On submission...

I read this before but I can't remember where. =P It says :

" A woman does not yield to a man because she is weak. She yields because she has found the place, that safe place in which to entrust her dreams, to lend her strengths and find her vulnerabilities protected. "

Nice no? =)

The Art of Letting Go...

I was 16 when I first had to let go of my best friend to move to Guam where her mom was based. She has since moved to Las Vegas with her own family but we are still in touch. It hurt then coz I was gonna miss her big time but I am ok now. In the times when she'd visit, it would be like we never parted at all and thank God for technology, it is easier to keep in touch. Since then, I have had to let go of my own real sister and my other sisters to go follow their hearts. I miss them. I have to be honest though that it is still not easy and I still cry whenever we have to part. I always thought I would be the one to leave but I'm still here and they have gone. I've always thought it was hard on the part of those who will be left behind but come to think of it, it may be harder for those who have left as they adjust to a new place, new environment without their usual supporters (families and friends) to back them up. Of course, they have their spouses with them but that is another story.

I will have to let go of another sister-figure soon to join her beloved. No, we are not saying goodbye. Its just geography! Rather, we will hug and say see ya! Yes, I will miss her but I know we'll see each other again soon and till then, there will be chats, emails and webcam conversations to keep us together and I will be ok.

My Travel Bucketlist...

I am a certified wanderlust... I just love to travel. I feel spoiled by both my heavenly and earthly father for the opportunity to go and I am just so thankful. I'd like to think the world is my classroom. I love learning that way (Expensive huh?). It's about seeing the real thing, knowing about its history and experiencing their culture even in a short moment. Beats any world history books and any class. And its very true that you are inclined to appreciate it more when you are a bit older versus when you are younger. When I watch movies now and I see the sights where I've been too, it makes me reminisce the experience of just being in that place. Everything feels like a dream.

I'd like to share my Travel Bucketlist. Places I have yet to cross off my list. Places I'm aiming to visit someday to see the sights and to visit relatives and friends.

1. Australia - Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast and Brisbane -
2. Greece - Santorini and Athens -
3. Egypt
4. Dubai
5. Istanbul
6. Portugal
7. Russia - St. Petersburg, Moscow
8. Guam
9. Bali, Indonesia
10. Kota Kinabulu
11. New Zealand
12. Hawaii
13. Las Vegas
14. Milan - Lake Como
15.Stockholm, Sweden
16. Japan


From every place I have visited. I always brought home a pin and/or a ref magnet as a souvenir. Someday, I hope pins and magnets from these places would be part of the collection. =)

Ice Cream with a Twist

Two weeks ago we had a potluck dinner/housewarming event in a (newly-married) friends house. I love intimate get-togethers like this. Catching up, playing a boardgame (yes, we are a competetive bunch) and of course, the highlight - the eating part. I was so stuffed - thank you guys. What we brought was something new for the palette. Because its been a very hot summer, we thought of bringing 3 varieties of ice cream to share with the group. One was 'Foods for the Gods" Ice Cream that was to die for, I swear! ( Love the abundance of the walnuts in that!) Being in the company of adults, we also did not hesitate to bring 2 pint size of Ice Cream laced with 5-7% alcohol. One flavor was named "OMG" (as in Oh my God) but was actually Chocolate Ice Cream laced with Baileys. The flavor was quite strong but it tasted great nonetheless. The other flavor we brought was "After Midnight Mint". It is actually Chocolate Mint Martini Ice Cream in which I actually tasted the Martini more than the mint.

This afternoon, I had a taste of their "Strawberry Martini" flavor. It tasted great. I actually thought I was eating strawberry ice cream.  There are other flavors I have yet to taste. Now, please don't think I am turning into an alcoholic here... Thing is, I am planning to serve these ice cream with a twist in a bridal shower i am organizing 2 weeks from now. I am still trying to figure out which is best to be served.

I personally think this is an awesome unique idea. Great for parties and get-togethers. You get to enjoy cocktails and ice cream together all the same. For the Win!

You can order these goodies at Lickueur Adult Ice Cream. They actually have the following flavors : OMG, After Midnight  Mint,  Chocolate Orange Martini, Butterscotch Amaretto and Margarita. A half gallon equal to 25 scoops costs P 1,375 while a quart (equal to 12 scoops) costs P700.  You can place your order by dialing 0917-850-2702 or 502-2700 and look for Ms. Pinky Ileto. There are 2 pick up points,  one in Makati and one in Greenhills.

CRAFTS FOR A CAUSE

Last Thursday, upon the invitation of a good friend, Ayda Ursua, I went to SM Makati to check out the launch of their Crafts for a Cause campaign for Kultura Filipino. Kultura Filipino is the subsidiary of the SM group of companies which showcases and promotes locally-made products and has branches in some SM outlets such as SM Makati, Megamall, Mall of Asia and SM Cebu. Crafts for a Cause is a program that retails products from livelihood programs from non-profit organizations to help them be self-sustaining. Here are some items which I really liked.

Check these stuff out in Kultura outlets. Great ideas for your own home and to give as presents especially when travelling abroad. By doing so, you are patronizing and showing off our world-class local product (love our own diba?) and somehow helping with our economy by supporting the livelihood projects that are behind it.

Trade-offs?

Hmmm... I can't for the matter think how I will write this blog about trade-offs. Its something I've been observering for a couple of years now to somehow be true and not on a positive note. I think about a friend who starts comparing himself with others and rants "He is younger than me, why is he more successful? ",  "I'm more hardworking, why is he luckier?", "You guys are so lucky to be born with a silver spoon and you don't have to work too hard to get what you want".... Sounds familiar? I hear that all the time and I start thinking... whats wrong with you people?

We all have our race to run. Our situations are all different, we all have loads and baggage we carry around with us in varying degrees. Why are you looking at someone else's life instead of focusing on your own? Why will you be envious when what you see is just icing on the cake? The good things. You may not know what is in the other side of the fence. For all you know, the trade-offs are much more than you can handle. A wife who may have all the money to buy the things she wants but she is not happy with her philandering husband.... Someone with a famous family name but the family is dysfunctional - fighting over old money... A perfect couple who has everything but couldn't have a child... things like those are the real trade-offs. Would you still want to be in their shoes?

Life is not perfect. Stop looking at the other runners of the race, focus your own and don't compare. Choose to count your blessings and be thankful for what you have instead of whining how heavy your cross is and complaining about what you don't have. Paradigm shift can make all the difference between content and discontent.

There, I finished this piece... =)

The Jejemon craze...

According to Wikipedia :  It is a pop culture phenomenon in the Philippines. Yikes! Urban Dictionary gives its definition as : one "who has managed to subvert the English language to the point of incomprehensibility and online lynch squads." They say it originated from shortcuts to SMS or text.

Consider this for example : " iMiszqcKyuH"  - means I miss you

                                         " yuHh" - means you

                                         " lAbqCkyOuHh" - means I love you

They think its cute... nor it is funny.Duh? I don't think so. Its downright irritating and annoying. Very low class. I'm sorry but its my personal opinion. Don't hate me! I simply have the right to express my opinion as much as you do. What good would this do in the long run? Nothing at all. You will loose your ability to spell correctly and it certainly will not improve your oral and written English Communication Skills that will be helpful when you apply for a job or conduct business. Why allow our communication skills to deteriorate when the aim of education is to improve how to express ourselves? I think its idiotic - plain and simple and something that should not be tolerated.