Do You Miss College?

I do. I enjoyed college more than high school. College was the time that I started to carve my own identity. I was no longer very shy. To some degree, it was then that I was slightly becoming of the person I really wanted--the kind that doesn’t need other’s approval.

Just a few weeks ago I had the chance of returning to my dear alma mater. Seeing the century-old columns, hallways, staircase was like coming home. Archaic, with some buildings almost dilapidated, but this university helped built up my moral fiber which are now my principles, values, standards and general understandings of life as a whole. My visit was only for few hours but the longer I stayed, I find myself sinking deeper and deeper back into old memories of friends and hardships (naks!). Did I mention I am few points away from being Cum Laude?

I also miss the people and the experiences I met and had while inside the academe. And like a favorite movie, there are days that I rerun in my mind all the funny, embarrassing and happy moments I had. I am sorry to tell you all that no, we did not dare go inside men’s room nor stolen test papers. But yes, we poked fun at one professor for not wearing the same pair of stockings. Yeah that was too lame a way of poking fun. It could be worse.

Anyway.

I will forever hold myself indebted not only for the degree that I used to get myself employed but also for the wisdom, the prudence and rationality in making life’s choices. To the one institution that accepted me not only because I have the money to pay for the tuition, but because I am willing to learn, MARAMING SALAMAT PO!

Here’s the bucketlist of all the awesome things I miss in College:

1. The colon-cleansing food they sell at the cafeteria. Oh how I miss the ginisang munggo (sautéed mongo sprouts) that magically appear every Friday.

2. I remember coming to our PE class looking like a European medieval soldier this:

Crap!

3. Secretly passing a paper and writing down what we “love” about our professors' outfit that day.

4. Being able to get rid of all those unwanted trees on the planet by turning into papers that eventually gets turn up and burned.

5. Going home early due to typhoon.

6. Arriving to school only to know the class was cancelled.

7. Foundation day

8. Library (especially the Thesis section where I sleep)

9. Eating dirty ice cream and kwek-kwek.

10. Friends: Tet, Eunice, Thelma, Joy, Jo, Beca, Benny, Ate Marlyn. Naming them will not give the perfect description of how grateful I was, am and will be.

So there you go. I am certain that I could add a ton more stuff if I really put my mind to it, but I'm lazy and feel like napping, so that's all you're getting. For now.

And to all of you who are returning to school on Monday, take heart kids. School is fun and so are the memories you will make inside and outside of it.

How I Feel in Photos

Much of our human life has very little to do with the physical. You and I are spiritual beings. We are made up of thoughts, feelings, intentions, choices and many of which deals with the issues of the soul. Poor is the person blessed with physical faculties but is impoverished in the spirit.

"Cause I have found the dream that must come true, Every ounce of me must see it through.." - Immortality by Bee Gees

Love Is A Decision

(If you have read a Francis Kong book, chances are you will never leave the book without finishing it. He is one of the brilliant writers we have today. He is funny and smart and writes like the kind that'll make you feel he is talking right in your face. This is one example. And I thought of sharing this one to all married women like me. Taken from his blog FrancisKong.com.)

Ever heard of the Seven Ages of the Married Cold?

Here’s how it operates:

During the 1st year of marriage, everything was still so hot and romantic–The husband says, “Oh, sweetie pie, I’m really worried about those nasty sniffles you have! There’s no telling what that could turn into with all the germs that’s been going around.

2nd year–”Listen, honey, I don’t like the sound of that cough. I called the doc and he’s going to stop by here and take a look at you. Why don’t you just go on to bed and get the rest you need?”

3rd year–”Maybe you better go lie down, darling. When you feel lousy you need the rest. I’ll bring you something–do we have any canned soup around here?”

4th year–”No sense wearing yourself out when you’re under the weather. When you finish those dishes and the kids’ baths and get them to bed, you ought to go to bed yourself!”

5th year–”Why don’t you take a couple aspirin?”

6th year–”You oughta go gargle or something, instead of sitting around barking like a dog!”

7th year–”For Pete’s sake, stop sneezing. Are you trying to give me pneumonia? You’d better pick up some tissues while you’re at the store.”

If your marriage relationship doesn’t have a destination, how will you know when you arrive? And why wait for love to materialize out of stardust, when you could choose excitement and romance – now?

The secret formula:

1. Making your spouse feel truly honored 2. Learning the art of touching – tenderly 3. Keeping courtship alive in your marriage 4. Re-opening a heart closed by anger 5. Building – or rebuilding – trust in a relationship 6. Becoming best friends with your family

Love is not an emotion, love is not a feeling, love is not happen-stance. Love is a Decision. Love is waking up every day committed to honoring your mate. If you want to have a great relationship, guess what, it’s up to you.

They say that marriages are made in heaven, but God leaves the maintenance to men.

(...oh how I wish I can live up to what I said here..)

{Repost from Francis Kong.Com}

A Response Letter from the Chief Justice

Here it is:

Dear Littleyana Just a few lines to let you know that I have read your letter. And please don’t bother to visit. You won't know my house when you come. . . we've already moved to VMC. Sorry for the lengthy speech. You see, I was so nervous. I almost called for a doctor. I was numb from toes down. Isn’t that terrible? I know too that I am in a lot of trouble lately, but I am glad that I have a great backing of a friend. He has 500 men under him. Yes, all 500 of them. He is cutting the grass at the cemetery. I was actually hoping that Miriam would save my face by her amusing tirades and rants. Pity, it did not happen. Gladly, Lady Gaga stepped in the way. Oh how she reminds me of my younger days. Sincerely, The Chief Justice P. S. I was going to send you $10.00 but I had already sealed the envelope.

An Open Letter to Mr. Corona

Dear Mr. Corona:

What were you thinking when you said what you said yesterday?

And where was the feisty Miriam Santiago when all this was happening?

I won’t go into the causes of your misery. If anything, your misfortune doesn’t need a very long story to back it up. Not a wee bit. Because we can read all about it just about anywhere.

You didn't even finish your last sentence; it just trailed off. Although you are reading it, I think the subject had changed in your head while your mouth had continued on the old topic, not realizing it was already out of supplies.

So you just walked out and that’s it.

Frankly, this long process of your impeachment hearing has so far what made us in the international community: disgraceful.

In ending, please Mr. Corona if the next time you stand before the senate court, think about this:

You see, we were talking about you in the office the whole day and man, you can make all afternoon dramas eat dust. Next time do it at 2am.

Thanks!

My, What An Engagement!

We are now only few days away from June, people's most wanted month for weddings, and as they becoming popular now, these save-the-dates invites are in. Apparently, this California pair has thought that run along this line: the couple that slays together, stays together..

Really, the marauding zombie in these amazing engagement photos was utterly funny!

I So Love This!

I am so happy to know that I have been given this award April this year.

Now I know how to be in Oscars.

I want to thank Buzzlightyear for giving me this honor. It was very kind of you.

As a rule, if you receive it you have to:

• thank the blogger who sends you the award and add a link to her/his blog

• write 7 random things about yourself

• give the award to other bloggers you love and tell them.

Please visit Buzz Lightyear’s blog site here

And for some stuff about me, not only 7 but see my bucketlist of what I am and what I am not.

Lastly, I am passing this award to the following:

Between You And Me

Black Swamp Cornucopia

My Life’s Journey

Pinay Daily Ramblings

Ropcorn.com

Tabulyogang

Unrivalled Solace

You all deserve it!

What Is In Your Relationship Agreement?

It got me thinking: would that really translate to real life? Could you really take something so intangible like love and put neat little parameters around it? Nothing sort of Prenup,you know, that legal agreement entered into before marriage but more like some relationship do’s and don’ts. Although this would somehow take some degree of spontaneity and naturalness away from the couple but writing down expectations can be cute in a way. For some people.

But not knowing better, Albert Einstein made one too. He wrote it when his marriage about to end and realizing there was no hope for their relationship on a romantic level, he proposed that they remain together based on the following conditions. To his wife he said:

A. You will make sure that my clothes and laundry are kept in good order; that I will receive my three meals regularly in my room; that my bedroom and study are kept neat, and especially that my desk is left for my use only. B. You will renounce all personal relations with me insofar as they are not completely necessary for social reasons. Specifically, You will forego my sitting at home with you; my going out or travelling with you. C.You will obey the following points in your relations with me you will not expect any intimacy from me, nor will you reproach me in any way; you will stop talking to me if I request it; you will leave my bedroom or study immediately without protest if I request it. D. You will undertake not to belittle me in front of our children, either through words or behavior.

Apparently, they still divorced in 1919. Einstein isn’t genius at all when it comes to love situations.

So tell me, friends, do you think a Relationship Agreement is unrealistic in real life? Would it even work? What sorts of things would you include in your list? Do you think men and women would put different things at the top of their lists?

The Thing That Scares Us At Night

It was very patchy. At first, it would start out sounding like coffee percolating. Up and down and then somewhere in the middle, it started to sound like a deflating balloon when you squeeze out of all of the air. And finally, it started to taper off after the motorboat period, which is probably self explanatory. Sometimes it would go straight from percolating coffee to motorboat, then to deflating balloon, then back to motorboat..

This is the sound of Hub’s migraine-inducing snoring at night. The kind where I would literally kick shake him to wake up. I don’t know. Thought he was convulsing or having heart attack or something. The snoring became so boisterous one night I thought there was an airplane that crash landed in front of the house. And if that’s my lucky night, he would stand straight up and ask some thing. This would go on for two seconds, and with a zombie-like look, he would sigh and fall right back to sleep.

But for some reason, his snoring doesn’t really and seriously piss me off. Because I too do somniloquy. I don’t only sleep talk, I also sleep walk. In fact one night Hubs told I was giving him instruction. When he asked me what I was doing I replied by making some kind of unholy snarling and grumbling. He almost called a priest to check if I was possessed, but later concluded that I was just sleep talking.

The reason that I chose to talk about this today is because it was Hubs birthday last week. I almost feel some shame in it but I thought to share with you guys how amazing we are as a couple. Don’t you think so?

Happy Birthday, Hubs!

Mom Moments

My kids, 8 and 3, are still too young to surprise me with gifts. Last February my son gave me what looks more like a Philippine map than a valentine card. But I couldn’t be happier. To others who can’t relate to that, don’t try it’s an entirely emotional reaction. Somehow this motherhood experience alters my opinions, judgments and looks at life in general. And many times mothers were so consumed by the busy-ness of the day that they don't realize their strengths were running dry and souls slowly depleting. So allow me to both declare and explain:

As mothers..

• We often forget things not because of early Alzheimer but because we multi-task. There’s a whole lot going on in our mind that’s we ask if evolution really works, how come we only have two hands?

• We must hold the television remote control in our hands while we watch TV. If the thing has been misplaced, we’ll miss a whole cooking show looking for it, though one time we were able to survive by holding a calculator.

• We should not be expected to memorize all the isles of grocery stores. There are only two isles I can go to even with eyes closed: milk and diapers. Other than that I am also clueless to find exotic items like “Cumin” or “Tofu.” For all I know these are the same thing.

• You don’t have to ask me if we liked the movie. Chances are, if you see us crying at the end of it, it sure was.

• We think what we are wearing is fine. But we need to be told that our shoes, belt or hair is fine. And off we go change for another full hour. Without doing it, we don’t feel fine.

• Mothers need other moms, their own and friends - cheerleaders who journey with us.

• We all have our moments, good and bad and many that can't be labeled as either - just life!

Sunken Mama

If anything, pregnancy can be a woman’s best and worst experience ever. Your bowels become crowded and your digestion may become more erratic, leaving you gassy and bloated all the time. You are forever with legs and lower back pains, and whenever you sneeze you pee as well.

But then I came across something: these awesome pregnancy photos. Just how amazing this expecting mommy is! She is in her ninth month when these pictures were taken. Fighting the gravity is one thing, but her graceful poses and artful expressions is another. You look at her, she's like a piece of art.

Do you have any favorite photo when you were pregnant? May be we can share. Thanks!

On Mother's Day

I thought these mother and child photos are great. I look at them and some kind of feelings comes to the surface. If only we could stop the time and be with them all our lives. No growing old, no sickness, no death. And this is why having one day a year paying tribute to mothers may be a noteworthy thing to do. But it is my belief and conviction that mothers deserve more credit than that. They deserve a lifetime of honor and recognition.

One mother can take care of ten children, but ten children can’t take care of one mother. – Proverb

The Gateway Arch Kind of Love

You should admit, ladies, that we still want to be swooned by our man right? Everyday we desire to be reminded that we are their mi amore. You know those moments where we are assured that even if we get more fleshy on the side, we are still the person they spotted among the crowd as the most attractive, most interesting, most beautiful, and the only one who can complete their dreams. Oh how marriage has become so fragile now a days. Show me marital break ups and I’ll show you a soap dish. Here’s my two cents: marriage need more than just meeting physical needs. It also thrives on the couples continuous support and encouragement, seen daily in actions, and reassured by spoken love and admiration.

Take the case of Eero Saarinen. In 1954, he wrote his wife, Aline, 13-point breakdown of what he sees best in her. Even if I know that these are hard to take as all truths, still his words speak nothing but love and undying devotion. Here it is:

{Eero Saarinen, A late US architect who designed The Greatway Arch.}

The Truth About Zumba

Remember I said I feel like this:

But I look more like this:

I. Don't. Care

Zumba is fun!

[reposted from The Gift of Fat]

When is Giving Up Better?

I once thought that if I did the right things and made what I deemed to be the best choices – then life would be rosy and peaceful.

But we all look for little diversion in life right? and before we know it life becomes so busy, the real schedules demand more than we can give and many of our grand plans get lost in the shuffle. It's hard to remember that for all the activities we add, something must be removed - even if it's something that we all look forward to every week.

My extra-curricular activities are in full swing, church commitments require more time and of course my oh-so-wonderful(but-oh-so-consuming) kids need more than food and toys. They need you even if all you do is play hide and seek all afternoon. Even if I am itching to do something else, that need to wait. Aside from day job, I also have a sideline that eats also a lot of my time so other things are falling through the cracks: mainly housework, self-care and even time with friends. I thought these just need to wait but what I'm realizing is that it's now catching up to me. Around the house you see:

• Laundry that need to fold

• Ceilings, walls, and tops that need scrubbing and serious cleaning

• Toilet bowls that stinks and smells and need to sanitize

And a dozen of other house projects. My other secondary activities that require me to be out of the house, also take me away from completing these. Although they are not urgent but they definitely need results. These are just examples, but they can be applied to almost every situation.

I have no magical solutions, but writing out the list helps me know what needs to be worked on. This weekend I plan to try and catch up and be more proactive. Then I can determine which adjustments need to be made. A few thoughts are:

• Plan ahead as much as possible- see what needs the most importance.

• Delegate the task- discuss and share the house loads with husband and kids but don’t be a push over.

• Be ready to flexible- set for last minute interruptions, delays or changes but pursue on finishing the task.

Maybe you have other ways of catching up with the million chores and things to do inside the house. Let's talk about it, shall we?