My Weekend Journal

What's this van doing here? The country is saving electricity. Are we taking our part in celebrating Earth Day early? The answer is just a plain "No". The reason is too far from Earth Day's campaign. We are saving electrical energy for the coming election on May 2010. We have scheduled power interruption, - er not really scheduled because we don't receive any advisory from the provider - which happens almost everyday. As usual, I was burning my browses trying to beat my deadline. I'm on the process of quality checking my work when my monitor turned black. I thought there would be no power interruption today but why did this happen? We went out of the office trying to get some fresh air only to realize that we're the only one having power problem. Our line was dead because of overload. An hour or so later, a white van with a ladder on top on it came and we easily identified them as the power people. They effortlessly pulled the ladder from the van...

I was on my way home last night. Seated beside me in the multicab is a girl in a conventional hospital nurse uniform. She was excitedly chatting with another girl on her side. I know it is not good to eavesdrop but I could hear their voices without intending to listen to their conversation. They just came from a school-related activity. When I dropped my head trying to take a nap, I saw a hardbound folder on the girl's lap. I figured out they just attended her oath taking ceremony. When I was just a little girl, I have always wanted to become a teacher. I would insist I be one on role-plays in school or even at home. Most of my classmates and friends also wanted to be a teacher. It could be that our teachers had great influence on our childhood dreams. I have never dreamed I would be in a medical profession. The only times I have worn lab coats for doctors were on science laboratories. I have seen people on medical scrub sets but never imagined myself wearing one. Because of...

We may be distressed by what we see. We may be wracked in pain as we pray for insight to understand. God may grant us that wisdom. But how much better it is to have faith from the very beginning, to be confident in things we cannot see! We must recognize that God’s grace and justice are not absent because we cannot see it. Faith does not end our distress, nor does it abolish our prayers for wisdom and understanding; but it places a firm foundation under our knees as we pray those prayers. It gives us shelter while we pray for the rain to stop. It gives us strength in our times of weakness, comfort in times of distress, and hope for joy in times of great sadness. [A spiritual insight from Rev. Ken Collins]

Holy Week is known to be the last week of Lent and the week immediately before Easter. Some people consider this as the pinnacle time for the religious; as a means of escape to the beaches or mountains; or as a time in which they could get a head start at the office. The traditional values of the people engrossed in religion inspires for spiritual contemplation and renewal of faith. However, there are still those that manage to slip away for family vacations. The non-practicing faithful and those who are not associated with any particular faith are even more likely to take their leave for the comforts of their own homes or for the bliss of summer destinations. How will you spend Holy Week? Would it be a week of prayer, recreation, or preparation for incoming workload?

One can survive everything, except death. Death is inevitable. We do not know when it will come to us. If the people we love are taken away from us by death, the way to have them live with us is to continue loving them. People all die, but real love remains forever. We can always cry over our loss and wish that they would come back but we would feel better if we continue to smile and be thankful for the borrowed life they have shared to us and cherish all the memories we have with them. The sad news came to me on the 5th of January. My husband called and informed me that her beloved mother has submitted herself to the overpowering force of death. After her two-day battle for life in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit, she has finally met our Maker. The loss of her dear mother brought sadness to our hearts and we can do nothing more but grieve. I can barely remember Xander, hubby's brother-in-law, sending us home in his car. Was it a Toyota Camry ? I have not taken notice. Who...

New Year is apparently the grandest celebration of the year. The celebration takes place from New Year's Eve and is often solemnized with great grandiosity. Fireworks are very popular during this season and as such, they are a major part of the New Year tradition. As the New Year comes closer, an increasing number of people are admitted to hospitals, most of which are victims of firecrackers. The Department of Health has issued Department Order 271, series of 2010, in line with the collaborative effort to reduce the incidence of firecracker-related injuries, during the New Year festivity, in conformity with its current strategy. "All DOH hospitals are hereby declared on Code White Alert on December 31, 2010 and January 1, 2011 to prepare their emergency units and ensure the provision of prompt emergency services to injured patients during the holiday revelry". In response to the directive, hospitals have deployed personnel, doctors and nurses in three shifting schedule...

A few days more to go and we will be saying goodbye to year 2010. After the ferocious year of the tiger, I am looking forward for the docile year of the rabbit - the year 2011. I was born in a year of the rabbit and, with this in mind, I am so hopeful that the year would be a great one for us all. It has become a tradition that every year, we make a New Year's resolution. I started making my own resolution when I was in grade school through the influence of some friends. Each passing year is different from the other but my new year's resolutions seem to be the same every year. My invisible list includes my goals for the year and the plans on how I could achieve those goals. My goals and plans could be different each year but they are all aiming for one ultimate aspiration - CHANGE. I have set my New Year's resolution for this year but forgive me if I cannot share to you some of my "secret" resolutions. Nevertheless, I have already visualized some plans and tha...

Birthdays are special days for us and our loved ones because it is a celebration of life. This is an important day and an essential time to count all our blessings and happiness and forget our pains. Birthday wishes absolutely adds good spirits on our loved ones' birthday. We can make their birthday more special by sending our wishes through cards. If you are the creative type, you may choose to make the cards yourself or, if you don't have enough time, you can surprise your loved ones with birthday ecards . Sending birthday ecards is an excellent way to express our birthday wishes for our loved ones and they reach out faster to them. One very interesting thing about ecards is that we can personalize them and we can say our wishes that come straight from our heart. An ecard with a personalized message shows that we truly care and could make our loved ones realize how we love them and how special they are to us. We don't have to spend a lot of money to show our loved one...

Christmas season is here again. When the "ber" month starts, we could already smell the spirit of Christmas in the air. During this season, the one thing that automatically gets in our mind is gift giving. Thinking of what gifts to buy for our loved ones can be stressful. We have to plan on what gifts are most appropriate and suitable for them that they would surely love. Because of unplanned shopping or impulsive buying, we sometimes end up buying some things that are not worth its price. We should take our time to look around to get as much idea as possible so we could make the right choice of gift within our budget. When you visit the malls, there are various gift items to choose. If you are still unsure on what gift to give, think of making up your very own. A personalized gift for your family and friends could make them feel more special. In whatever gift you choose, it would be more meaningful if you sweeten it up with Christmas Cards . Your loved ones would not only...

Our first visit at D' Family Park It has been more than a year since we last visited D' Family Park in Talamban. It is the first park of its kind in Cebu. It offers an alternative and wholesome recreation site within the city while promoting the protection and regeneration of plants and animals. One can find swimming pools - for kids and for adults, a picnic camp site that is great for holiday camps and the likes, a vast children's playground with play things like swings, see-saws, slides, tykes play stations and more, a wildlife sanctuary, a mini-zoo and botanical research garden with a nursery, a multi-function club house and pavilion designed to suit one's needs for any social activities. The 20-hectare area is nature-friendly. Trees surround the whole complex. Lying nearby is a one-hectare lagoon with colorful school of fish. Park goers are provided with ample parking spaces for a minimal fee. The park has a large stage, equipped with an up-to-date sound syste...

We do have a company summer outing annually. Most of the summer outings were held on beach resorts with lovely wide swimming pools and enticing blue seas. Most beach resorts require proper swimming attires so you could enjoy the pools. Conservatives wear shorts and spaghettis, others wear one-piece swimsuit and the more confident ones wear beautiful two-piece bikinis. Oh, well, I do sometimes imagine myself wearing two-piece bikinis and always end up with a big laugh. With those stretch marks and "baby" fats caused by three pregnancies, I would make a hilarious picture. I know science could make some miracles on those sites but since I could not afford yet professional services like Dr. Dulin 's, I'll just wear suits that could hide those unsightly marks. Last year's summer outing was great, they say. Sadly, I was not able to attend because I was confined in the hospital celebrating another "motherhood" stage - giving birth to my third child. This...

I did not have the chance to visit Obong Spring in Dalaguete when we visited Alcoy last month. When we went back to celebrate the annual fiesta in Guiwang, I made it sure to spend time to not only visit the place but also experience the relaxing cold water. It was a low tide when we went there so the water inside the nature's pool came only from the spring. Out of curiosity, I tasted the water to see if it really is pure spring water. The water was a little bit salty. It may be because of the underground seawater. We have to cross the water to get to the cottage. The water on the other side is just knee-high and walking there is not a problem. The water was soooo cold, I wished I brought a jacket with me. I was only half-submerged but I am already trembling. I had double thoughts whether to take the plunge or not. I never thought the water could be cold as ice, hahaha! You don't have to bring ice to keep your drinks cold. You have the biggest pool of ice cold water ...

Goosebumps were all over me while I was watching a TV news report last Sunday about a tragic vehicular accident in the town of Balamban, Cebu. A J&D tourist bus plunged down into a 30-foot ravine in barangay Cansamoroy before noon last Sunday. It killed 21 people, including 20 Iranian nationals and the Filipino driver who also owns the bus; and injured 24. Police Regional Office-7 Chief Supt. Lani-O Nerez said among those injured were three Pakistanis. The injured were confined at the Cebu Doctors Hospital (CDH) except for Dr. Raminco Aleriza, a resident ophthalmologist at the Cebu Velez Hospital who was treated at Velez; and received proper medical care while the remains of the fatalities would be brought home to Iran as soon as possible. Initial investigation revealed that the bus suffered brake malfunction while maneuvering a curvy downward slope. Accidents like this do happen and nobody knows when. The event of their untimely death brings so much pain to their families. On...

Looking for me on the photo? I'm in front. Can't still see me? Well, you will never because I'm in front taking this photo, lol! (hhmmph, corny!!!) I joined the first ever Cebu Blog Camp 2010 last May 22nd. I managed to stay awake for more than twenty four (24) hours just to be part of a blogging history in Cebu. I work on a graveyard shift, so from work, I went straight to the camp venue. I found myself out-of-place there. Everybody seemed to be " Englishers ". During registration, I was assisted by a funny gentleman whose name I found later was "Drake" as seen on his name tag. A number of Cebu bloggers joined the event. Most of the participants were young (as young as fifteen years old) and only a few young at hearts like me joined the event. There were visitors and speakers from Manila and Davao who shared their knowledge and experiences and taught us some tips on how to survive in the blogosphere. There were many freebies and raffle pri...

When I went out for lunch today, everybody on the streets is watching something on the sky. Some people were even taking pictures. Out of curiosity, I asked an officemate, who was then busy adjusting his camera. He told me to look at the sun. And, there it was, a magnificent rainbow around the sun! I hurriedly took my camera and captured this bizarre phenomenon. I have seen this occurrence when I was still in high school, but I'm still enchanted like a little kid. Some people say the rainbow was formed because of the sun's reflection on the clouds, others connect this to global warming, and some superstitious people believe this would bring something ... uncertain. Scientifically speaking, this is called a sun dog. According to the wikipedia, " A sun dog or sundog (scientific name parhelion, plural parhelia, from Greek parēlion, "beside the sun"; also called a mock sun) is an atmospheric phenomenon that creates bright spots of light in the sky, often on ...

Finally, we're going back to Alcoy! No, we're not going there for a summer vacation. We'll be there to participate in the 2010 election and cast our votes. Since the election is on Monday, we still have time to explore the beauty of Alcoy particularly Tingko Beach. It's been a while since I've done some travels. This would be my first long trip after giving birth. We'll be bringing baby so we have to choose a very comfortable mode of public travel since we don't own a car yet. We do plan to buy one if we hit that elusive lotto lucky number, lol! Hope we could still find some seats in an air-conditioned bus so we could comfortably travel and we'll just imagine then that we're riding a Chevrolet Silverado . We'll, dreams are free! In every travel, safety is the most important thing to keep in mind. There's a winding road before reaching Poblacion Alcoy. On one side is a hill and on the other is a dangerous cliff overlooking the sea. Any veh...

This is hubby's new sea travel adventure to Camotes Island. I was not able to go because I have to take care of baby. It was full of fun, fear and adventure! Oh, how I envy them. Hubby and his teammates went early so they could catch the 6:30am roro vessel for Camotes Island in Danao port. Unfortunately, when it's their turn to get the tickets, the teller cut them because they already reached the maximum number of passengers. They further advised them to wait for the 11:00am schedule because the 8:00am schedule was fully booked. Because all were so excited to reach Camotes Island and could not wait for the next trip, they rented two small bangka (native sailboat) without even thinking of the great risk they put themselves into because of the big waves considering the distance from Danao port to Camotes Island. In the middle of the trip, the big waves came that almost capsized the boat they were riding. Hubby and his friends feared for their lives. They were all thinking of...

Mommy, Mama, Nanay – however we call her, she's still the very same person who carried us for nine months in her womb, and will be carrying us forever in her heart – our beloved mother. She is the most important woman in our life. She had made great sacrifices, pain, grief and sorrow for us, to make sure we are happy and secure. Her presence and nurturing affects our entire life and the way we see life. No one can ever replace her in our hearts. Every year, more and more white strands are visible on her crowning glory; a sign that she is not getting any younger. Have you seen her eyes lately? Those two bright loving eyes that watch us when we were still young have changed their colors too! They are now somewhat dull but the loving spark is still there. Those eyes that could clearly read my temperature reading when I have fever now need an eye wear to see clearly. This Mother's Day, nothing is much more significant than our mother. This is an occasion specially dedicated to...

Now I'm not alone! Hubby came home yesterday from his Camotes adventure (and misadventures)! He brought home wonderful stories, beautiful pictures of their escapade and my favorite - chocolate. Oh, I have not yet tried this one! I just can't wait to have a bite. He went home ahead from the group because the others still want to see another place and would travel back home at night. He told us he missed us (really? lol!) and that it would be great if we're there. We would surely appreciate the place, and the kids will definitely enjoy the waters especially the fresh waters inside Timubo Cave. I really missed travels like this, and the beaches too! Maybe when baby will be old and healthy enough to do a little adventure, I will indulge myself in such luxuries.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Bliss Living . All opinions are 100% mine. We rarely celebrate Mother's Day when I was still a kid. Perhaps it was because my parents were not really conscious about occasions like that. We do have school projects like cards, beaded jewelry, and other crafts that we were supposed to give to our mothers on their special day but mine were mostly hidden on a box together with my other collections and were never personally given to my mother. However, I know Mama had seen them because she used to check my things and always had her way of finding things no matter how I tried to hide them. Guess what, she even reads my diary! Now that I am a mother, I understand and feel the significance of Mother's Day and I share it with my children and hubby. Last year, my kids made a personalized greetings card for me. Tears fell from my eyes when I read their simple note inside a heart, "Mama, thank you for taking care of us. We lo...