To my friends who are…

Courtesy of a friend of mine who posted this entry in his Facebook notes.  Thanks Teph for letting me share it.

1. To My Friends Who Are………..SINGLE

Love is like a butterfly . The more you chase it , the more it eludes you. But if you just let it fly, it will come to you when you least expect it. Love can make you happy but often it hurts , but love’s only special when you give it to someone who is really worth it. So take your time and choose the best.

2.To My Friends Who Are…………NOT SO SINGLE

Love isn’t about becoming somebody else’s “perfect person.” It’s about finding someone who helps you become the best person you can be.

3.To My Friends Who Are…………PLAYBOY/GIRL TYPE

Never say “I love you” if you don’t care. Never talk about feelings if they aren’t there. Never touch a life if you mean to break a heart . Never look in the eye when all you do is lie. The cruellest thing a guy can do to a girl is to let her fall in love when he doesn’t intend to catch her fall and it works both ways…

4.To My Friends Who Are…………MARRIED

Love is not about “it’s your fault”, but “I’m sorry.” Not “where are you”, but “I’m right here.” Not “how could you”, but “I understand.” Not “I wish you were”, but “! I’m thankful you are.”

5.To My Friends Who Are…………ENGAGED

The true measure of compatibility is not the years spent together but how good you are for each other.

6.To My Friends Who Are…………HEARTBROKEN

Heartbreaks last as long as you want and cut as deep as you allow them to go. The challenge is not how to survive heartbreaks but to learn from them .

7.To My Friends Who Are…………NAIVE

How to be in love: Fall but don’t stumble, be consistent but not too persistent, share and never be unfair, understand and try not to demand, and get hurt but never keep the pain.

8.To My Friends Who Are…………POSSESSIVE

It breaks your heart to see the one you love happy with someone else but it’s more painful to know that the one you love is unhappy with you.

9.To My Friends Who Are…………AFRAID TO CONFESS

Love hurts when you break up with someone. It hurts even more when someone breaks up with you. But love hurts the most when the person you love has no idea how you feel.

10.To My Friends Who Are…………STILL HOLDING ON

A sad thing about life is when you meet someone and fall in love, only to find out in the end that it was never meant to be and that you have wasted years on someone who wasn’t worth it. If he isn’t worth it now he’s not going to be worth it a year or 10 years from now. Let go…..

11.TO ALL MY FRIENDS…….

My wish for you is a man/women whose love is honest, strong, mature , never-changing, uplifting, protective, encouraging, rewarding and unselfish. You’d need all the luck you can get! !

Some good things never last

Sometimes change can be overwhelming, especially when you least expect it. No matter how dismal the prospects are, no matter how disappointing some events turn out, no matter how scary it is sometimes to leave your comfort zone, life is still beautiful. Strive to be happy. That’s the thought that I’ve been trying to say to myself over and over. Well goodbyes are always not easy. As one song says, “we reach for the future, we learn from the past”. I’m writing this blog because I’m a bit sad that the friends and co-workers that I’m used to being around with, are gonna be transferred to a different team. I know it’s just normal. Life after all in a contact center is about change, everyone, including me should have known that. But sometimes even when we know for a fact that there are things that we have no control of, we still linger on that thought about how-I-wish-things-are-different. I now have to let the idea sink in that the good old times are somehow tucked in the past. Another chapter in my life’s book was finished and another is about to be created, time to move on. Somehow, we come across with people who help us to be better, individuals who show us our weaknesses and strengths, thereby making us wiser and more mature. Sad might be an understatement but we need to look forward to a better future.  Let’s look forward to meeting new friends who will create colorful entries in the next chapters of our lives. Yeah, life might be a bit different when the things or people that you’re familiar with are no longer around. But hey, life is about taking risks. And if you wanna succeed in life, risk into the unknown. Friends come and go. But true friends are always gonna be around. My closest friends, whom I’ve known since 16 or so years ago are still keeping in contact with me. For me, true friends are valued. It’s rare to find those people nowadays. So here’s to friendship — one for the road, *winks*.

The Murphy’s Law

Things are not really doing well at the office right now. I guess we’re not exactly delivering the numbers expected from us by the clients. It’s like when it rains, it pours. It’s been good news lately that, come the bad news, everyone seems to have been taken aback. I don’t know but it seems we’re kinda worn out. Months of hard work and pressure, trying to meet the targets are slowly taking its toll on us. Or maybe we’re just being lax? Maybe there’s that uncalled for confidence that we didn’t reckon being blindsided by poor performances. No matter how hard we try to be positive and focus on meeting our targets, those targets seem to evade us. Sometimes it can be frustrating but I guess if we want something so badly, there’s nothing that can stop us from getting it. Have you ever been on that situation when no matter how hard you strive, things just don’t go the way you want them to be. One disappointment after another. Sometimes the weight of negativity that surrounds you can be overwhelming, that the prospect of having the worst is way beyond care. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Que sera sera — whatever will be will be. Do we lose hope when the future seems bleak? Will we not care at all since everything is not doing well at the moment, that we think things are not gonna improve no matter what we do anyway? Or do we remain optimistic to the end, and dwell in our own not-so-realistic world where nothing can go wrong. Well, it’s just how the universe works. You can’t be always on top all the time, sometimes you need to go down so you can appreciate the view from below. Anything that’s bound to go wrong will always go wrong, and you can’t stop it, otherwise you’ll just change the course of your fate.

Summer skin care problems and health tips

Summer is fast approaching and the sweltering heat is making most us stay under the shelter of our homes. If we have to go out and get our skin exposed to the unforgiving sun, make sure we protect our skin properly. Below are some skin problems normally encountered during the hot and humid summertime. Also included are tips on how we can avoid them.

Back and Chest Acne

Sometimes called “bacne”, unsightly back and chest breakouts can make you want to cover up instead of wearing a halter-top. What to do:

·           If you`re acne prone, use a product containing salicylic acid or benzoil peroxide on your chest and back area once a day.

·           Be sure to wash your back and chest after exercising or heavy perspiring.

·           Avoid wearing clothing that might irritate “backne” or chest acne, such as synthetic fibers.

·           If your back or chest is going to be exposed to the sun, wear an oil-free sunscreen.

Hyperpigmentation and Sun Spots

If you spend a lot of time outdoors this summer, you might start to see increased hyperpigmentation on your skin. Tanning is the most immediate result of this process, but individual spots may also occur. Hyperpigmentaiton and the darkening of existing pigmentation are most common in darker skin types. Keep in mind that medications like birth control pills, hormonal supplements and antibiotics increase photosensitivity and have been linked to increased pigmentation. What to do:

·           Minimizing your sun exposure during peak sun hours ( 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

·           When you are exposed to the sun`s rays, wear a hat, sunglasses and a broad spectrum SPF sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15.

·           Pay attention to your diet and supplement intake. consuming anit-inflammatories and antioxidants will help your body fight off free-radical damage.

Rosacea

Rosacea is a common, but misunderstood skin disease. In its early stages, it can be mistaken for a mild irritation or a sunburn. It usually begins with a “flushed” look on the cheeks, nose, forehead and chin. Over time, the redness stays and causes visible blood vessels all over the face. As Rosacea progresses, red acne-like bumps appear. There is currently no cure for Rosacea. However, certain prescriptions and lifestyle modifications have been shown to curtail it. What to do:

·           Try and avoid peak sun exposure.

·           Use a non-irritating sunscreen religiously. Many Rosaceans find Zinc sunblocks to be the least irritating.

·           Since heat triggers Rosacea, utilize air conditioning and take cool, rather than hot, showers and baths.

·           Schedule an appointment with your dermatologist for a medication check.

·           Know your triggers: Rosaceans have different triggers. Know yours and do your best to avoid them.

Rashes

The hot humid weather of summer encourages rashes. One common one is Tinea Versicolor, or “Summer Rash.” This fungal rash caused by an overgrowth of yeast and causes uneven skin color and scaling on various parts of the body. Because Summer Rash leads to problems with the normal pigmentation process, discolored spots often occur. What to do:

·           Keep all body parts clean and dry. Clean your hair with a dandruff shampoo.

·           Keep skin folds and the area between your toes as dry as possible.

·           Wear loose fitting, natural fibers and wear fresh undergarments and socks.

* article courtesy of http://www.carefair.com/Skincare/Summer-and-Sun/Potential_Summer_Skin_Problems_and_Solutions_353.html

Spaghetti Bolognese

Just wanna share my easy to cook recipe *winks*

Ingredients:

* 400g Spaghetti, cooked al dente

* 400g spaghetti meat sauce

* 200g cream

* 200g ground pork

* 150g canned mushrooms, chopped and drained

* 2 cloves of garlic, minced

* 1 large onion, minced

* 1 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil

* salt

* pepper

* grated cheese for topping

Procedure:

* Heat oil in a sauce pan and saute onion and garlic

* Add the ground meat, saute until golden brown

* Add the drained mushrooms

* Pour spaghetti meat sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes

* Add the cream and simmer for another 5 minutes

* Season with salt and pepper to taste (I don’t measure, for me it makes cooking less fun, measuring makes me feel like I’m in a science lab hehe)

* Add the drained al dente pasta

* Mix the sauce and spaghetti well

* Transfer the cooked Spaghetti Bolognese to a serving platter and top with grated cheese

Bon Appetit!

Change is constant

I’m writing this blog coz I woke up in the middle of the night drenching in sweat due to the hot and humid weather. And now sleep seems to evade me argh! Of course the first thing thing I checked was my cell phone and I’ve got several messages already. One of them is from a teammate who seems depressed about how she’s faring at work, stats wise that is. I feel sorry for her. Which made me think, why do we have to push ourselves hard to please other people? Do we really need to prove our worth? In a world as competitive as ours, I guess one obvious reason is to be recognized by our peers. It’s a nice feeling when you’re on that pedestal, when people look up to you, when you seem invincible, when things seem to follow a path that you so carefully created. But what if things don’t go the way as they should be? What if the very things that you so desperately want seem elusive, seem out of your reach? Do you stop from trying? Do you concede defeat? Of course not! You just try harder so the next time the opportunity comes, you’ll have all the energy to grab it. Life is so dynamic that nothing is constant. The only thing constant is change. Charles Darwin once said “Individuals less suited to the environment are less likely to survive”. I guess it’s just how life works. The more flexible we are to changes, the more likely we are to survive. So it’s not the end of the world when hindrances to your goals come your way. It only means we need to follow a different path, might be more difficult but the ending is still the same, same finish line. We just need to maintain focus and be flexible. More importantly, we strive to be better primarily because we want to, not because others want us to. Otherwise the need and the drive to embrace the change we want won’t suffice. So long as the earth keeps on rotating around its axis, don’t lose hope. We might be in the dark one time of our lives but hey, isn’t it nice to look forward to dawn? That beckoning ray of hope waiting for us. Sometimes I’m guilty of not being able to adapt to changes as readily as I should. It’s not that I can’t. Well oftentimes, I just refuse to do so. It’s just there are those comfort zones that I have which I don’t want to let go, even though it means not being able to move forward to maturity at times. Sometimes that feeling of getting used to things that you’re accustomed to is so overpowering that any attempt to break that cycle is abhorring. Again, I must admit I’m a bit guilty of this sometimes haha. But life is all about moving on. I realized, we just need an open mind to accept the changes around us. After all, change is inevitable, it’s just a matter of when.

Does the end really justify the means?

Another day at the office passed by, and everything seems to end well. Except for a little bit of a bad news. Since our team is consistently on top, it’s expected that eyes are on us, watching our every move, waiting for us to make mistakes and for sure will attribute those mistakes to pathetic excuses on why we’re always on the upper quartile. Well I must say we work so damn hard for whatever successes we’re enjoying. Sometimes I can understand why people tend to find faults on others so they can make excuses for the mistakes that they did, thereby hindering their progress. It’s just human nature to aim to reach the finish line first. Who doesn’t? It’s the survival of the fittest, the weak gets eliminated. But it’s different when someone you know and you thought you trust betrays you. Or maybe that person is just doing her/his job. It’s one of those nagging cliches, “nothing personal”. Urgh! Sometimes I don’t like hearing it when I’m on the losing end haha. I remember Niccolo Machiavelli’s the end justifies the means. It’s more of an extreme way of saying that you gotta do whatever you gotta do to get what you want. But does it really apply to all cases? Do you have to sacrifice friendship, loyalty of your peers and respect just to have your way up on the corporate ladder? Sure you’re just doing your job but up to what extent? Nobody is indespensable. Those very people whom you so patronizingly kiss asses might be the very ones who’ll throw you out without thinking twice if they found no use on you anymore. Sometimes I wonder if the end really justifies the means. After all, it’s always the end result that matters, no matter how the process was done. But I also remember, we’re still humans, whose emotions can be part of our judgment, whose judgments can be subject to personal biases. Respect of your peers is earned. You can’t just demand respect or expect to give it to you just because you’re superior than them. Just try to see where they’re coming from, try to be tolerant a little bit and try to see the good side out of every bad situation. After all they’re just ordinary people trying to make a living. And no matter how they earn it, I guess it justifies their means. Besides let’s not become hypocritical, let’s not be judgmental nor biased. I’m sure one time or the other, we did something unconventional, something that’s way beyond the normal protocol so we can have things our own way. I guess after all, sometimes the end justifies the means, but not all the time, not in all cases.

Happiness can be a state of mind

Whew, I’m back to blogging again after 5 months of writing hiatus haha. I woke up this morning feeling giddy. I don’t know why, maybe because I got 12 hours of sleep again. I feel like I was deprived of sleep these days that whenever there’s an opportunity for me to grab a nap, I maximize the experience — meaning it’s just not your average “nap”, it can stretch up to hours of lounging on my bed haha. Well, I checked my team’s stats — it’s just normal for me these days to do so, not that I’m stats crazy, it’s just that I wanna know how the team is faring. Then I saw my passing audit, w00t~. Then I checked my new schedule, another wow — start time at 10:30 am. Tsk. This can be too good to be true so please someone pinch me hekhek. Most people will think a 10:30 am shift is no big deal. But I need to remind you guys I work in a contact center. Having a graveyard shift is the worst thing you can get. Been there done that, and I don’t wanna have that schedule again. So having a mid-day shift is heaven. It’s a bliss. This is one of those times when I felt like rumpletiltskin dancing gleefully around a bonfire. There are occasions when the earth seems to rotate properly on its axis, that the universe seems to connive in giving you what you need, that happiness seems so real that it can be scary at times when there is so much to celebrate. What do you do when everything seems surreal? Do you pinch your own self? Slap yourself like a crazed idiot, just like in the movies? Well, when you’re happy, let it flow within you. Let it vibrate through your senses and savor every moment of it. Sometimes we’re so used to hardships that when we’re happy, we get paranoid. We tend to think that there might be something bad that’s gonna happen, like an aftershock. Well paranoia will get you nowhere. Happiness for me can be a state of mind. If you’re happy then wallow on it while it lasts. There’s no use fighting happiness. Real happiness is knowing you have done good and the universe is giving you a good karma. Just give in to it. It’s an emotion so rare these days. Stop worrying about the consequences afterwards. Just be happy, happy. Just like what I read in a novel, happiness is everything. Or is it?

Guimaras

Here are some few shots taken @Guimaras

We stayed at the Alubijod Cove, adjacent to Raymen Resort. The resorts share beachfronts so swimming has no boundaries. If you wanna really swim in a cove, go to the nearby Rico Resort. But be careful of slippery, pointed rocks along the way. And the beach there is a bit rocky but the water is so cold that you might think there’s a refrigerator somewhere cooling the waters haha.

For those who plan to travel to these resorts, making  reservations in advanced is recommended. Here are the contact numbers: Raymen Resort — (033) 396-0252, Alubijod Cove — (033) 396-0028

Right to Suffrage

The Presidential elections are coming almost in full circle and some of my friends haven’t made up their minds yet on who they’re gonna put in position. However, my mind is already made up on who I will trust the 6 years of my future with. With the national elections coming just around the corner, sometimes I can’t help but wonder — are the Filipinos mature already when it comes to practicing their rights to suffrage? I have friends who seem to have no care on whoever sits on that coveted seat in Malacañang. And as an idealist as I am, I have to keep on reminding them not to waste the 6 years of their lives and they need to think twice before casting that ballot. We’ve had enough of political nonsense already. It’s time we elect somebody who can really make a change, a 360-degree change. I know it sounds like a cliche — that change thingy. But we have to admit, Filipinos are desperate for that fresh start. We have one of the best resources in Asia, be it human or natural but why do we lag behind? Our HDI or Human Development Index is comparable to that of backward countries such as Gabon, Sri Lanka, Suriname and Mongolia. Our index to business and political freedom is so low. What we need is someone who has a strong political will. Easier said than done huh. Well if Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad was able to transform a once swampland into one of the world’s most dynamic economy, I don’t see why we can’t. We need strong leaders who has visions of a stronger and more dynamic Pinas. Someone who can turn those visions into reality, someone whose platform is for the people, by the people and of the people. Another political cliche? I’m afraid yes haha. Well this is only a musing of an idealist. But sometimes our ideals can make a difference. Let’s not wait for others to act wisely. Let’s begin with our own selves. Let’s be responsible, let’s practice our right to suffrage. After all it’s mandated in our constitution. I guess if we want change, we need to begin the change in ourselves first. If you think that by not participating in the elections– because you don’t like any of the presidential bets, will not make an impact to your future. Well think again.