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I’m not really shocked about the passing of our late President Corazon Aquino. It’s been awhile now since she was diagnosed to have a colon cancer. I know that she will not last that long because of the type and stage of cancer that she had. It’s detected when it’s already about stage 3 or 4 so the survival rate is not that high.
I know that Filipinos would really miss Tita Cory. She’s a legend and a great President. She’s the first woman President of the Philippines and really was the instrument who brought back democracy to the Philippines. I have cried most of the time, from the announcement of her death up to her burial at the Manila Memorial Park. It’s really a sad moment for the Filipinos and you can see that she’s really a well-loved woman, not just because she was a president but because she was a humble, gracious, and good woman.
Words could not even describe my feelings when people talked during the eulogy to describe the experiences that they had with the former President. It’s really heart-warming but at the same time joyous occasion for now many people would really appreciate her because of the kind of lifestyle that she had before, during and after her term as a president.
Personally, i would really miss President Cory. She’s such a wonderful person inside and out. I also felt sorry for her children because they lost an amazing and loving mother. Just last night, I saw an episode of SNN, and I saw Kris Aquino’s breakdown when she talked about her mother. Tita Cory is Kris’ pillar and strength, and with the passing of her one great mother, I wonder who would replace her as Kris’ supporter and shoulder to cry on if another trial or problem arises in the near future.
Having sleepless nights can be really frustrating. Like for instance, I’m already sleep, but my mind’s still roaming around. I need to change my sleeping pattern, but I can’t due to the nature of my work.
I started experiencing bouts of sleepless nights when I started working online. There were instances that I have to stay up late to finish several tasks. Then, this would occur every other day, then it became my daily routine. I had practiced several strategies to combat my insomnia but nothing really worked for me.
Some people would advised me to stop working so late. I already did that but did not work at all. I noticed that I can only sleep before 11 pm when I’m very tired and didn’t sleep well the night before. I also tried working during the morning, but I would still sleep very late at night. I guess my body adopted to the kind of working schedule that I have already. Drinking milk and multivitamins to make me sleepy are not really effective.
So, what do I need to do? I’m not really into taking sleeping pills. I’m afraid of that stuff. I’m afraid that I might get addicted. Are sleeping pills really necessary for my condition? I hope my insomnia would really go away. I’m losing weight and I can’t be productive during the day because of exhaustion.
I love listening to music. Music makes my day complete. It’s a form of therapy for me because it helps me relax and be happy.
I don’t have a specific genre of music that I really like. It depends on my mood for that particular day. There are time when I’m really down and depressed and I would really need some love tunes to reminisce about my relationship or anything that made me blue. But most of the time, I love to listen to uplifting, dance, or happy pop music. I like to sing so listening to pop music is really fun.
My fave tunes that are stored in my computer and iPod are Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield, Love Story by Taylor Swift, Thinking of You by Katy Perry, I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas, and Big Girls Don’t Cry by Fergie. I can listen to these tunes 24/7. I don’t know but, they really make me happy.
My daughter also loves listening to music. Maybe, it’s because when I was conceiving her and she was just a month old, I would just lie down and listen to music most of the time. She doesn’t like watching cartoons, but when she watches MTV she can’t be disturbed at all. She was really watching intently and would move her body once her favorite songs are being played. I think I influenced my daughter to become a music enthusiast at this early stage of her life She’s just an 11-month old baby, but she’s a music lover already.
My favorite songs are really my daily uppers despite my being tired, sad, or moody. They are just simple songs, but they definitely are part of my life.
Sitting in front of the computer for about 8-12 hours can pose hazard to one’s health. I can attest to this because I’m beginning to harvest the negative effects of working in front of the computer for a very long time.
I am in my early 30s, but I feel like I am already in my 50s or 60s. Some of the health implications of working too long and too hard in front of the computer are the actuality that my back hurts, my head throbs, my eyes complain, and my wrist also suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome. But, I guess that I don’t have a choice. It’s part of my job. I have to research and read for all the articles that I have to write. I have to use the computer for all my data entry tasks. It sometimes sucks to think about all the work and all the long hours of sitting and staring the computer monitor. But, I have to work in order to survive…I have to provide for my family, for my daughter.
Ever since I got my laptop, I became addicted to the internet. In my spare time, I just love to surf and read on new things. If there’s a new word that I can not understand, I simply can not just sit down and keep on ignoring that unfamiliar term. Maybe I am just an OC, but that’s the way I am. Internet is my life these days. If there’s a new recipe on T.V. that I want to cook for my family, i just google it. If I want to buy a new bag or clothes, I just search online to find about the latest trend for the current season and where to get them the cheapest way possible. It’s not only my bread and butter, but it’s also my channel to release and reduce my everyday stress in life.
With my sore back and strained wrist, I can not just stop working. Maybe I just need a new chair and a new table which are comfortable to avoid further injury. I am sometimes guilty of working while sitting down in our bed, and I must confess that it’s a bit awkward and torturing.I have a scoliosis, but I kept on forgetting that I have this condition. That I need to maintain a good posture and not indulge my back in any strenuous positions or activities.
I am not getting any younger anymore. I need to take care of my health because as they say, heath is wealth.
The Dinagyang festival is probably the loudest, most extravagant, and most exciting fiesta in Iloilo City, Philippines. Foreigners as well as Filipino tourists flooded the city to witness and experienced this wonderful event. Colorful surroundings and the beating of the drums make the city alive.
This annual festival was first celebrated in 1969, when a replica of the Sto. Niño was brought over from Cebu. Today, it is celebrated every fourth Sunday of January. This occasion also commemorates the conversion of the island’s early settlers, the dark-skinned atis, to Christianity. This festival is quite similar to that of Kalibo’s Ati-atihan, but this is even more exciting.
Last January 25, the city was packed with people as usual. The streets were all decorated with Dinagyang banners, billboards, posters, and a huge bottle of beer. All warriors were painted back. Their beautiful costumes were made from indigenous materials such as cogon, coconut, bamboo, beads, and feathers. As I have noticed from their expressions, they looked excited and eager to win the competition.
I do not know about other people, but for me Dinagyang these days has become too commercialized and bring. Every year, you could see the same moves, formation and rhythm. I did not say that all participating tribes were all lousy, but almost all of them were just repeating their performances in the past years with a little modification. There were a lot of tribes who participated and from the time all of them had finished performing, my ears become numb because of the loud beating of the drums. I guess, the only tribe that caught my attention was the Bola-Bola tribe. They really deserved to be the over-all champion of this year’s Dinagyang. I do not want to sound killjoy, but this is what I have observed and felt after watching the event. Everybody is entitled to his or her opinion, isn’t it?
There were things that also interested me during Dinagyang festival. I liked the exhibit of paintings and other great things that reminded us of our rich culture. It also encouraged a lot of Ilonggo artists to share their talent and be appreciated. The souvenirs sold during Dinagyang also helped artists express themselves even on little things like the making of ati-ati souvenirs and other colourful stuffs like hats, whistles, headbands, necklaces, and many other different beadworks. During the evening, the party people scattered and enjoyed the smells and tastes of delicious array of food and listened all night long to the sounds of live bands all over the city.
Dinagyang was more than just a display of partying and merrymaking, but it represented the unique character of the Ilonggo people—artistic, fun loving, religious and sometimes crazy and wild.
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I never imagined in my eight years of being in a relationship that I would encounter this hurtful circumstance in my life. As of now, I’m still in the process of grieving and questioning my decisions a year ago.
Is it really my fault that my marriage life did not work out the way I planned it to be? I’ve really tried my best to keep my life in place. I once had a successful career as a financial officer and my dream to migrate to Manitoba had been approved. I just have to pass an English language examination and go to the Canadian Embassy to process my papers. Suddenly, unexpected things happened. I had to make an important decision. Will I pursue my flourishing life and career opportunities or settle in my hometown to build a family of my own? I had to weigh my priorities then and stick to it no matter what.
Now, it’s time for a reality check. Marriage life is not always being in a bed of roses. There are things that you would discover about your partner that’s really irritating. It’s a fact that nobody is perfect. But, would he be willing to change to please you? Is he not over with his dishonesty, partying ways, and early morning arrival from drinking and going out w
ith friends? Can you tolerate this annoying habits? If you can’t, you still have time to reassess your relationship. You have to clear some issues with your partner. If things don’t work out don’t cling on it and bear with being gloomy for the rest of your married life.
Of course, you will feel blue at this stage in your life. You just have to be strong and have faith that everything will be alright soon. Let negative things go out of your system; confide to a friend or a sibling. Learn to accept that life is indeed a box of chocolates; you’ll never know what you are going to get. Just pray that will get by this stormy chapter in your life.
The whole world is mourning over the death of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Who wouldn’t? He was a great music icon. It’s a very surprising departure considering the fact that he’s planning to stage his comeback concert this year.
Many people flooded the Staples Center in Los Angeles to witness Michael Jackson’s memorial service. Fans from all over the world gathered just to celebrate Michael Jackson’s life and music as well as bid farewell for the last time. Some followers of the King of Pop really saved money and took some time off away from work just to fly to the U.S. to pay respect to their beloved music idol. You can really see that Michael is well-loved by his fans. People are very much eager to get their hands for tickets for the said event.
You can see from their faces that they are saddened by the singer’s passing. It’s a huge loss for the music industry. Those who love the King of Pop also rushed to the music store to buy Michael Jackson’s CDs. The media are also ready to capture the event live in July 7, 2009.
We love you Michael! May you rest in peace…
In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, one of the world’s famous and most visited tourist attractions is the statue of Jesus Christ the Redeemer with open and welcoming arms. It is known to be an icon of Brazil and a symbol of Christianity for most Brazilians declare Catholicism as their religion. It is located at the summit of Corcovado Mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park. It stands 38 meters and weighs 635 tonnes. It offers breathtaking views of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Guanabara Bay, Sugarloaf Mountain and Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches. At the base of the iconic monument, a small chapel was erected which can accommodate 150 people.
The huge statue was designed by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and created by French monumental sculptor Paul Landowski. It was constructed using reinforced concrete with the outer layers made from soapstone. Other designs which were considered before the final design was chosen were representation of the Christian Cross, a statue of Jesus with a globe in his hands, and a pedestal symbolizing the world. The construction of the famous landmark took nine years to complete from 1922 to 1931. The cost of the monument was approximately about $250,000 with funds raised from donations.
This large Art Deco-style statue of Jesus was inaugurated on October 12, 1931, the day of Our Lady of Aparecida by President Getulio Vargas and Cardinal Dom Sebastiao Leme. It was declared as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World on July 7, 2007.
I simply can not resist the temptation of buying bags. It seems that someone is whispering into my ears saying, “Please buy me! I will make you happy!”
I am not a brand conscious kind of girl. The most important factors when buying a bag for me is the style, color, and size. If I saw something that I know would look good on me, I simply bookmarked that item and visit it again the following morning. If I can’t sleep through the night thinking of that specific bag, then I know that I must but it. Yeah, I must admit that I’m an online shopping junkie especially for bags. Just ask my husband, and he’ll simply confirm about my passion for bags.
As of now, I have about 15 bags– all in good condition. I really love and take good care of my bags as if they’re part of my family. I want all of them to look at their best every time I would wear them.
My current favorite is my latest Gucci Brown Bag. I super love it! It’s a bit pricey, but I simply cannot resist the enticing power of this bag.
Well, I said to myself that the Gucci Monogram Brown Bag will be my last purchase this year. I hope this promise will not be broken. I still have other essential things to buy, especially stuff for my baby. Til my next purchase!!!. lol
Emotional imbalance is a psychological condition that hampers a person’s emotions usually presenting an unexpected change in temper and lacking interest to certain activities. While most expectant mothers feel blissful for the coming of a child, many pregnant women suffer short-lived mental stress or depression especially during their first trimester or even after the baby’s delivery. Depression during pregnancy occurs due to the fact that a woman’s hormone levels change rapidly. These fluctuations can influence the activities in the brain that affects the moods of pregnant women. Also, family history of psychological disorder, fertility treatments, high-risk pregnancy, and awful experiences faced by the mother before or during pregnancy, such as physical and emotional trauma, previous abortions and miscarriage, broken relationships, unsupportive family/partner, and unhealthy domestic environment can contribute to the depression and feeling of low self-worth.
Expectant mothers usually exhibit signs and symptoms such as feelings of sadness, loneliness, guilt, or worthlessness with no reason at all, frequent change of moods, insomnia, fatigue, irritability, and loss of interest or pleasure to fun activities and social functions engaged in before. Other symptoms may include loss in appetite, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, and suicidal thoughts. These symptoms may not automatically be indications of a mental disorder, but, still, caution should be observed as this may result to depression.
Depression during pregnancy poses risks both for the mother and the baby. A woman that is depressed can develop suicidal tendencies, poor eating habits, drinking, smoking or drug problems and experience pre-term birth, preeclampsia or even abortion. The growing fetus will also be endangered as maternal stress can cause emotional and behavioural problems, physical deformity, serious medical condition like high blood pressure, and poor development of the nervous system. Some of these conditions may not be seen right away after birth, but many studies have shown that the mother’s stress during pregnancy can have significant effects on the child’s behaviour in the future.
There are different styles of managing emotional stress among pregnant women. Each individual requires a unique therapy management depending on the patient’s ability to cope with stress, history, and experiences. Some patients experience only mild and short bouts of depression. Others may suffer severe mental stress that requires serious attention and therapy as it might result to post partum depression. To cope with mild depression, a very strong support system from loved-ones is important and also counselling to help address the condition. Many pregnant women are prone to this psychological condition because sometimes they feel they are alone and single-handedly go through the whole ordeal of motherhood. During the first three months of pregnancy, medical experts usually just advised interpersonal psychotherapy and psychoanalysis to cope with stress but do not give pharmaceutical treatment as this may affect the development of the fetus. After the first trimester and if depression symptoms still persist and worsen, antidepressants such as Selective serotonin uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) may be prescribed. For patients who have not responded to the treatments mentioned above, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is given as a last-resort treatment for severe cases of depression.