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the one that got away…

I accidentally found this article from a friend's friend's friend's link in her friendster account. :) But I really like the article. It's something I can relate to, especially recently when I have been thinking about the one that got away... so here's the blog post (http://thedreamlife.blog.friendster.com/2008/11/the-one-that-got-away/):

i got this through email and i thought it was so true…read on….

In your life, you’ll make note of a lot of people. Ones with whom you shared something special, ones who will always mean something. There’s the one you first kissed, the one you first loved, the one you lost your virginity to, the one you put on a pedestal, the one you’re with …and the one that got away.

Who is the one that got away?

I guess it’s that person with who everything was great, everything was perfect, but the timing was just wrong. There was no fault in the person, there was no flaw in the chemistry, but the cards just didn’t fall the right way, I suppose. I believe in the fact that ending up with someone, finding a long time partner that is, does not lie merely in the other person. I can actually argue that an equal part, or maybe even the greater part, has to do with the matter of timing.

It has to do with you being ready to settle down and commit to someone in a way that goes beyond the little niceties of giddy romance. How often have you gone through it without even realizing it? When you’re not ready to commit in that mature manner, it doesn’t matter who you’re with, it just doesn’t work. Small problems become big; inconsequential become deal breakers simply because you’re not ready and it shows. It’s not that you and the person you’re with are no good; it’s just that it’s not yet right, and little things become the flashpoint of that fact.

Then one day you’re ready. You really are. And when this happens you’ll be ready to settle down with someone. He or she may not be perfect, they might not be the brightest star of romance to ever have burned in your life, but it’ll work because you’re ready. It’ll work because it’s the right time and you’ll make it work. And it’ll make sense, it really will. The day comes when you’re finally making sense of things, and you find yourself to be a different person. Things are different, your approach is different, you finally understand who you are and what you want and you’ve become ready because the time has truly arrived. And mind you, there’s no telling when this day will come.

Hopefully you’re single… but you could be in a long-term relationship, you could be married with three kids, it doesn’t matter. All you know is that you’ve changed, and for some reason, the one that got away, is the first person you think about. You’ll think about them because you’ll wonder, “What if they were here today?” You’ll wonder, “What if we were together now, with me as I am and not as I was?”

That’s what the one that got away is. The biggest “What if?” you’ll have in your life.

If you’re married, you’ll just have to accept the fact that the one that got away, got away. Believe me, no matter how fairy tale you think your marriage is, this can happen to the best of us. But hopefully you’re mature enough to realize that if you’re already with the one you’re with, that this is just another test of your commitment, one which will just strengthen your marriage when you get past it. Sure, you’ll think about him/her every so often, but it’s alright. It’s never nice to live with a “might have been,” but it happens.

Maybe the one that got away is the one who’s already married. In which case it’s the same thing. You just have to accept and know that your memories of that person will probably bring a nice little smile to your lips in the future when you’re old and gray and reminiscing.

But if neither of that is the case, then it’s different. What do you do if it’s not yet too late? Simple… find him, find her. Because the very existence of a “one that got away” means that you’ll always wonder, what if you got that one? Ask him out to coffee; ask her out to a movie, it doesn’t matter if you’ve dropped in from out of nowhere. You’d be surprised, you just might be “the one that got away” as well for the person who is your “the one that got away.” You might drop in from out of nowhere and it won’t make a difference.

If the timing is finally right, it’ll all just fall into place somehow. And it would be a great feeling, if in the end, you’d be able to say to someone, “Hey you, you’re the one that almost got away.”

***My note: Unfortunately for me, the one that got away is getting married soon. It is sad that it's hard to find someone like him. But I'm happy now that he is happy. Memories of him (no matter how vague our situation then was) will certainly bring a little smile on my face. To him that got away, I wish you the best on this new endeavor. Married life is not at all smooth sailing. You know that. I know when you decide on something, marriage in this case, you'll stand up for it. You are a righteous man, responsible and God-fearing. You'll be a great father and husband. Believe in that coz I believe too.***

Velociraptor (with KJP's suggestion)

I could survive for 32 seconds chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor

Created by Bunk Beds.net

One Year

I'd like reflect the one year I have been with my present job, a year away from my family, a year of living on my own, a year of living in a big city. I came to Manila a year ago, November 3, 2007 with excitement, anxiety and fully of energy - with a better paying job, independent living, big city life. Now I look back what the year has brought me, or what I have brought to the year as well. Indeed, the year was a good one. The company sent me to London for a five week training. What more can I ask for! All my life I had been praying to be able to see the other side of the world - the Western side. The 5 week stay in London enriched me. It opened my eyes to another culture. It made me appreciate their culture as well as it made me appreciate more my own culture, heritage, and of who I am and where I came from. It made me feel blessed and grateful for what I have - my family, my friends, my faith, my God.

My family - The sad side, Mama's feet got worse. She could no longer stand up and walk very well. It had something to do with the nerves. Arthritis, she said. I know that depressed her in ways. I continue to pray that she can walk well again. I still hold that dream that one day I can bring her and my father to travels abroad. Apart from that, little quarrels and fits of anger flared up in the family on certain times. But they all got resolved. And that's part of the happy side. Add to that, Mama and Papa had the chance to visit me in Manila when I got back from London. They took time to see relatives and got to taste a bit of the busy and chaotic Manila life. My sisters too were able to visit me. I took them to Enchanted Kingdom. It was a short 3-day visit but a worthy one.

Friends - Indeed,I have made good friends, and even best friends, the kind that'll stick with you no matter what, and support your decisions. They make you laugh and make you cry, and most importantly teach you lessons you can never learn on your own. One of the very special friends I have was my roomie. We had lots of little fights yet we always made up. She made me realized a lot of things. And though we're no longer roomies now, it was having her as a roomie and a friend that I consider one of the best things that happened this year.

My God, my faith - I am sorry to say that my relationship with the Lord waned a bit this year. I missed Sunday masses. I spent little time with Him. I know it was all my fault (who else is to blame). But the good thing is, I never gave up on Him and He never gave up on me. With all the temptations around me, He just wouldn't let me get near them. I am thankful. I am blessed.

The past year was full of colors. It wasn't all bad. It wasn't all good. It had balance. But all in all, it was a precious year, one that shall make a mark in my life story. So many bunch of lessons learned, so many relationships enriched. I can end this year with a smile. And look forward to next year with much hope, anticipation and faith.

The Call by Regina Spektor (to the cancer kid-patients at Phil Children's Hospital)

You are all brave. :)

See you soon, Friend (yayi's message to Bisdaks)

GOD’S PERFECT TIME

“There is an appointed time for everything.”– Ecclesiastes 3:1

He wanted to buy a car. But he could only afford a second-hand. On his first attempt to search for a used vehicle, he received news from a friend. “Have you heard that the car of one of the residents living a few blocks from your home was stolen?”
“Is the Lord telling me something?” he wondered. So he postponed his search. After sometime, he looked again for a car. Just then, he heard that another vehicle was stolen near his area.
After a few months, he resumed his search. And for the third time, another vehicle was stolen … and it was his neighbor’s.
He gave up the idea of buying a car. Instead, he decided to wait for the Lord’s signal.
One day, he dropped by the office of a colleague. He was handed an envelope. It was his Christmas and birthday gift rolled into one. When he opened it, it was a check, the amount of which is good enough for a down payment for a brand new car.
It pays well to wait on the Lord. God’s timing is always perfect. We just need to be patient and trust His heart. byJudith Concepcion
from Didache 9/26/08

REFLECTION:
God is neither too late nor too early. He makes all things beautiful in His time.

I choose to wait on You Lord no matter how long it takes for I know You have prepared only the best for me.

*****
These are the words I exactly need these days. It's amusing that for this week, I chance upon this on my yahoomail twice. Seems like the Lord is telling me over and over again to wait for the perfect time. I've been praying for a lot of things to happen in my life. And the Lord's answer is - Wait, my precious child. In my time, everything shall be done.
*****

I'm not that girl

A fave song...
From the musical WICKED...
Watched the play in London at the Apollo Victoria Theater...
I am in love with this musical...
I really am!...






Hands touch, eyes meet
Sudden silence, sudden heat
Hearts leap in a giddy whirl
He could be that boy
But I'm not that girl.

Don't dream too far
Don't lose sight of who you are
Don't remember that rush of joy
He could be that boy
I'm not that girl

Ev'ry so often we long to steal
To the land of what-might-have-been
But that doesn't soften the ache we feel
When reality sets back in

Blithe smile, lithe limb
She who's winsome, she wins him
Gold hair with gentle curl
That's the girl he chose
And heaven knows
I'm not that girl...

Don't wish, don't start
Wishing only wounds the heart
I wasn't born for the rose and pearl
There's a girl I know
He loves her so
I'm not that girl...

movie marathon

I'm back in Cebu for a one week vacation.:) I'm happy to be with my family again, making chikas and seeing them everyday. I miss them so much! :)
While here though, I plan to watch lots of movies. Luckily, my brother has a lot of downloaded movies on his PC! And I don't think I could ever finish all of them!
So far, I've watched two - Atonement and Vantage Point. Though with Atonement, I wasn't able to concentrate very well and I kept forwarding it. The audio was bad.:( Anyway, I plan to read the book. I think the drama will be much more stronger in the novel than in the movie. Vantage Point has so much adrenaline rush in it. I like the way it was done. Now I know why the title is Vantage Point. :) Movies on my list:
1- Music and Lyrics
2- Love in the Time of Cholera
3- Sex in the City
4- Indefinitely Maybe
5- No Country for Old Men
6- There Will Be Blood
7- Harry Potter (all series)

Good luck to me! Wish I can watch them all and more!

Happy vacation to me!

May 10-June 14 2008

These are the inclusive dates of the London trip. I spent some 5 weeks there. And I tototally enjoyed it. And I wanna go back. Because there were just so many things to see and so much to do but so little time. If given the chance to back to UK, I'll do the following things:
1 - go to Scotland and visit my friend Eva and her family
2 - visit my cousin's family in Sheffield
3 - go to Oxford
4 - take a pic at the 9 3/4 platform
5 - get inside the Tower of London and see the crown jewels
6 - shopping in Ashford
7 - watch Les Miserables and other plays/shows in West End

While I was there in London, these were the only tourist places I've been to or activities I did:

1 - Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guards, St.James' Park
2 - River Thames cruise
3 - London Eye, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge
4 - Madamme Tussauds
5 - Portobello
6 - shopping and window shopping in Oxford street, Kensington High Street
7 - Kensington Palace and Gardens, Harrods for Princess Di's monument
8 - Greenwhich
9 - Hampton Court Palace (my favorite!!!!)
10 - Sheffield
11 - Stonehenge, Windsor Castle, City of Bath
12 - drinking beer (w/o ice)
13 - wearing no jacket at 14 degrees Celsius (it was sooo cold)
14 - watched Wicked (I so love this musical!!!)

I think I've mentioned them mostly... I think I haven't missed the important ones and my favorites...

London Here I Come

I'm writing this blog entry at the Dubai International Airport awaiting for our connecting flight to London. :) I'm happy for 3 reasons. One - there's wireless internet connection and I can log in to the restricted sites in the office i.e. yahoomail, blogger, gmail. Thus I can write about this UK trip. Two - it's my first trip outside of Southeast Asia, my first trip to UK, my first trip to Europe. And I am not paying for the airfare and accomodation! This is because I'm on a business trip. I'm with two other officemates. We'll be in London for a series of trainings and meetings. (And on the side, sightseeing and shopping). Three - the flight was easy, not much pain on the ears, good food, nice attendants, watched Juno and for some reason I forgot the other movie. (We're on business class!) In less than an hour, we'll be flying to London. Here I come. ;)

24/27

Today is March 24, 2008. It's my birthday!!!! And I'm now 27 y.o. I can't believe it I'm nearing 30. wahahaha... It's kinda weird to say that I'm 27. I feel old. It also feels odd especially when I'm still single, unattached and my friends and contemporaries are already starting their own families, getting married, having kids. Well anyway that's life and that's just how it is.

Today my little sisters (actually not little anymore) surprised me at around 3am when I was so sound asleep, they sang 'happy birthday' carrying a little doughnut with a candle. How sweet. I'm touched. I love surprises. :)

I got a few text messages today from friends and officemates. I don't know yet what else is coming. :) But usually they are just text messages and email greetings.

Happy birthday to me!

i'm in town

i'm here in cebu for a short vacation(?), that means a little over 3 days. well, i miss my family and friends here. yah, i do. and they miss me too! i'm spending my bday here. i don't know how it will be. but surely it won't be anything fancy. i'd like it to be simple, less gastos. i'm on a tight budget as the US economy is in a recession. huh? is there some connection? well, i've heard and read news of the economic conditions of the US and they're not good and wala lang, i felt that could be a good reason.. ;-). I wonder if my friends working there feel the hard times...hmmm...

anyway, while i'm here in cebu, i don't want to burden myself thinking about work, problems (mine or the world's). 3-days in cebu is a respite from my busy life in manila. besides it's holy week, time to reflect on this life and my JC's life.

My Family's New Year's Message for me

Dear Mae,

We hope you will be sucessful in all your endeavors in life in this new year 2008. We love you so much and please take care. GOD BLESS YOU AND MAMA MARY LOVES YOU.

From Papa, Mama, John, Christine and Charm


==================================================================================

It can get lonely here in the Big City but when I realize that my family is praying for me, I get the feeling that I am okay and everything will be okay. :)

home for christmas

it's been a month since my last entry. if it hadn't been for KJP's comment asking about my whereabouts, i wouldn't dare write anything on my blog... hehehe... we'll it's just too difficult to get into the net especially blogger since i came to Manila. at work, lots of sites are restricted. obviously, they have to do that. you're not there to blog, and do personal browsing. you're paid to work! i don't have my own PC, and also (of course) i don't have internet connection. when i moved to manila, i left a lot of my comforts in cebu. in order to get access to my blogs, yahoomail, hotmail, etc., i have to go to an internet cafe. well, sometimes i'm too tired to go to one. lately, i've been going home late from the office. so that explains my absence on the net.

while i'm writing this blog entry, i'm in cebu. i'm home for christmas. yipee! i get to go online as often as i want! i'm here with my family. :) i just miss them. i miss my friends and i miss cebu, as well. it's different in manila. its traffic is super heavy. time flies so fast. people are so busy. food is very expensive. and living alone means doing my own laundry, and cooking. no mom and lola to prepare my breakfast and dinner. i miss homecooked food! so i'm making the most of my stay here. so i'm eating lots and lots of my lola and mom's cooking! (and when i get back to manila, i'm bloated! hahaha...)

I'm enjoying my xmas vacation (which will end tomorrow, Philippine time). I hope you all are having fun-filled and blessed holidays! Merry Christmas!

1st week...

I'm officially now in Manila, Makati specifically...I got here on November 3, started work on November 5. :) Right now, my mind ain't working well. so i won't write much...actually i'm so sleepy.... it's still 6:46pm. and im sooo sleepy already. i'm still adjusting, to a lot of things, too many to mention but next time, i'll blog about it. byeee...

phew!!!

Phew! is all I can say after a very hectic weekend up to today Oct 31st. For 3 days, from Oct 27-29, I went on a trip to Bohol with my twin friends Elma and Erma. Erma just got from Dubai and she sent her whole family to a vacation in Bohol. The twins dragged me along (they wanted some girlfriends to join). Another friend of theirs, Sherrie also joined. It was my third time to visit the island of Bohol, home to the smallest monkey in the world, the tarsier. I was again able to see it again for the second time. I was able to visit the Chocolate Hills for the second time. The first time I was in Bohol was when I was just 12 years old. At that time I was with my mom and brother. We were there to attend a grand family reunion. During that visit, we were able to go to Chocolate Hills but we didn't get to see the tarsier. My second visit was with my first job. I was observing an inventory of a client. Since I was able to stay over the weekend, I took the chance to see the tarsiers in Loboc on a Sunday off.

The weekend trip to Bohol was fun. All the pictures we have taken surely would say it was so much FUN. I especially loved our photo shoot in our hotel room during one evening before we went off to sleep. Looking at those pictures surely sent me laughing out loud! LOL! hahaha... I also love the pictorial in chocolate hills where we were jumping! super lingaw! :) Thanks to Erma and Elma. They really made my weekend. :) Sila kasi ang gumastos! :)

We got back to Cebu on Monday, baranggay elections day. Of course, I voted. It was also a very hot day too. But the elections wasn't so hot. I guess our baranggay politics aren't that chaotic and dirty. :) On that day, too, I went to the salon to get a haircut. I wanted to put some bangs, something to cover up my wide forehead. But the gay hairdresser was so BOGO! super duper doesn't really know his job. Graveh, he made a mess of my hair!!!! I hated him. But I couldn't really tell that to him up close and personal. Ugh!!! I hate myself why I'm soooo mabait, soooo kind. I even gave him a tip! I'm so stupid! ewan ko bah, ba't ako ganito. argghhhh!

On Tuesday, I went to the dentist to for some check up and stuffs. With my sooo bothersome first molar, I decided to have it extracted. And so here goes my first tooth extraction done by a dentist! Whoa! I was terrified. Really. I felt like a child feeling very nervous about getting a tooth extraction. So bye bye toothaches. The dentist also filled up two teeth which were getting dark spots and holes, lest they become bigger and become another painful toothache. On that same day too, in the afternoon, my grandma and I went for a confession. Afterwhich, we attended mass. And...I bought a Bible! I also had it blessed that same day. :)

Wednesday. What a day! I woke up early so I could give to Mira the pasalubong from my Bohol trip, then I went to Basilica del Sto. Niño and Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. I offered candles and prayers for a safe trip to Manila (on Nov 3).
After the church visits, I went to PAL Jones to have my airline ticket printed. I waited for an hour for that. I then went to Ayala to claim the partial relocation allowance, had lunch, went around, bought a few stuffs then headed to SM to meet my sister. We bought some clothes, and other stuffs for me and for her also. Lots of people at SM. Sale kasi eh! I was able to get some 10% discounts on the stuffs I bought. Good deal! Kaya lang I realize now that things have gotten really expensive. My P4k disappeared so fast... parang di masyado marami ang nabibili sa P4k. tsk. tsk. My other sister joined us later. After getting our legs tired in SM, we went to Ayala to buy some groceries. I also had to buy pasalubongs for our relatives there. :) So ngayon, ubos na pera ko!!!! Hay naku!!!! Graveh!!! I can't believe I spent all my last pay to the last penny. This should make me sad. :( Well, it is making me sad. :( But that's how life is. Ang dami ko kasing UTANG! DEBT! Grrrr! Double GRRRR!!! Ayoko na sa credit card!!! PHEW!

Galit ba? eh okay lang talaga, kelangan kong mgbayad sa utang at sana, at dapat di na ako gagamit ng credit card next time!!!! PROMISE!

Famous lines (in Tagalog)

"pinapaikot mo lang ako

Nagsasawa na ako. Mabuti pang

patayin mlo na lang ako"

-electric fan


"hindi lahat ng walang salawal

ay bastos"

-winnie d' pooh


"Alam mo ba wala akong ibang hinangad

kundi ang mapalapit saio.

pero patuloy ang pag-iwas mo"

-ipis


"Hala! sige magpakasasa ka!

Alam ko namang katawan ko lang ang habol mo."

-hipon


"Ayoko na! pag nagmamahal ako lagi na lang

maraming tao ang nagagalit! wala ba akong

karapatang magmahal?!?"

-gasolina


"Hindi lahat ng green ay masustansya."

-plema


"Hindi ko hinahangad na ipagmalaki mo na ako'y sau

ayoko ko lang naman na sa harap ng maraming tao

ganun mo na lang ako itanggi.."

-utot


"Sawang sawa na ako palagi nalang akong

pinagpapasa- pasahan, pagod na pagod na ako."

-Bola


"you never know what you have

till you lose it.

and once you lose it, you can never get it back"

-snatcher


"Ginawa ko naman lahat para sumaya ka

mahirap ba talagang makontento sa isa?

bakit palipat-lipat ka?

-TV


"hindi lahat ng maasim may vitamin c"

-kili kili


Sige, batihin mo ako.... Sigeee.....BATEEEEE E!!!!!!!!

-omelette


pilitin mo man na alisin ako sa buhay mo, babalik at
babalik ako!

-libag


"wag mo na akong bilugin.."

-kulangot


Paano tayo makakabuo kung hindi ako papatong sa iyo?

-Lego

farewell

Yesterday, October 19th, was my last day of work at NSP, my second employer, my Japanese employer. I didn't exactly feel sad or happy. There was bit of both. I was sad because I had to leave the friends I've made at work. I spent almost 3 years working in NSP. And I've had times of fun in those years. I will certainly miss Mira, Chai, Jing, and Mam Baby -- my teammates in Finance. I'll miss the laughters, the chikas, the food, the reklamos (of management and everyone else...hehehe). I'll miss jeepney rides on the way home with Mira and Chai. I'll miss Jing's daily supply of Julie's bread. I will miss Mam Baby's chika of her life. And her famous line, "How far na mo?" (peace, Mam Babes! (",))I will miss the HR people - Ana, Marlene, Edwin, Belle, Tonton, Dina, Rose, Mam Gina. Of course, I'm not so close to all of them but certainly they have made my life in NSP interesting. I will miss corresponding with Ana for her invoices, Tonton for his endless CAs, Dina for payroll stuff, Marlene (a.k.a Mam Nurse) for OPB concerns, Edwin for his occasional treats and his twice-a-month request for dinner and taxi allowances. I will certainly miss our lolo in Finance, Mr. Okano. He maybe disorganized and clumsy with his schedules but he has never berated us for our little mistakes. He's not strict and he knows how to have fun too (not to mention that he pays for some of our sosyal dine-outs, and he paid too the K1 experience last Friday night).
It's a bit sad to leave the people who you have come to love. It's a bit sad to leave my Finance ka-berks knowing that they will be given additional load of tasks until they find a replacement for me. It's a bit sad to know that Mam Baby and Mr. Okano would have to deal with finding a suitable replacement (all the interviews, selection, trainings that come with it).
On the other side, I am happy that with my resignation I was able to realize how blessed I am to have worked in NSP. I am happy that my officemates have supported my decision to take a new leap in my career. I am happy that all these people I've met in NSP came into my life. I have learned a lot from their own experiences, and from their own views of life.
I am resigning for the following reasons: I have felt no more growth in my stay with NSP. I have felt boredom in my work. I have felt it's time for me to move out of home and try living on my own. I have felt the need to learn to stand on my own two feet.
The last part is giving me nervous apprehensions. The latest news on the bombing in Glorietta 2 in Makati is making me feel uncomfortable. I will soon be working and living in Makati. Without a family to make me feel secure, I am a bit worried. And I pray, pray very hard God will keep me safe. He will protect me from all the dangers. I know my family and friends will be praying for me, too. This then keeps me feel secured.

Farewell my friends in NSP. Thank you for the stuff toy. I'll bring that with me in Manila. :) Thank you for the fun time in K1. Thanks to Okano-san for paying the bill. hehehe...

Good luck to all of us!

A Parable on True Love

Another one from my old e-mails... :)
forwarded by my friend Mira.


A PARABLE ON TRUE LOVE
>
> An old woman sat on the antique rattan rocking chair. Her eyeglasses
> were perched precariously on her nose as she concentrated on her
> sewing chores.
> A gentle breeze swept the wisp of whitish hair on her temples.
>
> Beside her sat her teen-age granddaughter. She was like a fresh
flower recently bloomed. Without warning she suddenly blurted out. Grandma,
> why is true love so difficult to find?
>
> The old woman with a kindly face stopped sewing and touched her
> granddaughters head affectionately. After a moment, the young girl
> cuddled closer resting her head on the old womans lap.
>
> Listen and I will tell you why. began the grandmother.
>
> Many centuries ago, when the world was young, true love existed
> everywhere. It was available for asking. Because of this, men and
> women took true love for granted, so God decided to keep true love.
> She stopped and smiled as she gently stroke the young girls soft
> tresses.
>
> God asked a pair of angels to keep true love.
> First, they buried true love in the ground. But man and woman easily
> dug it out. Next, the angels took true love to the highest mountains.
> But again man and woman easily climbed to the top. Then the angels
> submerged true love into the deepest sea.
> Man and woman swam to the bottom of the body of water and with ease
> retrieved true love.
>
> So true love is easy to find, commented the young girl. For man and
> woman will dig, climb and swim.
>
> Yes, but finally the angels kept true love in the hearts of man and
> woman. Since then people have had difficulty searching for true love.
> For they look everywhere except in the one place that they should
keep
> it --- the HEART.
>
>
> The most beautiful things in the world can neither be seen nor
> touched, just felt in the heart. Helen Keller
>