Year: 2015

Counting the hours at Suvarnabhumi Airport

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31 December 2015 It’s the last day of the year, the last day of our vacation, the last day before my husband goes back to Singapore while the girls and I go back to our home in the Philippines. It’s going to be months again before we get together as a family, and the day’s not turning out well. I was hoping that we could still do some sight seeing, have fun while we wait for our flight, make the most out of the little time that we could still spend together. Guess what, our flight is not until half an hour past midnight later, though my husband’s three hours ahead of ours. Now that means we’re spending about 12 hours doing nothing at this airport. Twelve hours! We’re in a different country, it’s sunny outside, and we’re stuck here! I’m not happy, and I’m venting it all out here. I’m sorry, but you just got to let me. Everybody’s reluctant to go out and I don’t understand why. Am I the only one who wanted …

The Sunday Currently, Vol. 5: The one on our first weekend in Laos

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reading the titles and headlines of local magazines and newspapers in Vientiane, Laos. It’s a good thing many of them are in English (unlike in Bangkok, Thailand). writing key words down to help me remember some of the interesting things I’ve learned while traveling. listening for Filipino words that may be spoken around me. It’s interesting that although the people around me look vaguely Filipino, they speak a foreign language that are not even remotely familiar. thinking about what it’s like to stay here in Vientiane for at least a year or two, or maybe raise the girls here. It’s peaceful and quiet here, after all, and there are so many institutions where I can practice my profession either as an ESL teacher or PR professional. smelling the scent of wood every time I open the closet in our room wishing we’re experiencing the same weather back home, i.e., 19–24º C hoping to find a battery pack for my Nikon D5100 very soon. I have packed the whole thing, complete with charger and an SD …

Not all frat boys are bad

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This morning, I was reminded of the frat boys (and girls) I met when I was a student at a state university, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM). I was still a devout Catholic then, but volunteerism was already part of my lifestyle, even as a student. We were in the middle of preparation for World Youth Day ’95, and I was among the volunteers along with hundreds of Catholic students from all over Metro Manila, when I first met not just one, but a group of men and women who belonged to the most popular and feared, if not respected, fraternity group in the campus, the APO. I was face-to-face with their leaders and I was learning from them! I must admit that I never thought that they would even take part of a religious activity, no matter how huge it may be, let alone volunteer. I think that was the day I changed my mind about fraternities. Although I still abhor their infamous induction rites, I must say that I had started to …

The Sunday Currently, Vol. 4: The one that’s a week after my birthday

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reading Wonderstruck by Christian author Margaret Feinberg. I’ve been meaning to read this book, but because it wasn’t free on Amazon Kindle, it took a while before I finally had the chance to do so. I had to wait for months for its price to go down! It makes me want to finish reading it in one sitting, but I couldn’t. I had to put it down several times to reflect on what she’s saying in her book. For example, when I came across this page saying, “If God spoke creation into existence, should we be surprised when creation speaks back to us about God?” That single line reminded me of all the beautiful places I’ve been to, how wonderstruck I was each time I watched the changing colors of the sky as the sun set, etc. I’m not done reading it yet, but I promise you I will in no time. And, if you’re feeling down, lethargic, or restless, I urge you to get a copy of this book and read it! writing responses …

The Sunday Currently, Vol. 3: The one where I was homebound from Singapore

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19:30, 15 November 2015 Once more, I was given the opportunity to write while onboard an Airbus, flying miles off the ground. I’m not sure exactly where we are now, but I’m guessing that we’re already nearing, if not have already entered, the Philippines. I got some privacy, since the man seated to my right transferred to another seat, while the woman seated to my left is asleep. There’s some turbulence due to air pockets, but it’s nothing quite like what I experienced when I first traveled alone to Singapore (back and forth) a few years ago – that was simply the worst! Other than that, it’s been a pleasant flight so far, and we’re expected to travel in just 3 hours and 7 minutes – would you believe that? That is, according to the pilot (instead of the usual 3 hours and 30–45 minutes). reading Tiger Tales Asia (Nov–Dec 2015). I didn’t know that such magazines contain a lot of interesting information! I didn’t really pay attention to magazines onboard before; I would normally …

The Sunday Currently, Vol. 2: The one during my birthday week

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I recently received a birthday greeting card from my church family at CCF-Alabang, signed by no less than Pator Joby Soriano himself. I suppose every member/attendee receives such on his/her birthday. Nevertheless, it’s always a pleasure to receive one, especially to read the same Bible verse (Numbers 6:24–26) printed on its front, the same one I send to my dear friends when they celebrate their birthdays. Well, now it’s my turn! I’ve never felt this excited as when I was a child anticipating my birthday. However, now that I’m a grown-up and have many responsibilities, there are, of course, things that also hold me back from being that excited. Things that keep my feet on the ground, reminding me of reality, such as the following: reading articles online on anger and forgiveness at http://www.intouch.org. (Because I want to be free of negative emotions as I start another year here on earth.) writing things to bring for my upcoming birthday/weekend getaway with hubby. listening to the playlist on http://www.aldenrichardsofficial.com. Again, I’m a fan of AlDub, though honestly, I think Alden could still …

38th Year Goals

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Five days from today, I shall be celebrating my 38th birthday. I don’t think I’ll have the time to write that day or in the coming days after tomorrow. In the mean time, I am committing to finish the following unfinished tasks below as I do not want them to get carried over my 38th year of existence. After all, it’s going to be a new beginning for me and I shall have new resolutions, new goals. I know I won’t be able to keep myself away from my laptop though and it would take a long time to finish editing my blog posts, ensuring that the photos of certain articles would finally appear on the front page. As much as I consider myself a techie, I’m not exactly knowledgeable when it comes to the technical aspects of putting up a blog, or making one look exactly the way I want it to, at least. So, what I’ll do now is make sure that I get reminded of the following tasks and goals whenever I turn …

The Sunday Currently, Vol. 1: The one where I decided to do blogging for good

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It’s the first day of my favorite month and it’s a Sunday! Meaning, I couldn’t just let the day pass by without writing anything, even if the entry’s as short and simple as this one. On the other hand, this also signifies my desire to take up blogging seriously… reading blogs, especially by people I know, including Maine Mendoza’s latest “The Sunday Currently” blog post. It’s actually where I got this idea to follow the same pattern for a blog post and join The Sunday Currently link-up by siddathornton! Thanks so much, Maine (a.k.a. Yaya Dub); you inspire me! I have to add praying though at the end of this list. writing itineraries for my upcoming birthday/weekend getaway with my husband in Singapore, and my to-do list for this week. listening to the sounds of both the AC and the wall electric fan in my daughters’ bedroom being drowned in the dogs’ barking. thinking of starting a challenge for myself to complete and publicizing it to keep me motivated. I could actually use any of the following: get done with my general …

When a friend started seeing me as an ATM

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I feel rather down lately over the actions of a certain friend. I’ve known her since childhood, but over the years, we lost touch with each other. In the summer just before attending our last year in high school, her mother brought her to the province. I had looked her up in various social media sites, even googled her, several times and also asked a couple of her relatives for her contact information, but I had no success. Finally, in August 2014, I heard from her again. I was so happy that I immediately arranged for our meeting, even if we had already done enough catching up online through Facebook. After all, we used to be very close. She’s funny, sweet, and sensitive, and I’ve always considered her as one of my best buddies. Moreover, when she told me that she had come to know Christ when she was staying in the province, I rejoiced and became more excited to see her again. When the day of our reunion came, I made sure that I left the …