Today…
I will live this day as if it were Christmas.
I will be a giver of gifts and deliver to my enemies the gift of forgiveness;
my opponents, tolerance; my friends, a smile;
my children, a good example,
and every gift will be wrapped with unconditional love.
Project K for Kindness at Dagatdagatan Letre, December 17, 2011
Today Series 10/22
This is a late post about our pre-christmas visit to Hospicio de San Jose (our third). The experience is yet again memorable and don’t want to pass the chance to blog it. Although this was our third visit,it was the first time we’ve seen the whole facility (the island!) and most of its esidents and volunteers. Again, I was with my generous and kind audit staff (thanks a lot!), and my son Jolo and my Papi… The experience was so heart-warming as we have seen babies, lolas and lolos and special kids housed in the modest and yet warm hospicio. What stuck me most is the dedication of few volunteers and facility keepers, who, while they are few in proportion are all so warm and caring.
Our favorite spot of interaction is always the toddler’s kitchen. There are new faces and there are familiar faces… our “favorites” were already “promoted” to pre-school section. There are two kids that are actually siblings of the ones we’ve visited before (so, they are leaving their kids here, huh? not only one? but the whole bunch??)… Two at least (from previous batch) were already adopted.
What strikes me (horrifies me!) most among the new stories is about that little boy “Stan” (not his real name), who (when he was a baby) was left bundled and placed in old duyan (swinging crib), and put in garbage heap! The basurero found him (bless him!). The duyan, baby inside, was tossed to garbage truck… lucky that the basurero checked it… just imagine if they thought that it was just a duyan! Now he is a healthy 3-yr old boy who wants to eat and munch a lot!
There is also one heartwarming story about a 9-yr old boy who was “found” in the hospicio by a “bodyguard” of a another kid from elite school who sponsored christmas party there that week. The man recognized the kid as the one missing since last year, apparently lost in the mall. The family is looking for him eversince. What a great reunion, you could imagine!
I don’t want to judge the people that made these kids and put them to earth! Maybe they cannot deal life and parenthood, i dont know, maybe they are “orphans” themselves… what counts now here is that there are still amazing and nice people who keeps and helps keep orphanage like this. I don’t want to say that these kids are unlucky people… I know that they are as blessed as we are. Being here and cared for is a blessing enough.
– the party!
– the “babies” at their playpen…
– the most blessed toddler of the year!
– this lola is amazing with her intricate puzzle… when I admired her determination… she said with a smile “i have all the time in the world…”
– my “angels” doing the charity works with me!
Today…..
I will run from no danger I might encounter today, because I am certain that nothing will happen to me that I am not equipped to handle with your help. Just as any gem is polished by friction, I am certain to become more valuable through this day’s adversities, and if you close one door, you always open another for me.
Today series 9/22
1st time to blog from my iPad2 
1. My Aliya, my new tiny best buddy.
2. My Lean, my cuddly bubbly kid.
3. My Jolo, my teen-age heart throb
4. My Papi, my old buddy.
5. Successful “Pillow Me” concept
5. Travelled to Palawan at P25 airfare
6. Travelled to Ilocos at P88 airfaire
7. No major sickness in the family
8. My friendship with sisters FLor and Kerol and Natz
9. Surprise parties (dad, tian, pa nick)
10. Taking Mama and Daddy to Antipolo (where they had their 1st date)
11. Chat moments with mama and daddy by the window
12. Books of Mitch Albom
13. Leaping to SVS venture
14. Bestseller pillows like “Like” and “HP”
15. My newly-painted house
16. Puregold 100 stores
17. Sunrise and sunsets at paradise
18. My new venture in stocks
19. My trips in the park with ALiya
20. Beach time with Aliya
21. Snorkeling with Papi!
22. Paddling in the water!
23. Spelunking with cousins!
24. Mentoring my new “leaders”
25. Their appreciation of my mentoring
26. My promotion… without increase :>
27. Arranging Aliya’s photo album
28. Gift of paint/art set
29. My new bathroom
30. Mama and Daddy
31. Playing in the rain with Aliya
32. Volunteering
33. BLood Donation
34. Inspiring others to volunteer and to share
35. My new iPad (gift from SVS)
36. My new gate and terrace
37. Our friends at Hospicio de San Jose
38. Time with my in-laws
39. Winning major in raffles
40. Aliya’s color/art skills
41. Jolo’s love for music
42. Jolo’s 1st stint to perform in stage solo!
43. Lean’s many great lego creations
44. Our new business ventures
45. Time at MOA with Papi and ALiya just watching sunset
46. Eating seafoods with friends
47. The IC Manual
48. “Full-moon” moment with Papi
49. The Paoay church! Magnificent!
50. “Survived” many PI storms without much damage
51. Aliya’s laughter
52. Our new Audit Room, and my new desk
53. The Sumaguing Cave! Amazing!
54. Chance to help new staff to learn
55. Our series of training and workshops
56. Helping kins in tuition fee
57. Seeing my kins in Naga
58. The Classic Series of Readers Digest
59. DQ moment with Lean. Discovered DQ’s Double Dutch Blizzard
60. Helping hands of family
61. Parlor moment with Aliya
62. You Tube moment with Jolo
63. “Me” moment every now and then (at the spa)
64. Watching babaw movies with sisters (friends)
65. Church moments
66. The Palawan Underground River! Awesome!
67. Kikay days with BFF (tried eyelash extension)
68. Books of Francis Kong and Bo Sanchez
69. Beach moment with Papi
70. Stargazing!
71. Gain in FAMI’s investment
72. Church moment (Antipolo) with Daddy and Mama
73. Chat moments with brothers
74. Bookstore moments with Jolo
75. Gift of books by friends and son
76. Found long-lost old letters and diaries
77. Connecting with old friends
78. New SVS office
79. The Vigan walk with Papi
80. Teambuilding with staff
81. Reading books to Aliya
82. Gift-giving at Dagat-dagatan.
83. Zeroing my credit cards
84. Gimiks with old high-school buddies
85. Discovered chocolate of Lido
86. Lean’s new sofa-bed
87. Few moments of Hilot-paa (Jolo)
88. Fireworks moments
89. New friends
90. Eat-out moments with colleagues
91. Visita Iglesia
92. Helped trained the managers
93. Writing for Tips and Insight (T&I)
94. Blogging moments
95. Hearing good speakers, Francis Kong and Jojo Baldo
96. My positive outlook
97. Probono work for a foundation
98. No “casualty” in the family this year
99. Healthy ME.
100. To God and to all of His blessings!
101. This List!
I have just watched this weekend the sequel of two great cartoon (digital) movies in cable channels.
Actually I never thought (until last night) that there was already a 4th Shrek… as always, I liked it . The moral of the story is about appreciating what you are and what you have, i hope it will never got to the point that one will never know how important they are, until they lose them (like Shrek). I will always remember the “cake” scene and will be watchful about how I will treat the people or how to react on a situation….
I just finished watching the Toy Story 4… the last part is so touching… It’s about reminding the importance of friendship and loyalty. And about not forgetting to always to seize the childhood and playful moments. We can all “go back” to that moment of childhood and realize that we can be happy always….
emote moment lang even in the midst of children’s movies… :>
December 10, 2011 – it’s a date!
We’ll visit the orphanage, Hospicio de San Jose at Manila, for a short time playing with the toddlers. We’ve been there before, around christmas time last year and valentines day this year… I’m excited and yet I’m a bit anxious about too to see who will still be there… Sure I missed Liezl, Hannah and Kaye and Edward and others, but as much as I want to see them again, I really hope that they are no longer there anymore… that somebody have lovingly took them home and adopted them… that they finally found a family…
Nevertheless, surely we will finds toddlers there who are longing to be hugged and pampered and played with… even for just a little while… hope we could give more than that…
see link:
xmas 2010
valentines 2011
Eat Pray and Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
It’s nice to find a book you want to “savor”… not wanting to rush reading and yet enjoying every page… wanting to go on, but keeping the pace slow so it will last much longer… this is THE book you can call a “companion”… (best to read in airports and beach) nice… proud to say I’m not yet finished with it…
Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
An intriguing book that makes one “dizzy” on plot and sequence but also loving it thinking how clever it was structured. I am not a ‘romance’ reader, but this one qualifies as that with twist of sci-fi?! Not yet finished, because I’m having hard time “digesting” because the idea of “predetermined destiny” is kind of “off” and against compared to my theory of “butterfly effect”… anyway, this book is a source of good discussion between me and jolo, that’s why I am keeping at it.
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
Got curious when featured in Readers’ Digest and found the first few chapters as intriguingly interesting. Though quite theoretical its not conventional. “The Power of thinking Without Thinking” it says in its cover… it said don’t overthink… but hey, It made me think quite a lot in every page…. thus, I’m still at it. (a good LRT companion too)
ABNKKBSNPLKo by Bob Ong
Jolo picked it up, convincing me it will help his tagalog vocabulary. A local book which Jolo and I found funny, light and yet insightful about simple things. I was enjoying the first few chapters (I have to read it first to know if it is suitable for Jolo, or needs PG), when Jolo found me amused and smiling, thus he took it, read it in few days, lent it to classmates and friend… and since then, haven’t seen it yet again to finish it… haay…
ALMOST… almost halfway through… and I still have at least 200 days… not quite too much for another to finish 55 more tasks…anyway, I know half of it are continuing, progressing tasks, while others are “one-shot deal”…. but I will get there…. I will (try to) finish them all (my 101 in 1001 days).
34. #86 Invest in online stock market (February 2011)
35. #21 One great adventure with cousinhood (April 2011)
36. #25 Visita Iglesia 2011 (APril 2011)
37. #15 Organize the 82nd birthday party for dad (April 2011)
38. #28 Snorekling with Papi to a paradise island (June 2011 in Club Paradise Dimakaya Island, Coron)
39. #27 Hiking in a forest or mountain (June 2011)
40. #61 Blood-letting (June 2011)
41. #35 Dance in a rain (July 2011)
42. #81 Join bazaar and exhibit (Nov 2010 & July 2011)
43. #16 Birthday get-away for my mama’s 76th birthday (July 2011)
44. #38 Visit Ilocos! (Sept 2011)
45. #83 Invest on Jewelry every year (Sept 2011)
46. #90 New gate and window grills and terrace (November 2011)
Today!
I will remain aware of how little it takes to make this a happy day.
Never will I pursue happiness, because it is not a goal, just a by-product,
and there is no happiness in having or in getting, only in giving.
(Today Series 8/22)
Happiness is a choice! we can choose to be happy… just as the same that we can choose to be good! and better everyday!
Continue on to our Ilocos Tour, featuring Laoag… (see also Part 1)…
After our tour guide showed us some east side of Laoag, we went back to town proper to see the St William Cathedral, the Sinking Bell Tower, The Capitol and the Museum and of course, the Heritage Paoay Church….
The Sinking Bell Tower (not accessible to public)
The Cathedral
My Travelling Feet @ Laoag Museum
Marcos Mueseum @ Batac… already closed when we get there :<
My favorite Paoay Catherdral… breath-taking, amazing!
(pardon the feet, I really cant help but get this shot even i’ll have to lie-down there)
one more time… my best postcard shot!
That’s only our (half) DAY 1… full-pack DIY “heritage” tour!
Love it!
Proud to say that Papi and I have seen and explored recently the now-famous Puerto Princesa Underground River. I’m sure it will be voted as one of the new 7 nature’s wonders of the world. The place is simply amazing, awesome, grand and mysterious. Proud to be Pinoy!
from “workisnotajob” website
Today…
I will free myself today from slavery to clock and calendar.
Although I will plan this day in order to conserve my steps and energy,
I will begin to measure my life in deeds not years;
in thoughts, not seasons;
in feelings, not figures on a dial.
Subic Sunset March 2010
(Today Series: 7/22)
How do we measure our “time”? Are we living our day by “just getting by” or we see our day as “8-5″ or just simply “whatever” or que-sera-sera? Time, for those who matters time, can really intimidates or frightens you or worry you… but however which way, we are “spending” it everytime… so how are we going to use and measure it matters!
I think we have can easure time by good deeds we’ve done, knowledge we’ve imparted, laughter we’ve blurted and love we’ve shown… and especially by the “time” we actually shared.
It finally happened – September 24-27… the great Ilocos Adventure with my Papi, and tagging along the typhoon Pedring… (the storm is really trying to keep us out of here, the last time we’ve tried August 27, the storm Mina cancelled our flight going there..)
Anyway, nothing will dampen our enthusiasm to make the most out of this tour… I have reviewed my list of to do’s and to visit (see here) and we’ve done it with few rains and slippery roads with it, but that’s adventure!
First day: Laoag
We checked-in at Balay de Blas (I made a reservation right after the cancelled tour last august) got a lovely suite!
We ate at Saramsam (owned by Mr Blas) and tried their famous Bagnet, Vigan Longanisa and Poque-Poque (we were curious with the name)
We started our tour by taking an unofficial, untrained tour guide (lesson no 1, dont just assume that every tricycle driver can take you to a tour of their city! – but well that’s adventure #1 too). Anyway, Marlon is so gracious and told me really that it is his first time (I hope he has a blog and write about this experience too). Just the same, we accomplished what we have to see in half-day tour of Laoag… just a bungled itinerary and long journey in his tini-wini tricycle (ahhh sakit likod namin)…
First stop: Sta Monica church (lovely, old, eerie…)
Ferdinand Marcos’ Birthplace:
there are more…for our day 1… (to be continued)
Today…
I will embrace today’s difficult tasks, take off my coat, and make dust in the world.
I will remember that the busier I am, the less harm I am apt to suffer,
the tastier will be my food, the sweeter my sleep,
and the better satisfied I will be with my place in the world.
Aliya on her 15th month
Today series: 6/22
Today…
I will live as all good actors do when they are on stage -
only in the moment.
I cannot perform at my best today by regretting my previous act’s mistakes
or worrying about the scene to come.
Syquia Mansion, Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Sept 25, 2011
Today Series 5/22
I got this from a post in fb, and got amazed how many other bloggers reposted this inspiring, heart-warming story…
“When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage, and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his Biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don’t remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite!
When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my Mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I’ll never forget what he said: “Honey, I love burned biscuits.”
Later that night, I went to say good night to my dad and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, “Your momma put in a long hard day at work today and she’s real tired. And besides… a burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!”
You know, life is full of imperfect things… and imperfect people. I’m not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. What I’ve learned over the years is that learning to accept each others faults and choosing to celebrate each others differences, is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship. So…please pass me a biscuit. And yes, the burned one will do just fine!”
“Don’t put the key to your happiness in someone else’s pocket – keepit in your own.”
Life is too short to wake up with regrets…. ENJOY LIFE NOW – IT HAS AN EXPIRATION DATE…
Today….
I will treasure this day, for it is all I have.
I know that its rushing hours cannot be accumulated or stored,
like precious grain, for future use.
Aliya, Sept 7 2011, having fun dressing up princess…
Today, while I plan for and do everyday “livelihood” chores, I should not also forget to seize every moment with delight and pleasure… no matter how toxic and busy life is, there is always simple things lurking around (unnoticed) that can make us smile and feel warm… like a kid’s smile, her bouncing around, or kid’s effort to offer you slippers (and foot massage), their singing while playing in shower. Those are the moments that cannot be stored in a box, nor completely captured in a photo. Life is now. Appreciation should not be delayed! Maybe, this imight be really the only day I have….
Today Series 4/22
Last night, I caught Aliya suddenly stood up from her sleepy state and danced and sing when he heard the song featuring at “Nick tune” at Nicolodean…. Her full smile and delight shining on her face (gone was her sleepy state!). I was delighted too… so I sat her with me and watched some more in You Tube and do sing-along over and over… (at 11 in the evening!)
“Best Day Ever” lyrics is soooo nice, funny and insightful! If you just can imagine if people waking up every morning with the same positive attitude and delight! hahaha!
Until sleeping time, Aliya is singing the song, but she keep on saying “Best Friend Ever” and I kept on correcting her, but can’t win!… Anyway her version is so cute too…
I woke up this morning with that song playing in my head…
What a good felling, i’ll tell you…
Best day ever!
I stamp this day as my “best-day-ever” day!
Mr. Sun came out and he smiled at me.
Said it’s gonna be a good one just wait and see!
Jumped out of bed and I ran outside feeling so extra exstatified!
It’s the Best day ever! (Best day ever)
It’s the Best day ever! (Best day ever)
I’m so busy got nothing to do, spent the last two hours just tying my shoe.
Every flower every grain of sand, is reaching out to shake my hand.
It’s the Best day ever! (Best day ever)
It’s the Best day ever! (Best day ever)
Sometimes the little things start closing in on me,
when I’m feeling down I wanna lose that frown
I stick my head out the window and look around.
Those clouds don’t scare me they can’t disguise,
this magic that’s happening right before my eyes.
Soon Mr. Moon will be shining bright so the best day ever will last all night.
Yes the Best day ever’s gonna last all night now.
It’s the Best day ever! (Best day ever)
It’s the Best day ever (Best day ever)
(Best day…)
