Sunday, December 27, 2009

Itchy Feet!

Well..

I will have to do with the day dreaming at the moment coz there are lots to do in the present moment that needs my attention (work, house chores, etc)

but but i feel empty like part of my routine has become missing. Oh sad life! Argh!!

And since some friends will be going to Oxford, London for some bonding time in February, ill be sitting my ass off in the 21st floor. Argh again! Why was I born in this part of the world??

Hrrmmmhh no need to be bitter i must say to myself.

Because maybe i was born in this part of the world because I can survive being in this part of the world.. Because i know how to kill a cockroach!

Hrmmmhhh I must need to speak to Father Georg again to trim this horns off my head.

Hope the holiday spirit must tell me the lesson that I should be thankful because I'm still alive and that many people are not fortunate enough to even have a decent place to stay and eat..

And that the Philippines is beautiful and despite blood and gore in Mindanao, and a couple of natural disasters, this country is a heaven to many. I must stay put and do something good here for a while.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Vacation to the Province

Up to this time...

I still scratch my head why I have wonderful people pass my way... life indeed is a beautiful journey... and I thank the Lord for all His beautiful gifts... what more can i ask for? Oh... i know! i know! :D...

Anyhow.. these past few days.. I went to our province in Visayas and appreciated the old way of living... very simple yet serene life is very evident..







so despite being a wallflower wearing high heels in the 22nd floor.. people in my life painted me the colors of the rainbow. ^_^

so i say thank you and i love them all

Sunday, October 11, 2009

What is happening to Mother Earth... dear Father Lord?

As Bel San Luis says in his column at Manila Bulletin:

"If it's any consolation to Filipinos, our casualties of over 400 is nothing compared to over 4000 in Sumatra and still counting..

In India, a 5 day continous rain killed 230 and 2 million were rendered homeless.

Lord, what's happening to planet earth?"

....

I'm not really complaining, it may really be humanity's fault of not taking care and doing its fair share of helping the environment..

But still, I'd like to thank you for bringing out the humility in each of us... that despite the material richness.. you make us remember that nothing in this earth is permanent..

so we may live each day as if it is our last....

I still fail to live that mantra. But being human is not an excuse in failing to live up to Your expectations, so I try again, stand up, dust myself up and, live according to thy word.. and i hope others will gather up the bits and pieces and start again.. and im sure we will always remember that...

God, you are the boss...

Be it done according to thy word.

Friday, August 21, 2009

My poem of not so long ago..

this was year 2004.... golly ang deep deep ko naman minsan *giggles* ^_^



this is my drug....
a momentarily bliss,
a temporary insanity of the good blood

blinding light i have followed,
but at the back of my mind
the pain of the outside i still wallow

for how long should i run
from the creeps of my memory
Lord God please help me...




more poetry here

Friday, August 14, 2009

Self Sustainability

According to VSO Bahaginan website, we Filipinos have the Bayanihan attitude that makes an effective volunteer but does not have the money to continue to be one. Hard in-your-face truth!

But of course I wont just whine about it.

Im looking for ways to solve that issue, and then share it to others. So I was browsing on topics to achieve financial freedom, and Ive stumbled upon the following:

http://pinayandmoney.wordpress.com/page/7/

http://www.jomarhilario.com/ - ka choir ko to dati sa cybergate... bonggang bongga na sya ngayon ^_^

http://www.citiseconline.com/easy

So if you know get-rich-without-batting-an-eyelash-quick-tips, please let me know also ^_^... Hopefully we can also be like Europeans who goes on holidays na parang kapitbahay lang ang kabilang bansa...


At times like these mahirap ba mangarap? ^_^ Keep an eye and be a tiger ;)

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Looking back, but living the present moment very well..






... and taking calculated risks to move forward...

coz im a tiger... GggrrrRRrroowwwwllLL !!!


;)





pero waits, looking back muna tayo when I was with Filipino VSO volunteers.... these unsung heroes of society, down to earth (literally) and yet so totally awesome... no matter how dugyot the places where they are right now... they deserve my genuine respect.





Ate Letty PardiƱas, volunteer in Ethiopia
Ate Clarifel Rodrigo, Management Advisor volunteer in Bangladesh


Chris Reyes, volunteer somewhere in Africa

O davah bongga si Mabel Cinco, taray ang social worker that always sees people with AIDS in her everyday volunteer life! ^_^

Ate Veron Viajar, the HR (Hingahan ng Roaring kong feelings) volunteer in Kolkata


Ate Joyce Felongco to the world, volunteer in Kolkata (second from left)

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Balance Life

Aside from me being confined in my cube, I try to make my life as balanced as I can..

gone are the days of ot-ty and ghosting. whoops! ^_^ hehe

besides, once lang tayo dadaan sa earth na ituh, might as well enjoy it and live it to the fullest...



anyways, I was with a co-volunteer of mine on how to apply what we have learned from our stint to our beloved Pinas... and great ideas came to mind... hopefully these ideas will evolve into something wonderful not just for ourselves but for the country as a whole... syempre I dream big. Naging Epal na ako e. hmp.

So I did my first step of raising awareness:

https://publishing.accenture.com/BuhayAccenture/MyNews/MyTravels/MyVSOExperience

ayan, Im promoting balanced life and volunteering to the highest level.

But the challenge is being humble enough to realize that there are people out there who work so much, depriving themselves of sleep just to earn money for their own loved ones...

and yet, there are people who really dont put so much effort yet they get to travel the world and earn so much more than these people I know na nagpapakamatay sa trabaho.


INEQUALITY.


That's why I am determined to build a better and fairer world.. in my own way.

Sana lang these dreams wont just stay as big dreams... monday pala bukas.. eto na naman ang feeling ko-> GO BACK TO PROPER WORK!!! :(

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Reverse Culture Shock

Time flies so fast... and yeah, I have experienced all the warnings that VSO trainings told me..
so for other volunteers (and wanting to be volunteers), consider this a testimony. ^_^


so you think you'll get a red carpet welcome when you get here.. from all the hardships that you've encountered, challenges you have overcome, im sure we volunteers deserve it.. but it does not always happen.. life goes on.. others will be busy hearing your story, and will also get annoyed specially that you wont have money to make libre.


well, from my case I got the e-card from my company which will be viewed by a couple thousand of other employees.. and a chance to talk to Beth Lui and other senior execs on the "extra challenge"..


and hopefully raise awareness that volunteering indeed is not just for the Manangs or Rich kids who have nothing else to do with their money... but for skilled people also ;)


But aside from that, everything goes back to normal... parang ganto ang feeling -> GO BACK TO PROPER WORK!!!





......


so before eye bugs creeps out of me, i still would like to see the bright side of life.. I went to the road less travelled, made genuine friends, lived with scarce money, yet it did seemed so much that I still got to travel, rode camels and elephants, see Taj Mahal and millimeter of Himalayas.... and lived my life to the fullest....


so I still say, even if its back to corporate reality, even if im back to my small cubicle, life is still good... so here I go spreading ripple effects of Good News..



and where did the ripple go? Here ye:


Friday, July 3, 2009

here I come Philippines kong Mahal

so I was happy stepping into the Philippine grounds! alive!!

and I talked to curious minds and I was glad to share to them what I have gone thru.

so they say, "parang Pilipinas lang"... and the continuation of the question of why didnt I helped my own country in the first place?

Actually.... I did... and I will be doing it again. That's why I went back right? To apply what I have learned from India to my own country.

Now the challenge is how do I that? Im a nobody in my own country.

hrrmmmm I dont need to be somebody to help in my own way, for ripple effects of goodness goes a long way.

here I go infecting love to everybody... may God help me. ^_^

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Delhi Scenarios

so after my volunteer stint in Kolkata, a short holiday in Kerala, im now transferred to New Delhi to work with the VSO website (http://www.vsoindia.org) for a month.

Its existing already, but they wanted to implement a system that is CMS based... and if they can get it for free... then it would be fab!

And after deliriously searching from google, and being offered deliriously high costs for such a small website... at last, i found southasia.oneworld.net thru another VSO volunteer.... ah networking works wonders! ^_^

here's me doing stuff at the VSO office:



so hope all goes well.... ^_^ not so much freaky and pain in the ass coz im not going into the details of actual development... one thing just annoys me is the FRRO visa process... really frustrating :(.... and all volunteers experience this one way or the other... hope one day, these kinds of processes will improve... i have hope in India... ^_^ just like I have hope in my own Motherland. ^_^

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Beautiful Kerala

After the extra challenge in Kolkata, I finally had a proper holiday in Kerala.... at last!!

This is actually a hidden agenda (which is not hidden anymore! ^_^) why I went on VSO anyway...

I travelled 3 days by train alone just to visit my friend who is a nun and is living in a convent in the mountains of Chatizah, Trivandrum. Its a very peaceful place, for once, I feel like I'm safe from all the worries in the world... best place to rest, charge my batteries before going crazy again at work.

There were kids in the convent having their formation, very lovely kids ages 12-20.. holding my hands hugging me every time now I think my hair inherited their lice... geeshh ^_^



In return, they practice speaking english to me, and I taught them broken english... whoops! But its the best thing I can do, ki korbe? ^_^

The structure of the convent is very impressive, makes me think the Roman Catholic church is indeed rich. But come to think of it, they grow their own food and have their own livestock and it makes them self sustainable... money that is scarce are still so much because of their ability to be self sustainable...

and still, they are able to help other people out... like helping me recuperate is one thing.

the irony is i feel im receiving too much, yet my friend is far more skinnier than me! i just hope i can also give so much love as she continue to lay her life to everyone.. loving everybody in the present moment.

http://children4unity-kerala.blogspot.com

Thursday, May 7, 2009

survival techniques

Living out of my instinctive bounderies left me lessons learned that i will have never known if I have not ventured into the field of Pailan.

Challenge: 40 degree weather
Coping Strategy: take a bath more than 3 times a day.

If you are in the city, go to the nearest ATM machine pretending to withdraw money but actually, you're there to just cool your ass off the freaking weather. Same strategy goes to aircon malls or similar buildings.

Challenge: 10 degree weather without heater
Coping Strategy: Plantsa! Makes bed warmer before you sleep. :D

Challenge: Salon is too expensive.
Coping Strategy: Wag magpa salon! Sudder street are full of foreign caucacian hippies.. be like them for a change.
(Dhonabad Virginia Roncaliogne for the picture.. I already asked permission from Thomasso to post this ^_^)



Challenge: Walang Starbucks.
Coping Strategy: Good thing there is Barista.. which is also like Starbucks. So just go there once in a while if you're allowance allows it... order the cheapest iced cafe mocha, and sit for 5 hours.

Challenge: You dont have TV.
Coping Strategy: Read. I couldnt believe I have read the thickest books I have ever read in my entire life! A thousand spendid suns is a recommendation specially if you are bound to a muslim area.

Challenge: Bus or rickshaw driver does not speak nor understand English.
Coping Strategy: Learn the language, even just the survival basics. Otherwise, learn to sign, tap Dada on the back, say na! na! heh! heh!.. or dont go out at all!

Challenge: Culture Shock.
Coping Strategy: hmm.. Understand before you will be understood. People are different. Learn to appreciate the beauty of Humanity... Collaborate rather than Discriminate.

mona lisa smile

"I called her an aimless wanderer... but not all who wander are aimless.. specially not those who seek truth beyond tradition... beyond definition... beyond the image..."

*sigh*


awwwww such good movies *sobs*

brothers and sisters of the same world

how hard it is to keep unity.

Every person (irregardless of age, race, gender, etc) has its own set of logic reasoning... where every person may disagree with another yet both of them can be proved correct.

and sometimes its hard to take sides...

but we are all unique individuals.. different colors yet when gathered present the magnificent rainbow... when blended produces a beautiful painting masterpiece..
so i humbly ask humanity... no ego bashing, no feet stepping, no hypocrisy, no hatred...






no war.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

dual personality

some people think i have a dual personality... i think so also..
so if you are seeing a frail childlike personality in me... think again ^_^

Monday, April 27, 2009

These are a few of my favorite things...

My favorite charities/NGOs so far:

Child In Need Institute, India - http://www.cini-india.org/help.asp
National Bilibid Prison, Muntinlupa City, Phils
The Gen Movement of Vietnam
The convent of my friend Pushpa, Kerala, India

Feel free to help out ^_^

Thursday, April 16, 2009

grazie mille





some of the greatest gifts need not be expensive nor tangible... such as the gift of expression.....

Volunteers from the third world


So I am one of the volunteers hailed from a not so rich country.

But still, this could be more of the reason to be an effective volunteer because I can relate more to people of similar poverty.

But I also realize the struggle of not being rich.

While other volunteers go home to their own country as they wish.. I just sat my butt off during Christmas and New year. Coz obviously I cant afford to go home.

Sometimes I have this thought of not working so damn hard (at anything) besides, it just adds lines to your forehead yet other people get richer without batting an eyelash..

But then, I see babies in the Rehabilitation Center and my heart melts... for once, i dont want to do things just because of money but for the future generation of humanity.

Then these posh hypocritic faces flashes at me (specially when my allowance is delayed).. geeesshhh inequality sucks!!!

Whoever invented money must be freaking devilish.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Bus scenes

old bus. no aircon. pollution. traffic. crazy drivers. overcrowded passengers.


interesting experiences.


Scene 1.
in a bus of sardines, I accidentally stepped on a foot of a woman.. i said sorry but the woman in her sari kept complaining in a loud voice that i cant understand.
kakahiya.


good thing i dont understand complicated bangla specially if it comes from a shrieking woman.
so i just ignored the scene... poor woman kept blabbing till she went down the bus.
so all eyes on me? so what. i pretended to be deaf.

Scene 2.
there are seats reserved for females and babies to avoid harrassment.. although by the looks of it.. in a bus of sardines scenery, this cant really be avoided. dont ask me details, i wont be able to explain further.... basta kadiri to death.
and even if there are places for different genders, the idiot of me sat on the other end of the bus where all men are squeezed in.


so when its time to go down... it was a disaster!!
i even landed a few hundred meters away from Pailan bus stop coz I cant shout enough to the conductor that I wanted to go down and the door is still halfway through!
besides, Ami bangla jhanina. Ki korbe?


hungry. sweating. exhausted. needed to pee. brownout.


foreign girl walking alone in the middle of nowhere.


breaking stereotypes.
idiotic.. great.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Aiming to be a Global Citizen




Along Indian streets, people thought I am Chinese, Japanese, Indian from the North,
Nepalese... even African (!!)










My ipod sings Italian, Hindi, Spanish, African, and of course English songs... thanks to my
friend Virginia who provided me these.. I can now appreciate different types of music genre


At work (volunteer work and work back home)... I am with a global team. I talk to Dr Samir
from Italy, Stuart from London gives me directions (on where the posh restuarant is in
town)... now I remember to email Jenny from Australia and Ian from Scotland..


In the guest house, I mingled with different kinds of people... races and culture... you'll
get a scattered diagram if you graph us...


But still... I am a Filipina at heart... I love the Philippines and want nothing more than its
prosperity..


But I try to love everyone... loving everybody, without hidden agendas, hesitation nor discrimination..


I aim to be a global citizen... A humbled child of this earth... I give myself for the prosperity and betterment of Humanity...

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Planning

Last few things i needed to do while im still in India

1. finish my cross stich!! It has been 4 freaking years and its still in the making..

2. complete the website design that Ate Jenneth has been bugging me to do

3. learn to cook some Indian foods (apparently, I have only learned how to make chai which is a great achievement so far teee heee)

4. Travel to Kerala to see a Pushpa, a nun whom I met in the Phils when I was a hardheaded Gen in the Focolare..

5. Backpack trips in Sikkim and to Taj Mahal... ang cheap naman kasi ng pamasahe... 7 rupee (7 pesos) for a one and a half hour bus ride! san ka pa??

6. Go to Nepal.... Ate Bebing says I can stay in her house for free!!

I'm so happy, friends are such blessings ^_^.. in return of course im gonna wash the dishes hehe

7. Find a boyfriend... errr... I let destiny draft the future.... ^_^



Things to do when I get back home

1. Visit my dad... and finally display the flower cross stich that i have been creating since year 2005... a few days after he died..

2. visit my Ate jenneth... so I can visit Bohol island and stay in her house for free! ^_^

3. Do backpack trip to Sagada... i'll save my other backpack trips when friends come over...

4. clean our house! im sure this task is always overdue.... but but but... there is no reason to delay this task anymore. Lagot ang walis tambo pag dating ko!

5. Ive been planning to sell Indian arts... I dont have the selling pitch but im sure my friends have.... ^_^

6. My heart has been longing to teach... to again share to our future filipino generation the knowledge and wisdom that i have accumulated thru time...

7. of course, back to office... *yawn.



But everything is in God's will... now I hope for the best while I live the present moment very well...

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Swept Away....

emote emotan ang lola! ^_^

I never had anything happen so fast
I took one look and I shattered like glass
guess I let it show
'Cause your smile told me you knew
That you're everything I ever wanted at once
There's no holding this heart
When it knows what it wants
And I never wanted anything more than to know you
Can't you see I was swept away
No one in the world but you and I
Gotta find a way to make you feel the way that I do
I was swept away
Without a warning
Like night when the morning begins the day
I was swept away
And so it begins
This journey of love
The summer wind carries us
To places all our own
The words of a look
The language of touch
The way that you want me means so much
And I never wanted anything more than to love you
Can't you see I was swept away
No one in the world but you and I
Gotta find a way to make you feel the way that I do
I was swept away
Without a warning
Like night when the morning begins the day
I was swept away
Away - seeing my tomorrows in your eyes
I was swept awayI hope I wake up soon
I'm a victim of that crazy moon
The very first time you said my name
I knew it would never sound the same
Something about me is changed forever
Can't you see that I'm swept away
No one in the world but you and I
Gotta find a way to make you feel the way that I do
I am swept away
Without a warning
Like night when the morning begins the day
I was swept away
Away - seeing my tomorrows in your eyes
Gotta find a way to make you feel the way that I doI was swept away
Without a warning
Like night when the morning begins the dayI was swept away
We were swept away
Dreamin' of you, swept away....

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Dreams...

I dream of a...

- World United... people living in harmony irregardless of race, age, and economy.

- Heaven on earth... so we dont need to look forward to heaven because it is already right here on our dear Mother Earth.

I'm sure this will be a self fulfilling prophesy.. Meanwhile I go live my life to the fullest..

Go seize the next battle little sweet Gracie!!!

Friday, March 13, 2009

i saw them! i saw them!

Beautiful boys...

- one who cooks pasta so perfectly, equally warm and sweet, discusses banana Jews and politics and has abstract thoughts as well..
- one is a silent Italian who also cooks pasta and has a cat who cooks also, said God bless to me even though he was agnostic... so sweet huh?
- one is a German with greater than 3 girlfriends (isa ako dun)... an eggroll and football fanatic who taught me how to sing that Freiburg football stuff
- one is a 6 foot tall Hollander future doctor who earned giggly girls (aka fans) in the guest house... who always complains about almost everything... sige complain lang while I stare at your cutie face wehehehe
- one is the son of the owner of the canteen who served as an interpreter to the canteen ladies while I tried to cook Pinoy dishes

and many more..

life is beautiful... so since I'm still single, I might as well take advantage of enjoying the company of these pretty people.

More boys please!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

where is he?

where is the beautiful boy?

who is he? who's gonna conquer my world... nanananananana.... nananananaaa....


pa edit: wala kasing magandang tanawin at the moment.. puro men in skirt!

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Friday, January 30, 2009

I wish on a falling star

so... where's my star? hindi ko na ata sya makikita.... or nakita ko na siguro kaso pinalampas ko... or pinalampas nya ako...
or wala naman talagang plano...


*sigh* can i cry a bit?

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Child In Need Institute


Child In Need Institute, originally uploaded by grazie18.

Jenny was a former volunteer at CINI. Now she reconnects with the woman she helped last 25 years ago.

Geesshh... will I do the same? Only God knows.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

visa extention extra challenge

My visa will expire on March 3, 2009.. which gives me a bit more time to process the extension since I need to be here until May.
Geesh... so many requirements... But still in the process, I learned how to roam around the city without the help of anybody. First Thakurpukur, then Golpark, then the rest of the Kolkata.. har har

Now this headache is giving me so much stress. *sigh* need.... to.... sleep.......

Saturday, January 3, 2009

New feel

After so many clicks and squirms, here I am redefining my site again. It has become convinient though as per HTML is concern ^_^.......

But still I love the memories of my old version

Time flies so fast.. *sigh* :(

Friday, January 2, 2009

First post! At least in this blog.

so... here I am writing my life away.

This time in a way that my heart streams and dictates every bit of words coming out of this typing. I should not let my thoughts break, no thought editing. Ambitious goals? We'll see. ^_^