Letters That I'll Never Send: To Someone Who Changed my Life

To my Readers,

It almost skipped my mind, and then I bloghopped and I remembered.
This isn't one of those dramatic letters that I usually write and which you've become used to.
This is actually another thank you letter directed to someone who changed my life. This time, I did not opt for the dramatics or the flair. The person who changed my life, not in a very drastic way, but did change my life as I know it now is Calvin.Around last year, around these dates, Calvin hosted his first anniversary giveaway. The prize and requirements was as straight forward as it could ever get. My blog then had a visitor of 2 people a week, those are the 2 blogger friends that are also offline friends of mine. His prize was a domain. I was actually curious about a domain and staking a name in the world wide web.We were about 13 participants, and random.org picked me. There were others who were a lot more deserving, I'm pretty sure with the traffic he is getting right now, Calvin will have hundreds of entries gunning for his prizes.
Calvin changed my life because he gave me a domain when I couldn't afford it, no plans on how to use it, and gave me my stake which I used to claim my part of the world wide web.
I don't remember when I really started blogging. I started before I turned 28 and opened my first blog which I named Just Keep Trying. and I used that to write about his contest. Then, I won. Do you know why I remember the date when I was given my domain? It's in my godaddy receipt. That was one of Calvin's requirements. You had to open a GoDaddy account so he could easily transfer the domain to you. I'm proud to say that I've just recently renewed this domain and that it will still be up and running for at least a year.

Here's my short letter to someone who changed my life:



It's a year old tomorrow. Thanks.






Looking for Meaning in these Times

Map of the Philippines with Bulacan  Lalawigan...Image via Wikipedia
Manila and other neighboring cities are underwater. Ankle high, Thigh high to Neck deep water.
What have I learned while watching those footages of people trying to pass the ravaging water?
That when there's a threat of a storm, prepare a " Go Bag" ( I learned this from the Safety Patrol at Playhouse Disney). Everyone gets a "Go Bag"

Contents of a " Go Bag "
  • flashlight
  • batteries
  • battery operated radio
  • mineral/bottled water
  • energy bars/snacks
  • an umbrella ( since it's about storms and rains in the philippines)
  • medicines ( for headache, diarrhea, colds, vitamins, and if you have any other ailment like hypertension and diabetes)
  • money and identification cards
Other things I've learned before a storm hits:

  • Charge your cellphones, your spare batteries too if you have those. 
  • Charge emergency lights.
  • Buy candles, and matches.
  • Stock up on lots of water
  • Stock up on snacks.
What I've learned from watching the news?

  • Stay on your roof, rescue will come later.
  • If you do intend to stay on your roof during a storm, tether yourself securely to your house.
  • Wear a raincoat for goodness sake! Or please bring an umbrella to shield yourself from the rain and the storm.
What do we find in Disasters?

People who have the guts to help at their own personal risk and people who take advantage of the situation.
Always.

This is the first time in such a long time that Manila ever experienced a flooding of this proportion or magnitude. Not only is it in Manila but in Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal and other places as well. The bad news is there's another storm coming.

It all boils down to how we take care of our environment.

We should learn by now what causes the flooding.

It's pollution, deforestation of our forests, and bad city planning.

Did I miss anything?
What should I do during a storm?

Pray.



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Dan Brown: Lost Symbol

CHICAGO - SEPTEMBER 18:  Author Dan Brown's ne...Image by Getty Images via Daylife
I got my hands on the new Dan Brown book, it's The Lost Symbol. Our favorite symbologist ( is that right?) Robert Langdon is again the protagonist. Fans of  The Da Vinci Code, and Angels and Demons are sure to like this one too. It's fast paced with such an exciting location. I mean, tourists will again flock these places and really love them. If they had us visiting the Louvre, and the Vatican, this time around we will be visiting Washington!


Fact:

In 1991, a document was locked in the safe of the director of the CIA. The document is still there today. Its cryptic text includes references to an ancient portal and an unknown location underground. The document also contains the phrase “It’s buried out there somewhere.”

All organizations in this novel exist, including the Freemasons, the Invisible College, the Office of Security, the SMSC, and the Institute of Noetic Sciences.

All rituals, science, artwork, and monuments in this novel are real.

With this as an intro, I'm sure you'll get hooked as much as I was.  The book revolves around the Freemasons, a group often misunderstood and is an organization that is very much alive and circulating today. It's like after finishing the book, I hope I can just fly and visit all the places mentioned and try to solve that riddle. There's the usual combination of faith and science which we've all grown to love. The scientists who are believers and the believers who are also scientists. Plus, I'm pretty sure you'll be googling about Noetic Science.

What can I tell you without giving away too much? You'll meet Peter Solomon, a Worshipful Master of the Freemasons, his sister Katherine, the tragedy that struck their lives and more. In case you're not sure if you want to buy the book, the official website of the book lets you read an excerpt... here.
I suggest you read it because it's a great adventure for Robert Langdon. The setting is after all the adventures in Paris and in Rome. More about Robert Langdon's childhood is mentioned here and something that you have to keep in mind is that Peter Solomon is the one man that Robert Langdon doesn't want to disappoint. Maybe, that will get your interest.

I'm looking forward for Tom Hanks performance as Robert Langdon again.What about you?

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New Discoveries I

Harper's IslandImage by 囧-WQ-囧 via Flickr
I apologize for not being able to join Girls Talk, I know all the other girls had great answers (I bloghopped and read their entries). Honestly, I couldn't think of anything that girls can do and boys can't. Why? In comparison, my hubby can do anything better than I ever can, except mastery of the English language (his pronunciation falls into an accent from his province), other than that he's totally better than me.

Just sharing some new discoveries of mine again. It may be old news to you, but it's new to me, so you can skip this post if you are not ready for a long read.

One of my new discoveries is the tv show Harper's Island. I saw one of the previews in Studio23, honestly, it piqued my curiosity. I love mysteries, serial killers, whodunit stuff. I came across it again in a deebeedee shop ( yes, pirata po ako but not all the time) so I just had to have it. I checked the cover and it really caught my attention. Besides the actor as someone I really like in Medical Investigation, Jake 2.0 and recently in Ugly Betty, I liked the rest of the cast as well, since 2 of them were casts in Supernatural.

The story is simple, yet riveting. Abby Mills is going back to Harper's Island because his bestfriend (Henry) is marrying the girl of his dreams (Trish). 7 years ago, there was a serial killer in the island who killed 6 people by hanging them on a tree. Others were decapitated with a headspade (something used to decapitate whales) and others killed and tortured in many different ways.

The story begins a boat in Seattle, as the wedding party waits and assembles before heading off to Harper's Island. Immediately, one is missing (Cousin Ben) and you discover that he is tied under the boat beside the ships propeller. Victim number one is soon dead. As the story progresses, more and more are getting killed. By the 6th or 7th episode, you'd think that you got who the killer is, but then the main suspect dies and you are at a loss again as who is the real killer. All signs point to Abby as the reason why the killer is reliving the past.

I haven't finished the series, though my research of it got me in trouble since I know who the killer is now. But it's ok, since I'm still excited and I want to know why.

If you're into the suspense/thriller genre then I really suggest you catch this series on Studio 23 (if you're in the Philippines). It's worth watching. It's like " I Know what you did Last Summer" or " Scream" but instead of a short-lived movie, you've got a whole 13 episode series. It's a one-time run only (meaning, it only has 1 season) but if there was going to be a different series like Harper's Island, I'd be sure to try and watch it again.






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That's my Favorite: Mommy Moments

mommy moments





I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

Thursday Thunks: Soaps and Lather

Lather Up, Laugh It Up, And Have A Colorful Day!

1. Does soap or shampoo have to really lather up for you to feel that it cleaned throughly?

No. I just have to scrub a lot harder to make me feel cleaned thoroughly.

2. Do you have a long standing joke with someone that you still laugh about every time you talk to that person?
 
I have a long standing joke of not celebrating my son's 2nd birthday because an employee's daughter is turning one that day and we'll all be going to where their party is...to celebrate there. 

3. Share something that happened to you this past week that was unusual.
 
My mom bought something for my son first. That's very unusual. Usually, it's my daughter she thinks of first.

4. If you dropped a purple crayon and a green crayon off a roof, which would melt faster in the sun?
 
The one that gets broken into a million little pieces first.

5. You are standing in line (grocery store, bank, etc.), and someone gets in line behind you that stinks. The stink is so bad that people in line in front of you turn around and look to see if you are the one causing the stink. Do you cover your nose, hold your breath, breathe through your mouth or just get out of line altogether?
 
I cover my nose, hold my breath, get my cologne in the purse and spray! spray! spray!

6. If you dropped your cell phone in the toilet, would you fish it out? If so, how much soap would you use to wash your hands afterwards?

I'd get a glove, then fish the phone out with the hand with the glove. Wash hands with normal amount of soap. 
 
7. Sydney Australia dust storm (link). How long do you think it would take you to clean your house after that sort of dust storm?
 
I take care of my 2 kids, and you expect me to clean the house too? Man, you're asking a lot, but to answer your question, probably a whole year. Since I can't escape the 2 kiddos, I do stuff when they nap which is just about an hour each day.

8. Do you think you can dance?
 
No. I don't think I can dance at all.

9. You are out to eat and someone across the room is staring at you. Do you get paranoid, try to ignore them, or go find out why they are staring at you?
 
Depends if I'm tipsy. If I'm not, will become shy and ignore but paranoid. If I'm tipsy, go over and ask if I knew them from somewhere since I'm bad with names and faces.

10. Come up with a crazy, wacky Thursday Thunk question.

What novel in the whole wide world would you go and just change the ending?


Letters That I'll Never Send: Missing You!

No one that I ever said goodbye to, cried the way you did. That was my most poignant memory of you. Was that the last time I ever saw you? For the life of me, I seem to not be able to remember if that was it, the last moment.
We had a lot of fun times. We had something in common that bound us together, we were both the only princesses in our families, and we were the only child. I remember meeting you in the hallway, and how you won everyone over by being elected as our floor representative. You had an aura around you that I never thought I could become one of your friends because you were intelligent, pretty and popular. I was never one to hang out with popular people but you were not one to boast so I was surprised when we got along pretty well.
I love it that despite your busy schedule, after we've moved on from Kalayaan, you still spent a lot of time with me. You were at Ilang, and I was at Sampa plus with different class schedules, organizations, and extra curricular activities, I still get surprised when I receive a call from you or most specially a visit.
I love that even before friendster and facebook, you were there, writing on my notebook, leaving little notes, giving me a book as a gift, writing letters and a whole lot more. I so love that about you.
If there was one thing I wish I could do, it's that I could stop time for awhile, fly and visit you there in Australia. I want to meet Sophia, Clara and Pocholo. I want to give you tons of hugs and drink lots of coffee with you.
Do you remember how so out of the blue, you took on the role of my master of ceremonies in such an impromptu and an unplanned debut? I remember it and I'm glad that it is preserved in posterity for my kids to see and understand how you'd do anything for me, and all I had to do was ask.
I'm sorry that when we came back to Manila, you learned of your grandfather's death then, it makes my birthday more unforgettable to you.

Of all the people in the world, the one that I'm missing the most, and wishing to see, just to talk, even for a moment, is you...my dear Monique. I miss you Karen. Nikmo. Ganymede13.







Tuesday Couch Potatoes: Robot/Cyborg Movie




Anytime I hear the word Robot specially Cyborg, my mind automatically flips on the images of Terminator and the Robots in I,Robot and I guess Transformers are robots too. Scary! Since I'm scared of those kinds of robots...I just had to pick one which starred my favorite actor of all time... and a movie which made me question or well, made 'humanity' a blurred line.

My pick for my favorite Robot movie is: The Bicentennial Man.

This movie stars my favorite actor of all time: Robin Williams


In this movie, Robin Williams plays Andrew, a robot who was bought to become a housekeeper for a family.
The family is composed of the husband or 'sir', the wife, the kind daughter ' little miss' and the one I'd love to call 'brat'. Andrew is a robot who possesses 'personality' even if his personality chip is off. We see it when he accidentally breaks a crystal horse owned by 'little miss' and he creates another horse from drift wood. He is encouraged by 'sir' and he then sets off to creating more things out of wood and he sells them for money. His passion is in making clocks. Little Miss grows into adulthood and having feelings for Andrew which isn't reciprocated or deemed possible then. Andrew grows curious about the concept of freedom with all the books that he's read. People die in battles for it, so he asked sir for his freedom. Moving on, when he gains his freedom, Andrew decides to spend his money looking for robots like him. Ones with personality without a chip. He finds Rupert - a scientist who specializes in robots like Andrew. He is developing a 'skin' for the robots that would make them look more human. His research is then funded by Andrew. Rupert has a crazy assistant named Galatea who loves to dance but because of her chip. After achieving a face and making incredible progress with regards to organs that can replace those of humans suffering from organ failure and others, Andrew goes back to his family of humans. When he returns, he is surprised to find someone who looks a lot like 'little Miss' but isn't. She's the grand daughter of the original little Miss and her name is Portia.
This time around Andrew falls in love and fights for it. Then, each year, he goes to a federation or a council to ask that he be formally declared a human. In one of the last grand inquisition, he can see for himself that humans have surpassed their normal life spans because of the organs developed through the technology he funded and provided. All that he ask in turn is to become human. The drama is actually in the end,  Andrew Martin is on his death bed, Portia beside him, when the Speaker of the World Congress finally announces on television the court's decision: that Andrew Martin is recognized as the oldest, non-biblical human being in history, aged 200 years old. The Speaker also finally validates the marriage between Portia and Andrew. Andrew dies while listening to the broadcast. Portia orders their nurse, Galatea, now recognizably human, to unplug her, i.e., shut down her life support machine. The movie ends with Portia about to die hand-in-hand with Andrew, as she whispers to him "See you soon"




My second favorite robot/cyborg movie and one you shouldn't have missed too is AI - Artificial Intelligence which starred Haley Joel Osment of "The Sixth Sense" fame.
In the future, artificial intelligence has involved in such a way that a family can now accept a near to life like child. This is exactly what the Swinton family does, but when things get worse for the relationship between the family and this new child, they send it out to survive on its own. With only the name David and a passion to become a real boy, the child becomes friends with Gigolo Joe and sets off to make it become a reality. Written by FilmFanUk
He is Pinocchio, wanting to become a real boy - looking for his own blue fairy.

What's your favorite robot/cyborg movie?
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My Etsy Product pick of the Week!

My Etsy Product pick of the week or probably a whole month is something I stumbled upon by chance.

The product comes in many forms, combinations and sizes but essentially they are all the same.

Its  purpose: To keep a child busy, entertained, and kept clean while on the go, in a restaurant, at a bus and anywhere else.

How does it achieve its purpose? It's easy and simple to use, and even easier to clean.

What is it?

A Chalkboard Mat






I'm planning to save up for these and give them as gifts to my kids.

Here's a list of sellers that have these products!



Chalkydoodles- has a lot of chalk mat thingies ... personally, I'd love to have the Chalkboard Message mat for Teens and the Mix and Match Chalk Blocks
The Craft Patch - offers chalk mat and crayon roll in one - so cool!
It's the Small Things - offers mini chalk mats for those like me who has little or no budget. Also provides educational mats in the forms of flash cards, hangman, and shaped chalk mats.
Lil B Designs -  has an interesting array of products that makes use of chalk cloth and other stuff. I love the dine n doodle, fold and go art folios, and knob notes.
KateWDesigns - also offers chalkboard placemats among her other stuff that she offers.
Marie Lynn Boutique - also offers chalkmats in classic styles.
DoughDohHeads - is a store that offers playdough and chalkmats all in one.
Custom Clothes for Kids   - has something that has paper, crayons, and chalkmat that you can personalize all in one.

Other Stores:
Victoria Arts N Crafts
Lil Buggah
Apple Tree Boutique
Avella
Lakelady1613
Custom Kids - also customizes capes. - I want the double sided superhero cape. Superman now, Batman later.
Stitches by Jordan

If you want to do it yourself and just buy the materials
TaDaa Studio

Fabric Supplies?

Oilclothaddict

I'm pretty sure there are tons more out there. You can check out kaboodle and other sites.

Now, if I can only find these in the Philippines, I'll be the happiest mom ever.

Oh, I did find one, but I think the store's not open anymore.
If you know anyone who sells these in Philippine peso or if it can be found in Divisoria - holler at me!
Pleeease!



Do you love etsy too?
What items would you pick?




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Making a Family Picture

No, It's not a movie. I was browsing around graphic sites and blog designers as usual, when I noticed this on a sidebar and I just couldn't resist playing and experimenting with it myself.

I really like cute and adorable stuff. Plus, I'm amazed on how it works and the little personalizations I can do with it.






My Family from WiddlyTinks.com




This is the silhouette version. It's amazing. You can even have a jumpshot. Hahaha. I should have submitted that at Pehpot's blog.

Here's the stick version.




My Stick Family from WiddlyTinks.com



I think it's just too cute to let it pass. The stick figures can be customized to the color that you want and even includes pets.

Amazing.

I'm also waiting for the opening of Wendy's new graphic store. Her work is also amazing if you've got the moolah to pay for it.

Oh, if you're interested in a new rotating header (where you have 2 to 3 headers that interchange) then go visit Adori Graphics, she's hosting a giveaway.

That's all for now. Go and make your own silhouette and stick figures now.

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One Long Meme Part Two


Nokia 7610Image by terryansimon via Flickr
Today we ripped this meme off a blogger called Yellow Jacket from Foma. He explains that "I found this clunker on Impetua's blog.". But, it was probably stolen at that blog as well. So, of course, that will be as far as we go. Tracing back our theft's thieves might take some time. Link back to us at Sunday Stealing!

Sunday Stealing: One Long Meme (Part Two)

27. Do you prefer to sleep or eat? Sleep

28. Do you look like your mom or dad? Mom

29. How long does it take you in the shower? 10 minutes to 20 minutes.

30. Can you do the splits? Not even once.

31. What movie do you want to see right now? The Time Traveller's Wife and In My Life.

32. What did you do for New Year’s? Stayed at Home with the Family

33. Do you think The Grudge was scary? Oh yes, that was the one Japanese movie that had me seeing red eyes everywhere.

34. Do you own a camera phone? Yes, my old, trusted, ebook reading Nokia 7610

35. Was your mom a cheerleader? Nope.

36. What’s the last letter of your middle name? A

37. How many hours of sleep do you get a night? 7-8 hours.

38. Do you like Care Bears? When I was younger.

39. What do you buy at the movies? Before we watched a movie, my then boyfriend, now, husband, we used to buy hotdogs and/or brownies plus iced tea before we enter the moviehouse.

40. Do you know how to play poker? Yep. I love playing poker on my phone.

41. Do you wear your seat belt? Religiously.

42. What do you wear to sleep? Shirt and shorts.

43. Anything big ever happen in your hometown? Only when celebrities come to visit to promote something, plus the Mango-Bamboo Festival where there's street dancing.

44. How many meals do you eat a day? 3, 5 if we count the snacks or even more.

45. Is your tongue pierced? Nope. It's not also forked.

46. Do you always read MySpace bulletins? No. I don't have a myspace account.

47. Do you like funny or serious people better? Seriously funny. Kidding. I like those who are serious better.

48. Ever been to L.A.? No. But I have plans.

49. Did you eat a cookie today? No.

50. Do you use cuss words in other languages? Yes, in my native dialect and the official national language of our country.

51. Do you steal or pay for your music downloads? Steal and pay.

52. Do you hate chocolate? I love chocolate. I wish sugarfree ones were cheaper here in the Philippines.

53. What do you and your parents fight about the most? My messy room and money matters.

54. Are you a gullible person? Yes.

55. Do you need a girlfriend to be happy? I miss my girlfriends but I survive. Not that I need them to be happy, but times are happier when we get together.

56. If you could have any job (assuming you have the skills) what what would it be? A lifecoach, a psychologist, a writer, a website designer, blog site designer. Oh, did you mean just one?

57. Are you easy to get along with? I'm fairly easy to get along with.

58. What is your favorite time of day? When my kids are both napping and I get to take my pick between the pc or the television.

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An Interview of a Budding Blog Tweaker

Jill: How did you come up with the new design for your blog?
Mys: I was getting bored with how my blog looked so I started playing with the navigation buttons first. After that, I played with the header and looked for a pattern that I could use for a background.

Jill: Where did you get your header photo/ clipart? It's pretty and cute.
Mys: I got it from gorjuss! Suzanne Woolcott is an amazing artist.

Jill: What about your pattern? I don't think you know how to design.
Mys: Admittedly, I don't know how to design. I got the background from colourlovers. You just have to specify what hue you like, and choose whether you want to view palettes, patterns or if you're just looking for the hex code of a particular color.

Jill: I noticed that you have a new font that isn't usually found in blogs. How did you do that?
Mys: I found an interesting site that helped me change the fonts around. Do you like it?

Jill: I'm the interviewer, I should be asking questions, yes, I do like it...so how did you do it?
Mys: I'll post a very definitive way of how to do it, but I'm sleepy from all the blog tweaking it entailed that I'm keeping it as a secret for now. Kidding! The short and simple version of it can be found at Kernest. However, the putting it in your blog is a bit tricky. I plan to post a tutorial for those interested.

Jill: What happens now?
Mys: I'm going to charge people for blog layouts. Kidding, I don't think I have a future in it. I can only tweak my own blog.

Jill: What do you want to accomplish in giving this interview?
Mys: I want to hear about the comments people are going to make about my blog, it's layout, my tweaking ability/disability, my taste, their thoughts.

Jill: Should we tell your readers our secret?
Mys: Nope. Our secret remains a secret.




Mommy Moments: Treasured Photos

mommy moments



I know for a fact that most moms would have posted their photos with their infants in their arms. That, I guess is the most treasured photo of a mom. I opted to show you instead, photos where I am at my most flattering side and moments that I really like. The biggest photo is that of our family celebrating my daughter's 3rd birthday. The little photo on the left is my daughter on the chest of her dad with an impish smile. The 2nd little photo is of my son, on my arms wearing an impish smile, and last but not least of my treasured moments is of my wedding day, a photo taken before (* take note, before - nag photo opp na kami before going to church at the backyard) the wedding.

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Thursday Thunks: Stranded!

Ouch, denim, news and that desert island question again....

Welcome to the September 17th version of Thursday Thunks!
(which we always seem to post on Wednesday)
Where we make you think a little bit before you blog!
This week we will answer some crazy questions brought to you by Berleen, the number one thousand twenty seven and the color of leaves in the fall.

1. My daughter (aka Demon #1) informed me the other day that her hugs were worth a million dollars. Would you give up hugs - giving and receiving - for the rest of your life, for a million dollars?
A million dollars in philippine pesos is around 48 million pesos, for the rest of my natural life, hmmm. I don't think I'll still be alive in another 48 years, but for a million pesos a year with no hugs.... that's a tough one. But the answer would be no. My daughter still hugs me for free and even my son does too...and I love it!

2.Have you ever been bitten by a member of the canine family?

Oh yes, a rabid one too. I had to had shots during the time that they had to give a million shots for just one bite or else I turn rabid too.

3. What is your favorite color of jeans?
Denim blue just the way I love it...blue and rugged.

4. What is something that has changed in public schools that you wish was the norm when you were in school?
The presence of cellphones. Hahaha. If we had that in highschool, I think I'd be better connected with some of my friends then.

5. What is your news source?

CNN, ABS-CBN, and GMA-7 as well plus all the blogs so updated with gossip and such things.

6. What sort of people do you think read your blog?
Moms, meme carnival addicts like me.

7. If I told you that I had a headache, you would say..........???
Poor dear,here,  have an Anvil.

8. You go to a buffet style restaurant, what is the first food you put on your plate?
Rice - anywhere and everywhere except when it's just noodles and pasta party.

9. If you were stranded on a desert island.... no, we aren't asking that again. Lets put a twist into this. Would you volunteer to be dropped off on a desert island, to be picked up in a month? And you don't get to bring those 3 items, either.
Who volunteers? Erm...no. Unless I was stranded with someone  - that's a whole new different twist, just make sure that that someone knows all the survival techniques and strategies.

10. When the sun sets, what are you usually doing?
Giving my kids a shower so they can be fresh again.

I Love Me or being a girl that is...


  1. I can watch a movie and cry and it won't matter coz I'm a girl.
  2. I love being a girl because persons like Lea Salonga, Hilary Clinton and many more make me proud.
  3. I love being a girl coz even if I dress up in pants and wear a necktie - they won't question my gender orientation since it's ok. Such a different case, if I were a boy who wants to wear dresses.
  4. I love being me because I have this insatiable desire to learn.
  5. I love being a girl because I can wear my hair, long, short, boyish and anything else in between and get away with it.
  6. I love being me because I am never content in researching about something I obsess over about. In other words, I'm relentless and obsessive.
  7. I love being a girl - because I can be a B**** ( see Meredith Brooks)
  8. I love being me because I married my husband.
  9. I love being me because I get to be a mom to Maegan and Paul.
  10. I love being a girl because being a female, gives me the potential of motherhood. 
  11. I love being a girl because I can show all my emotions and no one will give me grief because of it.
  12. I love being a girl because girls can flirt, play coy, and dazzle anyone.
  13. I love being a girl because I get to join this fun meme.
What are you waiting for?
Join in the fun... by clicking on the banner above.
Wondering why this is 13?
I'm posting this as my Thursday 13 too.





”thursday-13″





Letters That I'll Never Send: Thank You




I write this as a belated happy birthday greeting to you, someone to whom I'm very thankful for. I can still remember the day I met you. I was going to admit myself in a new dorm and the guard was paging you since you had a phone call. Upon hearing your family name, it was instantly unforgettable. Fortunately for me, it turned out that you were going to be my roommate. Shortlived as it was, since it was your final year and you were such a brilliant student that you never fail in anything, every moment of it was treasured. Through you, I learned to use chopsticks. You introduced me to the art of drinking coffee. You made me question whether I had a career in journalism or psychology. I learned to eat at Tokyo Tokyo which is until now, my favorite fast food chain ever! You taught me about volunteerism. You taught me about politics. I learned that there was such a thing called SSEAYP. I learned about your many adventures aboard a ship and your travels in learning about different cultures. Years passed, but you never forgot about me. When you started working, you would still come and visit, call on the phone, hang out and drink coffee.
I am thankful that after all these years, we have managed to remain friends and when I asked you to be the godmother of my son, you didn't say no. That is something, I'll forever treasure and cherish.
For all the good things you did to me, for making me enjoy food more, for being a great friend even if we're miles apart, for being a second mom to my kids... Ate Jo Paps ---- Thank You!

         




MckLinky Blog Hop

Movies inspire me to Read

One particular movie that made me start the trend of looking for new books to read again was The Time Traveler's wife. I think I mentioned in one of my posts that in an interview that I so briefly glimpsed and the few seconds of trailer that I saw - I really really got curious with this movie. After learning that it was taken from a book, I simply had to go and find the book which I bought off from an ebay seller.
It was just so touching and heartwarming and I am at a loss of adjectives.
This was the book that took me so long to read. With Twilight, I spedread most of it. With The Time Traveler's Wife - I had to take my time, reread every line. Their ages and what happened next. It was an amazing read. Of waiting and being patient. Of change and of nothing being constant.
Would you like to be the one who is always left behind? Would you choose to be the one who has no control of disappearing?
By the end of it, I was crying. I'm not telling you why though.
After so much drama, I had to skip into a different kind of book. I went for action.
My husband once read " The Simple Genius" of David Baldacci - It's book number 3 of so far, 4 books. Well, as always curiousity got the better of me, I wanted to read the series from beginning to end. Unfortunately for me, things don't work out the way I planned - I got to read the latest one - First Family - first and I liked it. I really liked it.
First Family curiously enough is about the First Family. The niece of the First Lady is kidnapped after she celebrates her birthday at Camp David. The First Lady hires King and Maxwell to find the kidnappers. The kidnapper is sending notes/instructions to the First Lady threatening to reveal a personal secret.
Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are former Secret Service Agents.
I like the pace of the stories so much that I had to find the beginning of the series and start over.
Book 1 of the Series is Split Second.
The book starts with a presidential candidate being kidnapped while paying respect to a dead friend.
Michelle Maxwell is the head security thus become accountable to the Secret Service. A few years ago, Sean King lost his own presidential candidate because his gaze wandered in just a split second. Needless to say, the speed and the action in this novel was enough for me to get the other novels and finish the series.
Book 2 - Hour Game was equally good.
Book 3 - The Simple Genius was just pure torture for both King and Maxwell.
Simply put, if you want mystery solving in an action-packed pace - you should read these!
Here's the informative part of this post:
I don't read the paperback versions of these books, my books won't survive in the hands of my kids.
I exchanged my Nokia 6300 with hubby dear for my old trusted Nokia 7610 (the really old version) which has an ebook reader.
My trusted ebook reader is the Mobipocket. There's a version for your desktop and for your mobile phones.
Mobipocket supports a lot of formats for ebooks except .lit which requires Microsoft Reader. However, if your ebooks are in the .lit format, there's a program that can easily convert it into a pdf, word, or even text document which can then be converted into your Mobipocket reader into its preferred format - .prc.
Still with me?
If you want to know if your phone is compatible with Mobipocket - go here. There's a list of phones that mobipocket supports. Let me back up for a minute, No problem for ebooks in pdf, text, chm, epub, word, etc but if your ebooks are in .lit then you've got trouble. The free software that will be the answer to your problems would be the ABC Amber LIT Converter which can convert any .lit format into any other format. What I usually do is convert it to a pdf for my mobipocket capable phone or if it's for my old and now defective China phone - I convert it into a .txt.
Now, you know how I spend my free time while the kids watch their favorite shows, I read books on my phone.
Before I forget:
Some books I highly recommend:
Lisa Mcmann : Wake and Fade ( for teens but if you want a little sci-fi - It's a great read!)
                        spoiler alert ( Janie is a dreamcatcher!)
James Patterson: Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas ( heartbreaking lovestory)
(looked high and low for this one - will be reading it soon) but I saw the movie and I think it's great.
After this very long post, could you answer my poll on the top right most part of my blog?
Thanks a bunch!

Girls Talk Meme

There's an up and coming new meme in town on Thursdays!

It's a place where Girls Rule! and Girls can just Talk!

So, why don't you join in the fun too...
click on the badge for more details.


Also, don't forget to join mine as well. This week's topic: A Letter to Someone I'm Thankful To.

The Queen's Meme: The Tick-Tock Meme



1. Are you a Rolex watch, a Mickey Mouse watch, or a pocket watch?
For my love of Dan Brown, who just released The Lost Symbol... I choose a Mickey Mouse Watch plus my son just learned to shout Mickey yesterday!
2. Can you think of a time when you couldn't see the forest for the trees?
Never, I just have to look at our backyard and see trees.
3. Can you think of a time when you were on the outside looking in?
What did you see?
I see a little boy and little girl peeking back at me.
4. Go back in time. Maybe a long time ago, maybe today. Pick an hour you'd like to freeze frame forever and tell us why. It doesn't have to be THE most important hour of your life, but make it a good one.
An hour to freeze frame forever? The hour I spent in Ocean Park, Hongkong. I miss going places and visiting theme parks. I never get to do it anymore.
5. If you were a cuckoo clock, what would others say about you?
That cuckoo is reeeeeally cuckooooo.
6. Can you think of a time when time stood still?
Right now, I'm stuck. 
7. Watch this! You are a stopwatch. What would you stop?
Crime! 
8. Imagine you were just born and have infinite wisdom. After the doctor smacks your newborn dust ruffle you look around and say to the Universe: "Give me a whole lifetime to do "this" and I will bless the day I was born."
What did you choose?
what's right.

Tuesday Couch Potatoes: Favorite Disney Fairy Tale






I had to really refresh my thoughts with this one. There are lots of stories that we all grow up with and now I intend to share with my kids. Then, after thinking long and hard, I came up with the one that had the most impact - culturally to me. My pick for Favorite Disney Fairy Tale is Mulan.

Mulan is a story close to my heart first and foremost because the female character is Chinese. I'm not sure if I've already shared it with you but my grandfather is pure Chinese. I have never met him and I didn't go to Chinese school so I missed out on a lot of things but this movie did show me how Chinese daughters are expected to act.

In a sentence, the plot of Mulan centers on a young woman who disguises herself as a man to take the place of her elderly father in the army. She doesn't want her father to take part in the war, so she goes in his stead. My favorite part in the movie is when she's asked to go home and quit. She retrieves the arrow from the totem pole by doing something ingenious. The brass amulets become intertwined and she got to use it as a force to propel her upward from the totem pole. I just love the scene when she throws down the arrow at Captain Shang's feet.


Well, I love the fact that a woman saves the day and I'm all for women empowerment and this fairy tale was it. I also love damsels in distress but then this one touched me more than all the rest of the fairy tales.




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