I love the Internet! It has everything you need and want. If you opted to work at home, as long as you have a personal computer and an Internet connection, you don’t even need to leave the house. For that matter, you don’t even need to take a shower, haha!

I can’t imagine how I would live my life without the Internet, just like I can’t survive without my cellphone. How could we work or even communicate with people?

I just wish that the speed was faster here in the office. I like going to the Korean Internet Cafe, 168, because their connection is super duper fast! I love it! I can open ten windows at a time without anything slowing down.

I wish I still had my old laptop from before so I could search for a Wifi signal wherever I am. Now I’m thinking if I will buy a new one in the future…hmmmm….

The Internet is the second greatest invention in the world, next to the PC, which of course, without the latter, the former would not exist.

I miss my younger days, especially during the summer, when I had all the time in the world to sleep all day. Nowadays, I only get 5 to 6 hours of sleep on average a night, sometimes even less than this. Maybe I can’t sleep because of the caffeine intake I get from coffee, tea, and chocolates. Yes, I found out that chocolate has caffeine and I’m a chocolate lover.

Many of us feel the minor effects of sleep deprivation. Of course, most of us feel sleepy the next day or we feel tired, but this is just the immediate side effects. I remember my mother telling me when I was a teenager to go to bed early, because she said I wasn’t getting enough sleep. I would stay up all night doing several things: watching TV, reading a book, or talking to a friend over the phone. I’d just remedy my sleepiness by drinking more coffee during the day, which is like a vicious cycle, because then, I wouldn’t be able to sleep early the following night.

I did some reading about sleep deprivation and the long term effects it can have on us. We all know we should get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night, but with the world we live in now, I think this is unrealistic.

We shouldn’t take this issue lightly, because we can experience fatigue, irritability, forgetfulness, illnesses and depression as long term effects of sleep deprivation. I try to catch up on my sleep as much as possible, and I believe that getting sufficient sleep is just as important as exercising or eating a balanced diet, because it affects not only your body, but also your mind.

We all have 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, but some people accomplish more in their lives than others. Why is that? Is it because some people choose to sleep only a few hours a night? Maybe, maybe not….Some people choose to work like a crazy horse, while others live their lives carelessly, as if they will live forever….

Time is very precious. We can never turn back time. Many people equate time with money and this is the reason why we use the expression, “spending time” with our friends, families, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, children, etc. We can compute how much our time is worth at work by dividing how much we make in a month by the number of days we work. We know how much we make everyday, every hour, every minute, and every second. But, are we that conscious of how much time we spend with our loved ones? Hmmm….

For me, time is very important. You will know if you are important to me if I spend a lot of time with you. I have a schedule with everything in my life; I have to-do lists with specific deadlines for both work and my personal life. I believe that how you spend your life will determine your destiny.

It’s all about priorities. We all have a choice to say either “yes” or “no” to someone or something. If you don’t make this decision, other people and things will make the decision for you. You need to take control of your life; life does not control you. Don’t be forced to do something you really don’t want to do. Remember, you only have one life to live. You don’t “need” to do anything to make other people happy or to impress them. Live and spend your life based on your priorities. Only when you do this will you feel a sense of purpose in your life.

Not too many people know I was once into ministry work. Meaning, I worked for our church full time and got paid for it. My boss was a pastor; my colleagues were all church workers and leaders both from local and international offices. Our headquarters is Victory Leadership Institute (now known as Every Nation Leadership Institute). It is the central office of our church called Victory Christian Fellowship.

I did not apply for a position there. But here’s what happened.

The year was 2003. One morning while I was driving, I heard a voice telling me “full time ministry work.” Seriously, I heard a voice. It wasn’t anything thunderous or earthshaking. In fact, it was almost like a whisper, in a calm and gentle tone. I figured well, maybe it was just one of those thoughts from my cluttered mind. But I started to pray, and I said to God “well, if this is from you, do something about it. You pave the way because I cannot imagine myself doing church work.”

Two weeks after hearing “the voice”, I got a call from Victory Leadership Institute. A job was waiting for me. How could this be? I did not apply for work there!

That voice…how can I still doubt that it was God? It was too much of a coincidence.

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My boss was (and still is) the National Director for School of Arts and Media. I did a lot of administrative work plus we had a ballet school which I had to oversee as well. Our ministry was for church members who are into arts and media –visual artists, media people, photographers, actors and actresses, singers, dancers, production people and a lot more. Every time we had an event I had to coordinate with these volunteers. We used to be called tinC which means ‘talents in Christ’.

I had a wonderful time doing my job. It was such a joy working with volunteers, plus the fact I was learning a lot of new things. School of Arts and Media opened a whole new world for me. It was a humbling experience to work with big names who willingly share their talent and time generously yet, for free. But beyond their status and popularity, it’s their heart to reach out to other talents who are searching and looking for meaning in life. They patiently find time to share the gospel using their own resources. They boldly introduce God to them without shame.

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Doing full time ministry work is not a career. You don’t make money here. Whenever I tell people about this experience right away they say “really?!” in varying tones. It’s alright. How they react to it doesn’t affect me.

It is the toughest job in my entire life upto this day. Why? Because here your goal is not to please the standards of the world, but the standards of a ‘diving being.’ Perhaps a lot of people won’t get what I mean. The bible says, “to whom much is given, much is required.”

It was a privilege to work for our church. It is a calling, and not the usual job you can apply for. I feel honored. It doesn’t mean I am holier than thou. Why was I handpicked? It’s simply divine intervention.

Last November 08, 2008, my friends (Niña, Brency, Michele, Abie, Phen) and I had a reunion. It’s been ages that we didn’t see each other because it’s really hard to gather us altogether. We all have different lives now, new sets of friends, new environments, new places, different offices.  We seldom text each other, so at one point, I thought I lost them already and that I only have my UPEC friends.

When we plan for a meeting, we always push back when the meeting is due. Sometimes, my friend and I would try to organize watching a movie, eating dinner, go to the mall etc. but it was just hard, so we gave up.

Until one unfortunate event happen, Nina’s mom died. This pushed us to meet and went to the wake. We were like “Omg! We ended up meeting here at the wake!” We had a lot of catching up to do but the time was not enough. We agreed to book a hotel and stayed there for an overnight. It was the happiest night of my 2008. First, we shopped for food and drinks for our evening party, then went straight to the hotel. Before the dinner, we had a free facial and hand spa service. We started taking pictures, different faces and poses. We ordered a bucket meal from KFC for our dinner.

We kept chit chatting with each other, laughing, and capturing the moments. After a while, we began drinking vodka, and consume our snacks. It was all laughing trip and picture taking as for the effect of vodka. We laughed out loud like there’s no tomorrow, some of us rolled on the floor because of laughter. The people next door had to call the reception and complain about the noise they hear from our room. They had to call our attention which we completely ignored. The next morning, we found out that Nina chipped one tooth. Ha-ha. We had breakfast together then checked out by lunch time. We shared stories about work, love life, and of course our friendship. I realized how much I missed them. J I’m thankful that they are the ones I was with my entire college life. It feels good to see them again and it is great to have friends, it doesn’t matter if you only have one or two because life without a friend is like death without a witness.

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I have celebrated Halloween here in the Philippines for the last three years.  During the first party, I was with my friends at a condominium at the Prince Plaza next to Greenbelt.  There were less than ten of us then.  I was a goth or the Crow lookalike.  Last year, the party was held at my friend Dan’s house in Dasmarinas Village here in Makati.  I was a simple security guard.  There were about 20 to 30 of us there.

This year, it was a much bigger party, with 70 ghosts, goblins, monsters, vampires, warriors, goddesses, witches, devils, princesses, and more.  We had so much food and beer.  We had a DJ complete with smoke, laser, and lights.  We partied the night away.

We had games: The Ship is Sinking, Simon Says, and Speed Dating.

The winners of the contests received Php 3,000 for 1st, Php 2,000 for 2nd, and Php 1000 for 3rd.

It was also an international affair.  We had about 50 Filipinos and 20 friends from S. Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Ireland, UK, Australia, US, and more.

Next year, we hope to have an even bigger party.  How about 100?

Here are some pictures.  We have many more at our main website forum or gallery at www.aiepro.org.

“Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.”–Dorothea Lange

I’m very visual. My creative juices come out as I am inspired by what I see around me.

A few years back I took a course in Basic Photography under Mr. Leo Castillo -a graduate of New York Film Academy and New York Institute of Photography. What I thought was an easy study turned out to be very technical. Photography is a serious course. Although it wasn’t forbidden to use a point-and-shoot camera, we were made to use a SLR -or single-lens reflex camera.

I didn’t own one. And at that time I didn’t have the money for it. So I ended up borrowing from a friend. Unfortunately, halfway through the course my friend needed back her camera for a shoot. And because of that I couldn’t continue and had to drop from class. ( I feel heaviness in my heart as I write this! Haha!)

But that didn’t stop me from taking pictures. Many times I would volunteer and take pictures for my friends using their camera. Right now I own a Canon Powershot A460. It’s ok, and somehow I am able to take good pictures. But I want more, and I want my own SLR. I have a couple of friends who are seriously into it. They spend hundreds of thousands for their set. Whenever I see their camera, I turn green with envy! I really have to save up for this expensive hobby.

Why do I like photography? It’s self-expression. It’s a different high, a rush whenever I am able to capture a moment. That’s why I love mood shots. It’s like poetry, it moves me. It grabs my attention and I don’t want to let go. It’s amazing how more and more people are wanting to get into it. But for me, it’s something very personal. Because every time I take pictures, I am able to freeze time. It’s magical. And I know I will never be able to go back to that moment. Never. Every picture taken becomes a memory right after I click.

Halloween Party 2008

It’s that time of the year again folks when you need to go to the supermarket to buy assorted confectionaries, to give to those children who will knock on your door or window or ring your door bell and say, “Trick or Treat!”

Don’t you just find these children adorable, dressed in different costumes, from ghosts and goblins to superheroes? On October 31, you will see them running around in a frenzy, excited to get their free sugar rush, holding either a plastic bag or the typical orange Jack-o-Lantern.

Halloween is one of my favorite American holidays. It’s autumn in New York at this time; leaves are scattered all over the ground in assorted shades of yellow, orange, and green. The wind blows these leaves in the air, creating a beautiful scene in the suburbs. I love the sound leaves make when you step on a crisp one.

Oh, I forgot I’m in Manila. To console my homesick heart, I remind myself that our country was and is still influenced by American culture, and so, we continue to celebrate Halloween, year after year, and this year is no exception.

This year, I will be joining the Halloween party of *American Institute for English Proficiency (AIEP) where I have been working as an English Specialist for a little over a year now. In essence, I get paid talking and spending time with students and I have fun doing this at the same time. We don’t only teach English grammar and writing, like most English schools, but we also help our students to speak with fluency, to hold their head up high with confidence, and most importantly, to think for themselves.

I’m really looking forward to this party next week! I already have a costume. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to go to last year’s party because I was out of town with my family. I know everyone who will be at the party will have a great time getting to know each other. We will eat, drink, talk, laugh, sing and dance the night away! In AIEP, we don’t only value education; we believe developing strong relationships is key in order to improve communication skills. Our students come from different educational, professional, and racial backgrounds, but our common ground is we all speak in English.

*American Institute for English Proficiency (AIEP) is located at 6772 Ayala Avenue, Suite 610

Makati City, Philippines 1226. Our offices is in The Manila Bank Center, Corner Paseo de Roxas Please.

Visit our interactive website at www.aiepro.org or Email: info@aiepro.org

You may also contact us via:

Phone: +63 (2) 893-1566

Mobile: +63 (0917) 850-3456

Telefax: +63 (2) 893-1566

US Phone: +1 (702) 987-3141

I had two pieces of turon for merienda this afternoon. It was pretty good considering I was craving for something sweet to eat. It costs only eight pesos so I decided to treat everyone in the office. It’s all gone save for two pieces which I saved for Chris and Vinny. So far neither of them have come in to claim them. If they don’t get it in an hour, I’m declaring them mine. Nyahahaha!

Have you ever been in love? Horrible, isn’t it? It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest, and it opens up your heart, and it means that someone can get inside you and messes you up. You build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life…You give them a piece of you. They didn’t ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn’t your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. “It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like ‘maybe we should be just friends’ turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It’s a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. I hate love”

—Neil Gaiman