Living My Passion

Here's a wonderful photo blog of Joanne, a 57-year old lady from Northern California who's very passionate about photography and in capturing photographs depicting the beauty of nature -- "Living My Passion"

The End

        It's "The End".

        But it's not what you think.  It's not the end of my blogging.  It's not the end of the world.  It's not the end of everything.  And it's not (yet) the end of President GMA's term.

        It's simply the end... of the month of August!

        Yipee!  Now it's September, the start of another wonderful month and another month of journey in life.  Firstly, it's now the start of the "brrrrrrr" season so it will now be increasingly difficult to wake up and take a bath very early in the morning.

        Of course there's more to expect this September, so here's another one of my "lists":

• Baguio "Kafagway" City will celebrate its Charter Day on September 1.


• My high school will celebrate its foundation week on the first week of September.


• The monsoon season (along with the rains and the floods) is nearing its end.


• The cool weather is just perfect for riding around in my motorbike


• The cool weather is also perfect for running and jogging outdoors (at the Fort, complete with the early morning "Aerobicise" with some young and old folks and with some Army men).


• September 10 is the day some friends will be "recognized" at the Philippine International Convention Center for their outstanding accomplishments in the field of life-changing business leadership.


• Grandparent's Day will be celebrated on September 11.


• Many people's fantasies and dreams will be realized when Hong Kong Disneyland opens its gates on September 12.


• September 17 is the day I will be "recognized" in another event at the Hyatt Regency Manila for "some worthwhile endeavor" :-)


• Many friends will be celebrating their birthdays this month... Happy Birthday to all of you!  You are definitely another year older (and wiser)!

Ah, September... I'm very raring to go!

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Do you remember the 21st night of september?
Love was changing the minds of pretenders
While chasing the clouds away

Our hearts were ringing
In the key that our souls were singing.
As we danced in the night,
Remember how the stars stole the night away

Baaaadeeeeyaaaa - say do you remember
Baaaadeeeeyaaaa - dancing in september
Baaaadeeeeyaaaa - never was a cloudy day...

Patience

"Never think that God's delays are God's denials. Hold on; hold fast; hold out. Patience is genius. Patient waiting is often the highest way of doing God's will."

Victory for the Geeks

Finally! The forward-looking National Telecommunications Commission has issued Memorandum Circular 05-08-2005 classifying Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP for short) as a value added service.

After years of protracted battle with the Telcos, the Internet Service Providers and other Value Added Service Providers have secured victory over the Telco companies for the provision of VoIP to the public.

Expect, however, that we haven't heard yet the last from the Telcos. But for the meantime, let's bring out the champagne glasses and celebrate!

Fuel prices will continue to go up but long distance charges (International and Domestic Direct Distance Dialing) will definitely go down as a result of the commercialization of VoIP services.

Praying by Texting

Technology indeed provides many "conveniences"... Filipinos can now send their prayer petitions via a simple text message.

Article from the Taipei Times: "Filipinos pray for love, money via SMS".

The Abridged Script - Star Wars III

Can't get enough of Star Wars?

If the pirated version of Star War Episode III - The Backstroke of the West was a killer, this abridged script will definitely turn the tables upside down.
   

STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH: THE ABRIDGED SCRIPT

And while you're there, you may want to check out the Lord of the Rings Trilogy also:

• The Fellowship of the Ring and its "bitin" ending.

• The Two Towers and the talking trees.

• The Return of the King and the witch king's death.

Definitely hilariously and sickeningly funny! 

A Wise Investment

        I walked/ran 5 km. today in 40 minutes.  It's nothing really to be proud of but it's a good personal achievement on my part -- I know I'll do better next time.

                1st km - brisk walking
                2nd km - running (until I was starting to run out of breath)
                3rd km - cool down/moderate walking
                4th km - running again (pulse rate going up to 180bpm. whew!)
                5th km - slow walking and cooling down

        My heart was telling me to stop during those running intervals, "stop! stop!  can't you hear i'm going too fast already?  i can't take it anymore".  But I kept saying "kaya mo yan, kaya mo yan, one kilometer lang saka tayo mag slow-down (you can do it! you can do it! just one kilometer and then we'll slow down)".  I won :-)

        Now I'm tired and my muscles are sore.  I'll probably snore loud enough tonight for the neighbor's dog to hear me when I sleep, but for sure I'll wake up feeling rested, energized and very much alive.

        Ahhhh! The benefits of exercise... just a few minutes of "investment" each day that will definitely reap many "dividends" in the future.

        To good health and long life!  :-)

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"Motivation is what gets you started.  Habit is what keeps you going."

I've Learned...

Taken from a very looooooong list... I'm writing the ones that are relevant:

I've learned...

• That life is tough, but I'm tougher. 

• That just one person saying to me, "You've made my day!" makes my day.  ("Thank you" will do nicely, too)

• That being kind is more important than being right.

• That when you're in love, it shows.  (ehe... pimples???)

• That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.

• That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

• That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.  (not a heart to hold and a hand to understand)

• That simple walks with my father around the park when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

• That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

• That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.  (but He gives us something better)

• That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

• That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.  (I should know... I have a "hard" shell, too, hehehe)

• That the Lord didn't do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?  (and He also rested after 6 days of work)

• That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

• That love, not time, heals all wounds. 

• That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss. (I'm waiting...)

• That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

• That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.  (and they really don't taste as sweet)

• That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. (Smiling is contagious, too!)

• That I can't choose how I feel, but I can choose what I do about it.

• That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.  (like climbing my Mt. Everest)

• That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.  (but not really cramming)

• That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.  (and if you're my friend, you're definitely smarter than I am)

• That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them. (ahhhh...)

• That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.  (Right! Just look at my main pic)

 

After all... that's LIFE!  :)

Jacky Chan's Success Secret

Quotes from Jacky Chan:

When I face failure, I always tell myself "I'M NOT FAILING. I JUST HAVEN'T SUCCEEDED YET."

I always want to prove that I can. I never want to face failure; I'll persevere until I make it

The key to success is learning from your mistakes.

Attitude Check

        I'm a person who likes to tease people and situations a lot (in a fun, joking way of course... nothing really serious).  Insecure maybe?  Or arrogant?  Or maybe I'm just being my playful self?  I know I may be enjoying it but others may not.

        (But hey... for the other "others" who seem to enjoy and lap up my every statement, even if they are the target of my teasing -- you are a rare breed indeed.  Thank you! You are indeed a bunch of nice people.  Bow wow wow to you!)

        So here's a change...  I don't need to wait for New Year's Eve to make a resolution.  I'll start now...

        "I will pay out five sincere compliments each day."

        Hmmm... This must be painfully boring for me, but let's see.  Poke me in the ribs if you catch me back to my "old" ways, will ya?

        I appreciate you!  :P