onelife

2012-02-07T00:34:00.000-08:00

Comfort Food

On leave from day job today because of a stressed body and mind. Apropos to post these pictures of my favorite comfort food -- luxurious and healthy dark chocolates. For 2012, one of the fun things I intend to do is to keep a log of the dark and not-so-dark chocos I've consumed , rather, indulged in. Since the start of the year, I've come across these lovelies (never mind the date .. forgot to set the correct date on my camera again} ....

Lindt Swiss Classic Hazelnut is velvety just-the-right-kick-of-sweetness in the mouth, the peculiar hazel-nutty taste of the hazel nut naturally preserved with a tad of a smoky taste.Dark Ghana from Whittaker's has that primal earthy and gritty taste,with a nice bitter-and-no-sweetness flavor . Think 'Out-of-Africa'.

A kick of mint -- really minty mint -- enveloped in velvety melts-in-the-mouth chocolate. Maybe it's the local temperature that gives it the melts-in-the-mouth ooziness. Excellence from Lindt, I agree.

And ta-dah, my favorite in the batch , mostly because of its old-world look and charm, literally with that name ' Chocolat A L'Ancienne'. By Villars. Swiss,too. I particularly like the crest imprinted on the bar - almost made me feel soorry to take a bite. But then again, dark chocolates are for eating and not for looking. And the silky, liquid ooziness in the mouth is quite sensual. Quite a seductive blend of bitterness and sweetness. A beautiful bittersweet experience for my taste buds. Ha-ha. Just reminiscing about these chocolates gone by is making me well already. Can't wait for my next batch of darkies.

Louis Vitton Spring - Summer 2012

2012-02-04T18:42:00.000-08:00

Pretty, pink, lacy, sweet and lovely but edgy -- a spirit and mindset that we sorely need -- lots of it, in our daily lives. Am glad , I appreciate that fashion provides a venue ..

Remembering Favorite Ads

2012-01-28T05:48:00.000-08:00

Two favorite ads from the nineties . They're more than ads; they're works of art and beautiful classy experiences ...

Dots and Art

2012-01-21T23:34:00.000-08:00

Came across the 82-year old Yayoi Kusama today in a recently-favorite website and was reminded of my favorite definition of 'art' which goes 'What is art but seeing the extraordinary out the ordinary'. And what could be more ordinary than a dot or a polka dot or a circle or a round shape? Googling the artist, I came across these posts :

Yayoi Kusama , The Passing Winter , 2005 (detail)
The Passing Winter 2005 (detail)
© Tate. Presented by the Asia Pacific Acquisitions Committee 2008. Photo: Tate Photography

Call it obsession or relentless artistry, the dot/polka dot/circle spawned the 'Infinity Net' series --

I'm getting more and more fascinated seeing more and more of her work, to sample a few:

Now, I'm being inspired to obsess about spirals and helixes.

The artist Yayoi Kusama, now and then ---

And since it's Chinese New Year's eve, don't forget to wear your red polka dots for good luck!

Note To Myself -- Cafes to Drop By

2012-01-20T17:31:00.000-08:00

Add this to my itinerary : PNKY Travel Cafe

I love the presentation of their online menu -- a promise of the deliciousness of the real thing?

The bed and breakfast is quite unique, too. All furnishings are said to be on sale.

It's More Fun in the Philippines

2012-01-13T17:33:00.000-08:00

The phrase "It's more fun" in the new selling slogan of the Dept. of Tourism "It's more fun in the Philippines" may not be an original ( purportedly, Switzerland discovered it first in 1951) but definitely "It's more fun" is more fun in the Philippines !

My favorite so far is 'Yoda'. Make your own IMFITP banner here:

... My favorite so far .. only in the Philippines...

... Balut ... you have to try this .. although I myself have not 'faced my fear' on this one.

(Thanks to Travel Factor,Flip-Travels,Jolly Estaris,Ivan Guerrro,Carlo Guevarra, Christian Iglesias, Edwin Soriano for the images ....)

Happy New Year Everyone! Happy New Year World!

2011-12-31T18:44:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone! Happy New Year World!
Just had one blast of a New Year's celebration in the parking lot of our little condo community, watching other people's fireworks which may not be as grandiose, howl-educing and spectacular as this --
or as marathonic as the NYC Times Square countdown which I'm watching on live streaming now at 02:44:38 to go, but it nevertheless got me jumping up and down and tooting my own little 'torotot' with its nerve-wracking, annoying, wacky noise (malevolent spirits may not have fled in fear,but I'm sure they fled never to come back in extreme irritation..)

Whatever the gloom and doom the outgoing year may have brought, celebrating New Year's eve is one pivotal moment that can turn one's mindset around. One thing that really lifted my spirits up is the TV newsbit on the Sendong typhoon-flood victims celebrating in their evacuation center by holding a 'Mr. and Ms. Sendong' pageant ramping it up in their new relief-given finery. One heart-warming 'only-in-the-Philippines' moment. Hope and optimism rule!!

Happy , Peaceful and Prosperous 2012 to us all!

Bags in my Bucket List , my Christmas Wish List

2011-12-17T11:37:00.000-08:00

Bags with travel-inspired designs by Barbara Rihl.
(Photos from different sources. Thanks.)
Go to :
Source1
Source2

Incorporating Myself Logos

2011-12-02T18:24:00.000-08:00

I've just incorporated myself and I'm trying on some logos . [Thanks Cool Text.]

Hmmmmmm....

Spiritual Evolution of the Bean: Review: Faber Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolor Pencils

2011-12-02T15:58:00.000-08:00

Spiritual Evolution of the Bean: Review: Faber Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolor Pencils

Christmas 2011

2011-12-02T15:42:00.000-08:00

I'm a sucker for Christmas and so this early I've set up my Christmas tree and dropped in on a Christmas spot in the city...

Ooops...not that early ... disregard the pic dates ... didn't set the camera date right...

Even,Salvatorre-Badong, the cat is decked-up already ...

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE !!!

Mind Power Exercise - Focus

2011-12-02T15:08:00.000-08:00

Here's a simple focusing exercise I found on the web : Focus on the red dot and soon the light blue peripheral circle disappears. You know the lesson. [ A little twist, if you do a cross-eyed focus, you'll be seeing two dots, as well.]

Enjoy!

Cats in Fashion

2011-11-26T02:29:00.000-08:00

Found this Barbara Rihl store featuring cat-based design bags in Paris Breakfast . The website/e-store is engaging and fun, the handbags and designs are unique and covet-able...gonna get me one of these ... I wish, I intend, why not ?

(Thanks to Paris Breakfast and the Barbara Rihl sites for the pics.)

Coloring at Chanel

2011-11-06T16:03:00.000-08:00

Culture Chanel is starting them young. Came across this online Chanel coloring book for kids .
Kids color, why not the Chanel way, hmmmm?

Happy Birthday to Me

2011-10-31T12:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to me, if I may say so myself. Feels good to be my age. Feels good to finally get it through my head that the real thing is what one has or is inside.

So, marked the date with a Cantonese lunch ** with two people very dear to me...yummy and the braised birthday noodles was aptly great...

Was very glad to see Christmas lights already up at Trinoma... loving the season...
(** Luk Foo at Pure Gold, Mindanao Av ...)

Mugs by Rainbow Connection

2011-10-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

Make personalized gifts at Zazzle.

Love Is Stronger , Paul Coelho and Pierre Barouh

2011-10-01T20:08:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning and just finished Paulo Coelho's "By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept", overnight. Not to worry, despite the title, it has a happy ending, for no matter the mode of expressing love and love can both be romantic and spiritual at the same time, love is love and God is love and God is also a Mother. A very good read. Ready to fall in love again or not. Anyways, my point is that the novel reminded me of the song "Love is Stronger Far than We" or "Plus Fort Que Nous" , as the French would say. (Sunday seems to be my day of reminiscing about love songs.) So thanks to You Tube, here are my fave versions of the song ..
as only the French can sing love songs in their own inimitable way --

Might as well sing along:

LOVE IS STRONGER FAR THAN WE
(Plus Fort Que Nous)
(Francis Lai)

Avec notre passé pour guide
On se devrait d'être lucide
Mais notre méfiance est à bout
L'amour est bien plus fort que nous

[We tell ourselves ]
another season
We turn away
and find the reason
We close our eyes
to what we see
But love is stronger
far than we.

When we are close,
the world is singin'
And when we touch,
the moonlight is wingin'
And there's no way
to disagree
For love is stronger
far than we.
* When hearts are
meant for caring,
And lives are
meant for sharing,
Then we are joined
by destiny
For love is stronger
far than we.

So, we may say
another season
May say goodbye and
find the reason
But love decides
how things must be
For love is stronger
far than we ...
Love is stronger
far than we.

Lyrics to Plus Fort Que Nous :
Avec notre passé pour guide
On se devrait d'être lucide
Mais notre méfiance est à bout
L'amour est bien plus fort que nous

Qu'on espère ou qu'on se résigne
Quand il le veut, il nous désigne
Voilà ça devait être à nous
L'amour est bien plus fort que nous

Quand tu es près de moi, qu'y faire ?
Le temps s'habille de mystère
Et le vent du soir est plus doux
L'amour est bien plus fort que nous

Vivre libre en un marécage
Ou vivre heureux dans une cage
Qu'importe il fait son choix sans nous
L'amour est bien plus fort que nous

On croyait qu'il pourrait suffire
Pour ne plus aimer de le dire
Pourtant ça devait être à nous
L'amour est bien plus fort que nous

Qu'on espère ou qu'on se résigne
Quand il le veut, il nous désigne
Voilà ça devait être à nous
L'amour est bien plus fort que nous

Quand tu es près de moi, qu'y faire ?
Le temps s'habille de mystère
Et le vent du soir est plus doux
L'amour est bien plus fort que nous

Vivre libre en un marécage
Ou vivre heureux dans une cage
Qu'importe il fait son choix sans nous
L'amour est bien plus fort que nous

Marimekko

2011-10-01T07:29:00.000-07:00

Finnish design that I think is more on the artistic than the fashionable-trendy side.
Love the vibrant colors and the playfulness of the designs.

"Here's Looking at You, Kid"

2011-09-13T04:12:00.000-07:00

The power of the eyes, the windows of the soul, to capture one's attention, is a wonder to me ..

... whether those of a sparrow in Vienna ...

... or peeping from a coffee cup's rim ...

... or those of a chic fashion and style icon ...

.... a rabbit's ...

.... an actor's ...

... and the fiercest .. those of my cat 'Badong'...

Thanks to the owners of the pics ...

Sunflowers from the Past

2011-09-03T03:19:00.000-07:00

Why is it that when I started to develop some semblance of inner "peace and order", I didn't find it as easy to write something or anything. Which means my angsts fueled the words? Well, that's not acceptable. Nice things should result in a gush of words, as well. Or in this instance, a gush of pictures. In the spirit of thinking of what is lovely , let me backtrack and post these pictures of sunflowers I took in the summer of 2009, along UP avenue..

Colour My World

2011-08-02T03:46:00.000-07:00

Coffee liqueur, timberwolf, shadow, emberglow, granny smith apple, beaver, bittersweet.. who would think they are color names...

Pantone presents the 2011 color trends that designers, both fashion and interior, would likely consider in their palettes.

In my grade school in the sixties, a favorite was my supply of Crayola's box of eight colors [the first box of Crayola crayons (eight in a box) hit stores in 1903]. In my forties, I got myself Crayolas 64 in a box, if only for looking at. I haven't seen it yet but the number is supposed to be 120 now.

Well, I can always have a virtual peek at the new Crayola line.

As one old Asian saying goes "One light but a million colors."

Metaphors - Data => Knowledge

2011-07-23T00:24:00.000-07:00

Image by EpicGraphic

As the saying goes ... a picture can say a thousand words. A short silent lecture on how data becomes knowledge.

Believing in Oneself

2011-07-20T20:21:00.000-07:00

This is one lesson I still have to keep learning....

“Acquire the
courage to
believe in yourself.
Many of the things
that you have been
taught were at one
time the radical
ideas of
individuals who
had the courage
to believe
what their own
hearts and minds
told them
was true,
rather than accept
the common beliefs
of their day.”

Ching Ning Chu

Bucket List

2011-07-18T21:46:00.000-07:00

I'm on flu leave, and still having that worried/anxious feeling of being absent from work even when I know fully well that I'm not indispensable and I wouldn't want to be indispensable (not good for either side). That really is the rut-est of ruts. So to lift myself out of this, I'm just going to sit down and write down my official bucket list. So here goes..

1. Pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
2. Visit the 'Galve' places( so far, two that I've read about)on this planet -- there's the town of Galve in Teruel, in Spain, which is noted for its dinosaur fossils, then there's Lake Galve (with an ancient castle in the middle) in Trakai in Lithuania.
3. Slow-travel in Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Kotor and Prague and other eastern European countries and blog about it.
4. Climb up that rocky seaside hill in Skopelos in Greece up to the chapel where they filmed the wedding scene in 'Mama Mia'.
5. Establish my own successful clothing line and be able to quip "I only wear originals --- mine".
6. "Color the world" -- one way or the other.
7. Treat and invite family and friends to home-cooked,dine-out dinners or get-togethers, at least once a month.
8. Do something for the environment.
9. Create a "thing" of beauty and share it with others.
10. Live in a "First World Philippines under God".

And so it is . Do I need a break, a career break.

Kaleidoscopic, Zoom In-Out Points of View, Perspectives

2011-07-08T17:03:00.000-07:00

Kaleidoscope : "Coined in 1817 by Scottish inventor Sir David Brewster,[1] the word "kaleidoscope" is derived from the Ancient Greek καλ(ός) (beauty, beautiful), είδο(ς) (form, shape) and -σκόπιο (tool for examination)—hence "observer of beautiful forms." (Wikipedia)

Can be likened to one's mind where a change of perspective,point of view or mindset can result in a change for the better, or getting oneself out of a rut. Sometime ago, I shook my kaleidoscope and look what happened (we (pair) bent the steel rod with our bare .... --- ask me with what?).

Zoom In Zoom-Out:
The big picture is composed of small and little pictures; the high-level is made up of low-levels. To effectively manage and handle the big picture, the high-level picture, knowing some or most of the little and low-level pictures is necessary. Zoom in to focus on the appropriate small pictures then zoom out to see the whole picture in relation to the small picture. Works both ways -- to better manage the small pictures, an understanding of the big picture is just as necessary, to put the small picture in the proper context.

Dealing with Strengths and Weaknesses, Focus, Delegate

2011-07-08T15:27:00.000-07:00

Ok, here's one quick post for the day . (I'm getting to be just a week-end blogger... office work is getting in the way ...have to change the situation..)

Sure makes life easier ....
(Thanks to the owner of this image..Merci, Danke, Gracias, Salamat..)

Points of View, Perspectives

2011-06-30T05:23:00.000-07:00

Three ways of looking at things and situations in this world :

Anamorphosis:
It is a distorted projection or perspective requiring the viewer to occupy a specific vantage point to reconstitute the image (Wikipedia)

Parallax View :
"Parallax is an apparent displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight...
The term is derived from the Greek παράλλαξις (parallaxis), meaning "alteration". Nearby objects have a larger parallax than more distant objects when observed from different positions, so parallax can be used to determine distances." (Wikipedia)

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

Parallax also denotes the farthest object in the line of sight as a fixed reference point with the nearest objects to the observer seeming to move at a faster rate as the observer change position or his line of sight.

Periscopic View:
"Any of various tubular optical instruments that contain reflecting elements, such as mirrors and prisms, to permit observation from a position displaced from a direct line of sight." (www.answers.com)

A periscopic sight allows one to view along a displaced or deflected axis, providing an observer with the view from a position which may be inaccessible or dangerous or to see objects not in his direct line of vision or concealed by some intervening body.

It seems to me that these perspectives can be used to help one in discerning or analysing things,situations and problems.... Something to think about...

Some Other Sunrises after Two Crazy Weeks at the Office

2011-06-24T16:34:00.000-07:00

The last two weeks have been crazy at the office -- an application system going kaput, including the peopleware, me not excluded ; spewing reports needed by WB (debt cancellation, please) from an imperfect database (is there such a thing as a perfect db?), work-related thoughts running in a rut. Antidote? Blogging about sunrises at 6 am with a heavy downpour outside.

So, with a take from David Benoit's 'Some Other Sunset', one of my favorite tunes, and remembering a quote from somewhere "What is art but seeing the beautiful and extraordinary in the commonplace?", here are some scenes from the window of a 5th floor box of a condo unit, somewhere in Q.C.

Fascinating the uniqueness of every day, starting with how the sunrise is painted in the morning sky ... Magnificent is God's morning art , the play of colours and light which I'm pretty sure is never replicated ...

Should remind me that my seemingly routine everyday life is not really ever the same...

I only have to be aware of the obvious-hidden details that actually are surprising ...

There really is an infinity of versions of the same thing ... sunrise ...

Moment to moment, hour to hour ...

... Day to day ..

... Infinity of the same.. Awesome .. love it..

This one's for when I get to Paris. Thanks Eric Tennin . And oh, this one's a sunset.

So Shoot Me but I'm Blogging My Cat Part 2

2011-06-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

So here's the other cat - Francesco (Kiko, Koko), after St. Francis of Assisi, because of his quiet and calm ways. A Zen cat, if there was one.

The perfect condo cat ... contented within the narrow confines ...

The condo unit is his oyster ...

Kiko with the Part 1 cat, Badong (Salvatorre), his brother ... his opposite in temperament

Not a cat, but a rare visitor to my condo veranda trying-hard garden...

In appreciation of "All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small." Thank You, God.

Colour My World

2011-06-04T20:01:00.000-07:00

I am a colorist...that's my newest realization. I love colors and I like neutrals because they can serve as a backdrop to showcase colors. Colors also seem to describe the stages in my life or the consciousness I had/have in those stages in my life. For the longest time, the colors I could relate to were the blues and the indigos and the browns ( couldn't wear clothes in yellow, orange or red), for the times when I was asking the question "Where is what we started for so long ago and why is it yet unfound?" (Walt Whitman).

Then, when I did find an answer to the question, sometime in the early 2000's, my colours du jour were shades of yellow-greens (sunshine coming through at last) and the lighter shades of blue like turquoise. I also started appreciating yellows and oranges. It was not until 2006, when I was aware that there were some internal blockages causing some rut and stagnation in my growth, that I purposely wore clothes in magenta which I read somewhere was the color for overcoming internal obstacles and mental stonewalls. I also started gravitating towards red, a color I didn't have any affinity to before. Now , I can wear the rainbow.

Surfing, I came across this video about a color-loving designer (Thanks,Jessi Arrington) and I thought I'd bring this up in my blog to celebrate colours, the rainbow, my realization that I'm a colorist and to celebrate colour-loving people.

Check this out :

Her blog: http://luckysoandso.com

Nostaglia --- Favorite Songs from Childhood

2011-05-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

So I was reading Frances Mayes' 'A Year in the World' upon waking up and she mentioned the song 'The Twelfth of Never' and I thought 'Yeah, I've not heard that song for a long time' and I know the lyrics are quite sugary beautiful. So on to youtube.com ---

And while I was at it, I remembered some sweetly beautiful lyrics from a song I've quite forgotten, from when I was six or seven ..

GO CHASE A MOONBEAM
(Lee Pockriss / P. Vance)
Jerry Vale - 1958

I was feeling so alone today
Watching lovers as they passed my way
I could almost feel the love in the air
And I thought is it there for me
Then a friendly little butterfly
Flew around me 'til he caught my eye
He was careful so that no one could hear
As he whispered in my ear

Go chase a moonbeam across a meadow
And wrap a rainbow around your heart
Then find a bluebird to sing a love song
And Mother Nature will do her part

So I listened to the butterfly
And when I gave his advice a try
Why, it wasn't very long 'til I found

There was love all around for me
Now if you are all alone some day
Watching happy lovers pass your way
Just remember what he told me to do
And the same thing applies to you

Go chase a moonbeam across a meadow
And wrap a rainbow around your heart
Then find a bluebird to sing a love song
And Mother Nature will do her part.

Thank you, YouTube people for preserving the memories ..

And so, excuse me while I get ready and head for my appointment with the rheumatologist . No, really.

So Shoot Me but I'm Blogging My Cat

2011-05-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

"Here's looking at you..."

Fearless and on the ledge ...

My personal gargoyle ...

What I call his 'emperor pose' ...

Scholar napping ...

So there ...

Cupcakes...Cupcakes...Sonja's ... Some Faux Venice Moments

2011-05-14T17:39:00.000-07:00

So last May 07, we MRT'd and taxied to McKinley hill in Makati to check out the Venetian-inspired settlement there ( so I can have a 'deja vu' moment when I get to the real Venice, when I get there...in the meantime I'll settle for whatever is available,locally). So, well, the finds :

... a sort of dining mall with a Venetian-inspired facade ...

... and a similarly Venetian-inspired mini-park ...

--- and tadah - the ubiquitous glass-walled buildings just across ( great for work&play) ...

So, had lunch at the Venetian-inspired dining mall (nice place, by the way), at where-else KFC, where we had a nice view of the 'old world - new world' dichotomy.
The settlement is obviously at its initial phases ... farther up a hilly terrain, I could see some homey-looking Mediterranean inspired high-rises, possibly residences ... looks inviting ... but with the Philippine summer noon-day sun, it was too hot to go exploring ... And no gelato around ...

And so, for dessert and coffee , we taxied to the nearby Serendra settlement at FBGC.
Looks settled-in already... lunch-crowd already up.

...Before --- Mocha Motion, Red Velvet Vixen (beneficiary - Red Cross), Peanut-Butter Filled --- aaahhhh, heavenly, sinful, mouth candies ... with good piping hot strong coffee to balance off ...

--- Almost after, had to have a little respite from the sweetness of it all ..

--- Curio inside the shop ...

--- Curio outside the shop ... loved the flowered table cloths and umbrella ...

Measure of Strength

2011-05-07T04:28:00.000-07:00

Was just lazily browsing, surfing and reading my emails, when I came upon this quote:

"Strength isn't measured by what you can control out in life.
The measure of your strength is shown by how little control the outside world has on you. " -- Cheryl Janecky

And I thought that finding this quote was the reason for my seemingly purposely surfing tonight. I agree... totally. Do not be conformed to this world, the good book says. Thank You, Father God.

Oilily

2011-04-27T05:29:00.000-07:00

My dream business --- innocence, fun, laughter,play , color, all things positive and beautiful that only childhood can evoke. Thank you, Oilily for the inspiration. Had I the means, I would surely get a franchise and set up an Oilily store here in the Phil.

Favorite Songs and Videos -- Akin Unver

2011-04-20T06:43:00.000-07:00

For quiet, peaceful moments....
Music to flush out from one's mind the dross of the day ...

Personal Growth, Enlightenment, Abundance

2011-04-18T03:45:00.000-07:00

Regularly reading the newsletter from this site --- has helped to keep my mind in "positive vibrations" mode ---

Beauty from Ashes -- A Very Short Poem

2011-04-12T04:32:00.000-07:00

Had a very, very brief 'poetic' moment last night, just before going to sleep. Something that has not happened for a long time. So, let me jot it down before it vanishes away :

" I bloom from the broken hardened soil;
I love from a healed broken heart.
Beauty from ashes."

Perhaps the next words that will come in the next 'poetic' moment that will hopefully come more often, there will no longer be references to the past.

Human Heart Nature Organic and Natural Personal Care Products, Exotic Ingredients from the Philippines

2011-04-06T03:56:00.001-07:00

For organic and natural personal care products made with a heart for people and the environment and with some exotic ingredients from the Philippines, check this site out .

Sample product:

"For normal to oily or combination skin...luxurious and unique facial wash in green gel format with fine exfoliators which combines natural extracts to help control excessive oil.

Bamboo beads and Luffa gently exfoliate at a level safe for everyday use as well as helping to regulate oil and promote circulation. Meanwhile, exotic and prized Elemi oil is known for its anti-bacterial and healing properties."

Tagaytay Highlands Glimpses

2011-04-05T05:06:00.000-07:00

First, sorry for the erroneous date on the pics -- that's supposed to be March 19, 2011, when a friend invited for a look-see in Tagaytay Highlands. First time to set eyes on my dream home location -- overlooking Taal Lake with its volcano. The climate was just rightly cool and temperate, the wind just with the right gust..

The volcano in the lake was not clearly visible in the high noon mist... ...

But the greens were verdant everywhere one looks...
Now let me visualize my dream house on just that hill overlooking the lake/volcano ...

Italian Dream -- Tuscany

2011-03-24T17:40:00.000-07:00

Here's to blogging my Italian travel dreams, because they will come true ...

Stay in Valdirose : I love the subtle,delicate, sublime fusion of mostly old and new architectural and interior design details.. some sort of upgraded rarified shabby chic atmosphere ..

Or in Antica Pieve for a wee bit more opulence but still in a homey atmosphere ...

And then intoxicate and lose myself in the beautiful,dreamy Tuscan scenes as shown in these videos (for now) , then some day soon , for real!

Flowers and Color in Fashion

2011-03-23T05:24:00.000-07:00

Nature, specifically flowers, is one ready source of inspiration in any creative activity. Issey Miyake's stylized , color-exploding rendering of flowers in the Evian commercial is so engaging and playful.

The poppy was Kenzo's inspiration in his perfume although the poppy itself has no perfumy scent. The flower itself is the inspiration for the creation of the perfume.

'Flora' by Gucci itself derives sparkling floral notes from peony, osmanthus and rose, with citrusy sidelights and sandalwood and patchouli base.

'Daisy' by Marc Jacobs aptly spells summery youth...

Pursuing My Fashion Dreams

2011-03-11T23:53:00.000-08:00

Looking back, there were signs that I could and should finally go into fashion, design or otherwise, as my final field of work. A case of hobby turning into business or profession. This interest have been waylaid several times. One, when I was directed by events, including my parents' wishes to go into something in the field of science in high school and college; two, when in my search in the religious and spiritual realm, I regarded fashion and design as an unimportant and frivolous thing; and three, in my youthful activism and in my job as service to the country, as something irrelevant. But, it has always been something I turn to in my spare time, as a hobby , as something to read about in the magazines and books I read, and even in the week-end studies in fashion and interior design.But now , I realized that in tough times and after the problematic and harsh side of the serious and important things in life, that it has some use -- that it brings beauty and light moments to my life and a sense of personal expression. With that in mind, I set out in the fashion and design field with more certainty, enthusiasm and commitment. ADMG.INDNJC...

Fashion by Color -- Oilily

2011-03-10T03:06:00.000-08:00

Here's a shop that celebrates color in its own unique, bold and quirky way. Started by a mom who couldn't find the right clothes for her young daughter.

Fashion by Color

2011-03-08T03:25:00.000-08:00

First of all, I'm re-embracing my interest in fashion and fashion design, which for quite a long time, I shoved in the sidelines in favor of things less "frivolous" and more "serious". But then , it has caught up with me again and I realize that it's something that makes me happy and it's something I turn to when the more serious things get tough.
So to mark this occasion,here's Fashion TV's Jonathan Sauders 2011 London Fashion Week video.

Remarkable are the use of solid colors in dusty but strong colors as rust, dark periwinkles, dark reds and blues; prints, some stripes and geometrics, do not overwhelm and the over-all silhouette is streamlined and bordering on classic. One is not distracted by unnecessary design details. There are splashes of interesting color combinations -- salmon skirt peeking out of a dark blue coat, some sort of kelly green and black, orange under a lacework of grayish blue green. Check out the photo below :

Hodgepodge and Happiness, Travel, Korea

2011-03-06T02:33:00.000-08:00

This blog, I noticed, is quite getting into too many pies, a hodgepodge of sorts, but then again , life, in general , invariably turns into a hodgepodge no matter how one tries to keep it in order or under control. But, on the other hand, this also makes for variety , this is what makes life interesting, colorful and happier. So, I wouldn't be surprised if seemingly disparate things and topics appear on my sidebars. Whatever I find beautiful, interesting, whatever thing makes me happy at the moment, whatever thing or topic gives me joy at the moment, more likely than not will find space and attention in this blog. Let's see where it takes me or this blog.

At this moment, I'm reminded of my travel dreams, dreams that appeared quite late in life. And this gives me something to look forward to in my near-sunset years. And imagining the places I plan to visit gives me something to be happy about. And when that time comes , this blog will also become my travel chronicles. And so, for starters, I'm putting this link about Korea..

Music to Coffee By

2011-02-26T15:15:00.000-08:00

Found this song on a coffee-centric blog one Sunday morning. I thought I'd like to keep a copy in my personal blog. Thanks You Tube. I love the title of the song, too.

Earning from the Net, Turning Minutes into Money

2011-02-12T02:49:00.000-08:00

Sharing a site which I am using to turn minutes into money. I usually do this while watching TV for news and entertainment/relaxation. Not a stressful way to turn time into money.

Or you might want to check this video first.

Lessons from the Cats

2011-02-10T02:38:00.000-08:00

I think I should learn a lesson on ‘asking, believing, waiting and receiving’ from Badong and Kiko, the two cats in our very, very fine house, as the song goes. For the life of me, these cats act out some laws of abundance that I've trying to learn , as letting go and allowing.
Kiko when asking for his food or the cat food bowl to be replenished with fresh nuggets (this cat prefers it fresh, not left overs), just sits near the bowl patiently with his head and eyes turned upwards to get somebody’s attention. His eyes have this patient, humble and expectant expression that you would feel guilty not to do his bidding, when you happen to eyeball with him. And he just sits there waiting quietly and with upturned head and expectant eyes until forever. And you would be the most evil meanie in the whole universe if you don’t give in. Such trust that what he wants will come that he doesn’t mind waiting, but with such innocently hopeful eyes.

Badong , on the other hand, doesn’t sit down and wait . He goes near the cat food bowl and eats when he finds food there,fresh or not. If not, he just goes away and comes back again and again until he finds food in the bowl. Such elegant indifference,certainty and trust that food will appear sooner or later, that he doesn’t need to sit down right there and physically wait..

Such trust in me, their human, that I will be there to fill their cat food bowl, their water bowl.

Now, if I could have those attitudes towards my Source and Supply , God. And God is infinitely more caring, loving and generous with me than I could ever be with my cats.

All Quiet on the Inner Front

2011-01-28T03:01:00.000-08:00

OK, now that I'm slowly easing into my own true self and less angst-sy about my internal landscape and getting more and more detached from external circumstances as well, I find that I don't have the same need or urge to pour myself out in writing and do journals in the same frequency as before. Instead, I've been into more practical things like studying/reading up on subjects like internet marketing and business stuff and other matters relating to my journey to financial freedom. Less emotion-laden activities. I'm in transition and I'm having 'transition' feelings, I guess. Neither here or there, emotionally..

Oh yes, there is something ... I've got some uncomfortable situation and feelings arising from the need to cut ties with some people that I think are not a positive factor for the growth that I'm trying to achieve.

Zazzle Store and Amazon Affiliate

2011-01-23T02:29:00.000-08:00

As an internet marketing newbie with zero-budget, one practical entry point that I found available to me was setting up a store at Zazzle (pls. see my Zazzle right side panel above, and check it out). In Zazzle, I could virtually 'create' my own products and sell them on the internet, without being involved in the actual and physical manufacture, shipping and delivery of the products. Zazzle.com does all that. Zazzle also provides promotional tools that will help me in marketing these products. Revenues come to me as royalties or commissions. Fair enough.

What I like about Zazzle is that I can express myself through the creative process without worrying about the capital intensive 'brick and mortar' production and distribution phases. At the moment, the products I've 'created' are geared towards the internal change that I have to undergo -- the growth into the 'abundance and prosperity' mindset and consciousness , which in my case, is a necessary initial step in my financial freedom journey.

Of course, generating traffic to my blog and hopefully to Zazzle is my job and responsibility. And I realize it's not an easy task considering that there are millions and millions of products being sold at Zazzle. But therein lies the challenge. I was thinking, maybe 'niche' marketing is the way to go here.

Another zero-budget income-generating internet activity that I've started to learn and get into is affiliate marketing. I've started with the affiliate program of Amazon.com. And for the time being I'm concentrating on self-development books, business and internet marketing books. It's apropos because at this point, I'm just beginning to learn about business and internet marketing. And for another thing, I love books, per se.

New Year's Resolutions

2010-12-31T02:04:00.000-08:00

Marking time, six hours before 12:01 January 01, 2011... the most peaceful end-of-year time I've had all my life. The past year seems to be the turning point in my growth in self-awareness, in mindset changes, in finally closing the past with acceptance and forgiveness for all concerned. I feel no misgivings, no resentments, no bitterness about the past now. I've realized the past was necessary in my personal growth.

I face the New Year with a new positive and abundant mindset, a new perspective, new plans and hopes for happiness and a more abundant life, and a new determination to act on those plans. I feel that there has been a quantum change in my mind,my feelings and awareness and it is for the better, for the best.

Top Rated American Graduate Schools

2010-12-30T23:55:00.000-08:00

For easy reference, this site, Top US Colleges ,
provides listings of the over-all top rated graduate schools across the US that offer courses in the fields of law, business, medicine, education and engineering. It provides rankings of the top such schools in all the individual states from Alabama to Wyoming.

Merry Christmas All!

2010-12-24T15:13:00.001-08:00

December 25, 2010 2:27 AM
Happy Birthday, Jesus! Merry Christmas all!
Just finished feasting on the Noche Buena . Topped it off with two or three glasses of red sparkling wine. Tracked Santa Claus’s locations all over the world through NORAD and Google via internet. At 2 AM he was about to enter India from Nepal. I certainly hope it’s true.Would be nice to have a real Santa around.

All quiet in the neighborhood now. In fact, no frenzy of activities at this early hour of Christmas... Silent night.

Christmas wishes? Peace and prosperity throughout the land and the world, as always, and for family and friends. Ditto for me, and more specifically, health and wealth, travel ,financial freedom and work that will make my mind and heart sing, and a happy and abundant frame of mind and paradigm.
Jesus came to this world so that we can have abundant life and that’s exactly what I’m setting out for, plain and simple. No more of the past life. On to a new and abundant life starting this Christmas!
I thank You! I love You! Happy Birthday, dear Jesus!

At 7:14 AM , Santa is in Paris, France and has delivered 1,241,646,899 gifts and heading to Monte Carlo, Monaco. Hope you got one!

Update : 9:00 AM Santa now heading for Grytviken, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ( where is that ??) and have distributed 1,335,984,923 gifts.
Didn't get one. Thanks Santa!

Yaro Starak Video

2010-12-21T04:08:00.000-08:00

This guy is enviable and inspiring, he's doing the life/work style that I'm fantasizing about. We'll, I'm going for it..if he can do it, we can do it.

Find him at http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com .

I Write Like Cory Doctorow and Harry Harrison

2010-12-20T05:37:00.000-08:00

For now, guys at http://iwl.me say I write, at least in this blog, like Cory
Doctorow and Harry Harrison, though I haven't read any of them. Will make effort to.
Just nice to know I could write like some real writers.Ha-ha.

I write like
Cory Doctorow

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

I write like
Harry Harrison

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

Christmas Countdown

2010-12-19T23:05:00.000-08:00

Four days to Christmas and I'm done with my Christmas gift shopping and wrapping.
The Christmas tree has been up since mid-December and I've had some Christmas malling.
My Christmas records have had their umpteenth replaying. In the mood for Christmas I am.!
Each year I promise I'll go easier on my self, but still the Christmas spirit just keep on engulfing me in its swirl. There's no escaping it . Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas all!

Law of Attraction and then Some

2010-12-18T03:20:00.000-08:00

In my efforts for self-development , I've invariably read books that are on the metaphysical side and for so long I've tried to side-track that path in favor of the more logical and scientific. But always, I'm recurringly drawn to the former. And so, I've come to accept that this is part of my growth process . And part of that growth process is the desire to live a life of abundance, prosperity (including material and physical) and financial freedom. That's where the idea of the law of attraction and other universal laws came in.
So here's sharing something I've read ( from an email and I have no idea who the author is):

Is it true that when I ask, it is already given? Think of a stick, or a rod, or a ruler, or anything long and straight.... (hmmm....) Allow the stick to represent that which you asked for.

Divide the stick into two.

Prepare for profound understanding to flow to and through you...

Think law of polarity. Let the middle of the stick represent - neutrality. Since the stick represents what you asked for... Towards one side of the stick, let it represent the absence of that you asked for. Towards the other side of the stick, let it represent the presence of that which you asked for. But take note again... There is only one stick, differing in polarities depending on which side you're leaning towards.

Now, think... If you acknowledge that you have just asked for it and do 'not have it yet', are you more of in vibrational harmony with the absence or the presence?

If you asked for money, for example, and you've acknowledged in this moment, you do not have any... Are you, in this moment, more in tune with the absence of money or the presence of money?

Logic would dictate absence, wouldn't it? So it follows that you would be attracting more of the absence... So that is what is currently manifesting in your present reality. By Law of Polarity and Law of Attraction, that would be true.

But there's something you may be overlooking here. The absence and the presence are one and the same. There is only one stick. The fact that you are manifesting the absence already means that, that which you asked for is already given to you. You already have what you asked for, but in its full spectrum of polarities. It just so happens that your current vibration is more in tune with one of its polarities. (Now can you see that when you ask, it is always given?!)

So your work now, is to tune your vibration to the polarity that you most like. How? You already know the answer to that one by now. Good feels good, bad feels bad. You want to change polarities? Change the polarity of your feelings. Do anything you can to feel good. Visualize, be in gratitude, sing, dance, go to a spa, do releasing work. Anything! And as you feel good more and more consistently, you are tuning your vibration to the polarity of "the stick" that you like. That is your work. That is your only work. The universe will not break the most powerful Universal Laws to please you. You must work with the Laws.

But doesn't it already feel better now, truly KNOWING that when you ask, it is already given? And isn't it so simple how the universe works? And isn't it so nice that your only work is to feel good?

So... get to work!

That really looks easy and simple … but sustaining a “feel good” attitude , I find, is something that I must deliberately and consciously work on… But it is work that I know I will enjoy and feel good about.

Donald Trump Lesson - Kick Ass and then Some

2010-12-09T22:27:00.000-08:00

Now the fun part in my daily struggle to make myself better and a more developed and fulfilled human being…. I never thought would “love” this part - “ kicking ass”. Something I learned from reading Donald Trump’s book " Think Big" . Forgive yes, I would love to forgive, but I’d also love to teach the culprits a lesson. And me learn some lessons as well. This would just be a burst of cleansing and liberating energy spewing from repressed emotions for the sake of misplaced and cowardly civility. And the first ass I’m raring to kick is MINE. How could I be so naive as to allow myself to be in a clogged pit just so I’ll be politically correct and get along nicely with everybody else? I’ve done great injustice to my growth. Well, I’ll be correcting that starting yesterday.

I’m cut-and-pasting the following in this blog . I’m not trying to plagarise…just that it is so relevant to my situation now … a lesson learned. So ‘Thank you’, author-whoever-you are ( just got this from an email) :

“ Knowing all that you now know, does it still hold true that your manifestations are the average of the top 5 (or so) people you spend most of your time with?

As you began your journey, you were most probably like most normal people - those who observe what is and allow their thoughts to be a regurgitation of what you are observing. And so, if you are observing people, events, situations and circumstances and allow your thoughts to be a reaction to what you are observing, then it follows that your manifestations would only equal those of your predominant thoughts - what you are observing.

As you started to learn the basics of deliberate creation, you were encouraged to mingle with more successful people. Since you were then more convenient then with observing, rather than creating your own thoughts, that was the easier route to get you started on your path. Those who coached you were also hoping that you encounter those "successful ones" who were deliberate with their thoughts, thus deliberate in their creations, and thus be able to start to inspire you and give you belief that it is truly possible.

Now, knowing all that you know, it should no longer hold true that your manifestations be the average of the top 5 people you spend most of your time with, for you are no longer an observer, but rather you are now a deliberate creator. You now know that you may choose your thoughts, and thus freely choose the way you feel, independent of anything around you. You are no longer seeking to be inspired by the "successful ones", but rather you are the source of inspiration for those starting on their path.

Know it. Feel it. Claim it.

Be!

Oftentimes, many are afraid to teach others, share their wisdom or speak from their place of knowing. Many think, "how can I dare teach anything, as I am not as successful as those gurus". Many feel unskilled, inadequate, unworthy...

What they are failing to acknowledge is what the true value of a mentor or a coach is.

So, what is it? Is it the number of books you've read? The seminars you've attended? The certifications you've gotten? The measurable success you've had? Some say it's the number of lives you touched? Truth is, it's none of that.

The true value of a mentor/coach is... perspective.

If you are a point of consciousness that exists in this universe, then it is a given that you already have your own perspective, that is unique to all others. As long as you have your own unique perspective, you are of value to others. Every point of consciousness is worthy. If it was unworthy, then it would not exist!

If you allow yourself to share your unhindered, free-flowing perspective that comes from a place of true clarity, you will be amazed at how profound your perspective is to seeming others. You will be fascinated by how much you ideas, which seem commonsense to you, are so deep and helpful to those you share them with. But most of all, it is you who will be most astounded by your greatness that has always been with you... You just didn't know it was, until you started to share it.

Never allow yourself to feel unskilled, skill is not required. Never allow yourself to feel inadequate, you have all that you need. Never allow yourself to feel unworthy, you are always worthy.

Next time you start to feel that you doubt yourself, just ask yourself...

"Do I exist?"

Donald Trump in his book ‘Think Big’ has some take on this point . It goes like this – ‘when in doubt, believe in yourself’ . This should work too, even if it’s yourself you are doubting.

The following is for another topic altogether . But this is tangent to what I read and learned this morning. And found it worked in this particular incident this morning.

As I remember it goes like this :

If you like a situation -- be and feel happy about it. ( Which reminds me I should amplify my happiness vibrations , improve my ‘happiness quotient’- make that a goal this December, this holiday season ) ..

If you don’t like it, change it;

If you don’t like it and you can’t change it, avoid it;

If you don’t like it and you can’t change it, and you can’t avoid it, change your perspective about it. Turn it into your advantage. Make it a jumpboard for your improvement.

Worked like a charm this morning. Dang! It’s so easy! Why did I have to trash myself silly with my misplaced idealism and stubbornness/misplaced determination.

Starbucks and Kois

2010-11-29T02:05:00.000-08:00

Had a mini-vacation yesterday afternoon at the Starbucks, UP-Ayala Technohub, Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, overlooking a green-watered canal filled with koi fishes... the pecan butterscotch roll was sweetly yummy, the Cafe Americano was just rightly coffee and the sight of kois deftly swimming lent a peacefully Zen ambience..
perfect combination of elements that make for a perfect afternoon ... some hours of it anyhow ...

So Much Easier

2010-09-12T02:08:00.000-07:00

The other day presented a decision point in doing a random act of kindness . It would have been much easier to give a token amount of money to a man selling rose shrubs (with several rose shrubs balanced on his head) walking with a limp, who looked like he could do with a new pair of rubber slippers. Decision point came at the instance when I was thinking of calling the rose-seller man who was a few meters away and a taxi pulling in front of me -- a taxi ride which I needed to take me to a physical therapy appointment -- at a time when it was quite a feat to get a taxi ride. The taxi ride won. And the failure to take advantage of the RAK moment stayed on my mind...A measure of guilty feeling that lasted over the weekend. I prayed to God to bless the man. The guilty feeling surfaced again when attending mass. The thought of offering the mass for the man and thinking that I will be praying that God bless him again and again.. I would have forgotten about him had I been able to give him a small amount. No guilt feelings would have ensued. Maybe God wanted me to pray for the rose-seller... not just give him a few pesos ...Maybe the RAK would be in the prayers....

Paolo Coelho Pic

2010-08-21T16:32:00.000-07:00

Cashflow Game -- Rich Dad, Poor Dad

2010-07-06T23:35:00.000-07:00

Fun Today

2010-06-18T02:15:00.000-07:00

Love these stickers----

Created by OnePlusYou

Created by OnePlusYou

Created by OnePlusYou

Created by OnePlusYou

Created by OnePlusYou

Created by OnePlusYou

Coffee Song

2010-06-05T16:50:00.000-07:00

Ho 'oponopono

2010-05-29T17:28:00.000-07:00

Fountains,Ho'oponopono

2010-05-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

A month now since I attended the John Calub Firewalk Bootcamp in Tagaytay City last April 15-17, 2010 and it's only now that I'm writing about it. It's one of those "the teacher will appear when the student is ready" moments. It's one of those moments when one consciously and decisively takes action to change the flow of one's life. But for the moment, I'd rather just dwell on the lighter side of this personally momentous event. So here's a video and some pictures I was able to take of the fountain in the hotel/venue. Very few, one had to concentrate on the proceedings to make the most of it.

A Book Called 'Top Secret'

2010-05-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

Just finished a book titled 'Top Secret' purportedly by Dr. Joseph Murphy. If I wasn't on this internal journey to reprogram my subconcious and live a more abundant and fulfilled life , I would have labeled the book too 'new-agey'. Though Bible-based, the interpretations of verses were quite beyond what I would normally hear on Sunday mass sermons and homilies. Frankly, I found the interpretations in this book quite liberating and enlightening, in the sense that they are in line with the the search path that I'm on which I could roughly describe as the search for the abundant life by raising my consciousness to a higher level than the past's. As Albert Einstein said , one cannot solve problems with the same mindset and consciousness that created the problems in the first place. Reading this book, I could say that one fundamental issue really got closed... that everything begins and ends with God. Much more than what religions and philosophies say ...

Intention Experiment, First World Philippine under God

2010-04-25T20:42:00.001-07:00

Here's something I would want to be subject to intention experimenting. The following news item from the Philippine Inquirer proves one thing --
that there is a lot of potentials, abilities and capabilities even in the so-called 3rd world countries, but somehow they are being used for negative and destructive ends. For the article, please go to this link :

http://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view/20100422-265821/RP-4th-in-SE-Asia-as-source-of-Internet-security-threatsreport

First World Philippines under GOD Opportunities/Good News

2010-04-12T21:00:00.001-07:00

Go to this link, please : http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20100412-263863/7-big-winners-to-raise-75B-investments-for-RP .

Here's wonderfully good news about opportunities for a 'First World Philippines under God'. I do pray that the new set of leaders will cease to be politicians but will become businessmen and ecocnomists so they will not pass up this big (it's big) opportunity. Just to quote :

"According to the Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC)—a loose umbrella organization of several Philippine-based foreign chambers of commerce—these “seven big winners” are agribusiness; business process outsourcing; creative industries; infrastructure; manufacturing and logistics; mining, and tourism, medical travel and retirement.

Australia-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce president John Casey predicted that as much as $75 billion in foreign direct investments would flow into these industries from the 2010-2020 period should the government and the private sector focus on developing these industries. "
A total of ten million jobs would also be created by these investments, Casey said in a briefing in Makati City Monday.

Casey based his estimate on the fact that the Philippines usually received about one percent of the total foreign direct investments that flow into the Asia-Pacific region that averaged $200 billion on any given year, thus the $75-billion estimate for the next decade.

Hey, those who consider and posture themselves as leaders and managers of this country , wisen up, will you? It's about time.

Easter New Life, Rebirth, Renewal

2010-04-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

April 05, 2010

Happy Easter, everyone ! At this point in time and in my life, I am going to consciously capitalize on and leverage the meaning, intention and philosophy of Easter. Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, rebirth, renewal, a new abundant life in Christ! The works ! About time that I really leverage the gift of redemption, resurrection, an abundant life that God wants His creation to experience.

I declare that I am now ready to receive spiritually (afte forty years in the desert), intellectually , emotionally and physically all the material blessings, financial and otherwise that God wants me to have and enjoy in this life ... which in my mind is really a part of the eternal life that God wants those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to have. I used to think that the desire for an abundant physical, material and financial life is antithetical to my spiritual and emotional growth ,though I could comfortably relate mental growth with material and financial growth. I've come to realize, even if at a snail's pace, that physical/material and financial growth/abundance/prosperity is but a natural balancing off-shoot of one's spiritual,emotional and mental growth, at least in this my earthly life.

Another thing, humility is not an untruthful posturing of oneself as being small, insignificant and lower than others. Humility is realizing that everything I am and have and will become is and should be according to God's plan, will and purpose for my life. Humility is giving praise, thanksgiving and glory to God by obeying His will and living out His plans and purposes for my life ... At last !

Happiness Today, This Minute Now

2010-03-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

March 25, 2010

What does one write about when one is happy for no external reason at all?
When I feel good and happy just because I've thought myself to happiness at this very minute, not withstanding the fact that I'm eating a red plum at this very minute for lunch while blogging and watching a disc on France from '1000 Places to See Before You Die' and while remembering a happy lunch two days ago..
and still smelling from my hand the Danish cheese I've nibbled at lunch today, the smell of which I love because it reminds me of babies and baby-breath?
Well, I guess nothing , but to gush about this now feeling of happiness. On the whole, though, this joyous present moment is a result of the several days of conciously programming my subconscious to positivity, to abundance and to happiness and God-thoughts. So here I go gushing and gushing ... so there. It's nice and good to be happy, from the inside then out!

First World Philippines Under God

2010-03-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

This thought came to my mind and I'm keeping it. That my vision of a 'First World Philippines under God' begins with me and in me. I don't remember if it was Gandhi who said that one should become the change that one wants to have but I realize now the wisdom and the truth of that. I've heard it often before, that one cannot change others , one can only change oneself. I only realize now the truth of that in relation to myself. I'ts about time. For the longest time the underlying theme of my life and my choices, to a greater extent, was for a just, humane, free, prosperous and abundant life for this country , starting my involvement in student activism against a dictatorship in my freshman year up to my 30-years in government service , without giving much thought for personal ambition and personal advancement in terms of position and monetary considerations and my personal expression, even my trust and belief in God, in the idealistic hope that this country and its people would strive for a better Philippines for every Filipino..hoping the system will change. Well, the internal idealistic well has dried up, finally after 38 years ...And I'm thankful for that drying up. I now leave to oblivion and behind me the frustrations,disappointments, regrets, anger and the bitterness .... Consider the 38years from 1972 up to this point in 2010 my 'forty-years in the desert' . I'm crossing the threshold to God's promised land ... an abundant life for those who believe in Him. I embark on a new journey, officially and consciously today, March 18, 2010, of cultivating, nourishing, developing and protecting the inchoate citizen of a 'First World Philippines under God' in me, in my internal landscape, in my inner and outer worlds. I am 'First World Philippines under God' Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam! In Nomine Domini Nostri Jesu Christi -- AMDG.INDNJC. Today is another birthday ... my birth in the 'First World Philippines under God' ! Father God, I pray for Your blessings!

Weight and Health Management Through Good Nutrition

2010-03-11T20:16:00.000-08:00

March 12, 2010
The continuing saga --- on my sixth week on the Herbalife weight loss program (with no concurrent physical exercise, at that). Lost now about 9 pounds , 3 inches from the waist and one inch from the hips... one inch and a half , depending on what part of the hips I'm measuring. Traversing the belly-button , it's one and three quarters off. And I'm saying 'hello' again to some clothes of five or more years ago... can fit into them again ...
I've upgraded my customized Herbalife program now to seven products, in concert : Formula 1 Nutritional Shake (meal replacement), Formula 2 Personalized Protein Powder (protein supplement to beef up lean muscle build-up and metabolism) , Formula 3 Cell Complex ( this one's for cell nutrition and I like the concept), Vitamins and Minerals (anti-stress and anti-oxidants), Fiber and Herb ( for cleansing), Herbal Tea Concentrate (fat burner), Mega-Garlic Plus (for the heart) and Herbalifeline ( a multi-purpose 'head-to-toe' vitamin pack). The whole caboodle apparently and actually seems to be working... I'm feeling much better everyday, physically and unexpectedly, emotionally and mentally, as well... even my attitudes about life and the external world.. and at this junior-citizen age, at that. Never felt better, in concert,at that. But I won't go as far as attributing my improving mental and emotional state to Herbalife alone. 'Mens sana, corpore sano.' And vice-versa.. yes. I also continue to work on my mindset and heartset, parallel to the Herbalife program. They work well together .. it seems.

Weight Loss/Gain/Maintenance via Good Nutrition

2010-03-01T16:24:00.000-08:00

March 02, 2010

Starting my fourth week of using Herbalife weight management core products and I'm having encouraging results. Not only is my nutritional needs taken care of without the hassle of preparing and cooking balanced , fat-free, low-cholesterol meals everyday, but I've lost about 4 pounds , an inch off my waist and half an inch off my hips. I also noticed and felt a sensation of my throat and respiratory track opening and lightening up and evidenced by a secretion of hardened mucuous from my throat. And a feeling of improvement in my general physical well - being.
I started with the Herbalife core products for weight management, in my case, weight loss :
1.Formula 1 - the Nutritional Shake Mix which is taken as meal replacement for breakfast and dinner and a regular meal for lunch which can be an 'eat-anything-you-like' event, but I chose to also keep my lunch healthy and balanced, so I prepare it myself;
2. Formula 2 - Vitamins and Minerals , an anti-stress, anti-oxidant formulation which also seems to be working because I'm feeling and looking less harassed now -- well , one or two people have already commented that I'm 'blooming' ;
3.Fiber and Herbs - a cleansing formulation which seems to be doing its job as I said above.
At my age, I would be expecting that my metabolism is slower , so on the third week, I upgraded my program with Personalized Protein Powder which hastened my weight loss a bit (about 2 pounds lost on the third week alone). On this fourth week, I'll be adding in the Herbal Concentrate formulation , which they say is like 'aerobics in a bottle'. So let's see what happens . Update soon/later.

Slideshows on Financial Education

2010-02-03T16:37:00.000-08:00

Welcome Back Kotter .i.e. My Ego

2010-01-21T20:59:00.000-08:00

For the longest time and up until this time, I've always regarded my ego as something to deny, to fling aside, to be the enemy, to discard like it is not part of me. And that was one reason why I keep on experiencing internal conflicts and contradictions, like a house divided. Well, I realize now that I cannot be whole without my ego. God created the ego. The wrong thinking was that it was something to be squashed and killed. The ego can only become an enemy if it does not function the way God intended. I take my ego back. But this time, an ego that is embraced by God. Thank You, God , for the realization.

Incorporating Myself

2010-01-20T00:46:00.000-08:00

This thought/idea came again today .... that of incorporating myself , based on the similar principles of incorporating a business entity or foundation. Hey, I've got this new dream of being a CEO, why not become a CEO of my own corporation, for starters, become a CEO of my own life... and execute my daily affairs, activities,plans,goals and resources in a more organized and purposeful manner. OK, I start. First, I name my personal corporation 'AMDG.INDNJC, Inc.' And I'm praying for God to be the highest officer , the President and the head of the Board of Directors and all the saints and the great men and women of God to be members of the Board. The company name means 'Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.In Nomine Dei Nostri Jesu Christi'. I love the thought.

"Acres of Diamonds" Lesson

2010-01-12T15:58:00.000-08:00

I've been asking myself what lesson I still have to learn in my current working situation. I am planning and praying to leave this place ,asap, moving on to the next phase of my life's growth and development. But nothing apparently seems to be moving in that direction for quite sometime now. I figured there is still a lesson I still have to learn here in the current workplace and I wanted to learn it fast enough.

While sifting through my collection of papers/xeroxed copies of articles that I intended to read when I had the time, I came across a xeroxed copy of "Acres of Diamonds" by Russel Conwell. If I remember right, the copy came from an old edition of the book I found in the office's library. I might have browsed through it before, but I never threw it away. The point of the book is basically to mine where one is currently in now for opportunities for growth,development and for opportunities of abundance. Funny,in a way, that a book I found in this place, about twenty years ago will be the book that pointed to the lesson that I still have to learn in this place.

Rightly enough, I've always thought that my time for growth and abundance will happen after I've left this place. I never or hardly looked on this job and workplace as a mine for growth and opportunities for abundance. The mindset when I began to work here was 'sacrificing self-advancement for the good of the country',an extension in my worklife of the 'Serve the people' mentality I had when I was a student activist in college. I took pride in that and that served as a crutch for me when I get frustrated and disappointed with the system. Now, I leave all that behind.

The 'Serve the people' mentality,after nearly three decades' is now replaced by my vision of me being a 'citizen of a First World Philippines under God'. And having that vision means also me growing and developing myself as a person of abundance, in all aspects of my life --spiritually, intelectually,emotionally,physically and financially. And while still being here in this workplace, I will conduct myself as such. And part of that is looking at the opportunities for abundant growth in the remaining time of my stay here, which I hope will be short enough. I have to learn the lesson well. The "Acres of Diamonds" lesson also involves being grateful for my stay here and being grateful that an opportune time will come for finally bidding 'Adieu' to this place/situation in 2010 and on to the next exciting phase of my 'rest-of-my-life'. Thank You,Father God. AMDG.INDNJC

For When I Get to Paris

2010-01-11T21:36:00.000-08:00

Three years ago I posted this question in Yahoo:

What are the monasteries and convents in Paris and France that offer cheap lodging to foreigners?

One guy answered that why would anybody be looking for a convent, it's Paris, for goodness' sakes!

Accidentally came across the question today again and thanks to 'Rillifan', here's a helpful answer:

Best Answer - Chosen by VotersPrieuré Saint-Benoit scholastique
3-7 cité Sacré-Coeur. 18th. Tel: 01 46 06 14 74.

Foyer Friedland
23 Avenue de Friedland, 16th
Tel: 40.76.30.30.

Accueil St.-Paul
Issy-les-Moulineaux (Just outside Paris)
Guests must be members of the Association St.-Paul, a charity organization. Membership is about $1.90, and guests can join on arrival. Reservations are made by telephone only: (33 1) 45.29.16.06. No English is spoken.
• 3 years ago

Thrillionaire of the Week

2009-11-16T16:04:00.000-08:00

Thrillionaire of the Week

Filipino Humour

2009-11-12T16:04:00.000-08:00

November 13, 2009

Seen yesterday in Trinoma a pretty girl wearing a Rusty Lopez T-shirt with the message : "The Filipino is worth shopping for. ".Really , really made me smile ... For those not in the know, this is a take on the famous line from Ninoy Aquino, the harbinger of the EDSA revolution - "The Filipino is worth dying for." Talk about Filipino humour ...
Though I feel a little unease. I hope this does not mean that the Filipino is a country of impulsive shoppers and wayward consumers. On the other hand, this would mean that the retail industry is active, hopefully , the manufacturing sector as well. I suppose, as long as what the Filipinos are buying are not, for the most part, the cheap or inexpensive imports thanks to globalization.
How about balancing this with "The Filipino is worth saving and investing for" ?

Christmas -- Preparing for , in November

2009-11-10T16:32:00.000-08:00

November 11, 2009

I intend to accomplish this goal within this month ... I want to have a really bright and dazzling Christmas holiday . This shouldn't be too hard but I find myself always on a see-saw. So I have to be extra vigilant and be conscious of the thoughts that are in my mind... Always and every moment to focus on the good things that I desire .. and not otherwise. So the goal is that at the end of the month and thereafter ... TO , ALWAYS AND AT EVERY MOMENT , FOCUS AND STAY MY MIND ON THE POSTIVE,BEAUTIFUL, PROSPEROUS AND GOOD THINGS THAT I DESIRE. This I decree, according to Job 22:28-- "Thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee and the light shall shine upon thy ways. "

A Bird-Worm Saying and I Say

2009-11-09T16:25:00.000-08:00

November 10, 2009

A saying I've heard so many times .... " The early bird gets the worm. " Good for the bird, bad for the worm .

I say ... " The late worm doesn't get caught by the early bird. " Good for the worm, bad for the bird...

Goes both ways ...

Lu Yu Says and I Say

2009-11-09T00:50:00.000-08:00

November 09, 2009

Lu Yu (715 - 803 )-- must be a sage to be quoted 1,200 years thence in a lifestyle magazine -- said :
"Tea is specially fitting for persons of self-restraint and inner worth. "

I'm a bonfide coffee maniac , what does that make me? Not that I'm defensive. I'll think of something ... Starbucks, Seattle's , Gloria Jean's , Coffee Bean ... Help !!

Kape Kesada ---Must See -- First World Phil. under God

2009-11-08T15:50:00.000-08:00

November 09, 2009

Copying here from Inquirer an article about a cafe that I am putting on my itinerary , for reference .... Thanks, Inquirer.

"Laguna café also brews artists

By Karen Lapitan
Inquirer Southern Luzon
First Posted 18:52:00 11/07/2009

Filed Under: Restaurants & catering, Entrepreneurship

PAETE, LAGUNA, Philippines—Using the remains of demolished homes and buildings from nearby towns, a dentist here has put up a coffee shop, aimed to develop and promote local artistry.

Art aficionado Dr. Noli Valdecantos, 47, opened Kape Kesada on December 26, 2004 after attending a series of art exhibitions in Metro Manila that made him realize that Paete artists also deserve wider opportunities.

Located along J.V. Quesada street in Paete town, Kape Kesada is also known to brew local artists other than aromatic concoctions.

Asked on how he managed to combine his love for science and the arts, he said “when you are born in Paete, you are born an artist.”

He said his interest in art started when he was still a kid, mainly due to the artistic environment where he grew up, realizing that there’s no conflict when combining science and art.

No blueprint

The structure of Kape Kesada is in itself a work of art from accumulated old materials. From the walls to the lavatory, the coffee shop used recycled materials Valdecantos got from nearby towns and provinces.

“[Kape Kesada] is like a puzzle. No plan was formally made on how the structure should look like. I just gathered some useful recycled materials from demolished structures,” said Valdecantos, who spent almost two years in completing the whole structure.

The stone bricks of Kape Kesada were from an old church, the windows’ capiz parts were given by some Paete residents, while the wood he used were from demolished homes in Pila town and the provinces of Rizal and Quezon.

Haven for artists

Kape Kesada paved the way toward many opportunities for many home-grown artists.

The Paete Artists Guild was established along the process that supports local artists who want their talent to be exposed. Visual artists and singers primarily make up this group.

According to Valdecantos, Kape Kesada serves as the official venue for the artists’ exhibits and acoustic nights.

“After being given exposure here, we also help them through our contacts to have a more sustainable career,” he added.

As Kape Kesada serves as an exhibit area for Paete artists, customers can view and decide what to buy while sipping their cups of coffee. Art works of featured artists are also sold here.

“Most exhibitions in Manila are plainly viewing of paintings and other art works, but we offer more by allowing customers to feel more relaxed while drinking coffee,” Valdecantos claimed.

The coffee shop and art gallery offers a rustic and relaxing ambiance that has attracted many coffee and art lovers not only from Laguna but also from the metropolis as well.

Ambassadors of Spain and France are just two of the high profile personalities enticed by this coffee shop-art gallery.

Valdecantos thinks that local artistry must be preserved and promoted as this is what Paete is known for. “Paete artists have this huge potential, but they just don’t know how to get enough exposure,” while encouraging more young artists to develop their artistic sides.

“This is the pathway for artistic thought and its works,” he added, while emphasizing how proud he is to be from Paete. "

And another one from http://goodnewspilipinas.com - will see when I get to France ...

" Baldemor unveils People Power mosaic in France
Posted on November 8th, 2009 under The Good Balita

Manuel Baldemor and Sylvie Henot in front of the Basilica of St. Therese de Lisieux, which features the People Power Mosaic (background, above) [Philstar] Filipino artist has made history by creating an epic mural in France depicting the Filipinos fight for democracy.

Manuel Baldemor and French mosaic artists Sylvie Henot and Francois Sand created the epic mural depicting the Philippine People Power Revolution of 1986 at the Basilica of St. Therese of the Child Jesus in Lisieux, Normandy.

Thousands of people witnessed the unveiling, inauguration and benediction of the mosaic mural. The event was officiated and blessed by Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois of Paris, Mgr. Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, Mgr. Xavier Rambaud, Archbishop of Lipa Mgr. Ramon Arguelles, Basilica rector Mgr. Bernard Lagouette, and Fr. Gil Apuli of the Filipino Chaplaincy in Paris.

The event seemed like a miniature People Power in itself with yellow confetti showers, a dramatic performance by the Filipino overseas workers in Paris, and a general festive atmosphere akin to that of Edsa 1.

Coinciding with the benediction was the 20th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Catholic Chaplaincy in Paris, a non-profit organization dedicated to the spiritual and moral guidance of the Filipino community in Paris. The inauguration also serves as the culmination of a series of celebrative religious activities sponsored by the Chaplaincy.

“I do believe that this mosaic will give not only a much-deserved tribute to the People Power event of 1986 but also pride and honor to the Philippines as a nation. It holds great significance as a permanent lasting tribute of Philippine democracy in the heart of France and will also be a comfort to Philippine Overseas Workers for all time,” Manuel Baldemor said."

Caring for Creation-- According to Patriarch Batholomew I

2009-10-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

October 02, 2009

Read this morning , a very telling observation and insight about human treatment of the environment and creation . Allow me to quote :

"Wealth generated in the developed world has not put an end to suffering. [...] The explosion of knowledge has not been accompanied by an increase in wisdom. "

"Only wisdom could make us realize that the Creation is an interdependent, undivided whole, not an assemblage of isolated, unrelated parts that can be eliminated, replaced or modified as we see fit."

"Instead of living on income, or the available surplus of the earth, we are consuming environmental capital and destroying its sources as if there is no tomorrow."

For the complete article , go to www.zenit.org or see below.

Patriarch Laments Lack of Wisdom in Caring for Creation
Addresses Religion, Science and Environment Symposium

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, OCT. 23, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Society may have more knowledge in the 21st century, but not necessarily more wisdom, according to the Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople.

Bartholomew I said this Wednesday at the Eighth International Symposium on Religion, Science and the Environment titled "Restoring Balance: The Great Mississippi River."

The symposium, organized under the patronage of the patriarch, is under way through Sunday in Memphis, Tennessee. The five-day conference is gathering theologians, scientists, policy makers, environmentalists and businessmen to discuss the effects of almost 200 years of industrialization on the Mississippi River.

"The technological advances of the last half century have created the illusion of us being in control of our destiny as never before," the patriarch noted in the opening address of the conference. "We have cracked the code of DNA, we can create life in test tubes, we can genetically modify crops, we can put men upon the moon -- but we have lost our balance, externally and within.

"Wealth generated in the developed world has not put an end to suffering. [...] The explosion of knowledge has not been accompanied by an increase in wisdom.

"Only wisdom could make us realize that the Creation is an interdependent, undivided whole, not an assemblage of isolated, unrelated parts that can be eliminated, replaced or modified as we see fit."

Destruction

"We have expanded our dominion over Nature to the point where absolute limits to our survival are being reached," he continued. "We have lost half of the great forests of the world to the demand for timber and for conversion to agriculture, without thinking that these giant wet sponges are responsible for the delivery of much of the fresh water.

"Irrigation for agriculture takes 70% of global demand for water, and -- almost unimaginably -- some of the world’s greatest rivers are so depleted by the influence of humans that they no longer flow to the sea; and those that do, carry in their waters all the chemical fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides and waste materials they have collected along their course.

"Desertification is increasing on land at the same time that the fish stocks of the oceans are depleted by over exploitation; and those that remain are being poisoned by toxic materials dumped carelessly in their habitat.

"Instead of living on income, or the available surplus of the earth, we are consuming environmental capital and destroying its sources as if there is no tomorrow."

Bartholomew I pointed out that the ecological problems society faces today have been "created by human beings."

Balance

The patriarch noted that society not only needs to restore a balance between human activity and the environment, but also that society needs to "find balance within ourselves, reassessing our values as well as what is valuable.

He added that everyone has a part to play, and a responsibility in conserving creation: "Our successes or failures, personal and collective, determine the lives of billions. Our decisions, personal and collective, determine the future of the planet."

Bartholomew I is in the United states for a 15-day Apostolic and Patriarchal Visit.

Today he is visiting the lower 9th Ward in New Orleans to survey the recovery and restoration efforts that followed the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

Following the Symposium, the patriarch will travel to New York City, Atlanta and Washington, D.C.

--- --- ---

On the Net:

Religion, Science and Environment symposium: http://www.rsesymposia.org

Oliver Wendell Holmes Said and I Say

2009-10-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

October 22, 2009

Oliver Wendell Holmes : " The man of action has the present but the thinker commands the future. "

I say : Be both, a person of action and a thinker. Harness the power of "AND" . We need to be both for balance and success.

"Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics" -- Books To Get

2009-10-20T23:42:00.000-07:00

October 22, 2009 pm

I've got to get me one of these :
(Sorry, this is not to plagiarize the abstract below.
Just a reminder for myself.)

" SuperFreakonomics
Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance

by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

The New York Times best-selling Freakonomics was a worldwide sensation, selling over four million copies in thirty-five languages and changing the way we look at the world. Now, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner return with SuperFreakonomics, and fans and newcomers alike will find that the freakquel is even bolder, funnier, and more surprising than the first.

Four years in the making, SuperFreakonomics asks not only the tough questions, but the unexpected ones: What's more dangerous, driving drunk or walking drunk? Why is chemotherapy prescribed so often if it's so ineffective?

SuperFreakonomics challenges the way we think all over again, exploring the hidden side of everything. By examining how people respond to incentives, the authors show the world for what it really is – good, bad, ugly, and, in the final analysis, super freaky.

Our Price: $16.19 "

Morning Pages : Financials - T.Harv Eker and R. Kiyosaki

2009-10-20T17:19:00.000-07:00

October 21, 2009
Ok , going back to morning pages by writing out what I've learned from T. Harv and Robert K --- to entrenched the ideas into my system. First, I'm intent on following T.Harv's advice to set up several accounts for expending my current income , no matter the size of it, which being government employee salary-based, is quite nil, but no matter. If I remember right, he also said that initially, what is important is to get into the correct financial habits and entrenching them into my system so they become quotidian and natural. But I'm injecting some adjustments to suit my situation. First, 16.77% of my monthly income is appropriated by the government before I even laid hands on it in taxes. Fine. But then again, taxes are really paid out of my Necessities account (which according to Harv should be about 50% of tax-net income). They are my payments for my use of roads and bridges, my use of police/military protection (the latter I hope I won't personnally need), for peace and order in the country, for governance of society so everybody will behave according to the law, etc. I just hope those in government will try to run like the country like a corporation. Taxes are not the privilege of the government, They are payments from the Filipino people for societal goods and services.
Also, taxes are part as well of my Give account ( which according to Harv should be 10% of net). Part of the taxes I pay will go to education and social welfare services and that is good and I support that.
Second, 11.81% of my monthly income goes to insurance and the like and this should take care of my Long-Term Saving for Spending account.
Third, I would need about 39.44% of gross monthly income for my Necessities account for daily reasonable healthy food, stress-free transportation and reasonably OK accomodations.
Fourth, 10% I reserve for my Gift to God/Tithe account.
Fifth, 11% will go to my Long-Term Savings for Investment account.
Sixth, 10% will go to my Education and Play account. They are supposed to be two separate accounts with 10% each , per Harv. But that's OK. I enjoy education,research,reading,learning , so it's really play for me. Play account will also pay for my occasional-getting-frequent dark chocolate-with-almond-or hazelnut-or-walnut fix. Question is where will I get my Paris-trip funds?
So, I guess that accounts for 100% of my meager monthly income. But the start of the habit is there. As they say,if I cannot manage a small income, how can I manage a huge one. Gotta learn.Better late then never.
Bullet-point #2 : From reading R. Kiyosaki , I got this crazy notion of going from quadrant E to quadrants B and/or I ... Would take a quantum leap, so please Father God Creator and Provider, help me . Thank You. AMDG.INDNJC.
All for now....

Kiko's Video

2009-10-16T00:18:00.000-07:00

God Speaks Re Me Growing Up --- through the Bible

2009-10-13T17:22:00.000-07:00

October 14, 2009

Posting here a message/verse from the Bible which I have written down on a piece of cardboard sometime in the far past. Coming across it again this morning and reading it , it struck a deeper cord , deeper this time , at a point in my life, nearing my senior citizenship, when there is an inner,urgent, almost panicky imperative to have a turn-around for a better life and even the best life there is for me in this life, for whatever time I have left :

Isaiah 52:1-2,6:
1-2 :"Wake up, wake up and clothe yourself with strength. Put on your beautiful clothes. Rise from the dust, take off the slave bands from your neck .... "
6 ...Recognize that it it I, yes, I who speaks to you ...."

Thank You, Father God for the reminder.

Really Quantum Step

2009-10-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

October 12, 2009
This calls for a personal celebration and boy will I celebrate this final break from the stupid romantic illusion about something( I had to say 'something' to be politically correct). The final innerwork that I had to do in my efforts and goal to erase the programming I had allowed myself to accept consciously or un ... and replace it consciously and with all my mind, heart and eyes open to grow into and become the best person that I could be , hopefully according to God's plan and will for me ... to live life abundantly and more abundantly ... And boy, will I commit myself to that, with the few decades that I still have left in my earthly life, God willing. I've already written down the specifics that I have thought about for the pasts several years and I'm doing what I can possibly do to actuate that commitment ... the rest I leave and commend to God. I am grateful for the realization of those plans and dreams in the very near future, God willing. AMDG.INDNJC!

So I now celebrate in my birthmonth, my freedom and final liberation from that stupid romantic illusion of the past !!

Warren Buffet Wisdom

2009-10-08T17:28:00.000-07:00

October 09, 2009 :

Came across these words from Warren Buffet in http://www.buffettsystem.com.
Pasting them here for my collection of wise words ... Thanks to the sources
and to WB himself. According to what little I've heard and read of him , I think he's my favorite billionaire. God bless them all rich and good people .

" Success in investing doesn't correlate with I.Q. once you're above the level of 25. Once you have ordinary intelligence, what you need is the temperament to control the urges that get other people into trouble in investing." - Warren Buffett

"If Calculus or Algebra were required to be a great investor, I'd have to go back to delivering newspapers." - Warren Buffett

"There seems to be some perverse human characteristic that likes to make easy things difficult." - Warren Buffett

Feelings

2009-10-07T23:40:00.000-07:00

October 08, 2009

Have to jot this down --- why am I feeling like a pupa struggling to emerge from the chrysalis yet also feeling like a happy Branch ?
Something's cooking ....

Freewriting My Future

2009-09-22T21:32:00.000-07:00

September 23, 2009

In four years' time, this is what I see me doing ... with a laptop and a camera in hand, slow traveling in France, Italy , parts of Spain,Praque , parts of Germany, writing travel and other lifestyle articles for the internet ...

Nice News : Business - Cash-rich locals fueling stock market rally - INQUIRER.net

2009-09-13T22:34:00.001-07:00

Business - Cash-rich locals fueling stock market rally - INQUIRER.net

Shared via AddThis

A Realization Two Years Ago

2009-09-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

September 09, 2009
Noting here a realization I wrote down on a piece of paper, a marginal note to a page I was reading, dated June 09, 2007 , while dining at KFC, Greenbelt 1, one of my favorite haunts in Makati :

A deep, profound, reverential realization about life/Life happened in me. Life recognizing Life for the first time in fifty three + years of existence in this planet. My consciousness, intellect and soul experiencing and sensing Life as an in-dwelling force and spirit in me, a force in-dwelling in me but beyond and more than my consciousness, my thoughts and opinions, my feelings/emotions and actions, much more than the circumstances and physical reality outside of me, realizing Life to be God, to be Love. Praise, glory and thanksgiving to You, Father God, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit. My life and thoughts and my being will never be the same again from now on, after this ...

God, the First, Ultimate and Only Giver

2009-09-03T17:20:00.000-07:00

September 04, 2009
Thoughts while riding in a taxi to the office at 7:00 AM --- These are not original thoughts..surely I have read or heard them somewhere else. The thing is they coagulated in my mind at this moment , unbidden -- the God, the Intelligence that's permeating this universe, is the one and only ultimate Source and Giver , we can only be receivers. What we can "give " is what we receive from God and what one can "give" is what one allowed oneself to receive.

First World Philippines Under God

2009-09-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

September 02, 2009

I'm so heartened and filled with optimism about Senator Mar Roxas decision to give up his personal agenda for a higher purpose.He deserves our gratitude and admiration. He is a much bigger man , for what he just did. It takes more courage and character to give up than to pursue one's interests for the common good.
It is palpable that the recent events starting with the death of former President Aquino's death , and the ongoing miasma of corruption of the current administration has formed a political milieu and momentum for change. The Aquinos just happened to be the actors on this stage in Philippine history that God has assigned the roles for leadership and as rallying points and catalysts for change. I do not feel that the other contenders at this point have this kind of catalytic effect. True, Noynoy Aquino does not have extensive leadership experience as a legislator and Senator Gordon has commented that leadership is earned from the people . But I believe it can also be bestowed by God on whoever He chooses in His wisdom. I sense that Noynoy Aquino, inspite of himself, is being juggernauted to a role that he himself did not even earlier plan for ... he was chosen by circumstances through which God speaks. He just have to work hard, pray hard for the right direction and prove himself to God and the people, afterwards. Here's to my dream and vision of a 'First World Philippines under God' ! I know and believe it will happen in my lifetime! So help us , Father God.