new year, new hope

I may not know where God is leading me and what will become of me now, but one thing i'm sure of...He has a reason for doing the things He does. I may not be able to understand it or get the bigger picture, but i know that His grace will be enough to sustain me and keep me going.

to go or not to go...

after six years of trying to fit in, 6 years of thinking i'll go somewhere and have my niche in this field...its only now that i've realized that this isn't my field, this isn't my turf.economics superseded one's passion as that was the cdall of time, and so i stay. the situation hasn't improve that much but will i have the courage now to let go? can i just let go and start all over again...from literally,scratch?
i had glaring booboos at work this year and its GLARING...what can i say, i have already reached the point of burn out here.do i still care? i don't know...i am not sure but one thing i know...i will survived nad will do better on my next life hahaha^^.

renovation

i'm thinking of redesigning my blog here...its been awhile since i have visited, moreso wrote here.i've done my formatting on paper and i hope to find somebody to help me develop my own site soon. it is important that you know people who knows, especially if a particular thing/field is not your expertise.^^ i am excited of the said prospect,i even had articles piled up already and i hope to start soo and accomplish this task before my birthday...what do you think?will i meet my deadline or what? well, lets wait and see.

long distance

be it in life, in running or in your relationship, long distance requires patience, tenacity and endurance. the motivation starts from within coz if you loose that will to finish the distance then you loose sight of the end and all the joys that could possibly come from it. as my sister said, life has a lot of "huhus" but God will keep pouring on "hahas" so keep your sight on focus and pray, always pray...because when all else fails, He will be the one who will carry you through it all and He will be the only one who will remain.

My First Official Marathon Run in 2010

Neutrogena's Chase the Sun last May16 was my first official marathon run in 2010.

We runners indeed chase the sun as we gather at 5:25 a.m. for the group warm up stretching exercise...gunstarts at 5:55,just as the sun was rising in the east. It was a beautiful Sunday for us runners to be gathered again.

I thought i wouldn't last long because it's been a while since i did distance running...with very minimal instances of slow stride,as i was advised not to fully stop even when you're tired but to slow down & keep your stride, and some quick stop at the water station. I have finished my 5K run in 37 minutes++...whew!not bad for a start...Didn't had lots of pictures though but i guess what's more important is what you learn about your stride, your pace, your endurance and more of yourself as a runner along the way.

I am looking forward for the trail run next month.

on running and exercise

this is me after my jog today.

i have stopped jogging in the last two weeks and have found myself gaining weight so fast(4kls).i am back on my running pace though it's not a good one yet, i am sure that if i keep on it i'll gain my pacing back in two weeks time.if i just keep on it and make smart food choices and be conscious on my intake, i am sure i'll get to my ideal weight.

it is essential to have a conscious effort when your slimming down and to have a buddy to work out with to cheer you one or check up on you when your lagging on your workout.it is also important that you do inhal and exhale correctly and posture/form is of essential in execution whether you are stretching, running, or swimming.it's also important that you wear the proper and comfortable gear so as not to make the activity stressful but rather a good and enjoyable one. My Adidas running shoes has been a trustworthy partner over the years and a comfy top and non-sweat sticking shorts gets me in the mood to run.

'Oh God thy sea is so great and my boat is so small.'

I've seen a film before where President J.F. Kennedy was portrayed meditating on these words inscribed on a plaque on his desk and it st ucked on me ever since.

Every time that we go out for a beach outing and I wade with my friends in the sea, this thought always makes me thank God for the all the amazing things He have created and provided us with. It humbles me, looking how tiny I am in contrast with the vast body of water that surrounds me. I am always reminded that God's love for me is like the sea...wide, deep, long and at times unfathomable and even frightening. Hearing the sound of the wave gives me that refreshing feeling all over...its like being washed away of all the worries,concern, and thoughts that pull me down. It's like, i could start all over again... on a clean slate.The sea gives me a feeling of serenity, serenity that transcends my entire entity. The sea means a lot of things to me...and i can't help to be drawn to it like a traveler hearing a siren's song.

Pearl Harbor

For the first time, last night...at long last...I have seen Pearl Harbor ( the movie).

I have long wanted to see this film just to reaffirm my bugging feeling who the nurse is (yes, she's the same girl in Van Helsing, Click and Underworld- Kate Beckinsale) and at last, it will be laid to rest. It is one of Jerry Bruckheimer's production and directed by the same person who directed Transformers on the big screen- Michael Bay. It boast of a stellar cast consist of Alec Baldwin, Jon Voight, Cuba Gooding Jr., Mako, even Jennifer Garner with Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett as bestfriends Rafe and Danny who both were part of the US Air Force and stationed at Pearl Harbor when the historical attack that sparked World War II happened.

It must have run for almost 3 hours. I am amused by some of the cheesy lines guys in this film used to get through the girl's they eye or when they're professing their undying love and devotion or their fear of war. The emotions, the events, the effects, the anticipation of how the story will unfold in this interpretation (even though you've watched a lot of war movies and have read about it on history books already) and waiting to see kate Beckinsale's face again must have made me not notice that it was a long film.

As I've watched this, I remember my special someone who's far away and will be far a way for a while.Though he is not in the army or the navy, or any of that line, those ships in the film reminded me of him...of someone I love who's facing all uncertainties in the big, wide open sea. I could totally relate to what Evelyn and Rafe was feeling whenever they write and communicate with each other with such distance apart.

More than a love story, this film displays friendship, of being a man, on the power of believing, it speaks of America's pride and how they come to be as such, it shows the tedious way the Japanese works ( to think that such a small country who doesn't even much of metal industry, something that plays a vital part at the time of war gave Uncle Joe such a hard time back then). It shows personal values, differences, faith, loyalty, honor, courage and rising from defeat . It is a story of war but it's also a love story. It is entertainment nevertheless...and sometimes, it's just the way it goes.It may have some biases in its portrayal, inconsistencies,loose ends but it is up to the thinking viewers to figure things out and connect the dots.

autosave

This is not suppose to be my first entry here (it's the one entitled "on fashion magazines...") but just as I was just posting/publishing it my internet connection failed me t_t and worst, I was not able to draft or save it! I was thinking that i'll post it anyway and immediately...why can't webpages have autosaving and restoration (or is it just my system?)...oh well, its over and done...I just have to struggle to regain that flow of thought i had earlier...Lesson learned...Jesus ALONE saves,the rest of us should learn how to Ctrl+S.^^

on fashion and beauty magazines

• Savage Garden once sang that beauty magazines promote low self esteem...I say it depends.
  
• In my case, I have refuse to set eyes on them because they make me feel how flawed I am looking at those zit-free, ivory skinned, tall,lean,skinny,toned, models who's always in tune with what's "in" the latest fashion trend-shoes,bags,dress, even tech-y stuff. They seem so surreal with perfectly modified genes. They must have come from another planet or anther dimension becasue they don't seem to walk the same ground as mere mortals like me step on that I wonder why I never see them in person. It took years for me to muster the courgae to flip their pages nad not cringe everytime I see them all perfect and flawless.I know them now because was only recently that I have been able to expose myself to those kinds of magazines.It takes a while to be familiar and have a wall that protects your ego=self from being trashed and to hold on to your own values and restrain (in resisting the urge to buy and follow the trend). I say it depends because lately, it helped me define my own style, improve on my own look thereby making me look good and feel good about myself.

I say it depends because there are ways in which we can handle this kind of media appropriately. I believe beauty and fashion magazines should be rated PG= Parental Guidance. Browsing through the leaves of this kind of reading especially for teeners should have some parental/adult guidance. Parents should be able to secure and affirm their kids self esteem no matter how they look like. In television, as well as this kind of media, we should be able to help kids separate reality and fantasy, being aware of the fact that not everything they see is real and good which I believe would later on builds and helps them to have informed choices in making decisions.They would also be of big help in teaching kids to save up for something that caught their fancy . It could develop patience among other values versus instant gratification, and innovativeness in an individual.

• These are just some of the things I have re-learned lately...

>Be comfortable in your own skin. A person who knows him/herself well is SECURE no matter what he/she wears or how he/she looks like.Nothing beats a beautiful soul for such never fades and will always radiate such aura of positivity and beauty that's refreshing. As the Myra 300E commercial says...Beauty that comes from within.

> What may look good on others, may not always/necessarily look good on you too. Individuality. Different body type, different skin fold, different melanin. Each is different and unique on its own. RESPECT and love your own body.

> Smart choices. Go for classy and elegant pieces. Something that could be mixed and match so your wardrobe won't be monotonous,something that will never go out of style or out of the occasion for they will help you save in the long run. Good and beautiful things doesn't always have to be expensive.

I used to have an Andy Sach's frame of mind...I thought that fashion has nothing to do with me. I go to my closet, select the first thing my eyes or my hands lay upon trying to tell the world that I take my self too seriously to care about anything I put on my back. I've met a Miranda Priestly-kind-of-person who hit me hard with the realization that what I put on, even mindless-ly, is not just something that I pick or put on by chance.It represents millions of dollars and countless jobs by people who work in the industry. Besides, dressing up and beautifying is a way of advertising our self. The goods has to come in a neat and enticing package, right?! If you have the capacity to do so, then why not? It also shows how you value yourself so as they say, dress to impress...I say, DRESS UP FOR SUCCESS!^^