Magic 7 Puerto Gallera 2006

Kixie, NN and myself

magic7

Jackie and Kayce

Magic7

Ading Che and Judith at Max's on a fine Monday evening for our dinner date

nag-i-emote sa may Max's kasama ang mga magicians...we're still complete!

Katrina

Katrina.....

This lovely young lady caught my attention with her swardspeak. Somehow, I was meant to be around people who talk that way, either thru a real gay...or in her case, an aspiring gay :) We started getting along as "barkada" when the Centre (Shell Shared Service Centre - Manila) was on its first anniversary last year. It has something to do with the groupings. Their initial impression on my personality was such a boring lady who could be so snob.

The friendship started when I discovered that he admired our American trainer. She was so candid in even telling the guy that he appeared in her dreams. Well, she might have liked the guy anyway, even too concerned about the guy when a hurriane hit the US...and betcha by golly...the name of the hurricane is Katrina. Her kiss offered to this guy was refused that's why she followed him all the way to the US thru a hurricane. So you giys out there..you watch out. If Katrina offers you a kiss, better accept it than be sorry and be followed by a hurricane.

Subsequent events in our friendship may not be that "big". The small things somehow kept the bond as friends stronger.In a group of seven, she was my confidant. The phone pal I could cry on. She almost sees me through those days of my ups and downs especially in my relatioship with my family. She has seen the ironies in life that I went through.

Thru accompanying me when I would send allowances home every month, the seven-eleven moments when I got hungry, medical clinic check-ups, etc. Small things...yet these are the things that would make me miss her most.

She would be going to Australia to pursue her post-graduate studies...It is a sad thing for all of her friends who would be left. However, we are also happy that in the course of two years, she would have achieved something she could be truly proud of.

Bakla, I love you more than I could ever show....Take the bludger (blunger whatever) when you'd be in Australia. There are things that we could not explain, we have no conrol of... but we know that if things happen to us...we would overcome especially if the Lord is on our side.

May you flourish in the land the Lord has given you to conquer. He has increased your territoy so better be prepared for the battle ahead of you. Armed with confidence, killer smile, beautiful face and a beautiful heart....you shall conquer Australia...

Have faith.....

Loveyah

Life can be so good

Life can be so hard

Never knowing what each day

Will bring to where you are

Sometimes I forget

And sometimes I can't see

That whatever comes my way

You'll be with me

My life is in your hands

My heart is in your keeping

I'm never without hope

Not when my future is with you

My life is in your hands

And though I may not see clearly

I will lift my voice and sing

Cause your love does amazing things

Lord, I know, my life is in your hands

Nothing is for sure

Nothing is for keeps

All I know is that your love

Will live eternally

So I will find my way,

And I will find my peace

Knowing that you'll meet my every need

My life is in your hands

My heart is in your keeping

I'm never without hope

Not when my future is with you

My life is in your hands

And though I may not see clearly

I will lift my voice and sing

Cause your love does amazing things

Lord, I know, my life is in your hands

When I'm at my weakest love

You carry me

Then I become my strongest love

In your hands

My life is in your hands

And though I may not see clearly

I will lift my voice and sing

Cause your love does amazing things

Lord, I know, my life is in your hands

I trust you LordMy life is in your hands

On the road to extraordinay

Day 1: Ladder
Day 2: Issues
Day 3: Refiner's Fire

I attended the 3 sessions of the seminar with Pastor Daniel Wu as the speaker on the topic "On the road to extraordinary".

The practical teachings of Pastor Daniel is really true. What struck me was his view on claiming something from God. If you are claiming on something that you have prayed for, what verse in the Bible do you cling on to? That I did not do in my life. I pray, wish for it to happen, but did not hold on to a passage in the scripture. In getting to our destiny, our Lord Jesus is our ladder to our destiny, and that we can be sure that He is above every situation that we would encounter.

Facing the issues and burrying those that drag us from getting to where we should be goingg is a matter of act of faith. According to him, and I agree, we must treat challenges that come along our way as new territories that we are going to conquer. And we must not forget to ask the Lord to expand our territories.

Fiery trials, that's how he describes undergoing thru trials. It is when a person is undergoing severe trial that something comes out of him. He cited the friends of Daniel (Shadrach,Meshach and Abednego) who went thru the fire and that the Holy Spirit was with them in that trial, when they did not succumb to the pressures pushed unto them by the society they were in at that time. If we expect great blessing, we shall expect trials along the way.

His life is a living testimony that the Lord could bring out every negative situation into a positive , even victorious. Coming from a Chinese family from Hong Kong, his parents and relatives moved to England where he grew up. Adverse beginnings in life. His mom used to beg for food in the streets of Hong Kong. His father, upon coming to London, was enlisted to the Chinese Mafia called the TRIAD, not to deal drugs, but as a way of getting a job as a waiter.

He mused on hearing the song "He's got the whole world in His Hands", he and his sister, and he would often ask, "who carried the whole world in his hands?". Then in school during the Christmas season, he would ask his Christian classmates who Jesus is. A very humbling and profound mystery how God can touch the hearts of people to draw to Him.

In summary, our life is not shaped by who we are in the past, what our background was. What's important is, we have these potentials, that we could use to get to our destiny...and that it is a matter of putting everything in God's hands, in God's perspective, all that we have hoped for.

In this journey of my life, I could not bravely say that I have attained what I hoped for. But armed with the knowledge that my God is ever with me, I hope to see the future secure "In his hands".

Praise be to Jesus.

Life is better here in the Philippines

It was due to my passion for watching world news that I came across this documentary about the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa which featured children working in copper mines. Kids who were interviewed were 8 years old (twin brothers) and a boy at 15. Their working condition is not really apt for kids. Well, any part in the world, kids are kids and they are not supposed to go work until they reach legal age. Kids are supposed to go to school, play and enjoy the true meaning of childhood.

While they were on the mine field, digging the soil for a piece of copper, washing their find in toxic water afterwards, somehow, I realize that kids in my native land Philippines, are fortunate. When asked what the kids' dreamt of becoming when they are grown ups, the 15 year old boy mentioned he wants to become a Mechanic. The twins want to be Pastors!

That really struck me. Living in a country considered the only Christian country in Asia, it is not very often that a child, even in poverty would dream to become a Mechanic, not even a Pastor. In a country where materialism is evident these simple yet significant dreams such as the kids in Congo's are not often a scenario in our country.

We often complain here of a lot of things. The government, unemployment, all those petty things.

That documentary give me a realization that due to a different kind of life we experience here, we often neglect the good things that we have...worst we never ever appreciate that afterall, life is better here..only, we have to look at the brighter side of life...and we need to see the other side of the world where life is a whole lot different than ours, for us to have a clearer perspective.

The kids impressed in me the desire to dream on....no matter what socio-economic status you are in.....Afterall, life is travelled once...we make the most of it...we get the best of it....

When somebody leaves you

Today is such another not so sad day...Friday...
My friend Kuya Francis, Franco, Franc, Fran just told me that he would be leaving Shell to join Exxonmobil. The last time we talked about leaving the company was when I applied for a job, buteventually not hired. He broke the news only today..and that he would be leaving in two week's time. Heck! That's pretty fast! That's why I was sort of shocked to know about it.

Our friendship started when out of being naive in Outlook, I called the helpdesk hotline and he was the one who took the call.....and there....we became friends....

I planned to write an article in here about him...how we bacame friends...shared thoughts...things that mattered in life, etc...but, here I am..writing of his leaving the company where we both work...ONLY, it's not in the same geographical location. He being in the US, and I in Manila...He is Puerto Rican, I am Filipino..He is happily married, I am merrily single...We are different in many ways, but we became friends..good friends...

There are people with whom you share your life for a moment..I hope our friendship lasts till lifetime. Irregardless of boundaries, social status, religion....

Kuya, you know you will be missed....All those surprise calls....neverending chats at night here in Manila, and daytime to you in Houston....

I attached the image that made us close...Hope you will not forget this...

Te amo!

On becoming a linguist

The dreamer in me is starting to fulfill her dreams. Whatever this life has to offer, I keep on dreaming and dreaming until I reach one of those unreachable stars according to Matt Monroe. When I was a kid, I dreamt of becoming a pilot, but that did not push through. It was maybe due to the lack of resources, or the blurred vision (that I found out a little later). I remember the time when I overheard my parents talking at dawn time about how they could help me fulfill my dreams of becoming a lady pilot. Jokingly said, my Papa told me that even if he would sell his last piece of torn underwear, there was no way that they could send me to aviation school. And yes, they were right.

The turn of fate helped me somehow, when I became a recipient of a scholarship sponsored by German Christians, that sent me thru college and the CPA review school. Yes, with the Lord's blessing, I became I CPA in the year 2000.

Looking back, I never would have wanted this profession had it not been for my Mama's desire to become a CPA. Her dream was fulfilled in me. I don't know if this is fate or destiny, but I am glad that somehow, I achieved something. This something I never really dreamt of, but something I attained. Not everyone who wished to become a CPA ever became one.

I've been working for over 4 years now, as an accountant. Still, seeing aeroplanes and visiting airports bring back mem'ries of the dream that never came true.

Why the title of this blog today is "On becoming a linguist"? Well, next to becoming a pilot, is being able to converse with peoples of different nationalities. Had I become a pilot, I would have acquired this skill also. Considering that I dreamt of becoming a commercial pilot of an international flag carrier.

First language to study is Spanish. Next in line French, German, Chinese (Mandarin/Cantonese), Japanese, then if by then I would have mastered this few languages, I'd give Dutch a try.. (Oppsss) I could see the eyebrows of Magic 7 being raised. Oh, by the way, Magic 7 is the barkada (peer group) where I proudly belong. 7 gorgeous and brilliant young ladies (I, being the oldest at 27), in Shell Shared Service Center Manila.

In due time, I will know if I'd fulfill the dream to become a linguist....In the meantime, it's 3:00 AM, and the barkada is suppose to have lunch...

Hasta luego!

Pers Taym

Kagandahang umaga. Alas 5:20, maliwanag na ang paligid, dito sa pinagtatrabahuhan namin. Kami ang mga maligayang kuwago dito sa Manila. Simula ng mailipat dito sa Pilipinas ang trabaho ng mga Onx, eto, may mga nagpupukpok na ng keyboard mula alas 9 ng gabi hanggang ala sais ng umaga.

Kailangang Tagalog sa pers taym na Blog dito. Hindi ko muna hahabaan ito. Pero, dito ko maipapahayag ang aking mga saloobin. Ako'y likas na manunulat, pero di pa nadidiskubre. Baka ito ang aking kapalaran. Ang maging manunulat at sumikat.

Saang sulok ka man ng mundo, pag ika'y napadaan sa blog na ito, magdiwang!