A place to breathe….

More than a year ago, I hosted the Bible Study in my house. Filipino friends arrived with foods, disposable utensils, cups, drinks and EVEN salt and a dishwashing soap.  Yes that’s how empty my kitchen was. When you open my refrigerator, you will see all sort of drinks mostly milk, softdrinks and orange juice but rarely food. If there’s food it will be bread, cheese, butter and jam.

Now, when you go to my kitchen I have all the basic for cooking: pans, utensils and even spices! I also now have dishwashing gel =)

Little by little I started cooking which I have literally done only once every month before. Dinner before means eating out or buying microwavable foods. I still eat out and buy microwavable food but not as much as before. Now I try to cook and eat in the house for breakfast and dinner.  Sometimes I also cook for my pack lunch.

What trigerred it? Nothing really special but I also get tired of staying late almost every day. Now that I have French school Tuesday and Thursday, I try to make it a point to go home early on Monday and Wednesday to have proper rest. And most of the time during lunch time I have to study so I need a quick lunch then back to my books so a pack lunch is more advisable. And so far I’m enjoying the new lifestyle. Not to mention I’m saving a lot for not going out that much anymore.

Today, I cooked my first adobo. I searched the internet and voila saw the ingredients and procedure on cooking it. I was so excited while marinating it. And I’m so glad it turned out okay =)

Well I don’t have any food in mind that I want to cook soon. Maybe I will crave for something but as of the moment, I’m quite happy with my first adobo!

I woke up each day making the decision to be happy.
Not everyday is a success but everyday I try.

One common mistake that everybody commits in trying to achieve happiness is we deligate that task to somebody else and this often ends up in disappointments.

Happiness can be achieved even without grand things coming your way. Try to smile even you don’t feel like, try to observe if it makes a difference on how you feel and most often than not you will feel happy.

Look at each situation and event as if it’s something extravagant and be thankful for that. And most often than not if we see things that we feel grateful for then we feel happy.

We have to train ourselves on this coz human nature sees the negative things first and it’s not easy to just shift from being negative to being positive but with training I believe we can do it. So why not start now?!

And again, happiness starts from within ourselves… Not from other people, not on circumstances in our lives. It’s us that sees things and interprets things so it’s us responsible for our own happinesss. So each day let us make that decision to be happy =) I’ve made mine today.

I bought my new GAP trouser from US.

Pasok ako sa store, kita ko sale…
So dampot ako dito, dampot don.
Then punta ng dressing room to fit.
Wow I tried one pair of pants at swak
as in I love the fit!

Alam mo ung feeling na you are meant to be?
Ganon, ganun ang feeling ko!

So I checked teka ano bang size ng pantalon na toh…
Then I saw sa etiketa, putsa kaya naman pla!

Kaya naman pala ang ganda ng fit…
Kaya naman pala parang pinasadya para sa akin…
Kaya naman pala parang di ko na talga sya mabitwan….

Kasi nman pla gawang Pinas!

Ako na taga Switzerland… na tubong Pinas
Pumunta ng US para mamasyal ay
Nakabili ng pantalon na gawang Pinas.

Putsa ang layo ng nilakbay ko para lang bumili ng pantalong
gawa sa Pinas…. Mas mura siguro kung sa pinas na lang ako bumili noh?
Pero baka di sale, kaya sa US na lang…. hahahhaha

New year, new hopes, new dreams, new goals, new targets…
It’s a new beginning, time to restart our lives and get excited again for the surprises that are waiting to unfold….

I’m so excited for this year, I want to finish a few things and start some new projects. I’m very optimistic that this is my year…

Looking back to 2008, it has been a tough year but despite that it was still great and I’ve learned a lot from all the experiences. One thing I wouldn’t want to experience again from 2008 was the surgery =( no way!!!

Looking forward to 2009!

My memories of Christmas are quite simple:
We go to church for the Midnight mass.
Go home and eat Noche Buena, most of the time my mom is already sleepy.
Excited for the next day coz it means going to ninong and ninang for pamasko then palakihan ng napamaskuhan with the cousins.
Go to movies the next day for the Film Festival and buy new toys for myself from the money that I gathered during Christmas.

I remember receiving gifts for Christmas when I was already a teenager usually from my siblings but I always feel happy during this season. Nothing extraordinary but my memories are all about being with the family.

As I grow up, it is still and will always be associated with family. It was a pity that for two christmas now, our family celebrated Christmas far away from each other and I don’t think it will be the last.

This year I celebrated Christmas with my sister and her family in California. We woke up very early on Christmas Day and the kids didn’t have 2nd thoughts of getting up when we said it is Christmas Day already coz they know what it means; opening of presents.

It wasn’t only the kids that were excited for Christmas Day, I too was very excited when I was choosing the gifts for them. I was secretly praying that they will like the gifts that I bought for them and I was so happy and relieved that they did. As they open each gift wrapped with fancy paper, I tried to capture each moment. It will not be long till the kids grow up and have their own meaning of Christmas and hopefully by that time it will also mean the same thing for them as it meant to my siblings and me: family.

Amidst all the troubles in the world, there are just still so many reasons to be thankful for. Unfortunately it’s human nature to focus on the negative things rather than the positive things that are happening so most of the time we don’t feel thankful for the things that we have because we still don’t have the things that we want. I too fall on this trap all the time, as I now take time to relax, have fun and enjoy my vacation with my sister and her family I want to remind myself how blessed I am so that when troubled times come, I will have something to remind myself how fortunate I am.

1/ I have faith
I went to church today with my sister, I was so happy to see an early morning mass full. I thought that many churches in US actually are being sold or rented to become museum or concert halls because not that many people go to church anymore. I was happy to prove to myself it’s not 100% true.

Rick Warren said it perfectly well to an atheist, if there’s no God then at the end of this life I have lost nothing but if there’s God, you’ve actually lost everything.

I don’t know how to live without faith.
In times of trouble, in times of bountiness I pray. I asked for help, I asked for interference, I asked all the time. I cry to Him, I laugh with Him. I’m very happy that I have faith otherwise my life would have make no sense.

2/ I have a great support
My parents and siblings are my support system. I call anytime of the day and I receive the same warmth everytime I call. My mom knows exactly if she will talk to me or pass the phone to my dad just by the tone of my voice. They pray for me even during those times that I forget to ask for help. They pray with me whenever I needed help. I can’t ask for more.

3/ I have great friends
Few people will be able to say I have great and true friends but I have a few of them. These are the people I don’t even have to say what I wanted to say, they actually know. These are the people I don’t even have to ask but they already give. I will forever be grateful.

4/ I have a challenging job
I’ve met a lot of amazing people at work. They bothered so I can learn from them and with them. They risked to trust me with good projects. I don’t live in a perfect environment at work but what the company has done for me, my career and my personal life has forever changed my life.

Life is so good. He has let me experience things that I have never even dreamed of. He has given me more than I’ve asked for. Thank you Lord, help me to take care of the people and things that you’ve given me.

As we get busy this season, let us not forget the real reason why we are celebrating this season.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Everything has been so busy lately and I have been so preoccupied with so many things for the last few months that I hardly tried anything new lately until yesterday and today…

Yesterday
I gate crashed to somebody’s bday celebration: had dinner with 8 people I hardly know and watched a concert after. It was fun to be meeting new people again.

Today
I wanted to watch this Aladdin phantomine, it was so hard to invite anybody in Geneva on a Friday so I opted to go alone. This morning, I was talking to a new colleague that I barely know and I really don’t like. I told her I’m watching a play tonight and if you like you can join me. I was surprised myself on what I said. Surprisingly I had so much fun.

I remember before if I found out that there’s somebody new in IATA that also came from other countries, I usually befriend them immediately. Lately I was so caught in my own world that I barely notice people around me. It was nice to actually mingle out again with strangers then hopefully to become new friends…

I had fun.

I bought Grey’s Anatomy Season 4 on the 1st day it was released in Geneva. Been waiting for it for the last 6 months and finally it was released.

The minute I arrived at home, I tested the DVDs at once. Nope, they don’t work on my DVD Player. I tried it on my laptop and a DVD decoder was malfuntioning and I need to purchase it online. Laptop is company owned so I can’t really install new things on the machine.

I want to buy a new DVD player but this time I want to buy a good one so I can’t just rush to the near electronic shop and buy the first one I find but at the same time I need to watch those DVDs immediately.

Next day, I talked to two friends in the office.

1/Conversation w/ Antonio
JOjo: Will you be in Geneva this weekend
Antonio: No, I will be in Vienna
JOjo: Can I borrow your laptop, my dvd player doesn’t work and I badly need to watch the DVDs we bought.
Antonio: I won’t be here this weekend, why don’t you just take the keys and spend the weekend there. (His house is superly amazing and very posche w/ big HDTV Tv that is super big and super flat).
JOjo: No thanks, I just need the laptop. If that’s really Okay with you.

2/Conversation w/ Venkat
JOjo: Can I borrow your DVD Player?
Venkat: You have to pick it up from my place.
JOjo: Ok, what time are you leaving this afternoon? I will come with you.
Venkat: Wny don’t you just get the keys to my apartment?
JOjo: (he has an awesome place too, I can throw a party… hmmm) No thanks, I just need the DVD Player till I buy my new one.

Moral of the story? Nothing! I was just deeply touched how these guys just casually offered the keys to their apartments. Hmmm they don’t know me that well… hehehehehe!

I was deeply touched by their trust and at the end I opted for Antonio’s laptop coz it’s easier to pick-up. Thanks guys for offering the keys to your appartment.

One week now since I started my new job, a new phase, a new adventure, a new challenge and a new boss to manage hahahhahaa…

Looking back, I can’t believe I’ve been working abroad for 2.5 years now. Now I’m starting a new path. I know it was time to move on, I already achieved what I wanted from my previous job. I learned what I needed to learn. It has a been a great experience and I’ve met superb people that helped shaped my career.

I’ve always been fortunate to meet bosses who were not only bosses but became mentors to me. 

Friends celebrated with me as I bid goodbye to my previous post and say hello to the new one. A new thing to conquer and I’m up for the challenge =)

Some photos from the celebration.

I used to call my parents early morning in the Philippines all the time. Recently I don’t call that much anymore. Last night I rang them at 9 pm GVA time and 3 am PH time.

Regardless of what time I call, regardless of the reason I call but whenever my parents pick-up the phone and knowing I’m on the other line I’m always greeted with such warm that is overwhelming. As if my call is the most important thing and everything stops for them. No, I’m not exaggerating and I wonder how come I don’t call often anymore.

I enjoyed more than an hour phone talk with my mom and I can’t stop laughing. My mom has this ability to make me laugh so hard and forget all about my worries in life. And main topic of our conversation was their upcoming trip to Singapore. I was originally planning it for December of course with me but now that I’m not sure if I’m having my vacation in December in PH or not, I decided to give it as a birthday gift for my dad.

At first I want to be there when they go to Singapore, I want to show them the places I always go to whenever I have trainings there. I want to boast to them how well I know the city and how well I know how to go around. And also I was a bit afraid that they will not enjoy it that much because they will be hesitant to roam around by themselves but I have to let these thoughts go, I have to let them go. I can’t be there for them this time but I’m sure that they will enjoy the place as much as I enjoyed it. I may not be able to show them the places I’ve been to but I’m happy to know they will see the places that I’ve seen. And who cares if they get lost there, it’s only a matter of getting a taxi to bring them home.

Tay advance happy bday and I hope Mama and you will enjoy the place as much as I did and I miss you guys so much…