The World of Second Chances

My Kim and Maja

January 25, 2013

Life & Love

from tumbr

The “ahasan” issue between young stars Maja Salvador and Kim Chiu is nothing but a growing up phase in their lives. In the first place, there was no “ahasan” at all because Kim and Gerald Anderson parted ways three years before the latter found the former’s bestfriend attractive.

The question is, would it be okay to court your ex’s bestfriend? Would it be okay to fall in love with your bestfriend’s ex? Would you give your blessing to your ex and your bestfriend to fall in love?

When I was of Kim and Maja’s age, I figured in a bitter love triangle. For the purpose of anonymity, let’s call my friends Kim, Maja and Gerald. Gerald used to flirt with Kim but it was nothing but a casual flirting on his side. Kim took it seriously and hoped that their closeness would elevate to the next level. Gerald was introduced to Maja and immediately fell in love with her. Maja entertained Gerald and Kim thought that Gerald betrayed her.

Kim sought the support of some of our common friends. Some of us sided with Kim while some, with Maja. I sided with Maja because I found nothing wrong in her relationship with Gerald. Kim was just too naive to understand that Gerald never fancied her in the first place.

Maja and Gerald ended up with one another and they are now living happily. Kim has yet to meet Mr. Right. Looking back, I wished that heads were cooler and minds were more open then. I wish that I never took sides and instead became the peacemaker.

Friendship is something that’s very important to me as years are adding to my life. When feelings are hurt, it’s hard to start the friendship all over again. It’s not worth losing a true friend over some infatuation. Good thing, Gerald’s infatuation over Maja ended up in true love. But it could have been happier had everybody in our circle, including the main characters, prioritized friendship over personal happiness.
Babalik at Babalik Ka Rin

January 24, 2013

Wedding & Family Life

I was outside of the Departure Area (NAIA) yesterday and witnessed the closeness of family members among the Filipinos. There was this family who came all the way from La Union just to drive their son to the airport. The OFW’s mother, father, wife and two small kids were there. The husband and wife were obviously holding back their tears while the two small kids were busy playing hide and seek. The parents of the husband (OFW) were quiet and gave those precious moments to the couple who would be separating (physically) 30 minutes later.

There was this young couple who were hugging each other tightly while planting kisses occassionally. The wife (or girlfriend?) and the husband (or boyfriend?) were both crying. The husband (?) assured the wife (?) that he would be back soon as if two years of separation and waiting is not forever to those who pine for their loved ones. I turned my back from this young couple; they affected me so much and I needed some space to breath, too.

Then I saw a middle-aged couple hugging each other while praying. Both were strong in their faith that their separation would bring good for the family. If one is not blessed with a good job or career here, then perhaps, an overseas employment is the best option.

I thought I saw a young actor but the young guy was simply goodlooking and could be mistaken for an actor. His family (parents and sisters) were with him and they seemed to be quite excited for his flight. They were even taking pictures of him while entering the Departure Area.

Babalik at babalik ka rin, as the song (by Gary V) says. I wonder, how many of these people will be back as a whole person after their contract expires. Some of them come home with an empty pocket. Some of them come home with an empty mind (insane). Some of them come home in a casket. Some women come home pregnant; intentional or not. Some men come back to the Philippines but go straight to their new “wife.” The life of an OFW is not charmed; it’s a challenge.
Middle-class and Upper-class

January 17, 2013

Life & Love

taken from the web

taken from the web

People from the middle class are fond of knowing about the life and life style of the people from the high society. We want to know where they dine, what they eat, where they go to school, where they spend their holidays. We want to know their idiosyncrasies, their heartaches, their naughtiness, their failures, their latest partner. We want to know how they think, what they think of us, what they think of a product. They are aware that we’re interested in them that’s why reality shows like that of Paris Hilton’s were produced for our entertainment. We want to know how Paris act if she’s outside of her comfortable mansion. Locally, we are fascinated with “it” girls like Solenn Heusaff (her family is said to be well-off) and KC Concepcion but except for Kris Aquino, Mikee and China Cojuangco, we have yet to see the children of the more affluent families like the Zobel de Ayalas join showbiz.

The manufacturers of fake Louis Vuitton know that the middle-class want that projection of wealth and style. The middle-class is their target market and their business is doing good. Even fake Melissa jelly shoes can be bought online. But super rich people prefer Blahnik or Jimmy Choo; they do not go to SM to shop and Bench or Penshoppe is not their norm for what’s fashionable. They do not have to take public transportation and one or two personal assistants are a common sight. Oh, and they must be laughing at the social climbers, too! They know a wannabe because they know what a class act is from not.
Checkpoint Phobia

January 15, 2013

Life & Love

I always get this nervous feeling whenever I see a police or military checkpoint. Call it paranoia from watching too much Tagalog action films in the past wherein the officer-in-charge is actually a hitman-in-disguise. The hottest news about the Atimonan shoot out (or rub out?) is enough to justify my fear of checkpoints.

Passengers should know that opening the trunk of our car should not be made compulsary by the police or military doing the checkpoint. We are also not asked to step out of the car during inspection. Checkpoints should be done in a well-lit area. The name and contact number of the officer heading the checkpoint must also be visible from the signage.

A lot of talks and speculations are going on about the Atimonan shoot out. From the NBI investigation, it appears to be an ambush. Dead man tell no tales but the scene of the crime will speak about what really happened on January 6. It’s too early to tell and conclude the final result of the investigation. Let’s just hope that this is going to be a fair and fast investigation.
All Mine To Give

January 14, 2013

Wedding & Family Life

I watched last Saturday’s episode of “Magpakailanman” and it featured the life story of Lucy Aroma, the woman who committed suicide at the LRT station last August 2012. Combacking actress Sunshine Dizon played the role of Lucy.

I got a little confused with the story line. Assuming that Lucy finished high school at 16 and then their family moved to Manila afterwards, she would have been 18 yrs old when she had her first job. In one scene when she was confined at the hospital after her first suicide attempt, her high school suitor paid her a visit and mentioned something like not seeing her for 20 yrs. So Lucy would have been 36 to 38 yrs old when she saw her first suitor again. Since the timeline is not clear, I assumed that that visit did more harm than good for Lucy because she was reminded of her long lost love; the one she could have ended up with. After that scene, she was seen more depressed and angry about life. In one of her depression attacks, she decided to go the LRT station to end her life.
The writers failed to include the timeline of Lucy’s depression and at what age did she really die. Lucy ended her life at 52 yrs old and Sunshine’s youthful appearance did not reflect Lucy’s age at the time of her death. It’s just the timeline of Lucy’s life that I’m disappointed about in her life story. Deducting it from the equation, Lucy’s story is the story of many Filipinos who sacrifice for his/her family.

When teenagers were worried about their looks, Lucy was worried about her siblings. She provided for them and served them, acting as both mother and father to them even if their parents were still alive. Sacrificing her feelings for the only man who courted and loved her for her siblings welfare was one-sided because the brother and sister that she established did not reciprocate that kindness to their younger siblings. Hence, Lucy was left with supporting not just for their younger siblings but the children of the brother and sister that got married after finishing school.

The role of being the eldest child is synonymous to RESPONSIBILITY and more often than not, even the personal happiness of the eldest child is sacrificed for the family’s welfare. More often than not, the recipient of the blessings do not reciprocate and when it’s time for them to take care of the very person who sacrificed for them, they can only think of themselves so as to avoid that responsibility.
Great Find: Sweet Baby Diaper

January 14, 2013

Career, Finance & Product

My 9-month old baby uses Pampers Overnight for maximum absorbency. In the morning, he uses Pampers Comfort until my husband asked me to try using other brands. Since Robi started teething, we had to change his diaper at least twice an hour due to his frequent bowel movement. Prior to that, we used to change Robi’s diaper every two hours. The pediatrician said it was part of teething and unless Robi seemed sick, there’s nothing to be worried about.

So there, I grabbed two packs (20 diapers each pack) of Sweet Baby Diaper for Robi’s daytime use. Upon arriving home, I checked the adhesives and found them to be just fine. I like its high-cut leg design like Pampers. I expected something like leaking but the cotton could hold Robi’s weewee for up to one hour. Of course, our primary reason why we bought a cheaper diaper was because we didn’t want to spoil and throw away a pricey diaper for Robi’s frequent bowel movement. Now that Robi’s bowel movement is back to normal, I can feel the savings of using a cheaper yet a good quality diaper.

Yesterday, I bought 1 pack (38 diapers per pack) for only PhP 220 pesos in Walter Mart. That is only PhP 5.70 pesos per diaper! If I’m going to buy it elsewhere, it could even be cheaper. By the way, the manufacturer of Sweet Baby Diaper is Quanta Paper Corporation, a Filipino company. That’s one good reason to patronize this product, too.
What Is Your Favorite Topic?

January 12, 2013

Career, Finance & Product

Don’t you agree with me on this? I was reading my old blog when I was in my mid-20’s and my favorite topic was about my love life. Now that I’m in my 30’s, I frequently think and discuss about financial management and financial freedom. I remember a Taiwanese co-worker before who was of my age. While I was busy discussing about my love life, she was busy reading the business section of the newspaper. She was into the stock market and that word was out-of-this-world for me at that time.

Now, some people at the office who are in their late 40’s are talking about retirement. Instead of thinking and talking about financial freedom, I would listen to them and scrutinize their retirement ideas to learn from them. Somehow, talking about financial freedom and retirement are related with each other. Building your retirement fund is synonymous to having financial freedom later on.