2 out of 7

2 years ago, i wrote about being able to go to 1 out of 7 of the new 7 wonders of the world. i really feel very lucky and blessed to be able to do 2 out of 7 just a few weeks ago, christ redeemer in rio de janeiro. my 2 sisters and i joined a brazil trek in MIT. first time that the 3 of us got to travel together, too bad our youngest sister (we missed you shobe!!!) wasn't able to join us 'coz she has classes. it was a great experience! new friends, fun memories and a lot of firsts!

brazil, most specially rio, is a very interesting place. it's a good balance of urban and rural life, merging people from different places and different races. a lot more to it besides beaches, slippers, models and soccer games.

i didn't expect that staying in rio for a week would make me fall in love with the city. given a chance, i would love to live there.

goodbye for now rio...i hope to see you soon!

bored? need a break?

amusing! hahaha:P

been busy lately, no time to write a new entry. in the mean time, for those with a few minutes to spare and those in need of a little entertainment, click this.

do i dare?

i love sweets. i love candies.

knowing how much i love skittles, a friend told me recently that she saw chocolate flavored skittles. eversince i was told, i've been searching for it each time i pass by a candy corner store.

warning: if you are one of those easily grossed out, don't read beyond this sentence.

i've always loved jelly beans too & i remember a few years back when the first harry potter movie was shown, jelly belly company made these special harry potter edition of jelly beans. they were called bertie bott's every flavor beans & included over 100 crazy ones like hotsauce, leather, liver, cough medicine, etc. i got curious that time but i never had the chance to try them.

this morning, while i was at the mall, i passed by a candy corner store & was trying to look for the chocolate flavored skittles when i chanced upon these small boxes of jelly beans called beanboozled. these beanboozled jelly beans unlike the bertie bott only contain 10 crazy flavors such as toothpaste, rotten egg, babywipes, etc. i've always regarded myself as an adventurous eater but this time do i dare?

so what have i been up to?

it's 8 days past 2009 & for those in the workforce, tomorrow is the first friday of the first work week. for me, i've officially became a bum for a week. weird thing is i'm not bored or bothered yet. i'm starting my year slow, still enjoying & trying to think of what i really want to do next in my life.

i know, i know...i should think fast & start acting soon. hmmm...it's just that i don't want to rush & enter something halfheartedly. i want to be sure that whatever i'm going to do next is what i really want & that it will be if not permanent, for a long term.

this week for me was all about tying up loose ends. i had my xray done, met up with some important people in my life, finished the book i'm reading & finally went back to the gym.

still don't know what i'll be facing for the coming weeks. so far though, i'm feeling good about 2009.

my last post for the year

i'm going home tomorrow to spend the holidays with my family in our hometown. it's great to be able to share these special days with loved ones & also get reunited with old friends.

2008 in summary was a huge year for me. with a lot of ups and downs. a lot of things to be thankful for. rocky, crazy, fun! memories i will surely treasure. i learned a lot which i know will help me face this coming new year. looking forward to 2009!

merry merry christmas & a blessed new year to everyone!!!:)

book of life

our lives are like books with empty pages, waiting to be written each day.

25 days from now, another chapter of my life will end. seems just like yesterday when it started. i can't wait for a new chapter to begin.

overheard

i heard this sad story over the radio this morning. a 20 year old girl. part time student & call center agent. works 5am 'til 2pm & goes to school after. only daughter. her problem -- she was recently diagnosed with brain tumor. she doesn't want to tell her parents because considering their financial position & the costs that will be incurred, she wouldn't want to be a burden to them.

if you were her, would you tell your parents? it's difficult to say 'cause we're not in her position, but even if i don't know her personally, i really do hope she tells her parents soon before it becomes too late. we can't carry all our burdens alone no matter how strong we think we are. we shouldn't always put all the weight in our shoulders.

hearing of situations like this makes me think of how lucky i am... how thankful i should be for what & who i have in my life. makes me realize that i should try to complain less & be more contented... that the problems i rant about are far minuscule compared to others.

positivity

just want to share a really nice quote my friend told me last week...

"What the caterpillar sees as the end of the world, the Master sees as a butterfly."

a positive thought to start our week:)

ninuninuninu

okay i'm bored. what should i do?

a. have a tattoo
b. leave my phones, buy a ticket & go somewhere far & quiet where no one knows.
c. hmmm...

i'm really running out of ideas. any suggestions?

i remember last time i was bored (mid last year), i had my hair chopped off:P

don't worry...everything will be alright...

REAL GIRL

If I had one chance to

In my life again

I wouldn't make no changes

Now or way back when

And if everything turns out

The way I hope it goes

But I can't wait to find out

What it is that God knows

But I don't want to think about

What's gonna come around for me

I'll just take it day by day

'Cause it's the only way

To be the best that I can be

I never pretend to be something I'm not

You get what you see, when you see what I've got

We live in the real world, I'm just a real girl

I know exactly where I stand

And all I can do is be true to myself

I don't need permission from nobody else

'Cause this is the real world, I'm not a little girl

I know exactly who I am

And nothing's ever perfect

There's no guarantee

And if I knew the answers

It would put my mind at ease

So I'll just keep on going

The way I've gone so far

And maybe I'll end up

Tryin' to catch a fallin star

Baby this is who I am

Don't need you to understand

'Cause everything is right where it should be

It won't be long til you know about me,

'Cause I don't give a...

Even when I'm out of love

'Cause everythings just how it should be

And it won't be long till you know about me

I never pretend to be something I'm not

You get what you see, when you see what I've got

We live in the real world, I'm just a real girl

I know exactly where I stand

And all I can do is be true to myself

I don't need permission from nobody else

'Cause this is the real world, I'm not a little girl

I know exactly who I am

(Real Girl lyrics - Mutya Buena)

reality check

one thing i hate about myself, which my closest friends also want me to change, is that i trust too much. i'm rarely skeptical with new people i meet. i give them a 100% of my trust, up to the point when they do something to break it. i've always believed that we are all born good and that deep inside the heart of even the most evil person is a pure & kind heart.

am i really wrong to believe this? i don't want to, but should i start doubting every person i meet and from there let them earn my trust? has our world really come to a point where we can trust no one but ourselves?

proud sister

my sister is in Financial Times!

Congrats Jack! We're so proud of you & we love you!!!

red and green

last time i went to MOA was January of this year. 9 months since, i had the chance to go there again for Sunday brunch with 2 of my great friends. i was amazed to see red & green lights installed in the parking slots. if the light in a slot is green, it means that it's available & if it's red it means that a car is parked. i wish all malls will have these kind of lights installed. it will help save gas & save time too!

thanks to ecat for the photo

Nohari Window

the nohari window is the opposite version of the johari window. it maps out a person's perceived & unrecognised weaknesses. i hope those who know me will take time off to answer this for me. don't be scared to put your name or if you are, you can answer with a codename or just leave it anonymous. i'd love to hear criticisms & hopefully change to become better. hehe:)

http://kevan.org/nohari?name=janysing

oooopppppssssss

careless me, i forgot to post the link to my johari window. hehehe. so here it is.

what do you think of me now?

reading jenny's recent entry about her johari's window, i remembered that i created one for myself too same time as she did.

two years since, many things came about. people...places...events...

i got inspired so i'm also reposting this. i'm hoping to obtain new responses from old & new friends/acquaintances. just to compare how they see me now from two years back.

Arena (known to self and others) dependable, logical, mature, sentimental, trustworthy	Blind Spot (known only to others) adaptable, calm, caring, confident, friendly, giving, helpful, idealistic, independent, intelligent, kind, loving, modest, organised, patient, quiet, reflective, relaxed, responsive, self-conscious, sensible, shy, warm, wise, witty
Façade (known only to self) observant	Unknown (known to nobody) able, accepting, bold, brave, cheerful, clever, complex, dignified, energetic, extroverted, happy, ingenious, introverted, knowledgeable, nervous, powerful, proud, religious, searching, self-assertive, silly, spontaneous, sympathetic, tense

All Percentages

able (0%) accepting (0%) adaptable (8%) bold (0%) brave (0%) calm (25%) caring (33%) cheerful (0%) clever (0%) complex (0%) confident (8%) dependable (25%) dignified (0%) energetic (0%) extroverted (0%) friendly (25%) giving (25%) happy (0%) helpful (8%) idealistic (16%) independent (33%) ingenious (0%) intelligent (25%) introverted (0%) kind (16%) knowledgeable (0%) logical (16%) loving (8%) mature (25%) modest (25%) nervous (0%) observant (0%) organised (16%) patient (8%) powerful (0%) proud (0%) quiet (41%) reflective (8%) relaxed (8%) religious (0%) responsive (8%) searching (0%) self-assertive (0%) self-conscious (8%) sensible (8%) sentimental (8%) shy (41%) silly (0%) spontaneous (0%) sympathetic (0%) tense (0%) trustworthy (33%) warm (16%) wise (8%) witty (25%)

my thoughts on pain

there are moments we just wish that the journey of life is smooth. no curves or rough roads to travel. then again, without these difficulties, how can we become stronger & better? by going through hardships, we learn to appreciate simple things more. all these trials are meant to happen to teach us something. a lesson we otherwise wouldn't learn if we were forever sheltered in a perfect life.

i told my friend jenny once, "why do we need to feel all these pain? why can't we just always live a happy life?" she told me, "if we don't feel pain, how can we feel we're alive?"

daddy's girl

we've never been the expressive kind of family. we don't give hugs or kisses when we leave or come home, not even during special occasions. we love, care & support each other in silence, particularly my dad. he's the type who's reserved but you sense the deep concern. he's a wise man who rarely speaks, so when he does we really listen.

being the eldest of 4 girls, i think i'm more of my mom's girl than my dad's. i feel that amongst us, my 2nd sibling or my youngest is closest to my dad. that's why i really value the few times that my dad shows his affection towards me.

this morning, while i was having breakfast, he came to me with a tube of antibiotic. he told me to apply it to my wound. (fyi: i just had a big wart removed from my middle finger in my left hand)

i cherish these occasional moments, they transport me to a state of bliss.

never too late

i've been meaning to write this entry for a while now but due to the crazy schedule last week (dinners, reunions, weddings, etc...) and because of fear that i will not be able to adequately describe how i felt and aptly thank the people involved, i kept on putting this off.

today, exactly 1 week since my 26th, my schedule is a lot better. i still don't know the best way how & i still don't think any words i say will be sufficient to express my feelings & my appreciation. so i'll just do it the way i know how...i'd like to simply say THANKS!

THANKS to my Bicol friends, my HS friends, my college friends, my Shanghai friends and my family.:)

thank you for taking time off from all your busy schedules & travelling all the way to Makati on a week day to spend my special day with me. you made my day complete & unforgettable. you made my 26th my best birthday so far.

most importantly, i'd like to say thank you to 2 important persons i treasure in my life who made this possible. they were responsible for organizing this. THANK YOU TIFF & ECAT!!! I FEEL SO BLESSED & LUCKY THAT I HAVE MET YOU BOTH & HAVE YOU IN MY LIFE.:)

no hair no hair

i admit. there's something about men with shaved heads that makes me take the second look. tall, lean men... goatie... some tattoos are even fine. in short, i don't dig the "good guy/clean look" that much. (my close friends even tease me sometimes that maybe my type is someone who's like basura.)

take for example derek ramsey. major hotness!!! bring him in and maybe you'll need to bring the firemen & firetruck along.:P that's why i can't help but react to his latest billboard for an apparel brand along cubao-edsa southbound. what's up with him growing his hair?