Blessed!

As we approach the mid point of 2010, I just want to thank God for all my blessings especially the roles that he has me playing. 

I love being a father to an intelligent & beautiful daughter. I love being a husband to an incredibly gifted & soulfully creative wife. I love being a son to the world's greatest parents. I love being an older brother to supportive siblings that are with me each step of this awesome journey - even though we're (s)miles apart. I love being a part of a dynamically dope family. I love being a part of several closed-knit circle of friends. I love being on HIS team! God is good all the time =)

I'm thankful for my health, wealth, & happiness.  I wish you all peace & blessings in every aspect of your life.


Love & be loved!

Shine on!

- Banj, Manila

Unexpected

For me it's really unexpected to meet someone like him, my best friend. *grin*

We've been friends for almost 10 years now. We had our ups and downs but we're strong enough to hold on to our friendship and never let anything break us apart. :)

We don't have a picture that only the two of us in it coz it has always been with our friends. But, in the pictures it's either he's at the back, on the side or in front of me. so would that mean we're inseparable? nah! we don't hang out that much but if we do, it's always fun. he do have his other set of friends and i have mine too. we don't really limit ourselves to just us. we're not committed to each other, you know, so why would we. *lol* Between us two, he's the friendliest. He's too friendly that he often forget about me. :(

But a lot of changes happened last year that make me realized how special i am to him. I was taken for granted a lot of times but there was this one thing he did that make me forget about all the disappointments i had coz of him. :)

We're not that open to each other but we care for each other more than what people know. And i just realize right now that just the thought of not having him as my best friend, make me sad and just the thought of him being a best friend to someone else, make me jealous. i don't want to act selfish but if we're talking about him, that's a different story. *lol*

thank you so much for letting me share this. :)

God Bless!

 -Stephanie Taojo, Manila

Resiliency

re·sil·ience
/rɪˈzɪlyəns, -ˈzɪliəns/ Show Spelled [ri-zil-yuhns, -zil-ee-uhns]

–noun
1.the power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity.
2.ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyancy.


Sometimes all it takes is a little (or maybe large and horrendous) bump in the road to wiggle you onto the right path. After a two week seminar with some of the country's most inspiring individuals, I've learned that for anyone who might have had it bad once, twice, thrice, or more times in their lives, there's always the comfort of being given a "second chance".

Second chances, I learned, are hardly ever really needed from the people in our past. Though some of us may want to rally backwards to relive a long forgotten life; I believe second chances begin when we can look into ourselves and say, "will you give me a chance?"

--Gisa Paredes, Manila

HAPPY FEET

So, I have been in the air again, traveling hours and hours away form Manila for work. I know I have plenty to be thankful for, but I realized that every time I post a travel photo on Facebook, and I  get comments like "I want your life." and "You are so lucky" -just how lucky I really am. When I say work, I mean photo shoots, and interviews and exploring and enjoying whatever place I am in. I love doing all of that, so my work is like play. Plus, I get to choose my team during all trips and shoots so I am always working with people I can have fun with. It's easy to complain about living out of a suitcase, not seeing my boyfriend and daughter enough...but at the end of the day, this kind of travel is the the kind that keeps me alive, keeps me wondering and excited about what else life has to offer-and I know there is a lot and I haven't even seen half of it!

Looking through my newest passport, I noticed a few weeks ago that I only have two more pages before it gets filled up with stamps. That is just my new passport and does not include every other passport I've had since I was born. I know not that many people get to travel as much so I am truly grateful to have had so many opportunities to see different parts of the world. It is my obsession and addiction to read travel blogs, look through websites, check airfare, hop on and off planes and daydream about the next destination I would like to visit.

Thank You Universe, for answering my travel prayers every single time. Thank You. Hopefully you feel I will be deserving of many more.

- Erica, Manila (via Baros Island, Maldives)

BREATHE

I read the blogs, and saw a lot of inspiring stories. I don’t know if mine is inspiring, but I’m feeling good now about myself, and so I wanted to share this story. I just came from a dysfunctional relationship. However, I wanted to make myself believe that it’s not, that we can go on and that it would work out fine, even though I knew it won’t. He took advantage of my money (he didn’t have work), he kept me from going home to my family, he would say things that would affect my self esteem, and he was forceful and abusive. If you ask me why I stayed with him, it was because I wanted to make myself believe that finally, I would get it right. I came from two previous relationships that didn’t end well too. I so much wanted to be able to say that this time, is the last time. Unfortunately, we can’t have everything we want. I couldn’t change him. And he was changing me. I was becoming someone I was not.

The last straw came when he compromised my professional reputation (believe me, he managed to do that). I asked him for space so I could think things through, and so I can mend myself so I can come back to him a whole person. But no, after a few days, his friend informed me that he has been dating several girls already. My first thought was, “C’mon. You’ve got to be kidding me.” But I found out it was all true. It was when I decided to make the separation permanent. He lied about going out and was adamant that he has not been seeing other girls. But to me that was it. It was the tipping point for me.

It was my way out also. I learned that when you are so hurt, there is no lower position you can ever get. I learned that your true friends will hang on and pull you up. I learned that it’s not wrong to love yourself. I learned to have fun on my own, by myself. To see that life goes on, after everything. I learned that sometimes there are people you were not really expecting to pitch in for you, who will surprise you with their goodness.

This is my breather. It’s been three weeks now since we fell apart. The first week was rough. Really rough. I was drunk for days in a row. But I thank God for all the wonderful people who helped me put myself back together. I thank God for my job. I thank God for my family. Now I’m so much better. This is a testament that one can really do something towards getting closer to mending a broken heart.

Xyza, Manila

A jeepney Story

a few nights ago while riding the jeepney on the way home i felt very fortunate to witness one of life's most beautiful bittersweet moments. 

a couple with a 3 yr old daughter boarded the jeep and sat on opposite sides behind the driver. they caught my attention because first, i thought the husband was the woman's dad because he looked old enough to be her father. second, after a few seconds inside the jeepney they were just staring at each other and then the woman motioned for the husband to pay the fare. i got curious when he handed the money to the driver and the driver asked him what was their destination, i couldn't understand the husband's reply because his voice was barely audible. and then he made some gestures with his hands, that's when i understood that he was deaf. i looked at the wife who was holding their kid, she seemed apprehensive because the husband didn't shell out their exact jeepney fare, thus having to answer the driver's question regarding their destination. the husband motioned that it wasn't a big deal because he seemed like he could manage to utter a few words to be normally understood. by the look on the wife's face and the forceful way she was gesturing with her hands (banging her fist on her palm to assert her point maybe), i think she was not pleased. by this time i guess they were already arguing, and i was fascinated with how they could be "voicing" out their reasons without being "loud" and both of them wanting to be "heard" by the other. 

a lot of thoughts flooded my mind when i looked away from them because i was starting to look like i was watching a spectator (which i really was). questions like how did they fall in love? and who between them is really the deaf mute one, i mean diba, i think there are different levels of being deaf and mute, one is not really knowing how to talk and just using sign language, the other is learning how to do basic talking and still communicating through sign language, etc. i also wondered if their kid inherited her parents' disability or if she was normal how did she learn her first words? and how did her parents teach her to say those words if they themselves couldn't talk properly? and how do they live each day of their lives as a family if both the mother and father's  hinders them from living normally?

before they got off the jeep i stole one last look at them, this time i noticed the woman timidly smiling, maybe their argument has been resolved, i realized the answer to my questions could be summarized in three words: FAITH, HOPE, and most of all LOVE.

FAITH in each other is what binds them together as a couple, and trust that they could do anything for the sake of their kid. and also, FAITH that God will always provide for them. HOPE, that amidst their disability life still holds good things for them. and LOVE,  

the love that they have for each other is all that they need to keep moving on. 

i know this sounds cheesy but that's what i was thinking while riding home, i feel blessed that i was able to witness something like that. it was beautiful and it gave me something to learn. that night i offered a prayer for that family, i thanked the Universe for making them an instrument for me to learn something, and also i prayed that yes, life indeed would be good to them, in spite of...

 i also thank this beautiful family for making me remember how it is to really write from the heart again.

jas from manila

A beautiful Life

31 years ago today, I was born.

What could be more awesome than that?

*looks up* Eyes closed* smiles*

Salute to the big guy ;p

Thank You.

I am currently traveling again and my internet is intermittent, which explains my lack of posting.

Tonight I went to Philip Island, about 2 hours from Melbourne, and I saw about 200 little penguins emerge from the sea. It was an awesome sight.

On the way home, I realized one thing: I have seen many amazing things in my life. For this I am truly grateful, and hopeful that I am deserving enough to see many more.

-Erica, Manila (via Melbourne)