Email from God....

This forwarded by one of my oldest friends, VirgoCapri. Now I just gotta say this about her. We were the bestest of friends back in high school and we practically did everything together. We went to each other's house, we studied together, we confided in one another, we danced together, and just basically, we were inseparable. When we hit college, we slowly started to drift apart and unfortunately, went our own ways. We remained friends, but we didn't have that same closeness as we did in high school. Now that it's been years since our ICA, Barangay, SF State, and PACE days, I'm really thankful that we've found our friendship once again. I guess it was always there, but it took a while to find each other again. Of course we've grown up, got married, had kids, I'm thankful for her friendship and I can only hope that our friendship will continue to blossom and grow with the coming years.

To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: GOD - The Boss!
Subject: YOURSELF
Reference: LIFE
This is God. Today I will be handling All of your problems for you. I do NOT need your help. So, have a nice day.
I love you.
GOD

P.S.
And, remember....
If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you can not handle, do NOT attempt to resolve it yourself !! Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. I will get to it in MY TIME. All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours.

P.S.S.
Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now.
If you find yourself stuck in traffic; Don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.
Should you have a bad day at work; Think of the man who has been out of work for years.
Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.
Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; Think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children.
Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.
Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; Think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.
Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.
Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse. You could be one of them!
Should you decide to send this to a friend; Thank you, you may have touched their life in ways you will never know!
Now, you have a nice day,

God

Thanksgiving Wishes...

Wow! I can't believe that it's that time of year already! It's been two months that I've been officially gone from beloved Bay Area and here I am in snow-filled Minnesota! There were times where I'd actually have to remind myself that I'm in the Midwest and not back in Foster City. But aside from the weather, MN ain't too shabby. If you look beyond all the millions of lakes that they have over here, the most terrible drivers in the country, and all the uppity puti people who to continue shock me with their ignorance, well, shoot, who wouldn't like MN? On the real though, we've met some really great people here. It definitely isn't anything like the Bay Area and all the family n friends we've left behind. But I'm thankful just the same for all the people we've crossed paths with.

Hubby and I will be celebrating our 1st Thanksgiving here in MN and boy are we having a feast! Hubby will be the chef on duty tomorrow and taking care of the turkey, green bean casserole, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, pumpkin pie, and chocolate eclairs. Who are we cooking all this for? Um, let's see...there's hubby... there's me...that would be...two. Hahaha! Let's just say that we're going to having turkey for days after Thanksgiving! YUM!

Anyways, as much as it would be wonderful to be back in San Francisco to see family, hang out with friends and play CRANIUM, I'm truly thankful for all the blessings He has given us. I'd like to share a letter that my niece Sabrina had to write for an assignment at school. Now just for the record, Sabrina came up with all the things that she was thankful for and her mom helped organize her thoughts together.

"I'm Most Thankful For..." by STL

I am most thankful for God giving me the truth, for knowing right from wrong.

I am grateful for my parents, brother, (sister), my grandparents, and family.

I thank God that I have friends, that I can go to school to learn and that teachers care
to teach me.

I am thankful for the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the house we live in.

I am most thankful for all that God has made and for all His many blessings.


Isn't it amazing how a 6-year old can express in such simple terms the magnitude of her love and thanks? She describes all that we should be thankful for- not the materialistic things- but for the things that truly do count.

I would just like to wish you all a Happy Turkey day and may you remember all the blessings from above. Gobble Gobble!

Here is another one for you...

Got these latest from the myspace.com pages of Mr. Gorospe. Check it out.



What's your element
brought to you by Quizilla


Your element is Water. You are a deep person and a
good communicator. Incredibably loving and
loyal when your trust is gained and you are
fairly mature.Myterious to the utmost water is
in everything. One can be an Ocean or a river
but nobody truly knows you.




Which Mythological Form Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla


You are Form 1, Goddess: The Creator.

"And The Goddess planted the acorn of life.
She cried a single tear and shed a single drop
of blood upon the earth where she buried it.
From her blood and tear, the acorn grew into
the world."

Some examples of the Goddess Form are Gaia (Greek),
Jehova (Christian), and Brahma (Indian).
The Goddess is associated with the concept of
creation, the number 1, and the element of
earth.
Her sign is the dawn sun.

As a member of Form 1, you are a charismatic
individual and people are drawn to you.
Although sometimes you may seem emotionally
distant, you are deeply in tune with other
people's feelings and have tremendous empathy.
Sometimes you have a tendency to neglect your
own self. Goddesses are the best friends to
have because they're always willing to help.

Target Amidst the Snowstorm

Yes, the weather here in MN deserves all the attention that I'm giving it. The way I see it, I may be talking about it until it starts melting...and that could be up until April! Goodness me! Hubby and I braved the snow to do a lil' shopping yesterday. I have to say that I was a bit nervous as we headed out of the garage. Okay, I was A LOT nervous. Hubby's Lexus did its share of slippin' and slidin' and I was holding my breath the entire time. I felt tense all over and I was beginning to regret wanting to leave the house. If you looked outside our window, it didn't seem like the snow was heavy, but considering that it had started the night before and hasn't stopped since, well, it adds up. The roads were untouched and definitely slippery. Hubby was surprised that the snow hadn't been cleared by those tractors with the huge shovel-like thingy on the front. It was literally nerve-racking on my part. I think I'd rather do all the shopping now and stock up so we don't have to leave when it gets worse. I'm going to be like a bear and hibernate. I ain't coming out 'til the spring.

Tidbits

In the middle of the afternoon as I made my umpteenth trip to the window, there were two lil' kids playing outside. 'Twas just so cute- they were bundled up so much and throwing snowballs at each other that it looked like two mini-Michelin tire men! Too cute!

The preserve at the back of our complex simply looks beautiful...no more creepy crawly bugs and West Nile virus-carrying mosquitoes buzzin' around either. Everything is covered in a blanket of white that if Bambi came prancing along, it would have been picture perfect.

Just because you bought some new Nordstrom boots that happen to look really cute on your feet don't mean jack when you're walking in the snow.

There is a couple at our complex who are live-in building tenaments (is that the right word?). Aside from our regular maintenance guy, this couple takes care of the garbage, vacuuming the halls, and the basic upkeep of the building. They were outside shoveling the sidewalks and making a path to the entrance ways. I felt so sorry for the wife 'cuz she's this little thing of a woman. What her husband cleared on one side, she only did half. Just seeing her made you want to go out and help her. Sorta.

Thermals. Thermals. Thermals. Don't leave home without 'em.

Went to Bestbuy and bought some new PS2 games ('cuz that's just another activity people can do while we're stuck indoors!). I'm not much of a PS2 player, but I can hang in Bust a Move! Anyways, we got a snowboarding game that's pretty cool- that'll probably be the closest that I'll get in actually getting geared up and doin' fly tricks AND we also got some old skool games that's been converted to PS2: Pac-man, Pole Position, Dig Dug, Galaga, and my ultimate fave, Ms. Pac-man! What makes it so cool is that it's exactly how you remember them from back in the day while you stacked your quarters to call your turn. Has the same music, same graphics, and the same "Insert Credit" prompt if you'd like to continue!

A cool observation: the snowflakes really DO have their own shape and design! You can actually seem their unique designs as they land on the window or on your gloves.


Last, but definitely not least...

Hubby has been inspired and been wanting to make a few things in the snow:
snowmen
snow angels
yellow snow

*ya'll can think about the last one... lol!

"The Weather Outside...."

"is FRIGHTFUL! But inside, is so delightful...." Remember that weather alert that said the snow would come in earnest? Well, as of right now, the "earnest" is in the beginning stages. Overnight, 4-6 inches of snow fell. We woke up to a winter wonderland! Currently, it's 25 degrees outside with a wind chill of 11 degrees. Nah uh. I don't care what local Minnesotans say about waiting til January for the cold weather...THIS is cold!

Game Day

The Vikings play today. Not that it matters to me, but thank goodness for everyone else that the game is played indoors at the Metrodome. It's supposed to be ONE of the first storms of the season and these Viking fans are tailgating! Man, I'll all cool....indoors. 4 inches supposedly ain't nothing, but c'mon now...that's 4 MORE inches than this San Francisco native is used to! Hubby and I are going to brave the snow to head to Target. Hahaha! Yes well, we HAVE to visit Target...be it rain, snow, or sleet! Updates to come later...

Dream Catcher

You know, I will blame this entire entry on my conversation with best buddy of mine, Firemarshall J. We were talking about dreams the other day. We exchanged sometimes eerie descriptions of the dreams we've had in the past and with my expert psychological background (hee hee), we contemplated the underlying meaning of them. I, of course, devised my own interpretation and the more we discussed them, the more I came to believe that I may not have been too far from the truth. Perhaps. Dreams are supposed to be "live pictures" of our subconscious thoughts. Many have recurring dreams. Mostly all of us have had dreams where we are falling, only to wake up the moment we are supposed to hit the ground; others are being chased and/or you find yourself frozen in fear without any voice to call out for help. These dreams are common and I believe that they have something or other to do with anxiety. Anxiety about a test the following day, an important meeting, a date, whatever. But other dreams, like the ones Firemarshall J and I talked about, are just too intriguing to dismiss as a regular anxiety dream.

These other dreams, I believe, have more to do with an explanation of why you do or act a certain way. I believe that our dreams are often our own way of dealing with pain, hurt, conflict, happiness, joy, etc. If we delve more into our dreams, there could be signs pointing us in a particular direction different from our chosen paths- or vice versa. Then, there are our nightmares. Yah, I don't really want to do into those. These have something to do with a conflict going on in our lives. Although we may all dream of some monster or boogie man, those frightening images represent some kind of obstacle in our life, something that we have to conquer, face, and overcome. Well, according to me anyways.

I find that when I can remember my dreams in full detail. Most of the time. I can tell you what color shirt someone was wearing or the kind of dog that barked as I walked by. I also dream in color. I never thought about this until my sister's friend Jane mentioned that she dreamt in black and white. Interesting, eh? I also noticed that when I dream about something, it USUALLY comes true. Not always, but usually. It can be the most minor thing such as bumping my knee on the table and it happening the following day. But this is a whole other topic of what I believe is my 6th sense about things, my ESP. Let's save that for another day, shall we? =)

Anyways, I had a really disturbing dream last night. I woke up crying and had this terrible feeling at the pit of my stomach. The details are clear in my mind. It takes place in my parents' kitchen in San Francisco. My mom and my ninong (?) are sitting around the table, my sister and bro-in-law are at the counter getting food ready, and my dad is standing in the doorway. I'm also at the table, trying to load up some kind of weapon. Why? Because it's during wartime. I don't know if it takes place today, but sure enough, you hear bullets and bombing everywhere. Something goes wrong as I load this weapon and the artillery turns out to be an explosive. It's like a grenade 'cuz I remember that I had time to scream for everyone to get down and my mom said in the saddest voice,"This is it. Goodbye everyone." I ran and took cover near my dad in the hallway and the explosion took out most of the kitchen. There was so much rubble and debris. My dad and I were okay, but when we made our way into the kitchen, the bodies of the rest of my family were limp. We were crying as we cleared a path from the debris. I made it to my mom and I was shaking her and yelling for her to wake up. She did. My brother in law was okay, too. But when I got to my sister, it didn't look like she made it. We lay her on the sofa (which, btw, was our old green sofa that hubby and i got rid of) and all of a sudden, she regained consciousness. Everyone was just crying and hugging each other- the last thing I remember was hugging my sister.

So, what the heck does this dream mean? I sincerely doubt that it has anything to do with being in war conditions. But perhaps it means that I've been away from family too long and that a visit is long overdue. I honestly don't know. It was scary, it felt real, and when I woke up, I felt so sad and vulnerable. Sometimes, there are dreams that are just dreams. But dammit Firemarshall J...you started this! NOW, I gotta figure out this AND the red eyes. Great. Your interpretation???

Minnesota Weather Alert
*taken from Weather Bug live alert system


WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING
Wswmsp

Urgent - Winter Weather Message National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 343 PM CST Fri Nov 21 2003

...Major Winter Storm Appears To Be Heading For Minnesota And West Central Wisconsin...

.Overview...Heavy Snow And Strong Wind Will Be Possible Over A Large Portion Of Minnesota And Western Wisconsin. Although Some Light Snow Will Fall Tonight And Into Saturday...The Heaviest Snow Is Expected To Begin In Earnest Saturday Night...And Continue Into Sunday Night. At Least Six Inches Are Possible...And Some Areas Might Even Receive A Foot Of Snow By Monday Morning.

Strong Winds And Blowing Snow Will Add To The Problems. The Wind Should Strengthen Sunday Afternoon...And Remain Quite Windy Sunday Night. Near Blizzard Conditions May Occur...Especially In Open Areas. Visibilities Could Be Drastically Reduced. Anyone Considering Travel By Car Or Truck Should Either Leave Early...Or Wait Out The Storm.

Low Pressure In Colorado Is Expected To Move Into The Texas Panhandle Saturday Evening...Then Head For Wisconsin By Sunday Evening. There Is Still Some Uncertainty Regarding This Path...And The Storm Could Veer Somewhat. But There Is Little Doubt That Some Portion Of The Upper Midwest Will Be Clobbered By A Major Winter Storm...And Right Now It Looks Like Much Of Minnesota And Western Wisconsin Can Expect Heavy Snow And Strong Winds.

*Aw hell no. This alert did not say near "blizzard conditions," did it?! And did you catch what it said about the heaviest snow is expected to begin IN EARNEST? What the heck is that?! Dude, ya'll gotta pray for us...

What Fantasy/Sci-Fi Character Are You?

Yah, so I'm a sucker for taking these silly quizzes, so what?! It falls into the same category of filling out slambooks. Just take it. You know you want to... =)

You are Galadriel

Possessing a rare combination of wisdom and humility, while serenely dominating your environment you selflessly use your powers to care for others.

Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.

Galadriel is a character in the Middle-Earth universe. You can read more about her at the Galadriel Worshippers Army.

In The News...

*Arnold Schwarzenegger was inducted as the governor of California. Is he a joke or is he for real? Hmmm...read his inaugural address on the web. Didn't sound so bad. But then again, inaugural addresseses are always filled with a bunch of fancy shmancy words that's just supposed to sound good, but oftentimes are filled with promises that will be left broken and unkept. I'm not into politics much, but I'm not so sure about the Terminator playing governor just yet. I'm curious how his lifestyle is going to change, too. I've watched "It's Good to Be Arnold Schwarzenegger" on VH-1 where they delve into the luxurious lives they live and the obscene amounts of money they spend on toys and whatnot. Goodness, this one man could probably solve California's finances without even making a dent in his bank account! We'll have to see though. Perhaps he can reestablish the peoples' faith in their government leaders. That would be something, wouldn't it?

*San Francisco 49er's kicked some ass! We actually got to see the game against Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football. 'Twas an exciting game, really! I'll admit, I haven't followed them for the past couple of years. I don't know any of the players' names anymore 'cept for Owens, Garcia, and other old skool guys, but I was proud they won. I've given up the fight to convert hubby to become a 9ers fan- in his words, "once a Chargers fan, always a Chargers fan." S'all good though...he DID become a SF GIANTS fan, so I'm cool with that! Hummmmm Baby!

*Other football news: Oakland Raiders vs. Minnesota Vikings. I was semi-split. Do I root for the Bay Area team or do I go local? Honestly, I was never a Raiders fan. (Man, my bro-in-law and his bros would kill me! LOL!) As a matter of fact, die hard Raider fans' gung-ho love for the team scares me! But y'know, I did have some love for them when Jerry Rice got in there. Traitor schmaitor- he stayed in the Bay 'cuz he loved it and to him, it didn't matter what team he played in. Much love to Kanin! The game was good, kept me on my toes, found myself cheering for, yah you guessed it, the Vikings. Although they were defeated by the Raider Nation, they fought a good fight.

*Minnesota State Law: Any Minnesota resident will be charged a fine if holiday Christmas lights are lit before Thanksgiving. Residents are encouraged to put them up now while the weather is still good. Just don't touch that switch!

*There's a study that I read about in a teacher magazine that says people do not know how to properly wash their hands. Eh? Says that people do not take enough time to rid their hands of all the germs they come into contact with. The study says that each time we go to the sink, 20 seconds is the minimum time that should be spent lathering up with soap. 20 seconds. It's suggested that we recite the Pledge of Allegiance to ourselves (or outloud if you so desire...) because it takes about 20 seconds to do so. So we're not talkin' the ghetto-style-leaving-out-prepositions-Allegiance. You gotta do it slowly, taking note of each and every word. When you're done with the pledge, your hands should be squeaky clean....well, until you touch the faucet knobs and push down the lever to give you the tissue paper, but yes, your hands will be clean! Oh and by the way, it didn't specify that it had to be the American Pledge...choose a country, say the pledge, clean your hands. 20 seconds.

(Ya'll know you're doing to try this...I DID! I pledge allegiance...)

Last, but definitely not least
*The HBO special of the boxing match of Marco Berrera of Mexico vs. Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines. Can we just say DOPE?! First of all, it was just cool to see a Filipino brutha up on TV! Second of all, it was just awesome to see a brutha kickin' some serious ass in the boxing rink! Now, I'm not an avid boxing fan, but I did start watching with my dad when I was little. I'd always be flinching and grossing out at all the blood. I'd even laugh when the boxers seemed to be hugging. "Why are they hugging Daddy? Aren't they supposed to be mad at each other?" LOL! Yes, I do know about some old skool Cassius Clay, some Sugar Ray Leonard...'course I know all about the whole Mike Tyson ear incident and yes ladies, I do know about Oscar DelaHoya. Yea, he's a cutie! But nevermind that he was the major supporter of this Berrera dude. So, the fight goes into the 11th round, exchanging swings and punches, swollen eyes, bleeding temples, and wouldn't you know it? We have a new world champ (in the I-forget-division) and he's a Filipino brutha! Whoo hoo! The whole world (who has cable) saw that Philippine flag swayin' in the background, saw someone place a rosary around his neck, and saw a lil' tiny Filipino dude name Manny Pacquiao win the title and be lifted up onto someone's shoulders as he cried. 'Twas a great moment.

*I bet ya'll didn't know how much I liked sports! If you don't know, now you know. WORD!

Anniversary Shout-Outs

Just wanted to wish Ate Diana and Kuya Chris a Happy 8th year anniversary! Damn...has it really that long ago that you guys got married? My wish for the both of you is for continued love and friendship in your marriage. You two have come a long way in your journey together and I'm proud to say that I've seen it grow into something beautiful. Ate- thanks for being there whenever I needed you, good times and bad. To Chris- from E.M.T. to Kuya...although I can't seem to call you that, I'm glad that I acquired a brother like you. You two are great examples to your kids and they're lucky to have parents like you. Much love to you both on this special day!

Quick Survey

Should MnM bring back those silly SlamBook questions and continue to relive the 80's through this schoolgirl fave OR should MnM quit her pathetic attempts to get people to comment on her blog through means of a SlamBook?

*whatever the case, ya'll know that you loved slambooks just as much as i did!

Blah, Blah, Blah
I'm looking outside my living room window and all I see is gray everywhere. The forecast calls for possible storms today. It's wet, it's cold, it's gloomy, and it's just so darn blah. I'm sitting at our dining room table with the lights off, laptop on, heater goin' (GOTS to have the heater on!), and hubby is on the couch snoring, fully enjoying the sleep that he was robbed of last night. As I take in my surroundings, I'm tempted to scrounge up some words for a poem. It's just one of those uneventful days where all you want to do is climb back into bed underneath the warm covers and sleep the day away.

B.S. Blog
In the few months that I've used this blog, I've found it to be a means to get things off my chest and express myself. Sometimes not so eloquently as I'd like, but express them nonetheless. I've also done my share of checking out other peoples' blogs just to get ideas on what to write about, see what some people are up to, and to get an update on the lives of some of my friends and/or acquaintances that I've slowly lost touch with. Yah, everyone does it. So I'm checking out this one blog and this person is reminiscing of times past, adventures in college, and reflecting on then single-hood. It's true that we've all changed through the years- it's purely inevitable. But when someone starts spouting off something that you know for a FACT is untrue, one has to question if everything else that was written, dialogued, and said is true as well. Or is it one of those cases that knowing so many people are going to read and comment on the blog, they'd rather write about something that makes them more than they really are? Hubby had mentioned that people like to "gas themselves up." Hell, I didn't quite understand what that meant before, but now I do. Of course, you want to make yourself sound good, right? Not to the point of pious or pure, but no one is ever going to admit they're fake. No one ever wants to admit when they're wrong about something- no, they will hold their head up high, full of pride, and just hope that no one finds out the truth. It would be simply be too easy to point them out and burst their lil' bubble of reality. i won't name names because I'd like to think I'm above all that...that I'm the bigger person in all this. But with people like that, why bother using up the energy that could be spent on more important and meaningful things? It's just funny to compare what people would LIKE you to believe about them versus what some people really KNOW about them. This one particular blog rubbed me the wrong way, but I'm over it now. Screw 'em. As long as I know the TRUTH, nothing else matters.

Effects of "Charmed"

So the beginning of "Charmed" starts off with aerial shots of downtown San Francisco in the daytime, captures Embarcadero all lit up at night, the famous Transamerica building, and the famous of landmarks, the Golden Gate Bridge...'course we know that the show isn't even taped in da City, but hey, it makes for a cool backdrop of all the demon fighting these "charmed" sistas have to do, don't it? Yah..."the City" as it is lovingly known, the mecca where evil lurks. Yup. Anyways, here I am taking a break from all my schoolwork, gettin' all comfy and looking forward to some ass kickin', etc, when all of a sudden, I feel this wave of emotion come over me. (NO..not wave of nausea...that would mean that I'm pregnant...sorry to disappoint ya' folks!) So sudden wave of emotion...I didn't expect it, but I had these tears in my eyes and I had this sudden urge to go home to the City. *sigh* I found myself all teary-eyed, then of course the commercial that follows is the one of the mom on the bus and she's listening to her son's piano recital through her phone? Know what I'm talking about? That always gets me all choked up!

Later on, I switch to the Food Network channel. "Emeril" was due and turns out that he was doing a Thanksgiving episode. He was doin' a tribute to the military and their families. 'Twas pretty cool. It got me thinking of my family and how this Turkey Day will be the first Thanksgiving that I've spent away from them. Well, no, I take that back. Last year, hubby and I hosted a lil' gathering at our place in Foster City...y'know, to celebrate the beginning of the demise of the Native American Indians at the hands of the Europeans, as hubby would say...(sarcasm people...)...had the Lapids and the future Opianas over. Hubby made his green bean casserole and Clam made the oh-so-delish-yet-so-hard-to-bite-in bread! Yah! LOL! When I say "away" from my family, I mean "away" as in here in Minnesota away.

So, as I write this, I'm in a hotel room in Chaska (about 45 minutes from our place). Hubby has an all-nighter at this site and I decided to join him. On our way here, hubby busts out some Christmas holiday music. Put on some N'Sync Christmas (I ain't ashamed to say that I'm a fan!)...the same cd I use to decorate our house for Christmas....the same cd that reminds me of home in CA...the same cd that just reminds me of San Francisco. Aw man! Where's the damn kleenex box?!

It must be because the holidays are upon us...from watching "Charmed" to "Emeril' to listening to Christmas music. I'm having a case of homesickness. Boo. Not to whine, but I am soooo missing my car! This is, of course, aside from my family, friends, and work. I seriously miss my Honda...my baby.

Mare and Pare are planning a visit home for Turkey Day. Mare says that one of the first things she's going to do when she gets to CA is eat a burrito...a REAL one! Gosh...I know for a fact that when hubby and I go home, we're gonna hit our favorite spot, E Komo Mai. Mochiko chicken with a double order of mac salad just sounds so good right now! Plus, I don't care what the weather is in the City, I'm heading to the beach! I will probably even take a drive downtown just to see the beautiful skyline. I'm going to try to squish it all in on top of seeing my peoples...all this in possibly a week. It can be done. It MUST be done. Ah...San Francisco....I'm coming home soon.

Dreaming of Hawaii

I dream of a place where sunlight
Heals the tired spirit,
Far from the things I am used to,
Where cleansing waters float away my
Cares and fragrant trade winds and
Waterfall spray caress my skin,
And carry the years away.

I dream of a place where romance is
Kindled and children play carefree
On sugar-white sand beaches.

I dream of a place where whales break
The surface of crystal clear waters in
A playful dance and
People hold the land in reverance.

I dream of the islands of aloha
I dream of Hawai'i.

*Just for the record, I did NOT write this. I actually got it on the backcover of the latest "Aloha Official Vacation Planner" magazine. Got it in the mail today and as I was flipping through the pics, I started fantasizing how it would be to walk the white sand beaches with the warm water lapping at my toes. Then, while I was doing my homework, I popped a cd of HAPA and continued my daydream of seeing the beauty of palm trees everywhere I looked. Ah...a gal can dream, can't she?*

Quick sidenote: Firemarshall J is going to be our first CA visitor! He booked his flight and everything (hey, no refunds, right?!). Yay! And isn't it interesting...to keep with the theme of this blog post, he's in Hawai'i right now. So Firemarshall J, take note...don't forget my calendar, my Haupia pudding packets, Kona coffee, my palm trees, some sand if you can swing it, and hey, just about anything you can think of to bring the spirit of the islands to Minnesota! =)

Generation X

You are a Generation X-er if you were a kid growing up in the 80's. You are a product of this genre if you understand what pegged pants are, swatch watch guards, 12 inch teased hair, jellies, dipstick candy, pop rocks, wore blue eyeliner, gloves with the fingers cut off, tons of black plastic bracelets, and loved the music and styles of Madonna and Duran Duran. I simply LOVE this era! For those of us who were in grade school or high school, this was THE time for the best music, wasn't it? Guam1 sent me this quiz on 80's lyrics and it toally brought me back...WAY BACK! As you take this test, you're going to find yourself trying to wrack your brain for titles, you're going to start humming along to the many songs that you KNOW, but just can't quite figure out, and it's going to bring back memories guaranteed. Warning: there are 100 songs to fill in the blank. Take it and you'll be surprised how much you know (or don't!). Together, hubby and I got a 94! Whoo hoo! Let me know how ya'll do...

Good Advice

I've always heard of people keeping a notebook or pad of paper on their nightstand, ready to record any usual dreams or thoughts that suddenly come to them. There have been too many times where I wished I took that advice. I gave myself too much credit thinking that in the morning when I awoke, it would still be fresh in my mind. Not always the case. Though I'm usually pretty good at remembering my dreams, in full detail at times, I knew that when these words popped into my head last night that I had to get it down. Of course, I didn't have any handy dandy notebook to write down my thoughts (*catch the Blues Clues reference?*), so I did the next best thing and opened up my laptop...

Surrendering

In the moments before I surrender myself to sleep
My vision is but a haze of blurry darkness
Swirling about me-
I feel my body resigning.
My eyes, losing the battle against consciousness,
Intermittently close so tenderly
Like falling dewdrops on a rose petal
Shutting out the reality of my world.

MnM 3:30am

*Keep a notebook, pad of paper, anything that you can record your thoughts... you'll be surprised what you come with in the middle of the night.*

Recipe of Love...

Remember that list I started? One of them said to get to sleep earlier? Well, I just foolishly realized that it's not possible for me to do that when I've got a good read on my hands. Earlier this morning, I finished my latest book "Nights in Rodanthe" by Nicholas Sparks. If I were one to do book reviews, I'd definitely say that this was "signature Sparks" or "Sparks fans will not be disappointed" or "a definite tear-jerker." Yes, 'twas one of those. Aside from the whole recipe of love and love-lost, there's everything else in between that adds to the emotional climax of the story. Needless to say, I couldn't stop the tears from coming after reading the last line. As one of the reviews stated, "it will pull on your heart strings." Okay, so I'm a sucker for these kinds of novels...and once again, NO, it's not the books with the Fabio lookin' guys on the cover. The story was filled with love, anger, confusion, depression, fear, loneliness, wonder, awe, nervousness, longing...It was a simple love story that could have been real for anyone.

and Love-lost...
Earlier this week, I learned that one of my uncles (mom's 1st cousin-in-law) was admitted into the hospital. Apparently, he's been there for a week. From the update I got from my sister last night, he seemed to be doing fine. A couple of hours later, I got another call. He passed away earlier in the morning. Diagnosis: liver cancer. I'm not too sure of the details and I don't know how long, if they knew, that he had it. Everything just happened so quickly and so suddenly. Uncle R was a heavy drinker and I think that it finally caught up to him. He leaves behind a wife and twin sons.

*There's a saying that when one dies, another is born. In my experience, this had held true so many times. I have two cousins from that side of the family who are pregnant. It's like those babies are a sign to everyone that everything will be fine and that life goes on.

Maybe that's another reason why the tears kept flowing. My love and condolences go out to the Parungao and Susbilla family. Much love...

The Done List

Reflecting on the day, my to do list has succeeded in keeping me productive- yay! I even did #5. Check the classifieds for job openings. Lo and behold, there was one that caught my eye. it's for a 1st grade teacher position starting up in Jan until the end of the year. 'Course I'm not going to get all hyped about it just yet, but I will see if I can send my resume. Hopefully with the bomb ass resume hubby made for me, some schools will recognize my skillz! I'll keep you posted...

Ibalik, aka unknown member of old skool 90's dance group Cutting Edge, played chef in our kitchen and whipped up some yum adobo. The night was filled with even more references of people we knew from the Bay! Mentioned that his friends at University of Minnesota's fil-am group is looking for someone to teach them some folk dances for their upcoming "fashion show," - their version of a PCN. Was I interested? Hmm...I just might be! Hahah, I can never get away from filipino folk dancing...it's in my blood!

'Tis been a long day and I sure got things accomplished. I even addressed my Christmas cards! Whoo hoo! It's only 10:30pm CST and I'm headed to bed. Now whether or not I actually fall asleep is another question.

Bon soir mon amies- ciao ciao for now. Nite ya'll! Much love... *I did good today!

Survey Question

"Is it too early to start decorating for Christmas?"

IQ and inkblots

As I was planning on logging off early last night, er, this morning, one of those damn pop-ups caught my eye. It was for one of those IQ tests. Okay, I thought, let's just see how I do. Before I go any further, let me warn you that the tests takes you through four different areas: spatial, mathematical, verbal, and logic. Knowing that it's rating my intelligence, some of those wheels in my brain had to get cranking! Even though the ad says the results of the test are free, it's just a line to reel you in. Indeed, the general results of the test are given, but it's only a glimpse of how you really did. Of course, you're supposed to want to pay the $14.95 for the in-depth report of how your brain works. No thanks. I'll stick with free.

My IQ score: 122. *Is that good?!

This is what my score reveals about me:

"MnM, you are an Inspired Inventor.
This means you've got exceptional verbal and mathematical skills, and are very good at brainstorming new ideas."

Okay, not bad I suppose. Still in the mood to get my brain juices flowing, I took a Rorschach test. These are otherwise known as the inkblot tests. Psychologists use these to unlock the deepest recesses of your psyche or subconscious mind. The questions they ask after viewing the inkblots made me chuckle. Why? 'Cuz there always, always, always has to be a question about something sexual! Blame Freud! Some of the pics did look pretty freaky, some even downright scary. For some reason, I kept seeing eyes looking at me in some deranged way. Plus, the colors used and the ways they're splattered on the page...the red almost always reminds you of blood. Hmm...what does that say about my subconscious? At 3:30ish in the morning, I was hoping that by the time I went to bed that those inkblots wouldn't be the last thing I see in my mind. Anyways, after viewing 11 inkblots and answering 5-7 questions of each of them, here is what my subconscious reveals about me:

"MnM, your subconscious mind is driven most by Imagination.

You have a deep desire to use ideas to change the world around you. This drive influences you far more than you may realize on a conscious level. You love to brainstorm and imagine new possibilities. The world is a fuller, richer place because you can contribute new ideas to any experience. Your natural curiosity inspires those around you and encourages them to come up with ideas they wouldn't have discovered without your help.

Your psyche is very rich; the more you learn about it, the more you will understand who you really are."

Cool, eh? This is one of the reasons why I wanted to be a Psych major. I wanted to see the inner workings of people's mind and figure them out. Now, they've got computers to figure it out for you. Great. Don't you just love that one-on-one personal relationship you get with your laptop? Pshhh...whatever.

To Do List

Let's review.
1. Start sleeping at decent hour.
- Obviously, I didn't do that. After posting about 12:45am, I started browsing the web and took some personality and IQ tests. Will discuss that later. And oh, will definitely do #1 tonight.

2. Get up no later than 9am.
- Well, considering that I didn't get to bed until 4am, going an hour and a half beyond my targeted time is a good start. *Dammit, will do that one tomorrow.

3. Eat a healthy breakfast- include fruit and cereal.
- Yay! I did this one! Had a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats with 2% Reduced Fat Milk. Also had a juicy, yellow apple. Yum.

4. Do some stretching and exercise.
- Yay again! I started doing some stretches while watching the Wayne Brady show. Did the whole Larawan warm-up routine...basics, Panggalay movements to work the arms, and other dance/ballet positions.

Alright, two out of four ain't bad so far. It's still early in the day...must work on #5 and #6. Oh! I also forgot to add to my list one more thing.

7. Start writing up my Christmas cards. Personal deadline: Thanksgiving.

Yes, must definitely start on that one...

Critical Observation

I've had so much time on my hands, it's disgusting. There has been a certain "blah-ness" in my life that has been eating at me for awhile. I couldn't quite figure it out until today. A part of me wants to say that I've become unmotivated- but that's not completely true. If I wasn't motivated, I wouldn't have cleaned up all the damn kalat we had from our move. If I wasn't motivated, I wouldn't have bought all these cooking books from Costco or from the bargain sections of Barnes and Nobles so I can indulge myself my amateur culinary skills. If I wasn't motivated, I wouldn't be staying up half the doggone night and into the early morning hours working on my Masters. So the motivation theory deserves one foot out the door. Still doesn't explain that feeling I've had.

I started thinking to what my schedules, routines and patterns were like back in the Bay. Then, it hit me smack in the middle of my forehead! That's it! It is the LACK OF schedules, routines, and patterns that has got me down. I would wake up by 5:45am, er, I mean, I would set my clock at 5:45am, get up by 6:15am, rush to take a shower and do all my morning stuff, and leave the apartment no later than 6:45-6:50am. This gave me enough time to get ahead of the early morning traffic commute that I'd hit if I hit the snooze button for another 10 minutes. I'd listen to my girl Runel in the morning as I made my way from Foster City to good ole Silver Avenue exit off 101. I'd make it to Cornerstone by 7:15ish, trying to beat homegirl Mrs. Sharon for the top parking spot next to the gym. While at work, I had so many things to think about: progress reports, lesson plans, homework, tests and quizzes, faculty meetings, and my personal favorite, correcting papers. It seemed like a teacher's work is never done. Ya'll have heard that before. If I didn't have recess duty, I'd be correcting papers. During Chinese time, I'd be correcting papers. During lunchtime, well, maybe I'd be correcting papers. During meetings, haha, nah, I actually listened to what was going on in meetings! But you get the point. After school, it was like a traditional Filipino goodbye- you get your belongings together by 3:30pm, but you don't actually leave the building until 4:00pm. Before winding my way down the hall of the 2nd floor, I'd wait for neighbor Miss Lily. Usually, I'd wait for her to finish giving her enrichment teacher last minute instructions...probably a "friendly" reminder to not forget to throw out the trash. (sorry Miss Lily...had to include that in there!) We'd start walking down the hall, but it wouldn't be a couple seconds when some of my old students from the year before would come wandering out of their classrooms to take a walk. I'd chat with them and do the whole "How is 4th grade treating you? bit. Rounding the corner, we'd take the stairs down to the 1st floor, when upon opening it, there's the routine of popping my head into Mrs. Sharon's classroom. From there, we tsismis about the day and sometimes I'd wait for her to get her things. Hmmm...already 3:40pm. It isn't but four more classrooms we need to pass before getting to the punchout room. It's 3:45pm by the time we reach the door of the punchout room...but then Mrs. Betty and the soon-to-be Mrs. Syndee come out to join our further loitering in the halls. By this time, we've grown to a lil' gang hanging out and while other teachers are trying to leave, linger a bit to chat. By 4pm, it's time to go. I get on the freeway about 4:05pm, hit light traffic near the airport, and make it back to Foster City by 4:30pm. I pull into my spot, key-fob myself in the building, check mail, and wait for the elevator to take me to the 3rd floor. Upon entering #304, I put my keys on the hook, throw my bags next to the counter, grab a drink from the fridge, and plop down on the sofa to unwind. The unwinding process takes me through watching reruns of Charmed. After Charmed, I change out of my work clothes, start up dinner, and yes, correct papers while the food is cooking. I kick it with hubby after dinner, watch more tv, and by 9 or 10pm, hit the neverending pile of paperwork and anything else that has to do with school. By 12am, I'm beat, and if I have anymore energy left, I grab a magazine or book, snuggle up next to hubby in bed, and read til my eyes can't stay open any longer. The next day- same thing. I didn't even factor in checking emails, making phone calls, complaining about Fat Pat upstairs stomping around, etc. This may sound like a hectic schedule to some, to others nothing compared to theirs. But it was MY schedule, MY routines, MY patterns.

My major focus was my job. Now that I'm here in MN without one, I've lost some meaning out of my life. It's not to sound so dramatic, but I feel that I'm not being as "useful" as I was back in the Bay. I'd so love to have a class of my own out here.
I do have things to keep me busy....school...cleaning....laundry...but it's all stuff that I'd do on top of having a job, y'know? Besides look for a job, I have to establish a new schedule. Right now, it's so screwed up. I believe what will help is for me to bring back my "to do list." I used to have lists for everything! Yes, I am that anal!

1. Start sleeping at a decent hour. No later than 12:30am.
* Sh*t! It's already 12:40am right now!

2. Get up no later than 9am.
* I know that's late, but I have to ease in to this!

3. Eat a healthy breakfast- include fruit and cereal.

4. Do some stretching and exercise.

5. Check the classified ads for job openings.

6. Do some schoolwork...with breaks.

Ah...'tisn't the best list in the world, but it's a major start for me. Let's see how it goes.
*I'll start doing #1 tomorrow night!

Birthday Shout Outs...

Happy 22nd birthday to lil' cuz' of mine, Serenity Rose! Can't believe she's all grown up now. She was SUPPOSED to be one of our first visitors from CA to come here...had a gig training up some sales associates at Mall of America. Last minute, it was decided that her skills were needed elsewhere. Boo on her. But I still love ya' girl! Happy happy birthday and many more to come! As corny as it sounds, I hope you get all that you wish for. Hugs and kisses from Ate and Kuya! *Muah!*

Oprah Rocks!
I find Oprah to be a phenomenal woman. Her talk show gets me constantly drying my eyes; she's a philantropist, supporting various organizations so generously; she continues to uplift people with her many inspiring talks; and she keeps it real the best way she can in this jacked up world that we live in. PLUS, if it wasn't for Oprah, I'd have no idea which book to read! lol! On the real though, many of the books in my library were bought on the sole recommendation of her bookclub..."if it's good enough for Oprah, well dammit, it's good enough for me!" It's like how Rosie O'Donnell was in the know of which broadway musicals couldn't be passed up, Oprah is the same with books.

I just finished reading "Cry, the Beloved Country" by Alan Paton. Very powerful novel. Takes place in South Africa where white and black try to live side by side. It focuses on an "unfundisi" (pronounced "oom-foon-deece", meaning "parson") and the many trials and tribulations he suffers and the struggles he has with his family, his country, his religions, and himself. It's filled with so much sadness and devastation, but at the same time, offers hope. It can very well be a story of the hardships of any oppressed minority in a white man's world. As you read it, you feel that you can relate to it somewhat. I found myself rejoicing with the people and other times, I'd cry for their pain. Yah, if you can't tell, I really immerse myself into the stories that I read. Anyways, I found this quiz on Oprah's page- tells you what kind of novel you'd be. I took it twice, and the results told me I was either a romance novel or a biography. Between the two, I'd rather be a romance novel! Read on.

If you were a novel, you'd be a Romance Novel
From strolling on the beach to cuddling in front of a roaring fire, your life might read like a romantic novel. It's just the right kind of tale to get your dreamy heart pumping and your emotions flowing. Maybe you're the type whose daydreams are filled with visions of candlelit dinners, sweet nothings, and red roses. Then again, maybe your life already reads like a steamy Harlequin novel! A caring and romantic person like you is in good company with famous literary lovers like Romeo and Juliet, Catherine and Heathcliff, or Guinevere and Lancelot. Just because it didn't exactly work out for them, doesn't mean you can't have your own happy ending and live happily ever after in your own real-life romance novel.

*Just for the record: I DO NOT read any of those romance novels with Fabio-looking guys on the cover. Really, I don't.*

Check out this lil' quiz to find out what kind a novel you are.

It's A Small World afterall

Friday night welcomed us with two new visitors- yay! Aside from Pare & Mare & kids, the one person that has visited our humble abode the most has been Tom the maintenance guy. Anyways, hubby had been told by a friend in the Bay that he knew some people that we could hook up with once we moved to MN. Once hubby got here, he called and met up with Ibalik. Now, funny story that must be told here. Ibalik lived in San Francisco for a bit. I ask whereabouts did he live, where he went to school, etc. While we're talking about that, he's looking at our wedding pictures- all of sudden, he starts pointing to Ms. Penny, Kumare Wena, and mle, "Hey, I know her. I know her. And yah, I know her, too!" Wait a second...how do you know them? What he says next just totally blows me away- "I knew them from a dance group called Cutting Edge." CUTTING EDGE? (For those of you who don't know, MnM used to be part of an amateur hip-hop dance company...started by us group of kids whose parents were best friends...also the same kids who started the folk dance company, Barangay...)Man, what do ya'll know about that? He continues to tell me how he joined this dance group when it was heading into becoming Mind over Matter. Dude! I tell him that I was part of the original Cutting Edge, but I left when new people started joining. He started naming names and people that he knew- bugged me a bit that he knew everyone else EXCEPT for me! What was I, invisible?! LOL! He talked about where Cutting Edge would practice (Crocker Park Clubhouse), mentioned other people that he knew like Calves from Balboa...according to him, played tennis with him and kicked his butt! Shoot...I knew Calves and fam when they first came from PI! I will have to ask him who kicked whose butt though. Now of all people for us to meet here in MN, it just so happens it's another Pinoy from the Bay who also happens to know a lot of the same people that I know. Talk about a small world!

Still Trippin'
Cutting Edge. I haven't heard that name in years! We were nothing close to the hip hop dance groups out there today. But I remember that it was so fun! We'd practice in each other's garages, play and rewind the tapes on our pastel tape recorders, and made up routines from songs by Heavy D ("Now That We Found Love"), ABC ("At the Playground"), Janet Jackson ("Black Cat"), and my personal fave Paula Abdul ("Forever Your Girl"), just to name a few. We actually had gigs- did birthday parties, association parties, and the biggie, Fiesta Islands in San Francisco! Back in da day, Fiesta Islands was held in downtown S.F. at the Civic Center- even got to perform on the main stage and get introduced by KMEL DJ Rick Chase! Depending on the songs, the gals wore the coolest matching vests and black pants, and had those black shiny shoes with the chiffon laces. Remember those? Then there was the "Forever Your Girl" outfit...I don't remember what they were called, but it was like a babydoll dress with bikers shorts attached. Know what I'm talking about? We'd wear those with white bobby socks and our black shoes! Now I don't care what you say, but in the 1989-1990 timeframe, we were stylin'! Oh man...that totally brings me back- WAY back!

SlamBook Question of the Day

"Who is the most famous person you have met?"

Technical Difficulties
I don't know what's up with the "comments" link. It's been showing up randomly throughout the day. I know ya'll want to answer my slambook questions, so stay tuned til the comments are up again. Much love...

Random Thoughts
So I've been thinking about the whole writing thang. I've visited so many blogs that I'm embarrassed that I'm beginning to feel like a voyeur. I'm often left speechless after reading a blog so deep in thought and can only utter the one or two words perfected by Keanu in virtually all of his movies: "Whoa." "Dude." I go through the motions of wanting to be able to express myself so eloquently with all the A.P. English vocab I acquired in high school, but to no avail. I think of all the reading that I've done in my 29 years of life and am appalled that my vocab seems so limited. In writing up my research papers for my class, I turn to my handy dandy thesaurus to provide "adult-like" words to make me sound professional and more knowledgeable. Then of course, there's my number one reason for using plain and simple speech- "I work with 8 year-olds." At work, I'm surrounded by students from k-4th grades on a daily basis. My choice of speech is limited to my desire to relate to my students and ensure they understand me. I don't know why I'm trying to find a reason why I don't think I write (and speak) so well. Maybe it's because I'm out of my element out here. I remind myself that I am exactly the person I am supposed to be and I am in the exact place and situation I am supposed to be in. So with all things said, I am supposed to be pondering the things I am thinking? Hmmmm....

I was remembering back to one of the first times I wrote something I actually consider a poem. It was my freshman year in college and virgocapri and I were hanging out in the Student Union pyramids. Since fellow gators were sleeping and/or making out (disgustingly so), we passed a notebook back and forth to converse. I started jotting down these words that so happened to pop into my mind and the end result was a poem. Virgocapri added her two cents into it, too. Pretty funny when I think back to that poem...I got it around here somewhere. All I remember is that it was about someone having an affair and someone being stabbed to death. Nothing romantic...morbid actually. But y'know, whoever was having the affair deserved it.

The more I got involved in college, the more "artsy" and talented people I met. I was in awe of these people perfecting their craft from infancy and I still do. Maybe it was a desire in me to be like them. So I tried my hand at writing. Whatever came to my mind. I wrote down my thoughts and feelings after a trip to the beach. I described the feeling of the wind on my face, the damp smell in the air, and the sounds of the surf. I imagined how it would be to fly free as a bird or to be a crab digging tunnels in the sand. The beach was a major inspiration for me. I wrote when I was happy. I wrote when I was sad. I'd write when I was crying over an a-hole boyfriend. (If only I was as bold and articulate as comedian Margaret Cho, I would've said the exact same thing to a particular ex of mine. This should be THE breaking-up anthem for all. Be forewarned: by clicking on her link, inappropriate language to follow. Lots of it.) And I found that after I got my thoughts on paper, it felt like a huge burden lifted off my shoulders. It was as if I poured my heart and soul out to a best friend offering an ear to listen. I used to regret not keeping some of the things I wrote. I'd trash them in spirit of my psychology classes. "Writing things down will help ease your troubles. Throwing them out will rid you of that negative energy flowing in your body." So I threw some out, not in Waiting to Exhale fashion mind you, but got rid of them nonetheless. Damn. Makes me sound like I had problems, but y'know what, even though I didn't end up being a psychologist, it sure helped me deal with all the obstacles I've had to overcome in my lifetime. Makes me breathe a little easier and yes, helps me to exhale better, too.

SlamBook Question of the Day
"Name one celebrity who you wrongly thought was attractive."

Matrix Revolutions

Just came back from watching the last in the Matrix trilogy. I gotta say- it was off the hook! I'm not going to get into it and spoil it for anyone else, but man, the girls in there kick some serious butt! I may not be so into the whole theory and symbolism of the so-called Matrix like computer aficionado hubby, but if we're talkin' effects and action, this movie got it goin' on. Not to disappoint da freaks, there is some booby action in a club scene, but nothing as revealing as the get-yo-freak-on underground Zion rave. If ya'll haven't seen it yet, go.

MnM's favorite Neo line: "You might have to drive."

Most repeated word throughout Matrix Revolutions: "Sh*t!"

Most repeated phrase uttered by MnM during the movie: "Omigod, omigod, omigod!"

Lil' side note: Hubby and I didn't have to stay in a long line starting from the outside, we didn't have to fight the crowds for the best seats in the house, and we definitely didn't have any trouble with tall people sitting in front of us to block our view. Why? 'Cuz we're in freakin' Minnesota, that's why! AND, for the two of us, we paid only $6 a ticket and $5.50 for a medium bucket of popcorn with a medium drink to share. Man, you sure won't find that in California for a movie that's just been released. Although we braved the 24 degree weather, (YES, 24 DEGREES!), it was worth it.

SlamBook Question of the Day

"The blue pill or the red pill. Choose wisely."

What's the Protocol?

Is it okay to post a stranger's blog on your own after finding it by chance? After browsing it, taking a liking to it and deciding that it could be part of your daily reads? I've been doin' a lot of that, checking out other people's blogs, trying to take a peep into their thoughts and their world. I've recently been cruisin' blogs by filipino and other asian american poets. Maybe it's that part of me that is trying to stay in the loop of things back home in da City or keeping up with anything to do with being filipino. The written word that I've come upon have left me inspired to create something of my own, and yet I don't even come close to reaching the depths that they do. But that's cool with me. I write for me, and so do they. Some people express themselves better than others and some are just so eloquent that the words chosen to fit into their puzzle of a poem just blows me away. It's unreal how people find the inspiration to write so easily, whereas I need certain situations to get the words flowing in my mind. People like msbLiss and voodoo child always have a way with words that leave me in awe. Even hubby got his words playin' a game of ball in his head and yes, even FireMarshal J! Anyways, I've taken some blogs that I found and posted them onto mine. I hope the artists don't mind, but since I found inspiration in them, maybe someone else will, too.

SlamBook Question of the Day

"What movie can you NOT believe everyone loved?"

proud to be

maybe because I'm a woman of color
i feel that I can relate to the whole (in)equality issue
maybe because I'm a woman of color
i understand what it means to be talked down to and made to feel inferior
maybe because I'm a woman of color
i can feel the pain and anger when stereotypes and labels are placed upon me
so undeservingly
and maybe because I am a woman
i am not expected to voice my opinions so loudly and proudly
yes, I know what it feels to be different
so don't tell me otherwise
the color of my skin reminds me everyday of my uniqueness
and hell yes, I am proud
proud to be who I am
proud to be the beautiful shade of brown that I am
proud to be pinay
proud to be dakilang pilipina

Irritation

Doesn't that sound like the beginning to another inspired poem? Well, it just might be. First of all, I really need to start sleeping at a regular hour. This whole not working thang has got me comfortably sleeping in when other folks are getting ready for work. And while these same people are taking off for lunch, I'm just having my morning cereal. Not cool. I definitely don't have that stamina like I did in college to be pulling all-nighters anymore...I'm gettin' old...I need a nap in the afternoon. Second of all, I finally pulled out these pajamas I bought at Victoria's Secret. I've been waiting for just the right time to wear 'em. And if you're thinking of anything besides these thermal-like jammies that I have, then you're crazy to think I'd wear anything else in this cold 30 degree weather! Corrupted minds, I tell you. So this receives a place on my irritation list 'cuz when we had bought this back in CA, I distinctly remember the beeper alarm go off as we left VS. We bring our bag of purchases back, only to find out that there's no security tag of any kind that was left. So we're free to go, and once we got home, it went straight into the sea of boxes to be packed. I take it out and what the heck is this thing at the bottom of the jammy leg? A security tag! I cursed the saleslady from VS and for a split second, believe that the women who work there are all superficial and hello? How hard is it to find the tag and take if off? Maybe if they didn't use all that makeup and hairspray, it won't affect their ability to do their job! Okay, that was uncalled for. My apologies. *breathe in, breathe out* So I struggle with a pair of scissors, hubby takes out his computer tools, and I'm about resigned that I'm just going to have to cut the darn thing off and live with a hole. But through much determination, finally success! And my cute baby blue thermal jammies stayed intact. Yay!

But here's the kicker. My current University of Phoenix class is on Diversity in the Classroom. Its focus is on special education, legislation surrounding disabilities, and ensuring everyone gets treated equally. It's been an interesting first week thus far, but I tire of ignorant comments by ignorant people. The whole issue of diversity runs the gamut from race, religion, gender, ability, socio-economic, etc, so it's not a surprise when the topic turns to cultural diversity. I guess I have a problem with people who rave on and on about accepting people for who they are, preaching how the best way to teach diversity and tolerance in the classroom is by putting up maps and pictures of different countries of the world, and yet, their own attitudes are screwed up and hypocritical. People are agreeing with these issues because it's the right and politically correct thing to do. They deny that they have any judgmental bone in their body. Everyone is saying what is supposed to be said. I don't want to go so much into it, but that's at the top of my irritation list today.

"Let It Snow" ...Boys to Men
Yes, it is freakin' snowing here in Minnesota! It blew my mind 'cuz as I was preparing to go to sleep at 6:30am (don't ask why I was up that late...), I looked out the living room window to check out if the sun came up yet. I remember seeing the Park and Ride across the way, people getting on the bus bound for downtown Minneapolis. Then at 9:30am, hubby excitedly wakes me up, "It's snowing, My, it's snowing!" Yah, just like a lil' kid on Christmas...awwwww. I couldn't believe it! I literally had to rub my eyes to make sure I wasn't dreaming! All I could see was white everywhere! So being the Californians that we are, we got dressed and headed outdoors with the camera. Hahaha! People must have been thinkin' we were crazy! Yah, two bundled up brown people getting all giddy in the snow. It was falling lightly at first, but as we were doin' the whole slipping and sliding thang, (ok..not WE, just ME!), it started coming down thicker. It was like cotton falling from the skies!

Aside from all the cool pics that we took, the highlight for me was making a snowman. Now, it wasn't a full sized one, just a mini mini one. Tiny actually. Outstretch your fingers and it's probably the size from your pinky to thumb. Hubby pointed out that it didn't look like a friendly snowman...looks more like an alien snowman if you ask me! Click here to see my snowball creation and other pics.


SlamBook Question of the Day
"If you could be a member of any TV sitcom family, which would it be?"

Sometimes it's the worst situations that leave me inspired to write.

Revelation

Life ain't always a bowl of cherries
You deal with what Life throws your way
No matter how unpleasant and undeserved
Efforts seem futile to make situations unabashedly normal
Yet reality sets into a comfortable nook and nothing is the same again

You're taken to a place of denial
Where the world is as you want it to remain
Circumstances surreal to the fullest
For indeed they are not real
Only images of worthless hope unattainable

Surpassing anger takes hold of good judgment
As ill thoughts enter the threshold of the mind
Decisions warranting irresponsible measures
Can no less guarantee justification
For the truth

As the fervent wind of chaos erupts
The path of uncertainty aimlessly leads us
Down the road to the moment revealed
The answer we have hidden within
Is brought into light of what must be done

SlamBooks
Admit it. You loved them as much as I did back in the day! Back in grade school, it was just a normal, wideruled notebook. The questions would be headed in fancy print at the top and numbers down the sides. Of course, no one started with the first line- you had to count down to your favorite number and use that! Then there's the business of trying to disguise your penmanship 'cuz you sure didn't want everyone to know who liked who- even though they did. They all started the same boring, predictable way: name, address, date of birth, siblings. The pages that followed were the REAL questions everyone wanted the answers to. For example: favorite band (Duran Duran) and Culture Club), favorite color (magenta), favorite number (12), favorite actor (Ricky Shroeder), best tv show (Facts of Life). Then, it got nitty gritty: cutest boy in school, most athletic, biggest nerd, prettiest girl, biggest flirt. Finally, it got down to business: who do you like, what is that person's best feature, have you ever held hands with him, name someone you'd never "go" with. Wasn't that a trip? "Going" with someone. Some people were so out of the loop at the time, they were like, "Go where?" Helloooo! As in, going steady. Ahhh...those were the days! I bring this up 'cuz while I was browsing in Borders ("favorite store"), lo and behold, they had slam books! I couldn't believe it, I got all excited. And yes, I bought one (there are 3 different versions: pop-culture, hypotheticals, and personals). I ended up getting the pop-culture slambook. After going thru the pages and filling out my answers, my excitement faded. Who else was going to sign the slambook (besides hubby)? Ya'll know if we were back in the City, I'd make everyone sign it during one of our get-togethers...'cuz yes, I'm corny and stupid that way! So now, I figured if I can't get anyone to sign my actual lil' book, ya'll can do it on my blog! I'll try to post a question daily and whoever is game can answer in the comments box. Yes, MnM will finally get to see WHO reads her blog...her real friends. :-p Let's make this an interactive thang, shall we? And if anything, humor me.

SlamBook Question of the Day
"What was your favorite childhood game?"

Teachers Rock!
I got this email as a forward from good friend Miss Lily from back home. It was so good, I wanted to share it with everyone. That is, everyone and anyone who reads my blog. It's a tribute to all the teachers out there AND a wake-up call to anyone who thinks that teaching is a joke. I dedicate this to all my fellow teachers. Read on...

"The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?" He reminded the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about teachers, "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach." To corroborate what he was saying, he said to another guest, "You're a teacher, Susan--be honest. What do you make?"

Susan, who had a reputation of honesty and frankness, replied, "You want to know what I make?"

"I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I can make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor and an A- feel like a slap in the face if the student did not do his or her very best. I can make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall in absolute silence. I can make parents tremble in fear when I call home. You want to know what I make?

"I make kids wonder; I make them question; I make them criticize; I make them apologize and mean it. I make them write; I make them read, read, read. I make them spell 'receive' and 'separate' over and over, until they know they will never misspell either one of those words again. I make them show all their work in math and hide it all on their final drafts in English. I elevate them to experience music and art and joy in the performance, so their lives are rich, full of kindness and culture, and they take pride in themselves and their accomplishments. I make them understand that if you have the brains, then follow your heart--and, if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you pay them no attention.

You want to know what I make? I make a difference. What do YOU make?"

The Eve of All Hallows
Thinking that hubby and I wouldn't have any plans for tonight, I prepared all my candy to give out to lil' trick or treaters. I honestly didn't think we'd get any at our complex simply because I haven't really seen any kids. Hmmm...could be a problem. We get a call from the deJesus fam inviting us to go trick or treating in their neighborhood. Let me just mention that the weather out tonight was a steady 39 degrees. Brrrrrr! Chilly! I end up staying at the house with Kumare sippin' on hot coffee while hubby accompanies Pare and the kids. After goin' house to house for about an hour, we end up going to another friends' house for dinner- a Pinay sista and Australian aussie and fam. Aussie mentions that there's this "haunted house" that's well-known for going all out in decorating for this auspicious holiday. At the mention of it, the kids got all creeped out. I also have to mention that I was really surprised at how many people decorate their homes for Halloween. People hang the orange lights, display their carved jack o'lanterns, stick ghastly ghosts and other evil things on their lawns and even play spooky music for ambience. It reminded me of that one neighborhood in South City that decorates their homes for Christmas and there are lines of cars that go around the block just to see the beautiful creative displays. Now if you can imagine that, imagine all of those efforts put into ONE house! I've been to haunted houses before, but nothing compares to this! We had to park around the block because the congestion around the house was filled with rubberneckers trying to take a peep. As we're walking there, you see the strobe lights flashing...as we get closer, you hear the creepy music...right when you turn the corner, you hear a chainsaw and people screaming. Aw dude, not cool. I couldn't believe it, but the entire front lawn was gated off and the fantastically horrifying displays were so real- it's like we stepped into a horror movie! The kids were too freaked out to go in, so us adults braved the "walk of doom." Now of course we all knew that underneath those scary costumes were real people, but for that split second when they jump up and grab you, you forget mighty quick! I don't even want to know where they get their props and whatnot, but these horror fanatics sure are creative and quite disturbing. Mare and Pare walked in front of us- twas so funny 'cuz Kumare kept trying to touch the props and say hello to the characters, but in a nervous kinda way. What was hilarious was how there'd be props that we thought were real people AND real people who we thought were props. You couldn't tell the difference and that's what freaked me out! When we went inside, there was this one particular creature standing in the corner...it was so still! People ahead of us walked right by it and nothing. I looked at it, but kept on moving. Kumare was asking for it...she did the poke and prod thang and wouldn't you know it? It yelled and scared the crap outta her! We also took a couple of pics with some of the characters...there is one of Kumare and myself...I must admit that I was freaked out, so we stood next to the "thing", but for some reason I had it in my mind that once the picture was taken that he'd grab us. I think Kumare thought the same thing, too! Right after hubby took the shot, we hella ran away from whatever it was! Too funny! The last pic was of hubby and i with "death guy." He's actually one of the characters behind the gate that sneaks up on people standing around. He came towards us and I just asked, "Hey, can we take a picture?" Then this voice, so surprisingly normal answers, "Why absolutely!" LOL! We started joking, "Hey! He speaks so well! He's so eloquent and articulate for a monster!" We chatted with him for a bit, asked him how long it took them to put everything together. Turns out that a bunch of friends collaborate together, it takes them about a week to set up, and they leave the display up for two weeks. This is the 8th year and they always make the news. They've become THE haunted house to go to each year and apparently, people come. We told Death that this was our first winter in MN and that we just moved from CA- said he detected a "California accent." Honestly, I don't know what he's talking about! Anyways, this has definitely been the coolest thing I've seen on Halloween....and that includes the Castro in San Francisco!

It's a Midwest Thing
Everyone knows that if the house light is on, that means there's candy. No light = no more candy. It's a known fact, right? Apparently out here in the Midwest, people leave buckets of candy outside their doors. No need to open and close the door each time kids ring the doorbell- just leave the goods at the door! When we heard this, it just seemed like the funniest thing 'cuz you definitely wouldn't see that in CA. Gee, someone leaves a bucket of candy outside, the first trick-or-treater that comes is straight going to take the whole damn thing! That'd be it- sorry kids, no more candy! Isn't that a trip?! Next thing you know, not only are some knuckle-headed kids going to take the bucket, but they're going to take anything else that's not bolted down to the ground! One word: ghetto. Yah, that's what we're used to, eh? Just another thing to get used to in lovely, but cold Minnesota.

*For pics of our Halloween adventure, check out hubby's blog:Doh-boy. *