20 THINGS TO BE GRATEFUL FOR FOR 2013

2013 is almost over and I can’t wait for 2014 to begin. But before I start planning for my resolutions and goals for the New Year, let me just recap and see how good the current year is for me.

the things that went well for me in 2013:

1.  I got to bring my family (minus my brother; plus my soon-to-be-brother-in-law) to that beautiful place on top of the mountain called Monasterio de Tarlac, where a relic of the Cross of Jesus is kept and His magnificent statue stands.

2. I finally enrolled in a French class in UP Diliman and learned how to say, Je m’appelle Sachi. I also passed the evaluation test and I can attend French 2 already.

3. I continued to attend our bible study every Wednesdays. Our 3^rd and last module will end in January. But come February, there’s another weekly spiritual event that I signed up for.

(My primary goal in this endeavor was for me to get to know God more and to have a more intimate relationship with Him. I also hoped I'd be more loving and kind but this part has not been easy. But, I also learned to be more forgiving and patient with myself so I am taking things slow and giving myself time to learn and progress. I am glad I have my friend, Michi, who is also a colleague who is constantly observing me and my actions towards other people and she calls my attention when I am being mean to her and others.)

4. In my quest to have a balanced life, I needed to have a healthy soul so apart from the weekly bible sessions, I also joined a whole day retreat at the peaceful greenery of Sacred Heart Novitiate, where I felt God’s immense love for me, strange as it is, through the rustling leaves, swaying branches as the wind moved by. I hope that I shall not forget that day.

5.  If anything, I managed to start my day with a prayer, scripture reading and spiritual journal. Thanks to Joy’s gift last Christmas- Companion, as my guide. Maybe I have missed a few days. But those are very few, like only 10 out of 365 days.

6. I was part of a political campaign during the national elections. I like that sort of thing. Unfortunately, I was part of the boring team preparing briefers. I only got to join campaign rallies thrice and part of the backstaff for 1 tv and 2 radio interviews. Back in my province, I organized a small sortie of sorts to give away flyers for a day, which included my nephews aged 4 and 7. They were so thrilled!

7. So glad my boss won a seat in public office and that he kept me as one of his staff. I wish I got to explain this clearly to our chief of staff. He took it to mean I was happy to be part of that public office.  There’s a difference. 

8. I made new friends during the campaign and with some new people in the office. I am thankful for them. I have a lot to learn from them about humility, being pleasant and good-natured.

9. My parents and I visited Bangkok and we had a good time eating tom yum and pad thai.  

 10.  I swam with whalesharks!!! Also called butanding. (This will go in my book as one of the highlights of my life along with surfing in Bali back in 2012.)

11. On financial matters, I managed to attend 1 financial seminar. I got my money back from someone who swindled me. Little by little, I was able to grow my investment in the stock market thru Citiseconline and mutual funds. By November, I got approved for a lower interest on my real estate property, thus lower monthly payment so I have more to put into my monthly investment scheme.

12. I didn’t die! I could have drowned while swimming as the current surreptitiously brought me to the deep end when my friends and I went on an expedition to Sumilon in Cebu but by God’s mercy, I didn’t. My friends, Rhei and Jinj and a well-meaning hotel guest, Joseph managed to keep me calm and most importantly, afloat while waiting for year for the lifeguard to rescue me/us from the sea.

13.  I celebrated my 40^th birthday for a cause at a home for women in crisis with dear friends. Special thanks to my good old friend Monique and her husband Arnold for the help.

14. I felt like an angel when I was able to give our parish priest and 2 parishioners tickets to Kerygma Conference in November. I know fully well how much Fr. Ralphie wants to hear Bo Sanchez livethe moment I had those spare tickets, I asked my mom to invite him.

15. I was gifted with 4 books this year, 2 of which are – Bo Sanchez’s Abundance Formula from a newfound friend Tita Pat, and Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Project from my good old friend Donch.

16. I am more positive in my outlook in life than in the previous years. I think I am more forgiving, lighthearted, easygoing and happier now.

17. I am glad that an opportunity to help the fashion industry opened up for me and while having coffee with old friends, some ideas were floated for us to start some business on the side. I hope something good comes out of it. That’s all I’m going to say for now. Will write about it when something has materialized.

18. I love getting a massage and this year, my friends and I made 3 new spa discoveries: Nuat Thai along Sct. Limbaga and Ahavia Lounge Spa along Sct. Torillo; and Blue Water Day Spa at Capitol Hills (for special occasions only. Unlike the first 2, Blue Water is a bit expensive for me.) Instantly, they became our favorites. I love Blue Water's mini-theater room where you get to watch a movie while getting a massage, complete with popcorn and iced tea. 

19. I was so lucky to be at Megamall this month when Fr. Joey Faller held a healing mass at the chapel on its 5th floor. Talk about being at the right place at the right time! I also got to go to a confession in time for Christmas and got the opportunity to receive the gift of glitters from Mama Mary. But unlike my seatmate, a kind elderly woman who showed me the glitter on her palm, I didn't get any (Fr. Joey said, we can all pray and ask for it anytime.) but just the same, I was just happy to be there feeling God's presence in my quivering heart (the good kind).

20. Our family’s answered prayer for my brother and his wife - a little darling angel of a daughter - our greatest blessing!

      With all these, I couldn't thank God more. Here's looking forward for more of His best for me and my family this coming 2014!
     
      How about you? What are you most grateful for for 2013? Tell me about it. Happy New Year everyone!

A Day in the (College) Life of Sandy

excerpt from The Amazing Adventures of Sandy and her dog Dodo

My Unique and Incredible Talent
Sept 2011

If someone asks what talent I have that I can say is uniquely mine, say at the Miss Universe pageant, I’d say it’s holding my pee for about 3-5 hours. (I haven’t met anybody who can hold theirs for that long. Or, maybe because I don’t ask. It’s not something you regularly ask people, even friends, right?) It’s an incredible talent too, I should say.

This talent of mine comes in handy when when there’s a long queue at the public toilet, when I’m stuck in traffic, when I’m in a tensed meeting and the boss is angry and is giving a long monologue so no one can leave the room unless the building is on fire or you need to bring someone to the hospital. Or, when I’m in the office working and I’m too lazy to get up and do it, especially when my shirt is tucked or when I’m wearing a jumpsuit and I’ve to put so much effort to put it back. Or when I prefer to do it at home because I’m just being lazy, period.

I have an aunt who got in a very embarrassing situation because unlike me, she wasn’t blessed with this useful talent. Back in her college days, she and her classmates went on a school out of town trip. On their way back to Manila, somewhere in Batangas, she had to pee. They were in the middle of nowhere but she had no choice, she really couldn’t hold it anymore. Red-faced, she approached her teacher and told her of her predicament. The teacher told the driver to stop the bus and as soon as the door opened, my aunt sprang out of the bus and ran into the cogon grass by the roadside. Her classmates watched as she sat there partly hidden by the blades of grass. My dad likes telling the story during family gatherings, much to my aunt’s embarrassment.

Anyway, back to me. This is afterall, my story.  Because I prefer peeing at home, I am usually get home hurrying up to my apartment. A few times, because I couldn’t hold it much longer, I’ve used the ground floor lobby rest room several times and even the one at the MRT station near where I live. 

One night, the most unfortunate thing happened to me. You see, I have a crush on this guy who lives just one floor below mine. From my balcony, even from my window, I can see his unit. I can see him, mostly shirtless, working on his laptop because his balcony door is always open much to my delight. I don’t know his name I just call him, my boyfriend who doesn’t know me or Mine, for short. When I get home from school, I open my balcony door to check if Mine is home. When I wake up in the morning, first thing I do is check if Mine is there at his spot and he usually is. What's this fixation on his laptop? Doesn't he go to school? Or work, maybe? Maybe he works from home? I don't know. I haven’t ever, in our 5 months “relationship,” bumped into Mine at the lobby, elevator, cafeteria, or elsewhere. He’s almost always home and on that same spot. Sometimes, he gazes up my way and catches me staring at him, I pretend talking to my plants. Now, he probably thinks I'm a cuckoo.

And then, one night, I see Mine at the lobby waving at me! Unbelievable! I couldn’t believe my eyes! I had mixed emotions. I was surprised and ecstatic, at the same time. My dream scene of how we will meet is finally happening. I was inside the elevator and I couldn’t also believe that of all the days, this was one of those days I held my pee for a long while, so I had to run up to my toilet or risk making a scene and flood the lobby floor with you know what. Not a lovely sight.

Mine was wearing a nice blue shirt that fateful night. Did I say he was waving? At me? So, what’s a girl to do? I waved back, of course. I wanted to say, I’d really love to chat but I can’t stay I really have to go. As the elevator door closed between us, I think I heard him say, wait. Gosh, he really wanted to have a chat! I thought to myself, of all the days! It had to be tonight. Missed opportunity!

And then, it hit me. Mine wasn’t waving at me to introduce himself or have a chat with me. Oh, shooooot! Of course, he just wanted to get in and ride the elevator! And did I say, I waved back? How embarrassing! I hope he never sees me again.

And that’s the end of the possibility of our one-way love affair of ever flourishing. And why? The other day, I found out he’s moved out already. Boo-hoo!

13 goals for 2013

new year, new dress, new shoes, new hair, new look but best of all, new goals!
have you written yours? here's mine, you can copy if you like. 

1. blog once a month

                I have to blog once a month, period.

2. write 12 short stories and 1 novel

                I’m thinking I’d write 1 short story a month and the novel I’d write during Nanowrimo, that’s November. I have to write to get better at writing, at churning out stories.

3. visit new york and phuket

                There are other places esp. local ones that i want to go to like the elusive Batanes trip that I’ve been planning with Rhei for n years now, but these 2 are a must.( A must also is to travel with my mom and dad but I haven’t really decided where. Maybe El Nido, Bangkok, Dubai so we can visit my sister there, or  Singapore again.)

                I’m intrigued with Phuket. Is it really as beautiful as many are saying? Can it compare with our beloved Boracay? I have to see for myself in June.

                New York is a longtime dream. Back when I was just finished my CT course in UP and like some classmates who went to Fashion Inst of Tech after, I too, wanted to take the diploma course. But the dream soon died when I learned how expensive it was. So, why not drop FIT and just go to NY? When I worked at VanHeusen, I thought the company would send me for a business trip like the other managers who went to the VH  HQ at NY. Apparently, I was only destined to go to HK, Bangkok and Bangalore. I was regularly at HK and Bangkok for meetings, exhibitions and fashion shows, what more can I ask for. But this year, my dream will soon come true, come 3^rd quarter of 2013. Thanks to my good old friend, Jane!

4. go on a pilgrimage to israel and rome

                Just today, I reminded my friend, Violet,  who has a travel agency of her promise to organize a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Vatican City that’s cheaper than what’s in the market. I’m thinking Oct.

5. read the bible

Aside from the benefits of understanding life and how to go about it thru the Bible, as a Catholic, and as one who went to a Catholic school from kinder to high school, it’s a shame that I haven’t read the Bible from cover to cover till now. I have read a lot of books and stories being an avid reader – The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Les Miserables, One Hundred Years of Solitude (more than twice from cover to cover; more than 5x without finishing) and other titles of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, To Kill a Mocking Bird (twice), Catcher in the Rye (about 10x), classics like Noli and El Fili, Jane Eyre’s etc, even the Shopaholic series among many other titles.

            I am glad I joined Bible Timeline, a bible study last year which will end in Feb because it is helping me understand what I am reading in the Bible.

6. read one chapter of proverbs a day every day of the year

                A few years back when I was reading books on finances, I came across this book that said one of the richest man ever alive is King Solomon. So it’s worth getting in his head and understand his frame of mind to get rich ourselves. He advised to read Proverbs in the Bible which was written by King Solomon himself. He said to read one chapter a day. The chapter of the day should correspond to the date of the month; there are 31 chapters in Proverbs. It should be done every day with reflection for 2 years. The goal of the exercise is to imbibe the teachings in one’s heart and mind and the riches will follow; opportunities will open up. I remember doing it in 2010 and a lot of opportunities sprang up unexpectedly, including sales in real estate, consultancy work and my current job.

But stopped in the middle of Jan 2011, which means, I am 1 year short. This year, I will fill in half of the requirement. So, I am expecting an avalanche of wonderful blessings and opportunities to come my way this year. 

            The author said he did the same and became a millionaire. He even coached another guy to do the same and his student also became one.  I’m next.

7. learn spanish

                My friend Ginger and I agreed to enroll in a Spanish class in June. We have to attend together so that we have each other to talk to and practice with later. It’s a long time dream to learn Spanish. When I was a kid taking my summer vacations , I loved reading. Left with no choice but to read about Rizal- his life and works, as the others were Algebra, Calculus and Management books, I later loved it. And he taught me to love my country. Because I loved Rizal so much, as early as then, I wanted to learn Spanish so I could read Noli and El Fili in the original text it was written. So, you bet one of goals in 2014 is to read and understand the 2 novels that rocked the country in 1896. I’m excited!

8. attend financial and writing seminars

I’d like to invest more this year in stocks so I’ve to sharpen my  financial skills and get connected and mingle with people who are in the know. There’s one in Feb that I’m planning to attend. Check out www.personalfinance.ph if interested.

I’d like to sharpen my writing skills so I could write more interesting and exciting stories.

9. drive my own car

I took driving lessons last year before my license expired. I realized it’s not easy to drive but I still want to drive. I don’t know how I will get me a brand new red automatic car, all I know is I want one so I am sending this message to the universe and let it work on it.

10. sing in front of an audience

                I know I can sing. As proof, I was a choir member at UP Chapel Choir and at another time at my former office. Even back in my grade school days, I liked singing church songs. I remember singing them with my siblings at night, especially during brownout. Even now, I like singing at church on my seat.

                Back in the late 90’s, before I graduated from college, I was fortunate to have been part of the UP Chapel Choir. That December, our choir and all the other singing groups in UP banded together for a concert called, “Handel’s Messiah.” With about 100 choir members, I sang onstage UP Theater. It was a very memorable moment for me.

                I wish I could join something like it again this year.

11. jog or bike at least once a week

                With my new running shoes, which I got on sale, I should have no excuse not to jog. As for the bike, I have yet to buy one. But for now, I will jog. In fact, today, I went to UP and jogged with Rhei and friends and had Mang Larry’s isaw after.

12. have my own column

                I’m thinking probably an advice column on life, career, relationships maybe, and even fashion in a national broadsheet or magazine. But I have to admit, this is a long shot, moonlighting. But as with my other goals, I am just putting it out  here for God and the universe to work it out. As before, I’m letting  God show me and lead me to get there.

13. attend a feast outside the country or hillsong concert in australia

                I just added this for no particular reason except that it’s something I haven’t done before so it’s probably fun. And the fact that, I'll have 13 goals.

                Feast is a weekly religious gathering where there’s a Catholic mass, and an inspiring talk by Bo Sanchez interspersed with praise and worship. Dubbed as the happiest place on earth where everybody is welcome, the Feast is organized by the Light of Jesus Family, founded by Bo Sanchez. There are different Feasts in and out of the country. Speakers depend on the venue. For details, check out any of the ff. websites:

www.bosanchez.com

www.lightfam.com