12.6.2006 - Preggy and Proud

I'm preggy and proud to be one!

5.23.2006 - My First Project

Philippine Idol. That's one of my first projects here in marketing. Yep. I transferred back to marketing after fighting hard to get myself out of it... Hehehe... Well, I must admit that, Marketing, Advertising or Communications is my field.

Back to Philippine Idol. I've enjoyed watching American Idol since last year. The Finals for this year will happen this week! I'm excited to know who wins even if Elliot Yamin was my most favored candidate. Well, with the ending of American Idol comes Philippine Idol.

I wonder, will Philippine Idol turn out to be something big? I sure do hope so! I'm crossing my fingers and wishing that all the efforts I'm pouring into this project will bear fruit. :)

5.4.2006 - Why Bread?

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven;

whoever eats this bread will live forever;

and the bread that I will give

is my Flesh for the life of the world.”

I wonder why Jesus likens himself to bread… Is it because people in that day and age needed something concrete, material, and physical? Why bread? Why should it be something that we eat, consume and digest?

2.7.2006 - I Survived Euro Star Carnival!

The Mara Clan entertained some of our family members who came in from Saudi by bringing them to Euro Star Carnival at The Fort, Taguig. And what do you get when you gather various Mara Clan members in one venue? Sheer happiness as a result of utter riotous merriment and banter. From the familial bonding we had at the House of Horror where we slowly walked as one bunch with incessant screaming and laughing, to the mad bump car craze, to the long and circling Ferris Wheel Ride, to the daredevil's Joker ride that Jaz and I faced hand-in-hand, to the log-jam-like ride, until the booster threw most of us off into dizzyspells and vomitting incidents... We enjoyed it.

This certainly goes down as another defining bonding moment for the Mara Clan. I'm sure that we'll see more of this in 2006.

11.21.2005 - Thursday Night Out

Nov 17, Thursday. It was the birthday of our everdearest cousin, 'Te Odette. Alongside her birthday celebration was the launch of their furniture show at Intellicab studio, Suite 129 LRI Business Plaza, 210 Nicanor Garcia St., Makati City. The celebration was cool and querky, fun and cozy. It was another excuse to chill out with my family. Here are some of the pics taken to capture the moment.

Jo, Jaz, Tyrone and Marvin testing the sofa.

Jaz with nephews Maxi and Richard checking out the bed

The whole gang viewing the hanging wire sculpture.

There it is. It's a life-size mold of a human body hanging on a rope.

The sculpture reminds me of Hellraiser.

Tresmaras finding another excuse for a photo opt.

After taking our fill of the cocktails and kwentos served in the event, all five of us headed to Greenbelt 3 to catch the 1050pm viewing of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Gone are the days when 9pm marked the last full show schedule. Nowadays, movie cinemas are fully booked even at 12mn! At 1050pm, we had to squeeze in our party of five in the already jampacked cinema. Yan tuloy, Marvin had to sit far away from us. It was late and most of us watched Harry Potter conquer the TriWizard Challenge with droopy eyes trying to stay open. Hehehe. Though we went home tired and wasted, I enjoyed the night's festivities. Nothing beats quality time spent with the Tresmaras, Tyrone and my Honey!

11.21.2005 - Yesteryears and Days to Come

Pia tagged me to take a trip down memory lane.

10 years ago - I was in 2nd year college. Started my majors in Communication Arts. Was battling between traffic, being on time and telling the truth about why I was late just to dodge the wrath of Ayi Magpayo towards latecomers. Flunked Accounting 2A (Partnerships and Corporation). Had introductory lessons and activities in the dark room. Was actively serving in Bukas Loob sa Diyos -- no secular music, no profanity, read my bible everyday, went to mass as often as possible.

5 years ago - I turned down WGA's offer to become their Assistant Marketing Manager to join SMART as a training officer. Wanted to get my feet wet in the telecom's industry. After three months in training, I was moved to SMART Money's Product Marketing. Yahoo! I was finally in marketing. Complained about my boss. Ranted about our ad agency. But loved the job! Marketing then became my life.

 last year - Last year, I was goo-goo-ga-ga over the preps for the launch of SMART Padala. My boss suddenly resigned and most of the marketing responsibilities were left on my plate. It was a challenge of a lifetime for me. Went home at past 12am for a whole month. Was also juggling work with wedding preps. Too tired by excited about work. Ecstatic and all geared up for the Dec 1 wedding. Good thing, my husband-to-be took the reigns and led our wedding preps to the finish line. O yeah, we had our prenuptials in the month of november! That was unforgettable. See my flickr photo album for the results.

 yesterday - I was still nursing my aching body. Came from SMART's Barkadahan Badminton Tournament the day before. Btw, our team turned out as the Victors!!! Nag-champion kami! I became the Ninang of April Joy, my ofcmates' newly christened daughter. The baptism was at St. Francis of Assisi (along Shaw Blvd), reception followed at Kamayan, Megamall. Had a hefty buffet lunch. Then my dear organized husband and I went looking for a sturdy shoe rack and some curtains to lighten up our room. Went home to sleep, sleep, sleep. After an hour or so, we started organizing our cluttered room. Had dinner - Fish Sarciado ala Marvin Agustino. Yum yum. Watched Troy and then went back to making sure that our room was de-cluttered and homey as possible. Took a bath and had a good night's sleep.

 today - Christmas air and Mike Enriquez of Unang Hirit woke me up. I'm about to bid my honey goodbye. He's leaving later after lunch for a conference in Cebu. He'll be there til Sat pm. I'm gonna miss my honey!!!! Excited to see HR release an advisory about our team's victory in the SMART Badminton Challenge. hehehe... Still waiting for the real story behind the Boy Martirez's resignation in SMART. Hmmm... Warming up for a great and busy week ahead of me.O yeah, can't wait to see Isaiah and Praise, the son and daughter of my sister JO. They are staying with us until wednesday. Riot na naman for sure!

 tomorrow - Start of non-honey days. Will bury myself in work and surround myself with friends to get through a week without my Alpha1 honey. I will await my prince charming's arrival on sat night.

I tag: Marvin, Juk, Tin, Jo, Jaz, Joey and Apple to do their own timeline.

11.15.2005 - Getting into the Game

I just that SMART has a mountain biking team who will join Haribon Presents Wild Manila, an urban mountain biking-relay event. One of my coworkers was talking about it. They formed a "SMART Team" that has been joining similar races like this. Upon hearing about it, my heart couldn't help but skip a beat! It has been my long time dream to join a mountain biking race and I'm so excited that the opportunity came knocking at my door. 

Yun nga lang, I couldn't join the upcoming Haribon race. Registration has passed, I still need to get in shape and get my husband's consent to join. Good thing, events like these are organized by Haribon yearly. I still have time to get back in shape and into the mountain-biking arena. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, though, that my wonderful hubby will permit me. Perhaps, it's better for me to urge him to get into the mountain biking scenario with me as well.

11.3.2005 - One for the Road

We're all off to another long weekend here in the Philippines! I figured, I might as well post a lot of entries before I sign off for the holiday. Hehehe... What do you know! I even changed the look of my blog.... So how you like the new look of my blog? It reminds me of a neon round nose clown. Don't the yellow orange circles remind you of the pom-pom buttons of a clown's get-up? Let me know what you think about the new design. And hey! If you have tips on how to change or create a new template, pls. give me pointers. I'd like to know how I can incorporate pictures in my blog template.

Last treat for you. Got this forwarded email from Rio G. Hi, Rio!

Ok... That's all for now!

This is me signing off...

zzzzzzzz....

11.3.2005 - Strucked by The Alchemist

"To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation." - Paulo Coelho

I'm about 30 pages away from concluding The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Somehow, I think that I can relate well with the little shepherd boy in search of his treasure. I know that I am being led by God to a treasure. But right now, I still face the challenge of turning into gold the grass I trek upon... Hmm... soon there'll be light. I am hopeful that looking back, I'll be able to connect the dots.

*illustrations on The Alchemist by Moebius

In the meantime, here are some of the words from The Alchemist that struck me:

Words from the shepherd boy:

• "... making a decision was only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision"

*illustration on The Alchemist by Kaori

Words from the camel driver:

• "... people need not fear the unknown if they are capable of achieving what they need & want"
• "We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it is or life or our possessions & property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories & the history of the world were written by the same hand."
• "I'm alive... When I'm eating, that's all I think about. If I'm on the march, I just concentrate on marching. If I have to fight, it will just be as good a day to die as any other.

"Because I don't live in either my past or my future. I'm interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you'll be a happy man. You'll see that there is life in the desert, that there are stars in the heavens, and that tribesmen fight because they are part of the human race.  Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we're living right now."

*illustration on The Alchemist by Kaori

11.2.2005 - Mission Accomplished: Marathon Weekend

"We're off to find the sacred burial sites of our ancestors!"

* photo provided by yahoo images

Marvin and I ventured into an amazing adventure over the long weekend. While everyone was either out-of-town or preparing for Halloween festivities, we were off to find the sacred burial sites of our ancestors! The task was to visit 3 cemeteries in one and a half days using only the following: Ezekiel, our good and faithful Honda City; our crude but (hopefully reliable) memory of our respective grandparents' burial site location; and our handy dandy SMART celfones.

First stop: Loyola Memorial at Marikina.

Thank God, Marikina is such an orderly place. Much credit should be given to their Mayor. Entering and exiting Loyola was easy. Foot traffic was moderate. Weather: The sun shone alternately with occassional rain drizzles. We parked Ezekiel in a parking lot beside Marikina Riverbanks. It was a 5-7min walk to entrance of Loyola. From the entrance, we had to walk another 10-15 min til we reached the vicinity of the burial of Marvin's Lolo. Upon reaching the identified area, that's when things made me a little queasy. We were in the right place but we just couldn't remember the exact location of Mr. Paolo Agustin's tombstone. We couldn't quite identify which tree was the right landmark. Hehehe... So there we were, walking on the tremendously muddy grassy area. My feet...  exposed, submerged and even sinking (!) in the wet soft dark brownish mud. Brrrr... There were instances when I could hardly lift my feet because due to the mud that stubbornly held on to my WHITE flip-flops. I complained, even cried a little but was able to get a hold of myself. Thoughts of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and her style of bearing little nuances, transforming them into sacrifices offered as prayers for the intention of people around her entered my mind. Oh okay, I thought to myself. I'll bear this icky mud experience, stop complaining and offer it up as a prayer for the souls of our beloved ones who passed away. Amen. Finally, Marvin decided to contact one of his cousins who was familiar with the site. With a few instructions and a couple more minutes of submerging my feet in the mud, alas, we did find Lolo Agustin. We lighted a candle for him said our prayers and went on our way. Good thing there was a public faucet with running water where people lined up to wash the mud off their feet. We diligently lined up as well to rid ourselves of the sticky gooey mud on our feet and footwear.

Next Stop: North Cemetery

From Loyola Memorial we headed to the Agustin Residence in Marikina to pick up our newly ironed clothes. After recharging for 2 hours, we were off to the North Cemetery in La Loma. Bwwwwwaaaahahahahaha! It was Marvin's 1st time to go there. He heard horror stories about the traffic, the people, the atmosphere. Now, he was about to experience it himself. It was also my first time to go there without my parents. Well, as a married individual, I'm supposed to know how to do this on my own, right? I could somehow picture in my mind how we're supposed to reach the De Vera lot (De Vera's the maiden name of my Mom). But I just wanted to be sure we won't get lost. Marvin wasn't comfortable with letting me lead the way to a place he's never been to. Must be his male ego talking. Good thing, one of my titas willingly accompanied us. The journey to this cemetery wasn't as difficult as before. The jeepney whose trip usually ended too far away from the cemetery's entrance was now extended til a few steps away from the entrance. We didn't need to walk through all the La Loma Lechon stores just to reach the entrance. The streets inside, leading to the rotonda weren't muddy. Thank God, they were all dry. I was so grateful that it wasn't raining there because things could have been worse. Foot traffic was moderate to heavy but lighter than the usual, shoulder to shoulder, forehead-to-back type of distance in between pedestrians. The only unsettling detail was the fact that there were overflowing canals leading to the De Vera lot. We had to pass by an alternate route which I wasn't so familiar of. When we got there, the gates to the burial "house" were hard to open using the key we had. As all three of us took turns in trying to open the locks, the mosquitos executed their well planned attack on our arms, legs, etc. We already decided to give up, simply light our candles and pray outside of the De Vera lot gates when my tita successfully opened the locks! Yahoo! We carefully entered the place, positioned our candlesticks in the wrought-iron holder and said our prayers. I swear, the place was a healthy breeding ground for stubborn mosquitos! My tita said that they were scheduled to clean the place early in the morning the next day, tough luck for Marvin and I. We arrived a day too early. Spooked by the experience, Marvin was still happy to accomplish this task. For him, it meant another item off our things to do checklist.

Last Stop: Manila Memorial

The afternoon turned into evening and we decided to call it a day. We scheduled our trip to Manila Memorial the next day. We woke at around 10am, left the condo at around 11am. Arrived at Sucat before 12nn. One thing we did wrong was to bring Ezekiel in to Manila Memorial. We should have parked our car at the Elorde Boxing Complex. The management authorities of Manila Memorial decided to control the traffic flow and make sure the vehicles moved in one fluid motion. Yep, there was just one fluid motion. All the streets were ONE WAY! No openings for U-Turns or whatsoever. That's why before we reached the point of no return and recognition, we decided to park Ezekiel at the first parking lot we spotted. Upon parking, we were off to another search. Luckily, the Mara Lot was accessible and easy to spot. That's where we first went. Marvin has been to Manila Memorial a number of times but he hasn't been to the Mara Lot. No need to worry! I knew it (with fingers crossed). Noonie-noonie-noo...! Whew, we found it without much fuss and hassle. Thanks to the landmark: umbrella tree beside a pebblewash bench. We lighted our candles and said our prayers. Marvin bought 2 sticks of bbq -- a way of rewarding himself for going through this searching adventure and fueling up for the next search -- The Agustin Lot!

Based on random images stored in our memory banks, we tried to decipher the exact location of Nanay and Tatay Agustin. Nanay was buried last month. We remembered there was 1 big bridge and one small one. It was certainly near the edge of Manila Memorial because there was a brick wall. We just had to find the right wall and the location of the bridge. After 20 to 30 mins, before we even called a friend, we finally found it. Thank you, Lord! We lighted our candles and said our prayers.

Whoah-hoah! Mission accomplished! 3 cemeteries in 1.5 days. Just me and my partner. Could this be an "omen" saying: we will find our way through life even if it's just the two of us? Could be... hehehe...

We ended the quest by spending the rest of the second day with my living and able-bodied Lolo Andy and my Titas. All of them including Marvin gathered 'round the Mah Jong table in merry banter. While I secretly watched them while reading my book

.... So there, mission accomplished.

11.2.2005 - 20 Margaritajelly Random Facts

My friend Duke tagged me to write 20 Random Facts about myself. So here they are:

1. Penmanship - I use script whenever I jot down my thoughts. There's something about the fluid motion of writing in script that keeps my thoughts going.
2. Childhood Dream - As I child, I dreamt of becoming a director (stage or movie).
3. Childhood Past time- Growing up, I designed shoes, played with pencil toppers & designed treasure maps as pasttime.
4. Winner - I always Apple Eating Contests during birthday parties when I was growing up in the US.
5. Dream - I dream of living in New Zealand.
6. Tendencies - I thrive on logic (finding rhyme & reason in things) & creativity (making something new & artsy).
7. Fear - I know how to swim, (in fact, I undergone swimming training in highschool) but I'm afraid of holding my breath under water for a long time.
8. Shoes - I love round tip shoes. I find them more comfortable for my feet.  It's maybe because my feet are wide and my toes are rounded.
9. Favorite Color - Green.
10. Animal Symbol - If I were an animal, I'd be a horse -- graceful, strong, swift and determined. It can also be stubborn at times and would kick you in the butt if extremely agitated!
11. Doodling - One of the first things I'd draw when doodling would be a tree.
12. Lettering - I developed my lettering skills by tracing the headlines of tabloids found in my parents' office.
13. Street Smart - I consider myself street smart (though my husband would rather call me a reckless pedestrian).
14. More money - If I had more money, the first thing I'd invest in would be extremely comfortable shoes. Because I walk a lot, my feet usually hurt at the end of every day.
15. Dry Skin - I currently have dry skin. I think it's because I don't drink much water.
16. Love Ko 'to, Mcdo! - I love Mcdo! Being there makes me happy! It's one of my safe places. When I am down and hungry, the first thing that comes to mind is Mc Donald's food.
17. Breakfast - I don't usually eat breakfast because I usually rush off to my destination in the mornings. If ever I have the time for breakfast, I prefer a Continental Breakfast.
18. Eye - An eye doctor once told me that I had a "lazy eye" -- My right eye is the so called "lazy eye" because it depends too much on my left eye whose vision is perfect as opposed to my right eye.
19. Ballet - I was once part of a Nutcracker Suite Ballet production. I danced the part of a mouse.
20. Hot Soup for the Soul - Eating hot soup calms me when I am tensed, tired or in distress.

*Note: Did you notice that I mentioned shoes at least three times?

It took me 15 min to do this so I will tag 15 people to do this. Here they go:

1. jazziefizzle - lasallian
2. jopurplemd - er md
3. miraclemarvin - international roaming main man
4. tina - citibanker
5. carla - He's Just Not That In To You - fanatic
6. chel - gummy...
7. jucyn - new blogger
8. anna - aussie-bound
9. tatee - trainer with a twang!
10. daphne - winnie the pooh
11. apple c. - pdu-mom
12. elaine c. - happy people - mom, artist
13. tyrone - dad of isaiah & praise
14. arland - G3
15. aldo r. - husband of pia (pia was already tagged by duke)

10.26.2005 - WRITE IT DOWN!!!

Write it down.

Set free your creativity.

Be open. Be open. Be open.

Open your mind.

Believe! Create! Live!

Dream...

Be bold, unconventional, non-conforming.

Write. Literature. Theater. Nature. Interior Design. Outdoors. Fashion. Jewelry. Art Gallery. Landscape Architecture.

Breathe of fresh air.

Hope. Believe. Faith.

Uncompromising.

Embellishments.

Awareness. Surroundings.

Energy. Movement.

+++

Was at Powerbooks last saturday night with my husband. We were both in need of inspiration and came knocking on the doors and shelves of wisdom and knowledge. With just a few minutes before closing time, I carefully walked down the aisles of the bookstore, browsing through the book titles, waiting for one of them to grab my attention. Hmmm... So many books, so many interesting topics. I wonder which one will effectively steer me in the right direction NOW. That's what I said to myself. Then there it was! It was a book entitled, "Write It Down... blah blah blah." Can't remember the title. Can't remember the title. But I remember a number of keywords that moved me so.

As I moved on to the couch where sitting was allowed (Powerbooks discourage readers from sitting on the floor but they don't have much chairs either...), another book was calling me to pay attention. "Creativity... something" was it's title. I mean to give credit to the authors for citing their books. I'm sorry, I forgot to take note of the book title and the authors. Okay, I promise to jot them down next time I'm at Powerbooks.  Anyway, since the book urgently called my name, I picked it up as well.

Started reading about how writing things down make them come true. My mind kept telling me to write and write about travelling and going to New Zealand in the hope that it will come true someday soon! There were a few techniques discussed like: always carrying a journal; capturing ideas, concepts, feelings etc the moment you experience them by writing them down; practical intuition- listing down questions you want answered, placing them in separate randomly numbered envelopes and then writing journal entries based on ideas or concepts out of the top of your mind, then at the end you'll find that the questions are answered by the random journal entries you make; index card profiling; keeping a journal and then reviewing them later on down the road to find answers; listing all the compliments

After a few minutes or so, someone was announcing that Powerbooks would close in 15... 10... minutes. That's the time I shifted on to read the Creativity book. The book wasn't that thick. The text were what seemed like the handwriting of the author -- uneven, big &  unpredictable. The color of the text varied from black to color per page. There were uncanny scribbles and drawings that the author used to spark the creative light in one's soul. The book aimed to shake a person out of his normal mode and throw him into something unknown and dynamic so that creative juices would begin to flow. Like the Sleeping Beauty who magically wakes up when Prince Charming kisses her, so did the book kiss my creativity into life. 

To keep the spirit of creativity alive, the book suggested that I write down positive, dynamic and magical words and that's what I did by listing the words I find wonderful and exciting as of this moment.

10.20.2005 - Dream Ride, Dream Destination

I want to experience riding the Shotover Jet!!! It's a must-experience jetboat ride in New Zealand. I discovered it while watching Pinoy Abroad last night. As of today one ride costs $99.00. Hmmm... I need to save up for airfare to New Zealand, board and lodging, pocket money, etc. before I get to ride it. Ho-hum. Must device a great saving scheme.

New Zealand is really becoming a dream destination for me. It all started when it chanced upon the Discovery Channel's Feature on it:  New Zealand: Movie Paradise (or something like that). The landscape of the country left me at awe. Knowing as well that the Lord of the Rings Movie Series were all shot there, leaves me dreamy-eyed.  I WANNA GO TO NEW ZEALAND!!!

I heard that New Zealand is open to migrants. They are in need of skilled workers. Hmmm... that's another thought. Oh Lord, I hope I can go to New Zealand or even LIVE THERE! Well, they say that if you want something, envision it, plan for it, and pray for it with all your heart.... So okay, I'll envision it. Plan around it. And definitely knock-knock Heaven's doors til HE hears it and pays attention.

10.20.2005 - Constant Lunchmate

Way back in college, I have gained a constant lunchmate. It actually started one day in my senior year when vowed to look for a lunchmate. I was tired of either having lunch with my parents at their office which was near my university campus or jumping from one group to another during lunch. So it came as a pleasant surprise when out of the blue one of my close friends ordered me to be his constant lunchmate. Much to his surprise, I agreed easily. Well, I planned to look for a lunchmate but instead, he came looking for me.

So what started out as simple lunch became like "sharing" sessions where we would each release our angst and frustation as a result of all the hang ups we were both attached to at that time. Then it evolved to phone conversations, letter exchanges and even common prayer times. Suddenly, I had more than the simple lunchmate I asked for. I now had a very dear friend -- a best friend.

The letter exchanges that became like dear diaries to us eventually turned into love letters. Phone conversations morphed into customary sundo't-hatid routines. From having common prayer times, we moved into attending one community prayer meetings. Little by little, our friendship grew into love -- friendly love to brotherly love then to companionship and eternity.

Now, after five years of being together as best friends, boyfriend-and-girlfriend, we're finally married. After ten months of being mr. and mrs, we're still constant lunchmates. We still have the lunch routine of releasing our angst, frustration and complaints about life. Now, we also grew into talking about anything and everything under the sun be it very important life-changing matters to very trivial items.  We laugh, cry, mope, gripe, rejoice and do everything together.

Funny, how some things evolve and how some stay the same and yet they all fit in together perfectly.

10.19.2005 - BDD

BDD-- Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

Learned about it while watching Oprah during lunchtime today. In a nutshell, people who have it, believe that they are physically defective when in fact, they are perfectly normal. Their self-image literally morphs before their eyes and to them, this is the reality. As some of Oprah's guest testified, the disorder can be totally debilitating. Never knew that there is such a disorder til I saw it featured in Oprah.

Imagine feeling bad about your physical appearance EVERY SINGLE MOMENT OF EVERYDAY! Or imagine having a disorder that makes you feel this way and there's nothing you can do to stop that nasty negative feeling. That would be tormenting! Would that depress you and totally change your life as well?

Knowing about this disorder bothers me. I know how it is to be affected by my looks. There are days when I look in the mirror and everything just isn't right. Bad Hair Day, my sense of color-coordination is momentarily lost, everything looks and feels lousy to me. It literally makes me feel like a dark stormy cloud is hanging over me.

But feelings like these are easily washed away after receiving compliments and affirmation from the people who mean the most to me like my honey, my sisters, my parents and friends. With nice words like these, I slowly regain my self-esteem and the lousiness I feel disappears. It now makes me wonder... could BDD be a bad case of lack of affirmation? Can it possibly be cured by unconditional love and support from family and friends? How about distractions... Since BDD preoccuppies a person's mind, can it be counterattacked by distracting the person or by asking him to focus on God, the Beautiful Maker of all things?

Hmm... I wonder, though, will a person stricken with BDD have a mind sane enough to still understand God?

I'm sure, nothing's impossible with God. Focusing and clinging to Him can totally change one's life. If a person with BDD is incapable of recognizing God, maybe the people around him can help him by being utterly loving and affirming. I don't know. Can love be the answer. I don't want to judge. I don't want to assume. I wish to understand the disorder but so far, it's a bit perplexing to me.

Ok. I know what to do... I'll offer a prayer for those with BDD.

Loving Father, Our Beautiful Maker. Hear the cries of those with BDD. Enlighten them. Unburden their hearts. Take away the dark and heavy curtain hovering over their minds. Set them free from what's holding them back. Heal them, Lord. Draw them close to you. Comfort them. Assure them of the beauty and identity you have given them as your beloved children. Renew their lives. Breath on them anew fresh life. Let your love embrace them. Embrace them tightly that everything else that they feel is ugly in them may melt in the presence of your assurance. Let your magnificent light shine upon them that all the dark concerns surrounding them may pale in comparison to you. I pray that you make a way for them. Lead them to the light. Lead down a path the will draw them close to you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

10.18.2005 - When My Time Comes

Found this entry in one of my old blogs...

When My Time Comes

10.18.2005 - Techno Drum is Beating

Breaktime! Breaktime now = blog time. Two weeks ago, breaktime = worktime... hehehe... But now, things are different.

I can hear and even feel the quickening beat in my workplace! My workload is starting to pile up. Seems like happy days for me will end in a flash. I actually knew that this was about to happen. That's why I really made the most out of the free time I experienced 2-3 weeks ago -- I "blogged" to death!!! Hehehe...

Now, duty calls. And here I am, a servant.

I am a newbie here in my unit. Everything now is totally new to me! Whoaoah! The work concepts, the lingo, the culture... they are all totally different from where I came from! Still need some getting used to. Still need to learn a lot, many adjustments have to be made. Even my paradigm needs some shifting.

Though it's a challenge for me, I welcome it because in some way, I know that my horizons are slowly widening.

10.17.2005 - Planning My Funeral

I have a childhood burial pact with my sister and my cousin. We agreed that who ever among the 3 of us dies ahead of the rest will get a body sculpture tombstone thing. But lately I realized that if I'm the 1st to go, I'll waive my right to a body sculpture tombstone and request for a special type of funeral/burial service. Here it goes...

• I want a number of friends and family to give a eulogy (at least one per night) at the funeral.
• On the last night of the funeral, the mass will be followed by a powerpoint presentation showing the highlights of my life in pictures. Dapat masaya ang background music!
• In my burial, I want a member of my immediate family member (either my husband, sister or daughter/son) to give a few words or perhaps read poetry.
• While my casket is being lowered 6 feet under the ground, I want a children's choir singing a couple of songs (i could sing of your love forever, true colors... isip pa akong iba). A, at kung pwede ay magpalipad ng very colorful balloons.

It doesn't matter to me if I am cremated or buried with my casket, just as long as the memorial service is meaningful and glorious.

10.17.2005 - Badminton

So far, this is how my husband and I try to stay fit -- Badminton!

Have you tried it? It's cool! We play every tuesday and saturday together with our badminton buddies...

10.14.2005 - Survey: Courtesy of Lissa S.

1. What is your full name now? Josephine Anne Mara Agustin

2. What color pants are you wearing? dark blue jeans
3. What are you listening to right now? the clicking of the mouse and the tapping of computer keyboards

4. What was the last thing you ate? Mango-Strawberry flavored Iceberg Baby

5. Do you wish on stars? I used to but not anymore... Hmm... gotta start doing that again, no?

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? lime
7. How is the weather right now? rainy

8. Last person you spoke to on the phone? co-worker
9. Do you like the person that sent this to you? Lissa! Yep!

10. How old are you today? 27

11. Favorite drink? Watermelon Shake, Lychee Shake, Green Mango Shake, Iced Tea, Hot Mint Tea

12. Favorite sport? Badminton so far

14. Siblings? 1 older sis, 1 younger sis

15. Favorite food? japanese, american, italian, marvin's experiment delights

16. What was the last movie you saw? transporter2

17. Favorite day of the year? feb 2 & dec 1

18. What was your favorite toy as a child? pencil toppers

19. Summer or winter? Summer
20. Hugs or kisses? Hugs

21. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate
22. Do you want your friends to email you back? Of Course !!!

23. Who is most likely to respond? bloggers

24. Who is least likely to respond? "happy people"

25. Living arrangements? Married

26. When was the last time you cried? last monday

27. What is under your bed? dust, travelling luggage, etc

28. Who is the friend you have had the longest? my sisters

29. What did you do last night? discovery channel or something
30. Favorite smell? fresh, pine, with a tinge of cinnamon and fruit

31. Favorite TV show? Who's Line Is It, Anyway?

32. Happy In life? Yes. Thanks to my partner in life.
33. What are you afraid of? The unknown

34. Plain, buttered or salted? Buttered and salted
35. Favorite type of car? Ezekiel
36. Favorite Flower? Calla Lillies, Daisies
37. Number of keys on your keys ring? hahaha! more than 10

38. How many years at your current job? 4 yrs ++

40. What did you do on your last birthday? Sleep then eat out

41. How many cities have you lived in? around 4

42. Do you make friends easily? acquaintances, yes. friends? slowly but surely
43. How many people will you be sending this to? ? -- all readers of my blog

44. How many pets and what are their names? none