NC30: A Picture

I don't have a fun picture nor something that would probably wow all of you. But I just want to share what I have been doing lately. I discovered writing in my native language (Tagalog) and I find it more relaxing and fun. Not that I don't like writing in English. It is just easier for me to relay my thoughts in my own language.

Anyway I have been busy writing most of my thoughts in my very own - Tagalog Blog.

Pano Ba Mag-Blog Screen Shot

Blog Name:  Pano ba mag-blog? (how to blog?)

It is not much and most of you may not relate. For one, I do not expect everyone to understand Tagalog. I just feel it is an accomplishment. Filipinos are very critical and particular when it comes to spelling, to grammar, punctuations, pronunciations, etc...That's probably why we are conscious. We don't like talking in English. We're too critical of ourselves.

This site actually is an outlet for me to vent and to push myself to write... in English. So, blogging in Tagalog is a relief. I thought writing in Tagalog would be a breeze, apparently not. I write in English most of the time, that I go blank writing in Tagalog. But enough of that.

I am just happy that I finally get to speak my mind in whatever language. Being bilingual really has its perks! :)

NC29: 3 Wishes

Wow! It's like Aladdin getting the magic lamp with a genie inside granting 3 wishes. So, I have to be wise. I need to really figure out what I should prioritize and make it really lasts.

Honestly, since I've been caught off-guard... (yeah, right!), I really couldn't think of sensible wishes right now. And thinking about it, makes me look even more superficial because the first thing that pops in my head when I think of wishes is MONEY.... lots and lots of money.

Okay, first wish... I'm giving in to superficiality, I wish to be a multi-billionaire.. hahahah! (so freakin' bad - like Bruno Mars). I've posted several times that I want to be rich. So, if I were to be given a chance, why not? It's nice to live comfortably.

Second wish, I guess is to be able to study again. The best things in life aren't things (I read somewhere). And it's true. Life is a continuous education and I don't think there's anything wrong with taking more courses to improve your skills. Right?

Third wish - is to have a fruitful, fulfilling, contented, god-centered life. I think among my wishes, this is a bit tricky and extremely difficult. I doubt the genie would be able to give this to me. But then again, the genie can't but God can... so I'll just wait and see what God has in store for me. :) Everything else will fall into place and God will give me what my heart desires. So let's see what happens. :)

NC28: Something that Stresses you out

I heard that people can never escape stress. It's part of our lives. Regardless of what you do, there will still be something that will stress you out. It is actually in how you deal with stress that you can be relaxed.

There are obviously times when someone or something pushes my buttons and, as they described it, all hell breaks lose... hahaha! :))

I don't get stress that often. I still keep my cool and control the situation before it controls me.. naks! hahahah! :))

So for the question, what stresses me out? These are:

NC27: PETS

Sadly, there really isn't going to be a post on this topic. We used to have pets, back when we still live in the Philippines.

Unfortunately, we can't have pets in our place. Why?

1. We're renting. Some flats don't allow pets and we all wanted to have a dog. So pets are out of the question while renting.

2. There are times when we have to go for holiday. Who will take care of the pets while we're away? That's obviously another concern. I can't just ask anyone else and expect the same care that I / We will provide. It's not going to be the same. It's not going to be okay for us, and most of all for the pet.

3. Clean-up. Another major concern. If you have a pet, expect chaos. That includes the poop, the pet toys, the food, etc. And for us, who live and breathe organization (they even call my brother and my dad "Mr. Clean"), we can't have chaos (as much as possible).

NC26: Picture of Your Family

I hate posting pictures in my blog. But what can I say, it's a challenge.

I was looking for a family picture. Unfortunately, we don't have a complete one. We only have family picture when we were still kid, and it's not with me.

So I just took their pictures from Facebook (thank God for Facebook) and compiled it here.

So here's my family (I did not include my picture):

NC25: Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs

I love songs. I love them all.  I do not have favorites. Although, I like the contemporary, pop, rock, RnB genres more than the rest. So I have tons of songs in my iPod. Anyone could argue it wasn't as much as the others, but I never get tired of hearing these songs over and over... so, argue all you want :P.

So for the sake of the challenge... First 10 songs when shuffling my iPod...

1.  Teenage Dream - Katy Perry
2.  So Sick - Ne-yo
3.  I will Celebrate - Wow Worship - Cyan Disk
4.  Just Dance - Lady Gaga ft. Colby O'Donis
5.  Days of Elijah
6.  Fallen For You - Reminiscin 3
7.  Thinking of You - Katy Perry
8.  The Lazy Song - Bruno Mars
9.  Break Your Heart - Taio Cruz
10.  Never Say Never - Justin Bieber

I can't believe I have Justin Bieber in my list. Oh well, there are those I never noticed was there. Would shuffle it again and write it here... again! :)

NC24: Something You've Learned

There are a lot of things in life that I consider life lessons. And everything is treasured. There are definitely a few bumps along the way but I just stood up, dust myself and move on.

I learned that in everything you do, you have to give your best. If you are not satisfied, people would not be either.

I also learned that when you give your best, do not expect too much. Not everyone will appreciate it. You cannot please everyone. So just do what you love. Do it for God and for yourself. You will be happier.

Other life lessons, just take criticisms in, whether good or bad. They are there to correct you and improve yourself. And since you cannot please everyone, you will definitely encounter criticisms.

I have tons of life lessons, I don't remember all of them anymore. I just learned to live it. :)

NC23: Favorite Vacation

Kindly refer to:  NC6:  A Picture of Something that makes me Happy.

These pictures were taken during our vacation in Dubai / Abu Dhabi, UAE. It was fun. I kind of miss it. I should do holidays more often. It's a great way to relax - as long as you stick to the budget.

I admit that vacations doesn't have to be expensive. You can have a fun-filled holiday on a budget. The key is sticking to it. I went overboard however, but again, it was fun so it was worth it.

Hope you have a great, fun-filled, exciting, stress-free Vacations, too. :)

NC22: Favorite City

Favorite City....

I haven't been that far, but I miss my home the most. So obviously, that's my favorite city...  MANILA.

http://flightsaustralia.com.au

NC20: Nicknames

Have you ever had nicknames? I don't. I am not actually fond of nicknames nor pet names. But my username is actually a pet name for me... anyway, that's another story.

I never had a nickname because when my friends try, I ignore them. I don't look even when they are already calling me... hahaha! Nicknames aren't my thing.

So I'll just look at the transitions of nicknames, at least in the Philippines:

NC19: Something you miss...

There are a lot of things I miss. Being in a foreign land, I can't help but compare my home country to the place I currently consider my home. There are a lot of things in the Philippines that I never get to do in here in the mideast, particularly here in Oman.

What I miss in the Philippines?

*  Street foods - siomai, fishball, squidballs, tukneneng, kwek-kwek, kikiam... although mideast has coffee, mishkak, and shawarmas everywhere, I would still love to see and eat the familiar street foods of 'pinas. It's just not the same.

NC18: Something you regret

I don't want to live my life full of regrets. I don't think I have done something that I would consider unrepairable (I don't even know if that's a word). In short, DON'T HAVE ANY REGRETS.

I did have problems before that I should not have done... yet! But I know I'll end up there eventually. I was just impatient and impulsive. I am reaping the consequences of my actions.

But those decision, whether good or bad, I've stuck on it. I faced the consequences and in the end, everything worked out okay.

NC17: Something you're looking forward to...

We all need something to look forward to. It gives us a sense of achievement and fulfillment. It motivates us to prepare, to work hard and achieve our goals. It also gives us direction. We all need it.

Anyway, what do I look forward to for the new year? I got a lot. My New Year's Resolution ended up being a Bucket list (LOL!) but at least, I have a goal and something to keep me occupied.

In no particular order, my goals:

NC16: Dream House

If you've  been reading my posts, one of my goals is to get rich. I know, sounds a bit obnoxious, annoying, even irritating. You've probably heard it over and over. Things like:  "I've been poor all my life and I don't want to be poor again".

I won't bore you into details but I do want to get rich. Rich in the sense that I live comfortably, able to retire early, have fun at what I do, have a beautiful house with my wonderful family and basically, have a comfortable, well-off life. (Still sound annoying).


If I were to  have a house, I can say that, right now, I just want something where I can be comfortable, have a work room, a room for my baby/ies, etc. where everyone can fit in.

NC15: Bible Verse

Having worked abroad for quite a while, I've finally accepted the fact that I cannot please everyone. There are times when I get so frustrated but I take work and family into consideration before making any harsh, rational or irrational decisions.

During the turbulent time of working in a company where I felt under-appreciated, over-worked and underpaid, all I depended on was the Lord. And the fact that I need to please Him and not man.

I remembered putting this verse on my phone and used it as a wall paper so I always remember God is in control and everything will work out okay.

NC14: A picture you love

I am not a photographer. I don't like taking photos nor taking my own picture. Not that I'm vain or anything, I just don't like taking photos.

But with these current challenges, it kind of forces me to take photos and say something about it, which is great but as the word "forced" mean, I don't exactly like it.

I only take pictures when I feel like it and most of the time, it's the people I am with that I take photos of, not the scenes.

NC13: Goals

I heard it incorrectly.  I thought I heard Gold... lol! Well, they sound similar. You could really get mixed up with the words.

Goals are set to give you direction. You need to have something to look forward to. Otherwise, you'll just wander around, working at something you don't like and not really lived your life to the fullest.

I try to make my goals as realistic and as achievable as possible (see here). Unfortunately for me, although I made them simple, I haven't attained most of it yet. :P

NC12: What you believe

I've written this down a year ago.. about my faith. This is what I believe in and will stick on it. Everyone has believed in something. It may not be God but everyone recognizes there is a higher being, far greater than us.

Whatever it is, I respect it... so I hope you respect mine.

Here is what I wrote:

NC11: Favorite TV shows

I'm a couch potato. Never let me sit in front of a TV. I will ignore everything else around me except the one I am watching.

I spend more time watching TV than reading. So whenever I get a chance, I'll read. But only for a few minutes, then back to TV again... Not much of an activity. huh?!

So, writing down my favorite TV shows, I don't know where to start. It's just too many. I'll just write down what's on top of my head or if I remember some more, then, I'll write it down again.

NC10: Something You're Afraid of (fear)

I don't have something. I have plenty of things to be scared of. Fear is normal. Fear is also constant. I can't overcome something I am not afraid of. That would just be silly.

Here are list of my rational and irrational fears:

1.  Fear of unknown. The best and most common fear. I admit, I have failed to try several things because of this fear. Questions like "what would I expect there?", "what happens if...?", etc. are just excuses. We can't overcome this fear if we don't try.

2.  Fear of becoming poor. I am not rich, nor are my parents. So I don't expect any inheritance from them. We just have enough to live by and to afford necessary and often, unnecessary needs. But the thought of not having money, or not being able to afford the necessities, scares me. I don't know why. I guess, that's why I work so hard and try to live the life I wanted.

3.  Fear of death. Death is inevitable. We will all die eventually. But the thought of dying right now, where I am unaccomplished, unsatisfied and discontent with my life, scares me. Makes me feel inadequate. That I don't have much time.

4.  Fear of rejection.  I don't want to feel unwanted and rejected.

5.  Fear of losing my faith.  Sometimes I feel that I have neglected my faith and that I have taken God for granted. Knowing that God is constant and that He will be faithful to me is my strength. Unfortunately, there are times when I feel that I don't feel God, that I don't need Him and I have taken Him aside. It scares me to come to a point when I lose my faith completely and I will never know who I am anymore.


There are even more fears that I haven't had the chance to write. I have never explored more of my weaknesses. I admit that these fears are what holds me back. I am scared to take risks that could be both fulfilling and uplifting. Maybe if I let go, I would have the life that I have wanted and the life God has planned for me.