Itagalog mo nga ito, plis

This will test the flip in you. I had a hard time acing it and I thought I was already good in tagalog (ehem). You got to try it if you know how to speak tagalog or is learning how to speak the language. Tell me your score. Have fun!


Itagalog mo nga ito, plis?


PS I just got this in the email and whoever did the macro should get the credit. The comment column is not intended to offend anybody... in other words... joke lang po :-)

I live for the weekends

I feel like a monday today after i had a three-day weekend. We took our daughter Abi out on her 2nd birthday which I will blog later. I want to post some of her photos. Meantime, I really love this cartoon of the work week. So true to me...

Because

"Because"
by Bishop T.D. Jakes

Just because someone may not have realized what a gold mine you are, doesn't mean you shine any less.

Just because someone may not have realized that you can't be topped, doesn't stop you from being the best.

Just because no one has come along to share your life, doesn't mean that day isn't coming.

Just because no one has made this race worthwhile, doesn't give you permission to stop running.

Just because no one has realized how much of an awesome woman you are, doesn't mean they can affect your femininity.

Just because no one has shown up who can love you on your level, doesn't mean you have to sink to theirs.

Just because you deserve the very best there is, doesn't mean that life is always fair.

Just because God is still preparing your king, doesn't mean that you're not already a Queen.

Just because your situation doesn't seem to be progressing right now, doesn't mean you need to change a thing.

Keep shining, Keep running, Keep hoping, Keep praying, Keep being exactly what you are already . . .COMPLETE!!

Kids Stuff, etc...

During the past few nights, I've been immersed in kids' videos mainly due to my 2-year old daughter who doesn't want to watch anything but them. There was also a time, I remember, that I can lipsynch the entire movie of "Finding Nemo" and my husband would just give me a quizzical look. Believe me, there are more lessons we can learn from these movies and sing-a-longs than reading the Cosmopolitan or Mademoiselle. Like these morning, I found myself humming to the tune of "When you wish upon a star."

"If your heart is in your dreams, no request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star as dreamers do ..." (that's the part I like)

Btw, I highly recommend Baby Einstein DVDs. My husband bought a set for the kids about a year ago from Costco and did not regret buying it... ever! Why? Nothing... my Abi just learned how to talk and identify things around her without us even teaching her... yun lang naman! I recall the first day that I opened that Baby Einstein package (it came with 12 DVDs for roughly $99.00). The first DVD that I opened was a language lab. Kids at the age of 0-36 months are being taught to say greetings, colors and names of toys in various languages (French, Japanese, Russian, etc). I was like ... whoa! If my kid doesn't turn into an genius, I'd make a refund! Anyhow, I'm trying to immerse my 11-month old son with these videos, too. You bet he won't turn his head to anything other than food when he's watching Baby Einstein. The moment he hears the intro music, he jumps and ignores everything around him. One more thing is that, these videos uses classical music as their background. Mind you, you wouldn't find the music boring at all. T'was arranged in such a way that it synchs with the toys that are shown. Enough of the endorsements. They didn't pay me to write these but this is just a mark of a well-satisfied customer.

------------------------------------------------------------

Got this one in my inbox today. Very true indeed...

Three things in life that, once gone, never come back -
Time, Words & Opportunity
Three things in life that may never be lost -
Peace, Hope & Honesty.
Three things in life that are most valuable -
Love, Self-confidence & Friends
Three things in life that are never certain -
Dreams, Success & Fortune
Three things that make a man -
Hard work, Sincerity & Commitment
Three things in life that can destroy a man -
Wine, Pride & Anger
Three things that are truly constant -
Father, Son and Holy Ghost

It's All About Them

There's nothing more amusing to me than observing my two bundles of joy grow and develop. A lot of people of say that my daughter is my exact copy even when she makes faces. They call her little Lora. I call her LJ (Lora Junior for short... hehehe). Her personality, though, is the exact opposite of mine. She's bubbly, always smiling, and seldom has bad moods. Well... I am not bubbly, at least not that bubbly. I try to smile, and I will have these moods maybe once a month (when my visitor is coming *lol*). Lately, it's like everything that these people say is true. I don't know if I should call my daughter a loner ... well maybe she just enjoys older people's company. Last weekend, there was a little get together in the house. All her cousins were there... and I tell you when they meet, they stick to each other. Abi would stick to them for a little bit then little by little would later be in the company of her grandma or aunt. I keep telling her to go and play with her cousins. She would oblige but only for a little time then come back to her own thing of discovering things. I don't really see anything wrong about it... it just makes me think... it makes me see myself with a little bit of that "anti-social" personality. I don't know why I don't easily feel comfortable with people, maybe because I can secretly tell the aura of a person the moment I talk to him or her. I don't know, it's just it always turns out that my gut feeling is true. I can also tell if a person is genuine or not just by shaking hands with them. I am not a psychic nor a fortune teller. It's something I probably have developed over the years trying to look from the top.

Anyway, what I really wanted to say is that my two kids are everything to me. Ganuon pala pag nanay ka na... you think of them first. You let them eat first even if you have nothing to eat later. You make sure they are comfortable when they sleep even if you have to sleep at the very edge of the bed just to make sure they have enough space. You wake up countless nights when they cry. You can't stand to hear their cry, you got to get up and check what's wrong... even if it's 2:30 in the morning and you are very sleepy and you have work in the morning, too. A lot of sacrifices on the parent's part. But I don't have regrets. It's ok if I can't go to the movies for now or wake up late on weekends. I think I would die if I loose them. *Sniff*

Brown Bag

Every now and then in the office, we would go out and have lunch at various restaurants in downtown. They didn't have any problem asking me coming with them, but today, it was different. Early this year, when we started paying for the mortgage of our house, I felt the crunch of having to stick to a budget - no ifs no buts. We have two kids and living in California is just very much like living in Hawaii, cost-of-living-wise. I have to let go of some of the "luxuries" in life - the cable (it was hard to let go at first), buying or eating out every lunch time, a new cellphone, trips to the mall (now I just go there when I need to buy something, better yet, I go downtown!), and I could go on and on with the list. I became a member of the "soup" club - you eat instant soup at lunch ( I have a stash of them in my drawer). I literally became frugal. Being frugal is not bad (as long as you know how to carry yourself).

My boss was telling me, "Now, Lora, come with us for lunch. Life is too short. Enjoy it." He's a spinster and I told myself as far as I know I've enjoyed life already... hehehe. I'm actually happy with what I have. I've got 2 bundles of joy, a loving husband and a very supportive family. What else can I ask for? Sure, I can use a little money to buy material things, but that's not all there is to it. You have to feel happy, too. Happy with what you have. Happy, I still have my health, my kids' health, my husband's.

Yes, I brought my lunch today and will bring it everyday.

Go Christians!

This is what I've always wanted to see and hear.

Keep this moving, it speaks for itself.

Samuel Thompson wrote: "I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December." I don't agree with Darwin, but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his theory of evolution. Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game. "But it's a Christian prayer," some will argue. Yes, and this is the United States of America, a country founded on Christian principles. And we are in the Bible Belt. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches out number all others better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect-somebody chanting Hare Krishna? If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer. If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer. If I went to a ping pong match in China, I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha. And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit. When in Rome...

"But what about the atheists?" is another argument. What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of earplugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer. Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations. Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us "to pray without ceasing". Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying. God, help us. And if that last sentence offends you, well...just sue me. The silent majority has been silent too long... it's time we let that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard, that the vast majority don't care what they want...it is time the majority rules! It's time we tell them, you don't have to pray, you don't have to say the pledge of allegiance, you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honor Him. That is your right, and we will honor your right... but by golly you are no longer going to take our rights away. We are fighting back...and we WILL WIN! After all, the God you have the right to denounce is on our side! God bless us one and all, especially those who denounce Him. God bless America, despite all her faults. Still the greatest nation of all... God bless our servicemen who are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God...

May 2004 be the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions.

Keep looking up... In GOD We Trust.