Holiday Bug

Happy Friday and Happy Holidays again to you all, my dear friends. Here's to a wonderfully relaxing weekend of peace and joy spent with family and friends. I'm sending you giant hug through the computer. Can you feel it? I'll be eating lots of sweets this weekend and watching Twilight movies (I haven't seen yet Breaking Dawn Part 2...).

And in case you did not get the gifts you wished, or your plans failed, or found that the long vacation is really more tiring than relaxing, remember to:



Remember that what comes around, goes around. Okay?

I ♥ You One and All!

Well friends, here we are- one day past Christmas 2012. Really, where does the time go? It seems like it was only last year. Does time go fast wherever you are?

We are now back home. We were at my in-laws Christmas eve and my son remarked that he had few gifts only. Actually its shaping up to be a rather bittersweet Christmas for us this year. We`re still getting over our debts. I worked out this plan of paying all our arrears and never to use, charged any purchases to credit cards. You know those pesky cards? And using our present money means no frequent shopping, no movies, no travel. Don't get me wrong. I've not completely gone grinch  -- let's just say I've mastered the art of thrifting, and my catchphrase has become, "it’s the thought that counts” when buying gifts.

And I won. I have never charged anything to credit. I paid cash up to the last centavo. And it was good.  I did not make any major purchases but I`m quite sure things can wait.

So to all my friends, almost friends, and far from being friend.

To my silent readers, the excellent followers and people who appreciated my humor, sentiments, and fears that are all over Thinking Outloud. I am so grateful that you've welcomed my little blog into your life with such open arms. I wouldn't want anyone else sharing this amazing adventure with me, so THANK YOU!!!!

To my friend Margj, who did not only lend me her loyalty but also her generosity all the way down to my family.

Here’s to the merriest season and the coming of a new brilliant year and the eating of too much sweets, slash chocolate slash fruit cake

I hope you have a wonderful holiday, wherever you are.

P.S. Dear Zumba, lets meet again when Ì`m ready, okay?

It's Almost Christmas, People!

                         I thought I want to share this with you, my friends.
                
                      Have a Blessed Christmas and by the way…..the world will not end today. 
                      It is just the beginning of another beautiful life ahead.

Getting Through Christmas

{The breaking news started midmorning. Elementary school. 20 kids shot. Five was the youngest. Teachers killed. I broke down. All those children. So, in honor of the kids who passed away, ten days short of Christmas, I give this poem. I imagine them all excited for the holidays, telling what they want to have under the tree. }
Dear Santa

Dear Santa, here's my Christmas list. I hope you'll bring it all. I've only asked for gifts my parents can't find at the mall.

I'd like to have a UFO, with aliens inside, and maybe a Tyrannosaurus Rex that I could ride.

A ninety-nine foot robot is a present I could use. I'll also need a time machine, and rocket-powered shoes.

Please bring a gentle genie who will grant my every wish, and don't forget a wizard's wand, and, yes, a talking fish.

Of course, I'll need a unicorn, and won't you please provide a dragon, and a castle in the English countryside.

Of course, the weight of all these things might cause your sleigh to crash. If that's the case, dear Santa, just make my growing up years, cheery and bright!

Ana Marquez-Greene, 6

Jesse Lewis, 6.

Emilie Parker, 6

James Mattioli, Jessixa Rekos, both 6

Noah Posner, 5.

Olivia Engel, 5

Dylan Hockley, 5

Daniel Barden, 5

"The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn't been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him."--Paolo Casals

If You Don’t Know Then You’ll Never Understand

While many of you cram to look for soft and hairy, or excited to dance Gangnam Style at your office Christmas parties, you are lucky, people!

We don’t have Christmas party.

So contrary to the year after last year where we are asked to dress up like in the 70’s like you see in the picture below.

I miss this psychedelic, spotted, Gina silk costume already. You see, I don’t mind wearing shower curtain some days.

The pleasant feeling stays and the memories linger even after so many years. I now enjoy parties, which I don’t when I was a kid. I was embarrassed at the time but luckily I outgrew being self-conscious of my klutziness and find it hilarious now.

Parties bring people together, in one room, eating and drinking, and sharing stories that never end. My officemates still laugh when they remember my legs wrapped in fishnet stocking looking like a Chinese Ham. But despite of all the shame of looking like K-Pop star gone mad, I enjoyed every minute of it.

Not that I take pleasure in being laughed at. I am just so “game” for anything fun. Clean fun, though. I have realized that sometimes you got to seize the moment and have a good time. That instead of clamming up in one corner, why not mix with people, enjoy their company and tick each other’s funny bones.

But then I realized, its not only parties, not even food and drinks that bring people together. It’s really more the friendship and closeness that build up throughout all of the years of working together.

So with or without office parties?

It's the time to make your own party.

With some of your nicest officemates, few burgers and fries, and a Magic Sing? BOOM!

=====

*Okay, may be it’s not that bad. Many government agencies have also called off their Christmas parties this year.

• The Office of the President

• The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council

• Armed Forces of the Philippines

• Philippine National Police

• Department of Education, Culture and Sports

They are donating the funds to assistance for victims of typhoon “Pablo.”

Pound for Pound

What do you get when you cross Mujammad Ali, Slyvester Stallone and Bruce Lee?

Manny Pacquiao.

Funny, his name pronounced like a comic-book sound effect: pack-ee-ow!. But in his 6 pack abs lies the strength of steel, which made him a pound for pound boxer of his time. Slightly less than half the national population of 90 million would be dying to watch his fight with Juan Manuel Marquez tomorrow, their 3rd match in a row.

So have your fill of fun and excitements, of oohs and ahhs. Let your jaw drop to the floor and yell if you must. Who will care?

Quick Stats:

*the first boxer ever to win seven world titles in as many weight divisions

*the first athlete ever to appear on a Philippine postage stamp

*a man who in 2008 portrayed the Philippine warrior Lapu-Lapu, whose forces killed Magellan and repelled his conquistadores, in a reenactment of the 1521 Battle of Mactan

*a man who often survives on three hours' sleep

*a man who halted his cockfight business, closed his nightclubs, and stopped his foray for baccarat, because of a change of heart

So, friends, the million-dollar question: Which team are you?

The Quiet Place Project

I woke up pre-menstrual and I hate this feeling. It makes me feel fat and ugly.

But yay! I came across this website and I will feel doubly bad if I will not share this with you guys. I like it because it will prompt you to be a little bit more introspective, especially when you’re in a little sullen mood like I do. This will help you realize that everything can wait. You don’t need a wee bit of sound if all you’re crying for is some quiet time.

Relax

Don’t worry this is not the thing that scare the crap out of you.

See my answers.

The Dreams Room. It will urge you to what really drives and burdens your heart.

.The Thoughts Room. Pour out your heart , fill the text box to the brim. Don’t worry, it’s a secret.

The Comfort Spot. Let’s talk deeper about what makes you feel the strongest, and the deepest too.

The Quiet Place. Silence is a breeze. After all, it is what you really want. Isn't it?

90 Seconds Relaxation Exercises. It will challenge you to spend a bit fraction of your time doing nothing, but just to relax.

How’s that? May be you can try it too and we can exchange our experiences.