탕수육!

It's been a long time since I ate this... Thank goodness I'm eating meat again.  I missed this korean feast.

Spent the whole day with Yoo Seon for Frances' wedding. I missed her. Being with her feels like college days all over again... Reminisced a lot.  I miss my youth. Haha

Teacher for a day

I went back to my original profession... I became a teacher for a day. It was so much fun and Chloe was so proud of her Tita Mimim :)

Its Christmas time!

I love Christmas... Who doesn't?

I really enjoy everything about Christmas especially buying gifts for everyone.

The only thing I dislike is holiday food and eating habits. I hate it! Its the bane of my diet existence! Haha

Anyway, there's so many things to be thankful for and I just realized how this year is ending already.

So many things happened. Things to laugh about, smile about, cry about.. But for the most part its things that made my heart flutter and my soul feel alive.

kuya!

My brother can be such an ass on Facebook at times... But it's always, always funny assness.. not the jackassness... haha

great day

today was more than good.. it was great.

met up with friends i haven't seen in a long time and connected them with new ones...

despite all the pigging out that happened... it was fun.

it's been a long time since i've actually hung out with people.  i've been too consumed by work that i forgot how it is to live.

thank you for this amazing day... amazing feeling..

lesson learned.

happier

Lesson learned today that people are sent for a reason.  I must learn how to utilize them and maximize them. They are there to help out. 

Thank you for this realization today and looking forward to less crazy days ahead. 

Bangkok

Will it be okay the next time I go there?

Where am i?

I feel lost.

I dont know what to expect and what to demand.

I know for sure that this is what i want. However, i cant confront the small things that bother me for fear of losing what i've treasured so much.

I wish i was more confrontational. I wish i was more confident.

all i need is time

why are we growing so fast?

why does it have to be at this pace?

why do we have to learn from experience?


for once i would like to apply an actual knowledge into action than just learning from my mistakes.

kind of temperament

I was with Cath on our way to Cabanatuan and she asked me what kind of temperament I have... And so the clueless me said... I have a hot temper. 

Apparently, that's not what she was talking about. 

She explained that there are 4 kinds of temperament and I read more about it in Wiki: 

Sanguine
The sanguine temperament is fundamentally impulsive and pleasure-seeking; sanguine people are sociable and charismatic. They tend to enjoy social gatherings, making new friends and tend to be boisterous. They are usually quite creative and often daydream. However, some alone time is crucial for those of this temperament. Sanguine can also mean sensitive, compassionate and romantic. Sanguine personalities generally struggle with following tasks all the way through, are chronically late, and tend to be forgetful and sometimes a little sarcastic. Often, when they pursue a new hobby, they lose interest as soon as it ceases to be engaging or fun. They are very much people persons. They are talkative and not shy. Sanguines generally have an almost shameless nature, certain that what they are doing is right. They have no lack of confidence. Sanguine people are warm-hearted, pleasant, lively and optimistic.

Choleric
The choleric temperament is fundamentally ambitious and leader-like. They have a lot of aggression, energy, and/or passion, and try to instill it in others. They can dominate people of other temperaments, especially phlegmatic types. Many great charismatic military and political figures were choleric. They like to be in charge of everything. However, cholerics also tend to be either highly disorganized or highly organized. They do not have in-between setups, only one extreme to another. As well as being leader-like and assertive, cholerics also fall into deep and sudden depression. Essentially, they are very much prone to mood swings.

Melancholic
The melancholic temperament is fundamentally introverted and thoughtful. Melancholic people often were perceived as very (or overly) pondering and considerate, getting rather worried when they could not be on time for events. Melancholics can be highly creative in activities such as poetry and art - and can become preoccupied with the tragedy and cruelty in the world. Often they are perfectionists. They are self-reliant and independent; one negative part of being a melancholic is that they can get so involved in what they are doing they forget to think of others.

Phlegmatic
The phlegmatic temperament is fundamentally relaxed and quiet, ranging from warmly attentive to lazily sluggish. Phlegmatics tend to be content with themselves and are kind. They are accepting and affectionate. They may be receptive and shy and often prefer stability to uncertainty and change. They are consistent, relaxed, calm, rational, curious, and observant, qualities that make them good administrators. They can also be passive-aggressive.

Anyway, based on what I found out... I think I'm both Sanguine and Melancholic which is polar opposites... Which explains why I am psycho... And which also makes sense coz I'm a Gemini. 

coffee shop dreams

my dreams are filled with you and coffee.

life nowadays

nowadays i feel that i have good people i can rely on to be there with me when times are tough...

we're all fighting loads of battles but there's something affirming about the people i encounter everyday. it doesn't make me immune to panic or stress... but it just makes the load somewhat more bearable.  i can't say easy because it's still very hard.

a good insight i learned today is changing your mindset to what situation is given to you.  i'm a very easily flustered person... so this is hard for me.  however, i know i should work on myself to be more calm and level-headed just so i can troubleshoot in a more lucid manner.

i won't let worry consume me.  i have good people to stand by me and guide me and i have a God that's constantly trying to refine me by teaching me lessons.

i also appreciate spending time with family.. watching the kids, having a beer with my brother and my sister in law... it seems like it just makes me realize the important things in life and prevents me from focusing on the fleeting, superficial aspects of it.

snapeee

i happen to like blurry bokeh pics of me

took this through camera360 then put bokeh stuff through snapeee :)

thankful

i'm thankful for the opportunity to love and be loved.

LSS

recurring songs in my head...

til the end of my days
song of a servant

i have no other way to go through this than with prayer and faith in God

A Prayer of Surrender

Father, I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you: I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only your will be done in me, and in all Your creatures - I wish no more than this, O Lord. Into your hands I commend my soul; I offer it to you with all the love of my heart, for I love you Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into your hands, without reserve, and with boundless confidence, For you are my Father. Amen.

Charles de Foucauld(1858-1916)

one of those days

i really meant well... but it just backfired on me.

Today's Lesson

Have You Lost Your Focus?

He prayed that he might die. 1 Kings 19:4

Sometimes after 'giving it your all,' you can end up totally drained. Look at Elijah. God used him on Mt. Carmel to call down fire from heaven on the prophets of Baal. Yet he fell apart under Jezebel's threats. Fleeing for his life, he 'sat down under a broom tree and said, 'It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life.' The moment his focus changed from God to the enemy, he became overwhelmed. So God spoke to him again. This time it wasn't in a spectacular display. Instead, He spoke in a 'still small voice' (v. 12 NKJV), drawing him aside to rest and spend time with God. The next time the nation saw Elijah he was spiritually on top again. So answer this: has your focus shifted from God to all the 'stuff you have to do'? If so, you need time out, time alone with God. When He calls you aside to rest, do it! Vic Pentz says, 'Nothing fails so totally, as success without God.' The two-fold danger in the aftermath of any success is: First, spending too much time listening to the accolades of others; Second, presuming you have what it takes to succeed on your own. As a result you disconnect from God, who is the source of your strength. David said, 'The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?' (Psalm 27:1). Fearlessness is foolishness, unless it's based on faith in God. And one more thought: God sent Elisha to assist Elijah, and He can send the right person to help you too. He knows what to do to get you moving again. This was taken from UCB's the Word Today for Sept 8. :)

stressful day?

Here you go!

welcome, Daniel!

Yesterday was Daniel's baptism :) 

The water provided was cold! He cried so much... Poor kid! 

After the baptism, we proceeded to the pool side for Chloe's birthday celebration. 

Was a fun day to spend with friends... So hot too... We thought it would be terribly rainy for a kiddie swimming party but then again, the sun came out.  Thank you! 

So here's birthday girl with her birthday cake. 

She dressed up as Belle :) 

Our house is full of girly girls!!!! 

Anyway, thank You Lord for giving her another year.  May she grow up to be a woman of purpose, grace and faith.  

<3

can't wait!

This is so exciting! I can't wait! 

Let's all go, friends! :) 

money matters

starting today... which is incidentally a pay day... I will be tracking my daily expenses.

this is going to be tough.. but I really need to grow up and start saving money.

no more unnecessary spendings!!!


started today gassing up.. gas is now 55.35/liter.  It's incredibly expensive... But what can I do about it? My 500 pesos only gives me gas that I used to pay 300 pesos for.

At least I have a car..

I found out most of my regular expenses are the ff:

• car payment
• gas 
• groceries for the house 
• phone bill
• internet bill 
• credit card bill 
• SHOPPING! 

I need to eradicate shopping in my life!!!! >,< 

get used to it

it's a pretty peculiar thing knowing that every single time i wake up... face the day... i definitely know it's a challenging one.  

i don't know when this lurking feeling of doom will end but then again i also know God will always see me through.  

i was also thinking, if i didn't do what i was doing right now... i can't think of what i could be doing? sounds like a tongue twister.. haha but yeah life would be so boring and routinary. 

i still can't get used to it... i don't think i'll ever will... but I thank God for the opportunity to be doing what i'm doing... being part of a team to make a small change in the Philippines and how things are run over here. 

so challenging... but then again, nothing worth it ever comes easy.  

photo from pinterest.com

study mode

highlighting with a flourescent marker brings me back to the old days....

Rest in Peace Giovanni

Im really saddened by the news that Vania and Kuya Santi's son passed away. He had just turned one. I'm praying for your family and for the soul of Giovanni. Really sorry for your loss.

Put your feet back on the ground..

Today I have probably experienced a lot of lows. During these times I know its just God's way of speaking to me.

I guess lately I've been having a lot of victories that I slowly forget things that are important such as having grounded faith and being totally grounded myself.

Its my first time in a very long time that commuted through public transport navigating through the streets of metro manila without the comfort of my car, in the blistering heat and riding an ordinary bus and a jeepney.

These are the things my coworkers go through everyday. I'm so privileged that I start to believe I deserve it but in reality I'm just being blessed by God.

I've been going through a lot of oppression lately and I've started doubting again. However, God continues to remind me that all the things I do is not my doing. Its through His grace I am able to perform my tasks and do my job.

I am so sorry Lord for being too complacent and content when I should always be aware of You and Your grace. I know as well that You and only You can get me through this.

All my hope and trust is in You. This is Your work, not mine. The skills I'm using are from You so technically its still You.

Thank you Father for blessing me with so much.

midget

Found this photo from Angie's album from our farm trip last Saturday.

I'm really a midget w/o heels.... >,< hahaha! 

TKDK

Yesterday, I was my parents' driver so I drove them to Rockwell because my dad had a meeting at Bel-Air.  

I was with my mom and Celine while my dad was having a meeting... I realized how much I don't really like shopping at Rockwell coz everything is just on the high-end side. 

Thankfully, I got something on a bargain which is a Tokidoki shirt at Anthem that I can wear for my dressed down days or for going to production.

(photo taken using camera360's jelly filter)

Here they are! I'm wearing them with my super used pants and just flip flops today.  So cute right? The fabric is thin so it's just perfect for the Philippine climate. Original price was 3,500 and I got it for 925. 

I got a Harajuku Lovers tote bag as well.. It's pretty huge. 

(photo taken using camera360's cool filter)

I like how I can put like tons of stuff inside... and I got it at 1400+ but the original price was 4000. I sort of couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the reductions on the stuff I got.  Got both from Anthem.. 

Seems like I'll be using them for a long time.  So yeah, I don't hate Rockwell as much as before. He was kind to me yesterday. haha

Fields..

At the farm today... Woke up at 4:30am. Angie picked me up as we will be giving workshops on natural products here at the social innovations camp at the enchanted farm.

Lovely day today! Currently having my 3rd breakfast after one round of walking around the whole place. Pretty cool hanging out eith Angie, Sarah, Luigi and Mike.

Its also only here that i get to see my dad haha

Happy anniversary trese printers!

Wonderful work for the past years.... Inspiring working with such enterprises :)

In other news..

I'm testing out blogger app for iphone... Pretty curious how this will work out.

Anyway, i chopped of probably 40% of my hair last tuesday. I honestly dont like it. It lacks volume and oomph but then again i needed to chop it off so i can grow out my processed, damaged hair. I cant wait til all my hair will be my original one. Haha

I feel pretty strange with straight hair.

the answer is yes..

angie has just come back from kota kinabalu...

oh malaysia, when can i go back to you? well, who am i to say? i've only been to a small part of malaysia in johor bahru when i was in college just coz it was just a train away from singapore...

anyway, we've been telling each other for a long time that we wanna travel together.  initially it was korea, then it was thailand... but the current flavor of the month is: HONGKONG!

i was like... there's nothing to do in hongkong... the inns are incredible shoebox-sized (well, the ones i can afford) and not much to see...

but when i thought about it... the food over there is pretty good! so that got me excited >,<;

one thing she was saying we should do is go to disneyland.. just to have nice pictures for our albums. haha! at first i was like, no! but then after awhile i realized it could be fun.

she's in charge of looking for tickets.  we're hoping to go around october or november.  yay!

ramblings at 4:50am

there's just not enough hours in a day, days in a week, weeks in a month, month in a year...

each day should be lived to the fullest. time is something that we are privileged to have but it's also something we shouldn't waste.

in my 20's i could say i still have a lot of time left on me... however, last night, on uberfact's (oh yes! such a reliable source of information thru twitter) it says there that left-handed people like me die 9 years earlier on the average than right-handed people...

what? so being more creative than the righties actually have a price?

anyway, i just think that days should be spent in anger and frustration.. it should be spending appreciating what you have, being grateful for the present and working hard for your goals, whatever they may be.

such realizations coming to me at 4:50 in the morning... my body clock and sleep patterns are pretty messed up.

mature!

i just saw a photo on facebook and literally stuck my tongue out to one of the people there...

so mature at 26!

photos are no longer just photos..

so i recently got an iphone 4s coz i was getting extremely annoyed by how fast the battery life of my galaxy ace drains... i literally have to plug it 2-3 times a day! i know i got myself to blame for that because of all the mobile internet stuff i use like kakaotalk, surfing, twitter, facebook and all these things..

anyway, i caved...i actually told myself i'll never get an iphone but... but... but.. micray and chad are such good convincers!

Anyway, I've been so obsessed with camera/photo filter apps lately that I have a total of 4 of them: Rakuga Cute, Photowonder, Line Camera and Camera360...

Why... Why... Why do I have to get sucked in to all of this!?

Now I can't just take a photo.... I gotta edit it first and put a fram before uploading >,<

Exhibit A

Celine Before Rakuga-Cute

 Celine After Rakuga-Cute

Must i be enslaved to this cuteness?

Exhibit B

Me and Ate before Line Camera

 Me and Ate after Line Camera filter and border

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah >,< burdensome and life changing!!! this is madness!

cruel day is so friggin cruel to me

40 minutes of noisy crying...
a cursing, ranting blog post...
deleting that cursing, ranting blog post...
10 minutes after all these..

I'm fine.

Back to friggin regular programming.

Goodbye cruel day!!!!

negatives to positives

today feels extremely busy...

I need a break so I'm here.

I'm liking this.  So appropriate.
I'm feeling a bit down lately. Emotional/mood swings..

Feels kinda crazy.

I'm hoping to rise above this and be a better person.  Haha!

yes, oh yes

from pinterest.com

towards you

I'm wondering when my next flight out will be.... and where to? 

picture from pinterest.com

who is that?

Me!

I'm slightly embarrassed... >,<

change

I still can't believe some of the things you tell me.

I don't know if you've changed or you've always had it in you.

Either way, it makes me happy.

i love you

yes oh yes!

so far

Sunday

250 jump ropes
50 crunches
25 in and outs
60 sec wall sit
40 sec plank
25 bicycle crunches
10 kneeling pushups

Monday

250 jump ropes
50 crunches
10 kneeling pushups
40 sec plank
25 in and outs
30 squats
10 lunges on each leg
60 sec superman
20 bicycle crunches

la la la...

Thursday

10 kneeling pushups
10 tricep dips
50 crunches
30 bicycle crunches
25 squats
20 lunges on each leg
60 sec awesome legs
80 jumping jacks
60 sec wall sit
30 sec plank

The 30 sec plank has become bearable.. will probably move to 40 sec...

proper planning

why are there so many cables blocking my view of the highway?

wednesday's getting used to it

Wednesday

60 sec awesome legs thingy
10 kneeling pushups
10 tricep dips
50 crunches
25 squats
20 lunges (per leg)
80 jumping jacks
60 sec wall sit


I've come to the point that I'd feel really sucky if i don't get to work out at the start of the day. I hope I sustain this feeling.

I'm getting used to the lunges and the wall sits. I really like the tight sore feeling...

permission

Hello, may I go to Astana? Please, pretty please?

Better yet, can you come here to Manila?

manic tuesday

tuesday

10 kneeling pushups
20 crunches
25 squats
20 lunges (20 per leg)
80 jumping jacks
60 second wall sit

I did moderated pushup and changed the situps to crunches... I'm also supposed to do this 3 times... But i really could only do one O_o hahaha tomorrow is another day!

slow progress

Monday

1 min awesome legs thingy
30 squats
50 crunches
30 bicycle crunches

Breakfast

croissant
apple juice

Decided to include my food intake to prevent me from eating unhealthily... I'm starting to see some really minor cuts around my tummy and i can feel the muscle forming in my legs... long way to go but it's keeping me motivated.

Posting an awkward photo of my tummy... but I need documentation...

Will work harder...

sunday's special workout

Sunday

morning

50 jumping jacks
4 sets 180 squats

evening

10 burpees
50 crunches
20 squat kicks
3-min awesome legs thingy

mini workout

Satuday

10 burpees
30 squats
50 crunches
30 sec plank

here and there

View from here.... Quezon City.

View from there.... Astana.

morning routine

this morning... 

woke up and said my thanksgiving prayers... 

then proceeded to my workout as i only had 6am-7am to prepare for a 9am meeting in Taguid (considering the travel time).

Friday

50 jumping jacks 

5 pushups 

50 crunches 

30 bicycle crunches

4 sets 180 degree squats 

I tried doing burpees last night.. to difficult for now... I cant do a decent push up... 

Will be working on that. 

work out!

Thursday

50 jumping jacks
5 pushups
50 crunches
30 squats
30 second plank
40 kick ups
40 second glute bridge

this week so far

I eat so much because of stress... I need to compensate...


Sunday

1 hour Zumba

Tuesday

25 squats
25 crunches
25 squats
25 crunches
stretch

Wednesday

50 jumping jacks
5 push ups
50 crunches
20 mountain climbers
30 second plank
40 scissors
25 squats


stress levels... go down please...

busybody

Be proactive!

I've been trying to be more proactive and be more of a busybody... it's giving me energizing happy hormones. I don't know if this is good in the long run...

Trying to be a good leader... Still working on it.

aja!

i'm not the best planner/leader but i will sure try my best...

good people around me and i really want to make improvements so that these good people will not be unhappy and burnt out.

i know now..

i've been feeling really bad lately... I feel like i face problem after problem and they don't seem to end all in the span of a few weeks.

I was going crazy and totally out of it to the point that it affected other people.

but it seems like it's whenever i go through these all time lows that i realize God talking to me in a different way.

First message yesterday - be thankful.

I feel like i've neglected to be grateful and thankful of what I have even if I have way more than what I deserve.  Since I focus on all the problems I'm facing, it's turned into a vacuum and like a one - track mind thing wherein i don't see the beauty and positivity of each situation anymore.

2nd message that came to me today - put your full trust in Me

I've relied too much on other people to comfort me when God is just there waiting for me to put all my trust in Him.  It's become a wake up call. It's been a rough few weeks but I'm thankful that I went through it because it's also through my rough times I'm not able to read the Bible.

God is definitely trying to tell me things and I'm so grateful that I'm able to hear them.

Now, on my end - Acceptance.

Acceptance of God's role, peoples' roles, and my role.  I can't just trust in Him and not do my part.  I believe this is an awakening for me to really step up and do my best in all the responsibilities I have whether it's work, relationship, self.

I truly feel affirmed by today that if I just trust in Him, no problem is too big for me to face.

The world is not caving in, I'm just making You stronger - God

I've got an amazing God, a wonderful family that's here to support me, friends and colleagues who are there for me and Chad who listens to me and comforts me (and makes me deliriously happy!).

I'm ready to face tomorrow and the upcoming days... I'll just have to promise God that I'll still remember to smile amidst all this and know that He's there, refining me.

waiting is key

Yesterday I went to Rustans with my mom coz she needed to do some errands about a gift registry... I was wandering around Zara and found the shoes I've been dreaming about for over a month!

So yes... It took me about 5 Zara visits just salivating over these shoes.... and I found them on sale.

I love it.

I guess it pays to not be impulsive. It will just come...

last night's accomplishment

250 jump ropes
20 squats
5 pushups
50 crunches
20 mountain climbers
40 scissors

today's accomplishment

250 jump ropes
50 jumping jacks
5 pushups
50 crunches
20 mountain climbers
40 scissors

what?

Do I really have to go to Malaysia just to get a visa to Kazakhstan??

I hope not.... This is depressing...

damn right

i can proudly say that i can relate to this...

from pinterest.com

hmmm...this doesn't seem right

Saw this on FB... I don't think it's right though... First of all...Filipinos eat white rice.... second of all... we don't really eat much salad looking veggies... we eat vegetables cooked in some sort of sauce... ahahaha

Cool graphic though.... I'd lose the carbs most days though.... Looks like a yummy plate!

prettiness

Stumbled upon this display over at Powerplant... I love it!

same thoughts

from pinterest.com

girls lunch

just a random lunch with my sisters and my mom... which included mikel... but he's not a person yet so he doesn't really count. jk

mikel is growing up really fast and it makes me smile whenever i hear him use words that i haven't heard him say before.. child development is an amazing/scary thing... 

i got the most beautiful mom and the prettiest sisters...too bad ate anna wasn't here.. she was sick.

no photos of the food because we were extremely hungry and we just inhaled em.... yay!