His will be done

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And lean not on your own understanding
In all your ways acknowledge Him
And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

This is a very timely Bible passage for me, because in this new transition in my life, I can now confirm that in all my undertakings, God had "manipulated" me. :)

When there was something that I had asked from Him, He didn't only grant my requests, but He also gave more than what I have asked for. I trusted Him to give me what He willed and though I've become impatient sometimes of waiting for His answers, I was always and will always be overwhelmed with how He had presented them in a great package.

Now, as I embark into a new life's adventure, I'm sure it is His will; and I trust Him that He would always lead me to the right direction.

it is near...

It's been quite a while that I didn't post...I've been very busy. My flight will be Monday after next, and I'm totally anxious and on the verge of panic as it nears. Unlike my counterparts in Arizona who flew in groups, I will be flying alone. And because I am the first to be deployed by my agency to California (in it's entire existence), I will also be living in my apartment alone.

I'm sure I wouldn't be able to update my blog when I'm there until I get familiarized with the place. And my stories will be different as I will talk so much about my experiences, how I would blend...how I would survive. This excites me. :)

Until next blog!

America, here I come!

Finally I got the news...the confirmation that I'd be leaving soon...bound to California! I can't describe the feeling. I'm euphoric at the same time sad...extremes! Imagine, everyone I'm texting is telling me his/her shoe size or giving me lectures on brands of perfumes, watches or bags? I thought they were telling me names of my future neighbors, ha ha ha! Who wouldn't get stressed with that? He he he, joke!!!

My older sister who is more excited than I am have texted all our relatives living in California and in nearby states. My friends are giving me names and contact numbers of their friends and relatives living there also. My sister-in law in Hawaii called me and gave also a friend's name and asked me to call that person as soon as I get there. What do they want to tell me??? That I must have a strong support system because I would be facing a real life battle? By golly! It scares a lot of me!!!

Okay, so I will be fighting with homesickness, culture shock, language barriers, getting lost...and whatever it is that would cause extreme anxiety when you get to a strange land with strange people. As my defense in this battle, I would be needing people who'd be willing to share their home...their pc with wifi capability (he he); their aged furnitures and appliances or kitchen utensils that they'd be willing to hand down to me...and most of all, I'd greatly appreciate their precious time which they would happily share with me for company.

So, my kapamilya, kapuso, at ka-Filipino sa America...maghanda kayo! Este, humanda kayo! :)
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I would like to share with you some pics that I took when I stayed in my agency's staffhouse along Malate, when I was processing my papers. I used my camera phone with only a 640 x 480 resolution. Not good enough to capture the details of the image, but I couldn't resist the view.

there must be a better way...

Our conversation led to different topics like her maid (who is her only companion), her cats (her other non-human companions, he he!), the malunggay tree that she cut (because her neighbors were stealing its leaves, ha ha!), and her job that she "loves". We also talked about writing and photojournalism.

She lamented about the hardships she experiences while doing her job. Being a "social marketing specialist" in the goverment's public works projects (in Southern Philippines), she's having a hard time boosting the image of her agency. So as her recourse, she said, she's doing a different style of writing in their monthly journal.

Instead of the usual propaganda and detailed specifications of an infrastructure project and putting emphasis on a declaration, " through the initiative of congressman so and so", she uses a different mode of writing. She tells a story about the people who are benefitting from the projects...adding impact and drama to a 2 billion tax money worth of a newly built road or bridge.

She writes in the style that her story would capture the emotions of the readers...perhaps to instill in them and inspire them to change. However, this change she had initiated in their journal is not acceptable to her boss. Still, the boss would want the old way of reporting, which my friend thinks is no longer acceptable to the readers. So, it turned out that by slowly initiating change, she realized that she was also slowly making enemies. And we both agreed that people's lives are not improving because they refuse to change.

Speaking of writing to initiate change, she mentioned to me, Bob Ong and his style of writing ( I knew Bob Ong when I read his book, "Bakit Baliktad Magbasa ng Libro ang nga Pilipino?"). And we marvelled at Bob Ong's frankness and braveness to pinpoint the flaws of the Filipinos. His satires are real and awakening. His books capture the young readers' minds which I think is good because he wants to initiate change in the youth. She also introduced me to Bob Ong's latest book, Stainless Longganisa and I immediately found and bought the book from the National Bookstore.

One thing I've learned from the Stainless Longganisa is that, "reading goes with writing". With my limited exposures to books like Sweet Valley High and Mills and Boone when I was younger ( I grew up in the province), I'm glad that I played Scrabble and Squabble with college graduates and professionals when I was in grade 5. I also read "Laughter is the Best Medicine" and "Points to Ponder". My subscription to "The Plain Truth" (it was free!), and memorizing science trivias when I was joining the science quiz bees mattered.

I regret not joining Press Conferences when I was in the elementary and in high school. The Press Cons were always scheduled simultaneously with the Science Fairs. I've missed learning how to write when I opted joining the Science Fairs. I also regret not having exerted much effort to finish reading the classic novels... and if ever I've finished reading them because they were requirements in the English Lit. subject, I didn't gain interest in understanding them (nya ha ha!).

But it is never too late. Whenever I have time to read now, I read...and I read a lot! I never shut out my mind to new ideas.

Putting our mind to hibernation in the old and rigid norms can only contain us to the Dark Ages. A closed mind is a dead mind. Opening our minds and welcoming new and creative ideas can make us think better ways to bettering our lives. And making our lives better can inspire the others to do the same.

Touched by little angels...

There were 17 of them aged 0-2 years old in the "infants and toddlers' room". Two babies share one crib for there were only a few cribs available. Some were asleep, the others were awake and crying, announcing that it was time to feed them; and a few were comfortably playing on the rubber-matted floor... unmindful of the constant flow of visitors. This is their moment to receive more gifts, toys, candies, clothes, medicines, and whatever is included in their wish list, because they are given special attention in this particular time of the year- the Christmas season.

When we visited today an orphanage in Wangal, La Trinidad, Benguet; my son, who is 14 years old and who practically understood what he was witnessing whispered to me, "sobrang stressful naman dito" (it's very stressful here). And as we went near a crib, a toddler got up and clung to his jacket... with sorrowful looking eyes, and snot-smeared face, the child was begging to be cuddled. Maybe touched by the child's pityful state, my son carried him... perhaps to provide comfort however short-lived.

The orphanage is being maintained by the government's social welfare agency. All 34 orphans were classified into two, the infants and toddlers ( 0-2 y/o), and the school age group (3-10 y/o). Though this is already our second time to visit, today is more special because we brought along my husband's 4 y/o half-brother, Mark and my husband's sister's 9 y/o daughter, Lois. We gave used clothings and shoes, toys and books. The kids interacted and played with the orphans, and we toured the establishment and learned how these unfortunate children were being sustained.

I purposely made the exposure to my children for them to learn the virtue of sharing, to imbibe appreciation of blessings and to make them aware of their social responsibilities. At their young age, it is best to teach them virtues that will shape them to become good Christians and good citizens when they've grown...virtues that they may pass on to their future children so that the coming generation may have a better world to live in.

pretty freaky!

When I was reading last night to doze me off, I chanced upon a Newsweek bit about eyelash transplants. It caught my curiosity...and as I read along, I found myself astounded and amused.

Eyelash transplant is a form of cosmetic surgery, "pioneered a decade ago by hair restoration-surgeons to help burn and accident victims who have lost their eyelashes"(Newsweek-Dec. 4, 2006). However, it earned distinction when vanity didn't let this new technology pass unworthy and unrecognized, as a new trend for beauty! As almost every woman you see in the mall has her face or some parts of her body cosmetically engineered, even healthy women now seek eyelash transplant for cosmetic purposes.

Ok, so the procedure goes like this: surgeons scrape a small patch of hair from the back of the scalp. The hair follicles are taken individually then implanted on the top lid using a curved needle. The procedure is painless (thanks to local anesthetics), and the patient is awake throughout the procedure. Quite easy huh? Here's the tough part, "there's puffy lids and temporary scarring as side effects" (ullk!)...and a regular maintenance! Yeah! These new eyelashes should be trimmed on a regular basis as they continue to grow as fast as the hair on your head! Yikes! Freaky, right?

Oh, I couldn't stop laughing while imagining a woman with her transplanted eyelashes untrimmed. When it grows very long, she would need some mini clips to hold her longlashes. ( extra extra lightweight so that her lids won't be pulled down 'coz she won't be able to see with her lids closed, he he he!) And, she only has to see a beauty stylist who had undergone an intensive training to trim lashes to perfection... layered and tapered for a natural look!

If you ever consider having eyelash transplant because you don't feel contented with the natural ones you have, do think twice. Aside from your usual hair treatment that comprises a hair cut, body-armpit-bikini-leg waxing in your regular visit to the salon, you must have to include eyelash trimming ( which you may need to set aside extra time). It may cost you a whole day of salon stay and an added expense for the upkeep. Do you still want to be beautiful? The surgery costs $3000 per lid.

letting go...

My mom and my nephew arrived here in Baguio yesterday to help me fix some stuff. I asked mom to come to help me decide where my things should go; which one I should keep, sell, or give away. As we started sorting, I couldn't help becoming nostalgic, remembering a story of every item that I hold. And the thought that there are some things that would have to go was quite heavy for me.

I'm a sentimental fool. I put life and meaning to every thing that I own. Whether these things were gifts, bought or were custom made, I can't detach myself easily from them. Each item has a story to tell ..they were with me when I was felicitous or downcast. Though it was hard for me, I was able to identify three items that are most meaningful to me.

First on my list that I could not let go of is the framed cross-stitched decor. It's 1 ft. x 2 ft. in size but when framed, it's bigger. I love the design, the theme is floral ( i love flowers !) . I think it's a rare design...I haven't seen a similar one like it (click photo to see detail). This was made by Joseph Leyo, my patient, who was undergoing hemodialysis. During one of his treatments, he asked me if I would want him to cross-stitch for me 'coz he was raising funds for his dialysis treatment. I eagerly said yes! Sadly, he died in 2004.

I used to love scented candles...they emit lavender, chamomile, vanilla and other essences. When you light them up, the scent relaxes your senses and you'd feel relieved from your aches and pains. They're nice decors too! I have an antique-looking candle holder that holds 3 candles in a staircase-like design. I put it on top of our aquarium and the candles were never lighted...I opted not to. I don't want the candles to melt into a distorted shape. This candle-holder with 3 peach-colored candles was a gift from my hubby on our 9th wedding anniversary.

Our 4 cu. ft. GE refrigerator has an unusually loud humming sound...maybe 'coz it's already old, (he he he). I bet that our electric bill is soaring high because of the ref's over-worked motor. It's pulling a lot of electricity that it can make the elec. meter whirl rapidly, like a ballerina doing a pirouette. But why am I not replacing it? Because a lot of notes, pix, important papers, schedules, were already posted on it with magnetic "thingies"; then removed, and new notes, pix, important papers, schedules, were stuck on it again. The cycle went on and on that the refrigerator became our activity organizer. It documented our 14 years of marriage... got this as a wedding gift from my parents.

There are more precious items that I'm still thinking of what to do with them...like a movie projector circa 1950, old clothes and bags that still look new, our "Readers' Digest" and "Newsweek" compilations; books like the "Global Paradox" by John Naisbitt, ""The Dilbert Principle" by Scott Adams. There's also a cookbook-novel with an interesting title, "Is Salami and Eggs Better than Sex?"; some appliances, furnitures, electronic gadgets and more.

Stay tuned and watch out for my advertisement for a garage sale- soon!