The World of Second Chances

There’s A Way To Be Good Again

June 22, 2010

Life & Love

I am aware that I am not as good as a person today than three years ago.

There are people that I hate now. Heck, I used to love everybody before.

There are offenses that I consider unforgivable; I even declared WAR against those offenders.

Hate…. Why do I keep hatred in my heart now?

I remember myself to be a very forgiving and broadminded person.

Could it be the bitter experiences?
Does it mean that I’m emotionally stronger now because I can bear to burn bridges with the ones that I used to love?

I don’t know.

I am not happy with what I am now. I know that there’s a way to be good again. I just have to trust the people around me—not all of them are vultures, anyway.

Yes, there’s a way to be good again.
Working Girls, The Movie

June 21, 2010

That’s Entertainment

I was a young girl when the original Working Girls was shown. Hindi pa uso ang girl power nun! Sa original na Working Girls, pinakita ang glamour ng pagtatrabaho sa Makati. Ganun naman kasi dati ang impression, basta’t sa Makati ka nagtatrabaho, sosyal ka! (Ngayon, meron ng Ortigas at Taguig at normal na lang na magtrabaho ka sa mga sosyaling lugar na ito.)

Bakit ko nasabing di pa uso ang girl power nung ipalabas ang pelikulang Working Girls? Kasi, ang mga babae nung panahon na yun ay pinaghihinto sa kanilang career ng kanilang asawa dahil kaya naman ng lalaking buhayin ang pamilya. How I wish ganyan din ang set up ngayon,no! Ngayon, double income na nga kayo pero parang andami pa ring bayarin at gastusin!

Iba ang inaasahan ko sa Working Girls na pinagbibidahan nila Ruffa Gutierrez, Eula Valdez, Eugene Domingo, Bianca King, Cristine Reyes at Jennylyn Mercado. Inaasahan ko ang mas malaman na kwento tungkol sa mga adventures at misadventures ng mga working women. Isa-isahin natin ang roles nila at kung ano ang relevance nila sa pelikula.

Ruffa Gutierrez- ano ba ang work nya sa movie? Asawa sya ng isang mayamang matandang namatay na nag-iwan sa kanya ng naluluging negosyo at limang milyong piso na tadtad ng bayarin at tax. Her husband also left her a bitchy daughter who wouldn’t stop in making her life miserable. Bukod sa pa-party-party at minsanang meeting sa kanyang corporate lawyer, wala namang substance ang pagiging CEO nya. I can’t remember of a scene na pinakitang CEO nga sya. If there will be a part 2, sana mag-focus ang story sa corporate life nya at hindi puro social life with Eula Valdes and Carmi Martin who played her socialite friends in the movie.

Eula Valdes- She’s STILL hot at forty-something! No wonder, Rocky Salumbides is head over heals in love with her. She’s my favorite characted in the film. Feeling ko, derived from Dr. Vicki Belo ang role nya.

Eugene Domingo- Sige na nga, isama na ang mga self-employed sa pelikulang ito. Her chemistry with Ricky Davao na gaya nyang street smart is good. In fact, I wish hindi na sila magkabalikan ni Antonio Aquitanias sa movie. Antonio played as her womanizing and lazy husband. I love Eugene’s role because it’s so real—mga babaeng nagsisikap para sa pamilya; her kids go to school at Ateneo! Sosyal!

Christine Reyes- The promo girl! Sana binigyan ng konting substance ang role nya. Kainis kasi sya dito at ang wish mo lang eh i-dump din sya ng lalaki gaya ng ginawa nya sa role ni Carlo Aquino.

Jennylyn Mercado- Pwedeng ibigay sa lesser star ang papel nya–that is, kung hindi naman mag-e-evolve ang kwento. Sana pinakita ang sacrifices ng mga single moms. Sana kung may sequel, ipakita na single moms can still find their Mr. Right.

Bianca King- Girl, bakit parang lagi kang galit? Hehehe…Is it just the role or what? Or nasanay lang ako sa Bawana role mo? Bianca should loosen a little; irritating minsan ang matapang na dating ng personality nya. Maybe the role calls for it.

Sa sequel, sana magkaroon ng interaction ang poor working girls na sila Eugene, Jennylyn at Cristine at ang sosyal na working girls na sila Eula at Ruffa. And please include Ms. Carmi Martin, ha! Carmi never changed—at forty-something, she’s still very attractive!
Today, I’ll Face My Goliath

June 21, 2010

Career, Finance & Product

Who is my Goliath?

—–It’s my stressful job.

But today, I’m gonna face it like what little David did.

I maybe a David in the eyes of this Goliath-like company but I am confident enough that with God’s help, I can make it through each stressful day.

Thanks, Bo Sanchez for publishing this book about how to conquer our Goliaths!

Today, I’ll face my Goliath with all my strength!
Paano?

June 19, 2010

Life & Love

Is it just me o baka pati kayo naiisip nyo ang mga tanong na ito?

– Paano pag sinipon o nagka-LBM ang isang kandidata ng Ms. Universe pageant sa mismong araw ng kompetisyon?
– Paano pag kumulo ang tyan ng isang construction worker na nakabitin sa crane?
– Paano pag nautot ang bidang babae o bidang lalaki habang kinukuhanan ang kanilang bed scene?
– Paano pag lumindol ng malakas habang ikaw ay naliligo?
– Paano pag maling topic o chapter ng libro pala ang na-review mo para sa final exams?
– Paano pag nahuli ka ng boss mo na nanonood ng porn o naglalaro o nagpe-Facebook sa harap ng PC mo?
– Paano pag nag-fund transfer ka sa maling account? Susugod ka ba agad sa bangko para i-report ang nangyari?O kuntento ka na lang na tumawag sa customer service nila?
– Paano pag nakasalubong mo ang crush mo habang gulo-gulo ang buhok mo?
– Paano pag feeling mo antaba mo na tapos nakasalubong mo ang ex mo kasama ang present nya?
– Paano pag napigtas o napunit ang swimsuit mo? Hahango ka ba sa tubig at deadma lang na rarampa?
– Paano pag ubos na ang mineral water mo at nauhaw ka sa dis-oras ng gabi. Wala kang kalan na pwedeng pakuluan ng tubig-gripo. Iinumin mo ba yung tap water?
– Paano pag nakabuntis ka ng babaeng di mo talaga type?
– Paano pag pinag-OT ka ng boss mo eh may scheduled rendezvous kayo ng dyowa mo?
– Paano pag tinetext ka ng ex-bf o ex-gf mo para lang humingi ng advise sa lovelife nya?
– Paano pag yumaman ang ex mo at biglang naging sikat? Magseselos ka ba sa magandang kapalaran nya?
– Paano pag inahas ng bestfriend mo ang dyowa mo? Patatawarin mo ba sila?
– Paano pag bading pala ang bf mo? Hihiwalayan mo ba sya?
-Paano pag napagkamalan kang bading dahil sa mukha ka naman talagang lalaking binihisan ng damit-babae? Maiinsulto ka ba?
– Paano kung di mo masabayan ang ingles ng kausap mong sosyalera? Magta-tagalog ka na lang ba o “yes” or “no” na lang para cute?
– Paano pag sinuklian ka ng 500 pesos sa halip na 200 pesos lang? Keep it na lang ba?
– Paano pag natanggal sa trabaho ang tatay mo habang nasa gitna ka ng college? Magsusumikap ka pa rin ba?
– Paano pag nahuli mo ang asawa mo o tatay mo na kachukchakan ang katulong nyo? Palalayasin mo ba ang katulong nyo?
The Love As I View It Five Years Ago

June 18, 2010

Life & Love

Why is loving so difficult to do?
Because to love is to risk not being loved in return.
Because to love is to risk not being treated the way we want to be treated.
Because love is to risk being hurt, being rejected, being disillusioned.

How many years will you have to wait before you let go of a person?
Some people easily let go of a person once they sense that the relationship
won’t work.
Some people continue to hold on for years until they realize that he’s/she’s not
the person she’d/he’d like to be with
for the rest of her/his life.
Some people hope that things will be better until he/she realize that he/she
spent a lifetime of pain and
emotional suffering to his/her partner.

Love is a two-way process but there is no such thing as equality in love.
If you can measure its equality, then, it is not love. You will just have to
feel that somebody
in the relationship is more on the giving or receiving end without necessarily
measuring love per se.

There is no such thing as an ideal relationship because there is no perfect
person or perfect set up.
The best thing that we can do is just to take the person as he/she is and to
take the set up as it is.
But love should never be the sole reason to keep on understanding a partner’s
shortcomings.
It is not healthy for the couple to keep on staying on a one-sided relationship.
Understanding is only applicable to a partner who is willing to compromise.
Meet half-ways. Don’t be a martyr in love just because you have so much love to
give.
If you tolerate his/her annoying actions, you contribute more to his/her
immaturity.

Love is not about choosing who over whom or choosing who over what.
In love, security is always a factor to keep you from holding on.
Lack of security leads to doubt. Doubt leads to lack of trust.
Lack of trust leads to lack of security and the cycle continues.
Both of you must know where to stand in a relationship. Don’t play mind games;
call a spade a spade
because a spade could never be an ace.

Nobody knows the future. Not even the stars or the oracle. The future is like a
running water
with no direction or form. Why do you have to think about the future when the
present is more important?
People are too worried about the future. They are worried about how many bucks
they’re going to make by
the time they are 30. They are worried about when to marry or when to have a
child.They are worried about the superficialities of life.
People can be so intelligent yet so dumb. The present is the preparation towards
the future.
So many lovers prepare too much for the future, neglecting their partner’s
feelings and emotional needs,
only to realize that they are losing them as days pass by.

To be able to love, one must love himself/herself first. You will never know how
it feels to be in pain, in jealousy, in love, in sympathy
unless you yourself have experienced it. Don’t confuse love with infatuation or
need. If you’re just physically attracted to a person
but you can’t be with him/her in times of need; it must be infatuation. If you
can’t let go of a person because you can’t live without
that person; it must be a need. Don’t fall in love just for the sake of falling
in love. Don’t enter into a relationship just because of a need
for companionship. Don’t get married just because you’re getting late for the
last trip. These needs, once fulfilled, will do more harm than good
to both of you. Have you tried lusting over a bar of expensive chocolate? Once
you tasted it and get tired of it, you won’t bother to eat the whole
bar. Point is, it is always tempting to get something or somebody that you know
you wouldn’t have. Countermeasure? Don’t fall in love,
get married and have kids for the wrong reasons.
Building Up My Baby’s Vocabulary

June 18, 2010

Wedding & Family Life

At 9 months and two weeks, Adi can utter the following words:

dog- which he pronounce as “do”, it’s like removing the “g” from the word
cat- “cat”
triangle- “tie-duh”
mama-“mama”
papa-“papa”
daddy-“deh”
Ate (elder sister)-“teh”
moon-“moon”
star-“tah”
yum-yum-“mum-mum”
And the list goes on.

I think it’s best for my little one to learn the King’s language at an early age. My husband and I communicates with him in English and Tagalog. My husband’s dialect is Cebuano; we might as well introduce the dialect to him. Oh, well…I need to learn Cebuano, too. He teaches me basic Cebuano but I always end up speaking Ilocano, my second dialect after my native Tagalog.

I’ve always wanted to learn and speak at least four different languages but the limitation is I don’t get to speak with native speakers of the languages that I am trying to learn. Maybe Adi’s case will be different because young children learn faster than adults.
Are You Chummy With Your In-Laws?

June 17, 2010

Wedding & Family Life

I grew up witnessing how my aunt (my father’s second sister) and my mother got along well with each other. My grandparents from the father side adored my mother, too. I felt so special whenever me and my brother were with them.

My father’s relationship with my mother’s relatives was just civil, except for his relationship with my aunt (my mother’s first cousin). She was the only person in my mother’s family that he got along well with.

I hated that civilness between my father and my relatives from the mother side. I wished that the relationship was closer and warmer. My father had this attitude of keeping grudges. Being my grandmother’s (my mother’s mother) favorite grandchild, I felt that it was unfair to my lola for my father to think of her that way.

I am close to my brother’s common law wife. She is like my sister. We text each other almost everyday to keep each other updated. Their daughter is my only niece—oh, my favorite niece!

My husband’s family is not the type who reaches out to relatives. Don’t get me wrong, they are nice and decent people but reaching out is just alien to them. I respect my father-in-law but I cannot say that I’m close to him. My two sisters-in-law seem distant and unreachable. I used to be chummy with one of their brothers but he stopped communicating with us when he started to have a family.

Some would say that I am lucky for not having in-laws to meddle in our family life. I pine for a mother-in-law…wait, a good mother-in-law! My husband’s mother passed away when he was young. It’s good to have in-laws if they’re generous and easy to get along with.

Are you chummy with your in-laws?