If

If you can start the day without caffeine,

If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,

If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,

If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,

If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,

If you can overlook it when those you love take it out on you when, though no fault of yours, something goes wrong,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him/her,

If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,

If you can face the world without lies and deceit,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,

If you can relax without liquor,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

If you can honestly say that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed, color, religion, gender preference, or politics,

THEN, you have ALMOST reached the same level of development as your dog.

                            

What am I up to these days?

Had dinner with Peachy, Chee-Anne (and the husband-to-be), Dei and Au. Natawa lang ako sa comment na meron palang nagkaka-interest kung ano ang pinag-gagawa ko ngayon. Hindi naman daw sya affected (o ayaw pa-apekto?) pero interested lang daw sya malaman what am i up to these days.

Wala naman nagyayari sa akin, yun pa din...

Busy sa ADB - dalawa ang projects na hawak. Consultant chuvanes chenes ek-ek. Pareho intermittent. Meaning pagkatapos, wala na naman. Naloloka dahil grabe ang pressure pero at least may output and sigurado may outcome. Hindi pwede pumalpak dahil lagot ako sa nag-refer! [Hi Mama Dei :-)]

Teacher-teacher-an sa UP - yup, walang kokontra. Hindi GE (general educ) subjects ha... as in Chemical Engineering subject. Oh yes, pardon my hangin pero I am prawd tu da maksimum lebelaysus. Kaya ko pala at yung mga komokontra, makibalitaktakan na lang ako sa mga students koitsch. Next sem magtuturo daw ako ulit (calling the attention ng mga ibabagsak kong pasaway hehehe) and other subject, hopefully Envi Engg naman. Sa mga gustong maka-uno, saturday ang schedule ng classes ko.

Nagpapakadakilang ina - kokontra si nanay hehehe. Pero yun na yun. Ano pa ba ang magagawa ko kung ang panganay ay magti-teen-ager na pero feeling binata na at yung kasunod ay 11 years old na pero feeling 8 years old pa din.

Healthy Mind, Awesome Body - ah hindi pa ito, matagal pa. Oki na muna ang healthy mind! Papa-appointment pa kay Dr. Vicki or sa mag-asawang Calayan, pwede din sa doctor of the stars, Dr. Mendez or kay Marie France hahaha. Wala pa andash to make the pa-effects pero happy with the heyr, the fez, the teeth and the ...

Lablayp, sekslayp, and other laybs - kailangan pa ba itanong itish. Wala ganun pa din. No further explanations needed. May friendster accounts na si Kyle at si Gaeb hahaha.

Wala talaga nangyayari. . . papunta-punta na lang sa Tagaytay Highlands para mag-ubos ng gasolina at laspagin ang Ford Everest ni Cynthia para bibili ulit ng kapalit this year (take note ha, binili ni Cynthia yan HINDI company car!). Patulog-tulog para hindi mapressure sa kabi-kabilang speaking engagements and invitation para sa lectures. Pahiga-higa para hindi mahilo kaka-compute ng pera sa bank (dahil wala talaga natitira hahaha!).

So sa nagtatanong... wala ako masyado ginagawa. At kahit madami man akong pinagkakaabalahan, I will still find time for you. Interested ka naman pala kung ano nangyayari sa akin, eh bakit nung nagkita tayo hindi ka makatingin sa akin?


A Blessing-Magnet?

A year ago, I was just counting my days as a Consultant in ADB. Although my mind was set to finish my graduate studies, hindi maitatago ang kaba and takot because it was the first time wala akong mailipatan na work. I have a townhouse to pay monthly, I have kids to send to school, I have my fixed expenses... bottomline, san ako kukuha ng pera?

No regrets, sa nakaraan na halos isang taon ko nakita at naramdaman ang totoong mga kaibigan. Sa panahon na yun bumuhos ang napakaraming blessings --- na-appreciate ko ang parents ko, mga kapatid at ang mga taong katulong namin sa hanapbuhay. I never felt closer to my kids and no amount of money could equal the satisfaction of spending time with my kids and mga pamangkin.

Eto na yata yung period na napakaraming nagawa: meron na akong MS Degree (hindi na kokontra si Volt!), laging kompleto sa tuog at kain (wala na nga kasya damit sa akin), konti lang nabili ko shoes (2 or 3 lang nga eh), walang international travel (pero dami domestic, not the usual places and I was paid to go there), true friends (alam nyo na kung sino kayo), new friends (ramdam nyo naman hindi kaplastikan di ba?)...

Highlights pa:

- Got hired in a high-paying job but turned it down, hindi ko feel ang makakasama ko sa work. Those who were privy to my US-AEP days know what this is about. I buried the hatchet BUT mabuti na din yung huwag na lang than have an axe to grind.

- I was (am?) an "other woman" - cannot, will not and shall not elaborate for the sake of the parties involved. Pinakamahalaga nag-enjoy, nagkaintindihan, and naayos.

- Inaway ako ni Manny sa Puerto Princesa - nawala ang poise ko dun! Sobra. Pero okay lang, nagkaintindihan naman kami and alam ng lahat kung ano ang totoo dahilan. Sa totoo lang, natatawa na lang ako nakakalasing pala talaga ang Cali (Oiiii, walang friendster account si Manny at wala direct access sa blogs, ang mag-tsika, aawayin nya sige!)

- Loan approved for my property in Fairview. Six more months...

- Senior Lecturer at THE University of Philippines, teaching THE ChemEngg 32 subject (Industrial Stoichiometry).  Never in my life I imagined magtuturo ako! No, hindi bumaba ang qualifications para makapagturo. Nagkataon lang nakita ako ni Doc Ernie pakalat-kalat sa UP, so ayun binigyan ako ng teaching load. Ganun lang. (Face value? hahaha!)

- Ako si Mechora Aquino, a.k.a "Tandang Sora"

- New car for Cynthia (on top of the newly renovated farm house and literally, fruitful ekta-ektaryang manggahan), GTZ Contract for Voltaire (Shutaks prend, I really miss you nah!), sandosenang raketship para kay Daisy, new baby for Sheila D, Ed O., Rica L., promotion for Sheila B, well-being for Tito Geri, seksi and boy-magnet pa din si Jov, bonggeysyus pa din si Au , madami hindi mamemention dahil sa space and timw limitations. Basta ang important dun lahat tayo blessed!

- etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

Pumasok ang 2008 ang pera ko sa bank pang-minimum maintenance balance lang. Ano ang halaga ng pera kung wala ka naman kaibigan, kapuso at kapamilya? Meron nga dyan Php250,000 per month ang sweldo pero (ooopppssss!). . .  Okay pa din, nairaos na ang tuition ng kids, braces ni Kyle at wala naman utang. At, nagpa-rebond pa ako ng heyr!

Sa ngayon, eto naka-upo na naman sa ADB. Salamat sa iyo, Daisy --- maraming, maraming, maraming salamat for believing in me. You are such a blessing to me. Alam ko mas madami blessings kapalit dadating sa iyo. Sana dumami pa ang lahi mo sigurado napakasaya at maayos ang mundo.

Ang kulit, pero nag-uumapaw talaga ang blessings. Kung minsan nakakapagtataka din. Reap what you sow ba? Ewan. Admittedly, maldita at hindi ako santa. Sabi nga ng nanay ko tamad-tamad at tulog-tulog lang ako. Hindi din halata na mabait ako. Hindi ko din maexplain. Amazing!

I'll end with excerpts from Bo Sanchez's article, "How to be a Blessing-Magnet" (click this link for the complete article). Believe me, the strategies really work!

How to Be a Blessing-Magnet:

6 Strategies on How to Be Positive in A Negative World

1. Feel the Love. Receive the love from the people around you, no matter how small or imperfect. Celebrate every little gesture of love you receive. Make it a big thing! And you'll discover that you'll receive more and more love.

2. Be Grateful. Give thanks for every small blessing you receive. Before going to sleep, count at least 5 blessings you received on that day. Be grateful even for the bad things you received on that day, knowing there's a blessing inside. Gratitude attracts more blessings to come your way.

3. Trust. Yes, do all you possibly can! But at the end of the day, stop worrying. Surrender and trust God instead. Believe that the best is yet to come.

4. Have a vision. When you have a detailed graphic, exciting vision burning in your heart, you can't help but be positive. That powerful vision in your imagination will attract all the blessings you need to fulfill that vision. You'll be surprised. The blessings will just come, rolling down at your feet, begging that you receive them.

5. Love yourself. Be deliberate in loving yourself. Respect yourself. Don't belittle yourself, don't limit yourself, and don't call yourself derogatory names. Meet your needs. Aggressively care for yourself. When you do, others will respect you, love you, and meet your needs as well.

6. Love others. Whatever love you give, you receive it back multiplied. So wake up each morning because you want to love. make love the purpose of your life. When you make love the reason for everything that you do, even if there are dark storm clouds around you, the sun will always shine in your heart.


Sa mga mata ng bata...

My elder son was bugging me about the real name of "Tandang Sora". Not satisfied with my response, he further asked its correct spelling. I felt he's started to rely much on me for his homeworks so I told him to look for references before asking me again (I trained him and his brother to work on their own and would only ask for assistance if they've done everything they could do).

After an hour, he handed me this essay:

Npramirez_passport009
Click image to enlarge

Siya si Ninette P. Ramirez, ang aking nanay. Siya ay 33 yrs old na. Siya ay ikinokumpara ko kay MELCHORA AQUINO o "TANDANG SORA". Siya ay ikinokumpara ko kay Tandang Sora, dahil katulad ni Tandang Sora na ginamot ang mga sugatang Pilipino, ay ginagamot niya rin kami ng kapatid ko kapag may sakit kami. Pati rin si Tatay ay ginagamot. Matulungin din siya katulad ni Tandang Sora. Tinutulungan niya kami ng kapatid ko kapag kami ay may mabibigat na problema kahit ano man ito. Kapag kami ay naliligaw ng landas ay siya ay ang ilaw at gabay pabalik sa tamang landas. At syempre tulad ni Tandang Sora ay matapang din ang ina ko. Kapag kami ay ina-api o sinasaktan ay lagi nya kami pinoprotektahan kahit sino man ang nananakit. Lahat din ay gagawin niya upang matiyak na kami ay ligtas. At tulad ni Tandang Sora na gagawin ang lahat para sa kalayaan ng bayan, siya naman ay gagawin ang lahat para sa ikabubuti namin ng kapatid ko. Siya ay hindi umuurong sa mga biro ng tadhana at siya ay laging handang lumaban para sa kabutihan namin ng kapatid ko.

AAAAAAAArrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

Wala lang... gusto ko lang sumigaw.

Kunyari, hehehehe.

Yun na yun.

Babush!

Things I Need to Know I Learned from Ivory Soap Wrappers

Happiness is a warm bath. (Le bonheur est un bain chaud.)

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Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. (Profitez des petits plaisirs de la vie, car un jour vous vous rendrez compte qu'ils etaient vraiment de grands plaisirs.)

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If you want to be free, learn to live simply. (La liberte, c'est vivre dans la simplicite).

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Simplicity is the essence of happiness. (La simplicite est l'essence du bonheur.)

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Happiness is not a destination.
It is a journey, pure and simple.

Ivory_soap_aloe01

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Pasasalamat - Thesis Acknowledgment

The thesis has been an inspiring, very challenging, but always interesting and exciting experience. I am very grateful to my advisers, Dr. Ernesto O. dela Cruz and Dr. Donato S. dela Cruz, for the patience, encouragement, many fruitful discussions, and never giving up on me. I would also like to express my sincere thanks to Dr. Cherry L. Chan for her invaluable advice. I am very grateful for the technical and financial support, great opportunity, and unique experience of working with her and the AFR team. Many thanks and heartfelt appreciation to:

- Dr.Malou Dalida and Dr. Baby de Leon – for sharing their expertise and helping me improve my work;
- My bestfriend, Cynthia – for the 20 years of true friendship;
- My friends, Voltaire, Daisy, and Manny – for the constant prodding to finish my MS, for helping me hold my ground, and for believing I could soar high;
- My EMB, USAID/US-AEP, and ADB/CAI-Asia families – for all the sleepless nights, resistance-building, energy-draining and emotional-wrecking moments that prepared me for the ordeal during the manuscript writing;
- My friends who kept me awake 24/7 literally and figuratively; and
- My treasures, John Gaebriel and Kyle Ian Matthew - for the inspiration and for showing me the true essence of being a parent.

Finally, I wish to thank my family for their continuous love and encouragement, for always believing in me, and for never failing to provide all the support. Nanay and Tatay, maraming, maraming, maraming salamat po for always taking care of me and my kids kahit pasaway ako.

Senyales?

Friendster Daily Horoscope
Monday June 18, 2007
Leo

The Bottom Line

Your next achievement is likely to be very significant, so aim higher than ever.

In Detail

Your next achievement is likely to be very significant, so aim higher than ever.

Really?!?!?

Yahoo! Alerts
Daily Horoscope  by Astrology.com
Monday June 4, 2007 
Leo

One of your best qualities (out of many) is that you can take the most minimal ingredients and make the maximum amount of fun. Others want to know how you do it, but you can't say. It's a gift, really.

Yevah!

Ritwal (unang yugto)

Ang paliligo ay di lamang simpleng paliligo.

Ang pag-aayos ay di lamang simpleng pag-aayos.

Bawat kilos, bawat galaw, may hakbang.

May mga ritwal.

Beautiful young people are accidents of nature,

But beautiful old people are works of art.

Haler, ang seryoso! Ang haba ng intro.
Ano na naman itish pauso ko?
Wala lang, akin naman ito.
Kung hindi interesado, huwag manggugulo.

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DA HEYR

Salamat sa pagbabawal ng pagdala ng liquids and gels sa eroplano, diskubreshi koistch atish FOLLOW ME GREEN TEA SHAMPOO and CONDITIONER sa Singapore during vacationbelles ng byuti namin nina Cynthia at Marcy last year.

Grabe, da straight talaga da hair! --- Hindi lang mukhang ni-rebond, may free cellophane pa. It's so mura lang ha, as in SGD8.80 ang 750mL, so that's (compute, compute, compute) more or less pero less than a few sentimo sa Php 282 pesos. Der sa fictyur are onli 400 mL ( halagang SGD4.65 o tamataginting na Php 149 pesos ever each ha).

Da WELLA products, givsung lang ng mamichi-in-law itish. Accordingly, wala pa available ng "Back to Basic" line ditish sa lupang hinirang. Na-browsing koistch lang yung "System Professional" line pero dehins koistch knowsy san nya getsing basta ang imfortanti meron akoetchi supply.

Rarely ever koistch ginagamit da Wella products becowza meron pa da Follow Me. I will asking my sons to comment, sa bilis nila makaubos ng supply, gusto koistch isipin iniinom yata nila itish while doing their own rituals.

Ako_03

Caption (L to R): Wella Back to Basic Green Tea Texturizing Lotion, Wella Back to Basic Wild Berry Volumizing Shampoo, Wella System Professional Shampoo and Conditoner, Follow Me Green Tea Shampoo (Volumizer and Revitalizer) and Conditioner

Knowing ever koistch I will run out of friendships to buy for me sa headquarters ni Merlion, with my blissfully jobless status equating to no-vacation-via-Tiger Airways for the next six months, and the subtle maldita-supladita me, surelily mauubos din ang supply.

Kahit wala ng hulog ng langit basta I still choose to be beautiful ever, da best ang da PALMOLIVE  (itish ba yung may commercial so long ago na dried dahon pag sinabon ng Palmolive soap nagiging frish?). I specially like the "Aromatherapy" line becowza mabango talaga itish. The Palmolive Silky Straight naman, I use after magbabad sa pool and i-marinate my hair sa chlorine-treated water.

Ako_04

Caption (L to R): Palmolive Aromatherapy Shampoo and Conditioner Romance enriched with rose petals and bamboo extract (Sensual for romantic mood daw), Palmolive Aromatherapy Shampoo and Conditioner Romance enriched with essential oils of green tea and mandarin (Energy to revitalize and uplift the mood daw), Palmolive Naturals Silky Straight with milk protein and coco cream (long lasting, pramis)

DA FEZ

Noong taong 2003, dahil siguro sa subtle lang naman na kamalditahan koistch umuwi ang byuti koistch from Clark with pimple na tinubuan ng fez! As in may I cry cry cry my heart out talaga ang drama koistch. Eh panu naman kelan tumanda akoetchi saka pa nag ka-pimples! And talagang super scar sila ever. As in isinisigaw sa mundo, dumaan sila sa fez koistch!

My ever dahling mamichi-in-law was once a sikat Dermatologist. Malas koistch lang dehins na sya practisung. Hindi koistch naman ma-locate ever ang mga friendships nya na dermatologists din (hmmm, baka nasa ibang dimension na). Kaya naman lahat na yata ng pwede nya pa-try sa akin, na-try koistch na. Pero sad pa din, love talaga ng informal settlers ang lokeysyun nila.

May I fly my byuti to the US in 2004. Sa pakikialam sa paliguan ng isang kaibigan nadiscover koistch ang (drumroll please!) ---- ST. IVES APRICOT SCRUB. Hindi totoo na walang himahlah(!) becowzsa in one week, nag-decrease ang populasyon nila. Dahillllllll sa St. Ives naglaho ang mga informal settlers sa fez ng lolah nyo.

Ako_05

Da MARY KAY wala pumapansin sa paliguan. I think bigay itish ng akingnechi sisterette na nasa Dubai ngayon na binigay din sa kanya ng sisterette ng dyowangski nya galing sa lupain ng malaking mansanas. Sayang naman ever so ginagamit koistch as alternative facial scrub kahit pa nga mask daw itish (eh kasi naman, ala ey hindi naman natigas!). Hindi nga lang kahali-halina ang halimuyak pero okay na, libre naman itish.

Oi, sey nyo, maganda ang AVON's Anew ha. Lalo na kapag puyat ang byuti and nababad ang fez sa arawan. Gamit koistch after mag-swim or shower after sauna. So when your raketering opismeyt meyk alok-alok you ageyn of Avon products, gets and try na. Pero tell her, it's becowzsa opismeyt kayo kaya ka supportive ever sa kanya. Cge, bahala you alukin ka pa nyan to try the whole regimen, ala ey makatitipid ka pa magpa-diamond peel kay Tita Vicki.

So what, coconut? Napapagod na ako mag-type hahahaha.

End muna, next time ulit. Ritwal muna.

 

The_three_musketeers_all_for_one Dsc00009

The Before (2004) and The After (2007)

View My Fortune!

Year_of_the_pig From Yehey! Fortune Calculator:

LEO – THE LION
July 23 – August 22

Be humble, one step backward two steps forward

LUCK

For the past two years, the lion has been under the influence of the “Earth Star”. The same goes for this year which means your luck is being restrained, and will continue until the year 2008. The good thing is lions are contented people, so they will not be affected too much. Try to learn from past mistakes for a better future up ahead.

BUSINESS/CAREER LUCK

Career luck for this year is fair. Lions are content with their present situation that they do not bother to improve themselves. This is due to the lion’s arrogance, which will earn the ire of the people around him. Months of January, April, May and October are pretty good months for the Lion, so take advantage of this period. Spend the other months planning for the good months in store for you.

ROMANCE LUCK

The Lion will have above-average romance luck this year. Best time for romance is between November 12 to December 18. Unmarried Lions will experience successful courtship this year. But do not put all efforts into romance and leave all other things behind. Set your priorities so that everything will be balanced.

HEALTH LUCK

For this year, beware of sickness pertaining to the back and the heart. Try to lessen your work load and avoid the night life. Involve yourself in a moderate workout to keep yourself fit. Beware the months of August and September wherein there will be people out to destroy you emotionally.

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YEAR OF THE TIGER

Lucky stars shine brightly.

LUCK

The Tiger is on the rise in the year of the pig. With so many good stars around you, you should enjoy good luck for this year. Your position will be established and people around you will respect you. But this also leads to a clash with “Jupiter” (tai sui) which means there will also be people challenging you. Avoid clashing with others since you have already established a strong position. Besides, luck is on your side.

BUSINESS/CAREER LUCK

Your career luck will be great this year. You will have friends who will help you improve you business or career. Tigers born on the year 1950 will enjoy the greatest luck of all.

ROMANCE LUCK

Romance Luck for this year is also good. Months of March, July and January 2008 are romantic months. But beware of love triangles. Make sure you know how to handle your partner if you flirt too much.

HEALTH LUCK

Health luck is just moderate. You might suffer accidents that will cause you to bleed. Do not drive too fast. Extreme caution is advised during the months of February, April, October and December.

263 and still counting

Wala talagang tulugan simula Biyernes.

Maswerte na ang makaidlip kahit dalawang oras.

Grabe, pati sa panaginip sinusundan ako.

Hindi bale, konti na lang.

Konting-konti na lang.

Hindi pa tapos ang dulo.

Hindi pa tapos ang kinahinatnan.

Hindi pa tapos ang para sa hinaharap.

Wala pa ang mga dapat pasalamatan.

Pero ano ang paki ko?!?!?!

Graveh, eto na...

Eto na...

Eto nahhhhh! 263 pages and still counting.

General

Statistics

At hindi ito copy and paste, huh!

OTP

Tinawagan ko si Gaebriel to ask if he needs anything for school. Tinanong lang nya ako if may "OTP" ba ako, OTP daw is "overtime pay". Ang sagot ko wala. He further asked bakit wala eh dapat daw ang employees sa Pilipinas 8 hours a day lang nagta-trabaho. Pag sumobra daw dun dapat may OTP na. Yun daw ang turo sa school nila.

Sunod na tanong "Mommy, are you going home early tonight?" eh to think it is 9:30 pm already. Iba na ang concept ng mga anak ko ng "early" --- kapag naabutan ko sila na gising, maaga yun!

Paano ko ipapaliwanag sa anak ko na dito sa opisina namin hindi binibilang ang oras? Ni hindi na namamalayan na lumubog na pala ang araw at kung minsan maaring abutan na rin ng pagsikat? Na ang oras namin hindi lamang sa Pilipinas kungdi pati sa ibang bansa na ka-trabaho namin?

Uwi na ako, nawalan na ako ng asawa dahil sa trabaho, ayaw ko naman sumunod na mawalan ng mga anak.

The Tiger, The Lion and The Blog

chinese_tiger The Tiger

The Tiger is said to be lucky vivid, lively and engaging. Another attribute of the Tiger is his incredible bravery, evidenced in his willingness to engage in battle or his undying courage. Maybe he’s so brave because he is so lucky.

THE SIGN OF THE TIGER - Tigers do not find worth in power or money. They will be completely honest about how they feel and expect the same of you. On the other hand, they seek approval from peers and family. Generally, because of their charming personalities Tigers are well liked. Often, failing at a given task or being unproductive in his personal or professional life can cause a Tiger to experience a depression. Criticism from loved ones can also generate this type of Tiger reaction. Still, like all felines, Tigers always land on their feet, ready for their next act in life, pursuing it with unyielding energy and hunting it infallibly.

Tigers are also incorrigibly (uncontrollably) competitive - they simply cannot pass up a challenge, especially when honor is at stake, or they are protecting those they love. Tigers are unpredictable and it would be unwise to underestimate their reactions. They may appear cool, but they have the Big Cat's instincts to pounce at a moment's warning. Natural leaders, they have a strong sense of their own dignity, and if they find themselves in the ranks, they can be stubborn and obstinate. In positions of power they can be difficult though stimulating bosses. Tigers are intelligent, alert, and farsighted. They have their fingers on the pulse. Good strategists and tacticians, they often have a hidden agenda. As long as they do not risk their luck too often, and keep their restless nature under control, their tactics usually pay off in life.

THE WOOD TIGER (1974)  is more adaptable to working with others and therefore does not demonstrate the typical "take charge" attitude of other Tigers. The Wood element adds stability, giving him warmth of character that draws people in and makes the Tiger a popular person. They are not selfish creatures and will give their time, attention or possessions to anyone in need. These Tigers bring a solid practicality to any problem. They can control their urges to completely take over, letting others do the work. They must be aware of their slightly volatile tempers and short attention spans, and not let those characteristics get the best of them or cause them or their loved ones undue pain.

HEALTH - Tigers tackle everything in their lives in brief bursts of energy, collapsing afterwards in a heap of exhaustion. Normally they are soon back to full strength, but their approach can cause their long-term health to suffer. They should take it a little easier and learn to pace themselves to keep active longer and to prevent early burnout. They are blessed with flexibility and recover quickly from illness or pain. They owe it to themselves to relax a little. Along with the fitness of their long-term health, Tigers must be aware of how they react to and are affected by the consequences of their tempers. A Tiger’s meanest enemy is the damage he can inflict upon himself in the midst of a temper tantrum.

AT HOME WITH THE TIGER - Tigers take pride in being different than others and generally illustrate their originality best in their homes. Tigers can utilize their atmosphere with color and light. A Tiger’s home will be filled with exotic treasures from trips past and will include items such as Tibetan prayer mats or African carvings, confirming their desire to travel to distant places.

THE TIGER ON THE JOB - A quickness and an alert intelligence make Tigers fast learners. Tigers need a challenge. Add this to them being easily bored and it explains why Tigers tend to change careers more often than other Chinese Animals. Some Tigers don’t change their occupations frequently enough and thus tend to juggle jobs all at the same time. Most Tigers are natural born leaders who perform best knowing they are working towards positions of power and influence.

MONEY AND THE TIGER - Tigers depend on luck. They like to spend money, and also to share it. They can be quite impulsive spenders because they know they can always make more. Somehow, as luck would have it, they discover the end of the rainbow just before complete bankruptcy. They are willing to lose a fortune in their lifetime, if it means they will wind up with two.

CONGENIAL BUSINESS PARTNERS - Whether Tigers are compatible with their business partners depends on whether their signs are harmonious or antagonistic to those of their business partners. Considering the congruity of their own characters and the characters of their business partners can also be very useful.

THE TIGER ON VACATION - Tigers like to live on the edge, to travel long distances conquering thrills and fears along the way. Never the homebody, Tigers prefer activity and excitement to relaxing days by the ocean reading a good book. They leave on a whim and return when they are ready to plan their next vacation. Action-filled getaways are sure to get a Tiger away for a long time!

FRIENDS AND ENEMIES - Tigers have the ability to lift the spirits of even the most depressed or lonesome individual they meet. Because of that attitude, Tigers have no problem making new friends. Actually, a Tiger person without a friend is quite miserable and sad. As friends, Tigers are exceptionally warm and incredibly generous with their time, attention and money. Friends are always welcome in a Tiger’s home and will most often be greeted with a cup of coffee, an ear, a tissue, an open mind and an open wallet. Few friends could be as caring and affectionate, as quirky and surprising, or as genuinely interested as the Tiger.

TIGER PARENTS AND BABIES - Tiger parents are quite similar to the characters of their wildlife counterparts. They will walk through fire to protect their children or to defend them to others. As warm and affectionate as they are, they can become fierce and defensive when their kids are at stake. They lavish their offspring with treats and spoil them with generosity. Tiger parents can be fun as kittens, playing family games and getting great enjoyment from it. On the whole, they enjoy their children's company, having a good laugh and sharing a funny joke. Still, adult Tigers will become enraged if one of their children has gone too far, or is disrespectful. As open-minded and liberal as they are, they will not, under any circumstances, tolerate bad manners, or a lack of respect for other adults.

They take their role as parents very seriously, and they believe in the value of a good education. When their kids are small, Tigers like to tell them tales and read them stories. They like to talk about their childhood experiences, and use their stories to instill moral lessons or any ethical feelings. Tigers are decidedly convinced to make themselves the very best role models for their children that they can be.

THE TIGER LOVER - Tigers are incredibly sexy people, beautiful to most people and sensually romantic. They are spontaneous lovers who never lose their creative spark or flare for an evening of passion. They offer their partner a hint of danger and exhibit a curiosity for the unknown.

MARRIAGE - Once a Tiger has committed himself to you, he can tend to want to dominate or lead you. This is a natural nurturing mechanism and must be kept under close watch to avoid complete control. For the negative effects a Tiger can have on his partner, there are a zillion positive things he will bring to the relationship. Trust, passion, politeness and spontaneity are only a few characteristics of the Tiger mate.

THE TIGER LOVE PARTNER - Tigers love excitement and need someone who can keep up with all they want to do and see. His partner must also be able to stand the mood swings, the ups and downs, the good with the bad. Chinese horoscopes are very specific about which partnerships have the potential to be successful in love and in business. Yet, though destiny can point us ion the right direction, we must still make all efforts to maintain loving relationships.

astro_zodiac_leo The Lion

Leo is a Fire Sign which also rules the fifth House, the House of Pleasure. It is ruled by the Sun, in ancient times the Center of the Universe. Leo is the sign of the Lion, the flamboyant King of Beasts who wants everybody to know that he is the King.

The Lion basks in the spotlight. She has a sharp tongue but put down only people who are arrogant. She uses humor as a weapon and wields her wit wildly. She prizes herself on her intellectual abilities and always has her head in a book. Not only can a Leo lead, she will lead. Lions don’t give up. She's dramatic, bold, creative, and strong; no other sign can grab and hold the spotlight the way a Lion can.

Lions are great fun to be around, too. Leos are amusing and have an enormous personality. She tries hard to fulfill her commitments but actually prefers to be out having a good time socializing or partying with friends. Her exuberance is contagious. Leos dip in and out of relationships but will only really settle with someone who allows them a certain amount of freedom.

The point of being a Leo is to be at one with the creative principle, and to learn how her willpower affects what she creates in her life. Self-expression and creativity are everything to a Leo. She will naturally gravitate toward careers that allow her to shine. Lions can often be found in the performing arts, shining with the brightness of the sun. In the public eye, a Lion is charismatic and magnetic, but a Lion shines even in less visible fields. Unless she works in a creative field she finds work tedious, but she perseveres with it.

What a Leo is Like:

  • Opinionated but extremely capable they see projects through to the end.

  • Arrogant and egotistical they are popular and good at making friends and influencing people.

  • They are good actors in every sense of the way, on stage and off.

  • They are natural generous leaders who live life with enormous drama indeed like a roaring Lion.

  • Pleasure, overindulgence, gambling and spending money makes them feel good.

  • They have an instinctive desire for both acclaim and self - approval.

  • They will literally use a mirror to see what effect they are making and will study what to do to make a better impression.

  • They want to be desirable, attractive, and will acquire the traits needed to appear better.

  • Self-approval replaces conscience, they'll do anything as long as it improves their image.

  • Introspective they are not, self - analysis is unimportant, the effect they make on other people however, is.

  • Leo is the most dominant, creative and extrovert of all the zodiac signs.

  • They are truly Lions in their splendour and personality, ambitious, courageous, self-confident, strong-willed, independent without any self-doubt.

  • Born leaders, they are most effective when in command, bringing out the best from their employees or co-workers.

  • They possess enormous magnetism, are uncomplicated, act bigger than life with enormous daring.

  • Ambitious, thriving on adversity, they will pursue their goals relentlessly.

  • Intelligent, philosophical, sometimes religious, almost fanatical in their religious beliefs.

  • This fanaticism can be positive as well as negative.

  • Their passions and lusts are also Lionine, for luxury, power, sex, money.

  • Normally they can control themselves because of an inner wisdom which creates checks and balances.

The Blog

Ngayon ko lang nalaman meron pala talagang combination ng tiger at lion! Ibig sabihin hindi ako nag-iisa :-) Ang word na liger is actually included the English language since 1938. Accordingly, ang liger ay anak ng lalaking leon at babaeng tiger. Ang tigon naman lalaking tiger at babaeng leon. In English, lion + tigress = liger and tiger + lioness = tigon.

Sabi sa Wikipedia both ligers and tigons exist in captivity. Meron totoong liger na ang pangalan ay Hercules na nakatira at The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.) in Myrtle Beach, a wildlife education organization run by director Dr. Mahamayavi Bhagavan Antle. Yun nga lang Hercules was the result of an accident rather than deliberate breeding. Sabi sa website (dated May 2005) He is three years old (so four years old na sya ngayon), stands 10 feet tall on his hind legs, and weighs about 1,000 lbs. At maturity he is expected to reach 12 feet in length and weight about 1,250 lbs.(Ano ang maturity age ng lion at tiger? I-a-average ba para sa liger at tigon?) He eats about 20 lbs. of meat (beef or chicken) per day, and he can consume up to 100 lbs of food in one sitting.

Kakatuwa! Ang galing. Sino ang mag-aakala na meron pala? Try to find and combine your chinese sign (based on the birth year) with your zodiac sign (based on birth month). Tingnan nga natin if meron rooster na isda, baboy na talangka, o rabbit na scorpio. Syempre hindi na kasama yung chinese signs na virgin hahahahaha.

Disambiguation part 1

It's past 7 and I am still here in the office.

Should be home now helping the kids study for their last quarterly exam, in SM Megamall or Robinsons Galleria buying baon (Ate Weng, my nanay's assistant cook acts as surrogate mother to my kids when I am still in the dreamland every morning, will soon make "Nette, baon ng mga bata" as a text message alert tone.), in a cab somewhere in EDSA wishing I hadn't left yet just to be stuck in traffic, in Bangkok with Sheila or in any place my limited budget will allow.

Exactly the middle of the week and 15th of the month, I only have Php260 in my wallet. Taxi fare tonight will cost me Php120. In any case, I still have plenty of 25-centavo coins.

am in the process of redesigning my blogpage. Adding some content and links to my friends' pages. My officemate asked why "Blue"? I wanted to tell her it's my favorite color and to describe the exact shade of blue that I like best but it's not just that, it is also the mood that I am now.

Armed with a mini-mouse with a blue-lighted middle scroll button, I googled "blue meaning" resulting to more than 57.9 million matches in 0.10 seconds.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

1. blue is any of a number of similar colors. When it is a pure color from a single source, it corresponds with a wavelength range of about 420–490 nanometers - very scientific. Reminds me of my Physics classes. I don't want my blogs to be associated with the law of inertia --- a grade tends to stay that way with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. My Physucks 71, 72 and 73 proved the theory.

2. It is considered to be one of the three primary additive colors - very basic. I like the "additive" thing --- blue + red = violet and blue + yellow = green then blue + violet = blue violet and blue + green = blue green but blue + blue will still be blue. Gets?

3. The English language commonly uses "blue" to refer to any color from blue to cyan - very flexible. Call it light blue, baby blue, dark blue, royal blue or any other blue-terminologies but it will always be blue. You can't call pink as baby red and gray as light black.

Nanay texted already asking my location. She's already used to my past-9pm arrivals but still constantly checking me out. Kabisado ko na comments everytime magmamano ako sa kanya pagdating. I am tempted mag-ala "Fita commercial" - O, gabi na naman ako. San na naman ba ako galing? Hindi ko ba alam nag-aalala sila pag wala pa ako? - haaaaay, I love my nanay!

With more 57 million available resources for "blue" I guess I have to cease for now. I still need to buy baon for the kids.