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.

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.

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.

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.

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 ^_^

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

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.

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:)

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