Happy Birthday!

Yey, it's my 36th birthday today. I planned to make a day trip to Johor Baharu, Malaysia. I don't want to spend my whole day here in SG infront of computer or watching TV. Glad that it is a sunny Thursday. :)

I thank the Lord for adding another year in my journey. There were so many low points in my life the previous year but I can't achieve the significantly high points in my life without going through those. As the Bible says, "all things work together for good to them that love the Lord God and do His will." I will continue to walk daily with the Lord.

*****
I took some pics before going to Malaysia.

Thought-ful (part 2)

I am posting the rest of the quotes pictures I downloaded from FB.

Getting to know Josh

I remember seeing this picture of Josh Duhamel from an Amazon.com associate's email signature. The picture captured my curiosity. I was thinking that the girl was lucky because she has a very hot guy. :)

A few days after seeing that picture I decided to download it and made a presentation. I printed it out and displayed it on my work desk. I thought it could de-stress me. I took home also a copy of Josh picture to inspire me. hahahah. It was after two years when I realized he was a Hollywood actor.

The guy is so sweet and he adores his wife Fergie of Black Eyed Peas. They are a perfect couple. They support each other's career and endeavors. This is very evident in his FB page.

Normal or Not?

"sometimes I pretend to be normal but it gets boring so I go back to being me." This is my YM status all throughout. I'm not claiming this line is originally mine, I saw it in FB. I find it witty and it rings true to me so I copied it.

Am I normal? Yes, I am and my mother would say the same if she were alive. Mother knows her daughter best. :)

But a lot of people would say I am not normal. Even someone I consider a friend thinks am not.

1. Is it not normal to smile or giggle when you are alone and reading a really funny story or something funny caught your attention?

2. Eating alone in a resto or fast food. Not that I am spendthrift and can't treat my girl friends.

3. Traveling abroad alone. Not that I really want to be alone but no one is available to join me in my travels.

4. Drinking red wine at home during weekends when I want to have a sound sleep after working for five grueling days.

5. Talking in English while sleeping (especially when I am in deep thought about something).

6. Wearing skirt with 2-3 inches below the knee hemline

7. Having long hair and not wanting to cut or trim it because I believe in God's words.

8. Crying buckets over ruined friendship.

9. Being single up until now.

10. Blogging and not wanting to show it to the world (only to selected few).

11. Enamored with Indian culture.

12. Scooping soda with the tip of straw instead of sipping it.

13. Removing the seeds of strawberry before eating

14. Draining cellphone's battery before re-charging it for longer lasting battery life


I can go on with my list but who cares with what other people think. Each is a unique individual. I will pursue what makes me happy, don't want to be restricted with other people's standard. I have a different standard, it's the absolute word of God.

Morning Walk at Bishan Park

It was a good weather to walk around Bishan Park this morning. I woke up late and thought it would be fiercely hot to exercise at Bishan Park but the sun is just taking a peek. He didn't show up his full glory.

What a bliss to walk under the canopy of trees. I took some photos while walking around the park. I got some company while walking in the park.

Bishan Park is just opposite the block am staying at.

Thought-ful

Some funny thoughts and meaningful thoughts taken from FB.

Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?

Green Project

It is a delight to see life sprung up from seeds I planted five days ago. I planted cherry tomatoes and chili in recycled plastic bags. I am excited to see them bear fruit but I won't be around then because I am going to SG again.

Am planning to plant ampalaya and squash this weekend. Am looking for containers that can be recycled. Planting and recycling are my ways of contributing to greening of planet earth. Also, I like the idea that when you cook you just get all the ingredients from the backyard. :)

Even when you don't have enough space in the house, you can still plant in boxes or recycled containers. Planting and tending plants can also be a way to de-stress so start your own green project now.

My Joyful List

My mood isn't really good for the past days now. The memories of my 1-800 life keeps coming back lately especially it's been almost a year since I quit my work at a call center. It isn't happy memories so it's putting me down.

Happiness. Joy. Love. Love. These are what I want to feel. So here am I would like to hold on to happiness, joy and love alone so I will just go back with things that make me happy. Here are the things that brings joy to my heart.

1. God - The Lord God is my number one source of Joy and Love. Even with challenges in life am going through, I will always praise and thank God.

2. Green scenery - when I am on the road I love to see the fields planted with rice or vegetables. I am happy when I see a house (whether a kubo or big house) that's surrounded by green leafy vegetables like Sajina, ampalaya, eggplant, etc.

I dream of one day having my own house or a farm with all the vegetable/fruits mentioned in the song "bahay kubo" planted in the yard. I want a self-sustaining nature of a farm.



2. Amazing Thailand - I love traveling to Thailand. It's a shopping haven particularly the City of Bangkok. I love Thai food also. I've been to Bangkok three times and have traveled also to Chiang Mai once. I am again planning my next trip to BKK!



4. 3 idiots and Aamir Khan - this movie was hilarious with a sense. Aamir Khan is a great actor.



5. Sinful chocolate cake - yummy! I can eat half of the cake just by myself in several sitting though ;)

6. Hiking - I love nature walk. It calms me.

7. Dining out - although my body built doesn't show it, I can say I love eating. I like trying out new dishes (nothing exotic).

8. Cooking - Whenever I see recipes on magazine and I find it healthy and easy to do, I try to do it at home.

9. Photography - Taking pictures and being the subject of pictures - I love doing both!

What about you? What makes you happy?

Mark Zuckerberg - Glee fan

On FB I subscribed to Mark Zuckerberg's account. No need for introductions as you know this guy. My news feed showed he subscribed to Dianna Agron (I am sorry I don't know her) and was wondering who she was. After a couple of days, news feed announced Mark Z commented on her photo (a snap shot of Mark Z wall posts). I was curious what Mark said to Dianna as i found she was an actress!

There were 650 comments in Dianna's picture and there is no way I will read it all. I used the search function of firefox and voila! I got Mark Z comments. :)

I Don't Wanna Wait in Vain

I picked this up from Facebook.

"It's hard to wait around for something you know might never happen; but it's even harder to give up when you know it's everything you want."

So true. It makes me cry a lot lately for wanting something I know it won't happen and it is difficult to give up because my heart really longs for it. Ahh, complexity of human emotion. sometimes I wish I could re-program the chips in my heart. =)

I feel foolish doing the same thing all over again when I already got rejected months ago but then there is no harm in trying. I don't want to give up. Some people might be scoffing at me but who cares. I can't live by what other people think. I have to admit what other people think affects me sometimes emotionally but I still pursue what I think would be good for me.

MOM rejected my EPEC application for 3 times but I tried again last August and finally got their approval. I am positive that I will get positive results with other things. ;)

iSAD

I join the millions of netizens in mourning the loss of a visionary man. Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple died Wednesday of pancreatic cancer.

Here's a tribute of Apple to their former CEO.

The only Apple product I owned is Ipod Shuffle. I was planning to buy iTouch last year and have asked a colleague to buy me the latest model in the US but unfortunately for some reason he wasn't able to get one for me. I thought of buying an iPhone after seeing how useful it is to get the info you want (street navigation, establishment locator, handy camera, blogging, social networking, etc.)

According to singer/artist Jim Paredes, the death of Jobs is like losing DaVinci.

One thing is sure, Jobs' legacy will remain in our hearts.

Who Am I

This is a beautiful song and whenever I hear this song I just want to kneel down and praise God.

Obscured

I wonder what ever happened to my blog again. It's gone to obscurity. I tried to google it but it's not showing in the results. This blog doesn't appear even in page 3 of the Google search results. It's the blog of my namesake that appears in the list. Her name is Catherine not Katheryn and she is younger than me. Guess she is in college.

Numbers... numbers...

The other day I went to the market to buy 200 pesos worth of bananas. The seller told me it's 1.50 a piece and I replied "manang, why not give it to me at 3 pieces for 5 pesos."

"Ma'am, that's even more expensive!" replied seller.

I was embarrass and quickly said, "oh yeah, you are right."

The seller started to segregate the bananas I selected and wrapped it in a clear plastic bag. She told me that I have to pay 210 pesos for 140 pieces. I tried to do quick mental calculation to double check her figures.

"One hundred forty times one peso and fifty cents." Hmmmn, I was struggling. In the end I just nodded with the seller that her calculation was correct. Hahahaha...

While riding a tricycle on my way home, I figured an easy way of computing 140 x 1.50. One hundred pieces is automatically 150 pesos. Ten pieces is 15 pesos. If compute the remaining 30 pieces by 10, 40 pieces will cost 60 pesos. So then 210 pesos is correct!

My mind is getting rusty. I know, I know. I was really never good at numbers. A friend sent a funny sms about Math.

A cute letter by a little kid who hates Math. "Dear Math, please grow up soon and try to solve your own problems. Don't depend on others."

:) :) :)

Good thought

A friend sms this nice thought.

"Someday, we'll forget the pain that caused tears and why we cried. We would finally realize that the secret of being free is not revenge but letting things unfold in their own ways and that life is simply a blank book. After all, what matters is not the first but the last chapter which shows how well we ran the race."

Crazy about Aamir Khan

After watching "3 idiots" I tried to google Aamir Khan. I was pretty impressed by his performance and how he looked so boyish in that film though he is in his 40s. I watched Dhobi Ghat in Youtube. I also watched the trailer of Delhi Belly and news about him. hahahha. I even signed up to his blog. The guy is smart and witty.

Enough of Bollywood, I have to resume my Mandarin tutorial. :)

Where does all the money go? (Part 2)

Amid the economic crisis affecting capitalist nation like US and European countries, China's economy is soaring. As a proof, Senator Chiz Escudero said in an interview that US President Barack Obama sought the advice of China's Premier Wen Jiabao about the economy. Escudero attended the World Economic Forum in Dalian City in China and Premier Wen mentioned in his speech that indeed Obama asked for advice. The advice given was "open your economy to Chinese entrepreneurs."

We can't deny that fact as everywhere China products proliferate, from clothing, food, electronics, and whatever you can think of.  I remember one joke of Russel Peter about the Indians, Chinese and Jews. He said that if Louie Vuitton (did I spell it correctly?) store is on sale Indian people will go inside the store and just look around. Jews won't even bother to have a look at on sale items knowing LV is pricey. Chinese will surely go inside the store and when the sales clerks aren't looking they will take snaps of the items and send the designs to China for reproduction. Chinese create a cheaper LV or imitations. Philippines is a market of these cheap imitations and other Asian countries.

I read an article last week about an American journalist who wanted to experiment if her family can survive without using/eating China made products. She said that she has to travel far just to find things that aren't imported from China. She found it expensive if items were not produced from China.

I remember that some Filipinos suggested we boycott China products during the heated debate on Spratly islands. But based from the chronicles of the American journalist it is tough to boycott China products. However, there is a positive side to Philippine economy if we do this. We will be patronizing our own products. With the open trade policy in the Philippines, small entrepreneurs are competing head on with China imports (which are most of the time cheaper).

Enough on the talk about economy. Typhoon Pedring is lashing out its fury outside my window. Some areas in   Dagupan City were flooded. But am grateful that Pedring isn't as stronger as Typhoon Ondoy.  Pedring is on its way out of the country and heading Cambodia.

God in Control

I started to pray and read the Bible in the morning and before going to bed but sometimes there are distractions. I fall prey with these distractions and I just say my prayers and neglect reading God's word. The other night, I told myself to wake up and read the Bible because I was too tired to read and I can't focus.  So what happened to me was I had difficulty sleeping and I fell asleep at 3am! I guess if I got up and read the Bible I could have a good sleep after that.

Tonight I decided to sleep early (at 11pm). I fell asleep for 30 minutes and then woke up. Since sleeping muse isn't visiting me I decided to pray for people whom I remembered and opened my laptop to blog. Unfortunately, I could not connect with Smartbro. I thought maybe after reading the Bible, I can connect to the internet. So I read one chapter of the book Mark and then tried to connect to the internet again. Guess what, I got a smooth connection to the internet! Early in the evening I had trouble opening YM and Gmail but this time it was smooth. I am happy that God is showing me He is in control and directing me what to do.

Where does all the money go?

News headline: Global Economic Crunch.

For so many months now there is so much talk about US economy crumbling and European nations buried in debt.

Everybody is talking about recession and economic crises but nobody knows where does all the money go. If we talk about losing money a lot then someone is hoarding or raking in most of the money.  I asked a doctor the other week what nation is getting richer. He said no one. But that's impossible, if one is getting poorer then naturally someone is getting richer. I told him it could be Vatican that's getting richer. Or it could be China (we see China-made products all over the nations). Two years ago, one columnist postulates it could be India (maybe because they are cunning people?).

Who do you think is getting richer?

Media write a lot about falling economy but never mention who is getting richer.  Other nations could learn about a thing or two from progressive nations.

There is one economy that will never go into recession and that is God's economy. Whatever happens to the world, God provides for His people. I don't worry about rising prices even though my own salary is static because I rely on God's providence.

Dhobi Ghat

Impressed by Aamir Khan's performance in the film "3 Idiots" I watched also his latest film "Dhobi Ghat" (Mumbai Diaries).

The movie revolves around a painter (Arun) who found video tapes of a newly married gal in his new apartment. The girl committed suicide due to husband's philandering, a budding photographer (Shai) who fancied the Painter, and a dhobi (laundryman) named Munna who's in love with the rich budding photographer. The film shows poverty and love.

The actors are all good but I didn't like the plot. I watched the film thru YouTube.

I asked an Indian colleague what does Dhobi Ghat mean? He said dhobi refers to laundryman and dhobi ghat refers to the area where they wash the clothes.

I was thinking if the Dhoby Ghaut area in Singapore has Indian origin since there are lots of Indian migrants in Singapore. I googled it and I was right! Dhoby Ghaut is Dhobi Ghat.

3 Idiots

Last week I watched the Bollywood movie "3 Idiots" as recommended by Miggy.  He warned me that it might be boring at the start but it was a good movie and a very long one (runtime is 3 hours!). 


"It's ok, I am familiar with Bollywood movies because there are lots of intermission (dance numbers) and sub-plots, " I replied. I told him I love Bollywood and can understand a bit of Hindi especially if it's cuss words. :))


The story is about great friendship and passion for excellence. The casts of the movie were Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Kareena Kapoor, Omi Vaidya, Parikshit Sahni and Boman Irani. According to my research the film is loosely based on the novel, 'Five Point Someone' by Chetan Bhagat.  Aamir Khan was the lead actor and he was good performing his role Rancho.

The friendship of three young men started in Imperial College of Engineering.  A university that focuses on getting high score rather than instilling the skill on its students.  Rancho ( Aamir Khan) tried to change this system. He argued with his professors on how they teach and attended any subjects he wants regardless it is not part of the syllabi for his current year. He thirst for knowledge but didn't just rely on lectures of his professors.  He tried to explore and discover new things.  One quotable quote from Rancho: " Pursue excellence first and success will follow you pants down." :)

I love the character of Rancho so much as a friend and a student.  He exemplified what a true friend is.  He showed in the film that he was willing to sacrifice his future (getting good score and passing the exam) when a friend direly needs him (Raju). Raju's father almost died of a lung disease but Rancho quickly came to rescue. He strapped the old man to his body and rode his scooter to the hospital.  The doctors said if it them longer to take the old man to the hospital he could have died. It was examination the following for the three guys but Fahran and Rancho stayed with their friend Raju to watch the old man.

Another incident was when Raju jumped from the 3rd floor of the school building upon learning he is going to be expelled for misconduct (peeing on the door of the Director's house) and was unconscious for so many months he didn't give up on him. He was there to cheer the patient even when he was not conscious.

The movie was hilarious but it was done in tasteful manner not the slapstick way.  The same night I watched it the first time, I watched it TWICE.  The following day, I watched again. :))

It's the time of the year again that I like so much. I can feel the chilly nights and morning now. Last Sunday I had to stay longer in bed to enjoy the coolness of early morning. I love it! Berr-y cold months have set in.

Shopping in Bangkok

Hongkong and Bangkok are both known as shopping mecca but if you are looking for quantity and culture the latter would be a great choice. HK on other hand offer branded items. I chose BKK over HK as I love Thai food and my money can go a long way there.

Like any other girl I love to shop but when you are buying for other people it is a dilemma. I had difficult time deciding which items to buy because am not sure if other people will like it. I can't go by what I like.

I discovered new malls that offer various trendy designs in different sizes (not free size). City Complex and Krung Thong Plaza are better shopping malls compare to Platinum Mall. The only thing I hate about City Complex is the escalator. It's confusing where to locate the escalator. It was not built in the usual way we expect where to find escalator going down. I had to circle the whole floor every time I want to go up or down. In the end, I got tired and went home. I didnt attempt anymore to chech 3rd and 4th floors.

I met also a Pinoy traveler who mentioned that there is an area like our own Divisoria where you can find raw materials and lots of bags on sale. Another lady mentioned another mall that offer cheaper fashion finds. Planning to connect with this lady on my next trip to the shopping haven.

The Pratunam market offers cheaper price compare to Platinum Mall, Krung Thong and City Complex but the quality of the clothes are not all good. It is trendy and hip but the fabric used are of medium standard or lower.

Chatuchak Market or JJ market, the weekend bazaar, is also good to check out because they offer not just clothes and bags but house decors, plants, animals and other knick knacks. I find the prices of clothes a bit touristy but I got some skirts there that I didn't see in City Complex, Krung Thong Plaza or Pratunam market. It's worth checking out the market.

Platinum Mall on the right and opposite is Krung Thong Plaza and City Complex

Chatuchak

Another sleepless night

I am wide awake at 1 o'clock in the morning. I got home from prayer meeting at 11pm. Happiness is making me sleepless tonight. Something that has bothered me for quite a long time (for almost a year) is finally over. I can't resist to write down my feelings and thoughts over it. I am happy that the Lord has answered my prayers. I can move on with my journey. I got stuck with it for a long while and I thought it was hindering the blessings of the Lord. That something though has helped me change and become a better Christian.

I thank God for all the challenges I have gone through and am going through. The song says "in the good times, praise His name...in the bad times, praise His name."

-berrrr

Welcome September! This marks the start of the fourth quarter of the year and start of the holiday season in Philippines. Christmas carols will be played on radios and some will start to deck up with Christmas decors.

For me, this means am going to add another year to my age soon. I was born in the month of November. October follows the month of September and November follows the month of October. Before we knew it, it's the year of 2012! How time flies so fast.

Corruption in India

India's parliament gave in to Anna Hazare's anti-corruption demands. The lawmakers are drafting a bill now as response to Hazare's.

This will go down the history of India. Hazare's commitment to reform Indian system is inspiring but the ways might be exploited by others to achieve self-serving causes. Indian government does not want to create a precedence and undermine social democracy, hence, it took 12 days to respond. Hazare's cause is noble so I believe it is ok to give to his demand.

Have read an article in Philippine Daily Inquirer today that corruption in India is widespread and found in all aspects of life. Article says "corruption has been politicized and it is complicated." I thought my country was the most corrupt in Asia but RP will pale in comparison in India. Their gov't officials admit that it is hard to fight corruption.

Pratunam Area or Khao San

I booked my flight to BKK this September. I haven't decided though where will I stay. No sightseeing this time, just food trip and shopping. Staying in Payathai or Pratunam area will be more practical for this purpose but that area is dead at night. In Khao San, it's a backpacker's haven.

Last year I stayed in khao san and made friends with some European tourists. I also got to discovered that Thailand is not just Bangkok, Phuket or Pattaya.

Back to the Absolute

The six-day camp meeting has ended today and I feel ecstatic and blessed. On the first day of the camp meeting I felt joy washed over me as soon as the topic of the preaching was flashed in the projector. I was excited and I was anticipating something supernatural to happen. I have been looking forward to this camp meeting as early as January. Working in 1-800 for four years has distracted my service to the Lord. I got so focused with work that even when am at the church listening to Pastor's preaching my mind wanders back to the production floor. I have also neglected my prayer life. I prayed that my first love will be rekindled as I never want to be cold or lukewarm. I believe God is working on it. :)

The theme of the meeting was going back to the absolute. Serving God is not just acknowledging Him as your saviour. It has to be a personal relationship akin to husband and wife relationship. You have to get know Him so well from A-Z (from book of Genesis to Revelation) and your portion in His Word. Lately, there are new messages coming out and some questions in my mind arise. God is clarifying these Qs in my mind.

God has sent a preacher thru Bro. Ian to direct the path we should tread on. It's going back to the absolute, the Bible. Any teachings that is contrary or not supported by the Word of God should not be entertained.

God speaks thru prophets and He has given enough manna to these prophets and we have 7 messengers. The Indian Chief mentioned by the prophet is God himself.

God has reminded us believers to live a consecrated life. Our body is a temple of God and should not be defiled by worldly stuff. This shows God's love and mercy because He is correcting His church. I praise God for this.

God vindicated the messages preached. He appeared in a very bright circle of light in the midst of the two cherubims displayed at the pulpit. There were other circles of light in the pulpit at that time it was captured in the camera but the brightest was the circle of light above the ark.

I am so happy and would love to write all things God has revealed during the camp meeting but I can't put all my thoughts in words now.