing, the seizure finally subsided. We vigilantly monitored her the entire night and we can't even sleep because we could even hear her moaning. We felt hopeless and thought she'd never survive. If there was something we could give her that time even take her life, we would give it to her just to end her agony.

Morning came and we were surprised that our dog although barely breathing and moving, with no food and water intake the whole night, was still alive. Meanwhile, I still had to go to work so my sister was left with the task of keeping our dog alive. She was brought to the clinic and the vet diagnosed her of having flu and severe nasal congestion due to colds that's why she was having difficulty of breathing. She was also having high grade fever that's why she ended up having convulsions/seizure attacks. We were wrong to suspect she was poisoned and that she might be going through some form of canine distemper. She was immediately given vaccines and shots of antibiotics. We tried to feed her with fluids but she refused to drink so she had to be placed on IV fluids. We nursed her during the first day of treatment at home but since we were all exhausted, we decided to have her confined at the clinic for almost two days. After that, I was so glad and thankful to see her again with remarkable improvement in her status. Although slightly weak, she is able to stand up, follow commands and eat solid food. The vet said that she is quite stable and can be brought home. With continued monitoring and care, she is now recovering well. We just hope that her illness is not in viral form and that she will fully recover in a week's time and it would never recur. Hopefully... I would never want to see her again go through agonizing experience.