Friday, March 30, 2007

It's All Good

I was going through a pile of paper from college when I accidentally bumped into this beautiful story. I actually don't remember when and where it was given to me but what I do remember is why I kept it: it's because it's so inspiring and so meaningful to my life. Here goes:

A king in Africa had a close friend that he grew up with. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, "This is good!"

One day, the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns for, after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off. Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good!" To which the king replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and proceeded to send his friend to jail.

About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured him and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake. As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone that was less than whole. So untying the king, they sent him on his way. As he returned home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. "You were right" he said, "it was good that my thumb was blown off." And he proceeded to tell the friend all that his happened. "And so I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this." "No," his friend replied, "this is good!" "What do you mean, 'this is good!' How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?" "If I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you."

-end of story-


Nothing happens without reason. Everything in life is grace.

Every trial, every misfortune,

Every blessing, every surprise,

Every sickness, every woe,

Each and every single person we meet.

They aren't coincidences nor mistakes...

They're all good.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

I Hope You Dance

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....i hope you dance.

An Inspirational Song (Thanks P!)

I Hope You Dance
(Lee Ann Womack)

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....i hope you dance.

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin might mean takin chances but they're worth takin,
Lovin might be a mistake but its worth makin,
Dont let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance....i hope you dance.
I hope you dance....i hope you dance.
(time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone.)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that youll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

Things that made my day...

* a random phone call * a quick power nap * an unexpected hearty meal * a rare decent chat * a good check-up * moderate traffic on a rush hour * a baby's smile * a possible solution to a long-time problem * connection * a smile on my face just before going to sleep *

Friday, March 23, 2007

It's addicting!!!

Argh, I'm getting addicted to all these types of tests. Hahaha! They're soooo fun to do!

It's destiny! (Lord, let it be destiny...)

Your Scholastic Strength Is Inspiring Others

You are great at developing a vision, and getting others to adopt your way of thinking.
You are talented at leading, balancing tasks, and helping people work together.

You should major in:

Counseling
Environmental studies
Law
Social work
Political science
Nursing

Apple Green?!?

You Are Apple Green

You are almost super-humanly upbeat. You have a very positive energy that surrounds you.
And while you are happy go lucky, you're also charmingly assertive.
You get what you want, even if you have to persuade those against you to see things your way.
Reflective and thoughtful, you know yourself well - and you know that you want out of life.

The Bar Results

Rumor has it that the Bar results will be out next week on the 29th. I honestly thought I could handle all this - the long wait, the uncertainty, the pressure. I thought I could keep myself busy with all the personal needs I have to attend to. But I was dead wrong. I've never been more scared my entire life.

The anxiety is killing me. I just want this over and done with so I can already move on with my life...

My Biggest Frustration

I've been going to the hospital every single day this week. And I must admit, it is getting kinda frustrating already. It's always just about check-ups or lab tests or another ultrasound or scan or what-have-you's. This has got to be my biggest frustration in life - the fact that I feel so normal already and yet, I still am not.

For example...

I feel like a go back to taekwondo already, but I can't - if I get kicked where my new kidney is, it might get damaged.

I feel like I can start working already, but I can't - I still have my regular check-ups to attend to.

I feel like I can go out on nightouts and gimiks already, but I can't - I shouldn't get myself too tired and I might catch and infection.

I feel like I can have sex already (!), but I can't - exchange of bodily fluids means higher chances of infection (And besides, who will I have sex with? haha).

I feel like I honestly do anything already, but I can't - it's better safe than sorry.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

My American Idol Fear-ful Forecast

Yes, I am a big Idol fan especially now that I have lots of time to spare at home. I was able to watch this season right from the very start and therefore, I guess, I am entitled to present my forecast on who will be this year's American Idol. I made my ranking of the current Top 12. And although my 12th spot is already wrong - I know all of you will agree with me that my number 12 is the real number 12.

# 12 - Sanjaya Malakar - Need I say more? He should have been eliminated when they were still the Top 24. Even his hair isn't going for him anymore.

# 11 - Brandon Rogers - I honestly believe that he's got a good voice. He just lacks personality and is therefore, not Idol material.

# 10 - Haley Scarnato - She's definitely lucky that she even reached the number 10 spot. She surprisingly beat other better girl singers to the Top 12. And upon competing at the Top 12, there were other guys who were worse than her. And, contrary to what my friends say, she's not pretty and sexy.

# 9 - Phil Stacey - Though his voice can be soothing at times, Phil has the tendency to scream when he's singing. He never really stood out in the competition except during the auditions and the early part of the Top 24 when he exploited his newborn child.

# 8 - Stephanie Edwards - This R&B singer has definitely got the style and the voice. She can actually make it up to the 5th spot but in my opinion, there are other contestants who make an impression more than her.

# 7 - Blake Lewis - I honestly believe that Blake doesn't have very excellent vocals (they're just good enough), but he can stay long in the competition because he's got personality and he's unique. I actually like the beatboxing thing.

# 6 - Gina Glocksen - For some reason, I actually dig this rocker chick. Plus, she's got a powerful voice. She's different from the rest. As long as she chooses the right songs that match her voice, she can reach the Number 6 spot.

# 5 -Chris Richardson - This Justin Timberlake wannabe may not be able to replicate Justin's moves and looks but he's definitely got a style of his own. He's got a really good singing voice (I believe he's the best among the guys) but there are just other girl contestants who sing better than him.

# 4 - Lakisha Jones - Lakisha was a judges' favorite right from the very start. She's got one of the best voices in the competition alright, but she just seems like a sad and pessimistic girl. She hasn't shown much humor or wit in the competition. She could make it to the finals with just her voice, but her personality will leave her at the fourth spot.

# 3 - Chris Sligh - Though this guy doesn't have the best vocals, didn't he just make you laugh from Day One? Remember how he said he wanted to make David Hasslehoff cry at the Finals? Well, I don't believe that he'll make it to the Finals (His personality won't take him that far). But i do believe he can make it to the Number 3 spot.


# 2 - Jordin Sparks - Isn't she just so adorable and very much likable? She's bubbly and youthful; and I guess many people can relate to her. Added to that, she's got a brilliant and distinct voice (different from Lakisha's and Melinda's) which will give variety in the Finals.


# 1 - Melinda Doolittle - This W-O-M-A-N (remember her song?) is my bet to win this year's American Idol. She's got an excellent voice and is of star quality. Best of all, she's humble and all her amazement when the judges praise her performances is nothing but genuine. She's also likable and has a huge fan base early on in the competition.

































Sunday, March 18, 2007

Happy Birthday, Mom!

It's my mom's birthday today and she's officially a senior citizen. The whole family spent the day at Tagaytay where we heard mass, ate buffet lunch and played our family sport - bowling. It was a fun and tiring day and I could babble on everything that transpired but I'd like to dedicate this entry to, of course, the celebrant, my mom.

It's just amazing how a woman like her can attend to so many things at the same time. And these 'things' she attends to are not even her own; it's for the benefit of the entire family. I remember one time, she was busy attending to all the preparations for my transplant and at the same time she was helping out my ate move in to their new place. Furthermore, she was busy planning my niece's baptism and of course, making sure that all the chores at home are accomplished.

I am most grateful to my mom for being there for me through all my health issues. I wrote an essay about her for my Literature class when I was in my senior year in college. It actually sums up what I really want my mom to know on her birthday. Here are some parts of it:

"My whole perspective of our relationship changed when i was diagnosed to have (a kidney disease). This entailed regular medical tests and check-ups and visits to different doctors. I did not show much fear during these times; I was just not the type. But somehow, my mom sensed those fears of mine and I felt her motherly affection through constant guidance and prayers which greatly affected my life.

"My mom would accompany me on my monthly visits to my doctor. Because of my busy schedule at school, she would call and set my appointments and tests with different hospitals. She would personally pick me up at school and drive me back whenever I had medical tests. She'd even remind me to take my medicines and regularly check my blood pressure. All this she did without asking for anything in return.

"I consider my mom as the greatest hero in my life. She is my perfect example of self-donation and sacrifice. Hers is what i call authentic love which need not be said because it is already visible and felt by the one she gives it to."

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Annoying comments

Can someone please tell me how to get rid of those annoying Anonymous comments on my posts? I don't need viagra or tramadol or those freakin' porn sites (oh, are they exciting and for free?). Hehehe.

Houston, we have a problem...

Wow, has it been more than a month since i last posted on my blog? How time flies... I blame my absence on all the technical difficulties I've encountered the past month! Argh! Inter alia, I had a problem with the adaptor connection of my laptop. The PC itself was working, I just had the connection repaired with this stupid, inefficient repair shop (i guess you already know the culprit of this story!) When I got my laptop back, it worked for two days and then while I was using it, I suddenly smelled fire and there was smoke coming out of the insides of the laptop! Imagine my panic and shock!

I really should sue this repair shop. But it's not worth it. Besides, I like my new desktop and our internet connection is much faster now. I'm back and Houston, we no longer have a problem!