What's In The Bag?

Here are my bag essentials:

1. Moleskine notebook
2. Shuffle
3. kikay kit
4. ballpens (black, blue and red)
5. wallet
6. hairbrush
7. tissue pack
8. cologne
9. mobile phone

My Random Musings

Allow me to share some of my thoughts on matters that perhaps at one point may have crossed your mind but you simply dismissed as unimportant or trivial to even waste time on. The complete list of my personal thoughts is written on my Moleskine journal but since I can't share all, (some are way too personal for public consumption) I just selected a few that might hit a chord and hopefully you can learn from...


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ON FRIENDSHIP

Correct me if I am wrong with this observation: Marami sa atin ang aabot sa sampu o higit pa ang mga kaibigan. Pero kung papansinin nyo,iilan lang talaga sa kanila yung kaya mong yayain na kumain sa labas o manood ng sine o magbabad sa bahay na kayong dalawa lang. Yung one-on-one pero never ka makakaramdam ng boredom.Sa makatuwid,iilan ding tao ang talagang komportable tayong kasama. Enlighten me.


We share various thoughts and ideas to people close to us --- book & movie choices, lifelong dreams, political and religious views, etc. However, there are certain matters that we confide only to a chosen few or sometimes to a chosen ONE. Matters that require a certain amount of trust and confidentiality. So far, I think my instincts have not failed me.


I hate it when somebody who tries to pass herself up as a friend suddenly becomes overly concerned but in truth, she just wants to see you wallow in misery and despair. I can tell if it's genuine concern or otherwise.


We may not understand the choice of partner of our friends but don't we all want them to be happy? Our opinions would not matter at all. As long as they are in a loving relationship,who are we to object?


ON LOVE AND BEING LOVED


When I was younger, I used to believe in a fairy tale wonderland where a guy will sweep me off my feet and build me a castle. Now that I'm older, I realized it only happens in the movies. We can't simply push away someone just because he does not conform to our ideal man archetype.


A person may appear in your life to teach you a lesson or two about love. He doesn't need to stay for long. Sometimes he just simply walks away. It's a harsh reality but then there are lessons learned.


There is no such thing as a right age for marriage. It all boils down to the right person. This is my standard answer when somebody asks me when I will tie the knot. However, it would be better if I could slap him straight in the face.


In matters of the heart, you can't regret something that at one point made you truly happy.


We may build walls to protect us from getting hurt. But the truth is, when love comes, we all surrender.


Letting go of someone who will never be yours is indeed quite liberating. It saves you the pain and anguish.


ON LIFE, AS I KNOW IT


Whenever doubts set in, I am always comforted by this line: "If it is meant for you, it will be yours."


Being overly critical about other people's lives is a reflection of one's unhappiness.


Happiness is a choice. It doesn't take a someone or a something to make us happy. It emanates from the self.


It is not right to wish other people harm. It just might backfire on you. And besides, the Man Up There will never listen.


If you obey all the rules, you'll miss all the fun. Digress a little, it won't hurt.


The best lessons one can learn are not those taught in the classroom, but those learned through cumulative life experiences.


What makes life beautiful is its uncertainty. Imagine a world where you can predict anything that will take place. It'll be fun but no thanks!!


We always have this desire to please others, that eventually we end up not showing what we truly are. It's perfectly okay to be you, or in my case, to be me! This is my reality, deal with it! (Notice that the last sentence is this blog's tagline)


LOOKING happy and FEELING happy are two different ideas. In fact, one can exist without the other. But in a utopian world, they should always co-exist. Lucky are those who have both. (sigh!)


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POSTSCRIPT: All these random thoughts have stories behind it --- most are painful, in fact. As they say, even the most painful experiences bring a ray of light that has the capacity to heal a wounded heart.

My Adult Playground

For more than a decade, my battlefield and my playground is a classroom filled with teens with raging hormones.

Stepping inside a classroom was a dreadful activity in the early years of my teaching career. I feared being stared at by these relatively indifferent strangers. I feared being judged for what I said and for what I did not.

It is still a struggle. But I'd like to think that I have learned the tricks of the trade. I no longer feel fidgety before my "audience." Over time, I have mustered enough courage to face them all, without a tiny hint of intimidation.

These kids are in my class for a reason. They want to listen, they want to learn, they want to be involved, they want to be entertained, they want to make a difference. The least I can do is to make them feel that sitting in my class is not a waste of time..

To The Virgins To Make Much of Time

My first attempt at poetry reading. Disaster it is!