The Quotes Jajajanice Lives By

I was tossing and turning…

And so I came up with the quotes I live by. The following are either based from my previous experiences or from my friends’ and friends of friends’ experiences. These are my basic facts of life. Read along…

(This isn’t in its chronological order by the way.)

“No Pain, No Gain”. You gotta lose some to win some. Or you have to suffer a little (or sometimes a lot) to get something. You have to spend extra hours at work or at school to finish your tasks. Once finished, you can just bum around or get overtime pay! You have to endure the needles and injections to feel and look better. You have to wear that stiletto (even if they hurt like hell) just to get that job you want. You sometimes have to get dumped/get your heart broken to meet your Mr. or Ms. Right. Everything in this world has its price. You just can’t pick them up for free.

But then, the best things in life are STILL free. You can always hug your friends or your siblings or your mom and dad anytime you want without undergoing some kind of obstacles first. :-D

You just can’t have everything in this world. My belief is, if you think you’ve got everything you want, it’s purely because you’re contented with what you have and with who you are. But you still might come to a point where your contentment will fade and strive again. It isn’t bad- just as long you’re not doing it at the expense of others. But even if you strive real hard, there is still that one thing you can’t achieve. Whatever that is, just let go. It might not be for you.

Of letting go, Learn It. Whenever I have to do this very difficult task, I just feed myself with so much faith. I try my best to be positive. I try my best to believe that if I let go, that means there’s a bigger gift for me. Whatever that is, I am confident I will benefit from it and be the happiest weirdo on earth. Another thinking, especially when you get dumped --“why would I waste my time on this person? He isn’t even worried about me.” Bitter fact , but well, this proves to be true.

Faith. Mina sent this via SMS. “God will never leave you empty. He will replace everything you lost. If He asks you to put something down, it’s because He wants you to pick up something greater.” Just Believe in Him and Everything Will Be Alright. God has plans for each one of us. And PRAY.

Kung problema na sa una, problema na sya forever. So just stop and shrug this problem off. Period. You may have tried some tricks to get by, but the powers of the negative force will still drag you down. So again, let it go.

Respect the preferences of others. Kanya-kanyang trip yan. Dun siya masaya, kaya let her be. Hindi ikaw ang pinakamagaling na tao sa mundo. Just so you know, others might be thinking the same way about you. Respect. Very Important. Kung gusto mo ring respetuhin ka.

The Golden Rule. Do not do unto others what you do not want others do unto you. Para fair. Don’t hurt others. Don’t be arrogant. Be nice. Be considerate. Be open-minded. Walang mawawala sayo.

Relax. Don’t get too stressed up. Life is so beautiful. Life has only two choices in all aspects: to feel good and to feel bad. Which one would you choose? Everything is all up to you dude. Ikaw ang bahala sa feelings at buhay mo.

…

So Where Have I Been?

So where have I been?

It was Holy Week, so PS and I took chance of the holiday and went to the island. Nothing big was planned. Purposes were to bum around, spend time with folks, and just be total fools. And, as expected, we had a blast.

The vacation wouldn’t be complete of course without a dip to the clear waters of Puerto Galera. However, I wasn’t able to achieve my perfect tan (bwahaha!). I had fun nonetheless because I had a major bonding session with my sibs. Poang P’s crazy hirits, Ebu’s sarcastic remarks, and Piningpine’s impersonations made me pay no heed to the bumpy and zigzag roads of PG. Kewl. I wish for another outing! Bohol…

Just a trivia, the four of us along with the SOs, go out together most of the time. Reason is, there will come a time when one of us will get married already and start a new life and a family of his/her own. And before that happens, of course, we want to get the best of one another. It’s hard to miss the good stuff...

By the way, the pictures you see on the left are what I call, “The Random Pictures”. Since I haven’t uploaded the PG pics yet, please settle with these. The first photo was my New Year picture. Second was a Japanese garden courtesy of my dad who just came back from the country I dream to go to, JAPAN! Third, the ladies of the family (I just love this picture). And fourth, me and Poang P, strutting the hip clothes for 2005.

***

Just a thought…

I couldn’t totally ask for more. I have my PS, the weirdos, the supremes and the goddesses. Owe you big time JC. ;-)

Have a great summer my dear readers!

It's a FUN FUN FUN in the SUN definitely!!!

Ebu Day

Ebu
It gave me goosebumps when I saw my one and only brother wore that red toga and proudly walked towards the San Beda quadrangle yesterday. And I really felt like crying. Mama mia. Geez, finally, Ebu's made it. He was really happy and we were, well until now, are happy for him.

Good luck, Kuya Jay! (we call him 'kuya' even if he's the youngest...)

We headed towards Dads after and stuffed ourselves together with some of my relatives. This is a happy thought on the move! Yeah!

Btw, I am finally done with my event. It went ok. Blah.

March Celebrations

Month of March is a wow-wowee month.




First stop. My sister, Piningpine turns 25! The future lawyer who thinks she is going to marry Jerry Yan of F4 someday. Happy Birthday Ate Je!









Second stop. My eldest sister, Poang-P. The “Dyosa” back there in the island who thinks her cookies and cakes can beat Red Ribbon and Goldilocks and Sucre. She will be 27 on Friday. Maligayang bati Ate Jo!








Third stop. Ebu. After five years of hard work, this guy here will now finally wear the red toga of San Beda. Congratulations to the unica hija… Jay-R! Goodluck on your board exam on October! Go Go Go!










Fourth stop. Protein Shake monthsary. Wow. Nothing else to say. In Filipino, nakakautay-utay naman. Every day is a fun filled day. So great… This calls for a wow-wowee and a go go go!





***

Despite some hang-ups I have (which of course are petty, but they’re concerns still), I realized that I have so many happy thoughts to keep me sane for the month.

And this again led me to a thought: Who cares if we have problems with work and with our hearts, we’ve got a beautiful life with our friends and family and there’s so many things that we can do, I guess nothing would ever beat that… We just have to remind ourselves about this one. We tend to forget and well, panic.

Kaya smile na, stop frowning…

***

I L-o-v-e the summer station ID of ABS-CBN. Good job. Go catch it.

Question

Magiging masaya ka ba talaga kung hindi masaya para sayo ang mga taong mahal mo? Parang hinde noh?

Amateur

I'm still a beginner in Adobe Photoshop. I hope to do better in the future. Got any step-by-step tips for me?

Here, I played around with Protein Shake's photos. :D

I Am A Strong and Happy Person.

If you were distant, I wouldn’t chase you.

If you wouldn’t love me, fine; Don’t expect me to come running after you. If you’ll hurt me, I will leave you. Even if I still love you, I will leave you.

Nearest exit… there. That’s where I’ll go. And as I take the exit, only with courage and support from my loved ones, I won’t look back. I won’t contact you in any way. You will miss me. You will wonder how I am doing while I struggle to move on; while I make myself believe that I am special, and that I do not deserve to be hurt.

And this is my choice—to move on and believe in myself. I’ll be strong. I’ll learn to love myself. I’ll win back myself and conquer my own fears and loneliness.

I will come out of the battle as the winner. Because of my faith. Because I am strong and because I am determined.

I am determined to move on with my life without you.

I choose the road where only the winners go…

And someday, I will bump into someone again. This time it’s for real.

And I love the thought.

Disclaimer: I am currently in love. The above article was my piece when some guy broke my heart.

I hope to inspire the men and women who find it hard to shrug all the bad memories off and start anew.

By the way, I have just finished reading “Art of Letting Go”. The main reason why I published this one.

Photo taken in Salcedo Park, Makati City.

Million Dollar Baby

Beautiful Movie. Ten stars!

Hilary Swank totally deserved to be the Best Actress. She was so great (plus that western accent she had in the movie, superb!)

If you are a fan of movies with loads of lessons in life, this one's for you. But this time, life is compared to boxing.

Story of the film: Clint Eastwood, a bitter and sad man, was forced to train the determined Swank to be a real woman fighter. Swank may have seen herself as a trash but Eastwood and his friend Morgan Freeman, saw something in her that only a few possessed: A sheer determination to get what she wants no matter what it takes.

The film speaks of protecting one's self, of risks, of chances, of forgiveness, and of love. Very inspiring. It reminds me of the saying my sister used to recite every once in a while: that it'd be best to be a failure at something you enjoy rather than be a success at something you hate.

At least you had your shot... At least you were able to feel how to be there... At least you saw the world.

You gotta watch this one.

Check out the Million Dollar Baby site.

Some quotes from the movie:

1. "If there's magic in boxing is the magic of fighting battles beyond endurance, beyond cracked ribs, ruptured kidneys and detached retinas. It's the magic of risking everything for a dream that nobody sees but you."

2. "I'm 32, Mr. Dunn, and I'm here celebrating the fact that I spend another year scraping dishes and waitressing which is what I've been doing since 13, and according to you I'll be 37 before I can even throw a decent punch, which I have to work on this speed bag for a month God's simple truth. Other truth is, my brother's in prison, my sister cheats on welfare by pretending one of her babies is still alive, my daddies dead, and my momma weighs 312lbs. If I was thinking straight I'd go back home, find a used trailer, buy a deep fryer and some oreos, problem is this the only thing I ever felt good doing. If I'm too old for this then I got nothing. That enough truth to see to you?"

3. "Anybody can lose one fight, anybody can lose once, you'll come back from this you'll be champion of the world."

Of Hits, Kukur, and Doc

Ten Thousand Hits and Counting!

Thank you so so much to my readers! And I’m sorry if I don’t get to post here as much as I can.

Blame it on this IT event I am, at this moment, organizing. I really hope I’d be able to pull this off superbly. Oh please, please. (jajajanice rattling)

Anyway, I don’t want to talk about my work. It’s the one thing I shake off as soon as my watch strikes 5:30 (or even earlier, nyeheheh). Not that I am not serious with my job, it’s all because of one fact—I am a sucker for balance. And balance is a great source of happy thoughts especially when you devote your free time to your loved ones and to the activities you love doing. Rejuvenating.

***

The Kukur Business.

Great Balls. I forgot to mention here that the Kukur Business back there in the island is doing really great. Curtains are now sold-out (which remind me to ask Business Partner to get new swatches) while some linen (like the bed sheets + pillowcases) are now the free items for some of the furniture and appliances my dad sells. Great strategy!

Future plan for the business is to make the business open to my dad’s other stores. Although this may need extra effort, and a little bit of a cash again, I don’t think I’d bother. This kukur business is great. Period. :D

My wish of course is to see it grow big time. Maybe if there’s enough capital already, we can branch it out to tablecloths, throw pillow cases, floor mats, etc. Exciting.

***

Wednesday Morning.

I received a text message from my girl pal, Lovilly. Miriam College’s Communication Arts Chairperson passed away.

Getting a news like this, especially if you know the person, is something that I am no good in handling. Death is a big word that I hardly mention nor talk about.

Anyway. we went to her wake and paid respect to the one of the major pillars in our lives. She will surely be missed by all the CA students in Miriam.

To Doc, whose dedication and great love had tremendously influenced everybody, thank you so much for being our instructor and mentor.

***

OMG, Weekend NA!!!!!

Overflowing with GV

Nothing beats the quality time you can spend with your loved ones especially with your mom.

I had the chance to spend my long weekend in the island. It was my mom’s birthday last Saturday and we had a little celebration. My sister, Poang-P, wowed the weirdos again during lunch. She said she wasn’t able to buy my mom a gift so she cooked lunch for Oma, Apapa, me, her boyfriend, Auntie, and Lolo. It felt so Christmassy! And I know my mom was so happy. Our kitchen in the island can only be busy because of two reasons: it’s Christmas/New Year’s Eve and second, my sister Poang-P-- messing up the place whenever she’s baking. Hehe.

I may be a little jittery on the idea of going to the island last Friday (because I never liked traveling alone) but it was all worth it. I was able to share happy moments with my folks. Kahit nagkanda-leche-leche ‘yung byahe ko nung Friday, dahil twice nasiraan yung bus, OK lang. Ang saya pa rin. Thanks to my Protein Shake who went all the way to Petron, SLEX to fetch me and drive me to Batangas.

Back to my mom… Seeing my mom made kwento about anything at all, wow, it was great really. You should see her talk. Her eyes never ever lose any excitement. Her eyes are always filled with joy. Nice… Even if I can’t remember some of her stories anymore, I don’t care. What matters is I have fun with her.

I said to myself I wont take naps after lunch so I could still spend some time with her kahit siesta time, but oh well, it’s the “batugan” in me that prevailed. I fell asleep and I felt guilty. When I was there, all I wanted was to be with her and just be her little girl again… She’s just the best.

I felt good when I came back yesterday. Happy thought indeed.

What made Jajajanice feel good also was seeing PS yesterday. We had some quality time at my place. We just whiled away time in front of the TV set. We were sitting on the couch for like five hours! And we never got bored. Pareho kaming mahilig tumambay sa harap ng TV, hehe. Hayyy, another happy thought. Great balls.

And the third thing that made Jajajanice feel ultra good were the pictures Jan emailed! Good vibes! Seeing happy faces of your girlfriends can make you happy too. Below’s one of our soccer pictures. That’s me, Jan, Mina, Tibak and Osang. The one standing was the queen Neric. ;-)



Long weekend's over! It's time to work, work, work!

Thank you dear God, for the Happy Thoughts...

BV vs GV

Friday Holiday (EDSA Revolution) + Saturday + Sunday = LONG WEEKEND!

A few bad vibes (BV) though, di ba I mentioned here that I would play football tonight? Well, I won't... Too bad I still have this dry cough and sore throat. When I cough, it's like yanking my tongue and tonsils out of mah mouth. No joke. The feeling sucks. :-( I will miss the game again, and sayang, Tunder will play tonight. Oh well, there's always next time. (The usual saying of the envious.)

Second BV, I think PS thinks I'm having slight troubles being 100% comfortable with him. This isn't alright but I just don't know what to do.. I can't say anything more. The thought of it saddens me. Enlightenment, come to me fast. Pano ko ba'to i-eexplain?

Buti na lang (my good vibes thought), my college friend Dimps, who currently resides in the US of A, is getting married to her boyfriend Allen. Dimps has been in the US for like two years na ata and we so miss her!!! And really, we're so happy and excited for her, which well, brings me to this thought: A few months ago, my college friends and I attended the baby shower party of our friend Champ, and now, another goddess in our circle, is gonna get married!

Before, our concerns were just how to pass Mass Media Law (and get away with our Lit. professor!). A cliche, but really time flies so fast I cant wait to see all of us in the coming years! All I know is, we'd all still be the same, masayahin pa rin, mahilig pa rin sa damit at sa matinding tokatchiphils. And maybe, we'd still be playing football that time (with a few of us missing the games because she has to teach her kids with their homeworks, haha). And maybe, just maybe, we're so good in football already, we're (like) the institutions in the InterBarangay Football League! WaHaha! Coach will totally be proud of us!

Btw, to my Omama, who will be turning 40 (+11) on Saturday, Happy Birthday! I know you don't read this, but I still want to greet the greatest momma in the world, a very hubbabubba birthday! Wait for me there in the island ok?!

***

Have you ever heard of the Kilikili Monologues? This is part of Rexona's campaign to educate women on how to take care of their underarms. Kilikili Monologues is going to be topbilled by Dreddie's idol, Carmina Villaroel. The said act will talk about and touch the yet another sensitive part of the women's bodies-- our armpits, maputi man o maitim! I wanna watch this one. This will be fun!

You can catch Kilikili Monologues in the coming months in selected malls and campuses!

Indy, Etc.

I’m sick. I hate it. I didn’t even go to work yesterday to rest but I don’t feel ok still. :-(

I just hope I will feel better as soon as possible because I wanna play football on Thursday (which reminds me to wash my soccer shoes; haven’t washed it for a month now).

I played last Friday by the way. The kids weren’t able to play so it was only us, the ‘adults’, who played. It was fun nonetheless (Less challenging for me). My team won. And I scored a goal (finally). Remind me to buy new + thick soccer socks.

Nga pala, did you notice how HBO currently loves showing Indiana Jones? And did you also know how much I love I.J. Trilogy? I have been an Indy fan ever since I was a kid. I can watch this movie over and over like Home Alone, You’ve Got Mail, Forrest Gump and Harry Potter among others!

Sana lang makahanap ako ng DVDs ni Indy and then watch them the whole day. Ang saya nun… (with my favorite butong kalabasa + chicharong balat + cracklings + cheetos as my comfort foods). Or at least catch Indy again on HBO.

Wish-a-wish-a-wish…

***

Watch out for the new shows on ETC! They'll have Queer Eye for the Straight Girl. I wonder how this one will go. Initial reactions: It's more fun to make-over/dress-up a guy. More challenging I suppose. More inviting also as it's the famous Fab 5 who do all these. And besides, I think there are a lot of shows already that make-over women. What could be the niche of this one? Anyhoo, I'd still watch this show to find out. ;-)

Lastly, ETC is one channel I havent really explored yet. I just hope I can find some time to watch all its shows. Promising channel, this one.

Have a great week my dear readers! Chillax!

Musikahan

I got a new thing now when driving every morning for work. Please tune in to 96.3 WRock between 7:20 to 7:30 in the morning. It’s their Three of A Kind (where the dj plays all three hits of a certain artist).

This segment has been around for sometime now, but I just thought of sharing and well, encouraging you to listen to them also. Because (I don’t know if this will have the same effect on you) it actually feels good slash light to listen to your favorite singer belts out her three most famous singles. It’s like eating all your favorite dishes in one meal. (What a comparison). This morning, they had Spandau Ballet. My goola, I was really beaming inside my car. Just check them out. They play nice music too, very ideal when you just want to relax (and if you dont want too many disk jocks talking...).

On the other side of news,



4 stars out of 5 stars to the local pop rock wonder, sessiOnroad.

Their Suntok sa Buwan album has been playing in my CD-ROM the whole day and I don’t get tired of listening to it. What I love about this Baguio City Coolness (as they all came from the summer capital of the country) is that Bohemian feel they have in almost all of their songs. Lead singer + songwriter Hannah captivates her listeners with her sensuous voice. It can become real curly and powerful (especially in the song Cool-Off).

When listening to their songs, it’s like stepping inside Gayuma (that resto in Katips) or inside that resto in Dapitan, Manila (I forget the name of the establishment, but it sounds like “Tribu” or something). It has that ethnic feel and if I’m not mistaken, the band’s got also that Cynthia Alexander touch. (And parang asa Baguio ka ulet, sitting on the grass, under the pine trees, looking at the fog coming out of yer mouth…)

The songs are mostly about the different faces of love. Unrequited. Letting go of it and finally finding it. My favorites are “Leaving You” and their hit single “Suntok sa Buwan”. Not that I can relate to them but Hannah sang them with all her might, with so much force. Feel na feel talaga niya. Galing. Galing.

And look at their album cover. I love the paperboat concept.

OPM's totally made a big improvement over the years. Great.

Check out their site!

Suntok sa Buwan lyrics here!

Leaving You lyrics here!

Pixelized

I must admit, I am beginning to fall in love with my new activity, taking pictures that is. I can’t term this new pursuit as photography since the term sounds so professional, and it seems too much for an amateur like me. It’s a big word (Naks). Anyhoo, I have been addicted to pictures even before. It’s just now that I am actually allotting some time for it (because I have the equipment already!)

I always have a high regard on almost anything and anyone. Seeing people and staring at different sort of things make me exultant. I make them as subjects in the scrapbook that I am compiling inside my head. To complete the concept, I even make stories for them. This has always been my routine or, for a more sosyal na term, my passion. And now that my dad has been kind enough to buy me the object of my affection, I am taking this passion one step higher. I take pictures of them now. This is actually making the intangible tangible.

Oh it’s so great and to make things greater, I am planning to buy a “how-to” book on this one (since I can’t afford to enroll myself in those photography classes and buy the equipment). Goals, goals, goals… Did you know that photography is in my Goals’ List? And did you also know how happy this is making me right now as I am totally living my life in its nearly fullest potential? Great Balls.

And by the way, photos were the flowers from my porch, and the hands were mine and protein shake’s.

HVD

I didn't see anyone wearing red on my way to work this morning. Neither did I see any of my officemates wearing the color. And me, I made sure that I wont forget it's heart's day today and unconsciously wear my red top. Corny na ata ang mag-red pag Valentine's Day eh.

But I still want to greet all my readers, a Happy Valentine's Day... Remember that we all deserve to be loved, either by our friends or by our significant others. Stay Happy today!

(intro: Maroon 5's She Will Be Loved....)

A Happy Hearts' Day also to my Protein Shake.

Pink tie

God must be listening. He sent me a wonderful gift…

Props To You

I truly salute the power of media to be the great ‘modifier’. When I think about it, I can’t help but be in awe. Imagine life without TV. Look at how we are going to be without the radio, without the tabloids and the top daily broadsheets, or without the Internet? I cannot possibly see.

Can you survive? Because I sure can’t. And look at how media change our lifestyle, at how they affect our way of thinking. Look at its power to communicate with each and every one of us. I must admit that a fraction of who I am now is because of the columns I read in PDI or because of the movies and documentaries and teleseryes I watch on TV. I dress like this and love these songs because I saw all these on the net, on TV, and on print and I, well, happen to like them. Another simple example is the lingo/verbal expression we have in this time. Will we be able to use them in most of our sentences had we not watched or heard them somewhere? I don’t think so.

The emergence of media has brought fortunes, and successes and even failures and revolts to businesses, politicians, and to the entire society-- or like the great theorist, Laswell, said it, to the transmitters/senders of the message. And I am totally amazed at how a word, a gesture can actually modify the entire message the sender intend to communicate. The words we command and the way we put them together and the medium we use affect the entirety of the message.

And this is exactly why I love this industry. Mass media may have brought the worst in this world, but I don’t think nothing can ever beat the greatness it has given to us.
Props to you dude.

1:51am

I had a dream last night. I dreamed of my uncle who died last August.

In my dream, he was alive, but it was so weird. He told me that the guy I named after Harry Potter's greatest foe in this blog was dead. And that before this guy died, he sent me a text message. My uncle even read it to me, but the message was saying so many things that my puny brain couldn't accommodate them all.. Basta, hindi ko na-gets. He even added that he was the one who welcomed you-know-who in heaven. (It's a dream, what can I expect?)

Anyhoo, this is no biggie. I just thought of sharing. It was real funny lang. And I don't think my uncle is telling me something. Eh dream lang 'to eh. And when it comes to dreams, I am selective. I believe in dreams only if I want to. And with this one, well, let's just say that I have considered this one d.o.a. months ago. So I dont have to believe in this anymore. Alam ko na 'to matagal na.

And you know what, this guy's asking me how I am doing right this very moment in my email. Whattacoincidence, my dear friends.

Happy Tree Friends

I am strongly recommending this site:

http://happytreefriends.atomfilms.com/watch_episodes/index.html

Violent yet entertaining. If you're feeling a bit down, try my new stress reliever!

Groovy

Groovy!

LennieGurl, thanks for sending this one. I didn’t answer all questions though! Hehe.

1. What is the total amount of music files on your computer? -- 400+MB – here in the office. At home, I don’t know. But I think I have more files here than at home. I cant work without music. (Ayan naman).

2. The last CDs you bought were: The two albums of Joss Stone. (Too bad, I wasn’t able to watch her on Myx Presents last night. Would you know when it’s going to replay?)

3. What is the last song you listened to before this message: Suntok Sa Buwan by Session Road (The band rocks! My next target!!!)

4. Write down five songs I LISTEN TO A LOT:
1. The Calling’s Wherever You Will Go (the song I want someone to sing for me)
2. Joss Stone’s Right to be Wrong (I can totally relate)
3. Kitchie Nadal’s Same Ground (KN’s the bomb! Bakit ang galing nya??)
4. Tony Rich Project’s Nobody Knows (all-time fave since college… the song’s got the right blend. Cool)
5. The Cranberries’ When You’re Gone (my song)