a work in progress

Bantayan Island, Cebu

2010-06-14T11:25:00.008+08:00

I first went to Bantayan Island in Cebu April 2009 and it was my first "beautiful" beach experience indeed. Recently, I had the chance to go back and visit my favorite beach... it hasn't changed and the experience got even better.

Bantayan Island is just one of the 15 islands clustered off the northern point of Cebu island. It is known for its powder white sands, crystal clear waters (it is indeed clear!!) and laid back resort with friendly locals. It is a quiet place to be in that is starting to be discovered by some tourists, foreigners to be exact. Thankfully, it's not yet like Boracay, no night life here which I really like.

Sugar Beach, Bantayan Island Cebu

after a while. . .

2010-06-11T21:38:00.005+08:00

It's friday night and I can feel the cool breeze because of the rain... After almost two years of forgetting that I have blogspot, a certain email reminded me that I indeed have this. Browsing through my old blogs certainly brought back memories of what was then before...

Will try to update this as I know that others are busy with Facebook and Twitter and won't have time checking out blogs. This will serve as my online diary, where I know I could be the only one reading this. I hope not to be weary in updating this site... Oh, what is that? Ahh, thunder...

just a thought

2008-10-22T22:49:00.002+08:00

When I look at him
He looks at me
He's got me thinking about him constantly
But he don't know how I feel
And as he carries on without a doubt
I wonder... has he figured it out?

views from the top

2008-01-09T10:33:00.000+08:00

These are photos taken by my friend who's a pilot, someone who has a pretty good view of what's happening up above.

Trusting God

2008-01-08T22:51:00.000+08:00

Some quotes about trusting God. . .

“It is a very easy thing for us to get into a desponding state of heart, and to mistrust the promises and faithfulness of God, and yet, all the while, to look upon ourselves as the subjects of a disease which we cannot help, and even to claim pity at the hands of our fellow-men, and to think that they should condole us, and try to cheer us. Perhaps they should; but, at any rate, we must not think that they should. It will be far wiser for each one of us to feel, ‘This unbelief of mine is a great wrong in the sight of God. He has never given me any occasion for it, and I am doing him a cruel injustice by thus doubting him.’” Charles Spurgeon

“It is just as important to trust God as it is to obey Him. When we disobey God we defy His authority and despise His holiness. But when we fail to trust God we doubt His sovereignty and question His goodness.” Jerry Bridges

“Difficulties heaped upon difficulties can never rise the level of the promise of God…Unbelief looks at the difficulty. Faith regards the promise.” Charles Bridges

first things first

2008-01-06T20:20:00.000+08:00

Waking up early in the morning is truly a struggle to me. And so, this verse and an excerpt from a book is truly an encouragement to me to start the day right. . .

"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul." Psalm 19:7

"Even on days when every cinder in our soul feels cold, if we crawl to the Word of God and cry out for ears to hear, the cold ashes will be lifted and the tiny spark of life will be fanned. For 'the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.'" - - John Piper

how geek are you?

2007-11-21T18:03:00.000+08:00

26% Geek

Fresno Dating

something to ponder

2007-09-06T23:50:00.000+08:00

"If I have made gold my hope, or said to fine gold, 'You are my confidence';

If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,

And because my hand had gained much;

If I have observed the sun when it shines,

Or the moon moving in brightness,

So that my heart has been secretly enticed,

And my mouth has kissed my hand;

This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment,

For I would have denied God who is above." Job 31:24-29

For all the blessings that we receive each day... the breath of life, the world around us, food that we eat, good health, jobs that we have, money that we get and all sort of blessings, may we not forget to give all the praises and glory back to God.

fly me to the moon

2007-08-15T12:03:00.001+08:00

Have you ever imagine travelling around the world in just 80 minutes? Yes 80 minutes... this is what the Barcelona-based architects promised when the "Galactic Suite," the first hotel planned in space opens for business on 2012.

This will be the most expensive in the galaxy, costing $4 million for a three-day-stay. Wow! who ever can afford that?!

So, what activities are in store for the guests staying at the Galactic Suite? Well, during their stay, guests would see the sun rise 15 times a day and use Velcro suits to crawl around their pod rooms by sticking themselves to the walls like Spiderman (spider sense!). And when guests are not admiring the view from their portholes they will take part in scientific experiments on space travel.

This is indeed impressive, but then again, who would want to spend huge amount of money on going into space? Bill Gates? I just don't know...

For me, lying down on a rooftop at night underneath the sky and with a little imagination is already my ticket to space.

pretty flowers at home

2007-08-10T22:45:00.000+08:00

Celebrate the wonderful ordinary things you see around and rediscover the wonderful art of taking pictures...

That's what I did one fine Thursday morning at our backyard; finding pretty flowers at home. There's a lot of beautiful things to see if we just look closely...

"O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions." PSALMS 104:24

rainy days are here

2007-08-08T22:54:00.000+08:00

umbrellas and jackets are in again! we've all asked for it and now it's here... rainy days!

classes were suspended today and also for tomorrow. hmm... i wonder if that'll also happen at work...

it will be pretty difficult again for me to wake up because of the bed weather... love it!

transformers, premonition and shawshank redemption

2007-08-03T15:02:00.000+08:00

i think it's been like ages since i've posted something here. yes, i'm not your faithful blogger as you would say. i'm just one of those people who's able to post something if i remember doing so...

for the past few weeks i've been in what i would call a "movie week". i will not make a review on all the movies i've seen but just give a short thought on each of it...

first, was TRANSFORMERS...
movie was awesome when it comes to the special effects. i remember watching the cartoons and not really care about the name of each robots. i didn't realise that they have names not until i've seen the movie. although, one of my colleague said that the movie deviated from the original story, i really didn't care. i liked the effects. period. and again, i didn't finished the credits so i missed the part where one robot went back to outer space which clearly says that there will be a part two. it happened to me when i watched pirates of the caribbean, didn't finished the credits, so i missed the part where elizabeth and his son was waiting for will turner... lesson: try to finish everything...even the credits because you'll never know...

next movie, PREMONITION...
i think Sandra Bullock has this thing for doing movies which you really have to think...think hard to get it. i actually felt confused at some points when i watched this movie, just like the way i felt when i saw THE LAKEHOUSE. there's so many twists in the movie that you get really confused and clueless at the same time.
i just felt that there's so many inconsistensies in the movie.

last but not the least, SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION.
i remember seeing this movie on HBO and not really don't bother watching it because i don't think it's a good one. but enk! i was wrong...

this is a powerful story about hope, friendship and strength. it's about experiencing pain, discomforts and never complain about it. i liked how Andy, stood by what he thinks was right and not let anyone or anything hinder it. and also, the importance of friendship is for me one of the highlights in this movie. it doesn't matter how many friends you have, but how your friends stand by you no matter what happens... "he who finds a friends, finds a treasure."

'til my next movie week... ta!

competency exam

2007-06-03T21:08:00.000+08:00

It was like college days again last wednesday. I felt like I have thousands of butterflies in my stomach and I was fidgeting as I was about to take my compentency exam at the Canadian Embassy.
The personnel who called me said that the exam would comprise of general information and stock knowledge. And so, I tried my best to read some things about Canada and about the embassy for the general information. As for stock knowledge, I didn't review, after all it's supposed to be knowledge that is stocked...(?) [hope it made sense]
Exam day: I finally understand why the personnel wanted me to be 30 minutes prior to my exam, it was because of the long queue for security checks at the embassy. Security was really tight and it should be since that building was mostly comprised of foreign embassies, which means there are diplomats and expats. After completing the security checks, we were asked to proceed to the examination area where almost 50 of us took the exam.
The personnel was kind enough to explain the procedures of the exam and that the exam aims to check our competencies to work locally for the embassy. The exam was mostly reading comprehension, which I found kinda difficult because I was pressured about the time since it was only 50 minutes. There was actually a point in the exam wherein I found myself stucked on a certain number.
Overall, the exam was easy, but for someone who hasn't been taking exams for the last 4 years, I found it quite difficult. I'm still thankful though, that God has given me this opportunity to exercise my mind and thinking abilities.
So, did i pass the exam? I don't have the results yet... i'll find out soon!

picture pictures!

2007-04-09T17:59:00.000+08:00

here are some pics from the REBAP summer camp last April 5-7 held in UP Los Banos, Laguna.

group pic...

1 cup of rice each...

after the session

500 metres walk a day...some exercise!

the green team!

what's with this well?

friends all the way from Abu Dhabi, UAE

a strange tree and umbrella.

uhmm...the gwapings???

my mystery dancing partner....guess who???

i like to call them manly men of God.

flip flops on the go!

camps theme:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." Galatians 5:22-23

free butterfly

2007-03-30T00:26:00.000+08:00

a beautiful shot of a butterfly... (courtesy of joash)

the little prince

2007-01-24T17:09:00.000+08:00

It has been a long time since I have read a really nice book. I let myself be drawn into the busy and fast paced environment that I forgot that there is one hobby that I should indulge in because it's good for me...and that is reading.
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery is a surprisingly nice book. I think I will not get tired of reading it over and over again. It's a delicate story. It could have been taken in so many ways and so many different perspectives. Yet you can't help but giggle at the personifications of each star and who is on them. You can't help but bite your lip to keep from crying at the end. You can't help spending time afterwards to think about what the story meant in a whole. The Little Prince transcends the innocence of children to becoming an almost etheral being. He acquired more insight into human nature in his considerably short stay on planet earth than most humans could ever hope for in a lifetime. He encountered greed, humility, love, loss and even friendship, yet he never loss his quench for knowledge nor his devotion to his home, his beloved rose and all it has.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." That quote from the fox is very much true. Sometimes we give importance to the things that our eyes can see, and neglect the intangible things which is far more important in our lives.
Another thing that I like about the book is the perspective about friendship. "One only understands the things that one tames", said the fox. "Men have no more time to understand anything. They buy things all ready made at the shops. But there is no shop anywhere where one can buy friendship, and so men have no friends any more. If you want a friend, tame me..." Friendship is not just something we can easily get or ask for, like a toy from our parents or whatever, we have to work hard for it. We have to know that person, spend time together, communicate and most importantly accept that person for who they are.
This book is indeed not just for kids, but it is actually meant for adults. It contains lessons that most of us are forgetting these days...

everywhere

2007-01-23T23:26:00.000+08:00

Want to hear a little fact?

The Lord has got your back

He’s got you everyday

And His love will never fade

You never have to run

You never have to hide

Even if you can’t see Him,

He’s still inside.

Everywhere you look, He’s standing right there

Even when you think, He just doesn’t care

Everywhere you look, He’s standing right there

Even when you think, He’s not being quite fair.

Everywhere you look, He’s standing right there.

Everywhere….

Sometimes He doesn’t give you what you had in mind,

Sometimes you don’t like what you find.

But He has something in store for you,

Just trust Him, He knows what to do.

christmas party, old spag house and single's fellowship

2006-12-28T10:25:00.000+08:00

i would have to say that this week has been tremendously busy for me. It is overwhelming. 'tis the season to be busy tra la la la la la la la la! i felt like a lot of things had happened...lots of thinking...mixed emotions...december is actually my favorite month obviously because of christmas. the time where families, friends and long distant relatives get together for reunion and not to mention the beautiful lights displayed in houses and different establishments (im actually fond of lights and sparkly things). there's also the christmas parties in companies which sometimes has a particular theme. like what we had last december 19 in our company, "qantas goes chinese" (dont ask me why we had this theme). suprisingly, it turned out pretty fine. almost all of us, including the guests were dressed in chinese costumes. everybody had a great time, with the special numbers that the new staff presented. it's tradition that when you are new with the company you will have to perform something for the christmas party. (im thankful that i did that already like 2 years ago...it will never happen again!).

i'm here with my supervisor and friend aileen. oh yes our chinese blouse is almost the same! just the colors are different. our manager mayin bought this at singapore when she was there for a training. i was surprised when she got home and gave me the blouse. it was exciting because it's the first time that i got to owned a priced and authentic chinese blouse or "chiongsan" as they call it (not sure with the spelling though). this is something that i can still use when i go out with family and friends. just need to pair it with a nice pair of jeans and a gold flat shoes then i'm set!

the next day after our "chinese" christmas party was our dinner at the old spaghetti house somewhere in makati with our ALO's and colleagues from the airport.
<<ricardo or "ricky" as i call him is on the left and on the right is cameron, the "new guy". unlike our "previous ALO", ricky left manila not just as our colleague, but also as our friend. he's so efficient with his work and still manage to maintain friendship with us. and guess who he looks like??? never a dull moment with him for he talks too much...(kidding!) i hope that we'll also have the same working relationship with cameron. anyway, he also seems to be a nice guy too. i guess we'll just have to wait and see after three months.

and there was the single's fellowship at the hofmaier's house. this is one of the things that i look forward to every december. a time to be with my friends at church who shares the same faith that i have in Christ Jesus. it was a night of mingling, catching up and of course eating! 'twas really nice to see everybody again.

im sitting here with 3 special and talented individuals. joash: a fine arts student. who's really into arts...(duh?!) he's so good with drawings and photo editing. likes taking picture of everybody and of course of himself. next one is hannah: also a fine arts student. really good drawings and paintings (saw her works and it's amazing!). one cool gal with a distinct taste in fashion. we share the same love for "bargain hunting" at divisoria. and lastly, is none another than, hapi: the girl who has inspired me to go on the "southbeach diet". however, we are now the main violator of that diet because of the holiday season...hehe. but as soon as the holidays are over we're back to phase one, aren't we hapi? :) we can do it again!

the fellowship wouldn't be the same without games and singing. i just forgot the title of this game. but it's like putting the star on top of the tree and you do that when you are blindfolded (hello?! it would be too easy to put the star without blindfolds???!) i love it when we play this kinds of games...the feeling of being a kid again with nothing to think about but to play the whole day... i miss those days. "all work and no play, makes jack a dull boy."

...and of course, the best thing to end the night would be a group picture (a trademark of our get together)... hope to see more new faces on our next meetings, Lord willing.

...so that's it...that is december 2006! another memorable month for me. what's in store for year 2007 is still unknown to me...but it is a comfort that beyond the uncertainty in this world is the certainty that God cares, He is in control.

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

the best song that describes ME

2006-12-17T18:41:00.000+08:00

Who Am I?

Written by Mark Hall
Music by Casting Crowns
Song based on Psalms 52 and 139 and Ephesians 2

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You're

Chorus:
I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours

Who Am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love and watch me rise again
Who Am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me

I am Yours
Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
'Cause I am Yours
I am Yours

mi familia

2006-12-10T20:55:00.000+08:00

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my babies

2006-11-30T12:35:00.000+08:00

so you think they're the same.... think again...

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what's in a name?

2006-11-26T22:29:00.000+08:00

names are very important.

we all have one, and to a certain extent, we can control how that name is used.

my full name is quite long, and for me is a bit old fashioned, so I just shorten it to "cecile". that's what it says on my name plate at work.

only a few people use my full name - of course that would be my family. especially my mom when she's angry at me. people who know me from primary school actually still use my first name in full, so if someone calls me "maria cecilia", then i know that they knew me then. at college and at work, people called me "cecile" or "ces". close friends call me something else altogether. so based on what you call me, i can pretty much get a clue as to where you met me, or how long you've known me.

so, i guess i'm pretty happy with my name.

i have here a list of names that i could think of with their meanings. of course i'll begin with my name:

cecilia / cecile - in latin, means "the blind one"...also means inspired.
ivy - origin greek and english. a climbing evergreen ornamental plant.
natalie - origin french, born at christmas,
juanita - (my mom's name) origin spanish. form of Joanne. God is gracious.
jeremias - (my dad's name) origin hebrew. exalted of the Lord.
paulo - origin african. place of rest.
origin english. little rock.
origin greek. form of paul. small.
cressida - origin greek. gold
carlo - origin french. strong.
isidro - origin spanish. gifted with many ideas.
andrew - origin latin. manly.
jacob - origin hebrew. held by the heel.
hannah - origin hebrew. grace of God.
stephen - origin greek. crown.
isabella - origin hebrew. devoted to God.
sophia - origin greek. wisdom.
rebecca - origin hebrew. captivating; knotted cord.
marguerite - origin greek. child of light.

oh well, the list would go on forever... but it's just nice to know the meaning of our names.

blueskies on a monday morning

2006-11-20T08:38:00.000+08:00

it's monday...a fresh start...a beautiful day...the skies are blue! and i praise the Lord for His mercies.

Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies. Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. Psalms 103:1-5

...may God be my help this week...

slowly but surely

2006-11-18T00:39:00.000+08:00

yehey! slowly i've been learning some things about html and how to actually apply them here in my blog. it's really fun, though it's quite hard knowing that i'm not really good when it comes to the "html things". honestly, i don't understand the codes. i just copied it. hehe. anyway, at least i've been able to post some links, like my friends and some good sites. i'm just thrilled especially that we have dsl connection now. surfing the net is a lot faster than before. hopefully this will be the start of a more updated blogsite...

pheeew!

2006-11-14T23:04:00.000+08:00

i'm a living time bomb, waiting to explode any moment from now. that is of course, just my way of describing this day. it's been a day of pressure and stress at work. which has been i should say, two days in a row already. one was yesterday and of course today. i'm just really glad that it's over!

today i have been reminded of the following:
>trials will come our way anytime, it is inevitable.
>patience is indeed a virtue.
>a true friend will be there for you, no matter what.
>in customer service, remember to de-personalise. (very helpful if the customer is already being grumpy)
>in everything, be thankful. (even in a day like this, God is still in control!)

so that's about it.... i'm ready to hit the bed! good thing it's my off tomorrow. ZZzzzzzzz......

kids kids kids!

2006-11-10T22:30:00.000+08:00

here are some of the kids at church during our sunday school. taken during our activity time.

bananas and ice creams

2006-11-07T23:48:00.000+08:00

junkfoods out! bananas are in! i don't what happen but this has been the trend in the office for the past few weeks. everybody just having bananas for lunch, for snack and for dinner. and not only that, the ice creams just keep on coming everyday. it's like someone's always having their birthday.

i think this banana craze all started when Andrew, our new engineer came. we've noticed that everytime he goes to the office he always brings with him a bunch of bananas. my colleagues actually thought that it was a good way to go on a diet, and so, the banana craze began.

talking with Andrew, i was able to find out that he is watching his cholesterol so he is indeed on a diet (that's pretty much one of the reasons behind the bananas). he's a pretty nice guy and a good father too. by the way, he's got triplets which is so cool! and their names are nice, namely: caleb (means: capable), noah (means: rest) and ethan (means: enduring). i've been really into meaning of names lately. so i guess i'll post something about it next time.

anyway, i've seen other blogs lately and theirs are very nice. i think mine is kinda boring. i guess i'm just to lazy to study about html. hope to find something that is already made so i could just copy and paste...darn!

quotes for the day

2006-11-05T22:15:00.000+08:00

A dear old Quaker lady, distinguished for her youthful appearance, was asked what she used to preserve her appearance. She replied sweetly, 'I use for the lips, truth; for the voice, prayer; for the eyes, pity; for the hand, charity; for the figure, uprightness;and for the heart, love.
- Jerry Fleishman

Mere change is not growth. Growth is the synthesis of change and continuity, and where there is no continuity there is no growth.
- C.S. Lewis

Whatever man loves, that is his god. For he carries it in his heart; he goes about with it night and day; he sleeps and wakes with it, be it what it may
- wealth or self, pleasure or renown.
- Martin Luther

It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.
- Charles Haddon Spurgeon

what's been happening?

2006-10-31T22:41:00.000+08:00

“A customer can forgive an accident, what they can’t forgive is a sloppy response.” That is the last thing I remember from our emergency procedures training the other day. We are being trained on how to act and respond in case of an emergency, which other airlines don’t have. Come to think of it accidents do happen, it is inevitable. We can never tell when it will happen, but it pays to be prepared.

I’m sitting here in our newly open cafeteria. My mom and dad finally decided to put up a small business for the family. That is why they’ve been really busy for the past few weeks. And since I’m off today I decided to help out. I’m also glad because we already have regular customers who stop by to buy our homemade viands. This is indeed God’s blessing to us; I hope and pray that God will be glorified in this small business.

God has been good to us and is always good. We have four applicants for membership at church. It’s indeed a delight and encouragement for us to hear their testimonies on how God changed them through His words and how they’ve been brought from darkness into light by God’s saving grace through Christ Jesus. May God continue to add those who are being saved in His church.

what's up?

2006-10-13T23:23:00.000+08:00

...it's been quite some time since i posted something here. i must say, i'm really not a good blogger. everytime i try to write something the thoughts just fly away. so, i'll just write what's on my mind this very moment.

...we have just recovered from typhoon "milenyo". it just passed manila in a very short span of time, but it left tremendous disaster in our country. power supply was cut for like a week. everybody is busy fetching water in what we called a "poso". it was actually like going back to basic, when the only light you will see at night are those from the stars outside and from the lit candles. i have come to realize that there are things in life which sadly, i take for granted. like electricity and water. i'm really humbled by this calamity. and once again it reminded me of how God, in His Sovereignty is in control of everything, even in times of calamities. who are we to question Him?

...God's faithfulness and mercy are new every morning. He never neglects His people.

another LSS (last song syndrome)

2006-09-21T12:31:00.000+08:00

Changing Happy
By: jadon lavik; lavikmusic ascap, Chris Karn: asphaltpalms ascap

I’ve always found that happiness hides
Just around the corner just out of my reach
And the moment its found the next that it’s missing
And I need to change my own definition la da da da, da da da da da

Cause nothing’s ever quite all that it seems
And I am not convinced that anybody is ever living the dream
And expectations kill as reality plays this show of your life
It’s a whole different scene

Yeah, I’m changing what it means to be happy, what it means
Yeah, back to the way I know that it should be,
Close to you is where I need to be

No matter how hard we push or how hard we pull
There’s just a little bit more ‘til we’re full
Cause we’ve all tried to cover sadness and sorrow
With temporary things that never seem to last

Yeah, I’m changing what it means to be happy, what it means
Yeah, back to the way I know that it should be

So explain to me why we fill up empty with empty and at the end of the day
We’re confused by the longing

change it back, change it back, change it back, oh change it back,
change it back, change it back, change it back, change it back,

Yeah, I’m changing what it means to be happy, what it means
Yeah, back to the way I know that it should be
The way that it should be

Yeah, I’m changing what it means to be happy
What it means to be happy, to be happy, truly happy
Close to you is where I need to be mm mm….

Change it back, da da da
Change it back

sleepyheads

2006-09-14T12:18:00.000+08:00

got this from a friend... so cute!

the perfect fit

2006-09-13T16:57:00.000+08:00

when it comes to buying things for myself, i usually dont have a problem. i always try to plan shopping so as not to overspend. i have this thing of separating my "needs" and "wants" because i dont want to be out of control when im at the mall. thankfully i always end up buying the things that i really "need".

and if there is one thing that i need right now, it would be a pair of jeans. the one i have is kinda worn out and is a little big for me already, since i have shed a few pounds. yehey! wipee! :) i went to the mall this afternoon to buy one, but unfortunatley, nothing seems to fit me perfectly. for me, it's always hard to find the right kind of jeans. im kind of meticulous when it comes to this area. i dont want to buy a pair of jeans because it's the latest fad or trend. i look for comfort and ease. signature? name labels? im not very particular with this as well. as long as it fits perfectly it's fine with me.

oh well, it's not everyday that i have this thought about a pair of jeans... just now really, might as well write it.

old school

2006-09-11T22:52:00.000+08:00

old school kinda pic...thanks to photo editing, almost everything is possible. :)

wednesday.....my rest day!

2006-08-30T12:58:00.000+08:00

...been looking forward to this day. been really stressed out at work. we had a few diverted flights from australia due to the bad weather in hongkong. as usual, everybody's been busy. quite tiring, but i'm not complaining. it's just good to seat back and relax at home.

...might get a new haircut tomorrow.

...amazing race 10 will start this september. excited to see it!

...been laughing hard last night because of the video that was on my colleagues celfone. roger was able to capture on video maco's special number at det's house. he was dancing to the tune of "crazy in love" by beyonce knowles. his moves were old school! funny old school! haha.

...been trying to speak in english with a british accent. another haha for me! been fond of the accent ever since we handled the british airways diverted flight.

...i hope to find a dvd copy of pride and prejudice. my cousin kring and i agreed to watch it together.

...still thinking of the blueberries and cream crepe and mango crepe we had at cafe breton. it's super delicious!

...current mood: nonchalant

random musings

2006-08-23T13:23:00.000+08:00

>family dinners is one of my favorite things. when i say family, it includes the whole clan. last sunday, after church, we had a big dinner at home. a typical filipino dinner of pansit, pork adobo, fried bangus (milk fish) and salted eggs with tomatoes. hmmm.... yummy! but of course, i had to control myself, since im still practically trying to lose weight(really now?). while having dinner we were discussing the sermons we heard that day. just sharing our thoughts with one another which is truly encouraging.

>i met my niece, venise. she's 3 years old. she's very cute, tiny and she's got sparkly eyes. and i'm just really amazed at how she can speak clearly at her age. and not only that, it's like she has her own world. she has an imaginary friend, which she calls her boyfriend. oh my? a boyfriend at 3 years old. i'm 25 and i dont even have one. hmmm.... by the way, violet is her favorite color.

>chocolates... who doesn't like it? i could probably last a week or even a month without rice or bread. i've done that. but i dont think i will last a day without chocolates. i'm a "sweets" person. recently, i had my blood sugar tested. i got the results, and to my surprise my blood sugar level is normal. i thought it will be like so high because i'm really into sweets. but it's normal and i'm happy about that. i also had my cholesterol level tested, and it's also normal.

>my best friend ivy, called me the other day. and i'm so happy to hear from her. i truly miss her...she's not just my cousin, my best friend but most importantly, she's my sister in Christ. hope to see her again.

>action speaks louder than words. i've been thinking about this for the past few weeks. and in some ways, the way we act really says a lot about how we feel.

>been doing a lot of cooking for the past few weeks. mostly salads and grilled foods. because of this i've been going to the grocery more often. it's been my way of relieving stress. :)

>most recent movie i've watch: nanny mcphee.

>weather here is still unpredictable. you'll wake up to a sunny morning. and then hit the bed with a rainy evening.

>current mood: relaxed

survey says....

2006-08-14T22:12:00.000+08:00

i finally filled-up this girlie survey form... just a few facts about me:

>>what do you friends call you? *cecile and ces*
>>is your bestfriend a girl? *yep, my cousin ivy*
>>do you wear make-up? *yes, but only at work*
>>do you wear shoes with high heels? *unfortunately, yes*
>>do you like wearing dresses? *yep. it's so feminine*
>>do you have short or long hair? *uhmm, kinda long*
>>one length or layered? *layered*
>>how long does it take you to fix yourself up? *at least 2 hours... :)*
>>do you have a "kikay" kit? *yes i have one*
>>if yes, what's inside? *my face powder, lip gloss, concealer, blush-on and lipstick*
>>how long do you take a bath? *30-45 minutes*
>>do you use conditioner? *alternately*
>>how do you dry your hair? *air dry*
>>what's your usual hairstyle? *ponytail*
>>do you panic if you have a pimple? *not really*
>>do you often go to the salon? *not that much, only when i feel stressed*
>>when was the last time you went to the salon? *can't remember*
>>do you have crushes and share them with your friends? *i only have one...and yes i share it only to my closest friends*
>>what you like in a guy? *thoughtful, nice, honest, neat looking, responsible, taller than me and of course a Godly man.*
>>do you blush whenever you see that special person? *uhmm...yes*
>>do you paint your nails? *nope*
>>what's your usual outfit? *jeans and white t-shirt...anything white and khaki*
>>rubber shoes or sandals? *rubber shoes*
>>how many piercings do you have one? *one on each ear lobe so i could put my earrings :)*
>>do you go on a diet? *yes...im on it*
>>what brand of shampoo do you use, lip balm/lip gloss, soap/body wash, lotion? *shampoo: head and shoulders, lip balm: body shop, lip gloss: estee lauder, soap: goat's milk soap, lotion: dont use one*
>>do you put cucumber in your eyes? *sometimes*
>>do you fix yourself anywhere? *when i feel like it*
>>is it fun being a girl? *yes indeed*
>>what are you thinking right now? *hope this survey ends*

cutie...

2006-08-11T21:25:00.000+08:00

here are a few pics i got from my email. so cute, it made my day.

sweet thing...

awww! so sweet...

cool dogs in summer!

four happy chicks...

best friends...

last song syndrome for the week

2006-08-09T18:56:00.000+08:00

let it go
by: jadon lavik

Sometimes I wonder

what's holdin me back
from runnin' this race
at a steady pace.
I start out fast
but go clingin' to my past.
And suddenly,
I'm sitting in last.

Here and now is where I wanna be,
not hangin' on some worn out memory.
And I know
the best thing for my love,
sometimes you just gotta,
you gotta let it go.

Stand up, please
and change the channel on my mind.
Another scene,
any other scene would soon be just fine.
Rehearsin', rehashin', reinactin' all the times.
I keep returning to
the scene of the crime, yeah.

Here and now is where I wanna be,
not hangin' on some worn out memory.
And I know
the best thing for my love,
sometimes you just gotta,
you gotta let it go.

I know, I know I know, I know.
I know, I know, I know, I know.
I know, I know, I know, I know.
I know, I know, I know, I gotta let it go!

Here and now is where I wanna be,
not hangin' on some worn out memory.
And I know
the best thing for my love,
sometimes you just gotta,
you gotta let it go!

Here and now is where I wanna be.
Here and now is where I wanna be.
Not hangin' on the worn out memories,
here and now is where I wanna be.

stressful day

2006-08-04T22:50:00.000+08:00

thursday, yesterday, 03 august was just a normal day. started my day with a prayer and meditation of God's word. was pretty excited of what's in-store for me that day. i went to work feeling relaxed, although i was a bit late. everyone at the office was pretty much okey. not until 3:30 in the afternoon...

one of my colleague got a call from london, that flight BA031 bound for hongkong will be diverting here in manila due to the bad weather in hongkong. and that's it. the relaxed atmosphere in the office suddenly turned into a slight chaos. because it's an unexpected flight. and since british airways is a member of the oneworld alliance, we as staff from qantas are expected to help out in their flight. it was actually, okey, but what made things complicated is that it is simultaneous with our qantas flight. so we had to divide the staff into two. the other half would be assigned for qantas, the other for the british airways diverted flight.

as i looked outside the window, i saw a certain number of cathay pacific aircrafts which also diverted in manila due to the bad weather. there was also swiss air.

the airport was in chaos. both arrival and departure area looked like an evacuation center. passengers where actually brought to certain number of hotels, others were transferred to other airlines.

i was assigned at the office that time. and it was really a stressful night. phonelines were really busy. it's like a call center! the calls over the uhf radio was also non-stop.

there was actually a number of flights that wanted to divert in manila, but since the airport is really full, they were no longer accomodated and was just advised to divert at clark or at cebu international airport.

it was indeed a busy day for all of us. and i'm thankful that all of the diverted flights left already a while ago. again, we handled the british airways flight. and it turned out very well, thank God. we even got commendation from the crew, and from the passengers. when i heard what they said about us, i just felt like, all of the stress and cares from handling that flight just flew away.

i really thank God for what had happen. the diversion was really unexpected and unknown to us, especially to me. but it's a comfort because i know i was able to get through that experience because of God's grace. and i will always be thankful for that.

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

relieved

2006-08-02T19:10:00.000+08:00

it is really a relief knowing that you have someone to talk to who share the same faith that you have. a christian friend, who loves the Lord. someone who would openly rebuke you if you're doing something outside of God's will, and someone whom you can always lean on no matter what happens. i thank God for the friends that i have right now. it is a blessing indeed.

a while ago, i had the opportunity to chat with my friend hapi. it was a short chat, but i indeed felt relieved with some of the things that is bothering my mind for the past few weeks. we actually talked about relationships in particular. she was very open to me and gave some advise in line with God's word.

there's a lot to say about our conversation... but there's one thing in our chat that i will not forget. the prayer of shannon harris, wife of joshua harris, author of the book BOY MEETS GIRL, " Lord if this feelings is not from you, please take it away."

memories that will last a lifetime

2006-07-28T22:44:00.000+08:00

these are the moments that will always stay with me....

my brother's graduation day

acting goofy at people's park, tagaytay

cousins and sisters both at the same time

with cousin dj and carlo

rainy monday

2006-07-24T23:11:00.000+08:00

"rainy days and mondays always gets me down"...

a line from the song of the carpenters. that is the perfect way of describing this day.

it was indeed a rainy day. i shouldn't be surprised by that since it's the time of the year. here in the philippines, we just experience two kinds of seasons: summer and rainy days.

i basically, had a hard time getting out of bed this morning. since it was cold and rainy. it was what i would call "bed weather" since you wouldn't want to get out of bed. not to mention the gray skies, which makes the day even more gloomy. the snooze in my alarm clock is my friend during this days. :) and having the snooze as my friend, resulted in me being 11 minutes late at work. geesh! not only was i late, i got soaked as well.

anyway, work turned out to be alright. not so many passengers. i wasn't really that pressured and stressed. something that i have to be thankful about. my work is sometimes a routine. and i do get bored, which should not be the case. how can i be bored when im not just working for my company but most especially for God. "therefore in whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do it for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31. what a great way to remind my weak self to have joy and do my best at work, no matter the situation.

it's not a bad day after all... and i thank God for that.

i wonder what's in store for me tomorrow? :)

out of the blue

2006-07-23T22:51:00.000+08:00

have you ever felt that sudden feeling of missing something? or not really a thing but someone? im not so sure, but for this past few days, i'm trying to figure out why i'm feeling this way. it's like i'm looking for something...or maybe someone? weird... really weird. but no matter, how weird it is, i know this feeling will past... it'll just take some time...

better hit the bed cause this thing is not making any sense...

flowers

2006-04-26T12:06:00.000+08:00

Last monday, we went to Binangonan, Rizal for our group outing. It was actually a long drive going there. We travelled around 10 in the evening. Everyone was already hungry so we made a stop in a steak house called Snakaroo. It was actually my first time to eat a t-bone steak, since im not really much of a red meat eater. The steak was good, but at the back of my mind, I kept on thinking about the amount of calories in the steak...hehe.

Anyways, we continued on our journey and we arrived there at around 12am. The place was really good and it was actually huge. 200 hectares of land. There was a huge pool and also a kiddie pool. The place was so serene, it was actually on top of a mountain, overlooking the city. Being there, made me forget my job, at least for two days.

Some of my colleagues, being music buffs, went for the videoke machine and sang to their hearts content. My friends and I opted for a night swim. It was such a beautiful night, with all the stars that seems to be just within my reach. Truly God is great for He created the stars at night! I got the chance to practice my swimming skills, which I have to say is below average. Anyway, it was really a beautiful night, just enjoying the waters and the stars.

In the morning, we had breakfast cooked in an old fashioned way. Since there was actually no stove, they used woods to cook. It was really cool. I dont think I would last with that kind of system...hehe.

Before we went home we had a quick stroll around the place and found this beautiful flowers and bamboos. It was the first time I heard the sound of bamboo. Being in the province is really relaxing since it makes you forget the busy things in the city. It also makes you see the beauty of nature and praise God for His great Creation!

happy birthday lola!

2006-04-09T21:33:00.001+08:00

Last march 25 was my lola's (grandma) birthday. It was her 83rd birthday. Truly the Lord had been good to her and is always there for her. From her childhood days to her adult years. She has received lot's of good things from the Lord, one of which is Salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, which is the greatest of all. She has a good family and Jesus by her side...what more can she ask for?

^Lola with her two sons: Pastor Bhoy and Fely

places...beautiful places

2006-03-21T21:44:00.000+08:00

Lord willing, one of the things that i would like to do is to travel and see some of the beautiful places in the world... and here are the first two on my list:

eiffle tower in Paris, France

buckingham palace in London, UK

welcome to blogspot!

2006-03-19T21:38:00.000+08:00

wow this is great! i mean to welcome myself here...hehe. i decided to give blogspot a try since i cant access my blogsite at msn... i wonder what happen there? anyways, i will try to post some blogs soon.... adios!