C is for Courage over Cancer.

i've always thought of those courageous women who have combatted and withstood the pitfalls of breast cancer. i've seen women from my family struggled, succumbed and survived the ferocious c a few times.

i am no stranger to this fact, being a daughter of a survivor.  my siblings and i learned at an early age the severity that the illness could bring. the experience has allowed myself to feel for those women afflicted with the same condition. the invisble link binding women together is spun by our innate nature for compassion, nurturing instinct and need for belongingness.

i will share in a separate entry my personal journey to self discovery as i begin to protect myself and mitigate the high risks of it happening to me. i am saluting a strong woman whom i have had the pleasure of knowing during the my last year in graduate school. her unwavering strength and willingness to survive her ordeal for her family, children and herself make her truly an admirable woman. it's very different if you're hearing the person speaks personally of her journey to recovery. the truimphs are at their greatest when a person has learned to accept her situation and has a firm resolve in overcoming the big c.

my friend, carla sison, has shown me that a person can live a normal life and be the best she can be to herself and to those around her despite the challenges and uncertainty breast cancer brings. she has been an inspiration and a living testimony of how strong a woman is. she had to stop grad school for a year when she was diagnosed and had undergone chemotherapy.  she sped through the road to recovery and was back in her usual fighting form soon after.

she went back to playing badminton and topped up mba class of 2007.

i know that not all women who have been blessed and cursed with the big c are as fortunate as carla or my mother is. breast cancer has taken many lives and has left many families, motherless. but no one can discount the courage, willingness, and determination a girl or woman has in standing up for a fate she has no hold of.  for those of us who are lucky enough to talk about this tremendous and life-changing experience, let us continue to fight against the big c by pro-actively arming ourselves with the best care we can afford and let us remain steadfast in our resolve in uplifting those who have less, those who are not as strong as us.

(photo taken from Google)

Manic Monday.

today’s just been crazy.  when you feel that something bad is going to happen, it definitely will.

the usual grind at work is a given fact so i have learned to adjust myself to the pressure of deadlines and those around me.   admittedly, it takes a lot, for my resolve to crumble.  but i have to give credit to this contractor i signed on to do the spandrel roofing at our house.

i cannot tolerate delays, unpreparedness and lousy excuses for non-delivery of work promised.  i expect a lot from a person whom i have made a deal with.  you can count on me demanding the compliance of terms and conditions whenever i see fit.  i’ve dealt with all sorts of people from all walks of life that’s why i cannot be easily intimidated.

obviously, this day ended with the contractor becoming wiser.  the invaluable lesson of his life was taught by yours truly.

on a lighter side, i got a free starbucks drink after redeeming a free drink courtesy of a charged purchase using my hsbc card.  maybe they have noticed that i only have a starbucks drink in my hands whenever there’s a promo tie-up with my credit card. lol!

I am a Supporter of the RH Bill!

i am single, financially able and practical.  i know i will be able to provide and raise a child should i decide to have one.  but i wonder, truly wonder how it is for those who are not as fortunate as i am.  will their kids have the access to basic education and living necessities?  will the parents be able to sustain the pressure and growing needs of raising a family with limited sources to begin with?

i am all for the RH bill because it will enable each individual, born or unborn, the right to a good life.  parents should always reserve their rights to choose which family planning method works best for them.  i am devout catholic and have enshrined my spiritual growth to its teaching but i cannot side with her stand against the RH bill.  i am all for the right to be educated, to be given a choice, to be able to live a life i choose, to be empowered and to be heard.

if turn our backs now, how will it be possible for this impoverished and struggling country of ours, to align its goals and long-term plans for a sustainable economic growth capable of providing quality living for its people?  we have to start somewhere.  i believe that it is about time to include sex education in our health curriculum.  i beg the religious groups who find offence in this.  i didn’t learn about the “birds and bees” from home.  a trip to the health center for my physical education class taught me what i need to know about the human reproductive system and responsible parenthood.  was i ever grossed out with what i learned?  of course not!  things became clear in fact. 

do you want access to the same information?  do you, as parents, want to secure your family’s future?  do you, as a woman, want a life of informed choices, a husband or partner respecting your rights and needs, a society able to support your role in nation building? 

if you do, let your voice be heard.  stand up for change.  it’s about time.

Cleansing my Soul.

“new ways to fast this lenten season:

fast from anger and hatred.

give your family extra doses of love.

fast from judging others.

before making any judgment,

recall how Jesus overlooks your faults.

fast from discouragement.

hold on to Jesus’ promise that He has

a perfect plan for your life.

fast from complaining all the time.

when you find yourself complaining,

close your eyes and recall

the moments of joy

that Jesus keeps giving you.

fast from spending too much on useless things,

and give your savings to the poor!”

-         from alice canlas-avancena

a re-post from ms. deedee m. siytangco’s article, manila bulletin 20march2011.

a good reflection during this 2^nd sunday of lent. Jesus is teaching us to free our hearts of hatred and judgment in order to create more room for love and understanding.

for it is only when we forgive do we liberate ourselves and allow our hearts to love unconditionally.

New Bombay Restaurant

there’s a branch across our office which i’ve visited a few times.  the food is flavourful, ambience is relaxed and the service is about right.

my friend and i ended up eating at new bombay’s  in greenbelt branch instead, in our attempt to avoid the familiar faces lurking inside the branch across our office.

anyhow, we ordered chicken curry, fish tikka, basmati rice and chapatti.  the food attendant was very helpful when asked about their specialties.  however, if we haven’t tried this resto before, we wouldn’t have gotten inside because the place was empty!  the resto’s a/c was even off when we entered the place. 

we enjoyed the food.  the resto didn’t fail us with their signature flavourful curry and with their mediocre service as well.  i mean, the a/c was not on when we got in and yet, it was shut off the minute we settled the bill! how lousy can the service get?  i dare say, that I will not visit the place in a long, long time.  the service and lasting impression should always be part of a great gastronomical experience. 

The Best Things in Life are Free!

i’ve been a familiar face at starbucks lately. it’s not because i frequent the place nor i have an addiction to caffeine. truth be told, it pains me to gaze at the prices on the menu let alone spend P150 daily for the caffeine rush.  my hsbc card allows me to have that starbucks experience for free!

i think this is the second time that they had a promotion tied with starbucks. i was actually hoping for the sm gift cheque but i who am i to complain? lol.

i take advantage of the promotion by managing my expenses in multiples of P2,000.  relax, i never splurge and was never an impulse buyer so there’s no danger in me ending up with unnecessary spending.

my favourite by far is iced green tea latte.  i still have charge slips unclaimed to last me a week. til, my next cup!

Inspirational Sunday

“to receive something you never had,

you have to do something you never did.

and when God takes something from your grasp,

He’s not punishing you, but merely opening your hands

so you can receive something better from Him.

remember, the will of God will never take you

to where His grace will not protect you.”

-         lito casual, NAIA

above is a re-post from ms. deedee siytangco’s angel thoughts column in manila bulletin printed on 13mar11..

this thought is very striking for me as it is for my younger sister who is in a roller coaster of emotions. 

i would say, hold on to your faith dearly. faith is never trivial a matter.  in fact, i find it very logical.  i mean how can you hold more when your hands are already full? how can you love when you’re full of hatred? aren’t those things too elementary for us learned people?

faith is not subjective.  it’s more the person possessing or lacking it, who is.

faith is absolute. it’s either you have it or you don’t.  it’s a choice of believing or not in something or someone of greater power capacity.

though i’m still a work-in-progress, i can dare say that i have faith in me.  huge one, in fact.

Global Friends.

my work at a foreign mission enabled me to meet colleagues and counterparts from all over the world.  i’ve been fortunate to have seen and interacted with them personally.  four of these unique individuals, i’ve been closest to and have kept in touch since 2008 (the year i met them).

they come from china, switzerland and libya.  the bond among us four grew stronger with every story, milestone and difficulty shared.  i felt i’m the closest to them when i tell them about my country, my fellowmen and my family.  the world even seemed a smaller place when you have friends all over, when you get to hear the news straight from a local and when you are given a personal recount of what’s happening around.

i felt for the hongkong nationals slained during the luneta massacre august last year.  i personally expressed my apologies to lizzy, my friend from china.  though she sees and understands things beyond what the news shows, i felt i owe her an apology as a sign of respect for her fellowmen who perished in the hands of an anguished man.

then came the political turmoil in egypt and libya.  my friend emil, has been through a lot not only for his own safety and his family’s but also in the line of his duty.  i will forever admire his dedication and fortitude to remain in libya until the repatriation of our mission’s nationals have been completed.  this took precious time away from his family, who fled to egypt days before without him.  his country of origin, egypt, was still far from political recovery and stability when the upheaval in libya erupted.  my friends and i kept a close vigil of his whereabouts and remained on our toes for any news of his flee from libya. 

my other friend, stephan from geneva was the first one who had contacted me a day after the onslaught of ondoy.  i can remember how they commiserated with my situation and the whole philippines as well.

we’ve made our promise to see one another soon.  the bond we have is as strong as the ones i have with my friends close by.  the distance between us only strengthens the faith we have in our friendship.

Unwritten

by Natasha Bedingfield

i am unwritten,
can't read my mind
i'm undefined
i'm just beginning
the pen's in my hand
ending unplanned

staring at the blank page before you
open up the dirty window
let the sun illuminate the words
that you could not find
reaching for something in the distance
so close you can almost taste it
release your innovation

feel the rain on your skin
no one else can feel it for you
only you can let it in
no one else, no one else
can speak the words on your lips
drench yourself in words unspoken
live your life with arms wide open
today is where your book begins
the rest is still unwritten, yeah

oh, oh

i break tradition
sometimes my tries
are outside the lines, oh yeah yeah
we've been conditioned
to not make mistakes
but i can't live that way oh, oh

staring at the blank page before you
open up the dirty window
let the sun illuminate the words
that you could not find
reaching for something in the distance
so close you can almost taste it
release your inhibitions

feel the rain on your skin
no one else can feel it for you
only you can let it in
no one else, no one else
can speak the words on your lips
drench yourself in words unspoken
live your life with arms wide open
today is where your book begins

feel the rain on your skin
no one else can feel it for you
only you can let it in
no one else, no one else
can speak the words on your lips
drench yourself in words unspoken
live your life with arms wide open
today is where your book begins
the rest still unwritten

(gospel)
staring at the blank page before you
open up the dirty window
let the sun illuminate the words
that you could not find
reaching for something in the distance
so close you can almost taste it
release your inhibitions

feel the rain on your skin
no one else can feel it for you
only you can let it in
no one else, no one else
can speak the words on your lips
drench yourself in words unspoken
live your life with arms wide open *****
today is where your book begins

feel the rain on your skin
no one else can feel it for you
only you can let it in
no one else, no one else
can speak the words on your lips
drench yourself in words unspoken
live your life with arms wide open *****
today is where your book begins

the rest is still unwritten

the rest is still unwritten

this has song has been most instrumental and inspirational when i was in search of my worth as a person five years back.  i believed that i was capable of anything then because i live my life as i see fit.

i’m thankful for the opportunity, wise persons and hurdles i’ve had along the way. they made my triumphs even sweeter.

Civility in the workplace

Respect

but how does one show civility towards his superiors, colleagues or subordinates?  it’s basically dealing with others in a way that shows respect and propriety.  we are expected to extend basic courtesy and kindness even to those we personally find unkind and unlikeable.

“in many instances, we should tailor-fit or customize our approach or interaction with people depending on the social setting and level of our relationship,” says mich gorrospe, a human resources expert and regional talent manager of a bpo firm.

even during heated heated arguments and disagreements or when faced with a customer complaint, civility means not losing one’s temper or raising one’s voice and sticking to the facts.  this helps an employee look beyond the anger, frustration and negativity.

in the case of unlikeable co-workers and especially if one is a member of a team whose roles are interdependent, one should not be distracted by their unlikeability but should instead focus on the goals by getting things done and preserving status quo, so to speak.  it is not necessary to be intimate and overfamiliar with their personal life of a co-worker—sincerely greeting people with a nod or smile and acknowledging it makes for every civil behaviour.  one can also consider understanding or reaching out to an unkind co-worker…

an excerpt from ms lilia borlongan-alvarez’ article published on 06feb11 in panorama