2013 Year in Review

My Musings

From the word Muse, and if we get the meaning of this in the Meriam Webster dictionary, it goes like this:


muse\ˈmyüz\
intransitive verb
1 : to become absorbed in thought; especially : to turn something over in the mind meditatively and often inconclusively
2 archaic : wonder, marvel
transitive verb
: to think or say reflectively
synonyms see ponder
Other forms: mused; mus·ing

To clarify, these posts are all about my reflections, meditations and thoughts that run through my mind. And looking back at 2013, I became so busy in making it more productive, exciting and generally, I got my wish and aspirations. Just think, its about 9 months ago since my last blog. And here I am again, writing away.. and remembering to activate this blog for a year in review.

I guess my facebook account can generally summarize my life more accurately. I AM STUMPED! Yes, basically I have a lot to share, and I am basically challenged to give you my year in review. Hahahaha I have to laugh or else I would cry buckets.

Lets see... hmmm I guess, you could say, my 2013 year started with a lot of promises. January started with a bang. I asked for an early vacation leave and spent the early part of the year and early weeks of February going around Hong Kong. Somewhere in these posts you can go through those posts I guess. The most memorable reflections I had then was, I love my family, I appreciate what God gave me and I am thankful that I am enjoying my life as a single lady with a lot less worries than other people in the world.

Then came the biggest surprise. Mom immediately was hospitalized a few hours after I have arrived home. After a few days, we went home from the hospital. She really disliked staying from hospitals, even preferring to pretend she was okay physically.

I did not expect that this was just the start of a challenging and heartbreaking journey that I would face for the year 2013. Mom didn't make it after two more hospitalizations. The succeeding months after February, next is June, and October were months that I have spent in a hospital with Mom. In between months were days and weeks that I remember with bittersweet memories. The simple joys of having Mom around, being with her. To the point where I even disregarded invitations to join celebrations. I even asked for days of leave of absences, knowing I need to take care of her.

All these I have kept bottled up. Preferring to remember the joys and not the pain. But I needed to share, to remember that Mom wanted, always, all these time, for me to move on, take care of myself, my brothers, my sisters... I know she wanted me to look forward to a new beginning. Always keeping faith. Holding on to our dreams that we made together. The love that she has shown me will never fade away.

There were those times that she was recovering, or pretending to be okay for me? That I have made a trip to Malaysia and Singapore. I have purchased the tickets in advance, so many months in advance that I was even wondering If it will push through. But Mom was very supportive, and she said, pursue your dreams. GO.

After she passed away, Typhoon Yolanda came. The super typhoon could not compare to the pain of losing your loved one. It was like living at the end of the world. Flying objects, very strong winds, walking home and fighting against the wind. Food, shelter, clothing, and clean water became scarce in Estancia, Iloilo but we SURVIVED YOLANDA.

But the pain of losing Mom was greater, there will always be moments where you just need to let go, cry your heart out. Only faith in God and His promises for a better future makes me strong. Concentrating on work, having fun with family & friends,  and most importantly preaching the Good News (www.jw.org) are my major sources of help that distracts me.

Going to Boracay for a holiday last December helps too. And that was my 2013 year in review.

Love Letter

To my 1,000th viewer,

This is my personal letter for you. Since you are mostly my 1,000th viewer, I will gladly take my hat's off to you and give you the recognition that you deserve. Yes, you... my readers are the best there is in this side of the world. Ah, the grandeur of being in your presence is the most awesome and heartwarming experience ever to be felt in my entire life.

{LOL} Kidding aside, the feeling of just being able to write anything under the sun and feel that you're sharing instantly in seconds to an audience of one, two, three, hundreds or even thousands of readers, and to anticipate that it will be read is a nothing but a pipe dream so many years ago. The advent of the world wide web (WWW) was nothing short of a miracle for some.

I do remember researching a topic in college about the WWW and memorizing its history and how it affected the mainstream media, technology, environment and such... It was a good topic that even after all these years I still remember learning about it.

I really felt that today, and tonight of all days, this the chance that I will get to pour my heart out again and reach out to a fellow reader.

This blog started out as a little diary of sorts, a simple and public way of sharing a part of myself that I am always developing. I might not be able to stop and get to know each and every person I see but through all these little blogs, I can keep sharing, remembering- that what I have right now is to be appreciated and what sort of person I'll be in a future is anyone's guess.. a future where anything is possible.

Hong Kong Adventure

cebupacificair.com

Having my passport before my college graduation, I was able to have my first ever out of the country vacation. It was the month of December when I got my firsthand experience on air travel. All alone by myself, I boarded my flight from Iloilo City to Metro Manila, Philippines. Then on that same day, From Metro Manila to Hong Kong. Since I scheduled my flight around 6 in the evening, I fortunately got the window seat overlooking all of Manila with all its glorious evening lights. It even outshone the beautiful sparkling stars that glittered the night sky.

Ocean park, Hong Kong

On this first time, I successfully answered the Immigration Officer why I wanted to go to Hong Kong for a visit to my relatives and stay there only for a short visit and not to find work. My brother met me and picked me up at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) to go to Shatin located in New Territories, Hong Kong to stay in their apartment with my sister-in-law and nephew. The highlight of my visit was visiting Central Park, Kowloon Park, Ocean Park & The Victoria Peak. I am still amazed that I was able to brave riding the roller coaster and survived in Ocean Park.

 "Ocean Park Hong Kong, commonly known as Ocean Park, is a marine mammal park, oceanarium, animal theme park and amusement park, situated in Wong Chuk Hang and Nam Long Shan in the Southern District of Hong Kong." Wikipedia

Aside from the various rides, I enjoyed watching various shows and the memorable Atoll Reef (various sharks and fishes). But the best thing that I love on this trip was knowing my baby nephew and meeting him for the first time.

 My second time in Hong Kong was the trip that I made with my Aunt and Uncle and for the first time, I got to enjoy myself in Hong Kong Disneyland. First stop in the memorable trip was Tarzan's adventure, The Lion King Show, Tomorrow Land, Stitch and Lilo, Donald Duck in 3D, and various Disney shows. I got to ride for the first time in a carousel too. In all of these adventure, my nephew and I bonded over various games that we played together. And even up till now, he's still as sweet and loving. I hope he never loses that unique quality that few of boys his age of 12 got to keep and have.

View from The Peak, HK. Photo courtesy of my brother, Robert

My third time this year was even more satisfying, I got to try living like a local and enjoyed my time more with my brother's family and my sister too. I got to strengthen the family bond that we have. And we have discovered even more surprising views and location that Hong Kong got to give thanks to this website that I highly recommend for first time tourists or returning ones got to check: http://www.discoverhongkong.com/login.html.

With Zeidrick in Discovery Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong

Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen. - Benjamin Disraeli

Weird

Weird is just a side effect of being awesome.

Quite fitting for tonight. What started as an exchange for weather report in facebook- lead me into blogging about converting Fahrenheit into Celsius. How weird is that? Now I want to remember that to compute for fahrenheit, you have to multiply the x celsius to 9/5 or 1.8 after multipying you add 32. And the reverse works for celsius, which is subtracting 32 first and multiplying the x fahrenheit to 5/9


I googled the spelling and I got Fahrenheit (not the Taiwanese boyband) and Celcius (dont mistake this for a rapper album) correctly.


If I were reading this outloud, I can almost hear one of my co-worker telling me: "Whatever" in a tone that clearly shouts "I dont care." Funny that word is becoming a joke to hear around.


Whatever.
 

Jackfruit

New beginnings.

I came across an article one day advising the readers making a diary of one's blessings- people, events, things that you are thankful for each and everyday. So by the time another year has passed you can get to look back for a whole year knowing you have a lot to be thankful for.

Intentions

I intended to do just that but, as all my good intentions, some push through as successive and continuous cycle, and some just come in small doses and others just do a forgettable stop.

It would be a treat for me knowing some days would just make me smile and forget all my worries. And now, let me do virtual memory recall. Traipsing back to those memorable times. What would my memory bank show me?

First Things First

I always get a good belly laugh when I arrive home. There will always be some funny notes and memorable experiences that will tickle my funny bone. Be it the situation around me, my Mom or my brother or some other things.  With these things, small and big, gives me a surefire way of appreciating what I have, and a sort of imaginary release of pent up stress.

Next Stop

Physically making me stop before reaching our house, in front of our doorway will be the appearance of one or two dogs doing one or all of these things barking, smelling, licking, running, dancing, jumping, sitting- basically doing a small raucous around me. 

Treat

Its always a treat when I find that our house is clean and everything is in order. In this instance, I can get out after an hour or so (Mom and me catching up on latest 'chika' or events that have happened or will happen around us) and go to our Aunt's house. On other days, I get to pick up a broomstick, a mop and other cleaning materials and start cleaning away- still this is a surefire way to forget everything and just clean and be fit. When bedtime comes and my head hits my soft bed, I get to sleep so fitfully. And when I wake up, we get to have a family study, preach in the field ministry, go to the Kingdom Hall and catch up with brothers and sisters.

Not so Fit

On worse days, when you wake up, you realize you're not so fit anymore. You get all the aches and pain and a big bonus of sneezing and runny nose (having allergic rhinitis does this almost regularly). And miss out on going out the house.

Time

Time, as they say when you lose it, you'll never get it back. Well, when Monday beckons me, I start to think that time is something I cannot control. I have to get back again to my other life.

Breaking the Cycle

This puts me into a cycle where I am losing days, months, even years of my life to something worthless and not worth living for?  No! I don't want to regret a single day that I have spent on this lifetime. So vacation, here I come! Time to create new exciting and unique memories.

Have more grit and determination! This is the time that we should do something with our life and that starts now!!!

xoxo


 P.S.

That jackfruit when I got home that we picked from our own backyard was juicy and yummy. I wish I could share it with you.

2012 - Last Day of the Year

romance central

You can expect me reading on a book or an ebook on the early hours of the 31st of December 2012 as this was my annual thing to do. I may not remember all the stories I have read all these years but as an avid book reader, you will feel satisfaction knowing you are losing yourself to a different world. Escape to reality? A form of escapism? Yes, in a way, reading a book is the most simple and one of the cheapest way to entertain ourselves. 

I was also watching the 2012 news year end special last night and got caught up reminiscing what has been my experiences in the year of 2012. A lot of firsts, excitement, drama, comedy, adventure and even thriller. And I wanted to write this blog and read about this next year and would like to remind myself that even if I had regrets, at the end of the year, I am satisfied that on this day, I am with my family, my mom and brother... just lazing around the house, talking and spending the day with each other.

What would I tell my future self? To be more determined, more active... and open to possibilities. Give more and be happy. Always do things right. Strengthen you spiritual goals. Hold on to you faith and you will never regret anything that will happen.

xoxoxo

Fire in Iloilo Province

Estancia, October 9, 2012

Since February, I have been assigned in this corner of the world. I postponed writing about my new station since I wanted to make sure that I will give an in depth or realistic view of how it feels living in this side of the island. But to be honest to my self, I have been waiting, hoping, dreaming and even wishing for the right inspiration to strike me.

It happened last night. The fire that broke out in the old public market was just like an alarm clock that woke my reverie. About a block of business establishments all burnt down in just a few hours. About an estimated 50 million pesos was lost. In related stories, two houses in Iloilo City was also burnt, with a life lost.

Life truly is passing. Material things burn, get lost or fade away. We need to catch every breath, every drop of experience. Write it down somewhere to remember each emotion that was touched. How we experience each sweat, felt all the emotions that gave rise to tears or at times smiles.

Filipinos do have the capacity to see the fun of things even when they are in a dire situation. Take for example last night, the Filipino sense of humor was prevalent. A woman who was picking up lost things who accidentally sat on a tomato ketchup was laughed on albeit it was done for a second. Time comes that we are on a rut or bored, we can easily pull out these emotions by just reading articles like this all over again. This work for me anyways. To experience a jumble of emotions so intense I was thankful this fire in my locality did not sacrifice a human life but material things that can be recovered all over again with help from the government, private citizens, and hard labor from the victims.

The bible says, you cannot add a cubit to your life worrying what you cannot control. Certainly, I cannot control what is happening around me. But what I can control that night was my reaction. Looking at the billowing clouds of smoke and embers flying from the distant old public market, my emotions was running high. Heart beating fast. Different emotions running through me, foremost fear and concern for the people around.

I was safely located about two blocks away from the fire. Added to my safety: I was on the rooftop of a two story building with a firewall. Deciding that I am safer looking only at the event, not participating in anything hazardous. I waited. About an agonizing hour passed, I can still see billowing smoke that look like an atomic bomb, forming a mushroom like form. My curiosity won, I walked to the location of the fire. Thankfully, fire trucks was already there. Firemen from nearby towns helping this small little town battle a fire that have destroyed the livelihood of small businessmen, over and over gain. I have learned that this is the fourth consecutive times this have happened.

The culprit? It was rumored to be the small 'carinderia' or food stall that started the fire. This is not the official investigation result but only the majority consensus of the people that gathered last night to watch the firemen battle the fire that razed down an old public market. 

I pray that this will not be happening again. For life goes on. As of today, I can still see people cleaning up the debris. A few have started rebuilding their stalls and opening their stores again. But for some this is the breaking point where they cannot go on. On the flip side, they can easily find a helping hand in the form of the politicians. With elections already looming ahead in the coming months, these politicians can lend a helping hand. Whether their intentions are pure or not. Their help is badly needed. I just hope that the victims will be identified rightly and not to be abused.

Peace out.