32 Things I Learned from Life in 32 Years

The Number Thirty-Two... what's with that number? Oh well, today, I just turned 32, my first ever birthday away from home. and i think getting a year older is a blessing.. And since i always do something for my birthday, so i decided to make a list of what life has taught me all these years.

Here is a list of my 32 Things I Learned from Life in 32 Years:

1. Life is Beautiful. We may forget it at our down times, but it still is.
2. Take vacations. Go to as many places as you can. You can always make money, you can't always make memories.
3. SHIT happens.
4. It's GOOD TO BE BAD sometimes.
5. It's all in the mind. Your way of thinking will always affect your life.
6. Sometimes when you break the rules, you make everything right.
7. Take photos as much as possible. You can always go back to the same place over and over, you can always do things again and again... but you can never get that same experience and memory twice.
8. If it's meant to be, then it's meant to be. You can try it your way but if nothing happens after that, stop forcing or else you will just inflict more injury to the injured.. better leave it to FATE.
9. Sometimes, a HUG is all that you need. 
10. In the end, family is still family and friends can be family too.
11. Not all of your friends are TRUE. The masks will wear off in time. Don't expect much.
12. You can't always be nice. Sometimes you have to set boundaries. People will take advantage of you if you don't.
13. You don't have to tell the truth ALL THE TIME. Some things are meant to be kept.
14. Small things mean a lot. Even a simple "hi" will change your mood for the rest of the day.
15. You can't always get what you want.
16. Sometimes when you are angry, you have the right to be angry.
17. At some point in your life, YOU WILL GO CRAZY OVER LOVE, VERY CRAZY!
18. Never forget the child in you. Sometimes we make our own complications in life. Life was always simple back in our childhood days. It's always good to be happy even with just little treats and candies.
19. You can never be too sure about anything.
20. Take Chances. If you think you have all the time, YOU ARE WRONG! There are some things that you will not be able to do next time. Regrets will always come later.
21. Never take for granted omens along the way. Keep your eyes open. Be alert on the warning signs. 
22. It's not always about money, it should always be about what makes you happy.
23. You have to have time for yourself. Travel alone, get lost, explore, meet people, do absolutely nothing or do everything you want... just then, you will find yourself and you will know what you really want in life without other people telling you.
24. Change is a must. But be sure you are ready for whatever!
25. We always have a CHOICE, ALWAYS. And sometimes, we have to choose between what we want to happen from what should be done. Trust me, it will make you crazy!
26. Some things are better left unsaid. Cos WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW WON'T HURT YOU!
27. Letting go is never easy. Saying GOODBYE will either hurt one or both of you. Until now, i honestly suck at it.
28. The WHAT IFs are inevitable. Sooner or later you will realize you could have done this instead of that. It's normal. Just don't dwell on it much.
29. Emotions are contagious. Go with happy people, they will make you happy.
30. Never get too attached to something which isn't yours. Letting go would be torture.
31. Most of the time the best way to help is to just listen. You will never fully understand things unless we become them. It will always be a case to case basis. 
32. It is not with the quantity of time but the quality of time that you were together. Even a seven-year relationship cannot be compared to a month of pure bliss. The feeling of being at home is what matters.

I don't know if everybody would agree on all of these but this is definitely the way i see life now. Let's just LIVE, LOVE and be HAPPY!!! and that's all i wish for my birthday today... 

10 Things I Could Not Forget About Peter

so who is this Peter i am referring to? he is this guy who we met at TIKI Bar in Puerto Princesa Palawan. we only spent basically one whole night with him, talking and drinking and nothing more. we had a few hours to spend cos he had to go to El Nido. so if it was just for a night, then you might be wondering why i am talking about him here. it's simple! there are things that i could not forget about him.

here are the 10 THINGS THAT I COULD NOT FORGET ABOUT PETER:

1. having RED BULL after getting drunk. after drinking Smoker's Special as my second drink for the night, i felt different. i got a bit drunk.but i still managed to get myself a bottle of SanMig Strong Ice after. so i jokingly told Jeni that she and her new found friend, who happened to be Peter, should send me back to the hotel if things come to worst. i really got drunk. it was Peter who said "Red Bull works for me." so i had to order one and gave him my bottle of beer to finish. indeed, it did some magic to me. now i know how i could survive my drunken nights. lol.
2. he reminds me of the song GOD GAVE ME YOU. no it was not for me. he told us a funny story about him going out in Palawan and dancing with this girl when suddenly the music changed. they started playing God Gave Me You instead. awkward to the highest level! haha. i could really tell that the bars in Puerto have a pretty bad song selection. i can't even understand why Tiki Bar plays BUKAS NA LANG KITA MAMAHALIN every night!!!
3. everything is worth a try cos you only live once. i kept on telling him that that night. we were trying to lure him into getting up the stage to sing. he started listening/practicing his Nirvana songs  on his phone which i suppose he would use when he comes up the stage. too bad we didn't notice it was the band's last set. that night could have been a blast if that performance went through. haha.
4. he is living the life that i have been wanting all my life. at a young age, he is very much well travelled. i envy him for having the kind of job that he has now. i envy him for travelling for months and going to places he desires. he can go wherever and whenever he wants. that is definitely LIFE for me.
5. KARMA. we have the same thinking when it comes to this.when you are good to people, good things will come to you. what you give, you receive and you receive more. that's basically what he believes, and i couldn't agree more.
6. one down on my bucketlist: have a decent conversation about anything under the sun with somebody i totally don't know. contrary to what other people think, we only had ONE night to spend. we just met each other at a bar in Puerto and had to part ways before sunrise. no we didn't talk about our personal issues. he and jeni talked first before i got drunk and joined them. our conversations were basically about how to enjoy that night and just merely anything that comes to mind. it was really fun.(My Wishlist)
7. another one down on my bucketlist: treat a total stranger. okay Peter is not really a stranger now. but going back to that night, he was somewhat like that. i got him drunk, forcing him to drink 3 shots of Jose Cuervo in like 5 minutes. that's after having some other drinks. but don't get me wrong,  i did have a clean intention. i even promised the two of them that i'll treat them to coffee after and then we'll send him home when we're done.
8. coffee and muffins. i keep my promises. we went out to find a nice place to have coffee when the bar was starting to close. the nearest we could possibly find was Dunkin Donuts. i am not really a fan of donuts so i got us 3 muffins and 3 large cups of coffee. had some serious talks about life. and this time Peter got me thinking.
9. a broken promise: not a coincidence. i am a believer of fate. i have this big faith on fate. i don't think that there is such a thing as coincidence. everything happens for a reason and that's my personal judgment. honestly, i didn't have plans of going to Palawan on a January. i was not supposed to take that flight with jeni. kathleen knows that so well. an opportunity came and that time i was thinking it was a good time to finally break a promise that me and my past made as part of that moving on thing. and i told jeni that we should go there to celebrate for passing (i kinda mastered the positive thinking thing. i truly believe that what the mind can conceive, the body can achieve. that's how i think. that is the secret i've been practicing ever since.guess that worked on my exams. lol). well i think the whole universe conspired to make things happen. that night with P got me thinking about my life; my past, my present and my future. i believe we were meant to meet that night to make me realize a lot of things. our conversations were not that specific. they were not pointing on my personal issues. jeni and i were more interested in his travels and adventures. but those few hours with him was indeed enlightening. i could have been to another place that time, but something brought me there. those conversations were made to happen, those stories were made to inspire. that time when he showed me that skydiving video and told me he has plans of doing that, i got pretty amazed. at the back of my mind i was thinking, i envy this man for knowing what he truly wants to do with his life.
10. that hug, that kiss and those beautiful eyes. no i wasn't hitting on him that night. i swear i never did that. it was just a good night with an old friend and a new one.clean fun, i should say. besides, he told us that we were the best Filipinos he has ever met. and that was quite flattering. i hope he really meant what he said. lol. we walked him to his place which was just a few blocks away after our coffee time. he both gave us a goodbye hug and a kiss on the cheek. i suppose that was his way of saying thank you. but i could not forget that hug. that hug was just perfectly tight and comforting. and for the first time, it came from somebody who i barely know. i must confess, it felt kinda amusing. no we didn't kiss. but thinking about that moment now, i swear i should have kissed him that night. 

we still talk and find time to reconnect every now and then but i don't know if our paths would cross again for real. i am hoping that it would though. and as i have said to him, if we'd see each other again then that would not be out of coincidence. and if that night was the only chance we had, then i would gladly say thank you for those inspiring hours P. you were the first person who ever did that. i will never ever forget you.

What is LOVE?

i asked some of my friends earlier today a random question: WHAT IS LOVE? oh yeah.. this may seem like a simple one but trust me, this will definitely make you think a hundred times when thrown at you. so why did i ask such question? some asked me if i am into some deep shit again or did i catch cupid's arrow for the nth time. it's both a yes and a no. i am always in love -- in love with love, in love with falling in love, in love with life. and i won't deny, i  have been a love-believer ever since. that's the reason why i'm stuck at the moment for who knows til when. the question just came to me in an instant. maybe there is a guiding force that wants me to ponder on things and somewhat learn in the process..

so WHAT IS LOVE?

as per wikipedia's definition:

Love is an emotion of a strong affection and personal attachment. Love is also said to be a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection —"the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another".Love may describe compassionate and affectionate actions towards other humans, one's self or animals.

but will this definition be enough? definitely not. i believe one's definition of LOVE varies accordingly. 

for kids - who would ever forget the famous line "GOD is LOVE." ?

during high school days - who did not answer "LOVE is like a bubble gum, kung mupilit makabuang." on a friend's autograph?

for a more mature definition - "LOVE is UNCONDITIONAL" uhmmmm... 

somebody's definition of  love will somewhat show how he has experienced love and to what level of maturity he has gained. cos in the course of getting into a relationship, falling deeply in love, experiencing a breakup, trying to move on and finally reaching the moved on part...one's definition of love will never be the same. 

here are some of the definitions i got today:

"Love knows no reasons. Love knows no lies. Love defies all reasons. Love has no eyes. Love is not blind... it sees, but it doesn't mind. Love doesn't seek what's not there. Love accepts all pains to bear. Love that doesn't die is love we can't see. Love is just waiting for someone even if it turns to an empty sea." - Thayk Ferols

"Love is an unconditional acceptance of another person for everything.. not perfect, bittersweet." - Patty

"Read 1 Corinthians 13... Love is the fulfillment of all things. Love is unconditional... no ifs, no buts, no could-haves nor should-haves. It is giving without expecting something in return. Knowing that it doesn't have to be a two-way stree. It is forgiving and forgetting. It is the fulfillment of all things... Isn't this what life is for? To live is to love?... The most loving person is the happiest. let's spread the love girl." - Lucienne

"Love is patient.Love is kind... Corinthians ;-) ...It does not envy. It does not boast, it is not proud... Love is not self-seeking... Always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres." - Ghedi 

 "Love is accepting who the person is. Love is compromising - meeting half-way. Love is not selfish and possessive. 1 Corinthians 13:4" - Kakai Piloto

 "Read 1 Corinthians 13" - Simsimi

"Love should be unconditional. Not selfish. Love is forgiving. Love is trust. Even if you don't say it often to the one you love, you both know it's there just by showing each other that you care." - Jen White

"for me, love is relative. your idea, your definition of it depends on how you feel towards your "current" person. somehow you try to squeeze it in and mold it to fit the current situation. you paint a picture in your head on how the future and forever looks like with that person. love is acceptance. unconditional and limitless. i guess that's how love works." - Rhodora(rhodoramania.blogspot.com)

"Love is unconditional." - Boyet Alvarez 

"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Where there is love, there is peace. True love waits." - Joy

"Love makes you think wiser, gives you strength and will guide you to the right path." - Shiela

"Love is a feeling towards another person. Na gusto nimo makauban ug makita siya always, bahala nag di mo magstorya. Basta kauban ra mo." - Lui

"Love is supposed to make people happy. If you are not happy, then it's not love." - Ingrid 

 "Love truly is a commitment. A commitment to care, to nurture, to help bring out the best in that person and to give the best of yourself." - Shelley

"Love is undefineable (if there is such a term), but definitely, it's more of a decision than a feeling." - a friend who changed her name to anonymous lol

"Love is a strong affection." - Anne Relampagos

"Love is a special feeling that even a good scientist can't explain." - Ian Valdez

"Love is an act of giving yourself to someone whole-heartedly. This is both a choice and a risk. You choose to love and you risk being loved or end up with unrequited love. But love does not stop there. Because the act of loving in itself humanifies one and trancends in so many ways." - Edgie Uyanguren

"Love is the 7 years between where i am to where you are. Boris inspired!" - Den(tutuontherun.com)

" Love is unconditional. Because you should accept everything, go through with him without hesitation, though not recklessly but wholeheartedly. Love is when you let go for the one you love." - Sir Anthony 

"Love is like heaven but it can hurt like hell.-anonymous. Love is patient. Love is selfless. Love is a sacrifice." - Jeni 

"Love can inspire you, hurt you or destroy. love can move mountains, cross the entire universe.Ang Gugma Makalipay, Makabu-ang, Maka Payat og di maka kontrol Maka patay!hehehehe." - Cristina Herrera

"Love is not blind only lovers can not see!" - Uncle Dante

"Te, here's the best definition of love, by my standards - “Love is an untamed force. When we try to control it, it destroys us. When we try to imprison it, it enslaves us. When we try to understand it, it leaves us feeling lost and confused.” - Paulo Coelho" - April

"Love for yourself. Love hurts." - Chez 

"Love is a decision. It's not all about feelings. Coz that GREAT feeling will eventually change. In time, sweet things will turn bitter and worse, sweet will turn sour. Once you found love, you decide, you commit - long term.. Nurture it. If you won't, then love will fail and the relationship will fail." - Tutet 

"Love is "that" unconditional feeling. :)" - Chabz 

"You can't define love through words... But only actions..." - JPFlo 

"Love is as love does. Love is an act of will -- namely, both an intention and an action. Will also imply choice. We do not have to love. We choose to love." - Macky

"Love is an extension of one's self." - Kittin

"Love is unconditional. Love is unselfish." - Bong Babiera 

so many definitions from different people from all walks of life.. sharing their own definitions of love from within. there are no right or wrong answers in here for love is truly subjective. what may be true to one may be contradictory to another. it all boils down to how you understand it, be it by experience or not.

and here's my own definition of love:

Love is a gift. It is a gift to be shared not kept. Love is making people smile, making people happy. Love is reminding others to have a positive outlook in life. Love is remembering, remembering memories of laughters and even heartaches. Love is being thankful of the past be it painful or not. Love is letting go and setting free of the person eventhough you are still holding on to the feeling. Love is waiting even for uncertainty. Love is loving on the third degree - no ifs, no buts, no reasons behind, you just love and take the risk. Love is loving yourself. Love is giving yourself to others. Love is Niji. LOVE IS SIMPLE. It is everyone around us... family, friends, pets, loved ones, everyone. It is everything we do for them.. plain and simple..  As i always say, LOVE is spelled as T-I-M-E. 

 before this entry will come to an end, i want to leave you all with this...

"But really sometimes we confine ourselves in the realm of romantic love when a simple giving of bread to the old lady in the footbridge is a grand display of love. the hushing  of a crying child, carrying a baby, smiling to a stranger, answering a friend's "What is Love?"... all these things manifest great love for others... There are many things to be happy about. There are many things to be in love about. Let's live it. Live, Love, Laugh."

-Lucienne

--- Let us all be LOVE-BELIEVERS! ---

10 Things I Want You to Remember

I have asked this question to myself a hundred times, "What do i want people to remember in me when the future comes to steal the day?". I am not part of the royal family that people will surely speak highly of me. I am not an actress that people will talk about the movies i made or the awards i got. I am just an ordinary girl, living an ordinary life, in an ordinary world. So what then will the people around me say when they come together and talk of me?

there are 10 things that i would like people to remember when they think of me.

i want to be remembered as  the girl....

1. who could always brighten up your day even if she couldn't brighten her own. making other people happy even in your own down days is not that easy. but as much as i can, i smile and act as if nothing is bothering me cos i have always believed that emotions are contagious. if you are happy, those  people surrounding you will also be happy. (well, unless she's your enemy, she will feel otherwise. lol). 
2. who can be anybody's true friend. all my mom's friends would agree that my mom is really a good one, an ideal best friend i should say. and all throughout my lifetime, i have been trying my best to follow her footsteps but failed a hundred times. she doesn't hold grudges, i do. she easily forgives, i don't. truth is, i can easily make friends and i can guarantee true and lasting friendship. i value loyalty much and finds betrayal between friends unforgivable. and that's where the problem starts. it's just so sad that i already lost some. but one thing is for sure, i don't hate without valid and validated reasons. so if you are complaining, please think twice and evaluate. i love my friends, i would protect and keep them the best way i can, so i don't just ditch any of them. 
3. who has always believed in LOVE. yes, for the nth time i will forever be grateful that i was given the chance to experience love on the third degree. love may have chosen to fly away but still it is not a reason to easily give up. no i don't hate him. i never reached that point. although sometimes i see myself asking for it. i have always believed  that i have to be enraged inorder for me to make moving on easier. but sadly, that is not the case, it was never the case. guess, my feelings are much more powerful than the hate and anger  i've been wanting to have. now i'm just hoping for the best. soon. i also want to be remembered as a loving daughter who would give my fam the best life i could (well, that i have to work on. lol) and the best mom for my Pretty Baby Niji who have been my constant companion for more than a year now.
4. who invests much on memories. i'm into saving memories.taking pictures has been my passion. i have always believed that it's good to have something to remind us of the past, both good and bad. i don't have a car but i already bought four cameras to date. i gave the last one i bought to my little sissy, while the first one is still alive but barely breathing. lol. my cams are my prized possessions that's why i can't just lend it to anyone.
5. who has the sunniest disposition in life. i am not the type of person who just sits still, shuts my mouth and watch everybody else do their stuffs. honestly, i can't really shut my mouth. well, zipping my mouth only happens in three situations: when i'm pissed off /angry, when i'm sleepy and not on the mood and when i'm sleeping. so most of the time you will see me chatting with friends, old and new. i love to see people smile and laugh. it makes me happy inside. that's why as much as possible i want to display a happy me when i'm with them. i love reminding people to get rid of the negative vibes even though sometimes i tend to forget to apply it. i just want the people around me to be happy. simple as that.
6. who keeps on sending inspirational messages. i have been sending daily inspirational and devotional messages to friends on my phonebook. but there was a time that i suddenly stopped thinking i could no longer do it. it was not because i found the act a bit costly but because i found it inappropriate. i was then at my lowest point. the world seemed to stop around me. i ceased running. i stopped doing zumba. i ate a lot but lost weight even more in the process. i was just holding on to the little faith i had. and so i stopped texting. but now i realized, my friends may need it more than i do. their thank yous and amens are food for my heart. and that's what keeps me going.
7. who loves running. i've been running for years. i have done a number of  runs, both early morning and night runs. it has been my passion. my body started to look for it. my body was loving every step i made. it was actually a few hours break from reality. when i run, all i think of is finishing the race. i call it my life from the starting line to the finish line. nobody dictates you what to do when you are inside the race. it's like leaving everything you are worrying about for a few minutes or hours. i just love running. it's not also all about the race. it's more of gaining confidence and pride while meeting new friends in the process. i miss my runaways family. i suddenly stopped running and it has been months now, since february 2012 to be exact. it was when i got a knee injury plus a broken heart all at the same time. i want to go back soon. i will go back really soon. keeping my fingers crossed. see you all!
8. who has her way with kids. ever since, i have always loved babies and kiddos. my mom knows that well. they remind me not to complicate life and be happy with just anything. even my nieces and nephews love to stay in my bedroom and play. i have stored candies, crayons, water colors, color pencils, drawing book, toys and stuffs. i even prefer watching cartoons more than any series or movies. i don't know but kids make me happy. their smiles are so precious. their laughters are music to my ears. i just love how simple things make them happy. i even dream of spending my next birthday with kids with cancer. hopefully, i can do it. 
9. who looks like a total biatch but a real girl next door in disguise. i love wearing skimpy shorts, body-hugging dresses, sexy bikinis and stuffs like that. i've got a number of sexy beach photos which people may think that i'm overly exposing myself to others. i am not  the conservative type when it comes to dressing up or having photoshoots with friends. i also find it easier to mingle with guys than girls. well, this is me. people may have tagged me accordingly basing on those. well, that doesn't affect me much though. just so you would know, i had my first relationship when i was already working. and that i only had ONE boyfriend at my age of 30 which actually lasted for seven years, and a long distance relationship. and i'm proud to say that i never played around. so i guess it would be safe to say that you should scratch out your notion of me being a playgirl now. lol. looks can be decieving hunny. well, actually i can easily be a biatch if i really want to. well, anybody else can.
10. who loves adventure. i am an adventure-seeker. i am the type of person who loves to try new stuffs and visit new places. i don't settle with what's conventional. i even travel alone. well, i find spending alone time away from home exciting and comforting. it's always good to explore new destinations, try new delicacies, learn more about their culture and meet random people, without worrying about anyone but yourself. i'd like to do an inverted zip, bungee jump and learn how to swim so i can join a triathlon. well, hopefully soon. i actually got a number of things to do. i just hope i can do it all especially the travelling part.

so how then will you talk of me? 

Seduction Secret #58: Don’t apologize for what you want. Go after it. -Victoria's Secret