Wandering Princess in Singapore

Awesome 2011, Faithful God

2012-01-08T05:41:00.000-08:00

Image courtesy of Socialnomics.net

THE Guy in this picture is Tim Tebow. I learned about him at church today. According to Wikipedia, he is a 24-year old American football player who is currently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He was born in the Philippines to American missionaries.

What's so unique about this guy is that he prays before the start of every game. He bends on one knee and prays to God while the rest of his team mates stretch or wave at the crowd. He became famous for doing this that a term to describe this act was coined from his surname - tebowing. Urban Dictionary defines it as (vb) To get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different. Well, this entry is not really about Tim Tebow but you may google him to find out about his achievements ;-)

So what's the connection between him and this praise report? Hehe. I guess this tebowing thing pretty much explains how and why 2011 was an awesome year for me. The start of the year was characterized by a lot of on-my-knees moments, just crying out to God and asking for favors for difficult situations. And just like the year before and the year before the year before, He's proven Himself to be faithful, dependable and trustworthy. There were some things that I did not accomplish (like being in the cover of Time hahaha), but I wouldn't have my 2011 any other way.

Our lifegroup has grown this year! Apple, Diane and Izanne joined us and we're having so much more fun ever since.

As I mentioned before, I was given the opportunity to mentor this dynamic group of lovely, young women and lead them closer to Christ. Our schedules may have been crazy but we still found the time to bond and do a lot of activities last year -

Biking at East Coast Park

Kite Flying at Marina Barrage

Bali, Indonesia

Jane got engaged! Finally haha

A few weeks before Christmas, all of us went to visit a home for mentally disabled patients. We sang Christmas carols, fed them and gave gifts. We decided not to give each other gifts and eat somewhere fancy last year but instead to spend some time with those people who are not really sure if they are loved and wanted.

Image courtesy of FireflyMission.org

At the home front, my sexagenarian parents are still doing well. No major sickness and they were able to visit me for a week! My wallet was not very happy last May but my heart was :p

Momma & Papa

I was also able to go home twice last year. One for Jeff and Annie Belen's wedding and the other time to do an outreach activity and give some love to the street kids of Sta. Lucia East.

Playing games :-)

I'm also still a volunteer teacher at kid's church and still being refreshed by these cute kids. Through them, I'm learning to be more creative, definitely more patient and be a better communicator. Kids in this generation are really way smarter than they look. =)

ENCS Kids wearing their coat of many colors made by themselves!

I was also able to find time to enrol at BSF International last year. It is a non-profit organization that teaches the Bible for free. I'm so honored that they featured my poem in their website. Read here.

At the work front - I finally met our department's big boss from New York. She's (lady sitting in front of me) such a darling and she only has praises for our team. And she told my boss (the man to my left) I'm pretty, behind my back! :D But on a serious note, I'm really blessed to have a good working relationship with my boss and my team mates. Praying that I will excel more this year =)

Lookie lookie! Guess who's the youngest in the team? =P

Lastly, the icing on my huge chunk of cake came late last year. I was able to be included in the group that went to Israel! Our trip to Holy Land was something that I would remember forever - it is truly life-changing.

Watch the video of us singing Hebrew songs :-)

I hope that you who is reading this will be encouraged to trust in God. I wouldn't have had an awesome 2011 if not for His steadfast love and never-ending favor.

Let's tebow our way to an even greater 2012! :-)

"The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness."
- Lamentations 3

I Found A Man Who I'd Be Willing to Marry in A Heartbeat*

2011-12-22T04:56:00.000-08:00

SO A LOT of you are STILL asking why I'm still single. Well, I've already answered that a year ago with this entry. That was a long answer and the short answer is - yes, I am indeed that choosy. Plus add it to the fact that good men are starting to become extinct lately. Echoing the ukulele-strumming Jack Johnson, Where'd all the good people go? I've been changing channels. I don't see them on the TV shows. Where'd all the good people go? We got heaps and heaps of what we sow...

However, just last month, I met a man whom I'd be willing to get married to in a heartbeat. No questions asked. He possesses all the qualities I'm looking for in a potential lifetime mate and more. But the one basic thing that attracted me to him is this - the greatness of his character.

Let me tell you a few things I learned about character -

"A talent is formed in stillness, a character in the world's torrent." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (German poet), 1749

"How true Daddy's words were when he said: all children must look after their own upbringing. Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands." - Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank, 1929.

"We live in a day when image is placed over character, and I'm angry about it. When the chips are down and life is down to its basics, I don't care how he looks or how he sounds. I care what he is, I care how he thinks. I care what he represents!" - Charles R Swindoll, 1934.

For me, the character of a person determines how he responds to any given adversity or temptation. It is definitely not something that can be achieved overnight, but rather the result of a long process of living and struggling through life's difficulties. In a world of moral erosion, character is what makes a man or a woman stand out.

So what's so great about the character of this man I met just a month ago?

For one, he not only knows the truth but he fights for it. He is a principled man and it shows in how he speaks and how he treats people around him. When I ask him questions, he pauses and thinks first before answering. He looks into my eyes when I'm talking. He knows how to listen well. He doesn't pretend that he knows everything, but often admits that he doesn't really know a lot. When he promises to do something, he will really do it. He always says thank you.

He is honest. He tells facts without adding anything to them. He is always quick to inform me if it's a given fact or it's just his own opinion. He is very humble. He never talks about himself. The only times he does are when he is honoring God and when he is honoring his country. He is very brave.

He is modest. He buys the same style of shoes not because they are fashionable but because they work for him well. His living room does not contain plastic action figures or photos of himself but tons and tons of books that he is actually reading. He eats healthy and encourages me to do the same. His idea of a perfect date does not involve the bed or alcohol but a day spent having good conversations over tuna sandwiches.

He is good friends with a lot of people, even those people who don't share the same beliefs or religion. When I needed to go to the toilet urgently in the middle of an open sea, he didn't roll his eyes or make faces. He kindly took me to a secluded spot with overgrown bushes and went away so I could relieve myself. He loves to sing to me while playing the piano or his guitar.

The time that he brought me to the airport and said goodbye, he touched my face with the palm of his hand not out of lust or with malice but only with pure and tender sincerity. He is a true gentleman.

He makes me good pastrami sandwiches, too.

The name of the man who I'd be willing to marry in a heartbeat is Arie Bar-David. He is 64 years old with eight grandchildren and lives in the outskirts of Jerusalem, Israel. He is happily married to Esther who looked like Kirsten Dunst when she was in her 20s. I consider Arie as one of my living heroes.

Unless I find someone who has at least a quarter of Arie's character, I guess I would never settle then.

I would be more than fine just being single. =)

*Credit goes to WJNTY's blog post for giving me the inspiration.

My Creative Christmas Gifts

2011-12-18T06:54:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month, I promised myself not to be caught up in the mad rush of holiday gift-buying. I'm starting to find all these commercialism and profit-making attitude surrounding Christmas to be really unnecessary, not to mention detrimental to our savings accounts. In addition, this gift-giving tradition built around this season tends to make people expectant of something that shouldn't be mandatory, but which now appears to be. On top of these, I've observed that Christmas gift manufacturers deprive people of the ability to exercise creativity in their giving. Every shop I go to, I see toys, toiletries, chocolates, and basically all kinds of commodity that are already part of our weekly grocery list - only wrapped in cute boxes and colorful packaging ready to be given away. Maybe I'm missing it, but what is so cool about them? (Note: To those who have given me those kinds of gifts, thank you so much. I sincerely appreciate it. But more than them, I cherish our friendships more. I'm not complaining. Please read on and you'll understand me.)

Unfortunately for me, I've already been suckered into buying a few of those re-packaged goods before I came to this realization : p. Good thing I came across this article published online by Girlfriends in God encouraging women to think about giving meaningful and creative gifts from the heart. So I thought about it and challenged myself to be different this time. If you know me personally, you'd know that one thing I truly value is friendship/relationship. It's true and obvious that giving gifts is one way to cultivate friendships but lately I realize that the gifts I've been giving people won't stand a long time in their drawer, much more so in their memories.

It's so easy to pick any item in a department store to give as a gift, but what's been a struggle for me is to give a part of my time away. Nobody should mess up with my "me-times". They're valuable and should not be wasted away with interactions outside of my comfort zones. But then again, if I remain that way, I would be depriving myself of a great investment, a lot of brainwork, and most of all a bunch of good times!

So my dear friends who are reading this, be prepared to receive something different from me this year.
Drum roll please...

These are coupons that would entail the holder to enjoy the activity printed on the card. =) I have friends who are working moms and I know the babysit voucher would be a great help.

What about you? How will you be creative with your Christmas gifts?

4pm in Israel

2011-12-05T04:24:00.000-08:00

As soon as we arrived at the Yad Hashmona Kibbutz Hotel, in a village located a few kilometers away from Jerusalem City, we were greeted by the beautiful sunset and I was inspired to write another poem -

A magnificent gradient of red and yellow
A backdrop of shooting colors in the heavens glowed
Slack-jawed in the beauty that I see
I regret every moment when I questioned You if you truly loved me

The orange sun peeking through pillows of clouds
Creates some notions and inner doubts
Is this the sunrise which is the beginning of a new day
Or is this nighttime when all brightness fades away?
Pretty much how Your will works out
Incomprehensible at the start
Questionable in the middle
Unacceptable because I know so little
But a perfect masterpiece once fulfilled and has settled

Father, thank You for sunrises and sunsets
For fulfilled promises and seemingly unchangeable regrets
Thank You for keeping me guessing all the time
What matters now is You, the Creator of the universe, calls me Mine.

This video received 2,000 views from me :p

2011-11-16T00:25:00.000-08:00

Ultimate crushes! Most especially the guy holding the shaker. His name is Seth Bolt. Hanep! AND he's a mathlete. *wiping drool*

A Love Affair Between a Megaphone and a Computer Mouse

2011-11-13T07:20:00.000-08:00

This is a megaphone talking to a computer mouse...

People tell me that we are not meant to be
You are the quiet type while I'm always buzzing like a bee
You are there in your own little world, wired with binaries
Not uttering a sound, except for every-now-and-then clicking activities
So I maintained a distance away from you
But beyond my control, a voice from my heart keeps coming through
It gets louder and louder by the day
The sound of my heart beating amplified by the words you are too scared to say

My friends often say that you need to be dragged, pushed, clicked and rolled on to function
But I don't mind at all as long as we have this attraction
Even if you don't admit it, I know I make you light up too
It's not an optical illusion I see but the real stuff inside of you

Sometimes I feel that you're getting tired because I'm a nag
But honey, please understand that I just don't want this potential relationship to lag
Go on and be a wimp then
Sit there and be dense
But these loud feelings of mine could not be silenced
Never mind if you want to wait for a hand to make you move an inch to a yard
I guess I'll just be here calling your name from afar.

This poem was inspired by Sarah Kay's Love Letter series.

Maturity Checkpoints

2011-11-10T07:16:00.000-08:00

I'm learning that maturity doesn't always come with age. What does it really mean to be mature?

Photo by punchstock.com

Here's an excerpt from a lecture given by Charles Swindoll -

You know you’re mature:

When your concern for others outweighs your concern for yourself
When the presence of danger and evil is felt before it’s obvious
When there’s more than knowledge, there’s wisdom
When there’s more than strength, there’s stability
When there are more than high ideals, there is the discipline to carry them out
When there is not only an understanding of the tasks of life, but a willingness to share the responsibility

Maturity is the ability to do a job whether you’re supervised or not. It is the ability to finish a job once it’s started, to carry money without spending it, and to have the ability to bear injustice without getting even. Lastly, it is being willing to change once convinced that correction is in order.

I believe it is not just one of those points, but all that was given. And just like love or a good stew that needed a long simmer, maturity shouldn't be rushed, but it shouldn't be intentionally delayed either.

I hope we're all on the way there =)

Having my breakfast with a heavy heart

2011-10-05T23:18:00.000-07:00

Well done, Mr. Steve Jobs. Thank you. You did a good job.

Quotable Quote

2011-09-23T01:12:00.000-07:00

I ONLY care what you think of yourself. If you feel your value lies in being merely decorative, I fear that someday you might find yourself believing that’s all you really are. Time erodes all such beauty. But what it cannot diminish is the wonderful workings of your mind – your humor, your kindness, and your moral courage. These are things I so cherish in you.

- Mrs. March, Little Women

Walang Pamagat

2011-09-19T23:18:00.000-07:00

Ibang klase talaga ang tulin ng panahon. Ang takbo nito ay parang tren na dumaraan at tumitigil lamang sa bawat estasyon upang maghatid at magsundo ng pasahero. Pambihinrang tulin at Setyembre na naman! Ilang tulog na lang at Pasko na. Ako man na napapalibutan ng kalendaryo sa opis ay nabigla pa rin.

Ilang linggo na lang pala at kaarawan ko na. Parang hindi yata tama dahil hindi pa ako handang tumanda nang isa na namang taon! Ibig sabihin kasi nito ay karagdagang responsibilidad, karagdagang puting hibla ng buhok, at syempre, ang paulit-ulit at walang-katapusang pag-udyok ng mga tao sa akin na mag-asawa na sa lalong madaling panahon. Eh kung kasing bilis lang din ba ng rumaragasang bus sa EDSA ang pagkilos ng lalaking makisig na gusto ko, sana ay matagal na akong nalagay sa tahimik. Pero sandali lang, tahimik naman ang aking buhay sa ngayon at wala akong reklamo. Ang lalaking makisig na binanggit ko ay marahil naliligaw pa at hindi ako matagpuan. Sana hulugan siya ng mapa ng Singapura ng Diyos at nang makita na niya ang daan. O kaya naman maisipan niyang i-google kung saan ako matatagpuan. Hehe.

Pero walang biro, masarap ang maging single. Kung aking babalikan ang mga nangyari sa akin at ang mga proyektong (parang konsehal lang) aking pinapasukan, maging ang iba't-ibang lugar na aking napuntahan na, naiisip kong ako ay lubos na pinagpala dahil nagawa ko ang lahat nang iyon.

Masarap mabuhay, lalo na kung napalilibutan ka ng mga mabubuting kaibigan na mahilig tumawa at magpatawa (at maglaro ng Pinoy Henyo). Masarap mabuhay kung malambot ang kama at mabango ang punda ng aking unan. Masarap mabuhay kung bawat linggo ay nakakabili ka ng sorbetes na pinalaman sa dalawang manipis na biskwit, Wall's ang tatak. Masarap mabuhay kung ang amo mo ay pinapayagan kang umuwi nang maaga para mapanuod ang lumang pelikulang Hudyo na may subtitle na Ingles dahil lang gusto mo. Masarap mabuhay para makinig ng musika sa mga kasangkapang gawa ni Steve Jobs at maglaro ng Angry Birds. Masarap mabuhay, lalung-lalo na kung alam mong sagot ka Niya. ;-)

nuong Bente Singko pa ako

P.S. Naaalala niyo pa ba yung kantang, ♫ Tatlong bente singko lang ang aking kailangan, upang makausap ka kahit sandali lang... Tatlong bente singko sa isang araw, tatlong beses ko ring maririnig sa iyong mga labi... ♪

Paalam!

CEASE AND DESIST

2011-09-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

...your phone stalking activities. That's not ~~very~~ cool, bro.

Seriously.

On Running

2011-08-04T23:38:00.000-07:00

I hate running. I don't know but I just don't like the feeling of being out of breath, of gasping for air while looking ahead at a vast stretch of pavement I have to cover. I'd rather hit the pool any day or lift weights or walk the cat than run. Truth be told, I fear running. I think it's because when I was younger (around 12 or 13), I used to have a recurring dream (more like nightmare) that I was running away from bad people but instead of moving away from them, I was still in the exact, same spot as before. I was running in place! Since then, the thought of running has given me a silly fright. So I don't run to exercise, more so run in a race. I had actually listed to run a marathon as one of the top 30 things to try before I turn 30. But I knew at the back of my head that I would never get around to doing it :D But just last night, for some reason I felt the need to run. So I went to the NUS field and ran. With wisps of hair being blown by the wind, with my heart pounding, and arms flailing, I willed my legs to work.

I often hear people use running as a metaphor for life. I'm guessing it's because the essentials of running well and running fast are exactly what the latter requires of us – hard work, endurance, and focus. Perhaps it's also because the running field consists of the same elements that life is filled with – competition, distractions and motivation. Or maybe because people, even if we don't admit it, are always running after something (or someone).

Several minutes into my graceful-warm up-that-quickly-turned-into-panting session, my mind went blank. I lost thoughts of work or dinner and found myself just staring out at the open space before me. My feet moved mechanically and the rest of my body seemed to follow the rhythm they created. I was running. Without the familiar fear.

I now understand why most people are fond of running. It's exhilarating. It makes one feel strong and powerful. Running allows for an exhibit of youth and vigor. But one gets tired, too. Eventually. Then one would become fully aware of its limitations. Five kilometers, 10, half a marathon... It then becomes a series of conquests that are dependent on physical strength and commitment.

I started to slow down as I felt my lungs struggle for oxygen. The slight chill brought by the evening breeze was a contrast to the heat that every pore in my body was giving off. And then I sensed it, creeping in a stealthy form until its full sharpness engulfed me. Pain arrived.

Yet, as tears began to roll down my flushed cheeks, and though my heart was racing like a freshly-tuned engine, I smiled in spite of the pain. Conscious of my finiteness, I reveled in my frail existence. I ran with weak knees, short breath, and exhaustible strength. Then it dawned on me what this was really about. Having faith is what running's all about.

A Day at the Museum

2011-07-04T06:01:00.000-07:00

If you're a tourist and you're interested to learn about Singapore - how it became a metropolitan melting pot, the story behind its delicious chicken rice, and how advanced this nation is - you should go straight to the museum first and let Sentosa wait!

"An enjoyment and appreciation of the arts [hinge] upon your willingness to absorb and reflect upon the artistic endeavors of others. No one who has not partaken, on a regular basis, of the rich heritage of those who have gone before, or of our own talented contemporaries, can truly be acquainted with or appreciate the human species as a creative creature. This enjoyment of others is as essential to understanding and developing our own creative ability as the work we do ourselves. The museums and galleries of the world cry out for inspection.... To ignore these in total is sad indeed." - Frank Schaeffer, 1981

Don't you just love the Singapore National Museum's Victorian facade? Sorry, Roark; I know you hate this stuff. :p

My darlings Riva, Emerald & Rhoda

Entitled, 20 Tonnes. My caption - London's Stonehenge wannabe


Rotunda Dome - ceiling of the museum's lobby


We were greeted by the moving chandeliers entitled, Contours of a Rich Manoeuvre. Creepy much!

A photo of our tour guide in brown shirt. She kept reminding me not to touch things :D

I like how the museum caters to all your senses.

Yes, even to your olfactory gland!

Spices, roots, herbs, etc

Poverty-stricken Singapore. Gazillion years ago...

and this was their toilet

Sir Stamford (a road name) Raffles (a road name and an MRT line) is so pogi.

During the 1940's, the colour orange was so rockin'!

Learned a new word that day - horology...

It is the art of watchmaking from the Swiss pioneers. That era was during the Calvinist Reformation, Jewelry were considered ostentatious so craftsmen shifted to watchmaking.

Two of the photos from famous photojournalist, Abbas under the category, Muslims.

This was displayed between cheongsams and saris.

Decrease in unemployment rate in Singapore over the years. Lord, i pray for this to happen in the Philippines, too.

Entitled, Transformation

Long outdoor escalator. Electrocution waiting to happen??

Sad that i was not able to take more photos of the inside as my antique cybershot has conked out at this point. Photos now courtesy of my iphone.

Now, let's look at another art - the art of planking! :p

Riva's such a risk-planker! Hehehe

Awaken

2011-06-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

This slumber's been long and sweet
Tucked in a blanket of great cowardice
I am just a dreamer behind these linen sheets

Sleep's like opium to my weary bones
Seemingly a mute medicine, a cure
That quietly numbs my senses' moans

In oblivion I taste the honey-heavy dew* of rest
Unaware that in the stillness of my being
I decay and digress

This slumber's been long and sweet
Pressed against a mattress of the mundane
I am just a dreamer whose visions are vain

Please rub the sleep off my eyes
Awaken me to the love which death, it defied
Move my lethargic soul
Make it tremble
Hurl it to a worthy goal

Shake off an accustomed stupor
Stir up my heart
For what it's beating for

Interrupt this aimless dreaming
Greet me with the rousing heat of the sun
Like a new summer morning

*William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Top Ten Reasons Why I Want to Be Like Her.

2011-06-06T00:02:00.000-07:00

Aside from the obvious, glaring fact that she's beautiful within and without - everybody already knows that about her - these are my personal reasons why Mummy Ana, my friend and spiritual mentor, is one of the few women I look up to...

1. Because she is teachable and unassuming

2. Because she listens and remembers

3. Because she is smart for her age! haha
4. Because she taught me how to cook baked mussels
5. Because I can call her in the middle of the night just to whine about my ex
6. Because she always asks about my love life *giggles*
7. Because she knows how to have fun
8. Because she gives me the kind of trinkets I'd wear ;-)
9. Because her love for God is infectious
10. Because she still appreciates the little, simple things in life.

Happy birthday, Mummy A!

Top 7 Reasons Why I Prefer a Printed Book Over an eBook

2011-05-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

I WORK in a publishing firm, and although I've seen how the e-book business has grown exponentially over the last two years, I still carry with me those bulky, often rectangular-shaped objects made of paper that contain words arranged by a typesetting machine and produced by a printing press. This is just in case some of you may have forgotten how a printed book looks like : p

Photo by www.blog.designsquish.com

In this day and age when information come in as fast as you say the word fast and as cheap as my favorite perfume (Green Cross Rubbing Alcohol), more and more people are patronizing anything that's electronic. I'd say if it will save your money and time, go for it. But not with books. Here are my personal reasons for being [print] bookish -

1. I just love making dog-ear marks on all my books. (Although with the more expensive ones, I often use a bookmark). Yes you can flip a page and bookmark it digitally but folding a pixel-made up page is useless and not fun.

2. Reading an e-book using your mobile phone or ipad is distracting. Especially when you have push notifications.

3. Information retention becomes shallow when I read electronically. Observe it yourself. I guess this is because we tend to just skim through the page if it's online or cradled by a gadget instead of to really pore over the text. In my case, (because I'm a girl) my brain is struggling to compartmentalize information. I tend to associate my laptop or iphone with trivial stuff. I don't know, but I just can't focus on a novel or take Bible verses seriously if I'm reading them in a gadget I play Angry Birds with. You with me?

4. Printed books are showcase-worthy. True, Shelfari does this function but nothing beats having physical bookshelves with pretentious titles only your dad would read for house guests to look at. Plus, when electric power runs out, you can read with a candle.

5. You know how it is during college - my friends and I would borrow thick textbooks from the library and walk the corridors with our arms wrapped around them and wait for some guy to help us carry them. They make chivalrous men. But seriously, printed books may be old-fashioned but they help shape a (academic) culture. Just recall how many people from the library you need to befriend, my fellow LaSallians out there ;-)

6. Back when I was a frosh, we were taught the art of annotation. The professor would ask us to underline or highlight the portion of the text where an author's main point and a novel's theme lie. I was trained how to write commentary notes and critical analyses of the book, an exercise that is neglected with an e-reader. Today, when we encounter a certain passage that is too good not to share with our friends, all we need to do is type Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V. We usually don't bother paraphrasing a quote with our own words, hence, a thought process is eliminated.

7. From an author's perspective, a printed book is like a newborn child or a creative masterpiece or a dish he/she has finally perfected cooking. It's similar to an artist releasing an album or a record instead of selling 99-cent mp3s. Tied in with number 4, this particular quality of a printed book provides the writer a physical trophy that won't be easily copied or be lost in (cyber)space.

Three Takeoffs in a 4-Hour Delayed Flight and other Balinese-themed (Mis)Adventures

2011-05-11T08:12:00.000-07:00

The Bali-bound Jetstar aircraft was just about to takeoff and I was starting to feel that familiar but queer sensation in my stomach. The upper half of me was being taken upward while the other (heavier) half was still battling with gravity. But just when the wheels of the plane were about to leave the runway, the pilot shifted gear (or at least that's what it felt like) with full force and the plane landed with a loud, clumsy thud. I do not know any aircraft lingo but what happened to us in that flight was more than a yawing motion. It was not due to any air pockets; it was intentional. The captain held back in mid-takeoff because according to him, one of the generators was sending an error signal. Time check: 11PM

At this point, we were already restless because this same flight had already been delayed for four hours and nobody from Jetstar informed either one of us (the four of us were holding two separate booking references) prior to the original 4pm flight. We talked to the counter/ground staff but they said that they just learned about the new timing and we should call the Melbourne office to complain. After an hour of holding the customer service phone line, a certain Kish (who said that it is company policy not to give her full name) told me that they were also not aware of this until then, when I asked them to go into the system and check the re-timed flight details. She even said, "If I were you, I would talk to the ground representatives about this..." Huh?

Fast forward to the failed takeoff incident... The captain then called a couple of engineers to look into the problem. They asked us to alight the aircraft so they could perform tests. Several minutes later we were back on our seats and ready to experience another takeoff. The passengers who I reckoned were mostly Aussies did not even utter an unpleasant word. Time check: 12 AM.

We circled the runway for what seemed to be a dozen times and just when my eyelids were starting to droop, I sensed that we were about to ascend again. WHIZZ......WHIR.......YANK....THUD! Ding dong...This is your captain speaking. We are having the same technical problem that was supposed to be fixed by the engineers but still isn't and here we are back on the bar....

And we never heard him speak again. Twenty minutes later one passenger carrying a kid said, "You're crazy to stay here, guys." He left the plane shouting, "It's okay if you don't want to spend a penny on our hotel." Time check: 2AM.

We later found out that it was still safe to fly even with the generator blinking an error signal. But because our pilot needed to abide by the airplane protocol, he had to hold back. More than 20 of the total passengers left. A few were bombarding the pilots and crew with questions. I myself was not at my nicest that night. They left us uninformed for 30 minutes. The pilots were inside the cockpit without updating the passengers and without any effort to ease us up. The cabin crew gave us....water. Nothing else.

Jetstar pilots and crew could have handled the situation better but did not.

Nevertheless, we stayed for the third takeoff because:
1. Murphy's law is not valid. Come on, our flight was only delayed for four hours, and we only had three takeoffs. They are pretty normal, ok.
2. The captain assured us that it was still safe for the third time and if it wasn't, he would not risk his own life, too. He has a family. Plus, it appeared to me that he was pretty calm that night. He's just not a good communicator.
3. It's our first time to go to Bali aka Surfer's Paradise. Need I say more?
4. I personally believe that in this life, nothing will happen to us apart from God's will. And according to Izanne, if God was forbidding us to go to Bali, He should have let Jetstar cancel the flight in the first place. Made sense to me, too :-)

So in the end, a three-hour flight turned out to be an eight-hour one. But we were ready to have fun in this beautiful place. Nothing else could go wrong anymore. Or so we thought....

(mis)adventure stories to be continued...

P.S. What about you guys? What would you do in this situation? Would you still go for a third one?

Creativity from the Church

2011-03-20T05:32:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: I'm not one who is expert on both Cs. This post only contains a few personal realizations.

THERE is a colloquial term coined in the 1800s that comes to mind as I begin to write this post - Sunday best. For the longest time, we may have carried the notion that being a part of a church requires a 'member' to be in his/her finest, within and without - appearing in wrinkle-free clothes, taut collar, polished shoes and an invisible halo to boot. The people worship God by singing hymns in unison with nasal voices and raised hands as part of the 'holy requirement'. They listen to the preacher speak about God's Word just to gain some sense of spirituality, a concept that is seemingly irrelevant to their activities on the rest of the days of the week. Some of us may have even felt that the the church is constricting, if not something worthy of a yawn (or two or three). The church could not possibly have room for the unruly, the liberals, or have space for individuality or creativity. After all, it is a place of order and rhythmical customs (read: bore).

So how does one who is as cool as an ice cube and too slick to follow the 'holy requirements' stated above fit in? A confession is probably due to be able to bring enough flesh into this blog entry. Well you see, I used to believe I'm cool, too. I listen to cool music, I hang out with cool people, and I think cool thoughts (?!). I go to church to satisfy an obligation and keep the other aspects of my life reserved to maintain this state of coolness. But as I became more and more attracted to Christianity, I found out, without dismay, that I'm not really ~~that~~ cool at all.

Like a train running on a single track, my mind is used to the idea that worshiping God only entails prayer and harp-playing. Okay, maybe add the xylophone, tambourine, and those instruments we would never ever hear in a Justin Bieber song. But recently, our church has started to teach us that worship is a lifestyle. The output of all our endeavors based on our skills, talents and profession must be utilized according to the purpose of the One who has given them.

But it took some time for me to reconcile with the idea that creative arts can be used for worship too. For me, it means breaking all the rules; it is almost vulgar to do so, and un-holy to say the least. But then as I observe the works of the Master Artist in nature and in people, I couldn't help but blush. The result of our ingenuity is only a by-product of our encounter with nature. All that our hands can make or our minds can conceive are mere consequences of our being brought out into existence by our Creator.

These realizations have started to influence how and why I should do things. Worship is way more than singing songs on a Sunday morning, and the church is not just a place for confession, communion and prayer. It should be a place where talents are being harnessed and where creative minds converge. I realize that I am actually worshiping with this blog, being grateful to Him who has given me the ability to articulate my thoughts through written words. I now go to church looking forward to a release of even just a tinge of God's creativity on me, expecting that this is the best I could get on a Sunday to be used for the remaining six days of the week. ;-)

Click this LINK to have a preview of what other artists are doing in our church.

Meanwhile, I received this idea as we were singing worship songs -

Threads of fabric being woven
Lives interlaced, overlapping
Not by mere randomness
Our purposes in transcendence

Like gradients of hues painted in the heavens
It can't be noticed where one begins and where one ends
Linked with a perfect love the whole world has not yet known
We have each other; we're never alone.

Love Letters

2011-02-13T00:11:00.000-08:00

He writes me love letters
Sends each romantic note
Through a number of different couriers
The messages are consistent
Speaking with passion and tenderness
His words profound and eloquent

He writes me love letters
Like dew drops of every morning's first
Giving mirth to my clouded face
Like red-orange gradients at every sunset's end
Serves as gird to my troubled faith

He writes me love letters
With tales of beauty and cavalier
Telling of struggles and triumphs
Of unreserved praises and promises
Love carved out into songs and psalms

He writes me love letters
His methods unlike anyone I know
Or remember
Bringing my heart to wild abandon
Taking all this life's care into sweet oblivion.

He is jealous for me.

2011-01-23T21:07:00.000-08:00

Rock and roll!

Bittersweet

2011-01-19T19:11:00.000-08:00

Don’t get stuck. Move, travel, take a class, take a risk. Walk away, try something new. There is a season for wildness and a season for settledness, and this is neither. This season is about becoming. Don’t lose yourself at happy hour, but don’t lose yourself on the corporate ladder either. Stop every once in a while and go out to coffee or climb in bed with your journal. Ask yourself some good questions like: “Am I proud of the life I’m living? What have I tried this month? What have I learned about God this year? What parts of my childhood faith am I leaving behind, and what parts am I choosing to keep with me for this leg of the journey? Do the people I’m spending time with give me life, or make me feel small? Is there any brokenness in my life that’s keeping me from moving forward?”

Now is your time. Become, believe, try. Walk closely with people you love, and with other people who believe that God is very good and life is a grand adventure. Don’t spend time with people who make you feel like less than you are. Don’t get stuck in the past, and don’t try to fast-forward yourself into a future you haven’t yet earned. Give today all the love and intensity and courage you can, and keep traveling honestly along life’s path.

Grateful for Twenty-Ten

2011-01-15T01:03:00.000-08:00

I was at my heaviest last year. Literally and metaphorically.

With every ounce of blessing I received from God, my weight seemed to have followed accordingly.

Last year, He blessed me with several opportunities to travel (and eat, needless to say), the chance to be part of a world conference with 18K+ attendees, the time and resources to join a missions trip, the honor to lead a growing group of young women striving for excellence, and the ability to complete a 10-month Bible and leadership training.

My plate has indeed been full of God's goodness and favor.
Here are a few pictures which would hopefully speak a thousand more words -

We kick-started the year off with a 7-day backpacking trip in 7 cities in 3 countries (Vietnam, Cambodia, & Thailand)

You can read about our adventures there here and here.

Meanwhile, our ministry at Kids Church was in full swing ...

By midyear, we were having random beach trips to Malaysia (Tioman and Borneo)

I'm so blessed to have been a part of the Every Nation World Conference -

Our missions to Penang, Malaysia
This is one big highlight for the year, because I was reminded of my prayer last 2009 which was to be able to celebrate my birthday in an orphanage. The trip was even funded by my office mates!

In the midst of working full time, I'd find myself in a weekly leadership course trying to fight physical exhaustion. Now that I have graduated, it still seemed surreal that I was able to complete this.

I used to think that I don't need to learn more about the Bible and God, because He is very personal. But I learned that living out Christianity may not have a formula, but the Truth is absolute. Whoever wants to be a leader must first learn what the truth is. And a true leader is characterized by his/her servant-leadership. True leadership is not at all about exercising authority and power; it is all about serving.

And definitely not the least - the greatest responsibility that God gave me this year is to minister to these beautiful ladies who are hungry for the real thing.

Truth be told, there were times when I would be thinking of throwing in the towel out of frustration. I used to feel that there was not enough level of commitment being given by the girls, but I learned later on that I was not really in control after all. God is. I know that God is and will be working in them even without me. We are all going through different stages with our faith, and I realized that I need to allow them to grow at their own pace.

And being awesome as He is, God even made sure that there were icing and toppings on my cake, too. On top of the highlights of last year, there were some little, pleasant surprises that gave me more reasons to smile about - encouragement from people who matter, salary increase, material gifts which were in answer to a dilemma of whether to buy them or not, and unsolicited assurance from men that only strengthened my belief on how I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Go figure). ;-) God really do provide all our needs, and then some. :-)

But on a serious note, what I would consider the greatest-est blessing I have received is not actually pictured here. It can't be captured by any camera or be described with written words. The thing I'm most thankful for happened inside of me. I can't say it's love or growth or contentment - it is way more than those things. Perhaps it's a mixture of the learning experiences I underwent and the God-given grace that keeps on 'pruning' my character. I'm sorry I can't articulate this further; it's really beyond me.

But just the same, for all of these I am grateful.

I'd like to leave you with a song.

May this inspires us to believe even more...

It's now that I feel

You're graceful like rain

From every fingertip...

Sunrise

2010-11-25T18:20:00.000-08:00

Sunrise
Sunrise
Looks like morning in your eyes

Surprise
Surprise
Never something I could hide
When I see we made it through another day

- Nora Jones

Just reading out loud...

2010-11-22T20:17:00.000-08:00

"Beauty can't amuse you, but brain work - reading, writing, thinking - CAN."

--- Helen Gurley Brown (former international editor of Cosmopolitan)

November Rain

2010-11-11T02:05:00.000-08:00

Mouths of grace open up
so i turn my misty face
to watch a downpour of love

with soaking, wet kisses
the dry earth tenderizes

the meeting of the water and the ground
creates a rhythm that calls for a dance
nature smiles and shivers
and with sweet contentment -
it gives away its fragrance

i hear the leaves hustle
like five-stringed banjos
the wind makes a coarse whistle
and hums like metal chimes

To those of you asking...

2010-09-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

Why am I still single?
Well, I'll echo everything that Ali Smith wrote in her blog...

I am. Still single, that is. Today I was asked why. Well… I don’t know! It’s not that I have chosen to BE single. But I guess you could say I have made choices that have perpetuated my current single status. What do I mean by that?

Well, I am open to meeting new people. And I do. It’s just that there hasn’t been a strong enough of a ‘connection’ with any person yet to pursue anything past friendship.
Let me back up. What even constitutes having a ”connection” with someone? I was asked this very question today by the producers of Channel NewsAsia’s Blog TV. The exact wording I think was “What would a guy have to do to impress you so that you would say yes to him?”

If you would have asked me this question five years ago – at age 21 (yes, I just gave away my age!) – my answer probably would have been something like, “He must be tall, handsome, with a good job, nice car, likes to take me out to nice places…etc.” Hold on, before you make any judgements, hear me out.

My answer TODAY was something like, “To me, it's not so much about what he does, but who he is as a person. I am not looking for a certain income bracket or job title – though these things can be indicative of certain qualities. But I look more for things that speak of his character and perspectives on life. In other words, do we have shared values? How does he view his work? How does he treat others? How does he spend his time? What does he prioritize and why?”

So what was it that caused my answer to change over the years? Experience. I’ve entered into relationships for the reasons listed in my first answer – based more on the externalities of a person. They may have been fun for a while, but fizzled out probably because the connection wasn’t based on the things listed in my second answer. I have found a relationship is most fulfilling when it is based on internal qualities, or who the person is. And I am still on the journey of discovery…clearly, being that I am still single! :)

In a nutshell, I am learning the importance – when deciding whether to date a person – to consider the long-term view. I try and ask whether there is enough of a ‘connection’ with the person first, before I dive head over heels into a relationship. Sometimes, it's easy to let emotion and externalities overrule and then later discover we really don’t have that much in common after all! And that’s not so easy on the heart. Trust me. :-(

- Still Single?, Ali Smith (August 24, 2010)

Character Counts: A Balanced Woman

2010-07-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

I just want to share some learnings I gleaned from listening to a series by Pastor Chuck Swindoll, called Character Counts.

Pastor Swindoll started off with some observations on today's women:
1. Some lack discenrment (sloppy thinking)
2. Some have become masculine (independent, rights-fighter)
3. Some are vanilla shadows (spineless persons)
4. Some are terribly confused (Christian women in a quandary)
He reminds us that no woman should take her cues from a society which delivers idealistic and unfounded expectations.

Causes of extremism among women today:
1. Misunderstanding and misapplication of submission
2. Failure on men to: think clearly, lead fairly, and release unselfishly
3. A strong action from the system to liberate women
4. Equally strong overreaction from the Church to keep any independence from happening

Satan is the expert of extremes; the Lord is the bulwark of balance.

He says, "Nothing is more distasteful than a masculine woman. I think it's beautiful that God created sexes and it's a tragedy that there is a reversal of roles."

How do you define a balanced woman?
1. A balanced woman sees the Scriptures as vital - God's authoritative Word and will for her life. Get out of the cheap and silly magazines and get into the Bible!

2. Sees herself as valuable, gifted, responsible for her own growth toward maturity
Stand up for what is righteous - don't just stand back and let the men do the talking.

3. Sees the Lord as her refuge and buffer when things refuse to work out right
A balanced woman of God doesn't push or manipulate or turn on her feminine charm or try things to make it happen. If you are committed to the Scriptures and you have a healthy view of yourself .... He will not let you down. He may not give you what you want but He will give you what He wants you to have.

How to become a balanced woman of God? Simply by:

Becoming a serious student of the Bible
Guarding oneself against either extreme - the militant mentality or the passive helpless role that lacks maturity
Committing oneself to working through conflicts of life rather than running from them

*Read more on Acts chapter 16 - 21.

A Smarmy Christian

2010-07-05T06:52:00.000-07:00

To be honest, I am one.
I am a fake.
I declare myself as a follower
Of the One who loves unconditionally
Of the One who gives unselfishly
Of the One who is gracious
Of the One who is patient and kind
I wear a badge
Made to set me apart from the rest
But I'm no different
I am not patient
I am not kind
I choose who to love
I give when it is convenient
I fail every test of faithfulness
Place me in the midst of a crowd
And you won't see me shine
Cause I am a knock-off
On the verge of despair
I tend to forget one truth -
That the badge I have
I did not earn
I could have loved with all my heart
I could have given all I've got
I could have aced all the tests
But I still won't measure up
I am a soldier
Facing an important battle
Against myself
But I can't just back down
Not to save face
Or continue the pretense
But because I choose to
I'll carry this cross
To the end of the race
To perfection

Tioman Island, Malaysia

2010-04-14T05:08:00.000-07:00

This island is breath-taking.
It has the cheapest yet most delicious food.
And its people are the most hospitable and warmest I know - next to the Filipinos, that is. =)

Thanks to Aya Clarete for the amazing photographs.
Yet her Canon dslr still did not do enough justice in capturing how beautiful this place truly is!

HANDS DOWN to God's creation!

Tearjerker Moment at the Office

2010-03-17T23:01:00.000-07:00

God spoke to me and I know it’s Him. This story is too amazing not to share!!! As I am typing this entry, tears are still flowing . . .

LAST NIGHT I was chatting with Meg over ym and we discussed the special project we had in our discipleship group (long story). She asked her friend Alex some questions about Christian femininity. One particular question focused on beauty – what would Alex consider attractive/beautiful and he gave awesome answers – nothing physical at all. He listed down these qualities:

Compassionate, Unassuming, One who doesn’t harbor ill judgments – always sees the best in people, and Passionate about little things that are often overlooked

Meg and I were stumped – but in a pleasant way! We said our goodnights and told each other that to have these qualities was what we would be praying for that night. And I did just that.

After the lengthy monologue, I told Dad I love Him – several times. But being the doubting Thomas that I am, I wanted a reply. I wanted to hear and be assured (although I already know) that He’s saying I love you back. I asked God that if ever He will tell me He loves me, it should be very obvious because I can be dense sometimes – like I should see a drawing or text in a wall or an electric post….I cried myself to sleep last night because I never heard anything – not even the wind’s whisper.

I completely forgot about last night’s episode as I arrived in the office earlier today. I became busy with my tasks but suddenly caught myself humming a tune that goes like, “with you I have felt the same… la da da dad a…” I know it’s from Lifehouse because I heard it before but I forgot the title. I searched through my ipod but it wasn’t on my list. I went to Grooveshark.com to listen online. I typed Lifehouse and this is the song that came in …..

SIMON
Locked inside
the only place where
you feel sheltered
where you feel safe
You lost yourself in your search
to find something else to hide behind
The fearful always
preyed upon your confidence
Did they see the consequence
when they pushed you around
The arrogant build kingdoms
made of the different ones
Breaking them 'til they've become
just another crown
and i have...
Felt the same as you,
I've felt the same as you,
I've felt the same

you don't know
why they had to go
This far traded your worth for these scars
for your only Company
don't believe the lies
that they’ve told to you
Not one word was true
you're alright,
You're alright,
You're alright and i have...
felt the same as you,

I've felt the same as you,
I've felt the same as you
I've felt the same
la da da da dala da da da dala
da da da dala da da da dala
da da da dala da da da da
AS YOU, I’VE FELT THE SAME

Then I remembered last night … and it dawned on me that this is the reply! I know I’m not just giving too much meaning to this because I wasn’t even listening to Lifehouse today. The last song on my head before I came in was Katy Perry and Timbaland’s If We Ever Meet Again!

I know in my heart that this is how creative and amazing God is!
He told me He's felt the same!!!!! Woooooohoooooo!!!!

Update: Simon, I learned, means "I have heard" in Hebrew! Wooooohoooo some more!!!

...and the Real Fun Begins!

2010-03-06T05:19:00.000-08:00

Third Stop: Siem Reap, Cambodia

After flying from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, we were Cambodia-bound to see the Angkor Wat Temples. At this point there were no more flights in our itinerary until we've crossed the border to Thailand; hence the real fun (or not) of backpacking began here.

After we had retrieved Patricia's lost luggage (as told from my previous entry), we rented an airport taxi right away to go to the bus station which would bring us to the Cambodian border; however, since it was holiday week in Vietnam in celebration of Chinese New Year, the bus company was closed for the day. And on top of that, the bus bound for Cambodia the next day was already fully booked. We had no choice but to rent the airport taxi all the way to the Vietnam border (Moc Bai).

When we arrived at the border, taxi drivers ambushed us, offering rental of their Camry taxis starting at 100usd! We've read about these kinds of stories from other backpackers' blogs and we knew better. We went straight to the immigration's and experienced the most blatant case of bribery between a local and an immigration officer. In the office, there was no proper queue - only groups of people gathered in front and looking over the shoulder of the officer encoding the exiting tourists' information. I saw locals just placing their passports on top of the others and a man who cut in the line in front of me shoved a couple of passports with dollar bills inserted! I was aghast! I took out my Frommers' guide and exclaimed "Oh zoi oi!", which means "Oh my gosh!" Unfortunately, that only gave the people some sort of a quick entertainment.

But having come from a third world nation myself, I somehow understood where these people are coming from - the opportunities to earn (properly or not) that the tourists bring them must be maximized. After a few minutes, we were able to pass through and were on our way to the bus station. The taxi drivers were tailing us all this time. We kept on walking and they kept on bargaining. The offer dropped to 80usd now, but we still ignored them. Until finally they offered 60usd from Moc Bai, Vietnam to Phnom Penh. I suggested 45usd instead, and they all shouted in unison: NOOOOOOOw (No)! This was funny. If I only took a picture of how they reacted, with toothless gum showing...! Harharhar.

The girls and their suitors...heheeh

After arriving at Phnom Penh, we went straight to the bus station to book our trip to Siem Reap the next day. They offered us a hotel for 20usd a night, and we took it not knowing how huge the mosquitoes were inside the room! Ack!

We woke up early to catch the 9am bus trip. It was uneventful though - we were sitting our butts off for five hours just looking out the window to see how ghetto Cambodia is. If I could compare it to a province in the Philippines, I would say Tarlac or Leyte. It also has some rice fields and mostly hectares of dry land. We had stop-overs in between which gave us the opportunity to see the type of food the Cambodians eat. . .

Fried Crickets, anyone?

If they had better food to eat, do you think they would still devour poor, endangered, innocent turtles? :-'(

Finally, after the long bus ride, we have arrived! This is our very first tuk-tuk ride....
The tuk-tuks are makeshift taxis/motorized rickshaws, so to speak. They are vehicles that can seat three or more people (with provisions for their backpacks) with a motorbike attached in front. The tuk-tuks are the most popular means of transportation in this country - for the tourists, that is.This tuk-tuk would finally take us to our hotel so we could wash up and leave our belongings as we go sight-seeing around Angkor Wat (Sanskrit for City Temple). We walked a long distance from the entrance of a big stretch of land and vast moat where the famous temples stand, and paid a hefty amount - 20usd just for a day pass. But we were awed at the detailed artistry and possibly the long toil that the laborers (Khmers under King Sryavarman' rule) put in to be able to build a long-standing complex architecture.
I don't have much to say about this tour, because I'm not really a fan of Hindu & Buddhist temples. The intricate wall carvings, or what they called as bas-reliefs even brought chills. Add it to the fact the sun was at its hottest while we were there - around 35-36 degrees. It was unfortunate I did not have any cap or umbrella so after a few minutes of walking, I was almost about ready to faint.
Fourth Stop: Bangkok, Thailand

After just four hours of being in the Khmer soil, we were on our feet again ready to cross yet another border - Poipet to Aranyaprathet.

But before we totally leave Cambodia behind, I must write about this observation with a tinge of envy: Despite the hot weather and despite the poverty in this country, all taxi/tuk-tuk drivers here are wearing decent clothing – button-down, collared shirts and professional slacks. Drivers commissioned to drop tourists at the Angkor Wat gates are even required to wear vests. Not only that, they also have the perfect English accent!

These motorbike drivers provide the first encounter the tourists will have with the people of this country, which in turn gives an initial reflection of its culture and its locals’ character. It hurts to say, but how I wish that our drivers in Manila would turn out to be like what they have in Cambodia – respectful, good communicators, and dressed with dignity – no wifebeaters or muscle shirts can be seen here.

During our nth taxi ride, traffic jam was becoming more and more apparent. This was how we knew that we were reaching Thailand. Before riding our transfer, Pat and I decided to sneak out and buy the birthday girl, Roxy some flowers. The bouquet only cost 1usd! We asked our motorbike driver to hand it over to Roxy, but when he saw her, he went straight past her looking on the other side! Talk about surprises...

I love the pink taxis in BKK! . .

Our Bangkok trip was short and sweet - it was all about photographing temples, pigging-out, and night shopping! Okay, and some cute finds....

Too bad that we didn't have the time to go to the real malls like Paragon and the rest, but we shall return! The food here is yummy and inexpensive!

We were almost at the end of our trip but if there was one thing that we had taken notice of with extreme gratitude was the fact that God's hand was upon us all throughout. Despite the horror stories we read in blogs and the potential danger that travelling with no men or guardians brings, nothing bad, or even close to being bad, ever happened to us. God had even brought us "angels" that took care of us while on the way - Kelly & the rest, the hotel persons in Hanoi who offered assistance above and beyond the call of duty; our taxi drivers who kept their focus on the almost pitch-black roads; and pleasant, hospitable, nameless people who put the good times into our FUN! We were really favored upon.

Fifth Stop: Phuket, Thailand

To be continued in the third part of my backpacking kwento series . . . ;-)

Backpack! Backpack!

2010-03-02T02:53:00.000-08:00

I have been MIA in this blog since November last year and up until now, I still haven't organized my thoughts for this upcoming blog entry. Poor me. I have been swamped by work after Chinese New Year was over and being able to blog now means I'm starting to breathe again :-)

Last CNY, three of my friends (Patricia, Roxy, Aya) and I went backpacking in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. Laos was supposed to be in the picture too, but since we would only be travelling for seven days (and mostly by land), there was no way we can fit Laos into the schedule anymore :-(.

The couple of weeks prior to our departure date were characterized by mega-lengthy trails of email exchanges (both purposeful and vexing), long hours of net surfing trying to find the best hotel rates, and nerve-wacky discussions on the numerous hostel reviews with focus on bed bugs! Never mind that it's 10usd a night, but bug bites are not worth it!

First Stop: Hanoi, Vietnam
After waiting almost an hour by the converyor belt, we realized that Patricia's luggage was missing! We checked it in with Roxy's but Pat's luggage was not able to make it. We called the Changi airport right away and good thing the assistance hotline was open 24 hours. It turned out that the inefficient girl at the counter of Tiger Airways failed to put a sticker on Pat's luggage. Ohemgee. We waited after two hours to verify with the ground executives. The next day an officer called to inform us that they will send the luggage the next day when we arrive at Ho Chi Minh. Thank heavens! This is blessing number one! :-) Lesson learned: always check and collect your baggage sticker, peeps. I love Tiger Airways now!

Because of the luggage issue, we lost a lot of precious time, so we just ate porridge at a nearby food house. It was so good I finished my bowl before everyone else did!
The next morning, we had a hurried breakfast of beef noodles and baguette - Hanoi version. The bread is only one of the many influences the French had over the Vietnamese. The houses built around our hotel were replicas of European buildings, too! (Sorry, not many pics to show - we were busy with our baguettes!)

Can you believe they use wooden chopsticks! Wood is not washable, friend!

Next place to visit was the infamous Halong Bay where the James Bond Cave is located. We went on a cruise to cross the bay and as we waited at the dock area, I started to freeze! My guidebook said it will be around 14 degrees in Hanoi during winter months, but I think it was even lower. I couldn't bear the cold wind so I decided to buy a 10-dollar used jacket! Such a rip-off!

For some reason, my feet have a high tolerance to cold climate, so I was still able to fair well with my fitflops! Hihihi.

Perhaps due to the fact that Vietnam's economy relies heavily on tourism, the locals really take advantage of the tourists (and their wallets). Above is the picture with a local kid selling a 20,000+ dong (it's a dollar i know, but even so, they're so tiny for crying out loud!) worth of tiny bananas!

Sitting on stalactites and stalagmites. Ooohsome!

The last night in Hanoi was spent driving around the Old Quarter with our Vietnamese friend, Ken :-) He was so gracious to drive us around and treat us out during our stay!

I wouldn't forget him of course, only for the reason that he introduced us to the simplest yet the most delicious Hanoi delicacy - the Nom! It is made of shredded fresh papaya, cashews and silantro leaves floating in very spicy, sweet and a little bit salty sauce, topped with thin slices of dried pork. Super duper yum!
Food stalls along the sidewalk are pretty common in Hanoi. People from all walks of life sit on very low stools and dine in the midst of the garbage! We did not care at all - food was awesome!

Second Stop: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Day 3 - We flew from Hanoi to HCMC to ride the land transfer (aka taxi) that will take us down to the border of Cambodia - Phnom Penh. Don't you notice how Viets love to use H in their city names? ;-)

The food here is even better, baby!
And ladies and gentlemen, drum roll please . . . our bill amounted to 3million! We're such rich kids! No sweat!

P.S. For this trip, I bought (on discount) Frommer's Vietnam guide, published by none other than John Wiley, of cows! It contains a wealth of important information you need to know about the place you are touring - travel contacts, detailed city maps, list of transpo companies, best places to dine, etc. And I shall quote Russel: "With this, we'll never gonna get lost!" Wink!

Third Stop: Siem Reap, Cambodia

To be continued in my next entry....

My Thanksgiving slash Costume slash Birthday Bash

2009-11-06T21:01:00.000-08:00

Last Halloween night, I celebrated my 26th birthday and 2nd year in Singapore with a costume party. My actual birthday is on the 9th but I figured it would be fun to host a halloween party for my friends. I rented the betty davis room at the House in Dempsey Hill, a quiant place located just after Orchard Road and which shelters a line of restos, bars, spas, and food shops.

There's actually ongoing halloween parties everywhere that night, and that's when I learned that people here regard Halloween seriously. Hence, the costumes...

I even had gate crashers that night!

Introducing Mr. One-Night Stand...

and Mr. (Flat) Iron Man!

Of course, my friends and I came with our own numbers...

But more than having fun at our costume party, I consider that night as very special for I was able to share my testimony to all my friends on how God has been faithful and loving as I go through troughs and valleys within my two years of stay in Singapore.

I came here last 2007 looking for a job with less than a thousand US dollars in my wallet. I only have two friends back then - an officemate from Manila and a college friend who lent me his condo while he's travelling to Japan. I lost my job two times in less than a year and found myself to a point of no hope, not to mention no funds to even buy a plane ticket to return home. But my Heavenly Dad has blessed me beyond measure. From 2 friends, I now have more than a dozen...and counting! From a jobless girl without a laptop, I'm now a fairy with wings...haha!

If there's one most valuable thing I've learned that I can share, it would be that it's better to trust God than to trust on myself. I just want to thank and honor God for being a generous, loving, and a miracle-making Father! The ROCK rocks, indeed!

View more pictures of our halloween in Singapore in my Multiply site. :-)

Ready for my post-birthday, halloween party!

2009-10-27T05:52:00.000-07:00

For my 26th birthday, I thought of celebrating it by throwing a thanksgiving slash costume party. And there is no better date to hold it than on a halloween night! I said to myself, I better do this now while I'm still young and there's an excuse to act goofy =)

I want to dress up as a fairy in all white and glittery drama. A fairy won't be one without wings, of course. But instead of buying a ready-made set, I decided to create my own. The wings I made are quite simple but I loved the result. I learned the how-to through a youtube video which I didn't exactly follow to the letter.

This is how I did my fairy wings:

I bought the materials needed: Flimsy (yes they have to so you can bend them easily) hangers as the frame, pliers to bend the 'wingbone', super glue, black or white tights (depends on what kind of fairy you want to be), ribbons, string, a pair of scissors, and tons of glitters.

First, I bended the hangers into an oval shape. This is the most difficult part of the task. I used two small hangers for the top part and two big ones for the bottom part.

Then, I connected the same-sized circles by tying the ends, which will be the central area of the full wings. After forming the ovals, I dressed them up with white tights.

I also tied the ends of the tights and pulled them down to make a snug fit. Then the fun part begins - putting glitters to make the wings oh so pretty! I don't have much time to be more creative with the design so I just did the simple circles. The feathers helped in glamming them up even more!

Total cost in sgd: $30. Not bad. I like that it's huge and covers my entire back.

Yay! Ready to strut and party.

Princess Alicia's multi-colored coat like Joseph's

2009-10-11T06:39:00.000-07:00

Serving in Sunday School has actually been teaching me a lot more than what I'm supposed to be doing for the kids. Last Sunday was an example. In the crafts activity part, we're supposed to help the kids create a colorful vest that resembles that of Joseph, the favored son of Jacob. The materials given to them were, shall we say, recycled - cut-out colored papers, plastic (Fairprice) grocery bags with holes for the arms, and staple wires to form an improvised vest. Um, not exciting at all! Well, for me, that is.

So I was surprised to find the girls in my group scrambled to choose different colored papers for their vest. They chose the combination of colors with infectious enthusiasm and glee! After the activity, I helped the girls put on their 'robe' and exclaimed an appreciative wow to encourage them to wear something I thought was not eyecandy at all.

But lo and behold, the girls loved them! Alicia who's in the picture placed stamp marks all over her vest to mark her ownership and proudy showed her mom our masterpiece. She was grinning ear to ear as she models the makeshift multi-colored coat. My heart became undone.

Clearly I've become jaded. I no longer see and feel like Alicia and the rest of the girls do.
I have grown up.

But it takes a child's teachable and modest spirit to produce this epiphany.
May I re/learn to wear the coat of the present with pure contentment, infectious enthusiasm, and unassuming heart like it is the best I could ever have. May my heart never grows dull and jaded and unappreciative of the little things that matter.

It's Monday and I got the blues...

2009-07-26T23:14:00.000-07:00

I’m sensing that dreaded feeling at the pit of my tummy again. Perhaps it’s caused by the weather, or maybe I’ve had an overdose of melancholy songs repeatedly playing in my ipod. Shrugs…

I was browsing through an old journal and came across this entry from last year. Apparently, I copied this from a book I read somewhere (Max Lucado’s, I think). The sad question is, am I moving forward:

Life is full of wonderful and terrific opportunities beyond your wildest dreams.
Don't stop dreaming.

Don’t stop seeking God for His divine appointments.
Live life with moments that take your breath away.
Don’t put your life on hold.
Embrace life knowing God has a plan even when you don’t always understand or see it.
Embrace His Word even when life doesn’t make sense.
Press on.

All in a day's work

2009-06-30T06:51:00.000-07:00

How bimbo can I get?!?! Had a good laugh (and mentally kicked myself) today because of this.

Heads up: I was apologizing to boss because I was slow to pick up his complicated (not!) instruction... then i misspelt something which made the ensuing email exchange hilarious!

Note: Pls click on pic to read print screen.

Jules to Boss: It dawned on me just now...what you asked me to do..

Your slowpope,
Jules

Boss to Jules: No worries, Ms. Pope....

Jules to Boss: Er - slowpoKe... (Sheesh)

Boss: OK.. I thought it was some sort of Filipino Catholic thing ... :ob

Hahahha I should submit this to Reader's Digest, no?

John Wiley's Charity Run

2009-06-10T07:44:00.000-07:00

A global publishing group John Wiley & Sons (which I'm proud to be part of) is raising money for children in Nepal. Run For A Dream is a charity event that Wiley arranged with Mitrataa Foundation to build an education center for Nepalese kids. How cool is that?

Thanks to Ria who accompanied me. This is our jabar moment while walking not running hehe

We got tired so we rented bikes hihihihi

Nepal was featured in Travel and Living a couple of months back and I've never known it was that beautiful! I would love to go on a mission trip if only I have the moolahs to spare. One trip can cost as much as USD3000! There's no direct flight because it's way up in the mountains, but we're really hoping that our effort would go a long way and make a difference.

Not that much but great effort =)

Check out the dream centers of the foundation: http://www.mitrataa.org/

@25, do things that you won't be able to (aptly) when you're married or older...

2009-05-14T01:38:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon a journal entry I wrote a few months back, just when I turned 25. I thought it might be good to post this so I could laugh about this sometime later :-):

1. Wear youthful, funky clothes.

2. Colour your hair purple. Or red. Or blonde. Wuddever.

3. Get a tattoo (?) - I scrapped this idea the moment I read Leviticus 19:28

4. Adopt a weird and cool hobby. We're going diving next month. Woohoo!

5. Make a LOT MORE mistakes BUT learn EXTENSIVELY.

6. Eat junk food and all those unhealthy stuff your young body can still manage.

7. Learn another language, a new skill or two. Playing air guitar, perhaps?

8. Indulge yourself with luxuries and guilty pleasures.

9. Read chick lits and more of those Judith McNaughts. Seriously?

10. Collect cute, little girly stuff.

11. Paint your room fuschia pink.

12. Study again. Ok ok, I'm retaking my gmat!

13. $ave. $ave. $ave.

14. Bless other people with your earnings. Give extravagant gifts to fam.

15. Invest on jewelry and quality finds.

16. Volunteer in charity orgs. Go for mission trips. Yebaah!

17. Write poems and rave about shallow things. Even oldies do these.

18. Go back-packing alone and soak in everything you encounter.

19. Go out on dates with God and listen.

20. Learn the art of being a true Princess ;)

Can i just rant?

2009-05-11T04:20:00.000-07:00

At school, they tried to empower us; they've built us up, but only to be trampled upon and stepped on in the corporate world.

I want to move on right now; therefore I would not elaborate. Grrrrrrrr!

Yayas' Day Off on Labor Day

2009-05-03T23:00:00.000-07:00

I had a fantabulous time riding the enormous waves in Bintan, Indonesia with Nipsy and Jo. For the long weekend, we decided to hop in a 50-minute ferry ride to Bintan Island from Singapore's Tanah Merah port.

We really loved the room - it was pretty!

We had the most sumptuous buffet, great worship time (although it rained after singing songs), much needed rest (?), 'juicy conversations' about crazy celebrities (thanks for the heads up, jo!), nerve-wracking (for me) adventure with the Indonesian officer, and 100% girly fun. haha

We woke up at 6am to catch the sunrise and worship our one true Love. It was really a great time of fellowship and expression of gratitude for our King :)

Out of tune with our morning voices, but the praises came from our hearts!

5-star hotel but 3-star beach, nothing beats Boracay still...

Kenneth Cobonpue (Cebu, Philippines) furniture all over the hotel!

Ivy's Farewell

2009-04-27T22:22:00.000-07:00

My room mate just left Singapore. Tear! Ivy wanted to take a rest from her inconsiderate (I'm already being kind) boss and get married. Sigh! Her prince finally found her and I couldn't have been happier for her. But I'm really going to miss our late night chats, rants about demanding bosses, and raves about shopping and the glittery things we spent our incomes on. Yet, I believe there's a time and season for everything. And the season for love has arrived. Nuks.

Sheryl, Ate Ethel, Sokee and I bid her goodbye last night as we all went all the way to Changi to spend one last time with her. Some of Ivy's friends were also there.

It will sure be going to get a lot lonelier now... I'm looking forward to a new room mate though. Any takers?

Down Moments

2009-04-27T22:20:00.000-07:00

Blessed are the moments when I feel discouraged, for I have never been closer to my God as now. I need to stop focusing horizontally - on my self, and really start fixing my eyes upward.

I just received the news - my UBC MBA application was denied. How many nights have I been dreaming about the moment when my 'sack' will become a 'scholarship'? Apparently, I dream too much and too far. So here I am feeling like an utter failure, and apologizing constantly to God and to the mirror for being a disappointment.

Fortunately, I have my podcast to encourage me. There are 3 suggestions by Chuck Swindoll:
1. Claim His strength.
2. Remember your Love.
3. Seek His fullness.

I need to be enveloped with the deep, deep love of Jesus - vast, unmeasured, boundless, free... Right.NOW.

Just Espresso-ing . . .

2009-03-27T01:13:00.000-07:00

GOT myself a new Starbucks tumbler today. Yay! Not for anything else (okay, perhaps because it's also in my alma mater's colour), but I just got encouraged by Hiro's infomercial about going green by doing a simple act of keeping tumblers and mugs instead of buying mineral water and coffee in styros all the time. For most of us, coffee is already a part of our everyday lives, but have we stopped for a while and thought about whatever happens to those thrown cups at the end of the day? I bet not.

I want to encourage all of us to bring water bottles along whenever we're out and keep coffee mugs or tumblers in your cars. This way, we can ask our baristas/drink makers to fill them up with our coffee or drinks and not use those plastic cups that are non-degradable. With this, resources of both ends are being saved. :)

I'm not a superhero (if ever I could become one, I would want to be impenetrable but in jelly form hihi), but I am strongly convicted not to antagonize the Earth even more (or the Watchmen for that matter).

Give the Earth some lovin'. PLEASE

2009-03-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

Have you ever thought about moving out and living somewhere else because the place you're staying in is painful and on the verge of falling apart? I'm not talking about your physical houses and condos, well in my case a pigeon hole. I'm talking about our dear Planet Earth painting a picture of a very old woman in silent anguish with chest heaving on her death bed. Did it ever dawn on you that we don't have anywhere else to go to just in case the "owner" of the Earth shoves us away in utter disgust from our wicked ways?

For more than 4.5 billion years, the living beings on earth have gradually adapted to its constant evolution and thus, it has become livable unlike other planets. We can't live in the Moon for it has no atmosphere at all and with six times less surface gravity, and temperatures go from an insanely hot 130°C down to an insanely cold –170°C. You can forget Mars too with its atmosphere containing about 96% poisonous carbon dioxide. I can't even imagine the condition if we go any farther.

Well, even if NASA finds earth-like planets (which is what it is doing now) where we can run to just in case, it would take us billions of lightyears to travel from earth to its proxy. That being said, I believe it's never too late to do something to save the earth. Even if it means just looking after the space around us. I encourage us to take part and support WWF's Earth Hour , a worldwide campaign with a goal of getting 1 billion people to switch off lights for 60 minutes. Wherever you are, please show your support by joining in this unified action to turn off electricity in your homes, offices, schools, shops on the 28th of March @ 8.30 - 9.30PM.

Join the movement and be counted. Sign up here.

A Child's Plea to Adults: If you don't know how to fix it, pls don't break it!

2009-02-25T20:27:00.000-08:00

This is a speech made by a 13-year old Canadian, Severn Suzuki of Environmental Children's Organization @ the UN Earth Summit in 1992. 17 years later, people have forgotten. They ALWAYS do.

This is a very timely & thought-provoking message and I can't help but think about Holden Caulfield, the main character in the book Catcher in the Rye (JD Salinger, 1951). A disillusioned & confused teenager who is entering the coming of age, Holden dreams of only one thing, and quoting an old poem by Robert Burns, he sings, "If a body catch a body comin' through the rye..." Quite pathetic but true- when we become adults, we lose something very essential. We become hypocrites. As we grow up (ironic huh), it seemed like we've undergone a 'processing' from the rye, which results in a manufactured, destructive mankind.

Anyway, back to the video. A memorable quote from Severn's speech:

"At school…, you teach us how to behave in the world, you teach us not to fight with others, to work things out, to respect others, to clean up our mess, not to hurt other creatures, to share not be greedy… Then why do you go out and do the things you tell us NOT to do???

My message: Children, remain in the rye (if there is a clean one left).

Out of My League.

2009-02-13T02:33:00.000-08:00

Since it's Valentine's why don't I write about it? ;)

Happy Valentine's, everyone. Enjoy!

will you stop for a while

and let me catch my breath

tame this restless soul

that you have recklessly stirred

for that I require an apology

will you stop for a while

and hear me out just this time

your beauty made me a believer

the kind that draws me to the Creator

with eyes that burn a hole and brings me back to high school

my palms sweating and cheeks blushing

too frightened to test unknown waters

i will pass this chance of getting burnt

will you stop for a while

allow me to take in

the length of the gap

that's between me and you

your virtues and merits

your wisdom and your worth

my nose will remain pressed

against this glass

staring at an expensive gift

too much for me to afford

will you stop for a while

and bear with me a moment

i wonder what you're thinking

but im not qualified to know

the only available is that boyish smile

which makes me want to smile, too

i wouldn't mind

no not all

if you'll forever be mine

so what does it take

to come close?

In the mrt on my way back home, i wanted to talk to Dad. . .

2009-02-08T05:54:00.000-08:00

Dad, can I just come to you right now...
Without asking for anything -
Wide-eyed with tears flowing as easy as water flowing from a hill...
No, I'm not about to yearn for a gift or anything fancy.
Can I just come to you and allow you to feel what I'm feeling?
I'm not looking for deliverance nor redemption,
I need nothing else.
I just want to occupy the space between your arms
And grieve for a while. . .

Will You cry with me?

I did my best...

2009-02-02T06:29:00.000-08:00

But I guess my best wasn't good enough...

I just took the GMAT today for the 2nd time around, hoping my score would increase. But I guess I should have listened to people's advice: taking the gmat more than once is counter-intuitive... My score remained the same- below 600 :( . I was stumped; there goes my shot at a scholarship.

Now, I have mixed feelings. I would like to be optimistic about this and to not allow this brick wall to get in the way of my ambitions. But something within me also wants to yield and acknowledge that perhaps I'm not really cut out for this mba dream.

I don't know. All I could do is shrug and thank God because I'm not in this alone. He is still the captain of my ship. I want to be taken to greater heights, but if by being in this valley still will give Him all the more glory, then so be it.

Gadgets & Gizmos Aplenty? ..but who cares no big deal, we want more!

2009-01-22T19:26:00.000-08:00

Guiyu, China -- This is where all our electronic waste is going back to, right where it came from. "The city of Guiyu is home to 5,500 businesses devoted to processing discarded electronics, known as e-waste. According to local websites, the region dismantles 1.5 million pounds of junked computers, cell phones and other devices a year. " (Time Magazine, January 2009).

Although rehashing electronic gadgetry is a thriving business in this part of China, it is also the reason why Giuyu has the highest level of cancer-causing dioxins in the world. In my opinion, it is okay to accumulate gadgets to satisfy a need, after all, technology upgrade is a must. But if it is just so we can keep up with Joneses, pulease!

Here's how we can help:

Bring back old TV sets and components to Sony, Samsung & LG. They take them back for free.
Sell your antiquated mobile phone to Greenphone.com.
Donate old computers. Dell can recycle for you.
Hold back on buying new gadgets too soon. My grandparents did not even have a microwave back in the days, but they survived just fine.

www.time.com/ewaste

Fast Tense

2009-01-12T21:20:00.000-08:00

I didn't know that I could make it, but I did. I survived a 7-day fast (sans mood swings and faint episodes)! Our church recently called for a corporate fast to start the year petitioning for breakthroughs and miracles, and I eagerly joined in. I believe it is the only way to inform God how serious I am in laying down all my heart's desires. Jesus gave me His Word, "You can pray for anything, and if you've believed that you received it, it will be yours." So holding on to that promise, I committed myself to forego of the things that keep me from having more time with Him: eating 3 meals (or more) a day, blogging, FB-ing, and sleeping (too much) for one week.

I went on one day at a time, fighting the temptation to eat more than one meal a day. I guess one motivation for me was knowing that Jesus fasted for 40 days and I was only doing it for 7 days. How shameful!

I also went to the one-hour prayer meetings after office. The place was quite a distance from where I live and the fact that I wouldn't be able to eat when I got back home gave me a somber spirit as I took the dreadedly loooong mrt ride in one of those nights.

I sat on one of the train chairs and rested my head on the cold divider ready to close my eyes, when all of a sudden a baby boy started screaming. I looked to see what was happening. His mother was pulling her up but he wanted to stand on his own. She lifted him to carry him against her chest as the train moved along. But the crying child wanted to be free. He was shrieking as he tried to pull away from his mother's grasp.

Right then, I wanted to scream back. I was hungry, tired, and irritated. The last thing I wanted was a noisy baby throwing tantrums in front of me. Right then, I so wanted to tell the kid that his mom was pulling him in because she knew he would surely fall. He couldn't stand perfectly on his own yet, especially with the moving wheels beneath his feet. I thought to myself, if only he knew then he wouldn't scream, shriek, and struggle. Aaaaargh!

Suddenly, something tugged within me. Watching that scene was like watching my life and other people's. I realized that we are the same kid who shriek, yank, and struggle. God wants to pull us in for safety, but we couldn't understand - yet. If only we knew...

The Day the Earth Stood Still

2009-01-03T04:06:00.000-08:00

This is really not a movie review. I don't want to rave about it, because I believe that it could have been done better, especially with such a good theme and visual effects. And what movie would have gone wrong with uber-gorgeous Keanu on board? Tell me!

I just want to blog about it because having been born 3 decades after its 1951 original release (and thus, did not have the opportunity to view it), I want to remember the book/film's wake-up call through this version.

"At the precipice, things begin to change." -Professor Barnhardt (John Cleese)

Only when we humans are on the brink of defeat or total destruction, do we think of turning back from our evil ways. Only when we are in utter powerlessness do we consider righteous surrender. Very true, isn't it?

In the movie, Keanu (Klaatu) is sent to oversee the salvation of the earth from its ultimate enemy - humans. However, as Helen Benson's (Jennifer Connelly) kind and selfless spirit begins to unfold, he starts to feel compassion and is compelled to change the doomed fate of mankind.

This story is so familiar to me. If I'm not mistaken it happened around 2000 years ago...

"Change His [decision] not by reason but by what you are."
-Professor Barnhardt saying to Helen as he urges her to convince Klaatu to stop the destruction of humans

only by Grace...

2008-12-31T09:51:00.000-08:00

Grace, my new boss in my new job is SUPER SWEET! She just gave m e her own brand new Microsoft Windows Live i-buddy. I told her she didn't have to and I could just take one later, but she told me this is an exclusive piece and we are not producing any more stocks next year. This morning, I just found the cute thingy on my desk! :) It works as a laptop or PC accessory that lights up whenever an IM buddy gets online and flaps its wings once you received a message on MSN. Microsoft rocks!

Because I wasn't able to give her anything for Christmas, I created a CD of songs for her as a New Year's present. It's a good thing her name is a virtue so thinking of a cover design was easy. Hehehhe.

When she received the cd, she went wow so many times and showed it to all our sales staff telling everyone how pretty the girl on the cover is. I'm so happy she liked my gift.

Wow, 2008 zoomed in quite fast! What a year indeed. I remember it was not long ago when I was just jotting down my faith goals, and now I need to come up with a new set this soon! Well, I had my share of highs and lows this year, but I am utterly grateful on how this year has turned out for me. I just want to share some of the most important highlights and blessings I received this year- only by Grace:

1. Mummy Ana Manzano & the rest of my cell group. I was waiting to be connected with a group in my previous churches here in Singapore but after a few months of seeking, I was still shepherd-less. One day, my best friend Danzen who is working for Proudly Filipina, told me that they featured Connie Reyes in their show, and after the shoot, Connie Reyes prayed for her! Then, I remembered that Connie Reyes goes to VCF. I went into its site and found out that it is a member of Every Nation Church. I clicked on the link and found Mummy's name in their online list of leaders. I got attracted to the name (also because it's very Filipino. yay!) Our group has really provided a lot of support and has helped me mature in my faith, develop a sense of divine perspective, and learn more of the things that truly matter. I just love being in fellowships with them.

2. Having met Marian Jarquin- American slash Taiwanese slash Nicaraguan babe and one my best friends in Singapore. We went through a tough time in our previous job, but looking back I am grateful that we were together for encouragement, companionship and prayer. She's now in California and I hope to visit her soon (or vice-versa). I'm going to miss having lunch with her and watching her eat the same thai fried rice every day because that's the only thing her picky tummy can bear.

3. Turned 25 this year! I believe I am becoming more and more responsible and discplined by the day. Uhm honestly, being 25 doesn't feel any different than being 21 or 23 or 24. But I notice that I have become wiser, increased my level of persistence, become more patient and yielding, and of course- have grown more beautiful! :-)

4. Shifted to our new flat! This place is nicer, less expensive and closer to the MRT & my workplace.

5. FREE swimming lessons with Coach Lingam @ NUS Campus. I was actually willing to pay a hundred bucks for a personal coach but this came as a blessing. Goodbye salbabida, hah!

6. My new, shiny pink Sony Vaio- the most expensive (monetary-wise) unexpected blessing I received. The story on this miracle is a whole new blog entry altogether. So thanks be to God whom we can never outgive.

7. Friday dinner dates with Nipsy. This year, Nips started to work with Unilever Singapore. From Unilever-Manila to SG, Nips has her own incredible testimony to share. :) I look forward to our upcoming dates, Nipso!

8. MBA Applications- finally came around to accomplishing this. It took me months to actually pysch myself to review for the gmat and take the whole mba frenzy seriously. I've been to a lot of mba tours and have received career advice from the experts, so I really feel that I'm on the right track. I'm really praying hard for a UBC-Sauder scholarship to land on my mailbox. Just believe!

Here's to a more exciting and brighter year ahead! I pray that you will be taken to greater heights in all aspects of your lives, dear friends. Let's 'fix our [future] thoughts on what is true and honorable, on what is right and pure, and lovely and admirable- things that are excellent and worthy of praise.' (Ph 4:8)

Blessed 2009, Everyone!
XOXO from Super hot & Sunny Singapura!

Mwah!

Home Alone on Christmas Eve!

2008-12-25T17:17:00.000-08:00

This is my first time to spend Christmas away from my family. Since moving in here in Singapore, I've been doing quite a lot of things on my own, but I occasionally fly back home for special events- holidays, weddings, and the like, but this time I couldn't afford it and I didn't want to. Surprisingly, I don't feel sad at all. In fact, I feel contentment, joy and blessings overflowing in my life. God is just amazing; He has always been.

A month ago, I lost my job. I didn't even think that I would have a very merry Christmas. Back then, everything didn't matter so long as I found a job to cover the next month's rent. But now, God has placed me in a company of generous, cheerful, pleasant, and lovely co-workers! They gave me gifts and encouragement as if I were working with them for a long time. I could have been hired by the other companies I previously applied to, but God has other plans and He indeeed has a reason for everything. After all, He does all things well :)

Right now, I'm watching Love Actually (for the 3rd time I think). It is one of my favorite feel-good holiday movies. I'm waiting for my housemates to arrive from work so we can all feast together. But I'm savoring this wondrous feeling that is a blessing in itself- solitude. The rain has just stopped and I can sense the dampness of the chilly air blowing from my window. The grey clouds are still and the sun is beginning to light up the horizon though not as harsh as on a sunny day.

Allow me to bask in all this- the quiet holiday break, piles of dark chocolates from friends, a good book on my bedside table, the pleasantly cold weather, sunlight from my windowpane, singlehood and independence, and the opportunities to celebrate the ongoing works of Jesus in my life.

The Antidote.

2008-12-12T05:46:00.000-08:00

Thumbing through the loose threads at the knees of my trf jeans
I listen to the huskiness of Paolo Nutini’s voice as he strikes a soft G.
I wonder why the neighbour’s dogs have stopped barking
Could it be that they’ve lost their voice?
Or perhaps bashfulness is at their senses’ reach
If only I could sniff just as well...
But maybe they’re also like me
Picking up the pieces
Of whatever’s left of the pellet on the floor
And maybe just like me
Summer is their favourite season
A time of rice cakes and strawberry milkshakes
Sunsets and cheese omelettes
Bicycle rides and ipod tunes
Whistles and stares
(Though I wouldn’t be bothered)
Making dog-ears in my beloved paperbacks
Rendezvous with my polygamous lovers-
There’s Coke after lunch
Ice creams at supper
And Cadbury whenever
Poetic License. Geraniums.Orchids.Daffodils.
Treading barefoot
Along my custom-made valley
A prerequisite for the mountain heights
Whistling on a rainy Sunday
With a drenched cardboard for cover
Listening

Seeking

Waiting

Enjoying

Living for moments that take my breath away...

On Our Way Home

2008-11-14T20:24:00.000-08:00

An entry by Mary Southerland for Girlfriends in God Series.

One of my favorite movies is "Apollo 13" in which we first heard those famous words, "Houston, we have a problem", an understatement, to say the least. The astronauts faced seemingly impossible odds of getting back to earth but refused to give up the fight until they splashed down in the waters of home.

Life is much the same. We are often thrust into a daily life of foreign and often frightening worlds, shaky circumstances, and impossible trials with no obvious way of escape. It seems like we will never get home and our world will never be right again.

I have discovered a truth that surfaces in my heart every Christmas holiday. We all come into this world with a sense of being lost. Tucked into the corner of our souls is a feeling of restlessness...a longing for home, for something eternal. That longing will never be satisfied outside of a relationship with Him! God holds each today and every tomorrow in His hands. Nobody and nothing can fill the "God-shaped" hole in our heart.

I have come to cherish that desperate heart cry that drives me to my knees and into the lap of my Father! Each and every time I come to Him, He whispers, "It will be all right. You are not home - yet."

I do not want this broken and torn world to be my final home, but merely a place I am passing through. While I am here, I have a God-sized job to do, an extraordinary mission to complete and a wonderful purpose to fulfill. Is that awesome or what? Absolutely! But it is only the beginning of the eternity for which I was created. It doesn't get any better than that, my friends.

So as you dive into your hectic schedule, remember that one day, we will be home - with Him - but until then, let's celebrate here! Guard your hearts and mind by filling them with God's Word. Hold fast to the true meaning of the season and don't let go! Look for ways to share the message of the manger, embracing that longing for home as a sweet reminder that one day we will celebrate His birth in Heaven. What a Christmas that will be! And we are on our way home!

the Script is ♥

2008-10-31T01:40:00.000-07:00

`Cos when a heart breaks no it don't break even'...

At first I thought they were just another boy band coming around the bend. The Script describes their music as the new 'Celtic Soul', combining pop melody with soul and some rock dynamics. (Even if it were cuckoo music, I would still have listened).

Well, I am utterly captivated - the lyrics AND the Irish accent made the difference. Plus, it didn't hurt that Danny O'Donaghue (lead, 25) is a hottie! But more than anything, I fell in love with the voice (oh, man!) and how the lyrics transcend beyond the simple use of narratives and rhymes.

2008-10-12T04:53:00.000-07:00

SO I AM gathering up my skirt and exposing my bare toes, ready to soak them in the puddle. Everything else does not matter for too many nights have fallen for me not to notice the countless, gorgeous stars embedded in a blanket of black. Existence IS bliss...this is my silver and I'm loving it!

After Pilates class, I went back to our flat only to find a surprise from my housemates :) This Princess is indeed very, very happy! Looking back, I realized that I am truly blessed in more ways than I had initially thought.

A few weeks before my birthday, I posted an entry concerning a crisis I was going through. It was not severe (like a lemme-see-a-shrink crisis) but I definitely felt that there was something wrong with me and it was not just simple PMS-ing. I became insecure with my status quo and I felt that I needed to do something but I did not know what. I longed for the past yet I also wanted change. The alarm went off in my head and my friends told me that I was having quarter-life crisis. Then I realized (perhaps from reading too much Time & Newsweek) that crisis starts when uncertainty sets in. But I also learned that uncertainty ferments trust, faith, dependence, and a desire to seek wisdom, all of which are necessary to make us all the more human.

Well, I don't think I'm still in a crisis. The emotional waves have subsided (and I'm being poetic again :p). 25 is a good age; and I know some people would die just to become 25 again (e.g. my hunky boss).

This also marks a complete year of living alone... living on lychee puddings, instant noodles, bottles of Coke Zero, and pipe dreams handwritten on recycled springbound notebook...while realizing that this stage is a paradox in itself- characterized by a need to learn more and a desire to secure one's innocence.

I am grateful to the people who have blessed me with their friendship; who have kept me grounded; who have encouraged me; who have rebuked me; and who have allowed me to be hurt, to suck it up, and to grow . More importantly, I am grateful to Him whose promises are always fulfilled AND whose Princess is so loved and favored upon.

More celebrations, testimonies, and photos to come!

QLC: Everyone's going through it!

2008-10-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

QLC stands for Quarter Life Crisis and I'm currently in it (I think). Marian, my best bud in the office, and I were just discussing how she's been having the blues lately. We both don't know what we want in our career and our relationships, and we are simply not content with what's in front of us.

She sent me an email describing the symptoms (from Wikipedia I think) :

feeling "not good enough" because one can't find a job that is at one's academic/intellectual level
frustration with relationships, the working world, and finding a suitable job or career
confusion of identity
insecurity regarding the near future
insecurity concerning long-term plans, life goals
insecurity regarding present accomplishments
re-evaluation of close interpersonal relationships
disappointment with one's job
nostalgia for university, college, high school or elementary school life
tendency to hold stronger opinions
boredom with social interactions
loss of closeness to high school and college friends
financially-rooted stress (overwhelming college loans, unanticipatedly high cost of living, etc.)
loneliness
desire to have children
a sense that everyone is, somehow, doing better than you

Bathroom Conversions ensued...

Marian: You know Jules, I met this PR Manager in a hotel last Tuesday night. She added me in FB and I looked at her blog and she stated she's going through symptoms of QLC as well!

Jules: See! It's not only us, we're sane...I'm relieved!

Marian: I know. It happens to all of us I guess.

Jules: Uh-huh.

Marian (in a singsong voice): But I found a solution.
His name is J-E-S-U-S! :)

30 things to try before we turn 30

2008-09-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

I recently had my hair done at Jean Yip, and the stylist made for me 2 hairstyles in one:
Alaveeeeet hehhehehe!

But anyway, as I was having my haircut last night, I came upon this list from Cleo Mag, and I find this funny and interesting...I'm turning 25 (not 30 ok) waaaaah I'm getting old sheessh!

30 things to try before we turn 30:

1.Channel an old school movie and throw a drink in a man's face.

- Hmmmm...what a brilliant idea...I'll do this soon hahahha.

2.Delete the words “like, random and totally” from your vocab.

-I so totally will do this! ;D

3.Break someone’s heart; similarly, have your own broken. -Been there, done that!

4.Divorce toxic friends. - Meron ba??

5.Drink a champagne cocktail in a Paris bar. -Ah boss, when are we going to France?

6.Master the art of choosing the perfect wine. -Grapes na lang, can?

7.Confess that (present or past) crush on your best male friend. -Done this a long time ago, like when I was um, 8?

8.Drive a wickedly cool car, even if you have to rent it. -Pink convertible for the princess please!

9.Use an alias for a day. -Undercover: Hot Chick... lol.

10.Visit a strip club. -For what??

11.Have a favourite book which isn’t chick-lit. - I have a lot!

12.Quit a job, without having another one to go to. -Twice, man!

13.Buy a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill and a black-lace bra.
-Sabi na I should have bought that set!

14.Learn who you can trust, who you can’t and why you shouldn’t take it personally.

-Uh-huh..:)

15.Live by yourself (for at least six months). -How about 12?

16.Travel somewhere by yourself – a foreign country, another city or just a road trip to the country. -I've been wanting to go to the Hague! Let's!

17.Forgive someone who wronged you; apologise to someone you've wronged.

- I did. Di lang halata. ;p

18.Master cooking one impressive three-course meal. -Ok ok!
19.Learn to change a tyre. -Oh, man!
20.Buy an original piece of art. -Andy Warhol, bebe!

21.Volunteer for a charity you care about. - I am (ymca)...unicef next!

22.Break-up with a man who you know is bad for you; similarly, have a fling with a man who you know is bad for you!

-no comment.

23.Dine solo in a restaurant – no phone, book or notebook allowed.
-Why not?

24.Run a marathon. -Coolness.

25.Pay off your credit card(s)/HECS debt/car loan.

Just did this last month. Whew!

26.Spend a whole pay packet on a pair of shoes.

-Jimmy Choo!

27.Have a killer joke you tell perfectly ready to use for those awkward moments.

-How bout Singapura anecdotes?

28.Try something you always said you’d never do – whether it be sky-driving or eating escargot.

-Skydiving definitely!

29.Learn how to stand up for yourself, rather than silently seething when you receive poor customer service or someone makes a snide remark.

-Righteous anger dapat!

30.Get married.*

-Oh... Will do ;)

the girls who failed to catch THE bouquet

2008-08-29T21:26:00.000-07:00

I recently attended my good friend Bea's wedding in Fernbrook Gardens last August 8. I flew all the way to Manila just to witness her tieing the knot with our college friend Glenn, because she is the first best friend to get married in our barkada and yeah, I miss the rest of my girlfriends as well. Wedding photos can be viewed here.

Up until now, Bea is complaining that she hasn't finished uploading all their pictures, and when I looked at her recently uploaded pics, I couldn't stop laughing at this:

Hahahahahaaaha so hilarious!!! I was caught on cam with an obviously disappointed expression! Of all the faces of single women there, the photographer decided to zoom in on my face! You know how it is in weddings- tradition would be to invite single women to gather onstage and battle in catching the magical bouquet thrown by the bride. And so from this picture which explicitly describes the story: we weren't able to get it. Hahahhahaha ano ba! 'Twas so funny because I never realized that I DO want to get married soon AND I don't remember wearing this expression that night (defensive)!

Before the 'catching'... Abounding Beauties: Only in the Philippines!

Okay, so I really want to get married..hahah...but not now. I haven't exhausted my youth yet and I haven't done or accomplished something that made a difference to people which I can boast to my future kids...and...um...okay lah I'll say it: my Prince hasn't found me yet....harharharhar.

To my chicas: Say no to frogs nor chickens! We deserve Princes ;)

Isabel's Painting

2008-08-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

On my flight back to Singapore, I didn't expect that I would meet this cute and super sweet girl. Her name's Isabelle Villar and she was sitting beside me in the plane. I smiled at her and she smiled back, forming round bulges with her suntanned cheeks. I resumed my aimless task of solving a sudoku puzzle and she started filling up the embarkation card. I couldn't help but glance over her shoulders as she scribbled tiny letters. I told her, "Sweetie, you should write in block letters." To my surprise, she started drawing boxes around each letter! I laughed and told her that I meant capital letters. She then drew several lines over the words as if trying to erase them and asked for her mum to write for her instead.

After a while, she started telling me about their five dogs back in their house in Magallanes Village and how she has taken care of them. Suddenly, she unzipped her backpack and pulled out her sketchbook and began showing me her paintings. They were so beautiful, but what's more amazing was the fact that she's only 8! Then she took out a clear plastic that contained a couple of silver bling blings she just bought. I commented, "Yo! They're really nice, yo!" She began to whisper something to her mum so I looked out the window. After a while, she tapped my shoulder and offered me the other necklace! I was so surprised by the sweet gesture but I told her I couldn't possibly accept it. She was really persistent so I asked if I could have one of her paintings instead. She agreed, signed her name on it and gave me her Manila address asking me to visit her soon. Aaaaaawww....such a sweet sweet darling!....

I don't know but somehow I felt refreshed with that encounter. You see, while waiting for the plane to land, I was actually talking to God. I asked Him for strength and guidance as I continue my journey with a promise to let go of the past and give it my best shot this time. And He gave me Isaiah 43...."Do not be afraid...I have called you by name; you are Mine....because you are presious to Me...I love you..."

Geee!! He was telling me He loves me not just in words but through Isabelle! I was feeling down that time but having met her felt like my heart was being balmed. He was romancing me in ways that just left me awed. Thanks, Isabelle! Thanks, Dad!

No Gummy no Honey in SG

2008-08-17T23:39:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for the lack of a better title..haha!

The moment I announced to my boss and office mates that I would be in Manila for the rest of the week, they began offering me their bucks for a unified request- chewing gum. (Just writing it makes me salivate). Na-ah, they do not want just packets; they want boxes! One of my colleagues, Marian, who just came from Taiwan, showed me how she’s been saving broken pieces of her gum so she can chew one each day. I’m also a chewer and I can definitely finish a blanket of Dentyne in one take, so I sympathise with her.

But why is it really illegal to sell gums in Singapore? One of my Malay friends told me about how once upon a time Singaporeans were joyously chewing like goats and sticking their wads of saliva-soaked leftover under mrt seats and subway sliding doors. Then one time, one of the train doors became clogged and it was not able to function properly. So from then on, the government banned vendors from selling gums in Singapore. I wasn’t able to validate if this story is true but knowing how the government is easily freaked out, it made sense.

Because our cravings need to be satiated, I would probably make a living out of selling gums here (secretly, that is).

Note to my parents: If I got held up by the immigration officers on the way back, you know the reason.

i miss my bff

2008-08-17T21:06:00.000-07:00

Belle, me, Danzen, and Bea

gorgeous LaSallians in Boracay (May 2007)

Career: Med student/princess, TV producer/writer/princess, Marketer/writer/princess, Flight attendant/wife/princess

Status: Open, In a relationship, Waiting, Married

LaLuz, Batangas (May 2008)

Nothing in the world beats the beaches in the Philippines! Totally awesome white sands, blue waters, breathtaking sun, plus packed with abounding beauties!

it's a man's world after all

2008-08-17T20:54:00.000-07:00

My bosses, colleagues and I were on our way back to the office after a hearty lunch. I was trying hard to keep up with their pace but I needed to sprint before I fell into step beside one of them. Big French men ahead of me sauntered with a nonchalant gait, while I, a scrawny girl (but with love handles and all) scampered on pretending not to look a bit out of breath and flustered in my stilettos. Right then I was convinced that stilettos were made by a patriarchal society aimed to suppress women even more.

Three years after graduation, I would like to believe that I am still wearing those rose-colored glasses and that badge of idealism which made me think that having a good head on one’s shoulders is enough to become who one wants to be. True, I’ve been working long enough to learn that the real world requires more, but as I approached my desk and slumped on my chair, I once again sensed a sad epiphany dawning.

I looked around my surroundings. In the office, the top management was composed of men, armed with MBA’s and PhD’s; while the women were Administrative Assistants, HR Manager and Project Coordinators. Our major sales and investment deals were sealed over bottles of beer but not over scoops of strawberry ice cream or nail polish sessions. I tried thinking about female CEOs or Directors I know of but I could only name two: Mary Kay Ash and Andrea Jung (Avon), both of whom are in the same industry- cosmetics.

Honestly, I am not too sure where this entry is leading to and I will not just sit here and chant about gender inequality. But, as I looked down on my antagonistic shoes, I reprimanded myself for feeling sorry and a bit mistreated. Women are not created to compete with men. Yes, we can do and perform better yet were not given due credit most of the time, but it will only hurt if we always try to be better at something men are made to do. I realized that we do have different roles to play in order to supplement the other, and it’s not actually about what the society dictates, but what our hearts impel us to be.

I’m not saying that we make ourselves doormats of men as they work to be on top of their games, heck no. In fact we should continue to educate ourselves, engage in things that are purposeful and enduring and be the most beautiful ezer kenegdos for the men in our lives. . .

Therefore, I refuse to take these rose-colored glasses off and yes, even my stilettos for that matter.

Singapore dream

2008-08-11T06:26:00.000-07:00

I really don't remember how I've suddenly gained this desire. I was working as a Corporate Communications Officer in a local insurance firm in Makati and was slowly building up my portfolio as an employee just fresh out of college. But 'slowly' means turtle speed. Because I'm a newbie, I was never assigned challenging work even after a year of working. I've tried studying again to be able to input more creative ideas, but the company culture does not allow independent decision-making from um, well...a mere clerk. A 5%- annual increase (I can feel your shocked expressions) did not motivate me at all and promotion never happens unless the person your senior gets to be promoted first. So it wasn't surprising when I saw staff after staff resigning.

One of my best buddies who's also my lunchmate confided to me that he got a job offer as an IT analyst in Singapore. He was being recruited by a Filipino agent and they were offering a salary triple (or more) than what he was currently getting. Being an IT whiz and a fast worker, he would surely be a valuable gem the company is bound to lose. But as the character of Piscine in the book, Life of Pi by Yann Martel puts it, "People move in the hope of a better life." And so my lunch mate and my only advocate in the office left and took the too-good-to pass chance to work in Singapore.

I missed him but the thought of working abroad was too far-fetched for me back then. Few months later, I met Ivy, who was my classmate in graduate school in De La Salle. We were both taking up Master in Marketing Communications and she shared with me her plan to go to Singapore. Right then, I was wondering why everyone was going to that country. But Ivy told me the advantages:

1. It is very easy to enter Singapore. No visa is required.
2. SG is one of the safest countries to live in.
3. It harbours a multi-cultural environment so you won't feel marginalized or left out.
4. A lot of MNCs (multi-national corporations) had set up their headquarters in Singapore.
5. The economy of Singapore relies heavily on international talents. It will collapse if it does not open its doors to foreign workers; thus, it has very lenient regulations on hiring foreigners. In fact, the government encourages hiring them.
6. And last but definitely not to dismiss, one sgd is worth 33php!

As I look at the projects I've done with the insurance company, I did not feel that proud at all. I felt that I could do more and learn more. Suddenly there's a yearning to expand my area of responsibility and take on a more challenging role... So I thought about it long and hard. I prayed and asked for signs. Although my credentials and transcripts of records were quite impressive (I think), I felt that the chances of me getting a job (taking into consideration that I do not possess an IT experience) through an agent while still in the Philippines was slim. Fortunately there's EPEC (Employment Pass Eligibility Certificate). If you were granted an EPEC by MOM (Ministry of Manpower), you will acquire a one-year social visit pass that allows you to stay for 12 months or more in Singapore which will then give you ample time to look for employment. More information can be viewed here: https://epec.mom.gov.sg/epec/index.do.

So I took the shot. I was asked to give details about my academic credentials and which school I came from. Then I was asked to provide soft copies of relevant documents, such as passport details, resume, and diploma. After 5 days, I was informed via email that my application has been approved and they will send the certificate to my mailing address within 2 weeks. However, because of carelessness, I wrote in an incomplete mailing address so I wasn't able to receive the certificate even after 4 weeks of waiting. Because I was too excited to go for I already received calls from prospective employers, I tried applying again. EPEC is only issued once, but I tried to work around the system. I tried calling the MOM officers for some help, but they said they could not re-issue the certificate. I applied for EPEC once again but this time under a different email address and it worked! My EPEC certificate came into my mailbox just a week after my application got approved.

I have a lot of friends and officemates whose EPEC applications were not successful, but because MOM will not disclose their rationale for not approving, I can only guess:
1. Incomplete documents or information
2. Undergraduate course is not relevant to recent job experience
3. Underage or below 20 years old
4. Multiple applications
5. MOM's quota has been reached.

For those of you whose EPEC application has been rejected, do not be discouraged. You can still go to Singapore and try your luck maximising the 30-day visit pass for tourists. But before doing that, make sure you have contacted or sent resumes to hundreds of hiring companies. Look into all the job portals and inform them of your date of arrival in Singapore.

I would not end this entry by saying that after getting my EPEC approved and finding a job after 3 weeks of searching, everything went well with me, because it did not. Well, thank God I do not have horrifying stories to tell and it has been so much better now since I started less than a year ago, but I will never regret going through all those struggles that I will narrate in my upcoming entries. Working in Singapore is truly challenging, stressful, fun, and full of epiphanies and learning experiences.