It is not yet New Year's eve for me to create an article of how this year was for me but I wanted to give everyone an update on what has been going on in my life this year. I noticed I have very few, and I mean very few... entries for this year. Yes, I have been lazy, I have been confused, I was keeping everything mum until I figure things out for myself.
Starting a business is really challenging for most people. I admire my friend Orly for having the courage to start a training consultancy last year. We've had clients who were good and we've had clients that will be part of our banned list. For the entirety of the year, I did what I do best, motivate and spread positivity to people even when things aren't really going as well as we all expected.
That is the thing when you start a business. No emotional torture should bring you down. The moment you give in, everything will be lost. Everything will go back to zero.
I've received job offers and I've received this one offer that was really promising. I would have become a part of the fashion and retail industry but I declined the offer. It was not a hard decision to make because I know what I want. At this point, commuting and going back to working every single day, welcoming stress, are not in any way welcome in my vocabulary.
So I prayed. I prayed for the freedom to earn while doing the things I love.
On the side, I accepted a long time offer to join Leadership Network. I work online, I work at home, I get to make modules, and soon I will get to train online! I get to talk to different Filipinos who looking for an online job and I get to give them a job! If that isn't cool for you... well that is cool for me!
Suddenly, life is more relaxing. Life and work is balanced.
I am still growing because this is beyond what I expected myself to become.
Very quick entry before I go back to writing a proposal for another client this morning.
I've always expressed my happiness with the friends I have. We've been friends for 18 years now, if my calculations are right. Back when we were much younger, it wasn't that easy to stay connected to friends because we didn't have Facebook to connect to each other all the time. We needed to spend loads to send text messages and call each other because Viber hasn't existed yet. But we managed to exert effort to see each other and celebrate the milestones in our lives together.
This July, we welcomed Kaye and Tim's Ethan to the Christian world.
When you're maturing, you realize that the people you hang out with at bars and parties aren't necessarily the people who'll end up staying with you through time. So find your true friends and choose well.
No matter what other people say, your friends say much about who you are.
Be at peace. As mentioned in Kung Fu Panda "Find your inner peace."
I had to exert tons of effort this morning in finding my inner peace when I got lost in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) while I was riding cabs. CABS. I am not gifted with spatial intelligence. I think I've already mentioned that in some of my entries here. It was supposedly my third time going to my Client's office. I went there with my colleagues on the first and second time. Today was the first time I had to go there by myself.
Given that Manila just had a super strong typhoon yesterday (Glenda), I was still cool when the traffic suddenly became heavier than the usual. Kept my cool. Kept my cool. I turned Waze on in the hope of finding other routes because I didn't want to be late. The taxi driver was old. His white hair and soft voice gave the hint that his hearing was poor too. So when I told him to turn right, he just went straight. I reminded him where I was supposed to go. "31st street corner 2nd avenue po." And he reacted as if he knew BGC well. "uu, sa 5th avenue tayo tapos kaliwa tayo dun."
Since it felt like he knew where I was supposed to go, I turned Waze off and allowed him to take control. We reached 30th corner 2nd avenue.
"O eto. 2nd avenue na to." Manong driver said.
"Manong, 31st po ako." I replied.
"30th eto." He said in a soft voice.
"31st po ako." I repeated.
"Ah. Sa likod lang yun. Diyan lang yun." He said.
He had no intention of driving further. Since it was already 30 minutes before my meeting, I decided to take the risk. He said it was just at the back of that street. I walked further- 28th street. I knew the place. It wasn't where I was supposed to be. I asked for directions from guards, civilians, a marshall. They pointed me in different directions which lead me further. My goal was nowhere in sight.
For the second time, I took a cab in front of Bubble Tea where I bought a milk tea to keep my cool because I was getting stressed. I told the driver the direction. "31st street corner 2nd avenue." He drove. He was positive that we would find it.
"o ito sa kanan tayo. pag lumayo tayo, e di babalik tayo. ibig sabihin sa kabila." And right he was, we went further. So, we went the other way.
We saw 2nd avenue. "O ito 30th na. Dito lang yun."
On my left was the same Bubble Tea where I hailed his cab. "Manong hindi ito. Dito nyo nga ako sinakay e."
He drove further and found 31st street. At the end of that street was a closed road. He insisted that the building on the right was the one I was looking for. He was insinuating that I had to get off even if I said it isn't the place because I've been there. I got off- hoping I was just stupid and that he was right.
Yes, I was stupid. I was stupid to believe that he was right.
Lost again.
I was on the verge of crying. I wanted to go home, make my stupidity as an excuse for why I didn't get to the meeting.
I hailed the third cab. "31st street corner 2nd avenue po. Kanina pa ako naliligaw."
He turned to a street and whoala! I saw the building. "Dito na po! salamat. I wanted to cry.
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What did I learn from this experience?
Sometimes, no matter how confident we are in getting to our destination in life, there will be detours. When you let other people drive your life, they'll get you somewhere. But for sure, you wouldn't be happy because it is not where you want to be no matter how they insist that it is where you should be.
Not knowing how to get to your destination can be costly so think carefully of the risks you're going to take.
When you feel like giving up, don't! Sometimes, when you least expect it, you'll be where you are supposed to be with the help of God's grace. We learn from more from mistakes.
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On a shallow perspective, I can consider this as one of the ancient gods' ways of playing with mortals. Para akong namaligno. I was going in circles and then one turn, it just appeared (the building) out of nowhere.
Last year, I was imagining how I would be celebrating my big 30. Now, that day passed and I couldn't imagine how swift time is.
We do not really know how many years were given to us to live in this world so I couldn't say that I am already at the middle of my life. I used to think that 30 is old but now that I am in it, it really isn't. 30 just means I have experienced things more.
We've had a number of cakes to eat this past week. :D
How do you really go out of your comfort zone? It is really scary, come to think of it. It is just like that moment when you transfer to another school or university, when you were asked to join a club for the first time and didn't know what to expect, when you first entered in a relationship, the first time you cut classes, the first time you sneaked out to a party, the first time you tried commuting, your first ride in a taxi... You tried all those for a reason. At one point, you didn't care whether people told you not to do it because it's dangerous. What you know is that you have this yearning to do it to enjoy, to learn, to experience.
Be a child at heart.
That means not being afraid to try out new things, explore new industries, and discover who else you could become other than what you told yourself you would be.
Some people realized they wanted to become a lawyer someday and that's where all their decisions were based. But that same lawyer never thought he/she would become a father, or a mother, a businessman, a social worker... We can all become more than what we thought we could be. All we need is to keep on believing, take action, and pursue that dream.
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. It is the time of rebirth.
This is my second time to have a baby which is why some people, even my doctor, expect that I already know when I am in labor. Wrong! Being in labor is something I still do not have any idea at all. My water bag broke when I was about to give birth to Megan and that is the only thing that told me it was THE TIME.
Last night, I felt an isolated, but painful contraction I have ever felt in the history of this pregnancy. It was scary because I couldn't move my body because of the pain in my lower abdomen. I was already in bed at that time with Megan. I was praying that it would go away because I haven't packed my hospital bag yet and Abryan was on his way to his office- not a very good time to rush to the hospital. While tears flowed on my cheeks, Megan was trying to help me get into a sitting position. When she saw my tears, she said "I'll get a towel." She got her own face towel and used it to wipe my tears away. Then she said "It's okay Mommy, it's okay." My little nurse is aged 3! The pain lasted more than 5 minutes but I was glad it went away. I couldn't imagine myself screaming for help in case it was already D- Day.
Emotions get really high these days. I thought maybe it was because of the full moon. However, my emotions were brought about by the events that are happening, Other than the "moving-out" event, the nanny has really been getting into my nerves these days. Plainly put, she is hardworking, but she is a chronic liar. When she was asked who just fried eggs, she said it was my sister when none of us would get mad if she admitted it was her. When Megan cried a few days ago and we asked her why, she said Megan just didn't want to eat. But when we asked Megan, she said she hit her head. And to add to these, she just said she is pregnant when last month, she asked me if she could by sanitary napkins from the store. I even gave her a pack of napkins that I had stored before I got pregnant and told her she can just have them. Now she's pregnant all of a sudden just when we are about to move out and I am about to give birth.
Lying is a big concern for anyone I suppose. It doesn't bother me if she decides to leave because she doesn't want to work anymore but to lie about being pregnant and make us look stupid to even believe her irritates me. And of all people, I shouldn't be lied about pregnancy... that IS my FORTE! If my gut feel tells me you are not, I'll prove it till the pregnancy test results prove otherwise.
Looking at a different angle, I will have to learn a new role- that is being a full time housewife. It's exciting to take control of everything... Megan, my new baby, cooking (which I am still about to learn), setting the new business and everything else! For the first time, I will be in-charge of our home- none but me. So tell me now why I am not threatened to lose a nanny? I would probably just need 2 weeks to recover from my delivery and then I can start "owning" myself again.
This full moon has given me different emotions. But among all of them, my feeling of excitement and determination to start anew and make it work are the strongest. There is no backing out- no backing down... Aja!!!
Why I rarely created blog posts and vlogged this February was caused by so many things. Deep in my heart I know these are just excuses.
I had been feeling a little down this month. Waiting for your delivery day can sometimes be very stressful. On my 37th week, I still have a lot of "health concerns" to address to ensure that my baby gets through with the delivery safe. I'll tell this the way a layman in a medical industry would. My red blood cell count is not where it should be. In short, even with the Iron intervention that my doctor did to speed up the production of my red blood cells in preparation for the delivery, it is still not enough. I have been taking my Iron medications so hopefully, I get better results this Saturday. Second, it was just found out that I have UTI. Again, I was given a week to take the meds and it was expected to clear after. But of course, it's still in progress. Thanks to Yan; he has been buying coconut water for me to drink everyday since it is known to help cure UTI. I am a little worried since I never experienced these things when I was pregnant with Megan.
Other than the ones I have mentioned, I got pretty disappointed when I asked Yan to take my belly shot. I saw pink lines!!! Imagine my horror when I found out that I was not spared of stretch marks for this pregnancy. People always tell me that a boy is always heavier than having a girl. So I guess that explains the pink marks. I was depressed at some point. I started thinking if I'll ever get back in shape after gaining 20 lbs in this pregnancy.
After some days of contemplation, I finally got back to my old positive self. I just realized that I shouldn't feel bad about my marks because it is a sign of bravery. Not every woman would choose to have a baby. Some are afraid and wouldn't want an added responsibility while others have the lamest excuse of not wanting to lose their figure. My pregnancy marks will remind me that I was strong enough to give up wearing a two-piece swimsuit for a handsome little boy who will bring happiness to our lives. Plus, what good is not having stretch marks when your body can't even pass wearing a decent swimsuit? It's still all about getting FIT.
Instead of sadness, I am excited with the things I can start doing again after I give birth.
Massage - I will definitely get a full body massage. My body really needs it.
Coffee and Tea - I miss drinking these. Imagine... no coffee every morning.
Red wine - I will stock up on red wine when we transfer to our new home. At least red wine would be better than drinking sodas.
Keratin Complex- I was informed of this at Tony & Guy when I had my haircut but I opted not to get it (even though they said it was safe for pregnancy) because I do not want to risk harming my baby.
Buy new clothes!!! - I stopped buying clothes when I found out I was pregnant. I didn't buy maternity clothes as well. I discovered that my aunts' blouses would pass as maternity clothes if I was the one wearing them. The rest of my clothes were the ones I bought when I was pregnant with Megan. Recycle!
Travel!!! - Abryan and I didn't go on a honeymoon when we got married. Travelling has become harder and harder for me now that I'm full term. There are so many places I want to go to but would just have to wait till I am ready.
Vegan cooking- For those who didn't know, I do not cook. I fry. That's basically all I know about cooking. I cannot distinguish beef meat from pork when they are frozen. Thus, I am going to cook Vegan dishes to save me from guessing. I have all the recipes ready! I will start when we have settled in the new home. Wish me Luck!!!
Z-WOW Exercises- What I like about owning my time is that I can exercise when I want to. This is one exercise that I will start doing when my doctor gives me the "go" signal. These are 15 minute full body exercises. That's all I need in a day!
With so many of these things waiting for me, why should I even waste my time feeling sad? We'll be moving to our new home soon... I will have a handsome baby boy to carry, I have a sweet daughter who is as excited as we are in seeing her baby brother, and a husband who is very responsible and makes all of us happy.
Plus... I forgot to include, I have people waiting for me to get through this pregnancy so I can go back to my freelance jobs. Isn't that nice. I don't have to file for leaves and wait for the approval. :)
It's already February and I have missed a lot of supposed to be entries for January because I have been busy. With all the freelance projects I have been doing with some colleagues, I had to put a halt on them by February to take all the rest I would be needing in preparation for my delivery. I am on my 35th week today and I couldn't wait to give birth to Abraham.
Part of the project that we did was to test run the facilitator's guide that we did with college students. I was really blessed that Our Lady of Fatima University eagerly offered to have the test run in their campus when the original expected university was somewhere in Manila. It saved me all the hassle of long travels and traffic.
I love freelance work because you manage your time (this past week was an exception of course); you can double or triple your income depending on the projects that you can handle; and there is no tax! Some people would rather work in one company for stability but who wants to work till their retirement year? I certainly do not want that. In this age, all you have to do is open your mind and focus on earning more and investing your money wisely so you do not have to work your butt off, kill yourself for doing overtime, and develop degenerative diseases which will definitely empty your savings account. In this day, the more sources of income, the merrier!
For the 6 days that I spent in OLFU, I realized how good it feels to teach young minds again. It brings me back to the time when I was in college and had dreams that were a little different from the dreams I have now. Nevertheless, it was the time when I thought of becoming a theater actress and an English teacher. Just like in the movies, it was inspiring to get a job and still make a living from your passion. If these young minds were mentored well, greatness is within their reach.
For that, we are very pleased to become a part of this big project in the country that aims to make graduates more competent so they could easily get that job that they want. Soon, the difference will be felt.
After the last day, I knew I was going to miss teaching students.
Now, it's about time I tune to my body's needs. February (crossing my fingers) will be my rest and relaxation month. Abraham has been very cooperative for the past months while I was busy with projects and events here and there. It's about time I get a "Me and Abraham" time!
Music is a universal language. Isn't it that when we feel sad, we listen and sing-a-long to love songs? It's also the same when we're in love. Teens have their team song for their crushes. That's because it is very easy to express in a song the emotions we feel. For this reason I still could not understand why there are people who wouldn't appreciate a musical. Those are scripts in melodies.
I was in first year high school when I first saw Les Miserables on VHS. Our teacher did not give us a background, or maybe she did but I was not paying attention. All I remembered were the songs. My mind was very young to really understand the Victor Hugo masterpiece. But while I was listening, I fell in love. Like every broadway lovers, I dreamed of singing the songs on stage.
3 years passed, I was in my senior year. We were asked to create a spectacular school program which will be shown at a dinner with a cause. I don't really recall what the cause was. All I remember was it was the first time for our school to produce something grand (grand na yun at that time ha) and to use our newly built auditorium. It was grand because the auditorium was fully airconditioned, there's new lightings and a sound room where you can control every lights and sound. There's a dressing room at the back stage and to cut it short, everything was new.
High School "Me"
For the spectacular program, it was decided that the seniors will do an adaptation of 4 broadway musicals. Of course we took Les Miserables. I was sure to throw a fit if we didn't get it. Ahahaha. It was impossible at the beginning. No expert was coaching us on how to do things. We just did it out of passion. Too much passion... we sang it live. Who would have thought. That year was the time when film cameras were the only cameras available. The videocameras were as big as those being used by television crews. We were already advanced just because we used lapel microphones. Now, you can practically do everything!
There are things that you will love till you're old. It maybe a movie, a song, a book that you will always go back to. Les Miserables has taken one spot in my heart. And for that, I wouldn't miss watching the movie this January. Just watching the trailer already gives me the shivers. I have a strong feeling I am going to cry at some parts. I strongly recommend others to watch it too. Its not because I love it but because the story, like what I said about music, is universal. Who does not know poverty? about fighting for your family? fighting for the people's voice? This is the broadway musical that I am sure your boyfriends will be able to understand unless they do not understand English. :)
I wouldn't be surprised that the temperature is getting warmer and warmer everyday. But the worst thing that could happen is for your most relied upon airconditioning unit to break down when you need it the most. Yan bought our AC just before I gave birth to Megan. Given that, the unit is almost 4 years old now. It was laziness on our part not to ensure that we have it regularly checked. I only remember one time when we had it cleaned. After that- no more!
It was working fine last Saturday night. When it's already cold, it normally goes to fan mode. When it did, that was the time when Yan turned it off. The next morning, when we turned it on- it was stuck in the fan mode forever. Oh you couldn't imagine our dismay! It was a hot day, PLUS!!! a pregnant woman feels extra warmer so I was already sweaty even if they weren't. It was really hot. Yan found an air cooler that was just in the sala. We used it because were desperate. However, it didn't work at all. The air became humid. The second night came and we were still without an AC.
Today, we finally found someone to check it. The motor was busted. Manong priced us 3,500 Php for the new motor, the cleaning, and for freon. We didn't question the price anymore. We really wanted it repaired. And as of 630pm today, tada!!!! Our AC works like its brand new!!!
They say we always have to learn from events. What I learned from this is that we should all take good care of the things that give us goodness. Whatever it is, caring is needed. Like in a relationship, if you do not pause and give one proper care, it will breakdown eventually. Not all things can be repaired and can work like brand new. So... never neglect things and most specially people around you.
And don't forget to apply this to yourself too. Sometimes, we work so hard for the people we love that we do not take the time to pause and check if our body is getting enough rest and nourishment that it needs. All we know is that we are still young and our body can take it. But remember that we have to take good care of our body not when it gets sick but when it is at its peak of good health. A lot of good products are available now to ensure that we maintain good health. It is up to us to take action.
Now, I am happy because I know we'll all have a good sleep.
I believe that you do not just wait for things to happen to you but instead, you should set goals so you do not lose focus. With this, you gain control over your life or at least have a direction to go to. This will help you gauge how near you are from getting your goals.
Last March 2012, I created a dream board, or power-board for me because I think these things are not "just" a dream. As we close 2013, I revisited my power-board to see which goals were met this year. I am happy to say that I crossed out almost all of it.
My Goals for 2012 (March 2012)
My Achieved Goals as of Dec. 2012
1. Travel/ Vacation- We went to Boracay on my birthday despite the busy schedule that we have. I love adventure and travels so much that's why this, definitely, was on my list.
2. Ipad - it wasn't for me but for my hubby since I already have my Ipad 2. I gave him his own Ipad. :)
3. Makeup Case - I don't know why I kept on delaying my purchase of this. Maybe it was because I was not expecting that much clients. I was focused on my other business. However, the clients came left and right so I HAD to buy the makeup case. As of now, I am enjoying it so much!
4. Bills Managed- I am happy to say that they do not bother me anymore! yehey!
5. Church- I placed here a picture of a church because secretly, I was "dreaming" that someday, I will get married in a church. Looking back at what happened to us, it was really surprising that our planned civil wedding ended up as a church wedding. Unconsciously... maybe... I attracted it. :)
For the other things I have not crossed out, I would like to think that they were just delayed. We lost our car because of the flood during the Habagat days so we had to work with the insurance company in getting whatever money we can get to recover from it. Thus, the sports car did not become the priority from that time. Second, the target savings was not met because we got married but I am very happy that our finances have improved tremendously (one of the many blessings we received this year). And third, for Megan's educational plan, I talked to someone this year who made me think twice about it. In short, I changed my mind. I would rather get Megan and my soon to arrive baby Abraham a life insurance. It's a better choice.
Assessing what happened this year, I can say that it has been a wonderful year. There were delays but still, I can see how far I've gone in achieving the things I want. 2013 will be exciting. I decided not to make a New Year's Resolution because I often end up forgetting about them. Instead, I will be making another power-board and will work on turning those dreams to reality!
Travelling has always been my love but not commuting. My pregnancy has made it more difficult for me to get to places I want to go unless I would take a cab. Today, it was one of those days again where I had to explore by myself.
It was my first time at Parks and Wildlife. Nakakahiya naman considering the place is just in Quezon City. The entrance is only 8 pesos. Very cheap! However, I told myself I shouldn't be expecting a brochure with a map though it would really help so much for a first timer like me. I looked at the big map at the entrance but I just couldn't memorize it.
I roamed and got to the Wildlife Resource Center where I saw the animals that were being taken cared of. It was fun to be alone once in a while. For sure, I will be taking Megan here so she could see some animals live- in action!
Some of the animals in the Wildlife Resource Center
Checking out the scenery
There's so many areas in the place that I haven't really gone to yet. But I am glad to know that a park like this exists in Quezon City! Keep it up!
