A Few of My Favorite Things

I have this tendency to reminisce good memories.  Most of the time, it is translated to going over old photos I have taken over the years.  As I did a little spring cleaning in my room recently,  I found out that I have several other things that I have kept that I have grown to be very fond of.  It paints a smile on my face to remember the story behind each of them.

These are a few of my favorite things:

Fake flowers, pens, pencils and heart shaped paper clips. Starbucks tumblr from Kyoto and a flower clip that holds my most recent favorite photos

Paper rose. It still boggles me how this one can be done! Though I have several fake flowers in my room, I still prefer the real ones. Roses are still the best for me

Colorful tea candles, though most of them are used up on heating aroma therapy

Post cards, letters and anything snail mailed. They mean so much more though they take more time. I love the idea of remembering special people while on a trip, than just posting a casual “what’s up?” on Facebook walls.

Overtime these things will wane.  Paper roses will get crumpled, polaroid photos will fade, pens will run out of ink, hand written letters will have stains and creases, and after a few more spring cleanings they might have to be thrown away.  But the truest, most valuable things will always remain.  Things like thoughtfulness, kindness, love and genuine friendships.  Consider yourself blessed to be favored with such things. These are the things worth keeping forever.

The Philippines vs. Chief Justice Corona

So, the Philippines is heating up right now.  Not only are we experiencing a 30-35 degrees Celsius heat despite the subsequent rains, there are also a lot heated arguments on the pros and cons and various strong opinions of indignant people who have painstakingly followed the biggest trial of Philippine history.  Today marks the much awaited decision of the Impeachment Court to either convict or acquit our Chief Justice for betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Philippine Constitution.

Among the 23 senator judges in the impeachment court, a 16-header vote to pronounce the Chief Justice guilty will convict the defendant. 3 voted not guilty, none chose to abstain.

Let me set the record straight. All of us are subject to our own opinion.  If people wish to rebut, then that is their own right.  If people wish to agree, then that is their prerogative as well.  But this issue is not a mere sharing of personal opinions.  It’s an issue that is brought forth to the highest Philippine judicial court for serious investigation for a national resolution.  As much as we want to respect each other’s opinions, we also have to respect the country’s law.

Anyone who would listen to the arguments of both parties,  the defense and the prosecution, will give him an opportunity to determine how justice is to be served. Does he deserve to be convicted or to be acquitted?  Whatever people choose, they have their own reasons.  The grounds are totally up to the person’s reasoning or sense of value.  But this does not deny the fact that evidences were presented, and both parties were fairly tried in the impeachment court.  Nothing was hidden from the public.  Evidences were presented by both parties and were all decided on whether they are considered a valid evidence or not.  Both parties were given their own fair chance to speak, though personally, a 3-hour blabber of the defendant which was supposedly just an opening statement was to me a sign of abuse and disrespect not just to the senator judges, but to the Philippine people.  There is a time for cross-exmination. And the opening speech is not one of them.  Be that as it may, the speech was granted and the 3 hour was listened to.

In the end, the final decision lies in the hands of our 23 senators who, for 5 months, investigated and studied this case.  They are the 23 senators who represent the voice of the people.

What is my stand?  I stand that he be convicted.  First because he did betray public trust.  Being the Chief Justice gives you the authority to preside what is lawful, thus you have to know the law and practice the law.  Given this authority, one is under the obligation to be transparent to the people he is serving.  The transparency is translated through the SALN (Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Net worth).  This is an oath of every government official to take and thus, must declare all of their properties, bank accounts, businesses and make it available to the public.  This is a responsibility and an obligation as they decide and agree to be a public servant.  Did he give accurate information in the SALN? No.  In fact, he chose to conceal his possession of P80M and $2.4M from the public and forced upon the reasoning that he is protected by the bank secrecy law.  Senator Pangilinan questioned him:  ”If this accumulation of wealth was from hard work and clear conscience, why conceal it?”  I cannot agree to the rebuttal that one should use his right on the bank secrecy law.  This line of reasoning does not fit in this equation.  What is there to hide if you are telling the truth?  For your personal safety?  Or even the lame excuse that it is your interpretation of the law?  Misinterpreting this law does not give you any business to be a public leader, let alone qualify you to be fit as leader, especially in the judiciary. As a public official, you are provided the highest level of security.  For the chief justice, Im pretty sure this is not missed.

Yes, the SALN strips you from your right to privacy –but we must remember that you are signing up to become a public figure.  So while you hold office, do your end of the bargain to what you signed up for.  We appreciate people who serve the nation.  But not those who abuse the power the people hands to them.

Everyone wants justice to be served.  But who are we fighting justice for?  For an official who does not want to disclose his dollar accounts and other assets despite his obligation to declare them? A chief justice who has amassed a great accumulation of unexplained wealth? Or for the right of the Philippine people to be governed by honest and capable leaders?

In the culmination of the 4-month proceeding whether to convict or acquit CJ Corona, a total of 20 senator judges voted him as guilty.

Today is a historical event.  Our Chief Justice was convicted of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Philippine Constitution.  Were the grounds of his conviction sufficient? For, they were.

I salut the 20 senators who voted for conviction.  I believe that they have taken our nation to a whole new level of leadership.  Are they totally honest in their leadership and SALNs?  That I dont know, but I believe that this event in our history teaches each and every single Filipino to uphold integrity from now on.  It dismays me to hear comments of influential politicians saying that history will repeat itself (referring to the impeachment of Ex President Joseph Estrada) and that too much power was given to the government.  That is just exactly it.  Despite the ridiculously stained reputation of the Philippine government, they are still given the chance to govern, to uphold what is right and to serve with integrity.  I believe this is the grace given to the Philippine government by the people of the Philippines.  And besides, what is the worst thing that could happen to CJ Corona?  His unexplained wealth will most likely be sequestered.  But most definitely, he will be asked to step down from office.  Is it major?  I think it is fair.  No life is taken from him except to not sit in public office.   First of all, he is just a midnight appointee.  Someone who was just placed in office by ex-President Arroyo, just a few weeks before she stepped down from the presidency– to which,  under Philippine law, is prohibited.  For what reason was the midnight appointment?  That, I believe, is subject for investigation as well.

As a citizen of this country, I can only voice out my own opinion.  But I stand that we bless our country by supporting the good things that are happening.  Let’s hope for the best and believe that change is starting to take place.  After all, who can hope for our nation except for us.

The Brownies Diaries

Brownies in progress

Yesterday, my sisters and I had the house all to ourselves.  Having had enough of the impeachment trial on TV (The Philippines vs Chief Justice Renato Corona) and having been deafened by the rants and  raves of the American Idol results, I voluntarily slipped into oblivious frenzy by enjoying the moment of being in my mom’s kitchen.

As Beejay (my older sister) and I fondly cracked the egg, mixed the flour and figured out the appropriate proportions of dates in our recipe (my mom said that dates will really give brownies a whole new level of pastry experience– and it really did so!)  I couldnt help but recall the last time I did anything significant in the kitchen.  This rolled out more questions in my life that are rather worthy of attention.  Questions like, when was the last time I did what I really loved to do?  When was the last time I designed clothes?  When was the last time I fearlessly made something out of scratch and gave it to someone special?  When was the last time I boldly shared my feelings of pain? It’s funny how convenient it is to share anything and everything good, but so elusive and guarded when it comes to important matters of the heart.  There is a thin line between complaining and being humble enough to ask help.  And  a thin line of difference between being humbly content with our situation from being comfortable by the walls of fake smiles and happy stories.  I found traces of myself being so scared of random questions, and bigger traces of controlling a conversation to lead it out of where it could obviously lead.  The walls were growing ugly.

As I pondered on these questions– some of them still unanswered– I realized that I have so many desires in my heart that are left sleeping in this small locket of dreams unrealized because of  fear.  I had allowed myself to be surrounded by these walls that seemed to be building up on its own and I started believing that my dreams are momentary and this thought bubble of happiness and fulfillment will eventually burst and evaporate the moment I wake up.

Over the past couple of years, I have been blessed by wonderful people who would speak encouragement over me.  I learned that dreams are purposefully placed in our hearts to be believed for.  Our dreams are not an accident. They are created for us.  And supernaturally, they are gifts that are custom made for us, not meant to sit there forever, but for it to gradually grow, flourish and in the proper time, made realized.  Moreover, these are given as gifts to be rejoiced over.  The good news is that these dreams do come to a reality not in our own doing, striving nor struggling.  There is someone who knows and cares so much about our dreams that He gave everything for these dreams to come to life.  What is more mind boggling for me is that as much as we have big dreams for ourselves, He has bigger dreams for us (Jeremiah 29:11). He is the giver of our dreams, and the one who fulfills it. It is even beyond knowing and caring.  It is unconditional love.  Jesus gave his life for us (John 3:16).

As I sailed on with my thoughts to deeper dimensions–consciously aware of my luscious brownies almost finally baked– I realized that this unconditional love being poured out on me is the very thing that broke the walls that locked me in all these time.  As I allowed this truth to rule my heart, I realized that this truth about love had finally set me free.  There is no need to fear anything.  This unconditional love is enough for me to know that my future is secure and Jesus is delighted to see me rejoice over the dreams he placed in my heart to begin with.

I realized that as we freely receive this unfathomable, unconditional love we cant help but shine (Romans 8:38-39).  And we ought to let that love be seen.  When we overflow with love, its easy to love others.  We learn to genuinely love friends, family, neighbors, bosses, and even our jobs. More surprisingly, we learn to love even our enemies!  We learn to love patience and self control, and the value of taking it one step at a time until we see our dreams coming to pass.

Love never fails.  It’s the one universal thing that solves the biggest boulder of challenges.  So instead of fear, lets choose to receive this unconditional love, and live in this perfect freedom that never fails.

As my brownies finally reached its final minute in the oven, I cant help but smile to the fact that I had one dream fulfilled that day.  To love the kitchen more and more.

 

Lessons from the Land of the Rising Sun

It has been a month since I visited Japan for the first time.  My experience there was beyond exceptional that I couldnt even begin to know where to start.  This is also one of the reasons why I wasnt so prompt in writing about my Japan experience.  Lame excuse..I know. haha

I wasnt so interested in Japan to begin with.  I never thought of even going to Japan until I started to teach, meet and befriend the Japanese people.  First of all, for a country who was colonized several times by different stronger nations, the Japanese regime in the Philippines was one of the most unforgettable  (well, arent they all?) events in our history.  Add to it the fact that it was WWII, no mercy was given to anyone not of kin.  So, reading about Japan in history books did not give me so much interest in knowing more about this country. Let alone visit their country.  Not that I hated it.  I just chose not to dwell on it.

It wasnt until late 2007 when I started to teach English to Japanese.  My mindset began to change bit by bit.  My eyes started to open to their gentle spirit, kind hearts and genuine generosity.  I got more and more interested in their way of life, culture and nation as a whole.   Japan then became a subject of growing curiosity for me..

With a friendly and cheerful vendor in Shizuoka

Last March 29 to April 9, 2012, I had the chance to visit this very wonderful country for the first time.  I still had a silly mindset that caused me to fear that enjoying the trip might be a lost cause.  These were birthed from horror stories I’ve read and heard from various sources, that people — especially Tokyoites– wont even bother to speak to you, especially if you speak to them in English.  With all the hustle and bustle of the city life, people wont even bother to smile at their neighbor, at least.  Coming from a country wherein smiles are given generously, Japan became a subject of survival.  A few months before my trip, a very dear friend sent me a book on Japanese phrases, a magazine that would help me choose where to go and even made a list of things that I would want to consider trying out in Japan.  And so my preparation started.

Fast forward to March 2012, my deficient mindset of Japan was completely proven wrong.  The people I met– literally every single one of them– were so hospitable.  To the point of taking leaves just to be able to spend time with me.  I often get lost in their huge and complex subway system (not to mention im so bad with maps) yet there was not even a single time wherein I was ignored when I asked for help.  There was even one lady who helped me in the huge Sannomiya station when I was traveling alone in Kobe.  Thankfully, she spoke english, but she completely went out of her way to take me to my platform and waited with me until my train came!

Of my 2 weeks in Japan, I couldnt help but think about how I am towards foreigners, friends or just others within close proximity.   I’d like to bring home with me the kindness and hospitality that I experienced in Japan.  Their patience was a realization for me that indeed, this is a virtue.  Honoring others above themselves is not only manners but it is right doing.  I believe that my trip there was a huge blessing.  The places, the food, the culture.  But most all, I was very blessed by the people.

I dont know when I would be able to go to Japan again, but it is definitely a place I know I will forever treasure.  Whether I’ll be staying home or travel again to my next destination, I will surely keep these realizations etched in the tablets of my heart. I am forever thankful for the so many precious life lessons I learned from the people of the Land of the Rising Sun.

Let’s Watch the Flowers Grow [Spring 2012]

Higan-Zakura, Shinjuku Gyoen

The promise of Spring time is as sure as the rising of the sun. It is sure to come.

I experienced a very beautiful Spring in Japan this year.  Though many said that spring came in a little bit lazily this year, I still thought it was beautiful.  I think I like it that way. I want to let it bloom, watch it bloom, enjoy it while it blooms in its own time.  That’s the purpose of beauty. To be enjoyed, to be delighted in, to be discovered as it allows itself to go full bloom. And just as it is, it is for us to savor every experience it offers.

For someone who does not get to experience the physical manifestations of the Spring season, I am, however, blessed to experience a better blossoming of the seeds planted in my life.  Dreams, hopes and desires that came from the Gardener Himself.  I am starting to see life sprouting from seed beds I thought will forever be in drought, fruits from branches that were painfully pruned, and sweet aromas from flowers that took time to flourish.  Even at this stage, they are already beautiful.

Someiyoshino, Ito, Shizuoka

Full bloom. That’s another stage to look forward to, and for some, it takes faith to see it happen. I may even be one of those who frequently asks for it because everything seems so surreal to me right now (or maybe even from the time all of these had started).  It’s indeed a walk of faith.  I walked through this garden from the time only wild grasses and flowers grew.  I witnessed how the weeds need to be separated from the good plants.  I had to say goodbye to some pretty wild flowers that seemed to be the best in the land at that time.

But the Gardener knows better.  He allowed me weep over the wild flowers I thought were the prime and of best quality. But as He did, He also allowed me to take a look at his heart, and the beautiful landscape of this land that He has promised me.  A promised land of greener pastures and wild flowers simply did not have any room for it.  The flowers were fresher, prettier, lasting. Those that did not just sprout out of nowhere but flowers that were carefully planted, chosen and gardened.  And because the Gardener’s ways are higher and better than mine, it’s giving me comfort and assurance that this garden will indeed become according to His  beautiful plan.

Nunobiki Herb Garden, Kobe

This Gardener knows the perfect timing.  And with His personal relationship with me, He is not willing to compromise the perfection that will only short-change my experience of what was already planned to be beautiful.  And I trust His expertise.  Right now, I see a garden coming up from a ground I thought had died.  I see the flowers blooming, the colors flourishing, the sweet fragrance lingering and the vision of that beautiful landscape still ever vividly recurring.

Full bloom. It will come and my heart will be ready for it.

Manny Pacquiao: The First Time I Ever Watched a Boxing Match

Pacquiao vs. Marquez

Last Sunday, I watched boxing for the first time. I turned berzerk in every punch Manny received. I thought he lost and I swore never to watch boxing again. After him being announced as winner, I realized, boxing is fun after all. I just gotta learn the rules..

You Be The Judge : Why Manny Won

-Philipp Inno

In a 10-point system, the boxer  who wins a round is given 10 points, and the other boxer gets nine points. (10 -9)
If there was a  knockdown in the round (10-8)
2 knock downs (10-7)
If a  judge can’t decide who won the round, it is  scored 10-10.
Now if you are the challenger, you must be  the aggressor (Pacquiao vs Cotto) in very close  rounds the  Champion gets the 10. For example if  Pacquiao would just stay still and Marquez does not­ attack, Pacquiao gets the 10 and Marquez 9. In this  case Manny (champion) was always aggressive while  Marquez (challenger) waits for an attack and  counters.
Marquez’s body language fooled a lot of  people. Making people feel that he was the winner or  at least it was a draw. It may look like he was  landing more punches but the tricky part here is he  was on the defensive, luring Pacquiao into his tactical traps (remember the challenger must be the one  who is aggressive to be awarded 10 ). So even if Marquez did connect more punches, he gets only 9 for ­ being defensive and Manny gets the 10 for being the attacker.
Pacquiao got more “10″s than Marquez. Manny wins.
Why Manny won? “Manny knows…”

― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”

Dolphin Watching in Bohol

Sept 3, 2011

I lost count how many of us went to see the dolphins, but we all got a wake-up call at 430 am. There were about 100+ of us checked in at the same hotel, so Im still wondering what time the front desk started calling each of the rooms…
So, at 430, I was up praying to get a good view of the dolphins.

Morning glory!

We we’re up for a great treat that day. The 1st one was the very delicious breakfast. My favorite was the squid danggit! As we waited for the others and as we enjoyed our meal, the sun started to rise and we had such a perfect view of the beautiful dawn. Very picturesque! This was the 2nd treat!

So we set sail at 530 and enjoyed the hour-long ride to the much awaited treat of the day. While on the boat, I got to spend quality time with some of the singles I never really had the chance to meet at the center. It was nice to discover that most of us have the same love for traveling and immediately, we talked about possible places where we can all travel together.

Breath taking view of the Panglao

Bohol is known for its spectacular diving spots.

Starfish!

When we were nearing the dolphin area, we noticed that there were several boats waiting for the dolphins too, This got us a bit nervous fearing that we might scare them away and they will never come out and (meet us?) haha

Eventually, the dolphins started to come out one by one and that’s how i started to lose my voice. Every time we see a dolphin show off, we couldn’t help but scream! Ive never been so star struck in my life!! I wanted to take good shots of them, but I failed, so i decided to take a video instead. Even that one was difficult because I got so excited i ended up zooming in almost 1/4 of the video! But im thankful that I got a good 1 minuter of the dolphins wherein a pod of them were showing off. I was kind of hoping one of them would give me a backflip like how they showed-off to Merlee the day before, but they didn’t. I guess the dolphins want me back for another show…

Enjoy the video!

Oh Bo-hol!

The Bohol Experience

Sept 1, 2011
Air Philippines Flight 2P 0955 got delayed for 2 hours, mainly because of the rainy day. But that didnt really ruin our day despite having to wake up at 530am to leave home at 6am. Our flight was supposedly at 9:40 but we boarded the plane at 11:30am. We found Jemsel in the airport who happens to be in the same flight as ours. Finally, after about 2 hours of waiting, and 1 gate transfer, we were finally boarding. The flight wasnt bad, though it was a bit turbulent at first.

Found our friend on the same flight.

As you land the Tagbilaran Airpot, the view from the top will give you a beautiful bird’s eye view of the chocolate hills. It was so breath-taking, i forgot to take a photo of it! Well, apart from the fact that I was seated by the wing area, which wouldnt really give justice to the real thing. Despite that, I still found myself excited to discover Bohol more.

Finally arrived Tagbilaran airport. So excited to see Bohol and all the other 100 + people in this trip!

It was a quiet 30 min trip from Tagbilaran city to Panglao Island, mainly because the people in our van were hungry. You will see the scenery transition from the small city to the greeneries of the countryside, to the magnificent view of the ocean… It was just the place to be! What I like the most about Bohol is that it is very true to its form. It’s not trying to be westernized like a lot of other places in the Philippines. Its very rustic yet very easy to love..

Bohol Countryside

Anyway, after 30 mins on the road, we finally reached Flushing Meadows, our home for the next 4 days. They gave us welcome drinks which I immediately gulped down! Interesting name you might say? Yes, the owner is a huge tennis fan that he decided to name his resort after the famous tennis court in NY. The names of the rooms are after the big names in tennis. We got the Mcenroe room which gives you a view of the ocean (if you jump high enough!) We checked out the Agassi rooms and found out that theirs is to die for! What a lovely site to wake up to!

View from our balcony

Our first day was comprised of excited smiles, fun stories and memorable fellowship with the people we were with.  We were excited to see what’s up ahead for us in the next 4 days

Elevate!

So, I went on a 4 days, 3 nights trip with my sister together with 100 + others.  Such a big number, you might say? Well, true. It was a trip for single men and women who went there to learn about growth in character, career and relationships. To be honest, there are so many things to write about in this 4 days. I hope to write about it in part pieces.

Allow me to start by talking about what this trip is about.

Session on relationships.

Singles Retreat:  A time in a single person’s life to basically take some time off his or her daily activities (most of which are focused on career) to evaluate how he or she is living out his/her life.  Retreats are very common in the Philippines.  We grow up going to retreats. I personally think that this has a lot to do about us being a happy nation.

Retreats have different themes. But the main goal of it is to go home having a better perspective about yourself, about others, and about life.  This retreat that I went to was more focused on the life a single person. I really appreciate it that there are organizations though not connected to school institutions who would  still take time to organize an event like this.

This retreat talked about 3 main things:

1- Reputation vs. Character
-what I learned is that sometimes, we are too focused on what other people say about us. We get trapped in an image that we project only to find out that we are living double lives. We are not really true to others, nor to ourselves.  We create a reputation but our characters do not say what we profess. Our reputation should only be a by-product of our character.  One way be set free from this trap is to find a trusted friend who will tell us the truth in love.  Us, on the other hand, should be open and should evaluate ourselves in certain areas in our lives.  As the famous saying goes: The truth will set you free.  I agree, as we listen and accept the truth, we are set free! There is authenticity in our change of character and in time, people will see it. Then we built a reputation based on the character that is rooted in truth.

2- Career
The speakers talked about being the best person you can be in your organization.  Its tough for some or maybe even for most, maybe because they belong to an industry wherein they are really not created for, or it could be that they are not fully equipped to be in a task assigned to them, or sometimes, its really just a character problem that shows poor outputs in the work place that they do. Whatever the reason is, the work of our hands should come from the mindset of being a blessing to others. We are given jobs to help others, and the compensation comes after.  We are placed where we are for a purpose. If we learn to embrace that whatever our jobs are, wherever we may be working at, there is a big purpose why we are there.

3- Relationships
We may not notice it, but a single person has 2 major stations in life. Both entails wisdom in the decision making in these stations. Station 1- career.  Station 2- marriage. Choosing the person to marry is a very crucial decision.  Don’t get me wrong, this is not something we should be scared of. Its an important decision because we are choosing someone we want to make important life decisions with in the future, important because we are choosing someone whom we can go in this life adventure with, build a family with and all the beautiful things life has to offer.  The world is better when seen by two

Team work! Showing an imagery of being happy despite being stressed!

Lunch with new found friends

One thing I learned being a single lady is that singleness is a gift as long as you have it.  You can do the things you want to do because you have your own time, financial resources and for most, the energy to do the things you want to do.

So, as we wait for our time to come (we- meaning all single people out there) Let’s live our lives to the full!

1- Go on purposeful trips like do volunteer work both local or in a foreign country.

2- Discover the world! Grow in your life skills.  What do you love doing? Embrace it!

3- Take advantage of the time you can spend with important people like family, friends and even new acquaintances.  Chances are, when you start to build your own family, you will not be able to have the luxury of time to do this.

4- Build relationships with other singles both men and women! Learn from other people, support them in what they do. Encourage one another.

5- Build relationships with couples! Learn from married people, like how they raise their children, how they handle conflicts, how they manage time, money etc.