Dreamwalker

I have been having a difficult week due to technical "glitches." My wonderful ISP has been down since yesterday, making me realize just how dependent I am on the Internet. Thank God for coffee shops with Wi-Fi, friends who let me squat, and the wonder that is mobile Internet. With these, I have been able to get by somehow.

Today, my designated workplace was Coffee Bean. The time spent there also doubled as "bonding time" with one of my closest friends. The night ended with a short talk on priorities, which is making me think as I write.

Some people put a lot of premium on investing their money on tangible things like houses, cars, and the like. I sometimes sit there in wonder while friends talk about shopping for furnishings for their houses (new curtains, new counters for the sink, new cabinets, a new spa cover, etc.). They seem so...settled? Does that make them more mature or responsible than I am?

Maybe.

Then again, maybe it is all a matter of priorities.

Whil…

I have been digging through my old e-mails from many many years ago, and I came across a drinking-gambling joke that always made me laugh. I am so bad when it comes to gambling - I never win - so I think this story is hilarious. Hope it cheers you up today!
A man walked into a bar room one day. He walked up to the bartender and said, "Bartender, I'd like to buy the house a round of drinks."

The bartender said, "No problem sir, but I'll need to see some money first."

The guy pulls out a huge wad of bills and sets them on the bar. Well, the bartender can't believe what he's seeing. "Where did you get all that money?" asked the bartender. "I'm a professional gambler", replied the man. The bartender said, "There's no such thing! I mean, your odds are 50-50 at best, right?"

"Well, I only bet on sure things" said the guy.

"Like what?" asked the bartender. "Well, for example, I'll be…

...I hate being a girl.

Two weeks ago, my friend and I planned a road trip for this weekend. I was so excited about it, and then earlier this week, another friend reminded me of a wedding we are supposed to go to. Since this is the wedding of a college friend, there is no way I can get out of it.

Of course I'd love to be there on her special day but, ONE, I hate weddings. TWO, I abhor all the preparation needed to be "presentable."

The prep IS crazy. It is a formal wedding, and I only have 3 dresses - two of which are for the beach. One might pass for formal - we'll see later. All my shoes are, well, definitely NOT presentable, so I had to go shoe-shopping last night. I so dislike that kind of shopping so I got the first pair that will do - which was triple my budget! Now I have to get ready to go to the nail salon as my nails look like...never mind.

I am all for self-improvement and crap, but this is stressing me out like no other! I would rather do Online …

Last weekend, I started sorting my things. Yeah, I am getting rid of unnecessary things in my life and going down a different path. Where it will take me, I don't know.

Unfortunately, this path also means saying goodbye to some attachments. I had to say bye to Dexter, but he'll be in a better home with more people to play with him. I also had to say bye to Koryu, but she'll be with Silas so it's all good.

Now for the crap that I have left. I will be taking photos of stuff that I am going to sell and posting them here. I just need to sort the items out, but do look out for that - you might find something. Don't expect anything like modern office furniture though - they're all from the condo. ;)

So anyway, Operation GR is underway, and I can't wait to get it all over with!

Getting a hairdryer through Customs...A distinguished young woman on a flight from Ireland asked the Priest beside her "Father, may I ask a favour?" "Of course child, what may I do for you?" "Well, I bought an expensive woman's electronic hairdryer for my Mother's birthday, which is unopened and well over the Customs' limits, and I'm afraid they'll confiscate it. Is there any way you could carry it through Customs for me? Under your robes perhaps?"

"I would love to help you dear, but I must warn you, I will not lie." "With your honest face, Father, no one will question you."

When they got to Customs, she let the Priest go ahead of her. The official asked "Father, do you have anything to declare?"

"From the top of my head down to my waist, I have nothing to declare." The official thought this answer strange, so asked "And what do you have to declare from your waist to the floor?"

"I hav…

Here's a song that I just can't stop playing today.



The Amazing Grace we all know is great, but this song is totally different - lyrics and melody. For some reason, I think it is more plaintive and touches me more. Listen to it. Words below.

I grew this heart into a drifter
I never felt the roots I bare
I sold my sight, oh brother, sister
For a mountain of fool's gold, it's gone
Only God knows, God knows where

My soul was restless for redemption
My feet were lookin' for a place to stand
Well I ain't got no life
And you know I ain't got no money
Just the faith of an empty hand

Amazing Grace I feel you coming up slowly now
Like the sun is risin', heat on my face
Oh love that keeps on shinin', don't let the shadow come
Ya know I gotta feel your healin' rays

I hitched a ride, I was a beggar
I had murder on my hands
I needed water to rinse these stains
But only blood could remove what's spillin'
And pardon me the blame

Amazing Grace I feel you coming up…

...to sit on my butt all day. Oh wait, I have been doing that ever since I can remember! ;)

Seriously, though, I just realized that it has been 2 months since I quit my day job. The decision was not as difficult as I thought it would be, but it was not that easy either. I can say, though, that I can look back at that moment I made the decision and not regret a single thing.

Of course, the "stability" of the job is something that may be a bit lacking, but with what I am doing now, I feel pretty safe. You can't put a price on trust and a job that doesn't feel like a job at all.

Thinking more about it, I realize that I am living out one of my dreams. While the pay may not be like those get rich quick programs (say, a Forex mentoring program), I have to say that the flexibility is priceless.

It is not a glamorous thing, sitting on my couch and working longer hours than I used to.

It is hard stuff - only relying on yourself for motivation most of the time.

At the end of the …

Lunch was an interesting affair today. Noelle told me about this new ramen place that had opened across the street, so we decided to give it a try. After all, a bowl of nice hot ramen never fails to make you feel better!The theme of the bar is simplistic, and it actually fits the whole idea. If you ask me why, I can't tell you. Let's just say that it was nice inside. Pale wood paneling that matched the tables and chairs plus splashes of red in the walls - good combination. Think about log furniture but pale, finished wood instead.

The menu, however, left much to be desired.

That's all they had to offer! I was looking forward to feeling dizzy because of the choices, but that was not the case. As a matter of fact, it took me a while to decide simply because there wasn't much to choose from! The prices were a bit high, in my opinion, especially if you consider the flavor of the soup.

It does not look very appetizing, and the flavor did not really impress me. The on…

I got this in an e-mail, and I couldn't help but laugh. I am out of the corporate setting now, but these lessons aren't any less funny.

Lesson Number One

A crow was sitting in a tree, doing nothing all day. A small rabbit saw the crow, and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?" The crow answered: "Sure, why not." So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow, and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Management Lesson: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.

Lesson Number Two

A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy". "Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull "They're packed with nutrients." The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it actually gave him enough strength to reach …

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. Emo time, yeah. I can finally listen to this song and actually mean it. Life can deal you the worst cards, but you can take comfort in the fact that the decisions you make shape your future - shape yourself.

There are some things that you can't control, but what you can control, you better do the best you can. This song by Rascal Flatts is just perfect for me right now. No more crap. No more lies. I hope to look back on this later on down the road and say with conviction that I have kept my integrity. I'll probably smile when I read this post, say, 6 months later.

Here are the words - highlights mine.

I've dealt with my ghosts and I've faced all my demons
Finally content with a past I regret
I've found you find strength in your moments of weakness
For once I'm at peace with myself
I've been burdened with blame, trapped in the past for too long
I'm movin' on

I've lived in this place and I know all the …

I've been on an Andrea Bocelli kick this past week, so much so that I really really want to learn Italian now. If I can find classes near where I live, I should be able to squeeze them in!

Anyhow, this song is my current favorite. Vivere, or Dare to Live. Andrea sings this with Laura Pausini, and it is just so uplifting! Even if I don't understand half the words, I still like listening to it over and over again.

The English parts:

Try looking at tomorrow not yesterday
And all the things you left behind
All those tender words you did not say
The gentle touch you couldn't find

In these days of nameless faces
There is no one truth but only pieces
My life is all i have to give

Dare to live until the very last
Dare to live forget about the past
Dare to live giving something of yourself to others
Even when it seems there's nothing more left to give

English is understandable and inspiring. In Italian, with Andrea Bocelli singing, it just sounds oh so sexy. ;)

Another long overdue post...It's been almost a month since I went on my first solo trip, and I simply didn't have the time to write much about it when I got back. I still have a lot on my plate, but writing for leisure helps me to relax, so here goes nothing.
I flew to Dumaguete from Manila, but you can also reach Siquijor via ferry from Bohol, Iloilo, Cebu, and other surrounding areas. At the Dumaguete airport, lots of people will approach you, offering rides to hotels and the pier. I suggest walking to the main road - this takes less than 5 minutes. From there, you can hail a tricycle to take you to the pier. This will save you some money. If you get a tricycle inside the airport, you'll have to pay anywhere from PHP100 to PHP300 - depending on how unscrupulous the driver is. At the main road, I got a driver to take me to the pier for PHP30!

Their tricycles are huge over there! You can easily fit five people in one.
At the pier, you'll have to buy a ticket from th…

For some reason, I am on what I call "housewife mode" this week. I started the week out running all over the place to get errands done. Then I spent a couple of therapeutic hours at the supermarket. Is it just me or is grocery shopping one of the most relaxing things you can do?
As soon as I got home, I knew I had to make one of my favorite dishes - tofu and oyster mushrooms. They're both healthy ingredients. You can eat as much you want and not worry about having to wear corsets so that you'll look decent. ;)
Here's what I did.
Ingredients
2 small blocks of firm tofu 1 pack of oyster mushrooms 1 red onion - small 1 clove garlic - small canola oil soy sauce salt and pepper
How to make it Cut the tofu into bite-size cubes.Fry the tofu in canola oil. Make sure you turn them over to ensure all sides are crisp. This will take about 4 minutes per side - medium heat.While frying the tofu, chop up the onion and garlic.When the tofu is done, place the cubes on a paper towel …

You think I'd know better. It happened once, and I have already made it a habit to always put cards back in my wallet. For some reason, I forgot to do this the last time I used one ATM card - the account which has the money I need NOW.
So I wasted precious time talking to the bank officer, who simply asked me to fill out forms. I asked if I can withdraw money over the counter as I need it. The answer? You need to submit the notarized form first because you're withdrawing more than PHP1,000! Geez - if I only needed less than PHP1,000, I wouldn't be bugging them, right?
I am beating myself up for losing the card, but my irritation at bank "policies" is just making me so ... grrr ...
It doesn't help that there seems to be no notary public around here!
Are all banks like Metrobank? If this weren't my oldest bank account, I would simply close it and use BPI.

You just gotta love funny pictures of kids. I just got done watching Kick Ass for the nth time, so I am in the kiddie mode. I got these photos from an e-mail from a friend, and I think they just might brighten your day.
Isn't he adorable? I would scream too, if that guy picked me up! Ingenious girl! I think he's screaming m*therf*#$er!

After a month, I found myself back in church this afternoon. As usual, I felt so much at home despite not knowing 99.99% of the people there. I remember something a pastor said when I was way younger: "The more you don't feel like going to church, the more you should go. The more you don't feel like worshiping God, the louder you should sing. Pretty soon, you will be blessed more than you ever imagined."
This has been proven to me so many times that I don't know why I still am this stubborn. Today, the message was on the prophet Jonah, who ran away from God when he was told to go to Nineveh. He hated the people there, and he didn't feel that they deserved to experience God's grace. No matter how far he ran, though, God found him and called him back.
Remember the man getting swallowed whole by a whale? That's Jonah.
Sometimes I think that maybe I have been acting like Jonah. Maybe all this time, I have been trying to set my course in my own wa…