Prelude to a Review of "The Secret Life of Bees"

“Most people don’t have any idea about all the complicated life going on inside a hive. Bees have a secret life we don’t know anything about.” -August Boatwright's character, "The Secret Life of Bees"

I want to watch this film, but do not have the time to do so. I have read the book by Sue Monk Kidd and was impressed by her writing. It was different from her other book, "The Mermaid Chair", which I had mixed feelings about due to its style and content.

"The Secret Life..." deserves a proper book review, and I will get to it once I find the time.

I remembered the quote because I have found myself "busier than a bee" these past few days. My friends tell me that I should get a shirt that says, "Born Busy", because I am always doing a project, coordinating an event, organizing a reunion, running an errand, or finalizing a report. I was a busy student, I became a busy lawyer, an even busier missionary, and now at my busiest, with work and family concerns.

In all that busyness, there are even more complicated things going on inside my head. Sue Monk Kidd wrote it well when she compared the life of bees to the life of humans. It is as graphic and as accurate as a metaphor should be.

Read the book and watch the movie. We'll talk about it more in this blog. Soon, I hope. Or you can start writing your comments below. I will find time to read them. I always do. :)

Mac and Lex

Meet Mac and Lex.  I spend time with them the most these days.  They're with me everyday, and I even dream about them.  As the Clear commercial goes, I tend to be a two-timer.  It's so hard to stick to one love!

Mac is my Macbook White, who is with me when I wake up in the morning.  It houses all my videos, songs, photos, documents, spreadsheets, presentations, emails, contacts, and more.  I can't live without it as it has made my life so compact, organized, and it's cute, too.  Heads turn during the few times that I bring it out in public.  I tend to keep it at home because it's so hard to maintain its whiteness.  I Heart Mac!  I have hugged it a lot because of the many memories associated with it.

I also have Lex in my life.  Lex is the nick of my product, "Lex Libris".  It is a research tool for lawyers, law students, law firms, librarians, legal departments, tax practitioners, accountants, HR managers, and businessmen.  Even as a law student and then as a young lawyer, I could not do legal research without Lex.  Now, I have the opportunity to watch Lex grow, and to share its brilliance and versatility to an ever increasing market.  I am responsible for marketing Lex and I have grown to love it.

I am crossing my fingers for a collaboration between the two.  Mac and Lex.  Lex and Mac.  An idea whose time has come.  Now I don't have to be with one and neglect the other, hehe.

I know what you're thinking.  I need to get a real life.  So sue me.  Some people like pets.  I like gadgets.  (I AM Gadget Girl, after all.)

Much as I love Mac, whenever my nephews want to borrow it, I cannot say no.  So yesterday, while I was doing my chores, I let Miko play with it.  He also downed a tub of Cadbury's Fruit and Nut pieces while watching YouTube videos of his fellow Speed Stacking champions.  (Sorry Ate, he also wanted to get his hands on the Tim Tam but I said it was too hard to reach the bottom of the box.  He'll wait for your arrival.)

Tonight, after I got home from work, I excitedly took Mac and placed it on my lap.  Then something bit me.  To my horror, I saw ants crawling all over Mac's immaculate whiteness.  Some ants were on my bed too, where Mac had been sleeping all day while I was with Lex.

Ant attack!  I panicked.  I have read some stories about modems, laptops, and other electronics destroyed by ants.  I took out my trusty Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and proceeded to wipe Mac clean of any chocolate residue and rid it of its temporary inhabitants.  I fervently hoped they did not reach inside Mac.  Oh please, no.  I tried shaking Mac upside down so that any trespassing ants would fall.  I could only hope that I succeeded.  

Mac has to be fit and ready for a new toy I will have this weekend, the iWork '09.  :)  Oh, and an iPod upgrade.  Gadget Girl is beside herself with joy.  

I will try not to be distracted when I work with Lex tomorrow.  After all, the law is a jealous lover.

Come to think of it, if this is what not having a life means, then I'm having an amazing time at it!

My Lakbayan Score 2009

I used to be a C+. ;)

My Lakbayan grade is B-!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

My Father, the Techie - Part Two

While talking to my sister in the US about the Manila tour that we will give her and her husband next week, my father suggested some restaurants where we could all have lunch.

My mother, who could hear the conversation even if she was in another room, suggested that we try the buffet at the Manila Hotel.  My sister must have asked how much it would cost, because I overheard Papa saying, "Ma, paki-Google mo nga kung magkano ang buffet na iyon."

He used Google as a verb to find something on the Internet.  He had discovered the Information Superhighway.  I had to go to the kitchen and congratulate him.

Parents like to blog about their kids.  Daughters like to blog about their parents once in a while, when they are being cute as Papa was during this incident.

Of course we will end up eating at Aristocrat in Malate again, because that was where my parents had their wedding reception some 42 years ago.  We don't mind.  It's tradition.  Not everything has to change.

A Conscious Decision

The older we get, the harder it is to hold on to happiness.

I started the new year on a happy note, and my cup was overflowing with joy and gratitude. I could not contain it so I spilled some everyday to the people around me. I was glowing, shimmering, and soaring.

Gradually, things crept up that threatened to rob me of my joy. Traffic every morning on the drive to work. Fellow drivers who display utter ignorance of traffic rules. Clients who are unreasonable, demanding, and irate. People who are mean and show less love than they should.

I made a decision to choose to be happy this year, and I found this first week a bit of a challenge. I did not want to be stressed, insecure, and frustrated all the time anymore.

The world has not changed, but I have, right? So I will fiercely hold on to that one happy thought that could make me fly, and refuse to be affected by negative thoughts, feelings, and persons.

Fierce happiness. What an oxymoron.

Another Amazing Anniversary

To add to my two previous posts about anniversaries for 2009, this year we're also celebrating 10 years of Lingkod QC's predecessor, Friends and Lovers in Prayer/ Friends and Lovers of Prayer (FLIP/FLOP). We're going to have a reunion on February 14, 2009 at Lime 88 that sits behind Mirac's house in Mandaluyong.

Calling all QT's! Leave a message or e-mail me if you want to attend. It's going to be a night of music, friendship, great food, and more! God bless.

What's With This Year?

1. It's CD Asia's 15th Anniversary. Expect great deals on your Lex Libris, my friends. And Ella to try hard to organize her schedule properly without going crazy.
   
2. It's Lingkod's 25th Anniversary. People have been talking about this for two years now. I do hope it turns out to be a special celebration of God's goodness to us.
3. It's the 10th Year since I graduated from UP Law. So A-'99 Blockmates, let's drink to this! Perhaps even attend UP Law Alumni Homecoming for once in our lives?!
   

Come to think of it, I need that 8-day Retreat during Lent. I will fit it into my calendar. Otherwise I won't survive all these happenings.

Things to Look Forward to in 2009

1. Arrival of all of my siblings for a two-week reunion, from Singapore, US, and Australia
   
2. Piano Recital (which reminds me to practice),
3. Trips to Cebu and Davao, will make sure to pass by Bohol this time,
4. Hong Kong Disneyland either with officemates or friends,
5. Singapore with parents (or they could go without me, and I will look forward to having time alone :P),
6. Applying all that I have learned during my first year in CD Asia and getting things done well this time,
7. Maximizing my gym membership that expires in May,
8. Getting a new phone each from Globe and Smart,
9. An upgrade to iPod from Nano (thank you Apple),
10. A dream retreat in Baguio (8-day silent, I hope to make it),
11. Arrival of an old friend for a month's stay in Manila,
12. Game Nights and winning in Taboo or conquering Cranium,
13. More 'gigs' with Tiguls/ ex Lingkod QC Music Min, whether at weddings or videoke sessions,
14. Spending time with real friends and I don't mean on Facebook, and
15. Turning 35.

This is going to be a great year, I can tell. ;)

Cute Blogger Award

I would like to thank Iris of The Search for Wellness   for this award.  Sorry it took me so long to accept it. ;)

 Here are the rules of this award: 

1. Each blogger must post these rules.
2. Each blogger starts with ten random facts/habits about themselves.
3. Blogger that are tagged, need to write ten facts about themselves. You need to choose ten people to tag and list their names.

Here are the 10 Random Facts/ Habits About Me:

1. I am a toiletries and makeup aficionado.  I scrimp on clothes and shoes but cannot resist lotions, shampoos, and everything on Watsons, Essenses, and Beauty Bar.  (I have tried to be good this year and avoided those shops.)
   
2. I am bad at wrapping gifts.  I would rather pay someone to do it.  My mom always ends up helping me.  This year my sis-in-law Mommy P and nephew Miko pitched in after they saw my pile of gifts to be wrapped.  Maybe I should take lessons.
3. I love to cook and bake but only when I'm in the mood (does that make sense?), and I make a mean baked macaroni.  My chicken cacciatore is not bad either.
4. I have been trying to learn to play the guitar for the past two decades, probably.  I own two guitars.
5. Patience is not one of my virtues.  This explains no. 4.
6. I am perceived to be funny and loud, but I really prefer "alone time" at least one day a week.  I long for silence and savor it whenever I can.
7. I am suffering from Volunteer Burnout.  It does not flatter me when people ask me to do things just because I'm supposed to be good at them.  I have been like this for the past, I don't know, two years. (Sungit Mode)
8. My Love Language is "Words of Affirmation".  I need to hear it.  (The other love languages are "giving and receiving gifts", "quality time", "touch", and "acts of service".)
9. I have memorized the following films' lines:  "As Good as It Gets", "The Sound of Music", "An Affair to Remember", "Little Mermaid", "Beauty and the Beast", "Pretty Woman", "My Best Friend's Wedding", and "Bakit Labis Kitang Mahal".  There is more where that list came from.
10. I still daydream.

Now, the 10 poor victims I will tag, I mean, bestow this award to, are:

1. Alessandra
   
2. Skyjak a.k.a. BJ
3. Abi Franco
4. Karreen
5. Elmer
6. Dia
7. Adam
8. Jobelle
9. Dred
10. Sheila

Take your time, after all, it took me almost 2 weeks before "accepting" this award. ;)

Sweet Dreams Are Made of These

We've all read that forwarded message stating that we shouldn't postpone happiness, that we shouldn't wait until we've paid off our debts, won the battle against cancer, solved our family problems, reached 200% of our company targets, achieved a Pulitzer or Nobel prize, found our suitable partner, raised brilliant kids, or reached the Oscar Hall of Fame until we decide to be happy.

We can choose to be happy now, and when we do, we can recognize just how much we are blessed. I have been overwhelmed with the gift of friendship that God has given me. I do not deserve to have such wonderful people praying for me, taking care of me, listening to me, laughing with me, counting on me, sharing with me, rooting for me, and giving to me. It is not all about me, but about how God has placed the right combination of people so that I won't be led astray.

I am very happy now, and I hold on to the feeling with delightful bliss, for as a recovering perfectionist happy moments are few and far between (yes, despite the blessings).

The reasons for my happiness are endless.

My father celebrated his 73rd birthday last Saturday and despite the health scare last week, he is doing okay now and is even back to his usual daily routine. I am looking forward to a vacation with my family this coming January, when all of my siblings and siblings-in-law form abroad will be here in the Philippines. It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling, and I enjoy the planning and scheduling that is involved in anticipation of our family reunion.

I seem to be doing better in my job. After a year in my position, I am not as daunted by my responsibilities anymore, and I have learned to just give my best and let God do the rest. The formula, as always, has worked, for last month we reached our sales targets, with several team members performing way beyond expectation. Planning season is upon us and I savor it as a time to apply what I have learned the past year and to implement my plans for our products and our department.

And have I mentioned that I really do have wonderful friends? From grade school, high school, college, law school, Lingkod, parish, and office, I am surrounded by friends. This should not be, and it is not out of my sheer charm that this happened. God knows that I am a people person and I delight in organizing get-togethers and spending quality time with people I treasure.

Last night was one such happy event. To celebrate the birthday of our dear friend Fr Steve Tynan, Lingkod brothers and sisters who have come to know him through the years gathered at Dencio's for about five hours of fellowship. More get-togethers were planned, and friendships were strengthened. The conversation was life-giving to everyone. I had a personal relationship with everyone who was there and I was very glad to be sitting there, watching the people, joining the conversation, sharing the food, passing on the love.

Dencio's Capitol Hills was the perfect venue. We had a good view of the Marikina Valley, and we did not have to drive out of the city to do that. We enjoyed the sisig, the beer, the turon, and everything in between. We loved their coffee. It was surprisingly good. We definitely want to go back to that place.


It is nights like these that I celebrate, to help me survive the daily challenges of life. I am very grateful to God for all these blessings, and in response, I want to share His love to everyone around me. For His love is just abundant that I cannot contain it. I have to give it away.