Lessons Learned by an Unemployed Twenty-sixer

I started writing this post from a dormitory in BF Homes Parañaque, where I spent three days harassing my larynx with voice projection and modulation techniques  and fattening my mind with language stuff. I'm currently unemployed. I left my job as Head IELTS Coordinator (which also means I no longer write the posts on that company's blog). Needless to say, I feel bad, and I feel that I have been treated unfairly by the people I have served - yes, served! - passionately. But what the hell, shit happens, and the best thing to do is to move on when it does.

My last day was October 31st but I've been trying to look for a job since the second week of last month. This 3-day speech training is in preparation for a possible job.

Losing or leaving a job can really cause one to be emotional wreck, especially if unplanned and one really doesn't  know what on earth to do next. I'm honestly toeing the line of depression as I am writing this. I have grown ugly and fat (stress eating) and I feel useless. But I want to look at the brighter side of things. Despite the lack of sunshine and the excessive sleeping and all the other indication that I have turned to Little Miss Gloomy,I still think there are lessons to be learned from what I have experienced.

1. It is important to know the law.

The law basically outlines your responsibilities and rights as an employee. being familiar with what the law states about cutting ties with the company protects your employer as much as it protects you. here are some. Do you have to be a lawyer to protect yourself? I don't think so (but it does come in handy to have free legal advice, so let's all try and make friends in the right places). It's enough that you know where to look. 

Here are some questions I was able to answer while researching for my rights as an employee. 

Must I give advance notice when resigning?

Yes. What the law requires is that the employee submits a written heads up to the employer - aka the resignation letter. This should be done a month before the employee leaves. This is is to give employers enogh time to find a replacement. Failure to render a 30-day notice allows the employer the right to charge the employee for liabilities. 

Are there instances that I can resign without giving notice?

Yes. According to Article 285 of the Labor Law, employees can terminate their employment (aka resign) without notice (aka immediate resignation) if there is just cause.

1. Serious insult by the employer or his representative on the honor and person of the employee;
2. Inhuman and unbearable treatment accorded the employee by the employer or his representative;
3. Commission of a crime or offense by the employer or his representative against the person of the employee or any of the immediate members of his family; and
4. Other causes analogous to any of the foregoing.

I resigned. Do I get separation pay?

Nope. If you resigned, your employer is not compelled to give you separation pay. Separation pay is only mandatory for those who are terminated. 

When is termination illegal?

The first reason why termination can be considered illegal is when the employer follows due process but there is no just or authorized cause for termination. Below are the identified just and authorized causes as stipulated by the labor law.

Just Cause

1. Serious misconduct or willful disobedience by the employee of the lawful orders of his employer or representative in connection with his work;
2. Gross and habitual neglect by the employee of his duties;
3. Fraud or willful breach by the employee of the trust reposed in him by his employer or duly authorized representative;
4. Commission of a crime or offense by the employee against the person of his employer or any immediate member of his family or his duly authorized representatives; and
5.  Other causes analogous to the foregoing

Authorized Cause:a. Closure of establishmentb. Disease as grounds for termination

The other scenario in which termination is illegal is when due process is not observed at all.  

I tell you, read the Labor Law. It's damn long, but it has a lot of good stuff.

2. Turn bad vibes into opportunities.

I resigned due to just cause, and despite feeling somewhat better after I left the company I used to work for, there was still the feeling of unhappiness. After all, I'm 26 years old, not untalented and unintelligent, and I gave so much time and effort to the company I worked for, but I was money-less and workless. It sucked. To summarize, I felt like shit. 

I don't anymore. The negative feelings associated with leaving a company, especially in circumstances that are less than ideal, are normal. It doesn't mean you have to succumb to it. 

The first few days of my worklessness (yup, I made that one up), I slept. When I was working, I always felt tired and I woke up at weird hours, like 3AM (apparently this was a sign of too much stress). I though worklessness would be a great time to catch up on snoozing, to dream the bad vibes away. After a couple of days, I seriously combed Jobstreet for work. This time around, I didn't settle.

You know what? Possibilities are endless - call center jobs which paid big money to training jobs that gave opportunities to travel and help people. 

There are always bigger and better things waiting out there, and if I didn't leave my job - my comfort zone - and took the risk, I wouldn't have had first-hand experience on these possibilities. I wouldn't have been able to prove that I am capable of achieving bigger and better things (despite my bravado, I'm not a hundred percent confident about my skills, because most of the things I know are self-learned).

One very nice experience was a training I attended for a job as a speech trainer. It was a three-day camp and I was scared out of my wits because it was my first time. Although my performance was far from perfect, I learned quite a lot and I'm excited to share what I know to my future students. 

I also had time to spend with my precious people - my family and friends who I rarely ever see because I was too busy with work (on top of that, I'm a total hermit when I'm at home).

 

Picture by my ever-supportive, clingy best friend who will probably still love me even if I become zombified.

negativity may be the primary thing that comes from leaving a job or getting terminated, but there will always be something good to come from it. Take the experience as an opportunity instead.

3. Carefully consider which job you will say "Yes" too. 

Getting a job is like love - hopefully it's forever. There will be really great offers. Call Centers, for instance, can offer as as much as 25K for someone who has no experience. This is a pretty nice amount, especially if this is just the basic. Here's what's to consider:

a. Job security. How stable is the company? Is the turn over high? Trust me, if a company's turn over is high, then that's a red flag right there. Are you entering a job that you will have for a long time, and not just a few months?

b. Daily expenses + Deductions. Okay, so the offer you got was 25K. If you'll be spending, say 200 bucks per day just on commute, then that's PHP4,000 each month. Let's put food at about PHP75 per day. My trusty calculator says you'll spend PHP1,500 for nourishment. That's PHP5,500 per month for daily expenses. Not bad. You still have a whopping PHP19,500. 

From that amount, deduct SSS, Pag-ibig, and PhilHealth AND 30% tax. Remember that salaries may be high but that means deductions are high too. 

c. Personal and professional growth. A job shouldn't just be a source of income, but an opportunity to make yourself better. Does the job offer include benefits that would help you become a better professional?  

4. Sometimes it is important to cut flimsy ties to build stronger ones.

You make friends, and then you make friends. Some people are really just out to use you - your talents, your brains - for their gains, and when they're done, they'll discard you. This was how i felt when i left my job - used, especially by people who I considered friends and mentors. But really, to move forward means to move on. Some people are not worth the emotional turmoil. That energy is better spent on people who matter. 

Photo by Aubrey Viola

Guess Who! Drawing by me! :D

Photo by Alistair dela Cruz.

Good luck on job hunting and keep your head up! 

Of Love of Horror 2.0

I am staring to write this blogpost while waiting for someone at 7Eleven at South Station Alabang. On my way here, I saw some vendors peddling Christmasy stuff. Although it is sunny, the heat isn't as brutal as it was last month. October is upon us and Christmas is less than three months away.

But first comes my favorite holiday: Halloween. This pagan holiday is a time for remembering the dead, for candles and solemn prayers (for some), for out of town trips, and, of course, for spooks.

As many of you know, I'm a horror fan. While other girls devour romance stories, I am always eager to read or watch stuff that are terrifically fantastic, or just plain terrifying. Here is my 2014 recommendations of horror finds: short films, creepypastas, make-up tutorials.

Short Films

I love horror movies, especially well-made ones. Here are some of my the recommendations for Halloween night. These are short-films and full-length ones. Warning: I won't be featuring mainstreamed stuff, since they have enough marketing and advertising 

1. Camera Obscura by Daywalt Horror. This is a short film series that follows the "adventure" of a girl who finds her demon hunter grandfather's camera obscura. The costumes here are the best part. I have always appreciated fantasy/horror make-up. Plus, the story is well-executed. This is quite a challenge to do, since short films don't have hours to build up a story - only minutes. Check out the series through the link. 

2. Still Life by Jon Knautz. I watched with my best friend while pigging out on donut and popcorn, but despite the sugar rush, I would still say that this is one of the best short films I've watched. This is not really horror, but it is horrifying. The dreary atmosphere of the film slowly brings in the creeps, but it is really the plot twist which got to me. 

3. X for XXL (from the ABCs of Death series). Let's just say that whenever I feel desperate to lose weight fast I just go back to this film. Gory and a slap-in-the-face statement against fat shaming, this is one of shorts from the series which really got to me. 

4. Mockingbird by FEWDIO Horror. This has got to be the shortest of the shorts I will be featuring. Simply-made, but with a plot twist that is a kick in the gut, this  film is real life horror at its finest.

Creepypastas

As many horror junkies probably know, creepypastas are short internet horror stories. Some of the more popular ones are Jeff the Killer, Slenderman, Squidwart's Suicide and Pokemon-themed pastas. Of course, I won't talk about these anymore. I'll be sharing to you some of my favorites. They may be less popular, but they are definitely worth the read.

1. The Harlequin Series. Horror fans may be familiar with Stephen King's penchant for small town horror. This is exactly what the Harlequin series is about. It kind of reminds me of King's The Tommyknockers and Dreamcatcher. A mix of an almost alien foe and amazing characterization, The Harlequin Series is one of the more satisfying pastas I've ever had the pleasure to sample.

Excerpt: "I knew that he knew something but I didn’t know what he knew. Had I figured out what it was earlier, I would have murdered him right there in the Burnswick lobby."

2. You're Not Afraid. This one is a ritual pasta, which means it's more of a series of instructions intertwined with a narrative. I love that the pasta starts in a relatively relaxed pace. At least, as relaxed as a character in a creepypasta can be. In the beginning, character is given a sense of false safety, an uneasy stillness. The action picks up the pace in the middle of the pasta, making the reader pick up the pace of reading. The pasta ends satisfyingly, with a nice little plot twist and, if you're like me, a hammering heart.

Excerpt: "At the corner of Winter and Broad there is an abandoned house. Go into that house. The front door is closed but unlocked. Nobody lives inside, not even homeless people would dare stay in a place like that for more than a night." 

3. Survival Guide. I'm not a fan of comedy-horror, but I enjoyed this one so much that I couldn't stop laughing even when I've finished it. I love it when stories  overlap, one of the reasons why I enjoy King's work so much. The number references to other pastas in The Survival Guide is too damn high! Warning: People new to creepypasta may not completely appreciate this.

Excerpt: "With the help of this guide you too can be the catatonic, traumatised wreck as opposed to the guy currently being worn as a coat by some dude who roams a lot."

4. "Higher Powers" Addiction to drugs or is it to power? I really love this pasta, 

Excerpt: They joke about how people get addicted to meetings instead of drugs. Langston didn’t mind the trade off. At least meetings didn’t send you to the emergency room with abscesses. Or into jail for the weekend, sick and detoxing. They don’t kill you and swallow you whole like addictions do.

5. The Sandman. This is one creepypasta with a heart. Many people commented that this wasn't even really scary. It certainly gave me the creeps, but really, it's more sad than terrifying. When a father starts losing his son bit by bit and has to battle a repulsive  creature haunting their home, sanity seems slip away so easily.

Excerpt: "He was losing his mind, he knew. The only thing that helped him cling to sanity was that Daniel seemed undisturbed. Other than his muteness, his behavior was perfectly normal. And whenever he seemed to sense that his father was troubled he would hug him, or squeeze his hand, or even smile. Sometimes, when he left the room, James cried."

I've read The Sandman in creepypasta.com (click on the link) but you may want to listen to the story instead. 

Make-up Tutorials

1. Double Face Clown Makeup Tutorial from MadeYewLook. MadeYewLook is definitely one of my new favorite make-up artist and face-painter. What I love about her is that she can make awesome looks with just paint and with very little prosthetic. Although minimalist in materials, her creations are still quite intricate. 

One of my favorite looks is this Double Face Clown Make-up, particularly because clowns scare the heck out of me (I still remember the sleepless nights when I was reading Stephen King's It). This look is a cross of funny and disturbing, especially since there's another clown face on the side, like a parasitic evil twin. 

Freeaaky. 

2. Leather Face and Texas Chainsaw Massacre Make-up by Pinkstylist. Oh Charlie aka Pinkstylist, you're so fabulous, I love you <3 nbsp="">

One of his best looks is this Leather Face make-up from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies. If you're a horror fan, you'd know that Leather Face stitches together facial skin from his victims and uses this as a mask. You can imagine the work that went on this look, which I absolutely appreciate and enjoy. This look was made with a combination of prosthetic, liquid latex and tissue paper, paint and fake blood, and pure and simple awesomeness. 

A couple of my other faves:

• The Smiler. This look reminds me of an insane inmate in a mental asylum. 
• Burned Alive. The personification of my fear of heat and fire. 

3. Four Horseman: Death by Klairedelys. Of course, Klaire is going to be here. She has always been one of my favorite artists. This year, she's gone for more wearable look (check out her Real Life Disney series), but my favorite will always be her artistic make-up. This look is from her Four Horseman series. A very different interpretation of Death, this elegant is characteristic of Klair's simple, clean, and elegant make-up.

Isn't this beautiful? 

And just because I was inspired (and I had time to kill), I made a couple of looks for Halloween as well. 

 This first look was inspired by the Joker. Unfortunately, I only had Johnson;s Baby Powder to make the white base, and a cheap eye shadow pallet and a rarely-used red lipstick. I think it's still cool though, but I wish I had better make-up. 

This second look is something I've been dying to try - the sugar skull. I blocked out my eyebrows using a glue stick. Again, I lack the kind of make-up to make this look work, but in making this look, I think learned something: Beauty UK pallets are more pigmented than Elf. I'm so glad I got hold of one of their eye shadow pallets ^_^.

I hope you enjoy my recommendations. Happy Halloween!

Finally, Nature! The Paradizoo-Residence Inn Experience

#PHBS Part 1

 

May 3 was an amazing day for the Philippine Health Bloggers Society. The Blogging for Health and Wellness workshop was  held on this day, and was organized by the group, together with Zoomanity Group. Our other sponsors included Gardenia, Victoria Court, Elabram Systems, and Global Learning Initiative (GLI).

It was also an amazing day for me. Having been stuck in the metro and overwhelmed by the huge pile of paperwork that I have to do, I really couldn't wait to get away. So, despite being part of the organizing committee and being a speaker of our blogging workshop, I still managed to a lot of fun. Who wouldn't? After all, we had great talks about blogging, in a wonderful place in Tagaytay, where we had good and healthy food, and lots of time getting back in touch with Mother Nature. The icing on the cake: Everything was FREE.

Free snacks from Paradizoo and great conversation with fellow bloggers make me happy :)

Needless to say, I was one happy kid.

I was quite happy to have spent time in Paradizoo, where we had our workshop. Despite the evil summer sun, walking around the farm was thrilling. I felt like a kid while checking out all of the animals in the farm, particularly the sheep (I want one :3) and the huge, grumpy-looking ostrich. I also got to feed love birds and pose with some pretty butterflies. The gardens were also quite nice. Paradizoo is known for its organic crops, but the flowers were also very beautiful.


 

One of the few pictures I took with my camphone. Flowers float in water in such a stunning arrangement.

According to our tour guide, we walked around 7 kilometers. Usually I'd feel tired by then, but this time it felt great, like I was healrhy and had no history of asthma. Nothing like the fresh air and the sights and sounds of nature to get you going.

After Paradizoo, we boarded our coaster and made our way to Residence Inn. We got there at around 5pm already, just in time to see the cute eagle owl by the entrance and the huge iguana next to it. I love Paradizoo for the long walks and the plant life, but Residence Inn gave me the thrill of seeing wild animals up close. We checked out the tigers and a couple of cute white lions. There were also monkeys which reminded me of days when I would happily spend afternoons being groomed by one. There was also a reptile place and I can say I saw a lot of familiar faces: albino python, reticulated python, and Burmese python. I also saw an alligator gar (albeit a mall one) and a huge silver arowana. I also pointed out to my fellow bloggers a Chilean Rose Tarantula, one of the less aggressive of its kind, and a perfect pet for newbie exotic lovers.

Unfortunately I didn't have the opportunity to touch any of these cuddly creatures. We got to Residence Inn too late.

Residence Inn also had a zipline attraction, which made my more adventurous friends happy. Likes, Drei, and Erick jumped on the ride immediately after having snacks. Of course, I stayed away from the scary ride. Everybody knows I'm acrophobic.

Apparently, not everyone's a scardy cat like me.

During one of the zipline rides, this one dude actually proposed to his girlfriend! And she said yes! Awww. True love!

(Of course, my adventure doesn't end there. I did travel several more hours to UPLB and had more awesome time. But that is another story.)

I've only got one problem about our Tagaytay trip: one day isn't enough to see and enjoy the entire thing! Bitin!

So when are we going back? :D

Photo credits: Yzak Vargas Photography

Codswallop 2013: The resolutions, the review, the wishlist, the promises

  I always make it a point to have a bit of a review of how my year went during these times, as it is a time for reflection and all that deep stuff. This is probably my last post of the year, but I'm already gearing up for 2014! More posts about writing, social change, health, and my topsy-turvy-ness next year! Thank  you, dear Readers, for being with me on my journey. I would also like to thank the Philippine Health Bloggers Society, which has served as my inspiration and a driving force for me to keep writing. 

  And now that that's been addressed, let's get the ball rolling!  

The Resolutions: How Many 2013 Resolutions I Broke

     Last year, I made 13 resolutions that I planned on keeping for 2013. As I am not Super Woman, I wasn't able to fulfill all of them. I mean, who is really able to keep all of the New Year's Resolution one makes, right? 

     Anyway, let's see the damage.

     1.      Have more time for my family, despite my oh-so-busy schedule. This kind of happened. I was at least able to go to our annual reunion this year :)

     2.      Write more. Write fiction. Write blogposts. WriteWriteWrite! Definitly fulfilled! Dear Readers, we got to 40+ post this year! Thank you for reading my Codswallop! I also wrote some fiction, although not really as good as I want it to be. Check them out here.

     3.      Eat healthier, do more activities, and lose 20 pounds. I mean, I’ve seen myself in college: I was healthy thin! Broken! I blame stress and Erick Bernardo.

     4.      Up my activism and advocacy. Slightly fulfilled. I'm still as active as I was before, although I did resign as officer from the Alliance of Young Nurse Leaders and Advocates. I'm now part of several other organizations. 

     5.      Get my photo taken by a pro-photographer friend. Slightly fulfilled. He wasn't a pro, but it was a photo shoot. Even if it was just me having toast :P

     6.      Visit more places. Go out of town. Go night swimming in the beach and lay down on the sand to stare up at the night sky. Seems like a lot of things for one number but, really, they go hand in hand. Slightly fulfilled! I haven't been able to lay down on sand and stare up at the night sky. it was raining pretty hard when we were on the beach. Maybe next time :)

     7.      Get back to painting. Buy a large canvas and transform my doodles into frame-worthy artwork. Slightly fulfilled! I'm painting something that I have yet to finish but it's just on a piece of paper.

     8.      Take up my masters (Education? Women and Development?) or take up law. Broken because I'm broke.

     9.      Have the guts to send my babies (stories) out there. Have the heart to accept that I am not (yet) good enough. Broken. I have yet to write a story that I really like.

    10.  Pursue my nursing career. Get a certificate of competency from the Nursing Certification Program of the Department of Health in Public Health Nursing. Expand my horizons as a Reproductive Health Nurse. Slightly fulfilled. I now belong to the Philippine Society of Sexual and Reproductive Health Nurses. I am an RH Nurse :D

    11.  Heal someone broken. Broken. Broken someone and myself in the process.

    12.  Help organize charity event. Shed sweat, blood, tears, and sleep to make it successful. Slightly fulfilled. It sure wasn't a charity event, more of resource mobilization for charity.

    13.  Touch someone’s heart. See that person/those people smile. I don't think so?

   The Review (If I haven't been fulfilling my resolutions. what the heck was I doing?)

   
   So if I had not been fulfilling my resolutions, what exactly have I been to?  

   A lot of things, as usual. Here are the highlights and lowlights of  my 2013. Warning: 

Really sappy stuff below.

  1. I was able to to out of town! Yes, because I am poor and busy, I rarely ever enjoy the splendor of being away from my usual routine and into something different. This year, I went to Tagaytay (which is really close) and also to Iba, Zambales (which took 6 freaking hours one way). The Iba R&R was only for a couple of days, but the trip itself was wonderful, and the time we spent surviving the suicidal waves of Iba's beach was nothing short of awesome.

Not the most flattering of pictures, but who cares? I was next to the beach, with suicidal waves!

   2. I did NGO work and went fulltime as a safe, satisfying sex advocate and trained under one awesome lady.

   3. We launched the Philippine Society of Sexual and Reproductive Health Nurses and the Philippine Health Bloggers Society.

PSORHN's Foundation Course attendees

   

PHBS at iBlog9

   4. I was able to train as one of the Emerging Youth Leaders for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.  

With other EYLs. Thank you, guys, for attempting to murder me during our photo shoot. Photo by Pareng Alvin Bernardo.

   5. I was able to participate in the Million People March in the wake of the PDAF scandal.

A group of protesters at the Luneta Park. Behind them, the iconic Manila Hotel.

   6. I left the Alliance of Young Nurse Leaders and Advocates as an officer.

  7. I broke someone's heart (and broke my own in the process). But I believe he is happier than he ever was with me, and I'm glad. And me? Let's just say that I have yet to learn what Tina Siuagan, Likes Manglal-lan, Ruth Allen Braga and several other more  experienced ladies have tried to teach me... I should write a blog post about that.

   8.  I lost friends. 

   9. ...And found and loved new ones (even if, technically, I found some of you before 2013). Thank you: Likes (we've been brought together by what should have torn other girls apart - our crushes on really hawt writers); Ate Joanne (for listening to my stupid love stories, which is solid proof that I should stick to telling tales about man-eating mermaids); Yzak (for the infuriating emoticons -_-, etc.); Julius (for the memories); Ma'am Ria (for being one of my inspirations, for believing in me, for being our older sister, and for being a true Super Woman); my PSORHN-mates for being awesome advocates; my PHBS co-members, especially Ate Grace , for helping me become a better blogger; my bhebhes: Drei, Erick, Raim, Anthony (even though I see you once in a blue moon);Joey-baby-bear (for being the cuddliest, most scheming mentor evah) ; my one and only Kuya Dave (for being a true Gryffindor. I love you); and Sir A (for teaching me magnanimity among other things). People. I fucking love you (not the other way around, you pervs -_-). Please don't disappear in 2014.

10. I still have my best friend Krissy after all these years. And we kick zombie butt well together. I also still have my other best friend, Sayori (why the hell do we NOT have pictures?) 

BIYBF! (But I'm Your Best Friend!)

    11. I am part of the youth steering committee for the Asia Pacific Conference for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (APCSRHR, dubbed as "apcrasher". The conference is on January 2014! See you fellow SRHR advocates =3




    12. I was able to post in my blog every month! Hurrah! ^_^ Thank you, dear readers, for reading my stuff. ^_^


   The Wishlist (coz it's the Holidays)

    1. An owl plushie. 

Isn't it CUTE?

   2. Books (of course!), specifically the Hunger Games series, the Game of Thrones series, the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, and a bunch of new stuff from Filipino writers, please. You can also get me Manila Noir, Demons of the New Year, The Best of Philippine Speculative Fiction, and any Visprint-published stuff.
   3. An SLR camera.
   4. The opportunity to go back to school and study.
   5. A/more trip/s out of town.
   6. A charity event I can help out in. 
   7. A decent Filipino horror movie.
   8. More raket. 
   9. Change.
   10. These really cool stuff for book lovers. 
   11. Arts and craft stuff. Acrylic paints. Paint brush. Canvas. I recently acquired a canvas bag and I would like to make it one of my little projects this year.
   12. Paper lashes. Although I think I can make my own :P

Delicate and beautiful, paper lashes are actually kind of a luxury item.

   13. Accessories. YES! I've developed a penchant for weird accessories over the last few months.  
    I recently acquired a couple of dragon ear cuffs and a snake one. I was born on the Year of the Dragon and I have a pet snake so I thought that would be appropriate.

Here are some of the stuff I already have.

Here are some of the stuff that I want: mermaid ear cuff, nail and gladiator rings, and dream catcher earrings.

  

So as to not sound ungrateful, I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank the people who dished out stuff for material things to give me. Thank you to the following: Darion, for an Anne Rice book about werewolves; Krissy, for the teddy bear; My brother and sister-in-law for a different kind of book - one filled with lovely eye shadows from ELF; my office mates for the accessories and key chain; Raim for the incense to ward off bad vibes; Joey, for the cute blue house key chain pasalubong; Sir A, for the watch; Sayori for coming home for the holidays and the accessories; and lastly, the people who gave me money, without which I wouldn't have been able to buy this miraculous little potion called Physiogel.

     Thank you! <3 comment-3--="">

Special mention to Krissy, the first guy who gave me a teddy bear! ^_^ This little guy's name is Duesberg.



As of December 29, 2013:

Kahit wala na yung mga nasa taas. 'Eto nalang:

The health and happiness of my precious ones.

 

  

   The Promise(s)

     For my 2012 end-of-year post, I wrote down 13 promises I hoped to fulfill this year. To be blunt, it wasn't effective, so this year, I'll make it simpler for myself and write just one promise. Here it is:

I promise to live my life to the fullest, which means I shall live a healthy life because I deserve it, I shall not be afraid to try and learn new things, and I shall love others and myself without expectation and condition.

I hope you had a good 2013. Happy New Year, everyone. I'm looking forward to 2014 with you. 

^_^ 

A/N: I have been writing this post even since mid December, and there have been several things that happened since then. This is one of the most significant: Right now, one of the friends I've mentioned in this blog post, Ate Joanne Oliveros, is recuperating from surgery. If you're one of my friends who believe in God, then please pray for her. Regardless if you're a believer or not, I hope to ask for your assistance. Ate Joanne is in for a long recovery and she needs all the help she can get.

Let us start the New Year right, everyone. Time and people are precious, after all.