almost 26

on sunday, i'm gonna be 26! another year of my life would come to an end real soon again. i'm having mixed feelings actually. i'm sad. but, i'm not sad because i'm a year older. i AM sad because i feel as if there were a lot of things/time that i wasted during my twenty-fifth year..at the same time, i AM also happy because i have another whole new year to do the things that i have to do and experience the things that i missed out in the yesteryears...

Twenty-six.

such my age!

a long-lost friend said i'm old now. she kept on teasing me by calling me "ate" or "lola." thing is, i'm just a year older than she is. and when i reminded her of her age, she just said that she doesn't feel like it!

then i realized, why do people make CHRONOLOGICAL age such a big deal when it's a normal part of our existence? i actually feel sorry for her. i also feel luckier because unlike her, i am willing to face reality; i do not delude myself to thinking that i still haven't aged so i could still act like i did some years ago..also, i feel bad for this person because she doesn't realize the good things that are in store for her; she would've had them had she broken herself free from complacency and the thinking that she's still indeed young..

but then again, we all have our own ways of living this life. i cannot impose on others what i think is/are right ... i just hope, people like her would soon realize that age is nothing but an indication of how long we are living, that life is not about the number of years we spend on earth but how we spend it.

life's too short for everything. and so the moment opportunity knocks, you should open the door. because surely, there would be a lot of things to learn from, a lot of moments to experience and a vast horizon to explore once you did...

anyway, advance happy birthday to ME! ^^..

P.S.

hopefully, i won't get sick. been suffering from sore throat since last night and now am feverish.. still, thank you Lord for another fresh year to re-invent and re-evaluate my life.

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korean film

First of all, Happy MONDAY!!!



This was advertised by our company last Sept.. too bad I was not able to watch them. I'll just blog the promo poster here so that I'd remember to watch them and to make known to others these movies as well... I've always loved Korean TV series and I'm pretty sure that their flicks are also must-see's on their own rights. Period/ historical films are, in particular, very poignant! I hope you'd also find time to see their flicks...

Movies have always been a way for us to learn more about a country's culture. I'm positive that these movies would help boost our knowledge about one of the most historical countries in Asia, South Korea. =)


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Here's the list of the feature movies:

1. Barking Dogs Never Bite
2. Sa-kwa
3. Old Boy
4. Forbidden Quest
5. Driving with My Wife's Lover
6. The Show Must Go On
7. Beyond the Years

winner =)

RULE: To accept this award, here are the rules. Post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his/her blog link. Pass the awrd to 15 other blogs that you've newly discovered. Remember to contact the blogger to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

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To my fellow blogger/sister here in blogspot, jhaney, thanks for sharing with me this award. I may not have a lot of readers, but i'm happy to have been blessed with followers/ blogger friends like you. Thanks sis!

Now, I'm sharing this award to the following people:

weng

melai

krizz

emote queen

kat

marc

*could only come up with 6 bloggers, though =)

...

thank you one again, jhaney. I'm capping off my night now, opps, morning na pala, hehe..

on prioritizing

since prioritizing tasks is difficult for me, i'm posting this set of tips that was taught to us some months ago.. i was reminded of it when i rummaged through my disorganized desk a couple of mintes ago. hope that this would be helpful to all those who, like me, are always on the verge of breaking down because of multiple tasks, haha!

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In the days before modern plumbing, families put their battered tin bath in front of the fire, filled it with hot water, and took turns to wash away the weeks grime. As baby always went in last, a tired mum was at risk of throwing the baby out with the dirty bathwater, as she couldnt see the good from the bad.


Prioritising Work Tip #1 A tired, emotional brain is not best placed to make decisions – this is when the baby gets thrown out with the bathwater. Good decisions are made by alert, objective minds, so make an effort to keep your energy levels up and your stress levels down.

Prioritising Work Tip #2 Know what’s important – learn to distinguish the baby from the bathwater. Ask yourself what’s important, and what’s urgent. Take pressure off and make good prioritising decisions by creating a list of questions to ask yourself when deciding what you should be doing and when.

Prioritising Work Tip #3 If you’re still struggling to separate the baby and the bathwater, maybe you need help. Help can come from anywhere – from your manager, your peers, your partner (or optician!). Someone with clearer sight or more experience may provide you with the insight and objectivity you were lacking. It’s okay to ask!.

Learn from history how to prioritize tasks better and don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater!



--By Lyndsay SwintonOwner, Management for the Rest of Us (http://www.mftrou.com/prioritizing-tasks.html)

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quote for this choose-day

(From my boss) Keep this in mind to help you enjoy life to its fullest:


"Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet." ---Roger Miller


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30 Should Have's and Should Know's

in my futile attempt to keep this blog breathing, i decided to share something "girly". it is an article or rather a list of what every woman should have done and know by the time she's 30.. i honestly think that it's a good read for women of all ages though. so let me share with you now this tidbit of girl/woman thing:


30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know by the Time She's 30

By 30, you should have:

1. One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you’ve come.
2. A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family.
3. Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour.
4. A purse, a suitcase and an umbrella you’re not ashamed to be seen carrying.
5. A youth you’re content to move beyond.
6. A past juicy enough that you’re looking forward to retelling it in your old age.
7. The realization that you are actually going to have an old age—and some money set aside to help fund it.
8. An e-mail address, a voice mailbox and a bank account—all of which nobody has access to but you.
9. A résumé that is not even the slightest bit padded.
10. One friend who always makes you laugh and one who lets you cry.
11. A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill and a black lace bra.
12. Something ridiculously expensive that you bought for yourself, just because you deserve it.
13. The belief that you deserve it.
14. A skin-care regimen, an exercise routine and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don’t get better after 30.
15. A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship and all those other facets of life that do get better.


By 30, you should know:

1. How to fall in love without losing yourself.
2. How you feel about having kids.
3. How to quit a job, break up with a man and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.
4. When to try harder and when to walk away.
5. How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn’t like to happen next.
6. The names of: the secretary of state, your great-grandmother and the best tailor in town.
7. How to live alone, even if you don’t like to.
8. How to take control of your own birthday.
9. That you can’t change the length of your calves, the width of your hips or the nature of your parents.
10. That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it’s over.
11. What you would and wouldn’t do for money or love.
12. That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs or not flossing for very long.
13. Who you can trust, who you can’t and why you shouldn’t take it personally.
14. Not to apologize for something that isn’t your fault.
15. Why they say life begins at 30.

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While reading through it, I realized that I still have a long way to go. But what the heck, I'm just 25, I have all the time to do all these and more =)

A Writer's Story

This blog, and so as the first blog that I have created, has been a witness to all my adventures for the last two years. It has patiently listened with my angst and rants, consoled me through trying times, laughed and celebrated with me during my blissful days and dealt with my impulsive and sometimes incoherent thoughts. Tonight, I once again unfold here, in my small nook in the cyberworld, one of the greatest adventures of my life...

Every writer has a story on how he or she became one. Perhaps my story could be comparable to that of a girl rekindling an old flame. Yes, I am working in the teaching field at the moment but just like any other sentimental fool; I cannot forget my first love which is writing...

I began writing when I was in the elementary grade. I remember writing poems and enjoying every minute of our writing exercises in English. Then fast forward to high school, I became a staffer for our school newsletter which gave me my first taste of creative and news writing. The taste of it was so sweet that it led me to choose to be a journalist. It was also during these times, however, when I developed my love for biology; it went on for years and my feelings became so fierce that I decided to choose BS Science as my major in college. Came year 2000 when I finally had to submit my college application form to one of the universities here in the Philippines. It has the course, BS Science, on top of the list of my preferred courses; but to my surprise, before handing the piece of paper over to the student volunteer, I borrowed his pen and changed the science course to AB Journalism. I wrote it with a jolt that it felt weird that time. And so the next four years was marked by the highs and lows of being a journalism student. Racking your gray matter for writing ideas was really no picnic but I still pursued it. Writing really has that hypnotic power over me.

Then came 2005, I graduated. But due to my dad’s untimely death, my dream of being a writer had to be on the back burner first so that I can support myself. Being mom- and dad-less and being the youngest in the brood of five, I knew I had to take care of myself. I had to find a job and I had to do it fast because I didn’t want my siblings who already have their respective family to consider me as their responsibility. Hence, I embraced yet another career so alien to me and which I used to consider as the worst career ever-- teaching. But that was back then. Turned out that teaching is so fun and fulfilling at the same time. And so after a year of teaching, I decided to become a full-fledge teacher by taking a master’s degree in English education. I was lucky to be admitted in the program although I’m not an education major back in college.

Writing academic paper was really not a cinch but I enjoyed it because technically, it’s still writing. With it, I felt that my love for writing was starting to resurface. I guess that love also became the fuel that made me finish all academic papers required in almost all of the theoretical subjects in graduate school. I finished the courses March this year. And after a couple of weeks of absence of writing, I felt a surge of nostalgia. I really missed writing.

One of my very good friends has been a tenured freelance writer for a company named Essays.ph . It never crossed my mind that time though to try out for a stint in the company because I still have a full-time job which could really be exhausting and demanding sometimes. And besides, I never really had the chance to practice my major. But due to an unforgettable event in the May 25, the day when the company I’m working for was supposed to close, I immediately applied for Essays.ph.

After two days, I found myself in the gray team office with grappling thoughts: to take or not to take an assignment. I did take, anyway. My first assignment was about coloring pages. I absolutely had no idea what to write; I even thought of showing examples of coloring books instead. Until now, I don’t know how I managed to finish the set and submit them. And oh, by the way, that first writing assignment was marked with booboos. Not only did I submit an hour late (I still get confused about the time discrepancies in the office until now though) but I also didn’t follow the assignment detail (AD). I wrote five 300- word articles when they should have 500 words! Hence, my first revision. And so starting that time, I knew that this experience would be an exciting rollercoaster ride!

And exciting ride it is, indeed. I took one assignment after the other and soon, after two weeks, I noticed being in a different office--- i was transferred from the gray office to the red office. Then, the rest was history. I have been with the company for four months now and I have experienced writing about finance, female enhancements and a whole lot more of out of this world but exciting topics. I also had my fair share of revisions, forced assignments and warnings because of cancellation of assignments.

Writing for EPH and being a QA-slash-teacher in an online teaching company are two jobs that I really have to juggle everyday. My full-time work could really be unpredictable and time-demanding sometimes, but I still see to it that I get to write. I do not only do that because I need a supplementary income but also because I love being a writer. Writing really gives me a natural high and a temporary escape not just from the crazy world of teaching but from this chaotic life. And remember, this is my first love, right?

Hence, I would like to thank EPH for helping me find the way back to my first love. Now, that love for writing has not just been rekindled but has been burning with so much passion.

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just passing by...

i have been itching to blog. i've got so much to tell but my hands are just so full of monitoring tasks. just yesterday we learned that despite the extra monitoring load, our request for deadline extension was not granted. boohoo... hence, the next two workweek would be crunch time for the QA department. so help us God!



anyway, to cap off this tedious week and in preparation for the next two weeks of ordeal, here's an inspirational video for everyone...