Reflections On My Own

wowza! It’s been more than a year since my last blog post. It seemed just yesterday until I noticed the date. Well, a lot has happened in more than a year’s time. And I’m sure a lot of you are wondering what happened to me. You’ve probably noticed a new pic posted but no blog entry. So, it’s time to update.

Healthwise, I am in excellent condition considering that I am afflicted with Diabetes. I still take my Metformin pills 3 times daily. Thank God I am not injecting myself with Insulin yet. But as "Agent Smith" said… It is inevitable. The plan is to delay the injecting for as long as I can. With that regard, I try to work out, stay fit, and eat smartly. Walking, tennis, biking, threadmill run are the things that I do to prevent my gut from becoming big. Take not, I used the term ‘eat smartly’ instead of diet. I just monitor the carbs and the amount of food I eat. I do splurge during parties though.

On the professional side, unfortunately, I am in the middle of a job search. The previous job did not work out economically and professionally. A lot of people get discouraged, afraid, or depressed during a job search or when losing a job. It is hard but you just have to keep a positive attitude knowing that this an opportunity for something better. You have to know what is good for you and your family and follow through. There will always be uncertanties but such is life. And during these uncertain times will your faith in God be tested.

So far, I have a lot of companies and opportunities to apply for. There had been several phone interviews and in-person interviews. And the process is continuing. Nothing but positive things in the job search. And I know that I will soon have a new job.

I was in Manila from April through the early part of June. It was relaxing and awesome. I get to spend time with my wife and in-laws. I got to see my house and do some much needed repairs. I was able to re-connect with my best friend, Minky, from since the 3rd grade. I did not go out of town much. Majority of my time was spent going to different cities and government offices. I have some legal matters to take care of.

Spending time with my wife and my in-laws was the best thing that happened in Manila. For one, my in-laws does not really know me that well. And, I hope that it gave them a chance to know and size up their son-in-law. Of course, time spent with my wife is priceless. I’m a person who gets amused easily so our time together were simple outings to the mall, movies, restaurant, hanging out at my house, fighting with each other or simply just being together.

Another important highlight was seeing my old high school batchmates and classmates. It was fun reminiscing the past. And also fun realizing how old we are now. But things really never did change among us. We are still a lively group.

Spending some extended time in Manila was wonderful. I got to appreciate the place more. My house is in the Southern part of Manila, Paranaque. My wife’s house is in the Northern part of Manila, Quezon City. So, you could imagine the travel involved in going back and forth these two places. I still hate the traffic. Much to my surprise, I was able to drive again! It’s like all my knowledge of driving came back to me. I felt at ease and comfortable… weaving in and out of traffic, surging the front of your vehicle in turns and intersection to be able to turn or get ahead. ah! The fun of driving in Manila.

Most of my time spent at my house, was relaxing and looking over what needs to be repaired. My mornings start with breakfast and read the newspaper at my little garden porch where I have a metal umbrella with a table. It gets hot during the afternoon. But I hang out there during the mornings and evenings. Most of the time with my best bud Minky. It’s a place where I think a lot, eat a lot, and drink a lot! We also have 4 adopted street cats or puskal as commonly called. I’m glad to have improved it a bit; painted the gate, painted a few areas, repaired water pipes, electrical work, replaced locks, replaced faucets, etc. You get the idea.

Special thanks to Minky and Don for helping with the house endeavours.

I also went to Tagaytay with my wife, Maiel and her kids, a friend who I met in the U.S. That’s basically the only place I went where the intention was to relax. Other out-of-town trips were always "business-related".

So, in a nutshell… that is the Manila vacation.

And as I mentioned earlier, most of my days are focused on getting ready for a new job, getting ready for interviews, and reviewing my technical stuff so as not to get rusty. My other times are spent trying to tidy up the house, practice cooking, practice with a band, help my friends move to a new house and care for my cat.

till next…

Yesterday, April 16, 2007, the worst massacre in U.S. history occured at Virginia Tech university at Virginia. If you have not heard about it, go to www.cnn.com for the latest.

31 students were killed and 15 wounded. All they were doing was being educated on a normal morning. They were just at wrong place at the wrong time. So senseless.

I hope you call or visit your loved ones and the people close and dear to you. Let them know how much you love them. Let them know you appreciate them all. For at any moment, life can be cut short. This can happen anywhere, anytime, and even to you. Don’t be desensitized by the violence you see on tv, movies, and the computer games you play. This is for real. Parents lost sons and daughters as well as families losing their loved ones.

Wherever you are, please pause and think about the victims and their friends and families. Mourn and grieve a little bit about this loss. Say a little prayer for them. Say a prayer with the hope that this tragedy never happens again.

Appreciate the blessings you have in life.

We’ve known it before… you’ve got to have passion in what you do. And I’ve heard it all before "Oh, I’m soo passionate about this and that". Only to find out a month later that what the person was passionate about is just a phase.

See, Emotional Interest can sometimes be mistaken for passion. Sometimes we become so excited by something that we think about if for the next couple of days. It may be mistaken for passion. We might visit an art museum and we get so moved by the paintings that we begin thinking and dreaming about the paintings that we can create. That is Emotional Interest.

Passion is long term. Passion is doing research about the different painters, the different materials, different brushes, different paints, canvas, and all the other details that one can find about painting. It is a long-term commitment. A commitment that will last your lifetime. It is a lifetime spent pursuing this passion for something whatever the odds are. Maybe, we should not say that we have a passion for something until we’ve spent the last 10 years of our lives going after it. For only then that we can have the audacity to say it because we are entrenched in the unyielding journey.

I’ve heard people say that they really, really love and want to do photography. The kicker is they follow this with "but…". And the reasons that follow are; ‘oh, it’s too expensive’, ‘i don’t have a camera’, ‘my mother will get mad’, ‘i’m the only one in my family who likes pictures’, ‘i don’t have the eye’, ‘i’ve never taken pictures in my life’, ‘i have a new baby’, ‘i have a family’, ‘i just bought a house’, and so on and so forth, yada, yada, yada.

Passion comes from within. It is a personal truth. It is this truth that behooves one to act on whatever thing he/she is passionate about. And when you come to this realization, you forge an unyielding commitment to it. You will pursue it alone, with or without support. It becomes depressing and discouraging when your friends, family, and loved one make fun of you, laugh at you, and declare that it’s a waste of time and will not go anywhere. It is at this point that you will know who you are. If that vision has clarity or can just be abandoned as a mistake. You will either feel the fire inside you burn even brighter or gets extinguished.

But if you feel that this passion is what defines you as a person or you have an epiphany that you were born to do this, then you should press and forge forward with all your enthusiasm. For it is in the journey that we will find happiness and satisfaction. The destination is just icing on the cake.

Whatever your passions are, I wish you luck and greatness.