Joyeux Noël

"The best of all gifts around the Christmas tree: the presence of a family all wrapped up in each other"- Burton Hills

MERRY CHRISTMAS BLOGGOSPHERE! MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS US ALWAYS AND LET'S ALL REALIZE THAT THIS IS THE SEASON OF GIVING, LOVE & COMPASSION (NOT JUST THIS TIME OF YEAR BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE EVERYDAY LIKE THAT TOO) SORRY FOR ME TYPING ALL CAPS. GREETINGS FROM THIS SIDE OF THE WORLD TO YOU!

Bring us back to happy Christmas days.

I have not imagined waiting for Christmas to be this lonely. I admit, I'm looking forward to Christmas, because apparently, the one we're having this year is a white one. I have to say that I REALLY (and I mean that in the most striking way) miss spending Christmas in the Philippines...Im not just saying that because I haven't spent one here but I know myself, and what I want is a Pinoy Christmas. Bring us back, please?

By this time of year, we're already shopping over at Divisoria, or maybe at some mall that has pretty much a holiday sale...even though the prices are still high, it's perfectly fine because we know that after that, money will go back. By this time of year, I'm pretty sure I'm already getting excited for Christmas, it's wasn't like because I'm gonna get presents and whatnot but it's because the Holidays are always that time of the year where everyone needs to be happy. Did I mention my grandmother celebrates her birthday same as the Lord Jesus Christ? I never thought I'd be this sensitive about this matter.

Next year maybe? I'm not sure. Please Lord, give us all the means to make that wish of mine happen.

Gleek out.

Ok, I know I didn't go with all the hype it had last year because I thought it was just PLAIN CHEESY. But then, for some reason, I turned back on my non-conformist personality to actually enjoy a good time that each episode of Glee brings! I never thought I would be THIS hooked to a show, like 90210 and Magkaribal but there's just something about this show that could bring out my inner rock star.

P.S- I tell you, brace yourselves for the comeback- because I will post things that I have missed.

On the verge of forgetting.

I apologize for forgetting that I have a blogger blog! I admit, I had writer’s block for like half a year- and there are reasons for that.

I was so uninspired for a long time, probably because I became work-absorbed, I miss my family back home, I miss my friends, and I think I hit a wall or something. Don't take that literally.

I’ve been keeping a notebook though…take a look what’s inside and you’ll find nothing in there, for real! Now I know that I’ve got to write more, even tho I dont read a lot of books/newspapers, it’s a way to release all my emotions.

Picture spam- Summer Inspirations

Haven't been blogging lately. I've been preoccupied with this thing called work, haha. Anyway just wanna let u know that we have moved to an apartment already! It's cozy and I know it's enough for us. Thank God for this.

Why don't I post something cool? Alrighty. Since it's summer in this side of the world, here are some summery photos.

I MISS LOTS OF STUFF.

Here's a list man, brace yourselves.

• I miss my nanay and lola (grandmoms) and everyone back home. Hope they're safe and ok.
  
• I miss my friends.
  
• I miss riding the LRT.
• I miss riding jeepneys.
• I miss walking at thatwobbly EDSA Taft bridge.
• I miss our house.
• I miss doing radio- or even listening to Philippine radio stations.
• I miss those tiny bits of inspiration from celebrities. Makes sense?
• I miss Thea.
• I miss going to SM Manila with no money in my pocket. Broke ass.
  
• I miss some things that I NEVER HAD, and people I'VE NEVER MET.

Caught up.

I promised myself that I will blog so here you go.

411? Okay so my big fat baby brother (whom I love dearly to the utmost) just went to summer camp, it's gonna be until August 15. I am not happy about that at all, but the thing is, he's gonna earn money out of it, because he's gonna work! It will pay off big time I tell you. He's with my uncle, I hope they both get along great though. I DON'T EVER WANT HIM TO GO THERE AGAIN.

Work? Ummm, it's fine, it's not like I have a problem with it but since we're moving out the house to an apartment, might as well tell my supervisor that I kind of need some adjustments with my shifts. I pray to God that she won't have a problem w/ it or anything.

How's life? Social life you mean or just life? I DON'T HAVE A SOCIAL LIFE. I'm fine with that, but I know I gotta make friends. I've been thinking about it lately. I know it's great, it will soon be better once we finally establish:)

The whole race thing.

The race thing is...when you do something offensive (or anything close to that) to someone who's not part of your own, it can be voluntary or most times not intended.

I have to admit, I've been hearing a lot of people trashing other races, and now that we're in a country of mixed people, it kind of makes me think about if those people who make criticisms are aware that it's actually a form of harassment. It's impossible to ignore because we all have our won views/judgments of everyone. When someone does that, I actually feel bad because sometimes I form my own judgments of everyone.

I will never EVER in my life treat someone badly because they're of a different race. I guess my senses came to me just now.

“Lukewarm acceptance is more bewildering than outright rejection.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

My first legit job.

Tim Horton's Saves the Day, originally uploaded by VancityAllie.

So you see I got myself a job already. Thank God. I now work at a coffee shop called Tim Horton's! I started just this Monday and I gotta say, it's one heck of a job! Thought it was easy breezy but of course, we know for a fact that there's no easy job. I can tell you fo sure, once I get the hang of everything that I need to do, I will be awesome. Just not yet right now, cause I just started:) Now I got to practice more of my listening skills, since i am not yet used to people talking fast on a daily basis. Well, I'll get there. I just hope all of this is worth it.

When you go to an interview downtown.

this is my kind of urbaN., originally uploaded by cjdlaron.

You must be 3 hours early. You must brace yourself for the slow pace of the vehicles. You must wear a mask when you ask people for directions. You must have a handkerchief with you in case your hands get sweaty. You must have faith in God and in yourself that you will get that job.

Oh, hey there. I went to an interview today! It was good, the sights are even better downtown mind you. I wish we get a place somewhere around here so transpo wouldn't be so much of a problem. Wish me luck for the interview. I need it.

American Idol 2010- TOP 20 Best Performances

These are based on my opinion. To each his own.

1. You’re Still The One- Lee Dewyze (Top 6)
2. Rhiannon- Didi Benami (Top 16)
3. People Get Ready- Crystal Bowersox (Top 7)
4. This Woman’s Work- Michael Lynche (Top 16)
5. The Boxer- Lee Dewyze (Top 7)
6. When You Believe- Siobhan Magnus (Top 7)
7. Think- Siobhan Magnus (Top 20)
8. Can’t Help Falling In Love- Tim Urban (Top 9)
9. Don’t- Casey James (Top 6)
10. All Right Now- Paige Miles (Top 24)
11. You’ve Got A Way- Aaron Kelly (Top 6)
12. The Story- Lacey Brown (Top 16)
13. Play With Fire- Didi Benami (Top 12)
14. Big Girls Don’t Cry- Katie Stevens (Top 11)
15. Hallelujah- Lee Dewyze (Top 3)
16. All My Loving- Tim Urban (Top 9)
17. Let It Be- Katie Stevens (Top 9)
18. As Long As I Can See The Light- Crystal Bowersox (Top 20)
19. Any Man of Mine- Siobhan Magnus (Top 6)
20. Fireflies- Lee Dewyze (Top 16)

Every breath we take (Repost)

This was written by an 83-year-old woman to her friend. *The last line says it all. *

Dear Bertha,

I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting in the yard and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time working. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experiences to savor, not to endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them. I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, or the first Amaryllis blossom. I wear my good blazer to the market. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties, but wearing it for clerks in the hardware store and tellers at the bank."Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. I'm not sure what others would've done had they known they wouldn't be here for the tomorrow that we all take for granted. I think they would have called family members and a few close friends. They might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think they would have gone out for a Chinese dinner or for whatever their favorite food was. I'm guessing; I'll never know.
It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew my hours were limited. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and parents often enough how much I truly love them. I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, tell myself that it is special.

Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God.

Postnote- I reflected on this and I'm like "wow". We're all caught up with our daily grind and most of us don't even take time to thank Him for every bit of what we have right now. I'm just putting this out there, I really am thankful of all the things He gave to us, I hope one day I'll give back.

Filipino Hospitality

So lately we’ve been meeting Filipinos around this area (and other farther places), and I’d just like to put this out there, nothing beats the welcome and the hospitality these people have been showing to us, I mean, it’s common to see people of your own race every now and then but the interesting thing is you get to talk to them and they share their experiences, and you hear their stories and it makes you want to work hard because you get inspiration from them. I just want to thank those people who we met and who extended their hands to us, helping us in their own little way. God bless you Filipinos.

This is why I love being a Filipino.

I refuse to be bored now.

3 weeks and 2 days in and guess what? I'm bored out of my mind. Not that I'm complaining or ranting or anything but you know, it's just the way I feel right now. I'm bored and I don't have anything to do except for waking up in the morning, then breakfast, then sleep some more, probably listen to the radio or use the computer (the thing is, I'm not allowed to exceed 2 hours) and then what the heck, lunchtime, then either I wash the dishes or wipe the table and then back to more procrastinating...then it's already 4pm! I wish I could like find something else to do other than just boring myself to insanity (i.e. part-time job). It is really true, it's kind of boring over here. I wouldn't mind if we're in the city, I could go around and like hop to places but we're actually here in a small town hours away from the business district. I wish that all of us get a job already (that's not very demanding) and yeah move out and find a place near downtown so we could start with what we have already. I'm really praying to God. I don't live my life on routine like some do.

Another town, another everything.

Picture originally uploaded by cjdlaron.

Sorry it took me more than a month to blog again here, but yeah whatever. I just wanna tell you that we're already here (in the picture) figure out where that is and I'll congratulate you hahaha. Anyway, I'm just thanking God for everything, I know He's got a lot in store for our family, great things specifically. I have faith in Him and in all of us.

I'm just looking forward ^_^

Precious, Crazy Heart, The Other End Of The Line.

For the longest time I have been binging on DVDs (fake ones) and I really want to watch a lot of latest movies, but for now I have seen these 3. Here are my insights.

Precious- this was one heck of a movie. Award-winning indeed and lots of great singers (actors rather) here. Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz are here plus Paula Patton (I love her) and of course the lead roles, Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'nique proved a lot. I love the story and even though were lots of cuss words, I still got the message.

Crazy Heart- when I saw the trailer, I thought it was fantastic but then I wasn't able to watch it in theatres. I didn't get some details because the audio wasn't that clear but then I thought it had a great storyline.

The Other End Of The Line- I thought this was gonna be pretty boring but man, it had such a chick flick-y feel to it and the cultural touch to this movie was pretty good. I have seen lots of movies that have the same conflict but this one really entertained me.

I will have the chance to watch lots of movies soon:)

The Beach.

I've always loved the beach. Everything about a beach makes me feel so calm and as if I'm in a good place. The sand, the waves, the people, the sunrise and the sunset, it's giving me peace of mind at the time being I was there. It was fun revisiting a beach for the Holy Week vacation, I went with the family to San Fabian, Pangasinan...the beach there was you know, kind of crowded but it was perfectly where I wanted to go to. I braced the waves, the salty water, even stepped on some creepy crawlies (I was squealing inside tell u what) while walking. I also walked by the shore at night, even though it was pretty dark, and the view was amazzzzzzzing. For the first time in a very long time I was able to go to the beach:) Thank you God.

Sunrise was awesome and I swam again for the last time, then we we went home afterwards, it was such a long drive home- probably 6 to 7 hours, but it was worth it cause I was with the family.

Sexuality.

Ok seriously speaking, I don't think I'll ever be open to dating both sexes, that means I'd only be able to go for girls. But that's not how I want it to be, cause in the world that I live in, when someone dates a person of the same gender, they instantly get bashed or talked about but are we really those kind of people? I don't think so. We should not care about what other people think of our preferences cause if we do, then we choose to live through others' opinions thus not having a chance to be happy.

I'll give you an example, you're a guy who dates girls all the time and you realize that all the girls you date don't wanna take it to the next level, just casual flings...and then you share a drink with your guy best friend, then things turn to "yo, dude" to "dude, just one night please?", you engage in such activity that made you think over things, then you wake up next day feeling awesome, then things turn to something you're looking forward to. You found love. You then tell other people about this new thing, they judge you for it, you suddenly feel like it's "us against the world". What do you do? Same goes for girls who are in the same situation.

That's just one of the many things I wonder about. Since I don't know who I really am, I want to get a dose of it to find out.

from Andee.

Apparently I havent told Andee, one of my SOJ friends that we're leaving...she said I was an ass for not telling her. I feel like one now! But this effort made me smile:) Thanks darling.

Getting ready for everything:)

Wow, it's been like almost a month since I blogged here, I have been busy with school, and after that I wasn't able to update because there were soooo much stuff to do. We attended this seminar that lasted half a day, it was mostly about immigration and settlement and all the stuff in between. It actually gave me a feeling that nothing's gonna be the same anymore as soon as we get there, I mean new house, new town, new faces and new everything, basically new life. Not that I'm complaining but it's making me feel different. Anywho, i'm really looking forward to it. I thank God (I will always do that) because He made this all happen. We just hope that we won't have a hard time looking for what we're supposed to and whatnot.

Getting ready. This is my life.

When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. ~Victor Frankl

American Idol TOP 12

This is my fanart for American Idol season 9 top 12. I have my favorites, who are yours?

Loves: Michael Lynche, Paige Miles, Didi Benami, Lacey Brown, Tim Urban, Siobhan Magnus and Lee Dewyze.

Long walks & future travels.

I’ve always loved taking long walks, on a perfectly fine day of course. It gives me a temporary peace of mind, something I would call an escape from all the madness around me. I can drag my feet anywhere I want to, long as I could trace my way back it won’t be a problem. I love it when I see new things and places, it kind of refreshes me from the usual stuff I see, and my curiosity level raises. There are lots of places I want to explore, of course not by walking I won’t get there, maybe an airplane or some public transportation (I would do anything to ride on a double-decker bus). I want to go to New York! Have a smoothie or like a corndog while gallivanting the streets til I get somewhere to take photos, I would love to see the meat packing district, heard the delis there are the best. Japan & Korea are also on my list, I just love it when I watch Travel and Living channel and those countries get featured and like getting the sense of the place. Night markets are hot. Food by the way is one of the main reasons I would love to getaway.

Maybe I’ll take long walks when we get to Canada, you can never go wrong with feet exercise right? Except when it’s snowing already, the ground get slippery and of course you can’t move a lot cause you’re freezing. Plus, our speaker while ago at the peer counseling session told us to explore the place so we can learn how to navigate when life finally starts over. I learned a lot today.

God, i know You hear me, thank You very much for all of this.

My letter to myself for March.

Wow...it all seemed a bit fast don't you think? One minute I was buying this big notebook and planning to write on it like crazy (I only know what that ended up to) and reading the Last Song by Nicholas Sparks (im still on page 87...I suck at promises) and also that thing I'm not supposed to spill in here.

Letter to myself.

What's up Carlo? Will you get serious for one dang time? I'm sooooooo frustrated that everytime you say something, you find ways to NOT accomplish them and you get away with it! It's like you say it for the sake of making yourself look good (but we all know you're not) and please stop the OCD habits you have every night, that makes you look not normal.

Seriously, me talking in the third person is a way of REALIZING all the wrong things I've done and I hope that i won't make the same mistakes anymore, because I am not getting any younger and a new chapter in my life will start come summer. I also keep thinking that while I am doing all these bad things, God is still not giving me punishments or anything and I do hope He doesn't because I regret all those bad things, and this time I will confess, I will confess.

thoughts on immigration and advertising

My mom and dad just bought the tickets this morning. I feel like it's totally legit now (referring to Canada) and it got me doin a lot of thinking about the future and what it holds for us (that sounded sooooo deep). Anyway, we're on the final stretch of the semester, FINALS. The minor subjects are totally good, I feel like I did my best on those 3 subjects while the majors were a bit torturous but somehow we managed! Advertising Principles is giving me headaches though, and I'm not even an adver student.

Thank you God. We love you, our dreams are really coming true:)

Flying (02/15/10)

I'm a mess.
I don't know where to go, who to turn to.
I'm on the edge of losing it, but no I won't.

Indifferent, that's how i feel
I'm hurt, yes one too many times.
I want to be insensitive from now on.

I'd rather go away than be here
Won't make much difference if I stay
I'd feel worse if I do.

But there's one thing I'm looking forward to
And that is, being able to finally fly
I'd risk the jitters, just to know how that feels.

The Enchanted getaway!!!

Here are some photos from our EK getaway last Sunday, it was sooo much fun! My first time, definitely a very unforgettable experience. We got wet, almost ran out of money and had a very interesting conversation with Joyce while on the Ferris Wheel:)

In a weird state of mind.

I feel really weird. I dunno, is this some kind of departure anxiety? I think so. I really want to get out of here (I don't mean that in a negative way) I am not talking about a problem but yeah, it's one of those things that just gives you a rollercoaster of emotions...for one, I am directing our children's show on Friday, I'm not really sure what I'm gonna do but with the help of the people in my group, I'm pretty sure we'll overcome. One more thing, I feel like I'm falling away...it gives me a really weird feeling cause lately, it's been all about work work work and like, there's no time to talk anymore. So yeah, that's about it. Life will take you to highs and lows, what matters is how you respond to it.

Just going to share something that made me smile today- MY BIRTHDAY ANALYSIS c/o some facebook application/quiz which I found entertaining and true.

A hip non-conformist who truly stands for his/her beliefs - you are out to make a difference in this world, and you have a realistic chance of success. You have always been self-driven and derive your inspiration from those close to you. Ambitious - and why shouldn't you be - the sky is the limit for you!

shabba:)
-Carlo

I am changing.

I've got great news, WE GOT IT! I'm not spilling what it is, but I'm really happy because we're one step closer to reaching that dream. I thank God for everything, He's awesome.

By the way, people have been observing me...and I got word that what they noticed of me is, I'VE CHANGED BIG TIME. I really dunno what to say to that you know, i don't think it's negative, certainly not that positive either on their part cause those people used to be my friends too, and I don't want them to think that just cause I switched sections, doesn't mean I don't value what we had back then. They say I'm not as happy as I used to be, and I'm not the energizer bunny anymore, they say I'm more serious this semester. I kind of agree you know, maybe because I know myself too...and i hope that no one hates me for it. Change is the only constant thing in this world. You can't be what you are all the time. I believe in that statement.

-carlo

Pen, Paper & Books.

So I'm reading a book "The Last Song" by Nicholas Sparks, my cousin, Bea recommended it to me and so far I'm doing a pretty good job of fulfilling my resolution to finally read a book this year. I love it when i learn new words and they get stuck in my head that I use it often.

One more thing. I'm actually writing this story which is inspired by the book. I think i'm getting there, I will post it here once I'm ready:)

BTW, I went to school while ago and man, I saw/witnessed real poetry there. Miss Kooky Tuason is such an awesome awesome person. You gotta love her.

A Dream Come True.

So I referred my friend, Joyce to Ate Chloe, our SOJ instructor to audition for School of Jocks, where I am a part of. I thought for a second that she wouldn't entertain the idea of being in radio but i was wrong, she wants a career in radio and I'm glad I did that.

When we went to the station, she was nervy...hahaha but yeah I know that she could pull it off, AND SHE PASSED THE AUDITION. I'm really happy for her, she deserved this. I just wish some of the people I want to refer are as good as her but you know, it's not like that.

I'm just happy that she's in, my efforts paid off:)) and her dream of being in radio is finally in full effect. Thank God.

Demi the keychain.

Say hello to Demi, my new keychain. She's super cute, i bought her for 10 bucks;) (I just thought of that name because I realized that I need something to remind me of Demi)