Hello Again!!

Hi to all my bloggers!!
I'm back in action.. I'm sorry for not posting in so long However i had been very busy at work.
I was hired by Panda Express restaurant last March and working there has kept me very busy.. I have lots of stories to tellabout the time working there.. From now on I'll try to keep this blog active with lots of good stories.. Thanks for keeping loyal to my blog and I will post something very soon..

2 Filipinos on the American Idol top 24 Season 10

     Every time I watch American Idol, I'm always waiting for the Filipinos that audition and until they make it to the final 24. At that time, I will start to support them and cheer with them. You know guys that's all I can do. Unfortunately, I wasn't blessed with a golden voice lol. I'm still practicing my voice skills at our neighborhood's karaoke. hahaha! jk.

     So now we are in another season and the battle has begun among these great singers. The good news for us is that there are 2 Filipinos who made it to the top 24 of American Idol. Clint Jun Gamboa was the first man selected to the 12 male finalists and Thia Megia, after a nerve-racking discussion, was the last contestant selected to the 12 female finalists. It seems like most of the finalists have some foreign blood as few were just traditional Americans.

     Our fellow Filipinos have traditionally done well in this competition. Camille Velasco finished in the top 9 and also remember Jasmine Trias who finished in the Final 3 and she became popular in the Philippines (they both were in Season 3). Ramielle Malubay was the last Filipino who made it to the final 24 in American Idol Season 7. She ended at the top 9.

     Next week, the 10th season of American Idol, will start the battle for the best of the best. Hopefully, our fellow Filipinos can make it up to the top. Good luck to the Fil-Am contestants.

Korean Shows

     I can't remember the last time I watched the Koreanovela shows on t.v. Oh Yeah! I remember the show entitled "Shining Inheritance". As usual, among all the Korean shows, this one was another successful story that aired on t.v. I can name all my Korean favorite shows that I like:

     There are maybe many more but I can't remember the titles. but the above shows are remarkable in my heart. I still can remember how crazy about the Korean shows and so I applied for a job in a Korean restaurant. I was hoping that maybe I might meet somebody like one of a romantic leading man in the Korean shows lol (isn't that crazy).

     The one thing I really like about the Koreanovela is how they make the story original. They really think hard about the twist. They make it less action, not many kissing scenes and innocent romance. In addition to that, all the characters are good looking  and in my opinion, Korean faces are the loveliest faces in Asia. :D

     Now I'm far away from my beloved country and I don't know what good Korean shows are on t.v. Our TFC/GMA doesn't play any Korean shows but only have Filipino drama shows. Today, I've been busy watching all the episodes of "Cinderella's sister" online. I saw a glimpse of this show during the TV PATROL and realized what Korean drama is on t.v. right now. This is why the topic was brought up to this subject.
Maybe guys you can help me find  good Koreanovela show on t.v. beside the Cinderella's sister. I'm off track now.  ='(

Holding friends close?

     I miss my friends back in the Philippines. Some of the ways I used to show affection to them was to hold their hands, sit close next to them and have deep talks. This is one of the nice Filipino customs between friends.

     A few weeks ago, one of my close friends and I went shopping in a nearby mall. Naturally as per Filipino custom, we showed ourselves as a friends by  holding  hands while we walked. I knew it was nothing because we are both girls. When we got home, our elderly Filipino friend asked us if we held hands or sat close to each other in the mall. I was wondering why she asked that since I believe there is nothing wrong with doing that.. She explained that doing those things to show your closeness is not the customs here in the US. People might think you may be in a relationship with the other person.

      I suddenly thought about an Am-girl that was so kind to me and I felt so close to her. I showed my  friendliness to her by doing the Filipino customs (holding hands, sitting close to each other, took picture together) but I didn't realize she may misunderstand my way and think that I wanted a relationship with her.

     Its very hard to change your  customs when you have been practicing them  all your life. But I'm trying hard to break myself to this habit in public as Americans do not seem to understand this custom. However when I'm only with my Filipino friends I plan to continue to follow the custom.

Gay Marriage???

     For many years now in the states, there has been a battle for gays to want to have gay marriage recognized by the entire country. They feel that they are just like a normal couple and should be treated that way. Unfortunately many disagree since traditional marriage between a man and a woman is called for in the bible. However, the gays don't accept this and believe that everyone should be forced to accept their marriage regardless.

     I don't really understand why the gays have to force this issue and just are not content with society accepting thier partnership. They should not expect people to change thier religious belief to suit thier desire to be considered normal in marriage. Despite most people not wanting gay marriage, the gays are trying through the courts to force it on people. Some state have even voted on this issue and decided not to allow gay marriage only to have the courts over turn the vote ( in Ca. for example).

     Marriage is a sacred contract sanctioned in the bible. Also, being gay is considered a sin in the bible. Therefore why should the gays be able to force their belief that they should be able to be married on the rest of the country when it is opposite to the bible's teaching.

Happy Shopping Sunday

  
     Oohhh! My leg was hurting, my feet was sore, my wallet was empty. Yes you guessed it, my friend and I went to the mall to shop. It was such a gorgeous day outside so I just didn't want to stay at home.. It was Sunday so we had to rush a little bit because on Sunday the mall closes at 6pm. This early closing is kinda of irritating because I'm used to the Philippines where Sunday the mall stay open late, to make sure to collect as many sales as possible.
      Well anyway I bought some nice things and I saw a lot of nice bargains for clearance winter items. They dropped many prices up to $10. Unfortunately I saw a very nice outfit that I didn't buy because I ran out of money. As I continued to shop I saw another item I fell in love with and I could not resist to buy. I'm happy that it looks nice on me so I went to the cashier to check out. I suddenly realized I may not have enough money for it (*toink*) I didn't know what to say to the cashier but thankfully it was %25 off. whew! the discount saved me.  
     When I shop the next time, I'll make sure to bring a financier with me to avoid any unexpected money problem.. nyahaha!!

Death Sentence for 3 Filipino in China

     I don't know if you heard this news but there are three Philippine Citizen in jail in China scheduled to be executed for trafficking drugs. They were caught transporting heroin in office supplies boxes in 2008 but they recently were sentenced to be executed. This would be the first time Filipinos would be executed in China for drug trafficking.

     The Vice President of the Philippines made a trip to China last week to appeal for their lives. The VP argued to the Chinese that the 3 Filipinos were just victims of the large drug cartels. For the first time in the history of China, they granted a delay in the execution. However they still may be executed at a later date.

     While they were definitely guilty of the crime, the death penalty seems a bit harsh. I can't imagine thinking that I only had a few days left in my life and that i knew the exact date in which i will die. That would drive anyone insane. Only God should be the one to take away life. We should always remember them in our prayers that a miracle would happen to change the hearts of the Chinese government officials.
   

Clouds like cotton

A year has gone by and I was staying at my mother's land in Antique for a short vacation. It was raining the whole month  and you could tell the anger of the sky. It was darkened light above and it never stopped raining day and night. The wind was so strong that you could hear the trees whooping and act like they were falling on top of your roof. There were no clues as to when the sun would show up. We couldn't go out and travel on a tour to see all of the natural wonders that the province had to offer.  It was the saddest vacation in my life. 

The ocean was wavy because of the tropical weather and it caused many ships to sink, so many that it bothered me to go on board a ship. I wanted to ensure a safe trip back to Manila so we got a plane ticket, even though it was much higher cost. But still I was pessimistic as I had many "what if" going on in my mind. I was hoping the weather was sunny when we boarded the plane but my prayer wasn't granted. The sky was still very dark. However when the plane took off, and we gained altitude I saw an amazing  sky above the dark clouds. There was blue sky everywhere and the sun was hiding behind thick wide clouds that covered our area. It was fascinating to watch these clouds that looked like cotton and you felt like you could walk on top of them. It was a great relief to fly with clear skies rather than a scary trip home through a rain storm.

First Love

No matter how long ago it was, for sure there is still space in our memory for the special moment of the story of our first love. There is two ways to feel about our first love experience, its either good or bad memories. For me, it is a wonderful memory, a lot of the time. I remember the first time how I feel that I'm not just a young girl but a grown woman.

I was sixteen-ish when I Experience for the first time caring deeply about my look my clothes, to my face, just everything. First experienced to be courted with a sincere guy. I was serenaded with the unforgettable song and always remember the angle of his face so when i dream i could picture it. The feeling of excitement the first time I hold his hands walking to the seashore. All this things are new feelings going to the process of first love.

Not all first love experiences are happy but there is also sadness and tears. Even Lovers quarrels during first love are cute and add spice to the relationship, I believe they could even make your relationship stronger. All of these things happened when you fall under the spell of first love. I was inspired to create this You tube video for lovers. I hope you will enjoy watching!!

Spring is coming!!

After many days of freezing cold, today was gorgeous at last. Temperatures have been below 10 degrees recently but today it was over 70 degrees hurraaayyy!!. To celebrate me and my friend Tina decided to walk to Mcdonald's about a quarter mile away. Take note that I was able to wear shorts for the first time in months. I really miss the warm weather specially in the Philippines, so this day reminded me that Spring is almost here.

Nail Art

I have never been a nail polish lover and never really cared for nail art . I'm  right handed when i write and do my nails, but every time i clean my right hand nails, its really hard for me to do because I'm right handed. It turns everything into a mess and I sometimes get wounded so i need to ask someone to help me clean my right hand nails.  I am also not good at applying manicure on my nails so I will ask someone who is good in applying nail polish to help me with my nails. If you would suggest that I go to the nail parlor, I did try that once and it cost me $25 dollars and could be even more depending on how you want your nails to look like. The more fashionable the look the more expensive it is. I remember the last time I made my nails back in the Philippines it  cost me php 70.00 or worth almost $2.00 and it really looks gorgeous.

In my picture, it looks like they were done professionally. However I did it by myself without the help of anyone else. I'm very proud of myself on how they came out that one time. Usually I mess up and am force to start all over again many times. That time  I was going on a trip and like every other woman I wanted to look good in everything on every part of my body including my nails. Here are some of my personal things that I used for making your hands and feet so beautiful with nail color and images.

Love and Sorrow...Felt By All Creatures

Here his wife is injured and the condition is fatal.

She was hit by a car as she swooped low across the road.

Here he brought her food and attended to her with love

and compassion.

He  brought her food again but was shocked to find her dead.

He  tried to move her....a rarely seen effort for swallows!

He stood beside her, saddened by her death.

Finally aware that she would never return to him,

he stood beside her body with sadness and sorrow.

Millions of people cried after watching this picture in

America and Europe and even in  Asia . It is said that the

Photographer sold these pictures for a nominal fee to the

Most famous newspaper in France .

All copies of that newspaper were sold out on the day

These pictures were published.

And many people think animals don't have 

Feelings???? ?

 

The existence of God

     Found this great example in my e-mail and wanted to share.
     A young man went overseas to study for quite a long time. When he returned, he asked his parents to find him a religious scholar or any expert who could answer his 3 Questions.

     Finally, his parents were able to find a scholar.

Young man: Who are you? Can you answer my questions?

Scholar: I am one of God willing, I will be able to answer your questions.

Young man: Are you sure? A lot of Professors and experts were not able to answer my questions.

Scholar: I will try my best, with the help of God.

Young Man: I have 3 questions:

1. Does God exist? If so, show me His shape.

2. What is fate?

3. If Devil was created from the fire, why at the end he will be thrown to hell that is also created from fire. It certainly will not hurt him at all, since Devil and the hell were created from fire. Did God not think of it this far?

     Suddenly, the Scholar slapped the young man's face very hard.

Young Man (feeling pain): Why do you get angry at me?

Scholar: I am not angry. The slap is my answer to your three questions.

Young Man: I really don't understand.

Scholar: How do you feel after I slapped you?

Young Man: Of course, I felt the pain.

Scholar: So do you believe that pain exists?

Young Man: Yes.

Scholar: Show me the shape of the pain!

Young Man: I cannot.

Scholar: That is my first answer. All of us feel God's existence without being able to see His shape...              Last night, did you dream that you will be slapped by me?

Young Man: No.

Scholar: Did you ever think that you will get a slap from me, today?

Young Man: No.

Scholar: That is fate my second answer...... .. My hand that I used to slap you, what is it created from?

Young Man: It is created from flesh.

Scholar: How about your face, what is it created from?

Young Man: Flesh.

Scholar: How do you feel after I slapped you?

Young Man: In pain.

Scholar: That's it... this is my third answer. Even though Devil and also the hell were created from the fire,
 if God wants,God willing , the hell will become a very painful place for devil.

God said: "If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you." If you are.

Oyo Boy Sotto and Kristine Hermosa's wedding video clip

I came across a story that took me by surprise. Two famous pinoy celebrities were married last month and I didn't even know about it. The celebrities are Kristine Hermosa and Oyo boy Sotto and their wedding was held during sundown so that made it very romantic.
For those of you blog mates that are behind the times like me, they were married on January 12, 2011 which was Oyo boy's birthday. It was private wedding in the Balai Isabel in Talisay Batangas attended by 150 guests.

MTV CRIBS FEATURING MANNY PACQUIAO'S HOUSE IN L.A.

Everyone knows the history of Manny Pacquiao coming from a poor area in the province. This video shows what success Manny Pacquiao has achieved in life through his great boxing. He was featured recently on MTV CRIBS and shared his house with everyone.
I'm very glad that they chose Manny, who is hero to all filipinos, to be one of the featured cribs among the other celebrities. His house was amazing and had many cool accessories and I also noticed he speaks pretty much good english now than the last time I heard him talk. Please watch this video and enjoy.

Cristina Aguilera Super Bowl Performance

Hi! my beloved blog mates, sorry I haven't updated in a few days due to health problem but i did try to review other blogs. One thing that caught my attention this past weekend was that Christina Aguilera really screwed up the National Anthem. I've always thought that she has an amazing voice and I followed her career over the years but she made a huge mistake last weekend at the Super Bowl.
While singing the National Anthem she sang the wrong words for one section of the song. She recovered quickly but the damage was done. Even though the rest of song was good, all everyone is talking about now is her mistake.

Super Bowl Sunday!!

      I'm sure all of my American blog mates know about the Super Bowl but for my pinoy blog mates, this game decides the champion of the National Football League (NFL) in America. It is always a huge event here. I loved the fact the game was today but probably for a different reason than you are thinking. For those married to American husbands you will understand what I'm talking about when you read the next paragraph.

     What gets me so excited about the super bowl today is that I now have my husband back on Sundays. During the NFL season every Sunday, most American guys stay glued to the t.v. set watching NFL football. My husband was no exception. So now Sunday is open to do all kinds of things like shopping, touring, dating or anything else except watching football on the t.v. hahaha!

     Even though I wasn't really into watching the game today, I want to congratulate all the Green Bay Packer Fans for the great victory.

Chrysanthemum Flowers

    Giving flowers and chocolates are the best gifts to give for a girlfriend or wife to express their feelings. Girls really love to receive flowers and when they do it is very meaningful to them. They feel so special.

     Most men can't understand why women love to receive flowers, they just know that they do.The flowers only last few days only and really don't have any use except look pretty when they are alive. Men seem to  love gifts that they can use over and over and the flowers obviously don't fit that pattern.

     Women, however look at gifts a different way. To them,  the importance isn't how u can use a gift but the thought that goes behind it. Men are practical while women are very emotional. Thus,  the thought that goes with the man sending flowers is more important than the flowers themselves.

      Knowing the right kind of flowers that your wife or girlfriend loves and then following through on giving them, shows the woman you know what they like and care enough to give what they want. In this way, giving flowers serve more than one purpose.

     Finally giving flowers is just another way to say I love you. Women get this message loud and clear when they receive flowers from men. So all of you men that are reading this blog, go out and buy some flowers for your love believe she will definitely appreciate it and love you all the more for  your thoughtful gift.

Great Bargain at Goodwill

     What a wonderful morning last Sunday to attend the church service and listen to the words of God. I feel sad though because I  missed the Bible study for 3 days. After the church service, we had small gathering with the members of the church. We talked about clothes and the fact that I need more conservative outfit to use for attending the church service and for bible study.  Most of my clothes are revealing, so it is not really appropriate on attending church services.

     While we are talking about the clothes, all of the sudden we got the idea to go to Good Will right away and see what they had. I've been there before and I told them there is a lot of good bargains but its been in a while since I last shopped there. I love this store coz you never know what unexpected things you'll find there. You just need to have a good "eye" for spotting the good quality stuff. Most of the new  merchandise comes from the stores like Target, Walmart etc. and you will get the half price for it. Isn't unbelievable.

     My friend was amazed to get all the nice stuff for just cheaper price. She had not heard about Goodwill before and she was amazed at all of the bargain she found for really nice things. She really save a lot of money while getting nice things. She spend $36  and I spend for $27 which is amazing for the number of nice outfits we bought. We really had fun shopping for almost 4 hrs and still that was not enough time to get through the entire store.

Love Chain Story

     I want to share a story that I received in my e-mail that touched my heart. This was 3 years ago and still cannot forget this story. Maybe some of you have read this as a part of a  love chain story e-mail, for others who didn't see this story before, I hope you enjoy.

     An incredible love story has come out of China 3 years ago and managed to touch the world. It is a story of a man and an older woman who ran off to live and love each other in peace for over half a century.

     The 70 year old Chinese man who hand-carved over 6,000 stairs up a mountain for his 80 year old wife has passed away in the cave which has been the couple's home for the last 50 years.

     Over 50 years ago, Liu Guojian a 19 year old boy, fell in love with a 29 year old widowed mother named Xu Chaoqin..

     In a twist worthy of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, friends and relatives criticized the relationship because of the age difference and the fact that Xu already had children.

      At that time, it was unacceptable and immoral for a young man to love an older woman. To avoid the market gossip and the scorn of their communities, the couple decided to elope and lived in a cave in Jiangjin County in Southern ChongQing Municipality.

     In the beginning, life was harsh as they had nothing, no electricity or even food. They had to eat grass and roots they found in the mountain, and Liu made a kerosene lamp that they used to light up their lives.

     Xu felt that she had tied Liu down and repeatedly asked him "Are you regretful?" Liu always replied, "As long as we are industrious, life will improve".

     In the second year of living in the mountain, Liu began and continued for over 50 years, to hand-carve the steps so that his wife could get down the mountain easily.

     Half a century later in 2001, a group of adventurers were exploring the forest and were surprised to find the elderly couple and the over 6,000 hand-carved steps. Liu MingSheng, one of their seven children said, "My parents loved each other so much, they have lived in seclusion for over 50 years and never been apart a single day. He hand-carved more than 6,000 steps over the years for my mother's convenience, although she doesn't go down the mountain that much".

     The couple had lived in peace for over 50 years until last week. Liu, now 72 years, returned from his daily farm work and collapsed. Xu sat and prayed with her husband as he passed away in her arms. So in love with Xu, was Liu, that no one was able to release the grip he had on his wife's hand even after he had passed away.

     "You promised me you'll take care of me, you'll always be with me until the day I died, now you left before me, how am I going to live without you?"

     Xu spent days softly repeating this sentence and touching her husband's black coffin with tears rolling down her cheeks.

     In 2006, their story became one of the top 10 love stories from China, collected by the Chinese Women Weekly. The local government has decided to preserve the love ladder and the place they lived as a museum, so this love story can live forever.

Happy Lunar New Year!!

KUNG HEI FAT CHOI!!!
Healing and reconciliation is coming for The Year of the Rabbit. Lots of selling chinese charms and crystal, Rabbit stuff are now spreading in the stores that they believe it will bring good fortune and good prospects for the year ahead. There is also food such as Red ampaw, Peanut ball, Fortune cake, Hopiang Bilog, smiling cake and Tikoy symbolize the non stop prosperity of the coming year. It is believed that sharing tikoy makes the good luck stick. We already embrace the Chinese Tradition and beliefs when it comes to Luck. They became aware to what food they should eat and what clothes they will wear for celebrating the Chinese New Year. Lets look forward to a great Year of the Rabbit.

Wintry Weather

  

     Today's weather is horrible, in the morning started with freezing rain which turns into ice then after we started having snow. The freezing rain turn trees, grass and streets into sheets of ice.This picture looks like snow but its really ice. Some people think that Filipina who are experiencing this cold weather for the first time may get depressed. I don't know if this is true but i know i felt sad some days when it is very cold. Here some pictures taken outside during this today's storm. What a way to start the month of February.