mOon$hyn

tennis has been great. my uncle says my forehand has improved (thank God!) :wink: he also taught me the basics of the backhand on our last session, which was on thursday. after our usual 5 baskets of tennis balls (over 200 swings!), i thought the day's session was over, but after a 10-minute rest and some pointers on posture and stuff for the backhand, he sent me back to the court for more swings. to get a feel for the backhand, he says. it wasn't nearly as difficult as i thought it would be. one basketfull of balls and it was over. and i got more balls over the net than i expected. :lol:

next session would be monday morning. can't wait till then. i practiced a little this morning (saturday morning) bouncing the ball on the racket feeling the right fore and backhand swings. Dalnes, my niece, helped me a bit by throwing the ball my way. the rest of the afternoon was spent sleeping. haha.

haven't weighed myself in days. i don't feel any lighter though, i doubt if ive shed more pounds but i'm hoping i will lose more weight faster. what with tennis and all. i did drink a couple of glasses of coke the past week. not something i'm proud of :x it's just so refreshing to have a sip of cold softdrinks after a tiring time painting walls and cabinetry. :wink:

cried my eyes out friday night. Alfred and i got into a fight. he came to pick me up at work at around 7pm but ended up waiting til 830 cause we still had work to do. work that i absolutely had to finish and email that very night. he was hungry when he arrived. sooo hungry by the time we finished that he was soooo angry at me too. left him standing under the overpass waiting for his ride. took a taxi with Joy. cried in the cab cause i never did that before, [i]actually leave him[/i]. well, he was the one shouting at me, more of a raised voice, really. i was trying to coax him to go with us but he wouldn't. he made it clear that he was mad and that he intended to go home without taking me home first. so i left.

i was hoping he'd still go to our house despite of the fight. and true enough, a few minutes after i arrived, there he was sitting in the dining area when i emerged from relieving myself in the CR. he never did that before. he did it last night. we had dinner first (good thing there was enough for both of us) before we went outside the house to talk. we fought. we argued. we cried. then we kissed and made up. :D

he left at around 1:40 in the morning. i don't know yet if he arrived for work on time this morning (8am). but i'm guessing he did.

we talked about work too. and i cried again. not because i'm having a hard time with my work but because my salary is really quite depressing. i really need a raise. i really need to contribute to the family's expenses. it will really be difficult to do that with my current income. ahhh! i just don't have the words to express how i feel about it right now. just that knowing that the office has some funds left over because we were so conscious in spending it in projects, but salary raise or bonus seems to be out of the question... ahh! :x

and law school. i used to dream of being a lawyer. i took psychology as a pre-law course, initially. but i kinda lost the dream for awhile. or the dream got lost in me. but seeing as how a number of my batchmates (in highschool and college) are in law school, it kinda got me into thinking about it again. thinking that maybe i can make it. i know i can, if i put all my heart into it. but i;m not sure if my marks in college will land me a spot in my law school of choice. you see, i'm not too fond of school. i rarely give 100% effort in all my schoolwork. i only give my all to subjects i really enjoy or i am interested in. but if i am to take up law, i have to do better. then i thought about the financial costs again. ahhh! :evil:

anyway, i'm still young. lawschool will always be there.

i'm trying to limit my daily spending too. ive made progress but still unnecessarily spend more than i need. like taxi rides. oh well...

i've taken up a sport. this morning, as well as yesterday morning, i woke up before 6 to be in the court by 630. my uncle's helping me learn to play tennis. it's a real great workout. i still walk and do some stretching before i do drills with the racket and the ball. it's fun. i wasnt really good at badminton in highschool PE so it was a pleasant surprise that i am even able to actually hit the balls, more pleased that i am able to send it back over the net.

i'm still working on my backswing for the forehand. one more session on it before we move on to the more challenging backhand. it's real fun. :D

there's also been another fun thing that we've been doing. my co-worker and i painted our office in a nice light/baby blue color. we had some help but we did a lot of the work ourselves. it's far from perfect but really not bad for beginners. :lol: painting walls is also a great way to sweat. it's a good thing we bought water-based paint too cause we didnt have to suffer with bad-smelling fumes. but the paint for the cabinets are enamel and that smells quite strongly. but it's still ok. today's our third and final day working with the paint. we'll actually be cleaning up and arranging the space to look like an office again. so ive gotta go. be back to write more later :wink:

it's been three weeks. and i've only lost 5 pounds. i say only cause i know i could do better than that. but it's still cause for celebration right? :lol:

hmm... need more workout... my co-worker and i will be painting our office in a few days. that should help me a bit too :wink:

walked with mama tonight. was a good walk. am tired now. and sleepy... zzz

before anything else... i missed my daily workout again today. :cry: wasn't able do my usual two rounds at the acad oval. but it was worth missing cause i was able to catch up with one of my bestest girlfriends. :lol:

three of my bestest girl buddies are going through turning points in their lives (according to me).

raechelle is pregnant. giving birth sometime in march or april. makes everyone wonder how the baby will affect her future decisions. will she finally decide to stay here with her parents? or will she choose to go back to where she currently is? some say she'll probably choose the former. but i wouldn't be too quick to say that. though i haven't had a long, serious talk with this soul sister of mine for almost 2 years, i think i know her well enough not to try to read her mind. whatever she decides though, i'll be there for her, and her little angel. i just wish i'd get more quality time with her though. i really do miss her. really. :(

my bestest friend ever, my be-C Jojo has just started her first job. and she's moved in to her new room in a place very strange to her. we were texting on monday and she said it was kinda sad, she probably means lonely. she really is out there on her own. so many adjustments. she said she couldn't imagine how it must feel like for her mom who's working abroad. the strangeness of being far from home. but i know she's happy about the way things are for her now. she just graduated and she already got a job. got the first job she ever applied for! :D Jo, if you're reading this, call me if you need a temporary roommate, k? or if you're feeling lonely, text me so i can call you, ayt? love you girl! :D

my other bestest friend paid me a visit at the office this afternoon. she came so she could be my jogging/partner for the day, but we ended up doing something else and not going to UP for the walking part. :lol: this guy, who everybody thought was the ONE for her, had broken her heart. :x he is such a jerk! that's all i can say. but the thing is, Mayeen is being sooo mature about it. she's so calm and so reserved about it. yes, she has cried and is still crying, but she isn't MAD as i think she should be. perhaps she is just getting there. i think part of her still is in shock. her mom doesn't know yet and still asks about the guy from time to time. but i'm glad she told me about it. yeen, cry all you want okay? but remember, when you realize he's not worth crying for after all, the tears have already gone dry and you can't get them back. nye! seriously now... myeen, just remember what we talked about before we parted ways tonight. oh, and i'll gladly be your email partner and weekend phonepal from now on :wink: love you too girl :D

ahhh... my other bestest friend, haven't talked to her in weeks. she was having relationship problems then, could she be going through a turning point in her life as well? remind me to contact her in the morning. anliza, when you do read this, give me a call and set a date for our bonding activity, okay? miss you so! :wink:

nice movie, really. :) i actually liked it, i cursed at our VCD player sooo many times cause it was acting up while my big brother and i was watching the movie. i'll probably watch it again at the cinema. heard it's scheduled to open on the 4th of february. gotta convince boyfriend to go watch it with me. or maybe joy would be interested.

mona lisa smile was featured on one of the cable networks earlier this evening and i saw part of julia roberts' interview while i was channel surfing. she said that the movie's about the philosophy of contentment and success. how it's different for every person. i wish i heard what else she said...

anyway, i agree. the movie was as much about contentment and success as a construct as it was about women's lib and conformity. i remember having been in a similar discussion with friends before. someone mentioned that she didn't want to end up "just" a housewife. and someone commented on the term "just" or "lang." homemaking is indeed a career choice. as in any other occupation or career, it's something that any woman can and may choose to pursue. my generation of young women grew up with mothers who have chosen a career outside the home. still there are those who stayed at home to care for their children and mind their household. our grandmothers are more of the homemakers type. perhaps they weren't given the same choices our mothers had. but even if they were given the chance, would they have chosen to leave home? ah, those were different times.

Joanne, Julia Stiles' character, apparently chose to get married and stay at home rather than pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer. but that was her choice. she was given every chance to choose another path, but she chose that particular one. and she was happy with it. content. the poster girl for women's lib shouldn't be the successful career woman. she should be the educated, smart and successful homemaker.

women's lib. it's about women being respected enough to be trusted to make decisions for themselves and the people around them. it's about being on an equal status with men. of equal opportunities. women may make wrong decisions, but at least they chose it themselves. others did not choose for them.

success and contentment are different for every person. it's a factor that contributes to how people make a choice. if success was being praised for being such a good lawyer, then Joanne made the wrong choice. but if it was about raising a family and being with someone (you're better half) then she had made the right choice.

conformity. we can choose to be like the others, or we can choose to break free. as their farewell gift, the students left Ms. Watson their own Paint-by-numbers version of Van Gogh's work. instead of "coforming" to the assigned shades to each number, the students gave it their own interpretations. their own colors and shades. some people may appear to conform, but another glance would show that they are not. a deeper view would tell us that the person is also a rebel in his or her own way.

am i a conformist? i'd like to think not. but perhaps too, in a way, i am.

ami i content? i used to think so. but now i am not so sure. for there is something else that i am aspiring for. higher pay is not the least of them :lol: but kidding aside, with happiness come contentment, i think. happiness and contentment sometimes come with success, but sometimes they don't. with real success comes both. guaranteed. but what is real success? it's a construct. to be defined by each individual being for his/herself. my success can only be measured by me. as your success can only be measured by you. not by the thickness of your pocketbook nor the vastness of your wealth.

ahh rambling. i am rambling. sometimes i don't make sense. or maybe i try to make too much sense that i lose the essence of my thoughts. perhaps if i edit myself less, i'd make more sense. ahh. :roll:

happy fourth year anniversary dear! :)

yes, my boyfriend and i have been together for the past four years. and i tell you, it's been one helluva ride :wink: those who know us probably never thought we'd last this long (except my relatives). hey, we almost didn't. almost.

my guy and i are sooo different. we are interested in different stuff and our opinions don't match in most issues. we come from totally different experiences and have somewhat different dreams and aspirations. but the differences are not what matters. what does? well, i can't really say...

don't you ever get tired of each other? some people have asked me this. well, yes. that's why it's important that couples try to do something different together every once in a while. discover new things, visit places you've never been to before, eat stuff you never thought your stomach could take :wink: hehe.

on our first anniversary, we were at this big rally, EDSA 2. hehe. he didn't want to be there but the activist in me had convinced him that we just had to be there and be part of history in the making. we had a huge fight the night before the 19th because i was in that rally for two (or was it 3?) straight days already. anyway, we ended up staying there until early morning the next day. and he got carried away with the chanting/slogans and stuff. he actually enjoyed it. such an anniversary it was. :lol:

this year will be quiet. as last year was too. he was here yesterday and we made blueberry cheesecake together (NOT a diet food). it's sooo yummy! not too sweet, just right. and today, after work, we haven't decided yet if we're gonna see a movie or stay home... i have exactly 45 minutes to decide... :?

anyway, four years. we both grew bigger and fatter in those four years. believe me! he used to say that i didnt use to be so big when he and i first met. he's right. and he didn't have such a big tummy then either. :D but he's helping me lose weight though. but he's not much help though. he teases me mostly. but i'm sure i have his support. i just have to find a way to convince him to be a bit more healthier too. :)

see, no one read my post :( maybe someone did, but no one left a comment.

anyway, i woke up at 20 past 5 on saturday the 17th. my nieces who went to the global march with me were ready before i was. after my dad loaded chairs, water and the pots that held our lunch and snacks, into the car, we set off to the OSHC. Ate Amihan (my boss) was already there with her husband and some help setting up our booth. i quickly went to work with the exhibits.

got to the assembly point way past 7. suffice it to say that the people we mobilized for the march were there before us. and the kids were easily identifiable cause they had our stickers on their shirts. march started even later. boy, was it a long march. well, long for the kids, anyway. they were so hot and tired by the time we arrived back at OSHC.

our contingent was somewhere in the middle, nearer the end of the parade than the front. so when we got to the venue, the auditorium was already jampacked! only a few our kids were able to go see the program. and, the water we brought (100 gallons, i think) didnt even last until lunch time. even those from other contingents queued up to get some water. who were we to send them away, eh?

the food was great! kudos to my aunt who prepared it for us. :lol: good thing that even if it was only me, Joy and my nieces, who were left that were really from Asia ACTs, we had soo many friends there that we were able to share the good food with.

the exhibits? well it wasn't exactly the center of attention. because our exhibit booth, owing to the makeshift roof/tent that ate ami made, was the only shaded place in the area and so our 170-strong contingent camped under it.

the kids were a bit restless towards the middle of the morning. cause the program was a bit dragging when the guest speakers were reading their speeches. they perked up though when aiza went onstage 8) they really did!

the kids enjoyed the fun games though. and all of the kids from our group (they came from 7 different communities/organizations ) were able to participate because our supposed competitors/rivals were not around! hehe :wink:

anyway, by the time i got home at around 5-530 pm, i was feeling so eeky and tired. so i took a shower and started to doze off... then the love of my life came... sleep interrupted... after two and a half hours... i sent him home... hehe... had to go to sleep... missed neopets that night... missed posting on the blog too...

it's 1230 am and i am still online. have to be up by 5 to get ready for an event i have to be at...

january 17 is the anniversary of the global march against child labor. 6 years ago, today, child workers from different countries kicked-off a march in quezon city circle (i was an emcee in the program, i was only 16 then). the march culminated in Geneva where they called upon the ILO to pass (?) the ILO Convention 182 regarding the most intolerable forms of child labor.

i'll be elaborating on these tomorrow evening cause i really gotta go get some sleep... was in the office till 1030 preparing our org's exhibit...

oh, you guys might wanna check out the celebrations. they target 5000 people to come. GMA's the special guest (next only to aiza seguerra). :lol: the commemorative march will start at 730 am at the quezon city circle and will proceed to the OSHC, corner Agham Road and NOrth Ave. (near the veteran's hospital and SM City). there will be a program until 12, dialogue with major national political candidates at 1pm and fun and games the whole day for the working children. if you decide to drop by, check out our booth (Asia ACTs) :P

i doubt anyone will come... i doubt anyone will even read this... :lol:

got this from everth, and she is right, it is my type...
but i couldn't say much after reading it... it's just so... i don't have the right words for it... it just feels right to stay quiet and ponder on what it all means... :wink:


A GENIUS BIDS FAREWELL

Gabriel Garcia Marquez has retired from public life due to health reasons: cancer of the lymph nodes. It seems that it is getting worse. He has sent a farewell letter to his friends, and thanks to the Internet it is spreading. I
recommend that you read it. This short text, written by one of the most brilliant Latin Americans in recent times, is truly moving:

If for an instant God were to forget that I am a rag doll and gifted me with a piece of life, possibly I wouldn’t say all that I think, but rather I would think of all that I say.

I would value things, not for their worth but for what they mean. I would sleep little, dream more, understanding that for each minute we close our eyes, we lose sixty seconds of light.

I would walk when others hold back, I would wake up when others sleep. I would listen when others talk, and how I would enjoy a good chocolate ice cream!

If God were to give me a piece of life, I would dress simply, throw myself face first into the sun, baring not only my body but also my soul.

My God, if I had a heart, I would write my hate on ice, and wait for the sun to show. Over the stars I would paint with a Van Gogh dream, write a Benedetti poem, and a Serrat song would be the serenade I’d offer to the moon. With my tears I would water roses, to feel the pain of their thorns, and the red kiss of their petals.

My God, if I had a piece of life… I wouldn’t let a single day pass without telling the people I love that I love them. I would convince each woman and each man that they are my favorites, and I would live in love with love. I would show men how very strong they are to think that they cease to be in love when they grow old, not knowing that they grow old when they cease to be
in love!

To a child I shall give wings, but I shall let him learn to fly on his own. I would teach the old that death does not come with old age, but with forgetting. So much that have I learned from you, oh men…

I have learned that everyone wants to live on the peak of the mountain, without knowing that the real happiness is in how it is scaled. I have learned that when a newborn child squeezes for the first time with his tiny fist his father’s finger, he has him trapped forever.

I have learned that a man has the right to look down on another only when he has to help the other get to his feet. From you I have learned so many things, but in the truth they won’t be of much use, for when they put me in that suitcase, unhappily shall I be dying.

GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ

finally! i have been thinking of starting a blog since last year when i learned about blogs thru our webmaster... seeing kris's blog kinda pushed me into finally getting one... but i was stuck with the settings and all... but i decided to start this now before i change my mind again... i could improve how it looks later on anyway... or at least i hope to.... :)

so... what's this blog for :?: well... i was thinking about writing my experiences as i go on a quest... my quest to lose weight... so i'll have something to read when i'm getting tired of all the extra effort (or the lack of it)... and at the same time to have ALL OF YOU up-to-date...

but really, it's all about rallying support for my quest... para you guys can give me diet or exercise tips to help me reach my goal of... oops... i'm not yet ready to reveal how much weight i need to lose...

i am serious! but i just hope i don't give up on it after a few weeks... i'm on week two now...

hmmm....