Maligayang Bati

11.29.2004
Today is my birthday. Happy birthday to me!
Though i see my birthday as a mark for me to look forward to another year... so i would rather refer to it as MY HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Looking back at my past year, i must say 2004 has poured me with so much blessings.

Family: Yes, we just moved to a new house and it was a family project. I can't say we have totally settled in but the process made us more attached to each other. :)

Career: Just a few months back, i got promoted. Yes, I sort of expected to be promoted having stayed in the company for more than a year. But just the same, promotion is still promotion. :)

Lovelife: This year has had nascar-rally-dirt road-rocky type of zigzags, crosses, u-turns and bumps but it still made it to the finish line with flying colors anyhow. :)

Social: Beside from the fact that all my friends are still my friends now. I was also able to find old and new friends, from all walks of my life. :)

Travel: Yes, i was able to travel to places this year. Some are from my company's pocket and some from my own. Nevertheless, I saw a lot of different cultures this year. I feel blessed i had the opportunity. :)

These were just few of the millions of blessings i got this year. All have been appreciated- from the smallest to the grandest- ALL OF IT!

I PRAISE GOD for all the trials, the failures, and the successes i had this year. I will look forward to another year ahead.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~
I don't really care what my age is anymore. I just enjoy my days and count my blessings on the way.

Muse

Definition:
To be absorbed in one's thoughts; engage in meditation.
A guiding spirit.
A source of inspiration.

When i was younger, all i know about muses is that they're supposed to be pretty - the cheerleader type of girls. They are supposed to look like goddesses on earth whom every guy would fall for.

But an episode of "Charmed" made me realize what MUSES are. Yes, they are sort of goddesses on earth, but they come beyond physical. In fact, we don't see them. We just feel them. More like guardian angels.

Muses come on times when we need passion with what we do. They give us inspiration to think beyond our limits.

They give us music in silence, flashflooding poems in our minds, and an instant telescope to give us a clearer view of what's ahead.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~
Wouldn't it feel like heaven to be someone's muse?
I'll let you know when i know.

me and my shoes

first time to walk on snow

“You must always wear the best shoes for these shoes will take you to different places”

All my life, I have always been an ordinary girl, not really into those material stuffs. I was just the typical girl – the “wash and wear” type of girl. Very low maintenance. Unlike the other girls I know, I didn’t have lots of clothes, nor accessories, nor makeup, nor lots of shoes. I didn’t feel a need to have too much of those anyway.

As the above saying implies, quantity doesn’t really matter. What matters is the quality. When it comes to shoes, what matters most is the COMFORT that you get from it. Second is the beauty. No. Let me correct that, second criteria is the affordability, then the beauty. This is always how I buy my things especially with shoes.

Most of the time though, I tend to forget that the price really doesn’t matter. What matters is that you know it is the one you’re looking for. It doesn’t really matter if your shoes don’t look grand or too hip. What matters is if it will be able to sustain you for the future walks, runs, travels. What matters is if will be able to stay with you and protect your feet, whatever it may encounter. What matters is you will be able to go and enjoy places not having to worry if your shoes would still be there at the end of your adventure. What matters is that your feet would hurt from too much traveling and not from shoe sores.

Your shoe will be taking you to places you wouldn’t even expect you’d go to. So always wear your shoes right and be ready for the adventures that you and your shoes will share.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~
I take pictures of my feet when i go to new places. I love to travel for I can let my eyes
feast on new pictures of life.

Sa MRT

Sa MRT, lahat ng bagay puwede malukot... pati na ang mukha mo!

Everyday I leave our house looking fresh, feeling good, with clothes neatly ironed, my shoes polished, my hair beautifully combed, with a smile...

(But our Metro Rail Transit has the ability to make all of these vanish in just a few minutes. Thanks to the poor management of transportation in this country!)

... But everyday I arrive in office looking harassed, with clothes crumpled on unexpected places, with shoes having marks of other's shoe soles, with hair all over my face, and most dominantly, with a face not so happy.

unnoticed beauty

Everyday, between 6-7 AM, I go through the hustle and bustle of Metro Manila's rush hour just to hope that I (and sometimes, miraculously i do!) arrive in office at 8 AM.

One hot day as the jeepney I was in was knitting its way across the crawling traffic, i came to notice that the traffic along Commonwealth avenue was caused by the sidewalk "market" that has crowded the huge streets. This was the Tandang Sora area, just beside the creek. You would never fail to have a look as you would notice the traffic gets really slow, the morning breeze suddenly gets humid, the smell was of rotten garbage, and the people are all over the road.As i was 'observing' the area, I noticed a lot of colors, the colors of the vegetables, the fruits, the clothes, the watches, the accessories, all things possible... they were all laid down on a mat - waiting for a buyer and more ready to absorb all the pollution as well.

But as I continue to look into the area (while the jeepney still trying to crawl in and out of it), my eye got stuck into this simple stall... a stall of fresh flowers! Oh yes I was happy that finally I was able to see something refreshing amongst the "polluted colors." It was like the world took a slow motion, everything else became a blur and though I don't have 20-20 vision, I did see the flowers very clearly. They were a combination of Malaysian Mums and Roses each kind and color bundled by an old newspaper and was sitting on green plastic trash cans used as buckets.
A few moments after, we got out of the market area. I felt the morning breeze again, smelled fresh air, and a road free of people.

Once again I have survived the "rotten" area, but this time, I am looking forward to another day of passing by.

:)

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~
Funny how we find beautiful pieces of life in the dirtiest places.
Maybe it's God's simple signs that He is always sitting there, amongst the ugliest situations, waiting for someone to notice.